Mignon Clyburn, a member of that FCC committee, wrote a letter with a laundry list of issues she has with Verizon's treatment of its customers and makes it a point to say that she looks "forward to exploring this issue in greater depth with [her] colleagues in the New Year." Yikes. Not such great news for Verizon, but it could lead to some good for consumers. [FCC via Engadget]

Modder WebAcoustics says of the hack:

"Please note that this involves rooting your phone, installing a custom recovery image, and a custom kernel. This is not for the faint of heart"

If that doesn't intimidate you, then hop on over to DroidForums for the details. [DroidForums via The Gadgets via Engadget]

It can't be great, truthfully. Given the bad press and public sentiment toward AT&T, it's easy to see how troops on the ground, the real people who deal with us and our reception problems everyday, maybe aren't feeling so great about the company they work for. Like the guys who work at Goldman or Lehman Bros. who had nothing to do with the risky bets that blew up the economy, they were just doing their job.

I ask because smartphones have contracts, generally and because of that they seem like a complicated thing to gift. And a personal decision! What do you think about it?

Apparently, Gorilla Glass differs from the product you might find in a typical smartphone because it allows "larger ions to penetrate the surface more deeply to increase the compression tolerance and tolerate deeper scratches." This is achieved though a aluminum-composite composition that can be made extremely thin and light because of its strength.

Corning, the company behind the glass, is hoping to expand the reach of their product to other consumer electronics and even vehicles—anything that needs to withstand the elements. And by "elements" I mean clumsy, uncoordinated types...Adam? [Smartplanet and Gorilla Glass]

Motorola's fall from grace started when they couldn't come up with a serious successor to the megapopular original Razr, so it's kind of sad to see that right up until their Android renaissance—and maybe even through it—the Razr, now in version 3, is still a core part of their business. But there's a broader point here, about how people use their phones: there are still plenty of folks lingering in the dull, barely-connected land of the dumbphone, where LG appears to be King, but they're emigrating in droves, because they crave one thing: internet:

Smart, dumb, whatever: today, phones are for going online. Which, if you believe Nielson's scores, means phones—especially smartphone—are pretty much for Google. Now, get your pencils out, and let's draw a straight line between Google's dominance on the mobile web and the mysterious but very real Nexus One. Easy, wasn't it? [Nielson]

Just head on over to the live stream and use the virtual keyboard to play a song, something resembling a song or a random and hideous mashup of notes that ruins the holidays for everyone. The installation will be on display at the Brick Lane Studio in London through January. [Theopane via Switched via TechEBlog]

Here are the gifts you should give to that guy. And by give, I mean quietly sneak up and shoving it in his mail slot, because if he's anything like the Holiday Haters we know, he'll have barricaded himself in and shut off all forms of communication with the outside.

And if you hate the gallery format as much as he hates the holidays, click here.

A Philips GoLite Blu: If someone hates the holidays, it's likely that they hate the holiday season as well. Part of that is due to seasonal affective disorder, which in layman's terms, means you're not getting enough sunlight and you're depressed as a result.

The Philips GoLite Blu, which we reviewed last year, really helps lift mood. It might not make your pal's mood go from a 2 to a 10, but it'll definitely get him up into the 6 or 7s. $150 [Amazon]

Cellphone Flask: If your friend really hates being around family, there's few (legal) ways of making the time go by faster than getting stupidly drunk. But what if they're gifted with at least a little semblance of tact and don't want to go all out with a flask? Then here's the cellphone flask. Provided the guy's family is as dumb as he claims, they might not realize that this silver beauty really hides a few ounces of vodka and not his office email. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to take this call. $10 [Amazon]

Yule Log Christmas Fireplace Blu-ray: This combines the traditional holiday tradition of sitting in front of a fireplace with the more palatable tradition of sitting in front of a TV. Your friend might hate the former, but he must still enjoy TV, right? Right? With the newly-updated Blu-ray version, he can just leave it on and enjoy the fake flames while doing whatever it is he does normally. Which, if our guess is right, is planning his own death. $11 [Amazon]

Festivus Pole LED Color Light Kit: Your loved one may hate the holidays, but what about Festivus? Bordering somewhere between a real holiday and a crappy meme that will not die, Festivus is the holiday for hipsters too cool or too poor to celebrate one of the "traditional" ones. On the plus side, you get a pole, so why not decorate it with some LED lights from China? $18 [Chinavasion]

Ex-lax Chocolate Laxatives: One hilarious way to a party is to have all the guests run home with Christmas sweaters tied around their pants. Any holiday hater will die to have these miracle pills in their arsenal of holiday-escaping gadgets, even if it isn't quite that gadgety. Think of it as Batman's utility belt if Batman really wanted to get out of a get together and was willing to wait 6 to 12 hours. $9 [Amazon]

