Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Is Google's Nexus One Doomed to Obscurity? The Big Apple Thinks So]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/07/07/is-googles-nexus-one-doomed-to-obscurity-the-big-apple-thinks/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/07/is-googles-nexus-one-doomed-to-obscurity-the-big-apple-thinks/http://www.switched.com/2010/07/07/is-googles-nexus-one-doomed-to-obscurity-the-big-apple-thinks/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google Nexus One
When Google launched the Nexus One way back in January, the smartphone was supposed to be a serious contender against the iPhone, and was expected to serve as exemplar of the Android handset. By circumventing the carriers' brick-and-mortar stores, Google also hoped to usher in a new era in cell phone sales; however, it appears to have doomed itself to obscurity, instead. With no presence in AT&T or T-Mobile shops or websites, and no television marketing campaign to speak of, it seems the Nexus One has slipped under the radar of most. While a few people correctly answered that it was, in fact, "the Google phone," most guesses were, understandably, just shots in the dark.

Continue reading Is Google's Nexus One Doomed to Obscurity? The Big Apple Thinks So

SwitchedIs Google's Nexus One Doomed to Obscurity? The Big Apple Thinks So originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresgooglegoogle nexus oneGoogleNexusOnehtchtc nexus oneHtcNexusOneswitchedonthestreetsswitchedvideotopwebWed, 07 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Testing Times Square: 'What is Foursquare?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/testing-times-square-what-is-foursquare/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/testing-times-square-what-is-foursquare/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/30/testing-times-square-what-is-foursquare/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Foursquare check in
Quite frequently we hit the streets of New York City to ask random passersby if they can identify the latest gadget, app or Web site, but we don't think we've ever seen our subjects as stymied as they were when trying to identify Foursquare. Most simply shrugged their shoulders, and one poor person even thought we were giving them a math quiz. In the end, we were only able to find one urbanite who was able to tell us that Foursquare was a location-based social networking application. (You know, "checking in" to different locations?) Although, even then, he seemed to think that it was better for identifying targets for robbery than actually connecting with people.

Continue reading Testing Times Square: 'What is Foursquare?'

SwitchedTesting Times Square: 'What is Foursquare?' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresFourSquarelocation-basedmososoonthestreetssocialnetworkingSwitched VideoswitchedonthestreetsSwitchedVideotopwebWed, 30 Jun 2010 17:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched Asks, 'What is Android?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/23/switched-asks-what-is-android/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/23/switched-asks-what-is-android/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/23/switched-asks-what-is-android/#commentsFiled under:

Tech companies have the unbecoming habit of giving their newest gizmos misleadingly awesome names. Perhaps the most guilty party is Google, with its mobile operating system Android. While Android is perhaps one of the few viable competitors to Apple's iOS, which powers the iPhone, having a G-juiced smartphone in your pocket is not nearly as cool as having R2-D2 by your side. That being the case, we don't blame the passersby in New York's Times Square who couldn't pin down the 2010 meaning of "Android" (video below). Keep holding out, folks. We'll all have 'Jetsons'-style robo-maids any day now.

Continue reading Switched Asks, 'What is Android?'

SwitchedSwitched Asks, 'What is Android?' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidandroid osAndroidOscellphonesfeaturesonthestreetsmartphonesswitchedonthestreetswitchedvideotopvideoWed, 23 Jun 2010 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched Asks, 'What is Farmville?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/16/switched-asks-what-is-farmville/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/16/switched-asks-what-is-farmville/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/16/switched-asks-what-is-farmville/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If, a year or two ago, you'd asked us what FarmVille was, we'd have said we were pretty sure that it was a small college town in southwest Indiana. We would, of course, have been wrong, but we sort of wish that we would've been right. 'FarmVille,' after all, has managed to dominate our Facebook feeds, telling us of our friends and family who trade cyber-cattle for cyber-corn, build e-barns and sell virtual tractors, endlessly and socially. There's something pretty weird about people, locked in their cubicles, fantasizing about backbreaking labor on a farm -- call it the predicament of the modern age. Fortunately, some are still ignorant of Zynga's Frankenstein, confusing it with "the place Superman grew up" (Smallville), or where milk is made (a dairy?), as our video below demonstrates. One thing is clear from our informal survey: We have no idea why the app is so popular, because no one admits to liking it, or has relegated it to "Aunt-territory" or the app "made by the dude in California who gets revenue the sleazy way."

Maybe, or let's hope anyway, our participants have been too busy tending to their real gardens to tend to worry about growing virtual greens.

Continue reading Switched Asks, 'What is Farmville?'

SwitchedSwitched Asks, 'What is Farmville?' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>farmvillefeaturesonthestreetssocialnetworkingswitchedonthestreetsswitchedvideotopvideozyngaWed, 16 Jun 2010 12:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched Asks, 'What's a Pre?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/09/switched-asks-whats-a-pre/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/09/switched-asks-whats-a-pre/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/09/switched-asks-whats-a-pre/#commentsFiled under: ,

We hit the streets to see how effectively Palm is getting its WebOS-based Palm Pre out there into the world. Perhaps it's the fault of some horrific advertising campaigns (e.g., the creepy 'New Age meets Renaissance Fair' wench, those painfully unfunny Verizon spots), but Palm's next-generation smartphone didn't get much recognition on the streets. Here's hoping HP can make Palm into a real contender against Android and Apple.

Continue reading Switched Asks, 'What's a Pre?'

SwitchedSwitched Asks, 'What's a Pre?' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresonthestreetspalmpreSwitched VideoswitchedonthestreetsSwitchedVideoTPOWed, 09 Jun 2010 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched Asks, 'What Is Firefox?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/06/01/switched-asks-what-is-firefox/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/01/switched-asks-what-is-firefox/http://www.switched.com/2010/06/01/switched-asks-what-is-firefox/#commentsFiled under:

Not too long ago, we dropped by Times Square to test the crowd's knowledge of Web browsers. Surfin' the tubes has come a long way since the early days of Mosaic, and modern browsers can play games, movies and all types of other media. They've even left the constraints of the desktop to leap onto mobile devices. Although Mozilla Firefox offers countless improvements over that old standby Internet Explorer (and holds a nearly 46-percent market share), we couldn't always get a straight answer as to what the browser actually is. "An animal that created an Internet Explorer?" Yes, exactly!

SwitchedSwitched Asks, 'What Is Firefox?' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresfirefoxmozilla firefoxMozillaFirefoxonthestreetsswitchedonthestreetsswitchedvideotopvideoweb browserWebBrowserTue, 01 Jun 2010 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched Asks, 'What Is a Blog?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/05/25/switched-asks-what-is-a-blog/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/25/switched-asks-what-is-a-blog/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/25/switched-asks-what-is-a-blog/#commentsFiled under: ,


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As bloggers, we were heartened to know that most of the people we asked in Times Square actually did know what a blog is. One man was quite fervently opposed to blogs, saying that he had never sought one out himself. (But we're willing to bet he's read one -- and now he's even being featured on one. Bam!) We'll just pretend that all of the negative comments about blogs were directed at those Blogger and Wordpress folk who prattle on about their daily meanderings, children and dreams. We, of course, are of a higher order. We are professionals.

More Switched Video

SwitchedSwitched Asks, 'What Is a Blog?' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 25 May 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogbloggingfeaturesonthestreetswitchedonthestreetsswitchedvideotopwhat is a blogWhatIsABlogTue, 25 May 2010 13:40:00 EST<![CDATA[New York Answers, 'What Is a Zune?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/05/19/new-york-answers-what-is-a-zune/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/19/new-york-answers-what-is-a-zune/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/19/new-york-answers-what-is-a-zune/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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We understand that Apple's brand-name recognition stretches from one hemisphere to the next, and that competitors face a nigh-impossible task of out-marketing the Cupertino giant. But, still, we expected at least a few people to get this one. Considering all the fanfare with which Microsoft released the Zune HD late last year, we'd have wagered that at least someone in the New York area would know what we were saying. Was it our pronunciation?

Continue reading New York Answers, 'What Is a Zune?'

