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

Listen to this Episode
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-up
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch

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.

Listen to this Episode
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-up
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch

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.

Episode 968

Capresso
The last time Dick talked about Capresso was in Episode 113, the Capresso CoffeeTEAM Therm.

The New Roku Software
A couple of weeks ago Dick had a meeting with Brian Jaquet about the new Roku software, and Dick was thrilled to see TWiT would be part of it.  Leo explains that Roku has 2 new players, apart from the old Roku Standard Definition player: the Roku HD for hi-def and the Roku HD-XR which also supports wireless-N transmission.

Yo! Sporks
Kevin Yeaux Dupuy, of Kevin's Word and a high school student in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, writes about the advance of the spork in public schools.  Due to budget cuts, schools have since last year given up in favour of paper plates and, wait, plastic sporks.

Listen to this Episode
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-up
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch

Episode 967

Leo Reviews the Droid
Watch excerpts of Leo's demo of the Droid. Video courtesy of odtv.me.

A Plethora of Gadgets
After wondering if he should do the Logitech Anywhere MX Mouse (Episode 913) and the TVclean (Episode 961), Leo suddenly finds a plethora of gadgets to choose from, including the Vizio 24" LCD HDTV and the Slingbox Pro-HD.  But he settles on the Motorola Droid.

Saratoga of California
Leo will be spending Thanksgiving with his family at Calistoga.  Legend has it that the town got its name from a spoonerism.  Someone had meant to say the Saratoga of California, because of its hot springs, but it came out as the Calistoga of Sarafornia.

Episode 1005
Dick and Leo will be doing Episode 1005 at CES.  Since Leo was replaced by Alex Lindsay for a week, it will be his 1000th episode of DGW after all.

A Heavy-Duty Audible Device
Mike Knox from Toronto, a long-time listener of the show (see Episode 725) has been an Audible listener since July 2000 and probably has the most expensive Audible-compatible device, and the heaviest.  It's a Cadillac.

Listen to this Episode
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-up
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch

Episode 966

Podcast Awards Voting
Leo’s gently competitive streak has made him waver over whether listeners should vote for the Daily Giz Wiz for People’s Choice, as This Week In Tech has been entered in the same category, for the Podcast Awards.  Since This Week In Tech has already won before, Leo is inviting listeners to vote for the Daily Giz Wiz.  You can vote every day until voting closes.  Please use a valid email address as you may receive an email asking you to verify your vote.

Steering Wheel Desk
Peter Costello, from Central New Jersey, loves the chemistry between Dick and Leo, and wishes them good luck at the Podcast Awards.  Peter suggests that listeners check out a gadget on Amazon, the Steering Wheel Desk, particularly the tongue-in-cheek users' reviews.

Steering Wheel Desk

Weekend Themes
We haven’t heard the weekend themes for a while.  Before this week’s recording starts, Leo plays the Saturday and Sunday Themes.  Video courtesy of odtv.me.

Listen to this Episode
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-up
Find DGW Info on GizWizSearch