Filed under: Editor's Picks, Interviews, CelebritiesShe first sang on the Metropolitan Opera stage at the age of seven and made her movie debut as the opera singer Christine in 2004's movie version of Phantom of the Opera, but it took Emmy Rossum to the ripe old age of 20 (that's right!) to record her first solo album. 'Inside Out' is the the first time Rossum breaks out her complete vocal range, a sometimes ethereal, sometimes pop-influenced (but always appealing) sound that's more typical of the top 40 divas we're used to hearing on the radio rather than opera divas. Her busy career keeps her on the road a lot, so she's got a bag full of gadgets and a clear preference for a specific type of computer, as you'll soon learn in our latest Switched Questionnaire.What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set (for down-time)? I always bring my BlackBerry and my iPod. Because I travel so much it's hard to see my friends a lot so I use my downtime on set to keep in touch over email or instant message. I also use my iPod to relax on set and drown out any loud work (cranes, cameras or lighting movie) that might be happening on set so I can keep in character.What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love/hate about it?I have the new LG ENV. I love the keyboard (as it makes texting so fast and fun), the high quality camera and camcorder! I like downloading ring tones to my phone of whatever song I'm loving at the moment. Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?My best girl friend Alex about meeting me at the gym in an hour. Where do you go (site or service) pretty much every time you get online? AOL to check my mail, and then YouTube to or funnyordie.com What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop (or any other gadget)?Sometimes I forget to "lock" my cellphone or BlackBerry, and it self-dials all ofmy friends or last numbers I've called! Name one thing you wish your iPod/cellphone/laptop (any gadget) could do that it doesn't do now?I wish my cellphone could cook me breakfast after it wakes me up in the morning! You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?Probably an iPhone. I would have music, movies, and contact with my friends on instant messenger while calling to be rescued! What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod? Keyshia Cole's new record 'Just Like You' BlackBerry, Sidekick, or Treo?BlackBerry!!Did you get an iPhone yet?Yes, I would, but it's not on Verizon yet!! What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it?Probably about five seconds and I don't think I can't remember which game. I don't play these much, but I like the graphics. Mac or PC?Mac. I love iTunes, iPhoto and the laptop built-in camera is great for "seeing" friends and family when I travel. Related Links:Keyshia Cole on Texting Missy Elliott and MoreThe Switched Questionnaire: Hilary DuffThe Switched Questionnaire: Parker Posey Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, iPhoneSome people develop a bit too strong of a bond with their technology. We'd say they're all around you, but these types of people tend to stay inside a lot.Zogby International and 463 Communications conducted a poll about people's attitudes towards technology, and the results are either terrifying or reassuring, depending on how bad you thought the epidemic of tech-fetishism was.Overwhelmingly people found other people sexier than the iPhone. Very reassuring, until you realize that while the iPhone may have been beaten out by Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, and Patrick Dempsey who received 27, 17 and 14 percent respectively, it shared a spot at the bottom of the pile with Derek Jeter at 6 percent. That means that 6 percent of people would rather take their iPhone to bed than the smokin' hot Scarlett Johansson. Head on over to 463 for more results.How about you? Do you think people or iPhones are sexier? And while we're at it, would you rather take Derek Jeter, Scarlett Johansson, or the iPhone to bed?From Engadget and 463Related Links:New Moms Seek Baby Advice From Internet, not FamilyAre You a Cyberchondriac?Kids Spend Too Much Time Online, Say Parents Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  In what one can only imagine is preparation for Halloween, scientists have isolated a genetic switch in tadpoles to give them three eyes instead of the standard-issue two. Though three-eyed humans might make for plenty of non-stop hilarity (!), the idea is that the knowledge will allow scientists to grow replacement parts for repairing human eyeballs, or perhaps even grow new ones from scratch. The study is explored in the new issue of the journal Nature, and suggests that a nitrogen-bearing molecule sets off a series of steps that result in eye formation in frogs. The researchers think the same mechanism for engaging eye development in frogs applies to a wide range of other species as well. Maybe cow eyeballs in science classes will become a thing ofthe past? (Maybe even frogs, for that matter.)From LiveScienceRelated Links:Spider-Man Superpowers for the Rest of UsScientists Erase Memory in Rats Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Car TechToyota is already dominating the world's automotive scene in terms of sales, as well as leading the green