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(Newser) - The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show is full of “incredible technology,” Larry Magid writes for CNET. Problem is, it’s all “in search of a practical purpose,” making this year the “year of the gimmick.” Magid runs down a few wowee gadgets of dubious usefulness. Casio EX-FS10 camera: Shoots 30 frames a second and superimposes the video on another picture, doing "by itself what used to require post processing." But will anyone use the feature? More »

(Newser) - From ancient minerals and monasteries to herb-infused wraps and waterfalls, sit back, relax, and enjoy Vanity Fair’s list of the world’s poshest spas: Amangani, Jackson Hole, Wyoming: Jet-setters can get a taste of the Old American West, where “wildlife runs wild.” The Spa at Gleneagles, Scotland: Inspired by Coco Chanel, this aesthetically pleasing getaway even offers a Golfer’s Tonic Massage. Miraval Tucson, Arizona: Only at a spa can an eco-friendly desert oasis include a cascading waterfall. More »

(Newser) - Blurbs for hot new writers' books unfailingly liken them to a handful of known quantities, Chris Rovzar observes in New York . Here are some of the most-abused blurb comparisons: F. Scott Fitzgerald or Edith Wharton. Writing about crumbling, decadent high society? "If you're a boy, you're Scott; if you're a girl, you're Edith." Candace Bushnell. If your "concept is so good and sexy that you don't have to worry about execution." More »

(Newser) - Necessity may have been the mother of invention for these traditional brewers, but a good marketing scheme has never hurt sales, either. (Remember the worm in the mescal trick?) Travel and Leisure gives us the world's most bizarre liquors: Pizza Beer (Illinois): A chef couple wanted a beer to pair with their favorite food. The result: a beer that tastes like garlic, oregano, basil, and tomatoes. Snake Bile Wine (Vietnam): Prepared tableside, a snake handler disembowels a live cobra and blends the bile from its gallbladder with rice wine. It's supposed to enhance virility. More »

(Newser) - How desirable is your daily grind? A new study aims to answer that question with a list ranking the best and worst jobs according to five factors: “environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands, and stress,” the Wall Street Journal reports. In the end, the CareerCast list suggests, nerds rule. Best jobs: Mathematician Actuary Statistician Biologist Software engineer More »

(Newser) - Italy? Ugly. Grand Canyon? A pain. No travel hot spot is safe after cranky readers filled Los Angeles Times inboxes with their picks for "overrated travel destinations." Bali: "Mosquitoes ate us up," wrote two travelers, and "there was poverty everywhere." Austin: "About the only thing Austin has going for it is a plethora of Tex-Mex restaurants," wrote one Yankee who ventured South. Seattle: "The city is nothing more than an overcaffeinated shopping mall filled with upper-middle-class white people," sniffed a Virginian. More »

(Newser) - Don't want a drunken Facebook pi