For many, the prospect of shopping for a new gadget can be scary. Like, Alec Baldwin screaming at you when you're 13, scary. But a new consumer electronics-shopping site,
TechSelector, aims to make the experience a painless one. Does it work?
Switched recently took the site for a test drive, and found TechSelector a snap to use. When you first arrive, you're asked what kind of new trinket you're interested in buying. Then, you're guided through a short series of very simple questions about what you want and don't want out of the product. At the end, you're shown a list of gadgets matching your criteria, sorted according to how well they match your preferences. From here you can view reviews, in-depth product information and even perform side-by-side comparisons.
So, for example, Switched wants a new scanner. First, we were asked what kind we thought we wanted – flatbed, pass-through, portable, etc. (each question also gives you a "no preference" option). The following questions asked us about our operating system, and how we'd connect the scanner to our computer (USB, USB 2.0, FireWire, etc.). We were also asked what quality of scanning we'd need, and how big the scan area should be. On the results page, we were given several great choices to go with.
But, the young service isn't without its kinks. For example, when searching for a digital camera, we found the survey to be a bit too lengthy. And consider what happened when looking for a new video game console. We chose "no preference" for every question except the first, which asked us if we wanted a console or portable. We chose console. Out of all the products that possibly come under that category, TechSelector thought we'd like the Nintendo GameCube best. Its second choice was the Nintendo 64! Third choice was the PSP, which, last time we picked one up, felt pretty portable. The 360 and PS3 followed, but the Wii was nowhere to be found!
Verdict: We're think TechSelector will be a huge help to timid tech shoppers once the site gets its act together. To be fair, the service is still testing in beta mode -- though let's not forget that some sites seem content to never get out of beta mode. We're talking to you,
Gmail!
As our world becomes increasingly wireless, scientists must grapple with the effects of millions of people using devices like cell phones and laptops. After all, there's only so much space on the electromagnetic spectrum. You might not consider it while Googling or browsing Facebook, but that signal you're transmitting could be making it tougher for some scientists to do their jobs. 
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