10Mar/100
Lohan Suing E-Trade Over Talking Baby, Cisco Launches ‘Internet-Changing’ Routers
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- Despite having appeared in only one movie since 2007 (and a TV one at that), Lindsay Lohan apparently believes that her first name carries similar star power to those of Oprah, Cher, and Madonna. LiLo is suing E-Trade for the ridiculous sum of $100 million because of a commercial that featured a "milkaholic" baby named Lindsay. But, give the poor girl a break. She has a serious crack, er, crackberry addiction for which she gravely needs to seek help. [From: Entertainment Weekly]
- Cisco is claiming that an upgrade to its routing system will "forever change the Internet" by providing speeds up to 12-times faster than those of its competitors. But, before people start celebrating an instant Internet, we have to point out that those heightened speeds really won't affect average consumers without numerous other upgrades. [From: Geekosystem and Business Insider]
- The PSN's Black Monday meltdown may soon be forgotten, or at least forgiven. Sony has announced that PlayStation owners will have exclusive access to streaming HD movies from all six major studios. Some of the currently available (to rent or own) blockbuster titles include 'Star Trek,' 'District 9,' and 'Inglourious Basterds.' [From: Engadget]
- In 2005, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a measure that would label all pornography sites with a .xxx domain name. For some reason, family advocacy groups bewailed the move (even though it would've made blocking porn significantly easier), but ICANN will apparently reconsider the porn domain signifier at a gathering this week in Kenya. [From: Ars Technica]
- EMI was the focus of the one of the greatest corporate "eat it" songs of all time (although maybe not the greatest), as the Sex Pistols (and others) lambasted the company for placing more importance on money and fame than on music. Pink Floyd is also challenging EMI (this time legally in court) over financial issues related to online royalties and the online sales of individual songs. [From: Reuters]
- The future is finally and officially here! The world's first commercially available jetpack is now on sale, and the decades-old science fiction standby will only cost a paltry $86,000. The packs, which are produced by New Zealand company Martin Aircraft, can provide high-flying futuristic awesomeness for a full 30 minutes.That's only about three grand a minute! [From: Tech Radar]
Lohan Suing E-Trade Over Talking Baby, Cisco Launches 'Internet-Changing' Routers originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
8Mar/100
A Geeky Night at the Oscars, Obama’s Mission to Mars
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- Ben Stiller frequently steals the spotlight at the Oscars with ridiculous costumes and zany routines. At this year's ceremony, though, his passionate love for the Na'vi from 'Avatar' apparently overpowered his desire for laughs. Stiller dressed as a blue-hued humanoid in a hilariously uncomfortable routine honoring James Cameron's epic. [From: Geekosystem]
- Miley Cyrus and Keanu Reaves weren't the only personalities to elicit an Oscars' "What are they doing here?" moment last night. Apparently, Apple CEO and Disney-majority-shareholder Steve Jobs (or his Hollywood doppelganger) was spotted schmoozing on the red carpet. [From: CNET]
- President Obama received some nerdy criticism when news leaked last month that NASA's return to the moon would suffer from impending budget cuts. The President will reportedly address that budget situation in April, when he is expected to outline plans for an eventual trip to Mars. [From: Reuters]
- Gamers with Macs are receiving two tidbits of awesome, and, in one case, long overdue news. Valve's 'Portal 2' will actually be available for Macs when it's released this coming fall. The social gaming network Steam, which has hundreds of downloadable titles, is also reported to be coming to Macs for the first time. [From: TUAW]
- Android phones are now available from all four major wireless carriers: AT&T has officially released its Motorola Backflip, and it costs $99.99 (after mail-in rebate) with a two-year plan. [From: Engadget]
A Geeky Night at the Oscars, Obama's Mission to Mars originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
4Mar/100
Nat’l Broadband Rumored to Cost $25 Billion, Twitter to Hit 10 Billion Tweets
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- The FCC is expected to present its national broadband plan to Congress this month, and the program will reportedly cost $25 billion. The FCC is hoping to help finance the proposition by auctioning frequencies, or "underutilized spectrums," to various wireless broadband services. [From: Yahoo! News]
- Twitter users tweeted more than a billion times during Twitter's first two years of existence. That number has escalated astronomically over the last year, as the site is characters away from the 10-billion-tweet milestone. [From: Textually]
- Video game movies have become quite pedestrian and predominantly disappointing of late, but Warner Bros. is reportedly in the process of adapting an unexpected classic to the big screen. Despite the game's lack of plot, story line or protagonist, the studio is apparently developing a celluloid version of 'Space Invaders.' [From: The Los Angeles Times]
