Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) support@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Philip's Interactive LED Tattoos Could Be the Future of Body Art]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/moveable-interactive-led-tattoos-may-be-the-next-wave-for-phili/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/moveable-interactive-led-tattoos-may-be-the-next-wave-for-phili/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/moveable-interactive-led-tattoos-may-be-the-next-wave-for-phili/#comments
Ah, human progress. It's long been possible to get drunk with your friends and make a permanent mistake on your body on spring break in Mexico, but soon you'll be able to do it electronically, too. That's right, we are entering the era of the LED tattoo.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have been developing micro-thin, flexible, silicon electronics that have already been successfully implanted under the skin of mice without any harm. These devices can conform to the body's shape without causing any irritation or interfering with its normal physiological processes. (The silk is eventually dissolved and absorbed by the body.)

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Philip's Interactive LED Tattoos Could Be the Future of Body Art originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cyborgledmedicalphilipsresearchtattootopweird switchedtips@gmail.com (Matthew Zuras) Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:18:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Man's Coffee Cup Twitter Account Restores Faith in Humanity]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/mans-coffee-cup-twitter-account-restores-faith-in-humanity/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/mans-coffee-cup-twitter-account-restores-faith-in-humanity/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/mans-coffee-cup-twitter-account-restores-faith-in-humanity/#comments

Every generation laments the passing of those utopian good-ole days when people apparently always treated one another with respect and compassion. The Internet has only exacerbated those grumblings, as people constantly bemoan living in an instantly gratified society with increasingly narcissistic attitudes.

But, at least one crusader is using a so-called narcissistic and shallow avenue to disprove those Information Age haters. The RoofCoffeeCup Twitter account is attempting to prove that people really do care about one another, or, at least, one another's coffee. According to Boing Boing, a guy known as GitEmSteveDave has magnetically attached a Starbuck's coffee cup to the roof of his car and tweets about people's reactions to the precarious cup in peril.

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Man's Coffee Cup Twitter Account Restores Faith in Humanity originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> GitEmSteveDavegood deedgood deedsGoodDeedGoodDeedsRoofCoffeeCuptopTwitter switchedtips@gmail.com (Warren Riddle) Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Sunday's Engadget Show Features Joystiq, HTC's Drew Bamford]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/sundays-engadget-show-features-joystiq-htcs-drew-bamford/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/sundays-engadget-show-features-joystiq-htcs-drew-bamford/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/sundays-engadget-show-features-joystiq-htcs-drew-bamford/#comments Gadget and gaming fans are in for a treat at this Sunday's Engadget Show taping. Our friend Chris Grant, Editor-in-chief of Joystiq, joins the Engadget crew for a special gaming-focused roundtable. Plus, for you mobile interface junkies, HTC's Drew Bamford will be there as well. Plus, a very lucky audience member will go home with a 'Modern Warfare 2' Xbox 360 bundle. If you're in the New York area this weekend, head on down to the Tishman Auditorium at Parsons The New School for Design for the free event. Doors open tomorrow at 4:30PM, show starts at 5:00PM.

Sunday's Engadget Show Features Joystiq, HTC's Drew Bamford originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> TheEngadgetShowtop switchedtips@gmail.com (Thomas Houston) Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Skateboarding Dog Tries 'Tony Hawk,' Muji Meets Lego]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/best-of-the-rest-skateboarding-dog-tries-tony-hawk-muji-meet/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/best-of-the-rest-skateboarding-dog-tries-tony-hawk-muji-meet/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/best-of-the-rest-skateboarding-dog-tries-tony-hawk-muji-meet/#comments
There's a load of great tech news happening out there every day, and, unfortunately, we just can't cover it all. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web.
  • Tillman the Skateboarding Dog is a skating celeb, so it makes sense that he (or one of his bulldog buds) gets to try out the new Tony Hawk game, which comes with a digi-skateboard. Trust us, it's as cute as it sounds. [From: Urlesque]
  • Nothing goes as well with Japanese minimalism than Lego, which is why this block set from Muji is amazingly cool. [From: High Snobiety]
  • The debate is a bit more than seeing an ex pop up constantly on Facebook. Professor Viktor Mayer-Schonberger talks about how new media makes it difficult to forget, which is an important part of the human experience, (though one commenter points out the other side of the spectrum). [From: Reuters]
  • Wired's list of '10 Geeky Things To Be Thankful For" really are geeky (terabytes? really?), but we admit, we are glad there is good sci-fi on TV, too. [From: Wired.com]

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Best of the Rest: Skateboarding Dog Tries 'Tony Hawk,' Muji Meets Lego originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BestOfTheResttop switchedtips@gmail.com (Leila Brillson) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:14:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[N.Y. State Government to Interrupt Gaming With Emergency Bulletins]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/n-y-state-government-to-interrupt-gaming-with-emergency-bulleti/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/n-y-state-government-to-interrupt-gaming-with-emergency-bulleti/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/n-y-state-government-to-interrupt-gaming-with-emergency-bulleti/#comments
The Internet turned the big 4-0 this year, and the commercially available wireless phone celebrated its own quarter-century milestone. After all of that time, it seems that state and national governments are finally ready to accept the crazy notion that both modes of communication can be used to instantly disseminate urgent information during times of strife.

Japan introduced a cell phone earthquake notification system two years ago, an Iowa county recently launched the first 911-via-text service in the U.S., and Israel is currently developing a text-based rocket alert system. New York is now taking a huge leap forward with the announcement of the statewide 'Empire 2.0' program, which seeks to employ technology in creating a more "transparent, participatory, and collaborative" government.

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N.Y. State Government to Interrupt Gaming With Emergency Bulletins originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> emergencyEmpire 2.0Empire2.0governmentnew yorkNew York StateNewYorkNewYorkStatetop switchedtips@gmail.com (Warren Riddle) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Webby Awards Lists the Millennium's Top 10 Web Moments]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/webby-awards-lists-the-milleniums-top-10-web-moments/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/webby-awards-lists-the-milleniums-top-10-web-moments/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/webby-awards-lists-the-milleniums-top-10-web-moments/#comments With the decade coming to a close in less than two months, expect to see plenty of "Best of" lists. It's awful fun to think back on marquee moments from years past, especially when those moments occurred on our beloved Internet. Plus, it's shocking to recall just how much the Web has changed since the start of the millennium. In that spirit, the Webby Awards has released its list of "The Ten Most Influential Internet Moments of the Decade."

The moments, which are listed in chronological order, begin with Craigslist's 2000 expansion from a San Francisco exclusive service to the largest free classifieds site on the Web. From there, Napster met its demise in 2001, the same year Wikipedia launched and changed the way we got information. A few years later, in 2006, online video became cooler than sliced bread thanks to YouTube. Shortly thereafter, Facebook became open to non-college students in 2006 (much to our chagrin), and Twitter started its climb to the top of the social networking ladder.

