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 2009 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Depressed Woman's Facebook Pics Ruin Her Insurance Benefits]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/womans-facebook-pics-lead-insurance-company-to-revoke-claim/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/womans-facebook-pics-lead-insurance-company-to-revoke-claim/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/womans-facebook-pics-lead-insurance-company-to-revoke-claim/#comments Canadian Woman Has Benefits Cut Off Because of Facebook It seems that placing privacy settings on your social networking profile isn't enough to keep snoops away. Nathalie Blanchard, of Quebec, Canada, learned that lesson when her long-term, sick-leave benefits were stripped from her because of photos on her Facebook account.

For the past year and a half, Blanchard had been on leave from her job at IBM as the result of being diagnosed with serious clinical depression. Since the diagnosis, she had been collecting a monthly check from Manulife, her insurance firm. But after Manulife investigators discovered photos on her private Facebook page that showed her out partying with friends at a bar and vacationing on sunny beaches, the company decided to cut off benefits. The insurer considered the photos evidence that Blanchard was no longer depressed, according to a report by the CBC.

Blanchard told the CBC that she was only following doctors' orders and trying to have fun through nights out and short getaways. She added that while she might have been happy in the moment, her issues with depression persisted. Manulife, for its part, told the news outlet that it "would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook," but the company did not cite any other reasons for revoking her claim.

Since Blanchard's profile is private, it seems that Manulife would have had to resort to hacking or deception in order to gain access to the photos. Regardless of what you think about Blanchard's taking leave for a year and a half for feeling sad, that would represent a clear violation of trust and privacy. [From: CBC]

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Depressed Woman's Facebook Pics Ruin Her Insurance Benefits originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfacebookfacelosshealth insuranceHealthInsuranceprivacysocialnetworkingtop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Chrome OS, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chrome-os-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-cloud/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chrome-os-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-cloud/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chrome-os-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-cloud/#comments Chrome OS: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud Yesterday, Google finally took the cover off Chrome OS and, in so doing, gave a bunch of foamy-mouthed tech journalists an idea of what to expect once consumers are able to get their hands on it late next year. There weren't many surprises in the announcement. Chrome OS is a tweaked Chrome browser running on top of a streamlined version of Linux -- exactly what most were expecting. We can already play games, watch movies, create spreadsheets, and send IMs -- all without leaving the comfort of any number of browsers. Chrome OS just seeks to remove the middle man.

The highly customized version of Linux is designed to run on Google-certified hardware. By specifying what components can comprise a Chrome OS netbook, Google is able to strip away many "unessential" parts of the OS, making it boot and run faster. Even in this early stage (a year away from release), it only takes 10 seconds to go from pressing the power button to browsing the Web. There are some trade-offs to this design, however. Chrome OS will not support traditional hard drives, meaning you can forget about keeping your giant music collection on one of these babies. Instead, it will only feature smaller, faster, solid-state drives (SSD) and rely on the cloud to store documents and photos. It will, however, recognize and open whatever USB drives and cameras are plugged into it.

Continue reading Chrome OS, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud

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Chrome OS, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chromechrome osChromeOscloudcloud computingCloudComputingNetBooktop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:06:00 EST Switched <![CDATA['Twilight' Content Leaves Scammers Thirsting for Your (Digital) Blood]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twilight-content-leaves-scammers-thirsting-for-your-digital/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twilight-content-leaves-scammers-thirsting-for-your-digital/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twilight-content-leaves-scammers-thirsting-for-your-digital/#comments Malware Makers Cash-In on 'Twilight' Craze As per usual, malware purveyors are hopping on the latest fad in order to lure unsuspecting Web surfers into their dens of digital evil. And what are the kids talking about right now? Well, 'Twilight,' of course.

With the new installment of the teen vampire saga set to hit theaters Friday, Web searches for interviews with cast members, for bootleg copies of the film, and for other content related to 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' have sky-rocketed. Using this buzz to their advantage, makers of viruses, trojans, and spyware are embedding malicious code in fake movie files and video streams, and posting the nefarious results.

Phrases such as "Watch New Moon Full Movie," "streamviewer," and "Stephenie Meyer at 365Multimedia.com" are quite often used as bait to lure users to these sites. There, scare tactics like pop-ups warning of virus infection will try to get you to click a link that installs phony anti-virus software. Links to content on 365Multimedia.com should immediately trigger alarms since, as Yahoo! points out, the site doesn't actually host interviews or media; it simply serves up screen savers and desktop backgrounds (though the malicious links don't actually head to 365Multimedia.com, anyway).

The best way to protect yourself from such scams is to only visit trusted sites. If you're looking for interviews and they're hosted by a site that's not familiar to you (e.g., not YouTube, or Hulu, or, hey, AOL), then don't follow the link. It's better to be safe than sorry. [From: CNN and Yahoo!]

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'Twilight' Content Leaves Scammers Thirsting for Your (Digital) Blood originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> malwaresecuritytoptwilighttwilight new moonTwilightNewMoonvirus switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:17:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Microsoft Previews Internet Explorer 9, Looks Like a Contender]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/microsoft-previews-internet-explorer-9-looks-like-a-contender/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/microsoft-previews-internet-explorer-9-looks-like-a-contender/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/microsoft-previews-internet-explorer-9-looks-like-a-contender/#comments Microsoft Previews IE9, Looks Like a Contender With Chrome chugging along toward version 4.0 and Firefox 3.6 just around the corner, Microsoft is in danger of falling even further behind in the browser wars. The boys in Redmond released Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) earlier this year, and while it was an improvement over IE7, we were generally disappointed with its stability. Plus, it still was far behind its competitors in raw speed.

Turns out that Microsoft is already hard at work on the next version of its browser, titled, chronologically, 'IE9.' There is no download available to consumers yet, but if the company's claims are to be trusted, IE9 represents not just an evolution of IE, but a complete redefinition of what should be expected of the Microsoft browser.

Continue reading Microsoft Previews Internet Explorer 9, Looks Like a Contender

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Microsoft Previews Internet Explorer 9, Looks Like a Contender originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browserieie9internet explorerinternet explorer 9InternetExplorerInternetExplorer9microsofttopweb browserWebBrowser switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:35:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Is the Android OS Growing Too Quickly?]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/android-explosion-poses-a-problem-for-developers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/android-explosion-poses-a-problem-for-developers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/android-explosion-poses-a-problem-for-developers/#comments Android Explosion Poses a Problem for Developers After getting off to a slow start, Android phones have gone gangbusters. As of last July, there was only one Android-powered device available in the U.S., but that number has since exploded. Now, there are eight Android phones available stateside, with more expected to debut in the coming months. So things must be looking pretty great for the mobile OS from Google, right?

Not necessarily. A few issues have both Google and the developers of Android-friendly applications worried. For the most part, the issue can be reduced to the term "splintering." Right now, those eight phones share three different versions of the Android core: 1.5, 1.6, and 2.0. The phones also have vast hardware differences between them; for instance, some models have keyboards while others don't, and some cameras have flashes while others do not. Then, there are the customized interfaces (or skins), like HTC's Sense on the Hero and Motorola's Blur on the Cliq. These differences make it difficult to build apps, since even basic updates need to be tested against every possible combination of hardware, skin, and Android version. And a smartphone OS lives and dies by its developers.

Continue reading Is the Android OS Growing Too Quickly?

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Is the Android OS Growing Too Quickly? originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidgoogleossmartphone switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:52:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Father Spoke Only Klingon to His Infant Son]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/father-spoke-only-klingon-to-his-infant-son/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/father-spoke-only-klingon-to-his-infant-son/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/father-spoke-only-klingon-to-his-infant-son/#comments Cruel Father Spoke Only Klingon to his Infant Son We're pretty sure that what Minnesota man d'Armond Speers did to his child could easily be defined as cruel and unusual punishment. For the first three years of his son's life, Speers spoke only a foreign language to him as part of a personal experiment in linguistics -- that's the cruel part. The unusual part is that he didn't even speak a real (nonetheless useful) language to him -- he spoke Klingon.

That's right, Speers decided to put his computational linguistics Ph.D. to use by trying to ensure his son would never be able to communicate with anyone outside of the nerdiest members of a Star Trek convention. Worst of all, Speers claims he isn't even a huge 'Star Trek' fan, according to City Pages, a Minneapolis/St. Paul news blog. So was he was doing this just for fun? Apparently so, since Speers grew bored of his experiment after three years when he decided that his son was, "definitely starting to learn it." Now a teenager, his son doesn't speak a word of Klingon, and is able to converse fluently in English, something we're very happy to hear.

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Father Spoke Only Klingon to His Infant Son originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> geekklingonlanguagelinguisticsmoviesstar trekStarTrektopweird switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Post-Purchase Scams Coming Under Fire From Senate]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/post-purchase-scams-coming-under-fire-from-senate/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/post-purchase-scams-coming-under-fire-from-senate/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/post-purchase-scams-coming-under-fire-from-senate/#comments
We're sure that you've all experienced the annoying post-purchase push to get you to subscribe to, sign up for, or buy something after hitting the check-out button at your (not so) friendly online retailer. Well, those often shady offers for rebates and big discounts are now the subject of a Senate Commerce Committee investigation.

These post-purchase scams often subscribe you to discount or rewards clubs without your knowledge. After confirming a purchase, you're often presented with a series of pop-ups promising $10 off, or cash back. Often, those screens only offer one obvious way to exit, and clicking on it quietly passes your billing information on to another site. And you'll be none-the-wiser until three months down the road, when you see an unidentified charge on your card that turns out to be a "membership fee" paid to a "rewards club." The worst part of such scams is that they're often included in the check-out processes of many major Web retailers -- including Barnes & Noble, 1800flowers, Buy.com, Expedia, and Fandango.

The investigation produced a report titled "Aggressive Sales Tactics on the Internet and Their Impact on American Consumers," unveiled by the Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller this week. "The companies we are investigating have figured out very clever ways to manipulate consumers' buying habits," Senator Rockefeller said in a statement introducing the report. The report names three companies -- Affinion, Vertrue, and Webloyalty -- that have collectively earned $1.4 billion through these misleading tactics and through their enlisted partner sites, 88 of which have earned more than $1 million apiece. The notoriously shady Classmates.com alone netted more than $70 million in profit. You can see the full list of these sketchy sites above in the "Post Transaction Marketing Wall-of-Shame," assembled by TechCrunch.

Senator Rockefeller said in the hearing, "[This] Committee needs to start thinking about the legislative steps we can take to end these practices." Fortunately, the public shame of the investigation and the threat of government action seems to have pushed some of the companies to preemptively change their practices.

You can find out more by reading the staff report here (Warning: PDF), and by checking out the incredibly thorough analysis at Ars Technica here. [From: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, TechCrunch, and Ars Technica, via: Huffington Post]

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Post-Purchase Scams Coming Under Fire From Senate originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> governmentinvestigationpost purchase scamspost transaction marketingPostPurchaseScamsPostTransactionMarketingprivacyscamScams switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:35:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/300k-bangladeshis-sign-up-for-english-classes-via-cell/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/300k-bangladeshis-sign-up-for-english-classes-via-cell/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/300k-bangladeshis-sign-up-for-english-classes-via-cell/#comments
The BBC World Service Trust, the charity arm of the international broadcast company, is preparing to launch a service in Bangladesh that will offer lessons in English via cell phone. Called Janala, the service, slated to go live Thursday, started accepting subscriptions this weekend, and the BBC was surprised by the rush of customers. Sara Chamberlain, the manager of the service, told the Financial Times, "25,000 people would have been a good response on the first day." To her delight, or possibly terror, Janala has instead seen over 300,000 sign-ups to date. The sheer volume could bring the service to its knees before it's even had a chance to launch.

Learning English is considered a key to economic mobility both within Bangladesh and to Bangladeshis seeking work abroad. According to the Financial Times, 70-percent of employers in Bangladesh are looking for workers with "communicative English" skills.

Continue reading 300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell

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300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bbccellphoneeducationenglishlanguagetop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Elaborate Heist Nets Thieves 3,000 Unusable iPhones]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/elaborate-heist-nets-thieves-3-000-unusable-iphones/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/elaborate-heist-nets-thieves-3-000-unusable-iphones/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/elaborate-heist-nets-thieves-3-000-unusable-iphones/#comments We can only assume this is an issue with the limitations of Google Translate, otherwise we'd have to say that the description of CEVA Logistics as "annoyed" with the theft of €2 million (roughly $3 million) worth of iPhones from its warehouse in Belgium is the understatement of the year.

The firm was the victim, in what appears to be an inside job, of an elaborate heist that resulted in the loss of at least 3,000 iPhones. The phones, which retail for between €575 and €675, were snatched by thieves who scaled the wall of the warehouse with a ladder then cut a whole in the roof directly above where the iPhones were being stored.

Continue reading Elaborate Heist Nets Thieves 3,000 Unusable iPhones

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Elaborate Heist Nets Thieves 3,000 Unusable iPhones originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> crimeiphonethefttop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:29:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[YouTube Kid Throws Fit Over 'Modern Warfare 2']]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/17/youtube-kid-throws-fit-over-modern-warfare-2/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/17/youtube-kid-throws-fit-over-modern-warfare-2/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/17/youtube-kid-throws-fit-over-modern-warfare-2/#comments Crazy Kid Cries Over 'Modern Warfare 2', Also Makes Terrible Music We'll admit that video games have driven us to punch a wall or two in our day, but usually it was because we made it all the way to the final boss, only to die and then realize we'd forgotten to save the game for the last two hours. We never kicked anything because a game wasn't enjoyable, and never did we feel the need to document, let alone share, our meltdowns.

Thankfully, YouTube user Jono1170 has no such shame, and has posted his sobbing, sniffling, wall-punching tirade against 'Modern Warfare 2' for all the world to see. The only reasonable reaction to the video (after the break), subtly titled 'MODERN WARFARE 2 SUCKS!!!!!,' is a giant "WTF?!" We can barely understand what this kid is crying about, what with his slurred British accent and attempts to suck back tears and snot.

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YouTube Kid Throws Fit Over 'Modern Warfare 2' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> jono1170modern warfaremodern warfare 2ModernWarfareModernWarfare2topyoutube switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Facebook Displays Couple Photos When They Get Engaged]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/17/facebook-displays-couple-photos-when-they-get-engaged/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/17/facebook-displays-couple-photos-when-they-get-engaged/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/17/facebook-displays-couple-photos-when-they-get-engaged/#comments The latest Facebook redesign has been begrudgingly accepted by the whiny masses, and now that everyone has stopped complaining and started actually paying attention, some interesting new features are being revealed. One of those tweaks, caught by Nick O'Neill at All Facebook, is how relationships now appear in the news feed. Specifically, when friends get engaged, the corresponding update is automatically accompanied by a photo of the couple in order to help the post stand out.

It seems that Facebook randomly selects a photo in which both halves of the couple are tagged, and places it next to the relationship status update in the news feed. It's a subtle, but nice, touch that adds a little more personality to the often ignorable changes in people's romantic entanglements.

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Facebook Displays Couple Photos When They Get Engaged originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> engagedfacebookrelationshiprelationshipssocialnetworkingtop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Sarah Palin: Not a 'Maverick' When It Comes to E-Politicking]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/sarah-palin-not-a-maverick-when-it-comes-to-e-politicking/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/sarah-palin-not-a-maverick-when-it-comes-to-e-politicking/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/sarah-palin-not-a-maverick-when-it-comes-to-e-politicking/#comments
Matthew Continetti, associate editor of the conservative political rag the Weekly Standard, has an interesting editorial on CNN.com, in which he argues that Sarah Palin is "a pioneer in the political use of new social media." He claims that Palin is leading a quiet revolution based on Facebook and that she hasn't received any credit for it.

Party affiliation aside, there are gaping holes in Continetti's argument that Palin is quietly remaking the face of tech-enhanced politics. His main point is that Palin is using Facebook and Twitter to speak directly to her supporters across the country, resuscitating her political career after the presidential campaign -- during which she painted herself as a bumbling idiot during disastrous interviews with Katie Couric and Barbara Walters.

Continue reading Sarah Palin: Not a 'Maverick' When It Comes to E-Politicking

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Sarah Palin: Not a 'Maverick' When It Comes to E-Politicking originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> expire-images:2010-11-16palinpoliticssarah palinSarahPalinsocialnetworkingtop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:01:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Spam Gangs Make Millions by Targeting Swine Flu Fears]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/spam-gangs-make-millions-by-targeting-swine-flu-fears/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/spam-gangs-make-millions-by-targeting-swine-flu-fears/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/spam-gangs-make-millions-by-targeting-swine-flu-fears/#comments Web Gangs Selling Fake Flu Drugs
Usually when we're getting spammed and scammed by fake online pharmacies, we're being offered steep discounts on Viagra. But Russian gangs are turning their attention from 79-percent Pfizer discounts to offers for Tamiflu, the antiviral medication used to combat both the seasonal and swine flu.

Security firm Sophos claims to have intercepted hundreds of millions of fake flu-related spam mails and Web sites. The trend is particularly worrisome, since despite low infection rates and even lower mortality rates, H1N1 (or swine flu) still inspires panic in much of the population. The gangs are preying on these fears by operating sites with seemingly legitimate brand names, like "Canadian Pharmacy," according to Reuters. The sites sell counterfeit drugs to gullible customers, but Sophos also worries that those sales are part of a larger scam that may put consumers' credit card and personal information in jeopardy.

Continue reading Spam Gangs Make Millions by Targeting Swine Flu Fears

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Spam Gangs Make Millions by Targeting Swine Flu Fears originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fluH1N1medicalscamScamsspamswine fluSwineFluTamiflutop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Dressed as Pokémon, Man Proposes to His Pikachu in Public]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/dressed-as-pokemon-man-proposes-in-public-to-his-pikachu/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/dressed-as-pokemon-man-proposes-in-public-to-his-pikachu/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/16/dressed-as-pokemon-man-proposes-in-public-to-his-pikachu/#comments Public Pokémon Proposal is Dorkiest Ever
Between the hacked versions of 'Chrono Trigger,' the hidden messages in Google Street View, and the adorably lame Twitter messages, we figured the battle for geekiest marriage proposal would never end. But then we came across this video (after the jump) of Chris Herbert proposing to his girlfriend, Belle Starenchak... while at an anime convention... dressed as Pokémon. Check and mate.

Herbert popped the question by opening a Poké Ball, revealing a ring to his bride-to-be, who was dressed as Pikachu. Herbert himself was dolled up like Raichu -- apparently another Pokémon who exists outside of our Poké lexicon. Starenchak said yes in front of a crowd gathered at Anime Weekend Atlanta, eliciting cheers from the nerds in attendance.

