Episode 973

Match Game and Set
Much more interesting than the X10 BOC is Dick's special Match Game Gift Set - a "The Best of Match Game" 4-DVD set (which includes the pilot episode), AND a Match Game Question card autographed by Dick.  Check out Match Game Memories on this site.

Germs Poster
Dick has prepared a Germs Poster for the March 2010 issue of MAD.  You can see it now.

DGW Outtakes
"How about a Daily Giz Wiz Outtakes Show?" suggests the chatroom.  We already have it.  It's called the Daily Giz Wiz.

I Love SYNC
Jeff Kaplan from Michigan has been driving a Ford Focus since May 2009 and he loves Ford SYNC.  For people who don't have a smartphone like an iPhone, Blackberry or Droid, they can still enjoy many of the features of SYNC as long as their device (whether it be a dumb phone or an mp3 player) has Bluetooth Audio (like Jeff's iPod Touch).  On short rides in his Focus, Jeff keeps the iPod Touch in his pocket and only connects it to the USB connector on longer rides.  SYNC can still play his music and podcasts from his iPod Touch.  He can talk hands-free on his bluetooth dumb phone using SYNC - which can also call 911 for him in an emergency, from his bluetooth phone.

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Episode 972

A Rare Letter from a Jingle-Writer
The Sunday Theme ("Sleeping-In Sunday") was first aired in Episode 635 and the Saturday Theme ("Show-Free Saturday") in Episode 639.  Since writing the weekend themes, Rob Houghton has been keeping a low profile.  Today we have a rare letter from Robert, who recommends an iPhone app called Momu which he and his friends have come up with.  Momu stands for "Motion Music".  It detects your motion (walking, jogging) and plays music based on your rhythm.  Rob has kindly included a promo code but Leo has decided to buy the app without using the code.  That’s all very well but how about a promo code for the rest of us?

Momu
To hear the themes again, go to saturdaytheme.com and sundaytheme.com (set up by Daniel Rodrigues Parreira).

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Episode 971

Seal Shield Wireless
You can see the flexible LED-backlit Seal Flex Glow keyboard in Dick's write-up for today.  For the wireless Silver Surf Keyboard and Mouse, here's a picture.

Seal Shield Silver Surf

Last Day for Voting !!!
Today is the last day for voting at Podcast Awards.  Your last chance to support the Daily Giz Wiz for the People's Choice award.

TWiT on Roku
Dick got the new wireless-N Roku box for Christmas from Leo, although he is disappointed that Dane Golden, who visited Dick in New York, didn't bring along an East Coast Mustang for Dick.  Some TWiT shows are now on Roku as downloadable videos, and the firmware update is gradually being rolled out to existing Roku boxes.  In due course, the TWiT network will be available as live streaming.

Salad Crunching
Alex Lindsay has lost 45 pounds since using the diet prescribed by Nutrisystem, which he reckons is about $83 per pound of weight lost, for his Basic Plan.  Leo is going for a more expensive plan, the nu-kitchen Fresh, for chef-prepared food which will be Fedexed to him once a week.  Does it mean that instead of munching a fresh salad, Leo will be crunching a frozen salad?  Sadly Leo has chosen Thursday for his weekly delivery.  He should have chosen Tuesday.  Then they could play "What's In the Box?" while recording the Daily Giz Wiz.

A Tweeting Tractor
Steve Tucker, a farmer in Brandon, Nebraska, heard Dick and Leo talk about meeting half-way across America to do their shows, has worked out that that would be right in the middle of his wheat fields on his 4000-acre farm.  He is offering them full facilities to do the shows, including portapotties, extension cords and generators.  His 14.4-baud modem may be a little wanting and he advises Leo to bring his own internet connection.

In truth, Steve is very well connected on his farm, and has a GPS-guided, auto-pilot tractor where he tweets (Tykerman1), and listens to the Daily Giz Wiz.  He has even appeared on CNN to talk about his technology-laden farm.  You can watch the video at CNN.