Continue reading Webby Awards Lists the Millennium's Top 10 Web Moments

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Webby Awards Lists the Millennium's Top 10 Web Moments originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> craigslistfacebookinternetlistnapstersocialnetworkingtopwebwebbywikipediayoutube switchedtips@gmail.com (Caleb Johnson) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Scientists Find RFID 'Fingerprint' That Could Prevent Counterfeiting]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/scientists-find-rfid-fingerprint-that-could-prevent-counterfei/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/scientists-find-rfid-fingerprint-that-could-prevent-counterfei/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/scientists-find-rfid-fingerprint-that-could-prevent-counterfei/#comments Radio frequency identification tags (RFID), which appear in items like credit cards and passports, have long been susceptible to hackers looking to steal personal information. Still, RFID tags are used in many ways -- from tracking a shipment of clothes to automatically opening a doggie door. But a breakthrough from a group of University of Arkansas scientists might just ease the minds of those who worry these devices aren't secure enough. The discovery hasn't much to do with the devices themselves, but the way in which they are read.

According to Physorg.com, Professors Dale R. Thompson and Jai Di discovered that each RFID tag has a "fingerprint." Essentially, each tag has a unique power response at different radio frequencies -- even for tags of the same make and model. With preexisting physical characteristics in mind, scientists can interpret an electronic "fingerprint" to each tag. Using those fingerprints as a key would make the devices harder to hack and counterfeit.

With RFID being used more and more by government agencies and private businesses, it's comforting to know that somebody is thinking about security. Maybe now we can stop wrapping our credit cards in aluminum foil. It's a good thing this news broke before we let paranoia take over. [From: Physorg.com, via Engadget]

Scientists Find RFID 'Fingerprint' That Could Prevent Counterfeiting originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> counterfeitcredit cardsCreditCardsfingerprinthackidentity theftIdentityTheftradioresearchrfidsecurity switchedtips@gmail.com (Caleb Johnson) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Depressed Woman's Facebook Pics Ruin Her Insurance Benefits]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/womans-facebook-pics-lead-insurance-company-to-revoke-claim/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/womans-facebook-pics-lead-insurance-company-to-revoke-claim/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/womans-facebook-pics-lead-insurance-company-to-revoke-claim/#comments It seems that placing privacy settings on your social networking profile isn't enough to keep snoops away. Nathalie Blanchard, of Quebec, Canada, learned that lesson when her long-term, sick-leave benefits were stripped from her because of photos on her Facebook account.

For the past year and a half, Blanchard had been on leave from her job at IBM as the result of being diagnosed with serious clinical depression. Since the diagnosis, she had been collecting a monthly check from Manulife, her insurance firm. But after Manulife investigators discovered photos on her private Facebook page that showed her out partying with friends at a bar and vacationing on sunny beaches, the company decided to cut off benefits. The insurer considered the photos evidence that Blanchard was no longer depressed, according to a report by the CBC.

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Depressed Woman's Facebook Pics Ruin Her Insurance Benefits originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfacebookfacelosshealth insuranceHealthInsuranceprivacysocialnetworkingtop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Chrome OS, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chrome-os-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-cloud/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chrome-os-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-cloud/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chrome-os-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-cloud/#comments Chrome OS: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud Yesterday, Google finally took the cover off Chrome OS and, in so doing, gave a bunch of foamy-mouthed tech journalists an idea of what to expect once consumers are able to get their hands on it late next year. There weren't many surprises in the announcement. Chrome OS is a tweaked Chrome browser running on top of a streamlined version of Linux -- exactly what most were expecting. We can already play games, watch movies, create spreadsheets, and send IMs -- all without leaving the comfort of any number of browsers. Chrome OS just seeks to remove the middle man.

The highly customized version of Linux is designed to run on Google-certified hardware. By specifying what components can comprise a Chrome OS netbook, Google is able to strip away many "unessential" parts of the OS, making it boot and run faster. Even in this early stage (a year away from release), it only takes 10 seconds to go from pressing the power button to browsing the Web. There are some trade-offs to this design, however. Chrome OS will not support traditional hard drives, meaning you can forget about keeping your giant music collection on one of these babies. Instead, it will only feature smaller, faster, solid-state drives (SSD) and rely on the cloud to store documents and photos. It will, however, recognize and open whatever USB drives and cameras are plugged into it.

Continue reading Chrome OS, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud

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Chrome OS, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cloud originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chromechrome osChromeOscloudcloud computingCloudComputingNetBooktop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:06:00 EST Switched <![CDATA['Twilight' Content Leaves Scammers Thirsting for Your (Digital) Blood]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twilight-content-leaves-scammers-thirsting-for-your-digital/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twilight-content-leaves-scammers-thirsting-for-your-digital/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twilight-content-leaves-scammers-thirsting-for-your-digital/#comments Malware Makers Cash-In on 'Twilight' Craze As per usual, malware purveyors are hopping on the latest fad in order to lure unsuspecting Web surfers into their dens of digital evil. And what are the kids talking about right now? Well, 'Twilight,' of course.

With the new installment of the teen vampire saga set to hit theaters Friday, Web searches for interviews with cast members, for bootleg copies of the film, and for other content related to 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' have sky-rocketed. Using this buzz to their advantage, makers of viruses, trojans, and spyware are embedding malicious code in fake movie files and video streams, and posting the nefarious results.

Continue reading 'Twilight' Content Leaves Scammers Thirsting for Your (Digital) Blood

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'Twilight' Content Leaves Scammers Thirsting for Your (Digital) Blood originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> malwaresecuritytoptwilighttwilight new moonTwilightNewMoonvirus switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:17:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Kidrobot Founder Talks Butts, Bunnies, and His Empire of Vinyl Art]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/kidrobot-founder-talks-butts-bunnies-and-his-empire-of-vinyl-a/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/kidrobot-founder-talks-butts-bunnies-and-his-empire-of-vinyl-a/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/kidrobot-founder-talks-butts-bunnies-and-his-empire-of-vinyl-a/#comments
Paul Budnitz has amazingly sent young adults scrambling after collectible vinyl figures as if they were children after toys. And toys, in essence, those figures are, but not in the child-friendly sense of the word. (In fact, Budnitz points out that his company's products often come armed with cigarettes and machine guns.) Kidrobot, which Budnitz conceived while collecting figurines during a stay in China, is famous for its small and affordable art pieces designed by underground and mainstream artists, graffiti writers, and musicians.

What started as a pastime has become an international phenomenon; collectors camp out to get limited-edition Kidrobot figures, and people like Karl Lagerfeld and Matt Groening have gotten in on the design action. Kidrobot crosses cultures, claiming a strong following among comic book readers, alternative rock fans, hip-hop stars, and even us gadget nerds (who have the colorful creations brightening up our cubicles). And that's precisely what Budnitz set out to do: to give young (but not too young) individuals a way of "collecting art" without breaking the bank, and to brighten their lives with beautiful, hilarious, or just outright interesting art objects.

Continue reading Kidrobot Founder Talks Butts, Bunnies, and His Empire of Vinyl Art

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Kidrobot Founder Talks Butts, Bunnies, and His Empire of Vinyl Art originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featureskidrobottopvideo switchedtips@gmail.com (Leila Brillson) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:38:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Facebook Sued Over Scam Ads, Oprah Rumors Spark Twitter Frenzy]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/facebook-in-trouble-with-the-law-oprah-rumors-spark-twitter-fre/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/facebook-in-trouble-with-the-law-oprah-rumors-spark-twitter-fre/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/facebook-in-trouble-with-the-law-oprah-rumors-spark-twitter-fre/#comments
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
  • It was only a matter of time before all of those irritating and ridiculous games got Facebook in trouble. The social networking site has reportedly been named in a $5 million class-action lawsuit, together with gaming firm Zynga, for allowing scam ads to appear during games like 'Mafia Wars' and 'Farmville.' [From: Business Insider]
  • Oprah's Twitter entrance created an instant and massive surge of activity on the site back in April. Yesterday, Oprah was once again the focus of a tweeting frenzy (over 8,000 in just one hour), but this flurry centered on the anticipated, solemn end of her 23-year-old television show. [From: Mashable]
  • The four-year-old acquisition drama between Skype and eBay has officially come to a close. eBay once claimed that it paid about $1 billion more than it should have with its $2.6 billion purchase of the VoIP service in 2005. Skype, though, has actually now been valued at a whopping $2.75 billion. [From: Mashable]
  • Despite a 19-percent plummet in console and video game sales in October, 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' earned a staggering $550 million during its first five days on the market. The numbers have topped the record-breaking $500 million that 'Grand Theft Auto IV' generated during its first week last year. So, if manufacturers want to make money during the recession, they apparently just need to let consumers virtually take out their frustrations by annihilating everything in sight. [From: Reuters]
  • While some already exist, Google is hoping to steadily and automatically add captions to the bottom of every YouTube video. The site will utilize speech-recognition software to generate captions in order to aid deaf and hearing-impaired viewers. [From: USA Today]
  • Rupert Murdoch's recent threat to remove News Corp. stories from Google has prompted a response from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. Stone attested that the childish and antiquated return to a "ridiculously closed" approach would "fail fast." Harumph. What would that impudent whippersnapper possibly know about integrating the media and the Internets? [From: Mashable]

Facebook Sued Over Scam Ads, Oprah Rumors Spark Twitter Frenzy originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> morningxtratop switchedtips@gmail.com (Warren Riddle) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:48:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Twitter Now Asks, "What's Happening?"]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twitter-now-asks-whats-happening/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twitter-now-asks-whats-happening/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/twitter-now-asks-whats-happening/#comments
What's in a question? Twitter has long asked its users, "What are you doing?" This, of course, gave rise to the ubiquity of the status update, as people took Twitter's inquiry so literally that they would write about the most banal goings on -- from buying coffee to using the bathroom. But as Twitter's user base has grown exponentially, so have the style and content of tweets. Of late, substantive Twitter missives have become de rigeur, as tweets have chronicled the contested Iranian presidential election and disseminated other breaking news.

As such, Twitter decided yesterday to modify "What are you doing?" to the more appropriate "What's happening?" in order to reflect the open model of communication that tweeting now allows. Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, wrote on the company's blog, "People, organizations, and businesses quickly began leveraging the open nature of the network to share anything they wanted, completely ignoring the original question, seemingly on a quest to both ask and answer a different, more immediate question."

Continue reading Twitter Now Asks, "What's Happening?"

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Twitter Now Asks, "What's Happening?" originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> linguisticssocialnetworkingtwitterwhats happeningWhatsHappening switchedtips@gmail.com (Matthew Zuras) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The Daily Engadget: Win 7 Selling Strongly, California Mandates Greener HDTVs]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/the-daily-engadget-win-7-selling-strongly-california-mandates/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/the-daily-engadget-win-7-selling-strongly-california-mandates/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/the-daily-engadget-win-7-selling-strongly-california-mandates/#comments
Our friends over at Engadget obsessively cover everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics, which is why we compile this daily roundup of their top stuff (or, at least, what we think is tops). For more details on any of these stories, click on the Engadget links in each story below.

California Mandates Energy Efficiency Improvements by 2011
Those heat waves rising from the back of your HDTV are a sure sign of energy waste, and are not long for California if the state government has its way. The Golden State is tackling HDTV inefficiency with new regulations scheduled to go into effect in just over a year.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Double Those of Any Previous Version
We knew people were itching to get rid of Windows XP and Vista, but we didn't know they were this eager. According to Steve Ballmer, Windows 7 is selling twice as quickly as any previous version.

Continue reading The Daily Engadget: Win 7 Selling Strongly, California Mandates Greener HDTVs

The Daily Engadget: Win 7 Selling Strongly, California Mandates Greener HDTVs originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breaking newsBreakingNewsthedailyengadgettop switchedtips@gmail.com (Tim Stevens) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Microsoft Previews Internet Explorer 9, Looks Like a Contender]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/microsoft-previews-internet-explorer-9-looks-like-a-contender/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/microsoft-previews-internet-explorer-9-looks-like-a-contender/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/microsoft-previews-internet-explorer-9-looks-like-a-contender/#comments Microsoft Previews IE9, Looks Like a Contender With Chrome chugging along toward version 4.0 and Firefox 3.6 just around the corner, Microsoft is in danger of falling even further behind in the browser wars. The boys in Redmond released Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) earlier this year, and while it was an improvement over IE7, we were generally disappointed with its stability. Plus, it still was far behind its competitors in raw speed.

Turns out that Microsoft is already hard at work on the next version of its browser, titled, chronologically, 'IE9.' There is no download available to consumers yet, but if the company's claims are to be trusted, IE9 represents not just an evolution of IE, but a complete redefinition of what should be expected of the Microsoft browser.

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Microsoft Previews Internet Explorer 9, Looks Like a Contender originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browserieie9internet explorerinternet explorer 9InternetExplorerInternetExplorer9microsofttopweb browserWebBrowser switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:35:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Chinese Military Web Site Battered With Attempted Cyber-Attacks]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chinese-military-web-site-battered-with-attempted-cyber-attacks/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chinese-military-web-site-battered-with-attempted-cyber-attacks/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/chinese-military-web-site-battered-with-attempted-cyber-attacks/#comments
When China launched a Web site for its defense ministry in August, the whole world took notice. With both English and Chinese versions, the government hoped the site would prove it was serious about being more transparent when it came to the military. However, this attempt also attracted hackers.

According to BBC News, there have been about 2.3 million cyber-attacks on the site in its first month of operation alone. We thought Twitter was bombarded with a ridiculous number of attacks, but that's just a flat-out, mind-boggling number. There are no reports that any military information was compromised, but it seems that hackers aren't the only truth-seekers visiting the site. The site's editor, Ji Guilin, told the state-run newspaper that 1.25 billion people -- many from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Singapore, and Japan -- have visited the site to search topics like "military photos," "top military leaders," "high-level events," and "military power."

This can't be comforting news for the Chinese government, which is notorious for limiting its citizens' Web access. We can only hope that China won't step back from free-flowing information and shut down the site as a result of the attacks. Our more rational minds, though, are pretty sure that once a hacker successfully cracks the site (and one will), it will get yanked faster than an Olympic gymnast on her 16th birthday. [From: BBC News and Al Jazeera]

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Chinese Military Web Site Battered With Attempted Cyber-Attacks originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chinadefense militaryDefenseMilitaryhackhackersmilitarysecurityweb switchedtips@gmail.com (Caleb Johnson) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Is the Android OS Growing Too Quickly?]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/android-explosion-poses-a-problem-for-developers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/android-explosion-poses-a-problem-for-developers/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/android-explosion-poses-a-problem-for-developers/#comments Android Explosion Poses a Problem for Developers After getting off to a slow start, Android phones have gone gangbusters. As of last July, there was only one Android-powered device available in the U.S., but that number has since exploded. Now, there are eight Android phones available stateside, with more expected to debut in the coming months. So things must be looking pretty great for the mobile OS from Google, right?

Not necessarily. A few issues have both Google and the developers of Android-friendly applications worried. For the most part, the issue can be reduced to the term "splintering." Right now, those eight phones share three different versions of the Android core: 1.5, 1.6, and 2.0. The phones also have vast hardware differences between them; for instance, some models have keyboards while others don't, and some cameras have flashes while others do not. Then, there are the customized interfaces (or skins), like HTC's Sense on the Hero and Motorola's Blur on the Cliq. These differences make it difficult to build apps, since even basic updates need to be tested against every possible combination of hardware, skin, and Android version. And a smartphone OS lives and dies by its developers.

Continue reading Is the Android OS Growing Too Quickly?

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Is the Android OS Growing Too Quickly? originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidgoogleossmartphone switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:52:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Quickly Switch Apps on a Palm Pre]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/quickly-switch-apps-on-a-palm-pre/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/quickly-switch-apps-on-a-palm-pre/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/20/quickly-switch-apps-on-a-palm-pre/#comments
Rather than opening your Palm Pre's Card View function to sort through all of your open apps, you can simply swipe back and forth between running apps. Go to the Launcher and select Screen & Lock. Under the heading 'Advanced Gestures,' slide the Switch Applications option from Off to On. Now, when you have several apps open, you can swipe left across the length of the gesture area to quickly flip to the last app you used, or swipe to the right to view other running apps.

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Quickly Switch Apps on a Palm Pre originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> gesturekeyboard shortcutsKeyboardShortcutspalm prePalmPretech tipstechtipTechTipstop switchedtips@gmail.com (Jon Chase) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:36:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[HDTV Listings for November 19, 2009]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/hdtv-listings-for-november-19-2009/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/hdtv-listings-for-november-19-2009/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/hdtv-listings-for-november-19-2009/#comments What we're watching tonight:
  • ABC (720p) has 'FlashForward' at 8 p.m., 'Grey's Anatomy' at 9 p.m., and 'Private Practice' at 10:01 p.m.
  • Fox (720p) has 'Bones' at 8 p.m. and 'Fringe' at 9 p.m.
  • NBC (1080i) has 'Community' at 8 p.m., 'Parks & Recreation' at 8:30 p.m., 'The Office' at 9 p.m., and '30 Rock' at 9:30 p.m.
  • CBS (1080i) has 'Survivor' at 8 p.m., 'CSI' at 9 p.m., and 'The Mentalist' at 10 p.m.
  • CW (1080i) airs 'The Vampire Diaries' at 8 p.m. and 'Supernatural' at 9 p.m.
  • WGN (1080i) has 'WWE Superstars' at 8 p.m.
  • Spike (1080i) has 'TNA! Impact' at 9 p.m.
  • History (720p) has the season finale of 'WWII' in HD at 9 & 10 p.m.
  • FX (720p) has 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' at 10 p.m. and 'The League' at 10:30 p.m.
  • TLC (1080i) the season finale of 'Street Customs' at 8 p.m., 'American Chopper' at 9 p.m., and 'Family Armor' at 10 p.m.
  • NFL Network (1080i) has Dolphins/Panthers football at 8 p.m.
  • ESPN (720p) has Colorado/Oklahoma State college football at 7:30 p.m.

HDTV Listings for November 19, 2009 originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hdtvlistingstop switchedtips@gmail.com (Switched Staff) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:40:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Paint With Kitties on iPhone App, Billy Mays Utility]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/best-of-the-rest-paint-with-kitties-on-iphone-app-billy-mays-u/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/best-of-the-rest-paint-with-kitties-on-iphone-app-billy-mays-u/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/best-of-the-rest-paint-with-kitties-on-iphone-app-billy-mays-u/#comments
There's a load of great tech news happening out there every day, and, unfortunately, we just can't cover it all. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web.
  • Are your photos lacking that feline flare? Now, there's a cat for that. (We didn't want to pun, but we had to.) The CatPaint app adds furry feline friends to iPhone images for hours of fantastic, fur-filled LOLing. [From: Gizmodo]
  • You can now channel the late infomercial king Billy Mays WITH THE BILLY MAYS CAPS LOCK APP! ORDER NOW! [From: DownloadSquad]
  • Pulleys? Check. Scrap wood? Check. Design-oriented hipsters? Check. And now you have all the makings for an awesome Mobile Office. [From: Design Milk]
  • Aliens, dead people, and other phantasmagoria abound in The Art of Tim Burton, a companion book for the goth director's new retrospective at MoMA (we saw a preview of the show, and it is amazing). [From: Wired]
Got a tip? Want to talk to us? In need of more choice links like these? Drop us a line on Twitter and check out our new Tumblr blog.

Best of the Rest: Paint With Kitties on iPhone App, Billy Mays Utility originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bestoftheresttop switchedtips@gmail.com (Matthew Zuras) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:10:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Don't Tread on Our Web! U.K. Reportedly Seeking Absolute Net Control]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/dont-tread-on-our-web-u-k-reportedly-seeking-absolute-net-con/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/dont-tread-on-our-web-u-k-reportedly-seeking-absolute-net-con/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/dont-tread-on-our-web-u-k-reportedly-seeking-absolute-net-con/#comments
For over a year, France has been considering plans to ban illegal downloaders from the Web. In the U.S., the FCC may actually begin regulating the Web by forcing providers to charge various fees. But neither of those disturbing developments compare at all to the rumors gathering momentum in England.

Various outlets are reporting that the U.K. Secretary of State Peter Mandelson, referred to as the "Pirate-Finder General," hopes to make harsh amendments to the nation's 'Copyrights, Designs, and Patents Act.' The disgusting affront to privacy rights and personal freedom would empower the Secretary to make a wide variety of decisions without any form of oversight. Among other frightening things, the totalitarian plan would allow the Net overseer to impose jail terms for file-sharing, and to create a "pirate-hunting militia" that could compel Internet service providers to divulge private user information, like the contents of e-mails.

Once a virtual New World of free and limitless information, the Net is increasingly becoming a tool controlled by power-hungry suits. These so-called representatives of the people are increasingly ignoring the rights of individuals in order to fatten their own bloated coffers with tainted money from multinational corporations.

The fledgling Pirate Party, which focuses on fighting exactly what England wants to enforce, recently claimed a second seat in the European Parliament. After this shocking and revolting Redcoat development, you can expect British party membership to skyrocket astronomically. [From: Download Squad, via BoingBoing]

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Don't Tread on Our Web! U.K. Reportedly Seeking Absolute Net Control originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> copyrights designs and patents actCopyrightsDesignsAndPatentsActgovernmentnet neutralityNetNeutralitypeter mandelsonPeterMandelsonpiracypirate partyPiratePartytopuk switchedtips@gmail.com (Warren Riddle) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:10:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Street Style for Sale: Like.com and Weardrobe Sell Blogger's Looks]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/street-style-for-sale-like-com-and-weardrobe-sell-bloggers-loo/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/street-style-for-sale-like-com-and-weardrobe-sell-bloggers-loo/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/street-style-for-sale-like-com-and-weardrobe-sell-bloggers-loo/#comments A quiet revolution is taking place in the world's blogs. Munjal Shah, CEO of shopping network Like.com, explains, "Fashion used to be about a monarchy. Then it was about the elite, but today, the action is much more grassroots and the street style culture is on the front line." Street style, for those who aren't a part of the community, rejects glossy mag aesthetics and expensive, top-brand fetishism for the idea that the coolest and most fashionable individuals are on the street. Photographers and bloggers snap smart-looking passersby, then write about what they like about their respective looks. Some, like Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist or pre-teen prodigy Tavi Williams' of Style Rookie, have made a lucrative career out of it.

So when Like.com, a visual search engine that has generated over $100 million in sales, wanted to transform itself into a more organic, user-friendly community, Shah went right to the source. Today, Like.com announced its acquisition of Weardrobe, a street-style community that connects novice and popular bloggers, allowing burgeoning fashionistas to post and comment on each others' looks. Now, thanks to the partnership, Like.com's search capability (titled 'Likesense,' a la Google's AdSense) aesthetically identifies items in street images, and then offers browsers the opportunity to buy online.

Continue reading Street Style for Sale: Like.com and Weardrobe Sell Blogger's Looks

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Street Style for Sale: Like.com and Weardrobe Sell Blogger's Looks originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> covete-shoppingfashionfeaturesgeek chicGeekChiclike.comshoppingtopweardrobe switchedtips@gmail.com (Leila Brillson) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[App Could Aid Migrant (and Illegal) Workers Crossing the U.S. Border]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/new-app-could-aid-migrant-and-illegal-workers-crossing-the-u-s/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/new-app-could-aid-migrant-and-illegal-workers-crossing-the-u-s/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/new-app-could-aid-migrant-and-illegal-workers-crossing-the-u-s/#comments Cell phones -- and for that matter, app-enabled smartphones -- have typically been aimed at the middle class, containing software designed to help balance meeting agendas, check a flight's status, and the like. But what about the potential for cell phone apps to help a notoriously under-served section of the population?

Well, there's an app for that. The 'Transborder Immigrant Tool,' which is currently in development, aims to aid illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. This month, the app's creator Ricardo Dominguez, who works in the Visual Arts department at the University of California - San Diego, did a long interview with Vice Magazine, in which he spelled out the purpose of this potentially illegal software and the probable public anger it will cause:
"I would imagine [anti-immigration militias] won't be too happy with us, but again we're not trying to hide. It's a safety tool. It's not trying to resolve the political anxieties of these communities or resolve the inadequacies of a fictional border for a so-called free-trade community. Again, our position is that it's not a political resolution; it's a safety tool. That, at the core, is what we're attempting to do."
Using the cheapest cell phones possible (specifically the under-$30 Motorola i455, which comes with a GPS applet), Dominguez and his team were able to create a hack that added navigation functionality and the ability to locate water and highways. Although the app is still only in the alpha phase of development, Dominguez hopes to roll it out soon.

Read the whole interview for more information, and be sure to leave your thoughts on this in the comments section. [From: Vice Magazine, via: BoingBoing]

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App Could Aid Migrant (and Illegal) Workers Crossing the U.S. Border originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appsborder crossingBorderCrossingillegal appsillegal immigrationIllegalAppsIllegalImmigrationmexicotop switchedtips@gmail.com (Matthew Zuras) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[80-Percent of Cyber Attacks Could Be Prevented, Says NSA]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/80-percent-of-cyber-attacks-could-be-prevented-says-nsa/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/80-percent-of-cyber-attacks-could-be-prevented-says-nsa/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/80-percent-of-cyber-attacks-could-be-prevented-says-nsa/#comments
While the Federal government might throw a hundred million dollars at cyber-attacks, the real solution to the problem is much easier and cheaper -- at least that's what National Security Agency information assurance director Richard Schaeffer told the U.S. Senate Tuesday. According to Wired, Schaeffer says about 80-percent of the attacks could be prevented if network administrators were to simply adhere to conventional configuration policies and closely monitor the networks. If this occurred, Schaeffer believes, it would deter hackers from making attacks because their chances of being caught would be much higher.

Continue reading 80-Percent of Cyber Attacks Could Be Prevented, Says NSA

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80-Percent of Cyber Attacks Could Be Prevented, Says NSA originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> common senseCommonSensehacknetworknsasecuritysenatetopweb switchedtips@gmail.com (Caleb Johnson) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:32:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Luke Wilson Joins the AT&T and Verizon Ad Fray]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/atandt-fights-back-at-verizons-ad-campaign-with-actor-luke-wilson/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/atandt-fights-back-at-verizons-ad-campaign-with-actor-luke-wilson/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/atandt-fights-back-at-verizons-ad-campaign-with-actor-luke-wilson/#comments In case you haven't noticed, the two major cell phone service providers have spent the past few weeks trying to prove their mettle in a 3G network-wagging contest. It started with Verizon's "There's a Map For That" commercial, which debuted in October and was a direct dig at the iPhone (which just so happens to be carried exclusively by AT&T). The latter company filed a lawsuit against Verizon Wireless, claiming that the commercial led consumers to believe AT&T doesn't offer any wireless service outside a 3G network.

After losing a request for an injunction this week, AT&T decided to fire back with an advertisement of its own. According to Engadget, AT&T's new 30-second spot, which features actor Luke Wilson, makes the Great Smartphone War official (video after the break). In the commercial, Wilson places magnets on a board according to which company offers a certain feature. To no surprise, Wilson and his magnets claim that AT&T kicks Verizon's butt when it comes to the fastest 3G network, and that it has the most popular smartphones as well.

Let's assume that AT&T thought some star power would make people forget about Verizon's witty spot. Well, it didn't. This is an epic fail, folks. If AT&T had to go this route, couldn't it at least have snagged the funny Wilson brother? [From: Engadget]

Continue reading Luke Wilson Joins the AT&T and Verizon Ad Fray

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Luke Wilson Joins the AT&T and Verizon Ad Fray originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 3gadvertisingattcellphonedroidfailfeudiphonelawsuitluke wilsonLukeWilsonsmartphonetopverizon switchedtips@gmail.com (Caleb Johnson) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:48:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Scientology Hacker Convicted, Heading To Jail]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/man-to-serve-time-for-cyber-attack-on-scientology-websites/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/man-to-serve-time-for-cyber-attack-on-scientology-websites/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/man-to-serve-time-for-cyber-attack-on-scientology-websites/#comments With old-fashioned, barbaric crusades having gone the way of the Pet Rock, it seems people have started to take their religious beefs from the war-grounds to the Web. The most recent cyber-attack, though, might be the most confusing yet.

As the Huffington Post reports, Dmitriy Guzner, a 19-year-old from New Jersey, has been sentenced to a 366-day term in federal prison for participating in a cyber-attack on Church of Scientology Web sites back in January of 2008. According to the charges, Guzner and his hacker lackeys conducted a massive denial of service attack on the sites, rendering them inaccessible to other users. The cyber-assassin plead guilty to computer hacking charges in May, and will serve an additional two years of probation upon his release from prison.

The head-scratcher? Prosecutors claim that Guzner was operating as part of a covert anti-Scientology hack team called "Anonymous," (Ed. Note: Not just Scientology, but "Anonymous" is part of a larger hack group) which protests the Church on the grounds that it promotes Internet censorship. So their logic, if we heard correctly, was to combat censorship with malicious, vigilante... censorship? Nope, no unsound reasoning here. [From: Huffington Post]

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Scientology Hacker Convicted, Heading To Jail originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cyberattackdenial of serviceDenialOfServicehackreligionscientologytop switchedtips@gmail.com (Amar Toor) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:41:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Anonymous, Sexual Blog Comment Costs School Employee Job]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/anonymous-sexual-blog-comment-costs-school-employee-job/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/anonymous-sexual-blog-comment-costs-school-employee-job/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/anonymous-sexual-blog-comment-costs-school-employee-job/#comments
HuffPo reports that a man in St. Louis lost his job at a local school after posting a vulgar response to an online poll, when the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last Friday asked readers the following question: "What's the craziest thing you've ever eaten?" Spotting a hanging curveball, the employee posted a one-word vulgarity, alluding to a certain female anatomical feature. Web site administrators deleted the comment, only to have it re-posted. At that point, Kurt Greenbaum, director of social media at the newspaper, used the IP address to trace the original obscenity back to a school. Job loss ensued.

The following Monday, Greenbaum wrote an article titled, "Post a vulgar comment while you're at work, lose your job." One reader argued, "You guys don't like moderating so you call his work and get him fired." Greenbaum's reply, dripping with sarcasm, read, "Yeah, you caught me! I made him log on to his computer at work, visit STLtoday.com's Talk of the Day, read the item, type a vulgarity and hit the 'submit' key."

The guy shouldn't have been making these comments from a school computer, but isn't Greenbaum overstepping his bounds here? It's the responsibility of the newspaper to filter its readers' comments (Ed. Note: Wouldn't know anything about that at Switched. Our commenters are all angels.) -- not to monitor its readers' behavior. For whatever reason, the site maintenance team couldn't just color within the lines of their own Web site; they had to go "tell teacher." The most reprehensible part, though, is Greenbaum's smug self-righteousness, regardless of right or wrong. The only thing that resulted was someone losing their livelihood. Let's take it down a notch on the sarcasm, shall we? [From: Huffington Post]

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Anonymous, Sexual Blog Comment Costs School Employee Job originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commentsemploymentjournalismnewspaperobscenityprivacyschool switchedtips@gmail.com (Amar Toor) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:06:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Hype Check: 'Super Mario Bros.' Wii Rocks the Return to Side-Scrolling Roots]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/hype-check-return-to-the-side-scroller-with-new-super-mario-br/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/hype-check-return-to-the-side-scroller-with-new-super-mario-br/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/hype-check-return-to-the-side-scroller-with-new-super-mario-br/#comments The Hype: Eons ago, in 1982, video games took a dramatic evolutionary leap as 'Pitfall' and 'Moon Patrol' revolutionized the burgeoning gaming movement with the development of the side-scrolling platform. No longer limited to single-screen action or distant, overhead views, virtual worlds astronomically increased in size and scope.

Take a warp-zone pipe ahead almost 30 years, and the dramatically advanced gaming landscape is now littered with obsolete styles that have been forced into extinction. Yet side-scrollers have managed to survive, and now, one ubiquitous, enormously popular, 25-year-old franchise heads back to where it all began.

With a few notable departures (and failures), the sprawling 'Mario Bros.' universe has predominately adhered to the side-scrolling platform. Perhaps still angry at 'Zelda II: The Adventure of Link' for encroaching on its side-scrolling domain, the Mario team created the open-ended 'Super Mario 64,' which received extensive accolades but didn't capture the simplistic and enthralling fun of the previous titles. Nintendo also tried to find a happy medium with 'Paper Mario', which switched between side-scrolling and 3-D, but the titles, while fun, also failed to win over devoted Mario-philes.

Continue reading Hype Check: 'Super Mario Bros.' Wii Rocks the Return to Side-Scrolling Roots

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Hype Check: 'Super Mario Bros.' Wii Rocks the Return to Side-Scrolling Roots originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> HGGMoon PatrolMoonPatrolNintendoPitfallside-scrollerside-scrollingsuper mario brossuper mario bros wiiSuperMarioBrosSuperMarioBrosWii switchedtips@gmail.com (Warren Riddle) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:17:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Apple Tablet Info Steadily Emerging, Congressman Hopes to Ban Government P2P Usage]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/apple-tablet-info-steadily-emerging-senator-hopes-to-ban-govern/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/apple-tablet-info-steadily-emerging-senator-hopes-to-ban-govern/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/apple-tablet-info-steadily-emerging-senator-hopes-to-ban-govern/#comments

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

  • Apple still hasn't officially commented on its rumored development of a Tablet e-reader, but that silence hasn't stopped other professionals from spilling. The Executive Editor of the New York Times already revealed knowledge of the gadget's existence, and Conde Nast, publisher of magazines like GQ and Wired, has now claimed that it will offer 18 of its publications through the currently nonexistent Tablet. [From: Brand Republic]
  • Despite numerous warnings about peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites like Limewire, the government has experienced several instances of leaked classified information that could affect the President's safety. But, so far, action has predictably amounted to nothing more than harsh words. Congressman Edolphus Towns of New York, though, has introduced a bill that would finally ban the use of P2P software by government employees. [From: Ars Technica]
  • Google and Apple continue to inch closer and closer to an inevitable cage match over tech superiority rights. Google has already announced the addition of VoIP service Gizmo5 to its Google Voice feature, and rumors are swirling that the company may actually be developing its own data-only, VoIP-driven Android phone. [From: Tech Crunch]
  • American Express has been in existence for over 150 years, but the aging company definitely isn't shying away from technology. Reportedly, it's purchasing online payment service Revolution Money, prompting AmEx chief Kenneth I. Chenault to say, "It's important for us to keep identifying cutting edge technologies that can extend our leadership beyond the traditional payments arena." [From: The New York Times]
  • California state regulators have been investigating the energy efficiency standards on televisions, and the plan to ban wasteful TVs is actually now in effect. The California Energy Commission unanimously approved the regulations, which will force manufacturers to develop models that use 33-percent less energy by 2011. [From: CNET]

Apple Tablet Info Steadily Emerging, Congressman Hopes to Ban Government P2P Usage originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> morningxtratop switchedtips@gmail.com (Warren Riddle) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:47:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Russian Astronaut's Blog Makes Outer Space Fun Again]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/russian-astronauts-blog-makes-outer-space-fun-again/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/russian-astronauts-blog-makes-outer-space-fun-again/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/russian-astronauts-blog-makes-outer-space-fun-again/#comments
While NASA astronauts typically tweet banalities about their jobs, the hilarity of one Russian cosmonaut's blog is skyrocketing to infinity... and beyond.

Maksim Suraev, a Roscosmos astronaut aboard the International Space Station, has used his blog to give readers some humorous insight into daily outer space existence. Translated into English by Russia Today, the blog features not only weirdly hilarious pictures from aboard the Station, but intimate and witty writing, as well. (Russophones can find the original here.) One post discusses the "holy symbols" aboard the station, with a picture of religious icons floating in zero gravity. One of those icons is Suraev's own crucifix, which, he claims, contains "a piece of the original cross on which Jesus was crucified."

Continue reading Russian Astronaut's Blog Makes Outer Space Fun Again

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Russian Astronaut's Blog Makes Outer Space Fun Again originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> international space stationInternationalSpaceStationISSrussiaspacetop switchedtips@gmail.com (Amar Toor) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Father Spoke Only Klingon to His Infant Son]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/father-spoke-only-klingon-to-his-infant-son/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/father-spoke-only-klingon-to-his-infant-son/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/father-spoke-only-klingon-to-his-infant-son/#comments Cruel Father Spoke Only Klingon to his Infant Son We're pretty sure that what Minnesota man d'Armond Speers did to his child could easily be defined as cruel and unusual punishment. For the first three years of his son's life, Speers spoke only a foreign language to him as part of a personal experiment in linguistics -- that's the cruel part. The unusual part is that he didn't even speak a real (nonetheless useful) language to him -- he spoke Klingon.

That's right, Speers decided to put his computational linguistics Ph.D. to use by trying to ensure his son would never be able to communicate with anyone outside of the nerdiest members of a Star Trek convention. Worst of all, Speers claims he isn't even a huge 'Star Trek' fan, according to City Pages, a Minneapolis/St. Paul news blog. So was he was doing this just for fun? Apparently so, since Speers grew bored of his experiment after three years when he decided that his son was, "definitely starting to learn it." Now a teenager, his son doesn't speak a word of Klingon, and is able to converse fluently in English, something we're very happy to hear.

Continue reading Father Spoke Only Klingon to His Infant Son

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Father Spoke Only Klingon to His Infant Son originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> geekklingonlanguagelinguisticsmoviesstar trekStarTrektopweird switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[The Daily Engadget: Engadget Gets a Redesign, Palm Pixi Drops to $25]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/the-daily-engadget-engadget-gets-a-redesign-palm-pixi-drops-to/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/the-daily-engadget-engadget-gets-a-redesign-palm-pixi-drops-to/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/the-daily-engadget-engadget-gets-a-redesign-palm-pixi-drops-to/#comments The Daily Engadget: Engadget Gets a Redesign, AT&T Fights Back Against Verizon
 Our friends over at Engadget obsessively cover everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics, which is why we compile this daily roundup of their top stuff (or, at least, what we think is tops). For more details on any of these stories, click on the Engadget links in each story below.

Engadget Gets a Redesign
Tired of the old standard Engadget design? It's gone, and it's been replaced by something a little fresher and something we think you'll like a little more.

Palm Pixi Drops to $25
Palm's lightweight version of the Pre just got a lot cheaper, dropping to a mere $25. It's a very attractive offering, and costs what it should have in the first place.

Continue reading The Daily Engadget: Engadget Gets a Redesign, Palm Pixi Drops to $25

The Daily Engadget: Engadget Gets a Redesign, Palm Pixi Drops to $25 originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breaking newsBreakingNewsthedailyengadgettop switchedtips@gmail.com (Tim Stevens) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Post-Purchase Scams Coming Under Fire From Senate]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/post-purchase-scams-coming-under-fire-from-senate/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/post-purchase-scams-coming-under-fire-from-senate/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/post-purchase-scams-coming-under-fire-from-senate/#comments
We're sure that you've all experienced the annoying post-purchase push to get you to subscribe to, sign up for, or buy something after hitting the check-out button at your (not so) friendly online retailer. Well, those often shady offers for rebates and big discounts are now the subject of a Senate Commerce Committee investigation.

These post-purchase scams often subscribe you to discount or rewards clubs without your knowledge. After confirming a purchase, you're often presented with a series of pop-ups promising $10 off, or cash back. Often, those screens only offer one obvious way to exit, and clicking on it quietly passes your billing information on to another site. And you'll be none-the-wiser until three months down the road, when you see an unidentified charge on your card that turns out to be a "membership fee" paid to a "rewards club." The worst part of such scams is that they're often included in the check-out processes of many major Web retailers -- including Barnes & Noble, 1800flowers, Buy.com, Expedia, and Fandango.

The investigation produced a report titled "Aggressive Sales Tactics on the Internet and Their Impact on American Consumers," unveiled by the Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller this week. "The companies we are investigating have figured out very clever ways to manipulate consumers' buying habits," Senator Rockefeller said in a statement introducing the report. The report names three companies -- Affinion, Vertrue, and Webloyalty -- that have collectively earned $1.4 billion through these misleading tactics and through their enlisted partner sites, 88 of which have earned more than $1 million apiece. The notoriously shady Classmates.com alone netted more than $70 million in profit. You can see the full list of these sketchy sites above in the "Post Transaction Marketing Wall-of-Shame," assembled by TechCrunch.

Senator Rockefeller said in the hearing, "[This] Committee needs to start thinking about the legislative steps we can take to end these practices." Fortunately, the public shame of the investigation and the threat of government action seems to have pushed some of the companies to preemptively change their practices.

You can find out more by reading the staff report here (Warning: PDF), and by checking out the incredibly thorough analysis at Ars Technica here. [From: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, TechCrunch, and Ars Technica, via: Huffington Post]

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Post-Purchase Scams Coming Under Fire From Senate originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> governmentinvestigationpost purchase scamspost transaction marketingPostPurchaseScamsPostTransactionMarketingprivacyscamScams switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:35:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Artist Creates Twitter Avatars From Pop Culture Figures]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/artist-creates-twitter-avatars-from-pop-culture-figures/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/artist-creates-twitter-avatars-from-pop-culture-figures/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/artist-creates-twitter-avatars-from-pop-culture-figures/#comments Creative folks have been using personalized avatars on Twitter for a while now. But artist Adam Koford, who goes by the pseudonym "Ape Lad," has created a whole flotilla of new designs in the style of Twitter's highly recognizable bird icon. Primarily featuring cartoon characters or sci-fi heroes from yesteryear, Ape Lad's avatars are all uniformly designed -- in the same comma or teardrop shape as the bird -- but each has its own quirky uniqueness. (It's weird to see just how docile a Wolverine-styled avatar can be when cast in a Twitter bird mold.)

You can find the full slate of 11 avatars here, running the gamut from Buzz Lightyear to 'Where the Wild Things Are.' (We'd probably go for Chewbacca, on cuddliness alone.) It's a clever motif, and one that could easily be expounded with greater extremes, and in different contexts; isn't Obama's caricature kind of tailor-made for this shape, anyway? [From: Ape Lad on Flickr and Neatorama]

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Artist Creates Twitter Avatars From Pop Culture Figures originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> artavatarsocialnetworkingtoptwitter switchedtips@gmail.com (Amar Toor) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:32:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Keep Two Computers Synced]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/keep-two-computers-synced/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/keep-two-computers-synced/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/19/keep-two-computers-synced/#comments
Keep all of your photo, video, audio, and data files up-to-date between your laptop and desktop by using syncing software. If you have a Windows PC, SyncBack is a freeware backup utility that lets you merge or overwrite data between two sources. Mac users who are comfortable using the Terminal may enjoy the free rsync utility, but the rest of us will prefer ChronoSync, a $40 app that lets you easily and seamlessly backup, or sync between two computers. (It even allows you to sync between a Mac and a PC.)

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Keep Two Computers Synced originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> applecomputermacsynchronized swimmingSynchronizedSwimmingtech tipstechtipTechTipstopwindows switchedtips@gmail.com (Jon Chase) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Scroll-Bar Clock, Urlesque Launches 2009 Urlies]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/best-of-the-rest-scroll-bar-clock-2009-urlies/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/best-of-the-rest-scroll-bar-clock-2009-urlies/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/best-of-the-rest-scroll-bar-clock-2009-urlies/#comments There's a load of great tech news happening out there every day, and, unfortunately, we just can't cover it all. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web.
  • It's that time of year again. Yes, the Urlies are finally here, so head on over to Urlesque and vote for the best of the Web. Keyboard cat vs. slap chop remix: Fight! [From: Urlesque]
  • Scroll bars, a mainstay of modern day desktop operating systems, are typically attached only to the edges of windows. Here, small bars compose a larger digital clock. [From: Toki-woki]
  • Vanity Fair goes goes in-depth into the making of Wes Anderson's new stop-motion-animated 'Fantastic Mr. Fox.' [From: VanityFair]
Got a tip? Want to talk to us? In need of more choice links like these? Drop us a line on Twitter and check out our Tumblr blog.

Best of the Rest: Scroll-Bar Clock, Urlesque Launches 2009 Urlies originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bestoftherestfantastic mr foxFantasticMrFoxscroll barsScrollBarstopurlieswes andersonWesAnderson switchedtips@gmail.com (Thomas Houston) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[HDTV Listings for November 18, 2009]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/hdtv-listings-for-november-18-2009/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/hdtv-listings-for-november-18-2009/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/hdtv-listings-for-november-18-2009/#comments What we're watching tonight:
  • CBS (1080i) has 'The New Adventures of Old Christine' at 8 p.m., 'Gary Unmarried' at 8:30 p.m., 'Criminal Minds' at 9 p.m. and 'CSI: NY' at 10 p.m.
  • NBC (1080i) has 'Mercy' at 8 p.m. and 'Law & Order SVU' at 9 p.m.
  • Fox (720p) has 'Glee' at 9 p.m.
  • ABC (720p) airs 'The Middle' at 8:30 p.m., 'Modern Family' at 9 p.m. and 'Cougar Town' at 9:30 p.m.
  • Discovery (1080i) has 'Mythbusters' at 9 p.m. and 'Time Warp' at 10 p.m.
  • Syfy (1080i) has 'Ghost Hunters' at 9 p.m. and the premiere of' Ghost Hunters Academy' at 10 p.m.
  • FX (720p) has 'Nip/Tuck' at 10 p.m.
  • Spike (1080i) has 'The Ultimate Fighter' at 10 p.m.
  • DirecTV (1080i) has 'Friday Night Lights' at 9 p.m.
  • Comedy Central (1080i) brings the season finale of 'South Park' at 10 p.m.
  • History (720p) has 'WWII in HD' at 9 & 10 p.m.
  • TBS (1080i) has 'House of Payne' at 9 & 9:30 p.m. and 'Meet the Browns' at 10 & 10:30 p.m
  • TLC (1080i) has 'Flowers Uncut' at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
  • ESPN (720p) has an NBA doubleheader with Cavs/Wizards at 7 p.m. and Spurs/Mavericks at 9:30 p.m.
  • EPSN2 (720p) has Central Michigan/Ball State college football at 8 p.m.

HDTV Listings for November 18, 2009 originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hdtvlistingstop switchedtips@gmail.com (Thomas Houston) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/300k-bangladeshis-sign-up-for-english-classes-via-cell/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/300k-bangladeshis-sign-up-for-english-classes-via-cell/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/300k-bangladeshis-sign-up-for-english-classes-via-cell/#comments
The BBC World Service Trust, the charity arm of the international broadcast company, is preparing to launch a service in Bangladesh that will offer lessons in English via cell phone. Called Janala, the service, slated to go live Thursday, started accepting subscriptions this weekend, and the BBC was surprised by the rush of customers. Sara Chamberlain, the manager of the service, told the Financial Times, "25,000 people would have been a good response on the first day." To her delight, or possibly terror, Janala has instead seen over 300,000 sign-ups to date. The sheer volume could bring the service to its knees before it's even had a chance to launch.

Learning English is considered a key to economic mobility both within Bangladesh and to Bangladeshis seeking work abroad. According to the Financial Times, 70-percent of employers in Bangladesh are looking for workers with "communicative English" skills.

Continue reading 300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell

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300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bbccellphoneeducationenglishlanguagetop switchedtips@gmail.com (Terrence O'Brien) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Robolamps Offer Creepy, Artsy Alternative to Nightlights]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/robolamps-offer-creepy-artsy-alternative-to-nightlights/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/robolamps-offer-creepy-artsy-alternative-to-nightlights/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/robolamps-offer-creepy-artsy-alternative-to-nightlights/#comments
Croatian artist Robert Matysiak loves robots and design. So much so, for the past two years, he has been working on a series he calls Robolamps, and he's now trying to bring his creations to a wider audience.

Made from plumbing parts, the lamps look both quirky and menacing, and -- to us, at least -- seem like a bit of a throwback to some of those broken droids hawked by the Jawas in 'A New Hope.' To add to that sense of individuality, Matysiak has given each of the designs names like "Augusta" and "Dunk." Check out pictures of all the little bots on Matysiak's Facebook page.

Continue reading Robolamps Offer Creepy, Artsy Alternative to Nightlights

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Robolamps Offer Creepy, Artsy Alternative to Nightlights originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> croatiadesigngeek chicGeekChichomelightingrobolampsrobot switchedtips@gmail.com (Matthew Zuras) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST Switched <![CDATA[Twitter Moves Into Sleek New Digs in San Francisco]]> http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/twitter-moves-into-sleek-new-digs-in-san-francisco/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/twitter-moves-into-sleek-new-digs-in-san-francisco/ http://www.switched.com/2009/11/18/twitter-moves-into-sleek-new-digs-in-san-francisco/#comments What's the best part about moving into new digs? Well, decorating it and showing off the space to your friends, of course. That's the thrill Twitter employees are feeling right now. According to Tech Crunch, the company moved into its new, massive San Francisco office space, which had previously housed Bebo, on Monday. Employees are posting online photos more quickly than we can click through them.

Here's a peek of what we've seen so far: The design is super sleek and modern -- from the furniture to the art. According to the Huffington Post, it's the brainchild of Sara Morishige Williams, wife of CEO Evan Williams. There are plenty of birds and '@' symbols plastered around the office. There's a shot of a vanity mirror placed in a spacious bathroom stall (which is a little creepy). And just to prove its own hipness, the company installed a DJ booth for employees to spin records and unwind after long hours of coding. In keeping with Web 2.0 style, there's a kitchen/break room worthy of its own cooking show.

While the micro-blogging service has an estimated worth of $1 billion, it might be a good idea for it to work on a proper business model before splurging on a new crib. You know, the kind where your company makes a profit. We're not economists, but isn't this the kind of reckless behavior that got us into our current financial mess? [From: Tech Crunch and Huffington Post]

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Twitter Moves Into Sleek New Digs in San Francisco originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> designluxuryofficesocialnetworkingtoptwitter switchedtips@gmail.com (Caleb Johnson) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:10:00 EST Switched