Withings Wi-Fi Scale: Nothing pisses off a holiday hater more than someone actually enjoying themselves. How does one undo this mirth? By showing them how much weight they've gained since November. The Wi-Fi scale is fantastic because there's no hiding your weight—it gets uploaded automatically, online, and converted into graph form. Take that, innocent person who's just trying to celebrate the holidays. $160 [Gizmodo]

Swine Flu Protection Kit: Another thing holiday haters hate worse than the holidays is getting sick during the holidays. With the swine flu protection kit, even if your friend isn't actually safe from disease, he has peace of mind. [Amazon]

A Donation In His Name: For a person who hates the holidays and everything they stand for, giving him a present that's actually a present to someone else is the worst thing imaginable. It's like telling him that you HAD the excess money to spend on a present, but decided to give it to someone else instead. Or, like waving a bowl of food in front of a starving child and saying that there's a hungrier child that this is going to instead, and thanking him for his kindness. Don't do this!

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests regularly until Christmas, so keep checking back.

Uh...yeah sure. That's Peter Gamblin...G. A. M. B. L. I. N.

According to the court, Gamblin gave the victim his name and address as an "act of bravado." It took a jury only 25 minutes to convict him. Needless to say, this guy is either the world's biggest moron (next to this guy) or he has a serious asshole friend that set him up to take the fall. [Telegraph via Fark]

AT&T's network is generally reviled. Users of the iPhone, in particular, loathe it the kind of deep hatred reserved for people who steal from charities or beat up grandmothers. More specifically still, are people in New York and San Francisco, locations where even AT&T Mobility's CEO admits the network is "performing at levels below our standards." AT&T fares the worst in JD Power's call quality ratings overall.

It's no secret that the iPhone isn't merely the embodiment of AT&T's network woes, but it's also, at least in part, the cause. The 3 percent of people responsible for 40 percent of the traffic on AT&T's network de la Vega is so fond of pointing the finger at are most assuredly iPhone users. AT&T notoriously didn't roll out MMS for the iPhone until this fall, not only months behind international carriers, but behind their own schedule, because they needed "to make sure our network is ready to handle what we expect will be a record volume of MMS traffic." And iPhone tethering still isn't offered by AT&T, even though international carriers do, because it "could exponentially increase traffic on the network." Congestion is a very real problem on AT&T's network, even AT&T admits that.

Yet AT&T crushed our 3G tests all over the place, not just in their backyard of Atlanta. The major consideration is that we didn't use phones to test, but 3G sticks, and we only tested data. While coverage is inherently a part of the test—if we hadn't have gotten a signal in the places we tested, or the signal was shitty, it would've affected their placement in the test, obviously (just look at T-Mobile's results in some spots)—we were mainly testing for speed. The iPhone's problem is that it drops calls, frequently, or simply doesn't connect. It has crappy reception. Other phones we've used on AT&T fare noticeably better. So it's easy, and obvious, to blame the iPhone, and its chipset as some have. (We explain why cell reception isn't perfect across the board here.)

But why isn't there an international outcry about the iPhone having garbage reception, then? It's possible, I suppose, that those networks have so much better coverage, even if the iPhone does have an inferior chipset with poor reception, it doesn't matter. It's just wrapped up in a blanket of coverage so comfy it still works fine. (And we have heard, though can't confirm, that the iPhone 3G at least used an inferior, cheaper Infineon chipset because AT&T wouldn't certify the one Apple actually wanted to use.)

So we have two contradictory piece of information. The iPhone does better internationally, and AT&T does better with other devices. So is it the network, or the phone? Probably a little of both. Help us out, engineers.

The features on the device are actually pretty reasonable, and we'd imagine it to sell for a reasonable attractive price-point at release. The Motorola Opus One will run Android 1.5 with iDEN service enhancements, make use of a "Zeus" CPU, and will feature a 3 megapixel autofocus camera.

• 3.1″ hVGA 320×480 capacitative touchscreen display
• 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth
• microSD card slot
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
• iDEN PTT & PTX
• Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
• "Enterprise email"
• Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
• 58mm in width, 118mm in length
• 100g weight
• 512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
• 64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
• A-GPS
• Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy enviroments
• Flash Lite v3.1.x
• Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.

That's what we have for you on the Motorola Opus One at this time. Not the most mind-blowing Android device, but with it being an iDEN device and all, we'lll cut it some slack and even say that it could do reasonably well at launch.

BGR features the latest tech news, mobile-related content and of course, exclusive scoops.

GIFTS TO BUY FOR...

ATHEISTS

AUDIOPHILES

LUDDITES

SUNTANNERS

WHITE ELEPHANTERS

COMBO GIFTERS

DRUNKS

BOSSES

SKI BUMS

GOOD SAMARITANS

GAIJIN

WEIRD RELATIVES

KIDS

LOVERS

PERVS

DESIGNERS

PROCRASTINATORS

MANSION OWNERS

BAD DRIVERS

ASTRONOMERS

PET OWNERS

TRAVELERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CHEFS

RETRO-HOLICS

SCIENTISTS

APPLE FANBOYS

PC FANBOYS

GAMERS

STRESS FREAKS

AGORAPHOBES

TINKERERS

FILM STUDENTS

IDIOTS

READERS

ATHLETES

GRAPHICS CARDERS

DSLR WANTERS

POINT AND SHOOTERS

5.1 SURROUND SOUNDERS

SMARTPHONHERS

PC GAMERS

NETBOOKERS

LAPTOPERS

Yes, Verizon has responded to the FCC's inquiry with just what you'd expect: some pretty vague excuses. You see, they need to charge such a crazy ETF.

"The higher (early termination fee) associated with Advanced Devices reflects the higher costs associated with offering those devices to consumers at attractive prices, the costs and risks of investing in the broadband network to support these devices, and other costs and risks."

Costs and risks, costs and risks! What they don't address is why they're justified in charging a fee that ends up being far higher than the difference between the actual cost of a phone and the subsidized price, especially if the contract is cancelled many months in. Isn't that all the ETF is supposed to cover? I mean, if you're relying on contract cancellation fees to pay for your network, well, I don't think you need to have an MBA to figure out why that ain't good business. [WSJ via Silicon Alley Insider]

While she concedes that it's "much nicer looking in person," the lack of multitouch in the browser and Maps is a bummer. Here's what she noticed when having a fondle with the Nexus One:

- It's much nicer looking in person than in pictures
- There's a 4 GB micro-SD card installed
- The battery capacity is 1400 mAh
- The screen appears to be OLED (same size/resolution as the Motorola Droid)
- 3G works on T-Mobile USA :)
- I can confirm that there's no 3G on AT&T (EGDE only)
- It's definitely unlocked
- It's super snappy! Faster than the Droid…
- There's no multitouch support in the browser or in Google Maps
- There's no dedicated camera key, but it's the same camera interface as the Droid
- The trackball can be used to focus (like on other HTC devices)
- Low-light performance is decent, but the flash is weak
- Calls are routed the normal way, not using data (VoIP), and sound fine
- The home screen is divided into 5 panes (like the Sense interface on the HTC Hero)
- It's using a micro-USB connector for data/power
- There are some gold contacts at the bottom edge, for a dock perhaps?
- Did I mention it's fast?

The lack of a camera button disturbs me, but other than that, it sounds like a fairly ho-hum Android phone. [Tnkgrl via Engadget]

UPDATE: Alright commenters, you have your wish. Tnkgrl only said there's no multitouch support "in the browser or in Google Maps," which still doesn't eliminate the option of multitouch in other areas of the phone. And of course, it's still just early days yet—there's no reason to believe that Tnkgrl got her hands on a final production unit.

The Ares app development program will of course mean thousands more apps will be available for download, and the 1.3.5 update will help with installing them. As well as talking about the webOS update, Rubinstein also gave hope to non-Sprint fans everywhere, commenting:

"We don't believe in building large portfolios of products. Our focus is around having a small family of really great products. Right now we have two great products in Pre and Pixi and our objective right now is to expand with more carriers and more regions."

They'll probably hold off on releasing update 1.3.5 until CES, where they're expected to announce something big. [PreCentral]

It's a shame that these screenshots don't really reveal much aside from social media integration, a music player, a dialer, and the obligatory Twitter app. That aside, is it me, or is there something familiar-feeling about the interface? [Engadget Germany via Unwired View]

Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 3 loudspeaker
Might as well start at the top: Wilson Audio Specialties current top-of-the-line loudspeakers weigh nearly 1,200 pounds per pair, are 5'7" tall, look like giant metal praying mantises, and are guaranteed to make your music sound like angels singing on high. You'll pay $68,000 for the epiphanic joy these loudspeakers will bring, and that's not even including the cost of shipping (which is probably high, given that they weigh about half a car). The list of specs and audiophilic descriptions of the sound it produces are too long to replicate, but suffice to say that these are the speakers that convinced us that we need audiophiles. $68,000/pair. [Wilson]

Sennheiser HD800 Headphones or Shure SE310 Earbuds
Headphones are actually one of the more affordable items in an audiophile's arsenal, although of course "affordable" is an extremely relative term when you're talking high-end audio equipment. Sennheiser's $1,400 HD800 headphones may look like a Cylon is eating your face from either side, but by all accounts they sound absolutely incredible. If you're looking for earbuds, Shure's line is hard to beat—an audiophile will appreciate the almost impulse-worthy SE310s. Sennheiser HD800: $1,400, Shure SE310: $155. [Amazon: Sennheiser, Shure]

Ayre Acoustics QB-9 DAC
Audiophiles aren't just vinyl-loving holdouts from 1975—they're a forward-looking group, and they certainly haven't ignored the computer's contribution to music consumption. But pumping audio through the built-in DAC in a computer just isn't going to cut it for true audiophiles; it's filled with noise from a computer's internals and all kinds of sacrifices had to be made in quality, for size and power reasons. Enter the QB-9 DAC. It has a single input, USB, and includes all kinds of complicated mechanics designed to turn your computer into a legitimate high-end audio source. $2,500. [Ayre]

Cowon S9
Mark wasn't thrilled with it in his review, but his issues—confusing UI browsing and a slightly cheap-feeling exterior—apparently haven't mattered to audiophiles, as they've embraced the PMP. The S9 has Cowon's vaunted sound quality, but that's not what separates it from the also excellent-sounding Samsung P3, Zune HD and Sony X-Series—it's the codec support that sets it apart. It supports FLAC, OGG, and APE, and that coupled with a surprisingly cheap price make it a solid buy for a digital audiophile. 32GB for $260. [Newegg]

Peachtree Audio Nova
The Peachtree Audio Nova integrated amplifier is an easily recommendable purchase—it's extremely well-reviewed (Stereophile rated it "Best Budget Product of 2009") and it's a great do-everything amp. The 80wpc deck has USB inputs for your computer, two optical inputs, and two coax, plus three analog line-level, with enough outputs and plugs for any additions to your setup you might want to make in the future. Plus, it's pretty good-looking for audio equipment. 1,220. [Amazon]

Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Player
Sometimes even an audiophile likes to break from listening to music and maybe watch a movie, and Oppo's BDP-83 is one of the best (and best-sounding) players on the market. It's notable because it also supports SACD and DVD-Audio, so it can replace an existing player while adding Blu-ray functionality. $500. [Amazon]

Subscription to Stereophile Magazine
Throughout my research on audiophile equipment for this guide, Stereophile kept popping up, and was a consistently solid, unpretentious and easygoing source. They've got a good eye on price—they might recommend a $68,000 pair of speakers, but they also won't shy from recommending something as inexpensive and ubiquitous as an iPod. One year for $13. [Stereophile]

DON'T BUY Anything Without Asking First
Audiophiles are intensely personal about their equipment. Once you get up to a certain level of quality, choosing between products becomes a matter of individual preference—you might think Shure's SE310 earbuds are a great gift, but the audiophile who receives them might prefer the soundstage of Etymotic. I recommend you force your audiophile to fill out an Amazon gift guide. It takes some of the surprise out of the holidays, sure, but it'll be worth it—you'll know you're buying something your audiophile will genuinely like.

Special thanks to Stereophile's Best of 2009 guide.

It works! I've never designed an app in my life, but that didn't stop me from creating a masterpiece in, like, four minutes.

As far as I can tell this is something like a full development SDK, insofar as the regular MojoSDK can be considered a full developement SDK. That is to say, while anyone with any development experience will have no problem creating apps with it—in fact, a layperson with a few spare afternoons could probably make something—they're still going to be of the same web-app-like caliber we've gotten used to in the App Catalog. Games, modal UIs, and a lot of the advanced features that make Android and iPhone apps shine are a little beyond Ares' reach, I think. Still, pretty cool stuff. [Palm]

Specifically, if you jump back a year to Q2 2008, when Palm lost an astonishing $508m—no small feat for a company that shipped less than half a million phones during the period—things are downright rosy right now. If you look back to Q1 of this year, though, not so much:

The company shipped a total of 783,000 smartphone units during the quarter, representing a 5 percent decrease from the first quarter of fiscal year 2010

Despite launching a second phone and expanding their international reach with more carriers, Palm's sales have slowed over the last few months, not picked up. CEO Jon Rubenstein is stil optimistic, but that's his job:

We are continuing to execute strongly against our long-term strategy with the delivery of Palm Pixi, the new carrier launches completed this quarter, and the upcoming opening of Palm's full developer program. We're still in the early stages of a long race, and we're energized by the opportunity to compete in this exciting market.

It doesn't take a genius or an insider to know what's wrong with the Pre—its lack of serious app development means that people view it as more of a feature phone than a smartphone—and Rubenstein clearly knows this, and the webOS concept still has a ton of potential. But this is an issue of dollars: if Palm can't start turning this potential into real cash, it'll never get fully realized. Rumors of a Verizon rollout are promising, but they're not a sure thing. And alone, they probably wouldn't be enough—the Pre and Pixi aren't riding on particularly new tech, so Palm needs something fresh to remain a serious competitor.

Anyway, hey, CES is coming up. Do something! [AllThingsD]

Just in case this KINGK tickles your fancy, you can import it from—where else—China for $159.99 now. Do let us know if it "caters to the taste of male friends" like it says on the website. [SZPrice via UberGizmo]

Order Deadlines for Christmas 2009

To help you plan your holiday shopping we've compiled a list of stores and their drop-dead holiday shipping deadlines for Christmas delivery. We've done our best to make sure the dates and times are accurate, but we recommend that you confirm this with the merchant you are shopping with. And all times listed refer to Eastern. Happy shopping!

And if you know any order deadlines not listed in the chart, feel free to share them in the comments! [Image]

They already had the January 5th date a few days ago, so this second confirmation of the same date might make it a bit more legit.

"In the long term Google will become a seller and get commission from operators," the source said, adding that other operators are expected to follow T-Mobile's lead eventually and agree to Google's terms.

Reuters also quotes Baird Research analyst Will Power on how Google's choice to market their own phone shakes up the smartphone market, but mostly screws other Android makers:

"We expect the launch of a new competitive device to be directionally negative for most of the existing smart phone markers, including Apple, Research in Motion, Nokia Oyg, HTC, Motorola Inc, Palm Inc, Samsung and others, while perhaps most negative for the existing Android partners."

If Google's choice to go the traditional route with carriers is true, it would, of course, dash any possibility that they might be giving this thing away for free. Let's just hope the unlocked version comes cheap. [Reuters]

While I'm ranting, let me ask you something, Randall. At the risk of sounding like Glenn Beck Jr. - what the fuck has gone wrong with our country? Used to be, we were innovators. We were leaders. We were builders. We were engineers. We were the best and brightest. We were the kind of guys who, if they were running the biggest mobile network in the U.S., would say it's not enough to be the biggest, we also want to be the best, and once they got to be the best, they'd say, How can we get even better? What can we do to be the best in the whole fucking world? What can we do that would blow people's fucking minds? They wouldn't have sat around wondering about ways to fuck over people who loved their product. But then something happened. Guys like you took over the phone company and all you cared about was milking profit and paying off assholes in Congress to fuck over anyone who came along with a better idea, because even though it might be great for consumers it would mean you and your lazy pals would have to get off your asses and start working again in order to keep up.

Yes, this is in the arrogant, blustery Fake Steve voice, but make no mistake: there's nothing sarcastic about the message or the content here. [Fake Steve Jobs]

If you hate galleries more than Aunt Georgeanne hates the radical left wing internet blogs, click here.

Rick Astley's Greatest Hits: Without the internet, Rick Astley would have been completely forgotten by now. Rickrolling, which stopped being funny almost immediately after it started being funny, gave him a new life—on the internet. To everyone else, he's at best a faded, distant memory, or at worst, "not dead? Really?" So think of this as less of a gift—it's cheesy and retro and whatever, just come up with an excuse—and more as a lab experiment in memetic abiogenesis: specifically, to see if the horrid Rickrolling phenomenon can spawn on its own, without the internet, in your giftee's living room. If not, you could still be privy to the extremely rare sight of a human enjoying Rick Astley unironically. $8 [Amazon]

A Blog-to-Book: Perhaps the best thing about people who never use the internet is how they aren't as cynical as we are about spending money. A LOLcats book? Why the fuck would I buy that? LOLcats are free, like the air we breathe! Or copyrighted music! If your giftee isn't aware of a certain blog—or blogs in general—then this discrepancy doesn't exist. Also, whatever meme the blog/book/blook was riding on probably never really left cyberspace, so the humor will be super-fresh. Or nonsensical, depending on what you choose. This is Why You're Fat, Lolcats, Found. Any of them will work. From $8 [Amazon, Amazon, Amazon]

The WikiReader: OpenMoko's WikiReader comes with a relatively recent copy of the entire text contents of Wikipedia, and without any kind of network connection. It's the best thing about the internet, without any of the internet. Just tell whoever you're giving it too that it's exactly like their old encyclopedia set, except smaller and with a few extra books devoted to Sci-Fi character taxonomies. $100 [WikiReader]

An online newspaper subscription: This one serves two purposes: to help the recipient bridge the meatspace-to-digital gap with a familiar concept and brand name; and to assuage your guilt for reading newspapers' content for free for all these years. You're basically making a pure donation with this one, but it will encourage your grandparents to get down to the library and give the ol' WSJ a whirl on one of those computer devices, too. Varied [WSJ, NYT, USAT]

Polaroid: If you're feeling generous, a camera. If your giftee already has a Polaroid camera, then get them as much film as you're willing to shell out for. Polaroids are like digital cameras for luddites, and Polaroid shut down their instant photography business back in 2008, supplies have been getting sparse. $170 for a new Polaroid One600 (though used cameras go for much, much less); film at about $40 for ten sheets. [Amazon, Buy]

A Roku Box: Old people and Netflix are perfect for each other: old people aren't very good at moving around, and they live to watch moving pictures. People know what Netflix is, and the know how it works. What they don't know, or don't care to think about, is that their subscriptions come with free digital streaming, which, despite the name, is actually more old-friendly than DVDs—just sit, click, and watch. $100 [Amazon]

Gag T-Shirts: There may not be a whole lot of overlap between people who wear joke shirts and people who don't really go online much, but anyone can enjoy a good Threadless shirt—creepily crude uncles, same-joke-telling dads and kids whose parents don't allow them to use the computer are all especially good candidates here. How does this fit into the guide? Well, the quality gulf between online novelty shirts (Threadless, Busted Tees) and offline novelty shirts (Hot Topic, Wings) is vast. Choose to taste. From $10 [Threadless, BustedTees]

Don't Buy a computer: Computers are getting cheap enough to be giftable, it's true! In this day in age, if someone isn't online, they're probably making a conscious choice. Dragging them into the 21st century will cause nothing but pain. For your giftee, because whatever kept them away from the internet has probably only gotten worse since they last tried it at the public library; for you, because you will forever be bound in servitude as this person's personal, all-hours tech support team.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests regularly until Christmas, so keep checking back.

In all seriousness though, contraband cellphones are becoming a major problem in prisons throughout the country. One solution, cellphone signal jamming, has already been passed by the Senate. Bloodhound is intended to be an alternative to jamming—a device that sniffs out cellphone RF signals using a high speed scanning multi-band receiver harnessed to a DF-Direction Finding Antenna.

The problem with all of this is that prison guards would each need a detector, and they could only get results when the cellphones are actually in use. So, it seems like the best solution is still jamming cellphones en masse. In that scenario, the FCC would be required to lay out rules and ensure that legitimate communications are not blocked, which negates Bloodhound's one major advantage. [BVS and PR Newswire via Coolest Gadgets]

To help satisfy our curiosity (and maybe your own), head over to the poll corresponding to the continent you spend most of your time on and tell us which phone you use:

• Africa
• Antarctica
• Asia
• Australia
• Europe
• South America
• North America

Photo by James Nash (aka Cirrus)

As for what the Tegra 2 is, nobody really knows, because the closest Nvdia execs will get to a spec rundown is to offer vague promises of MORE: evidently it will be at least twice as powerful as its predecessor, which was was impressive in its own right. We'll get a sense of how powerful it is at CES, but the major point Nvidia would like to make is that unlike last time, the Tegra 2 will actually get used:

At CES we are going to make a major announcement about Tegra family. It is highly possible that we will see some very interesting form-factors coming out at the same time. [There will be products] shown by our partners using the next-generation Tegra device. You are going to see roll-outs and deployments of tablet PCs, smartbooks, netbooks, MIDs throughout the first half [of the year]; and then you will see major roll-outs of smartphones in the second half

This jibes with chatter from the last few months that companies like Samsung, Nintendo and even Nvidia themselves have suddenly started working on Tegra hardware; we just didn't know until now that it'd be next gen. What we still don't know is what that means: If the original Tegra could decode 1080p video, what can the new one do? Decode 1080p video more enthusiastically? [XbitLabs]

Android's most serious problem right now is fragmentation: with each new phone, it seems, comes a different version of the OS. In theory, these differences are superficial, and come down to handset manufacturers' and carriers' custom interfaces, which sit atop a mostly unchanged Android core. In practice, it's much worse.

Just look at the current top tier of Android devices. The Motorola Droid runs Android 2.0. The HTC MyTouch 3G and G1 on T-Mobile run Android 1.6. The HTC Hero, a newer phone than the MyTouch and the G1, is still stuck on 1.5, along with the even newer Motorola Cliq, which shares one parent—Motorola—with the 2.0-loaded Droid. Why is this something to worry about? Remember Google Maps Navigation, the free turn-by-turn app for Android? It only works on Android 2.0 and 1.6. An app written by Google doesn't even work on every new Google phone. Imagine how things are with third party apps. (Spoiler: it's a shitshow.)

Google's been fairly diligent about updating the free, open-source heart of Android moving forward at a steady pace, and supplying handset manufacturers with the tools they need to keep their handsets running the latest software. That said, Google still deserves some of the blame here. That their software updates include new, exclusive functionality is fine on its own. And yeah, their eagerness to allow for Android to be skinned and deeply customized by handset manufacturers is fine on its own—in fact, it's implicit in the project's open source ethos. But mixed together, these ambitions create a gurgling software slurry of incompatibility, user experience inconsistency and general frustration. (See: Samsung Behold II) So what happened?

The problem is in the model. Android updates seed out through carriers, over the air or with special installers. This is because the updates are their responsibility: once handset manufacturers (and carriers, through handset manufacturers) have built their own version of Android, they've effectively taken it out of the development stream. Updating it is their responsibility, which they have to choose to uphold. Or not! Who cares? The phones are already sold. And there's very little to motivate a carrier or handset manufacturer to update their Android phones, because the consequences tend to fall on Google: If Android fragments, the App Market doesn't work. The public sours. Android starts to suck. This is where the Nexus One comes in.

Sold without a carrier, software updates for the Nexus One will be in Google's hands. They will be able to keep it up to date as Android develops, without having to depend on some other company—or companies—not to drop the ball. Users won't have to bother learning Google's esoteric dessert-themed version codenames, and life will be better. This approach to software updates already has a case study: the iPhone. There's a good reason Apple didn't entrust AT&T with keeping the iPhone up to date, and that they didn't want the company that actually manufacturers the phone—Foxconn—to have any responsibility for its software. Smartphone software is finicky and complicated, and so is the experience of using it. It needs to be tightly controlled to remain consistent, and because apps are the most important part of a smartphone platform nowadays, consistency is life or death.

Without totally changing what the Android project is, Google can't put an absolute stop to fragmentation. What they can do is provide an example of how an Android phone should be done. With the Nexus One, Google probably isn't getting into the business of making hardware; they're just trying, in their passive, Googly way, to regain control of a project that's spiraling toward chaos.

Update: Some input from someone who works in a major carrier's device development group:

There is TONS of incentive for carriers to update their
software. Take a look at Verizon hosting the only Android 2.0 device.
Are you going to tell me that Sprint and T-Mobile wouldn't love to
have their Android devices on 2.0 yesterday?

The truth is, there's very little incentive for the Handset maker to
provide an update. All those phones are already sold and in the
carrier's inventory. Any investment in updating those models will
bring them no additional cash flow. However focusing on their next
model will.

He's partly right: carriers have a motivation to keep their software up to date, in that they are the ones who have to deal most with customers. Handset manufacturers are the one's with the least motivation, since their sale has already been made. But in branding a handset with their name, effectively selling it as their product, and assuming responsibility for seeding updates, a carrier becomes responsible for making sure their customers have up-to-date software, and exerting pressure on handset manufacturers if they don't hold up their end. —Thanks, David!

Also, if you hate the gallery format as much as you hate your boss, smash on your mouse or trackpad here.

For the Annoying Culture Vulture Boss:
The Office - The Complete Collection BBC Edition: OK, you get your boss the American version of The Office and he gets the joke. He's a dolt, just like Michael Scott! Ha ha ha. But by giving your boss the British version of the seminal workplace sitcom and likening him to David Brent, you're sending a much more cutting message: while he may achieve some measure of success in his work and might occasionally amuse his employees, he is, deep down, a sad, contemptible man. $19 [Amazon]

For The Cutting Edge Technologist Boss:
Invitation to Google Wave: For the boss who demands that his employees stay on the web's cutting edge, nothing could be more frustrating than getting an invite to Google Wave. He'll love being privy to Google's exclusive, featured-packed new service, until he finds out after hours of frustrated clicking that he has no idea how to use it. Little does he know, no one does. $0 [Google]

For The Boss Who Thinks It's Your Job To Make His Coffee:
Nescafe Dolce Gusto: If your boss thinks personal coffee assistant is part of your job description, there's no better gift to give her than a Nescafe single-serving Dolce Gusto coffee machine. They will openly appreciate the thoughtful gesture, as well as the machine's undeniably appealing design, and you will quietly appreciate the fact that you have condemned them to drinking miserable Nescafe coffee for the next calendar year. $149 [Nescafe]

For The Materialistic Boss:
Contribute to Charity in His or Her Name: No one can outwardly express dissatisfaction with a donation to charity. So while your boss thanks you for the thoughtful donation in his name, you can take pleasure in knowing that under the surface he is seething with anger that he got a child in a developing country his or her first pair of shoes instead of receiving a new tie for his collection. Any amount [Charity Watch]

For The Boss Who Is Obsessed With Twitter:
Tweet Peek: DO NOT BUY. As much as you might despise your boss, and as fun as it might be to saddle him with a gadget that has the sole purpose of sending Tweets, we really can't justify suggesting spending your money on this ridiculous thing. [TwitterPeak]

For the Boss Who Can't Stand Being Late:
Fossil Palindrome Too Watch: On the surface, you're giving your boss the generous gift of a stylish new designer watch from well-known watchmaker Fossil. In reality, you're ensuring his infinite frustration as he is late yet again for his meeting with head office because he couldn't figure out whether he was supposed to be reading from the "tick" or the "x" on the left or the right dial. $150 [Fossil]

For the Boozehound Boss Who Can't Just Have One:
Pernod Absinthe Kit: One surefire way to get that slave driving boss off your back is to get a few drinks in him, and for that there is no better gift than a Pernod absinthe kit. By inviting the Green Fairy to the office you are sure to minimize productivity while maximizing potential boss embarrassment. $65 [Pernod]

For the Hipster Boss Who Loves Music and Fashion Equally:
Sonic Fabric Necktie: In a way, by giving your boss the Sonic Fabric Necktie, a playable tie recycled from old cassettes, you're giving them two gifts: that of music and that of fashion. But in another way you're giving them no gifts: playback is only possible via a modified tape player and the tie itself is bound to unravel after the first Windsor. $120 [Supermarket]

Ever slight a boss with a gift? Ever get slighted? Share your story in the comments

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Android.in writes that the application was filed on December 10th, a bit before all the excitement about Nexus One began, which they speculate could mean that there'll be little involvement by carriers, but who knows at this point? I'm just going to keep staring at mysterious countdowns. [AndroidOS.in]

[Infinitecontinues via Etsi via Kotaku]

This video shows cabinet members leaving their phones in a basket before entering a meeting with President Obama. While there's no explanation of why this very low-tech and low-security method is used, I sincerely doubt that anyone will try to steal a phone from the White House. The real thing to worry about is what happens if the sticky notes fall off. [CNN via Neowin]

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Maybe it's the whole campfire theme, or maybe it's because this heater looks like something Superman would have in his fortress of solitude—the bottom line is that I love the Nobo radiator. In addition to a touch-controlled heating element, Nobo projects a video of flickering flames off the glass logs for ambiance. $2800 [CL Designs via Link]
If you know someone with perpetually cold hands the Eneloop Kairo from Sony would make a great gift (especially if this person happens to be your significant other. You know...when they embrace you it's like getting touched by the Grim Reaper). It comes in two models: the KIR-SL2S and the KIR-SE1S which deliver 1-3 hours and 4 hours of warmth respectively. $35-$45 [Sanyo via Link]
Brian's right—lugging heavy, battery powered boots in the snow while trying to hike is a bad idea. But if you plan on just doing some casual walking, you could probably get away with closing your eyes, walking down the slushy sidewalk with these on and pretending you're wearing thongs on a Rio beach.$250 [Columbia via Link]
Staying warm on the inside is just as important as staying warm on the outside. Coffee lovers will surely be thrilled to receive a mug that can automatically keep your drink warm and stir it up with the push of a button. $37 [Brando via Link]
As our own Brian Lam pointed out, the Blazewear heated vest does a great job of keeping you warm whether you are outside in the cold, or falling asleep on the couch. There are five temperature control settings that range from approx. 110 to 150 degrees. The lowest setting will keep you warm for up to 5 hours. $139 [Blazewear]
It's not just the cold that makes people miss the summer, it's also the sunny skies, green leaves, chirping birds and gentle breezes. If you have the means, installing one of these SkyV skylights in a home or office would be one hell of a gift. They use high definition LCD screens to mimic the ambiance of the great outdoors. Hit the following link to see it in action. Prices vary [SkyV via Link]
I could go on about crazy USB heating gadgets and Snuggies, but we all know that these products should be avoided. My choice for a "don't buy" gadget this holiday has got to be the Poseidon patio heater. Don't get me wrong, I like the way it looks, but it costs more than twice as much as comparable models in Chillchasers lineup. Why? Because it has a miniscule (and therefore useless) media player slapped on top. $1376 [Chillchaser via Link]
In the summer, nothing beats kicking back outdoors with some burgers cooking on the grill. Remind yourself of those awesome times with this USB-powered, heated burger massager. As bizarre as this product is, it's more socially acceptable than pleasuring yourself with an actual burger. $12 [Brando via Link]

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.