The Ask Gizmodo Power Hour [Ask Giz]

You’ve gotten problems. I am the solution. For one hour I will be able to reveal your hidden solutions, shine a revelatory light on life’s challenges, and mean you can determine which phone to buy. In real time. This has begun.

While my oracular acumen is second to simply most, I am but a mortal, with only a supermortal’s limitation. Thus I could call on you, the audience (or ” crowd,” in the event you work as a social marketing bullshitter), for answers that I am too busy, too ignorant-by-choice, or too lazy to respond to.

If you might have a difficulty that need to be solved inside the next 60 minutes, email a succinct encapsulation of your predicament to ” askgiz@gizmodo.com” , where it’ll be considered and summarily addressed or dismissed.

Gary writes: What to get the missus for Christmas? Here’s my dilemma: She needs a new phone and she or he also needs a new video camera (she already has a digital SLR). My choices are to vary her phone contract to upgrade her phone, and Santa brings her an HD Camcorder. Or Santa gets her iPhone 4. Your Test Notes just say: ” It has an analogous problems as other cheap camcorders, for sure, like the jelly effect, and nonexistent stabilization.”

THE ANSWER FOLLOWS-Does her DSLR not allow her to shoot video? It really is the current FANCY JAM of video, because it allows the budding filmdinker to exploit their expensive camera lenses and make blurry handheld films which can be sometimes ready to stay in frame for WHOLE SECONDS. (I remain an immense fan.)

Buy her the iPhone 4. It can bring her joy every single day. Then wait until her birthday and upgrade her DSLR to 1 that does HD video in addition. There is no such thing as a rush.

Travis writes: I hear a whole lot in regards to the bounty of Android-based tablets obtainable. I would like one, a pleasing 10″ display to place the iPad to shame. The simplest problem is, it’s really tough to grasp which ones are ACTUALLY for sale yet! Where’s the Archos 101? Dell Slate? I would like to buy a 10″ android tablet (before Christmas) – tell me which ones are available, worth buying!

THE ANSWER FOLLOW-Do not buy any Android-tablet that’s not the 7-inch Galaxy Tab until after Christmas. It’s too late to take a position in products which might be last-second holiday shopping grabs, especially when the shopper Electronics Show is barely around the corner, where all new products will likely be revealed. Plus what about Chrome tablets/netbooks? If you’re the kind who are wedded to Android, then perhaps it would be best to watch for them.

HERE’S A PICTURE OF MY FATHER IN HONOR OF FATHERS WHO ARE DEMIGODS DAY

An Ambitious Stoner writes: I find the single thing missing from my life and indeed iPhone is an app for firing up my Volcano Digit vaporizer on the manner home. Please advise.

THE ANSWER FOLLOWS-While it really is a superb question, there is a severe limitation: The Volcano vaporizer’s heating element only begins to warm once you’ve pressed the large, red button. It doesn’t heat up just because it has been plugged in.

You have TWO POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Buy a more simple vaporizer it is essentially a heating element hooked to mains power. (NOT ADVISED, for reasons of BURNING DOWN YOUR YURT.); BETTER SOLUTION: Build a contraption in order to press the large, red button. Some type of robot. Whenever you have no idea methods to build a robot please consult your vaporizer.

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This post is tagged: analogous problems, camera lenses, cheap camcorders, encapsulation, phone contract, social marketing