Filed under: Computers, Video Games, MySpaceNews Corp has its hands in just about everything these days, it owns the Fox film and TV outlets, including Fox News and National Geographic, it has significant holdings in DirecTV and the UK's SKY TV, an absurd number of newspapers including the New York Post, and soon, the prestigious Wall Street Journal, mega publisher Harper Collins. It also owns popular online destinations Rotten Tomatoes, and, of course, MySpace.It's the last property in that list that has been one of our constant targets for both well deserved and occasionally frivolous reporting. MySpace is trying to become a one-stop portal for everything you could possibly need on the Web. What began as a simple social-networking site has expanded to cover music, video, comedy, news, ringtones, Internet telephony, and even past episodes of Fox television shows.Now you can add video games to MySpace's list of offerings that you won't have to go anywhere else to find. MySpace Games is set to launch in January of 2008 as part of a partnership with casual-games publisher Oberon Media. The target audience, naturally, is casual gamers who play Flash versions of word, puzzle and board games on sites like PopCap and AOL Games.MySpacers will be able to play games with other MySpacers on the Games channel, as well as embed scaled down versions on their MySpace profiles for instant gaming and even slower load times!From GigaOMRelated Links:MySpace TV: A Better YouTube CompetitorHow to Spot Fake Friend Requests on MySpaceMySpace to Absorb PhotoBucketMySpace Bans 29,000 Sex Offenders Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, MySpaceDespite efforts to replace him, MySpace's Tom is still the most popular and most default friend on the ridiculously popular social networking site. Tom is, of course, Tom Anderson, the creator of the site, whose profile lists him as 32 years old. However, in what may be the most glaring example of why you shouldn't trust a thing yousee on MySpace, (or online in general), reports are surfacing that Tom may be as old as 40.His Wikipedia page echoes the 32 age, stating his birthday as October 13, 1975, and his undergraduate date from U.C. Berkeley of 1998 seems to jive with that. But apparently Julia Angwin, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, is working on a book that uncovers, among many other juicy items, Anderson's real age to be 40.We can't wait to read that book, but in the meantime, we were able to get some confirmation on Anderson's age discrepancy from some industrious online bloggers. It turns out that an unnamed "senior person" at MySpace confirmed to TechCrunch that Tom is really "36 or 37." Why lie, and why continue the lie for so long? (Tom's birthday on the site hasn't changed since 2003.) And, is this a big deal? Well, lying about your age isn't exactly a felony, especially for a Californian, but it is kind of creepy, especially when you've got a bunch of kids wanting to be your friend. Whatdo you think? If Tom Anderson is lying about his age, is it a big deal?From TechCrunchRelated Links: MySpace and Skype Join Forces Kids Spend Too Much Time Online, Say Parents Mobile MySpace To Launch Any Moment Now  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersUsing your digits to type out innumerable amounts of LOLs and ROFLMAOs on crumb-laden keyboards is something most people take for granted. But the physically disabled, or, more specifically, those without the use of their hands and fingers, have a much more difficult time navigating a computer keyboard.Voice-recognition programs such as Dragon Naturally Speaking have gone a long way towards helping people who can't use a keyboard with a computer, but it looks like there will soon be some other options: Japanese company Actbrise recently developed a touch-free keyboard for people without the use of their hands. Using a head-mounted sensor, the keyboard, which hangs over the top of your screen, picks up your noggin's movements and transmits the data to the computer as text. The system can also simply be used as a mouse to navigate your computer's windows and documents. Now, here's the annoying part: The system costs $2,567, which makes Dragon Naturally Speaking suddenly seem like the bargain of the century. From Akihabara NewsRelated Links:Target Sued Over Site's Visually-Impared Accessibility Inventors Use Hand Gestures to Kill the Mouse (and Keyboard)  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video GamesJust like the new $399 PlayStation 3 model, which we knew about over a month in advance, Microsoft's new Xbox 360 lost some hype around its announcement when the thing was listed on Amazon.com three weeks ago. But, the company is moving on, and has now officially announced the new Xbox 360 Arcade bundle. It will replace the former $279.99 Core model, which is the cheapest, stripper version that came with a wired controller but no hard drive. The new Arcade version also lacks a hard drive and will also