On December 5th, Direct Merchandise Marketing (DMM) released a long-awaited statement that was supposed to explain just what had gone wrong in shipping its Matrix One tablet, a device we thought we might never see.

ENGADGET: Ginsu knives, psychic hotlines and a $90 tablet: the story behind the Matrix One (update: more details)

Nothing wrong with the slide rule, its users just run a big risk of not being successful against better tooled competitors.

FORBES: Throw that slide rule away! Use Facebook, iPhone, iPad, Groupon tools!

New York had another subpar shooting night Saturday, making just 40 percent of its shots, and again wound up on the wrong side of a 43-36 rebounding discrepancy.

WSJ: Anthony blocked in 4th as Knicks knocked out

Every newspaper is experimenting like mad these days, hoping to avoid extinction, but only the Post manages to wrong-foot itself just about every time it breaks its routine.

FORBES: A Brief History of the Washington Post's Screwups

But I think it would be wrong to think that Britain is just taking measures to reduce its deficit.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron Hold a Press Conference | The White House

It's just a theory, of course, but the sign of a worthy thriller may be how eagerly you want to revisit it, just to see where you went wrong or where the movie did, in timing its narrative twists and "aha!"

WSJ: Man on a Ledge | The Grey | Albert Nobbs | The Theatre Bizarre | Man on a Ledge Does a Balancing Act | Film Reviews by John Anderson

It will raise doubts about the system's ability to capitalise on its successes when it wants to innovate rather than just catch up, and to correct itself if it takes a wrong turn.

ECONOMIST: The visible hand