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Is there an actual mechanical shutter, or is the imaging sensor always getting hit by light when the mirror is up?

I'd like to get a smartphone, but I have no use for voice minutes or text messages -- I have a cheap Virgin Mobile cell for that. Does any carrier sell a data-only plan, kinda like the 3G tablets use, but for a smartphone-sized device? Prepaid would be ideal.

I'm confused about cell phones. Why is there still a distinction between voice and data on cell phones? Why isn't it all just data, with voice being done by VoIP?

I just picked up a used Linksys/Cisco BEFSR41 router and it came with a power supply block that says it outputs 9 volts AC. That seems weird. Most of these devices take DC power.

If anyone have one of these routers, can you check if your power supply also says AC output?

Can anyone point me to a SIMPLE example of Windows code for performing a simple operation on an input file and outputting it to a new file? I have no problem doing the console version of this, but I want to make a GUI version that lets me use the Windows interface to select the input file and the output file. I'm using lcc-win32, but example code from Visual C++ would be instructive as well.

I'm new to Twitter and am puzzled as to how to follow some onversations. Sometimes a person I follow on Twitter posts a reply to something directed to them. However, I often can't find the subject they are responding to, even when I expand the entry. It's like I'm only seeing half the conversation.

Is there any way to see the whole thread of the comment/response?

Why can't they just encode the card type on the magnetic strip. I get so damn sick of specifying credit or debit when I use my card. I wish that debit cards had never been invented. Why would anyone use one anyway, when a credit card is available? They'll give credit cards to anyone with a pulse.

I like answering questions on Yahoo Answers, particularly in TV technology. But a very high percentage of questions are from clueless kids playing with their Xbox/PS3/Wii. Is there a way to filter those out from the question listings?

I'm tempted by the iPhone as a portable internet device, but I have no use for the telephone capabilities. I have another cheap phone for that. Is it possible to get ONLY the data plan, without the phone plan? That would bring the monthly charges down to something reasonable. I'm not about to fork over nearly $80 per month for capabilities I don't need.

I'm tempted by the iPhone as a portable internet device, but I have no use for the telephone capabilities. I have another cheap phone for that. Is it possible to get ONLY the data plan, without the phone plan? That would bring the monthly charges down to something reasonable. I'm not about to fork over nearly $80 per month for capabilities I don't need. My $5 per month VirginMobile prepaid phone gives me all the talking capabilities I need.

I've been using Yahoo Answers for a couple of years, mostly answering people's questions on Computers and Electronics. Now all of a sudden in the last 2 days, I keep getting notices asking if I want to share my answers on Yahoo Updates. And I can't turn it off, even after trying all their help suggestions. I'm not into all this social networking stuff. I don't want to be some total stranger's "friend". I just enjoy helping others out by sharing what I know.

How do I turn these damn notifications off?

I'm beginning to think that Yahoo TV Widgets are complete vaporware. I have a Sony Z series TV, that is supposed to be able to display Yahoo TV Widgets. But when I try to find them on Yahoo, it sends me to the Sony site, which only has info on buying the TV.

Has anyone successfully used these on a Sony, or are they vaporware?

I would *love* to visit Machu Picchu. But I have a real problem with handling hiking along exposed heights, i.e. when there are precipitous drops nearby with no barriers like guard rails. I'm physically capable of the climbing, but it's the psychological effect of nearby drops that freezes me up.

Can anyone who has been to Machu Picchu tell me if they think I could handle the ascent? It's a pretty expensive trip to take only to find out that the climb freaks you out and you can't get there.

It seems like every time I start up iTunes (which I don't do very often), the iTunes Genius function runs for a long time "delivering my Genius results". This happens even though I haven't added anything to my iTunes music collections for many months.

Is there a way to stop this behavior, while still keeping the Genius capability. It does a great job of creating playlists from a single song suggestion.

I've had several friends who had to use in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to have their babies. All had some serious early medical problems with some of the babies, including premature birth.

So I was wondering what the statistics are for IVF. Are there more medical problems with IVF babies than normally conceived babies?

I have a 2000 Toyota Sienna Minivan. I'd like to replace the radio with one that can play MP3 Cds and has an aux input for iPods, etc. Most of the units I see use a DIN mount.

My main concern is that the car has a very nice steering wheel-mounted volume and mode control. I'd like to retain that feature with the new radio, but I don't see any mention of that in any of the online product descriptions at places like BestBuy or Crutchfield.

Anyone know if the steering wheel controls are supported in any aftermarket radios?

Has anyone used the new Virgin Mobile broadband data service? I'm considering it, since it's a pay as you go system rather than a contract. I'd only use it a few weeks a year to get an internet connection on my laptop while traveling.

I've read the Yahoo webpage on their TV Widgets multiple times, plus browsed to the linked-in Sony site, but can't find any instuctions on how to download or use the Widgets. I have a Sony Z series HDTV with a built-in ethernet port, so I think it should be supported.

But I'm beginning to think that this is all still in the "vaporware" stage. They announced all this stuff in January, so where is it?

Does anyone know the actual payload throughput, or efficiency, of the various types of WiFi and encryption types. For example, Wireless G has a link rate of 54 Mbps, but that includes encryption, error correction, packet overhead, etc. What's the rate for the actual data (the payload) that you're transmitting?

I've been using web-based email for years now, first with Yahoo and then Google's GMail. When I had dialup service, it was convenient to download messages and view them offline. But now that most people have broadband connections, it seems like there is little reason to use a POP email client like Outlook, Eudora or Thunderbird.

I can see a little justification for businesses due to intellectual property issues and paranoia about industrial espionage, but why would a home user still use POP email.

Gmail (and probably Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) provides almost 8 Gigabytes of mail storage per user, online management, no backup worries, ability to access your email from any computer anywhere etc. How can POP email compete with that?