Tag: TRENDS

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With a lockout looming, the NFL and its players union have been struggling to reach a new collective bargaining agreement by March 3rd. Both sides have begun using Twitter and other sites to attempt to sway the popular opinion of fans who might not have a sport to watch in 2011. According to The New York Times, commissioner Roger Goodell sent an e-mail on Wednesday to his staff saying he'd ...

Today, as you're well aware, is World Statistics Day, and to commemorate the occasion, the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has released a statistical report (PDF) that shows just how hyper-connected the world is today. Perhaps the most intriguing statistics, however, are those pertaining to global mobile subscriptions and text-messaging trends. According to ITU, the ...

Found an awesome taco truck off the beaten path? Don't go blabbing about it on Foursquare, you asshat! At least that's what Brent Cox says over at The Awl, as he dissects a culture of "coolhunting" that's ruining food fun in favor of perceived awesomeness: "There is something to be said for Just Experiencing something and letting the sole record of it be your memory." ...

In an effort to retain a dwindling readership, some newspapers are equipping vending machines with credit and debit card readers. According to Advertising Age, The Wall Street Journal installed card readers on 190 newspaper boxes located in the greater New York area. It's a matter of convenience for customers, since many more people carry a Visa or Mastercard in their pockets than do quarters. The ...

We're still wavering on whether or not to invest in the 3-D TV revolution. But according to some recently released data from market research group NPD, many consumers aren't taking a wait-and-see approach. From an NPD press release, Engadget reports that U.S. consumers spent $55 million on 3-D TVs and Blu-ray players during the first three months the technology hit shelves. That may sound like a ...

Today, videos are about as synonymous with the Internet as apple pie is with America. It should come as no surprise that a major slice of the online populous flocks to the Web to consume video media -- we all knew it had officially entered the mainstream when our moms began compulsively sharing YouTube dancing weddings with our grandmas. But a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life ...

Of all the things people do with a cell phone, making actual phone calls is at the bottom of the list. The New York Times reports that, according to CTIA's numbers from 2009, data usage from text messages, e-mails and other services was higher than that of actual voice data. Simply put, for the first time ever, Americans text more often than they call. "Originally, talking was the only cellphone ...

America's favorite pastime will get a makeover later this summer, when Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcasts its first games in 3-D. According to MLB Fanhouse, the July 10th and 11th games between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners will be broadcast in 3-D by DirecTV, but only for viewers in the YES Network and Fox Sports Northwest network coverage area. If you don't have a 3-D TV ...

A couple months back, we told you about football coaches and players using 'Madden NFL' to practice and stay sharp year round. Apparently, this phenomenon isn't limited to a single sport. According to the New York Times, professional athletes in several major sports are now using video games as a practice tool. The Times credits this trend to the increased level of realism in video games. From ...

Share It doesn't take long for little kids to figure out that when they touch a hot stove, they get burned. For whatever reason, though, older human beings still haven't learned that clicking on spam can burn them with equal ferocity. According to a recent report from the Ipsos Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG), people are continuing to intentionally open spam e-mails and even click ...

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2010/03/22/army-overhauls-basic-training-to-toughen-softer-gamer-generati/'; Share Though critics of video games are forever arguing that playing violent video games leads to violent behavior, the U.S. Army doesn't believe that these games are creating tougher soldiers. According to a report from NPR, the Army is overhauling its basic training program for the ...

Forget thumbing through racks of paper greeting cards. Some card companies are now offering a video alternative on cell phones. According to The New York Times, American Greetings has taken the lead, and is now offering short video messages that are selected from a Web site and sent to a phone. Best of all, these e-cards are available to customers of all the major service providers. You don't ...

Dog owners in Britain might soon have extra incentive to keep their canines on a short leash. According to an Associated Press report posted on Huffington Post, government officials want a microchip installed in every dog in the U.K. In addition, the owners of the dogs would be required to purchase insurance on the animals. The argument being that cheap microchips, costing between $15 and $52 ...

At an age when we were still playing with plastic toys, 10- and 11-year-old kids today are downloading games, sending text messages and surfing the Web with cell phones. After the communications fall-out of 9/11, many parents saw cell phone ownership as not just a priority, but a safety measure. Providers cashed in on family plans, and the nation took up talking and walking. Yet, now we have a ...