Many blame the betting industry, which offers wagers on not just the outcomes of contests, but also on virtually random events within them, such as the number of yellow cards issued in a football match, or the number of no-balls bowled during an innings in cricket.

ECONOMIST: Corruption in sport

Follow the break for the epic demo, and pay special attention to the white model when the rep pulls it out -- the back was supposed to be stylized Morse code that reads "I love Friday nights, " but apparently they ran out of space, so it's now just random dots on a cover.

ENGADGET: Video: Motorola CLIQ gets demoed in detail

But act like a nihilistic hacker bent on random digital mayhem, and law enforcement may just treat you like one.

FORBES: FBI's Lesson In iPad Hacking Charges: Don't Be A Troll

You know, kind of like when Sidney Bristo (Alias) is racing down an exhaust vent to 'disarm' a satellite gizmo on a random rocket just before the launch and therefore the utter distruction of the world but the rocket they show is the Saturn V used in the Apollo program.

ENGADGET: High-def presenting new challenges to set designers HD

Consumer publishing is a low-growth, low-margin business, but Pearson is probably stuck with Penguin Putnam because Bertelsmann, the only likely prospective purchaser, just bought Random House.

ECONOMIST: Educating Pearson