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Christina Aguilera? Reznor? 'iamamiwhoami' Baffles the Blogosphere

Google Launches Reader Play, a Fullscreen News Reader

by Terrence O'Brien — Mar 10th 2010 at 4:40PM

Yesterday, we spotted a strange tweet from the Google Reader team that simply read, "Getting ready to play..." Well, after about 24 hours of mystery, all has been revealed. (We could only hope that iamamiwhoami would be so prompt.)

Google Reader Play is a new slideshow-esque tool that focuses on short-and-sweet posts from Google Reader. By default, it pulls from a selection of popular posts (e.g., pictures of otters and other funny pics). Play provides simple controls for moving between news items and lets you star, share, and like posts, without having to deal with the complex folder structure of Google Reader's standard version. Images and videos are automatically blown up to fill the screen. You can view content straight from your Google Reader folders, but it's a backwards process. Go to your regular Reader view, select feed options (the triangle next to the folder/feed), and click "View in Reader Play."

Tags: google reader, google reader play, GoogleReader, GoogleReaderPlay, top

Obama to Use Private 'Bounty Hunters' to Hunt Health Care Scammers

by Caleb Johnson — Mar 10th 2010 at 4:05PM

In an effort to save money and gain support for health care reform, President Barack Obama is calling in the nerds. According to an Associated Press report, Obama said Tuesday that he's hiring a group of private "bounty hunters" to crack down on health care fraud, particularly those cases pertaining to Medicare and Medicaid. They won't be armed with mullets and pepper spray like TV badass Dog, but they will operate a computer program that scans bills for fraudulent claims or erroneous data! Fun! The AP reports that, in 2009 alone, Medicare and Medicaid paid about $59 billion to the wrong people.

Wednesday, Obama will sign a memorandum instructing cabinet secretaries and government agency members to ramp up the use of these geeky guns-for-hire. The private auditors will get to keep a portion of whatever funds they recover for the government, and that could amount to a hefty sum. The White House told the AP that a similar Medicare program in California, New York and Texas recovered about $900 million from 2005 to 2008. The White House expects this nationwide program to recover about $2 billion over the next three years. The health care system is clearly broken. The cleanup has to start somewhere, and being the nerds we are, some number crunching and data analysis seems like a solid place to begin. [From: AP/The New York Times]

Tags: barack obama, fraud, health, healthcare, medicare, president obama, scam, top, white house

Google Adds Biking Directions to Maps

by Terrence O'Brien — Mar 10th 2010 at 3:15PM

Google Maps was already one of our favorite tools on the Web, thanks to its (borderline creepy) satellite images, (usually) reliable directions, and powerful search tools. The latest edition, though, has really endeared Google to many of us here at the Switched offices: biking directions.

The specific navigation tool for cyclists joins existing options for driving, walking, and public transportation. The biking guide avoids major roads and highways (as well as hills), and, wherever possible, sticks to existing bike lanes and paths.

Tags: cycling, google, GoogleBicyclingDirections, GoogleMaps, GoogleMapsNavigation, top

E-mail Security Questions Are a Cinch for Hackers to Snatch, Study Says

by Caleb Johnson — Mar 10th 2010 at 2:30PM

According to the BBC News, the personal answers of security questions allowing access to e-mail accounts are more common and easily guessed than previously expected. In a joint study, a group of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh found that hackers could access one out of every 80 accounts when given three tries to answer a security question, even if they knew nothing about the owner of the account. These questions, which range from asking for a mother's maiden name to the name of a childhood pet, are even easier to guess if the target is an acquaintance. And with so much personal information posted online, it's easy to cull answers without ever meeting face-to-face.

Since this isn't the first time we've heard about this problem, it's alarming it is still an issue, given the damage a hacker can do with access to an e-mail account. Lead researcher Joseph Bonneau told the BBC that e-mail clients' requiring several questions to be answered would lower the chances of an account being hacked. On your end, come up with some creative answers. After all, you weren't the only one who had a dog named Spot. [From: BBC News]

Tags: email, hack, questions, security, study, top, web

Joe Biden to Use Justin.tv to Stream to the White House From Abroad

by Amar Toor — Mar 10th 2010 at 1:40PM

When Barack Obama speaks, he gets the attention of every media outlet known to man. When Joe Biden speaks, he gets Justin.tv.

Biden, who's currently touring the Middle East, is scheduled to give a speech later in the week at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Because he's not with Obama, though, the official White House camera crew didn't make the trip with him. Without the crew, live-streaming Biden's speech on the White House Web site initially seemed impossible, since, according to The Hill, such a feat is difficult to pull off with a non-White House camera feed. Luckily for Biden and his fans, though, Justin.tv will be picking up the slack, and will stream the video live on its site. That's right: the same Justin.tv that, back in 2007, gave everyone the chance to watch Justin Kan's every waking moment, and the same Justin.tv that controversially broadcast the overdose suicide of a 19-year-old.

Tags: biden, israel, JoeBiden, justin.tv, politics, speech, top, video, web, WhiteHouse

Best Wii, Xbox and PS3 Games Under $10

by Warren Riddle Mar 10th 2010 at 12:50PM {0 comments}

Share Although still in the early stages, 2010 is already developing into a monumental year for video games. 'Heavy Rain,' 'Dante's Inferno,' 'God of War 3,' 'StarCraft 2,' 'BioShock 2' and the (long overdue) next incarnation of 'Zelda' for Wii represent just a small portion of highly anticipated titles. New copies of those mega-hyped games will cost $50 to $60, though, so gamers may be ...

Lohan Suing E-Trade Over Talking Baby, Cisco Launches 'Internet-Changing' Routers

by Warren Riddle Mar 10th 2010 at 11:59AM {0 comments}

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines.... Despite having appeared in only one movie since 2007 (and a TV one at that), Lindsay Lohan apparently believes that her first name carries similar star power to those of Oprah, Cher, and Madonna. LiLo is suing E-Trade for the ridiculous sum of $100 million because of a commercial that featured a "milkaholic" baby named Lindsay. ...

Google Apps Marketplace Launches for Business Users

by Terrence O'Brien Mar 10th 2010 at 11:08AM {0 comments}

One of the few communities in which cloud-based services have been slow to take root is that of business. Sure, the average Joe is fine trusting his e-mail and scheduling to Google or Yahoo!, but enterprises still rely heavily on expensive desktop and server-based programs that cooperate with products like Microsoft's Exchange. Last night, though, Google fired yet another shot in the battle for ...

FCC Considering Free Wireless Broadband as Part of National Plan

by Amar Toor Mar 10th 2010 at 10:22AM {1 comments}

The FCC won't unveil its long-awaited National Broadband Plan until next week, but it has already hinted at what would be one of its most intriguing items: free wireless access. As Reuters reports, the Commission was pretty mum on details, but did say in a statement that offering a "free or a very low cost wireless broadband service" to specific swaths of the population may significantly boost ...

Packed With Tweens and Bands, MySpace Not Dead, Just Slow

by Amar Toor Mar 10th 2010 at 9:30AM {0 comments}

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2010/03/10/packed-with-tweens-and-bands-myspace-not-dead-just-slow/'; Admit it. You'd pretty much given up on MySpace. Struggling to keep pace with the two-headed monster of Facebook and Twitter, the once proud social network seems to have both feet in the grave. But don't go signing that death certificate just yet; MySpace may be slow, but thanks to a new ...

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=832312&pid=832311&uts=1266008728

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

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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