sell for $279.99, but at least it comes with a 256-megabyte memory card for game saves, a wireless controller, and five games from the Xbox Live Arcade ('Pac-Man', 'Boom Boom Rocket', 'Feeding Frenzy', 'Luxor 2', and 'Uno'). It's a much better deal than the Core package and is targeted toward the more casual gamer set -- those who are buying up every Wii in sight. However, serious gamers who want to be downloading game demos or renting videos from the Xbox Live Marketplace will still want to cough up the extra $70 to get the Premium bundle with the hard drive. From EngadgetRelated Links: Amazon Slips, Leaks the New Xbox 360 $399 PlayStation 3 Coming, But It Won't Play Old Games Xbox 360 Gets Better, Darker  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, iPhoneSome of us have been hoping for or expecting it since the announcement of the iPhone, while some of the rest of you, like Farhad Manjoo of Machinist, are just realizing the possibilities. A touch-screen Mac, or the more traditional rumor route, a Mac Tablet.It's not as crazy as it seems, the iPhone is built on OS X, it shares the same core operating system with your desktop and notebook Macs. So why not port over the awe inspiring multi-touch interface to the iMac? According to a recent article in the New York Times, Steve Jobs certainly thinks his new touchscreen is impressive. When interviewer John Markoff suggests that "there have been no obvious radical innovations to jump-start growth," Job's counters that the iPhone's multi-touch interface is exactly that sort of innovation. "People don't understand that we've invented a new class of interface," the Apple demigod is quoted as saying in the Times.Imagine using multi-touch technology to manipulate an image in Photoshop, or twiddle with virtual knobs and faders in music creation programs such as ProTools or Apple's own Logic (the more likely initial candidate). So Mr. Jobs, we know it's technically feasible, and you seemto think it's revolutionary, so get moving and bring the world's best touch-screen technology to your desktop computer line... please?How about you? Would you want a touch-screen Mac?From Machinist and New York Times.Related Links:Is Europe Getting a Better iPhone Next Week?Netflix Style Rentals Coming From Apple iTunes?iPhone Nano: Is it Coming or What? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, TVLoading up a PC with (legally or illegally) downloaded copies of TV shows and movies has become quite the norm for many people. The problem is watching the latest cinematic, special effects blockbuster on your 17-inch computer monitor isn't exactly the pulse-raising experience it was meant to be. We're also pretty sure the cheap-o Staples swivel chair isn't the most comfortable place for watching a two hour epic. And though perfectly doable, streaming TV shows to a media extender or plugging your computer into your TV isn't always the most seamless or easy thing to do.With the introuction of the Sansa Take TV, SanDisk is hoping you'll forget about that temperamental home Wi-Fi network and glitchy media extender. Why? Because the SanDisk Sansa Take TV is simple and straightforward. It's essentially a USB flash drive with built-in video playing capabilities. You plug the Take TV into the USB port on your PC and just drag and drop video files to it. Afterwards, you physically move the Take TV to the included portable A/V dock, which connects the conventional way to any TV, and presto, you've got 'Dexter.' The best thing about Take TV is how small it is -- not much bigger than a standard USB drive, and the dock and remote fold up nicely for carrying with you anywhere (in fact the remote control serves as the cover for the whole thing when not in use).To coincide and pair with the Take TV, SanDisk is launching Fanfare, a video downloading service with both free (ad supported) and for-pay content from CBS, Showtime, and, for some reason that we don't quite understand, the Weather Channel. The 4 Gigabyte Take TV costs $99 and stores roughly five hours of video, while the 8 Gigabyte runs $149 for about 10 hours. Both models are availale online from the SanDisk Web site.We saw the Take TV at last year's Consumer Electronics Show and it was one of our top picks at the show. Since it specializes in Flash drives, SD cards, and other forms of memory (not to mention the excellent Sansa Connect), SanDisk is reliable in this area of portable memory, storage, and playback. Despite the paltry selection of TV shows on its Fanfare service (for now, at least, since it's in beta), SanDisk may well have a winner with Take TV.How about you? Would you rather carry this little USB-drive sized device and plug it into your TV or would you prefer lug around an iPod and an iPod video dock?From SanDisk.Related Links:Xbox 360 With Built-In HD-DVD Capability On Its Way? DVDs Now Come With Computer Video Files for PC's and Video Players Watch Fox Repeats Free on iTunes  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, ComputersSouthern Californians near San Diego are currently in the midst of a massive and (largely) out of control wildfire destroying houses and displacing many residents. When you're near such a spreading and unpredictable disaster, staying informed is about the most important thing you can do. Some posts made by users of the instant-status-update site Twitter are helping some keep ahead of the flames.According to 'Wired,' two users, Nate Ritter and Viss, are using the site to post updates about the fire's progress, ordered evacuations, police presence, and traffic problems. The two are even posting pictures online of the events happening in and around the turmoil. This is an interesting change of intent for the Twitter, which is typically host to banal updates about where someone is or what they're doing right now, updates that may or may not be interesting, but that certainly won't save your life.Nate and Viss are using the identifier #sandiegofire for their updates, and if you're the SMS type, you can send the message "track sandiegofire" to 40404 and get updates straight to your phone.From WiredRelated Links: John Edwards Is a Twitter TXT 4 HILLARY German Twitter Clone for Sale on eBay  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Video Games, CelebritiesWhen you ponder the phrase "Real American," what do you think of? (Other than the various Bud Lite radio commercials, that is.) Chances are, if you're a politician at least, "Real American" equates to blue collar rural farmer or the like. However, an interesting statistics-riddled post helps to shed a little light on just how far off base that notion is. According to the piece at Kung Fu Monkey, which pulled numbers from the USDA, two million Americans work on farms or ranches. Compare that to the three million computer and mathematical scientists in the U.S., or the four million American 'World of Warcraft' players, and you see that perhaps it's time for a bit of a shift in our perceptions of just what a "real" American is. That's not to say, of course, that Farmers are lame and should be ignored by the media, but when President Bush says he's going down to his ranch Texas to "stay in touch with real Americans" while working with Indian leaders to send more tech jobs off-shore, it's hard not to think of him as more than a little off-base. Thankfully, our current selection of candidates set to take the reigns in '08 are a little more savvy in appealing to the tech-friendly crew. Most of them, anyway ...From Boing Boing and Kung Fu MonkeyRelated Links: Ann Coulter's Web Site Hacked Giuliani Staging Mid-Speech Cell Phone Calls? How Presidential Candidates Are Using the 'Net  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, iPhoneIt's the best news iPhone owners have gotten since signing up for their two-year contracts: Steve Jobs has finally, and officially, announced that outside developers will be allowed to create programs for the device -- something Apple has been strictly against since the product's formal announcement last June.This is not to say that the decision comes from the kindness of Apple's heart: There has been a huge uproar from prospective developers and owners since day one, and the restriction has even lead to some lawsuits.The kit for developers won't be available until February, with the company supposedly trying to figure out how to make the iPhone an open system without exposing it to viruses, spyware, and the like. Of course, giving third-party developers the go-ahead will also put more pressure on Apple to make their own software better. So really, we all win. High fives all around.From ReutersRelated Links:Third-party Apps Coming to iPhone? New non-iPhone touch coming to AT+T  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, CamerasEveryday this Big Brother stuff gets scarier and scarier. Pretty soon the only place you'll be safe is in your own home, in your bed room, under the blanket. We posted before about experts declaring that by 2057 there will be roughly one million sensors and recorders for every U.K. resident. It looks like London is wasting no time rushing towards that goal.We're well aware of the security cameras already all over the city, but it looks like Londoners will also have to brace themselves for audio surveillance, too. In order to break up gangs, London police have begun a program using audio bugs placed in public places. Currently, the listening devices have only been deployed in Lambeth, in south London, where youth gangs are particularly prevalent, and where gun crime has risen 10 percent in the last six months. The hope is that the intelligence gathered will help authorities identify key figures in the tight-knit, but loosely organized groups, which will better allow police to disrupt their activities.Public eavesdropping, sans warrants, by law enforcement is sure to rankle some privacy advocates. Authorities are hoping a drop in crime will quell the inevitable uproar. We shall see.Would you approve of