I took my daughter to New York City for her 16th birthday earlier this week (Happy Birthday, Megan!). Once there, we knew we needed a camera. I have a nice Canon Digital Rebel, but for sometime I’ve been looking for something smaller and more simple that takes good pictures, fits in my pocket, and fits my wallet — in terms of price, that is.

After looking at several models, I decide on the Canon PowerShot A1000. The price was certainly right, as was the brand — I love my Digital Rebel, so I already have a comfort level with Canon. I also know well Canon’s excellent reputation for high-quality lenses, the most important part of a camera.

The A1000 features a 4X optical zoom, another important feature (look for optical, rather than digital zooms, when shopping. The images from optical zooms are much sharper, for technical reasons I won’t go into here.) It also has a 10 megapixel resolution, which means my photos will be clear and sharp. (As a comparison, my Rebel, which cost about eight times as much four years ago, has only six megapixels).

Along with the camera, I bought a 4GB SD memory card (the 32MB card it comes with is laughably inadequate) and a package of AA batteries. The A1000 also has a generous 2.5 LCD, and image stabilizer technology for eliminating the blurry photos that come with a shaky hand.

Megan and I spent two full days shooting with the Canon all over New York City, and were delighted with the quality of images and ease of use. It truly is a “point-and-shoot” that fits easily in a pocket. The flash worked well, and the few controls and menus are, for the most part, easy to figure out. We made the right choice for our trip.

Few things excite a geek like me more than a brand-spanking-new laptop. See, in my day job, I edit a computer-industry magazine that’s read by system and network administrators — those folks who run datacenters.

Given the demands of my job, I need a real fire-breathing computer. I also need something really portable (I don’t like lugging around laptops that weigh a ton), and something Windows-oriented (as opposed to a Mac. I love Macs, and have a MacBook Pro I use often, but a lot of the software I need to use is Windows-only).

So after much looking around, I settled on a Dell XPS Studio laptop. It’s got a Core 2 Duo processor, and I maxed out the RAM at 8GB. That’s extremely important for what I do, and there just aren’t many laptops on the market that can handle that much memory.

I also like the small form factor. I outfitted it with a wireless 802.11n card (”n” is the latest version of wireless cards, with the greatest range) and bluetooth, to add more wireless gadgets like a keyboard and mouse.

I don’t have this laptop yet — I ordered it awhile ago from Dell, and it should be arriving in my happy little hands in about 10 days. It also wasn’t cheap — not at all. But it’s not uncommon for me to have six or seven applications running at once, and 10 Web browser windows. I’m not a casual user who can get by with a netbook, although I’m a big fan of netbooks and what they offer at a low price. Since I need mucho processing power and gobs of RAM, my options are, ironically, far more limited. But I’m happy with the specs of my new machine, and can’t wait to put it through its paces.

I’ll give a fuller report once I’ve played with it awhile.

You know about the iPhone and App Store. But the iPhone, despite my proclaiming it the best gadget of all time, still does have some shortcomings (I said it was the best gadget, not the perfect gadget!)

For those looking for a few different capabilities from the iPhone, but still want third-party (i.e. not made by the vendor) application availability, consider an Android phone, like the T-Mobile G1. Android refers to the operating system that runs the phone, which was developed by Google.

Like the iPhone, the Android phone has a touch screen. Unlike the iPhone, the G1 has a pull-out physical keyboard. That’s something that may appeal to those who don’t like the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard.

Also like the iPhone, the G1 has 3G (high-speed) and wi-fi access. The most iPhone-like capability is the Android Market, which is similar to the App Store, with a wide range of applications of all kinds available — some free, some for a fee, just like the iPhone. Be aware, however, that the range of apps available is much smaller than the iPhone’s ginormous offerings.

The other major differences between the G1 and iPhone are that the G1 has a higher resolution camera (meaning sharper pictures), and less storage space. The G1 comes with a 1GB MicroSD-card slot, and the ability to get storage cards up to 8GB. The iPhone starts at 8GB, with a 16GB model available. So the iPhone has much more built-in storage, while the G1 can add more — but only if you’re willing to swap cards in and out; not a savory option for most.

The G1 also has a music player, although without the iPod’s elegance and functionality. The G1 is slightly less expensive than the iPhone, too — it’s $179 with a two-year plan, while the 8GB iPhone is $199 and the 16GB $299 with an equivalent plan.

In all, the G1 is a worthy phone, giving much of the functionality of the iPhone and a few things not offered on Apple’s gadget, especially if you like physical keyboards. It’s worth your time to consider both when phone shopping.

Have you ever tapped your toes to “Help!” or “Love Me Do” and imagined yourself up on the stage with John, Paul, George and Ringo?

Now you can take that a step further, with “The Beatles: Rock Band”. Coming out Sept. 9 of this year (09/09/09), the game will be available for multiple game consoles, including Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3, and Nintendo’s Wii.

The game itself will set you back $59.95 for each system. Special-edition guitars will sell for $99.99 each, and a “limited edition” bundle will cost $249.99. The limited edition bundle comes with a bunch of additional hardware, including a mic stand and mic, and a new set of Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drums, according to Engadget.

It’s the first time any of the Beatles’ music has been available for a game system. Games like Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band have been incredibly popular over the years, and the latest trend is to specialize in versions from specific groups, like Aerosmith.

It’s coming at last — the iPhone update that brings lots of upgrades for which users have been begging for months or years.

The update, 3.0, is expected to be out this summer. It’s free for iPhone owners, and about $9.95 for iPod Touch owners. The 3.0 upgrade will also work with 2G iPhone owners (the original iPhone); the big update for 2G iPhones is that Bluetooth functionality will be enabled.

On to the improvements. The biggest one — let the trumpets sound! — is copy and paste between applications. It’s something everyone has missed, and a feature that’s been found on other smartphones for some time. Apple officials said that security issues held up copy and paste until now. Copy and paste operations can be undone in a cool way — just shake the phone, and a menu pops up giving various undo options.

Another upgrade I’ve been waiting for is “landscape mode” for mail, text and notes. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s an important enhancement. Turning the iPhone sideways gives a lot more horizontal screen real estate, and is useful for primarily text-based apps.

There are a number of new built-in applications that will be added, too. They include:

• Phishing protection, to protect you from Websites that try to trick you into giving out private information
• Voice Mail, a digital voice recorder
• Auto-fill for forms. That will save you typing time, as it remembers previous entries and fills them in for you
• An improved Stocks application, that includes a landscape view and news stories

Apple hasn’t yet given more concrete details on a release date for the 3.0 upgrade.

Continuing my tradition of my kids reviewing their own gadgets, tonight I present daughter April’s review of her cellphone: the Pantech Slate. Take it away, April!

I’ve had my AT&T Pantech Slate for about 3 months now. It has been an extremely reliable phone for my daily use.

The reason I picked out the Slate is because I love texting and this phone has a great key board that is very easy to use.

The negatives of texting on this phone is the inability to save text messages, and the necessity to delete texts after about 200 have collected in the inbox and outbox.

I use my phone on a day to day basis as my alarm clock, calendar, and address book. The Slate is not a particularly complex phone, which is perfect for me, yet it has a camera, video, messaging capabilities, IM and Email capabilities, Games and Apps, Bluetooth, a Calculator and more.

Another negative is the lack of ability to close the phone; the keyboard is always exposed so it is necessary to put it on “lock” when not in use; however, this is not a huge inconvenience. All in all I am very happy with my phone — it is one of the best I’ve ever had.

Great review, April. Thanks!

I’m a fan of both working out and gadgets (you probably already knew that second item.) So, when I find something that combines the two, I’m doubly excited.

For you runners out there who also own an iPod or iPod Touch, you can make your gadget an integral part of your workout. To do that, you need two pieces of equipment; a “Nike+” shoe, like the one shown here, and a Nike+ iPod Sport Kit.

The iPod Sport Kit comes with a tiny sensor that fits into a small pocket near the sole of the shoe (but only those labeled with the “plus” symbol), and a receiver that attaches to an iPod Nano or Touch. As you run, the sensor in your shoe sends workout data wirelessly to your Nano or Touch. It’s a pretty simple setup.

Apple says you can get “workout based voice feedback” on your exercise, along with “Nike Sport Music” content in addition to your regular iPod tunes. As you run, you can get feedback on your pace, distance run, calories burned and so on.

There is a specific Nike+ workout menu for the iPod that manages your workout. You can set up specialized workouts — for instance, a high-intensity 30 minute run, or fat-burning longer run. You can also set specific goals for a run, such as distance, time or both.

When your workout is over, you can then hook up your iPod to your PC or Mac and upload the information to the website nikeplus.com and see the history of your runs. You can see how you compare to other runners, and even challenge other workout warriors to a virtual race. Pretty nifty.

So break out your iPod, get a pair of Nike+ shoes, and get going!

Now this is weird. Siliconera.com is reporting that Sony is working on a way to hook up a remote-control car to the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console, possibly for a driving game that will use real-world obstacles.

According to the Website, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has applied for a patent that would use the PSP as an interface that would control the car. Mounted on top of the car is a camera that will beam the video back to the PSP (still with me?) Since you will see what the car is seeing through the camera, you can navigate around stuff in the way.

One ominous note the Siliconera reports from the patent is that “a user may control the car … so as to spy on their friends… then upload the stored video images to a website.” While it sounds fun for a game, it’s not hard to image nasty and even, possibly, illegal uses for this device as well.

There was no word on when this type of system will be available. Given that it’s still in the patent stage, it could be awhile before it hits the streets.

The problem many people have had with the iPod Shuffle over the years is finding what you want. Since there was no screen to give you information, you were left in the dark as to what songs were where.

Apple believes it’s solved that problem with the latest version of the Shuffle, with VoiceOver.  VoiceOver talks to you, telling you in your own language (English is only one of a large list of languages) what song you’re hearing, the artist and the playlist if you wish. It even tells you when your battery needs recharging, according to Apple.

All this is done through the earbud cord. The cord contains the volume adjustments, and navigation — i.e., Play/Pause, go to the next song or previous song — is done through a series of single, double or triple clicks. That frees you up from looking at the player to navigate around, which is safer if you’re walking or riding a bike, for example.

The new Shuffle has increased capacity, with 4GB of storage. That’s enough for up to 1,000 songs, but your mileage may vary; and significantly.

One of the things I like most about the Shuffle is the included clip; the Shuffle is tiny, and I’d be constantly worried about losing it. The clip is made of stainless steel, and will attach to clothing, purse or backpack. That should help you hold onto it better. It also continues to be a good value. Check it out.

Recently, I wrote about the carry case I use for my iPhone. Today, I wanted to review another case, this one for jocks. It’s the Belkin Sport Armband For iPhone. The Armband is a neoprene sleeve into which you slip the iPhone, which is then held securely on your arm.

I bought it because I was looking for a safe way to take my phone with my when my wife and I go jogging. I reviewed several different armbands online, and the Belkin seemed to satisfy my needs while best fitting my budget.

As with the leather DLO case, I made the right decision. The main thing for me is that the phone is held tightly, and that the armband is unable to slip off my arm. Both of those criteria are met, and I haven’t any issues with either. The iPhone fits snugly in the armband’s pocket, tight enough that there’s no chance it will work loose and fall out.

The armband uses a simple velcro attach point. The size of the armband is variable, and will fit very skinny arms to rather large arms without a problem. My arm is somewhere in between those extremes, and I’ve had no complaints about the fit. The one thing that does bother me about it is that, being made of neoprene, it doesn’t breathe well. That makes the part of my arm covered by the armband sweat. At first, I was worried that the armband would slip from the sweat, but it doesn’t.

Thus far, the armband is holding up well. If it starts falling apart, I’ll let you know. But it’s such a simple, effective design that I don’t anticipate problems.

The armband isn’t what you’d call attractive, being made in black only. But since I couldn’t possibly care less about the aesthetics  of an armband, it doesn’t bother me. The armband is meant to do one thing, and one thing only: keep your iPhone securely attached to your arm during a run or ride. It does that, and does it well and inexpensively.