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PETA Wants UGA to Adopt Robotic Dog Mascot

Amar Toor — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:25:00 EST

The Free World has barely had a week to recover from the earth-shattering death of Uga, the lovable bulldog mascot for the University of Georgia, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has wasted no time in recommending a replacement. The nomination? A robot.

As reported by WGAU 1340AM in Athens, Georgia, PETA thinks that the next Uga should either be some sort of "animatronic" dog or someone dressed in a costume, because apparently, the life of a mascot is too harrowing for a real bulldog. In an e-mail to UGA Athletic Director Damon Evans, PETA argues that, "Bulldogs are prone to breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia, heart disorders, and other congenital ailments, and acquiring a dog from a breeder perpetuates the animal overpopulation crisis while causing another dog waiting in an animal shelter to be condemned to death."

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PETA Wants UGA to Adopt Robotic Dog Mascot originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched's Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza: Win a Zune HD!

Thomas Houston — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST

While we plan on being as far away from a computer as possible over the holidays, the site will need something to keep itself busy. In honor of the long holiday weekend, we're going to give away 10 Zune HDs on Thursday and Friday. After reading the rules and fine print (we have robot lawyers tracking you), check back tomorrow and Friday for your chance to win.

Special thanks to NVIDIA for providing the Zune HDs!

Switched's Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza: Win a Zune HD! originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Real or Fake? Neglected Girlfriend Destroys Xbox

Warren Riddle — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Video Games

Analysts have been torn when investigating the addictive properties of video games, but at least one lonely girlfriend believes the debatable affliction is indeed very real. Apparently, she also decided that the only remedy for her Xbox-distracted boyfriend was staging an abusive, hysterical, and repugnant intervention.

The jilted woman actually filmed her violent ultimate solution, and, if the act is real, it just might be the most disturbing hate crime ever perpetrated against a defenseless console. Prior to the documented graphic meltdown (check out the video after the break), she also delivered a vitriolic diatribe against her mate's daily Xbox activities, claiming that, "I b*tch and I b*tch and still his routine remains constant." Maybe, just maybe, that incessant nagging had something to do with his daily escapes into virtual worlds.

She had so many other options (Take it away, hide its controllers, or actually try playing with him?!) but perhaps the two wayward lovebirds were actually able to compromise and reconcile. If so, there are a few certainties about the future of their relationship. There definitely won't be any cute, geeky video game proposals or wedding invitations. [From: Gawker]

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Real or Fake? Neglected Girlfriend Destroys Xbox originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched Asks, 'What is an SMS?' Save My Soul? Send Me Something!

Switched Staff — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Cell Phones, Web

In our quest to discover just how nerdy we are, we continue to head to New York's Times Square to ask the crowd to define the terms we use at Switched every day. Most flunked on Flickr but many could talk about Twitter, so we kept the faith that, just because we knew what a "tweet" was doesn't make us hopeless nerds.

Our next question tested our subjects' attention to detail. Most of the people we spoke with guessed that SMS messaging is colloquially known as texting. Yet, when asked to explain the acronym, the answers ranged from educated guesses (we would have thought "standard" was in there, too) to slightly perverted (sir, we believe that's "S and M" you are thinking of), to downright funny. The answer, for the record, is a "short message service," but we think we'd also prefer "Save the Mothership" more.

Continue reading Switched Asks, 'What is an SMS?' Save My Soul? Send Me Something!

Switched Asks, 'What is an SMS?' Save My Soul? Send Me Something! originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York Times Releases BlackBerry App, USA Today Allies With Fark

Warren Riddle — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

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

The New York Times has steadily adapted to the journalistic shifts of the Digital Age, providing a model for how to survive in the face of dwindling subscription numbers. The news outlet's latest technological development is its free BlackBerry app (for select models), which aims to provide "a faster, more dynamic and more personalized experience." [From: Editor and Publisher]
The nation's most generic newspaper is apparently teaming up with what is quite possibly the most random and arbitrary source of news on the Web. USA Today has reportedly drafted Fark.com to help sponsor its Geek page. [From: The New York Times]
DVD sales took a major hit in 2008, a trend many insiders attribute to the rising popularity of live video streaming. The streaming phenomenon may also be adversely affecting the TV industry, as TiVo lost over 300,000 subscribers during just the last quarter. [From: TV By the Numbers]
The next time you're home alone enjoying 'Gigli' on TiVo, comforted in the belief that you're safe from judgmental eyes, remember that Google may actually be monitoring you. The site is reportedly going to track TiVo "viewing data" to help determine what, if any, advertisements the service's subscribers are actually watching. [From: CNET]
eBay is unrolling some mobile upgrades today, as well as an entirely new app known as 'Deals.' The site has already produced some staggering numbers with its previous mobile services. To that end, eBay claims that every month it attracts 750,000 unique mobile viewers, who, it believes, will spend more than $500 million on goods this year. [From: Tech Crunch]

New York Times Releases BlackBerry App, USA Today Allies With Fark originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kindle Software Updates, Microsoft Opens PC Lounge at Saks Fifth Avenue

Thomas Houston — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:38:00 EST

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.

Microsoft is attempting to dazzle visitors to the Big Apple with its new PC Lounge, open now in Saks Fifth Avenue's flagship New York City store.
Amazon just released a software update for Kindle 2 and DX users. (Sorry, gen 1 Kindlers, no update for you.) The chosen e-readers get an advertised 85-percent increase in battery life as well as PDF support.
The new, more powerful Core i7 iMacs have started shipping, but many users are reporting that the machines are arriving with cracked screens or the inability to boot.
While we've never met anyone in that apparently real consumer group that desires gadgets encrusted with Swarovski crystals, the gem-studded gadget market shows no signs of slowing. This time, Olympus' Pen E-P1 micro four-thirds camera get bedazzled.

Kindle Software Updates, Microsoft Opens PC Lounge at Saks Fifth Avenue originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pet Rock USB Provides Companionship for Lonely Computers

Warren Riddle — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST

Filed under: Computers

The success of the Pet Rock has mystified consumers and would-be inventors for decades, and has become synonymous with the get-rich-quick scam. The ridiculous trinket has also inspired countless knock-offs and similarly inane, googly-eyed contraptions, with which harebrained hucksters attempt to make their own millions.

ThinkGeek is apparently putting a 21st century spin on that old Pet Rock by integrating it with another device famous for its absurd marketplace niche: the USB. Even though it really doesn't do anything, each unique USB Pet Rock costs $9.99 and plugs directly into a USB port. In the immortal words of P.T. Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute," so someone will undoubtedly buy the useless thing. It may be time for us to reevaluate the 'World's Dumbest USB Gadgets.' [From: Oh Gizmo]

Pet Rock USB Provides Companionship for Lonely Computers originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Textminator' Brings Texting Excitement to the Arcade

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:43:00 EST

Filed under: Cell Phones, Video Games

We are but one site, with a relatively small staff (albeit one of dedicated Web addicts), so every once in a while something slips past that makes us give ourselves a collective kick in the ass. 'Textminator' managed to avoid our radar when it was announced in August, but this arcade machine from LAI Games has piqued our interest enough to go back and cover it anyway.

With proper, full-sized skee-ball machines disappearing from arcades across the country, new games have had to step in and fill our ticket-earning needs (How else are we going to get our hands on that switch-blade-comb?). One such ticket-dispensing machine is 'Textminator,' a stand-up arcade game that tests players' text messaging skills. The game has two alphanumeric keypads and asks competitors to type out words in a race against the clock, or against a human opponent. In fact, up to four cabinets can be linked together for an eight-way texting showdown. And in case you were worried that standing at an arcade machine, thumbs flying, was too strenuous, a deluxe version with a raised platform and "sit-bar" is available.

We haven't seen one of these rear its head in our local arcade, but as the annual texting championships become the Super Bowl and World Series of the constantly connected teen, we could see 'Textminator' becoming a crucial practice platform. [From: Arcade Heroes]

'Textminator' Brings Texting Excitement to the Arcade originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robotic LadyBugBot Crawls on Your Fridge, Creeps You Out

Matthew Zuras — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:47:00 EST

Filed under: Web

Who wouldn't want a giant robotic insect crawling along their fridge door? Vadim Ryazanov (a.k.a. "Isotope"), of the DIY droid site Let's Make Robots, was inspired, as he went for a beer, by a small ladybug magnet clinging to his refrigerator. He then decided to recreate the diminutive insect -- but as an intelligent robot with an atomic-experiment-gone-wrong massiveness.

Ryazanov posted a tutorial for the ladybug in the event that you want to frighten the bejeezus out of your roommate with your own rendition. He constructed the shell out of papier-mâché and repurposed an old CD as a base for the electronics. All in all, it cost him less than $30 and fewer than 16 hours. Ryazanov also included a bumper switch/cavity sensor that prevents LadyBugBot from crawling off the edge of the door. In addition, LadyBugBot sometimes "stops for 10 seconds and produces a creepy sound." Check out the video after the break to see it in action.

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Robotic LadyBugBot Crawls on Your Fridge, Creeps You Out originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make Free iPhone Ringtones Using iTunes

Jon Chase — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:50:00 EST

Filed under: Tech Tips

While Apple would prefer that you buy ringtone versions of music you've already purchased, you can still make ringtones for your iPhone using only iTunes and songs that don't have DRM (such as the ones you've ripped from your old CDs). Here's how:

Open iTunes, right click (or Control + click) on a song, and select 'Get Info.'
Under 'Options,' check the boxes beside 'Start Time' and 'Stop Time,' and under 'Stop Time,' change the duration to 0:30 (or less). Hit 'OK.'
Right-click on the song again and select 'Create AAC version.' (If a format other than AAC comes up, go into 'iTunes Preferences/General/Import Settings.' Under 'Import Using,' select 'AAC.')
Once the AAC version is created, drag it to your desktop, delete it from iTunes, and then change the file extension from .M4a to .M4r. Drag this file back into iTunes and you'll find it automatically placed in the 'Ringtones' section of your library. Delete the desktop version.
Note: Don't forget to go back to the original song file and uncheck the 'Start' and 'Stop' times.

Make Free iPhone Ringtones Using iTunes originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World's Largest Gadgets, 'Objectified' Documentary Airs on PBS

Thomas Houston — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

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.

Before the days of the Web, we had to get our giant technology fixes by watching hourlong cable shows that promised the "next big thing" right after the break. Fortunately, Wired's Gadget Lab is here -- don't miss the giant Antonov AN-255 and Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter planes. [From: Gadget Lab]
'Objectified,' the latest film from the makers of typeface documentary 'Helvetica,' hits the airwaves tonight on PBS. [From: PBS.org]
With online shopping peaking during the holiday season, it's more important than ever to have a secure password. Slate offers tips for getting your shoddy password in shape in under five minutes. [From: Slate]
Firefox could be making laptops overheat by overusing your computer's CPU. DownloadSquad investigates and offers some solutions. [From: DownloadSquad]

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.

World's Largest Gadgets, 'Objectified' Documentary Airs on PBS originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDTV Listings for November 24, 2009

Switched Staff — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:54:00 EST

What we're watching tonight:

ABC (720p) has 'V' at 8 p.m. and the season finale of 'Dancing with the Stars' at 9 p.m.
CW (1080i) airs '90210' at 8 p.m. and 'Melrose Place' at 9 p.m.
CBS (1080i) has 'NCIS' at 8 p.m. 'NCIS: LA' at 9 p.m. and 'The Good Wife' at 10 p.m.
Discovery (1080i) has 'Dirty Jobs' at 9 p.m. and 'Ghost Lab' at 10 p.m.
FX (720p) has 'Sons of Anarchy' at 10 p.m.
DirecTV (1080i) has 'Eyes' at 10 p.m.
TLC (1080i) has 'Table for 12' at 8 & 8:30 p.m., '18 Kids & Counting' at 9 p.m. and 'The Little Couple' at 10 p.m.
ESPN (720p) has college basketball with Maryland/Cincinnati at 7 p.m. and Gonzaga/Wisconsin at 9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 (720p) has Ball State/Western Michigan college football at 7 p.m. and Texas/Pittsburgh college basketball at 10 p.m.

HDTV Listings for November 24, 2009 originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto-Tune Your Facebook Status With Sony, Justin Timberlake

Caleb Johnson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking

We should've seen this one coming a mile away. The hottest trend in the music business, Auto-Tune, has arrived on the hottest social-networking site on the Web, Facebook. Thanks to a new Facebook app from Sony, you can now Auto-Tune your status update. According to Mashable, after installing the app, you simply type your status (maybe something about being on a boat), choose a voice and a beat, and your very own robotic update will be posted on your Wall for all your friends to see. (We're not sure if that's a good thing or not.) You can thank the 'Auto-Tune the News' Web series creators, who recently signed a promotional deal with Sony, for piling on even more of the Auto-Tune content (check out the video after the break).

The time has come to ask: is Auto-Tune played out? The iPhone has the 'I Am T-Pain' app, you can Auto-Tune your vocals in GarageBand, and even those adorable Kidz Bop kids use the skeezy software program. Sounds like over-saturation to us. But we fear there's no stopping this trend. If Jay-Z couldn't kill it, who can? [From: Mashable and Tubefilter News]

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Auto-Tune Your Facebook Status With Sony, Justin Timberlake originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'World of Warcraft' Turns Five

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Video Games

Monday marked the fifth birthday of the most successful, massively multi-player online game in history -- 'World of Warcraft.' 'WoW,' as it's otherwise known, is an expansion of the popular 'Warcraft' franchise, and has become far more successful than publisher Blizzard could have possibly imagined.

With more than 12 million subscribers worldwide, 'WoW' is a phenomenon and pop culture icon. It's been referenced and mocked by 'The Simpsons' and 'South Park,' has inspired restaurants, and has legions of celebrity fans, including Ozzy Osborne, William Shatner, and Mr. T. Thanks to its notoriously addictive game play, it's even been cited in divorce proceedings and has almost driven one teen to commit suicide.

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'World of Warcraft' Turns Five originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StreetView: 'Move Over, Robert Frank!' as Artist Finds Google's Oeuvre

Amar Toor — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cameras, Google, Web

It wasn't too long ago that Google Maps took to the streets with its army of camera-equipped cars as it embarked on its quest to photograph every avenue in the world. As they archived all these random images of daily life and human existence, they captured more than their fair share of comedic, and often downright embarrassing moments. One artist, though, recently trolled through that entire stockpile, and has uncovered some surprisingly beautiful -- and often powerful -- imagery.

Jon Rafman, an artist based out of Montreal, took it upon himself to find Google's artistic side, and has assembled a fascinating collection, NPR reports. The photos run the gamut from the complacently pensive (a barebacked woman staring at the Sea in Italy), to the humorous (the dilapidated facade of a Rod Stewart fan club in Scotland), to the downright harrowing (a series of curbside homeless).

Continue reading StreetView: 'Move Over, Robert Frank!' as Artist Finds Google's Oeuvre

StreetView: 'Move Over, Robert Frank!' as Artist Finds Google's Oeuvre originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football Coaches Who Tweet (and Those Who Should)

Caleb Johnson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking

Sports teams have a dubious relationship with Twitter. The LPGA loves the darn service, while the NBA penalizes on-court micro-bloggers. The NFL and college football are still feeling out their roles in the Twitterverse, and coaches are leading the way. For some, the service is tougher to figure out than the spread offense, while others excel in the limelight, like Tom Brady in a Manhattan bistro. Here, we've compiled a list of five coaches you should follow on Twitter and five who's wit we'd love to see in 140-character missives. After a grueling search (like, 1983-Chicago-Bears grueling), we have our exhaustive list. Now, are you ready for some football?

Continue reading Football Coaches Who Tweet (and Those Who Should)

Football Coaches Who Tweet (and Those Who Should) originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York Jets' David Clowney's Twitter Account Hacked

Caleb Johnson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:06:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking

After he heard the latest news about one of his players and Twitter, we're sure that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, from his towering New York office building, gave out a great barbaric yawp: "I told you so!" According to Mashable, New York Jets wide receiver David Clowney has had his Twitter account hacked within the past 24 hours. Unlike when hackers took over a number of high-profile celebrity accounts earlier this year, the tweets sent from Clowney's account aren't funny. They're downright mean and vulgar. Although Clowney has apparently regained control of his account and has issued an apology to his fans, the damage is done. The hacker directed a number of expletive-filled tweets at some of Clowney's 6,700 followers.

Aside from the tweet above, Clowney hasn't yet commented on the attack. According to an Associated Press report on ESPN, the Jets confirmed Monday that his account was hacked, but team officials didn't comment further. Seeing as he was benched earlier in the year for complaining about his playing time via Twitter, we'd suggest that Clowney just cut his losses and give up on the service, altogether. [From: Mashable and ESPN]

New York Jets' David Clowney's Twitter Account Hacked originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook Bikini Worm Hits Spreads via Scantily Clad Woman

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Web, Social Networking

Good rule of thumb when browsing the Internet: If it looks lurid, promises nudity, or displays scantily clad women, don't click on it.

For some reason or another, many out there haven't yet figured this out and have helped to spread around Facebook a nasty worm that tells users to "Click Da' Button" if they "Wanna C Somthin' HOT." Of course, some men, being the hapless idiots that so many of us are, clicked on the button that sat next to the beautiful, thong-clad woman. As a result, a link to the same infectious page was instantly posted on their Walls, continuing the cycle of misdirection.

Continue reading Facebook Bikini Worm Hits Spreads via Scantily Clad Woman

Facebook Bikini Worm Hits Spreads via Scantily Clad Woman originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Apologizes for Offensive First Lady Image, Twitter Could Go Public

Warren Riddle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST

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

Our beloved freedom of speech obviously entitles people to criticize government officials without fear of reprisal, but it also entitles people to be racist morons. Google has posted an apology over such behavior -- specifically for an offensive and juvenile photograph of the First Lady that wound up in the site's image search results. [From: Search Engine Land]
Twitter's monetary worth was recently valued at an astounding $1 billion, so it seems that it's probably time for the three-year-old site to actually start making some money. Co-founder Biz Stone says that while he has no plans to sell the site, going public is certainly an option. [From: The New York Times]
Roger Avary, the screenwriter behind 'Pulp Fiction' and numerous other hits, is currently serving time in prison on vehicular manslaughter charges. He also seems to be tweeting about his stay. Although impostors abound on Twitter, Wikipedia says it really is him, so it must be true. [From: The Los Angeles Times]
The unofficial rules of the Internet already exist, but the U.N. is apparently investigating the implementation of the Net Ten Commandments. The organization is currently laboring on the intense and grueling project from Sharm el Sheik, one of the most beautiful resort towns on the Red Sea. Must be nice. [From: Ars Technica]
Wikipedia claims to be the "free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." The site, though, has reportedly trimmed 50,000 editors from its ranks, leading to a flood of complaints about the editing process. Apparently, the remaining editors are also, by and large, white males. Someone needs to give Howard Zinn a call. [From: Gawker]
The University of Stirling in Scotland recently conducted a survey which found that adults are fooled by optical illusions more often than kids. This, the researchers think, is because kids don't recognize visual context to the same degree as adults. If you'd like to experiment with your own susceptibility, you can check out these trippy illusions. [From: Wired]
Automotive services like OnStar and SYNC have been around for years, but the technology is steadily and significantly evolving. The Economist recently profiled that evolution, highlighting one particularly impressive instance of a thwarted car-jacking. [From: The Economist]

Google Apologizes for Offensive First Lady Image, Twitter Could Go Public originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man Crashes Into FBI Building to Destroy 'Mind-Reading' Device

Amar Toor — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: Car Tech, Computers

It seems James Kromer had it all figured out. He was gonna do it, once and for all. The FBI had been controlling his brain with a mind-reading device for far too long. Kromer had to put an end to it. And he almost did -- until he messed up the address.

The 36-year-old Minnesotan crashed his car through what he believed to be the FBI building in Minneapolis. As it turns out, it was just the University of Minnesota Public Health building, which incurred $20,000 worth of damages from the incident. The entire case of mistaken location can be traced back to an extra zero that Kromer tacked on to the building number. (We're not sure whether it was GPS, or Google Maps, or what.) The real FBI building is at 111 Washington Ave. S in Minneapolis. The Public Health building, on the other hand, is at 1110 Washington Ave. S. Oops.

Continue reading Man Crashes Into FBI Building to Destroy 'Mind-Reading' Device

Man Crashes Into FBI Building to Destroy 'Mind-Reading' Device originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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