Geeking Out with Natali Del Conte

By Cat Schwartz
April 9, 2010

Though digital is certainly a dude-filled field, there is nevertheless a fair share of fair ladies who can talk tech with the best of them. Among them: Natali Del Conte. A tech writer and host, Del Conte is a contributor to The CBS Early Show; hosts Loaded, a daily newscast on CNET TV; and co-hosts a daily podcast called Buzz Out Loud. She serves as an expert on a variety of network and local TV shows and has written for publications like PC magazine, WIRED and Variety. Boasting close to 30,000 Twitter followers and a passion for learning about the paranormal, this is one gal who loves to geek out.

Cat Schwartz: So, Natali, since the first time we met on set at the Today Show, I've always been impressed with your comfort level in front of the camera. That must have come from somewhere. How'd you get your start?

Natali Del Conte: Sometimes I think the better question is: When do I get my start? There is always something else I want to do or try or some other way I want to challenge myself. I feel like I am only just starting. But where I actually started was as a print journalist. I worked for a few newspapers and magazines such as PC Magazine, The Oakland Tribune, MarketWatch, and more. I got into TV/online video by a chance appearance on John Dvorak's Cranky Geeks.

CS: I love watching your segments on Loaded, the CBS Early Show and elsewhere. You always have the coolest picks. How do you pick the gadgets you show on TV?

ND: I don't just randomly choose them. I pick the gadgets that have the highest rating on CNET. If my assignment is to show off the best cameras, I choose the best-rated cameras on CNET. It isn't arbitrary. It is based on extensive labs testing.

CS That's makes sense. Being the urban lady you are, I bet you use all kinds of cool tech products to navigate your New York life. What gadgets can you point other modern gals towards?

ND: Well, I could go on and on but here are my favorites:

Apple MacBook Pro (buy it now price, $1,069.99), Kodak Zi8 Pocket Digital Video Camera HD Camcorder (buy it now price, $159.95), Apple iPhone 3GB Black (current bid, $266.99)

MacBook Pro: This is still my old trusty. I have one at work and one at home. Even though it does way more than I need it to and I have gadgets I can turn to for light email or social networking, I still prefer my full-service trusty steed!

Kodak Zi8: This is my preferred video camera. It shoots 1080 high definition video, captures really great audio, takes very nice still photos, and is super easy to use. I don't love the software that these portable cameras come with, but I bypass that. Otherwise, this is a great camera! Unfortunately, I dropped my last one in a toilet in Austria last month. It fell out of my pocket when I was making a pit stop. May it rest in peace. I replaced it and thankfully high definition cameras don't cost $800 anymore. This one is just under $200.

iPhone: Boring, I know, but I still use the iPhone. There are a lot of phones that I really like, such as the Nexus One and the HTC HD2, but I'm still an iPhone user. I feel so tied to that ecosystem and I suppose, if it ain't broke...

New 102 Amazon Kindle eBook (starting bid, $.99), New Apple iPad Tablet 64GB (buy it now price, $979.99), iRobot Roomba 560 and Sooba 330 Bundle (buy it now price, $404.99)

Kindle and iPad: I use both as eReaders but will probably retire the Kindle soon. Going from the iPad to that e-ink screen just seems wrong. I prefer the Kindle store on the iPad though. I am an avid reader. I read about a book per week, sometimes more. It kills me to be without an eReader and I really do not like using the eReaders on my smartphone.

Withings Wi-Fi Scale: I have a love/hate relationship with this thing. It keeps track of me weight, Tweets it (to a private Twitter account), and sends it my Google Health profile over Wi-Fi. I like having this information because I'm an info-junkie—except for those times that I don't.

Roomba and Scooba: I hate cleaning floors. I don't mind other housework, but this is my least favorite job. Thank goodness for Roomba and Scooba! One sweeps and the other washes floors. They are great, but they don't have very long lives in my opinion. They tend to poop out pretty fast. Still worth it to me, though!

CS: Now give me some eBay love, sister. Do you buy or sell on eBay? If so, what?

ND: Yep!...I always check there when I am buying something random like face cream from Murad or spinning shoes from Nike.