Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Google Street View Starts Blurring Faces]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/05/15/google-street-view-starts-blurring-faces/http://www.switched.com/2008/05/15/google-street-view-starts-blurring-faces/http://www.switched.com/2008/05/15/google-street-view-starts-blurring-faces/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google Street View Starts Blurring Faces

Google's Street View has been a source of amusement for some, ire for others, and a concern for privacy advocates. Google is finally starting to conceal the identity of some of the hapless victims of its panoramic photo-taking van. The company has started implementing a new facial recognition tool that will automatically blur the faces of people captured by its Street View cameras.

The technology isn't perfect -- a quick look around Manhattan (the only city to see any blurring yet) reveals some still identifiable faces, and some spots have been blurred that clearly aren't people. Google has been working on the technology for the last year, likely in preparation for a global expansion of Street View. These up-close and potentially embarrassing images may run into tougher legal and cultural opposition on other parts of the globe. [Source: USA Today]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsgoogle street viewGoogleStreetViewprivacystreet viewStreetViewThu, 15 May 2008 15:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Yahoo to Rewire Itself Into Vast Social Network]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/28/yahoo-to-rewire-itself-into-vast-social-network/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/28/yahoo-to-rewire-itself-into-vast-social-network/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/28/yahoo-to-rewire-itself-into-vast-social-network/#commentsFiled under: ,




You know how Google has managed to integrate all of its services - Google Maps, Google Docs, Gmail, etc -- into one intuitive, inter-connected whole? Yahoo's about to try to do the same thing.

But the plans go even bigger: specifically, to transform the site into a vast social network where Yahoo users can quickly find, communicate, and share information with one another.

"We are literally in the process of rewiring Yahoo from the inside out," said Ari Balogh, Yahoo's CTO, in a speech at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco. They've made a bunch of acquisitions recently -- photo-sharing site Flickr, bookmarking site Del.icio.us and social calendar site Upcoming -- and now they want them all to play nice together.

"We are not building another social network," said Mr Balogh. "We are building social into everything we do."

Well, everything done by people sitting at home, alone, in front of their computers, with nothing but their cat, some Cheetos, and the blue glow of their monitors to keep them company, that is. [Source: BBC]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewssocial networkingSocialNetworkingyahooMon, 28 Apr 2008 08:06:00 EST<![CDATA[WikiCrimes Maps Out High-Crime Areas]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/25/wikicrimes-maps-out-high-crime-areas/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/25/wikicrimes-maps-out-high-crime-areas/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/25/wikicrimes-maps-out-high-crime-areas/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mapping Crime with WikiCrimes

In the U.S. we're lucky to have a police force that's (generally) trusted and can be relied upon to do the right thing and do what they can to solve crime. In Brazil, unfortunately, there's much less faith in the quality and reliability of the nation's police. Because of this many crimes go un-reported. A new project created by a Brazilian Professor aims to correct that, letting people anonymously and quickly report crimes, pinpointing them on an online map for everyone in the world to see.

The site, WikiCrimes, works as a layer over-top of the popular Google Maps service. If you've been a victim, you can zoom in and pinpoint the location of the offense, then add details of what happened, including a date, type, description, and whether it was reported to the police. Others can then browse the site and filter the crimes based on location and a range of dates, perhaps determining whether their chosen vacation spot is really the best place to be.

The initial focus of the site is crime in Brazil, but there's nothing preventing you from posting crimes in any country around the world. In fact, we found a few crimes posted in the U.K., but as of yet nothing reported from the U.S. Somehow we don't think that's because of a lack of crime, so, get in there and report what's happened to you. Even if you do trust the police there's no reason not to share what happened to you with everyone else. It might just prevent another victim. [Source: BBC News]
Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crimeMapstravelWikiCrimesFri, 25 Apr 2008 08:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Google StreetView Captures Kid Wiping Out On Bike]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/24/google-streetview-captures-kid-wiping-out-on-bike/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/24/google-streetview-captures-kid-wiping-out-on-bike/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/24/google-streetview-captures-kid-wiping-out-on-bike/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google StreetView Invades Privacy, Also Spreads HumiliationThere are many defining moments in our lives; getting a driver's license, going to college, having your first (legal) drink, etc. etc. One of those moments is riding a bicycle without training wheels -- a shaky period that quite often results in some skinned knees and shame. Learning to ride with just your parents watching is tough, but imagine if your youthful bicycle failings were posted permanently for the entire world to see. That's just what Google's StreetView has done, capturing a poor kid having a massive crash on his bike in frame-by-frame agony.

Okay, so maybe it's not as bad as getting caught walking out of a strip club or breaking into a building, and you can't see the kid's face so there's a bit of anonymity here, but just the same, we're glad our childhood bicycle failures were completed in the pre-StreetView era. [Source: GoogleMaps, via Kensington, Victoria]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsGoogleStreetViewweirdThu, 24 Apr 2008 13:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Search Modified to Fight Child Pornography]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/15/google-search-modified-to-fight-child-pornography/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/15/google-search-modified-to-fight-child-pornography/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/15/google-search-modified-to-fight-child-pornography/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google Creates Tool To Fight Child MolestersTools originally developed to filter out copyrighted content on YouTube have been adapted by intrepid Google employees to track sexual predators through pattern recognition. Designed to pick out pirated movies, the software can identify complex or modified patterns such as calendars or T-shirt logos in images and videos, which can help authorities locate images and videos that could be considered child pornography.

Based on these patterns, authorities can then begin to track the abused children and, hopefully, bring the criminals to justice.

Google is handing the new program over to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help them pore through the millions of images and files in its archive. Last year alone, the organization vetted over 5 million images and videos in an effort to identify and save victims of abuse.

"You always hope that your work will eventually be used to do some good in the world, and this was an amazing chance to make that hope real," Google research scientist Shumeet Baluja told the BBC.

From the BBC
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abusechildrenlawyoutubeTue, 15 Apr 2008 11:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Couple Sues Google Over Street View of Its House]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/08/boring-couple-sues-google-over-street-view-of-their-house/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/08/boring-couple-sues-google-over-street-view-of-their-house/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/08/boring-couple-sues-google-over-street-view-of-their-house/#commentsFiled under: ,

Couple Sues Google Over Street View of Their House

We are all in agreement, Google Street View is freaking creepy, but is it lawsuit worthy? Aaron C. and Christine A. Boring (yes, their real names) are suing Google because images of their home appear on Google Maps' Street View. According to the Boring suit filed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Oakridge Lane is a private road and the "reckless conduct" of Google has "exposed plaintiff's private information to the public."

Never mind that there is clearly no Private Road sign at the beginning of Oakridge Lane when viewing it in Google Maps Street View, or that photos of the Boring home, its approximate value, taxes paid, and details of the internal structure are all available on the Allegheny County Web site.

All of that is even completely irrelevant, since taking photographs of homes from public streets is clearly protected by the First Amendment. Just ask Barbara Streisand who sued an aerial mapping company for including photographs of her home in its products. Streisand lost that suit and was forced to pay the companies legal fees.

From Newsvine

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boringbreaking newsBreakingNewsgooglegoogle mapsGoogleMapslaw suitLawSuitstreet viewStreetViewTue, 08 Apr 2008 09:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Prepaid Cell Phones Could Earn an Extra $11 Billion for the Nation's Poorest]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/07/prepaid-cell-phones-could-earn-an-extra-11-billion-for-the-nati/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/07/prepaid-cell-phones-could-earn-an-extra-11-billion-for-the-nati/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/07/prepaid-cell-phones-could-earn-an-extra-11-billion-for-the-nati/#commentsFiled under: ,


Nicholas Sullivan at the MIT Media Lab has reached a similar conclusion to the one driving Google's Grandcentral for the homeless push -- communication is the key to success. The report out of MIT claims that putting prepaid cell phones in the hands of the 38 percent of the poorest Americans without one could earn them between $2.9 billion and $11 billion a year through increased business (for the self employed), and increased hours or wages.

The two surveys used to generate this report also found cell phones provided an important security blanket effect for the owners, with a vast majority of Americans agreeing that a cell phone was "very important" for emergency situations. This safety blanket effect is important because the poorest among us who would stand to benefit most financially from a cell phone are also disproportionately affected by crime.

That two for one shot, finances plus safety, makes us feel like some filthy rich philanthropist should start buying up and handing out every prepaid phone he/she can find.

From Textually and Cellular News

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cell phoneCellPhonemitphilanthropyprepaidstudysurveyMon, 07 Apr 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[AT&T Warms Up to Google's Android For Mobile Phones]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/03/atandt-starting-to-like-android-a-little-more/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/03/atandt-starting-to-like-android-a-little-more/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/03/atandt-starting-to-like-android-a-little-more/#commentsFiled under: ,

AT&T Starting to Like Android a Little More
Well, they're a little late to the party, but AT&T is finally warming up to Google's phone OS, Android. T-Mobile and Sprint and members of the Open Handset Alliance, which champions Google's new Linux-based platform, and Verizon has promised to make its network open to any device, a move that likely had Android devices specifically in mind.

At the CTIA wireless show in Vegas AT&T Mobility chief, Ralph de la Vega said,
"I like it a lot more than I did before... It's something we would want in our portfolio."

His conversion on Android came after Google executives showed him that AT&T would be able to load its own applications on any Android handset it sold. Previously, the company had been fearful the handset would be geared too much towards the Google brand. Too be fair, however, AT&T's tepid response would not have prevented Android devices from getting on its network. AT&T's network has long been open to any device that operates on the right frequency, is GSM based (as opposed to Verizon's CDMA cellular technology), and can accept a SIM card.

Regardless, this means it looks like most of the major carriers are on board with Android, which means we may see a more open system for creating user--friendly (i.e. Google-like) cell phone applications that work on all phones (with Android, of course).


From the Los Angeles Times

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attCDMActia 2008ctia2008GSMsprinttmobileThu, 03 Apr 2008 14:39:00 EST<![CDATA[How to Work On Google Docs While Offline]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/04/02/google-builds-offline-mode-into-google-docs/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/02/google-builds-offline-mode-into-google-docs/http://www.switched.com/2008/04/02/google-builds-offline-mode-into-google-docs/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google has started giving users the ability to edit their Google Documents in an offline mode. Google Documents, part of Google's free online suite of office software, is a word processing application that allows you to create, view and edit documents as well as import Microsoft Word files, .txt and other popular document formats. The rest of the suite, accessible from within your browser, includes presentation (similar to PowerPoint and Apple's Keynote) and spreadsheet software.

What does the new offline mode mean? After you enable the feature, your documents will automatically be downloaded to your desktop. Now, you'll still be able to make edits and changes to your documents within your browser even if you disconnect from the Web.

It sounds complex, but the basic idea is pretty simple. As soon as you reconnect to the Web, the two versions of the Google Document -- the one on Google's server and the one on your computer -- will automatically sync. Previously, you were only able to access your Google Documents when connected to the Internet. For more information and an additional explanation, check out Google's video.

Google began rolling out access to a small group of users yesterday, but everyone with a Google account should have access within the next few weeks. Initially, users will only be able to use offline features with Google Documents, Google's free word-processor, but we expect Spreadsheet and Presentation to have it soon enough. To see if you have access to the offline mode, go to docs.google.com and search for an "offline" link in the top-right of the screen. We think it's a pretty cool feature that will come in handy, particularly for anyone who frequently finds themselves outside of Wi-Fi hotspots (like on a plane).

From Wired and Ars Technica

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredfeaturedstoriesfeaturesgooglegoogle docsGoogleDocsWed, 02 Apr 2008 16:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Job Applicants Post Tales of Rejection]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/25/google-job-applicants-post-tales-of-rejection/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/25/google-job-applicants-post-tales-of-rejection/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/25/google-job-applicants-post-tales-of-rejection/#commentsFiled under: ,

Scorned Google Applicants Post Tales of RejectionGoogle is hot right now. Its stock price may have taken a bit of a hit lately, but new offerings like GrandCentral continue to revolutionize the Internet, and with its Android phone operating system poised to conquer the mobile world, things are looking good for the company.

Naturally, then, the brightest tech employees want to get in the door, and Google's interview process is notorious for being lengthy and arduous. It's no surprise, of course, that not all applicants are welcomed with open arms. Some of those who got the cold shoulder treatment are posting their experiences online for the benefit of those who might interview with the Big G in the future.

The stories range from the mundane, like an interviewer with a thick, "Chewbacca-like" accent that was hard for the job candidate to understand ("I'm obviously partially retarded," says "Rod"), to tales of wonderment, such as one applicant who was too dazed by the lunch offerings to put together a comprehensive interview. Then there are the truly disturbing stories, such as that of one applicant whose military background wasn't taken too kindly:
"The interview was going swimmingly until I met up with one interviewer who was apparently anti-military. Using the Google "Do No Evil" mantra as a pretense, he asked me how many people I'd killed when I served. When I explained to him that I was MI, he then asked if I could estimate how many people were killed because of the intelligence I'd gathered. The implication was I was either an evil, efficient killer or an incompetent one - a real no-win situation."

Good luck, job seekers of the future!


From Silicon Alley Insider

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GoogleinterviewjobTue, 25 Mar 2008 12:04:00 EST<![CDATA[What's "Rick Rolling" and Why Should You Care?]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/24/whats-rick-rolling-and-why-should-you-care/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/24/whats-rick-rolling-and-why-should-you-care/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/24/whats-rick-rolling-and-why-should-you-care/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Every so often an Internet inside joke makes a leap from the back channels of YouTube to mainstream popular culture. One that seems to be heading for bigger and better things is the trend of Rick Rolling. Rick Rolling is a take on an old Internet joke called Duck Rolling, where a web site would offer a link to celebrity photos or gaming news, but following the link only led to an odd picture of a duck on wheels.

In Rick Rolling, the image of the duck is replaced with a YouTube clip of the 20 year-old music video for 'Never Gonna Give You Up' from late 80's blue-eyed-soul two-hit-wonder Rick Astley.

Between our culture's rampant 80's fetishism and a newfound appreciation for all thing geeky and web oriented, Rick Rolling has made the jump from an inside joke for web site administrators to live versions that get splayed all over YouTube. Protesters outside of a Scientology building in London broke out into the song. A women's basketball game at Eastern Washington University was interrupted when 'Never Gonna Give You Up' was blasted over the PA and a man in an Astley-like trench coat danced around the gymnasium lip syncing.

It's probably only a matter of time before Trey Parker and Matt Stone base an episode of 'South Park' on it.

From The New York Times

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>duck rollingDuckRollinghumornever gonna give you upNeverGonnaGiveYouUprick astleyrick rollingRickAstleyRickRollingyoutubeMon, 24 Mar 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[How to Read the Wall Street Journal Online for Free]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/24/how-to-read-the-wall-street-journal-online-for-free/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/24/how-to-read-the-wall-street-journal-online-for-free/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/24/how-to-read-the-wall-street-journal-online-for-free/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Two Ways to Read the Wall Street Journal Online for Free
One of the most frustrating things a news hound encounters online is the Wall Street Journal. The preeminent financial paper in the country has still yet to join the rest of the online news world and offer its world class reporting for free.

But fear not, faithful devourers of information, there is way around the Wall Street Journal's $79 a year subscription fee. And it's completely legal!

When you follow a link to a Wall Street Journal article -- like this one -- from a regular Web site, you get the first part of the article, but are told to subscribe to read the full article. Luckily for us, though, the Wall Street Journal struck a deal with Google and Digg that allows visitors to those sites to view the entire paper without subscribing.

So, you have two options. The first, and simpler option, is to search Google News for the headline of the article you want to read. Since you'd be following the link via Google News you'd be able to access the complete article. This can be a little tedious and doesn't guarantee you access to the entire paper however.

The second option is to use Firefox and install an extension called Refspoof. Refspoof allows you to trick the Wall Street Journal into thinking you're visiting the site via a link from another site. After installing the Refspoof ,visit WSJ.com. Then, in the "spoof" field of the Refspoof toolbar type digg.com. Then, click on the "R" icon to the right and select "static referrer."

Congratulations, you should now be able to browse the entire Wall Street Journal, sans subscription fee!

From Machinist

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diggfirefoxfreegoogle newsGoogleNewsnewswall street journalWallStreetJournalMon, 24 Mar 2008 09:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Verizon Reveals More Open Access Details]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/21/verizon-reveals-more-open-access-details/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/21/verizon-reveals-more-open-access-details/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/21/verizon-reveals-more-open-access-details/#commentsFiled under: ,

Verizon Reveals More Open Access Details
As promised Verizon offered up some more details about its open access plans, though some questions were still left unanswered, such as the specific requirements for certification and the price of getting devices certified.

By the second half of the year, the program should be in full swing. All retailers and handset makers will have to do is get their devices certified by Verizon, which claims the requirements are only slightly stronger than industry standards. There will be no limitations on the phones or software that can be run, which means by the end of the year we're sure to see Android and other platforms working on Verizon's high-speed EV-DO cellular data system.

There were two very exciting revelations about Verizon's plans. One, that the open access system will be extended to the company's 4G LTE ultra-high-speed data network, which should enter testing phases by the end of the decade. And two, that Verizon is considering a multi-device flat-rate subscription, which would allow you to use multiple devices on the network for the price of one.

From Engadget and Reuters

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3g4gandroidgooglelteopen accessOpenAccessverizonFri, 21 Mar 2008 07:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook to Add Instant Messaging]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/17/facebook-to-add-instant-messaging/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/17/facebook-to-add-instant-messaging/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/17/facebook-to-add-instant-messaging/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Facebook Hopping on the Instant Messaging Bandwagon
It was bound to happen eventually (if for no other reason than MySpace did it first) -- Facebook is finally offering up an instant-messaging service. Ironically, Facebook's new IM service may have the effect of killing off a couple of chat applications already available on the social-networking site.

Initial rumors claimed that the new Facebook IM service, which is to be embedded into people's profiles, would be based on Jabber, the same standard underlying Google Talk. This would have meant that other IM programs, such as Pidgin, Meebo, or even Google Talk, could connect to the Facebook service easily and bring it to the desktop. These rumors, of course, turned out to be false, and Facebook IM, at least initially, will only be available on Facebook pages.

With MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, AIM, Skype, Gizmo, and Google Talk already clogging the Internet, we're pretty confident we don't need any more new IM services. Especially not ones that can only be accessed on the Web by logging into a separate place from all your other IM services. But if Facebook ever manages to get all the other IM programs to work with its IM service, then it might become an attractive online chat place indeed.

From TechCrunch

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIMAOLfacebookfacebook appsFacebookAppsgoogle talkGoogleTalkgtalkiminstant messagingInstantMessagingMSN MessengerMsnMessengermyspaceskypeYahoo!Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Layoffs May Come Following Ad Firm Aquisition]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/12/google-layoffs-may-come-following-ad-firm-aquisition/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/12/google-layoffs-may-come-following-ad-firm-aquisition/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/12/google-layoffs-may-come-following-ad-firm-aquisition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google to absorb Doubleclick

Google, the Internet company that seemingly can do no wrong nor make any missteps, is preparing to engage in one of the most time-honored and well-practiced activities of the Web era: the layoff.

With its acquisition of Internet ad firm DoubleClick now approved by European regulators, Google is set to commence the full integration of this early Web success into its strategic and administrative system, which will likely include reducing the company's size, at least where positions are redundant or deemed outside the Web giant's new goals for serving up ads online. According to a memo by Google CEO Eric Schmidt posted yesterday on the Google blog, "there will be reductions in headcount." Most of the layoffs will take place in the U.S., according to the memo.

While the culture of Google is one of continual, almost unabated growth, the culture of DoubleClick is storied with the looming threat of layoffs, at least from its expand-and-contract days through the early Internet boom, bubble and burst phenomenon. This is not to say that all of the possible layoffs will come from the DoubleClick side, as Google will have to determine who among its combined workforce is most valuable to the venture.

The integration of DoubleClick's ad serving technology and reach will have a significant impact on Google's repertoire of online advertising tools, which let people submit ad campaigns online without the help of a salesperson.

Google's goal with this acquisition is to better compete with companies like Yahoo! which have much stronger capabilities with banner and multimedia ads. Google's strength has been with highly personalized and targeted text ads, which Web users seem to appreciate because they are unobtrusive and contextual.

From Official Google Blog (via Infectious Greed by Paul Kedrosky)

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingaquireDoubleClickGooglelayoffsWed, 12 Mar 2008 16:16:00 EST<![CDATA[10 More Scary Google StreetView Finds]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/11/10-more-scary-google-streetview-finds/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/11/10-more-scary-google-streetview-finds/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/11/10-more-scary-google-streetview-finds/#commentsFiled under: ,

10 More of the Strangest Google Street View Finds

It's no secret that Google Maps is cool, but it's also a bit creepy. If super close zooms of camels and a well in Chad weren't disturbing enough, the people spending hours on Google StreetView tracking down disturbing images and deeply personal glances into people's lives and living rooms.

We put together our own round up of scary street views last June, but new ones pop up every day. Times Online has collected 10 more confounding images and we feel obligated to share this new collection of frightening Street Views.

Gallery: 10 More Google Street Views

The Hot Girls TruckGooglemobile Stops for LunchThe Alien Invasion has BegunGiant Robot Attack?Headless Figure Next to a Freshly Dug Grave?


From Valleywag

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>creepygooglestreet viewStreetViewTue, 11 Mar 2008 12:52:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. Military Bans Google Street View From Bases]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/07/military-bans-google-street-view-from-bases/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/07/military-bans-google-street-view-from-bases/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/07/military-bans-google-street-view-from-bases/#commentsFiled under: ,

Military Bans Google Street View from Bases

The launch last year of Google's Street View -- which gives you a driver's seat view of actual streets -- made all of us a little freaked out about the prospects of our dwindling privacy. Now, the U.S. military is similarly concerned, and has banned Google from mapping out the streets of its military bases.

The move will mean that Google's so-called Googlemobile, a roving van that takes 360-degree images of the streets for use on the site, will be stopped at the gates of any base. That is, of course, assuming the driver of the van would actually try to get into the base in the first place.

We're sure that someone out there will cry foul about the U.S. government limiting our freedoms, but this is one restriction on the availability of information on the Internet that we can get behind. Granted, these days most military bases look little different inside than your average housing development, but that doesn't mean we need to let everyone around the world see that for themselves.

From Fark and Breitbart.com

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GoogleMilitaryStreet ViewStreetViewFri, 07 Mar 2008 09:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Open AIM 2.0 Gives Chatters Choice]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/03/05/open-aim-2-0-give-chatters-choice/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/05/open-aim-2-0-give-chatters-choice/http://www.switched.com/2008/03/05/open-aim-2-0-give-chatters-choice/#commentsFiled under: ,

Open AIM 2.0 Give Chatters Choice
In the spirit of full disclosure, AOL cuts our paychecks. But don't think that we're excited about this just because of contractual obligation. AOL has announced its Open AIM 2.0 initiative.

While it is possible to chat with AIM via programs such as Pidgin and Trillian or web sites like Meebo, until now those operations were forced to hack their way into the AIM system. This limits advanced features such as voice and video chat and file transfers to the official AIM client only. It also means that at any time, AOL could have dropped a cease and desist letter on the other companies providing access. MSN and Yahoo! do the same, operating closed networks that 3rd parties must force their way into.

But now AOL will join Google in operating open instant messaging networks. This means unfettered access to one of the most popular instant messaging networks for third parties.

Slowly but surely the computing industry is moving towards open access and open source. The integration of AIM into Gmail and Google Talk is just a sign of things to come. Soon, perhaps, you won't need a separate screen name for Yahoo!, AIM, Google Talk, and MSN. Maybe you'll be able to use your Gmail address to chat with people on Yahoo!, or your AOL screen name to IM your buddies on MSN.

From TechCrunch

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aimaolchatimopenopen accessopen aimOpenAccessOpenAimWed, 05 Mar 2008 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Gives Free Phone Numbers and Voicemail to Homeless]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/29/google-gives-free-phone-numbers-and-voicemail-to-homeless/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/29/google-gives-free-phone-numbers-and-voicemail-to-homeless/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/29/google-gives-free-phone-numbers-and-voicemail-to-homeless/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google Gives Free Phone Number and Voicemail to San Francisco HomelessGoogle's one phone number for everything service, GrandCentral, is getting a new trial of sorts. Google is taking its 'Do no evil' mantra to the streets of San Francisco -- literally. A partnership between Google, the San Francisco city government, and Project CARE (Communications and Respect for Everybody) is offering a free phone number and voicemail box to every homeless person in the city for life.

The philanthropic program is aimed at helping the homeless not just communicate with friends and family, but also land jobs. One of the big stumbling blocks for the downtrodden is their inaccessibility. When emerging from job training programs, folks need a method of contact, preferably a phone number. By calling from any phone, including pay phones, the homeless will also be able to get a phone number and set up the voicemail box.

Project CARE also sees the voicemail box as a doorway to proper medical testing and care. If the project is successful, Google will expand it through the rest of the state, and hopefully the country.

From MSNBC

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking+newscharitygooglegrandcentralhomelessphilanthropyphoneproject careProjectCaresan franciscoSanFranciscotopvoicemailFri, 29 Feb 2008 09:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Launches GrandCentral, Free Phone Routing Service]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/26/google-launches-grandcentral-free-phone-routing-service/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/26/google-launches-grandcentral-free-phone-routing-service/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/26/google-launches-grandcentral-free-phone-routing-service/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google Launches Free Phone Number Routing ServiceLast summer, Google's stock was soaring. It had plenty of cash and went on a bit of a buying spree, gobbling up a number of startups with interesting ideas. One was GrandCentral, a site that let you create a single, local phone number for all of your calls. Google has just re-launched the new "GrandCentral from Google" site, and if you're quick you might just be able to sign up for an account.

The service, which is available now in limited beta form (meaning not everyone can sign up just yet), enables you to pick a new phone number. You can then add all of your existing phone numbers (home, cell, work, etc.) and select where your calls get routed. When you hit the road, for instance, you can send everything to your mobile number and never miss a beat. When you get to a hotel, you can add that number and direct everything there. If someone leaves you a voicemail on the service it'll be happy to e-mail or text you a heads up, and you can even create lists of people who you never want to hear from again -- calls from them won't even ring your phone when they call.

The potential here for making life easier is endless, but so too is the potential for creative misuse. When you create a GrandCentral account you can pick any area code you like. So, if you have a friend across the country that you're constantly calling and are sick of paying long-distance to chat with, have them make a GrandCentral account in your local area code and -- viola -- no more long-distance calls. Or, if you have a cell phone plan that lets you receive unlimited calls from a certain number, just add your GrandCentral number to that list, have your friends call you there, and then it's unlimited calling plan time without paying $99 a month and up.

From Compiler

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cell phonesCellPhonesGoogleGrandCentralTue, 26 Feb 2008 16:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Pakistan Bans, Then Breaks YouTube]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/25/pakistan-bans-then-breaks-youtube/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/25/pakistan-bans-then-breaks-youtube/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/25/pakistan-bans-then-breaks-youtube/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Pakistan Bans and Breaks YouTubePakistan has become the latest in a long list of countries that have banned the video sharing site YouTube. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told the country's Internet Service Provicers (ISPs) that the site will be blocked until further notice due to content deemed offensive to Islam, though they would not name the specific content that was deemed offensive.

Countries such as Turkey, Thailand, and Morocco have all blocked the site at one point or another for hosting videos deemed offensive to the nations' leaders and government.

This would be worth noting even if the story ended here, but there's more....The government blocks the site by redirecting all traffic from within Pakistan intended for YouTube to a different Web site. However, likely due to a careless error by a Pakistani engineer, YouTube was blocked around the globe for two hours yesterday.

Google immediately contacted the Pakistani government, and access to the site was quickly restored. The government is investigating the cause behind the outage.

From BBC and Wired

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>censorshipgooglegovernmentyoutubeMon, 25 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Officer Suspended After Encounter with 'Punk Kid' Posted on YouTube]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/15/officer-suspended-after-encounter-with-punk-kid-posted-on-yout/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/15/officer-suspended-after-encounter-with-punk-kid-posted-on-yout/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/15/officer-suspended-after-encounter-with-punk-kid-posted-on-yout/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


YouTube is quickly becoming the bane of over-reactive adults everywhere. Web-savvy kids are catching their elders freaking out on video and posting it on video sharing sites like YouTube. The general result: teachers, cops, and other adults are made to look like jerks.

The latest casualty is an officer from Baltimore, Maryland, Salvatore Rivieri. Officer Rivieri had a rather hostile encounter with couple of teens over the summer that started because the teens were skateboarding in a restricted area. The video shows officer Rivieri storming up to the teens, taking one in a head lock and pushing him to the ground twice.

After exclaiming "dude!" when pushed the floor the officer really exploded, "I'm not 'man'. I'm not 'dude'. I am officer Rivieri. Now the sooner you learn that, the longer you'll live in this world."

While the teen obviously does need to learn how to address his elders, he is also 14 years old and doesn't seem to be purposely disrespecting the officer. Rivieri on the other hand is a grown man who some people believe crossed a line. Not only was his verbally abusive outburst uncalled for, but there is simply no excuse for man handling a child like that, especially since (as the officer so eloquently points out) he's not the child's father.

Officer Rivieri has been suspended to administrative work with pay pending an Internal Affairs investigation.

From ValleyWag

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>copspoliceyoutubeFri, 15 Feb 2008 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Hot New Phones Unveiled at Barcelona Congress]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/13/mobile-world-congress-coverage-and-highlights/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/13/mobile-world-congress-coverage-and-highlights/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/13/mobile-world-congress-coverage-and-highlights/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Mobile World Congress Coverage and Highlights

We couldn't make it out to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- a big international cell-phone conference focused mainly on GSM-style world phones -- but our good friends over at Engadget were able to make the trek and are sending back reports from the front line of cellular and mobile computing technologies.

All the usual suspects are there, Samsung, Nokia, even Motorola are showing off some of their 2008 handset lineups. The most innovative stars of the show, however, are unquestionably the new Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 and the Google-backed, Linux based smart phone operating system Android.

Take a look at Engadget's comprehensive coverage, and check back here for some more selective highlights.

From Engadget

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidcell phoneCellPhonegooglehtcmobilemobile world congressMobileWorldCongressmotorolanokiasamsungsonysony ericssonSonyEricssonxperiaWed, 13 Feb 2008 14:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Phones to Premier Next Week?]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/08/google-phones-to-premier-next-week/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/08/google-phones-to-premier-next-week/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/08/google-phones-to-premier-next-week/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google Phones to Premier Next Week?
Rumor has it that next week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona the world will finally get to lay its eyes (and hopefully hands) on the first cell phones powered by the Google-backed Android operating system. Google itself has bought up a lot of floor space at the expo, and ARM, maker of the most popular processors in the mobile phone market, is expected to demo its own hardware running the Android platform.

Andoid handsets (also called gPhones) being shown off at the premier mobile phone expo comes as no shock, but it's still exciting. gPhones are supposed to start shipping in the second half of this year, but outside of some videos posted by Google developers, we've yet to see it running on any real hardware.

From Times Online

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidarmcell phoneCellPhonegooglelinuxmobileFri, 08 Feb 2008 15:32:00 EST<![CDATA['Net Phenom Obama Girl Didn't Vote for Obama]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/07/obama-girl-didnt-vote-for-obama/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/07/obama-girl-didnt-vote-for-obama/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/07/obama-girl-didnt-vote-for-obama/#commentsFiled under: , ,


That up there is Obama Girl, the Internet phenomenon who declared that she had a "Crush on Obama." But what's this? Obama Girl did not cast her vote for Obama during Super Tuesday. She didn't switch sides, she simply shirked her civic duty and didn't vote at all. Her reason? She "was in Arizona for the Super Bowl -- every time I get in the airplane I get sick."

Allow us to say that is the lamest excuse ever. Shame on you, Obama Girl.

From Valleywag

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electionobamaobama girlObamaGirlpoliticssuper tuesdaySuperTuesdayThu, 07 Feb 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola Looking to Exit the Cell Phone Business]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/02/01/motorola-exiting-the-cell-phone-business/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/01/motorola-exiting-the-cell-phone-business/http://www.switched.com/2008/02/01/motorola-exiting-the-cell-phone-business/#commentsFiled under: ,

Motorola Exiting the Cell Phone Business
After roughly 25 years of selling hand-held cellular phones, Motorola is getting ready to exit the business. Though Motorola did not officially say they were selling off their mobile phone division, it did announce it is searching for "alternatives" for its handset business, a euphemism for "looking for a buyer".

Motorola has struggled to keep its mobile division profitable, and has failed to replicate the success it had with its ubiquitous RAZR. Motorola has a long history of being at the forefront of mobile technology but has failed to keep pace competitors such as Nokia.

According to one source, Motorola is deep into talks with Dell, which lends credence to rumors that the PC manufacturer will be entering the mobile phone market with its own handset based on the Google-backed Android phone OS.

Take a look at the gallery to check out some of the innovative and industry shaping phones Motorola has released since their first entry into the market in 1983.

Gallery: Motorola's Cell Phone Legacy

DynaTAC 8000xStarTACRAZR V3Moto QROKR E1


From CNBC

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking+newsbusinesscell phoneCellPhonedellmobilemotorolatopFri, 01 Feb 2008 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Major Government Office Still Without Internet]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/01/22/major-government-office-still-without-internet/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/22/major-government-office-still-without-internet/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/22/major-government-office-still-without-internet/#commentsFiled under: ,


It may seem absurd, but a major branch of the Department of the Interior still doesn't have Internet access. In fact the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has not had 'Net access since 2001. That means no e-mail, no Google, nothing. If BIA spokesman Gary Garrison needs to look something up online, he actually has to leave his office and walk up to the 4th floor of the BIA offices in Washington, DC and use one of the community PCs in a dedicated computer room.

The disconnection stems from a lawsuit in 1996 over the mishandling of Indian trust accounts by the United States government. In 2001, a judge shut down the Department of the Interior's servers because they were simply too insecure and billions of dollars were at stake. The Department of the Interior has since comeback online, but the BIA is still stuck in the fax age.

We can't decide if it's funny, or sad, but it is certainly absurd. We know that Federal bureaucracy can be extreme, but keeping an entire branch branch of the Department of the Interior stuck in the 1970s is still shocking.

From Boston Magazine

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biabureau of indian affairsbureaucracyBureauOfIndianAffairsdepartment of the interiorDepartmentOfTheInteriorgovernmentinternetpoliticsweirdTue, 22 Jan 2008 11:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Upgrades Gmail for iPhone]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/01/15/google-upgrades-gmail-for-ipod/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/15/google-upgrades-gmail-for-ipod/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/15/google-upgrades-gmail-for-ipod/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As part of a Macworld makeover - coinciding with the annual Mac love-fest in San Francisco where the biggest Apple announcements are made - Google today announced a revamped Gmail application for use on iPhones.

According to Google, the upgrades were in response to user-requested features, notably pre-fetching (where email is downloaded automatically) and auto-complete (where words and addresses are finished with suggested letters as you type), and implemented with the AJAX web development tools.

AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. Basically, web applications developed with AJAX are able to perform lots of tasks behind the scenes and without requiring the user to reload the whole web page each time a new command or request is made. This makes the applications, especially for mobile devices like the iPhone, much more responsive and less data-intensive. (For the truly techy among you, click here to learn more.)

With address auto complete, Google claims most email addresses can be completed within two or three keystrokes. With the preload feature, your most recent messages will already be loaded into your device, meaning no more long waits for the text to be revealed. Both are features that make us happy. After all, we're already accustomed to such functionality on our Blackberrys and our Palm Treos.

From Official Gmail Blog.

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Survivor Tech: Gadgets That Can Save Your Life]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/01/10/gadgets-that-save-your-life/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/10/gadgets-that-save-your-life/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/10/gadgets-that-save-your-life/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



If you've turned on the Discovery Channel at all in the last year you might have noticed that survival is quite the draw. The popularity of shows like 'Survivor Man' and 'Man Vs. Wild' is not only drawing viewers to Discover, though, it's also helping draw attention to an entire cottage industry of gear designed to help you avoid the very situations (read: deadly ones) we love to watch Bear Grylls stick himself in.

Well, the gadget industry has always catered to those in dicey and potentially lethal situations, but we've noticed a certain proliferation in survival gizmos this year at CES. Check out some of our favorites in the following pages.


Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cesfeaturesflashlightgadgetsgpsledpowerradioscuba divingScubaDivingsolarsurvivaltechtext messagingTextMessagingThu, 10 Jan 2008 11:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Free Tools Help You Fulfill Your New Year's Resolutions]]>http://www.switched.com/2008/01/02/free-tools-help-you-fulfill-your-new-years-resolutions/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/02/free-tools-help-you-fulfill-your-new-years-resolutions/http://www.switched.com/2008/01/02/free-tools-help-you-fulfill-your-new-years-resolutions/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Keep Your New Year's Resolutions with Web Apps

Now that the hang over from New Year's Eve has worn off, it's time to get down to the business of tackling those New Year's resolutions you foolishly made. Of course, the biggest problem with resolutions is finding the motivation and organizational system to make you stick to your guns. Thankfully there are Web sites such as Lifehacker looking out for you. The productivity-focused site has some advice and a healthy helping of (primarily Web-based) ways to track your progress.