vehicle scene thanks to its still rather trendy hybrid Prius. But the Japanese auto maker must be getting bored. Since nobody can seem to compete with it on the vehicular front, the company is moving into new markets: high-end, designer wheelchair sales with its new i-Real three-wheeled chair. Actually, "wheelchair" is about fitting a term here as "scooter" is when describing the Segway, though Toyota is aiming the device at a variety of seated users who want to move around. The thing sports a relatively upright seating position that reclines as speeds increase, up to a maximum of a brisk 30 km/h, just short of 20 mph. Not quite enough to get you a speeding ticket, but faster than the Segway's top speed of 12.5 mph. Controls are two joysticks mounted at the end of the arm rests, making the thing, supposedly, quite easy to maneuver (despite the rather concerned look on the model in the picture to the side).No word on whether Toyota actually plans to produce the thing or, if they do, how much it'll cost. Sure, it might look like a prop off the 'Star Trek' set, but we'd rock it on a trip down to the corner store ... assuming we could figure out a way to put some groceries in the thing. From Autoblog%Gallery-9127%Related Links: Why You Should Buy a Hybrid CarNow Nissan's All Electric Concept Car 10 Super Fast, Super Green Cars  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, ComputersIn the "smart people making things easier for lazy people" category, researchers are getting closer to finishing software that will allow people to draw picture passwords on their screen instead of typing in alpha-numeric combinations. Like, say, the little warped cat face you scribble hundreds of times a day. The software has been in development for touch-sensitive mobile phones and handheld computers for some time; the idea is that images will be harder than text passwords to copy by thieves, as well as being easier to remember for the actual owner. It will also make things easier for people with dyslexia and other language difficulties.Dr Jeff Yan, a computer science lecturer, and PhD student Paul Dunphy have developed emerging Draw a Secret (DAS) technology and applied it to a background image. The improved software is known as BDAS -- Background Draw a Secret -- improves things, but also sounds pretty dyslexic if you ask us. Maybe it's a scientist in-joke? Maybe not. From DailyMailRelated Links:iPhone opened up to third-party developersThieves begin tracking gadget shoppers Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Reviews, Editor's PicksMicrosoft likes to make Windows users wait for releases. It's usually a good three to five year drought between one version of its operating system to the next, with a bunch of free updates released along the way. Apple, on the other hand, likes to drop nearly annual updates of its current operating system called OS X. Each new release brings some new suite of updates and features and sells for about $130. OS X version 10.5, codenamed Leopard, supercedes last year's Tiger release, and should be hitting stores tomorrow. That means reviews are hitting the wire today, and most seem to think that the update is $130 well spent.Most reviews focus on the biggest new addition, Time Machine, which enables you to easily and automatically back your Mac up to an external hard drive, then use the software to recover lost files by seeing how your machine looked at virtually any time.Edward C. Baig, who reviewed Leopard for at 'USA Today' says "recovering lost files is -- thanks to beautiful special effects -- like flying back in time." He also likes the new Back to My Mac remote desktop feature, which lets you connect to one Mac Leopard machine from any other Mac Leopard machine ... at least in theory. He did find a few occurrences where the machines wouldn't connect, however.David Pogue from the 'New York Times' also likes Time Machine, saying: "When you connect the second drive, Leopard asks if you want to use it for Time Machine. If you click O.K., that's it. One click - that's got to be the shortest setup of any backup system in history." However, he doesn't dig the new transparent menus, which can be difficult to read when appearing over text. Walt Mossberg from 'Wall Street Journal' echoes the complaints about transparent menus, and in his review compares Leopard quite favorably to Vista when it comes to compatibility:"In fact, every piece of software and hardware I tried on two Leopard-equipped Macs -- a loaned laptop from Apple and my own upgraded iMac -- worked fine, exhibiting none of the compatibility problems that continue to plague Vista. My oldHewlett-Packard inkjet printer, for which Vista lacks the proper software, worked instantly in Leopard, even over the network. And, unlike with Vista, it was able to print on both sides of the page. I popped my old Verizon cellphone modem card into the test Leopard laptop and it worked, too, with no software installation or tweaking."So, the reports are good, and the only question is whether it's worth the $130 entry point. If you're the type who is lax about backing up your files, photos, music, movies, and the like, then yes, you should run out and buy Leopard tomorrow and sleep a little better at night knowing that your iTunes collection is safe. Otherwise, the