Quick Takes: Sleep app-nea

An internet outage in October led to furious social media complaints and a host of inconveniences, but the owners of some technologically advanced beds literally lost sleep over it. Amazon Web Services reported an outage in the early morning hours of Oct. 20 that led to a cascade of internet-related problems. Because many services use AWS servers, the interruption caused social media sites, gaming platforms, and mobile apps to grind to a halt. Also affected: a niche New York City–based mattress maker known as Eight Sleep whose tech-forward bed kits offer a plethora of customizable features. That is, if the internet is working. For some smart bed users, their first indication of the AWS outage was waking up in a pool of sweat as their bed’s temperature control got jammed to maximum heat. Others woke to find their bed’s adjustable base contorting their bodies as the bed shifted into an extreme incline. In the days after the mishap, company officials said engineers were working on a backup program that can still function during an AWS outage and prevent similar problems in the future.

Not a flight of fancy

Unable to find electricity through normal means, some American data centers are turning to an unusual source to keep the lights on. At an October trade show, an official with natural-gas provider ProEnergy revealed the company had repurposed some 21 aviation jet engines to generate electricity for two data center projects this year. ProEnergy Vice President Landon Tessmer said the jet engines will provide power to the new data centers until the projects can fully connect to the broader power grid or construct their own power plants. The engines come from jumbo jets like the 747 and can generate electricity after a host of modifications.

Whipped into a frenzy

Just in time for pumpkin pie season: A Canadian thief made off with 30 pallets of whipped cream inside an unattended trailer. Early on the morning of Oct. 29, Guelph, Ontario, police say a thief drove a truck to the Gay Lea Foods facility and used it to hook up the refrigerated trailer before absconding with its contents. Police don’t know whether the thief was after the trailer or the $80,000 worth of whipped cream inside. The sweet cream robbery follows a spate of large-scale butter thefts that took place over the past two years in the region.

Frank conversations

After the government shutdown freed him from his day job as an IRS lawyer, Isaac Stein finally found time to pursue his real passion: hot dogs. In September, Stein began planning for potential furlough by securing permits to run a Washington, D.C., food stand selling New York–style franks. The tax lawyer named his cart Shysters Dogs under the motto “the only honest ripoff in D.C.” Besides jokes, Stein has two main offerings: a “correct hot dog” with mustard and sauerkraut or a “hot dog with the wrong toppings” that Stein allows customers to customize for $1 extra. “No judgment,” Stein told NPR. “But I do reserve the right to assess an additional dollar as a penalty.”

Keeping them in check

Security guards rifled through bags outside Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, looking for contraband ahead of the Oct. 25 football game between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. What prompted the extra security? Tortillas. Texas Tech fans have a decades-long tradition of showering the field with tortillas to celebrate their team. But school officials ended the practice after referees issued unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Texas Tech during an Oct. 11 home win. In protest, many Red Raider fans attended the Oct. 25 home game with blankets and shirts emblazoned with tortilla prints. Before the season began, Big 12 conference officials voted to ban tossing foreign objects onto the field. Texas Tech cast the lone objection.

Towering reputation

A new tower installed atop a Catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 30 put the church known as Sagrada Familia one step closer to completion. The tower also pushed the famously ornate building over the top, making it officially the tallest church in the world. The addition brought the basilica’s height to 534 feet, just taller than Ulmer Münster in Germany. Construction on the building project began in 1882 and the main structure is expected to be completed next year. Sagrada Familia has in recent decades drawn millions of tourists who want to see architect Antoni Gaudi’s unique design and the building’s famous sculptured façade.

Not dressed for success

Zoom court is still court: There are standards. A police officer appearing as a witness during an online hearing Oct. 27 challenged those standards when a Michigan judge called him out for not wearing any pants. The officer appeared dressed in his uniform shirt during a reckless driving and public intoxication case. When the officer’s camera shifted to reveal his lower body, Detroit-based Judge Sean Perkins asked him, “You got some pants on, officer?” He did not and admitted as much as he adjusted his camera. Happily for the court, the officer was at least wearing underwear.