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'Beer Pong' Video Game Rated OK for Kids

by Will Safer, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 7:52PMBreaking News



Let's say you're designing a video game for kids. You want it to be fun. You want it to be challenging. You want it to include... beer?

Yes, that's right. A Las Vegas-based video game maker has created a new title for the Wii gaming system based on the popular bar and frat house basement game beer pong. Yes, a perfect game for the adult set but the Entertainment Software Rating Board for some reason saw fit to give it a rating stating it is a suitable game for kids as young as 13-years-old. This has the Connecticut attorney general questioning the rating board's judgment and criteria.

The odd response from the rating board president? The rating was appropriate because she says beer actually plays a very small role in the game and there are no scenes of drinking. We'd like to point out that the word "beer" appeared in the game title.

To quell criticism the game maker, JV Games, has renamed the game 'Pong Toss' and all references to alcohol have been removed. The game box artwork reflects this change but oddly enough the image file name for the artwork still reads "BP_largebox." Um, what could BP stand for, we wonder? [Source: USA Today]




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High Fuel Costs Spur Interest in Energy- and Water-Saving Appliances

by Will Safer, posted Jul 7th 2008 at 3:44PM



Is the rising cost of fuel driving you to make changes in your lifestyle -- and we mean beyond just how far you drive your car? The new place to make changes in energy conservation is inside the home, where appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines draw significant amounts of power.

Is the answer a return to washboards? Perhaps not, as manufacturers are designing increasingly eco-friendly products.

According to a recent survey by Forrester Research, so-called "green" consumers are more brand loyal than other consumers. This revelation isn't lost on appliance manufacturers, who are pushing more eco-friendly products.

Take LG and Whirlpool, for example, which have washing machines that use steam instead of hot water to save more than 70 percent on water and power compared to other units.

Korean customers at electronics stores are coming in asking for devices that save power – something they weren't doing this time last year.

Refrigerators can use up to 30 percent of all power in a home but new models with linear compressors use up to 40 percent less power and make less noise.

The initial higher price tag on these energy-efficient products is outweighed by the savings over the lifetime of the appliance, according to the manufacturers. But maybe the green consumers – who according to Forrester number about 25 million in the U.S. -- are a large enough market to make a difference to the manufacturers. [Source: Reuters]
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Judge Slaps $200 Fines On Men Whose Cell Phones Rang In Court

by Will Safer, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 7:01PM



The title 'Justice of the Peace' takes on new meaning in an Atlanta courtroom, where a judge has slapped a $200 fine on two men whose ringing cell phones went off within minutes of each other in the middle of a hearing.

Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Herman Sloan held the two men in contempt of court for the auditory interruptions. While he finished hearing cases on his docket, he had the two men sit out the time in the jury box. Then, he offered them each a sentence with a choice: a $200 fine or 10 days in jail.

The first man claimed his cell phone was turned off. The second man claimed he was late to court and hadn't heard an earlier announcement warning people to silence their phones. Either way, the judge was none too pleased, and was quick to take action.

Both men chose the $200 fine.

We choose to keep our cell phones on 'vibrate.' [Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution via Textually.org.]
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Teenager Uses Web to Create World's Largest Peace Sign

by Will Safer, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 6:01PM



What do you do with your Facebook page? Maybe you compare your movie trivia knowledge with friends or post pictures of your weekend trip to the beach?

How about using the social networking site to promote world peace?

That's what a 16-year-old Ithaca, New York, high school student did in an attempt to create the world's largest human peace sign. His accompanying YouTube video was nominated in 2007 for the "Most Inspirational" category by the site.

While taking a break from studying for his final exams, Trevor Dougherty tapped into the power of social networking sites to gather nearly 6,000 people at a local fair who, all at the same moment, would stand together and declare their support for world peace.

People volunteered to capture still images and video of the event and there was significant local media coverage. Even a flyover was arranged to capture video of the crowd formed in the giant peace sign. All the evidence is being sent to Guinness to see if a world record has been set.

