-
'The Social Network' Gets a 60-Second TV Spot, NES Cartridge Wedding Invites
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.
- David Fincher's 'The Social Network' gets a full moody, 60-second TV spot, complete with a Kanye West score, champagne spraying and laptops a-smashing. [From: YouTube]
- Two Brooklynites recently announced their upcoming marriage via customized NES cartridge. Can you hear our lips quivering? Because this is too cute for us to bear. [From: Reddit]
- We're not even going to ask how or why this was spotted, but North Korea's official website seems to have gone a bit overboard with the 'strong' tag. HTML humor! [From: Korea DPR, via: TheDailyWTF]
- Considering a new iMac or Mac Pro for the upcoming school year? Marco.org weighs the long-term costs of Apple's desktop computers. [From: Marco.org]
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.
'The Social Network' Gets a 60-Second TV Spot, NES Cartridge Wedding Invites originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
RIM's 'Blackpad' 9.7-inch Tablet Rumored to Debut in November
 For quite some time, rumor had it that RIM has been wanting to get into the tablet game, and who can blame it? Microsoft has had a long history in the market, Apple's iPad has proven popular, and it seems that just about every other manufacturer is trying to cram Android into the form-factor. A couple of days ago, we heard that RIM had acquired Blackpad.com, and the world collectively cringed at what we hoped was a purely defensive move to keep domain squatters at bay. Now, according to Bloomberg, there is confirmation that RIM plans to call its 9.7-inch tablet the Blackpad.
According to "people familiar with" the situation, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-capable device will be unveiled in November with front- and back-facing cameras. While there is no indication of when the Blackpad will find its way into customers' hands, the RIM tablet is expected to cost about as much as the iPad. Like our friends at Engadget, we're seriously hoping for a Microsoft-like change of heart when it comes to the name. [From: Bloomberg, via: Engadget]Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, BlackBerry RIM's 'Blackpad' 9.7-inch Tablet Rumored to Debut in November originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
NYC Subway to Get Wi-Fi and Cell Service, We Look In To Buying Bikes
 The hopes and fears of all New Yorkers will at once come true, thanks to yesterday's announcement that the city's plan to outfit subway stations with Wi-Fi and cell service are, once again, moving forward. We all knew it would happen eventually; three years ago, the MTA and Transit Wireless struck a deal that would outfit stations, but not tunnels, with wireless access. Still, some of us had hoped that the inevitable might be, like Brooklyn trains, permanently delayed.
Under the new plan, coverage will even extend through some segments of tunnels, as long as the stops on either side are close enough together. (In Manhattan, that basically means all of them.) Four companies have been slated to install the wireless system, one of them being Q-Wireless. In an interview with the NY Daily News, Q-Wireless CEO Alex Mashinsky said that cell service will probably be strongest in wider tunnels, such as the ones that accommodate both express and local tracks, since those wily signals need room to breathe.Continue reading NYC Subway to Get Wi-Fi and Cell Service, We Look In To Buying Bikes Filed under: Cell Phones NYC Subway to Get Wi-Fi and Cell Service, We Look In To Buying Bikes originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Obama Says Presidential BlackBerry Is 'No Fun,' But His iPod's Stocked With Jay-Z
It's a well known fact that President Obama has a bit of a BlackBerry addiction -- so much so, the man fought long and hard to keep his beloved device once he entered the White House, making him the first sitting president to use one of the e-mail centric smartphones. But Obama revealed on 'The View' Thursday that, perhaps, it wasn't worth all the trouble. Though White House security and IT personnel eventually succumbed to the president's desires, only a select few are authorized to contact him on the device. A grand total of ten individuals know the President's BlackBerry info. As he told the coven round table on 'The View,' it's "no fun" because people refrain from sending him the "real juicy stuff" in order to avoid being archived under the Presidential Records Act.
There are some other tantalizing tech bits. "Some 20-year-old" person tweets for the presidential Twitter account. And, while he hasn't "made the switch" to an iPhone, he does have a fully loaded iPod upon which he's dependent. His music choices? "You name a song, I've got it," the President explains, mentioning Jay-Z, Frank Sinatra and Maria Callas -- but definitely not Justin Bieber. [From: AFP, via: Engadget]Filed under: Cell Phones, iPod, BlackBerry Obama Says Presidential BlackBerry Is 'No Fun,' But His iPod's Stocked With Jay-Z originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Kindle App for Your iPhone and iPad Gets Dictionary, Search
 Earlier this week, we reported that Amazon was upping its game with even cheaper versions of the Kindle, but it has also updated the Kindle app on the iPad/iPhone/iPod touch, adding a couple of unremarkable yet needed features.
The Kindle app now has a search function, which was inexplicably absent before. It's also able to look up words and phrases through Wikipedia and Google, but not within the app itself. (It just moves into Safari, but with fast-app-switching celerity.) We very much enjoy the included 250,000-word dictionary, which takes a minute to download, and runs within the software, so that readers don't have to lose their places. That's great news for us, since we still have not grown accustomed to the Kindle app's bizarre line/page numbering system. [From: iTunes, via: Wired]Filed under: iPod, iPhone, Handheld Devices, Back to School Kindle App for Your iPhone and iPad Gets Dictionary, Search originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
The Week in Design: Paper-Shredding Coffee Tables and Bacteria-Spreading Soap
The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money, or technology, many of those products never progress from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over them, nevertheless.
The simplest designs are frequently the best designs; it takes far more skill and ingenuity to update the function of a time-tested object than to simply give it a face-lift. This week's list features some of the least thought-out designs we've ever come across, from a pretty toaster that couldn't possibly ever work, to a soap-recycling device with good intentions but terrible execution. We also found designs concerned with waste, energy and economy, though, such as beautiful little cups made from delicately flavored algae. You can give your eco-conscience a breather, and just toss them into the garden after a healthy quaff. Check out our picks for the best and worst designs of the week after the break.
Continue reading The Week in Design: Paper-Shredding Coffee Tables and Bacteria-Spreading Soap Filed under: Columns The Week in Design: Paper-Shredding Coffee Tables and Bacteria-Spreading Soap originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Steve Ballmer Bemoans iPad Success, Kanye Interrupts Our Twitter
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- Perhaps still despondent over the Courier execution, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has reportedly acknowledged that Apple has "sold certainly more [iPads] than I'd like them to have sold." [From: Engadget]
- Kanye West embarked on an extensive Twitter ramble this week (containing awesomely convoluted references to Kool Aid smiles, goblets, fabricated numbers, J. Press ties and classical compositions), and his prose even rivals the inspirational mutterings of Courtney Love. [From: The Awl]
- Despite Facebook's staggering membership of half a billion people, the site reportedly won't issue an initial public offering until 2012. [From: The Huffington Post]
- Sprint has announced that Froyo will officially land on the Evo 4G Tuesday, although the carrier is allowing early downloads. [From: Engadget]
- At least one nation has cleared Google in the global Street View scandal, as Great Britain reportedly dismissed the data collection because no "meaningful personal details" were disclosed. [From: The Los Angeles Times]
- An employee of an Internet security firm decided to publish the public information of 100 million Facebook members, saying his list provides a "nice format for statistical analysis." While those folks probably should have adjusted their privacy settings, they probably don't consider his actions very "nice." [From: FOX News]
Steve Ballmer Bemoans iPad Success, Kanye Interrupts Our Twitter originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Spotify's U.S. Negotiations Stall, Fall Back to 'Square One'
 Spotify must overcome yet another hurdle before it can bring free music streaming to U.S. devices. According to a report from Billboard, negotiations between the service and major music labels have gone "back to square one." Insiders, in general, have two divergent theories as to what held back the talks. Some claim that Spotify is insistent upon implementing a carbon copy of its European model, whereby users can listen to music for free, and then pay to upgrade. Labels, rumor has it, aren't so keen on having a new, non-revenue-earning streaming service on the market. Others, meanwhile, say the dispute simply boils down to money; Spotify's reportedly raised a good amount of cash from venture capitalists, and record companies may be demanding a greater slice of the pie.
