sharon vaknin

Episode 32: Unboxing the hotly anticipated HTC One

After weeks of clawing and scratching, we were finally able to get the perpetually delayed HTC One to "unbox" here in San Francisco (with a ding in the back, no less!). Fresh out of the envelope from our guys in New York, it only took a matter of seconds for Jeff to start with the Matrix jokes. The One...

As corny as Jeff's jokes are, we think HTC's Neo might have indeed taken the red pill and left our humble dream world, because we've been begging for it for months and it's still not … Read more

The 404 1,172: Where we heard a rumor on MySpace (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel join "Girl Meets World" pilot.

- Wii Mini confirmed, brings cut-price gaming to Canada only.

- HoboJacket.tk lets you donate your RIVAL college's jackets and shirts to the homeless.

- This lamp tells you the weather by recreating it inside your house.

- Why liveblogs outperform other online news formats by up to 300%.

- Follow Sharon Vaknin on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.… Read more

The 404 1,155: Where haters gonna hate (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Peeved? Apple will exchange your third-gen iPad for the newer model.

- Counterfeit ketchup scheme busted!

- PlayStation 'Master' key leaked online.

- 'Jesus,' 'welcome' join list of worst passwords.

- Apple user claims iMacs ruined his eyesight.… Read more

Episode 15: Molly gets her iPhone 5

I really wasn't going to order an iPhone 5 -- I stayed up until midnight on pre-order night to order two unlocked versions, one to unbox, and one to torture, and then realized the unlocked versions weren't available.

So, I now own one, but I do think that makes this week's Unboxing more exciting, because of my personal stake in the whole thing.

Speaking of exciting, for those of you who requested that we torture test the Nokia Lumia 900, here it is! Jeff Cannata takes over this one, and I think he's really getting the … Read more

Episode 13: the Nexus 7 tablet is a delicate flower

In the Season 2 premiere of Always On, the Google Nexus 7 takes a beating. Well, it wouldn't be fair to say it takes a beating. It receives a beating, and frankly, doesn't handle it very well. It's one of our more dramatic Torture Tests, and I think it points out that sometimes, you do get what you pay for when it comes to quality and durability. The Nexus 7 is a great tablet in many respects but, well. It's not the toughest little thing. You'll see what I mean.

We'll find out in … Read more

Episode 12: Get a sneak peek at Season 2 of Always On

This might surprise you, but our darling Sharon Vaknin has a bit of a potty mouth, and an interesting favorite cursing string that starts with the f-bomb and, well, goes from there. I know, I was shocked, too.

This week, it's blooper time at Always On -- this episode marks the best moments of Season 1 as outtakes and foul-ups (or foul-mouthed-ups, as the case may be, even though that's a completely made-up phrase that makes no sense). But you'll also get extended cuts of some good moments from Season 1, like the full interview with pro … Read more

Episode 7: 3D printing and a new fusion phone

I have to put our Always On supervising producer, Eileen Rivera, on front street a little bit this week: that woman hates the Samsung Galaxy Beam. More accurately, she hates the cheeseball YouTube videos that promote the Beam's signature feature: its built-in pico projector. And I agree ... those ads are bad. Like, bad, bad.

But after spending some time playing with the Beam, I have to confess, I was kind of taken with its little parlor trick! I can't imagine using it often, unless it was for work, but it would certainly thrill the grandparents as a better … Read more

Episode 5: We get physical!

Hello Internet. Eileen here, Supervising Producer for Always On. Molly is on vacation, so I'm filling in to give you a little background on this week's episode!

This week we get physical! Molly is in the best shape of her life and was inspired by her road test of both the Nike+ FuelBand and Fit Bit Ultra to enter her first half-marathon! She said to me, "I think we need to stay true to the extreme nature of the show. How about I sign up for a half-marathon?!?"

At first I thought she was crazy to … Read more

Episode 4: Torture-testing the Samsung Galaxy S3

I think we're starting to get better at this torture-test thing, which is bad news for gadgets.

In preparing to test the Samsung Galaxy S3, I decided the oven we used for the iPad test didn't seem quite right. So I set about trying to devise a new heat contraption that would simulate the baking hot interior of a car parked in the sun, or the heat of the sun on a phone sitting out on the beach, or a similar real-life heat test.

At first, I was on the hunt for some kind of a heat-proof box … Read more

Always On Episode 2: The iPad gets the worst of it

I don't want to spoil anything for you, but dudes. iPad. In our first ever Always On Torture Test, we froze it, overheated it (and not by playing Angry Birds, I'm talking electric oven), dropped it multiple times, dropped several things on it, and dumped a glass of water on it. I was sweating by the end of it.

A few people accused me, when they first saw the trailer for the torture tests, of pulling a "Will it Blend" style stunt by shoving the iPad in an ice chest. But let me assure you that … Read more