Inside CNET Labs

Just another excuse to reference The Wire again. You see, the title of this week's podcast refers to this scene here. An extremely pivotal scene in the series. Watch this! (Credit: HBO) This week, Dong waxes on the preference differences of women from countries other than the US. Supposedly women in other countries actually like nerds. Hmmm...we'll have to delve deeper. Also, as for my adventures in snowboarding: yes, I hurt. I'm old--what did you expect? Finally, Steve Jobs thinks Adobe is lazy. He also thinks its product is buggy. I guess this is his excuse for not implementing Flash in the iPad. Also, my true feelings on the iPad. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Dong Ngo will soon be joining forces with Chuck and Flav in a Public Enemy revival group called 'Too Beaucoup'. (Credit: Def Jam Recordings) Dong feels compelled to fight the powers that be in the Bay Area. The Bay Bridge's toll is being raised and he ain't happy about. Business as usual for the common man, I guess. Although, Dong ain't all that common. Then, we get through a 10-minute segment about the iPad without making even one feminine hygiene joke. Crazy, I know. More backup horror stories. This time, the warning is not to back up your files, but to back up your files the right way. If it's not one thing, it's another right? To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Dong feels Americans are better at working than not working. I have hard evidence (pictured) that the opposite may be true. (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET) Dong is perched on a very familiar place once again, his soapbox. This time, discussing the effect American media has on the rest of the world and their impressions of Americans. Then, we discuss the prospects of robot housemaids and how they brings us that much closer to the "Stepford Wife" reality we are clearly headed toward. Lastly, we take way too much time answering only a few e-mails. Oh well, a longer show means more distraction from your everyday miserable lives. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Dong, itching for a scratch. (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET) CES is over, thank goodness! This week, we talk about all of the trials and tribulations we experienced during the trade show last week. What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay there, not with us at least. What were our favorite things from CES? I had none, but Dong had plenty. He's pretty easily taken with the latest network-USB-wall mounted-phone charging-router-flash drives though. He goes on and on and on. Seriously, how did he find the time to see all this? Also, Dong plays Blackjack and the 404's Jeff Bakalar is not pleased. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Ninjas are bad, real bad. (Credit: TriStar Pictures) We love World of Warcraft (WoW) again! Thanks to the new, new Looking for Group system, Dong and I are back in WoW, big time. I mean, we go on and on about it for a good 23+ minutes! Yes. We discuss WoW for over 20 minutes! You've been warned. Then we answer e-mails! "EEEMAaaaiiilSSS". Yay. We discuss the "science" of product ratings and WoW on Wine. Both Dong and are sorry about the tardiness of this episode. The last few weeks have have been extremely busy in the CNET Labs. Expect us to be back on our regular schedule of one episode per week from here on out. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Never push the red button! (Credit: Nickelodeon) Dong's back and he's on the attack! Unfortunately, he returns from Vietnam with swine flu or something, so if I sound like I'm mumbling during the show, it's because I'm trying to keep my mouth covered from his germy germs. Dong lived on a boat for one whole day in Vietnam, swam in the bay, and tries to convince me to do the same. That conversation somehow leads to a discussion about the Seven Wonders of the World, which apparently now include the Internet. Pretty lame if you ask me. Also, Dong attempts to uncover the real story concerning Facebook in Vietnam and its "technical problems." Having trouble deciding on what presents to get loved ones for the holidays? Dong has a simple solution. It's all Dong, all the time! To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

For the record, I think most cats are just lazy, not depressed. We talk games. Yay! My favorite subject! Dong and I (well mostly me) talk about the games we've been playing and our impressions. We also discuss that whole Modern Warfare 2 controversy from a couple weeks back. I know, I know, we're late to the party, but at least we brought a huge case of beer! Also, Dong continues his tales from Azeroth. He joins a new guild that sounds more like a cult, does horrible DPS, and realizes he has no tanking or healing skills. This was my interpretation at least. Finally, what we're watching, what we can't watch, and we'd like to be watching. Yeah, we had very little to talk about this week, but that actually worked in our favor...I think, you be the judge. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Of course I'm good at counting. I learned from the best. (Credit: Sesame Workshop) We return to the current Facebook debacle in Vietnam. Allegedly, accounts are being closed or locked thanks to a lone Vietnamese princess and her inability to secure her password--or so says Dong, of course. Then Dong talks at length about the very expensive Imation wireless USB hard drive as I remain unconvinced of its worth. Finally, we delve into a discussion about the audio-Nazi, aka iTunes. iTunes obviously doesn't want Dong to workout in a timely manner and it's communicating this quite effectively. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

A typical ICL recording session (my foot). Dong finally watches "The Wire" and not surprisingly sings its praises. I've been telling him it's the best show I've seen for years now and he finally takes the hint. Although, he has a bit of trouble understanding what a re-up is. Noob. We then move to the communist empire that is Vietnam. Dong thinks that it is attempting to block Facebook from users in Vietnam, but has no real proof of this. I mean how can a government block Facebook for fear of their citizens getting "Americanized," yet continually revere KFC? Then, via the backdrop of Linux, we ask why people like to spend their money and actually don't want things for free. Lastly, we take the second half the episode to answer just two e-mails. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com. Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | RSS (audio)

Hey! A black ViewSonic monitor! (Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET) We get in a lot of 16:9 monitors, but this is the first we've gotten that didn't have a TN-based panel. The 23-inch wide-screen ViewSonic VP2365wb monitor has an Enhanced In-Plane Switching panel (E-IPS). E-IPS panels usually have improved viewing angles over TNs, especially from the lower angle. The VP2365wb does, indeed, have the type of viewing angle you'd expect from an IPS model, but its brightness leaves a bit to be desired. Check out the full review. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the monitor product door for new monitor reviews every week. Originally posted at Crave