Spotify's been trying to crack the American market for a while now -- so long, in fact, that the saga has even spawned its very own Tumblr, dubbed 'Not-ify.' And, with this latest setback, the negotiations are sure to drag on for even longer. If you're tired of waiting, though, All Things Digital recommends that you check out some alternatives currently available to U.S. users. (Spotify, in some ways, is the granddad of them all, but, because of import issues, each now shines for different reasons.) Rhapsody, MOG, Rdio and Thumbplay are a few of the $10-a-month options, and there's always Best Buy's Napster for those looking to save $5 a month on music. That should be able to tide you over until Spotify finally arrives -- or until the deal falls apart for good. [From: Billboard; via: AllThingsDigital]Continue reading Spotify's U.S. Negotiations Stall, Fall Back to 'Square One' Filed under: Web Spotify's U.S. Negotiations Stall, Fall Back to 'Square One' originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Redbox Taking $1.50 Blu-ray Rentals Nationwide
We're sure you're familiar with Redbox's kiosks, which offer DVD rentals for $1, and can often be found on your way out the door of your local mega-mart. Now the company is updating its services to offer high-def Blu-ray rentals. Of course, the HD discs will set you back slightly more than the $1 DVDs, but, at $1.50, the price bump is hardly a deal breaker. Roughly half of the company's 26,000 kiosks are now offering the Blu-ray rentals, and the remaining machines are scheduled to be upgraded by the fall.
Even though discs are going the way of MySpace -- as streaming services from Netflix, Blockbuster and even Hulu are replacing traditional rentals and DVD purchases -- plenty still get their video fix from a disc. While we're sure Redbox customers appreciate the HD option, renters had better not get too cozy; the company hopes to rapidly shift to streaming video in order to be a competitor, and not a relic of a bygone, disc-laden era. [From: Engadget]Filed under: Audio/Video, TV, Playroom Redbox Taking $1.50 Blu-ray Rentals Nationwide originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
YouTube Extends Time Limit for Videos, Gives Users a Full 15 Minutes of Fame
 The days of YouTube's 10-minute upload limit are officially over, as the site has decided to give users a chance at a real 15 minutes of fame. In a recent blog post, YouTube explained that the move to extend the time limit of non-partner videos came as a response to overwhelming user demand. It was only after the site was able to better refine its ContentID copyright protection system, though, that it felt comfortable giving users an extra five minutes of face time.
People who have already posted videos that were rejected for being too long can now re-upload them, but will have to delete the original versions before doing so. And, to celebrate the new policy, YouTube is offering 15 minutes of fame to any user who tags his or her video with 'yt15minutes.' After August 4th, YouTube will select a "handful" of tagged videos for spotlit display on its homepage. This is your chance, as the site says, to put your own "enduring stamp" on the Internet. So don't blow it. [From: YouTube, via: Engadget]Filed under: Web, Playroom YouTube Extends Time Limit for Videos, Gives Users a Full 15 Minutes of Fame originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Dieters That Use Online Weight Loss Programs Keep Pounds Off, Study Says
As we can tell you, spending all day plopped in front of your computer can have pretty devastating effects on your physicality. According to a new study, though, logging onto the Web, under certain circumstances, can actually help people drop a few extra pounds.
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente recently found that, when overweight patients used an online weight-loss support group, they increased their chances of staying active and controlling their weight. In the federally funded study (.PDF), Kaiser's team examined a sample of 348 overweight or obese individuals who'd recently lost an average of 19 pounds after going through a formal weight loss program. Each individual's goal, then, was to maintain his or her post-diet weight. In order to help them along, the researchers gave them access to a specially designed website, where subjects could record their food intake, weight levels and daily amounts of exercise. Patients were also able to pose questions to nutritionists and fitness experts, and could engage with fellow program participants along the way.Continue reading Dieters That Use Online Weight Loss Programs Keep Pounds Off, Study Says Filed under: Web Dieters That Use Online Weight Loss Programs Keep Pounds Off, Study Says originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
'Congress' App Brings Voting Records and Political Tweets to Android
There is more than one political junkie on the Switched staff, and the lot of us get pretty excited whenever we see a cool app that makes it easier to keep on top of the happenings in Washington. iPhone owners already have a host of options for tracking Congress, but, until now, Android users have been largely left in a lurch. Thanks to the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to government transparency, that has changed.
