Switched

'Keyboard for Blondes' Designed for the OMG Crowd

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 9:50AM

Simply put, we laughed our backsides off when we came across this new, blonde-tastic splash of bubblegum fun.

We are, of course, talking about the Keyboard For Blondes, a bright pink keyboard designed specifically for OMG enthusiasts. Though the color alone is enough to drive a 'Hills'-obsessed-daughter and her enabling mother wild, it is the fun details that won us over.

Though completely functional in the traditional sense, the $50 keyboard is also an instant-messaging fanatic's dream, with most keys doubling as self-contained quick messages. For example, if you press the "O" button while simultaneously holding down the "Smart Blonde Button" (shift key), OMG shows up on the screen. The "S" button is "SOS"(shoes on sale!) Seriously, how awesome is that?

Honestly, we won't do it any justice with words. You need to go to the Web site and experience it for yourself. [From: stylelist]

Ultimate 'VideoMan' Suit Lets You Project Movies Anywhere

by Evan Shamoon, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 9:08AM

Not content to simply be in movies, the VideoMan suit is designed to allow you to actually be the movies.

Actually, the real goal of its creators is to put together the ultimate power suit for protesting and rabble-rousing. The rig consists of a video camera, projector, portable battery pack (a big one), power inverters, amplifiers and other noise generators. And makes you look like a ridiculous Ghostbuster.

In theory, we kinda like it. But in the wrong hands -- like someone very annoying with something very annoying to say -- it could be unspeakably dangerous. In other words: Keep this thing away from the Verizon guy. (Yes, we can already hear you now.) [From: Techeblog]

Facebook Group Honors Kind-Hearted, Disciplinarian Dad

by Lee Bains, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 8:36AM

Facebook users have started an online group in honor of Australian father Sam Burt, whose lovingly disciplinarian parenting approach has won him accolades from Australian parents, Reuters reports.

Last week, the Australian press told the story of Sam Burt and his five-year-old son. When the boy got in trouble for beaning his bus driver with an apple core some time ago, his daddy took immediate, old-school action and informed his son that, if he couldn't ride the bus like a civilized person, he wasn't going to ride the bus at all.

Ever since, every day, Burt and the boy have arisen with the sun to together walk the eight miles to school. After the news got out, fellow Australian parent Renee Elliott set up the Facebook group, whose membership is actively increasing. In the hour following Reuters' reporting the story, 72 new members had joined the group.

We're glad to know that, while some folks blame Facebook instead of poor parenting, there are some out there who use Facebook to celebrate good parenting. [From: Reuters]

Gift Tip: iFrogz Custom Headphones for iPhone/iPod

by Kaiser Hwang, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 7:48AM

If there's anyone who's raking in the iPhone cash besides Apple, it's the third-party accessory makers. From cases to speakers to, um, telescopes, there is no shortage of add-ons to tailor your iPhone to whatever your needs may be. ifrogz, a fairly well-known Apple accessory and custom-skin maker, hopes to take things to another level, though, with its customizable iPhone/iPod EarPollution headphones.

Starting with your choice of base headphone, you can then customize the color of the bands, side pieces, speakers, and cushions. Then, if you're feeling especially perky, ifrogz allows you to choose from one of a wide assortment of art patterns that overlay the outside shell of the headphones. Of course, if you choose the earbuds as a base, your customization options are more limited.

While the selection of prints isn't too shabby, letting people use their own photos for designs the way Pure Digital's Flip cameras do would surely broaden the headphones' appeal. Our only other issue? There doesn't appear to be a built-in mic or remote on any of the headphones, once again limiting the headphones' appeal, especially to iPhone users. Then again, even Apple's own headphones with mic and remote don't completely support the iPhone (the volume buttons won't work), so maybe the point is moot... [From: Walyou]

Ex-Governer Spitzer to Pen Weekly Column on Economy and Regs

by Will Safer, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 7:01AM

The Web can be a place for reputation resurrection. Just ask disgraced former Wall Street analyst Henry Blodget or now disgraced former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer.

No, Spitzer will not be writing a relationship advice column.

His new column, called 'The Best Policy,' will be appearing weekly on online news and commentary site Slate. In it, he'll address the economics and financial regulations.

For those of you not following political news about anyone not named Barack Obama, Spitzer resigned his office after being found to have had an ongoing relationship with a high-priced hooker.

Blodget was a well-regarded analyst who appeared to have his finger on the pulse of the market during the dot-com boom. When things went bust, though, he was found out to have pumped up certain stocks publicly while trashing them in e-mails to colleagues. It was through Slate.com that he started his reputation resurrection and now he's gone on to found Silicon Alley Insider, a blog about internet business trends and research.

What are Spitzer's goals with this column? Well, since he left office he's been working for his father's real estate company and – we assume – spending a lot of time grovelling to his wife and family. By re-entering the public arena with a column focused on the economy and Wall Street, he gets back to the topic that made him famous in the first place. While New York State Attorney General, Spitzer investigated numerous firms for bad practices and became known as the "Sheriff of Wall Street."

Who else has tried resurrect a reputation or career with some well-placed media hits and public good deeds? We count:

Newt Gingrich, who was blamed for failed leadership of the Republican-led Congress, left his position but has since come back as a respected political commentator and Republican thinker.
Britney Spears, no explanation necessary.*
Kevin Mitnick, famous hacker who went to prison but now runs a computer consultancy, advising people on security issues. He also writes and speaks on the topic.
Larry Summers, former president of Harvard University who lost his position after saying women were not as capable in academia as men. Now he's in President-elect Obama's cabinet.
H.R. Haldemann and John Ehrlichman, former Richard Nixon aides convicted for their roles in the Watergate break-in who started their paths to reputation recovery while still in prison. They later wrote books critical of the Nixon administration and their own misdeeds.

* work in progress.

[Source: Reuters.]

Obama Carries a Zune?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 6:04AM

Apparently when Obama talks about "change" he means absolutely everything. It's the only way that we can explain the fact that this confirmed Mac user is lugging a Microsoft Zune to the gym. We know that President Bush has an iPod, so the only reason we can figure that the President-elect is using a music player he can't even sync with his computer (Zunes are not yet Mac-compatible) is out of a desire to be different from Bush in every way possible.

To be fair, we don't know that it was his Zune, just that he was spotted with a Zune. But it's just another item we can add to the list of gadgets that Obama apparently keeps on hand. Thankfully, unlike his BlackBerry, we can see no reason why the president would be forced to give up his audio player.

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are admitted iPod fans, which leads us to believe that Obama really is trying to create a bipartisan administration. Leave it to Obama to prove Microsoft and Mac products can peacefully co-exist.

There has already been speculation that an Obama presidency will spell the end of comedy -- maybe he'll also put an end to the flame wars between Mac and Windows fans. That would be real change. [From: Gizmodo and City Paper]

SnorePro Promises to Stop Snoring

by Laura June, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 7:23PM

We'll level with you: the Snore Pro sets off a few snake oil alarms -- it does, after all, claim to fix a problem that has been seemingly incurable from time immemorial. The device (which is not exactly cool looking) apparently has a two-pronged approach to help snorers kick the habit: first, it delivers an "electronic stimulation" to the wearer's skin causing a sleep disturbance (which the company compares to a nudging spouse). Secondly, it claims to record each and every snore. The recorded data theoretically provides the user with feedback about their progress and gives them clues as to why and when they snore. We don't know when it's going to be available or how much it will cost, but we hope it's less expensive than the weight loss pills and the real estate pyramid scheme software we just ordered.

Apple Could Be Running Out of iPods, Analyst Says

by Lee Bains, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 6:29PM

One analyst suspects that Apple may be undergoing what he describes as an "iPod shortage" this Holiday season, Cnet reports.

Shaw Wu (of the Kaufman Bros. market analysis firm) disclosed in a statement that, judging from insider retailer reports, he believes stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target are experiencing this "shortage." Buyers found Amazon.com to be under-supplied with the media players as early as the Saturday following Black Friday.

This news comes as a surprise, considering, and probably attributable to, the current state of the economy. Wu suspects, and we tend to agree, that Apple -- in light of bleak Holiday shopping forecasts -- did not foresee the demand for iPods approaching current numbers. Wu suspects that Apple, before holiday shopping is all said and done, will unload 21 million iPods. If they can supply them, that is.

While we acknowledge the inconvenience potential iPod buyers could encounter if their store were to run out of the media players, we also have a problem with the term 'shortage' in its application to this development.

When crops fail, there's a food shortage. When rain doesn't fall, there's a water shortage. Heck, when oil wells dry up, there's a petroleum shortage. But when you can't buy an iPod, that's just the store running out of some stuff you want. [From: Cnet]

AT&T Cutting 12,000 Jobs Due to "Economic Pressures"

by Tim Stevens, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 5:56PM

AT&T may have about the best selection of choice handsets (smart or otherwise) available in the States right now, and continued iPhone exclusivity has definitely brought a windfall of new subscribers to its wireless division, but Ma Bell wasn't built on cell towers alone. There's still an extensive landline division to support, and it seems the company is leveraging the current economic doldrums to make it a little less so, joining the layoff crowd for the second time this year by shedding a further 12,000 workers (about 4 percent of its workforce), most said to be coming from passé, non-wireless sectors. So, happy holidays, folks -- hope those severance packages get you through the winter.

[Via CellPhonesMarket.com; thanks, SK]

Firefox Extension Links to Free, Illegal Downloads from Amazon

by Tim Stevens, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 5:25PM

New Firefox Extension Links Directly to Illegal Downloads

If you're a user of Mozilla's fine and free browser, Firefox, chances are you have a few extensions that you've installed to help you customize your surfing experience (if not, might we recommend a few of our favorites?). There are extensions for all sorts of tweaks and changes, but we've never seen one quite like Pirates of the Amazon, which is making quite a stir by effectively allowing users to steal stuff listed on Amazon.

Pirates of the Amazon is a new extension that links from Amazon directly to illegal downloads on the Pirate Bay, a notorious source for subverted copies of music, movies, games, and more. After installing the extension, you'll often see new links on Amazon.com that say "Download 4 free." Click there and you'll be given the opportunity to download an illegal copy without paying a cent.

We don't think Amazon's particularly worried, as the people who use this are likely already downloading software illegally, but it'll be interesting to see if they make some changes to their site to circumvent this extension. If so, it'll surely turn into another back-and-forth battle of updates with no winners. [From: CNet News]

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