Tech Exult Finals - XINO 2016

TECH EXULT FINALS
November 5, 2016

RULES
• Infinite Bounce + Pounce will be followed
throughout the quiz.
• +20 / -10 on pounce and +10 on bounce.
• No negatives on a maximum of 3 ‘Harambe’
pounces.
• The quizmaster’s decision is final and binding.
• You have read and agree to the terms and
conditions.

___________ is a cliché comment to mark the initial discovery of a
post. Due to its insubstantial nature, ___________ is often perceived
as a type of trolling behavior meant to frustrate and annoy other
users.
Fark, the community news site enabled a word filter to change the
words “___________ post” to slang for prominences found on torso
of female primates and time warp the comment to be 12 hours
into the future, preventing it from appearing at the top.
FITB.
1

The word X is commonly used in science to describe a large
agglomeration of objects that appear, from a distance, as a X.
Another explanation is that the old programs that drew network
schematics surrounded some icons with a circle and the
overlapping circles resembled a X.
In analogy, the word X was used as a metaphor for the internet
and a X shape was used to denote a network or the internet in
network diagrams like in the original ARPANET schematics.
XY was first used in its modern sense in a Compaq internal
document and the popularisation of the term can be traced to
2006 when Amazon introduced its Elastic Y’X.
XY?
2

3
Golden Bonds is a mobile application on Android and iOS to
help architects and interior designers tackle various problems on
site related to different surfaces and substrates. It serves as a
quick and easy tool which can be downloaded on a phone to
get instant access to the correct solution.
The app has two sections: (a) solutions to your problems and (b)
surface to substrate.
Which corporation is behind this app?

4
Directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson, the English-
language French action-thriller film Taken was initially released in
February 2008.
In the film, this quote is uttered by the protagonist Bryan Mills
(portrayed by Liam Neeson), a retired C.I.A operative and divorced
dad in search of his missing teenage daughter, in a telephone
conversation during which Mills speaks with the kidnappers of his
daughter for the first time.
This memorable quote, along with other parts of the intense
monolgue, is commonly used as a phrasal template for heckling
comments, most typically in the form of reaction images.
What am I talking about?

I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

Even though X is more traditionally thought of as being for those
dispensing with clothing than acquiring it, in January 2016, X
made its fashion debut with a live-stream of the fall 2016 men’s
wear show of J. W. Anderson as it hits the runway at London
Collections: Men.
In August, X introduced a 29-piece menswear line. ‘The Varsity
Collection’ was created in collaboration with printing design
studio, Print All Over Me (PAOM) and all proceeds from the
collection went to Athlete Ally, a charity focused on ending
homophobia and transphobia in sports. The line is marketed as
”Clothing and Accessories for the Guy who Likes to Break a
Sweat… And Always Makes It To The Finish Line”.
X?
5

In 1949, famous American calligrapher Lloyd Reynolds began
teaching calligraphy classes at Reed College. After his retirement,
the program was continued by Robert Palladino until its
cancellation in 1984.
Each January, before the beginning of second-semester, Reed
also holds an interim period for unstructured independent study
(called Paideia). The classes are intended to be informal, yet
intellectual activities, free of the academic pressure.
The Paideia usually features a short course on calligraphy as well
as informal, weekly gatherings of aspiring calligraphy enthusiasts,
effectively keeping the course alive.
Identify the tech connect.
6

Steve Jobs credited the course for inspiring him
to create quality typefaces for the Macintosh.

8
He is Syed Rizwan Farook.
He was the root cause of
which technological debate in
2016?

9
Chuck E. Cheese's is a chain of American family entertainment
centers. It serves pizza and other menu items, complemented by
arcade games, amusement rides, and animatronic displays as a
focus of entertainment for the entire family.
The brand derives its name from its main animatronic character
Chuck E. Cheese, a comedic mouse who sings and interacts with
guests. It was the first family restaurant to integrate food,
animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade.
The concept was authored by X who was seeking to expand the
purview of video game arcaxdes beyond more adult locations like
pool halls to a kid and family friendly venue.
Who?

10
Welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White
House in 2015, Barack Obama noted the arrival of the official
delegation was an opportunity to celebrate the country’s cultural
contributions to the United States.
“Today is also a chance for Americans, especially our young
people, to say thank you for all the things we love from Japan.
Like karate and karaoke,” Obama said to laughter during remarks
the arrival ceremony. “Manga and anime. And, of course, X.” he
added.
Identify X.

I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.

The Pentalobe security screw is a five-
pointed tamper-resistant system built
and primarily used by X in its products.
Which company pioneered the
pentalobe screw?
13

14
The legacy of what started with Toy Story 1 (1995) and ended
with Inside Out (2015)?

15
What unimaginative name does this Lenovo laptop have?

17
“Anything can be forced to __________, but the problem is that
products are about tradeoffs, and you begin to make tradeoffs to
the point where what you have left doesn't please anyone. You
can __________ a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are
probably not gonna be pleasing to the user.” said Tim Cook,
during Apple’s 2012 Q2 earnings call, taking a stab at X’s strategy
with the Y lineup.
X and Y?

20
Identify this ATAP project.

21
After 2013, 2016 was the first time X rocked the world, albeit in a
different capacity.
In April of this year, X dropped a red-hot techno track called Exit
co-recorded with French music icon Jean-Michel Jarre on Jarre’s
YouTube channel.
Jarre described his music, over which X performs, as a “hectic,
obsessive techno track, trying to illustrate the idea of this crazy
quest for big data on one side and the manhunt for this one
young guy by the _____, _____ and ____ on the other.”
X?

22
“____ are humans too” is a key element the philosophy of
Wikipedia and all Wikimedia projects.
Many users believe that unregistered users' sole contributions to
Wikipedia are to cause disruption to articles and that they have
fewer rights as editors compared with registered users. Wikipedia
claims that though most vandalism is generated by unregistered
editors, over 80% of edits by unregistered users were not
vandalism. Because of these misconceptions, edits by unregistered
users are mistakenly reverted and discounted. As current policy
stands, unregistered users have the same rights as registered
users to participate in the writing of Wikipedia.
FITB.

23
"Today, X announced its intent to acquire Y. This deal is still
pending regulatory review and a successful pitch by X managing
partner Doug Leone. We’re not disclosing the financial terms, but
I’ll just say we're once again the largest outside shareholders in
Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe.
… The acquisition will enable our firms to realize a number of
operational synergies. We have a blog and Y doesn’t. Y’s day-long
Monday partner meetings will be replaced with Tuesday night
dinners.
… The new X logo will be changed from orange to green as it is
the color of Y leaves and money.”
X and Y?

25
The following graph shows the trends in usage of X and Y on
Reddit. X and Y are internet slangs term, often used in online
gaming to indicate that someone has been embarrassed. It is
safe to say that Y got X.
Give me X and Y.

26
Connect.
Abstract Portrait, Aviator, Bobbie, Candy, Canyon, Caribbean,
Coloured Sky, Composition, Curly Hair, Curtain, Dallas, Dancers in
Blue, Dancers in Pink, Daryl Feril, Dreams, Electric, Femme, Flame
Flowers, #FollowMeTo, #GettUrban, Gothic, Heisenberg, Ice Cream,
Illegal Beauty, Impression, Light Summer Reading, Love, Marcus D
– Lone Wolf, Mark, MIOBI, Mondrian, Mononoke, Mosaic, Paper
Art, Peace, Raoul, Red Head, Robots, Roland, Roy, Running in the
Storm, The Scream, Speed, Tears, Tokyo, Transverse Line, Udnie,
Urban, Wave, We can do it!

27
In a blog post titled “PETA has come to X”, the animal rights
organisation announced it has set up its own X server.
“Animal-loving X builders, your wish has been granted! PETA has
launched an animal utopia on the popular X system.
True to PETA’s mission—and unlike on other X servers—no
animals, not even digital ones, can be harmed on our dedicated X
server! Visitors to PETA’s custom-made digital island can explore
vast expanses of landscapes where the animals of X roam free.
They can also visit extensive vegetable and flower gardens, walk
through a fantastic re-creation of PETA’s HQ, and discover an
abandoned and decaying slaughterhouse.”
X?

28
When Apple launched its its new desktop operating system El
Capitan, it was taglined “There’s more to love with every ________”.
To avoid any misrepresentation, Apple made a tiny, hilarious tweak
to its website’s CSS code. By wrapping a span around ________,
Apple increased the kerning in the word, thus preventing its first
two letters to be mistaken for a ‘d’. Otherwise, “Upgrade Now”
would have taken on a whole different meaning.
FITB.