The first piece of advice is to utilize management expert Peter Drucker's S.M.A.R.T. system. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely, which really doesn't need any further explanation.

When it comes to tracking your progress and keeping yourself motivated, you'll find a wealth of options, including two highly flexible Web apps suggested at the beginning of 2007: Backpack (a Wiki-like note-taking tool, to-do list and calendar app) and Joe's Goals (a daily checklist of objectives).

There are also two new weight-loss-specific sites added this year: Traineo, which tracks your diet and exercise with a bit of social-networking thrown in to keep you motivated, and Daily Plate, which lets you look up and track not just your caloric intake, but also your fat and carbohydrate consumption.

For those with resolutions that are more fiscal in nature, Lifehacker suggests taking Mint for a spin. Mint will let you set budgets and track your spending. These tasks are made all the more easy since Mint can automatically pull in financial data from your bank accounts and credit cards.

We'd also like to suggest Remember The Milk (RTM) (pictured above), a very flexible and full-featured task management site. RTM even has a newly released Firefox extension that integrates your to-do list with Gmail, making your daily goals unavoidable every time you check your e-mail.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

From Lifehacker


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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backpackdaily plateDailyPlatefirefoxgmailgoalsjoes goalsJoesGoalslifehackermintnew year'sNewYear'sorganizeproductivityremember the milkRememberTheMilkresolutiontaineotaskWed, 02 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST<![CDATA[The 'Blog' Turns 10]]>http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/the-revolutionary-blog-turns-10/http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/the-revolutionary-blog-turns-10/http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/the-revolutionary-blog-turns-10/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Revolutionary Blog Turns 10
Happy belated birthday, blogosphere! In case you didn't know, December 17 was the 10th anniversary of the term 'Weblog,' which was shortened to 'blog' at some point. The term started with a man, Jorn Barger, who used the phrase to describe his Web page where he posted links of interesting things he found around the Internet.

Back in 1997, blogging was hardly the phenomenon it is today. Some of the most conservative estimates put the number of true 'weblogs' at that time in the lower double digits. These days no one can really say how many blogs are out there. Technorati, a blog tracking service, estimates that 120,000 new blogs pop up every day. In April the site was tracking just over 72 million blogs.

The blog has morphed from its early days as a way of sharing cool finds (like Digg minus the voting), to the primary form of information dispersal on the Web. Blogging has become the format of choice in the fast-paced world of tech (like Switched.com) and politics, and has empowered a generation of new journalists. Now the New York Times has blogs, the Daily Kos is one of the most important forces in the Democratic party, and even CNN has the YouTube-esque iReport citizen journalism program. Like it or not, in less than 10 years time, blogs have completely altered the face of media.

From the BBC

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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anniversarybirthdayblogbloggingblogscitizen journalismCitizenJournalismcnndaily kosDailyKosinternetjohn bargerJohnBargerjournalismtechnoratiweblogyoutubeWed, 19 Dec 2007 16:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Stalker Alert -- 53 Percent of Adults Google Others]]>http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/stalker-alert-53-percent-of-adults-google-others/http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/stalker-alert-53-percent-of-adults-google-others/http://www.switched.com/2007/12/19/stalker-alert-53-percent-of-adults-google-others/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Internet has Turned Us Into a Bunch of Stalkers

The Internet has turned us all into a bunch of stalkers. Don't believe us? Then check out this poll from the Pew Internet research center. The same report that found that most American's hadn't Googled themselves reveals, by contrast, that a majority has Googled a friend or family member.

Why Google someone else? Well, many (36 percent) said that they searched for a friend they had lost touch with. Another good chunk (19 percent) were out looking for information on professional contacts, such as coworkers and competitors, with 11 percent specifically using Google as a tool to help weed out applicants for jobs.

Shockingly, though, only nine percent of adults have searched online for information about someone they were dating or a significant other. We would have thought it would have been a lot higher, but apparently it's okay to hop in the sack with any John or Sally, regardless of their Google-search-results profile.

Still, a full seven percent of fully embrace stalkerdom and return on a regular basis -- defined as more than "once or twice" -- to see if the information available online about the target of their creepy obsession has changed.

So, if you're regularly looking up information about anyone on Google, it might be time to take a good long look in the mirror and ask if you've crossed the line from curious to creepy. And yes, do this even if you're Googling yourself every few days, you self-centered jerk.

Check out the full report here (warning: PDF).

From ValleyWag


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Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googleGooglingonline stalkersOnlineStalkerspewpollsearchstalkersurveyWed, 19 Dec 2007 12:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Most Americans Haven't Googled Themselves, Study Finds]]>http://www.switched.com/2007/12/18/most-americans-havent-googled-themselves-says-study/http://www.switched.com/2007/12/18/most-americans-havent-googled-themselves-says-study/http://www.switched.com/2007/12/18/most-americans-havent-googled-themselves-says-study/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google

So apparently Americans are not nearly as paranoid, narcissistic, or tech-savvy as we might have guessed. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have Googled themselves (via either Google or another search engine). Seems low, doesn't it?

Granted, that is more than double the 22 percent of users who had done so when the last poll was taken, in 2002, but still -- never having Googled your own name?

"Yes it's doubled, but it's still the case that there's a big chunk of Internet users who have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," said Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden. "Certainly awareness has increased, but I don't know it's necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us."

Oddly enough, Pew found