Continue reading Dressed as Pokémon, Man Proposes to His Pikachu in Public

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Dressed as Pokémon, Man Proposes to His Pikachu in Public originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cosplaymarriagemarriage proposalMarriageProposalpikachuPokemonproposaltop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:12:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Google Could Double Web Speeds With SPDY Protocol]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/14/google-looks-to-boost-web-speeds-with-spdy/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/14/google-looks-to-boost-web-speeds-with-spdy/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/14/google-looks-to-boost-web-speeds-with-spdy/#comments
Slowly but surely, we're getting an idea of what Google's Chrome OS will look like. We know that it will be Linux-based and that the primary interface will likely be the Chrome browser. Still, the search giant was not content to simply turn a Web browser into an operating system. Soon Google was launching a new programing language, called Go, that would allow programmers to build faster and more efficient applications. Then it announced Native Client, a feature built into Chrome (both the browser and the OS) that would allow software to be run inside the browser. Any program launched could be treated as just another tab in Chrome, and, when paired with the new Go programming language, could lead to dramatic speed increases for Web-based applications.

So Chrome OS, and the various enhancements Google is developing to milk every bit of potential from the Internet, are shaping up nicely. But there is still one major hurdle to overcome -- HTTP, or hyper text transfer protocol. HTTP is what browsers and and Web sites use to define how and when data is passed back and forth. The problem is that HTTP has existed, more or less in its current form, since 1996, a time when Web sites were primarily simple documents with static text and images.

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Google Could Double Web Speeds With SPDY Protocol originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> googlehttpprotocolspdytop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:31:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Twitter Sticks With New Retweet Format, Despite Complaints]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/twitter-sticks-with-new-retweet-format-despite-complaints/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/twitter-sticks-with-new-retweet-format-despite-complaints/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/twitter-sticks-with-new-retweet-format-despite-complaints/#comments Despite Complaints Twitter Sticking With New Retweets Twitter has been going feature crazy over the past several months. First, it began attaching geolocation information to Tweets. Then it introduced lists, for sharing and for organizing the people you're following. Now, the micro-blogging service is rolling out a standardized format for retweets. While the location data is usually out of the average user's view, the new format for retweets is an obvious change to Twitter's basic interface. And, as Facebook users do every time that site so much as shifts a pixel, tweeters have erupted in revolt.

The new format for retweets replaces the familiar, if clumsy, "RT @username" with an icon that indicates a message is a retweet. Otherwise, it looks identical to the original message. This means that you might see messages in your Twitter feed that appear to come from users you don't follow. This has apparently caused some serious confusion among users, including Justine Bateman from 'Family Ties.'

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Twitter Sticks With New Retweet Format, Despite Complaints originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> retweetretweetssocialnetworkingtoptwitter switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Find a Flu Shot Near You With Google Maps]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/find-a-flu-shot-near-you-with-google-maps/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/find-a-flu-shot-near-you-with-google-maps/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/find-a-flu-shot-near-you-with-google-maps/#comments Find a Flu Shot Near You With Google Maps Having conquered general Web searches, e-mail, video, and advertising, Google is now trying to become a one-stop repository for all your flu information needs. You can already look up information about general flu trends, and track outbreaks of the swine flu, so it only makes sense that the next step would pertain to prevention. Google has partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmacy chains, and various state and local agencies to map out where you can get vaccinations for both the seasonal flu and H1N1.

The Flu Shot Finder isn't comprehensive, as Google is still collecting data from many localities. But even in its current state, the tool is a great help for finding where you can get yourself inoculated. After searching by address or ZIP code, you can click on any result to find the location's hours of operation and to see whether or not it currently has the vaccine in stock.

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Find a Flu Shot Near You With Google Maps originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fluFlu shotflu shot finderFluShotFluShotFindergoogle mapsGoogleMapsH1N1healthswine fluSwineFlutopvaccine switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Shrinky Dinks Build Chips on the Cheap]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/shrinky-dinks-build-chips-on-the-cheap/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/shrinky-dinks-build-chips-on-the-cheap/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/shrinky-dinks-build-chips-on-the-cheap/#comments
Do you remember Shrinky Dinks? That's okay. Neither do most of the Switched staffers -- the bunch of whippersnappers they are [Ed Note: Not true. We love them.]. The once-popular, plastic arts-and-craft set, which first hit the scene in 1973, allowed children to color and cut out shapes on a thin sheet of plastic. When the shapes were put in the oven, they would shrink to one-third of their original width, becoming thick and rigid. Well, it turns out that making tacky charms is just scratching the surface of this toy's potential.

Back in 2006, University of California at Irvine assistant professor Michelle Khine couldn't afford to outfit her lab with the $100,000 worth of equipment needed to create microfluidic chips. Frustrated and impatient, she turned to an updated version of Shrinky Dinks -- one that lets you run the aforementioned plastic sheets through a standard inkjet or laser printer. Needing the chips to create medical diagnostic tests, she took a shot in the dark by printing her chip designs on Shrinky Dinks, and then baking them. When the sheets shrunk, the ink clumped together and formed tiny ridges. She then used the minis as molds for the circuits she made out of a flexible polymer called PDMS.

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Shrinky Dinks Build Chips on the Cheap originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> microfluidicmicrofluidic chipMicrofluidicChipscienceshrinky dinksshrinky-dinksShrinkyDinkstoptoysweird switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:31:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Digital Cloud Inspires Physical One Proposed for London Skies]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/digital-cloud-inspires-physical-one-proposed-for-london-skies/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/digital-cloud-inspires-physical-one-proposed-for-london-skies/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/13/digital-cloud-inspires-physical-one-proposed-for-london-skies/#comments
Normally when we speak of "the cloud," we're talking about intangible bits and bytes stored on the Web. That digital cloud has inspired the design of the very much tangible The Cloud, one of the finalists in a competition to build a tourist attraction in London's planned 2012 Olympic Village. The Cloud was designed by an international team of architects, scientists, and artists, including people from Google and MIT. The proposed structure would consist primarily of bubbles -- constructed of an advanced plastic called Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, interconnected, and resting atop a series of 400-foot-tall towers.

Of course, if this design ended with space-age plastics, you wouldn't be seeing it on Switched. The ambitions for the design are lofty enough to live up to its heavenly name. The spheres would serve as an observation deck, while the walls would be used to project highlights from the games, results and scores from events, and information about the city (provided by Google). Projected information would serve as a tribute to the digital cloud of data that inspired the design of the structure.

Continue reading Digital Cloud Inspires Physical One Proposed for London Skies

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Digital Cloud Inspires Physical One Proposed for London Skies originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> architecturecrowd sourcingCrowdSourcingolympicsthe cloudTheCloud switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA['Modern Warfare 2' Shatters First Day Sales Record]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/modern-warfare-2-shatters-first-day-sales-record/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/modern-warfare-2-shatters-first-day-sales-record/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/modern-warfare-2-shatters-first-day-sales-record/#comments 'Modern Warfare 2' Shatters First Day Sales Record 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' is a big deal. Like, a really, really big deal. So big in fact that despite several months of plummeting video game sales, 'Modern Warfare 2' was able to turn that trend on its head and shatter the first day sales record set by 'Grand Theft Auto 4' in April of 2008.

Back in those heady days of the Bush administration 'GTA:IV' managed to sell 3.6 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability in North America and the U.K -- exceeding most expectations. So we're even more shocked that a game lacking the pop cultural impact of 'Grand Theft Auto' could unexpectedly embarrass the previous record holder by selling 4.7 million copies in the first 24 hours. And all without the controversy of playing as a gangster and sleeping with prostitutes.

Being the new record holder all but ensures that we'll see a new 'Modern Warfare' every year or two until the end of time, essentially turning the franchise into the AC/DC of the video game world -- not terribly exciting, but you know exactly what you'll be getting with every release. [From: Joystiq]

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'Modern Warfare 2' Shatters First Day Sales Record originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> call of duty: modern warfare 2CallOfDuty:ModernWarfare2modern warfaremodern warfare 2ModernWarfareModernWarfare2record holderRecordHoldersalestop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:11:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Schools of Swimming Robots to Study Ocean Currents]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/#comments Robot Swarms to Study Ocean Currents If you happen to notice a swarm of robots floating past your beachfront home, don't panic; it's not the first wave of the SkyNet invasion. Aided by funding from the National Science Foundation, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) is planning to deploy fleets of autonomous robots, possibly numbering in the hundreds, to study localized oceanic environments.

High on the list of phenomena to study is the way in which tiny sub-currents affect small organisms like plankton and their abilities to survive and move about the ocean. The robots, called "autonomous underwater explorers" (AUEs), will also provide important data about the spread of dangerous environmental toxins that arise from disasters like oil spills and harmful algae blooms.

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Schools of Swimming Robots to Study Ocean Currents originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> biologynatureoceanresearchrobotssciencetop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Robots Dance to the Beat and Into Our Hearts]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/robots-dance-to-the-beat-and-into-our-hearts/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/robots-dance-to-the-beat-and-into-our-hearts/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/robots-dance-to-the-beat-and-into-our-hearts/#comments Robots Dance To The Beat and Into Our Hearts
Finding information about this gem of a viral video (posted below the break) has been tough. All we know is what we've been able to glean from a YouTube posting -- that Yongchul Lee, from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), put together this impressive demonstration of robots getting down.

The song is "Nobody," a 2008 hit from the K-pop group Wonder Girls and the first track by a Korean act to break into the United States' Billboard Hot 100. The tune is certainly a good one, but the stars of the show here are the dancing robots. They strut their stuff in perfect sync with the music, and do an impressive job of recreating the shoulder rolls and hand claps performed by the group in the single's video. The best part is the finale B-boy breakdown, which finds the adorable blue bot flipping into a handstand and kicking his little metal feet in the air.

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Robots Dance to the Beat and Into Our Hearts originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> dancingdancing robotDancingRobotnobodys watchingNobodysWatchingrobotviral videoViralVideowonder girlsWonderGirls switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Google Data Shows the Most Obscenity-Obsessed U.S. Cities]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/google-data-shows-the-most-obscenity-obsessed-u-s-cities/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/google-data-shows-the-most-obscenity-obsessed-u-s-cities/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/google-data-shows-the-most-obscenity-obsessed-u-s-cities/#comments Google Trends Reveal the Most Obscenity Obsessed Cities in America Last year, The Business Insider -- inspired by an obscenity case in Pensacola, Florida -- checked out the Google Trends data for each of the "seven dirty words." The defense attorney in the case had planned to use Google search data to show that Pensacola's morals were lax in comparison to the rest of the country. The research never saw the light of day, but that didn't stop The Business Insider from performing its own analysis of search statistics to determine the most obscene cities in America.

A year later, The Business Insider decided it was time to update the rankings, and last year's surprise winner -- Louisville, Kentucky -- really cleaned up its act and dropped to number 10. Several major cities are featured on the list, including Boston and Philadelphia, but, amazingly, New York avoided placing in the top 10. Take that, other East Coast metropolitan areas!

Continue reading Google Data Shows the Most Obscenity-Obsessed U.S. Cities

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Google Data Shows the Most Obscenity-Obsessed U.S. Cities originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> citiesfunnygoogle trendsGoogleTrendsobscenitysearch enginesSearchEnginestop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:25:00 EST Switched <![CDATA['Vampire' LED Lamp Sucks Power From Phone Cord]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/vampire-led-lamp-sucks-power-from-phone-cord/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/vampire-led-lamp-sucks-power-from-phone-cord/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/vampire-led-lamp-sucks-power-from-phone-cord/#comments LED Lamp Gets Free Power from Phone Cord While this lamp is hot pink and looks like a computer mouse with some kind of mutant growth sticking out of its back, it will cost you literally nothing to run.

This monstrosity has eight LEDs that provide light to read by, and rather than jacking up your electricity bill, it runs on power siphoned from your local telco. You see, rather than plugging into a standard power outlet, this lamp has an RJ11 plug (commonly known as a phone jack) on the end that plugs into that weird looking box in the corner that you haven't touched since cell phone coverage became pretty much ubiquitous. The reading light works because land line phone cords carry a small amount of electricity which is required to power wired handsets (remember those?). Interestingly, that power flows whether or not you have active phone service and, best of all, won't go down in the event of a blackout.

Continue reading 'Vampire' LED Lamp Sucks Power From Phone Cord

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'Vampire' LED Lamp Sucks Power From Phone Cord originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> lampland lineLandLinelightphone cordPhoneCordrj11top switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Motorola Reports 100K DROIDs Sold in Opening Weekend]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/motorola-reports-100k-droids-sold-in-opening-weekend/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/motorola-reports-100k-droids-sold-in-opening-weekend/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/motorola-reports-100k-droids-sold-in-opening-weekend/#comments Motorola Sells 100,000 Droids Opening Weekend It's been a very, very, very, very, long time since Motorola had a legitimate hit on its hands. In fact, ever since the release of the RAZR in 2003, the company -- which had been the driving force behind the mobile industry for 20 years -- has been steadily sliding into obsolescence. But, if sales numbers for the highly anticipated DROID are a good predictor, the company that sold the first commercially available cell phone is slowly crawling its way back into a place of significance.

In the DROID's first weekend of availability, Motorola says it sold 100,000 units. Sure, that's no iPhone (An estimated 1 million units were sold the weekend following the 3GS's launch.), but it is double of what the Palm Pre sold in its first weekend. In fact, Motorola expects to sell over 1 million Android-powered handsets (Cliq and DROID being the only models currently available) in the fourth quarter. In addition, the company's stock rose slightly due to news of the DROID's successful opening weekend. Market analyst Mark McKechnie, of Broadpoint AmTech, Inc., called the first few days "encouraging" when speaking to Bloomberg.

So, are we seeing the renaissance of this once-great handset maker? Possibly. Having gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews of the device, and boasting the power of "the network" and Google, Motorola certainly has a real contender in its corner. [From: Bloomberg, via Engadget]

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Motorola Reports 100K DROIDs Sold in Opening Weekend originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidbusinessdroidmotorolatop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:34:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Kick Your Friends in the Face With 'FaceFighter' iPhone App]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/kick-your-friends-in-the-face-with-facefighter-iphone-app/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/kick-your-friends-in-the-face-with-facefighter-iphone-app/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/kick-your-friends-in-the-face-with-facefighter-iphone-app/#comments Don't even attempt to lie. We know you've daydreamed about how great it would feel to haul off and punch one of your friends in the face or plant a foot right in his or her kisser. Now it may be hard to get away with doing that while hanging out at the bar or at a party -- and still keep them as friends afterwards. But iPhone game developer, Appy Entertainment, understands your desire to commit acts of physical violence against loved ones and has created 'FaceFighter,' which lets you paste the face of friends, family... really just about anyone, on a computerized foe and beat the hell out of them.

Get started by choosing images from your camera roll or taking a new snapshot, then line up your eyes and mouth with the game's guidelines. Zoom in and out to fit the image into a cutout, and you're ready to go. The game is pretty simple -- basically a button masher that lets you kick, block, and throw a right or left punch, leaving your custom opponent bruised, bandaged, and missing teeth. It doesn't actually offer much in the way of strategy or depth, so we're thankful you can try the game for free with 'FaceFighter Lite.' If the Lite version isn't enough for you, the full game is available for only $0.99 (for a limited time), and lets you battle friends head-to-head, so you can beat on each other's virtual mugs.

Continue reading Kick Your Friends in the Face With 'FaceFighter' iPhone App

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Kick Your Friends in the Face With 'FaceFighter' iPhone App originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facefighteriphone appIphoneApptop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:28:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Viruses Secretly Downloading Child Pornography]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/viruses-secretly-downloading-child-pornography/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/viruses-secretly-downloading-child-pornography/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/viruses-secretly-downloading-child-pornography/#comments Malware and viruses have a lot of tricks up their sleeves -- from stealing passwords and harvesting credit card information, to simply destroying data and crashing PCs. But of all those nasty abilities, the worst and most confounding is the ability to secretly load a PC with child pornography.

It's difficult to understand the motives for dumping boatloads of child pornography on the hard drives of unsuspecting Web users. It is possible, though, for pedophiles to secretly store their highly illegal collections on other people's PCs, view them remotely, and thus avoid incriminating themselves. Another possibility is that the programs are designed simply to wreak havoc on the reputations of others, framing them as collectors of underage filth. The first publicly recognized case of such an infection, in 2003, involved a British man who was arrested on child pornography charges, only to be cleared later when it was determined that a virus loaded the illegal content on his PC.

Continue reading Viruses Secretly Downloading Child Pornography

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Viruses Secretly Downloading Child Pornography originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> child pornographyChildPornographycrimemalwarrepornpornographysecuritytopvirus switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:21:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Army and EnerDel Working on Hybrid Humvee]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/08/army-and-enerdel-working-on-hybrid-humvee/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/08/army-and-enerdel-working-on-hybrid-humvee/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/08/army-and-enerdel-working-on-hybrid-humvee/#comments With the economy the way it is, and your unemployment check the way it is, we know it's hard to maintain your douche status and keep that Hummer gassed up. But fear not. According to CNET, battery manufacturer EnerDel just signed a $1.29 million contract with the U.S. Army to design a full-sized Humvee that runs, at least in part, on electricity.

Back in August, Raser Technologies showed off a Hummer powered by a hybrid engine that, thanks to dubious methods of measuring mileage, was able to lay claim to getting 100 miles per gallon. But that Hummer was the smaller H3 consumer model. For those with real inadequacies, though, that need real overcompensation, the H3 just won't do. They need the proper Humvee. You know, the one that takes up four parking spots and blocks three lanes of interstate traffic.

Continue reading Army and EnerDel Working on Hybrid Humvee

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Army and EnerDel Working on Hybrid Humvee originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> carhummerhumveehybridHybrid HummerHybridHummermilitarytop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[How to Truly Browse in Private]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/#comments Private Browsing? Not So Private.
All the modern browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc...) come with what has affectionately been dubbed "porn mode." Though it goes by different names in different browsers (InPrivate, Private Browsing, Incognito), the idea is the same; they keep your online journeys hidden by deleting or rejecting cookies, not tracking history, and emptying the cache when you quit. Unfortunately, these tricks only solve part of the privacy equation, and dedicated snoops could still see what sites you're visiting. Geeky productivity blog Lifehacker has put together a great guide that exposes how these private browsing modes fail to truly cover your tracks, and how to better hide your browsing habits (for whatever reasons you might have).

The big problems are the DNS cache and Flash cookies, neither of which are covered by browsers' privacy controls. DNS, which is often described as the Internet equivalent of a phone book, translates Web site names (such as Switched.com) into IP addresses (e.g., 127.0.0.1). These IP addresses are saved locally to speed up access to those pages in the future. Private browsing modes don't clear this cache, which means that somebody could tell what sites you'd been visiting just by looking at locally stored IP addresses, even if you'd cleared your browser history.

Continue reading How to Truly Browse in Private

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How to Truly Browse in Private originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> incognitoInPrivateprivacyprivate browsingPrivateBrowsingtop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[App Developer Sued for Stealing Customers' iPhone Numbers]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/app-developer-sued-for-stealing-customers-iphone-numbers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/app-developer-sued-for-stealing-customers-iphone-numbers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/app-developer-sued-for-stealing-customers-iphone-numbers/#comments Storm8, the developer of popular (but terrible) iPhone games like 'Vampires Live' and 'iMobsters,' has found itself on the wrong end of a potential class-action lawsuit.

A lawsuit has been filed, on behalf of Washington resident Michael Turner, that alleges Storm8 built its games with a "feature" that automatically sends the phone number of each host iPhone to the developer. Turner is suing on the grounds that this practice is in violation of both the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and California state law, and is pushing to turn it into a class-action suit, on behalf of all Storm8 customers.

Storm8 has admitted to collecting the phone numbers, but denies any real responsibility, attributing the "phone home" function to a simple bug in the code. The company maintains that the glitch has been fixed. Turner countered that a "glitch" could not lead to the collection of phone numbers and that specialized code would have to be purposely placed within the games to have that effect. Not being programmers,we can't say for certain whether or not the collecting of phone numbers was intentional, but it doesn't sound like the sort of feature that could be accidentally implemented.

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App Developer Sued for Stealing Customers' iPhone Numbers originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> class actionClassActioncomputer crimes and abuse actComputerCrimesAndAbuseActlawsuitprivacysecuritystorm8top switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:29:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Are Mobile Devices Getting Too Complex?]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/cell-phone-inventor-says-mobile-devices-are-too-complex/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/cell-phone-inventor-says-mobile-devices-are-too-complex/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/cell-phone-inventor-says-mobile-devices-are-too-complex/#comments
Last year, Martin Cooper, the man credited with inventing the cell phone at Motorola in 1973, made headlines when he complained at a Boston conference that the iPhone was too complex. Further cementing his reputation as a curmudgeon, Cooper told a gathering in Madrid this week pretty much the same thing -- that modern cell phones are too feature-packed to be useful. "Whenever you create a universal device that does all things for all people, it does not do any things well," he told the crowd.

Now, our knee-jerk reaction was to dismiss Cooper as a crotchety, out-of-touch coot when he said, "[Our] future... is a number of specialist devices that focus on one thing." Clearly, the trend in technology has been convergence -- cramming more and more capabilities into fewer, smaller gadgets. Many of us at the Switched offices lug around smartphones that can snap photos, record video, play games, browse the Internet, get directions via GPS, play music and video, and make calls. Yet a quick survey revealed that most of us own, and still use, dedicated iPods and GPS devices, as well. And no one would even contemplate ditching a computer to rely purely on a smartphone for Web access.

Continue reading Are Mobile Devices Getting Too Complex?

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Are Mobile Devices Getting Too Complex? originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cellphonehistoryMartin CooperMartinCoopersmartphonetop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[9 Banned Apps You'll Never See on the iPhone]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/9-banned-apps-youll-never-see-on-the-iphone/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/9-banned-apps-youll-never-see-on-the-iphone/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/9-banned-apps-youll-never-see-on-the-iphone/#comments
There's no denying the runaway success of Apple's App Store: to date, iPhone and iPod touch users have downloaded some 2 billion applications from its ever-expanding library of 100,000. But there's also no escaping the rumblings of discontent from many consumers and developers who feel that Apple is unfairly acting as judge, jury, and executioner by censoring apps and exiling them from the App Store.

Much of the consternation stems from the fact that Apple has never published hard and fast guidelines for what determines whether an app will be allowed through Apple's gatekeepers. To make matters worse for frustrated developers, Apple frequently contradicts itself in its judgments. So, say, while porn stars are free to peddle T and A to consenting adults, e-book packages that include the "Kama Sutra" are apparently too risqué for Apple. In the hopes of discovering a method to this maddening process, we've looked at nine high-profile iPhone apps that were found guilty of transgressing Apple's (unwritten) approval terms, and weigh in on the fairness of Apple's judgment and the likelihood an app will have it overturned on appeal in the future.

Continue reading 9 Banned Apps You'll Never See on the iPhone

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9 Banned Apps You'll Never See on the iPhone originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appleappstorebannedbanscensorshipfeaturestop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Maryland Computer Crash Causes Gridlock and Mayhem]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/#comments O, mighty gods of technology! How beholden to you we are! You hold every facet of our lives in your cold, digital paws. And to remind us of just how much control you wield over our fragile lives, you decided to bring all of Montgomery County, Maryland to a standstill this week.

County technicians are still trying to figure out why a computer that controls all 750 traffic lights in the area crashed around 3 a.m., Wednesday. The computer, which oversees the timing and synchronization of the lights for the entire county, which itself includes several major suburbs of Washington, D.C., dates back to the Carter administration and is in the process of being phased out. But, apparently, the system couldn't hold onto life any longer and turned the entire county into a sea of glowing brake lights. Thanks to the meltdown, the grid failed to switch into rush-hour mode and, as a result, did not leave individual lights green for long enough to keep traffic flowing.

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Maryland Computer Crash Causes Gridlock and Mayhem originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> caroutdatedrush hourRushHourstandstilltoptraffictraffic lightsTrafficLights switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:24:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Google Dashboard Reveals Your Digital Dossier]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/google-dashboard-reveals-your-digital-dossier/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/google-dashboard-reveals-your-digital-dossier/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/google-dashboard-reveals-your-digital-dossier/#comments Google Launches Dashboard, Reveals What it Knows About You We've before pondered the question: How much does Google know about you? Now, Google wants to give you the answer. In excruciating detail.

The big 'G' just launched Google Dashboard, a service that summarizes the data stored by the various Google services you use, and then provides quick links to the privacy and personal settings of each. According to Google, the aim is to provide a transparent look into the information of yours that it has stored.

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Google Dashboard Reveals Your Digital Dossier originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> dashboardgoogle dashboardGoogleDashboardprivacytop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:36:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Purdue's 'Hotseat' Brings Twitter to the College Classroom]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/purdue-universitys-hotseat-brings-twitter-and-facebook-to-the/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/purdue-universitys-hotseat-brings-twitter-and-facebook-to-the/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/purdue-universitys-hotseat-brings-twitter-and-facebook-to-the/#comments Purdue University Bringing Twitter and Facebook into the Classroom Schools have been surprisingly quick to embrace new online tools to enhance education and encourage participation both in and out of the classroom. Professor Dave Parry, from the University of Texas at Dallas, has taken his class to Twitter, The University of Missouri has required all Journalism majors to own an iPhone or an iPod touch, and Griffith University has an entire course dedicated to Twitter for it's Journalism students.

Purdue University, one of the first to institute an emergency text messaging system and an early adopter of Apple's iTunes U, is testing a custom developed app called 'Hotseat' that allows for students to comment and ask questions in real-time, via Twitter, Facebook, text message, and a Web interface. The university is testing the application in two classes right now, and of the roughly 600 students taking those courses, 73-percent have used 'Hotseat' to ask questions, critique their professor, or vote for topics to be covered.

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Purdue's 'Hotseat' Brings Twitter to the College Classroom originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> educationfacebookschooltoptwitter switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:25:00 EST Switched <![CDATA['2001' Geeks, Rejoice! World Learns Why HAL Sang 'Daisy']]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/#comments
We're sure many of you are familiar with the death-of-HAL scene from the Kubrick classic '2001: A Space Odyssey,' in which the rebellious computer slowly, and childishly, drones the lyrics to 'Daisy Bell.' It's one of the most memorable scenes in a film loaded with iconic images (the obelisk monolith) and phrases ("Open the pod bay doors, HAL."), yet we've always wondered: Why 'Daisy?'

It turns out that the choice of 'Daisy Bell' was a tribute to the IBM 704, which, thanks to the brilliant programmers at Bell Labs, became the first computer to sing, way back in 1962. The popular ditty from the late 19th century was chosen by geniuses John L. Kelly, Carol Lockbaum, and Max Mathews as part of a demonstration of speech synthesis. Before he'd penned the film's namesake novel, author Arthur C. Clarke, who also co-wrote the screenplay, paid a visit to a friend at Bell Labs. There, Clarke was treated to a performance by the IBM 704, and later, inspired by what he'd seen, reproduced it in the dramatic death scene of HAL 9000.

You can hear the audio of the entire speech demo here, and watch the '2001' scene played back-to-back with a clip from a 1963 documentary about the Bell Labs demo here. Or you can just watch the video below (ignore the incorrect year and model number) to hear the IBM 704 sing 'Daisy Bell' without the rest of the demo, or any comparison to the evil, paranoid machine from '2001'. [From: Bell Labs, via Boing Boing]

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'2001' Geeks, Rejoice! World Learns Why HAL Sang 'Daisy' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2001 a space odyssey2001ASpaceOdysseyarthur c. clarkeArthurC.Clarkebell labsBellLabsfilmHAL 9000Hal9000historymoviesstanley kubrickStanleyKubricktop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Windows 7 Performing Just Fine, Despite Haters]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/#comments Apparently, some media outlets are so eager to see Microsoft fall flat on its face that they're already calling Windows 7 a failure -- less than two weeks after its debut. Electronista and CNN Money have already declared that, with Windows 7, Microsoft has blown its chance to stop the rise of Mac.

According to Internet tracking firm Net Applications, Windows has seen its ninth drop in market share in the last twelve months, falling an astounding (cue eye-rolling) two-tenths of a percent in October. During the same time, OS X saw its market share climb a little over one-tenth of a percent. This is, apparently, indicative of a march towards computing dominance for Apple -- at least if you ignore the fact that, despite losing market share for nine of the last twelve months, and despite the disaster that was Vista, Microsoft operating systems still account for more than 92-percent of Internet traffic.

Look, Apple has been "on the rise" for about ten years now and only accounts for about five-percent of the PCs currently in use. We're not saying that Apple will never topple, or severely cut, into Microsoft's market share. We're just saying that claims of the surging Mac don't quite jibe with the reality of the market.

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Windows 7 Performing Just Fine, Despite Haters originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appleMicrosoftos xOsXwindowswindows 7Windows7 switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Radio and CDs Still More Popular than MP3s, Finds Study]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/radio-and-cds-still-more-popular-than-mp3s/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/radio-and-cds-still-more-popular-than-mp3s/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/radio-and-cds-still-more-popular-than-mp3s/#comments Believe it or not, digital media and iPods aren't the most popular way to consume audio entertainment. In fact, it's not even close. The most popular source of audio media, according to the Council for Research Excellence (PDF), is good ol' broadcast radio.

According to the study, which followed around 300 adults in five U.S. cities, some 77-percent of Americans listen to some broadcast radio on any given day. Compare that with the second place source, CD and cassettes, which only 37-percent listen to on a daily basis, and you've got an utter dominance of the market. Portable media devices like the iPod didn't even come in third. Despite garnering most of the media attention, MP3s were beaten out by radio, CD, and even satellite radio.

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Radio and CDs Still More Popular than MP3s, Finds Study originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> audiodigital audiodigital audio playerdigital mediaDigitalAudioDigitalAudioPlayerDigitalMediaradiostudytop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:54:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[China Blocks Access to 'World of Warcraft'... Again]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/china-blocks-access-to-world-of-warcraft-again/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/china-blocks-access-to-world-of-warcraft-again/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/china-blocks-access-to-world-of-warcraft-again/#comments China Blocks Access to WoW... Again.
'World of Warcraft' (WoW) is painfully popular in China. So much so that, out of WoW's roughly 13 million subscribers, 4 million are in China -- almost a third of the company's customer base. Considering the large portion of revenue coming from the psuedo-communist country, WoW publisher Activision Blizzard, is probably having a mini freak-out right now as WoW has again been blocked by the Chinese government.

This isn't a first. In fact, the multiplayer online game was only relaunched in China this September, but internal quarrels (surprisingly, not censorship) have again shut it down. It seems that the General Administration of Press and Publication and the Ministry of Culture can't agree on whose jurisdiction WoW falls under, and until they either reach an solution (or battle to the death), China may not have access to WoW.

Of course, Chinese gamers are quite the dedicated and obsessive bunch (they even have a WoW-themed restaurant!) so we're sure they'll find a way around the blockade -- like logging into servers in neighboring Taiwan. [From: Download Squad]

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China Blocks Access to 'World of Warcraft'... Again originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chinagamingtopWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:16:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[MSN Gets Its First Makeover in a Decade]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/microsoft-gives-msn-its-first-makeover-in-a-decade/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/microsoft-gives-msn-its-first-makeover-in-a-decade/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/microsoft-gives-msn-its-first-makeover-in-a-decade/#comments Microsoft Finally Gives MSN a Much Needed Facelift MSN, Microsoft's news and search portal, has remained largely unchanged over the last decade. The familiar butterfly logo, blue background, and oppressive quantities of links have gotten only minor tweaks since 2001 -- a different shade of blue, more links, more photos. But now, Microsoft is prepped to unveil a drastic redesign of its flagship portal, reducing clutter and ditching the "Microsoft blue" background for a cleaner white.

The New York Times counted 45 clickable links in the top two inches of the old MSN (which you can see after the break). Those links, which represented various categories and separate subheadings for individual news sources, have been condensed and simplified. Now, a simple slide show of featured stories sits above a tabbed news list, which lets you switch between news from MSNBC, Fox Sports, and others.

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MSN Gets Its First Makeover in a Decade originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> designmicrosoftmsnredesigntoyota switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST Switched