Filed under: Computers, Advice, Top Lists, MySpace Everyone's doing it - over 40 percent of U.S. singles are finding matches online. That's more than 40 million single Americans cruising the Internet looking for love (based on census results that say there are over 100 million single Americans). So the Internet must be a great place to find true love, right? Not so fast. While online dating can be a great way to find someone new, dating sites are littered with scam artists, cheaters, and straight-up liars. Now, this doesn't mean you should avoid online dating altogether -- just don't believe everything you see out there. In order to help sort out the winners from the losers, we've compiled a list of the top five types of online daters you should definitely avoid, along with some tips to help you save some heartache. Be careful out there, and good luck!1. LiarsIn a recent survey, it was found that most online profiles contain some sort of lie, whether it's the person's age or -- in some cases -- relationship status. White lies -- adding an inch to height or dropping a couple pounds -- are the most common and not a big deal to most people.Consider these facts according to the April 2007 issue of Proceedings of Computer/Human Interaction:About 52.6 percent of men lie about their height, as do 39 percent of women.Slightly more women lie about their weight (64.1 percent) than men (60.5 percent).When it comes to age, 24.3 percent men lie compared with 13.1 percent of women.When it comes to misrepresenations of age or relationship status, be careful or you could get seriously burned. In one recent case, a woman met a man on a popular dating site with whom she immediately hit it off. She even put her life on hold to go with him to Dubai when he was transferred for work. Eleven months into the relationship, she came across an e-mail -- from his son! What's more, the e-mail said something about "Mom" saying hi. In one fell swoop, our poor girl found out the man she met online was not only a father -- he was married! She moved back to the United States and has given up on online dating since.How to Avoid Them:Ask questions. Though it may be listed on someone's profile, someone's age is fair game in the questions department, so feel free to ask your potential date how old (or young!) they are. You may find that 35 suddenly becomes 42. While you don't want to ask too many questions and scare the person away, it's perfectly fair to verify the big things: age, weight, height, and -- most of all -- whether or not that person is, in fact, single. Half the time, people lie on their profiles to get people interested -- nine times out of ten, someone will level with you about their stats once you show some real interest, since they know they might have a chance of meeting you in person. Next >>  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, TVIs Blockbuster doomed to go the way of the dodo and Betamax? Crave, the gadget blog from the tech-obsessed at CNet seem to think so.Massive layoffs are in the cards at Blockbuster, as revenue slid almost 6 percent in the 3rd quarter, stock prices are down to an anemic $5.06, and 526 stores have been closed in the last year. It appears that Netflix has not only put a chink in Blockbuster's armor but given it a flesh eating virus.Blockbuster managed to put pressure on Netflix with lower prices, but all the focus on destroying the pioneer of DVD rentals via mail has taken an even worse toll on Blockbuster.Consumer familiarity with Netflix and its streaming films have proven too much for Blockbuster to battle. Blockbuster chairman Jim Keyes has even admitted that the focus on Netflix has damaged the company. He has decided to move the focus of the company to just increasing overall membership but it might be too late. Like the traditional print media outlets barely scraping by in this new online economy, Blockbuster may be staring death in the face.From CraveRelated links:Netflix Customer Service Drops E-Mail In Favor of Real PeopleNetflix "View It Now" Service Hacked - Users Downloading MoviesNetflix Subscriptions Drop, Despite Price Cut Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, iPodFor many, not having a music player for their morning roam to the coffee shop would make the trip unbearable. We can relate. So, it's with sympathetic hearts that we report on the banning of music players for those who are making more serious trips: marathon runners. Yes, due to a few different concerns, long-distance runners, like those from Sunday's New York Marathon, are being asked to do their running in silence -- or at least accompanied only by the sounds of feet on the pavement. The primary concern that led to this new rule was safety -- a runner who can't hear an approaching truck is at an even more distinct disadvantage against said truck than one who can. Another concern was that runners with music players might actually be able to gain an advantage over those who would not, perhaps being able to listen to songs that help them to maintain a pace or gain a little extra jolt of inspiration. ('Top Gun' soundtrack, anyone?)Not mentioned in the list of concerns was anything related to being struck by lightning thanks to carrying an iPod, which is a lot more likely to happen than any of you seeing any of us Switched staffers appearing in any marathon anytime soon.From GearlogRelated Links: Lightning