While we love the cute guinea pigs in their wee space suits, E-tales is unconvinced by Telecom's recent prize offering of a trip into space for two lucky customers who sign up for broadband with its ISP, Xtra, during the next two months.

Apparently, the civilian astronauts get to hitch a ride at 85,000ft on a Russian MiG-25 fighter plane. A what? Yep, an aeroplane, albeit a super-duper one, but still a strictly domestic beast, in our view at least. And 85,000ft? No, that is not outer space. It certainly qualifies as the outer reaches of the atmosphere, but, according to the United States Department of Defense, space begins at 81kms (50 miles) -- 85,000ft is just under 26kms. The department awards all pilots who fly above this altitude astronaut wings. Obviously, the craft flown are mainly spacecraft, although a few X-15 pilots have flown at this altitude.

We feel the Xtra marketing department maybe a bit spaced out -- but their prize certainly isn't.

When size counts

King Kong versus the 800lb gorilla? EDS, the beneficiary of more than NZ$1 million (US$688,000) in government funding for its "Best Shore" project in 2003, last month trumpeted the number of jobs it has subsequently created. Around the same time, it was revealed that film producer Peter Jackson's company would receive NZ$25 million in tax breaks for King Kong -- presumably having also created jobs, albeit some in the short-term.