This Miele Polaris S4212 ($400) canister vacuum cleaner receives nothing but raves from owners. Everyone loves its incredibly light weight, which makes it extremely maneuverable. The Polaris works on hard floors or low carpet. Step on a button and the brushes retract to clean rugs or carpet. They may be expensive but Mieles easily last 10 years. My first Miele lasted 11, and I wouldn’t even have replaced it if I didn’t lust after this überlight Polaris so much.
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Consumer Reports rated the LG WM2050C 4.0-cu.-ft.-capacity front-load washer ($610; shown with compatible gas dryer DLG2051W) a “Best Buy.” Reviews on Amazon.com agree, with one reviewer summing it up: “great washer, great value, highly recommended!” The LG minimizes vibration thanks to a TrueBalance anti-vibration system, produces no odor due to standing water in the door seal, and is energy- and water-efficient. It holds a lot of clothes, gets them very clean, and is quiet.
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The Nissan Leaf ($32,780), an acronym for “Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family” car, is a compact five-door electric hatchback to be launched by Nissan in the U.S., Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal in December 2010. The U.K. and Ireland are scheduled to receive the car in February 2011, while global availability is planned for 2012. As with all electric vehicles, the Leaf produces no tail pipe pollution and has a reported range of 100 miles (160 km). In January 2010, the Leaf received the Green Car Vision Award by the Green Car Journal.
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Need a compact digital camera? There is simply nothing that compares to this compact Canon PowerShot S90 ($350) digital camera on the market today. It’s perfect for taking those “self-portraits” that are sweeping the Facebook market today. The pictures produced by this camera put my digital SLR from 2008, the Olympus EVOLT E-420, to shame. Highly recommended.
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Audi has launched the new Audi S5 ($68,000) convertible that, along with the new Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, bucks the folding hard-top trend but adds its famous all-wheel drive quattro as standard. A 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, rated at 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet torque, is just half a second slower from 0-60 mph than the V-8 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG and Audi’s own V-8 S5 coupe, says Motor Trend.
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Can’t believe it took me this long to replace my Logitech Harmony 1000 remote with the Logitech Harmony One ($170). I’m impressed with its speed, superb button layout and nice color LCD screen. Since I was already set-up online with the 1000, setting up the Harmony One was a breeze. It may seem expensive as remotes go, but once you see how easy it is to add your devices online, you’ll understand the value. Now Logitech, can you please work on improving your online service?
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I have two of these. The Apple iPad ($500-$830) will change your life, mark my words. What do you use it for? It’s perfect for reading magazines, online shopping, social networking and surfing. The iPad will quickly replace about 30-40% of the time you spend on your laptop because it’s lighter and easy to take to bed…or to the bathroom for that matter.
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Those of us who still bemoan the hasty departure of German GPS brand Navigon, have had no option to replace their current units until now. The new Motorola Motonav TN765T ($275) has taken the market by storm with its large 5.1-inch screen, stunning graphics, superb GUI and free lifetime traffic. While I still get great use from my Navigon 7200T, this is the must-get GPS right now.
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Aficionados love the new lower-cost, Blu-ray player from Oppo, the Oppo BDP-80 ($290). Its sibling, the Oppo BDP-83, has received rave reviews from those in the know. The BDP-80 model is also a universal player that handles SACD and DVD-Audio discs for those who still own those formats. Besides being versatile, the BDP-80 is fast, a big advantage over slower players that dot the HDTV landscape.
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Every day, I’m completely mesmerized this HDTV set. The Samsung UN46B8500 ($2,040) delivers a simply stunning, super-sharp picture quality with spectacular color. And its full-LED-backlighting technology is better than the latest generations from both Samsung and Sony, which are largely edge-lit. From the moment you hear the B8500’s start-up chime, you know you’re in for a special treat.
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If you have been looking for an inexpensive laptop but have been resisting buying a low-performance netbook, look no further. This new Toshiba Satellite T215D-S1150 ($500) has it all: a dual-core AMD chip with low heat and improved battery performance, bigger 11.6-inch screen, plus Windows Home Premium. All the latest trends are here too: chiclet keyboard, wider, touch trackpad, and beautiful, textured finish. At last a real winner from Toshiba.
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Heard about the latest LED lighting trend? Painting your room with colored LED lighting is going to revolutionize the home decor business. If you want to familiarize yourself with this trend, get the Philips LivingColors LED light ($190) and think creative. I first saw this LED light in Singapore in 2008 and I have been waiting for it to become available in the U.S. ever since. As one reviewer puts it on Amazon.com, this light is “just plain sexy.”
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CNET rates the Canon Pixma MX870 ($150) tops among multi-function printers (MFP), only dinging it for producing small specks on photos. Don’t know about you, but MFPs are more often used for scanning, faxing and printing travel itineraries. And that’s when the Canon shines. It’s also very easy to set-up as a network printer, either via Ethernet or wireless. And wireless is the big trend in all things computer. One day, a Wi-Fi chip will be embedded in just about all electronics devices.
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Digital SLRs are hot. The Canon EOS Rebel T2i ($1,070 with 18-55mm zoom) is the best of the lot, particularly at its price point. Best part: HD video shot with this camera will simply blow you away. Consumers like convergence devices and the newest Rebel delivers in spades: large, three-inch wide screen, improved ergonomics, 14-bit DIGIC 4 image processor for superior pictures and full 1080p HD recording. Very popular and hard to get.
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A projector that can do 1080p for less than $1,000? Home theater you’ve come a long way baby! It used to be that this type of technology would set you back $5,000, but the Optoma HD20 ($999) proves that it’s possible. Early reviews suggests that the HD20 is a terrific performer too.
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Temptu is a brand you’ll hear more about. It’s already well-known among make-up professionals who have been using its airbrush system to produce great results. The Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System ($225) allows consumers to achieve those same professional results at home.
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As you might surmise, Trendsetters.com has a penchant for products that rewrite the rules. And we can definitely say that the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj ($430; September) is the first, and best, digital camera with an integrated projector. The S1000pj features a 12.1-megapixel, a 5x wide-angle zoom lens (starting at a 35-mm equivalent of 28mm), plus an LED-powered projector that’ll put up a 40-inch image for slideshows complete with music, effects and transitions.
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Since 2005 Sonos has set the standard in wireless music systems. The Sonos Multi-Room Music System now features the new touch-screen Sonos CR200 controller ($349 including charging cradle), which offers a 3.5-inch, 640 x 480 pixel touchscreen with on-screen keyboard, faster processor, and compact 2.9 x 4.5 x 0.7-inch /six-ounce dimensions. The best news is that the complete Sonos system is now $1100, including CR200 controller, ZP120 (amplified, just add speakers) and ZP90 (connect home stereo) ZonePlayers, plus a Wi-Fi bridge. It’s undoubtedly the best multi-room wireless music system, and certainly the easiest one to use.
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There’s no doubt that the Sony Blu-ray MegaChanger BDP-CX7000ES ($1,900) is the movie junkie’s cat’s meow. The Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger stores and plays 400 Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and CDs. When a disc is inserted, information is automatically downloaded from Gracenote’s MusicID and VideoIDinformation, including title, director, cast information, year and genre information, navigable via the player’s xross media bar menu system.
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Highly rated by cognoscenti biking publications, the Schwinn Peloton Comp ($2,000) road bike is a great all-around choice for both comfort and performance. The Peloton Comp features a full-carbon frame and Shimano 105 shifters and front derailleur, plus an Ultegra rear derailleur. Designed for high-mileage rides, the Peloton Comp has a taller head tube for maximum comfort and comes in four sizes: S, M, L and XL.
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