The Zeiss Cinemizer OLED

What you should know: 
The Cinemizer is the Sony HMZ-T1 Lite. It's more than three times lighter -- 120 grams versus 420 for the Sony -- and therefore more portable. Design-wise, it's a lot less like a helmet (Sony) and more like a pair of glasses -- albeit it a freaky all-white pair of glasses. Like the ones the Doc wears when he comes Back from the Future.
The headset includes a battery rated at 6 hours when playing back from an iPod and 2.5 hours when using the HDMI port. The battery test found that the rating was a little conservative with the iPod though, running out after 6 hours and 43 minutes -- almost enough for two Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions!
While the Cinemizer can take an input of up to 1080p, the native resolution is a much smaller 870×500 pixels (compare that to Sony's 1280x720). The headset has a pair of OLED screens inside that simulate an image of 40 inches at a distance of 6.5 feet.
The headpiece has a set of adjustable clips that hold the glasses on behind your ears.

What it offers: 
While it looks like it came from the future, the Zeiss Cinemizer OLED headset offers performance from the Dark Ages.
The advantage: 
The Zeiss Cinemizer OLED is a lightweight and portable 3D headset with very good battery life. The headset is stylish looking and appears well-made. The headset supports iPhone
The unfavorable: 
Image quality is poor, plagued by blue and red crosstalk and minimal shadow detail, draining images of impact. The 40-inch simulated image is way to small. The earbuds sound terrible and the headphone jack only works with the iPhone attachment.

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The 2013 Nissan 370Z

What you should know: 
The Z's 3.7-liter V-6 is essentially untouched, outputting the same 332 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. That power still flows through a six-speed manual transmission before heading to the rear axle. (A seven-speed automatic gearbox is available.) The Z still sports the same classic sports car proportions. Even the 18 city and 26 mpg EPA-estimated fuel economy is unchanged over the last four years.
For your money, you get a set of "Euro-tuned" sport shocks that firm up the Z's ride and reduce roll when cornering, Nissan sport brakes with red-painted calipers that shave off the MPHs at a staggering rate, and 19-inch Rays forged aluminum-alloy wheels with staggered and sticky tires. A viscous limited-slip differential helps with getting power to the road and a front chin deflector and rear spoiler augment the aerodynamics at speed. The Sport Package also adds the SynchroRev Match function to the manual gearbox -- a feature that you'll either love and praise or hate and curse depending on your driving style and mood at the moment.

What it offers: 
The 2013 Nissan 370Z makes many comfort compromises in the name of performance. If that's what you're after, skip the pricey Touring trim level and grab a base model with the Sport package.
The advantage: 
The 2013 Nissan 370Z is a fantastic performer with great power and handling. The Sport Package further sharpens that edge, enhancing the Z's handling.
The unfavorable: 
The Z's ride can be brutally rough over road imperfections. Cabin tech options that should be standard are bundled into expensive packages and trim-level upgrades.

The price:
$33,120.00

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The Yamaha RX-V473

What you should know: 
The Yamaha RX-V473 looks no different from other mainstream AV receivers. It's big and boxy, with a two-tone look of glossy black on the top and matte finish on the bottom. If you're looking for something more stylish, Denon's AVR-1913 has better looks, while the Marantz NR1603 is attractively compact.
The RX-V473's remote is as bad as it gets. It's covered in tiny buttons, most of which are unnecessary and many are poorly labeled. Even something as simple as a power button is confusing. There are two identical power buttons at the top, one to power off the receiver and one that can power off other devices if you program the remote to do so.
The RX-V473 has four HDMI inputs, which is definitely on the skimpy side for this price range.
The RX-V473's Ethernet port allows for all kinds of networking functionality, including firmware updates, AirPlay, smartphone control, and media streaming via Internet radio.
If you own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, the RX-V473's built-in AirPlay is a nice bonus, although it's not essential since you can always add AirPlay later with a $100 Apple TV.
What it offers: The Yamaha RX-V473 is a serviceable 5.1 AV receiver, but with only four HDMI inputs, competing models offer a better value.

The advantage: 
The Yamaha RX-V473 has built-in networking functionality, including AirPlay and Internet radio. It can also be controlled with a smartphone app available for iOS and Android. And its sound quality is solid with both music and movies.
The unfavorable: 
Nearly every competing receiver offers more HDMI inputs at this price level. The included remote is difficult to use, and the user interface looks painfully dated.
The price:
$349.00 to $399.95

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The Slingbox 350

What you should know: 
Slingbox is a personal video broadcaster. It takes any video signal you send into its AV inputs -- such as your cable/satellite box or DVR -- digitizes it, and streams it to you, live and in real time. Think of it as Netflix, but instead of streaming a catalog of on-demand title, you're streaming your TV programming, in real time.
Streaming alone is impressive, but the Slingbox (and its remote viewing software) lets you also remotely control the source TV, via on-screen controls (for PCs, phones, and tablets) or the hardware remotes of the streaming video boxes (like Boxee and WD TV).
The Slingbox 350 is a black box that’s about the size of three standard DVD cases stacked on top of another. The box has a diamond mesh design.

What it offers: 
Slingbox 350 is an excellent way to watch your TV or DVR video content anywhere.

The advantage: 
Slingbox 350 streams video from your TV or DVR (or any analog source) to your PC, tablet, smartphone, and some streaming boxes at resolutions up to full 1080p HD. IR blasters are built into the box’s body, eliminating the need for annoying extra external wires. There are no monthly charges or fees.
The unfavorable: 
Smartphone- and tablet-viewing apps cost extra. Unlike the step-up Slingbox 500 model, this one lacks Wi-Fi and HDMI support. It duplicates some of the features found on TV anywhere apps you may already be using. As always, streaming capabilities are only as good as your home bandwidth.

The price:
$173.38 to $179.99

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The Roku 2 XD

The Roku line breaks down:

Roku LT ($50): The entry-level Roku includes all of the features above, and retails for just $50. HD video output is limited to 720p, and it includes standard RCA (yellow/red/white) jacks for connecting to older analog TVs.

Roku HD ($60): The Roku HD is basically identical to the LT, except for the color scheme (black instead of purple). Unlike the LT (mostly an online-only product), the HD is available in many brick-and-mortar stores. The list price is $60, but it's sometime discounted to as low as $40.

Roku 2 XD ($80, our item): The Roku 2 XD is a slightly smaller box than the LT/HD models, and it adds full 1080p HD video output. It supports an optional Bluetooth motion remote, but only a standard infrared remote is included in the box. Analog video output (for pre-HDTVs) is enabled via an included breakout cable.

Roku 2 XS ($100): The top of the line Roku also offers 1080p video output, an Ethernet port, and a USB port for limited local file access. It includes a Bluetooth motion remote and a free copy of Angry Birds.

Roku Streaming Stick ($100): This is a "Roku box on a stick." It offers the same basic functionality as the XS (including the motion remote), but it adds dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. Note, however, that the Streaming Stick is only compatible with TVs that offer an MHL port.

All of the Roku models can turn any TV -- an HDTV or an old analog model -- into a "Smart" TV, with the ability to stream hundreds of online video and audio channels and services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, HBO Go, Vudu, Crackle, Pandora, Mog, Rdio, and MLB.TV. (Most of the best channels require separate subscription fees, but some -- Crackle, Pandora, and others -- are completely free.) All models offer wireless Wi-Fi streaming and a universal search function (for finding content across multiple video providers). Rokus can also stream photos, music, and video from smartphones and tablets via the free Play On Roku app (which can also double as a remote control), and stream media from PCs and Macs with the Plex app.

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The Drobo Mini

What you should know: 
Measuring 7.3x1.8x7.1 inches, and weighing just about 3 pounds (with the four drive bays fully loaded), the Drobo Mini is the most compact four-bay storage device. This is mostly because it's designed to house 2.5-inch laptop hard drives and not the regular 3.5-inch desktop hard drives. The Drobo Mini is not exactly "the size of a deli sandwich" as described on Drobo's Web site, however; rather, it's about the size of a Mac Mini, slightly thicker and heavier, in fact.
Generally, there's basically nothing to the setup process of a Thunderbolt drive. For most of them, you just have to plug the drive into a power outlet and the computer, using a Thunderbolt cable, and that's it. Within a few seconds you can use the drive. With others, you might have to format the drive using the Disk Utility (Mac) or Disk Management (Windows), a process that takes less than a minute to do.
It's got a slew of unique little features including an mSATA drive bay, a built-in emergency battery, a cool magnetic drive bay door, and many colorful LED status lights. There's also a little bit of money-saving: like most recent Thunderbolt drives, the Drobo Mini comes with the necessary Thunderbolt cable included.
On the down side, the Drobo Mini bears a crazy price tag of $650 with no storage included; it takes a long time to start up; and it's noisier than most Thunderbolt drives. In terms of performance, when hosting four high-speed 2.5-inch hard drives, the drive fell short in my testing when compared with its peers, using both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connection types.

What it offers: 
The esoteric Drobo Mini seems unique mostly for being unique's sake, and offers very little in terms of usability considering its crazily high cost.
The advantage: 
The Drobo Mini is compact, can host four drives with dynamic storage scalability and protection, supports both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0, and offers an excellent drive bay design.
The unfavorable: 
The Drobo Mini is very expensive, comparatively slow, hot, noisy, takes a long time to start up and overall proves to be a cumbersome storage device to use.
The price:
$569.00

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The Kobo Glo

What you should know: 
The Glo, which lists for $129.99, also features a 1,024x768-pixel-resolution, 6-inch e-ink display (yes, it's a touch screen) that Kobo says makes text and images appear crisper.
Like the Nook and the Kindle Paperwhite, the Kobo Glo uses front-lighting technology and has a thin layer film on its screen that aids in dispersing the light uniformly. Like the Paperwhite's, the Glo's screen is illuminated from the bottom rather than the top of the unit (as the Nook's is), projecting the array of tiny LED lights upward instead of downward.
The WiFi-enabled Glo is a touch smaller than the Paperwhite, both in terms of dimensions and weight, coming in at 6.52 ounces. Overall, its design is pretty straightforward, even slightly generic (at least from the front), though its textured back panel, which has a sort of argyle pattern and comes in various colors, gives it a bit of flair. My review unit was white with a blue back, but you can also get the Glo in black.

What it offers: 
Kobo Glo is an excellent Kindle alternative, especially for readers seeking EPUB compatibility and international options.
The advantage: 
Kobo Glo is a lightweight, WiFi-enabled e-reader that has an impressive front-lit, high-res e-ink display with a touch-screen interface. It also features an expansion slot for additional memory, supports EPUB files, and is compatible with any e-book store that uses the Adobe DRM format.
The unfavorable: 
Kobo's selection of e-books lags behind Amazon's and Barnes & Noble's. Loading library loaners and third-party e-book purchases requires tethering to a PC.
The price:
$129.99

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The Acer Aspire S3-391-6046

What you should know: 
The S3-391-6046 is more portable, with a 13.3-inch screen with a 1,366-by-768 resolution (720p). That is smaller than the 1,920 by 1,080 resolution (1080p) found on ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A-R5102F, but that's okay, since you'll pay quite a price premium for that 1080p screen, and it's not absolutely necessary at this budget price point.
The S3-391-6046 comes with a bunch of pre-loaded programs (Amazon, eBay, Evernote, newsXpresso, Office 201 trial, WildTanget games, Netflix, Skype, etc.), and while they aren't obtrusive in the new Windows 8 Start screen, they do clutter up the system's desktop mode (aka the screen that looks like your old PC). Connecting the system to our 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks were easy, as the S3-391-6046 support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, giving you extra flexibility.
The S3-391-6046 comes with a second generation Intel Core i3-2367M processor, four GB of system memory, Intel HD Graphics, a 320GB hard drive and 20GB SSD for speed. The SSD is invisible to the user, it's here to provide speed in booting, launching apps, and waking the system from sleep. It's a little slower than an SSD-only ultrabook, but SSD-only ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook Prime cost hundreds of dollars more.
The system's Core i3 processor is much better than the Intel Celeron processor found in lesser budget systems. For example, the S3-391-6046 got a modest 1,883 point score at the PCMark 7 benchmark test, but that's still better than the Celeron-powered Toshiba Satellite C655-S5542 and Acer Aspire 5349-2635 that couldn't run PCMark 7 to competition.

What it offers: 
The Acer Aspire S3-391-6046 gives you a full-blown Windows 8 ultrabook at a decent price. If you want a thin, light, reasonably fast ultrabook to learn Windows 8 on, this is worth a look.
The advantage: 
Inexpensive ultrabook. Light weight. Responsive multitouch trackpad. Two USB 3.0 ports. No confusing USB 2.0 ports. Full size HDMI port. 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.

The unfavorable: 
Uses last generation Intel Core processor. Non DX11-compatible graphics. No touch screen. Small arrow keys.

The price:
$648.00

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The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

What you should know: 
The 17-55mm lens maintains an f/2.8 aperture throughout its entire zoom range—capturing four times the light as the standard 18-55mm lens when zoomed all the way in. Gathering this much light requires a substantial amount of glass—the lens is 4.4 by 3.3 inches (HD) in size, weighs 1.4 pounds, and uses relatively large 77mm filters. The front element doesn't rotate when zooming or focusing, so using a polarizing filter to eliminate reflections is possible, and the lens does include a hood to help reduce flare.
Canon EF-S lenses cannot be mounted to full-frame cameras, so you won't be able to take this lens with you if you decide to upgrade to a EOS 5D Mark III $2,679.00 at 42nd Street Photo—this is one area where Nikon has an edge, as its full-frame lineup can use APS-C lenses at a reduced resolution in a special crop mode.

What it offers: 
If you're looking to upgrade your 18-55mm kit lens, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a good, but expensive, way to go.

The advantage: 
Very sharp at wider angles. Fast aperture. Minimal distortion.

The unfavorable: 
Big. Expensive. Soft at 55mm.

The price:
$1179.99

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The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9"

What you should know: 
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is available in several models. Without cellular, the 16GB model costs $299 and the 32GB model costs $369. With cellular, a 32GB model costs $499 and a 64GB unit costs $599.
At 9.45 by 6.50 by .35 inches (HWD) and 1.29 pounds, it's smaller and slightly lighter than the Nexus 10, the iPad, and other 10-inch tablets, which makes sense; after all, its screen is a bit smaller. Like most larger tablets, it naturally orients itself in landscape mode, with the 1-megapixel camera at the top and the power and HDMI ports at the bottom. The headphone jack and very flat Power and Volume buttons are on the right side. The back panel is covered in a soft-touch material, which feels great, but shows fingerprints. There's also a shiny black stripe running the width of the tablet. The stereo speakers show at either end of this strip.
The 8.9-inch screen is a good-looking 1,920-by-1,200 IPS LCD panel with relatively deep colors. It's outmatched by the competition; the Nexus 10, iPad 4, and even the Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ all have even tighter screens that pop more.
AT&T 4G LTE performance on this tablet was solid, with download speeds averaging about 13.5Mbps and uploads clocking in around 6Mbps. The tablet really benefits from the dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi. While connected to a fast corporate network on the crowded 2.4Ghz band, the Fire averaged 11Mbps down, but kicked up to 31Mbps when switched over to the 5GHz band. That means you can transfer a 1.4GB movie in six minutes as opposed to 16.

What it offers: 
The 8.9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD is the top low-cost large-screen tablet you can buy, but to get the best bang for your buck, go for the Wi-Fi-only version.

The advantage: 
Very easy to use. Least expensive tablet data plan available. Amazon Prime members get lots of video and book content. Multi-user parental controls.

The unfavorable: 
Other tablets have more apps. Speed is just okay, not great. User interface is very shopping-oriented.

The price:
$ 499.00
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The 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

What you should know: 
The Golf R comes with a direct-injection, turbocharged 2-liter engine producing 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Kudos to VW for getting that kind of power out of a production four-cylinder, then putting it in a car weighing just 3,325 pounds.

The Golf R looks good. Minimal contour lines and decoration give the exterior sheet metal a liquid smoothness. The clean design gets a subtle aggressive note with dual exhausts sticking out from the center of the rear bumper. The hatchback gives it good cargo space, while long side doors make rear-seat access easier. It is speedy and practical, all in one.

What it offers: 
The 2012 Volkswagen Golf R is a blast to drive on curvy roads, but can also handle the everyday routine, offering solid, if not cutting-edge, cabin tech features.

The advantage: 
The Volkswagen 2012 Golf R's 2-liter engine gives massive power while all-wheel drive gives it an edge in cornering. In everyday driving the Golf R shows fine manners. A touch screen comes standard for stereo and phone control.

The unfavorable: 
The available navigation system lacks real-time traffic data.

The price:
$33,990.00

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The Samsung Galaxy S III (MetroPCS)

What you should know: 
All of the Galaxy S III models look the same, except for the carrier logo on the back panel. MetroPCS's model comes in white plastic. At 5.4 by 2.8 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and 4.7 ounces, the GS3 is a large phone, although it no longer looks ridiculous in the age of the 5-inch HTC Droid DNA and 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II. That said, this is not a phone for folks with small hands.
Solidly built, and light despite its size, the Galaxy S III is dominated by its 4.8-inch, 1,280-by-720-pixel Super AMOLED HD screen.

What it offers: 
The Samsung Galaxy S III is the best phone for a network that's on its way out.

The advantage: 
Most powerful smartphone on MetroPCS.  Excellent call quality.

The unfavorable: 
Expensive.  If the T-Mobile merger goes through, MetroPCS will shift focus away from CDMA phones in six months.

The price:
$499

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The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

What you should know: 
Using a 141-horsepower, 2-liter gasoline engine and 118 horsepower electric motor, the same combination as the new Ford Fusion Hybrid, the C-Max Hybrid can drive under electric power at speeds up to 62 mph. During a long freeway trip, the engine remained on most of the time, resulting in fuel economy on the trip computer hovering around 42 mpg, even gentle with the throttle. 

The C-Max Hybrid's driver's seat takes a little getting used to. Its position feels higher than it should, and a long field of plastic extends from the top of the dashboard to the lower edge of the windshield. The deep dashboard is not so different from the Prius v's, but the steering on the C-Max Hybrid feels more precise, with the electric power-steering unit tuned for responsive and easy turning with minimal play.

What it offers: 
Offering all the fuel economy and practical interior space of a Toyota Prius, the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid adds significant power and a more engaged driving experience.
The advantage: 
The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid's gasoline-electric power train delivers excellent fuel economy and decent power. The suspension leads to a comfortable, engaged driving experience. Voice command works wonders with music selection and phone calls, while automatic parking is the icing on the cake.
The unfavorable: 
The navigation system's maps refresh slowly, and destination entry can be exceedingly frustrating.
The price:
$25,200.00

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The BenQ GW2450

What you should know: 
Has six display modes, including Standard, Movie, Game Photo, sRGB, and Eco. Basic picture settings include Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, Gamma, and Color Temperature, and you can fine tune individual Red, Green, and Blue levels as well as Hue and Saturation levels. When using an analog (VGA) signal you can use the Auto Adjust function or manually adjust Phase, Clock, and Position settings.
The GW2450 comes with a three-year warranty covering parts, labor, and backlighting. It also comes with a CD containing a user guide and drivers and a VGA cable. A DVI cable is not included in the box.
The GW2450 used 31 watts of power.

What it offers: 
The BenQ GW2450 is a reasonably-priced 24-inch monitor based on VA (Vertical Alignment) panel technology. It offers robust colors and deep blacks but is short on features.
The advantage: 
Affordable. Rich color reproduction. Great contrast ratio. Energy efficient.
The unfavorable: 
No HDMI port. Stingy feature set. Weak dark grayscale performance.
The price:
$149.98

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The Nintendo Wii U

What you should know: 
The Wii U is available in two versions. The glossy white Basic set is a $299.99 (list) system that gives you everything you need to start playing the Wii U, but nothing else. It includes the game console with 8GB of memory, the Wii U gamepad, power cables for each, a sensor bar, and an HDMI cable. The glossy black Deluxe set ($349.99 list) throws in a handful of useful accessories and a pack-in game. It includes everything in the Basic set (with 32GB of memory instead of 8GB), plus a charging cradle and a stand for the gamepad, a stand for the console to let you set it up vertically like the current Wii system, and a copy of Nintendo Land.
While the Wii U looks as slender and compact as the original Wii, it's much heftier (but still more than a pound lighter than the recently slimmed-down Sony PlayStation 3). It weighs 3.4 pounds and measures 10.5 inches long while keeping a relatively slim 1.9-by-6.6-inch profile (HW). The front of the system houses a slot-loading optical drive, Power and Eject buttons, a syncing button for the game controller, and a plastic door that flips open to reveal an SD card slot and a USB port. 

On a single charge, the gamepad lasted between 3 to 5 hours.

The gamepad will communicate with the Wii U at distances up to 30 feet. However, walls, corners, and physial obstructions can interfere with the wireless signal, which is based on a proprietary system Nintendo created to minimize latency. 

What it offers: 
The Wii U, Nintendo's first step into high-definition gaming, is an ambitious console that's brimming with potential, even if some of the most interesting features aren't available at launch.
The advantage: 
Ambitious design. Tons of potential. Solid gaming and media feature set.
The unfavorable: 
TVii feature and support for multiple gamepads not implemented at launch. Wii U gamepad screen is resistive and resolution is low. Short gamepad battery life. Software transfer process is unnecessarily convoluted.

The price:
$299.99

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The Asus PB278Q

What you should know: 
The Asus PB278Q ($699.99 list) is a 27-inch PLS monitor, and it does indeed deliver very good color quality and wide viewing angles. It also offers a plethora of features, including multiple video ports, a multi-adjustable stand, and WQHD (2,560-by-1,440) resolution. It doesn't include any USB ports, however, and at $700 it's a certainly more expensive than a similarly sized TN-based monitor.

