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Pi posts

Filed under: iPod Family, Bugs/Recalls, iPhone

Apple's tasty calculator mistake


In a recent tip, TUAW reader Dr. Drang told us about a bug he found on the iPhone/iPod touch's calculator. According to his research, when you type π × 2 + 5 = into the calculator you get 11.283... (the correct answer). However, when you reverse the Pi and 2, entering 2 × π + 5, the answer given is 7.

This error can be demonstrated by entering Pi (3.141592654) manually, instead of using the Pi button -- you will get the correct answer each time. Therefore, this error only shows up when you use the Pi button.

So, be sure to read up on this bug from the tipsters website before you use the calculator for anything too important.

Update: Reader Vineet writes in the comments to note that he believes this behavior is typical of stack-based calculators and should be considered more of an operator-expectations issue than a true bug. Dr. Drang responds (with a little bit of attitude) to disagree, maintaining that the behavior is a legitimate bug.

Thanks for the tip, Dr. Drang!

Filed under: Accessories

My Mac needs a Tardis

The boys at BoingBoing stumble across so many wonderful things--and today they've topped themselves again. A Tardis-shaped USB hub. I want one. No, I need one.

Not just for me, but for my Mac. Because I'm unselfish like that. Call me a geek, call me a nerd, whatever. The Tardis-hub has 4 ports and it goes vwooorp-vwooorp when you plug in a device. Can technology get any better than that? I think not. It's theoretically for sale over at Firebox, but the page says it's currently unavailable. Nothing, of course, that a little space-time manipulation can't solve. If US purchasers don't mind ordering overseas, it's available at Amazon UK (for £14.99), Forbidden Planet, Play.com, and so forth.

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