Crave

Joby still makes one of the best mini tripods around.

(Credit: Joby)

Despite point-and-shoot camera manufacturers' best efforts to reduce the effects of hand shake--digitally, optically, and mechanically--as long as you're holding the camera there's a very good chance you'll end up with blurry shots. Add in softening caused by noise reduction at higher ISO sensitivities, and getting a sharp shot of moving subjects or in low-light conditions can be tricky. The disappearance of viewfinders from compact cameras doesn't help things either as it encourages you to extend your arms to use the LCD.

Taking the camera out of your hands and putting it on a tripod or other support is one of the best ways to improve your odds. However, when I suggest this to point-and-shoot users I typically get in response that it's not practical to carry a tripod and it kills the point of having a very portable camera. But the solution is easy: get a very portable mini tripod.

Below are five favorites ranging in size, price, and flexibility, and though they aren't all technically tripods, they'll certainly help keep your pocket camera still whether you're behind or in front of it.

In lieu of buying a support, there are free options for helping control hand shake. Look for a lamp post, wall, tree, or any solid vertical structure you can lean against for support. Don't fully extend your arms, but instead pull them into your body as closely as possible with your elbows tucked into your sides or rest on a ledge or wall. Also, even if your camera has a lot of zoom range and optical image stabilization, it's always better to move yourself closer to a subject if possible than using your zoom. Lastly, if you use a tripod or anything else that's stable to support your camera, be sure to shut off any in-camera image stabilization--in this case, more stabilization is not better.

The game Torchlight even includes a "Netbook Mode" in the settings.

(Credit: Runic Games)

Like just about everyone else on the planet, you broke down and purchased a Netbook. After all, these low-cost, low-power laptops are great for tossing in your bag for a trip, working at the coffee shop, or just taking to class.

You knew all along that these systems were not made for gaming, and obviously you planned to spend all your time doing Netbook-like things such as Web surfing and working on office docs. Still, somewhere along the way, the thought crept in--maybe I can find some games that'll run on an Intel Atom processor and integrated graphics...

In the name of science, we loaded up a wide variety of games and asked friends and associates what games they had successfully played, all to help us compile this list of Netbook-friendly titles. They range from free to around $20; some are re-released PC classics, some are Web-based casual games, and a few are even from that fast-growing social-gaming genre found on Facebook (such as FarmVille).

Browse through the slideshow below to see our current favorites (and links to where you can download or play them). Bookmark this page for periodic updates as we find new games, or suggest your own Netbook favorites in the comments section below. Most of these will run on any Netbook with Windows 7 or XP, 1GB of RAM, and an Intel Atom N270 or 280 processor. A handful are recommended only for Netbooks with Nvidia's Ion graphics.

Twenty great games you can play on a Netbook (photos)

Note: If you dig into your old dusty CD and DVD binders, there's no doubt you can find a ton of great classic PC games to try (we just found our original discs for both Grim Fandango and System Shock 2), but since your Netbook doesn't have an internal optical drive, we're restricting this list to games one can download from legit online sources, such as Steam or GOG.com.

> Need more? Follow me at twitter.com/danackerman.
> See our Holiday laptop picks in the CNET Holiday Tech Guide.
> Get a Netbook primer in our Netbook Quick Guide.

The iPhone 3GS is already wooing game developers with its faster, more powerful platform, but don't expect a ton of games fully taking advantage of it to flood the App Store--yet.

Though 1 million iPhone 3GSs sold in one weekend, the latest Apple mobile device is essentially still a niche product, compared to the 40 million original iPhones, iPhone 3Gs, and both iPod Touch models already sold. And those won't be able to run games with the same efficiency and speed as the new iPhone 3GS.

1 million iPhone 3GSs sold the first weekend, but it's still considered a niche device for many iPhone game developers.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

In short, it's still too early to declare the era of iPhone 3GS games officially arrived. Some game makers are waiting, or not creating games to take advantage of the device at all. Some say it's "not wise" to play specifically to what is still a small slice of the audience combing Apple's App Store for the latest downloads. For example, Pop Cap, the company behind Peggle and Bejeweled for the iPhone, said its games are benefiting from the faster load times the 3GS offers, but it has no plans to create games that are iPhone 3GS-specific.

This wait-and-see approach may be contrary to what some expected. The iPhone 3GS was essentially an update to the iPhone 3G. The "S," we were told, stands for "speed." Indeed, there's a faster processor, a PowerVR SGX graphics chip that can handle 3D rendering, and support for OpenGL ES 2.0, a standard use for creating 2D and 3D graphics. It also has a magnetometer and a video camera, unlike other Apple mobile devices.

... Read more

These days, it always seems to come back around to food, and analyzing each other's food issues is pretty enlightening. Here are some tools to appease the inner food critic.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 141

Flint woman invents Corner Cap to keep boxes of food from spilling

World’s smallest microwave also has world’s worst name

Aero Blue Robot prepares to dish out unemployment to Japanese waiters

Chocolate scented calculator is torture for dieters

Hot Dogs to Go (thanks, engnr_chik!)

Adjust your hat with the Caps_Lock.

(Credit: Nobis)

If you've ever worn a fitted hat, you know that they tend to shrink from your brow sweat after awhile, but who wants to wear a snap-backed cap or, even worse, a hat with one of those awful velcro straps? Nobody, but you still gotta maintain a good fit, and Nobis has your back with a Caps_Lock design that allows the wearer to adjust the size with a simple turn.

The real technology is in the built-in strap that comes with each hat. You can tighten or loosen your fit by adjusting the small dial on the side. Of course, you can only make minor adjustments, but it's perfect for windy days when you don't want your lid flying off into traffic.

Only a select number of Nobis' hats (with clever names like Al Kaholic and Mack Aroni) come equipped with its Caps_Lock technology, so check out the Nobis Web site before you buy.

(Via Wired Gadget Lab)

WiiWare

• Pop'Em Drop'Em SAMEGAME (Hudson Entertainment, 500 Wii points): SameGame is a puzzle game that combines color-matching and reaction time. Enjoy various gameplay styles and modes along with up to four total players.
  

Virtual Console

• Bomberman '94 (1993, TurboGrafx 16, 700 Wii points): Bomberman must reassemble the planet after it's been split up. Along with the nine members of the Bomber Family, you'll be tasked with restoring the world's peace.

• Detana Twin Bee (1992, TurboGrafx 16, 700 Wii points): This Japanese import is a classic vertical-scrolling shooter. Six colorful and cartoon-inspired stages await you in two modes of gameplay.
  

What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off at our discussion board!

The Ricoh LC1 on a Leica D-Lux 4.

(Credit: Ian Ho )

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 is a popular pro-level point-and-shoot that has won much praise from users. However, one minor gripe that most shutterbugs have with it is the lens cap. Some photographers find that a hassle and are looking for alternatives to protect the optics.

Malaysian blogger Ian Ho has found a pretty good solution, and no, it's not manufactured by Panasonic. Instead, he utilized the Ricoh LC1 self-retaining lens cap that was produced for the company's own GX100 and GX200. By using a combination of springs and hinges, three flaps protect the lens when the camera is not in use, and can be pushed open easily by the optics when it extends.

Ho mentions in his blog that it requires a bit of force to push the LC1 onto the LX3 or the Leica equivalent, the D-Lux 4. Take a look at the video below to see how it works. I think it's pretty cool.

Some shutterbugs who tried this mod commented that the flaps tended to block the AF illuminator, and that it will require some tweaking before this problem can be solved. Also, note that since the LC1 is not a listed compatible accessory for the LX3, your warranty will be void if you damage the shooter during installation.

You'll have to check with your local retailer for the availability of the LC1, or search online for it. Pricing-wise, it shouldn't cost more than $25.

(Via Crave Asia)

Boo! This episode is all about the scariest of scary gadgetry. Listen, if you dare!

EPISODE 112

Bomb baby stroller ensures your baby grows up strong and warlike

Look at the legs on that: Walking house looks like giant metal beetle

Netflix streaming comes to TiVo

Dubai’s newest insane skyscraper to house a restaurant in a glass pod at 2,150 feet

Scariest jack-o’-lantern of 2008 - The stock-market pumpkin

The Sonic Lounger

Coin slot detector

Pink Watch
These belong in Hell: Half Croc, half Ugg (thanks, phatemokid!)

Why didn’t I think of that?!
Caps Lock Key Trainer Key HAS GIGANTIC SPIKES (ow)

Gender Gap
Feel the throbbing with the shocking 'Thumbwars' game

Hot Asian Gadget
Tuttuki Bako

Tool Time
iPod Blazer from Park Avenue

(Credit: IEEE)

It may look like one of those iPod hats or something worse, but this baseball cap is more sophisticated--in its technology, if not fashion sense.

The cap is designed to analyze the brain's electroencephalogram (EEG) waves, determining whether you're too fatigued to drive safely. It is just one use for a device developed by researchers at various Taiwan universities and the University of California at San Diego, who hope to expand the technology for applications in myrid other facets of everyday life.

There are other devices with similarly ambitious goals, but many of them require direct contact with the scalp, often needing constant application of gels to improve the conductivity of brain signals. The cap device aims to avoid that inconvenience in a more discreet and portable device, unlike more elaborate systems developed for 3D game equipment.

However, this latest version still requires "five embedded dry electrodes on the wearer's forehead and one electrode behind the left ear," according to PhysOrg, which transmit signals through a Bluetooth connection so they can be analyzed with a dual-core processor in real time. In any case, if gaming becomes one of its eventual uses, it will definitely be preferable to something like Toshiba's 3D helmet.