Even gadget-heads like us occasionally get tired of fiddling with dials, knobs, and buttons to get our devices working right. Sometimes, in the sleepy, alcohol-infused predawn hours, we just want to snap a picture of our new Reno friends without having to worry about whether we’ve picked the right white balance setting or adjusted the freakin’ autofocus properly.… Story continues … “Fujifilm FinePix F10”

Ready to end it all? Believe us, nothing will suck the life out of you like spending an hour on hold listening to endless repetitions of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” reading serial numbers off the bottom of your new notebook for five minutes, going back on hold for another 10 minutes, spending 20 minutes describing your problem, and then finding out that the company that just sold you a $2,500 state-of-the-art system refuses to help you get it working right.… Story continues … “Death by Tech Support”

Whether it’s because of fear, prudence, or a restraining order, sometimes you just can’t get close enough for a decent photo. And a 3x zoom lens, standard on most digital cameras, doesn’t help much if you’re trying to get a shot of your surfing buddy thrashing around in the waves or of your neighbor undressing in the window across the street.For… Story continues … “Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 vs. Kodak EasyShare Z740”

You know them: annoying Mac users who are always going on about Apple’s supposed “usability,” its “elegant design,” and all its “great applications.” Well now you can scratch one item off your Mac-using friends’ brag list. Google’s Picasa 2 is more elegant and usable than Apple iPhoto, it has more photo-managing and editing features, and it’s faster.… Story continues … “Google Picasa 2”

Most of Casio’s Exilim cameras have been trim, low-profile units that fit easily into a pocket. Not so with the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505, which is about as slim and elegant as a sock full of golf balls.

In fact, it’s hard to know what name to give this oddly shaped camera, which looks like nothing we’ve ever seen.… Story continues … “Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505”

Some things a man just can’t explain: What drives him to drink. Why he can’t stop a-cussin’ and a-brawlin’. And why he lugs around a big, beefy digital SLR when there are pocketable cameras aplenty.

But when you start taking pictures with an SLR, you’ll understand.… Story continues … “Olympus Evolt E-300”

If you’re a bit more serious about your digital photography, you probably want something that puts all of your camera’s manual controls right at your fingertips, like the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. This impressively large, traditional-looking digital SLR lays it all out, with a profusion of dials, knobs, and buttons for controlling shooting modes, white balance, flash and exposure compensation, and more.… Story continues … “Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D”

If you’re in love with Google and want to extend its all-seeing gaze to the intimate recesses of your hard drive, Google Desktop Search is the way to go. Google Desktop runs on your PC, but you access it via your web browser, submitting queries exactly as you would to www.google.com.… Story continues … “Google Desktop Search Beta”

So you fancy yourself a serious photographer, but you don’t want to carry a big SLR or a bulky enthusiast camera? The Canon PowerShot S70 is made for you.

It’s fairly chunky, and at 10.8 ounces it’s on the heavy side.… Story continues … “Canon PowerShot S70”

Kodak’s EasyShare DX7590 is a great choice for the X Games: It’s a point-and-shoot camera that also has a powerful zoom lens, so you can get action shots of the half pipe even if you’re stuck in the middle of the audience.… Story continues … “Kodak EasyShare DX7590”