Filed under: Car TechWho needs Preparation H when you've got food-warming lights? Apparently those big infrared radiating bulbs are the secret to hemorrhoid relief. Hemorrhoids form when veins where the sun don't shine become inflamed. It turns out that when a concentrated form of the same infrared light used to keep Big Macs warm is shined on the affected area, for less than a second, it helps shrink the inflamed area.Doctors say the blast of heat is relatively painless, but then again, they always say that. Recovery takes about a day, then you can get back to your pre-inflamed derrière routine.From ABC7Related Links:Smart Bras Will Minimize Bounce and PainNew Super CT Scanner Could Change MedicineResearchers Kill Viruses With Lasers Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, YouTubeThe social networking phenomenon is pulling in new users and new applications every day, it seems. Add to the growing maelstrom of activity a new service from mywaves, a Sunnyvale, CA-based firm that brings even more video to mobile phone users.Now available in Nokia's content catalog -- called Download! (we like their enthusiasm and want to see more exclamation points) -- mywaves purports to make video content captured and posted by amateurs and pros alike available on a slew of channels, all for the purpose of creating social networks, similar perhaps to YouTube's channels but primarily for mobile phone users.Since its launch a year ago mywaves claims an enormous viewership, with more than 4.5 million unique visitors monthly.We logged on via our Palm Treo 755p and went straight to the "Start Cooking" channel (one of the most popular, according to the home page) to view a recipe for butternut squash soup (it's a chilly day here in New York and we want soup - don't judge). After several starts and stutters the video didn't quite play through, leaving us without a recipe and still sitting in the cold. We see the appeal of the service, though, and the interface is attractive and easy to navigate. We'll bookmark the page and return another day, and get back to you.From mywaves Related Links: Nokia Readying Unlimited Music Download ServiceFacebook Comes to the BlackBerryMobile MySpace To Launch Any Moment Now Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video Games, iPodThe iPod has hardly taken off as a gaming platform. Sure, there have been some ports of classic puzzle games, and a 'Guitar Hero' rip off, but nothing truly exhilarating. But there is proof now that Apple takes the iPod seriously as a gaming platform.Sega has ported over arguably its most classic game and character, Sonic the Hedgehog, to the iPod. Sure the idea of controlling this little blue speed demon with a scroll wheel sounds daunting, but we have faith that Sega wouldn't have released it if it wasn't playable.Sonic is available now for $4.99 from the iTunes store.From GameDailyRelated links:'Guitar Hero' for Your iPodEA Gives More Love to the iPod Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, CelebritiesHey, it looks like sometimes "stars" just aren't like "us," at least when they're flouting rules about using handheld devices on airplanes during take-off. According to TMZ, do-nothing himbo and reality star Brody Jenner -- the son of Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner and sometime love interest of Lauren Conrad on MTV's The Hills -- was kicked offof an American Airlines flight due to take off from Dallas this past Saturday. Apparently the one-time bad-boy 'Prince of Malibu' refused to turn off his handheld device, even though flight staff had asked him to. (Jenner was most likely tapping his fingers on a Sidekick, as evidenced by the pictures of his various appearances at launch parties for that iconic keyboard device, below). But Jenner was not alone -- several other passengers refused to turn off their mobiles and got obnoxious with the flight attendants. All offenders, including Jenner, were escorted off the plane by airport police.According to TMZ, charges were not pressed, and Jenner and others were rebooked on the more downscale ATA airways, which, ironically, is even more strict on the in-flight handheld ban than American, as evidenced by the fate of this poor guy.So the next time any of you reality or less-than-reality folks out there decide to send one last text message as you're taxi-ing down the runway, make sure you're nice to the flight attendants. Oh, and for the love of God, turn off your cell phones!From TMZ%Gallery-12014%Related Links:ATA Tries to Arrest Man For Using iPhone in "Airplane" ModeGift Pick: Burton Sleeper HoodieTwo-Hour New-York-Tokyo Flights Coming Soon? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Celebrities, iPod, MySpace, iPhonePart of the allure of the Internet is that it levels the playing field. Artists can put their wares out there for all to read, hear, watch etc. Sometimes, however, it's hard to pick out the diamonds in the digital rough. But their are the occasional Cinderella stories. Joining the ranks of Lily Allen as one of those stars who has risen to fame and fortune (well relative fame and fortune) through purely nontraditional means is Staten Island singer Ingrid Michaelson.Ingrid got her start playing bars and coffee shops like Martini Red and the Muddy Cup in her native Staten Island, but it was that nefarious beast MySpace that brought her to national attention. It was there that she posted tracks from her album 'Boys and Girls' and grabbed the attention of Lynn Grossman, owner of Secret Road, a music licensing and artist management company.From there it has been an unstoppable climb to the top for Ingrid, who in May was still teaching an after-school program at the Staten Island Children's Museum. First, 'Grey's Anatomy' picked up one of her songs for its soundtrack, then Gap used one of her tunes in a commercial. Now she's selling out the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and has the number two record on iTunes' pop charts. All of this happened without resorting to many of the traditional means of promotion. Ingrid has no record label, and her Bowery Ballroom show sold out with out any advertising beyond her MySpace page.But Ingrid has not let her meteoric rise go to her head. She still makes regular appearances at her old haunts when she isn't on tour, and even recognizes the fragility of her unexpected success, "I worry this is all going to disappear in a few months, and I'll have to wait tables again."From the New York TimesRelated links:50 Cent Says it's Okay for Kids to Steal MusicHacked Alicia Keys MySpace Page Could Leave You With a VirusArtists Ditching Record Labels, Offering Music for Free Online Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Car Tech, Cell Phones, Cameras, Computers, Video Games, Advice, holiday gift, Holiday Gift Guide, ReviewsYou bought gifts for everyone -- even the mailman -- except for your gadget-obsessed loved one. Problem is, he (or she) already has everything. Fret not, because we have a category in our legendary Switched Gift Guide just for you. In fact, it's called "Man / Woman Who Has Everything". Really. Check it out, and be done with this thing we call holiday shopping. Click here to get browsing >> Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, eBay, Green Tech, Gift News, Holiday Gift GuideForget past passions of online bidding for hard-to-get holiday gifts. This year the hot items you can't find are (of course) the Nintendo Wii and (surprise!) Amazon's new Kindle wireless electronic reader, which is garnering final bids of $1,000 and up on Ebay.Kindle is sparking a new fury of interest ever since Amazon sold out of all units and isn't able to deliver any more until after Christmas.The idea of e-book book readers isn't new. (Does anyone remember the Rocket eBook? One of our early favorites, indeed.) Our question: are the people bidding on Kindle going to give it as a gift or do they just want one for themselves? It is better to give than to receive.... From BetaNews Related Links: Is the Amazon Kindle Really the iPod of Books?Amazon Kindle Hacked, Leading to More E-Books for ReadersAmazon's New Kindle Displays eBooks and Newspapers Earth-Friendly Tech  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, MySpaceFile this under bad parents -- a woman in Virginia Beach, Virginia has been jailed for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, thanks to a rather tasteless video she posted on MySpace.Sandra Venery (seen in her mug-shot glory to the right) posted a clip in which she encourages her two-year-old daughter to smoke a cigarette. The video was enough to put Venery behind bars. But despite it being illegal for anyone under 18 to smoke in Virginia, it wasn't the smoking that did it. but it wasn't the smoking that did it. Rather, it was Venery's often-profane encouragement of her daughter that landed her behind bars. (The video has since been removed from MySpace, so don't bother looking.) From WAVY TV 10Related Links: Females Flock to Facebook to Post Pictures of Their Drunken Antics Can Privacy Exist on the Internet? Facebook Employees Know Whose Profiles You Look At  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesThe Palestinians may be struggling for many things, but one thing they definitely have are cell phone networks. Or at least they will. Currently, Palestinians have one cell phone network, but the Associated Press is reporting that the Israeli government plans to announce its plans to allow the Palestinians to build a second cell phone network to meet increasing demand.The Palestinian Authority has been requesting permission to build such a network since 2000, but has been repeatedly rebuffed following surges in violence. This is seen as a sign of cooling tensions.From the Associated PressRelated links:Al-Qaeda Invites Online Questions, YouTube StyleIraqi Students Backing Up Passports OnlineVideo Game From Iran Pits Players Against U.S. Soldiers Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesIf you have a cell phone (and we're pretty sure you do), have you thought about giving up your land line (a.k.a. a traditional phone that plugs into the wall)? Maybe you've already ditched your old talker. If you haven't, consider how much you spend on your cell phone plan versus your land line. If you're like us, you've either totally given up on a wired line to your home, or the bills from your cell provider make those wired bills look somewhat paltry. As it turns out, we're not alone -- according to recent government data, U.S. household spending on cell phone plans will exceed spending on land lines for the first time in 2007.Last year households spent on average $542 on their land lines, while dropping $524 on cell phone plans. Given the increase in extra services (live TV, video messaging, music purchases) available on the shiny new iPhones and BlackBerrys we write about nearly every day, it's no surprise that this year cell phone spending will top land line spending by a wide margin.That $524 meant people on average spent about $44 per month on their cell plans, which is right about on average with the bare-bones $39.99 plans most providers offer. But remember: This is the average across all U.S. households. If you consider the number of households that still don't use cell phones (we're looking at you, North Dakota), that average goes higher, meaning most folks are opting for additional services like extra minutes, extra lines, wireless data plans, and of course text messaging. So, to those who got their first mobile phones this year: Welcome to the mobile world, and don't trust every text message you get.Oh - and don't go around using your phone as a modem if you decide to download video, or you may end up like the man with the $4,190.76 iPhone bill, or, even worse, the poor Canadian guy who got an $85,000 cell phone bill, which we're guessing surpassed his land line bill by a long shot..From the Associated Press/AOL NewsRelated Links: Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message How to Send SMS Text Messages for Free Shy Londoners Flirt Via Cell Phone at Bars with New ServiceHype Check: Verizon VCAST Mobile TV Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Celebrities, GoogleSo apparently Americans are not nearly as paranoid, narcissistic, or tech-savvy as we might have guessed. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have Googled themselves (via either Google or another search engine). Seems low, doesn't it? Granted, that is more than double the 22 percent of users who had done so when the last poll was taken, in 2002, but still -- never having Googled your own name? "Yes it's doubled, but it's still the case that there's a big chunk of Internet users who have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," said Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden. "Certainly awareness has increased, but I don't know it's necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us." Oddly enough, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users admit to looking up information about someone else -- celebrities excluded. We imagine that number jumps to about 95 percent. From Wired NewsRelated links: "iPhone" at Top of 2007 Google Search List New Jack Black Film 'Destroys' the Internet  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Style Maven, Gadget Head, Traveler, Music Hound, Video Junkie, Man / Woman Who Has Everything, $100 and Under, Features, Holiday Gift GuideHYPE CHECK: BURTON SLEEPER HOODIE. What it is: Burton's Sleeper Hoodie is designed for the busy air traveler, but should be a big hit with everyone from bands who spend weeks at a time tour buses, to those of us who like to catch a nap on the bus on our way to work. Inside the neck rests an inflatable neck pillow; blow it up, and you've got immediate, built-in head support. (Much better than resting your head on the corner between the seat and the window, much less the person next to you.) It's also got hidden compartments for your MP3 player (lower left), passport (inner left), and even your earplugs (it comes with a pair). It even has thumb holes in the sleeve cuffs for those with cold hands, and zippers under the armpits (with mesh in between) for when you get all hot and bothered (like during the spaghetti scene of 'Lady and the Tramp'). There's more: a light shield pulls down to block out the glare of the sun-like reading lights your neighbor refuses to turn off (if not fully block out those fluorescents lining the cabin wall), and a headphone port for wiring your music inside the shirt. It feels like something to add to your essential travel arsenal -- and since it looks and feels like a regular hoodie when disengaged, you can even where it when you get wherever it is you're going. As long as it's not Tahiti. Why it's different: Most sweatshirts don't do anything other than zip up. This one does about everything except cook you breakfast. What it costs: $100 What we like: For those that travel long distances, this thing is a lifesaver. It's incredibly versatile and feature-packed, and this sort of combination of technology and fashion is long overdue. The ability to adjust your temperature actually works in practice -- finally avoid sweaty armpits during boarding, and the thumb holes really do keep your palms warm, no matter how high they decide to crank the AC. The whole thing just feels very well thought-out and designed. What we don't like: Rather than the wrap-around style neck pillow that they sell in airports, the inflatable pillow in the neck is more of a log-shaped affair. It still works - even without anything to lean against, you can just rest your head on either of your shoulders - but the full wrap-around action would have been even better. Also, while the design is great if you're into big graphics (we love the line-art airplane), it's perhaps not the most subtle thing in the world - this thing might not fly with the over-50 business set (pun intended). Does it live up to the hype? Yes. We love it. It's an incredibly useful piece of gear for those of us that take long trips (or perhaps lots of short ones, requiring sporadic naps), and feels like it will last many, many hours of airtime. It's a heavy-duty sweatshirt, and for $100, you can't really argue with the comfort and peace of mind it give you - even when sandwiched between two fatsos (loudly eating sandwiches) on your flight from LA to London.%Gallery-11952%Related Links:Switched Reviews the Gibson Robotic GuitarIs the Amazon Kindle Really the iPod of BooksBest Headphones for the Gym Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersIn the early days of computing, machines were bigger than school buses, like Britain's aptly-named Colossus which helped the Allies to win the war by decrypting German messages. It was the invention of the transistor, 60 years ago today, that enabled those early devices to shrink into the pocket-sized gadgets we so love today.Those first computing devices were huge thanks to their use of vacuum tubes, devices that used metal plates, low-pressure gases, wiring, and typically an air-tight glass seal to act as a digital switch. The state of a vacuum tube would either represent an open or closed circuit. Using binary logic (splitting all calculations into yes/no answers), computers use switches to perform calculations. Faster computers need more switches, and given all the stuff that needs to fit in a vacuum tube, there was a limit to how small tube-based computers could ever get.Enter the transistor. That first transistor, pictured above, was invented in 1947 by Bell Labs, which still operates and performs advanced research under its parent company, Alcatel-Lucent. While the first one is certainly nothing you'd easily misplace, current transistors are microscopic and integrated into the silicon of computer chips. This tiny size has resulted in today's pocket-sized and (usually) affordable gadgets.Happy birthday, transistor.From EngadgetRelated Links: WWII Computer vs. Modern Tech in Decrypting Challenge Is the iPhone Worth $500? How to Send SMS Text Messages for Free  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Chances are you've never heard of a scramjet, and if you have, we can almost guarantee you've never seen one in action (unless you happen to work for NASA or DARPA). The concept of scramjets has been around for a while -- President Reagan even announced a major scramjet project, the National Aerospace Plane, in his 1986 State of the Union address. Reagan envisioned the scramjet replacing the space shuttle, military bombers and commercial aircraft. The program never got off the ground and was canceled by President Clinton in 1994.Recent advances, however, have moved the scramjet from the lab to field tests. While researchers have been testing scramjets for a couple years, the most recent tests have been extremely favorable.Scramjets work by sucking air to a chamber that narrows until the air is so condensed it ignites. Just before ignition, standard jet fuel is injected into the chamber. The lack of moving parts and modern construction materials mean that scramjets can withstand much more heat and force than a standard turbine-powered jet engine. Standard jet turbines would melt around Mach 3, but theoretically scramjets should be viable up to Mach 15, or around 10,000 miles per hour. That means that a two-hour flight from New York to Tokyo is theoretically possible.Of course, the interest in scramjets isn't just about transportation. The military foresees scramjet-powered intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets around the globe before an enemy would even have a chance to respond. And, of course, America isn't the only one racing for the prize. The governments of China, Australia, and others are in hot pursuit of the first practical scramjet engine.From Slashdot and Popular ScienceRelated links:Scientists Clone Fluorescent CatsBionic Arm Restores Sensation and Mobility to AmputeesNew Super CT Scanner Could Change Medicine Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments