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Growing up Geek: Natali Morris
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have CNBC technology contributor, Natali Morris. These days I spend more of my time raising geeks than growing up as one. I gave birth to my daughter just seven weeks ago, so there is little time to geek out, but the force is still there. Temporarily dormant. I am a TV journalist who specializes in geek, as a technology contributor to CNBC. I got an early start in television. I was Miss Fremont 1984. Maybe you recognize me from the parade float with Sylvester and Tweety Bird? No? Odd. That's me on the left with my younger sister on the children's show Romper Room in 1984. Question: When we talk about my geeky childhood, do we mean that I had special geeky talents? Because I'm not sure I was a geek as much as I was a nerd. I was a rule follower. An overachiever. I always got the best grades in my science classes, had my term papers written weeks in advance, and always kept my textbooks covered with brown bag paper the way school policy required. I also had braces and headgear. And bangs. So what do you think? Geek or nerd? Or idiot? Actually no, I didn't always follow the rules. I used to cheat on the Nintendo Power Pad by pounding on the pressure sensors with my hands instead of my feet when I was feeling lazy. I used the code to get 30 extra lives on Contra. Although is it really cheating if it is built into the game? But I digress.
Verizon dominates 'Fastest Mobile Networks' testing, considers calling AT&T to brag
Not all wireless carriers are created equal, nor for that matter is all 4G -- anyone who's ever swapped networks or done any sort of traveling across the country can tell you that. And while it seems like we have fewer and fewer choices as the days go by, our increasing reliance on mobile devices makes the efficiency of our data delivery all the more important. PCMag invested some serious man / woman-hours for its annual "Fastest Mobile Networks" story, gathering mobile data in 21 cities -- running more than 140,000 tests in all. According to the results, Verizon's LTE rules supreme in pretty much every area tested, save for those "in-between" rural locations, where AT&T nabbed the top spot. Perhaps it's time to take old "Test Man" out of retirement for celebratory victory lap?
PCMag offers "best" alternatives to Apple products, redefines "best" in process
PCMag.com's recent article The Best Apple Product Alternatives couldn't smell any more like "bait" without being covered in worms. Hoping to appeal to those who have some innate desire to not buy from Apple due to "a limited budget or an anti-Apple stance," PCMag put together a list of "alternative" products to Apple gear like the iPhone, iPod touch & iPod shuffle. The headline will surely grab attention, but as a friend of mine used to say, "Is there any meat in that sandwich?" They start out comparing the iPhone 3GS to the Google Nexus One. The Nexus One will save you $20, but even PCMag rates the Nexus One 3.5/5 stars while the iPhone gets 4/5. The Samsung Mythic SGH-a897 will save you $70 and gets 4/5 stars. Only one catch: it's not a smartphone. It has "Web-based widgets" and apparently shows broadcast TV. Oh, and it's on AT&T too, so if you're turning down the iPhone because of the network, this isn't for you. So far this sounds like comparing my car to my bike and telling me the bike is better because it doesn't require gas. Next is the iPod touch, listed in the category of "Portable Media Players," and here even PCMag can't keep a straight face: "We won't lie: You won't find a PMP that outperforms the iPod touch. Name another player that's basically an iPhone without the phone, and, well...you can't." They give the iPod touch a 5/5 rating. Their "ideal alternative" is the Sony X Series Walkman NWZ-X1051 (who names these things?) which will cost you $299.95. Oh, remember how the "hook" to this story was lower prices? This one is actually more expensive than the iPod touch. PCMag does offer one other suggestion: you could get a Zune. Sadly, it gets worse. Read on. [hat tip to Shibani Joshi]
VIZIO's VP505XVT plasma gets a thumbs up from PCMag
We'll come right out and admit that we're pretty big on plasma displays, but a quick look around lets us know we're not alone -- VIZIO's 50-inch VP505XVT plasma scored high marks on the PCMag test bench, right across the board. After some tweaking of the out-of-the-box settings -- something every new set should undergo -- the design, inputs and performance of the set were all the the reviewer's liking. Factor in contrast that fell right between Panasonic and Samsung competitors, best-in-class video upscaling thanks to the onboard Reon HQV processing, and a pricetag $1000 lighter than the KURO panel, and it's easy to look past the always-on VIZIO logo on the front bezel. if you can't bear the thought of only your SD signals getting the Reon HQV treatment, take some of that savings and put it towards a video scaler.
The unofficial user guide to the Media Center TV Pack
It's been almost two months since we got our hands on the Media Center TV Pack (aka Fiji) and although CEDIA has come and gone, we haven't really seen much fanfare from Microsoft touting the new update for Media Center -- we haven't even seen as much as a change log or feature list. The good news is that when big companies fail to spell out what's new in an update, usually someone in the community steps up and fills in the gaps. This time around it's PC Mag, which has really done a great job of not only spelling out most of the new features, but the bugs as well. So instead of holding your breath waiting on big blue to clue you in if this update is worth all the fuss, head on over and give it a read.
Hands-on with HP's Computerlicious designer laptops
In honor of PC Mag's 25th anniversary, HP commissioned ten well-known designers to spruce up one of four different laptop models (the Pavilions tx1000z, dv6500t, dv9500z, and HDX 9000 -- a.k.a. The Dragon). These one-of-a-kind machines made their debut last night at the magazine's rockin' quarter-century celebration hosted at the MGM Grand's Tabu Ultra Lounge -- well, almost all of them did: apparently Applebottoms by Nelly wasn't able to ship its unit out in time. The other nine notebooks from such names as James De La Vega and Paul Frank -- which will be auctioned off after making a short PR tour -- run the gamet from glitzy to understated to politically-minded. You can scope out the entire lineup in the gallery below, and catch the full listing of contributors by clicking the Read link.%Gallery-13220%
PC Mag columnist calls Wii "computing wonder of the world"
When you limit your compilation of computing wonders of the world to a mere seven, you're going to become quite familiar with lists. Crossing things off and comparing/contrasting will become second nature to you, as your discerning eye will evolve into an almost superhuman sense. And that's what PC Mag's Lance Ulanoff has just finished doing. In drafting up this feature, securing the Wii as number two on his illustrious list must've been difficult. Citing the motion-sensitive controls and drama surrounding Nintendo's ability to bring the supply up to the demand as the main reasons for its fascination, Lance forgot to mention that the Wii is damn near the best time one can have with company anymore. Not since Pictionary can we think of such a universally enjoyed social activity.[Thanks, Neal! We had ourselves a good laugh at this.]
Apple TV review, and geek details
I am sure some of you are thinking, 'Enough with the Apple TV already,' but considering that even Scoble likes it, I think some more coverage is in order. Two Apple TV links worthy of your attention have come across NetNewsWire. First off, our iPod loving friends over at iLounge list the top ten geek details about the Apple TV (I'm a geek, are you?). The list includes: The 40 gig harddrive only has 33 gigs available for your use Some H.264 videos won't play on the Apple TV The Apple Remote does not control the volume (you have to use your TV/Receiver remote) PC Magazine has given the Apple TV 4 out of 5... circles, which rates it as 'Very Good.' Interestingly Apple told PC Mag of the video codecs supported by Apple TV 'If it plays on your iPod, it should play on Apple TV, BUT if it plays in iTunes, it doesn't necessarily play on Apple TV.'
WinDVD 8 HD Upgrade pack priced, tested
DL.TV has a clip up showing a preview of the HD Upgrade pack for the Intervideo WinDVD 8 player. Although the software was slated to be available already, it's still not up on Intervideo's website. The Blu-ray / HD DVD playing add on is priced at $26 and the DL.TV guys hooked up the cheapest HD DVD drive they could find to test it out. They confirmed you'll need a pretty powerful PC to play back movies smoothly, and they weren't able to get it working over non-HDCP connections (no word on if they tried VGA) at all. While Sony BWU-100A owners got their Cyberlink upgrade recently, other HD drive owners will have to find a player by other means until the HD Upgrade is available.
LG's 19-inch, 2ms Flatron L1970HR reviewed
So PCMag decided to run LG's 19-inch Flatron L1970HR LCD through their suite of tests to see if its 2-millisecond response time really performs as advertised, and the good news for gamers is that this display indeed delivers excellent motion performance with little ghosting and few artifacts. You're also getting good color reproduction and a contrast ratio of 1600:1 that sounds great on paper, but in reality you can expect some loss of shadow detail and noticeable compression at both ends of the greyscale. Another trade-off for that zippy response time is resolution, as the 1,280 x 1,024 pixel array may not be enough for hardcore gamers or folks working on documents and photos all day, with the biggest knock being the monitor's inability to render smaller-sized fonts. In the end, unless all that you're doing is watching movies and playing video games all day (in which case we'd like to hear more about your job), it sounds like super-smooth video may not be worth the sacrifices you're making in other departments.
Samsung's neXus XM DAP reviewed
We've always been a bit skeptical of portable DAPs like the Sirius S50 and Samsung neXus that promise to let you listen to sat radio content on-the-go, because since neither device includes a built-in satellite receiver, you're stuck with the programming you've recorded while the player was docked at home. PC Mag seems to agree that this class of gadgets offers rather limited functionality, and their review of the neXus isn't very promising for potential customers: unless you buy the $70 car kit for listening to live feeds in your ride, you're basically spending either $219 or $269, respectively, for either a 512MB or 1GB MP3 player that delivers neither great sound quality nor an acceptable battery life. What's more, you have to make sure that you keep the unit docked for at least eight hours a month so that XM can properly authenticate your subscription to keep your recorded tunes from disappearing. Ultimately, unless you're a on a tight budget and absolutely need some XM swag in your pocket at all times, PC Mag suggests -- and we tend to agree -- that you're better off shelling out a few more bucks for the Pioneer Inno or Samsung Helix, which both allow you to pick up and record live feeds right out of the box, no dock necessary.
Wowwee's Roboreptile reviewed
PC Mag, always one to get the scoop on these types of products, got the chance to play around with Wowwee's upcoming Roboreptile for a little bit, and frankly, the toy bot sounds like it leaves something to be desired. The main problem with this model is that its constant aggressiveness has the potential to scare off younger kids (it's not for children under 8, cautions Wowwee), while at the same time limited programmability will probably cause the older crowd to quickly tire of its basic functionality. Still, PC Mag does report that the $120 Roboreptile indeed performs as advertised, skulking around and avoiding objects (mostly) on its constant search for "food." The included remote supposedly allows you to calm Roboreptile long enough to slide a cowl over its head, but PC Mag found itself chasing down the bot more often then necessary due to its quick reflexes. All-in-all, if you're looking to buy your kids a dinosaur-inspired plaything, it sounds like you're better off with either a Pleo or Wowwee's other dinobot, the Roboraptor, unless the little ones have been real brats lately, in which case they probably deserve the frightening and/or frustrating experience that Roboreptile offers.[Thanks, Dave Z.]
The "game console couch squat" phenomenon
John Dvorak has posted an article over at PC Magazine that takes a look at new technology from the modern world that has caused us to behave strangely, at least from the perspective of a person from 100 years ago. Some examples include the chatroom, where teenagers spend hours typing and reading pointless messages and the "digital camera arm stretch" where people hold their digicams at an arm's length instead of peeking through a viewfinder.The most relevant example for this blog is the "game console couch squat" that many gamers tend to exhibit. As Dvorak says, "this is now a stereotyped image" that is used to represent gamers in TV commercials, TV shows and movies. The couch squat is usually accompanied by gyrating body and hand movements as the player guides his or her on-screen persona. I take issue with Dvorak's claim that this is an entirely new phenomenon: the phrase "on the edge of your seat" was used decades before video games to imply a person's immersion in a story or a movie. We can expect that the Xbox 360 and the PS3 controller will continue to advance the stereotype (and, in the case of the PS3's motion sensitivity, the arm movements), but there's always the chance that the Wii's single-handed approach to game control will stir things up a bit. [Image: Couch Gamers on Flickr]
Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro reviewed
You know, for all the talk about those greasy-hot, overclockin' MacBook Pros and their mysterious firmware updates, only now has PCMag completed a full review of the 17-inch flavor MBP. Alas, you won't find any real surprises in the review of this "astounding" 6.8-pound, easy toting 17-incher. Yeah, it does indeed get "too hot" by the reviewers standards, though apparently not as hot as the 15-inch model due to larger surface area to dissipate heat. And since this is PCMag, they installed Boot Camp, as you'd expect, "without a hitch" giving them the same "impressive" (for a Mac) gaming results in XP seen on the 15-inch sib. The reviewer calls the move to the 17-inch MacBook Pro a "no brainer" if you're a creative professional working heavily in graphic design or movie editing. However, if you're just looking for a "cool multimedia laptop" with plenty of screen then there are plenty of Windows-only systems available giving more bang, for that $3,099 as-tested, buck. Yeah, Mac fanboy enthusiasts, they're calling you out with that one. Still, PCMag slaps on a 4/5 editors rating which ain't too shabby, right?
