Filed under: Cell PhonesA new senior minister was recently installed at the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn... via cell phone. On the day of his installation ceremony, Rev. Dr. Patrick T. O'Neill found himself in the emergency room with a broken toe. When the ceremony began at 5:00pm, Rev. O'Neill was still hospitalized, so Lee Pardee, president of the congregation's Board of Trustees, called O'Neill on her cell phone. Turning on the speaker phone and holding it up to the church's microphone, O'Neill accepted the invitation to lead the congregation.We're not really sure if this a brilliant solution to an unexpected setback or an absurd and inappropriate use of a cell phone. What do you think?From Textually.orgRelated Links:82% of Americans Own Cell PhonesText Message Your Drink Orders at British PubsAustralian Kids Going Bankrupt Over Cell Phone Bills Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers It wasn't all that long ago that director Ang Lee was opening eyes and pushing boundaries with 'Brokeback Mountain,' a film about sweaty cowboy man love. Now he's back with another controversial film, but this one's stirring up a different sort of controversy, this time in China. The hullabaloo features an interesting mix of warnings from a variety of sources, including both physicians and computer scientists who are all urging caution in viewing the film.The first warning appears to be intended to stop Chinese computer users from downloading illegal copies of the film. A Chinese anti-virus company is saying that those copies of the film that can be foundonline come with a virus. The firm isn't detailing just what virus it is, but says the virus contains code to snag user passwords. The second warning comes from Chinese physicians who warn that the ... erm ... extreme sexual positions demonstrated in the uncensored version of the film (which is seven minutes longer than the heavily censored version shown in China) rely on "abnormal body positions." They advise that only women with "comparatively flexible bodies that have gymnastics or yoga experience" dare try them, or risk "unnecessary physical harm." We're not sure how much of these examples are sound warnings from concerned experts, and how much is a sort of combo smear-campaign against both illegal downloading and illicit films. We here in America think that if you're planning on seeing this film -- and we don't recommend it since it's likely to be an illegal copy -- you should fire up your virus scanner and either do a few stretches, or call up that gymnast you dated in college. From ReutersRelated Links: Five Steps to a Safer Password MySpace Scam Offers Free Macy's Gift Card Hacked Alicia Keys MySpace Page Could Leave You With a Virus  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersInternet users have become accustomed to the idea of things getting faster as time goes on, but a warning from analyst firm Nemertes Research Group is raising fears that within three to five years, Internet access in the Americas could actually get slower. Much, much slower. The reason for the fears, which some are calling a 'meltdown,' is simply the popularity of the Internet. As anyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows, the Internet has becomenearly ubiquitous in American households over those last ten years. The global network connections that bridge access between countries, called backbones, are said to have plenty of bandwidth to support the expected growth. However, the infrastructure that fills in those gaps -- actually bringing connectivity into your home -- is said to be woefully lacking to maintain this growth in Internet popularity. Add in the increasing demand many are placing on their Internet providers by using bandwidth hungry apps like peer-to-peer file sharing, and you have a problem. It's this sort of pressure that has led providers like Comcast to attempt to throttle the bandwidth usage by some of its customers, leading to irate customers, lawsuits, and plenty of bad PR. Expect more providers to start implementing these sorts of changes as they struggle to cope with increasing demand, and expect higher prices from those who don't resort to those restrictions. From NewsVineRelated Links: Comcast Cable Sued Over Bandwidth "Throttling" Comcast Admits It Crippled Internet Traffic Comcast Blocking Certain Types of Internet Traffic  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesDriving while texting is dangerous and illegal in many places. It can even land you in jail. Though not exactly behind bars, an unlucky driver caught sending a message in Phoenix was issued the state's first citation for driving while texting, thanks to a new law, set in place in September, that makes the practice illegal.Much like speeding and other moving violations, driving while texting is one of those offenses that asks police officers to use their judgment. In general, police have indicated warnings will be given in most cases, with citations going out to those caught texting in heavy traffic or anyone causing an accident. It's unknown exactly what happened on November 5th when that first citation was given out, but we do know that the driver will be facing fines of between $184 and $460 depending on the severity of the offense.That's a lot of cash for a text message.From azcentral.com and azfamily.com Related Links: Texting and Driving Equated to Drunk Driving Texting While Driving Banned for CA Teens Teen Imprisoned for TXTing While Driving  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersThere are those among you who can barely dress themselves in the morning. Admit it. You're lost about what shoes to wear with an outfit, or have a tendency to wear the same exact thing on a regular cycle. Well, we have some good news: Australian researchers are working on a Smart Closet system the will take all thought out of the process of matching your duds.Here's how it works: When hung, clothes embedded with "electronic panels" talk to electronic hangers, which then communicate with the closet computer (it's a computer trapped inside the body of a closet!). The computer will track what you've worn and warn you if you're about to meet a person for