Strikes iPod-Wearing Jogger iPhone: Is it "the Best iPod Ever?" Cell Phone Battery Explodes, Kills Worker  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, Google, iPhoneWell after months, -- nay, years of rumors the Google Phone (or gPhone) is upon us... almost. On a conference call this afternoon, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google; Andy Rubin founder of Danger, the company behind the Sidekick and founder of Android, a mobile software company gobbled up by Google; and representatives of Motorola, HTC, T-Mobile, and many others revealed an open-source mobile platform that may actually, finally, live up to the title "iPhone Killer."Today's announcement was not the unveiling of an actual gPhone, but the announcement of a mobile platform, called Android, to be used by the 33 companies that make up what is called the Open Handset Alliance.The Android mobile OS is built on Linux and comes packagedwith a user friendly interface and applications. In addition, the open nature of Android means plenty of powerful third-party applications will follow.The software will be made freely available within a week and we can expect to see phones sporting the OS in the second half of 2008. Part of the draw of Android is a "very robust HTML web browser," according to Eric Schmidt, likely based on Firefox.Schmidt also left the door open on the question of whether Google is still planning on developing its own branded cell phone. "We're not announcing anything, but this is THE (perfect) platform for building a gPhone." Oh Google, will you ever stop playing coy?Contrary to speculation, the platform will not be completely ad-driven (note the "completely"). Instead we expect Google is hoping that by giving away a full-featured OS with a "very robust" browser they can draw more users to their web services where they will be served advertisements.Using Android will save handset makers money that would normally be used on purchasing licenses for Symbian or Windows Mobile, or for developing their own platform. We can only hope that this will allow them to spend more on phone hardware or cut the price of the handsets.Android sounds promising, but only time will tell if Google has another Gmail on its hands, or a failure like its lagging social network Orkut.From EngadgetRelated links:Google Plans to Digitize Your Medical Records Gmail Overhaul on the Way?Coming Soon -- The Fully Customizable Linux Phone Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers It's a little early in the product life to declare Windows Home Server a failure or a success yet, but this holiday season is shaping up to be the first real test of its market viability. Windows Home Sever is an offshoot of the company's enterprise platform for Web and file hosting designed with consumer in mind. Essentially, it's a system that will automatically backup several computers connected to a home network, as well as allow for easy sharing of music, videos, files, and printers -- even from remote locations via the Web. Microsoft's pitch is that the Home Server will have a painless, dummy-proof set-up and interface, and early reviews confirm that this is in fact what Microsoft will provide when the first models show up in time for the holidays. Hardware vendors have started loading the niche OS on bare-bones PCs with copious amounts of storage to lure in the media hungry masses in this age of P2P file sharing. And just in time for Chrisma-Hanu-Kwaanza, the big guys are unveiling their entries into this market. Even companies whose business is usually storage are trying to get in on the ground floor. Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Iomega, LaCie, Leo Computers, LifeWare, Maxdata, Medion, Tranquil, Velocity Micro, and HP are all launching, or re-launching boxes with the Home Server platform installed. Systems are expected to cost in the $500-$700 range.The question is whether there is a big enough market for a consumer-oriented server. Setting up a server is a simple enough process that most power users could have one set up in a matter of hours, without shelling out for specialized hardware or software. The average consumer is still intimidated by the idea and skeptical of the need, though anybody who downloads a lot of video and music or uploads their own pictures -- and also lives in a household with other computer users -- could certainly use a home server.It remains to be seen whether or not Microsoft can do for home servers what the iPod did for digital music players. Unless the company can simplify its story of what a home server actually does and why the average consumer needs it, it may end up achieving a more modest, non-revolutionary success a la Apple TV.Meanwhile, La Cie just released the much less expensive Ethernet Disk Mini ($200), which is getting rave reviews so far.From Engadget Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, E-Mail AddictionThe ever-shrinking right to privacy that we Americans enjoy could be dealt another blow sooner than we all think. On October 8, 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati granted the U.S. Government a full-panel hearing to take another look at citizens' rights of privacy for what they're calling "stored electronic communications" (see a definition of that term in the link). In short, they're described as "any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photooptical system."Basically, the case looks at what is considered a "reasonable expectation of privacy", and whether or not e-mail, since it is transmitted over Wi-Fi and other networks, is actually public. Meanwhile, e-mail is also broadcast to an ISP (your service provider) and then distributed to other ISPs. In other words, the government seems to think that they have the right to listen in on your e-mail conversations whenever they please, because you are, by definition, "broadcasting" them.Normally, e-mail would be protected under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which was intended to extend wiretap laws to e-mail. The US Government, however, is arguing that because E-mail is "broadcast", it's no longer private.While government monitoring of e-mail could be construed as a reasonable attempt to harbor crime like terrorist plots and exchanges of child pornography, the notion that the FBI can call up any e-mail record at any time is, at best, disheartening.So what do you think? Should we expect our e-mail to be private, or do we give up that right the second wehit the "Send" button? From The RegisterRelated Links:FBI Gets Caught Digging Too Deep New Chinese ID Cards Contain Ethnicity, Religion, and More The FBI's Spyware: Is it Watching You?  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, BlackBerry, E-Mail Addiction They may be illegal, but cell phone jammers are becoming more and more popular. These devices, which can cost as little as $50 and be as small as a pack of cigarettes, work by sending out strong radio waves that interfere with cell phone antennas, resulting in a "No Signal" warning on the phone.According to the New York Times, overseas exporters of the cell zapping boxes say shipments to the U.S. have increased recently. They've been shipping hundreds every month to owners of hair salons, restaurants, theaters, and even annoyed commuters who just want some peace and quiet.The FCC and cell phone providers, like Verizon, have recently stepped up efforts to track down and punish not only retailers, but also the users of cell phone jammers -- first-time offenders can be fined up to $11,000. Some might think this a small price to pay for getting that yappy teen in the movie theater to shut up, but we're not quite ready to cough up that much money for a little silence.From The New York Times (via Consumerist)Related Links:Zap Impolite Cell Callers Laser Jammer - 10 Essential Road Trip Gadgets  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Advice, Interviews, Celebrities, MySpace, YouTube, Switched Video You live your life online -- and anyone can read it. Should employers be able to troll your Facebook or MySpace page? Or should everything that you put online be accessible to anyone, anywhere? With increasingly popular social networking sites aggregating unprecedented volumes of personal data, the age-old issue of online privacy is once again rearing its ugly head. We ask NYU professor and social networking expert Clay Shirky (watch the full interview with Clay Shirky here) where to draw the line between personal and public online.Related Links:Mo Rocca Tells All on Baring It All Your Hard Drive is Spying On You How to Back Up Your Hard Drive Online  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersIgnoring, for a moment, the deep irony to be found in the fact that Americans spend their money on USB devices shaped like food, while 90% of the world can't get their families their daily five grains of rice without walking sixteen miles in the desert, behold the newest in food-based storage: the Doughnut drive. And if you want to take the Homer Simpson approach, you can get one for just $3.63 -- as long as you buy 500 of them. See Vavolo.com for a smorgesbord of storage-based food items. Mmmm....USB doughnuts. From GeeksugarRelated Links:Make Donuts in Less than Six Minutes! Tiny Hard Drive with Huge Capacity  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  The impact of Halo 3's September 25th launch has been reverberating for a month strong now, and besides record sales and sore thumbs, the game has also produced countless forum posts, blog entries, and other content from the online faithful. Our personal favorite is the Halo-3-inspired video, and there are plenty of robust genres available - we love a good pwnage (definition) or grenade toss clip, but we're especially partial to those that make Master Chief (the game's main character) dance. And sing. And generally become much more hilarious, despite certain incompatibilities (um, see above). So here are our picks for the best pop music spoofs of Halo 3 thus far, complete with music video evidence.Next >> Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video GamesWe thought that the AARP catered to the elderly, not gorillas. But judging from this video on how to play video games, we were wrong. This is what you can learn from the AARP 'How to Play Video Games' Video:There are different "boxes" Then you have a controller "The controller actually controls..." Pushing the buttons on a controller while someone else holds it and you feign interest is "a lot of fun" Seniors watching this video have gotten a lesson, but in how to be patronizing, not how to play video games. Perhaps they should have clarified what the "boxes" really are. Or shown you how to put a game in the "boxes." Perhaps explained how to hook up the "boxes." Or even just walk through a bit of game play as opposed to the three seconds of 'This is Sponge Bob. Pushing the controller makes him move. Isn't this fun Mary?'Your grandkids could do a better job of explaining. Our favorite part is the supposed transcript of the video. It's so far off we can only assume that the AARP employs some of its hard-of-hearing seniors to do the transcription.What do you think? Is this video game lesson too simplistic or are we being too harsh? Related Links:Nintendo Targets Women and Grandparents Scholarship Gives Cash to Teens Who Help Seniors  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Top Lists, iPod, iPhoneTrying to predict what Apple will do, or how its every product will affect the market place and how we use technology, is quite a sport.. Everyone needs to get in on the action, Engadget, Gizmodo, even we here at Switched aren't above reporting every tiny rumor concerning the "alternative" computer company.A side effect of all this Apple-prediction frenzy? Sometimes, people miss the mark. By quite a bit. Which is why Wired has compiled its list of the 15 dumbest Apple predictions.One big example is when Michael Dell (of Dell Computer) said Apple should merely "shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders," in 1997, a year before the return of Jobs and the release of the iMac that led to the company's slow painful climb back to relevance. To be fair, not all the predictions were dumb, at least in the most classic sense of the word.For example, Matthew Lynn of Bloomberg said that, "the iPhone is nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks." The iPhone sure is popular, but it's only really had an impact at the upper end of the market place. People who normally spend $400 on a fancy smart phone are buying it, not the people who take whatever comes free with their plan. 'Time' magazine "Invention of the Year" or not, the iPhone still qualifies it as a "luxury bauble."Some of the prognosticating turned out to be outright absurd, however, like Robert Paul Leitlao's prediction that by the end of 1999 gamers would have flocked to the Mac. Or that the AppleTV would have a similar cultural impact as the iPod. Oh, and there's more. Check out the article on Wired for the full list.From WiredRelated Links:Does the Media Love Apple Too Much iPhone Nano: Is it Coming or What? New iMacs? New iPhone @Home Tablet? Rumor: Apple Navigation System for Cars?  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Video GamesWe're all familiar with force feedback at this point, a technology usually associated with video games that allows you to feel every bump, jerk, and hit in a video game through the vibrating joy stick or even vest. Now researchers at MIT are adopting the technology to help us learn and perfect motions based on a teacher's instruction.In an example explored by Wired, a boxing student could be learning to throw the perfect jab. The student's elbow keeps popping out as opposed to staying tucked in as it should. So the instructor dons a motion-capture suit and records himself throwing that desired punch. The teacher's correct movements are then "played back" on the force-feedback suit that the student then dons. Tiny vibrations on his arm indicate the correct movement for the punch and guides his elbow back in.One of the perks of this according to researchers is that the force feedback effects our motor functions unconsciously, so that replicating the jab requires no effort or thought once learned. The suit increased learning rates by 23 percent and reduced errors by 27 percent among its student subjects, but it still seems to have a long way to go before it becomes a practical teaching tool.From WiredRelated Links:Scientists Use 8 Playstation 3s to Study Gravity The Defense Department's New Robot Dogs A Scientific Formula for the Perfect Breasts  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersBack in August, we reported on a new form of spam that was sweeping inboxes around the world: the use of PDF attachments to hide product pitches from spam filters. That seeming flood of spammy attachments was apparently more of a wave, which passed quickly and seemed to be gone. But now the PDF spam scourge is back, with hundreds of thousands of these attachment e-mails being received over the past few weeks. And, troublingly, the PDF attachments in those e-mails are infected with viruses that can lead to trouble down the line for your computer (and your personal information).If opened, the PDFs use a flaw in the Acrobat Reader PDF viewer that enables the sender to install so-called malicious software, or malware. This malware actually goes out and downloads, then installs, other malware from other machines. Thankfully these programs don't appear to actually impact or corrupt the files on your machine, but they can be used to send that personal data to someone, and can also be used to turn your computer into a so-called zombie, which means it can be controlled remotely to participate in the sorts of attacks that were levied against Estonia in May.So, as always, watch those attachments. If you don't know what the PDF contains or who sent it, don't open it.From Network WorldRelated Links: Spammers' New Methods of Deception Uncovered Cyber Attacks in Eastern Europe The Top Five E-Mail Scams  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments