Trendsetters.com

Best Vacuum Cleaner: Miele Polaris

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:17:00 +0000

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.

Best Washer: LG WM2050C

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:54 +0000

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.

The picture above shows the matching LG - 7.1 Cu. Ft., 7-cycle dryer, the DLG2051W (about $700), which is either available in electric or gas models.

Best Electric Car: Nissan Leaf

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:49 +0000

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.

Best Digital Camera: Canon PowerShot S90

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:47 +0000

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.

Continuing a trend begun by the Panasonic Lumix LX3, downplaying megapixels in favor of sensor quality, the Canon S90 boasts a DIGIC 4 Image Processor, Smart AUTO scene selection, and 10-Megapixel “High Sensitivity System” that enhances image quality in low-light situations by reducing noise at high ISO speeds.

But it’s the 28mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens boasting a customizable control ring for easy access and operation of manual or other creative shooting settings is what has a lot of people excited. The seemingly innocuous control ring will great simplify operation, a feature that all observers unilaterally praise.

Best Four-Seat Convertible: Audi S5 quattro

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:46 +0000

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.

Best Remote Control: Logitech Harmony One

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:46 +0000

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?

Best Tablet: Apple iPad

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:40 +0000

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.

I first bought the Wi-Fi model on the first day of availability, but once I used it, I quickly realized that I had to have 3G service to be able to demo state-of-art apps anywhere, so I added a 3G version when it became available. That’s the model I recommend, but if you want to save money, the 16GB Wi-Fi version has the same trendsetting qualities that will reshape the computer market.

Best GPS: Motorola Motonav TN765T

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:30 +0000

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.

Best Blu-ray Player: Oppo BDP-80

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:21 +0000

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.

Best LCD TV: Samsung UN46B8500

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:18 +0000

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.