Spoken like a true coward.

(Credit: Flickr user: variable resistance)

Sometimes, but not often, The 404 Podcast wades into foreign territory and needs help getting out. Luckily, we have Natali Del Conte on hand to dish out some much needed advice about how to approach someone on public transit. Is it taboo to introduce yourself? Should you offer a business card? Is there some kind of unspoken agreement not to talk to anyone else on the New York Subway?

Natali answers all these questions and more in the first half of the show and even gives us homework to read, and although none of this really applies to Jeff "Palm Prenup" Bakalar, Wilson and I hope today's show helps you as much as it helped us.

Speaking of reading, Barnes & Noble yesterday released its own e-reader called the Nook. The $259 device has an e-ink display, built-in Wi-Fi, 3G over AT&T, and 2GB of internal storage. CNET Editor-at-Large David Carnoy was at yesterday's launch, so check out his take.

If you're not completely sold on the Nook (or even the name), check out the Entourage Edge, a gadget to come that combines a Netbook, notepad, and media player into one folding tablet-size machine. The Nook's e-ink screen and the ability to share books with friends for free whets Wilson's whistle, and he claims that this might be the one reader to rule them all, but let's face it: until Steve Jobs comes to the CNET NY office and hands him a piece of plastic with an Apple on it, Wilson probably won't be getting an e-reader.

Of course, Apple also made its own announcement yesterday, debuting a couple new iMacs, a new MacBook for fall, and a Magic Mouse with touch capability. Be sure to check out that video up there to the left for my initial impressions, but the short story is that its thin, nonsculpted design and touch features will require a long learning curve, especially if you're used to contoured, ergonomic mice like the Logitech Performance Mouse MX, my own daily workhorse and an Editors' Choice.

Finally, Natali tell us about a new Gucci iPhone app that offers new music, information on the latest fashion shows, and news about Gucci products. Although none of us actually own any Gucci (NDC's Fucci from Canal St. doesn't count), we can still appreciate this free app for its gaudiness and uselessness. Besides, our idea for an Ed Hardy app sounds much more appealing.

Big thanks to Natali (check her out on Loaded) for doling out solid advice and sticking around through the break. Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Video coming soon, check back later today!

After a beautiful New York summer weekend, The 404 is back with plenty of stories to talk about. First off, we recap our appearance at The Digital Youth Media & Technology Festival, then Wilson surprises us with news about his phone and proves that he is truly the worst kind of Apple Fanboy. Finally, we settle the age-old argument: Batman vs. Transformers?!

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET)

We all had busy weekends, especially since it was so sunny in New York, but we wanted to thank our buddy Juan Garzon of MOUSE Squad for inviting us to speak at the first annual Digital Youth Media and Technology Festival on Saturday. We definitely do a lot of damage on The 404, so we felt the need to give something back to some of our younger listeners. Kids can't live on toilet jokes alone, after all. We each had the chance to speak to several groups of young people interested in pursuing a career in technology. Listen in to the first half of the show to hear how we all managed to sneak our way into CNET. Somehow, two years later, we're still here!

In usual fashion, Wilson blindsides us with the news that his weekend was spent desperately trying to track down an iPhone 3GS to replace his broken Nokia. You really need to listen to Wilson justify spending money on an iPhone after holding out for two years. Anyway, for some reason, AT&T refuses to do business after 6 p.m. and shuts down all its servers, so two separate Apple stores told him to head over to the 24-hour Apple cube store on Fifth Ave., but the lines ended up being 3 HOURS long! I won't give away what happened, but based on Wilson's prior Apple fandom, I think you guys can predict what he did.

All this plus a bunch of awesome Calls From the Public, including several Michael Jackson tributes and a touching story from Jeff about a spinal implant that'll give you a very surprising, very delightful surprise. If you want to hear YOUR voice on The 404, give us a call at 1866-404-CNET!

After a ton of hype and much deliberation, we finally get the official Palm Pre review from CNET Editor Bonnie Cha. She lays out all the pros and cons of the device, including the keyboard, app switching, battery life, and much, much more. Also, Jeff finally decides whether or not to buy one; tune in to hear the verdict!

We've been talking about the Palm Pre smartphone for a few weeks now, building up hype and getting excited about the release like everyone else, so we're especially excited to have Bonnie Cha come on today's show to give us her final review. If you have the time, be sure to check out her written review as well. So it turns out that she really likes the software. The multitouch is responsive (albeit with a slight lag), app-switching and push e-mail worked flawlessly, and the contact integration with Facebook, Outlook, etc. all impressed Bonnie, but don't rush out to buy it without hearing the negatives.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

She also has a few complaints: as expected, the keyboard is pretty tiny and requires a rather long learning curve depending on the size of your fingers. In fact, Bonnie's got pretty small hands and even she had problems typing on it, so be sure to check one out before you buy. Next, the battery life pooped out after only one day of usage, which can be attributed partly to a faulty AIM client, but it's still something to keep in mind.

Overall, Bonnie fully recommends the phone to Sprint customers, including Jeff, who's been calling her at home to get insider's secrets since the phone was first announced. In the end, Jeff finally decides to at least go check it out on opening day, Saturday, but with no guarantees that he'll buy. No matter what phone he gets, we'll still have a great time with a live smashing of his old HTC Mogul on next week's show, so make sure to look out for that as well. Leave a comment below, though, and let us know what you think about the Palm Pre. Are you going to buy it? Is it worth the money to upgrade? Do you hate the phrase "iPhone killer" as much as the Bonch? Let's hear it.

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(Credit: Erica Ogg)

As day two of CES 2009 came to a close, The 404 wrapped up the day with a solid audience of tired, dreary-eyed show goers desperate for some much needed entertainment.

Today Brian Tong joins the show to talk about the worst of CES, primarily the men's bathrooms, crying babies, and recycled floor tape. Best of all, we add a new segment to the show called "Sexy Press Release."

Be sure to catch us live again tomorrow from the CNET stage at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

EPISODE 255

Jeff almost doesn't make it into the show today due to this 24 flu bug, but I think his daily dose of Vitamin Backayutang was enough to pull him out of the trenches. After a false start, Wilson gives us a a lengthy review of yesterday's Google Android debut, and I'll let you in on a secret: he's disappointed. I don't think any of us will be trading in our iPhones for this little guy, especially not for something that looks like the T-Mobile Sidekick 1.0.

This is the show where we're finally on time. In case you didn't grasp that subtle sarcasm, we actually start the show a half an hour late only to be interrupted halfway through the show by Jeff messing up the recording...so we start again! This time around, it's better than ever; we've got Wilson' initial review of the T-Mobile G1 with the Google Android OS, Prank VoIP calls, Dark Knight DVD details, and a tasty new Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor. Also, we uncover another huge helping of East Cost/West Coast beef! YUM!