When I was a young boy growing up on an island, I would time and again hear grownup folks, especially the men who were having fun with their glasses of cheap liquor and some native brews, singing songs with on-the-naughty-side lyrics. Too young to fully comprehend what those songs were saying,

I nevertheless thought those rhymes were fun with their irreverent pokes at life and people who thought they were bigger than life.

There were songs about a wide range of subjects and topics including a biblical king cavorting with frogs; of men and women doing things first discovered by Adam and Eve; and of policemen doing funny things under the bridge.

In a way, it was good that I and my pals were too young to understand those songs and their message. Also, this corner is quite thankful those songs did not come with back-masked versions.
You may now remove that smirk from your face.

Walkman Does Water

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony recently introduced the NWZ-W252 digital audio player from the Walkman W Series. Designed with fitness enthusiasts and outdoorsy types, the Sony MP3 player comes with a body designed to withstand encounters with water.

Its light, water-resistant body makes sure that the digital music player will function without a glitch even if used in the rain. Neil Sedaka would have loved this Sony player and sung "walking in the rain with the one I love, and music to boot."

The 2GB Walkman comes with Content Transfer software that can move audio files and playlists from a PC or iTunes library. A three-minute charge can give the Walkman some 90 minutes of playback time. That's a good one for people like me who too often forget to charge their mobile gadgets before leaving the house.

Ballmer Phones

What do you do when everything does not exactly turn out roses? Who do you call when life seems to be throwing nothing but the kitchen sink at you? Of course, you turn to your kin.

That's what Microsoft, the software giant whose mobile business is not exactly a box office hit, just did.

Seeking to rejuvenate its mobile phone business, Microsoft recently introduced two touchscreen phones – the Kin One and Kin Two. For sale exclusively by U.S.-based Verizon Wireless, and only in the U.S. market, the phones are manufactured by Japanese electronics giant Sharp Corp., maker of the popular Sidekick handsets.

The phones represent a departure for Microsoft from its usual mobile phone strategy. Unlike its previous stance of just developing the software (operating system) as with the latest Windows Phone 7, the software company has a lead role in the development and manufacture of the Kin phones.

The Kin phones are designed for consumers who want or need to stay connected with others via social networking Web sites, such as Facebook. Virtually idiot-proof, the phones are designed to work simply, and would not require users to browse around menus and icons.