SwitchedNew York Answers, 'What Is a Zune?' originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 19 May 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresmicrosoftmicrosoft zuneMicrosoftZuneswitchedonthestreetsswitchedvideotopwebwhat is a zuneWhatIsAZunezuneWed, 19 May 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Vimeo's Blake Whitman Talks HD Video, DSLRs and Web Communities]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/04/06/vimeos-blake-whitman-talks-hd-video-dslrs-and-web-communities/http://www.switched.com/2010/04/06/vimeos-blake-whitman-talks-hd-video-dslrs-and-web-communities/http://www.switched.com/2010/04/06/vimeos-blake-whitman-talks-hd-video-dslrs-and-web-communities/#commentsFiled under: ,

Since its launch in 2004, the video-sharing site Vimeo has chosen a very different path from the YouTubes and Hulus of the world. Cleaner and calmer, Vimeo puts its focus on ease of use, creativity and community. We dropped by its headquarters in New York City to speak with Blake Whitman, Director of Community and Product, about the site and its role in nurturing the explosion of HD content on the Web.

While the comments on any given YouTube video tend to make us doubt the future of our species, Vimeo has nurtured a community of millions that is refreshingly positive about online video. Vimeo's introduction of HD, rare on the Web in 2007, helped to show that HD was viable, driving YouTube and others to follow suit. New HD-capable DSLRs like the Canon T2i, 7D, 5D Mark II and Nikon D3 are making it cheap and easy for enthusiasts to experiment with pro-quality video. Of course, the living room still remains to be conquered, but Blake confirms that Vimeo is working on it. As usual, expect trail-blazing from the site... and check out our interview after the break.

Continue reading Vimeo's Blake Whitman Talks HD Video, DSLRs and Web Communities

SwitchedVimeo's Blake Whitman Talks HD Video, DSLRs and Web Communities originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blake whitmanBlakeWhitmancanon 5d mark IIcanon 7dcanon t2iCanon5dMarkIiCanon7dCanonT2idslrfeaturesnikon d3NikonD3slrswitchedfocusswitchedvideovideovimeoTue, 06 Apr 2010 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[High Tech Toys in Babeland: Inside a Sex Shop for the 21st Century]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/03/30/high-tech-toys-in-babeland-inside-a-sex-shop-for-the-21st-centu/http://www.switched.com/2010/03/30/high-tech-toys-in-babeland-inside-a-sex-shop-for-the-21st-centu/http://www.switched.com/2010/03/30/high-tech-toys-in-babeland-inside-a-sex-shop-for-the-21st-centu/#commentsFiled under:

Spending a morning in Babeland, one of the country's most forward-thinking, pro-sex (and pro-women) toy shops, is one of those moments that simply makes us love our jobs. Sure, we got to squeal at the Skweel, and get our finger, er, caressed by the Tenga Flip (better than, say, a board meeting, we think), but we also saw firsthand what the writers at Switched discuss every day: how technology, via its ability to improve our quality of life, can bring people together.

Pamela Doan, a Babeland rep and spokesperson, took us around the SoHo boutique, demonstrating the tech-y, sexy gadgets she had in stock. Aside from making our hearts race, she also drove home the fact that, while technology provides ample reason for the curious to explore on their own, the lifelike, female-conscious and often-beautiful objects all serve to make both men and women comfortable with their own bodies. Sure, nothing was being offered in 3-D (yet), but advanced silicone, electronics with memory-capacity and iPod accessories really highlighted why it's so great to live in the 21st century. Technology is, after all, meant to make us feel good.

Continue reading High Tech Toys in Babeland: Inside a Sex Shop for the 21st Century

SwitchedHigh Tech Toys in Babeland: Inside a Sex Shop for the 21st Century originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>babelandfeaturessexsex toysSexToysswitchedvideoTue, 30 Mar 2010 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched Video: Peter Molyneux and Gaming From (and for) the Heart]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/03/17/switched-video-peter-molyneux-and-gaming-from-and-for-the-hea/http://www.switched.com/2010/03/17/switched-video-peter-molyneux-and-gaming-from-and-for-the-hea/http://www.switched.com/2010/03/17/switched-video-peter-molyneux-and-gaming-from-and-for-the-hea/#commentsFiled under: ,

Peter Molyneux

Fresh off the plane from the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, Peter Molyneux sat down, er, took a walk with Switched at South by Southwest in Austin to chat about the roles of emotion, morality, and a sense of touch in gaming. With news of 'Fable 3,' the latest installment of his adventure-based RPG series, Molyneux was brimming with thoughts on the PlayStation Move, social gaming, and how his influence has affected the way in which designers create choice-based games.

For those living under a gaming rock for the past 15 years, Molyneux founded both Bullfrog Studios and Lionhead, and helmed groundbreaking games like 'Populous,' 'Black and White' and 'Dungeon Keeper.' Arguably the inventor of many genres (like the God game, and morality-based game), Molyneux is usually mentioned as a part of the great triad including Sid Meier and Will Wright -- part of the generation that revolutionized how gamers interact with games.

Continue reading Switched Video: Peter Molyneux and Gaming From (and for) the Heart

SwitchedSwitched Video: Peter Molyneux and Gaming From (and for) the Heart originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featurespeter molyneuxPeterMolyneuxswitchedvideosxswsxsw2010the emotion engineTheEmotionEnginetopWed, 17 Mar 2010 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[NY Fashion Week: How Alexander Wang Streams Live From the Runway]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/02/18/ny-fashion-week-how-alexander-wang-streams-live-from-the-runway/http://www.switched.com/2010/02/18/ny-fashion-week-how-alexander-wang-streams-live-from-the-runway/http://www.switched.com/2010/02/18/ny-fashion-week-how-alexander-wang-streams-live-from-the-runway/#commentsFiled under:

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Fashion, an industry known for its insider-filled snobbery, resistance to change and frankly undemocratic practices, has finally joined the 21st century. Last year, when the average person thought Twitter was the sound of a small bird, the only people to get a glimpse of New York's fashion shows were the freezing (or roasting, depending on the season) editors camped outside of them. The rest of the not-so-in-the-know crowd had to wait for pictures to be posted and reviews to be written, and, even then, details of the actual events were scarce.

Since then, aside from tech aficionados at CES, no industry has seemed to embrace micro-blogging more willingly than fashion -- possibly because no industry likes to brag as much. But reading quips and tweets from those at the show is one thing; seeing the whole event, moments after the last model exits the runway, is an entirely new world. Recently deceased visionary Alexander McQueen live-streamed his show last season, letting viewers worldwide see his collection instantly. Dutch duo Viktor and Rolf presented their Spring '09 collection purely digitally to an invite-only crowd. Yet, these forward-thinking fashion-makers were alone -- until recently.

Continue reading NY Fashion Week: How Alexander Wang Streams Live From the Runway

SwitchedNY Fashion Week: How Alexander Wang Streams Live From the Runway originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexander wangAlexanderWangfashion weekFashionWeekfeaturesstreamingswitched videoSwitchedVideotopThu, 18 Feb 2010 14:55:00 EST<![CDATA[SMALLab Brings Motion-Capture Gaming to the Classroom]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/smallab-brings-motion-capture-gaming-to-the-classroom/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/smallab-brings-motion-capture-gaming-to-the-classroom/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/smallab-brings-motion-capture-gaming-to-the-classroom/#commentsFiled under:

We dropped by New York City's Quest 2 Learn school to check out Parsons the New School for Design's SMALLab-New York initiative. Institute of Play director and Parsons professor Katie Salen, known for her animation work in Richard Linklater's 'Waking Life,' is the project's capable captain, and we also spoke with Mike Edwards, co-instructor of Parsons' Exploding SMALLab course.

Similar to special effects shops for film and television, the Situated Multimedia Art Learning Lab (SMALLab) combines surround sound audio with projected video -- all responding in real time to players' actions. The interactive learning program was originally designed by Arizona State University's David Birchfield. Students, equipped with wireless controllers, play games while being tracked in real-time 3-D via 12 infrared sensors.

Founded on the idea that learning doesn't have to follow the traditional "four walls with desks" setup, the SMALLab game designers (students in Parsons' MFA Design + Technology program) are proving that collaborating via mixed media can be just as educational as using textbooks, chalkboards, and school desks.

Continue reading SMALLab Brings Motion-Capture Gaming to the Classroom

SwitchedSMALLab Brings Motion-Capture Gaming to the Classroom originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david birchfieldDavidBirchfieldfeatureskatie salenKatieSalenparsons the new school for designParsonsTheNewSchoolForDesignsmall labsmallabSmallLabswitchedvideotopWed, 20 Jan 2010 14:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Ron Jeremy 'Stars' in 'The Great Porn Debate']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/12/ron-jeremy-stars-in-the-great-porn-debate/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/12/ron-jeremy-stars-in-the-great-porn-debate/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/12/ron-jeremy-stars-in-the-great-porn-debate/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We weren't surprised to see Ron Jeremy in Vegas -- after all, the Adult Entertainment Expo was just down the road -- but we were taken aback to find him and his massive... personality on the CES floor. Matched against emo-haired "porn pastor" Craig Gross, Jeremy entered into The Great Porn Debate to discuss the role of skin flicks in society and the necessity of Internet filters for preventing kids' access to adult content. In conjunction with InternetSafety.com, Jeremy and Gross hashed out their differing opinions of porn, but agreed that little ones should be kept far away from the naughty stuff.

Continue reading Ron Jeremy 'Stars' in 'The Great Porn Debate'

SwitchedRon Jeremy 'Stars' in 'The Great Porn Debate' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>craig grossCraigGrossfeaturesinternetsafetyron jeremyRonJeremySwitchedVideothe great porn debateTheGreatPornDebatetopTue, 12 Jan 2010 08:50:00 EST<![CDATA[We Ask, CES Tells: 'What's the Worst of the Year?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/we-ask-ces-tells-whats-the-worst-of-the-year/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/we-ask-ces-tells-whats-the-worst-of-the-year/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/we-ask-ces-tells-whats-the-worst-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: ,

Plowing through booth after booth in search of the best new gadgets, apps, and tech at CES always results in finding a few clunkers. We've got our list (coming soon), of course, but we decided to take the question of the worst to the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Frequently mentioned was 3-D TV, which seems to be splitting attendees; many listed it as a product they'd be buying in the year ahead, while many more panned it as a big tech failure for 2010.

Continue reading We Ask, CES Tells: 'What's the Worst of the Year?'

SwitchedWe Ask, CES Tells: 'What's the Worst of the Year?' originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>switchedvideotopSun, 10 Jan 2010 18:01:00 EST<![CDATA[The Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 6]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-6/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-6/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-6/#commentsFiled under: ,

2009: The Year of Getting Small

It is the unwritten destiny of all consumer electronics to be as small and convergent as possible. Despite the economy being soundly in the crapper, engineers decided to pursue that goal with a fervor, costs be damned.
  • Fulfilling the dream that apparently no one ever really cared to dream, a host of companies pumped out unbelievably small Pico and Micro and Mini video projectors. They're totally amazing, yet seem to have fallen prey to one fatal flaw: why use a projector that produces a TV-size image and requires a pitch black room, when a laptop or TV works just fine in any lighting? We love that these exist, but we also continue to strain our brains figuring out what possible circumstance would require their use.
  • Throwing caution and good sense to the wind, Sony unveiled the gorgeously styled $1,200 VAIO P, otherwise known as the netbook that didn't get the memo about being a low-cost alternative to pricey, full-size laptops.
  • While, by all accounts, it was pretty well made, LG's $1,000 watch phone joined the Pico projectors as gadget-porn with no real-world utility. And thus no future.
  • It would be an exaggeration to call the Palm Pre a failure. To the contrary, it's a pretty great product, and a million or so have been sold. Still, the hype that accompanied the phone was. If we may quote Palm's hyperbolic investor/hype man Roger McNamee: "June 29, 2009 is the two-year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone. Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later." Ahem. You can pick your own reasons that Pre sales haven't been brisker, but we're pretty sure that god-awful ad campaign with the pasty Renaissance Faire chick hasn't helped any.

SwitchedThe Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 6 originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>switchedvideoSun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 5]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-5/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-5/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-5/#commentsFiled under: ,

2008: The Year the Other Shoe Dropped


As the beginnings of the sub-prime mortgage disaster were becoming apparent, and as the U.S. economy began to hiccup before it nose-dived later that year, CES's usual celebration of pricey high-end gear was decidedly out of step with the national mood.
  • Intel showcased WiMAX by hosting wireless service from a truck, and LG debuted a purported WiMAX phone that could ostensibly be used anywhere there was WiMAX service (at the time, precisely nowhere in the U.S.). By the end of 2008, Baltimore was lit up, and a few other cities have gone online since. Still, WiMAX's long-term prognosis is still hotly debated.
  • The HD wars ended in dramatic fashion when, just two days before the big HD DVD press event, Warner Bros unexpectedly threw in the towel and opted to go Blu-ray-only with all future releases. Other studios soon followed suit, and HD DVD quickly joined the growing ranks of the unemployed.
  • Backed by actor Michael Douglas, XstreamHD announced plans to launch a super high-quality 1080p HD satellite service by the end of 2008. Unfortunately, the company neglected to partner with any content providers first. Due to that fact and other assorted issues, it has yet to launch as of 2010.


SwitchedThe Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 5 originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 4]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-4/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-4/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-4/#commentsFiled under: ,

2007: The Year of Cloudy Vistas and Unforeseen Gamechangers


It's fitting that 2007, when the stock market was soaring to new highs, when hubris and irrational exuberance were the national mood, was also the year that produced some of the most spectacular fails in tech history.
  • Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Motorola, Palm, and the rest of the phone makers blissfully showed off their latest wares on a Monday, yet everything came to a screeching halt early Tuesday when Apple revealed the 1st-gen iPhone. One can only imagine the soiling of pants that occurred as those CEOs quickly realized that their R&D was a few years behind, and that they were stuck selling billions of dollars worth of dinosaur bones.
  • In Chapter 2 of the already painful battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD, LG announced a hybrid player that worked with either format. Warner Bros announced a hybrid disc with versions of movies in both formats. It would come to be the technological equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a gaping chest wound.
  • The comically delayed Windows Vista was officially demoed to lukewarm praise and a lot of unfavorable comparisons to Apple's OS X. To put it charitably, it was not well received by critics, consumers, or businesses (or PCs for that matter). Sensibly, Microsoft put it out to pasture in 2009. To its credit, however, Vista's sheer awfulness did almost certainly extend XP's lifespan. Give thanks where it's due.

SwitchedThe Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 4 originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>switchedvideoSun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 3]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-3/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-3/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/the-great-ces-swindle-five-years-of-flaunting-and-failing-3/#commentsFiled under:

2006: The Year of Lackluster Wireless and Movie Format Wars

It was an evolutionary year for CES; there were no blockbuster releases to mention -- just emerging ideas. Joining HDTV as a CES constant was the hype surrounding all things wireless. We saw the first versions of wireless HDMI and media streamers, which are now, thankfully, coming to fruition. But then there were these:
  • Intel went to great lengths to brand its Viiv platform, a media-centric collection of chips, specifications, and whatnot. Claiming partnerships with a dozen high-profile content providers, Intel swore it would revolutionize media on PCs, and become the link to total digital convergence. Well, that didn't happen, and Viiv is now just one of Intel's many killed-off technologies.
  • While Blu-ray and HD DVD had been introduced a couple years prior, the first consumer players and film releases were finally announced, officially kicking off one of the ugliest tech battles in history. It screwed over consumers, wasted billions of dollars, and ended with what we're sure will eventually emerge as a Pyrrhic victory for Blu-ray.
  • Realizing that the whole iPod thing posed a real threat to their satellite radio businesses, Pioneer and Samsung put out the portable iPod-lite Inno and Helix, respectively. They wound up being flops for a handful of reasons, including the need to wear a stiff pair of headphones as a GPS antenna.
  • Wireless USB in all its forms made its debut to great fanfare, but consumers must have eventually realized that it was kind of useless. We've had wireless printing via routers, and wireless mice and keyboards for a while now, and Wi-Fi-based NAS drives have pretty well killed the idea for good. Thanks for trying, though!

SwitchedThe Great CES Swindle: Five Years of Flaunting and Failing 3 originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[CES Answers 'What Product Will You Actually Buy?']]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/ces-answers-what-product-will-you-actually-buy/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/ces-answers-what-product-will-you-actually-buy/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/10/ces-answers-what-product-will-you-actually-buy/#commentsFiled under: ,


CES whips journalists, exhibitors, and gadget fans into a frenzy every January, and it's easy to lose sight of the near future with all the new product announcements. Yes, in only a couple weeks we, and our technologically-savvy brethren, will be playing tech support for all the new products coming out. For those that have gotten a first look at the year's newest gadgets here in Vegas, we ask 'What product will you actually buy?'

Continue reading CES Answers 'What Product Will You Actually Buy?'

SwitchedCES Answers 'What Product Will You Actually Buy?' originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 11:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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