Filed under: Audio/Video The hey-day of electronic music, techno, and its various other flavors has passed. Groups like the Crystal Method and The Prodigy don't get the radio play they used to, but digital music's influence on modern rock can't be ignored. Software like Apple's 'Garage Band', for example, makes it easy to lay down tracks, but a new product from Yamaha pledges to also make it tactile and fun. The Tenori-On is a sort of music sequencer tablet created in concept by Toshio Iwai, the guy behind the fascinating 'Electroplankton' game on the Nintendo DS. The Tenori-On is a small pad with a 16x16 array of LED-illuminated buttons. Each button can be assigned a specific sound which can be "played" in time by hitting its respective button. The machine sweeps from left to right and up to 16 "pages" can be created in sequence to create full songs.With MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) outputs and the ability to load custom sound samples, the Tenori-On has some serious potential for music making. But, the £599 price (roughly $1,223) puts it out of reach for most, and reviewers found its construction to be a bit flimsy for surviving nightly duty on the road in dive clubs. So, a cool gadget and toy, but perhaps overpriced and not quite practical. From Boing Boing Gadgets and SonicState.comRelated Links: Apple Boosts Its Free Software Offering Hands-On Review: The Return of Winamp TiVo Adding Rhapsody Music Service  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, ComputersThings just got a little tougher for Jamie Thomas, the mom of two who was recently fined $220,000 by a court for illegally sharing copyrighted music. Yesterday, Thomas pledged to appeal the verdict that ordered her to pay nearly $10,000 to the RIAA for each of the 24 songs she was accused of sharing. But, judging by comments made by one juror who is speaking out, Thomas' appeal doesn't look too promising. According to juror Michael Hegg, the jury simply didn't believe her defense. The unanimous response to Thomas' claim that her personal information had been stolen was, "Oh my God, you got to be kidding." Hegg goes on to call Thomas a liar after it was revealed that she turned over a different hard drive to RIAA investigators than the one she used to download music. "There was no defense," Hegg says. "Her defense sucked."Thomas should actually consider herself lucky. During deliberations, Hegg claims, some of the jurors wanted to fine her the maximum amount allowed, which would have been $150,000 per track for a total of $3.6 million. That's a whole lot of "I'm sorry." From SlashdotRelated Links: Woman to Appeal $220,000 Music Sharing Verdict Mom of Two Stung With $220K RIAA Penalty LimeWire Music Site Goes Legit  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Green TechWhy settle for your run-of-the-mill mousetrap when you can use a teched-out and unnecessarily intricate contraption that you might find in the lair of an old James Bond or Batman villain? Developed by U.K. pest-control pros, Rentokil, the RADAR mouse extermination system is touted as the "smartest and most humane mousetrap ever" -- this from a company that opted to put the word "kill" in its name.The RADAR (that's "Rodent Activated Detention and Riddance Unit") is triggered by infrared sensors. When a little furry mouse wanders into the trap, the sensors shut the door then release a "measured dose" of carbon dioxide, which Rentokil says ends the rodent's life "quickly and humanely." The fun part, though, is that after the deed is done the trap fires off a text message to inform you that you've got a mouse corpse to clean up when you return home.The RADAR is available now in the U.K., but requires a consultation from a technician for installation and pricing.Maybe we're missing something here, but wouldn't the "most humane mousetrap ever" simply keep the mouse prisoner long enough for you to let it loose in the neighbor's yard?From Engadget MobileRelated Links:Dog Shaped Dog CookerInventors Use Hand Gestures to Kill the Mouse (and Keyboard)Real Life 'Back to the Future' Tech Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video GamesWant to find Jesus? Just grab a sniper rifle and some plasma grenades: all over the country, churches are using the recently-released Halo 3 to draw new recruits. And they're drawing a lot of flack for it (no pun intended). The New York Times spoke to various church leaders, parents, "religious ethicists," and Master Chief-lovin' kids about the issue. The debate essentially boils down to whether you think it's okay to lure kids into church with a game whose premise is "kill everything that moves". Then again, the U.S. Army has been quite unabashedly using military games as a recruiting tool for years, so this doesn't really come as a huge surprise. "If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it," James Tonkowich, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told the Times. "My own take is you can do better than that." A fair point. But can he beat Halo on Legenday? Didn't think so. From the New York TimesRelated Links:Halo Makes $300 Million in First WeekHalo 3 Receives High Scores Across the Web Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Reviews, Editor's PicksFor me, it was the sound of a llama being flogged. That was my baptism into the world of digital music -- a world that, for a brief moment in time there in the '90s, was like one of those Toys 'R' Us shopping sprees they used to advertise on TV where some lucky kid got to run up and down the aisles filling up his shopping basket with freebies. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since I first installed Winamp on my dorm room computer, pressed play and was introduced to the MP3 by Winamp's mysterious, "It really whips the llama's ass" jingle. Though Winamp has since faded into a fond memory for many of us as a result of our iPod dependencies, the player is hoping to reclaim some its former glory. Today, on anniversary number 10 on 10/10, Winamp is launching a new player that's been completely re-built from the ground up. Is Winamp 5.5 enough to coax an iTunes-addicted public back into the llama's arms? Let's take a tour.First, a little disclosure: 1) AOL is the corporate papa to both Winamp and Switched.com. This didn't affect my review no matter how many times I was bullied by my bosses. 2) Though I used a PC to test Winamp, I'm a Mac user and an iTunes user. I'm no iTunes zealot; I just find it convenient since it's already on my computer and works seamlessly with my iPod. First ImpressionsThe most immediate change in 5.5 is that Winamp is now one big window with different, configurable panels within (see the gallery below for a look-see). Gone are the separate windows for the player, the playlist, the visualizer and any of the other plug-ins you could download. Some people found the separate windows annoying, but I kind of liked them. Then again, as I start to organize my music and personal settings in 5.5, it's obvious that one window is the way to go. As for the rest of the appearance, Winamp is still completely skinnable and it now displays album art.PlaylistsBesides a shamefully underutilized exercise mix, I'm not much of a playlist person. But for those who are, you can create playlists in Winamp with as little or as much criteria as you want. Are you in the mood for country songs from the '80s that are all under 3:00 minutes long? Winamp will scour your library for them. If you happen to be handy with database query languages, you can actually use those to formulate your own super-nerdy, super-custom lists. DiscoveryFor discovering new music, there's easy access to Winamp's user-generated Shoutcast Radio network -- though this really isn't any more helpful or entertaining than the Internet radio I can already get through iTunes. What is helpful and entertaining, however, is the free XM Satellite Radio I can listen to through Winamp thanks to a cozy relationship between XM and AOL. Additionally, there's aWeb browser built into Winamp. Use it to browse your favorite MP3 blogs, and any links to music files are automatically cataloged in a list for convenient listening or downloading. PortabilityAll of this is great for playing music on a PC (and not a Mac), but it's Winamp's new proficiencies in taking music off of the computer that might tempt the iTunes faithful. First, it's definitely worth noting that the player is now compatible with the iPod and every other digital media player out there. Of course, that excludes your copy-protected tracks purchased from the iTunes Store. The big addition to Winamp 5.5 is Winamp Remote. Through this Web interface you can access your home music library no matter where you are. All that's required is a Web browser, which means Remote works with Macs as well as with the PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Best of all, it works onWeb-enabled phones too -- and it works quite well.VerdictSo, is Winamp a viable alternative to iTunes? In the end it'll come down to preference. For some people, the differences between Winamp and iTunes won't be compelling enough to make the switch. For me, Winamp Remote would definitely seal the deal if I were a regular PC user. Hearing that llama being punished over my cell phone's tinny speaker for the first time was like Quantum Leaping right back to my college dorm room ... minus my roommate's questionable collection of black light posters.Get Winamp here.%Gallery-8335%Related Links:Woman to Appeal $220,000 Music Sharing VerdictiPod Lights Man's Pants on FireJust Tell MeWhat to Get: Home Theater Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TVTiVo and Real announced a partnership yesterday that brings the popular Rhapsody service and its over four million songs to your TV (or, preferably, your TV that's connected to a home theater system). For $13 - $15 a month, you get access to the award-winning Rhapsody subscription service, which lets you "rent" any of its four million songs as long as you keep paying the monthly fee. TiVo has been losing subscribers to the DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) offered by cable and satellite companies. TiVo is trying to convince consumers that its recorders are more than just DVRs, by offering extras like music from Rhapsody and downloadable movies from Amazon's Unbox movie service. These are cool services and extras, but unless you've got a sweet home theater setup with multiple speakers, do you really wants to listen to music on your TV?From USA TodayRelated Links:NBC Will Offer TV Shows on Amazon Instead of iTunesCheaper TiVo HD Out NowTransfer Your TiVo Lifetime Service Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Car TechIt's a bad day for fans of local California news: According to General Motors, the days of the high-speed auto chase may be numbered. Today, the manufacturer is showing of a new kill switch component of the OnStar service, which will be installed in 1.7 million 2009-model GM cars. The new function allows police to remotely kill the engine of a car involved in a high-speed chase, a feature GM hopes will reduce the estimated 400 deaths that occur annually due to dangerous police pursuits. According to GM, the driver of a suspected stolen car will first be notified by an OnStar technician that the vehicle is about to be turned off. When the switch is flipped, the brakes and power steering will continue to work.This sounds great, but we see some potential problems. First, the system is only limited to vehicles whose owners pay the $16.95 per month to be an active OnStar subscriber. Secondly, the system is only limited to high-speed chases involving stolen cars. Police can only kill an engine by contacting OnStar, which in turn must contact the owner of the car for permission. So, it's no good if the suspect is running from the law inside of his own wheels. That said, anything that can save even one life is OK in our book.GM's new kill switch feature reminds us a lot of the bait cars Canadian police have been using for years to catch car thieves. A bait car is left parked on the street like any other car -- only a bait car is equipped with a hidden camera and a kill switch. Once stolen by an unwitting car jacker, the camera rolls and the police quietly pursue. After the camera has gathered enough evidence to convict the car thief in court, the cops remotely kill the engine and lock the bait car's doors, trapping the mouse in their mousetrap. The program has been so successful, the Canadian police's Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team has its own Web site where you can watch videos of sucker after meth-addicted sucker get nabbed.From USA TodayRelated Links: Mercedes Ties Google and Yahoo! Maps to In-Car Navigation Volvo's New Safety Features Wake Up Sleepy Drivers Hertz Vs. Avis (GPS Road Test)  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cameras, Computers, Advice, Columns, Switched Video You know all of those extra megapixels you shelled out for when you bought your digital camera? Well, while the higher picture quality will certainly come in handy for running off prints of your more frame-worthy snaps, the bloated file sizes of your photos can be an e-mail killer. Most of the time, the photos coming off of our cameras are a few megabytes each, at least . Chain a couple of those together in an e-mail and it's likely your message will be too big to go through. If it does go through, you run the risk of annoying friends and family who are forced to spend time downloading the photos. What to do? Watch our simple tutorial on resizing photos for e-mail and you'll be spreading the memories in no time.Related Links:How to Back Up Your Hard Drive OnlineHow to Clean a Keyboard SpillHow to Hook Up Your New HDTV Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Video GamesPoints to Toyota for bludgeoning two birds with one stone in its new ad for the Tacoma truck. On its surface, the spot is simply a spoof of the insanely popular online role-playing game, 'World of Warcraft.' A group of player characters is standing around voice chatting about their plans for an upcoming battle when, suddenly, one of the players is sitting behind the wheel of a digitized Tacoma. This yahoo tears off in his pickup truck to go slay a dragon while the other players give chase, whining about how there are no pickup trucks allowed in the game.Funny. But, it gets even better. For anyone who spends a lot of time trawling blogs and YouTube in search of entertainment, this little scenario might sound very familiar. The commercial is, in fact, a faithful send-up to a viral video known as 'Leeroy Jenkins' (watch the video here). In the Leeroy Jenkins video -- as in the ad -- a bunch of player avatars are standing around discussing their plan of attack for an upcoming battle. Suddenly, a player who hasn't listened to a word of the discussion yells, "Alright chums, let's do this! LEEEROOOOOOYYY JEEEENNNNKIINNSS!!" and jumps into battle. As in the Tacoma ad, the other players give chase, only this time they're whining about what an idiot Leeroy Jenkins is. Even Leeroy's "Let's do this!" battle cry makes it into the ad.The 'Star Wars' kid never had it this good ...From Boing BoingRelated Links:Caught on Tape: The 5 Greatest Gamer Freakouts'Zelda' Spoof Exposes Links as a Pervert!Online Game Character Sells for $10K Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video Games, Interviews, CelebritiesNormally we here at Switched like to interview celebs that, you know, exist. In this case, however, we thought it might be fun to interview Daffy Duck, as he is a major purveyor of all things Acme. If you remember, Acme is the (fictional) company that makes all the cool gadgets from our favorite cartoons. And, yes, this was our idea, not theirs.We sat down with Daffy in the wake of the release of his new DS game, 'Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck!' for the DS (which we played and love, by the way), to get the cranky duck's thoughts on gadgets and tech. Really. We sat down with him. In person. It's true.Besides, he matches our color scheme.What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set (for down-time?)Not that a busy movie star like moi ever has much down-time, but I like to always have my Nintendo DS handy. Believe it or not, this Duck is quite the gamer! What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love/hate about it?I have a D-Mobile Raspberry 8600 and it does everything. Literally. Everything. It makes lattes. (sigh) I love technology. Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?My agent, Morty. I'm always checking in to get the latest on contract negotiations and he texts me with the latest show-biz buzz. As you can imagine, it's not easy being a duckin Tinsel Town these days. I gotta have the 4-1-1 at all times! Where do you go (site or service) pretty much every time you get online?First I Google myself several times. Did you know there are over a million web sites devoted to yours truly? Then I search "ducks" on nature.org just to see how the other half lives. What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop (or any other gadget)?They all need those ridiculous little batteries! No matter how much money you spend, sooner or later these hi-tech doo-dads always run out of juice! Can't these things run off the planet's rotation or something?! Hm?! Name one thing you wish your iPod/cellphone/laptop (any gadget) could do that it doesn't do now?I wish my Raspberry could tell me if it's Rabbit Season or Duck Season. I never seem to know when I'm dealing with mister-smug-rabbit-ears. What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on?I'm waiting for the real Acme Disintegrating Pistol, as envisioned in my hit animated cartoon, Duck Dodgers in the 24∏th Century. Of course back then it was the magic of special effects that made it so real. You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring? (Give reason why.)Easily my Nintendo DS with a copy of 'Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck!' starring, me! You don't mind if I plug my latest videogame here, do you? What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod? Blackberry, Sidekick, or Treo?I'm still a fan of the "Merry-Go-Round Broke Down." Reminds me of the good old days. If only they could nix that annoying stuttering pig... Are you getting an iPhone-if so, why?I don't see why you'd need an Eye-Phone. It's hard enough to get those little earphones to stick in your ears! And let's be honest, do you really need to see who you're talking to? Sheesh! What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one session?I once played my own game for 68 hours straight! Did I mention that it's my latest videogame? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video GamesWhen Sony first gave the public a sneak peek at the PlayStation 3 some years ago -- long before it would hit store shelves -- the company showed off black, silver and white versions of the console, giving us the impression that gamers would be able to choose their PS3 from a variety of flavors. But, when the PS3 was finally unleashed last holiday season, the silver and white versions had mysteriously vanished from the product line. Now, a year later, it seems the white PS3 might finally be arriving to the party.Today, Sony announced a new 40-gigabyte PS3 for Japan, which, in addition to traditional black, is also available in (dare we say it) Apple-like gloss white. Like the 40-gigabyte PS3 recently announced for Europe, the Japanese version skimps on the PS2 backwards-compatibility in order to shave the price down to ¥39,980, or about $341. To go along with the new white console is a new white DualShock 3 controller, marking the triumphant return of vibration to Sony's machine. However, the roughly $50 controller will not be included with the console, so Japanese gamers will need to bring a little extra cash if they want to get their rumble on. Both the console and the controller are set for a November 11 release.In case you're keeping score, that makes the PS3 available in black and white, the 360 available in white, black and green and the PSP available in black, white and silver. And though the Wii is sticking to white for now, Nintendo hasgiven the DS a few new paint jobs since its release.Given the long history of awesome products being released for Japan but never making it to the U.S., there's no telling if the albino PS3 will ever make it to our shores. But, with a 40-gigabyte model of our own supposedly on the way, a white version for America isn't entirely out of the question.Of course, if you don't feel like waiting, a fella named Michal Berecki paints custom PS3s in white, silver or even red in his father's body shop. Berecki's last PS3 paint job sold on eBay for $3,000. From EngadgetRelated Links: Xbox 360 Gets Better, Darker PlayStation 3 Controllers Ready to Rumble Rumored PlayStation 3 Price Cut ... Worth It?  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, ComputersJammie Thomas, the 32-year-old mother of two who was ordered to pay the RIAA $220,000 for sharing 24 songs last week plans to appeal, according to an appearance on CNN (see video above). While the paperwork hasn't been filed, the appeal will question whether offering a song is actually illegal as opposed to explicitly giving it to someone else.Jammie is pledging that she is "not going to be bullied." She also insists that her identity was stolen and she had nothing to do with the files that were shared from her IP address under her username. This story may not be over yet.From EngadgetRelated Links: Mom of Two Stung With $220K RIAA Penalty LimeWire Music Site Goes Legit Teen Faces Jail Time for 20-Second 'Transformers' Recording  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Green TechSo you're in Sub-Saharan Africa. You're surrounded by more bugs than Windows 95, and there isn't a power outlet for miles. But you've seen 'The Matrix,' so really it's not that much of a stretch: a bacteria-powered cellphone charger could be the answer to the lack of phone infrastructure in the developing world, even for those without electricity. The newest iteration of the technology comes courtesy of the brain-builders at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who have designed a microbial fuel cell (MFC) that runs on plant waste; the prototype won the first prize in a recent contest held by Dow Chemical called MADMEC, which was held to encourage new uses of materials that allow alternative or non-traditional sources of energy. Without getting too deep into it, MFCs use electrons -- released by feeding bacteria on sugars, starches, and other organic material -- to produce electricity. The team's prototypes, which it's calling BioVolt, run on less refined fuel than any before it, and the bacteria digest the cellulose in plant waste. The creators also say they can be produced for only about $2 a pop. But don't start planting seeds just yet -- the technology is still very much "proof of concept". it would currently take around six months to charge a phone's battery using a BioVolt, which is about five months, 30 days, 24 hours, and 40 minutes longer than a three year-old Nokia. From New ScientistRelated Links:10 Super-Fast, Super-Green CarsArtificial Life in 10 Years, Says Scientist Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, BlackBerry, E-Mail AddictionStaying on top of the latest delays and service changes related to your daily commute is almost impossible, but not being in the know can often have serious negative consequences on your schedule. Many local transportation systems send out their own alerts, but they tend to be overly general, often late, and usually only sent out under the most extreme of circumstances.That's where Joshua Crandall got the idea for his start up, Clever Commute. Clever Commute connects commuters, primarily from the New York and Chicago metropolitan areas, in a network for exchanging messages, advice, and alerts -- primarily using their BlackBerrys. Users can sign up for alerts for trains on New Jersey Transit, PATCH, Long Island Railroad, and Metro North railroad, as well as some commuter buses, and ferries, including the Staten Island Ferry. The service has also recently opened up to riders of the El trains in Chicago. It works like this: If there's a delay, you'll get messages from other users who are already on whatever train line you're subscribed to. Likewise, you can upload messages to be sent to other subscribers on the same route. And it's not just for delays: If you leave, say, your iPod on the train, you can send a message to the group and hope that someone honest found it.Currently the service operates mainly with e-mails, though you can also subscribe to a personal RSS feed of alerts. The service could really grow if it decided to open up to the non-BlackBerry crowd and embraced a text message based Twitter-like system, but we'll just have to see how the young service evolves.From The New York TimesRelated Links:Perdue University to Test Emergency Text Messaging SystemCampus Text Alert System Scores Low First TestEmergency Alert System 2.0 Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments