Natali Del Conte is the host of a daily news show on CNET TV and a correspondent for the CBS Early Show. Her daily show on CNET TV is called Loaded. CNET is owned and operated by CBS Interactive. She is also a regular guest on national and local news shows and networks including The Today Show, CNBC, BBC, ABC, The CW, WNBC, CBS, Fox News, Fox Bussheness News, G4TV, and Univision (Spanish-language reporting). Prior to joining CNET, Natali wrote, produced, and hosted a show called TeXtra on the Podshow network.

Now, on to the interview:

Alex: What inspired you to get into technology, and how did you get started at CNET?

Natali: I come from the Silicon Valley so getting started as a technology journalist seemed like a natural progression. I was always a bit of a weekend warrior when it came to technology though, way before it was cool. I just find it fascinating and we’re in such an exciting time in consumer technology innovation. You can read my bio at www.natalidelconte.com.

Alex: In your opinion, what makes Loaded different from other tech shows?

Natali: Our purpose for the show is that it will give you all of the things you need to know in the world of consumer technology in under five minutes. Sometimes the show goes longer than that but for the most part, you are going to learn about the things that affect your life by watching the show. I try not to get too inside when it comes to the technology because I want it to be accessible. For that reason I don’t cover things like advertising platforms or funding of startups. Those things don’t really change the way you use technology. It is the new phones, DRM policy, etc. that people care about. I also deliver analysis in my reporting as well. If a product is silly, I want to say that it is silly. If DRM policy is egregious, I’m going to say so. I think a little perspective goes a long way in this industry.

Alex: It must be hard to do a Monday through Thursday show while making sure you have the freshest content. How do you keep up?

Natali: I’ve been asked that before. To be honest, I never run out of content. I usually have to cut out one or two stories per show because there is so much to talk about!

Alex: Who designs those awesome CNET backgrounds?

Natali: We had a professional set designer do that for us. I don’t remember his name but I think he was really talented.

Alex: What major technology do you see becoming the next standard? For example: touch screens, voice activation, etc.

Natali: I think our cameras in our phones will get much better very soon. I am also curious to see if we’ll adopt the 3M projectors in our phones. I’m not sure we need that but it sure is cool.

Alex: Do you use Linux, Mac or PC?

Natali: Mac.

Alex: What is the most fun aspect of your job at CNET?

Natali: To be honest, it is all fun! There isn’t much that I do that I think is complete drudgery, Except maybe putting on makeup for the camera. I can’t say I love that. I guess the most fun part is seeing all the cutting edge technology before most people do. I get really excited when we get a preview of something that is about to hit the market.

Alex: What types of music do you like?

Natali: I don’t have a very trendy taste in music, unfortunately. I like Rock en Español and older modern rock. 

Alex: You must go to a lot of computer, tech, and electronics expos. What do you think is going to be the next must-have gadget?

Natali: I thought that high definition camcorders would be big after last year’s CES but why do we really need high definition camcorders if we’re just going to post to YouTube? I wonder if we’ll see more of that next year. I am also watching DVRs closely these days. They are going to start working better with our PCs and portable devices. I hope that happens fast.

Alex: Who thought of the name "Loaded", and how did they come up with it?

Natali: Actually, I did. It is a double entendre: Loaded question, Upload, Download, etc.

Alex: Do you know any programming languages?

Natali: Very basic CSS and HTML 

Alex: Would you classify yourself as a geek?

Natali: I guess so but I don’t think that moniker carries the same stigma that it once did. I don’t consider myself as someone who is isolated from regular social living because of my love of technology. Everyone loves technology these days so I would say most of us are geeks. Just some of us are more immersed.

This interview has been brought to you by Alex Carlson of the MacTips Podcast. For more great content like this, please visit our website at www.mactipspodcast.com