upgrades here seem somewhat minor, and you're probably safe holding off until Apple's next feline-themed OS X release, which we expect, oh, sometime next year. From USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street JournalRelated Links: AT&T's Profits Skyrocket With the Help of the iPhone iMac Touch-Screen on the Way? iPhone Officially Opened Up to Third-Party Developers  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Car Tech, Cell Phones, Cameras, Computers, Editor's PicksRecently, we went to Tokyo helping pick out the coolest and most innovative new technologies at CEATEC, the annual Japanese consumer electronics show. Along with four other reps from Popular Science, CNET, and the Envisioneering Group, we narrowed down our short list to just ten items, either finished products or promising prototypes with some sort of vague plan to eventually get released. It took us a while to unpack, decompress, and get over jet-lag, so at long last, here's what we picked.Pioneer's Image Recognition Car Navigation System: This is a cool new prototype that uses GPS and a camera to tell you where to drive, whether it's down a more scenic or less trafficked route, or to avoid a nearby car. Unlike traditional GPS systems, this one shows a camera view of the road rather than a graphical map.NTT Docomo Wellness Phone: While there's nothing new about a portable pedometer, heart rate monitor, calorie counter, or breath analyzer, this prototype is the first that combines these health-monitoring features with a cell phone. The killer app is the ability to transmit the heath information to the doctor, diet specialist, or hospital via the cell phone network. It seems pretty much everything else has already been added to the cell phone, so how about some life- and health-saving features!JVC's LED Backlit Television: We picked this LED (light-emitting diode) TV prototype because - unlike LCDs -- it's both energy-efficient and mercury-free. It also offers super high contrast (100,000 to 1) and more colors - a combination that no company has managed to pull together thus far.Sharp Electronics' System LCD Module with Embedded Optical Sensors: At first glance, this touchscreen seems like an iPhone wannabe - it lets you zoom in and out using your fingers - but it's actually much more powerful, since it lets you use more than two fingers at once. So, for example, you can play several "keys" of an instrument, or more than three button commands on a virtual keyboard. NEC's FieldAnalyst with Age and Gender Recognition: This camera purports to detect age and gender just by focusing on you. How does it do this? By going through a database of around 10, 000 faces. The idea is to use it in malls or other public spaces for market research. It was a cool idea, which is why we put it on our short list, but to be honest, after trying the thing out, we found it to be way off on our age (in a good way!).Sony Rolly: Yes, you may have seen and heard about this robotic moving and dancing speaker system, available only in Japan, but you haven't heard about it from us, so we'll lift our very own quote in the CEATEC Tech-Pert panel press release about this nifty new device:"Though seemingly useless, the Rolly got our nod for its originality, sense of fun, and smooth operation. It mixes two qualities for which its creator, Sony, is known: audio and robotics, and the idea of a dancing music player could only come out of the creative and fertile minds typically found in a Japanese R&D lab. The robotics are graceful and it actually sounds good, considering the device's small size. The Rolly is the quintessential "only-in-Japan" gadget, but we think with the right marketing idea, and a considerable drop in price, the Rolly could well become the pet rock/Tamagotchi of 2008 in the U.S. Yes, it's whimsical, and never thought we needed a Rolly, but now we're not sure if we can live without one. - Tom Samiljan, Switched.com"Hitachi's Blu-ray Camcorders (DZ-BD7H and DZ-BD70A): We have our issues with DVD-camcorders - they're clunky and not that versatile -- but their claim to fame is ease-of-use and the ability to create a ready-to-play disc right out of the device (no computer editing necessary). Hitachi's new Blu-ray camcorders - the first ever by any manufacturer -- earned our praise because they offer you the option of shooting right onto Blu-ray discs or onto a built-in hard drive (which offers a bit more versatility if you want to do extensive edits). They also boast an impressive 80 minutes of battery life!Panasonic and Toshiba's High Definition Recording on DVD Media: Thanks to a new transcoding process that makes video files smaller, Panasonic and Toshiba displayed HD recorders prototypes that are capable of storing up to two hours of HD-quality video on standard DVDs. In other words, you get HD-quality video on a regular DVD recorder (provided, of course, that you have an HDTV!).Toshiba's SpursEngine High-Performance Stream Processor: This new processor enables all kinds of cool new applications and innovations, including real-time facial makeup and wardrobe rendering (scary!), the ability to handle hundreds of TV and sound sources at the same time, and cool, hand-gesture-based, motion-sensitive video/PC controls.Related Links:Control Your Computer or Car By Waving Your Hands The World's Thinnest TVs Smile-Measuring Device Knows How Happy or Sad You Are Anti-Mugging "Skirt" Transforms Would-Be Victim Into Soda Machine Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, MySpaceLast month we reported the speculation that Microsoft was planning to make a half-billion dollar investment in Facebook for a measly five percent stake in the company. That investment would have effectively given the company a value of $10 billion. However, it seems that rumor was a little off, as the real terms of the purchase were made public last night. Microsoft's investment is actually about half what was rumored, "just" $240 million, but for that it is only getting 1.6% of the MySpace alternative. This gives Facebook a total valuation of roughly fifteen billion dollars.MySpace's Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, who sold MySpace to News Corporation for a relatively paltry-looking $580 million last year, might just be wishing they'd stayed independent a little bit longer.Some, like Wired's Epicenter blog, think that Microsoft actually underpaid, and that Facebook may have been asking too much. Rumor has it that Google and Microsoft were both very interested in making the purchase, but their offers were mutually exclusive. Wired's Terrence Russell speculates that Google balked at the amount Facebook was asking, leaving Microsoft as the only interested party inwhat he says "could be the next Skype," referring to eBay's recent complaints about overpayment for the under-performing online calling company.Meanwhile, Peter Cohan over at BloggingStocks wonders why Microsoft is paying so much for a company that makes so little revenue. The answer, of course, is potential, and Cohan concludes by saying "I'd be willing to bet that Microsoft's 1.6% stake will more than double today's $240 million when Facebook goes public."So, it seems even the financial bloggers of the world are hedging their bets in their posts. We're not really in the financial prediction business, so we'll stay out of that debate. What we will say, though, is that Facebookers can expect a lot of ads for Windows Vista in their future!From AOL Money, Epicenter, and BloggingStocksRelated Links: Microsoft May Invest in Facebook for $500M MySpace and Skype Join Forces A Holy War Wages on Facebook  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Editor's Picks, Top Lists, MySpace, Google, Slideshows According to none other than Wired magazine, T-shirts have come into their own as a form of media, one that uniquely documents messages and stories, not to mention emergent technologies and companies changing the way we use the Internet. Here at Switched, we write a lot about these next-gen, "Web 2.0" companies and technologies, which include everyone from MySpace and Facebook to Twitter and even Google. Given that we're partial to t-shirts with nerdy, tech-infused jokes and terminology, we figured it was high time to find the best geek t-shirts specifically related to Web 2.0 speak (like the "Your Podcast is Lame" t-shirt, flickr user ericskiff, pictured above). So here, dear readers is our humble survey of the wild, cotton-meets-code world of Web 2.0 t-shirts. If anything, it'll give you something cool to talk about during your podcast. See the List >> Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, TVAnother major BitTorrent site has been shuttered... for now. This time it's the U.K.based tv-links.co.uk. TV-Links was closed down for providing links to illegal copies of major motion pictures and TV shows. The closing of the site was accompanied by raids and the arrest of a 26-year-old man from Cheltenham, England for facilitating copy right infringement.Officers from the Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards Service, the Gloucestershire Police, and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) worked together to bring the popular Torrent site down. In addition, this week saw the closure of OiNK BitTorrent Tracker, an invite-only site that specializes in leaking albums before their official release.TV-Links and OiNK BitTorrent Tracker are just latest target sin the fight against piracy. In 2003, popular site SuperNova.org closed up shop due to mounting legal pressure, as did the "world's largest" BitTorrent repository, The Pirate Bay. Both services returned, though, to their full illegal glory after only a fairly short closing, and it is likely that the same will happen with TV-Links and OiNK. From the Guardian Unlimited and Ars TechnicaRelated Links:LimeWire Music Site Goes LegitFBI Busts '24' BootleggerBitTorrent in Your Browser Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: CamerasFew companies do tiny cameras better than Sony, which has made dozens of pocketable Cyber-shot models over the years. The company's latest pocket-worthy wonder is the Cyber-shot DSC-T2, a brightly colored eight-megapixel point-and-shoot camera that sports four-gigabytes of on-board Flash storage. This means that this thing is actually good-to-go for a gazillion pix right out of the box and may never require a memory card at all -- not a bad feature consider the camera only supports Sony's generally unloved Memory Stick format. The front sports a tiny 3x optical zoom lens which, like all Cyber-shots, is made by Carl Zeiss. The lens also features optical image stabilization, something not typically foundon a cam of this size. The back is covered with a 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD for scrolling through menus of features like the odd-sounding smile detection, which is supposed to automatically snap shots whenever someone is smiling -- hopefully this function will work better here than it did on Sony's last entrant, the T200. The DSC-T2 drops this December for $350, and is available in a range of holiday colors that are just perfect for attracting peoples' attentions while trying to snap those candid family pictures.From Engadget%Gallery-9080%Related Links: Olympus' New E3 for High-End Shooters Just Tell Me What to Get: A Sub-$200 Cam A Video Cam No Bigger Than a Pack of Gum!  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesVerizon is finally paying up for disconnecting over 13,000 users due to their breach of an unpublished download cap on its cellular broadband service known as BroadbandAccess. Following a nine month investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Verizon has agreed to pay a fine of $150,000 to the state as well as reimburse users the price of laptop cards or cell phones they purchased to use the service.In April, Verizon stopped disconnecting users over data usage, but maintained the right to throttle traffic for users who exceed a five-gigabyte limit, which they clearly disclose.So users of these services should be wary of downloading bigger files like music, since that stuff can easily eat up a monthly five-gigabyte limit.From the AOL Money & Finance (AP)Related Links:Best Buy Sued for Being ScummyNew York Attorney General Sues Dell Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video Games Earlier this year, not long after Sony's PlayStation 3 launched in the U.K., Sony found itself on the receiving end of some stiff words from Church of England representatives thanks to a battle sequence in 'Resistance: Fall of Man.' The specific battle takes place in a virtual rendition of Manchester Cathedral. The Church took offense and Sony was quick to semi-apologize, saying it really hadn't done anything wrong, but was sorry just the same. Now, months later, and a day after the game was snubbed at the British Academy Video Games Awards, the Chuch of England is saying that it forgives the company ... sort of.Seeming to relish in the game's failure to win an award, the Dean of Manchester Cathedral issued the following statement, which we wouldn't say is any more forgiving than Sony's apology was apologetic:"I think some important lessons have been learnt. So we do forgive Sony for what they have done, even though they still believe they have done nothing wrong. In an industry that is breaking new frontiers, it is important that long held traditions of film and television are maintained. These traditions include having courtesy, respecting the dignity of your subject, and admitting when mistakes have been made. In so many ways Sony have failed to live up to these standards by disrespecting people of faith and the victims of gun crime here in Manchester."As we pointed out earlier, many other games, like 'Call of Duty' and 'Hitman' have featured spectacular gun battles in churches withoutraising the ire of any religious figureheads. With the Dean extending the scope of the story to include television and film, well, we don't even know where to begin, but we're guessing the Dean has never seen flicks by Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez, nor any episodes of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' for that matter.From BBC NewsRelated Links: Sony Apologizes to Church of England Sony Vs. Church: The Holy War Continues Parish Vs. PlayStation  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, AdviceThis one is for the love lorn in our audience. PlayerBlock is a new text messaging service that aims to let you avoid the hassle of dealing with that predatory, promiscuous menace of the dating world -- the player.For some people, the hassle of dating and weeding out the womanizing, lying, and just plain undesirable is just a bit to much. So Global SMS, the company behind PlayerBlock, is hoping to utilize the power of the social web to make the whole process as painless as possible. For $4.99 a month, you can send and receive up to 100 text messages. You can check up on potential companions by sending in your potential suitor's cell phone number and find out what others have to say about him or her (let's be honest... it's probably a him). You can send in your own feed back as well, and let others know about your experience. Let others know if said player doesn't call don't call, or if said player is a bit too forward (if you catch our drift).What's to stop a jilted lover from smearing some pour sap? Absolutely nothing. Is there something unsettling about the idea of people handing over another persons cell phone number to a texting service? Definitely. Couldn't you just (wo)man up and do the dating thing the old-fashioned way? Of course, and you probably should!From CNETRelated Links:Online Dating -- Five Things to AvoidMap Sex Offenders on Your Cell PhoneOnline Tools for the Criminally Minded Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments