by Amar Toor on March 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM

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. ...
by Evan Shamoon on November 24, 2010 at 03:00 PM

On the list of great gifts that make a recipient happy, a good office chair ranks at the top (well, at least here at Switched). For those of us who spend the majority of our lives perched in front of computers (sad, but true), sitting in a shoddy chair makes as much sense as commuting to work on a pogo stick. A nice seat can be pretty pricey (as anything under the $500 to $600 range lands you ...
by Amar Toor on October 26, 2010 at 01:10 PM

What's more pathetic than buying a bunch of fake furniture for your fake Facebook apartment? Stealing the "furniture" from someone's said "apartment." That's exactly what one hacker did to Paola Letizia, a 44-year-old Italian woman and perhaps overzealous 'Pet Society' gamer.
After working his way into Letizia's e-mail and Facebook accounts, the hacker turned his attention to her virtual ...
by Caleb Johnson on October 21, 2010 at 07:20 AM

As lovers of both technology and leisure, we can appreciate the Acutouch HT-9500, a black leather massaging recliner that can be wirelessly controlled via an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. After all, what's technology for if not to aid our relaxation? Priced at $4,999, your recliner comes with a free app download (well, sort of free) that lets you control the chair's posture, massage intensity and ...
by Thomas Houston on October 14, 2010 at 06:45 PM

Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web.
TED launches its iPad app, chock full of 800 TEDTalk videos guaranteed to make you stay up late watching how David Blaine holds his breath for 17 minutes. [From: TED]
Need an iOS device on your million barrel supertanker, but frustrated with cellular coverage on the high ...
by Matthew Zuras on October 14, 2010 at 04:10 PM

Belgium-based design outfit Bram Boo designed the Salsa table for Vanerum, an educational design consultancy, as a collaborative work space, so that four people could sit in a circular pattern while sharing information and ideas. The original version of Salsa has been bested by a sexy, iPad-embedded iteration, which will be on view during the upcoming Interieur Biennale in Belgium. We want! ...
by Thomas Houston on September 8, 2010 at 06:55 PM

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.
Flickr user mattcyborgelt's retro NES coffee table is fully functional, and comes equipped with power plugs for charging other gadgets. In case you weren't drooling ...
by Thomas Houston on July 20, 2010 at 06:45 PM

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.
If you're worried that too much time on the tubes is filling your writing with snark, run it through ToneCheck, a new Windows app that attempts to scan (and correct) ...
by Amar Toor on June 1, 2010 at 04:55 PM

The online virtual world of Habbo Hotel, at first glance, seems like just another idyllic, peaceful, fake community, where fake people exchange goods with a fake handshake and a fake smile, and decorate their fake residences with fake furniture. Basically, it's Orange County. But beneath the placid, Norman Rockwell veneer of non-existence lies an all too real underbelly of crime, deception and ...
by Caleb Johnson on April 25, 2010 at 08:30 AM

Remember that ornate wooden cuckoo clock that hung on the wall at your grandparents' house? Now, somebody has modified one of those avian timepieces to wirelessly monitor and display Twitter updates. The Twitwee Clock cuckoos each time a new tweet appears in your personal stream and displays the text on a tiny built-in screen. When there's no activity on Twitter (like that ever happens), the ...
by Caleb Johnson on December 6, 2009 at 02:15 PM

Searching for the perfect present for that home design nut on your Christmas list? Well, avoid the jammed aisles of Ikea, and check out this collapsible lamp shade from ultra-hip design studio Dror, which designed a line of home accessories for Target. According to Fast Company, this latticework cube was cut with lasers and uses the same design concept as those Hoberman spheres we used to play ...
by Caleb Johnson on November 22, 2009 at 09:01 AM

With winter in full swing, most people have moved their parties indoors. But if you're like us, nothing beats kicking back a few drinks on an outdoor patio with some close friends. Before you give in to Mother Nature and her cooler temperatures, consider investing in the Cal Flame G5000 fire pit and cocktail table. According to Born Rich, this heavenly creation features a round, glass tabletop ...
by Caleb Johnson on September 27, 2009 at 08:02 AM

Throw away those those frilly, lace pillowcases and those fluffy, white duvets, men. There's a change coming to the bedroom. At least, that's what manufacturers hope. The Wall Street Journal reports that companies are incorporating more man-friendly features into beds and mattresses (video after the break). But additions like built-in TVs, 'muscle recovery' mattresses, and iPod docks don't come ...
by Caleb Johnson on September 11, 2009 at 04:24 PM

Gamers, capable of epic button-mashing binges known to go on for hours, need that perfect place to park their butts. Ask any geek what the most important part of any good video game lair is, and they'll say it's the chair. A lounger needs to be stylish (so you can impress your friends who come over to play 'Halo 3'), and comfortable (so you're cheeks won't go numb during that last-minute drive on ...
by Kendra Cunningham on August 9, 2009 at 11:07 AM

Are you an incoming college freshman worried about sharing space with new, unknown, and potentially disastrous roommates? Well, luckily for you, a new site called DesignYourDorm allows college newbies to virtually plan their first-year space. The site has 3-D models of average dorm rooms and allows users to drag and drop furniture to get an idea of how much space they'll have and how much stuff ...