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Google, Virgin America host web event to push in-flight WiFi

As a way of promoting cloud computing in the skies, Google and Virgin America area teaming up for "A Day in the Cloud" event on June 24 that includes an online geek scavenger hunt of sorts. Google has come up with some questions that will send participants into the Web to find the answers - and no, these aren't "What's the Capital of Montana?
Written by Sam Diaz, Inactive

As a way of promoting cloud computing in the skies, Google and Virgin America area teaming up for "A Day in the Cloud" event on June 24 that includes an online geek scavenger hunt of sorts. Google has come up with some questions that will send participants into the Web to find the answers - and no, these aren't "What's the Capital of Montana?" type questions. These are SAT-like questions that will involve some serious Web surfing to answer.

The day's events are built around two Virgin America flights that take off and land at roughly the same times on June 24 - one flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles and the other flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Participants in the challenge have one hour to complete the quiz, which consists of 10 rounds of questions.

As much trouble as I had with one round of practice round of questions and a 10-minute countdown clock ticking, I don't know that I could get through the 10 rounds in one hour. Consider this sample question:

This 5-letter word can mean a sequence of steps that demonstrate a valid conclusion or an action required for making bread. It’s also the name of an award winning play, which was then turned into a movie. What’s this word?

Or this question:

Mr. Perez sat down to check his Gmail today. He stepped to the next older conversation in his inbox and opened it. He read the message, thought it important, and starred it. After archiving the thread he was back at his inbox. "Heh," he thought, "I’ve just typed my first name." What is Mr. Perez’s first name?

Winners of the challenge will receive a "Year in the Cloud" gift set, a $5,000 value prize that includes a new HP netbook and 1 terabyte of Google Account storage, as well as free flights on Virgin America for a year and complimentary in-flight WiFi.

Think you're ready? Try the practice test now.

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