<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
<channel>
<title>Switched</title>
<link>http://www.switched.com</link>
<description>Switched</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url>
<title>Switched</title>
<link>http://www.switched.com</link>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright>
<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Schools Shun Kindle Due to Lack of Accessibility to the Blind]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-shun-kindle-due-to-lack-of-accessibility-to-the-blind/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-shun-kindle-due-to-lack-of-accessibility-to-the-blind/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-shun-kindle-due-to-lack-of-accessibility-to-the-blind/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/kindle_braille2.jpg" />Despite a function on the Kindle that reads text aloud, two <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/university/">universities</a> and an advocacy group for the visually impaired adopted a staunch anti-Kindle stance Wednesday. According to an Associated Press report, the University of Wisconsin - Madison and Syracuse University won't invest in more electronic readers for <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/college/">college students</a> because <a target="_blank" href="http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/11/11/3488147-schools-shun-kindle-saying-blind-cant-use-it">the audio feature is too difficult for a visually impaired person to activate</a>. To engage the feature, a user must navigate a series of onscreen menus -- a process requiring a degree of sightedness that many of the United States' 1.3 million legally blind simply don't have. <br />
<br />
A spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind applauded the schools' efforts. "These universities are saying, `Our policy is nondiscrimination, so we're not going to adopt a technology we know for sure discriminates against blind students'," Chris Danielsen told the Associated Press. With such strong words, it's no wonder that universities aren't ready to invest in the burgeoning e-book market. But Amazon.com, Inc. spokesman Drew Herdener said he hopes to change that. The company is working on improving the <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/kindle/">Kindle</a> so that everybody can easily use it. Just how that'll happen, though, remains unclear.<br />
<br />
For the record, we're rooting for the Kindle. Take it from former college students, the potential of having cheaper, digital textbooks is enough to make a starving student's mouth water. [From: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/11/11/3488147-schools-shun-kindle-saying-blind-cant-use-it">Associated Press, via Newsvine</a>]<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-shun-kindle-due-to-lack-of-accessibility-to-the-blind/">Schools Shun Kindle Due to Lack of Accessibility to the Blind</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:55:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/11/11/3488147-schools-shun-kindle-saying-blind-cant-use-it>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-shun-kindle-due-to-lack-of-accessibility-to-the-blind/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19232560/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-shun-kindle-due-to-lack-of-accessibility-to-the-blind/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>accessibility</category><category>amazon</category><category>blind</category><category>books</category><category>college</category><category>ebook</category><category>ereader</category><category>kindle</category><category>reading</category><category>school</category><category>top</category><category>university</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Caleb Johnson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Schools of Swimming Robots to Study Ocean Currents]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="Robot Swarms to Study Ocean Currents" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/siocomm_a_jaffeaues09-001.jpg" /></div>
If you happen to notice a swarm of <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/robots">robots</a> floating past your beachfront home, don't panic; it's not the first wave of the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-terminator/3281/main">SkyNet</a> invasion. Aided by funding from the <a target="_blank" href="http://nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="http://sio.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a> (SIO) is planning to deploy fleets of autonomous robots, possibly numbering in the hundreds, to study localized oceanic environments.<br />
<br />
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.<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Schools of Swimming Robots to Study Ocean Currents</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/">Schools of Swimming Robots to Study Ocean Currents</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.livescience.com/environment/091110-ocean-robot-swarm.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19232733/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/12/schools-of-swimming-robots-to-study-ocean-currents/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>biology</category><category>nature</category><category>ocean</category><category>research</category><category>robots</category><category>science</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Terrence O'Brien]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ultrasound Could Protect Pacemakers From Hackers]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/visionaries/" rel="tag">Visionaries</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.10pcm.jpg" /> You never want your <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/wireless/">wireless device</a> open to attacks, but if that device is implanted inside your body, security becomes even more important. With pacemakers and <a href="http://www.switched.com/2008/04/09/scientists-create-tumor-tracking-implant/">other medical devices</a> being controlled and monitored from afar, scientists say it's time to step up protection. Those concerns in mind, a group of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control have developed a new safety net.<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23923/?a=f"><br />
