There is a problem with reviewing guitar amplifiers, and that problem is this: Your mileage may vary. A properly built guitar amp is as much a living instrument as an old violin or the human voice, and a great deal of its character comes from outside variables — things like speaker choice, room acoustics, and playing style, to say nothing of the guitar you have slung around your neck.

Still, it’s possible to make objective calls. And right now, our objective call is this: The 3 Monkeys Orangutan 1×12 combo is one of the most versatile, most satisfying and flat-out coolest guitar amplifiers...

The Sony Xperia Arc is a super slim Android Gingerbread-running handset. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Choosing one mobile carrier over another is, for many, a fairly arbitrary decision. The service they offer doesn’t differ that much. Coverage may be a factor if you live in the sticks, but for most people that isn’t an issue either. And the hardware is largely the same, just repackaged or rebranded.

So how can carriers like AT&T and Verizon differentiate themselves from the competition? How can they entice customers to sign up for their service as more people embrace smartphones and pricey...