Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Electronic Voting Machine Hacked to Run 'Pac-Man']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/19/electronic-voting-machine-hacked-to-run-pac-man/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/19/electronic-voting-machine-hacked-to-run-pac-man/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/19/electronic-voting-machine-hacked-to-run-pac-man/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pac-Man Running on a Voting Machine
Electronic voting machines are notoriously buggy and hackable. Even the manufacturers of DRE (direct recording electronic) voting talliers have admitted so much. Some states have even gone as far as to ban the touchscreen devices. While they may not be great at recording votes (or leaving a paper trail), it turns out their outdated PC-like innards are perfect for playing retro arcade games. This particular machine, the AVC Edge, houses a 486 processor and 32 MB of RAM, making it about as powerful as a 15-year-old PC. Researchers J. Alex Halderman from the University of Michigan, and Princeton's Ariel J. Feldman managed to open the machine, overwrite the embedded psOS+ operating system with the more pedestrian DOS, and install 'Pac-Man' -- all without leaving any evidence that the machine had been physically altered (aside from the ghosts chasing a yellow circle around the screen, that is).

Continue reading Electronic Voting Machine Hacked to Run 'Pac-Man'

SwitchedElectronic Voting Machine Hacked to Run 'Pac-Man' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WebcamAfter months of back and forth and hand wringing, it looks like the strange tale of the Lower Merion school district may finally be coming to a close. In advance of the new school year, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger has announced that the federal government will not be filing charges against the district or its employees over the controversial use of tracking software on school-issued laptops that snapped webcam photos of students. Memeger says that an investigation turned up no evidence of criminal intent. Still, if we were students in the district, we might choose to turn down the offer of a free, school-issued laptop. [From: Google/AP]

SwitchedFeds Not Filing Charges in Pennsylvania School Spying Controversy originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lawLowerMerionLowerMerionSchoolDistrictprivacyschoolspyingtopTue, 17 Aug 2010 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Lazy Road Trip: Man Traverses Britain Using Google Street View]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/17/lazy-road-trip-man-traverses-britain-using-google-street-view/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/17/lazy-road-trip-man-traverses-britain-using-google-street-view/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/17/lazy-road-trip-man-traverses-britain-using-google-street-view/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Matthew PartridgeWalking the entire 1,200 mile length of Britain is no easy feat, but using Google Street View to "travel" the same stretch of land is just plain boring. Matthew Partridge, however, has embarked on this adventure, going pixel by pixel from Land's End to John O'Groats in ten days. Honestly, we'd rather go the actual distance than stare at a screen for 240 hours, but, hey, at least the bright line in the middle of the road will keep him from getting lost. Let's just hope he doesn't veer off his set path, because we're pretty sure the onscreen farmer off to the side of the road won't be able to get him back to the highway. [From: The Sun, via: Gizmodo]

SwitchedLazy Road Trip: Man Traverses Britain Using Google Street View originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britainenglandgooglegooglemapsGoogleStreetViewlazyRoadTripstreetviewtravelweirdTue, 17 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ika-tako Virus Replaces Your Files With Squid Pics]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/16/ika-tako-virus-replaces-your-files-with-squid-pics/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/16/ika-tako-virus-replaces-your-files-with-squid-pics/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/16/ika-tako-virus-replaces-your-files-with-squid-pics/#commentsFiled under: ,

Squid Attacks PC
Never let it be said that computer hackers don't have a sense of humor. Masato Nakatsuji has been arrested by Tokyo authorities for authoring the Ika-tako virus, which replaces the files on a target computer with images of squid, octopi and sea urchins. The virus has infected somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 computers through the Winny file-sharing network. The malware disguises itself as a music file, and, when a victim attempts to play it, works its way through the hard drive, replacing programs, family photos and vital OS components with images of marine life.

Cute, but dangerous, since this is not the first time Nakatsuji has been arrested in connection with the creation of malware. In 2008, the coder created a virus that behaved similarly to Ika-tako, replacing data with images from an anime called 'Clannad.' That stunt landed Nakatsuji in jail for copyright violation. This time, Nakatsuji got slapped with the more severe charge of property destruction. The files that had been replaced were sent back to a server that Nakatsuji ran from his home, indicating he may have had more nefarious motives than simply practicing his computer programing skills, which was his excuse to police. [From: Wired and Asahi.com]

Continue reading Ika-tako Virus Replaces Your Files With Squid Pics

SwitchedIka-tako Virus Replaces Your Files With Squid Pics originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Ika-takoVirusmalwareMasatoNakatsujisecuritysquidsquidstopvirusMon, 16 Aug 2010 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Citizen Scientists Use Einstein@Home Screensaver to Discover a New Pulsar]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/15/citizen-scientists-use-einstein-home-screensaver-to-find-pulsar/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/15/citizen-scientists-use-einstein-home-screensaver-to-find-pulsar/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/15/citizen-scientists-use-einstein-home-screensaver-to-find-pulsar/#commentsFiled under:

Chris and Helen Colvin

Hey, amateur astronomers, listen to this: A couple of at-home space nuts recently discovered a pulsar with a screensaver that uses idle PC time to process data collected from telescopes. By using Einstein@Home to 'donate' a PC's processors to the pursuit of science, the program harnesses thousands of willing computers, rather than one supercomputer, to analyze data. This helps on-the-clock astronomers to cheaply continue their research while they sift through data collected from the Arecibo radio telescope and the LIGO gravitational wave detector.

Wells Fargo computer professionals Chris and Helen Colvin personally built the "run-of-the-mill" computer, which first discovered the pulsar on June 11th, before it was confirmed by another user, Daniel Gebhardt, in Germany on June 14th. The Colvins told Fox News, "It's just something that runs in the background and we don't think about it very much." The trio likely won't receive anything (besides bragging rights) for their discovery, but we think, at least, they should get to name the star. After all, their PCs could've just been wasting time playing retro video games instead. Check out an interview with the Colvins and Gebhardt after the break. [From: Science, Einstein@Home and The National Science Foundation, via: Fox News]

Continue reading Citizen Scientists Use Einstein@Home Screensaver to Discover a New Pulsar

SwitchedCitizen Scientists Use Einstein@Home Screensaver to Discover a New Pulsar originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZepedaNot too long ago, 22-year-old Sealtiel Chacon Zepeda, from Beaverton, Oregon, began cooking up a scheme to copy gift cards from local stores. He knew he couldn't just swipe the cards and run, since they would need to be activated by a cashier before he could use them. So, he decided to clone them instead -- at the direct expense of consumers.

After performing 20 hours of online research, Zepeda purchased an electronic card reader, stole a handful of cards from his local Fred Meyer store, and scanned them with his reader. He then discretely returned the cards, and waited until a special computer program detected that another customer had bought one of his cards. With the help of a magnetic card writer, the scam artist would then rewrite the magnetic strip information on another leftover stolen card, supplying it with the data from the card that someone else had purchased. With his newly cloned card, Zepeda would purchase items for personal use, for re-sale, or, in the event that he needed some cash, for immediate store returns.

Continue reading Oregon Man Clones Gift Cards, Steals $6,000 Worth of Merchandise

SwitchedOregon Man Clones Gift Cards, Steals $6,000 Worth of Merchandise originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Aaron's Calculators
We've never carried them, but we sometimes wish that we had pocketwatches. You know, with a gold chain arched over the middle button of a sharp looking vest (which we've also never owned). It's a strange sentiment, particularly since most of us don't even wear wristwatches. (There's a clock on that cell phone for a reason.) A slightly less intense, but altogether similar sentiment cropped up when we first looked upon images of Aaron Adding Machines. These handsome calculators are custom made by a guy (or, should we say 'chap'?) named Andy Aaron, and we have to admit that those switches, push-buttons, dials and keys make for the best looking computers we've ever seen. Of course, they're also expensive, and -- let's face it -- not that functional. (Google can do more, and more quickly, for free.)

When we make our millions, though, you can rest assured that we'll get a few. Yes, we'll ride in the back of our horse-drawn buggies, tipping our hats to the ladies strolling past, calculating how to spend our fortunes with our adding machines and impatiently checking our pocketwatches -- tired of waiting for that blasted telegram from the whippersnapper we pay to check our e-mail. [From: Aaron Adding Machines, via: Kottke]

SwitchedAndy Aaron's Handmade, Victorian-Style Calculators Deserve a Tip of Our Hats originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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screenshot of robotic wheelchair
Strolling around with your wheelchair-bound loved ones might one day be a whole lot less stressful, thanks to a new robotic wheelchair created in Japan. Designed by researchers at Saitama University's Human-Robot Interaction Center, the wheelchair uses distance sensors and built-in cameras to keep track of a pedestrian's position, allowing the chair to remain on the left-hand side of its targeted companion at all times. As Crunch Gear elaborates, the sensor system is also designed to pick up on the movements of a companion's shoulders, which enables the chair to predict the direction in which the walker might move.

In the event that a person leads the wheelchair down a narrow hallway, or through similarly treacherous terrain, the sensors will detect any obstacles and navigate the chair accordingly. If, for example, other people are walking toward the couple in a tight space, the chair will automatically follow its companion in single-file. And, because several robo-chairs are capable of following the same person, Saitama's researchers are hopeful that their brainchild will allow elderly care workers to more efficiently move their patients, and to interact with them more fluidly while doing so. To see the chair in action, check out the video after the break. [From: CrunchGear, via: PopSci]

Continue reading Japanese Robotic Wheelchair Automatically Follows You Around

SwitchedJapanese Robotic Wheelchair Automatically Follows You Around originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E Ink Samples Colored E-readers
It appears that color E Ink readers aren't as far from being commercially available as most have thought. E Ink Holdings (formally PVI), the group responsible for the screens housed in Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Readers, is leading the way by offering samples of its color panels to manufacturers. In addition to creating color-capable displays, the new screens are capacitive, meaning all their touch-based interactions will be drastically improved. While Amazon may not want any part of this now, as it waits for a more established and tested technology to emerge before releasing a multicolored Kindle, China-based Hanvon has already taken the bait, promising to release color E Ink readers by the end of the year. Who knows, maybe in a couple of months they'll be kicking things off with a smashed ice sculpture of Amazon's logo, hailing death to the drably colored Kindle. [From: Engadget]

SwitchedE Ink Begins to Sample Capacitive, Color E-Readers originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonColorE-inkColorE-readere inke-readerEInkEReaderhanvonkindlepviPviE-inktablettopFri, 13 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Japan Introduces Gadget Dryer For Soggy Phones, Clumsy Bloggers Rejoice]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/13/japan-introduces-gadget-dryer-for-soggy-phones-clumsy-bloggers/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/13/japan-introduces-gadget-dryer-for-soggy-phones-clumsy-bloggers/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/13/japan-introduces-gadget-dryer-for-soggy-phones-clumsy-bloggers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gadget Dryer

We've all lost a high-tech gadget or two to that most low-tech of the natural elements: water. (Or, in the recent case of this writer's laptop, coffee.) Always miles ahead of us stateside folk, who have alternately used hair dryers and bowls of quick rice to dry out our devices, the Japanese have implemented the Dryer Box, a sort of clothes dryer for drowned gadgets.

The copy-machine-sized boxes have found homes in several of Tokyo's Yodobashi Camera retail outlets, and promise that, if they don't resurrect, they don't collect. If your phone is among the lucky ones (which will have to do with whether or not the electronics have shorted), you'll owe 1,000 yen (around $12). And that, dear readers, is a small price to pay when you can avoid telling your friends that you totally forgot your phone was in your pocket when you jumped in the lake. [From: Dryer Box and Wired]

SwitchedJapan Introduces Gadget Dryer For Soggy Phones, Clumsy Bloggers Rejoice originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robot Sentry The appeal of paintball is lost on us, but that doesn't mean we don't recognize a cool robotic paintball turret when we see one. Thanks to Ubergizmo, we found this particular one, a DIY project by some nerdy paintball enthusiasts at Alter Robotics. It's a pan-and-tilt, robotic tripod turret, equipped with an electronic paintball gun (that looks infinitely cooler than the one we got from Walmart for our 13th birthday). The user aims and fires off rounds via a handheld controller, but, according to Alter Robotics' YouTube channel, the guys are working on developing an autonomous firing and tracking system for the robot, as well. In the video after the break, you'll see the turret blast holes in cardboard boxes with crudely drawn targets on them. Cool or not, though, getting pelted with paintballs still doesn't look like a fun way to spend an afternoon. [From: Ubergizmo and YouTube]

Continue reading DIY Robotic Paintball Sentry Blasts Holes in Cardboard Boxes

SwitchedDIY Robotic Paintball Sentry Blasts Holes in Cardboard Boxes originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Word
This week, Microsoft hosted the final rounds of the Worldwide Competition on Microsoft Office, during which 50-odd young people gathered in Park City, Utah, and competed to prove which four were the most proficient in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007, and Microsoft Excel 2003 and 2007, respectively. Those few dozen showed themselves to be the best of the best among a pool of 115,000 entrants. As part of the competition, each contestant was allotted 50 minutes to complete a series of tasks within the programs. The four champions -- who were each given a $6,500 scholarship -- finished their exams in 10 to 15 minutes, and all had perfect scores.

But it wasn't just the winners who walked away with a sense of victory. Although he didn't finish first, 17-year-old Chicagoan Adrian Mercado told CNET that he was much more motivated by the experience than defeated. Galvanized by the challenge and by inspiring conversations with Microsoft employees, Mercado is intent on continuing his studies and achieving his full potential. "I can honestly say that they are changing my life," he said. [From: CNET]

SwitchedYouth Microsoft Office Competition Tests Excel and Word Proficiency originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contesteducationexcelmicrosoftmicrosoft excelmicrosoft wordMicrosoftExcelmicrosoftofficeMicrosoftWordsoftwarestudentstopwordThu, 12 Aug 2010 09:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Computer Glitch Sends 2,500 Erroneous College Acceptance Letters]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/11/computer-glitch-sends-2-500-erroneous-college-acceptance-letters/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/11/computer-glitch-sends-2-500-erroneous-college-acceptance-letters/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/11/computer-glitch-sends-2-500-erroneous-college-acceptance-letters/#commentsFiled under: ,

Middlesex UniversityWaiting for a college acceptance letter can be extremely stressful. But once you've finally been accepted (or rejected), it's all over, right? Apparently not, if you applied to the U.K. institution of Middlesex University. The college has confirmed that a computer glitch caused 2,500 acceptance letters to be sent out to applicants who had not actually been evaluated yet. That's two and a half thousand frustrated students who likely jumped for joy, only to be told a day later a serious mistake had been made. Eventually some of them will get real acceptance letters, while the rest... well, at least they'll have a souvenir of the biggest computer hiccup in the university's history. [From: TG Daily, via: Engadget]

SwitchedComputer Glitch Sends 2,500 Erroneous College Acceptance Letters originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugcollegeCollegeAdmissionsglitchMiddlesexUniversitytopWed, 11 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dell Streak Tablet/Phone Lands on AT&T this Thursday for $299.99]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/dell-streak-tablet-phone-lands-on-atandt-this-thursday-for-299-99/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/dell-streak-tablet-phone-lands-on-atandt-this-thursday-for-299-99/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/dell-streak-tablet-phone-lands-on-atandt-this-thursday-for-299-99/#commentsFiled under: ,

Dell Streak
Apparently today is the day that everyone announces the products we knew were coming. After Motorola and Verizon drew early attention for announcing the extensively leaked Droid 2, Dell and AT&T finally announced the official availability of the Dell Streak. The five-inch Android powered tablet will go on "priority pre-sale" Thursday with general availability coming Friday. What can be described as either an extremely tiny tablet or an incredibly over-sized cell phone will run you $299.99 with a two-year contract, or $549.99 without one.

The 512MB of RAM and 1Ghz processor will make sure it will do fine the speed department. Despite having just been announced, the Streak is already looking long in the tooth with its 800x480 resolution screen (same found on the smaller 3.7-inch Nexus One) and Android 1.6 OS (which is now two major iterations behind). Still, it could make a compelling option for those who are intrigued by the iPad, but are more concerned with placing calls than reading books. Check out what our friends' at Engadget thought of the Streak if you're on the fence about ordering one.

Gallery: Dell Streak

SwitchedDell Streak Tablet/Phone Lands on AT&T this Thursday for $299.99 originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidattdelldell streakDellStreaktablettopTue, 10 Aug 2010 17:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Djedi Robot to Explore Great Pyramid's Secrets, Hopefully Avoid Curses]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/djedi-robot-to-explore-great-pyramids-secrets-hopefully-avoid/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/djedi-robot-to-explore-great-pyramids-secrets-hopefully-avoid/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/djedi-robot-to-explore-great-pyramids-secrets-hopefully-avoid/#commentsFiled under:

PyramidsRobots are adept at many things, among them pouring beer and giving us nightmares. But oft overlooked is their ability to squeeze into tight spaces. Leeds University and the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt will be relying on a tiny bot, equipped with a drill, a camera and some lights, to weasel its way into tiny shafts and through doors in the Great Pyramid of Giza to discover what secrets mights still be hidden within its imposing stone confines.

In 1992, researchers discovered that the shafts off of the Queen's Chamber did not lead to the exterior of the tomb (as they do from the King's Chamber). Instead, when they stuck a camera up one of said tunnels, they found that it led to a massive limestone door with brass handles. In 2002, an expedition drilled through the door, only to find a second door directly behind it. A second shaft off the Queen's Chamber also led to a limestone door. By the end of the year, it's hoped that a remote controlled bot, code-named the Djedi project, will drill through these barriers and reveal what lies beyond them. Egyptologists aren't sure what to expect; the doors could protect vast collections of artifacts, even more doors or simply lead to dead ends. Just get your DVRs ready; there's bound to be a four-hour special, no matter what is found in the tomb. [From: The Independent and Zahi Hawass, via: Pop Sci]

SwitchedDjedi Robot to Explore Great Pyramid's Secrets, Hopefully Avoid Curses originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archaeologyDjediProjectegyptGreatPyramidhistorypyramidrobotrobotstopTue, 10 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jodie Fisher 'Saddened' Over HP CEO Mark Hurd's Resignation]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/jodie-fisher-saddened-over-hp-ceo-mark-hurds-resignation/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/jodie-fisher-saddened-over-hp-ceo-mark-hurds-resignation/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/jodie-fisher-saddened-over-hp-ceo-mark-hurds-resignation/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jodie Fisher On Friday, Mark Hurd resigned from his position as CEO and President of HP, amid accusations of sexual harassment. Now, the woman behind the accusations has revealed her identity to the world, and has offered her condolences to her former boss.

Jodie Fisher, a 50-year-old former actress and reality TV star, knew Hurd while working as a marketing consultant for HP. From 2007 to 2009, she regularly made the rounds at HP events that she'd helped to organize, often introducing the CEO to clients, and keeping him company. Somewhere along the line, though, their relationship allegedly took a turn for the inappropriate, leading Fisher to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against the 53-year-old executive.

Continue reading Jodie Fisher 'Saddened' Over HP CEO Mark Hurd's Resignation

SwitchedJodie Fisher 'Saddened' Over HP CEO Mark Hurd's Resignation originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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police car

The next time the police think about slapping a GPS tracking device on your car, they may be required to have a search warrant in their hands beforehand. In an opinion issued Friday, a D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals determined that unwarranted and prolonged GPS surveillance violates constitutionally mandated protections against unreasonable searches.

Federal prosecutors used evidence from GPS tracking devices to convict two D.C.-area nightclub owners, Antoine Jones and Lawrence Maynard, on narcotics charges. The government had argued that the suspects should never have had a reasonable expectation of privacy, since the GPS technology only tracked actions that the men committed in public. The three judge panel, however, saw things differently. "Society recognizes Jones's expectation of privacy in his movements over the course of a month as reasonable, and the use of the GPS device to monitor those movements defeated that reasonable expectation," the court wrote.

Continue reading Warrant Required for GPS Tracking, Court Rules

SwitchedWarrant Required for GPS Tracking, Court Rules originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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flash captchas CAPTCHA: the most irritating and unfortunate necessity of the Web. Spam bots have gotten smart enough to outwit most of the hoops put in place to keep them from flooding various sites with fake accounts. To stem the tide, CAPTCHAs have gotten increasingly difficult for the bots to decipher, which has the unfortunate side effect of leaving humans just as puzzled. While we're forced to pause, squint and scratch our heads at the obscure combinations of letters and numbers, the machines are only getting better at breaking them.

A new idea is to switch from static mixes of letters and numbers to videos that are more legible to human viewers, and arguably more difficult for machines to parse. NuCaptcha's NuCaptcha would play short videos of letters bobbing and scrolling across a background. A predetermined message in white would be followed by a short selection of characters in red, which a user would be asked to repeat. While it sounds great in theory, the last thing we think the Web needs is more embedded Flash videos. Check after the break for an example. [From: Mashable]

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SwitchedFlash Video NuCaptcha Ready to Block Bots and Annoy You originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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a woman with brain-scanning electrodes at northwestern university
In a recent study at Northwestern University, researchers used electrodes to examine the brain activity of 29 "fake" terrorists. As FOX reports, each student was given a fake terrorist plan of attack on a given U.S. city, and about 30 minutes to educate themselves. They were also asked to flesh out the attacks in greater detail, based on information concerning weapons and methods. The researchers, in the first stage of the study, were fully aware of the mock terrorist plots, and monitored the brain activity of the students during interviews. Whenever a subject revealed details as to where and when the attack was to take place, researchers noticed a unique pattern in his or her 'P300' brain wave activity. They were then able to associate these patterns with a student's "guilty knowledge" of the attack, with 100-percent accuracy across all 29 subjects.

To test the pattern, they re-ran the experiment -- but without being privy to the mock plots. "Without any prior knowledge of the planned crime in our mock terrorism scenarios, we were able to identify 10 out of 12 terrorists, and, among them, 20 out of 30 crime-related details," said psychology professor J. Peter Rosenfeld. "The test was 83-percent accurate in predicting concealed knowledge, suggesting that our complex protocol could identify future terrorist activity."

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SwitchedBrain Waves Reveal Terrorists' Guilty Knowledge originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aside from Quentin Tarantino and Ludacris, most people take toes for granted. Unless we stub one or see one sticking out of our socks, our phalanges tend to spend their entire lives mired in obscurity at the bottom of our anatomical basements. Every now and then, though, our little piggies rise to the occasion, and prove that they're good for a lot more than performing daily duties like going to the market or eating roast beef.

Just ask Amy Windom, a 39-year-old woman from Atlanta who recently became the victim of an armed domestic burglary. According to the AP, a man carrying a handgun entered Windom's house late Monday night, took several of her belongings, and then tied her to a bed. Windom told police that the burglar initially wanted to take her laptop as well, but decided against it after the victim told him it was a work-issued device that could easily be tracked down. Once he left, though, Windom managed to open the laptop with her feet, and used her toes to type an instant message to her boyfriend, asking for help.

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SwitchedBurglary Victim, Tied to Her Bed, Uses Toes to Type 911 Message originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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