According to Technology Review</a>, the system uses ultrasound waves to measure the distance between a medical device and the wireless reader trying to communicate with it. This could prevent potential <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/hack/">hackers</a> from wirelessly gaining access to private information stored on the device, draining its battery, or causing it to malfunction. With the ultrasound system, access to the device would be restricted to the physical proximity of the communicator. In the plan proposed by senior researcher Claude Castelluccia and his team, you'd need to go through a series of authentication steps and be within 10 meters of the device in order to gain access.<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ultrasound Could Protect Pacemakers From Hackers</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/">Ultrasound Could Protect Pacemakers From Hackers</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23923/?a=f>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19230640/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/11/ultrasound-could-protect-pacemakers-from-hackers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>hack</category><category>health</category><category>medical</category><category>pacemaker</category><category>research</category><category>science</category><category>security</category><category>top</category><category>ultrasound</category><category>wireless</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Caleb Johnson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Women More Likely to Call Tech Support, Survey Shows]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/web/" rel="tag">Web</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt=""  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.09cellg.jpg" /></div>
Proving that it's no longer restricted to the domain of toilet seat treatment, the great gender divide has extended to the world of technology, as well. The BBC <a target="_blank" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8346810.stm">reports</a> that women are substantially more likely to read the instruction manual for a given product before calling for assistance, according to a recent survey conducted by the phone tech-help service Gadget Helpline. <br />
<br />
The survey of 75,000 calls received between September 25th and October 23rd reveals that 64-percent of male callers had not read the manual prior to placing their SOS phone calls, compared to just 24-percent of women who had bothered to put up instructions before dialing out. Furthermore, 12-percent of male and 7-percent of females just had to plug in the device in question to solve their problems. The majority of the questions revolved around syncing devices up with each other, as well as newly released and unfamiliar gadgets. <br /><p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Women More Likely to Call Tech Support, Survey Shows</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/">Women More Likely to Call Tech Support, Survey Shows</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8346810.stm>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19228054/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/women-more-likely-to-call-tech-support-survey-shows/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>helpline</category><category>survey</category><category>tech support</category><category>TechSupport</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Amar Toor]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Parents Start 24/7 Webcast of Disabled Daughter]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.10dd.jpg" /> Video <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/camera/">cameras</a> are everywhere. Whenever you're in public, whether it be a subway station or in front of an ATM, chances are that there's a device somewhere capturing your every move. And everyone's pretty cool about it, for the most part. But when Big Brother unexpectedly moves into the private sphere, people get mad. But a couple in France are testing the limits of privacy with a proposed <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/webcast/">webcast</a> featuring their disabled and uncommunicative daughter. <br />
<br />
Anne Lamic, a 32-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, spends most of her days in bed at her family's home in southeastern France, and can neither speak nor walk. Her parents, though, want to bring her daily struggle to the Internet by way of a webcast. The entire initiative, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/anne-lamic-parents-plan-w_n_348712.html">The Huffington Post reports</a>, is part of an effort to raise awareness about the plight of the handicapped in a country that trails the U.S., Canada, and the Nordic countries when it comes to disabled citizens' rights and accommodations. The webcast has stirred up some controversy in France, though, as some have questioned its ethicality, since Lamic, obviously, can't really have her own say in the issue. Her father, Didier Lamic, contends that the webcam "will allow people to see handicaps in ways that are real, everyday and familiar," adding that the videos "must be watched with tenderness and love."<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Parents Start 24/7 Webcast of Disabled Daughter</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/">Parents Start 24/7 Webcast of Disabled Daughter</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:32:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/anne-lamic-parents-plan-w_n_348712.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19227650/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/10/parents-start-24-7-webcast-of-disabled-daughter/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>camera</category><category>disabled</category><category>medical</category><category>top</category><category>webcast</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Amar Toor]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:32:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's the Best iMac for Basic Creative Tasks?]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/advice/" rel="tag">Advice</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/editors-picks/" rel="tag">Editor's Picks</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/reviews/" rel="tag">Reviews</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/desktops/" rel="tag">desktops</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/imac27.jpg" /></div>
<em> <br /> <strong>Question: I'm finally ready to move to Mac, especially with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.switched.com/2009/10/20/apple-revamps-desktops-laptops-and-adds-multi-touch-magic-mou/">Apple's latest iMacs</a>. I really like the design and simplicity. But which one should I get? I was thinking I should get the <a target="_blank" href="http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB950LL/A?mco=MTM3NDc2NDc">base model for $1199</a>, but the <a target="_blank" href="http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB952LL/A?mco=MTM3NDc2NDg">big 27-incher</a> is pretty tempting, too, even though it's another $500. Or should I spend the extra money and get the <a target="_blank" href="http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB953LL/A?mco=MTM3NDc2NjA">upgraded versions of the iMac</a>? So confusing -- I thought Apple was easy! I'll be using it for a little bit of everything, but my high-end needs will include a little video editing, music writing, and graphic design with Photoshop.<br /> </strong> </em><br /> <strong>Answer: </strong>Apple certainly likes to tout its simplicity and plug-and-play usability, but try telling that to someone switching to Mac for the first time. On the surface, it looks as though Apple has two new iMacs out: the 21.5-inch and 27-inch. Simple. Done. Right?<br /> <br /> Not so much. Let's take a quick trip to Apple shopping land (otherwise known as <a href="http://store.apple.com">store.apple.com</a>).<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>What's the Best iMac for Basic Creative Tasks?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/">What's the Best iMac for Basic Creative Tasks?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:10:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://switched.com.com/desktops/apple-imac-27-inch/4505-3118_7-33783915.html?tag=contentBody;compare>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19229421/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/09/whats-the-best-imac-for-basic-creative-tasks/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>apple</category><category>creative</category><category>features</category><category>imac</category><category>justtellmewhattoget</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Joshua Fruhlinger]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:10:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Truly Browse in Private]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/web/" rel="tag">Web</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/kindofincognito.png" alt="Private Browsing? Not So Private." /></div>
<div>All the modern browsers (<a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/IE">Internet Explorer</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/firefox">Firefox</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/chrome">Chrome</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/web">online</a> 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 <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5395267/how-to-really-browse-without-leaving-a-trace" target="_blank">Lifehacker</a> 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). <br />
<br />
The big problems are the <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/dns">DNS</a> 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.</div><p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>How to Truly Browse in Private</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/">How to Truly Browse in Private</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://lifehacker.com/5395267/how-to-really-browse-without-leaving-a-trace>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19223282/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/07/how-to-truly-browse-in-private/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>incognito</category><category>InPrivate</category><category>privacy</category><category>private browsing</category><category>PrivateBrowsing</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Terrence O'Brien]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gift Guide: The Vision One Computer Workstation]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/gift-guide-the-vision-one-computer-workstation/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/gift-guide-the-vision-one-computer-workstation/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/gift-guide-the-vision-one-computer-workstation/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/video-games/" rel="tag">Video Games</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/peripherals/" rel="tag">Peripherals</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/holiday-gift-guide-3/" rel="tag">Holiday Gift Guide</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/v1-chair.jpg" /></div>
<strong>The Vision One Computer Workstation</strong> (Gamer, Under $2,500)<br />
<br />
There are desks, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thev1chair.com/">and then there's the V1</a> ($1,700 starting price), an uncompromising workstation aimed squarely at appeasing the ergonomic needs of the seasoned PC gamer. The standard and corner-room configurations come in 35 colors like solid blue, metallic silver, and "rainbo" -- yep, you read right -- with finishes that include racing stripes and even flames. An adjustable-height monitor stand holds up to three displays while padded elbow rests support your arms; four speaker uprights surround the user so that you're always in the sweet spot.  Colors aside, the V1 customization options are plentiful, from the table tops down to chair. If you've got the extra cash, spring for the cushy leather Porsche seat. Why? Because you (and your back) deserve it.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/gift-guide-the-vision-one-computer-workstation/">Gift Guide: The Vision One Computer Workstation</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:02:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/gift-guide-the-vision-one-computer-workstation/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19226987/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/gift-guide-the-vision-one-computer-workstation/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>accessories</category><category>desk</category><category>furnitures</category><category>gamingaccessories</category><category>hgg</category><category>hgg-2500</category><category>hgg-gamer</category><category>household</category><category>v1</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JP Mangalindan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:02:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Large Hadron Collider Clogged by Bird's Baguette Bomb]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><div align="center"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.06largh.jpg" /></div>
Every now and then, something will randomly <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4zufs6XZVg">fall out of the sky</a> into an extremely insular environment, and chaos and confusion will erupt. Those consequences, as Chicken Little will tell you, can be devastating. <br />
<br />
Something along those lines recently happened at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) when a bird dropped a baguette on the giant particle accelerator as it was flying overhead, nearly shutting the whole thing down in the process. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/05/lhc_bread_bomb_dump_incident/page2.html">The Register</a> reports that the LHC, located at CERN laboratories in Switzerland, saw temperatures in parts of its accelerator circuits rise rapidly as a result of this baguette-bombing bird. (We're gonna go out on a limb and guess it was French.) Luckily, the LHC wasn't in operation, because if it had been, the incident would've likely suspended all further activity. Dr. Mike Lamont, who works in the CERN control center, reassured everyone that the LHC's safety net would have been strong enough to withstand the attack, especially in light of its significant upgrade in September.<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Large Hadron Collider Clogged by Bird's Baguette Bomb</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/">Large Hadron Collider Clogged by Bird's Baguette Bomb</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:04:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-11/bread-loving-bird-shuts-down-lhc>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19225955/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/bird-drops-baguette-shuts-down-large-hadron-collider/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>animals</category><category>birds</category><category>CERN</category><category>funny</category><category>large hadron collider</category><category>LargeHadronCollider</category><category>LHC</category><category>nature</category><category>science</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Amar Toor]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:04:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Agri-Nerd Programs Classic 'Hello World' Code... in a Wheat Field]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/a_v_code.jpg" /></div>
The intricate and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3344889/Google-Earth-Top-10-British-crop-circles.html">wondrous designs of crop circles</a> have mystified and enthralled generations of global spectators from all walks of life. A <a target="_blank" href="http://hello.w0r1d.net/index.html">new, unique crop design</a>, which is actually a square, has recently appeared and is specifically <a target="_blank" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2144652/Most-complex-crop-circle-ever-discovered-in-British-fields.html">designed for geeks and nerds</a> (particularly those who happen to be brilliant programmers). <br />
<br />
Ben Hopfeng-Aertner, a German programmer, has mowed a huge grassy pattern in Semacode, which is a "machine readable," visual programming language. According to Ars Technica, once the agricultural code is translated by a machine, <a target="_blank" href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2007/06/german-programmer-programs-hello-world-into-wheat-field.ars">the 'Tetris'-looking pattern</a> literally reads, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_world_program" target="_blank">Hello, World</a>!" Ben has also created an explanatory Web site that boasts numerous features, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82727621@N00/sets/72057594129393836/">including a series of photos</a> detailing the extensive work required to cut the crop code.<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Agri-Nerd Programs Classic 'Hello World' Code... in a Wheat Field</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/">Agri-Nerd Programs Classic 'Hello World' Code... in a Wheat Field</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:26:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2007/06/german-programmer-programs-hello-world-into-wheat-field.ars>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19225237/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/agri-nerd-programs-classic-hello-world-code-in-a-wheat-fiel/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>ben hopfeng-aertner</category><category>BenHopfeng-aertner</category><category>crop circles</category><category>CropCircles</category><category>funny</category><category>programming</category><category>programminglanguage</category><category>semacode</category><category>top</category><category>weird</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Warren Riddle]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:26:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Maryland Computer Crash Causes Gridlock and Mayhem]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.05back.jpg" alt="" />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.<br />
<br />
County technicians are still trying to figure out why a computer that controls all 750 <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/traffic">traffic</a> lights in the area <a target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/11/04/ST2009110403012.html?sid=ST2009110403012">crashed</a> 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.<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Maryland Computer Crash Causes Gridlock and Mayhem</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/">Maryland Computer Crash Causes Gridlock and Mayhem</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:24:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110402413.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19225340/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/06/maryland-computer-crash-causes-gridlock-and-mayhem/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>car</category><category>outdated</category><category>rush hour</category><category>RushHour</category><category>standstill</category><category>top</category><category>traffic</category><category>traffic lights</category><category>TrafficLights</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Terrence O'Brien]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:24:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Robotic Fish Could Help Scientists Monitor U.S. Waters for Pollution]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img width="400" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="232" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/msufish_610x354-1257369734.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Over-fishing poses a severe threat to many fish species, but scientists around the world are currently hoping to stock various bodies of water with an impervious new breed. These <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10390226-1.html?part=rss&amp;tag=feed&amp;subj=Crave" target="_blank">mechanical robo-fish</a> won't provide valuable sustenance, though, but they could provide scientists with beneficial information about pollutants, water temperature, and algae and oxygen levels.</div>
<br />
English researchers are already preparing to <a href="http://cswww.essex.ac.uk/staff/hhu/HCR-Group.html" target="_blank">populate the River Thames</a> with schools of robot carp, and scientists from Michigan State University also hope to do the same with <a href="http://news.msu.edu/story/7057/#" target="_blank">robotic perch in U.S. waters</a>. The robo-perch prototype propels itself with polymer fins that are manipulated through an electric charge, although the cute little guy still lacks enough power to swim upstream or against currents.<br /><p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Robotic Fish Could Help Scientists Monitor U.S. Waters for Pollution</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/">Robotic Fish Could Help Scientists Monitor U.S. Waters for Pollution</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://news.msu.edu/story/7057/#>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19223579/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/05/robotic-fish-could-help-scientists-monitor-u-s-waters-for-pollu/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>michigan state university</category><category>MichiganStateUniversity</category><category>robot</category><category>robot carp</category><category>robot fish</category><category>robot perch</category><category>RobotCarp</category><category>RobotFish</category><category>RobotPerch</category><category>science</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Warren Riddle]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gift Guide: Litl Webbook]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-litl-webbook/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-litl-webbook/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-litl-webbook/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/laptops/" rel="tag">Laptops</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/holiday-gift-guide-3/" rel="tag">Holiday Gift Guide</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/webbook.jpg" alt="" /></div>
<strong><br />
Litl Webbook</strong> (Novice, Under $1,000) <br />
<br />
Think of the <a href="http://store.litl.com/" target="_blank">Litl Webbook</a> ($699) as the anti-PC. Sure, the 1.6 GHZ Atom processor and 1-gigabyte (GB) of RAM comes standard with most <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/netbooks">netbooks</a>, but that's where the similarities end. For starters, the user interface strips away the menus, icons and folders typically found in Windows and Mac OSX, letting you view photos, online videos and update your Facebook status directly from main screen. A flexible hinge design gives you the option of using the Litl like a standard notebook with the chiclet-style keyboard or swinging the screen over, propping it like an easel, and navigating by moving a dial on the remote, so you can focus on say, perfecting that recipe you found online instead.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-litl-webbook/">Gift Guide: Litl Webbook</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:26:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://store.litl.com/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-litl-webbook/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19222954/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-litl-webbook/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>easy</category><category>hgg</category><category>hgg-1000</category><category>hgg-novice</category><category>litlwebbook</category><category>netbooks</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JP Mangalindan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:26:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA['2001' Geeks, Rejoice! World Learns Why HAL Sang 'Daisy']]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.05ha.jpg" /></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 10px; width: 66px; height: 82px; float: right;"><script> digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/'; </script> <script src="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.js"></script></div>
We're sure many of you are familiar with the death-of-<a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/hal9000">HAL</a> scene from the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/stanley-kubrick/1222483/main">Kubrick</a> classic '<a target="_blank" href="http://www.moviefone.com/movie/2001-a-space-odyssey/870/main">2001: A Space Odyssey</a>,' 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 <strike>obelisk</strike> monolith) and phrases ("Open the pod bay doors, HAL."), yet we've always wondered: Why 'Daisy?'<br />
<br />
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 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bell-labs.com/news/1997/march/5/2.html">first computer to sing</a>, way back in 1962. The <span>popular ditty from the late 19th century</span> was chosen by geniuses John L. Kelly, <span>Carol Lockbaum, and Max Mathews as part of a demonstration of speech synthesis. Before he'd penned the film's namesake novel, author <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/arthurc.clarke">Arthur C. Clarke</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
You can hear the audio of the entire speech demo <a href="http://www.vintagecomputermusic.com/mp3/s2t9_Computer_Speech_Demonstration.mp3" target="_blank">here</a>, and watch the '2001' scene played back-to-back with a clip from a 1963 documentary about the Bell Labs demo <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGsfwhb4-bQ&amp;feature=video_response" target="_blank">here</a>. Or you can just watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41U78QP8nBk" target="_blank">video below</a> (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: <a href="http://www.bell-labs.com/news/1997/march/5/2.html" target="_blank">Bell Labs</a>, via <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/01/the-real-hal-9000.html" target="_blank">Boing Boing</a>]<br />
<br />
</span>
<div align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/41U78QP8nBk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/41U78QP8nBk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/">'2001' Geeks, Rejoice! World Learns Why HAL Sang 'Daisy'</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.bell-labs.com/news/1997/march/5/2.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19219408/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/2001-geeks-rejoice-world-learns-why-hal-sang-daisy/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2001 a space odyssey</category><category>2001ASpaceOdyssey</category><category>arthur c. clarke</category><category>ArthurC.Clarke</category><category>bell labs</category><category>BellLabs</category><category>film</category><category>HAL 9000</category><category>Hal9000</category><category>history</category><category>movies</category><category>stanley kubrick</category><category>StanleyKubrick</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Terrence O'Brien]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Windows 7 Performing Just Fine, Despite Haters]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/2009.11.04win7.jpg"  alt="" />  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. <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/11/01/windows.share.drops.in.oct.despite.win.7/" target="_blank">Electronista</a> and <a href="http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/11/01/mac-share-grew-after-windows-7-debut/" target="_blank">CNN Money</a> have already declared that, with <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/windows7">Windows 7</a>, Microsoft has blown its chance to stop the rise of Mac.<br />
<br />
According to Internet tracking firm <a href="http://marketshare.hitslink.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9" target="_blank">Net Applications</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/windows">Windows</a> has seen its ninth drop in market share in the last twelve months, falling an <em>astounding</em> (cue eye-rolling) two-tenths of a percent in October. During the same time, <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/osx">OS X</a> saw its market share climb a little over one-tenth of a percent. This is, apparently, indicative of a march towards computing dominance for <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/apple">Apple</a> -- 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 <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/vista">Vista</a>, Microsoft operating systems still account for more than 92-percent of Internet traffic. <br />
<br />
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.<p><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Windows 7 Performing Just Fine, Despite Haters</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/">Windows 7 Performing Just Fine, Despite Haters</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/11/01/mac-share-grew-after-windows-7-debut/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19220954/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/haters-already-calling-windows-7-a-failure/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>apple</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>os x</category><category>OsX</category><category>windows</category><category>windows 7</category><category>Windows7</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Terrence O'Brien]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gift Guide: HP Touchsmart 300z]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-hp-touchsmart-300z/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-hp-touchsmart-300z/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-hp-touchsmart-300z/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/desktops/" rel="tag">desktops</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/holiday-gift-guide-3/" rel="tag">Holiday Gift Guide</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/hp300z.jpg" alt="" /></div>
<a href="http://switched.com.com/1770-5_7-0.html?query=HP+Touchsmart+300z&amp;tag=srch" target="_blank"><strong>HP Touchsmart 300z</strong></a> (Novice, Under $2,500) <br />
<br />
<a href="http://switched.com.com/1770-5_7-0.html?query=HP+Touchsmart+300z&amp;tag=srch" target="_blank">HP's all-in-one desktop</a> ($799 - $1,099, depending on the configuration) includes the specs you'd want for day-to-day computing: a 20-inch widescreen LCD, an AMD Athlon multi-core processor, 2-4-gigabytes (GB) of RAM and up to a 750 GB hard drive. But what separates the Touchsmart 300z from the pack is the user-friendly, iPhone-like touchscreen interface, which has been much improved with the addition of Windows 7. No need for a stylus. Just select an item by tapping a finger on it. To rotate a photo, move your fingers in a circular motion. And if you prefer a touch keyboard, tap the edge of the screen twice. It's so intuitive, you'll wonder why all computers don't have one.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-hp-touchsmart-300z/">Gift Guide: HP Touchsmart 300z</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://switched.com.com/1770-5_7-0.html?query=HP+Touchsmart+300z&amp;tag=srch>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-hp-touchsmart-300z/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19222944/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/04/gift-guide-hp-touchsmart-300z/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>hgg</category><category>hgg-2500</category><category>hgg-novice</category><category>hp</category><category>hptouchsmart</category><category>touchscreen</category><category>windows7</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JP Mangalindan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gift Guide: Sony Vaio X]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-sony-vaio-x-notebook/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-sony-vaio-x-notebook/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-sony-vaio-x-notebook/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/laptops/" rel="tag">Laptops</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/holiday-gift-guide-3/" rel="tag">Holiday Gift Guide</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/1_x_all_-_group__lg.jpg" /><br />
</strong></div>
<strong><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://switched.com.com/laptops/sony-vaio-x-vpc/4505-3121_7-33786483.html?tag=mncol;lst">Sony Vaio X</a></strong> (Gadget Head, Under $2500<br />
While seemingly every other company out there is scrambling to put out their latest low-power, low-feature, low-cost <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/netbook">netbook</a>, Sony opted instead to pull out all the stops<a target="_blank" href="http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&amp;storeId=10151&amp;langId=-1&amp;categoryId=8198552921644667494&amp;N=4294954366&amp;XID=O:vaio%20x:dg_nb_gglsrch#features"> for its newest Vaio X</a>, a full-featured sub-notebook that also happens to be insanely, runway model tiny, thin and light. Like not much thicker than an iPhone (.55 inches to be exact) and just 1.6 pounds (we eat heavier sandwiches than that). And yet, somehow Sony still crammed it full of the essentials: an 11.1-inch LCD, with two USB ports, Ethernet, VGA, SD slot and built-in Verizon mobile wireless, as well as 2-gigabytes (GB) of RAM, and up to 128 GB SSD hard drive and running Windows 7 to boot. These are all premium specs, and not bad for a $1,300 price tag, especially considering it comes with an external long-life battery that lasts about 14 hours, and has a durable carbon-fiber case and scratch-resistant screen. So it's tough but tiny, built for the road but also pretty sexy -- consider it the biker chick of sub-notebooks.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-sony-vaio-x-notebook/">Gift Guide: Sony Vaio X</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:12:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://switched.com.com/laptops/sony-vaio-x-vpc/4505-3121_7-33786483.html?tag=mncol;lst>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-sony-vaio-x-notebook/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19219898/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/03/gift-guide-sony-vaio-x-notebook/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>hgg</category><category>hgg-2500</category><category>hgg-gadgethead</category><category>netbook</category><category>netbooks</category><category>sony</category><category>sony vaio x</category><category>SonyVaioX</category><category>vaio</category><category>windows7</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Chase]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:12:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Our Daily Deal: 1.5-Terabyte External Drive for $99.99]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/our-daily-deal-1-5-terabyte-external-drive-for-99-99/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/our-daily-deal-1-5-terabyte-external-drive-for-99-99/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/our-daily-deal-1-5-terabyte-external-drive-for-99-99/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/wdelementsdeal.jpg" alt="Our Daily Deal: 1.5 TB External Drive for $99.99" /></div>
The folks over at <a href="http://www.techdealdigger.com/" target="_blank">TechDealDigger</a> are letting us know about some of the best deals they find on gadgets every day, so we're going to pass that information on to you. After all, in these tough economic times, every little bit counts. We may not be buying <a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/02/04/elton-john-and-swarovski-team-up-for-bling-y-ipods/" target="_blank">Swarovski-covered iPods</a> any time soon, but everyone needs essentials like a computer. So take a look at what the online deals site sent us today.<br />
<br />
Everyone needs more storage for their computers. Really, there's no such thing as too much hard drive space. Whether a huge hard drive for all that downloaded (legally, of course) music, or a large-capacity drive for all our backed up data, a truly massive storage space is a welcome addition to any rig. That's why we had to tell you about this deal from <a href="http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A3098103&amp;cs=04&amp;c=us&amp;l=en&amp;dgc=BF&amp;cid=7421&amp;lid=197378&amp;acd=10549103-3026717-11739_1100_2_9__#Overview" target="_blank">Dell</a>, forwarded to us by our good friends at <a href="http://www.techdealdigger.com/pr/cheap-wd-elements-15-tb-usb-20-desktop-external-hd-deals/2453" target="_blank">TechDealDigger</a>. Dell Small &amp; Medium Business is selling a 1.5-terabyte external USB hard drive for $99.99 with free shipping. (In case you're counting, that's 1,500 gigabytes, or enough space to store 60 <a href="http://www.switched.com/tag/blu-ray">Blu-ray</a> discs, or 375,000 songs.) That's $53 below the list price of this Western Digital Elements drive, and beats the price on the reliably cheap outlet <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136450" target="_blank">Newegg</a> by $30. The Elements drive series is <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16822136450">very</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Elements-External-WDE1UBK10000N/product-reviews/B001JTQCU8/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&amp;showViewpoints=1" target="_blank">well</a> <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4376839&amp;csid=ITD&amp;body=REVIEWS#tabs" target="_blank">reviewed</a> and comes highly recommended, making it an all but irresistible deal. <br />
<div id="continued">
<div id="continued"><br />
Watch this space every day for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.switched.com/tag/ourdailydeal">new tech deals</a>. [From: <a href="http://www.techdealdigger.com/pr/cheap-wd-elements-15-tb-usb-20-desktop-external-hd-deals/2453" target="_blank">TechDealDigger</a>]</div>
</div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/our-daily-deal-1-5-terabyte-external-drive-for-99-99/">Our Daily Deal: 1.5-Terabyte External Drive for $99.99</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:53:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.techdealdigger.com/pr/cheap-wd-elements-15-tb-usb-20-desktop-external-hd-deals/2453>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/our-daily-deal-1-5-terabyte-external-drive-for-99-99/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19219129/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/our-daily-deal-1-5-terabyte-external-drive-for-99-99/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Daily deal</category><category>DailyDeal</category><category>external hard drive</category><category>ExternalHardDrive</category><category>hard drive</category><category>HardDrive</category><category>our daily deal</category><category>OurDailyDeal</category><category>techdealdigger</category><category>top</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Terrence O'Brien]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:53:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gift Guide: Alienware Area 51 ALX Gaming PC]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-alienware-area-51-alx-gaming-pc/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-alienware-area-51-alx-gaming-pc/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-alienware-area-51-alx-gaming-pc/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/desktops/" rel="tag">desktops</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/holiday-gift-guide-3/" rel="tag">Holiday Gift Guide</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/alienware-area-51-alx-core-i7-gaming-pc.jpg" /></div>
<a href="http://switched.com.com/desktops/alienware-area-51-alx/4505-3118_7-33786196.html?tag=mncol;lst" target="_blank"><strong><br />
Alienware Area 51 ALX Gaming PC</strong></a> (Gamer, Cost No Object)<br />
<br />
If you're trying to keep up with the Joneses in PC gaming, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/alienware-area-51-alx/pd.aspx?refid=alienware-area-51-alx&amp;s=dhs&amp;cs=19">Alienware's Area 51 Gaming PC</a> ($3,999 and up) is tough to beat. Housed inside one of the company's trademark love-'em-or-hate-'em "futuristic" cases, this rig is decked out with some of the best components money can buy: Intel Core i7 975 Extreme processors, your choice of ATI CrossFireX or NVidia SLI graphics graphics cards (making it great for the 3-D gaming with <a href="http://switched.com.com/desktop-monitors-displays-accessories/nvidia-geforce-3d-vision/4505-6513_7-33529318.html?tag=mncol;lst" target="_blank">Nvidia's 3-D Vision Kit</a>), and plenty of memory to keep things running smoothly). Oh, and it uses a fancy liquid cooling system to keep all this stuff from melting down inside. it's a hefty price to pay, certainly -- fully tricked out, this thing will set you back nearly as much as a small car, but the benchmarks are right up there near the head of the pack. And hey, you can't shoot nasty, earth-hating aliens with a Hyundai Accent, can you?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-alienware-area-51-alx-gaming-pc/">Gift Guide: Alienware Area 51 ALX Gaming PC</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:14:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-alienware-area-51-alx-gaming-pc/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19219138/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-alienware-area-51-alx-gaming-pc/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alienware</category><category>area51</category><category>gamingpc</category><category>gamingpcs</category><category>hgg</category><category>hgg-cno</category><category>hgg-gamer</category><category>luxury</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Shamoon]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:14:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gift Guide: NVidia 3D Vision Kit]]></title><link>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-nvidia-3d-vision-kit/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-nvidia-3d-vision-kit/</guid><comments>http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-nvidia-3d-vision-kit/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/computers/" rel="tag">Computers</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/video-games/" rel="tag">Video Games</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/windows-software/" rel="tag">Windows Software</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/peripherals/" rel="tag">Peripherals</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/category/holiday-gift-guide-3/" rel="tag">Holiday Gift Guide</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2009/11/nvidia-geforce-3d-vision-kit.jpg" alt="" /></div>
<strong><br /> NVidia 3-D Vision Kit</strong> (Gamer, Under $250)<br /> <br /> "3-D gaming" is one of those terms that gets bandied about quite a bit these days. And while the experience is best experienced in movie theaters, the <a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/10/06/why-your-next-tv-may-be-in-3-d/">home alternatives are finally starting to proliferate</a>. Arguably the best option out there is <a href="http://switched.com.com/desktop-monitors-displays-accessories/nvidia-geforce-3d-vision/4505-6513_7-33529318.html?tag=mncol;lst" target="_blank">NVidia's 3-D Vision Kit</a> ($199), which connects to your PC, and displays your compatible games in three glorious dimensions (the list includes such award winners as <a href="http://switched.com.com/xbox-360-games/resident-evil-5-xbox/4505-11457_7-31470349.html?tag=mncol;lst" target="_blank">'Resident Evil 5,'</a> <a href="http://switched.com.com/xbox-360-games/left-4-dead-xbox/4505-11457_7-32566723.html?tag=mncol;lst" target="_blank">'Left 4 Dead,'</a> and <a href="http://switched.com.com/xbox-360-games/batman-arkham-asylum-xbox/4505-11457_7-33203171.html?tag=mncol;lst">'Batman: Arkham Asylum'</a>). You'll need a high-speed <a target="_blank" href="http://switched.com.com/1770-5_7-0.html?query=120Hz+monitor&amp;tag=srch">120 Hz-monitor</a>, HDTV or projector to properly view the games, and an 8800 GT graphics card or better. While the stereoscopic goggles are a bit goofy, the gaming experience provided is quite unlike any you've ever experienced: You'll literally try to reach out and touch the graphics.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.switched.com"><img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Switched" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-nvidia-3d-vision-kit/">Gift Guide: NVidia 3D Vision Kit</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.switched.com">Switched</a> on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:04:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-nvidia-3d-vision-kit/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/forward/19219116/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.switched.com/2009/11/02/gift-guide-nvidia-3d-vision-kit/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>3-D</category><category>3D</category><category>3Dgaming</category><category>hgg</category><category>hgg-250</category><category>hgg-gamer</category><category>nvidia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Shamoon]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:04:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>