audio eavesdropping if it reduced crime in your area?From The BBCRelated Links:New Technology Detects Terrorists Before They Strike Surveillance Cams Don't Reduce Crime, Study Finds Sneak Peek At Next Generation Surveillance  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Interviews, CelebritiesCatherine Schwartz (AKA Cat) is one of the foremost tech experts in the country. She is widely known for her electric commentary on the hottest gadgets and how to use them. As The HiTechMommy and eBay Gadget and Toy Director, Schwartz educates consumers on the wide breadth and depth of consumer electronics and toys in an approachable way.As the tech go-to-girl, Schwartz developed new high-tech ways for distributing TV content over the Web. In 2003, she produced and hosted TechTV's 'The Screen Savers"'followed by the live computer show 'Call for Help."'For the next three years, Schwartz gained a dedicated following both on the show and on her blog, HiTechMommy.com, a catchy mix of tech spiced with Schwartz's personal musings on parenting.We got a chance to talk to Cat about her favorite tech and gadgets. Here's what she had to say, in our latest Switched Questionnaire:What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set of your T.V. tapings (for down-time)? It's truly amazing to me how one little gadget can make me feel so fulfilled. My Mimoco USB drives hold up to 2 gigs of my most precious digital info (pictures of my son, Jack, some VERY hard to find Beastie Boys and Beatles tunes, a few TV pitches and some scripts) inside adorably anime-ish shaped characters. I have about 5 of them and each one has its own little jacket that can attach to my key chain. I love them and they make me feel loved. In addition, I always toss the Flip Video into my bag because you never know when you might get video of something YouTube-worthy. It's a small video camera that has extremely basic functions (record, stop, playback, zoom and that's about it) with very cool features. There's a built in USB dongle that flips out for easy connection when I'm out and about that also packs movie management software that's pretty cool. The camera has one hour of storage, comes in different colors and sells for about $120. Love it. Lastly, I like to rock my video watch in case I have some down time. It's a digital watch with a screen that plays MP4 files with pretty decent quality. There's not a ton of storage, 2 gigs, but I've compressed the hell out of some episodes of The Office that never seem to get old. I can also plug in my headphones to listen to MP3s, check out my photos, record and playback voice message, and tell time! What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love/hate about it? Right now I'm obsessed with the new SideKick LX. It's not out till the end of October, but I got one! What a bang up job T-Mobile pulled on this one. First off, the slimmer frame comes in a dark silky brown that's really smooth looking. Pretty yummy, and pretty. Next, they've upgraded the camera's quality, gave it a flash, and packed in a WQVGA screen that uses hi-def LCD technology so media is as clear as it should be at this point. The upgrades are nice to see and I'm glad they stayed true to my original attraction, the way the keyboard feels on my finger tips. The keys are a good distance apart and have nice gription. Yeah, I made that word up... Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about? I was getting the scoop on a hot mommy friend of mine who's cheating on her husband with a famous actor. Pretty juicy stuff. The actor wants her to meet up at The Ivy for lunch. Lucky. Where do you go (site or service) pretty much every time you get online? Gmail, news.google.com, engadget.com, PinkIsTheNewBlog.com, and,of course, Switched.com.What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop (or any other gadget)? I hate when I'm too lazy to plug "it" in at night then struggle the whole next day with the fear that if I use my device like I want to it'll die. It causes me stress in crazy ways and I regret it every time! Name one thing you wish your iPod could do that it doesn't do now? I wish I could download content onto my iPod on the go. What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on? Touch, and the new Zeppelin Speaker System. It looks, rad but I want to see if it gives off the sound it claims it can. You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?First off I'm gonna need some juice. The Solio hybrid solar charger would allow me to charge about 20 different devices with the power of the sun. Now I can bring my video iPod with my favorite music, movies, TV and pix on it so I can stay entertained. That's really all I need.What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod? Beastie Boys BlackBerry, Sidekick, or Treo? Duhhhhhh Do you have an iPhone?Yes. But got one for research and can write it off. I wouldn't pay the money for it because typing long e-mails is huge for me and the hard surface hurts my fingers. The device is revolutionary and you do look like a baller when you're rollin' with it...so YOU should go for it. What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it? Days went buy... Halo was the game. Do you use/have a Mac or PC?I'm bi.Related Links:'Days of Our Lives' Star James Reynolds Loves Fantasy Football'60s-Era Rock Groupie Pamela Des Barres Now Sleeps With Her Pocket PCAlan Alda Uses His iPod to Learn Lines! Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Editor's PicksThe mind-blowingly quirky piece of clothing pictured above may not deliver actual sodas, but it just might deliver you from evil-doers intent on causing you harm.According to Australia's The Age, the above-pictured skirt looks like a pretty red dress under normal circumstances, but when flipped inside out over the wearer's head turns into a pretty dead-on soda machine disguise -- the perfect foil for some mugger or more violent criminal (at least in Japan, where street crime is rare).Other fashion-forward, crime-prevention accessories the article cites are wraparound sunglasses so dark you can't make eye contact with perverts on the subway, and a "manhole skirt" that folds up all your valuables into something that looks an awful lot like a manhole cover, which you then place on the street should a criminal step into view.You can laugh, but these flippable fashion outfits are actually inspired by ancient Ninja stealth techniques -- apparently Ninja warriors would hide under black cloths at night to avoid enemies or surprise-attack them.Only in Japan, folks, does the old "no one here, just us Coke machines" technique actually ward off would-be rapists and/or muggers.How about you? Would you feel safe wearing this thing?From The Age (via Textually).Related Links:GPS-Equipped Uniform Allows Parents to Track Kids Nintendo's Fashion Runway Show T-Shirt Lights Up in Wi-Fi Zones  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cameras, Celebrities, Slideshows Believe it or not, celebrities are fat and zitty like the rest of us -- they just happen to have a secret weapon to fight flab and flaws that we mere mortals don't. We're talking about airbrushing, of course.For those unfamiliar with the practice, airbrushing (aka Photoshopping, aka retouching) is when a photo is digitally manipulated to make the subject look better. That includes everything from magically erasing pimples to instantly shaving off a few pounds. The practice is so common, you can just about assume that any posed photo you see in a magazine has been altered in one way or another. As you can imagine, airbrushing is not without its critics who argue that the practice is harmful to real people because it creates an unattainable ideal of beauty -- particularly for women. For example, this past July, the women's magazine Redbook came under fire when the above un-retouched cover photo of Faith Hill surfaced. And just this week, TMZ called out Jodi Foster for her suspiciously youthful appearance on the cover of this month's California Style magazine.Yes, 2007 has already provided lots of airbrushing hubbub, and as you'll see not all of it surrounds female photo subjects. In fact, it's not just TV, movie and music stars, either -- politicians and athletes are having digital work done too. Keep reading to uncover the truth.Next >> Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, ComputersFrom our 'so much for Net Neutrality' department comes a story from the Associated Press, which assigned a reporter to see if there was any validity to recent accusations that Comcast, the cable TV and Internet provider, is throttling and/or blocking file-sharing on its networks.The AP turned to the Bible, which is public domain and legal to share. The tests were run from two different PCs in the Philadelphia and San Francisco areas. The reporter found that two out of three times, the peer-to-peer BitTorrent transfer was blocked completely. The third time the transfer only started after a 10-minute delay.Control tests were run on other providers, Cablevision and Time Warner Cable, and no blockage or throttling was documented in those tests.You can read more about exactly how Comcast blocked traffic on AP's more extensive story here, but suffice it to say that future blockage could be applied to more legit sites and services such as Joost, Skype, and online-video-rental-service Vudu.This is exactly the sort of heavy handed tactic proponents of Net Neutrality have feared, and the widespread reporting may help bring the issue of Net Neutrality into the limelight.From BetaNews and the APFor further reading on Net Neutrality, visit these sites:Follow up From AP Save the Internet - An organization pushing for legislation requiring Net Neutrality Google Guide to Net Neutrality News.com - Net Neutrality Showdown Related Links:Iran Blocks Access to Google and Gmail Is it Wrong to Block Web Site Ads? AT&T Admits Error In Censoring Pearl Jam Song  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments