Computerworld took Verizon, Sprint and AT&T’s 3G data services for a spin all around the tri-state area—500 points in NY, NJ and CT—with data cards from everyone and an X300 to determine the king of 3G. Surprisingly (or maybe not), AT&T was the snappiest of the bunch in both average (755Kbps) and top data speeds (1.6Mbps). Of course, there’s more to consider: As we’ve stated, only Sprint gives you unlimited data freedom; Verizon and AT&T have 5GB caps (they’re squishy, but they’re there). Also, EV-DO has a bit wider coverage area. But if you’re mostly roaming around the NYC area, it looks like AT&T might be the new go-to, especially if speed is your main concern. [ComputerWorld]

Via [gizmodo]

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Let’s get one thing out of the way: Even though it’s called the 420, Olympus’ latest camera has absolutely nothing to do with illicit drug use. We tried to find a secret compartment for storing your stash: No dice. In…

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Even though it’s called the 420, Olympus’ latest camera has completely nothing to do with illicit drug use. We tried to find a secret compartment for storing your stash: No dice.

In fact, the Olympus Evolt E-420 doesn’t have much room for stashing anything. It’s the most diminutive digital SLR we’ve seen — and that’s a good thing. Most SLRs are bulky, heavyweight beasts tipping the scales at two pounds or more. The E-420 is more of a bantamweight, weighing in at just 1.4 pounds with the included kit lens.

That included lens continues Olympus’ trend of bundling affordable, lightweight, versatile optics with its SLR kits. This piece of glass is a 14-42mm, F3.5-5.6 zoom lens that goes from an unusually wide-angle film equivalent of 28mm to a reasonably telephoto 84mm equivalent.

The camera’s 10-megapixel sensor holds its own against other entry-level SLRs, and offers the full complement of image quality, exposure, autofocus and other settings that photo geeks expect from an SLR. Like other recent Olympus cameras, it’s even got a “live view” feature so you can compose shots on the LCD instead of the viewfinder.

But while we like the E-420’s size, we’re a tiny disappointed that it isn’t even smaller. With Olympus’ forthcoming ultra-compact 25mm, f2.8 Zuiko Digital lens, the E-420 comes close to being the ideal weapon for a photojournalist — a compact, high-megapixel camera with a low profile and a fleet footed lens.

But it’s not quite there yet: At 3.5 inches from the front of the 25mm lens to the back of the viewfinder, the E-420 is still too bulky to fit unobtrusively in a jacket pocket. But it’s definitely a step in the right direction. We’re looking forward to the next next version in the series, even if it Olympus forgets to add that secret stash compartment.

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In the podcast this week, Danny Dumas, Dylan Tweney and special guest Annaliza Savage — Wired.com’s multimedia editor and occasional Cranky Geek — talk about all the nerdy girls at Maker Faire, where Annaliza’s crew produced a couple of kick-ass…

In the podcast this week, Danny Dumas, Dylan Tweney and special guest Annaliza Savage — Wired.com’s multimedia editor and occasional Cranky Geek — speak about all the nerdy girls at Maker Faire, where Annaliza’s crew produced a couple of kick-ass videos (Maker Faire video #1, Maker Faire video #2). Plus, we review the Samsung Glyde (the perfect phone to take to the next Lynyrd Skynyrd concert) and the Olympus E-420, a compact digital SLR camera that, despite its name, has absolutely nothing to do with illicit cannabinoids.

The Gadget Lab podcast appears more or less each week on Fridays. If you had subscribed, you could have listened to this episode while folding your laundry over the weekend, instead of listening to it right here in your browser, during your lunch break at work on Monday. To subscribe, point your feed reader or podcast downloader to the Gadget Lab podcast RSS feed.

The audio player widget above requires Quicktime (you can download it at Apple’s page here). If you like, you can also download the MP3 file for this episode with this link: Gadget Lab Podcast #28 MP3.

See below for links to past Gadget Lab podcasts.

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #27: Psystar, T-Mobile 3-G, and AT&T TV

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #26: The Optimus Maximus Keyboard is Released, Asus Ships a Boosted Eee Personal computer, and The Science of Walking Barefoot

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #25: The Latest on the Psystar Apple ‘Hackintosh’ Story, Hybrid Cameras, and Rumors of a 24-megapixel Nikon!

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #24: Bold Predictions for the 3G iPhone, the Week’s Top Reviews, and Crazy Paintball Tanks

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #23: The 2008 CTIA Conference, Product Naming Trends, and Beckham’s Tacky Gadget

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #22: Motorola’s Split, The Sony Crapware Saga, and More

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #21: The Wireless Spectrum Auction, HTC’s Googlephone, and Evil Keyboards

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #20: Exploding Batteries, Lost Gadgets, and the Week’s Best Reviews

(For links to podcasts episodes #1-19, hit the link for #20, above.)

Via [wired.com]

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Xbox 360 “Lips” Getting Announced Tomorrow? [Rumor]

8bitjoystick (a site known for some good Xbox 360 intel) has confirmed that Microsoft has been working on an Xbox 360 accessory known as “lips.” What’s “lips,” you ask? No one knows for sure, though we know it’s not the Wiimotesque Newton, and voice certainly comes to mind. As does kissing and some dirtier stuff. Meanwhile, major gaming forum NeoGAF spotted “lips” in the lineup of Microsoft Gamer’s Day tomorrow. We’ll keep you updated if the announcement hits. In the meantime, speculate away as to what “lips” could be in the comments. [8bitjoystick and NeoGAF via 360-HQ]

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Zune Hits 2 Million Sales, Drinks Creative’s Milkshake [Microsoft Zune]

Industry numbers group NPD has just confirmed that Microsoft’s Zune’s sold 2 million units, just slightly under one year after it sold its first million. Where is Microsoft getting the marketshare for the extra million? Mostly from Creative, who dropped from 4% marketshare to 2% from Q1 ‘07 to Q1 ‘08. Apple’s also gone down from 72% to 71%, so there might be some defectors in the fruit squad as well. Total marketshare for Microsoft now stands at a decent 4%. [PMP This day via Tech Digest]

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