episode

The past three weeks of Always On showcased the roles tech can play in your summer vacation. In some cases, we determined whether or not your tech can survive your summer vacation. Now this episode doesn't involve snapping photos of spinner dolphins, desert road tripping in a tricked-out RV, or fitness tracking through mud at an average of 8,150 feet of elevation. But just because we're finally back home in the Bay Area doesn't mean we took a break from turning our environment into a tech battleground.

We start things off with an unboxing of the … Read more

It's safe to say that our expectations of the GoPro Mountain Games, and the entirety of Vail, Colorado, were greatly exceeded. If the gorgeous weather, cobblestone streets, and bouldering world championships weren't enough to generate permasmiles, the Rocky Mountains provide a perfect environment for the Always On crew to do their thing. In fact, many of us around the office have determined that the land-locked, rectangular-shaped state of Colorado wields enough awesomeness to give Hawaii a run for its money.

Unfortunately, we also had extremely high expectations for the Samsung Galaxy S4, based on the performance of its … Read more

This week's episode kicks off with our first ever unboxing performed in a motorcycle club. Yep, we went down to Piston and Chain in San Francisco to get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The 8-inch tablet sure is pretty, but with a hefty price tag it will have a tough battle against its strongest competitor, the iPad Mini. However, the Note 8 should expect a road test from the Always On crew in the very near future.

Next up, the Google ChromeBook Pixel endures a grueling, three person road test. Molly couldn't contain herself when … Read more

We're very proud to have Tony Hale on the show today. You probably know him as Buster Bluth on "Arrested Development" and most recently as Gary Walsh on "Veep." We get him on Skype today to talk about this weekend's long-anticipated fourth season return of "Arrested" and the moment he learned that Netflix would release all 15 episodes at once.

We'll also go back to the beginning and get the story about the audition process, the steps that led up to creating the Buster character, and the suggestion that perhaps the … Read more

Getting the straight word about the next "Star Wars" movie might be tougher than trying to escape out of a Sarlacc pit, but director J.J. Abrams has let loose a juicy tidbit about who may compose the score -- John Williams.

The impromptu revelation occurred during a "Star Trek: Into Darkness" press conference in Berlin on Monday, as Abrams fielded a question about the possibility of composer Michael Giacchino -- who has worked extensively with Abrams on previous ventures -- taking on "Star Wars." After speaking a few sentences about Giacchino's brilliance, Abrams threw everyone a curve ball and name-dropped Williams. … Read more

Working to fulfill Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's promise to make Yahoo a place where users will want to come every day, the company announced Monday that it will debut six new original Web shows in 2013.

The shows range from Ed Helms playing a miniature crime fighter to chef Megan Mitchell giving tips on outdoor grilling to actor John Stamos interviewing celebrities about losing their virginity.

"In the last year, we have more than doubled the original video programming on Yahoo! to become one of the Web's largest content publishers," Yahoo vice president and head of … Read more

Podcasts have grown in popularity in recent years as smartphone use has exploded. Constantly-connected mobile devices that can not only download but also stream podcasts live from anywhere with a wireless signal make them more readily available than ever before -- so much so that Apple designed and released a dedicated Podcasts app in mid-2012. The app adheres to Apple's strict no-frills design policies and looks wonderful, but has some glaring problems that have still not been remedied after months in the App Store.

The Podcasts App is classic Apple. Open it and you're immediately shown tiles of … Read more

Hang onto your fur -- there's going to be a new "Star Wars" film in cinemas every summer. "Episode VII" will arrive in 2015, with "VIII" and "IX" following in two-year intervals.

The years in between (2016, 2018, and maybe 2020) will see spin-off movies, Disney boss Alan Horn told cinema owners at CinemaCon. These could focus on key characters such as Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Yoda.

Having paid $4 billion for its new set of action figures, Disney is desperate to start playing with them. This new release strategy … Read more

On Thursday's episode of the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation," jokesmith Patton Oswalt made a brief appearance as a filibustering fool attempting to block a city council vote. According to the network, producers asked Oswalt to ramble about any subject during the skit, but what they got in return might be one of most zany and geeky "Star Wars: Episode VII" plot ideas ever heard.… Read more