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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

Episode 3: Where Google has more money than sense

The debate about "unboxing" rages on, so in this week's Always On episode, I actually get down to using a pocket knife to open up the new Google Nexus 7 and Nexus Q. And I try to bring back some of that old Molly snark so many of you have been asking for. Sometimes it's hard to put together a whole show and then remember to write in the personality! I'm working on it, though.

I had a pretty great time running around Google I/O, mainly because of the food, and of course, the … Read more

Torture-testing the new iPad

Spoiler alert: the new iPad is one tough device.

I'll leave a little mystery for you: I won't tell you exactly what we did to the iPad in our first-ever Always On torture test, but generally speaking, we tried to simulate some of the toughest tests that real life throws at our devices, like say, when we leave them in cars in inclement weather, or they fall, or ... well, darnit, now I'm verging on spoiling the tests.

What I'm trying to say, though, is that we weren't just stunt joyriding by shoving the iPad in … 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

Live Always On viewing party, Tuesday June 19: Join us!

Each Tuesday, the newest episode of "Always On" will premiere at 11 a.m. Pacific time, 2 p.m. Eastern, with a live viewing party on the show page. I'll be there with pre-show and post-show commentary on video, and we can watch the first episode together in chat on the page. I'll give behind-the-scenes insights, if I have them, or we can groan at my bad jokes together, or you can give me make-up tips...whatever seems appropriate.

Over the years of doing Buzz Out Loud, I realized that the chat room was one of … Read more

Always On Future Tech: Smoking goes high-tech (and smokeless!)

Future tech takes all kinds of forms, and some of those forms are the kind that let you smoke without the guilt or the cancer!

I recently visited Thermo Essence Technologies, which is a Silicon Valley company that makes high-tech "vaporizers" for inhaling nicotine, medical marijuana, or other herbs. They're kind of like electronic cigarettes, but much more premium in terms of construction (and cost). They come in multiple varieties, and they both look cool and keep you from getting cancer, no matter what you're smoking.

The vaporizers use a (rechargeable) battery-powered kiln to conduct super-heated … Read more

Is Apple fragmenting the iPhone?

Way down in the fine print about Apple's upcoming iOS 6, you'll find a little note that says new features like Flyover and turn-by-turn directions are only available on the iPhone 4S, or the iPad 2 or higher.

A note immediately below that says Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S or third-generation iPad.

Since the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 are all actively for sale and still being marketed by Apple, I have to wonder: is Apple on the road to fragmenting the iOS experience? Could there come a future when not only do … Read more

Video game violence at E3: Too much, yet still not enough

I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to video game violence. I cut my teeth on Unreal Tournament, and I am a machine with a shotgun in Halo. But the bloody displays at Microsoft's and Sony's press conferences here at E3 left me horrified -- and depressed that an industry with so many challenges chose to offer so little to its existing and potentially new audiences.

Microsoft's Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer was a mano-a mano murder fest (you need to enter your age just to watch it online), featuring multiple headshots that were helpfully slowed down, … Read more