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Best Blu-ray Player

Posted on September 4, 2009 by admin.

A California upstart with an impeccable reputation has once again proven that you can beat the Japanese at their own game. The Oppo BDP-83 ($500) not only plays Blu-ray discs using some of the best design specs, but also handles DVD-Audio and SACD. No wonder this is widely considered the best Blu-ray player to hit the market this year.

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Best Plasma TV

Posted on September 3, 2009 by admin.

While LCDs outsold plasmas about 30 million to 4 in 2008 in North America, plasma technology still outshines LCD in one critical area: image quality. The very best plasma screens continue to attract diehard fans because of their prowess in a number of areas, particularly deep, inky blacks. Panasonic’s latest “V10” series has been getting rave reviews by industry insiders: “The TC-P54V10 [has] so significantly raised the performance bar, HD Guru feels it necessary to widen the rating scale from this review forward from four to five hearts.

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Best GPS

Posted on September 2, 2009 by admin.

OK, we erred with the recommendation of the Navigon as the best GPS. It still is outside North America, but here we need a navigation device that offers support, so we recommend the Garmin nuvi 765t ($325) if you only need North America maps and the Garmin nuvi 775t ($400) if you need both European and N.A. directions. The nuvi 765t is widely considered the best GPS Garmin makes. The 775t ups memory to 8GB to keep those continental maps also instantly available.

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Best Digital Camera

Posted on August 19, 2009 by admin.

Well, we’ve finally seen the replacement for the impossible to get Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, our previous best point-and-shoot digital camera recommendation, the new Canon PowerShot S90 ($430). Industry consensus is that this may well be the best pocket digital camera when it ships this September.

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Best Road Bike

Posted on July 8, 2009 by admin.

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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Best Two-Seat Convertible

Posted on July 6, 2009 by admin.

The new 2009 BMW Z4 ($45,750 - $51,650) was designed by two women. No wonder the new Z4 appears lean yet voluptuous. Besides the revamped styling, the new Z4 has a very welcome retractable hard top. The top of the line sDrive35i has a 300-horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-turbo six, and an optional seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission that can be paddle-shifted via the steering-wheel.

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Best iPhone Case

Posted on July 5, 2009 by admin.

Making sure your iPhone doesn’t get scratched is no easy task. Online forums endlessly debate hundreds of iPhone cases. Unfortunately, picking a “best one” is simply not possible, since each user has differing needs. So we’ve decided to list some of the highest buzz cases, plus our favorite one.

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Best LCD TV

Posted on June 28, 2009 by admin.

This weekend a bunch of geeks descended on an upstate New York store to attend an HDTV shoot out. The top-ranking LCD TV was a big surprise, as Toshiba beat overpriced local-dimming LED competitors Samsung and Sony. The new Toshiba 55SV670U ($3,000), a 55-inch model also available in a 46-inch, the Toshiba 46SV670U ($2,300), was lauded for its accurate colors, excellent black level and decent off-axis viewing.

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Best Washer

Posted on June 27, 2009 by admin.

With both LG and Whirlpool entangled in mildew problems, we’ve decided to stick with a reliable brand, the Samsung WF448AAW ($1,400), which is one of the best steam washers on the market today. Despite its large 4.5 cu. ft. capacity, the WF448AAW consumes little water and energy, while delivering superior washing performance. Samsung’s SilverCare and vibration-reduction technology reduces odors and keep vibration to a minimum, respectively.

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Best Smartphone

Posted on June 19, 2009 by admin.

The Apple iPhone 3GS. What else is there to say? Best interface and surfing experience, and now super-fast too. Best-stocked app store, featuring more than 50,000 apps. But the icing on the iPhone 3GS cake is its stellar video capability, that new voice control and, OK, cut and paste.

The iPhone wins because the [...]

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Best Notebook Computer

Posted on June 8, 2009 by admin.

The aluminum Apple MacBook ($1,500) is unquestionably the best laptop on the market today. Apple has done a superb job creating what is not only a great-looking computer, but one that feels solid, brick-like in fact. And now that it is once again equipped with a FireWire port and also gains an SD slot, this package is complete.

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Best PC Notebook

Posted on May 27, 2009 by admin.

The thin-and-light Lenovo IdeaPad U350 is not only a terrific looker, featuring a textured rubber back and a ribbed metal palm rest, but also boasts a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display (1,366 x 768), HDMI out, Intel 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500, up to a 500GB hard drive and 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a multi-touch trackpad, plus an optional eight-cell battery rated at 10 hours, all starting at $649.

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Best Bluetooth Headset

Posted on April 23, 2009 by admin.

The new Aliph Jawbone Prime ($130) Bluetooth headset offers improved noise suppression, a better fit, all enhanced by four EARCANDY colors. What makes the Jawbone unique is its reliance on a sensor that uses the jawbone to dampen spurious noise. The first Jawbone received rave reviews when it was released three years ago, primarily due to its superb sound quality and eye-catching design. The new Jawbone is 50% smaller than the original and far superior.

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Best Pro Camcorder

Posted on February 8, 2009 by admin.

RED the company that changed the rules of the HD camcorder business has launched a new line of RED Epic and Scarlet modular cameras ($3,750 - $53,000), designed to let you flexibly configure the right gear by combining a “Brain” ranging from 3K to 28K pixels and then adding lenses and other modules to create a totally customized camera.

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Best Peppermill

Posted on February 8, 2009 by admin.

The best peppermill does not hail from France, as you might suspect. No, it’s made right here in the fabulous U.S.A. Just like its tech counterparts, the nine-inch Magnum Plus ($45) comes in “pro black” and is the easiest and fastest high-capacity peppermill you can buy. Perfectly balanced, it grinds pepper almost effortlessly, something no self-respecting cook can do without.

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Best Digital SLR

Posted on February 8, 2009 by admin.

The 12-megapixel Nikon D90 ($1,000 without lens) is the company’s first digital SLR with an HD movie recording mode, capturing 24fps movie clips with sound at up to 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixels) in motion JPEG format. Bottomline: the Nikon D90 is one of the highest rated cameras ever released.

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Best Camcorder

Posted on January 5, 2009 by admin.

The Canon VIXIA HV40 ($835) doesn’t have a hard drive or SSD, but produces super-sharp HD video in 1440×900 format. Until there’s an easier way to deal with the huge files HD produces, tape remains the most flexible storage medium.

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Best AV Receiver

Posted on November 26, 2008 by admin.

After thorough research, the Denon AVR-2809CI ($1,200) receives our vote as the best AV receiver. Denon is a very popular brand among the audiophile inner circle and the Denon AVR-2809CI proves why. Its uncluttered design is complemented by four HDMI inputs, a videophile minimum these days.

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Best HD Radio Tuner

Posted on November 25, 2008 by admin.

The Sony XDR-F1HD ($87 online) could well be the best radio tuner, at any price, says CNET. Unfortunately, even our recommended, state-of-the-art AV receiver, the Denon AVR-2809CI, does not have a built-in HD tuner, so the Sony XDR-F1HD is the best – and least expensive – way to add HD radio capability to any stereo system.

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Best Laptop Bag

Posted on October 9, 2008 by admin.

The Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer ($220 plus extra-cost strap) features 10-plus gear pockets but lies flat, so your laptop does not obstruct the view of TSA scanners. The Checkpoint Flyer is one of the first laptop bags that can pass through U.S. airport security without having to be opened to remove one’s laptop, and it’s available in three sizes and color combinations.

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