Switched

Showtime Puts Up Dukes, Plans to Pull New Shows From Netflix

Abby Seiff — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST

So long, 'Dexter.' We hardly knew thee. Just days after Netflix announced its first foray into the content business (a political drama starring Kevin Spacey), Showtime said it would not be renewing streaming rights come summer for its shows that are currently on-air, such as 'Dexter' and 'Californication.' It's a little tit-for-tat; Showtime will be offering these shows on its own online service. Canceled shows, however, will remain available on Netflix's Watch Instantly. So, yes, in short, you will still be able to get your 'Tudors' fix. Feel free to exhale now.

Showtime Puts Up Dukes, Plans to Pull New Shows From Netflix originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

FBI Investigating Hacking Ring Responsible for Swiping Nude Celeb Pics

Abby Seiff — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

It ain't a nice time to be a female star. The FBI is investigating a hacking ring it believes is responsible for swiping "sensitive" material from the e-mail accounts and phones of dozens of stars. According to TMZ, 50 celebrities (including Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson) have been targeted, with nude photos and embarrassing videos allegedly stolen. Supposedly, all the attacks can be traced to a single ringleader who is motivated by the sheer thrill of the chase. (Sure, why not? Do your job for the love of the work, man.)

This is hardly the first time hackers have targeted celebrities. In 2008, a 19-year-old hacker made headlines for leaking racy images of Miley Cyrus, which were stolen from her e-mail account. But if this is indeed the work of a single entity, it would certainly be the biggest attack. And, it's worth adding that, whatever the intention, the focus on only female celebrities -- some of them not out of their teens -- just adds an extra layer of insidiousness.

FBI Investigating Hacking Ring Responsible for Swiping Nude Celeb Pics originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Radios, Furniture Can Slow Down Your Wi-Fi Connection, Study Says

Amar Toor — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST

If it takes hours to download files on your Wi-Fi network, you might want to try clearing out some of your furniture and turning off your radios. According to a new study from Bristol University in the U.K., wireless connections can be "significantly slowed" by interference from electronic devices, or by physical barriers, like walls, doors, and other household items.

The study, led by Prof. Andrew Nix, found that the average household encounters a 30-percent slower Wi-Fi connection than what the network is capable of facilitating, simply because of common interferences. Not surprisingly, downloading large files like mp3s or videos can hamper the connection even more severely, and using services like Skype can accentuate the slowdown. "If you have a poor quality router and you are using Wi-Fi at some distance away from it, you could struggle to have a decent Skype conversation," Nix told the Telegraph.

Continue reading Radios, Furniture Can Slow Down Your Wi-Fi Connection, Study Says

Radios, Furniture Can Slow Down Your Wi-Fi Connection, Study Says originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Complexity Is Killing Us: A Security State of the Union With Eugene Spafford of CERIAS

Jon Chase — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:55:00 EST

For our second annual spotlight on cyber-security, Switched turned to a renowned expert in the field: Eugene H. Spafford, Professor of Computer Science at Purdue University. Among his many professional associations and corporate and governmental advisory roles, Spafford is the Executive Director of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS), which supports research in information, security and communication infrastructures. A legend among those who were around for the early days of the Internet, Spaf (as he's known) is credited as one of the major contributors to the system for organizing Usenet, and analyzed one of the first known computer worms. When asked what OS he'd recommend over any others, Spaf refused to be pigeon-holed, which became understandable when he explained that he maintains seven computers of his own, with a cornucopia of OSes installed among them. He did admit, however, that since 1987 his main machine has always been a Mac -- although his current one is stuffed to the gills running OS X, Windows, Linux and BSD Unix.

Continue reading Complexity Is Killing Us: A Security State of the Union With Eugene Spafford of CERIAS

Complexity Is Killing Us: A Security State of the Union With Eugene Spafford of CERIAS originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vodaphone's Webbox Is a Mediocre Web TV Device for the Third World

Leila Brillson — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST

Internet TV means plenty of things in the U.S., and usually bears a strange sounding name, like Boxee, Roku or FyreTV. But in developing countries, where the Web hasn't made much headway but households are equipped with televisions, Web-enabled television could be an entirely new browser experience. Vodaphone in South Africa has just announced its Webbox (a name which reminds us of "flummox" or "buttocks"), a TV-connected keyboard that allows users access to the Web. Using a Vodaphone SIM card and what appears to be a customized Android skin, users just need to plug their Webbox into the TV, and an Opera browser pops right up. Simple, no? Check it out for yourself after the jump.

But even though this sort of plug-and-play 'Net is crucial to modernizing the third world, several things are troubling. Of course, since this is a Vodaphone product, the company clearly hopes the user will download as much data as possible and sign up for long-term contracts -- which are in the works. While the box top comes pre-loaded with apps and compresses data by 90-percent (making it a more affordable browsing situation), it isn't exactly cheap at 749 Rand (around $102, about the cost of a Roku). Granted, a Roku doesn't come with a full QWERTY keyboard or its own cellular capabilities, but the system presupposes that a household can afford data fees, owns a television and has access to 2G/EDGE networks. Those, for a nation with infrastructural problems, are a lot of assumptions.

Continue reading Vodaphone's Webbox Is a Mediocre Web TV Device for the Third World

Vodaphone's Webbox Is a Mediocre Web TV Device for the Third World originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

4G Decoded: WiMAX, LTE and the Next Generation Cell Phone Networks

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST

Part of being a smart consumer is understanding how technology works, why we use it the way we do, and what that barrage of acronyms and PR jargon means. We're here to help you make sense of it all, and to give you a better appreciation of how those transistors, pixels, and antennae come together to deliver the conveniences of the modern world to you.

If you thought our guide to 3G tech was confusing, the 4G scene is about as convoluted as 'Jersey Shore' sleeping arrangements. As was the case with 3G, there are different technologies competing to become king of the mobile data heap. But there is a more troublesome question that makes the whole thing problematic: what exactly is 4G? As it turns out, the answer isn't the clear-cut, faster-than-3G solution mobile providers hope you believe.

Continue reading 4G Decoded: WiMAX, LTE and the Next Generation Cell Phone Networks

4G Decoded: WiMAX, LTE and the Next Generation Cell Phone Networks originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Study: TV Remains Primary News Source for Most Americans, But Internet Gains Ground

Amar Toor — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST

The majority of Americans still rely on television as their primary news source, but, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, the Internet is gaining ground. In a Pew national survey, 66-percent of all Americans cited TV as their main source for national and international news, down from 74-percent three years ago, and 82-percent in 2002. The Internet, meanwhile, is the primary news source for 41-percent of Americans, up by 17 points since 2007. Newspapers, not surprisingly, continue to decline, with 31-percent of Americans relying on them for news, compared to 34-percent in 2007.

Pew's demographic breakdown reveals some interesting if not entirely shocking differences across generational lines. In 2010, the Internet surpassed television as the go-to news source among people between 18 and 29 years of age. This year, 65-percent of 18- to 29-year olds claimed they had gotten the majority of their news from the Web, compared to just 34-percent in 2007. Over that same time period, television has declined among young news junkies, from 68-percent to 52-percent. Television still dominates as the number one source for people between the ages of 30 and 49, but Pew says the Internet is on pace to equal or surpass it within the next few years.

Continue reading Study: TV Remains Primary News Source for Most Americans, But Internet Gains Ground

Study: TV Remains Primary News Source for Most Americans, But Internet Gains Ground originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gift Guide: Airlink101 High Speed Wireless N USB Adapter for Under $50

Jon Chase — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:05:00 EST

If your home network of computers is anything like ours, it's a comically mixed bag of laptops and desktops of vintages spanning almost a decade. Without going into too much tech talk, this means that our busted ol' laptop rocking an 802.11B Wi-Fi card prevents our potentially rocket-fast 802.11n-equipped laptop from ever reaching those wireless speeds. (That's just how Wi-Fi routers work -- catering to the lowest common denominator.) Airlink101's AWLL6075 is a penny-sized USB adapter that works with most any Windows PC or Intel Mac, and enables your hoopty machines to get in the fast lane, making everyone on your whole network benefit as well. It purportedly gets up to 300 Mbps download, 150 upload -- faster than a lot of cheapo adapters out there (though that may be limited by other factors on your network). We can't think of a more potently useful bit of tech anywhere near this price.

Airlink101.com
Price: $15.99

Gift Guide: Airlink101 High Speed Wireless N USB Adapter for Under $50 originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon's High-Speed 4G LTE Network Goes Live on December 5th

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:16:00 EST

At a press conference today, Verizon officially unveiled plans for its new 4G LTE (long term evolution) network. On December 5th, the new, speedier network will go live in 38 metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago, Seattle and, perhaps in time for CES, Las Vegas. The first two devices to take advantage of the new data network will be a pair of 4G USB modems: the LG VL600 and the Pantech UML290, which will sell for $99 with a two-year contract after a $50 rebate. The two laptop dongles will be able to connect to either the LTE network or Verizon's existing 3G EVDO network. Verizon claims that 4G users can expect real-world download speeds (between five and 12 megabits per second), and upload speeds between two and five megabits. Going by more conservative estimates, that's about four times as fast as the company's EVDO Rev. A network. Data plans for the new service are quite pricey, though; $50 per month nets you a five-gigabyte plan, while $80 nabs you 10 gigs per month. Both call for $10 per-GB overage charges.

Sadly, we'll have to wait to find out about Verizon's "consumer-oriented devices" (read: phones) till CES.

Verizon's High-Speed 4G LTE Network Goes Live on December 5th originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Contact Tips: Group Your Peeps Together to Stay Organized

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:50:00 EST

Alright, guys, this is it. You've got your contacts combined, synced, Facebook-free, and cleaned out. You're feeling good, and your address book is looking pretty. Or, so you think. But, Padawan, why stop now? We've already come so far, so why not really whip your contacts into shape, and treat yourself to some serious organization in the form of labels and groups.

Practically any contact-management app, be it desktop or Web, allows you to categorize the entries in your address book in some way. Yahoo calls them 'categories' (natch), while Gmail and Outlook use 'groups.' Both serve as a way to organize your contacts based on context, and allow you to keep some delineation between your personal and your professional connections.

Continue reading Contact Tips: Group Your Peeps Together to Stay Organized

Contact Tips: Group Your Peeps Together to Stay Organized originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Organize Your Black Book: Syncing Google Contacts With Your Phone

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:50:00 EST

With your Facebook contact data freed from the evil clutches of the mighty Zuck, we're halfway done with consolidating your address books. While getting your info from Facebook is the trickiest part, we all know that the disaster of an address book on your cell phone is the worst offender when it comes to disorganization. Today, we're going to combine your Gmail contacts with those on your Android or iPhone, and set them up to sync any changes. This way, the next time you get the number of that cute guy or girl at the bar, it'll automatically be saved online to your Google account, too.

While you can certainly sync other contact-management apps with other mobile platforms, covering them all would take a prohibitively long time. So, we focused on two of the most popular smartphone operating systems and Gmail, because we think it offers the most elegant and flexible solution for syncing. (Plus, most of you have it.) These general tips can be applied across different platforms and using other e-mail interfaces, as well.

Continue reading Organize Your Black Book: Syncing Google Contacts With Your Phone

Organize Your Black Book: Syncing Google Contacts With Your Phone originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tech Traveling Tips: Avoid Roaming While Roaming Freely

Amar Toor — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

Networks, bandwidth and capabilities are varied enough within any given country (as will be confirmed by anyone who's tried to get an iPhone on Verizon), but they're an entirely new mess when you start crossing borders. So, if you plan on staying connected without bankrupting yourself, you might want to see if your phone can handle the trip -- and make sure you aren't signing away your first-born simply by turning it on.

Will My Phone Work?
First, we have a couple quick rules. if your phone is from Verizon or Sprint, there is a small likelihood of it being internationally compatible. Both use CDMA technology for their 3G networks, instead of the more widely supported GSM. (If you're concerned about globe-hopping, look for phones billed as "global ready" or "international." Unless your phone is labeled as such, you're probably out of luck.) T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM, and are more likely to get basic calling and texting while traveling abroad (unless you are going to Canada, which is pretty U.S.-friendly.) Double-checking by looking at your service provider's website is a great bet. Another option, if you would rather have your phone on a more regular basis, is to purchase a prepaid SIM card within the country in which you've landed. You won't keep your number, but you won't rack up roaming charges, either. In the worst-case scenario, a disposable cell phone works as well, and is much more "accepted" overseas than it is in the U.S. (probably due to the influx of travelers).

Continue reading Tech Traveling Tips: Avoid Roaming While Roaming Freely

Tech Traveling Tips: Avoid Roaming While Roaming Freely originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pope Benedict XVI Says the Internet Is Turning Us Into Disoriented Trolls

Amar Toor — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:27:00 EST

Make up your mind, Pope Benedict XVI. First, you roll out your own YouTube channel and Pope2you online initiative, and call upon your priestly underlings to colonize the blogosphere. Then, you turn around and declare that the Internet's poisoning our feeble, sin-prone minds. And now, you've taken the wind out of our Web-surfing sails, once again.

On Saturday, during a Vatican conference on culture, the Pontiff issued yet another divinely mandated potshot at the Internet. "A large number of young people... establish forms of communication that to do not increase humaneness but instead risk increasing a sense of solitude and disorientation," said the man who knows The Man. Benedict went on to say that today's young users are being "numbed" by the Internet, which, according to him, has fomented an "educational emergency -- a challenge that we can and must respond to with creative intelligence." We would agree with the Pope, but we have a gallery of kittens AT WHICH TO LOL.

Pope Benedict XVI Says the Internet Is Turning Us Into Disoriented Trolls originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google Reader: Get Your RSS Organized With Folders

Leila Brillson — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:55:00 EST

So you want to master your RSS feeds, eh? (If you don't know RSS, read our thorough breakdown.) Google Reader is our go-to feed aggregator, and -- if you're a Gmail user -- we're willing to bet that it's yours, too. You can access Reader through Gmail, Google, or even directly at reader.google.com, but you probably know that already. After all, you're no novice Reader(-er); you're just horribly, incontrovertibly disorganized. Who needs folders, tags, Starred Items and that menu-bar balderdash when you could have the entire, unedited stream of the Internet smashing directly into your brain?

Well, put simply, you do. You can't separate your Mashables from your MoCo Locos, or your Wonkettes from your Walyous. You're missing meaty posts right and left, because you can't keep up with the unending torrent of the RSS rush. But, trust us, there is a way to rein it in. Continue past the break to read the Gospel of Folders, and become one of the enlightened few who can master the Feeds like the Force.

Continue reading Google Reader: Get Your RSS Organized With Folders

Google Reader: Get Your RSS Organized With Folders originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Quick 'n' Dirty Guide to Keeping Your Data In the Cloud

Evan Shamoon — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:05:00 EST

As many of us have discovered the hard way, backing up your data is not only a smart practice, but a necessity. No matter how careful you are with them, hard drives will eventually fail -- and losing all your personal files is about as fun as getting punched in the ear. While an external drive is great, it doesn't account for all scenarios: What if your home is robbed and the thieves take both the original and the backup? What if your house burns down, gets caught in a tsunami, or incinerated by an alien death ray? What then?

Then, our distinguished readers, you run to The Cloud -- that fluffy space that exists online, and online only. The cloud is a perfect place to back up your data, manage your data storage, share files with friends and coworkers, and access your docs from any Internet-connected computer. We've surfed the cloud and come up with solutions for all your data needs -- allowing you to share files or keep an archive, while saving yourself money, time and that precious data.

Continue reading A Quick 'n' Dirty Guide to Keeping Your Data In the Cloud

A Quick 'n' Dirty Guide to Keeping Your Data In the Cloud originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Roku XDS Review: The Streaming TV Device that Could

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:20:00 EST

Roku made a name for itself back in 2008, when it launched the world's first standalone box designed to stream movies from the then-new Netflix Instant Play library. At the time, the Roku was a compelling device, but was regarded by many as a novelty. It was, in fact, a one-trick pony. It couldn't pump out high definition images, and many Americans didn't have access to the speedy connections necessary for smooth video playback. Clearly, though, Roku was on to something. Traditional, disc-based media appears to be on its way out (as evidenced by the death of HD-DVD and by lackluster Blu-Ray sales), and everyone from Google to Apple is trying to break in to the TV-based streaming media market that Roku helped to put on the map. With bigger, better-funded competitors breathing down its neck, Roku has unleashed a new line of set-top boxes with prices low enough to spark the interest of even the most budget-conscious among us. The flagship Roku XDS -- the most expensive of the line -- retails for an affordable $99.99. We spent some serious time getting acquainted with the device, so read on to see if the company can swim with the big fish, or if it will simply sink in a pool of new competitors.

Continue reading Roku XDS Review: The Streaming TV Device that Could

Roku XDS Review: The Streaming TV Device that Could originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Starbucks Digital Network Debuts, Offers Free Web Content For Customers

Caleb Johnson — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

In August, we told you about Starbucks' plan to offer free Web content for anybody connected to its in-store Wi-Fi network. Today, customers can finally browse the Starbucks Digital Network, which features exclusive movie clips, weekly musical picks, digital reading material and more content -- all for free -- to any customer on the coffee chain's connection. Created by Yahoo!, the website seems designed to keep customers hanging around Starbucks, where they'll spend more cash on that overpriced coffee and stale muffins. It isn't just a throwaway retail gimmick, though; the network allows users free access to some premium paid content, like the entire Wall Street Journal's online edition.

As Gizmodo points out, Starbucks didn't add any bandwidth before rolling out its new network, so we plan to see some peeved Starbucks customers (not unlike that bagel lady?) when the morning horde of caffeine fiends glut the site. If content is slow to load, don't complain to the barista, who only has the power to steam your milk to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Threaten the manager with a boycott, maybe -- since those always work out so well.

Starbucks Digital Network Debuts, Offers Free Web Content For Customers originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Logitech Unveils Revue Google TV Device for $299

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:40:00 EST

Today in New York, we got our first view of the Logitech Revue, the first device built using Google TV in action. The set top box will bring the new Android-based Web-meets-TV experience to users who have a fairly current TV and don't want to shell out for one of the Google-enabled models coming from companies like Sony. As we've already seen, Google TV brings Chrome, with full Flash support (so you can play many of our featured time-wasters), and Web-enabled apps like Netflix to your living room.

The Logitech Revue box comes packaged with a wireless keyboard (that can also be purchased separately for $99.99), which uses the same technology as the company's Harmony remote system. You'll find dedicated playback and browsing controls, as well as a touchpad for navigating websites. The pre-installed Logitech Vid HD app enables video calling using the Logitech TV webcam accessory, and the Logitech Media Player app can pull up photos, video and music from USB drives connected directly to the device and from DLNA sources like your computer (i.e. if it's running Windows 7).

Gallery: Logitech Revue Event

Continue reading Logitech Unveils Revue Google TV Device for $299

Logitech Unveils Revue Google TV Device for $299 originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google TV Inches Closer to Reality With HBO, Twitter, Netflix Partnerships

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST

Today Google TV got its own website to call home. While largely an exercise in marketing hype, the new site offers the first serious glimpse of Google TV apps in action. You'll be able to get your social network on, thanks to an official Twitter app, but more exciting are the apps offered by content partners that blur the line between Web and television. The 'NBA Game Time' app, for instance, adds live scores, highlights, standings and stats to your in-game experience. 'CNBC Real-Time' adds similar features to the financial news sector, allowing users to track stocks and news feeds while watching a live stream from the station. In preparation for the Google TV launch, TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network and HBO have also worked to optimize their websites for viewing in the living room. Amazon and Netflix are also on board, as are The New York Times, USA Today, VEVO, Pandora, Napster, Blip.tv and (of course) YouTube.

More apps will likely be debuting over the next several weeks as the first set of Google TV devices start making their way into consumers' hands. But it's not a bad lineup of launch partners. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Google TV Inches Closer to Reality With HBO, Twitter, Netflix Partnerships

Google TV Inches Closer to Reality With HBO, Twitter, Netflix Partnerships originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry Births the PlayBook: The First 'Professional-Grade' Tablet

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:03:00 EST

It was really a matter of when, not if, RIM would throw its hat into the tablet arena with a BlackBerry branded device. Now the fun and games iPad has an appropriate foil in the all business BlackBerry PlayBook. The 7-inch device runs an "amplified" (to use RIM's marketing speak) version of BlackBerry OS with multi-tasking, a WebOS-like app switcher and a brand new WebKit browser with support for Flash 10.1. The usual mix of media and e-reading apps will be present, as will the ability to edit office documents, connect to screens and projectors via HDMI (and pump out 1080p video!), and of course all the BlackBerry e-mail and messaging goodness you've come to associate with the brand. Under the hood, the BlackBerry PlayBook packs a dual core 1Ghz processor and a full 1GB of RAM, theoretically doubling the power of that other big name tablet.

RIM is billing the PlayBook as the first "professional-grade" tablet, and while Apple (among plenty of others) might take umbrage, other companies don't command the same amount of respect from enterprise customers as RIM. The iPad might have cornered a large market, but a device like the surprisingly sexy PlayBook has a good shot of getting tablets into the boardroom. Sadly, there's no word on price or release date yet. Check out the promo video after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Births the PlayBook: The First 'Professional-Grade' Tablet

BlackBerry Births the PlayBook: The First 'Professional-Grade' Tablet originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

FCC Agrees on Whitespace Rules for 'Super Wi-Fi'

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST

In a unanimous vote, all five FCC Commissioners have approved rules opening up the so-called whitespace between television channels for use in what the commission has dubbed "super Wi-Fi." The newly available spectrum offers greater range and wall penetration than current Wi-Fi technology, and provides plenty of room for boosting speeds, as well. Rules will require that devices take advantage of the whitespace to connect to a location-aware database in order to ensure that the radios don't interfere with television broadcasts or wireless microphone systems. But a demand for spectrum sensing (as a secondary tool for avoiding interference) has been dropped after technology companies complained that such devices would be difficult and expensive to build.

The vote is a big step forward, and should lead to new innovations in wireless technology, but the march towards super Wi-Fi isn't over yet. The FCC must still name administrators to run the database and draft rules for its governance. Thankfully, companies have been tinkering with the tech in their labs for years, so once all the kinks are ironed out, it shouldn't be long before consumers can take advantage.

FCC Agrees on Whitespace Rules for 'Super Wi-Fi' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Boxee Box Goes Intel, Up For Pre-Order

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST

The much hyped and delayed Boxee Box is almost here. The video streaming wünderbox, available for pre-order now on Amazon for $199, will start shipping in November to the entertainment-starved masses. One big change on the inside -- NVIDIA's Tegra 2 has gotten the boot in favor of an Intel Atom piece, just like the upcoming Google TV boxes.

Boxee Box Goes Intel, Up For Pre-Order originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chattanooga: See Rock City! Visit Ruby Falls! Surf U.S.'s Fastest Web?

Lee Bains — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:50:00 EST

The pretty little city in the Mountain South known to many simply as Nooga may soon be recognized as the home of the country's fastest Internet service. Chattanooga, Tennessee's city-owned cable and power provider, EPB, plans to have implemented 1Gbps Web service across the city by the end of 2010. Doing so would make Chattanooga the first U.S. city to offer such blazing speeds.

Of course, offering and giving are not one and the same. That premium tier of service would cost subscribers $350 a month, certainly prohibitive for most individuals. Still, businesses, particularly those involved in the tech industry, could very well see the service as an attractive reason to set up shop in Chattanooga, which has been known through the South for its strident economic development efforts. When asked by the New York Times why his company had decided to pursue such a high-speed service, chief executive Harold DePriest said: "The simple answer is because we can."

Chattanooga: See Rock City! Visit Ruby Falls! Surf U.S.'s Fastest Web? originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

FCC Plans to Open Vacated TV Spectrum for 'Super Wi-Fi'

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Most of the recent headlines regarding the FCC focus on the battle over Net neutrality. Lost among the haranguing over tiered service and packet prioritization, the debate about so-called white space has fallen by the wayside. But, with the fight to preserve an unrestricted Web temporarily on hold, the regulating body is finally moving to approve the unlicensed use of the spaces that exist between TV broadcasting frequencies. The available airwaves between stations have been greatly expanded with the transition from analog to digital broadcasts, and many technology companies (Google being among the most outspoken) have been pushing to open the spectrum to unlicensed use.

The first use of the spectrum will likely be for creating what the FCC has called "super Wi-Fi," which can cover greater distances, penetrate walls and transfer much more data. The technology could also be opened up to wireless microphones, personal area network radios (like Bluetooth) and local broadband. The FCC will vote on the new rules on September 23rd, and it's widely expected that electronic makers will jump all over the newly available spectrum. And in a win for privacy advocates, it appears a requirement that forced devices using the spectrum to register with a database has been dropped.

FCC Plans to Open Vacated TV Spectrum for 'Super Wi-Fi' originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Introducing Rover, the Pay-As-You-Go 4G Mobile Broadband

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST

With everyone else trying to lock you into contracts, instituting data caps and jacking up prices, Clearwire's new Rover mobile broadband service seems like a breath of fresh air. The pay-as-you-go, contract-free 4G WiMAX service starts at $5 a day for access, with weekly and monthly passes available for $20 and $50, respectively. To use Rover, customers need either the Rover Stick USB modem ($99.99) or the Rover Puck mobile Wi-Fi hotspot ($149.99). Users will have access to download speeds up to 10 Mbps (although real-life speed will likely be under 6 Mbps), as long as they're in one of the 49 markets covered by the Clearwire 4G network. The Rover modems aren't capable of connecting to 3G networks, though, so, if you're outside the fairly limited coverage area (which doesn't include San Francisco or New York, cities ripe for the picking thanks to AT&T's reliability issues), you're out of luck.

Rover is clearly aimed at a younger, Web-addicted demographic. The Kin-level, cringe-inducing marketing materials make it clear the service is hoping the relatively low prices and lack of credit requirements will appeal to teens and debt-concerned 20-somethings. Like pay-as-you-go cell phone services, customers purchase "re-up" cards in $20 or $50 amounts and aren't required to have a credit card or submit to a credit check before signing up. Rover gear will be available at Clear stores and Best Buy locations in markets with Clearwire's WiMax.

Introducing Rover, the Pay-As-You-Go 4G Mobile Broadband originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

How Twitter Lists Can Help Manage the Social Media Flood

Warren Riddle — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:50:00 EST

Twitter initially evoked public scrutiny, and boisterous media inanity, as a supposedly trivial, narcissistic and whimsical Web oddity. Last spring, however, the site announced its membership had eclipsed 100 million users, with an astonishing 300,000 new arrivals every day. That success can largely be attributed to the creation of a variety of features -- particularly the monumental and overdue 'List' function -- that make the site more accessible, navigable and informative. Creating lists markedly transforms Twitter feeds from chaotic, digital narratives of nonsense (since all it takes is one self-important blowhard) to manageable and instantly sortable sources of news, entertainment and family happenings. Since many new Twitter members rapidly lose interest, or completely fail to ever actually use the site, a step-by-step guide to organizing followed accounts should alleviate the frustration that inevitably arises from an immediate inundation of microblogging bedlam.

Continue reading How Twitter Lists Can Help Manage the Social Media Flood

How Twitter Lists Can Help Manage the Social Media Flood originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eschew Pigritude with 'Save the Words,' Oxford's Site for Endangered Vocab

Matthew Zuras — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Back to School

If, like the great Sylvia Plath, you punctiliously plot your prose with a thesaurus, may we entreat you to visit Save the Words? The prim nebbishes over at the Oxford University Press went crazy with Flash to develop the site, which features words that have all but disappeared from standard English usage and also asks users to "adopt" the archaisms in their daily communications. In a tragicomic gesture, the site anticipates your spell checker and pre-underlines the words with that red squiggle we know and love.

Thomas Pynchon and the late David Foster Wallace would surely fawn over the site, but we're just as interested in the UI's ease-of-use. (The dreadfully annoying 'Pick Me!' rollover sound clips can, thankfully, be turned off.) And, although we understand why terms like 'ten-cent store' and 'vitamin G' (now known as riboflavin, or vitamin B2) have fallen from use, the allegedly now-defunct 'snollygoster' only recently appeared on the OED's list of of top words for 2009. Still, we radicarians will succor these relics of an antediluvian age and save them from a rogalian fate in the vacivity of the Internet, until the historiasters pessundate us to the point where we need to visit a bumposopher to cure our venialia. [From: Urlesque]

Eschew Pigritude with 'Save the Words,' Oxford's Site for Endangered Vocab originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Can Facebook Predict Whether or Not You'll Graduate?

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking, Back to School

File this under things impossible to prove, but a new study shows that, if you've got a lot of Facebook friends, you might actually be more likely to finish college. Abilene Christian University followed 375 college freshman for nine months, and tracked their social networking activity. What the university and its research partners found was that the students who returned for their sophomore year had slightly more friends and Wall posts than those who had decided to drop out. Researchers also tracked the number of photos posted and groups joined, but found no correlation between those activities and the likeliness that a student would return.

The suggestion is that students who were more active on Facebook were generally more involved at school, both socially and academically. Being more engaged in activities implied that a kid might be more invested in their education as well (although we suspect that rule would only apply to official and sanctioned activities). This data is, however, quite out of date. The research was actually performed during the 2006 to 2007 school year, but, for whatever reason, was not published until now. At the time, Facebook was still a young up-and-comer in the social networking market, and had only just opened up to members outside of colleges and universities. We suspect that, if this study were repeated today, the results might be less clear. [From: Wired, via: Geekosystem]

Can Facebook Predict Whether or Not You'll Graduate? originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Teacher Fired After Criticizing Colleagues, Parents on Facebook, We Say 'Duh'

Amar Toor — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking, Back to School

Here's a great way to get yourself fired: logging onto Facebook, and letting the world know how much you hate your job -- and the people you work for -- especially if you work with kids. That's exactly what Dr. June Talvitie-Siple did, and it totally worked.

Dr. Talvitie-Siple, supervisor of the math and science program at Massachusetts's Cohasset High School, recently used the social networking site to air her grievances about her job and her community. "Residents are so arrogant and snobby," she wrote in one post. In another, she emoted, "So not looking forward to another year at Cohasset schools." As she told NBC's WHDH affiliate, she had no idea that her rants were visible for the whole world to see. "I thought I had my privacy settings set so that I was only talking to my friends," she said. "And it turns out I wasn't." Once word of her public criticism got around, Talvitie-Staple got her wish, and lost her job. Mission accomplished. [From: NBCBayArea and MSNBC]

Update: According to WCVBTV Boston and AOL News, Dr. June Talvitie-Siple was asked by school Superintendent Denise Walsh to resign.

Continue reading Teacher Fired After Criticizing Colleagues, Parents on Facebook, We Say 'Duh'

Teacher Fired After Criticizing Colleagues, Parents on Facebook, We Say 'Duh' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

'Hipmunk' Travel Site Streamlines Reservations, We Go Hands On

Amar Toor — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:40:00 EST

Sometimes, planning a flight can be more stressful than actually waiting in the security lines or sitting next to a crying baby on the transatlantic. Sure, there are plenty of travel sites out there, each claiming to deliver the cheapest, easiest flights in the skies. But sifting through the layovers and comparing costs often takes some extensive research, simply due to the confusing way most sites display flight information. Well, Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman and engineer Adam Goldstein have just unveiled a new travel website called 'Hipmunk,' which has only one thing on its mind: helping you find flights without inducing a migraine. We spent some time using the site to plan vacations we'll probably never take, and here are our initial impressions.

Continue reading 'Hipmunk' Travel Site Streamlines Reservations, We Go Hands On

'Hipmunk' Travel Site Streamlines Reservations, We Go Hands On originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cameron Diaz Is the 'Most Dangerous Celebrity' on the Web

Matthew Zuras — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Web

Cameron Diaz has won an award! (And no, we're not talking about her Teen Choice Award for Most Disgusting Scene in 'There's Something About Mary.') Computer security giant McAfee has named Diaz the most dangerous celebrity on the Internet, due to the massive amount of malware associated with her name. According to McAfee, you have a one in ten chance of stumbling on adware and viruses when searching for "Cameron Diaz," no matter how tame your search query is.

Diaz edged out Jessica Biel for the top spot this year, followed (in order) by Julia Roberts, Biel herself, Gisele Bündchen and Brad Pitt. (Strangely, McAfee notes that searches for people like Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are relatively safe.) We had no idea that Diaz was such a global star that her name would garner so much interest for cyber-criminals. (Why didn't Lindsay Lohan make the list in that case?) Still, for all our digs at Diaz and this dubious honor from McAffe, we have to give her props for her brilliant, frizzy performance in 'Being John Malkovich': "Don't stand in the way of my actualization as a man!" Check out the full list after the break. [From: McAfee, via: Huffington Post]

Continue reading Cameron Diaz Is the 'Most Dangerous Celebrity' on the Web

Cameron Diaz Is the 'Most Dangerous Celebrity' on the Web originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Says Classmates.com Is a Scam

Amar Toor — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Back to School

You know those ubiquitous yearbook photo banner ads from Classmates.com? The ones that bait you into clicking by vowing to put you back in touch with your long lost high school buddies? Well, if you've never been tempted to hunt down old homecoming dates, consider yourself lucky, because the site has now been officially declared a scam.

Yesterday, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo listed the old classmate finder as one of six websites that must now pay its part of a collective $10.1 million in fines and restitution. The group settled after being accused of tricking consumers into subscribing to discount programs with hidden shopping fees. According to Reuters, the websites for both GameStop and Avon beauty products were also included on Cuomo's list of wrongdoers. "Consumers should be on the lookout for cash-back and other discount offers that suddenly appear online or in the form of a check," Cuomo said in a statement. "They are often too good to be true." It's not like we ever felt compelled to get in touch with our high school friends via a sleazy banner ad, but, now, at least, we have a legitimate reason not to do so. [From: Reuters, via: Observer]

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Says Classmates.com Is a Scam originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Consumers Unaware of Inflated Broadband Speeds, FCC Report Finds

Warren Riddle — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Web

According to a March FCC survey, a shocking 80-percent of U.S. consumers remain woefully unaware of their actual broadband connection speeds. Somehow, though, 91-percent of (blissfully ignorant) broadband users apparently profess satisfaction with their unknown rates. Given the results of a new FCC study, that latter statistic should shrink dramatically. While many shoppers realize products rarely meet advertised "up to" specifications, the FCC asserts that broadband speeds fall miserably short of providers' listed peak rates.

The most recent study concludes that "actual download speeds experienced by U.S. consumers appear to lag advertised speeds by roughly 50-percent." So, if an ISP promises broadband speeds "up to 7 mbps," the provider probably only delivers between 3 and 4. The FCC hopes to curb this trend with labels that clearly provide accurate speed information and ranges. The agency also hopes to increase awareness through free speed tests and the distribution of 10,000 speed-measuring routers. In its daunting, ongoing quest to "make American broadband better," the FCC is still soliciting help from the public, as well, through the official 'Test My ISP' website. [From: Ars Technica, via: Lifehacker]

Consumers Unaware of Inflated Broadband Speeds, FCC Report Finds originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Florida Teachers Barred from Friending Students on Facebook

Amar Toor — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking, Back to School

School officials in Lee County, Florida have issued a new set of guidelines for the upcoming academic year. This go-round, they're cracking down on Facebook.

As the AFP reports, the newly published protocol explicitly warns district teachers against interacting with their students via social networking sites, in order to avoid the kinds of legal or professional pitfalls that have plagued so many. "It is inappropriate for employees to communicate, regardless of the reason, with current students enrolled in the district on any public social networking Web site," the guidelines read. "This includes becoming 'friends' or allowing students access to personal Web pages for communication reasons." The guidelines also warn against posting personal information or photos, and now prohibit educators from posting any information about their students.

Continue reading Florida Teachers Barred from Friending Students on Facebook

Florida Teachers Barred from Friending Students on Facebook originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Clickjacking Scam Hits Facebook, Tries to Charge Your Phone Bill

Amar Toor — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking

The security experts over at Sophos have just unearthed a new clickjacking scam making its way around Facebook, and, if you fall prey to it, you might end up losing some cash. This latest scam looks similar to a previous worm that spread throughout Facebook by tricking users into "liking" malicious pages. Instead of exploiting the "like" button, though, this new "sharejack" scam relies on the "share" feature to silently post content to users' Walls.

The trap originates on a sketchy-looking fan page, usually titled "10 Funny T-Shirt FAILS ROFL," or something similarly dumb. If you open the page, a message will pop up, claiming that you have to go through Facebook's new three-step verification process in order to view the content. In the second part of the verification, the page will prompt you to click a "next" button, which, as you might guess, isn't what it seems. By clicking the button, you'll inadvertently share the page with all of your friends. But that's not the end.

Continue reading New Clickjacking Scam Hits Facebook, Tries to Charge Your Phone Bill

New Clickjacking Scam Hits Facebook, Tries to Charge Your Phone Bill originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dimensions Puts Important Events and Structures in Your Backyard

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Google, Web

If It Was My Home brought the tragedy of the BP oil spill to your backyard by laying an outline of the environmental disaster over a Google Map of your own neighborhood. Dimensions, an experiment created in partnership with the BBC, may have been conceived before the debut of the oil spill-specific site, but they use the same trick to put world and historical events into perspective.

Dimensions, which is parked at HowBigReally.com, puts the outlines of important events and structures over a map. You can see the Gulf oil spill swallow your neighborhood, but you can also see how the Colossus of Rhodes would easily straddle your street, or how the International Space Station would more than cover a square block of your town. The current selection of maps is just the beginning. According to the site's FAQ, Dimensions will continue to grow and add new features in response to user feedback. The BBC calls Dimensions a "prototype," meaning either that this could be the end of the project, or that it might continue to evolve. All we know is we'll keep imagining the Great Wall running down the middle of Broadway to get our kicks today. [From: Dimensions, via: BERG]

Dimensions Puts Important Events and Structures in Your Backyard originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bank-Robbing German Teen E-mails Cops, Gets Himself Arrested

Lee Bains — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: Web

A 19-year old bank robber in southern Germany was found out today when -- as is so often the case -- his pride got the best of him. After police and press had published reports of last week's robbery of a bank in the town of Roettingen, they received e-mails from an indignant thief, mocking the cops and reporters alike for inaccurately describing his height, age and accent. He also mentioned that he'd escaped in a car, and not by foot.

Of course, the police traced his e-mails, and, by the end of the day, had found him in a Hamburg casino. We're not sure what's dumber -- sending an e-mail to the people who are trying to arrest you, or "spending" all that money in a casino. [From: Reuters]

Bank-Robbing German Teen E-mails Cops, Gets Himself Arrested originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

John Mellencamp Calls the Internet the Most Destructive Invention Since the A-Bomb

Caleb Johnson — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Web

First it was Prince, and now John Mellencamp is picking a bone with the Internet. According to Reuters, during a recent speech at the Grammy Museum, Mellencamp said, "the Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb."John Cougar went on to say that it had destroyed the music business, and has the movie business in its sights. While this sentiment would be called relevant in 1999, the real issue is comparing the way most of us communicate to one of the most destructive forces of all time. (Granted, for an industry known for fleecing its audience and screwing its artists, maybe the open-ended Internet is akin to the loss of life...) What Mellencamp laments is the degradation of music via MP3, saying of an iPod, "the warmth and quality of what the artist intended for us to hear (is) so vastly different."

Well, John (can we call you that?), the Internet does not equal MP3s, and plenty of artists are thriving, connecting and producing in the new world. The Web and the atomic bomb are certainly two of the most important and powerful inventions of the last century -- as both are scary, both are game-changers and both completely shook things up, retiring plenty of obsolete technology (and pop ballads) in the process. Call us overly sensitive, though, as we do spend our days blogging, which is apparently nearly as devastating as Hiroshima. [From: Reuters]

John Mellencamp Calls the Internet the Most Destructive Invention Since the A-Bomb originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Heidi Montag's Plastic Surgeon Was Texting Just Before Fatal Accident

Amar Toor — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:50:00 EST

Filed under: Cell Phones, Celebrities, Social Networking

Plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan, the man who turned Heidi Montag into a tragicomedic freak of science, died in a car crash on Monday after driving his car off of a cliff in Malibu. And, according to one of Ryan's former flames, texting might be to blame.

Charmaine Blake, Ryan's ex-girlfriend, recently revealed to People that the surgeon was tweeting about his border collie just before his fatal crash. "He lived up in Malibu on a tiny street and he was texting while driving and he accidentally went over the cliff," says Blake, who is also a celebrity publicist. Blake went on to say that investigators have already told Ryan's family that the doctor's tweeting caused the accident, although the California Highway Patrol has yet to declare an official cause. Although CHP officer Steven Reid confirms that Ryan was indeed typing away on his phone, he insists that, at this point, the tweeting is just "one of the elements that we are investigating."

Continue reading Heidi Montag's Plastic Surgeon Was Texting Just Before Fatal Accident

Heidi Montag's Plastic Surgeon Was Texting Just Before Fatal Accident originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

eBay's Half.com App Scans Bar Codes for Best Textbook Deals

Caleb Johnson — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cell Phones, eBay, Web, Back to School

With the fall semester around the corner, eBay has launched a mobile app for its discount site Half.com, which scans barcodes to locate the best deals on textbooks and other back-to-school products. According to CNET News, users snap a picture of a barcode (say, that expensive Biology 101 textbook), and the free iPhone app scans it using RedLaser technology, then trolling Half.com's inventory for the best prices on new and used items. If you find a better price on the site than at your college bookstore (and you likely will), you can even purchase the product within the app, and share the deal with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

It's no mistake that this app was launched right as kids are headed back-to-school, since Half.com sells truckloads of textbooks. eBay clearly knows how important mobile shopping is to the future of its business, too. According to Tech Crunch, the company is on pace to sell about $1.5 billion worth of goods via mobile phones this year alone. Looks like the future is, uh, bright. [From: CNET News and Tech Crunch]

Continue reading eBay's Half.com App Scans Bar Codes for Best Textbook Deals

eBay's Half.com App Scans Bar Codes for Best Textbook Deals originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments