Switched

Analysts have been torn when investigating the addictive properties of video games, but at least one lonely girlfriend believes the debatable affliction is indeed very real. Apparently, she also decided that the only remedy for her Xbox-distracted boyfriend was staging an abusive, hysterical, and repugnant intervention.

The jilted woman actually filmed her violent ultimate solution, and, if the act is real, it just might be the most disturbing hate crime ever perpetrated against a defenseless console. Prior to the documented graphic meltdown (check out the video after the break), she also delivered a vitriolic diatribe against her mate's daily Xbox activities, claiming that, "I b*tch and I b*tch and still his routine remains constant." Maybe, just maybe, that incessant nagging had something to do with his daily escapes into virtual worlds.

She had so many other options (Take it away, hide its controllers, or actually try playing with him?!) but perhaps the two wayward lovebirds were actually able to compromise and reconcile. If so, there are a few certainties about the future of their relationship. There definitely won't be any cute, geeky video game proposals or wedding invitations. [From: Gawker]

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Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• The New York Times has steadily adapted to the journalistic shifts of the Digital Age, providing a model for how to survive in the face of dwindling subscription numbers. The news outlet's latest technological development is its free BlackBerry app (for select models), which aims to provide "a faster, more dynamic and more personalized experience." [From: Editor and Publisher]
• The nation's most generic newspaper is apparently teaming up with what is quite possibly the most random and arbitrary source of news on the Web. USA Today has reportedly drafted Fark.com to help sponsor its Geek page. [From: The New York Times]
• DVD sales took a major hit in 2008, a trend many insiders attribute to the rising popularity of live video streaming. The streaming phenomenon may also be adversely affecting the TV industry, as TiVo lost over 300,000 subscribers during just the last quarter. [From: TV By the Numbers]
• The next time you're home alone enjoying 'Gigli' on TiVo, comforted in the belief that you're safe from judgmental eyes, remember that Google may actually be monitoring you. The site is reportedly going to track TiVo "viewing data" to help determine what, if any, advertisements the service's subscribers are actually watching. [From: CNET]
• eBay is unrolling some mobile upgrades today, as well as an entirely new app known as 'Deals.' The site has already produced some staggering numbers with its previous mobile services. To that end, eBay claims that every month it attracts 750,000 unique mobile viewers, who, it believes, will spend more than $500 million on goods this year. [From: Tech Crunch]

The success of the Pet Rock has mystified consumers and would-be inventors for decades, and has become synonymous with the get-rich-quick scam. The ridiculous trinket has also inspired countless knock-offs and similarly inane, googly-eyed contraptions, with which harebrained hucksters attempt to make their own millions.

ThinkGeek is apparently putting a 21st century spin on that old Pet Rock by integrating it with another device famous for its absurd marketplace niche: the USB. Even though it really doesn't do anything, each unique USB Pet Rock costs $9.99 and plugs directly into a USB port. In the immortal words of P.T. Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute," so someone will undoubtedly buy the useless thing. It may be time for us to reevaluate the 'World's Dumbest USB Gadgets.' [From: Oh Gizmo]

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• Our beloved freedom of speech obviously entitles people to criticize government officials without fear of reprisal, but it also entitles people to be racist morons. Google has posted an apology over such behavior -- specifically for an offensive and juvenile photograph of the First Lady that wound up in the site's image search results. [From: Search Engine Land]
• Twitter's monetary worth was recently valued at an astounding $1 billion, so it seems that it's probably time for the three-year-old site to actually start making some money. Co-founder Biz Stone says that while he has no plans to sell the site, going public is certainly an option. [From: The New York Times]
• Roger Avary, the screenwriter behind 'Pulp Fiction' and numerous other hits, is currently serving time in prison on vehicular manslaughter charges. He also seems to be tweeting about his stay. Although impostors abound on Twitter, Wikipedia says it really is him, so it must be true. [From: The Los Angeles Times]
• The unofficial rules of the Internet already exist, but the U.N. is apparently investigating the implementation of the Net Ten Commandments. The organization is currently laboring on the intense and grueling project from Sharm el Sheik, one of the most beautiful resort towns on the Red Sea. Must be nice. [From: Ars Technica]
• Wikipedia claims to be the "free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." The site, though, has reportedly trimmed 50,000 editors from its ranks, leading to a flood of complaints about the editing process. Apparently, the remaining editors are also, by and large, white males. Someone needs to give Howard Zinn a call. [From: Gawker]
• The University of Stirling in Scotland recently conducted a survey which found that adults are fooled by optical illusions more often than kids. This, the researchers think, is because kids don't recognize visual context to the same degree as adults. If you'd like to experiment with your own susceptibility, you can check out these trippy illusions. [From: Wired]
• Automotive services like OnStar and SYNC have been around for years, but the technology is steadily and significantly evolving. The Economist recently profiled that evolution, highlighting one particularly impressive instance of a thwarted car-jacking. [From: The Economist]

So, you just shelled out 2,700 big ones to relax in a replica of Captain's Kirk's space throne, but, as you bask in your geeky glory, you abruptly realize that the rest of the apartment is unacceptably barren of other 'Star Trek' accoutrements. Making your own paraphernalia is always an option, but in order to stand out from the hordes of amateur fans, hardcore Trekkies will seek out more realistic and authentic pieces.

To make that expedition a little easier, CNET UK has compiled an encyclopedia of 'Star Trek' gadgets and gizmos so fantastic that they would make Gene Rodenberry envious. Some of the offerings are pitiful, if playful, attempts to capitalize on the devoted fan base (e.g., the cologne and morbid urn), but even the most frugal die-hards would have difficulty dismissing the $1 million 'StarCave' holodeck. The list features a wide assortment of both inexpensive and luxurious devices, so pay attention and you'll no longer have to embarrass yourself, your family, or your pets with those cheap and shameful imitations. [From: CNET UK]