the second time in the same clothes, or suggest what tie matches your shirt.The smart aspects of the clothes don't end at the computerized closet, either. Your duds will also monitor vital signs, store data, and flash an LED when you get a cell phone call... which sounds like it would be terribly distracting during a business meeting.As a tech demonstration, the Smart Closet is impressive, if impractical, but we're sure some of these technologies will find their place in our everyday lives soon enough.From Business Edge (via Engadget)Related Links:Say Goodbye to Dirty DishesGPS Equipped School Uniform Allows Parents to Track KidsIBM Predicts the Future Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  For some of us, the supermarket is something of an oasis. The endless rows of celery, chicken thighs, Cheez Whiz -- it's just us alone with that which God has provided for our nourishment, perfectly at home underneath the fluorescent lights. Like heaven, but with a candy aisle. So even better, really.Now marketers are doing their best to destroy that sanctuary. In the very near future, Modstream is hoping to install bars with scrolling displays onto the handles of shopping carts, to enable food companies to beam messages to us as we peruse the shelves. The companies gain access to a Web-based store profile, enter in a given message, and transmit their ads to participating stores and, ultimately, your eyes. The setup apparently even enables said companies to change their message as they go. It'll be like, "Sale on Jiffy peanut butter in aisle four!" Then you rush to get to aisle four and you find out that it's the freaking vegetable aisle and before you know it you're getting sprayed by mist. Grocery shopping will never be the same. From EngadgetRelated Links:Japanese Phone Offers Earthquake AlertsText Message Your drink Orders at British Pubs Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, MySpaceRumor around the Internets is that MySpace is getting ready for a major facelift. Word is News Corp is looking to hook up with Zach Klein, the designer behind YouTube-clone Vimeo, to clean up the hodge-podge of disparate design elements that a lot of people are complaining about at MySpace.Users have been fleeing MySpace en masse for the more respectable and less spam filled Facebook. A bit of a redesign will be good for MySpace, but will it be enough to save the site clearly in its death throes?From MashableRelated Links:New U2 Song Exclusively on Facebook, Not MySpaceMySpace Scam Offers Free Macy's Gift CardHacked Alicia Keys MySpace Page Could Leave You With a Virus Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Switched VideoWe know you love our up-to-the-minute mix of gadget news and tips. We also know you're busy, and try as you might, it's a royal pain to lug your computer along for your commute. So we've created the ultra-portable, ultra-thin, zero-carbon-emitting Switched Show podcast so that you can catch up with the latest tech stories wherever you are, provided you're within arm's reach of an iPod, iPhone, or whatever crazy media player you prefer. Browse an archive of our favorite shows through iTunes and, better yet, subscribe (for FREE!) to the podcast and get the latest show delivered straight to your iTunes (or whatever crazy podcast catcher you prefer) the moment we kick it out the door. But wait, there's more: You can also find the Switched Show on YouTube.com.Related Links:Can Privacy Exist on the Internet? Mo Rocca Talks About Baring It All, Online How to Resize Your Photos For E-Mail Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesA man in Berkeley, California was struck and killed yesterday while crossing the train tracks on foot. Witnesses say that he was distracted by talking on his cell phone, resulting in the accident. The man stood by the side of two sets of the tracks waiting for one train to cross, then immediately stepped out onto the tracks and was struck by a second train passing in the opposite direction.This sounds disturbingly similar to an incident in Ohio we reported about in August. There, a teen was texting on his cell phone and did the same thing, crossed the tracks behind one train only to step in front of the second. He survived, his injuries far less severe than those apparently suffered by the Berkeley man.If you're crossing the train tracks, we think it might be a good idea to put down the cell phone, pause that iPod and take your ear-buds out, and close the lid on your Nintendo DS before you take the risk of becoming the next to be featured in a post like this. From cbs2.comRelated Links: Teen Struck By Train While Text Messaging NYC Hopes to Launch Subway Text Message Alert System California Bans Cell Phone Use For Teen Drivers  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell PhonesThose mobile mavens over at NTT DoCoMo, a major Japanese cell phone provider, are taking the lid off of a feature called Area Mail.Area Mail will blast all phones in a predetermined area with a text message. Pairing this location specific messaging service with a special ringtone could lead to a powerful emergency alert system. In the event of an earthquake or Godzilla attack an alert could be sent straight to those in immediate danger with out bothering those outside the danger zone.From MobileMentalismRelated links:NYC Hopes to Launch Subway Text Message Alert SystemPerdue to Test Emergency Text Message SystemCampus Text Alert System Scores Low on First Test Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Video GamesIn American war gaming, the American Civil War has been a popular setting for games ranging from the board and dice variety, like Avalon Hill's classic 'Gettysburg,' to the more recent (and forgettable) 'Civil War: A Nation Divided.' These games don't tend to raise the ire of those who were directly affected by the war because, well, there just aren't too many of those people still around these days. However, the situation is very different in Spain, where a game portraying the the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War is stirring up debate by those who still remember it.The game, called 'Shadows of War: The Spanish Civil War,' enables players to take the side of either the victorious Fascist forces or the defeated Republicans, playing through the three-year conflict that resulted in 500,000 deaths and ultimately lead to a 36-year dictatorship. While many appreciate the opportunity to re-write history as a Republican soldier, many others who lost close ones or directly fought in the war think the game trivializes a difficult time in Spanish history. What it seems everyone can agree upon, though, is that it isn't a particularly good game, scoring mediocre reviews by those who have weighed in on the game so far.Here in the U.S., as mentioned above, the wounds of our Civil War have healed enough that few think twice about a game that embraces the subject. However, there has been quite a bit of discussion surrounding games set during World War II and other more modern conflicts, specifically whether they trivialize the plight of soldiers. Hank Keirsey, a veteran of the Gulf War and a military advisor for 'Call of Duty 4,' recently spoke out against these accusations, saying that they actually inspire kids to learn history and respect those who have fought in these wars.Funny how nobody really complained about G.I. Joe and his cronies when we were kids, but maybe that's because G.I. Joe was re-imagined as an adventurer in the early '70s following Vietnam-war era complaints about the soldier doll for dudes. From Guardian Unlimited and Next GenerationRelated Links: Singapore Bans Video Game With Interplanetary Lesbian Sex Scene Citing Violent Content, Target Pulls 'Manhunt 2' Video Game Church Forgives Sony Over Violent PlayStation 3 Game  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersThe book is the last bastion of non-digital media. Music and videos have long since gone digital, magazine and newspaper subscriptions are suffering as more readers turn to blogs and news sites to get their info, and it's hard to even compare the size of the video game industry to the board game industry. Yet the book has held on through a number of attempts at replacement, with various digital eBook readers coming and ultimately going over the years, most hindered by minimal selection. Now Amazon thinks the time is right for another. Today, the book giant launches its Kindle eBook Reader. The Kindle is a small device with a six-inch E-ink display. E-ink is a type of LCD that requires very little power to operate, enabling the Kindle to get 30 hours of battery life despite sporting battery-sapping support for Wi-Fi and Sprint's high-speed mobile broadband EV-DO network. This means you can purchase and download books from almost wherever, even sitting at an airport terminal waiting for your flight, and you can also subscribe to blogs and even newspapers like 'The New York Times' and have them delivered straight to the device. With Amazon selling new releases at $9.99, the prices aren't too bad, especially compared to the $20 - $30 you might pay for your typical hardcover.The Kindle is most comparable to Sony's Reader, another small E Ink-based eBook reader that sports much the same functionality but without the wireless, so you have to sync to your computer to get books. (The Reader also doesn't offer periodicals or newspapers.) We think the Reader looks a bit nicer with its understated design and silver or blue color when compared to the Kindle's angular design, making it look like a prop from an early 1980's sci-fi movie. The Reader is $100 cheaper, too, selling at $299 vs. $399 for the kindle. But, compare book prices, and you'll see Sony's charging $15.99 for new releases, which could add up if you're a frequent reader. Amazon's definitely pulling out the stops to launch the Kindle today, letting the thing dominate their front page, setting up a massive product page, and even getting respectable authors like Toni Morrison to shill for the thing in a series of videos. Will the Kindle finally bring the book into the digital age, or are we as a civilization destined to still be cutting down trees for our light reading hundreds of years for now? We just know this thing won't start any revolutions until it drops under $200. From Newsweek.comRelated Links: Scratch-n-Sniff 'Old Book Smell' for E-Books Earth-Friendly Tech Amazon MP3 Store Takes Aim at iTunes  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Celebrities, Google, TVWell we're glad he said it and not us, but John Mayer is a bit of a douche bag. Mayer says that while he was Googleing himself extensively (you know, searching about himself online) he found out -- and these are his words -- "I'm kind of a douche bag. I got a little sick of myself ... I'm insufferable."Mayer formally apologized to the Internet-viewing public for his general douche-baggery.From TMZRelated Links:"I'm John Mayer... I'm a Crackberry Addict"Gary Coleman's GameCube Auctioned Off on eBayMo Rocca Talks About Baring it All, Online Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Car Tech, Green TechHonda just unveiled the production model of its first hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle, the FCX Clarity. The Clarity is being given a test run in selected areas of North Carolina that are near one of nine refueling stations built for the cars by Honda. It will then be released more widely in California in 2008, where apparently the Hollywood types are already lining up for some serious enviro-chic driving.The cars have a range of 290 miles, roughly the equivalent of 68 miles per gallon on gasoline. The Clarity also uses regenerative braking, like a Prius, to charge a battery that also feeds the engine, increasing the efficiency of the car.Hydrogen fuel cell tech is a zero-emissions fuel, releasing only water into the atmosphere as a waste product. Just a few short years ago, hydrogen fuel cells seemed like a pipe dream. And while this small scale production run doesn't mean that you'll be driving one of these environmentally friendly automobiles anytime soon, it is a huge step in realizing the dream of a pollution-free vehicle.From DailyTechRelated links:5 Percent of U.S. Electricity Wasted by "Vampire" ElectronicsCell Phones Powered by BacteriaMini Fuel Cells Boost Cell Phone Talk Time Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments