Gateway Releases Slew of New Desktops, Offers Something for Everyone
by Joshua Topolsky, posted May 6th 2008 at 2:37PM
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Top Net Threats Right Now
by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 9th 2008 at 7:12PM
While it may not feel quite like the Wild West anymore, the Internet is still full of people looking to rip you off -- the anonymity and secretive nature of online dealings makes them much more prone to fraud than in the real world. We've compiled a list of the top threats to your security lurking around the Internet -- and what you can do to avoid them.
The threat: The upcoming presidential election
The problem: All of the presidential candidates accept donation contributions online -- but be careful. Extremist supporters have been using "typo-domains" that mimic the Web site of a political rival; when the contributions come in, they're either pocketed or contributed to someone else's campaign. GOP Presidential nominee Ron Paul's campaign received funds from five hundred stolen credit cards, which were stolen from Frost bank; investigators discovered overseas thieves used Paul's site to test the stolen cards with $5 contributions.
How to protect yourself: Don't reply to the email -- and don't click the links inside it, either. Want to make an online donation? Google the name of your candidate of choice, go to his or her official site, and donate away ...
The threat: The upcoming presidential election
The problem: All of the presidential candidates accept donation contributions online -- but be careful. Extremist supporters have been using "typo-domains" that mimic the Web site of a political rival; when the contributions come in, they're either pocketed or contributed to someone else's campaign. GOP Presidential nominee Ron Paul's campaign received funds from five hundred stolen credit cards, which were stolen from Frost bank; investigators discovered overseas thieves used Paul's site to test the stolen cards with $5 contributions.
How to protect yourself: Don't reply to the email -- and don't click the links inside it, either. Want to make an online donation? Google the name of your candidate of choice, go to his or her official site, and donate away ...
Bill Gates Asks Slash to Help Him Usher In the Next 'Digital Decade'
Waiting for Microsoft founder Bill Gates to arrive at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for his final CES keynote address last night was like expecting a rock star Mr. Rogers to parachute in from the sky to greet us mere mortals. Members of the press and electronics industry insiders began lining up in droves hours before the event's appointed start time, creating snaking lines of readers, thinkers, dozers, gabbers and moaners from the assemblage. A palpable sense of anxious expectation permeated the air, carrying the persistent thought, "What is he going to say?" from person to person via emotional osmosis. Or maybe that thought was actually more like, "This is nuts. The presidential candidates only dream of this kind of attention, and here we are," as if we wanted to tell ourselves, "You have no power over me, you have no power over me," like Jennifer Connelly did in the fantastic movie 'Labyrinth.'
We, the technology tsar's press corps, were finally herded into the Venetian's enormous ballroom, where we... waited. For an hour. When the moment of truth eventually came, there were no lions or fireworks, just good old William starting off his talk with a hilarious video of his last day at work – one which he begins by absentmindedly leaving his briefcase on top of the car (Bill Gates drives a Ford Focus?!) and ends in the same fashion, nothing left of his legacy except a box of spilt office supplies strewn across the Microsoft campus and Bill none the wiser. During his last full day of "work," he looks toward the future, begging various celebrities like Bono from U2 and the Daily Show's Jon Stewart for a role in their respective gigs.
Of course, Mr. Gates touched on Microsoft's achievements, the success of Windows Live and the popularity of Vista (no... seriously). He disclosed the big news of the night, the various deals Microsoft has secured for delivering more SD and HD content over the Internet on Xbox Live from media giants such as ABC, Disney, Showtime, and MGM, and a partnership to deliver 3,000 hours of internet-accessible footage from the 2008 Olympics with NBC Universal's MSN. What this means essentially is the Bill Gates is okay with HD-DVD's inevitable demise and is gearing up for the eventual decline of Blu-ray, since Microsoft wants to be at the head of the eventual HD downloading revolution.
The discussion of future Microsoft technologies, however, kept everyone's inner circus lover at the most attention. Interconnecting and personalizing applications was a big theme, as well as developing natural user interface with touch, gesture and voice commands. He illustrated his vision by showing us (again) innovations like Microsoft Surface – essentially a PC with camera software and touch screen technology to change forever mundane activities like shopping and design.
The Zune was not lost in the shuffle, as the new music social networking application called (what else?) Zune Social made an appearance. Gates even rolled out a true prototype from the lab, a visual recognition device eventually meant for cellular phones that recognizes people and places, and uses the information to integrate things like internet purchases, restaurant reservations and GPS technology options into one platform.
Ever the showman, Bill Gates had to end the night with laughs. Although he and the President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach, strapped on Xbox guitars to settle a debt by way of a 'Guitar Hero' matchup, it was just pretend, it turns out. Instead, ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and a hot gaming champion faced off on stage, sparing everyone the embarrassment of watching Gates try to play. While Gates had supposedly owed Bach money before the bet, Slash ensured that Gates walked away into the night $20 richer.
If you want more details, you can read over the Engadget live blog here, watch the full video of the Gates keynote here. Or, check out our very own Switched slide gallery from the keynote below.
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Dell Goes Sexy With New All-in-One Computer
"Give in to the power of the tea," the male model, Hansel, whispered as he seduced the overcome reporter in the epic comedy, Zoolander. That's what we thought of as we entered Armani/Casa, an ultra-hip interior design locale in SoHo where fashionistas shop for their postmodern couches and Eastern-influenced coffee tables. It wasn't a home makeover mission that brought us to Never Neverland, however, as we were there to preview Dell's XPS One, the newest all-in-one home computer, which came out on November 19th and is the latest entry in the growing area of stylish, all-in-one computers.
Picking our way through the hotly attired models and Dell executives that dotted the sleek Armani/Casa homescape, we began to understand the nature of this particular computing beast... Home computing is undergoing a transformation in character, style or that je ne sais quoi these days, and the XPS One is Dell's attempt to get sexy. And make no mistake, the folks at Dell will sell their stock to Apple before letting the competition's Gateway One and the Sony Vaio L Series overshadow their own product's libido.
All black, the machine is comprised of a 20-inch, high-definition widescreen monitor that houses the computer itself, with just one cable to plug in. The only other components are a wireless mouse and an old-school infrared wireless keyboard that triumphs over the inconsistent Bluetooth keyboards from former XPS models. In addition, the XPS boasts a built-in TV tuner, whereas most PC models of this size and type, including the Gateway One, have an external tuner or none at all, like the Sony Vaio L Series.
A couple of things that we really liked were the motion sensors that, when triggered, light up the media keys and a half-circle of blue light that illuminates the slot-loading drive on the lower, right hand corner of the monitor. We also dug the great speakers that come stock with every XPS as well as the option to include a Blu-ray drive (as long as you're willing to pay more). While the cheapest XPS One goes for $1,499, the version with all of the bells and whistles maxes out at $2,399.
Overall, this computer seems to have the it sexy factor that Dell wanted to develop. Whether you're an artiste whose closet includes clothing in black or black, or just a regular consumer looking for a home computer that looks smokin' and futuristic while doing it all without the complications, this is the all-in-one product for you.
The only downside is that the models we saw at Armani/Casa are not offered with the XPS at this time.
Gallery: Dell XPS One
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Digital Piracy = Death Penalty (and More in the New Switched Podcast)
Want to know where software piracy will get you a death sentence? Listen to our new audio podcast and plan your next vacation accordingly.
Plus: E-nups, Wi-Fi in the sky, gadget threesomes, and all the top stories on Switched.com as discussed by the staff -- it's the Switched Show audio podcast. Plus, you can take it with you. On your iPod. Or your Zune. On your Juke. On your laptop. On your ... whatever.
You can listen to the show here (mp3) or, even better, you can SUBSCRIBE to our podcasts in iTunes (or via the direct feed, here).
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