Linuxworld was quiet but had its moments. The Golden Penguin Bowl, for example, featured techies from Google and Microsoft squaring off for braggin’ rights to … I’m not sure what exactly. The Microsoft team, amazingly, didn’t know when Windows 1.0 was released. And Google won, which is probably apt because Google’s a big Linux proponent and Microsoft, well, isn’t.

The big news last week was of Kevin Gilroy’s upcoming departure from HP after 24 years. The CRN reporter who broke this one reached Gilroy, who most recently headed HP’s SMB efforts, poolside last week to confirm the scoop.

One of David Letterman’s Top 10 lists last week caught many industry eyeballs. Among “The Top 10 Signs Your Kid Is Spending Too Much Time On The Internet” were, No. 8: On his wall—a poster of Jonathan Schwartz, president and COO of Sun Microsystems. No. 6: Bought his prom date on eBay. No. 3: Sitting alone in a room has left him with the people skills of Dick Cheney.

Here’s a stocking stuffer for kids like that: WiFi Spray. An actual listing on eBay promises that the $9.95 spray will speed data transfer by overcoming the effects of pollution in the air. The patented formula works with all 802.xx standards, according to the post.

Some VARs wonder about Sun’s decision last week to end its SunFund program, which provides marketing and training co-op dollars, and replace it next year. Word is it will end on Sept. 30 and be replaced on Feb. 1. That’s four months without those dollars flowing to the channel. One VAR wonders if this is more an austerity measure than program revamp.

That VAR also questions why Sun is changing programs when the vendor has yet to address what some see as an overly large head count. If Sun can’t address head-count issues, how can it expect Wall Street to favor its StorageTek acquisition, the VAR asked.

“Usually, when there’s an acquisition, there’s an overlap in administrative functions,” the VAR said. StorageTek shareholders vote Aug. 30 on whether to accept Sun’s offer.

Al Shugart, former Seagate CEO and hard-drive industry pioneer, may be handing the “Alan Shugart Trophy” to the top storage team later this month. Top foosball team, that is.

The Storage Networking Industry Association has several plugfests a year in Colorado Springs where storage engineers spend 22 hours a day doing interop testing and two hours blowing off steam at foosball. The SNIA started handing out a trophy a few years ago and called it the Alan Shugart Trophy just because, I guess, the guy is famous. This year, for the third annual contest, Shugart himself might actually show up to give the award.