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Six Geek Movies for Your Nerdy Loved Ones

by Evan Shamoon, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 6:12PM



It's not like geeks really need another reason to stay home and watch movies in their pajamas while surfing the Web on their laptop and eating snickerdoodles on the sofa, but here are six more anyway.

The folks at Download Squad have compiled a list of six DVDs to make your favorite tech nerd happy this holiday season, ranging from the story of a robot who finds love in 'WALL-E,' to a computer hacker that finds love in 'WarGames,' to yet another young computer hacker that finds love (and Angelina Jolie) in the cult-classic 'Hackers.' They all somehow manage to save the world in the process. And they are all apparently the same movie, come to think of it.

Still, good flicks all. [From: Download Squad]

New E-Mail Scam Targets the Previously Scammed

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 5:21PM



As if you didn't feel bad enough about yourself after being taken in by that e-mail from the Nigerian prince enlisting your help to gain access to nonexistent millions, now you've got to worry about guarding yourself against a scam targeted at those who have already fallen victim to Internet con-men.

Those infinitely malleable 419 scams that harvest personal info from the less cautious among us are now targeting those who have already fallen for the scheme. E-mails are starting to land in in-boxes promising cash compensation to those who have been fleeced by a Nigerian based scam before.

Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing received one recently that read:
THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED AMONG THE 40 LUCKY VICTIM OF SCAMMED TO BE COMPENSATED WITH $500,000.00.FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS,THIS WAS CONCLUDED BY THE SENATE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA,SENATOR wALLIS KELLY WITH DELEGATE FROM THE UNITED NATION AND WORLD BANK AT THE AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN ADDIS ABABA IN (ETHIOPIA) AIMED AT REDEEMING THE COUNTRY'S IMAGE AND ALSO TO TRY TO PUT ANEND TO THE INCESSANT SCAM REPORTS BY FOREIGNER ESPECIALLY FROM USA AND AROUND THE GLOBE.YOU HAVE BEEN LISTED AND APPROVED FOR THIS PAYMENT AS ONE OF THE SCAMMED VICTIMS TO BE PAID THIS AMOUNT.
As usual, you should never give out personal information via e-mail, but if you feel so inclined, you can save your fellow human some trouble and engage in a little scam baiting. Every minute spent replying to your e-mails is time the fraudsters aren't trying to prey on someone else. [From: Boing Boing]

'Rock Band' and 'Guitar Hero' Players Drawn to Real Instruments, Study Finds

by Lee Bains, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 4:35PM



A recent survey conducted by retail giant Guitar Center found that the games 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' are encouraging players to pick up and learn how to play real instruments, reports Game Daily.

According to the survey of 7,000 gamers, 67 percent of those who do not play an instrument plan to learn and 72 percent of those who already play an instrument play more frequently due to the game.

According to Norman Hajjar, the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Guitar Center, the appeal and success of these games spring from their foundations in reality. "Most video games sell fantasy, but 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' are selling a dream that can be realized," he told Game Daily.

While we do enjoy playing these games, we cannot pretend that they are anything but utterly fantastical takes on what it's like to play in a band. Now, when 'Rock Band' features levels that tests players' abilities to live off fast food, sleep on floors, scrape together rent money, haggle with club owners and circumvent homefolks' questions about getting a real job, then we'll sign off on it. Maybe these starry-eyed gamers would fare better playing for love offerings than bar percentages. [From: Game Daily]

German Scientists Try to Clean Up 'Naked Scanners'

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 3:57PM

German Scientists Try to Clean Up Naked Scanner
Airports worldwide are starting to see new full-body scan machines that have the unfortunate side effect of revealing your goodies. Of course, the fact that security agents get an eye-full of your naughty bits has some privacy advocates concerned and has prevented them becoming common place in most countries.

Reuters reports that German scientists are looking to address some of these concerns. They've taken the scanners into the lab to see if they can produce an image with the private parts automatically blurred out. Critics of the highly detailed scanner dubbed it the "naked scanner," and are spearheading the effort to prove the scanner can effectively reveal weapons without producing an image of a passenger's naked body.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has previously defended the scanners, saying the images produced were family friendly enough to, "make the cover of Reader's Digest." After seeing the images, however, we can safely say that the only way 'Reader's Digest' would ever publish images from the scan is if they were purchased by 'Hustler.' [From: Reuters]

How to Avoid ID Theft (Video)

by Switched Staff, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 2:46PM

It's rare that a day goes by when you don't hear some story about somebody getting their identity stolen, and often it happens from plain old human behavior online. We've come up with a few tips on avoiding ID theft, and stuck them in the above, user-friendly video. Take a look, and, as always, let us know if you have any questions!

Online Poker Cheating Costly, Unpoliceable

by Lee Bains, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 2:00PM



Over the past two years, the largely unregulated business of online poker has seen two major cheating scandals, according to a joint report by '60 Minutes' and the Washington Post.

Players on the poker site Absolute Poker uncovered the first of the two scandals in August of 2007, when one apparently novice player, known as "Grey Cat," began consistently winning high-stakes games. After pressing the site administrators for information, the amateur investigators finally discovered that the too-lucky player was, in fact, a former employee of the Web site who had cracked Absolute Poker's software code. Although administrators conceded this fact, and instituted $1.6 million worth of refunds to its players, they refused to make public the cheater's identity.

Continue reading Online Poker Cheating Costly, Unpoliceable

Cyber Monday Scams May Be More Than Most Shoppers Bargain For

by Will Safer, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 1:20PM



There may be a threat lurking among your holiday presents this year, so be wary.

One of the season's most deeply ingrained traditions could be the entry point for spammers and scammers who prey upon unsuspecting online holiday shoppers. The big retail shopping day that is Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday, the first Monday following Thanksgiving when millions of people return to work – and fast Internet connections. Instead of wading through all the e-mail and voicemail that has been mercilessly piling up, many spend their day surfing through online stores, seeking out bargains.

It's those bargain hunters who may be more susceptible to a scam or tricked into downloading a malicious piece of software. Internet security experts warn consumers to stay away from small Web sites offering deals that are too good to be true. You never know where your personal and credit card information may end up, they warn. But don't let down your guard at the big-name retailers, either. Clever hackers sometimes embed malicious code into the comments sections of trusted Web sites.

Continue reading Cyber Monday Scams May Be More Than Most Shoppers Bargain For

'The Simpsons' Mocks Apple

by Thomas Ricker, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 12:39PM


Few have been spared the satire of Matt Groening's long running animated sitcom. Last night, 'The Simpsons' took on Apple, or uh, Mapple for a full 6 minutes of lampoonery -- a pretty harsh ride at a two-joke per minute pace.

It all starts when the Springfield mall gets its very own Mapple store, "it's so sterile," gasps Lisa upon entering. Perhaps the best exchange comes from Bart's dubbing of a Steve Mobs' product announcement in front of a crowd of gaping nerds, "You think you're cool because you buy a $500 phone with a picture of a fruit on it. Well guess what? They cost 8 bucks to make and I pee on every one!" A Mapple store employee then angrily responds, "Who dares question the boss we fired 10 years ago and then brought back!" Yuk yuk.

Videos after the break for as long as it takes for the copyrighters to wake up. [Thanks, holycow]

Continue reading 'The Simpsons' Mocks Apple

Web Searches Increase Health Fears, Study Finds

by Lee Bains, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 11:53AM




Researchers at Microsoft have determined that Internet searches for medical information can lead to undue stress and worry, reports the BBC.

Having surveyed 515 Microsoft employees, the researchers found that subjects who searched for benign symptoms went on to search for grave illnesses in subsequent searches one third of the time. For instance, one subject might be experiencing a headache, search for "headache" on Google, find a Wikipedia article, read something about "brain tumors," and then, thoroughly freaked out, go back to Google to search for "brain tumors."

These nervy folks are colloquially known as 'cyberchondriacs,' a term whose origin is cloudy, but whose application has become widespread as more and more Internet surfers become their own physicians.

"Our results show that Web search engines have the potential to escalate medical concerns," researcher Eric Horvitz told the BBC. One spokesperson for medical Web site NHS Direct explained to the BBC, "The Web can be a useful tool to find out more information about conditions, but it should not replace talking to an expert."

And we agree, no degree of research should replace proper medical consultation. While we are all for the Internet, and the information it offers up, we also know that there's certain information best left to those trained to interpret it. You wouldn't remove your appendix just because you found a "How To" article, would you? [From: BBC]

Do you think the health information you find online is reliable?

Celebrities Play 'World of Warcraft,' Too

by Evan Shamoon, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 11:18AM



Playing too much 'World of Warcraft' got you feeling alone, unhappy, perhaps even a slight touch depressed? Well worry no longer! There are people with plenty of better things to do who share your addiction. You know -- celebrities.

The list is pretty diverse, ranging from A-list (Dave Chappelle) to B-list (Jay Mohr) to no known list whatsoever (does Macaulay Culkin actually do anything else?). There are some assumptions being made -- that Mr. T and William Shatner play because they were in the WoW television commercials, for example, or that Matt Stone and Trey Parker (pictured) play because they did a 'WoW'-themed episode of 'South Park' – but we're willing to believe them. If only to make ourselves feel better. [From: Times Online]

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