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Gadget Lab Podcast: Amazon Wants to Sell You Android Apps

Michael Calore and Dylan Tweney bring you the gadget news of the week in episode #109 of our surprisingly popular podcast.

Top of this week’s gadget news is the fact that Amazon has finally launched its own app store for Android, cleverly called the Amazon Appstore for Android. It’s a more curated, easier-to-browse app store than the default Google Market. Of course, they’re being sued by Apple.

We also talk about a new app called Color, which is available for the iPhone and (if you can find it) for Android. It lets you take pictures and share them with random strangers in your vicinity.

We show off a web app that creates a Kindle-friendly interface for Google Translate, making your Kindle into a kind of universal translator.

Finally we take a look at Skullcandy’s Roc Nation Aviator headphones. These are stylish, comfortable, portable and have pretty good quality sound, though not quite worth the $150 pricetag.

At $0, they’re an outstanding deal, however. And you can get them for free, if you’re lucky: Thanks to the nice folks at Skullcandy, we have a pair of these headphones to give away. To enter our mini contest, just add a headphone-related photo to the Gadget Lab Flickr pool. (You’ll need to upload your picture to Flickr, then add it to the pool.) It could be a photo of you wearing your favorite headphones, a headphone mod, or maybe just an artsy photo of your best headphones. Be creative!

We’ll pick a winner at random from all the headphone photos we receive, and we’ll contact the winner via Flickr, so make sure that your contact info is up to date there.

Like the show? You can also get the�Gadget Lab video podcast on iTunes, or if you don’t want to be distracted by our ugly mugs, check out the�Gadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Lab video or�audio podcast feeds. Thanks for listening and watching!

Or listen to the audio here:

Gadget Lab audio podcast No. 109

http://downloads.wired.com/podcasts/assets/gadgetlabaudio/GadgetLabAudio0109.mp3

Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/YcWlUbhz6BA/

Gadget Lab Notes: Could Apple Be Developing a Smart TV?

According to an analyst, Apple could be working on a connected HDTV

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Does Apple Have a Smart TV in the Works?

According to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty they do. She expects Apple to out a ?Smart TV? with DVR, gaming, and FaceTime capabilities sometime in 2012 or 2013. Asian component suppliers suggest that they?re in the process of building a prototype. An Apple HDTV set could be capable of snagging a big portion of the connected television market; even if Apple only captured 1% of the TV market by 2013, they?d make about $4 billion in profits.

Analysts See Apple Branded Television Set in 2012 [9to5 Mac]

Anonymous FCC Agent About T-Mo/AT&T Merger: No Way

An unnamed FCC official said there?s ?no way? the FCC would approve AT&T?s proposed buyout of T-Mobile. The agency hasn?t begun formally evaluating the proposal, but they plan to look at whether the merger is a benefit to the public. Similar deals have gone through in the past despite such warnings from agency officials.

AT&T Deal May Face ‘Steep Climb’ at FCC [WSJ]

XGear Smart Cover Enhancer Protects the Back of Your iPad 2

For those that want a bit more protection for their new tablet, the XGear Smart Cover Enhancer could be the answer. It is a thin protective case that snaps onto the back of the iPad. It?s easy to install and remove, and ensures your tablet won?t get nicked as it slides across a table or gets transported in a backpack. It?s available in black or clear for $35.

Smart Cover Enhancer Snap Case [XGear via Slashgear]

A Trump-Worthy iPad of Diamonds, Gold, and? T-Rex Bones?

Why settle for a regular old iPad 2 when you can get an $8 million 24 ct gold model? The ?iPad 2 Gold History Edition? includes 53 flawless diamonds, a 24 ct Apple logo and 24 ct gold back weighing 2,000 grams (so much for the new iPad?s weight-loss). But that?s not all: the main front frame is made of Ammolite, the oldest rock in the world, with shaved in portions of a 65 million year old T-rex thighbone. It?s finished off with more diamonds inlaid on the front.

iPad 2 Gold History Edition [Stuart Hughes via Oh Gizmo]

Mobiado Concept Aston Marton Phone Is See-Through

The Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin concept Android phone would feature a capacitive touchscreen on top of solid sapphire crystal. Platinum sidebabars would house the battery, SIM card, and electronics. Fancy! And of course, it?d have integration with your Aston Martin car?it would hook up to the display, showing parking spots, points of interest, automatically update social media sites with photos and stats when you?re on road trips (should you choose), and help control the responsiveness of the airbag and other safety deployments should a crash occur.

Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin Concept Promises Transparent Touchscreen [Android Community]

Concept Pacifier Would Discretely Deliver Medicine To Your Baby

The Dr. Shuuuuuut pacifier seems like a pretty clever way to effectively deliver medicine to your sick wee one (and nope, my U key did not get stuck). There?s a special chamber within the pacifier that can hold a capsule of medicine. Place a capsule in and twist the cap to release the medicine. As junior sucks, very small amounts are slowly swallowed?theoretically, such small amounts they won?t even notice or taste it.

Dr. Shuuuuuut [Yanko Design]