"We are the YouTube generation and it's a great way to get the word out," Dougherty said. [Source: BBC News.]
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Citysense Uses GPS to Show Live Crowd Movement

by Will Safer, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 1:25PMBreaking News

Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? Then maybe you need a little CitySense.

This activity aggregator from a Columbia University professor tracks users by the GPS capability of their mobile phones (in this case BlackBerrys, but an application for the iPhone is coming soon) and maps out where everyone is in a city.

The initial use, for business and marketing, is obvious. See where the people go and put your business there. The next use is the clever one, though. Let people see where the hot activity is, match it with their own patterns of movement and travel around the metropolis, and make suggestions of where they might want to go next -- all based on complex algorithms that compile data constantly being uploaded to the CitySense system.

The creator, Tony Jebara, an Associate Professor in Computer Science at Columbia, says CitySense can be used tailored to your own activity. Coming soon is the ability for the system to analyze where you've specifically been and then show you where like-minded people also are likely to tread.

All this movement and information is processed by the Sense Networks Macrosense platform. Jebara says that the information gathered is anonymous and you can delete your history at any time.

One other clever feature: If the CitySense system determines that there are more people than usual up and about in the morning, it can actually adjust its alarm clock to wake you a few minutes early, giving you additional time to navigate traffic or an overwhelmed mass transit system. (Just don't hit that snooze button.) [Source: Citysense via Textually.org.]
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Inventor of First Business Computer Dies

by Will Safer, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 3:55PMBreaking News



What if the latest technology news came not out of Microsoft or Apple but instead from McDonald's or Pizza Hut? It would be surprising news, to say the least. Even so, it turns out that one of the biggest advances in computer tech for business was developed by an English food company back in 1951, and its principal designer, David Caminer, died on June 15 at the age of 92.

Caminer is credited by Guinness World Records with creating the world's first business computer on behalf of his employer, J. Lyons & Co, which operated a chain of bakeries and food shops. While other companies, such as IBM, soon overtook the British firm (due to what Caminer said was arrogance and a failure to appreciate the rapid pace of technology by his employer), it is Caminer who gets the credit for devising the business machine. Its first task was to calculate costs, prices and margins of that week's baked output.

Caminer's goal was to speed up the logistics and payroll process for Lyons, which besides running stores also served events at Wimbledon and Windsor Castle. While it took an accountant eight minutes to calculate an employee's pay, the computer, called LEO (short for Lyons Electronic Office), needed only 1.5 seconds. Although the LEO 1 has less than 100,000th the power of a current desktop personal computer it did have all those cool vacuum tubes. They hummed.

What was one thing Caminer did have in common with other great technology inventors? No college degree. (But to all you kids out there, Switched says "Be cool. Stay in school.")

The real innovation of Caminer's machine was that it could be loaded with different programs to work on different tasks. And thus modern business computing was born. [Source: The Seattle Times]

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Survey Says 8 in 10 Businesses Now Use Macs

by Will Safer, posted Jun 27th 2008 at 2:32PM



In a shift major shift among businesses, Macintosh computers are no longer just being allowed through the front doors of corporate America but are actually being encouraged as business work tools.

According to a new survey by the Yankee Group, a Massachusetts research firm, the Apple-made desktop computers, previously only the favorites of graphic designers and layout specialists, are now becoming the quiet favorite among network administrators.

The Macs are said to provide a more stable computer environment and are more resistant to security threats and common flaws than computers outfitted with Windows XP or Vista.

According to Laura DiDio, a Yankee Group research fellow, 8 in 10 U.S. Businesses now use Macs in a significant way. While the Macs only make up about 10 percent of all the computers used by businesses, this represents a major increase from the 2 percent they represented only just a few years ago.

Many businesses are even using the Macs to load Windows, since these computers are able to load both kinds of operating systems courtesy of the Apple's "Boot Camp" utility.

What are the specific reasons for a business to get Macs? The answer is stability and reliability. Macs, DiDio says, suffer from less downtime, they come with a utility called "Time Machine" that allows a user to essentially go back to a moment when a computer was operating properly in case a problem occurs, their desktop search (with a utility called "Spotlight") is easier to use, and iChat (an instant messaging platform) makes communication among workers easier.

While the IT pros surveyed admitted that Windows has better support for network issues, the stability of the Macs actually means they have less reason to require system help.

DiDio notes that businesses aren't about to swap out all their Windows machines for Macs – but the tide may be turning. [Source: Computerworld.]
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Laptop and Data Searches at U.S. Borders Rankles Senator -- and You

by Will Safer, posted Jun 26th 2008 at 6:05PM



Border patrol and customs agents can search not just your bags but your laptop, mobile phone and any other electronic device you carry across the United States' border when returning from a trip abroad, and that's got some senators a bit rankled on your behalf.

Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, says the open-ended ability to search and hold data or devices is troubling, considering privacy laws protect Americans from search and seizure in most other situations. But the Department of Homeland Security says it's doing what it must to protect us from smut, terrorist influence and other bad things. (Because, of course, none of these are available from other sources, like, oh, say, the Internet?)

Here at Switched, we're big proponents of traveling safely, and that includes keeping your private information private. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just leave your laptop at home when you travel. If you must bring it for work, consider uploading documents to a secure server, wiping your hard drive and then downloading the documents once you reach your international destination. And then be sure to do it all again before you start your trip home. We've got more tips to help you protect your data while you travel.

Beyond Feingold's concern, however, is the allegation by some that Muslim Americans are being searched more than others and having their devices and data seized without apparent cause. They also sometimes have to answer questions about their political views. (Who knew paying attention in social studies class would come back to help in such a critical moment?)

One witness who testified before Feingold's committee made an interesting observation. Susan K. Gurley, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, said "In today's wired, networked and borderless world, one's office no longer sits within four walls or a cubicle; rather, one's office consists of a collection of mobile electronic devices such as a laptop, a BlackBerry, PDA, and a cellphone." Because of the searches, "you may find yourself effectively locked out of your office indefinitely." [Source: The New York Times.]
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Facebook-'Dipping' Teens Using Web 2.0 to Find Secret Pool Parties

by Will Safer, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 5:20PM



Are the dog days of summer weighing you down with heat, humidity and a bit of boredom tossed in for good measure?

Well, UK newspaper the Telegraph is reporting that some British teens have found a clever way to cool off during this sweltering season with a little help from Google Earth and Facebook.

The kids are using the accurate imagery on Google Earth to find out where private swimming pools are located and then inviting friends (and anyone else they've linked to) via social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo to join them at clandestine pool parties, often picking late night hours or waiting until homeowners leave for work during the day to trespass and go for a swim. It's called Facebook 'dipping.'

Police are getting reports of people returning to their homes at the end of the day to find their pools and back yards full of beer cans and other evidence of these impromptu parties. Others are being awakened late at night by partying kids, who advise each other on Facebook to bring their bicycles so they can make a quick getaway if caught.

So far we haven't seen reports of this happening stateside – but Web access, rising temperatures and a little ingenuity seems to promise incidents soon. (Who knows? By writing about it are we giving kids bad ideas? For the record, we're firmly against trespassing and other tomfoolery.)

The British police are advising homeowners to be aware of the problem – but they haven't exactly spelled out what people should do, short of draining the water from their pools. [Source: The Daily Telegraph.]


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Mobile Phones Next Big Target For Hackers

by Will Safer, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 4:09PM

smart phones targets for hackers

There's a downside coming for users of do-it-all mobile phones, according to tech security analyst firm IDC.

Though increasingly popular and mainstream, multi-function iPhones, Palm Treos and Blackberrys are expected to become ever more ripe targets for hackers, scammers and virus coders, who until now have seen personal computers and networks as the most enticing targets.

Considering how much personal and sensitive information (addresses, e-mails, documents, passwords, pictures) people keep on their smartphones, this growing threat is a major concern.

The change is coming with the open access environment of applications that are being written for these smartphones, say experts from the top security labs. While it's a boon for the folks who write programs, and the consumers who plan to use them, the open access also means it'll be easier for hackers to make malicious software available. (Programs for smartphones can be written by pretty much anyone.)

Trend Micro and Symantec, as well as other security firms, are already seeing a growing business supplying protection to businesses and individuals who use smartphones. IDC says businesses and consumers will spend $958 million by 2011, up from $214 million in 2006, on security. For an individual user, $30 buys a year's worth of protection.

These firms consider smartphones the most vulnerable link the complex chain of communications devices on the market today.

The attacks have already begun. Users of Windows Mobile smartphones have already found themselves subject to the InfoJack program, which knocked out their phones' security settings and connected the devices to a server in China.

So how do you protect yourself? Well, for starters, don't download anything that doesn't look familiar (like something in an e-mail that comes from someone you don't know). Also, consider installing an anti-virus protection program for mobile phones. Just take care to use the same precautions you use on your computer to avoid viruses and you should be okay.

Here's the good news for people who don't own smartphones (essentially, most clamshell and flat-phones that don't run Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, or Palm OS (or iPhones): You don't have to worry, since non-smart-phones don't allow for independent third-party applications to be installed, making them virtually virus-proof (and, also, of course, more boring, since they only allow apps from your mobile carrier to be installed). [Source: USA Today]
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Why Are Old iPhones Fetching Top Dollar On eBay?

by Will Safer, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 12:10PM



In these patriotic times you've heard the saying, "Freedom isn't free," right?

It seems this goes for both liberty and iPhone calling plans. (Yes, we know its a stretch. Please don't be offended.)

The new iPhone 3G, announced by Steve Jobs earlier this month at the Worldwide Developers Conference and hitting Apple Store shelves July 11, will start at $199 for the 8-gigabyte (GB) model and $299 for the 16-gigabyte (GB) model. The relatively low retail price is possible because AT&T is heavily subsidizing the cost of the phone and will make it's money back on the service plan. One trick of the new iPhone is that buyers must activate an account with AT&T.

So what if you want to use an iPhone but prefer another service provider?

Then the old iPhoneis your answer, and this solution is not lost on people in the market for a little service freedom.

Older unlocked 8-gigabyte (GB) and 16-gigabyte (GB) iPhones are going for about $400 and $585 respectively on eBay. That's more than what they would sell for at retail.

In order to make a new iPhone work on a network other than AT&T, you'd have to buy the phone, sign up for the service, then cancel the service with a $175 penalty, and then unlock your phone and sign up with your service provider of choice.

Or just get an old unlocked iPhone and avoid the AT&T mess altogether. [Source: Kottke.org]
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Beatles Video Game Coming Soon?

by Will Safer, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 4:47PM



You still can't buy their music on iTunes, but The Beatles soon may be coming to a video game near you.

The Financial Times is reporting that representatives of Apple Corps., the company the oversees The Beatles' business interests, have been in talks with both MTV Games (maker of Rock Band) and Activision (whose Guitar Hero is all the rage among video gamers these days). Which company they're more likely to choose to make a game is unknown.

While The Beatles have been slow to to come to new technologies (it was quite a while before the band's catalog was released first released on CD), the remaining members of the band (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) recently began exploring new avenues to get their sound out to the masses. For example, some Beatles tunes have been used on 'American Idol' and the Cirque du Soleil show "Love" in Las Vegas has been a hit with fans.

Word is a deal could be in the making within the next few weeks.

What will the game be like? (We would like to see a first-person 'Yellow Submarine' adventure. To visit a walrus. And an octopus' garden.) [Source: PaidContent and Joystiq.]
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Northern Lights May Increasingly Interfere With GPS

by Will Safer, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 4:01PM



GPS units are not infallible.

Stories abound of users blindly following poor GPS directions (based on improperly developed maps) onto train tracks, off marked roads, and even into a nasty part of town.

Now, there's a brand new problem: interference from the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, the natural lightshow seen near the Earth's poles when high-speed particles from the Sun hit the atmosphere. The natural light show distorts the signals from Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) that are 12,600 miles overhead. With increasing solar activity expected in the coming years, the bright lights could foul up navigation devices at an increasing rate.

The last peak of solar activity came in 2000, which is before portable navigation devices were popular, so users haven't experienced this kind of interference to date. The next peak is expected in 2012, with increasing activity each year until then.

According to a report in the American Geophysical Union's 'International Journal of Space Weather' (their Summer Fun issue is a must-read), tests conducted in Norway during Northern Light activity showed GPS units were not able to precisely identify the roads the researchers were on. Sometimes the units lost their signal entirely.

The global positioning satellites hover in fixed positions 12,600 miles above sea level. For the portable navigation units that people use in their cars, boats and planes to work, they must be able to receive unimpeded signals from these satellites. When the Northern Lights are in play, the Earth's ionosphere gets "lumpy," rendering the signals inaccurate.

Navigation device makers say this won't cause a dangerous situation for drivers as long as they use common sense while behind the wheel. So, mainly, the same common sense that (we hope) will keep you from driving off the road into a river, either. [Source: Telegraph.co.uk.]

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Russert Death Leaked On Wikipedia Before Official NBC Announcement

by Will Safer, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 2:02PM

Tim Russert

Good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster.

That's the lesson learned by the folks at NBC when news of their colleague Tim Russert's death found its way onto the Web before the network had made an official announcement.

Immediately following long time political reporter and NBC News Washington Bureau chief Russert's sudden collapse on the job, the NBC News team made a decision to keep news of his death quiet– and asked other media outlets to do the same – until his family, which was still on vacation in Italy, could be notified.

The news of Russert's death, however, did not remain a secret, as his Wikipedia entry was updated 40 minutes before NBC went official with the announcement.

A junior-level staffer at the Web news company Internet Broadcasting Service (IBS) saw the Russert information as it was fed out across the NBC affiliate network and, thinking the news was already public, updated Russert's Wikipedia page.

As this happened, multiple Twitter posts circulated around the Web with the same news, and even the New York Times Web site reported news of Russert's passing about five minutes before NBC made the official announcement over the air.

NBC was not happy with the leaks, and while the Wikipedia update was accurate, a senior member at IBS logged on and deleted all references to Russert's death, changing the entry back to present tense, despite the pending official announcement. To placate NBC, IBS has disciplined the junior staffer with at least a suspension and possibly with a firing. [Source: Silicon Alley Insider]
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Gone Phishing? Collaborative Site Roots Out E-Mail Scams

by Will Safer, posted Jun 22nd 2008 at 2:12PMFeatured Story



It's time to assemble your pole, bait the line and drop a hook into the wild waters of the Internet. Yes, Switched fans, we're looking to get the catch of the day, PhishTank style.

The folks at PhishTank, part of OpenDNS, have tapped the social-linking-collaborative environment of Web 2.0 to assemble what could be the master list of all phishing scams out there on the Web today.

A phishing scam is an attempt by some ne'er-do-well to to steal your personal information, usually with an e-mail entreaty to start. These e-mail messages look like they come from a reputable and trusted source, like a bank or eBay, but they ask for lots of important personal information, such as a credit card number, Social Security number, account number or password. It may seem like common sense to ignore such a request by e-mail, but plenty of people -- perhaps in a rush to be cooperative -- give away all these details, and then it's open season on their accounts by the criminals.

Continue reading Gone Phishing? Collaborative Site Roots Out E-Mail Scams

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