- Google is the star of numerous conspiracy theories. Among them are claims that the site stores details about users' activities, that its auto-match feature is biased, and that its PageRank system is skewed to favor certain companies. According to Google research head Peter Norvig, though, the PageRank claims, at least, are overblown. He says the "over-hyped" feature is not internally considered to be a "big factor" in search results. [From: The Register]
- Air-traffic controllers work in incredibly stressful environments and have to rely on quick wits and experience when faced with extreme circumstances. According to New York Magazine, one JFK controller, though, apparently deemed it acceptable to allow minors to directly communicate with and guide in-flight pilots. Despite at least one of the kids doing an "awesome job," both the controller and his supervisor have been suspended. [From: New York Magazine]
- The United States and various other organizations recently criticized the Afghan government's apparent practice of censoring Taliban-related Web material. Afghan officials have now said they are not specifically censoring the Taliban, nor its Alemarah site, but that they are targeting sexual, violent and drug-related content in order to "stop the seduction of the youth generation." [From: Yahoo! News]
Nat'l Broadband Rumored to Cost $25 Billion, Twitter to Hit 10 Billion Tweets originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2Mar/100
Children’s Advocates Decry ChatRoulette, Apple Sues HTC
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- ChatRoulette, the spontaneous online video interaction service, has exploded in popularity but has also given rise to an epidemic of exaggeration and hyperbole. Worried that children will be exposed to sexual deviants, various organizations are labeling the site as a "predator's paradise." But, there's one easy solution to that troubling possibility: monitor and restrict your child's Internet usage! [From: FOX News]
- Back in October, Apple sued Nokia over patent infringement issues, and now the pride of Cupertino, California is setting its sights on HTC. Apple is reportedly suing the company over 20 specific patents, because, as CEO Steve Jobs declared, "competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours." Pwnd. [From: Engadget]
- Asus has officially unveiled its DR-900 e-reader, and the model features a 9-inch touchscreen and 4 gigabytes of storage. The company is expected to release price and availability information soon. [From: Engadget]
- Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series has been building hype since being announced at Mobile World Congress, but the new OS has alienated at least one portion of the company's customer base. HTC's gorgeous HD2 smartphone apparently won't be eligible for a Windows 7 software upgrade because it has too many buttons. [From: APC]
- The Internet obviously revolutionized the smut industry. The Web, though, is also apparently damaging the porn biz through the proliferation of video sharing sites, where freeloaders upload unauthorized content. Steven Hirsch, the founder of Vivid Entertainment, asserted, "This is the worst I've seen in this industry in 25 years." [From: USA Today]
- Twitter played an integral role in assessing and covering the damage from the Haitian earthquake, and Chileans also turned to the site after their nation experienced a similar disaster. Chile reportedly ranks fourth in the world in terms of social networking activity, and those networkers immediately utilized Twitter to spread vital information about injured and missing victims, relief areas, food, water, and transportation. [From: USA Today]
- This winter has been intensely polarizing for Twitter, as its instrumental and positive role in the response to the Haitian and Chilean earthquakes has been somewhat offset by incessant direct message scams. The latest scheme involves the de facto technique of enticing users to click on a fake link that directs them to a phony Twitter log-in screen. [From: Mashable]
Children's Advocates Decry ChatRoulette, Apple Sues HTC originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
26Feb/100
Verizon’s Gender-Based Ads Fall Flat, Viewers Go ‘Gaga’ For Vevo
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- AdMob recently surveyed almost 1,000 smartphone owners in order to glean information pertaining to age, gender and brand choice. Despite Verizon's attempts to blatantly, and offensively, pander to women, the study's data indicates that men still make up the majority of webOS owners. Apple's gadgets successfully crossed the gender lines, though, as iPod and touch owners were pretty evenly distributed between male and female. [From: Engadget]
- Vevo is just a fledgling in the online music scene, but, according to early usage statistics, the service made an almost instant impact on the Web. More than 35 million unique visitors apparently checked out the site during its first month, but, for some ungodly reason, 25-percent of those people were there solely for the Lady Gaga vids. [From: Mashable]
- Since Verizon's gender-based Droid and webOS advertising didn't produce noticeable gains in male or female usage numbers, Palm is now saying that its overall sales numbers are also disappointing. The company's third quarter numbers were remarkably similar to those of the second quarter, back before Verizon started carrying the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. [From: Engadget]
- A Virginia federal judge has sided with Microsoft in its quest to deactivate a purported botnet army that is believed to be composed of thousands of compromised PCs. Microsoft will now be able to disable hundreds of Internet addresses linked to the network of corrupted computers, which is reportedly operated by 27 unnamed defendants. [From: FOX News]
- While Verizon and AT&T are still waging their incessant 3G ad battle, Sprint is focusing on 4G and the future. The company says that beginning in 2010 its 4G WiMAX service will be available in "many" markets, including Boston, New York and San Francisco. [From: Engadget]
Verizon's Gender-Based Ads Fall Flat, Viewers Go 'Gaga' For Vevo originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
17Feb/100
U.K. Bishops Urge Lenten ‘Tech Fast,’ U.S. Taps Ashton for Russian Geek Summit
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- Last year, a Roman Catholic bishop urged believers to give up text messaging for Lent, and, this Ash Wednesday, other religious leaders are expanding on that suggestion. Instead of encouraging church members to avoid chocolate or other trivialities, a group of English bishops has asked that Anglicans engage in a complete "technology fast" this Lenten season. [From: The Telegraph]
- The United States is dispatching a team of tech all-stars to Russia today for a week-long technology summit. The U.S. team will include Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, as well as officials from eBay, Cisco, and Mozilla. But, the U.S. is also apparently trying to surreptitiously reignite the Cold War, as mega-tweeter Ashton Kutcher is somehow included in the delegation. That should put the "Annoy" back in "A"-Bomb. [From: The Washington Post]
- Privacy advocates have criticized the use of full-body scanners in airports for several years, and now a powerful new ally has joined the crusade against the intrusive, revealing machines. The Islamic Fiqh Council of North America has urged Muslims to refuse the scanners and to instead ask for pat-down searches because "The Qu'ran has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private parts." [From: Daily Tech]
- At its debut, Google's Buzz was immediately met with criticism over privacy issues, particularly the fact that Gmail subscribers were automatically signed up for the networking service. The Electronic Privacy Information Center is now voicing its displeasure, and has complained to the Federal Trade Commission in order to inspire Google to enable an "opt-in" feature. But, unlike other social networking sites, Google has actually taken an active approach in addressing the issues. [From: NPR]
- Hulu helped revolutionize the way people watch television, and, since its introduction, seemingly every major network (that's not represented on Hulu) has attempted to create its own streaming service. HBO is now set to debut its own version of Hulu, dubbed HBO Go, which will provide HBO subscribers with three-times the amount of content that is available with HBO On Demand. [From: Business Insider]
- A group of Russian companies is attempting to construct a 759-mile underwater Baltic Sea pipeline in order to distribute natural gas to Europe, but construction has been hampered by submerged mines and bombs that still remain from WWII. A British company is addressing the explosive problem by dispatching underwater robots that can safely detonate the bombs and then clean up the resulting debris. [From: Infrastructurist]
U.K. Bishops Urge Lenten 'Tech Fast,' U.S. Taps Ashton for Russian Geek Summit originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
4Feb/100
Mexico Mulling Twitter Ban, SlingPlayer Finally Coming to the iPhone
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- Italy isn't the only nation attempting to regulate the online actions of its citizens, as Mexico is actually targeting Twitter members for proliferating clandestine messages. The government wants to crack down on Twitter because officials believe it has become an effective means for people, specifically drug dealers, to avoid police check points. [From: Global Post]
- Despite the landmark liability ruling in the United States, Italy is taking a different approach in terms of copyright infringement on the Web. The nation is reportedly initiating a plan that would hold sites like YouTube accountable and liable for the material uploaded by their users. [From: Ars Technica]
- After months of delays and negotiations, the SlingPlayer app is apparently releasing its anticipated 3G upgrade for the iPhone. The new version should be available in the App Store soon, and will enable VoIP and 3G streaming without actually crashing AT&T's network. [From: Engadget]
- The iPad may currently be receiving the overwhelming majority of the media's e-reader attention, but Amazon isn't going to just roll over for Apple. To upgrade its Kindle reader, Amazon has reportedly acquired Touchco, a startup company that, as its name indicates, focuses on touchscreen technology. [From: The New York Times]
- A federal judge in Australia has rendered a groundbreaking decision about responsibility, culpability, and illegal online downloading. Justice Dennis Cowdroy ruled this week that an ISP (specifically iiNet in this particular case) cannot be held liable for the downloading actions of its users, because "iiNet is not responsible if an iiNet user uses that system to bring about copyright infringement." [From: SMH]
Mexico Mulling Twitter Ban, SlingPlayer Finally Coming to the iPhone originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
1Feb/100
Amazon Relents After Removing Macmillan Books, Scammers Eye the iPad
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- The Macmillan publishing house is one of the largest publishing companies in the world. Because of an e-book price dispute, though, Amazon actually removed Macmillan's vast collection of titles from its Web site. The online retailer has apparently relented, though, and will allow Macmillan to charge its own set prices for bestsellers and other content. [From: The Huffington Post and Engadget and All Things Digital]
- The most important rules for avoiding Net scams are to never click on foreign links and to be particularly wary of schemes that capitalize on current trends and fears. Predictably, phishers and scam artists are now attempting to lure interested iPad shoppers with dummy links and fake Web sites. [From: The BBC]
- Foursquare is a revolutionary social networking site that actually (gasp!) tries to inspire people to meet and communicate in person. The site is now partnering with television network Bravo to create an interactive scavenger hunt experience that incorporates Bravo programming like 'The Real Housewives' and 'Top Chef.' [From: The New York Times]
- Microsoft is currently developing a cell phone camera/bar-code-reader that can scan certain tags. The so-called "hyper links in the physical world" will be located in magazines, newspapers, billboards and other mediums so that consumers can instantly access related digital material. [From: CNET]
- Consumers have downloaded over 1 billion apps from Apple's App Store but the pro-capita numbers aren't quite as staggering. According to research firm Flurry, the average iPhone owner only regularly uses between five and 10 apps. [From: The New York Times]
Amazon Relents After Removing Macmillan Books, Scammers Eye the iPad originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
1Feb/100
Amazon Relents After Removing Macmillan Books, Scammers Eye the iPad
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- The Macmillan publishing house is one of the largest publishing companies in the world. Because of an e-book price dispute, though, Amazon actually removed Macmillan's vast collection of titles from its Web site. The online retailer has apparently relented, though, and will allow Macmillan to charge its own set prices for bestsellers and other content. [From: The Huffington Post and Engadget and All Things Digital]
- The most important rules for avoiding Net scams are to never click on foreign links and to be particularly wary of schemes that capitalize on current trends and fears. Predictably, phishers and scam artists are now attempting to lure interested iPad shoppers with dummy links and fake Web sites. [From: The BBC]
- Foursquare is a revolutionary social networking site that actually (gasp!) tries to inspire people to meet and communicate in person. The site is now partnering with television network Bravo to create an interactive scavenger hunt experience that incorporates Bravo programming like 'The Real Housewives' and 'Top Chef.' [From: The New York Times]
- Microsoft is currently developing a cell phone camera/bar-code-reader that can scan certain tags. The so-called "hyper links in the physical world" will be located in magazines, newspapers, billboards and other mediums so that consumers can instantly access related digital material. [From: CNET]
- Consumers have downloaded over 1 billion apps from Apple's App Store but the pro-capita numbers aren't quite as staggering. According to research firm Flurry, the average iPhone owner only regularly uses between five and 10 apps. [From: The New York Times]
Amazon Relents After Removing Macmillan Books, Scammers Eye the iPad originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
1Feb/100
Amazon Relents After Removing Macmillan Books, Scammers Eye the iPad
Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
- The Macmillan publishing house is one of the largest publishing companies in the world. Because of an e-book price dispute, though, Amazon actually removed Macmillan's vast collection of titles from its Web site. The online retailer has apparently relented, though, and will allow Macmillan to charge its own set prices for bestsellers and other content. [From: The Huffington Post and Engadget and All Things Digital]
- The most important rules for avoiding Net scams are to never click on foreign links and to be particularly wary of schemes that capitalize on current trends and fears. Predictably, phishers and scam artists are now attempting to lure interested iPad shoppers with dummy links and fake Web sites. [From: The BBC]
- Foursquare is a revolutionary social networking site that actually (gasp!) tries to inspire people to meet and communicate in person. The site is now partnering with television network Bravo to create an interactive scavenger hunt experience that incorporates Bravo programming like 'The Real Housewives' and 'Top Chef.' [From: The New York Times]
- Microsoft is currently developing a cell phone camera/bar-code-reader that can scan certain tags. The so-called "hyper links in the physical world" will be located in magazines, newspapers, billboards and other mediums so that consumers can instantly access related digital material. [From: CNET]
- Consumers have downloaded over 1 billion apps from Apple's App Store but the pro-capita numbers aren't quite as staggering. According to research firm Flurry, the average iPhone owner only regularly uses between five and 10 apps. [From: The New York Times]
Amazon Relents After Removing Macmillan Books, Scammers Eye the iPad originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.