Staples’ ‘Easy’ button turns to dark side

This modified version of Staples’ “Easy” button certainly looks like a significant improvement on the original. A guy named Al Cohen hacked the button and reconfigured it to spit out nasty, angst-ridden phrases, which would come in a lot more handy in your typical office than a perky, idiotic “That was easy!” Check out this PDF to see how Al put this thing together. And if you think he’s just having fun, think again. Here’s part of his PDF intro/rant: “It seems that advertising agencies think that they can cram any amount of factitious crap down the gullible throats of the public. We need to remind them we are a heck of a lot smarter, and can process far more complex equations, just given half a chance. ... As a business owner of 25 years, I found the mere notion of pushing a magic button which solves all problems a slap in the face. Business is not easy. It takes a great deal of blood, sweat, tears, skill and perseverance to make it all happen. I couldn’t sit idly by when I saw this.” Six months after the button came out, Al exacted his revenge. Who can’t process complex equations quickly? Thanks to David for the tip.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

July 20, 2006 | Permalink