Hasta La Gadget!

Today we find out why Jeff is walking around with his head down all day, and why Justin’s new canine glows in the dark. It seems some genetic engineering has turned man’s best friend into a flashlight.

(Credit: 6-ft-under.com)

Next we pick apart Best Buy’s decision to roll out a closet-sized vinyl section in all of its stores, and why we think this might be a step backwards in terms of progress. We’re not trying to put record players down; we just think our blue-and-yellow friends are jumping on that bandwagon a little too late and probably for all of the wrong reasons.

We mentioned the App Store’s one-billionth app yesterday, but failed to talk about it. Today we’ll reveal the useless piece of software and why we’d be happier with that baby-shaking app taking its place.

Then it’s off to Firefoxland, where we discuss the highly anticipated version 3.5. We go around the room geeking out by sharing browser fantasies, thus permanently ensuring Wilson and Justin will never date again.

Finally, we dive into the world of 4chan, quite possibly the most influential crew on the Internet. So influential, in fact, that the community has voted its fearless leader to the top of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people list. That’s kind of a paradox, isn’t it?

All this plus Calls From the Public on today’s show!

EPISODE 331

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Originally posted at the 404

Android and Google may seem inseparable to some, but Vodafone is apparently suggesting that some of its future Android-based phones could possibly pack a little less Google and a little more Vodafone. While the carrier unsurprisingly isn’t offering much in the way of specifics just yet, it did tell TechRadar that future Android phones could ditch some of the familiar Google services in favor of a more “basic package” that would let Vodafone (or other carriers following the same route) offer their own client software instead — a winning idea if there ever was one. And it seems that there will indeed be more Android phones in the offing from Vodafone sooner rather than later, with Vodafone’s Rachel William’s telling TechRadar that the carrier is “looking at other Android devices,” and that “by joining the Open Handset Alliance it shows our commitment.”

[Via Talk Android]

Filed under: Cellphones

Vodafone suggests future Android phones could have less Google originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Crave UK gets bored, odd things happen. We’ll fly RC planes through the streets, we’ll dress up in costumes and expose our cleavages, hell, we’ll even drag a big-ass 20-inch laptop through the London Underground–just for kicks.

We …

If you depend on leftover office pizza for your lunch, you might be a cheap geek (my standup routine is coming along just fine).

1. If you watch a lot of streaming video on your computer, you need a monitor with the razor-sharp resolution of a great TV. May I recommend the Samsung T220HD, which NewEgg has for $219.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate)? This 22-inch monitor has a 1680×1050 native resolution and a 20000:1 contrast ratio. Best, of all, it has a built-in DTV tuner, so it can play over-air programming out of the box.

2. You know GelaSkins from its artist-designed iPod-, phone-, and computer-protecting skins, but did you also know it sells wall art with the same awesome designs? Until May 5, the company’s beautiful prints are 20 percent off, $24 instead of $30. Browse around and you’re sure to find something you dig.

3. If you’ve ever lost work because you forgot to save it before shutting down, you’ll appreciate the benefits of AutoSave Essentials, a utility that does it for you automatically. Now this program is on sale for $24.95, down from the regular $39.99.

Bonus Deal: Tonight is 31¢ scoop night at all Baskin-Robbins, between 5 and 10 PM. The site will send you a text message reminder.

Nikon’s D5000 and Canon’s Rebel T1i are the two hottest sub-$1000 cameras ever created. But which one is hotter? The specs and shots below say plenty—but tomorrow we give you the final verdict.

Let’s go over the basics. The cameras, with 18-55mm image stabilizer lenses, have MSRPs within $50 of each other, the Nikon at $850 and the Canon at $900. Spec-wise, that extra $50 goes a long way:

• Nikon has a 12.3-megapixel CMOS, while the Canon has a 15.1 megapixel CMOS.

• The Canon’s 3″ LCD screen has 920,000 dots; Nikon’s 2.7″ LCD only has 230,000 dots, but it gets bonus points for the “vari-angle” adjustable mount.

• HD video shooting is the selling point for both, but while the Nikon can handle 720p, the Canon can shoot up to 12 minutes per burst of full 1080p high-def video (though at a minimal 20 frames per second). Both have HDMI outputs, to prove how dedicated they are to high-def video.

• ISO wise, they’re pretty evenly matched, from 100 to 3200, with a Hi ISO bump at 6400. (The Canon has an additional ISO 12800 high setting.) The key here is which one is noisier at the higher levels; I have my guesses, but we’ll just have to see.

• Getting deeper into camera-nerd territory, the Nikon has an 11-point autofocus, compared to Canon’s 9-point AF. They both boast the usual proprietary engines, for Canon the DIGIC 4 imaging processor, and for Nikon, the “exclusive” EXPEED image processing system. And obviously, both can be fitted with a huge number of lenses from their specific manufacturer, lens compatibility usually being the deciding factor for people who already have huge glass investment.

What does it all mean? I have no doubt that both cameras are worthy sons of bitches, and like their predecessors, many of their idiosyncratic ticks—visual menus vs lists, etc.—are well known and documents. Some conclusions are already in sight, given the fact that the D5000 is a direct descendant of the D90, whereas the T1i comes straight from the 5D Mk II‘s loins, both heavily reviewed already.

Still, over the next day, I’ll be shooting hundreds of photos in different lighting conditions, in order to make sense of this two-headed temptation. Here’s some further reading While U Wait:

News announcements on Giz:
Nikon D5000
Canon EOS Rebel T1i

Product Pages:
Nikon D5000
Canon EOS Rebel T1i