The simply entitled 'Congress' app puts almost any information you could possibly desire at your fingertips, delivering your representative's contact information, voting record and Twitter handle. While you can manually search for a particular congressperson from the home screen, you can also set the app to pull up your district's elected rep using GPS.Continue reading 'Congress' App Brings Voting Records and Political Tweets to Android Filed under: Cell Phones, Downloads, Web 'Congress' App Brings Voting Records and Political Tweets to Android originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
FTC's 'Do Not Call' List Hits 200-Million Mark, but Telemarketers Still Call
 Back in 2003, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) put the clamps on the telemarketing industry by creating a nationwide Do Not Call registry. This list faced some stiff opposition at the time (from telemarketing companies, of course), but today the proof's in the pudding. Seven years later, according to Ars Technica, the list now totals 200 million phone numbers. If a telemarketing company ignores this list and calls a registrant, the person can file a complaint with the FTC, which will then drop its regulatory hammer. The FTC has settled about 60 complaints since 2003, and the largest one cost the offending telemarketing company $5.3 million in penalties.
If you're tired of having your dinner interrupted by calls about vinyl siding or credit card debt, you can place your name on the Do Not Call registry by visiting the FTC's website. The list applies to land lines (for the few that still have them) and cell phones, too. While it's great that the FTC has made such a concerted effort to protect our phone lines from scammers, we're hesitant to give the agency too much credit. After all, telemarketers are still calling us. The companies that aren't calling have probably just moved on to greener pastures anyway -- like our e-mail inboxes. [From: Ars Technica and FTC]Filed under: Cell Phones FTC's 'Do Not Call' List Hits 200-Million Mark, but Telemarketers Still Call originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
HAL 9000 Gets Its Own Screensaver, Russian Hardware Prints You
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.
- Give your computer (Macs only) that Kubrick touch with the HAL 9000 screensaver, though we don't know why you would. [From: HAL 9000 Screensaver]
- BoingBoing highlights Lenpolygrafmash, a Russian company that creates fascinatingly rugged printers, scanners and USB gadgets. [From: BoingBoing]
- Neatorama links to one of photography's longest exposures (34 months). Taken by Michael Wesely, it captures the renovation of the Museum of Modern Art. [From: Neatorama]
- Sound editor Richard King breaks down the sound design of several scenes from Christopher Nolan's 'Inception.' [From: Vimeo]
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.
HAL 9000 Gets Its Own Screensaver, Russian Hardware Prints You originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Twitter Users Aren't Interested in Supporting Your Brand
Bad news, Evil Corporations: Twitter tweeps aren't your shills! A study by digital marketing agency 360i reveals that only a sliver of consumer tweets forward branding messages. It notes that "more than 90-percent of tweets originate from consumers -- and only 8-percent are authored by marketers." Conversely, only 12-percent of all tweets mention a brand. (Click here for the full PDF report.)
When tweets do mention a brand, they're usually talking about digital culture, with the top five mentions being Twitter itself, Apple, Google, YouTube and Microsoft. Those brand mentions are usually informational in nature (e.g., "French Politicians Ban Twitter From Heated Legislative Debate"), or about using the brand in question, while about "one-fifth of tweets mentioning brands demonstrate an outward opinion of the brand."Continue reading Twitter Users Aren't Interested in Supporting Your Brand Filed under: Social Networking Twitter Users Aren't Interested in Supporting Your Brand originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Implantable Glucose Sensor Successful in Pigs, Diabetic Humans Next
 Thanks to new research, diabetics could one day have a long-term solution to glucose monitoring. According to Technology Review, researchers implanted glucose sensors in pigs, and have concluded that they worked successfully for two years. Now, David Gough, the bioengineer who founded the company behind the pig experiment, GlySens, is petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve his invention for testing in humans. If approved, this device, which has a diameter of 3 centimeters and is about 1-centimeter thick, could change the lives of diabetics.
There are other implantable glucose-monitoring devices available to diabetics, but each one must be connected via a wire to a processing unit, which has to be carried by the person and replaced every week or so. Gough's model is unique. The sensor, which would be implanted in the chest, measures glucose levels in tissue, and sends the data to a wireless receiver (like a cell phone or compute), thereby eliminating the need to continually test blood sugar. If the human trials are permitted and yield similarly successful results, this sensor could be a long-term solution for diabetes sufferers.Continue reading Implantable Glucose Sensor Successful in Pigs, Diabetic Humans Next Implantable Glucose Sensor Successful in Pigs, Diabetic Humans Next originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
New ATM Hack Turns Cash Machines Into Jackpots
 The ubiquitous ATM has quickly become a favorite, and often easy, target for hackers looking to make a quick buck. At the Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas, security researcher Barnaby Jack recently demonstrated a pair of hacks that allowed him to force an ATM to literally spit cash at him like he'd hit the jackpot on a slot machine. In the demonstration, Jack attacked ATMs from Triton and Tranax, but he said that he had successfully tried the methods on two other brands of machines, as well.