 

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Episode 970

Podcast Awards - VOTE!
Voting is still open at Podcast Awards, until Monday 30 November.  Leo has decided to try for the following awards: The Daily Giz Wiz for People's Choice, This Week In Fun for Comedy, TWiT for Video, Floss Weekly for Technology, Munchcast for Food and Drink and Roz Rows for Travel.  If Leo got all of these, he would feel good about it.  Yeah, a clean sweep!

Keep voting for the Daily Giz Wiz!

Podcast Alley Award
Dick and Leo mention in passing Podcast Alley, which is still around.  The Daily Giz Wiz actually topped the chart on Podcast Alley for the month of May 2006, after much begging on the show for votes.  The result was first announced in Episode 77, and it was in Episode 95 when Leo, still basking in the glory of the win, came up with the non-sequitur Gravy Slogan.  For the full story of the slogan and related jingle, see Gravy, the Making of.

Colleen's Pick
Long-time listener Tim Harbst from La Crosse, Wisconsin, who still jogs to the sounds of the Daily Giz Wiz during lunch-time (see Episode 603), has bought many gadgets covered in the show, one of the most entertaining of which is the SmartShopper (Episode 424).  It rarely understands the object you speak to it the first time.  His kids spend hours on it, and their friends speak naughty words to it.

The latest gadget from the show is a bluetooth stereo headset mentioned in passing but never fully reviewed by Leo - a suggestion by Colleen - the Sony DR-BT160.  Tim and his wife have also bought a Ford Flex, complete with Ford SYNC.  He's also an Audible listener  and a proud owner of a GizWizBiz Cap, in support of the show.

Sony DR-BT160 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

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Episode 969

A Recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Dick finally reveals his recipe for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake, passed down from his dentist.  Dick's instructions are not complete (except for the topping), but here's my take on what should be called Dick's Pineapple Over-The-Top Cake:

Topping:
Butter ½ lb (more if you dare)
Brown sugar 1 lb (more if you dare)
Pineapple rings 9
Cherries 9, or for Dick's special, Raspberry Jam

Batter (Totally optional):
Improvise.  In the recent words of Steve Jobs, "It's not that big of a deal."

Other requirements and contraindications:
A large stomach, free-flowing arteries, a healthy heart: absolute musts.  Land line for calling 911 for heart attack or other emergencies: recommended.  A Ford car with Ford SYNC, activate the air-bag, let Ford SYNC call 911: viable alternative.

Diabetics: don't even think about it.

If in doubt (you should be), consult honest physician and dentist first.

Preparation:
Heat the oven to 350F.  Take an 8-inch or 9-inch square cake pan and heat butter in it until melted.  Sprinkle brown sugar over butter.  Alternatively, caramelise butter and sugar in a saucepan before pouring syrup into cake pan.  Arrange pineapple rings over butter and sugar syrup.  Put a cherry in the centre of each ring or fill the centres with raspberry jam.

If cake option is desired in addition to the topping, improvise.  Pour batter over topping.

Bake until the cake is cooked.  Turn the cake over on to a large serving plate immediately.  When the final "slop", "slop" sounds grind to a halt, you're done.  Watch the syrup lava drench the cake and salivate (or get sick as personal taste dictates).  Let cool before serving, if you must.

Dick’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Dick has “twitpicked” his finished product.  It looks great!

This looks great!

No Go for NYT Tech Talk
Sue Watkins, one of whose boats is near Cheesequake, and who once wrote in about how to listen to the Daily Giz Wiz in order on the iPod (Episode 617), guessed that Leo had a Ford.  Her own Ford has Ford SYNC and its voice recognition works well with the Daily Giz Wiz, but not the NYT Tech Talk.

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Update on January 5, 2010 by Inside DGW

Dick's Own Recipe
Leo has asked Dick to publish the recipe for his tweaked Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which Dick kindly took the time to do on Christmas Day 2009.  Click here for the real deal.