There’s more to love with every click.

29
A X is the gesture to signal triumph. Figuratively, it is a display of
bold confidence following a successful performance.
According to an article on Slate titled “The History of the X,” the
practice of X was popularized by rappers and comedians in the
1980s. The earliest known example occurred during comedian
Eddie Murphy’s 1983 stand-up special Delirious. The earliest
known reference to a X in hip hop is contained within the 1987
track “I Ain’t No Joke” by Eric B. & Rakim.
Now, X has become widely popular and has even been used by
Barack Obama. It was also introduced to, but, following criticism,
quickly removed from, Gmail earlier this year.
X?

30
Identify this widely advertised application.

31
The term X originally comes from Broadway theater, where it was
used to describe wealthy individuals who provided money for
theatrical productions that would otherwise have had to shut
down.
In 1978, William Wetzel, then a professor at the University of New
Hampshire and founder of its Center for Venture Research,
completed a pioneering study on how entrepreneurs raised seed
capital in the USA, and brought the term X to its modern use.
X?

32
The inventive folks over at M3D (a 3D printing company) have
created the fancifully named M3D Twisty __________ ___________.
Explain.

Earrings to catch falling AirPods

33
X is a serial entrepreneur, iOS and web developer and podcaster
known for co-founding Tumblr and developing Overcast and
Instapaper.
He hosts several podcasts like The Accidental Tech Podcast, Build
and Analyze, etc.
In 2015, X released Peace, a Safari content blocker for iOS 9 using
the Ghostery database. After Peace had held the top spot on the
App Store's list of paid apps for 36 hours, X pulled it from the App
Store, stating he didn't feel good with its resounding success
because ad-blockers hurt some people, including many who don't
deserve the hit.
X?

34
”X announced this week that they’ve joined our fight to use
technology to improve sleep.
There is a lot to be done. Indeed, workers on the Y have nearly
double the lifetime risk of cancer, and much of this is believed to
be driven by exposure to bright light at the wrong times.
X’s involvement in fixing this problem is a big commitment and an
important first step.
We’re proud that we are the original innovators and leaders in this
area. In our continued work over the last seven years, we have
learned how complicated people actually are.”
Identify ‘we’ and Y.

35
"Your covetable products, your frictionless website, your killer
brand — they all count for nothing when your delivery partner
drops the ball," Bex Rad, VanMoof’s creative director said in a post
on Medium.
Dutch bicycle manufacturer VanMoof found that its products were
reaching customers damaged and thus came up with a clever
solution to the problem.
Since few people equate expensive bikes with electronics, by
making its shippers think that they were transporting something
else, the company found instantaneous results with shipping
damage dropping by 70-80 percent.
What was their solution?

The company printed a flatscreen television on
their bike boxes.

36
What does Muphry’s Law state?
Similar laws have also been coined, usually in the context of online
communication, under names including Umhoefer's Rule, Skitt's
Law, Hartman's Law of Prescriptivist Retaliation (or The Law of
Prescriptive Retaliation), The Iron Law of Nitpicking, McKean's Law,
and Bell's First Law of USENET.

If you write anything, criticizing editing or
proofreading, there will be a fault of some kind in
what you have written.

37
X applied for a U.S. patent on Y in 2013, but it was rejected for
being obvious.
According to X, Y makes supply and demand match efficiently in
order to ensure the waiting time is almost always below five
minutes, regardless of the circumstances. Y increases economic
efficiency in two ways: 1. rising prices motivate more _________and
2. when there are not enough _________ for everyone, the rising
prices ensures only customers whose needs are highest are served.
Many airline and hotel companies also price dynamically although
this is often not clear, whereas X makes its pricing transparent.
Y?

39
In a blog post on 9th May 2012, X announced a spinoff for the
Chinese market.
“Today, X unveiled its new, completely separate, Chinese service
called Yinxiang Biji ( ) to give our users in China a great X
experience. The name means Memory Notes or Impression Notes.
As a happy coincidence, the second character, , means _________.”
ID the company.

