Ed Baig

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Ed Baig

iDork

The skinny on Ed Baig.

To us iDorks, Ed Baig has our dream job; test, talk, and play with the latest gizmos, technology, and gadgets. And when it comes to it, Ed is the best. As a tech journalist for USA Today and author of his latest book, Palm Pre: The Missing Manual, Ed has been recognized for his great understanding of technology. But the thing that sets him apart is his ability to talk English, not geek. Catch Ed with pal Jefferson Graham on the Talking Tech video Podcasts and enjoy our little conversation below.

Chatting with journalist and author Ed Baig.

Q: Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
A: Friendly, open-minded, curious, approachable, critical but fair.

Q: What will come first - personal jet packs or the Apple Tablet?
A: No inside knowledge here but I’m betting on the Tablet.

Q: Do you plan on reviewing the Facebook movie?
A: Sure. Or maybe I’ll just star in it.

Q: Most ridiculous iPhone app you’ve seen?
A: When you have 100,000 apps there are bound to be many that leave you scratching your head. But it’s hard to pick out one.

Q: Percentage chance we’ll see a Hulu or Nexflix iPhone app in the next 6 months?
A: 75%. Heck there’s already apps like Phone Flicks (which I haven’t tried) that let you manage your Netflix queue.

Q: What music are you listening to?
A: I’m all over the place since I love all forms or music, from U2 to Frank Sinatra.

Q: Will Chrome OS be a flop or game changer?
A: To be determined. But I think it will have an impact.

Q: What’s the nightlife like after a major tech conference?
A: Depends on the conference and locale, of course, but there’s always a party and plenty of people to party with for the folks who want to participate. And “after-hours,” so to speak, is often when you learn the good stuff…

Q: How young is too young for a kid to have a cell phone?
A: It’s a good question that every parent will have to grapple with at some point. At 5 and 2, my kids are obviously too young for the discussion to have even come up in my household (notwithstanding the fact that they already like to mess with my phone). Off the top of my head, I’d probably say the kids ought to have reached their young teen years, but I think you as a parent make the decision at the time it feels right. Ask yourself the obvious questions: Are the kids mature and responsible? Will you as a parent feel better knowing that you can reach them? Are you prepared to take the phone back from them if they abuse their privileges? Have a chat with the kids and let them make the case for why they should have one.

Q: What's your order at Starbucks?
A: I’m boring. Black decaf.

Q: Favorite video on YouTube at the moment?
A: Video of me and my then Fortune Magazine teammates playing softball against David Letterman in 1988.