Must List 2009: Gadgets, Games, & More

Adam Carolla Must Podcaster

AGE
45
WHY HIM
Because you can't keep a funny man down. After losing his morning-radio gig earlier this year, the comedian bounced back with The Adam Carolla Podcast, a breezy interview show that immediately became an iTunes top 10 podcast staple.
WHY A PODCAST IS BETTER THAN A MORNING-RADIO SHOW
''If you start when you want and finish when you want, you've eliminated two-thirds of what people hate about their jobs,'' says Carolla. ''All the stuff that sucks about work is the timetable and the boss with the bad ideas he's forcing down your gullet. You remove the Man and the alarm clock and now you're just sitting around talking to people about s--- you're interested in.''
NEXT
He's working on a sitcom pilot for CBS.
ON HIS MUST LIST
''I love the Albert Brooks movie Defending Your Life. Poignant. Funny. Thought-provoking.''

Must Clicks
The best entertainment websites for a little summer surfing

Cold War Kids' Interactive Video Must Remix
http://mtvmusic.com/artist/coldwarkids.jhtml
Bring your own spin to the indie tune ''I've Seen Enough'' by swapping the band's instruments (upright bass? electric bass?) and muting or unmuting its members. And there are 625 ways to customize it!

Infinite Summer Must Book Club
http://infinitesummer.org
''A thousand pages ÷ 92 days = 75 pages a week. No sweat,'' promises this effort to encourage people to read David Foster Wallace's famously epic Infinite Jest. If only every daunting new classic had such an entertaining, engaging, and informative community.

We Love You So Must Web Rumpus
http://weloveyouso.com/blog
The dark aesthetic of the upcoming feature film Where the Wild Things Are transitions perfectly to an addictive blog. Director Spike Jonze is among the site's numerous authors who post photos from the set of the movie and other fascinating stuff.

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Must TV-Host Blog
http://latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs
His show may not be on your DVR list, but the website should be on your RSS: Silly viral videos, guests' ''online personality tests,'' and funny current-events coverage make for an unusually dynamic backstage blog.

Chacha Must Text Addiction

Have a question. Send a text. Get an answer! Behold the power of ChaCha, which replies to your queries not with automated responses à la Google but with a real live person sending a custom answer. Call 1-800-2-CHA-CHA or text 242242 with a question — factual, philosophical, or otherwise — and get a well-informed reply in minutes.