Switched

Why Facebook Scams Refuse to Die

Twitter Hits 50 Million Tweets a Day, Still Lags Behind Facebook

Most Addictive Sounds Include Cell Phone Buzz, Nat Geo Theme Song

The Dalai Lama Has Come to Twitter... For Real

by Amar Toor — Feb 23rd 2010 at 3:35PM

No one really knows what went down during last week's closed-door meeting between Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama, but at least we now know about the small miracle that transpired when His Holiness recently met with Twitter co-founder Evan Williams.

After last year's fake Dalai Lama Twitter account tricked 16,000 people into following it, the Tibetan spiritual leader has apparently decided to take the plunge and join for real. The account @DalaiLama, which was actually set up a week before Sunday's Twitter-Tibet Summit, has just been confirmed by Twitter authorities as 100-percent authentic, according to ReadWriteWeb. Shortly after Williams posted a cryptically suggestive tweet on Monday ("Met the Dalai Lama today in LA. Pitched him on using Twitter. He laughed."), news of the Dalai Lama's official Twittership broke, and VP of Communications Sean Garret took the occasion to formally welcome him to the platform.

Tags: china, dalai lama, DalaiLama, evan williams, evanwilliams, religion, socialnetworking, tibet, top, twitter

States Extend Cash-for-Clunker to Appliances

by Terrence O'Brien — Feb 23rd 2010 at 2:50PM

The Cash for Clunkers program drove Americans to go out and buy cars en masse. But cars aren't the only aging and inefficient products that people tend to retain long past their expiration dates. Appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines are often kept until they become a pile of replacement parts, jury-rigged to function only if you know the secret. ("You have to duct tape this switch down, then close the door, and while you hold down the start button kick it three times on the left side.")

Now states are taking some of the federal stimulus money and using it to fund rebate programs for energy-efficient appliances. The exact amount of the rebate depends on individual state programs and what appliance is bought. The consistent hope, though, is that it will encourage consumers to go out and make big-ticket purchases, thus lowering the demand for electricity by removing older, less efficient products from the grid. All rebate-eligible purchases must be Energy Star rated as being 30-percent more efficient than the "standard" model.

Tags: appliances, Cash for Clunkers, CashForClunkers, economic stimulus, EconomicStimulus, energy star, EnergyStar, government, top

FCC Report: 31-Percent of Americans With Broadband Access Won't Adopt It

by Matthew Zuras — Feb 23rd 2010 at 2:05PM

In anticipation of a sweeping new plan that aims to provide all Americans with broadband Internet access, the FCC has just released a report (PDF link) detailing Internet usage statistics with some fascinating results. The report reveals that 35-percent of Americans do not use broadband at home. But, only 4-percent of these people lack access to broadband where they live, meaning that 31-percent of Americans don't subscribe to broadband for reasons like cost and lack of digital literacy.

Education level (which is frequently concurrent with income) is a deciding mechanism for broadband adoption. Only 46-percent of adults whose highest level of education is a high school diploma have broadband at home; compare that with nearly double the amount (86-percent) of broadband users who have at least attended college.

Tags: broadband, fcc, government, internet, internet access, InternetAccess, report, study, top

43-Year-Old Woman Charged With Seducing Teen via PlayStation

by Amar Toor — Feb 23rd 2010 at 1:20PM

Ever wonder what 'The Graduate' would look like if Todd Solondz took a crack at remaking it? We sure have, and we think we found our answer in Oklahoma.

After her 14-year-old son suddenly disappeared, an Oklahoma City mother was understandably worried. When he finally returned home, though, things got even weirder. That's because he came back with 43-year-old Annamay Alexander, who claimed to be there to discuss the possibility of the boy marrying her daughter. Creepy, right? It gets worse. Smelling strange things afoot, the boy's mom went digging through his cell phone, and unearthed a few texts from this alleged matchmaker, saying totally normal things like: "My body is yours to do whatever you want with," and "I love you and we are going to get married." Nevermind, of course, that she was already married with children.

So how did this cougar manage to grab hold of her pubescent prey? Apparently, the incongruous couple met on the virtual world of Sony Home, where they each created digital characters of themselves. According to KOCO 5 in Oklahoma City, police confiscated the teen's PlayStation, and discovered a photo of Alexander in her undies. The son later acknowledged that Annamay had indeed come to visit him for some playful, pedophilic sexy time.

Mothers of Sooner Nation, take note: Alexander is still at large, and is apparently rockin' a white 2003 Dodge Intrepid with Florida plates. If you see a wild-eyed, considerably less attractive Mrs. Robinson loitering at your local candy aisle (or, more likely, GameStop), you should probably give 911 a call -- after, of course, you've locked up your teenage son. [From: KOCO5, via: Huffington Post]

Tags: annamay alexander, AnnamayAlexander, bizarre, pedophile, playstation3, sony home, SonyHome, top, videogames

Top 5 Comedians Who Tweet (and 5 Who Should)

by Jon Chase — Feb 23rd 2010 at 12:35PM

It's a happy coincidence that Twitter's 140-character limit happens to be the perfect format for dishing one-liners, wry observations, and, of course, those always satisfying X-rated tirades. Thus, it's an ideal way for comedians to try out new material and broaden their fan bases, and a never-ending source of free content for comedy fans -- a win-win for everyone. To share the wealth with our readers, we've pulled together the five best comic tweeters we follow, and another five who we hope will get their acts together and get online.

Tags: celebrities, celebrity, chappelles show, ChappellesShow, comedian, comedians, comedy, david chappelle, DavidChappelle, features, gervais, jim gaffigan, jim gaffigan beyond the pale, JimGaffigan, JimGaffiganBeyondThePale, neil brennan, NeilBrennan, patton oswalt, PattonOswalt, rainn wilson, RainnWilson, sarah silverman, Sarah Silverman Program, SarahSilverman, SarahSilvermanProgram, switchedfollows, top, tweet, twitter, weird al yankovic, WeirdAlYankovic, zach galifianakis, ZachGalifianakis

UAE Bans 'Heavy Rain,' Amazon Crowned as Most Trusted Brand

by Warren Riddle Feb 23rd 2010 at 11:50AM {0 comments}

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines.... The United Arab Emirates has received positive recognition for its growing acceptance of women's rights, but the nation is still maintaining a hard-line stance in regard to simulated skin. The UAE has reportedly banned the sale of the video game 'Heavy Rain' because of virtual "blood and nudity." Blood? Really? [From: Joystiq] ...

Twitter Hits 50 Million Tweets a Day, Still Lags Behind Facebook

by Amar Toor Feb 23rd 2010 at 11:00AM {1 comments}

We sort of had an idea that Twitter was blowing up in a big way. As it turns out, though, we really had no idea. According to the Twitter analytics team, tweeting activity has grown exponentially over the past three years, to the point where people are now posting about 50 million tweets per day, or roughly 600 tweets per second. As you can see in the above summary graph, the majority of the ...

Why 'We Will Not Pay For Facebook' and Gold Membership Scams Refuse to Die

by Terrence O'Brien Feb 23rd 2010 at 10:10AM {54 comments}

Share Facebook has become an indispensable part of daily life for many people. They use it to keep in touch with friends and family, to play games, and to track down old flames. So, it's only natural that folks would panic at the thought of having to pay for what has been a free service. And, of course, there are plenty of e-con men willing to exploit that fear for profit. The 'We Will Not ...

Most Addictive Sounds Include Cell Phone Buzz, Nat Geo Theme Song

by Warren Riddle Feb 23rd 2010 at 9:25AM {0 comments}

Advertising pundits love to focus on the suggestive power and subliminal symbolism inherent to corporate icons and logos. People tend to overlook, however, the significant influence that instantly recognizable sounds can have on the human subconscious. Elias Arts, a company that focuses on auditory studies, recently partnered with Buyology, Inc. to investigate the addictive power of sound and, ...

'Bloom Box' Fuel Cell Offers Power for Your Entire House

by Caleb Johnson Feb 23rd 2010 at 8:28AM {2 comments}

Share Everybody wants efficient, inexpensive, clean energy. But, problem is, nobody seems to know just how to produce it. Now, one man is certain that his new technology will turn this dream into reality. According to Engadget, K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy, unveiled his "Bloom Box" on Sunday's episode of '60 Minutes' (video from the show after the break). With two small blocks, each ...

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Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

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Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

The increasing flood of e-mail hitting your inbox can lower the guard of even the most cautious person. In the rush to keep up with important notes, it's easier than ever to fall prey to the scam artists and identity thieves who lurk online.

E-mail scams and phishing attempts evolve constantly, hoping to take advantage of the latest trends and current events. Although the e-mails change, the people behind them inadvertently send up the same warning signs again and again. We dug through mountains of spam to find the most prevailing trends. We've collected some actual scam e-mails and highlighted the warning signs to help you spot a hustle the next time one lands in your inbox.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

1. Requests for personal information
No legitimate organization will ask for your social security, bank account or PIN number via e-mail – and none will include a link, sending you to a form to enter it. No matter how authentic these emails may look, ignore 'em.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

2. Watch for typos or spelling mistakes
Scam artists are street smart, but many flunked basic grammar (or barely speak English). Look for mistakes like inappropriate hyphens or confusing "your" and "you're." If the note has multiple typos or grammatical errors, odds are it's not legitimate.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

3. Clickable Web links in e-mails
Don't trust links to Web sites in e-mails. What might look like a legitimate address is often linked to a third-party site that looks official, but is actually run by thieves and scammers. These are the fast track to identity and financial theft.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

4. 'Market research' or surveys that ask you for personal information.
Disguising scam e-mails as marketing is a classic ploy. You'll be asked to fill out a survey or enter a contest – requiring you to give personal information or "log on" to your account. Once you've done so, the scammers can use it themselves.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

5. Stock tips from random people or companies
Got a "hot stock tip" via e-mail? It's probably a "pump and dump" scheme. The sender already owns shares – and when you and others act on the "tip," the stock price soars and he sells fast – leaving you with virtually worthless shares.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

6. Attachments in e-mails from anyone you don't know
It should be common sense, but just in case, we'll remind you again: Don't open an attachment from someone you don't know – even if it appears to be your bank or credit card company. It's almost always a virus or spyware meant to steal your personal information.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

7. Wordless e-mails
Some legitimate looking "e-mails" are actually just images. The danger with these is that clicking anywhere in the body takes you to a suspect Web site – where you may be fooled into entering personal information, or the scammer may slip spyware onto your machine.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

8. Outdated information
Some scammers like to pose as technical- or customer support from a company you associate with – but fail to keep up with current events. For example, in the example above, the senders forgot that Earthlink bought Mindspring in 2000.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

9. Red-flag phrases
If you see the phrases "verify your account," "you have won the lottery" or "if you don't respond within XX hours, your account will be closed," it's a scam – every time. Hit the delete button and don't look back.

Ways to Spot E-mail Scams

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