The first attack involved accessing a Tranax model over a network (although it could also theoretically be done on the Internet via dial-up) and bypassing the ATM's authentication systems. Once inside, Jack installed malware that can either collect account numbers and PINs, or simply force the machine to spit out cash with a specially coded card. For his follow-up act, Jack opened the front of a Triton machine, inserted a USB drive loaded with similar malware, and watched as it automatically infected the ATM. The attack on the Triton is particularly unnerving, since it demonstrates that many ATMs use the same key to unlock the access panel (much like filing cabinets). That key can easily be purchased on the Internet for around $10.Continue reading New ATM Hack Turns Cash Machines Into Jackpots Filed under: Computers New ATM Hack Turns Cash Machines Into Jackpots originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Games On the Go: Flash Titles for the Musically Inclined (or Inspired)
Music is all around us. It drifts in and out of our lives, piped into elevators, blasted through the stereo systems of passing cars, and idly played on our MP3 players as we go about our day. But how engaged are we with it? For something as remarkable as music, it can easily become another part of the auditory static of the everyday. While some people may take for granted the music in video games, the two mediums have always shared a keen relationship, from the classic 8-bit melodies that have inspired entire genres of music to the explosion of rhythm- and music-based games including 'Rock Band' and 'Guitar Hero.' Today, we'll look at some music-centric games that will make your ears stand at attention. Continue reading Games On the Go: Flash Titles for the Musically Inclined (or Inspired) Filed under: Video Games, Columns Games On the Go: Flash Titles for the Musically Inclined (or Inspired) originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Online Gambling Ban Gets Reconsidered by Congress
 In the midst of our cash-strapped economy, the federal government is now looking into legalizing online gambling. The New York Times reports that the House Financial Services Committee approved a bill that would allow "online poker and other nonsports betting, overturning a 2006 federal ban," which was mostly ineffective in the first place. The Times notes that the bill would have the Treasury Department regulate online gambling businesses, while a second measure would have the IRS tax the operations. Supporters claim those taxes could pull in $42 billion over ten years.
But the bills aren't near passing, and have a legion of detractors, ranging from casinos and American Indian tribes to Republican congressmen who say that there is a bitter irony in blasting Wall Street's unfettered expenditures while promoting at-home gambling. Representative Barney Frank, leader of the Financial Service Committee and supporter of the bill, has said, "Some adults will spend their money foolishly, but it is not the purpose of the federal government to prevent them legally from doing it."Continue reading Online Gambling Ban Gets Reconsidered by Congress Filed under: Web Online Gambling Ban Gets Reconsidered by Congress originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Abstinence Avatar Game Teaches Kids How to Avoid Sex, 'Winning' Is Really Losing
Now, this is exactly what we've been yearning for: a video game that teaches us how to be abstinent. With avatars. Because real gamers usually have dates galore, right? Researchers at the University of Central Florida have created just such a game, in the hopes of encouraging kids to avoid kissing and making out and stuff. "Players" must wear a motion-capture suit, equipped with special infrared receptors, which control the movement of his or her avatar on the screen. To "succeed" at the game means completely avoiding sexual advances from the opposite sex. Researchers will begin testing the game on targeted after-school students, and are hoping to have it ready to roll by Spring 2011. Oh, and it only cost $434,000 worth of taxpayer money to create.
In an interview with FOX News' Orlando affiliate, professor and research leader Anne Norris said the game would provide Florida's hormonal with "a place to practice where there aren't any social consequences." (Witness the bizarre mating, or non-mating, dance after the jump.) Since the morality is weaved into a video game platform, Norris believes teens will find it easier to pick up valuable social skills. "A boy similar in age might approach the person playing the game and ask her to make out or there might be some sexual innuendo," Norris explained. Wow. That sounds like a really tough situation. Or, as most of the world would call it, "the best day of your teenage life." [From: FOXOrlando, via: Joystiq and The Awl]Continue reading Abstinence Avatar Game Teaches Kids How to Avoid Sex, 'Winning' Is Really Losing Filed under: Video Games, Back to School Abstinence Avatar Game Teaches Kids How to Avoid Sex, 'Winning' Is Really Losing originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
