switch

On today's show, you'll learn how Apple is manipulating the naming devices of network technology to convince users they're getting "4G" speeds, the final sale of the original house in the "Home Alone" movies, and how something called "The QWERTY effect" can spot nuances in language.

We're also giving away five codes for the game Mighty Switch Force for the Nintendo 3DS. To enter, just add The 404, Jeff, and Justin on Twitter and tweet us your favorite 404 episode from 2012 with #4043DS. We'll select five winners at random on Monday!… Read more

Problem: you need to connect a TiVo, a Roku box, a game console, and other video goodies to a TV that's short on HDMI ports.

Solution: an HDMI switch box, which turns one HDMI port into many.

Over at Meritline.com, you can get a three-port HDMI switch and three-pack of 6-foot HDMI cables for $11.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code MLC227VN at checkout.

That code will reportedly expire after 200 uses, after which the price jumps back to its regular $15.99--which is also a mighty fine deal for such a bundle. As of this … Read more

Leave it to Sony's marketing arm in Japan to rustle up yet another cryptic advertising campaign.

A video quietly emerged last week on Sony's YouTube channel labeled Dot Switch. It's a first-person view of someone holding what appears to be an Xperia Arco smartphone and wielding it as a remote control. The Arco is the Japanese version of the Xperia Arc, and perhaps it's relevant to note that the Arco also has an infrared (IR) port.

What's got everyone buzzing about the viral ad is that the person holding the device in the vid is controlling a random assortment of products, such as a gramophone, a TV, and confetti machines. What a strange combination!

The end of the video is marked by yet another tap on the smartphone's screen toward a robot arm that reveals a small shiny black box. … Read more

Magellan isn't afraid to get a little sweaty, as the GPS manufacturer is getting into the fitness tech game.

Known for its in-car navigation systems, today Magellan introduced its first pair of GPS fitness watches for runners, cyclers, swimmers, and triathletes. The Switch and Switch Up will be on display at CES 2012, with expected availability for spring 2012.

The Switch is designed primarily for runners, according to Magellan, and offers a 1.26-inch monochrome display, a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, and embedded ANT+ technology, so you can connect to third-party heart-rate monitors, foot pods, bike sensors, and so forth. … Read more

Every now and then a particular patent application gets granted that seems obvious, especially because almost every other company that competes in that space does the same thing on their product. The latest such patent was granted to Apple and covers the ability to start and switch apps while continuing a phone call in the background.

As soon as I read the original report from Patently Apple I immediately had my brother call me on his Droid and switch apps during the call. The interface for doing so is nearly identical to that in iOS.

With Apple already in court … Read more

We know how passionate Android users can be because we hear from them regularly in our comments section. But what's a little surprising is that a recent survey suggests that rank-and-file Android users may not be so loyal to their platform, with nearly one in three contemplating a switch to the iPhone and an additional 10 percent in the "undecided" camp.

Granted, the survey conducted by UBS Research had a pretty small user sample (515 people overall and only 51 Android users), so we'll take it with a grain of salt. However, my own personal survey among friends suggests there's some truth to the numbers, with, for instance, some Verizon customers only switching to Android models because the iPhone wasn't available at the time (now that these folks are two years into their contracts, they're waiting on the next iPhone before making a decision on their next phone).

The survey also indicated that the iPhone is the "stickiest" phone out there, with retention rates at 89 percent, while Nokia and BlackBerry are slipping badly. According to the survey, Nokia's retention rate went from 42 percent in March 2010 to 24 percent, and BlackBerry dipped from 62 percent to 33 percent. Not good.

Android's adoption rate has been nothing short of phenomenal, but as the iPhone comes to more carriers, it will be interesting to see how many Android users end up being tempted to switch sides.

(Source: GigaOM via 9to5Google) … Read more

Spotted this one on Twitter courtesy of timepiece aficionado and TechCrunch gadget editor John Biggs, who labeled it The World's Nerdiest Watch. It's actually a line of several Click models that feature "retro-tronic" circuit-board designs complete with DIP and turn switches.

The site Watchismo sells the watches, which range in price from $150 to $170. Here's how Watchismo describes them: … Read more

Making the switch from Windows to Mac isn't as hard as you might think. That's because there are great options for using Windows software on your Mac through Apple's Boot Camp and other third-party virtualization software. Today, Parallels Desktop got a major update adding features to make switching to a different operating system even more seamless. There's also an upgraded mobile version for iOS you can use to remotely control your virtual environments from your phone.

Parallels Desktop has always been a great way to switch seamlessly between operating systems without the need to reboot your … Read more

Verizon said today it acquired CloudSwitch, a company whose software eases the transition between using software that runs on a company's own servers and running it on a cloud-computing infrastructure.

The technology is helpful as companies try to strike the right balance between the two approaches to IT--sometimes in very short time frames when sudden spikes in computing demand occur. "With CloudSwitch, applications remain tightly integrated with enterprise data center tools and policies, and can be moved easily between different cloud environments and back into the data center based on the requirements of the business," Verizon said. … Read more