| GoGroove BlueGate Bluetooth Audio Receiver  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The GoGroove BlueGate is tiny and unobtrusive in design. The unit is easy to operate, even without instructions, and offers play and pause controls. Bad: The device uses a nonstandard USB power cable that can be difficult to replace. The unit also pairs for hands-free calling despite lacking a microphone. Bottom Line: The GoGroove BlueGate is a good option for adding Bluetooth audio streaming to a car or home audio system, but portable headphone users will want to look for a more flexible unit. [Read more] | Read More »  Canon EOS Rebel T5i (with 18-135mm STM lens)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Canon EOS Rebel T5i retains the great articulated touch-screen implementation that's optimized for video, and delivers the same excellent photo quality and solid video as its predecessor. Plus the performance is slightly improved. Bad: The phase-detection autofocus system is feeling its age and competitors have caught up with the Live View performance. The tiny autofocus points in the viewfinder also remain annoying to use, and the feature set remains lackluster. Bottom Line: While the Canon EOS Rebel T5i is -- almost literally -- the same solid camera as its predecessor, it's starting to lag frustratingly behind the competition in some ways. [Read more] | Read More » Canon EOS Rebel T5i (Body Only)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Canon EOS Rebel T5i retains the great articulated touch-screen implementation that's optimized for video, and delivers the same excellent photo quality and solid video as its predecessor. Plus the performance is slightly improved. Bad: The phase-detection autofocus system is feeling its age and competitors have caught up with the Live View performance. The tiny autofocus points in the viewfinder also remain annoying to use, and the feature set remains lackluster. Bottom Line: While the Canon EOS Rebel T5i is -- almost literally -- the same solid camera as its predecessor, it's starting to lag frustratingly behind the competition in some ways. [Read more] | Read More » Canon EOS Rebel T5i (with 18-55mm STM lens)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Canon EOS Rebel T5i retains the great articulated touch-screen implementation that's optimized for video, and delivers the same excellent photo quality and solid video as its predecessor. Plus the performance is slightly improved. Bad: The phase-detection autofocus system is feeling its age and competitors have caught up with the Live View performance. The tiny autofocus points in the viewfinder also remain annoying to use, and the feature set remains lackluster. Bottom Line: While the Canon EOS Rebel T5i is -- almost literally -- the same solid camera as its predecessor, it's starting to lag frustratingly behind the competition in some ways. [Read more] | Read More » 2013 Nissan Pathfinder  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder's transmission delivers smooth acceleration and can even handle a 5,000-pound tow load, while its four-wheel-drive system helps it in the slippery stuff. A surround-view camera system makes for damage-free maneuvering. Bad: The Pathfinder's cabin electronics are dated, with no app integration, and the full suite with navigation is only available in the top trim. Bottom Line: The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder serves as an all-around good people carrier and family road-trip vehicle, but pushes few boundaries when it comes to tech. [Read more] | Read More » Acer Aspire R7  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Acer Aspire R7 offers an inventive and very flexible design at a reasonable price, with a full-HD display. Bad: Some of the design risks, including a misplaced touch pad and an awkward tablet mode, make the R7 a hassle to use. Bottom Line: Acer deserves credit for trying new things in the ambitious Aspire R7. If you can get used to the odd touch pad, it's good for sharing your screen with a group, but it may be just too far outside the mainstream for wide appeal. [Read more] | Read More » Lenovo G580 - 15.6" - Core i5 3210M - Windows 8 - 4 GB RAM - 500 GB HDD  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Lenovo G580 provides good processing performance for the money; it boots quickly; it has a full keyboard with number pad and an optical drive; and its speakers and Webcam perform well. Bad: The G580 is thick and heavy. Battery life is less than 4 hours. Navigating Windows 8 with the touch pad takes some practice. There was no Bluetooth in the version we reviewed. Bottom Line: For basics on a budget, the Lenovo G580 gets the job done. Just don't skimp on the configuration. [Read more] | Read More » Phiaton Moderna MS 200  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Phiaton Moderna MS 200 offers a very comfortable fit and stylish design with a flat cord and inline remote/microphone. The earphones are water-resistant and sound full and very open. They also come with a nice carrying case, several eartip choices, and they don't seal out ambient noise, which means you can hear cars coming when biking or running. Bad: Not ideal for users who want a tight seal (they let a lot of sound in). Definition could be a bit better. Bottom Line: Despite a few minor drawbacks, the Phiaton Moderna MS 200 is a very appealing day-to-day, half-in-ear headphone that also works well for exercising. [Read more] | Read More » Panasonic TC-P65ZT60  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Panasonic TC-PZT60 series plasma TV can produce the best all-around picture quality available; deepest black levels in its class; highly accurate color; excellent video processing, off-angle viewing and screen uniformity; best-in-class preservation of contrast and reduction of reflections under bright lights; very good 3D picture; classic styling; plenty of Smart TV content; includes two pair of 3D glasses. Bad: Exceedingly expensive; not as suited to extremely bright rooms as the Samsung F8500 plasma or LED LCD TVs; identical picture quality to the Panasonic VT60 in a dark room; consumes more power than LED LCD TVs. Bottom Line: For those who can afford it, the Panasonic TC-PZT60 comes closer than any TV yet to picture-quality perfection. [Read more] | Read More » Panasonic TC-P60ZT60  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Panasonic TC-PZT60 series plasma TV can produce the best all-around picture quality available; deepest black levels in its class; highly accurate color; excellent video processing, off-angle viewing and screen uniformity; best-in-class preservation of contrast and reduction of reflections under bright lights; very good 3D picture; classic styling; plenty of Smart TV content; includes two pair of 3D glasses. Bad: Exceedingly expensive; not as suited to extremely bright rooms as the Samsung F8500 plasma or LED LCD TVs; identical picture quality to the Panasonic VT60 in a dark room; consumes more power than LED LCD TVs. Bottom Line: For those who can afford it, the Panasonic TC-PZT60 comes closer than any TV yet to picture-quality perfection. [Read more] | Read More » Fujifilm XF1 (Red)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Fujifilm XF1 looks great and can be a lot of fun to shoot. It has a fast f1.8 maximum aperture and captures in raw and raw plus JPEG. It also has a healthy selection of shooting options and a good control layout. Bad: Some of its best photos come at the cost of control and resolution. The lens gets much slower when zoomed in. There's no option to add an external flash or viewfinder. Bottom Line: The Fujifilm XF1 is one of the nicest-looking point-and-shoots available and it performs well, too. But its photos and features might not please some enthusiasts. [Read more] | Read More » Fujifilm XF1 (Black)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Fujifilm XF1 looks great and can be a lot of fun to shoot. It has a fast f1.8 maximum aperture and captures in raw and raw plus JPEG. It also has a healthy selection of shooting options and a good control layout. Bad: Some of its best photos come at the cost of control and resolution. The lens gets much slower when zoomed in. There's no option to add an external flash or viewfinder. Bottom Line: The Fujifilm XF1 is one of the nicest-looking point-and-shoots available and it performs well, too. But its photos and features might not please some enthusiasts. [Read more] | Read More » Fujifilm XF1 (Brown)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Fujifilm XF1 looks great and can be a lot of fun to shoot. It has a fast f1.8 maximum aperture and captures in raw and raw plus JPEG. It also has a healthy selection of shooting options and a good control layout. Bad: Some of its best photos come at the cost of control and resolution. The lens gets much slower when zoomed in. There's no option to add an external flash or viewfinder. Bottom Line: The Fujifilm XF1 is one of the nicest-looking point-and-shoots available and it performs well, too. But its photos and features might not please some enthusiasts. [Read more] | Read More » A Beautiful Mess (iOS)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: A Beautiful Mess has an intuitive interface for adding stylized text, borders, and doodles on your photos. You can quickly share your work with social networks. Bad: As a photo editor, the tool set is lacking with only a few filters. In-app purchases add up to $10 more after your initial 99-cent purchase. Bottom Line: If you are part of the target audience for the A Beautiful Mess Web site, this app might appeal to you, but if you're looking for a strong photo editor, you should look elsewhere. [Read more] | Read More » Fujifilm X20 (Black)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: A new sensor lets the Fujifilm X20 deliver better photo quality than its predecessor, and tweaks to the design improve the shooting experience significantly. Bad: The lens-twist-to-turn-on is getting old fast, and the feature set provides just the basics. Plus the video quality disappoints. Bottom Line: The Fujifiilm X20 is a great choice for people looking for a well-designed photographer's camera, but the basic feature set and disappointing video might not be for everyone. [Read more] | Read More » Fujifilm X20 (Silver)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: A new sensor lets the Fujifilm X20 deliver better photo quality than its predecessor, and tweaks to the design improve the shooting experience significantly. Bad: The lens-twist-to-turn-on is getting old fast, and the feature set provides just the basics. Plus the video quality disappoints. Bottom Line: The Fujifiilm X20 is a great choice for people looking for a well-designed photographer's camera, but the basic feature set and disappointing video might not be for everyone. [Read more] | Read More » Sharp HT-SB60  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Sharp HT-SB60 ultralong sound bar delivers a huge sound, besting smaller systems and handling even music well. It also packs two HDMI inputs, which is handy if your TV doesn't have many ports. The included remote makes it easy to adjust settings like bass, treble, and subwoofer levels without diving into menus. Bad: The HT-SB60 lacks built-in Bluetooth, so you'll need a separate device for wireless audio streaming. Its huge size means it won't fit nicely in most living rooms, and it looks awkward with TVs smaller than 60 inches. The system's aesthetics are uninspiring, while the remote has a confusing button layout. Bottom Line: The Sharp HT-SB60 is one of the best-performing sound bars we've tested, although its extra-long size and lack of Bluetooth will give some buyers pause. [Read more] | Read More » Patriot Aero Wireless Mobile Drive (1TB)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Patriot Aero Wireless Mobile Drive is compact, delivers very fast speeds via USB 3.0, and has decent battery life. Bad: There's no car charger included, and you can't use the mobile app to search, preview, or organize content. Bottom Line: The Patriot Aero is a fast and competent mobile drive that unfortunately doesn't have enough new features to make it stand out. [Read more] | Read More » Patriot Aero Wireless Mobile Drive (500GB)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Patriot Aero Wireless Mobile Drive is compact, delivers very fast speeds via USB 3.0, and has decent battery life. Bad: There's no car charger included, and you can't use the mobile app to search, preview, or organize content. Bottom Line: The Patriot Aero is a fast and competent mobile drive that unfortunately doesn't have enough new features to make it stand out. [Read more] | Read More » Sony KDL-47W802A  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Sony W802A offers relatively deep black levels and good shadow detail for an LED-based LCD TV; has sleek, minimalist styling and a simple, clear interface; well-rounded feature set includes enhanced mobile connectivity options. Bad: Somewhat expensive; color fidelity, uniformity and picture processing are a mixed bag. Bottom Line: The Sony W802A LED LCD delivers lots of style and features, but its picture quality is only decent at this price. [Read more] | Read More » Sony KDL-55W802A  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: The Sony W802A offers relatively deep black levels and good shadow detail for an LED-based LCD TV; has sleek, minimalist styling and a simple, clear interface; well-rounded feature set includes enhanced mobile connectivity options. Bad: Somewhat expensive; color fidelity, uniformity and picture processing are a mixed bag. Bottom Line: The Sony W802A LED LCD delivers lots of style and features, but its picture quality is only decent at this price. [Read more] | Read More » Google Hangouts (Android)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: Google Hangouts gives you quick access to make video calls with individuals or groups. The interface is easy to navigate, and the app performs well. Bad: If you already have the Google+ app, there is little reason to download this as a standalone. Bottom Line: If you use Google Hangouts frequently, you might like the convenience of a standalone app, but if you already have the Google+ app, there is nothing new here. [Read more] | Read More » Google Hangouts (iOS)  | Editor's Rating: User Rating: Good: Google Hangouts gives you quick access to make video calls with individuals or groups. The interface is easy to navigate, and the app performs well. Bad: If you already have the Google+ app, there is little reason to download this as a standalone. Bottom Line: If you use Google Hangouts frequently, you might like the convenience of a standalone app, but if you already have the Google+ app, there is nothing new here. [Read more] | Read More » | |
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