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Want to read a review of a gadget you first heard about three months ago? Why, then, turn to the back of just about any print magazine. There you'll find the obligatory page or two covering gear. The ostensible reason? So-called "reader service," of course, the notion that electronics are part of the full spectrum of readers' interests, and editors would be remiss in not filling that need. The real reason, of course, is that ad salespeople need to show pages covering gizmos in order to attract tech advertisers. But the painfully slow publication cycle of monthly magazines is crashing into the ever-faster world of gadgets — with embarrassing results, as seen in the October issue of Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur published a mostly positive review of Palm's Foleo, the smartphone companion, informing readers that they could buy it for $599. "Users who really just need email and Web access while on the road ... might be tempted by the Foleo," the magazine concludes. Might be tempted, of course, except for the minor detail that Palm canceled the Foleo in early September. I'm sure the magazine's editors will say that was after their press time. But do you think readers care about the logistics of printing magazines? Or will they care that the information was outdated and, well, wrong? (See the full review below.)

The honest thing for magazines to do is stop covering gadgets altogether. Magazine freelancers, paid by the word, have no incentive to test gear thoughtfully and thoroughly. And print magazines will always be behind the curve in getting news of new gadgets. I doubt, however, that publishers will allow editors to give up covering the subject so easily. So here's an idea: Instead of covering gadgets, why don't magazines just write articles rating the best gadget blogs?

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