VK Mobile's waif-like VK2020 musicphone reviewed
VK Mobile seems like a very flashy company to us, what with their fashion-over-function ethos, their, shall we say, liberal "borrowing" of design elements from some of the sexier phones on the market, and who could forget the airbrushed nude models that they employed to hawk their products at CeBIT this year? We think PC Mag would agree that the company's quad-band GSM VK2020 musicphone -- that, like the models, we also spotted at CeBIT -- falls in line with this assessment, as their review highlights the handset's RAZR- and SLVR-killing thinness and "wow factor," but knocks it on nearly every aspect important to people who actually like their stuff to function properly. Among the laundry list of flaws reported are this model's small, dim screen, barely acceptable MP3 and call audio quality, lack of even EDGE-speed data, sub-four-hour battery life, limited filetype support, and flaky Bluetooth connection. Still, PC Mag's Sascha makes a good point when he compares the VK2020 to a hot date, in that you're a lot more likely to accept its faults just because it looks so damn good. If you're the type that rushed out to buy LG's silly Style-i non-hands-free, non-headset Bluetooth headset when it became available from Verizon this week, then you'll probably be just fine with forking over $400 to Dynamism in order to sport one of today's hotter-looking imports.
PC Mag likes new Intel iMacs
C.K. seems to like his new Intel based iMac (there really should be a better way of describing the Intel based Macs without having to use 'Mactel'), but what about the editors of PC Magazine? They have made it an 'Editors' Choice' and given it four and a half circle thingies. Why does this 20 inch iMac (that's the model they got their hands on) deserve such praise?It is fast, at least with Universal applications, and the iMac form factor is very good (Jobs even called it 'perfect,' though I don't think I would go that far). The reviewer at PC Mag only had two complaints about the iMac, and they really aren't iMac specific: Classic is no longer supported on the Intel Macs Running applications in Rosetta is slow He recommends this system to 'casual Mac users,' but since the Pro apps aren't universal yet he warns off video and Photoshop jockies.
Apple tech winner and loser in 2005
PC World has created a list of the tech winners and losers of 2005. Apple made the list 3 times. How is that possible you ask? Well, Apple Computer (remember they still make computers!) was listed as both a winner and a loser.Apple was a winner thanks to%uFFFD the Mac mini, the new iPod, and Intel inside. However, Apple found itself on the loser list because of the various lawsuits against rumor sites. However, I doubt many people even remember those (other than the folks directly involved in the suits) so I think that is a bit of a stretch.That's only two mentions, the third comes in the form a iTunes which is listed on the winning side because of the new video content, holding fast to pricing, and making buying digital music with DRM cool again.[via Paul Thurrott's Internet Nexus]
iPod second greatest gadget of the past 50 years
The iPod has been named the second greatest gadget of the past 50 years by the editors of PC Magazine. The Sony Walkman, which is an obvious inspiration for the iPod, took the number one spot.PC Magazine does take a moment to call the first generation iPods 'nothing special,' and notes that it was with support for the PC and higher capacity drives that iPod sales took off.When did you get your first iPod? I had the second edition of the first gen iPods which sported a massive 10 gig drive and were Mac only (sorry PC folks!).
