It’s tough to watch TV for more than ten minutes without being begged to switch Internet Service Providers. Indeed, competition for your ISP dollars is so fierce that we often see back to back commercials for different companies that provide nearly identical services. And if you believe the marketing, every ISP offers “blazing fast” speeds, “award-winning” customer service and just about everything short of eternal youth for “only $39.95 per month.” Naturally, such high and mighty promises are cause for some skepticism about what you actually receive. Today we shine the spotlight on 9 ways ISPs do and have screwed customers over, in spite of their bold claims and hefty fees.

via 9 Ways ISPs Screw You Over.

Boxee has been on a wild, wild ride since debuting to the world last year, and for those looking for new ways to catch more content online, it has become the go-too application. And while it has certainly taken off, there's still lots of room to grow. One of the main reasons that it has yet to become a household name outside of the tech community is the need to have a full fledged PC to run it. And unless you're looking to hook up a media PC/HTPC in your den, you're probably not going to see Boxee in your living room.

via Boxee Set-Top Box Is On The Way: Watch Out, Cable Companies – HotHardware.

APOD: 2009 November 13 – Young Stars in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud.

Artificially generated black holes could provide us with the power to make inter-solar travel a possibility. New research shows how strapping a black hole to your starship might just give you the juice to get to Alpha Centauri.

via A Black Hole Engine That Could Power Spaceships – black holes – io9.

That’s right, we said it — and we’re not taking it back. The iPhone may be the greatest handheld surfing device ever to rock the mobile Web, and a fabulous media player to boot. It may be the highest-rated mobile phone on CNET UK, rocking the pockets of half of our crack editorial team. It’s certainly the touchscreen face that launched a thousand apps. But as an actual call-making phone, it’s rubbish, and we aim to prove it.

via The iPhone is the worst phone in the world – Crave at CNET UK.

You may update your antivirus software religiously, immediately download all new Windows security patches, and refuse to click any e-mail links ostensibly sent by your bank, but even if your computer is running exactly the way it’s supposed to, a motivated attacker can still glean a shocking amount of private information from it.

via Secure computers aren’t so secure.

Best Jobs in America 2009 – Top 50: Systems Engineer – Money Magazine on CNNMoney.com.

Space: The Final Junkyard

NEW YORK So what links are Twitterers actually clicking on? Based on a user sample released Friday by Chitika, an online ad network, Twitter users most frequently accessed links directing to information about current events and news 28.49 percent.

via Twitterers Keep Current.

I am surprised it isn’t more. It is all I use twitter for.

-hakujin

100 Oldest .COM domain names.

While Android 1.6 is still writhing around in amniotic fluid, BGR had the nerve to publish shots of version 2.0 “Eclair,” which doesn’t even have a formal due date yet. They look great. Sorry, 1.6: I’m already over you.

via Android 2.0 First Look: Fresh Face, Sick Speed – android 2.0 – Gizmodo.

Every time Apple brings out a new version of OS X, we compile a list of our favourite Terminal commands for enabling hidden features and changing hidden settings here are the lists for Tiger and Leopard.

via Top 15 Terminal Commands for Hidden Settings in Snow Leopard | Terminal, Finder, Dock/Exposé/Dashboard, iTunes + iPod | Mac OS X Tips.