Although Wilson tested the Kindle in bed, on the toilet, I had the chance to use it on vacation and found myself reading a great deal more than I usually do. Unlike regular books, which cause me to fall asleep pretty readily after less than 50 pages, I'd finish about 300 pages in a stretch, with no eyestrain in dark rooms or in the sun. I suppose it felt a lot more like reading on a computer or handheld. Bezos set out to build something better to read than a book, and by vacationing standards, I think he's easily met that goal on his first try. That's my quirky experience, at least, being the type of person who hates stockpiling physical media of any sort. Of course, I found lots of other things I liked and disliked about specific to using a Kindle on vacation.

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We first got a glimpse of these wireless headphones back in January, right around the time of CES. They use Kleer Wireless technology, which allows for crystal clear stereo transmission over wireless, which means better sound quality than A2DP stereo Bluetooth.

Well, the good news is that they're now available in Australia (have been for a few weeks now, actually) for $750. While that may appear to be a little steep, it does include the two wireless earphones (which twist to fit into your ear, no matter how large your lughole), a transmitter (which plugs in via a 3.5mm headphone jack), a carrying case with integrated charger (good for 3 charges on the road, apparently), plus the obligatory cables and whatnot.

The question is whether or not the superior sound quality and freedom from cables is worth the cost. Well, it did win the best headphone product at the recent EISA awards, so it can't be too bad.

And if that doesn't sell it for you, maybe the fact that multiple sets of these wireless 'phones can listen to the same source, meaning you can share your love for Justin Timberlake with your other wireless earphone buddies. Does it get any better?

[Syntec]

In response to claims that their original iPhone 3G test was not valid because the phone used was in good working order, Swedish scientists gathered up 2 iPhones from users that were experiencing reception problems. Once again, testing showed that there was nothing wrong with the antennas. Obviously, you can't test every phone, but it seems pretty clear that the iPhone antenna is not the problem here. [Goteborgs-Posten via AppleInsider]

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The iPhone 3G's camera works alright until you want to grab a shot of something within a foot or so (like a butterfly, or unpopped pimple). And to address this dilemma, one modder softened the glue holding in his iPhone's camera and rotated the lens to macrofy the focus. He was able to take several shots within 12cm, but the most impressive is this picture taken just 6mm away from its subject. For a phone especially, that's some impressive macro. If only it didn't require such delicate surgery to implement—ahem—Apple—ahem. [flickr via TUAW]

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Stephen Colbert spoke, and the people listened: The kill switch that lets Apple remotely remove applications on your iPhone can be disabled with the push of a button. All you need is a jailbroken phone and the updated BossPrefs app found on Cydia. Simply choose "Disable Apple App Killswitch" in BossPrefs and Bob Barker that puppy into oblivion. This isn't the only way to get rid of the kill switch, but it's the easiest we've seen and can quickly be toggled on or off. Just be careful: if Apple wants to remove an app, they probably have a pretty good reason for doing so. [Thanks Alan, bryonbrock!!]

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Roadsters who want their Hot Pockets on the go can now invest in a In-Car Microwave Oven! This mobile meal maker is made of a robust steel construction, boasts an LED screen with touchscreen operation, and can be powered either via your 12 volt cigarette lighter socket or directly by the car battery. The company supplying this modern marvel warns that your vehicle had better already be started before using the direct-from-car-battery method, lest your battery become discharged. Also, going with the 12 volt option means a cup of coffee will take roughly six minutes to heat up. But even slowly nuked food has got to be better than some of those roadside dining options, right? Get yours imported from the U.K. for US$167. [Product Page via Cnet]

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You know that new TSA policy that kind of sounds like a ploy to sell new generations of laptop bags? The one where, if you have specific types of bags that are deemed "checkpoint friendly" by the TSA, you won't have to take your laptop out while going through security lines at the airport? That goes into effect today. The new policy is supposed to speed things up, but if you can't trust that stupid-arse office schmuck in front of you to take out his (or her) laptop in the last 35 minutes you were all waiting in line god damn it, I don't see how having different categories of X-ray-able bags won't just add to the confusion. [Yahoo! News]

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