41
Universal Pictures created a trailer for a fictional 3D film advertised
in the future setting.
Pepsi produced a limited run of the "Pepsi Perfect" soft drink,
including the unique bottles.
Ford allowed users configuring a Ford Focus on their website to
add an accessory as a $1.2 million option.
Nintendo released the game Wild Gunman.
The edition of USA Today used a mock-front page and on the real
front page, the USA Today blue dot was replaced with a drone
camera.
When did this happen?

This Coca-Cola ad was created by
Hong Kong design student
Jonathan Mak Long. He claims to
love combining various element to
create visual puns.
Jonathan is most popular for
creating another image he calls
”Less is, More or Less, More”, which
went viral in 2011.
What is Jonathan’s claim to fame?
42

43
This acronym was first referenced online as early as October 1999
in an article on the Internet Chess Club website about gaming
etiquette.
“Some people get extremely annoyed at those who were raised
with good manners. I confess I am one of them. But why should
my blood boil after someone sends me a, X or a “tx”? Isn’t the
person just showing good sportsmanship? Like many chess
players, I am a very sore loser. The last thing in the world I want to
hear is X’. Was it really a X’? Did I not just hang my queen? How
was this a X’? Thanks for letting me know what a X’ me it was for
YOU, buddy.”
X?

GAME CHANGER
• 6 questions on a weighted buzzer for 10, 20
and 40 points.
• ± points buzzed for on correct and
incorrect answer respectively.
• Buzzer control will not be passed.
conditions.

This is Vinith Mishra, an MIT graduate and a Ph.D. student
at Stanford. He is also a part of the research wing of IBM's
Watson Group. His claim to fame is a research paper he
co-authored with Professor Tsachy Weissman on a
probabilistic model for stimulating a large male audience.
Though his name does not appear as an author of the
publication, the authors (Dinesh Chugtai and Bertram
Gilfoyle) BUZZ credit him with doing pretty much
everything. Identify the research paper.

She is Dr. Maryam Modjaz, an assistant professor in
Astrophysics at the Center for Cosmology and
Particle Physics of the NYU Physics department. We
all saw her face last month in an advertisement in
which she explained the concept of luminance. She
stood in a classroom and defined nits as a unit of
brightness BUZZ for phone screens. Where did we
all see her?

These were initially located the basement of a home in
Chappaqua, New York. In 2013, the information was
migrated to a data center in New Jersey before being
handed over to Platte River Networks, a Denver-based
information technology over the internet and delivered by
Outlook Web App. Their corresponding webpages are
secured with a TLS certificate to allow information to be
transmitted securely. However, prior to 2009, the
webpages were reportedly not secured with a TLS
certificate BUZZ, meaning that information transmitted
using the service was unencrypted and have been liable to
interception.
What am I talking about?

Hillary Clinton’s Email Servers

Albert Scaglione BUZZ is the founder and CEO the
Park West Gallery. Park West states that it is "the
world's largest art dealer" based on its volume of
sales.
He came into news in early July when the Southfield
gallery owner was with his son-in-law Tim Yanke
near the Bedford exit of the Pennsylvania turnpike.
What happened?

In “The Beta Test Initiation”, Raj develops a peculiar
relationship with this woman. BUZZ Contrary to his usual
inability to speak to women, Raj is able to talk to her. She
claims to lack a marital status when Raj questions her
romantic availability. Their first “date” occurred when Raj
asked about coffee and she informed him of coffee shops
nearby. Sheldon thought that Raj has taken an
evolutionary leap in romantically bonding while Howard
and Bernadette found this creepy.
Who is she?

BUZZ “Turtles all the way down” is a jocular expression of
the infinite regress problem in cosmology. The metaphor
in the anecdote represents a popular notion of the theory
that Earth is actually flat and is supported on the back of a
World Turtle, which itself is propped up by a chain of
larger and larger turtles.
This metaphor was used by Elon Musk when he tweeted
he will check out a particular game and also reaffirmed his
firm belief in the __________ theory. FITB.

SPECIAL THANKS TO
QUIZ FORMAT
Sayam Kanwar
COMPUTER FACULTY
Molly Ma’am
Ruchika Ma’am
Anshu Ma’am

GAME CHANGER
GAME CHANGER
• Teams are required to wager their points
before the question.
• ± points wagered on correct and incorrect
answer respectively.
• A team with no points cannot wager.
conditions.

PLACE YOUR BETS
P.S. The next question is really easy.

Tech Exult Finals - XINO 2016

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