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 duck in 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 has given 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 fromher 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

  Filed under: Audio/Video, ComputersAll your Big Brother nightmares are about to come true, thanks to an $800,000 award from the Nation Science Foundation. The money is funding computer and behavioral scientists at the University of Buffalo to work on a tracking system that will allow authorities to score an individuals likeliness to commit a terrorist act.Sound creepy? Well, it gets even better. The system works by monitoring the faces, voices, bodies, and other biometrical data of people while they're being interviewed on video (so make sure you don't get pulled over and interrogated in some special room). Venu Govindaraju, professor of computer science and engineering, says "The goal is to identify the perpetrator in a security setting before he or she has the chance to carry out the attack." We guess innocent until proven guilty is a quaint notion in a post 9/11 world.The system will also feature the ability to learn over time from interviews with subjects, meaning that having an off day could raise your "malfeasance" score. We're not even sure how to react to this sort of news any more except to remind everyone of Blackstone's formulation, very much at the heart of our legal system -- "better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer." From EngadgetRelated Links:New Chinese ID Cards Contain Ethnicity, Religion, and MoreSneak Peek at Next-Generation SurveillancePentagon to Implant Chips in Soldiers' Bodies Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersFor every religion in the world you'll find followers who have tales of experiencing moments of euphoric closeness to their chosen god at one time or another in their lives -- and it's not just because of the days they get off from work. Scientific American investigated this phenomenon in a recent article. Why is Scientific American writing about religious states, you ask? Because a team of scientists in Canada has discovered a way of inducing these feelings of religious euphoria. For years, scientists have believed that the brain'stemporal lobe is in some way responsible for or involved in these feelings. At Laurentian University in Ontario, Michael Persinger and team have developed a helmet that uses weak electromagnetic fields to stimulate this area of the wearer's brain -- the so-called "God spot." Once switched on, wearers almost universally describe euphoric sensations and the feeling of a spiritual presence in the room -- the very sort of thing described by the devoutly religious when praying or meditating. His guinea pigs? A group of 15 nuns who all responded to a call for volunteers, "who [had] had an experienceof intense union with God." So, is this helmet a shortcut to religious contentment? Is it scientific proof that the devout are just plain happier? That's one debate we're staying out of.From SlashdotRelated Links: A Holy War Wages on Facebook ATM 'Giving Kiosks' Arrive in Churches nity/ Ex-Con Sues Google For "Crimes Against Humanity"  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  The U.S. military might has certainly provided the funding for some fascinating and groundbreaking projects over the years. There was of course Project Manhattan that lead to the creation of the A-bomb. The Internet is an offshoot of military research, as is GPS and, of course, there's no shortage of really big bombs. But, it's a very different sort of bomb that's recently been getting some attention. It's been revealed that, in 1994, researchers proposed the U.S. Air Force provide funding to develop a so-called "gay bomb."Sounding a bit like a Monty Python sketch, the bomb would release some sort of chemical or gas that would create feelings of lust so strong enemy soldiers would be unable to resist each other. They'd be forced to fall to the ground and engage in ... well ... we'll let you figure that part out for yourself. Meanwhile, of course, friendly soldiers could approach the enemies without any physical threat; their opponents being rather too busy to offer any sort of defense. So this prototype bomb turns otherwise heterosexual soldiers gay for a day, but what happens to the don't-ask-don't-tell soliders who are already gay? From Daily MailRelated Links: Russia Tests "Father of All Bombs" on September 11 The Defense Department's New Robot Dogs Ex-Con Sues Google For "Crimes Against Humanity"  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesIn case you needed another reason not to forget your cell phone on a flight, we've got a good one for you. Last week a flight was grounded and evacuated at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a passenger found an unclaimed cell phone in the pocket of the seat ahead of him. According to an AP report, the phone "appeared to have been taken apart, put back together and shoved into the seat." That was enough to raise the suspicions of the flight crew aboard the Alaska Airlines flight from San Jose. After the pilot was consulted, the plane was ordered to a taxiway in a deserted part of the airport and evacuated. Amazingly, The airport suffered only a 10-minute delay while the plane was searched by police and the FBI. No explosive devices turned up and the cell phone turned out to be just a cell phone.Perhaps fearing air-rage-induced bodily harm, no one has stepped forward yet to claim the offending handset.From textually.org and SlashPhone.comRelated Links: Alaska Air to Test In-Flight Wi-Fi this Spring Virgin America Details In-Flight Internet American, Lufthansa Adding In-Flight Wi-Fi  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersIf you're the type who's always hungry for a little bit of Wi-Fi -- maybe because you're sick of the molasses-like downloads to your iPhone on AT&T's EDGE network -- then you're the perfect candidate for this new t-shirt from ThinkGeek. It boasts a light-up Wi-Fi detector on the front that contains the familiar antenna-and-bars graphic to indicate signal strength. When it finds a hot spot, the shirt graphic blinks and glows blue, alerting you to the signal and alerting everyone else to your deeply nerdy ways. Three AAA batteries connected by a thin wire to the decal power the thing. The batteries and the glowing graphic can both be removed for washing, so while you'll definitely have to look like a nerd while wearing this shirt, you won't necessarily have to smell like one ...From Tech DigestRelated Links: Ten Best Football Gadgets for Gameday Electric Rug Puts Heat on Your Feet Rock the Laundry  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TVWith each camp constantly trying to upstage the other with endless freebies and shouts of victory, the battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD over our hi-def movie hearts is never a dull one. Today's news from the front is a blow for Sony. After its Blu-ray format seemed to be taking a definitive lead, it's now suffering a series of setbacks due to widespread issues with new movies freezing up older players.Many of the latest Blu-ray releases, including 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' and 'The Day After Tomorrow,' are reportedly choking during playback. Many players are simply not playing the discs at all, while others crap out about 30 minutes into the movie. Even the PS3's Blu-ray player isn't free from problems, though many users have seen the playback issues resolved with the latest firmware update for the console.Currently, Fox is suspected to be the source of the problems thanks to a couple of its new technologies for copy-protection and for adding extra interactive features. Fox has acknowledged the issue, but is blaming the hardware manufacturers, which, according to AVS Forum users, include LG and Samsung. For its part, Samsung has said it has no timetable for delivering a fix.This has consumers asking, "Now that we've spent tons of money on these things and chosen our side in the war, is it too much to ask that they simply work?"From BetaNewsRelated Links:More Free Blu-ray HD DVD Movies! 'Transformers' and Other Paramount Movies Won't Make It to Blu-ray Blu-ray Beating HD DVD in High-Def Format Battle  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments