Switched http://www.switched.com Switched. http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) support@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[ACLU Helps Expelled Student Sue School for Illegal Cell Phone Search]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/09/03/aclu-helps-expelled-student-sue-school-for-illegal-cell-phone-se/ http://www.switched.com/2009/09/03/aclu-helps-expelled-student-sue-school-for-illegal-cell-phone-se/ http://www.switched.com/2009/09/03/aclu-helps-expelled-student-sue-school-for-illegal-cell-phone-se/#comments

On the behalf of a North Mississippi middle school student, the ACLU and its Mississippi chapter have filed suit against Southaven Middle School, claiming that administrators wrongfully expelled the boy after illegally searching his cell phone.

According to Cellular-News, 12-year-old Richard Wade's cell phone was confiscated after he was caught reading a text message. But rather than giving him detention, the honor student's football coach searched through his personal information, including pictures he had taken of himself dancing in his bathroom. After interpreting those dance moves as gang signs (wrongfully, the plaintiff's lawyers say), the coach alerted the rest of the staff, as well as the authorities. The whole escapade resulted in suspension, a disciplinary hearing, and ultimately the expulsion of young Wade -- all founded on the coach's claim that the youngster was throwing gang signs in the illegally seized images.

Continue reading ACLU Helps Expelled Student Sue School for Illegal Cell Phone Search

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ACLU Helps Expelled Student Sue School for Illegal Cell Phone Search originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cell phoneCellPhoneillegal searchIllegalSearchlawsuitsprivacyschooltextingtexting banTextingBantop Kendra Cunningham Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[High School and Porn Site Have Similar Web Addresses]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/30/high-school-and-porn-site-have-similar-web-addresses/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/30/high-school-and-porn-site-have-similar-web-addresses/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/30/high-school-and-porn-site-have-similar-web-addresses/#comments

A Florida high school is having serious problems with its Web presence, and it has nothing to do with viruses, spam, or hackers. Both PaceHighSchool.net and PaceHighSchool.com are working perfectly fine; unfortunately, one address is for a public Florida high school and the other is for a hardcore porno site.

Pace High School shares a domain name with a site owned by PimpRoll, the only difference being the '.net' and '.com.' Teachers and parents are terrified for their kids, and frustrated when they find themselves on the porn site PaceHighSchool.com. (The high school students, on the other hand, have probably been joking about it for months.)

Pace High School Principal Frank Lay told the NWF Daily News, "We found out about this site a couple of weeks ago and there is nothing we can do."

Continue reading High School and Porn Site Have Similar Web Addresses

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High School and Porn Site Have Similar Web Addresses originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> domaindomain namesDomainNamesfunnyhigh schoolHighSchoolicannporntopurl Kendra Cunningham Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:54:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[U.S. Lags Behind Latvia in Broadband Speeds ]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/26/u-s-lags-behind-latvia-in-broadband-speeds/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/26/u-s-lags-behind-latvia-in-broadband-speeds/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/26/u-s-lags-behind-latvia-in-broadband-speeds/#comments
Internet connection speeds are the modern day weather; conversations about upload speeds are just as common as comments about last night's thunderstorm. USA Today writes that a new report from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) reveals that broadband speeds are significantly faster in some areas than in others.

The average download speed for the U.S., reports CWA, is 5.2 megabits per second, but that could be drastically slower depending on where you live. Delaware has the fastest connection of any state, with an average of 9.9 megabits per second, while Alaska and Montana lag behind with a 2.3 average.

Why the vast difference? Much of it is due to the dispersed nature of the physical infrastructure of the Internet in the U.S. Telecom companies have consistently reserved faster speeds and better service for larger, more populated areas.

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U.S. Lags Behind Latvia in Broadband Speeds originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> broadbanddownloadinternetspeedtop Kendra Cunningham Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:23:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Frustrated Flyers Venting via Twitter]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/23/frustrated-flyers-venting-via-twitter/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/23/frustrated-flyers-venting-via-twitter/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/23/frustrated-flyers-venting-via-twitter/#comments
There are few things worse than a terrible flight. Long delays, endless taxing, and random layovers can make flying unbearable. Only in the last few years have passengers been able to do anything other than complain to the person next to them. Stranded, angry, and delayed passengers are filing their complaints on Twitter, much to the airlines' dismay.

A quick Twitter search for major airlines quickly reveals loads of negative flyer comments (e.g. Delta, American Airlines). "It's almost an underground rage factory," Terry Trippler of TripplersView.com, a travel review Web site, told Reuters.

Continue reading Frustrated Flyers Venting via Twitter

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Frustrated Flyers Venting via Twitter originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> airlinesconsumer rightsConsumerRightscontinentaltoptwitterunited airlinesUnitedAirlinesyoutube Kendra Cunningham Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:43:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[91-Year-Old Man + Rabbit-Hunting Ferrets = YouTube 'Stardom']]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/22/91-year-old-man-rabbit-hunting-ferrets-youtube-stardom/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/22/91-year-old-man-rabbit-hunting-ferrets-youtube-stardom/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/22/91-year-old-man-rabbit-hunting-ferrets-youtube-stardom/#comments Crotchety old men with curious accents and a penchant for smoking and swearing are, face it, charming. So England is touting its newest YouTube personality, Frank Farr, 91, of Budleigh Salterton, Devon, as harkening back to the good old days, when hunting rabbits meant ferrets and a snare.

The three-minute long YouTube video, made by Will Halfacree, is meant to teach younger generations of a dying trade, he told the Telegraph. Halfacree follows around Mr. Farr as the latter sends his two snow white ferrets into warrens, snagging the rabbits as they try to flee. Aside from the ferrets, Mr. Farr is only armed with a net, a metal hook on a stick, and a cigarette. "There's nothing quite like a good rabbit. He hasn't been injected with this, that, and the other," he explains in the video (featured above).

Continue reading 91-Year-Old Man + Rabbit-Hunting Ferrets = YouTube 'Stardom'

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91-Year-Old Man + Rabbit-Hunting Ferrets = YouTube 'Stardom' originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> englandferretingferretsfunnyhuntingoutdoorstopyoutube Kendra Cunningham Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:43:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Research Says]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/19/dna-evidence-can-be-fabricated-research-says/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/19/dna-evidence-can-be-fabricated-research-says/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/19/dna-evidence-can-be-fabricated-research-says/#comments It's hard to believe that crime scenes could get any more complicated than they are on 'CSI,' but The New York Times reports that scientists in Israel have discovered that DNA evidence can be fabricated -- and easily, at that. Apparently, DNA can be cooked up like cookies in an E-Z bake oven...

Scientists at the Tel Aviv-based company Nucleix have been able to infuse one individual's DNA into blood and saliva samples of a completely different person. Also, according to the research, DNA can be fabricated to match DNA profiles saved in databases, without even having an original sample.

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DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Research Says originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> crimednaevidencesciencetop Kendra Cunningham Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:18:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Wife of Twitter CEO Tweets During Child Birth]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/11/wife-of-twitter-ceo-tweeting-during-birth/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/11/wife-of-twitter-ceo-tweeting-during-birth/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/11/wife-of-twitter-ceo-tweeting-during-birth/#comments

Sara Morishige Williams, the wife of Twitter CEO Evan Williams, twittered the birth of the couple's first child to over 14,000 followers. Sara's going the old school route by sending in tweets via text message. Here's a sample birth-tweet: "Dear Twitter, My water broke. It wasn't like Charlotte in Sex and the City. Now, timing contractions on an iPhone app."

Starting this morning, Sara updated updated hourly with news of contractions, going to the hospital, and epidurals -- a bit too much information for us. Husand Evan Williams's tweet at 3:55pm EST confirmed the the healthy baby boy's birth; "Yes! @sara gave birth to a perfect baby boy. Both are well. 8 pounds, 21 inches! Smiles all around."

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Wife of Twitter CEO Tweets During Child Birth originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> birthtoptweettwitterweird Kendra Cunningham Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Cute-Seekers Overload Zoo's Panda Cam]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/11/cute-seekers-overload-zoos-panda-cam/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/11/cute-seekers-overload-zoos-panda-cam/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/11/cute-seekers-overload-zoos-panda-cam/#comments
The birth of a baby panda at the San Diego zoo attracted so many online viewers (perhaps one-upping the panda sneeze) that the zoo's webcam-feed up and crashed

Three-hundred-pound panda mom Bai Yun gave birth to a 4-ounce cub last Wednesday in front of a streaming webcam at the San Diego Zoo. Baby animals are always exciting (apparent after the Webby-award-nominated Shiba Inu puppy cam changed our lives), but the Internet may not be able to handle the fervor. Last Thursday, the video feed crashed as a mob of cute-seekers clicked to watch the one-day-old panda cub, the AP reported.

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Cute-Seekers Overload Zoo's Panda Cam originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> baby pandaBabyPandablogpandapanda camPandaCamsan diegoSanDiegozoo Kendra Cunningham Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:58:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[DesignYourDorm.com Lets Students Plan Their Room -- in 3-D]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/09/designyourdorm-com-lets-students-plan-their-room-in-3-d/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/09/designyourdorm-com-lets-students-plan-their-room-in-3-d/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/09/designyourdorm-com-lets-students-plan-their-room-in-3-d/#comments
Are you an incoming college freshman worried about sharing space with new, unknown, and potentially disastrous roommates? Well, luckily for you, a new site called DesignYourDorm allows college newbies to virtually plan their first-year space.

The site has 3-D models of average dorm rooms and allows users to drag and drop furniture to get an idea of how much space they'll have and how much stuff they should bring. Trying to move your whole life into an 8-by-12-foot room you have to share may not be the best idea. The site also allows two users to be in one virtual room at the same time, thus enabling future roommates to collaborate.

The site also has some real-world use, as it has teamed up with Amazon to provide real products to place in the room, automatically compiling a shopping list. Once a user is satisfied with her layouts, she can purchase items from that shopping list and have them delivered on move-in day.

According to TechCrunch, DesignYourDorm plans to team up with universities in order to feature actual floor plans. (The site is currently testing this strategy with the University of Pennsylvania.) Less time at Bed Bath and Beyond and more time comforting mom as her baby leaves the nest. [From: TechCrunch]

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DesignYourDorm.com Lets Students Plan Their Room -- in 3-D originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazonbacktoschoolcollegedesignyourdormfurniturehousingstudentstop Kendra Cunningham Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:07:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Will 'Smart Cane' Render Seeing-Eye Dogs Obsolete?]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/08/will-smart-cane-render-seeing-eye-dogs-obsolete/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/08/will-smart-cane-render-seeing-eye-dogs-obsolete/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/08/will-smart-cane-render-seeing-eye-dogs-obsolete/#comments Seeing-eye dogs may soon be looking for work as ordinary house pets, thanks to the development of a new "smart" walking cane. An engineering professor and his five students at Central Michigan University have developed a cane with a navigational system to aid the visually impaired.

According to Newsvine, the Smart Cane uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology (the same technology employed in those security tags on department stores' clothes) to "read" electronic tags placed on buildings. The cane, which contains an ultrasonic sensor, works in conjunction with a miniature navigational system carried inside a specially designed messenger bag. You can find images of the system here. A speaker located within the strap of the bag alerts the carrier of upcoming obstacles. (The students have also created a glove that vibrates in order to alert the hearing impaired.)

Continue reading Will 'Smart Cane' Render Seeing-Eye Dogs Obsolete?

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Will 'Smart Cane' Render Seeing-Eye Dogs Obsolete? originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> accessibilityblindcanegps Kendra Cunningham Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:39:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[YouTube Beauty Guru Debuts Makeup Line]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/07/u-k-youtube-star-debuts-makeup-line/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/07/u-k-youtube-star-debuts-makeup-line/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/07/u-k-youtube-star-debuts-makeup-line/#comments
U.K. Internet darling Lauren Luke, who has become an overnight YouTube sensation for her homemade makeup tutorials, has launched her own line of makeup at Sephora. "By Lauren Luke" premiered earlier this week with a grand opening at the Sephora in Times Square, PSFK reports. Check Lauren getting giddy about the line on her YouTube page.

The 27-year-old single mom got her start by broadcasting easy, how-to tutorials from her bedroom in England, teaching viewers how to recreate hard-to-do looks like Lady GaGa from her 'Paparazzi' music video and fresh, summer glows. Within months, Luke became the U.K.'s most popular YouTube personality, her 'Panacea81' channel (which is exclusively about makeup) having garnered hundreds of thousands of subscribers and millions of views.

Her new line debuted in New York City and features five color palettes with blush, eye shadow, and lip shades in various color genres like Sultry Blues, Vintage Glams, and Classic Smokey. Customers can visit her Web site, ByLaurenLuke.com to access her customary video tutorials for each palette. The line will hit 135 Sephora stores nationwide this September. [From: PSFK]

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YouTube Beauty Guru Debuts Makeup Line originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> beautybloggerslauren lukeLaurenLukemakeupsephoratopvideoyoutube Kendra Cunningham Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:38:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Kidz Bop Uses Auto-Tune for Kanye West Cover]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/07/kidz-bop-uses-auto-tune-for-kanye-west-cover/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/07/kidz-bop-uses-auto-tune-for-kanye-west-cover/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/07/kidz-bop-uses-auto-tune-for-kanye-west-cover/#comments
The Kidz Bop crew, known for family-friendly covers (drastically ranging in quality) of popular songs, isn't taking any direction from anti-auto-tune rapper Jay-Z. As part of a new album 'Super Mega Smash Hits... For Kids (With A Z),' the Kidz have inexplicably covered Kanye West's 'Heartless,' complete with computer-altered vocals.

Regardless of where you stand on the topic of kid-friendly covers (is it ever necessary?), 'Heartless' -- an electro-rap, downbeat track documenting a relationship turned sour from West's critically acclaimed '808s and Heartbreak' -- is an odd choice indeed. Furthermore, its creepy hearing a perfectly in-pitch chorus ('How can you be so heaaaartless?') of prepubescent kids singing the lyrics of a superstar with a flair for the extravagant. And let's be honest. Without an ego like West's, no middle schooler could ever hope to pull off the rapper's auto-tuned delivery. [From Idolator]

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Kidz Bop Uses Auto-Tune for Kanye West Cover originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> heartlesskanye westKanyeWestkidz bopKidzBoptop Kendra Cunningham Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:36:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Astronaut Brings Back Space Undies for Scientists to Study]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/02/astronaut-brings-back-space-undies-for-scientists-to-study/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/02/astronaut-brings-back-space-undies-for-scientists-to-study/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/02/astronaut-brings-back-space-undies-for-scientists-to-study/#comments
After four months in space, Koichi Wakata is returning to Earth -- and bringing his astronaut underwear with him. According to the Associated Press, scientists will be examining these experimental anti-bacterial, flame retardant, antistatic, and water-absorbent briefs. More importantly, the underwear (dubbed "J-Wear") is designed to be odor-free. Designed in Japan, the undies are made of a fabric composed of cotton and polyester. The seamless and light-weight material is also available in shirt, pants, and sock variations.

Since astronauts have no way of washing clothes, durability and length of wear are key as astronauts usually throw away worn clothes via cargo ships sent back into atmosphere. Wakata told the AP: "I wore them for about a month, and my station crew members never complained for about a month, so I think the experiment went fine." [From AP, via USA Today]

Astronaut Brings Back Space Undies for Scientists to Study originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> astronautclothesclothingexperimentalnasaouterspacespacetopunderwear Kendra Cunningham Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:58:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[How Not to Get Fired Over Internet Misuse at Work]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/08/01/how-not-to-get-fired-over-internet-misuse-at-work/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/01/how-not-to-get-fired-over-internet-misuse-at-work/ http://www.switched.com/2009/08/01/how-not-to-get-fired-over-internet-misuse-at-work/#comments
It's 2009, and surfing the Web during work is pretty much an accepted activity, but take heed -- when you're on company time and dime, you may still want to stick to the straight and narrow. According to the 2009 Electronic Business Communication Policies & Procedures Survey, 26-percent of bosses have fired workers for e-mail violations and 52-percent have fired workers over inappropriate general Internet use.

Examiner.com has posted some helpful pointers from the ePolicy Institute for employees who need to watch their Internet behavior. First, know that upper management is looking at your e-mail account. (If you're pretty sure they don't, just go ahead and assume anyway, because a shocking 66-percent of bosses monitor employees' Internet connections and an additional 43-percent watch workers' e-mails.)

Secondly, if you use a company computer, don't forget that it's not your personal space. When accessing your own e-mail or social networking account, you are forfeiting your right to privacy. Save Facebook for later.

Lastly, while the First Amendment might protect your blog in the courtroom, it won't protect you in the boardroom. Private companies can fire you for just about anything, including status updates. [From: Examiner, ePolicy Institute]

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How Not to Get Fired Over Internet Misuse at Work originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bosscompanyfiredinternetjobsmisusepolicytopworkplace Kendra Cunningham Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:25:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Seen-On-TV Gadget Claims to Slim Your Neck]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/07/13/seen-on-tv-gadget-claims-to-slim-your-neck/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/13/seen-on-tv-gadget-claims-to-slim-your-neck/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/13/seen-on-tv-gadget-claims-to-slim-your-neck/#comments Want to reverse the signs of aging with dramatic results guaranteed? Well, then just check out the newest, "As Seen on T.V." product, the Neckline Slimmer. With the spring-resisted pump that fits between the base of your neck and your chin, you can just pump out a few head nods and, apparently, lose those loose jowls instantly.

Advertised by former, but fairly undecorated Australian rugby player Paul Younane, this is the strangest gadget we've seen in weeks. Granted, we haven't tried it yet, but we're definitely skeptical. Do rugby players even have necks? This is just a spring in a tube, right?

But if you want to take the leap of faith and risk 20 bucks (plus shipping and handling), this "super great offer not available in stores" includes an instructional DVD, three different levels of resistance springs, a jar of accelerator firming cream, and, of course, a carrying baggy. Just let us know how shapely, or unaffected, your neckline becomes. [From: BuyNeckline via Coudal Partners]

Seen-On-TV Gadget Claims to Slim Your Neck originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> as seen on tvAsSeenOnTvcosmetic surgerycosmeticsCosmeticSurgeryinfomercialneckline slimmerNecklineSlimmertop Kendra Cunningham Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:38:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Sarah Palin Impersonated on Twitter, Site Institutes 'Verified' Status]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/07/10/sarah-palin-impersonated-on-twitter-site-institutes-verified/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/10/sarah-palin-impersonated-on-twitter-site-institutes-verified/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/10/sarah-palin-impersonated-on-twitter-site-institutes-verified/#comments

Sarah Palin may be receiving a surge of new friends on Facebook, but she's not getting quite the same warm welcome over on Twitter, where dozens of fake Sarah Palins tweet away. "Unfortunately fake 'Gov Sarah Palin' twitter sites r doing their thing today, So sorry if u recv false info @ fake site," Palin tweeted in response to the plethora of Palin impersonators.

According to Bloomberg, accounts like "hockeymom64" and "ExGovSarahPalin" are tweeting false information, but Palin is hardly the only one battling against a sea of fake accounts. Many famous Twitterers have fallen victim to fakesters and account hackers. This is truly troublesome, particularly considering -- like it or not -- the significant, underground news source that Twitter has become. How can the truth prevail?

"Twitter does need to strengthen its notion of identity as it plays a greater role in the public conversation, if it wants to have impact," Gartner Inc. research analyst Ray Valdes told Bloomberg.

Fortunately, Twitter has introduced a new feature that "verifies" those oft-impersonated celebrities -- but only accounts, not the tweets themselves. Sarah Palin gets a cute little check-mark on her Twitter page, but there's nothing she can do to rid the site of impostors. So before you praise or damn the next thing she says, make sure it really comes from her mouth...er, fingers. [From: Bloomberg]

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Sarah Palin Impersonated on Twitter, Site Institutes 'Verified' Status originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> celebrityhackhoaxmicrobloggingpalinpoliticssarah palinSarahPalintoptwitter Kendra Cunningham Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:22:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[World's Oldest Bible Gets Digitized]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/07/07/worlds-oldest-bible-gets-digitized/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/07/worlds-oldest-bible-gets-digitized/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/07/worlds-oldest-bible-gets-digitized/#comments
The world's oldest Bible, The Codex Sinaiticus, written on parchment leaves during the fourth century, has been made available for free to the public for the first time. The British Library, one of the many collaborators involved in putting the artifact on the Web, has already posted The Book of Psalms and St. Mark's Gospel online, and now more than 800 pages of the original 1,460 book are available on the Internet, according to the Telegraph.

Already a four-year collaboration between universities, libraries, and monasteries, the Codex Sinaiticus reveals different versions of scriptures that vary in later editions of the Holy Book. By making the text readily available online, the project hopes to unite scholars around the world to study the original untranslated Greek that has, for years, been scattered across the globe.

Continue reading World's Oldest Bible Gets Digitized

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World's Oldest Bible Gets Digitized originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> biblebritish libraryBritishLibrarycodexoldesttop Kendra Cunningham Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:29:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[21st Century Broadway: 'Web Site Story']]> http://www.switched.com/2009/07/01/21st-century-broadway-a-web-site-story/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/01/21st-century-broadway-a-web-site-story/ http://www.switched.com/2009/07/01/21st-century-broadway-a-web-site-story/#comments
The Internet has changed basically everything -- most prevalently, the dating habits of its users -- and the College Humor crew decided to take on romance. The team reimagined the world of 'West Side Story' as if it had happened in the Web-obsessed age of 2009. 'Web Site Story' follows the story of Tony and Maria, a couple that met through Facebook, tweets about their lives, and sends each other E-vites for secret balcony meetings. Clicking mouses replace the original's classic finger-snapping routines, and the mini-musical hooked us with lines like "Pandora, I've just found a site called Pandora /I'm suddenly equipped like I'm hanging out in hipster bars."

Fans of the video can follow the writer and director Sam Reich on his Tumblr for behind the scene info and insider College Humor updates. [From College Humor, via Urlesque]

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21st Century Broadway: 'Web Site Story' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> collegehumorhumorinternetmusic videoMusicVideo Kendra Cunningham Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:45:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Britney Spears Isn't Dead; Her Twitpic Account Was Hacked]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/29/britney-spears-is-not-dead-her-twitpic-account-was-hacked/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/29/britney-spears-is-not-dead-her-twitpic-account-was-hacked/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/29/britney-spears-is-not-dead-her-twitpic-account-was-hacked/#comments
Twitpic accounts belonging to celebrities like Britney Spears and Ellen DeGeneres have been hacked, according to various reports. Hackers apparently posted false information via the compromised accounts, most notably claiming that Britney Spears had died.

Spears was announced dead after hackers took over her Twitpic account (discovered yesterday), no doubt inspired by the maelstrom of recent celebrity deaths. According to MTV, one post stated, "Britney has passed today. It is a sad day for everyone. More news to come." The post has since been taken down, with Spears's staff assuring fans that she is still alive and kickin'.

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Britney Spears Isn't Dead; Her Twitpic Account Was Hacked originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> britney spearsBritneySpearshacktoptwitpic Kendra Cunningham Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:35:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The House That Tweets]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/25/the-house-that-tweets/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/25/the-house-that-tweets/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/25/the-house-that-tweets/#comments
Twitter, apparently, now appeals to inanimate objects. Not letting his house miss the Web 2.0 boom, Andy Stanford-Clark, a 43-year-old computer engineer, has wired his U.K. home with sensors to tweet status updates.

According to The Daily Mail, Mr. Stanford-Clark, who is a "distinguished engineer and master inventor" at IBM, was worried about the upkeep of his home in the Isle of Wright. To solve this problem, he set up a network of sensors to monitor every activity in the house - from mouse traps to his power meter.

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The House That Tweets originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> energygreenhomeibmsensortoptwitter Kendra Cunningham Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:59:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Man Arrested for Selling Pot on Craigslist]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/24/man-arrested-for-selling-pot-on-craigslist/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/24/man-arrested-for-selling-pot-on-craigslist/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/24/man-arrested-for-selling-pot-on-craigslist/#comments

If a drug reference is so well known that there's a Wikipedia entry about it, chances are the cops know it, too. Unfortunately, Marlborough, Massachusetts's Chistopher J. Gray did not check the popular reference site before advertising marijuana on Craigslist.

According to the Patriot Ledger, the number "420" -- a popular term that references getting high -- is rumored to have been started in the '70s by a group of high school kids who smoked pot everyday at the same time: 4:20 p.m. The 30-year-old pot dealer, apparently unaware that the 30-odd-year-old term was hip with the fuzz, advertised in a Cragslist post, "420 help is here. Give me a ring if you need some help."

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Man Arrested for Selling Pot on Craigslist originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 420arrestcraigslistdumb criminalDumbCriminalmarijuanapottop Kendra Cunningham Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:31:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[What Are the Most Popular Names on Facebook?]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/23/what-are-the-most-popular-names-on-facebook/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/23/what-are-the-most-popular-names-on-facebook/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/23/what-are-the-most-popular-names-on-facebook/#comments With 200 million profiles revealing personal data about sex, religion, political views, and marital status, Facebook is a social scientist's dream. If that personal information is gold, Facebook is rich with it, and not all of it's protected by privacy settings, either.

Rapleaf, a Web search solutions provider, searched over 100 million public profiles to find the most common names on Facebook, tallying up the most popular first names, last names, and finally full names.

Only one female name shows up on the list; 'Maria' at number ten. Unsurprisingly, the most common first name is 'John,' with over a million found profiles, 'David' and 'Michael' coming in at second and third, respectively. 'Mike' is apparently the fifth most popular, though, so if nicknames weren't counted as unique, 'Michael' would be number one.

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What Are the Most Popular Names on Facebook? originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebooknamessurveytop Kendra Cunningham Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:26:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[New Jersey May Ban GPS While Driving]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/23/new-jersey-may-ban-gps-while-driving/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/23/new-jersey-may-ban-gps-while-driving/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/23/new-jersey-may-ban-gps-while-driving/#comments New Jersey drivers, already banned from using cell phones while driving, may also be banned from programming their GPS units. Just fifteen months after a state-wide ban on behind-the-wheel talking and texting took effect in March of 2008, one New Jersey legislator wants to up the ante, according to the DailyRecord.

On June 8th, Harvey Smith, a Democratic Assemblyman from Jersey City, introduced a bill specifying that only voice-activated GPS systems could be programmed while driving. Disobedient drivers, according to the bill, would be fined $100 -- the same penalty for using cell phones.

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New Jersey May Ban GPS While Driving originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> carscell phonecell phone driversCellPhoneCellPhoneDriversdrivinggpstexting while drivingTextingWhileDrivingtop Kendra Cunningham Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:31:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The 6 Most Famous UFO Sightings]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/22/the-6-most-famous-ufo-sightings/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/22/the-6-most-famous-ufo-sightings/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/22/the-6-most-famous-ufo-sightings/#comments

The 6 Most Famous UFO Sightings

    Anything's possible in this age of Photoshop and CGI, but before all that came some pretty crazy pictures. Whether you believe or not, these possibly extraterrestrial newspaper sensations, seen by many and photographed by few, mark some of the world's greatest mysteries.

    The Lubbock Lights
    An unusual formation of lights flew over Lubbock, Texas in 1951. Spotted by three professors from Texas Technical College and later photographed by a student, the 'UFO' featured 20 and 30 lights that flew overhead in a "V" formation. The sighting was so popular and highly publicized that the photos and story appeared in Life Magazine in 1952.

    The Washington D.C. Incident
    First spotted on an air traffic controller's radar, seven objects moved in unusual flight patterns that witnesses called bright orange lights. The most publicized sightings occurred in consecutive weekends with the objects moving over the White House. The incident was so publicized it prompted President Truman to demand an explanation.

    Ghost Rockets
    Sweden, 1946: Over 2,000 "Ghost Rockets" were sighted over from August 9th to August 11th by hundreds of witnesses. The rockets were assumed to be meteors, but UFO talk arose because many sightings occurred during broad daylight while the rockets were described as moving slowly and horizontally, and, sometimes, were followed by strange noises.

    The Belgian UFO Wave
    This series of sightings lasted from November 1989 to April 1990, with 143 witnessed accounts on the first night. The unknown objects were tracked on radar by the Belgian Air Force and described as black triangles with bright lights that would change color. The Belgian Air Force still offers no explanation for the objects.

    Roswell, New Mexico
    The most famous UFO incident and suspected Government cover-up occurred in 1947. Recovered debris from an alien aircraft (or experimental high-altitude surveillance balloon as is claimed) was found in the desert of New Mexico, beginning one of the biggest controversies and mysteries in U.S. history.

    The Battle of Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, 1942: Just three months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this incident occurred between February 24th and 25th, when an unidentified flying object was spotted over Los Angeles. Assumed to be another air strike from Japan, the UFO sparked a massive anti-aircraft military attack. The the true identity of the object is still unknown today.

The 6 Most Famous UFO Sightings originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> space Kendra Cunningham Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:01:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The 6 Most Famous UFO Sightings in History]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/20/the-6-most-famous-ufo-sightings-in-history/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/20/the-6-most-famous-ufo-sightings-in-history/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/20/the-6-most-famous-ufo-sightings-in-history/#comments
Anything's possible in this age of Photoshop and CGI, but before all that came some pretty crazy pictures. Whether you believe or not, these possibly extraterrestrial newspaper sensations, seen by many and photographed by few, mark some of the world's greatest mysteries.

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The 6 Most Famous UFO Sightings in History originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aliensbattle of los angelesBattleOfLosAngelesbelgian ufo waveBelgianUfoWavefeaturesghost rocketsGhostRocketslubbock lightsLubbockLightsroswellsciencespacetopufounidentified flying objectUnidentifiedFlyingObject Kendra Cunningham Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The Ugliest and Weirdest Cell Phones]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/20/the-ugliest-and-weirdest-cell-phones/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/20/the-ugliest-and-weirdest-cell-phones/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/20/the-ugliest-and-weirdest-cell-phones/#comments

With mobile devices like the iPhone and Palm Pre continually raising the cool-design bar, it's easy to forget that there's a lot of junk out there. PC World recently put together a list of the ugliest and lamest designs to ever access a cell tower. The list accumulates the weird, bulky, outrageous, awkward, and just plain unusable failures that make cell phone recycling programs crucial.

The Siemens Xelibri looks more like a piece of medical equipment than something to talk on, and Sony Ericsson's W350 -- despite its slim design -- has about as much durability as a piece of paper. Some phones not only fell short of looking good (like the Samsung P300), but were just plain hard to use: Take the Bang & Olfusen Serene, for example, which displays its keypad like a rotary phone but lacks any rotary function. The list doesn't end there, and we've added a few submissions of our own after the break.

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The Ugliest and Weirdest Cell Phones originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cell phonecellphonelameugly Kendra Cunningham Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:01:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Text No More: New App Brings Air-Writing to Cell Phones]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/19/text-no-more-new-app-brings-air-writing-to-cell-phones/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/19/text-no-more-new-app-brings-air-writing-to-cell-phones/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/19/text-no-more-new-app-brings-air-writing-to-cell-phones/#comments

Cell phone developers are constantly trying to address the problem of text input on mobile devices. Over the years, we've seen input systems ranging from full QWERTY keyboards and nine key predictive text systems (like T9) to virtual keyboards. New research suggests the answer may not be in the keys at all. According to LiveScience, researchers at Duke University have developed a prototype for the PhonePoint Pen, a cell phone app that allows users to "air-write" short notes.

The app functions as if the cell phone is a pen (though it will probably feel more like writing with a piece of sidewalk chalk); tracing letters or shapes in the air transfers inputs them into the phone's text field. How does it work? The air-writing app works by using the accelerometers (which track the phone's orientation) already inside smartphones like the iPhone. If you prefer texting on the move (hardly the safest practice, especially if you're driving or crossing a street) this could wind up being the app for you.

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Text No More: New App Brings Air-Writing to Cell Phones originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> accelerometerair writeAirWriteappscell phoneCellPhoneiphonetextingtop Kendra Cunningham Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:41:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Maria Sharapova Models Cell Phone-Enabled 'Light Up' Dress]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/18/maria-sharapova-models-light-up-dress/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/18/maria-sharapova-models-light-up-dress/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/18/maria-sharapova-models-light-up-dress/#comments
Just yesterday, Maria Sharapova, a tennis star known for her beauty as well as her overhand, donned a dress that really lit up the room -- whenever her cell phone rang, that is.

Posed in the display window of London's upscale department store Liberty, the former Wimbledon champion and current ambassador to Sony Ericsson modeled the high-tech prototype, which connects to the wearer's cell phone via Bluetooth technology and lights up when the phone rings.

Georgie Davies, a student at London College of Fashion, designed the knee-length, short-sleeve dress as part of a school project exploring the fusion of technology and fashion, according to PR-Inside. On her inspiration for the dress, Davies told Reuters, "When you're in a pub or a bar, you can never, ever hear your phone."

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Maria Sharapova Models Cell Phone-Enabled 'Light Up' Dress originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cell phonecellphoneexpire-images:2010-6-18fashionlondonmaria sharapovaMariaSharapovatennis Kendra Cunningham Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:45:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The Era of Loud TV Commercials May Soon Be Ending]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/16/the-era-of-loud-tv-commercials-may-soon-be-ending/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/16/the-era-of-loud-tv-commercials-may-soon-be-ending/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/16/the-era-of-loud-tv-commercials-may-soon-be-ending/#comments It's bad enough that commercials are inherently obnoxious (they interrupt your six hour marathon of 'Boy Meets World'), but do they have to be deafening on top of it? Ads can reach a level of volume that threatens the viewer's cardiovascular health -- our hearts can't take too many more used car dealership commercials -- as well as the stability of whatever beverage she might be holding.

Television commercials are currently allowed to be as loud as the loudest point of any program, which is hardly news to us. But is it really necessary for a male enhancement ad to reach the same decibel level as a screaming female victim?

Fortunately, the reign of loud commercials may be coming to an end. According to McClatchy, the FCC is considering a proposal that would keep force advertisers to keep the volume of commercials at the average volume level of a show, a move British regulators have already taken.

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The Era of Loud TV Commercials May Soon Be Ending originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adsadvertisingcommercialfcctelevisiontv Kendra Cunningham Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:35:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Scammers Busted for iTunes and Amazon Music Fraud]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/14/scammers-busted-for-itunes-and-amazon-music-fraud/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/14/scammers-busted-for-itunes-and-amazon-music-fraud/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/14/scammers-busted-for-itunes-and-amazon-music-fraud/#comments A group of English ne'er-do-well scammers, have been arrested by the Metropolitan police (also referred to as Scotland Yard) for international music fraud.

After uploading a few songs they allegedly recorded to iTunes and Amazon, the group commenced to repeatedly create and buy its own songs with 1,500 stolen credit cards. An unnamed police source told the Times Online, "We will not know why they did what they did until we have conducted all the interviews." Over a five-month period, the 10 individuals spent $750,000 and racked up $300,000 in royalties, according to the Guardian.

Sixty officers from the Metropolitan police's e-crime unit arrested the seven men and three women from all over England. The group is being held on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. The case was cracked during a parallel investigation with the FBI, after it was established that the criminal network was uploading music.

According to Detective Chief Inspector Terry Wilson, the e-crime unit will continue its work against criminals and will actively develop international partnerships with business and law-enforcers around the world.

We see examples of cybercrime regularly around here, like when a repairman was arrested after tricking Apple into sending him thousands of iPod shuffles, which he'd sell for a profit. Fraud, whether committed as part of a complex digital heist or simple plan, seems inescapable; there's no shortage of people trying to make a quick buck. [From: Guardian and The Times Online via Slashdot]

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Scammers Busted for iTunes and Amazon Music Fraud originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazoncrimecyber crimeCyberCrimefrauditunesmusictop Kendra Cunningham Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[11-Year-Old Graduates College with Astrophysics Degree]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/10/11-year-old-graduates-college-with-astrophysics-degree/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/10/11-year-old-graduates-college-with-astrophysics-degree/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/10/11-year-old-graduates-college-with-astrophysics-degree/#comments Eleven-year old Moshe Kai Cavalin wants to be an Olympic martial arts master and an actor -- as soon as he has proven the existence of wormholes. The California youngster has already obtained his Associates degree in astrophysics with a 4.0 GPA. FOX News recently reported on this real-life astro boy, and while he's not an android, the East Los Angeles Community College pre-teen stands at 4 foot, 7 inches, significantly shorter than his voting-age classmates.

Denied acceptance to a private elementary school at the age of six because teachers insisted he wasn't being sufficiently challenged (Fox says Moshe was worried he looked bored), Moshe was home-schooled until the age of eight, when he enrolled in college. Moshe's parents don't call him a genius and he doesn't like the term either; he just thinks of himself as a kid who likes to study, along with watching Jackie Chan movies, baseball caps with embroidered tigers and playing soccer. The humble youth also plans to write a book to help other kids do well in academics, because he attests that everyone has their own type of intelligence. But for now, he'll be taking a break from school to be a normal kid... before heading off to a traditional four-year university. [From: FOX News]

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11-Year-Old Graduates College with Astrophysics Degree originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> astrophysicscollegegeniuskidsprodigysciencetopwormholes Kendra Cunningham Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:01:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Rural Americans Want Better Internet Connection]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/09/rural-americans-want-better-internet-connection/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/09/rural-americans-want-better-internet-connection/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/09/rural-americans-want-better-internet-connection/#comments

While humanity is increasingly living in urban areas, rural communities are still catching up when it comes to high-speed Web access. After all, being left out of the digital revolution isn't easy when it seems like everyone around the world is experiencing the wonder of online social networks and e-commerce. According to USA Today, farmers in Plains, Texas for instance want better broadband Internet access, but have to deal with expensive installations, unreliable access, and slow connections.

If you tear your hair out after ten minutes of not being able to connect to the Internet, think of farmers like Jeff Roper, who deal with lost connections for days or weeks at a time. Roper told USAToday, "Just because we live in rural America doesn't mean we shouldn't have broadband." He lives on a 2,400-acre farm and expects the same accessibility as any city dweller.

And Congress agrees. The Internet is not only an important source of information, but a major factor in job creation. According to Connected Nation as cited by USA Today, an economic stimulus to support broadband installation in remote areas would cost $7.2 billion, but a mere 7-percent increase in broadband access could stimulate the economy by more than $134 billion. [From: USA Today]

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Rural Americans Want Better Internet Connection originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> broadbandeconomyinternetinternet accessInternetAccessstimulustop Kendra Cunningham Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:28:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[U.S. Nuclear Site Info Accidentally Posted Online by Government]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/06/u-s-nuclear-site-info-accidentally-posted-online-by-government/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/06/u-s-nuclear-site-info-accidentally-posted-online-by-government/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/06/u-s-nuclear-site-info-accidentally-posted-online-by-government/#comments

Uh oh. There's a new leak on the Internet and it's more interesting than a naked celebrity. On May 6th, the government accidentally posted a 266-page document, some of which was marked "highly confidential," that contained detailed information about hundreds of the country's public and private nuclear facilities. Although not actually classified according to National Nuclear Security Administration head Thomas D'Agostino, the document was in fact revealed on the Government Printing Office Web site by mistake, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

Government sources have stressed that none of the information poses a national security risk, but D'Agostino is worried that the list could make uranium storage facilities and other sites related to the country's nuclear programs easy to locate.

The document had just been reviewed by President Obama and was bound for Congressional review when it was unintentionally posted online. The document has since been taken down, but information about a uranium storage facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and nuclear reactors in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Washington State have already made it out -- if only through the AP's article. We'd think that, with all the energy the Feds are putting into the White House and Pentagon cybersecurity initiatives, they could at the very least keep their secrets, well, secret. [From: AP, via Scientific American]

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U.S. Nuclear Site Info Accidentally Posted Online by Government originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cybersecuritydefensegovernmentnuclearobamatopuranium Kendra Cunningham Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:11:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Homeless Folks Getting Reconnected Through Facebook, Twitter]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/04/homeless-folks-getting-reconnected-through-facebook-twitter/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/04/homeless-folks-getting-reconnected-through-facebook-twitter/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/04/homeless-folks-getting-reconnected-through-facebook-twitter/#comments

Homelessness and technology may seem incongruous, but they are not as far away from each other as one might expect. Cities like San Francisco and New York are helping the homeless to become more connected, through the unlikely means of Facebook and Myspace.

Although the homeless may not have physical mailing addresses, they want to have virtual ones through free social networking sites. Featured in a profile by the Wall Street Journal, 37-year-old Charles Pitts administers Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter pages, and runs an Internet forum on Yahoo, all despite living under a bridge in San Francisco. The executive director of Central City Hospitality House in San Francisco estimates that 50-percent of the visitors to its free computer center are homeless.

This is not the first time San Francisco has tried to connect homeless folks through media. A year ago, Google, in conjunction with Project CARE, gave out free phones and service to the homeless of San Francisco in order to help them network and find jobs. Programs aiding the poor not only help get people off the streets, but could add billions to the economy.

New York City has put 42 computers into five of the city's nine municipal homeless shelters with plans for more, according to the report, and 80 additional shelters in the city offer computer access. [From: FOX/Wall Street Journal]

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Homeless Folks Getting Reconnected Through Facebook, Twitter originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> emailfacebookhomelessmyspacenew yorkNewYorksan franciscoSanFranciscotop Kendra Cunningham Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:19:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Facebook Sorry for Calling Mastectomy Pix 'Sexual and Abusive']]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/04/facebook-sorry-calling-mastectomy-pictures-sexual-and-abusive/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/04/facebook-sorry-calling-mastectomy-pictures-sexual-and-abusive/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/04/facebook-sorry-calling-mastectomy-pictures-sexual-and-abusive/#comments Recently, Facebook banned pictures of a woman showing her mastectomy scars, calling the images "sexual and abusive." For anyone who has seen these pictures, those are not words they inspire.

However, Facebook has taken back its original ban and apologized to Sharon Adams, the poster of the pictures and breast cancer survivor.

After the original decision was made, hundreds of users in the U.K. protested and railed against Facebook. Users even created online groups such as "Get Sharon Adams Picture on Facebook for Breast Cancer," which has over 900 members.

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Facebook Sorry for Calling Mastectomy Pix 'Sexual and Abusive' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breast cancerBreastCancerfacebookfacebook terms of serviceFacebookTermsOfServicemastectomytop Kendra Cunningham Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:06:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Gitmo Video Game Pulled by Makers]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/03/gitmo-video-game-pulled-by-makers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/03/gitmo-video-game-pulled-by-makers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/03/gitmo-video-game-pulled-by-makers/#comments

A video game set at Guantanamo Bay, and made with the help of a former Gitmo detainee, has been pulled by developer T-Enterprise, read a statement posted to its Web site today.

The game, 'Rendition Guantanamo,' was set to come out later this Fall, but, due to extreme reactions and controversy, the company has decided to not release the game at all.

As profiled in a recent CBS News article, 'Rendition: Guantanamo,' was set in the near future, after the compound had been closed by the U.S. Government and taken over by mercenaries who kidnapped the innocent for scientific experiments. The game was designed with the help of Moazzam Begg, a British Muslim who was detained at Guantanamo Bay for three years until he was released in 2005. Begg was brought on by the Glasgow-based company as a consultant to assist with the layout of the virtual Gitmo.

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Gitmo Video Game Pulled by Makers originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bannedcontroversialcontroversye32009gitmoguantanamobayrenditionguantanamot-enterprisetopvideogames Kendra Cunningham Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:51:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Microsoft Bing in Hot Water Over Porn Access]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/06/02/microsofts-bing-search-engine-in-hot-water-over-porn-access/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/02/microsofts-bing-search-engine-in-hot-water-over-porn-access/ http://www.switched.com/2009/06/02/microsofts-bing-search-engine-in-hot-water-over-porn-access/#comments

Just this week, Microsoft introduced Bing, a new search engine, to the world. Despite some positive reviews, the Google competitor is already stirring up controversy. It turns out that, with just a few simple clicks in the site's security settings, videos can be previewed from within Bing's search results. So, what's all the hoopla about? Any video can be played, which means pornography can be displayed once safety settings are turned off.

Once you turn off the search engine's safety features (which requires no age verification), pornographic videos may show up in your video results depending on your search terms. Because Bing automatically plays videos when you hover over them with your mouse, you may be surprised with an unexpectedly graphic video; we tested this out, and stumbled upon a few not-so-tasteful videos. Microsoft has issued instructions through Twitter -- prompted by Loic Le Meur, a high-profile blogger -- on how to adjust your security settings.

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Microsoft Bing in Hot Water Over Porn Access originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bingmicrosoftpornpornographysearchsearch enginesSearchEngines Kendra Cunningham Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:01:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[DIY 'Super Mario'-Themed Board Game]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/05/31/diy-super-mario-themed-board-game/ http://www.switched.com/2009/05/31/diy-super-mario-themed-board-game/ http://www.switched.com/2009/05/31/diy-super-mario-themed-board-game/#comments
Classic Nintendo fans missing old-school Mario can now play 'Super Mario Brothers' without a console, or even electricity, thanks to designer Ashley Buerkett's build-it-yourself, Mario-styled board game. If you have the patience and skill to cut out strictly shaped pieces of paper and use them to construct a castle, some hills, dice, and mushroom trees, then this promises to be a pretty neat little alternative to Monopoly and Candy Land.

In addition to the paper cut-outs, the game comes with a plexi-glass box, blueprints, and two Nintendo controllers with instructions printed on the back. [From: Ashley Buerkett, via LikeCool]

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DIY 'Super Mario'-Themed Board Game originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 31 May 2009 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> boardgamesdiydo-it-yourselfsuper mariosupermariotopvideogames Kendra Cunningham Sun, 31 May 2009 17:36:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Cell Phone Ringtones Can Be Harmful to Memory, Study Finds]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/05/30/cell-phone-ringtones-can-be-harmful-to-memory-study-finds/ http://www.switched.com/2009/05/30/cell-phone-ringtones-can-be-harmful-to-memory-study-finds/ http://www.switched.com/2009/05/30/cell-phone-ringtones-can-be-harmful-to-memory-study-finds/#comments

According to the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), a new study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology claims that ringtones can have a damaging effect for memory retention, especially in the classroom. Apparently, distractions, such as ringtones, can have the most impact on the memory during times when the mind is absorbing new information (during a class, business meeting, or while studying, for example). The study, conducted in part by WUSTL postdoctoral psychology fellow Jill Shelton during her time at LSU, is titled: 'The distracting effects of a ringing cell phone: An investigation of the laboratory and the classroom setting.' No longer just an everyday nuisance, ringtones are apparently now memory blockers, too.

One of the experiments included having a cell phone ring loudly for 30 seconds in a classroom while a group of students listened to a lecture. Later tested on the material, that group of students scored 25-percent worse than another, non-distracted group that had listend to the same lecture. The case also observes that certain auditory distractions are worse than others. Shelton told WUSTL, "Depending on how familiar people are with these songs, it could lead to an even worse impairment in their cognitive performance." In other words, the more you know a song, the more distracted you will be.

Maybe it's just that a blaring polyphonic version of 'Single Ladies' reminds students of better times gone by. [From: Washington University, via Textually]

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Cell Phone Ringtones Can Be Harmful to Memory, Study Finds originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 30 May 2009 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cell phoneCellPhonehealthmemoryringtonesstudentsstudiestop Kendra Cunningham Sat, 30 May 2009 15:36:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[When It Comes to Viruses, Smartphones Can Be Dumb]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/05/30/when-it-comes-to-viruses-smartphones-can-be-dumb/ http://www.switched.com/2009/05/30/when-it-comes-to-viruses-smartphones-can-be-dumb/ http://www.switched.com/2009/05/30/when-it-comes-to-viruses-smartphones-can-be-dumb/#comments According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), computers could cease being the only technology susceptible to viruses. Researchers at Northeastern University suggest that, as mobile networks continue to develop, cell phones could become the next mass-market to be targeted. Marta Gonzalez, one of the study's authors, told the NSF, "We haven't had a problem so far because only phones with operating systems, so-called 'smart phones', are susceptible to viral infection." That being said, such a problem could be just beyond the horizon as the NSF points out that smartphone usage is experiencing a 150-percent annual growth rate.

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When It Comes to Viruses, Smartphones Can Be Dumb originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 30 May 2009 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Bluetoothcellphonedangersecuritysmartphonestudiesstudytopvirusviruses Kendra Cunningham Sat, 30 May 2009 11:27:00 EST Switched