What it offers: 
The Asus PB278Q is a well equipped 27-inch monitor based on Plane to Line Switching (PLS) panel technology. You?ll pay more for this technology but receive awesome performance and a rich feature set in return.

The advantage: 
Great color quality. Lots of video ports. Ergonomic stand. Wide viewing angles.

The unfavorable: 
A bit pricey. No auto-pivot function. No USB ports.

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The ZTE Warp Sequent

What you should know: 
The general shape is the same; it has a slab construction, rounded corners, and top and bottom edges that curve slightly outward. But this handset's smaller, measuring 5 inches tall, 2.56 inches wide, and 0.39 inches thick. Weighing in at 4.6 ounces, it's not heavy, but it feels solid and dense. Though it's a snug fit in small jean pockets, it's comfortable to hold.
On the left are a Micro-USB port and a volume rocker, while up top are a 3.5mm headphone jack and sleep/power button.
On the back's top left corner is a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash, and on the bottom are two small slits (though only the left opens to the audio speaker). The thin plastic back plate features a striped, rectangular indentation in the middle, which slightly helps with grip. You can pry the plate off to access the microSD card slot and 1,650mAh lithium ion battery.
Above the display are an LED notification light, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and an in-ear speaker. Below it are three hotkeys for back, home, and menu.
The 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen is, again, one of the better ones I've seen on a ZTE phone.

What it offers: 
The Warp Sequent's impressive performance and decent midrange specs is a step up for ZTE, but its sluggish 3G speeds and price don't merit a buy.
The advantage: 
The ZTE Warp Sequent has a sturdy construction, delivers a nearly skinless Android 4.0 experience, and has a decent 5-megapixel camera.
The unfavorable: 
Boost's Warp Sequent runs only on 3G, and its camera's shutter speed is slow.

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The Canon PowerShot G15

What you should know: 
The G15 improves a bit on the G12's performance, though still not enough to consider it "fast." It takes about 2.3 seconds to power on, focus, and shoot, which is relatively typical for this type of camera. The biggest boost is in bright-light autofocus, bringing its shot lag down to 0.2 second; in dim light it remains relatively unchanged at 0.6 second. Image processing remains its weak point, though once again it's not notably slower than most of its competitors: two sequential JPEGs take about 1.9 seconds, rising to 2.6 seconds for raw and 2.9 with flash enabled.
The G15 maintains the line's excellent photo quality, although it still doesn't quite match that of Sony's RX100.

What it offers: 
The Canon PowerShot G15 continues the G-series tradition of solid advanced compacts, but doesn't rank as best in class by any particular measure.

The advantage: 
In addition to a great, fast lens, the Canon PowerShot G15 has a nice, streamlined shooting design and produces very nice photos.

The unfavorable: 
It's humbled by a somewhat limited feature set and ho-hum performance.

The price:
$499 to 542.00

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The Samsung Galaxy Camera

What you should know: 
Like many point-and-shoots, the more light you have when shooting with the Galaxy, the better your photos will be. If you're considering this for daylight shooting, you'll likely be very satisfied with the results.
Video quality is very good and the optical image stabilization is certainly nice to have if you're tired of the shaky clips from your smartphone. However, like its photos, video does get softer and noisier the less light you have. The zoom does work while recording movies, but it was a bit jerky when moving in and out.

The camera does have a continuous shooting option that can fire off up to 20 shots at up to 4 frames per second.

What it offers: 
Outside of its relatively high cost of ownership and average point-and-shoot picture quality, the Samsung Galaxy Camera definitely delivers the shoot-and-share experience of a smartphone with the features of a compact camera.

The advantage: 
The Samsung Galaxy Camera's feature set is tough to beat, combining the power of a high-end Android OS 4.1 Jelly Bean device with a giant HD-resolution touch screen and the 21x zoom and 16-megapixel resolution of a compact camera.

The unfavorable: 
If you're looking for great picture quality for the Galaxy Camera's $500 price tag, you're probably going to be disappointed. Its battery life is fairly short. To get the most from it, you'll want to pay for a monthly data plan.

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The Asus PadFone 2

What you should know: 
The PadFone 2 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), with minimal software tweaks from Asus. This is as close as you can get to the stock ICS experience, although Asus has thrown in some proprietary apps such as SuperNote (a note-taking app) and WebStorage (for cloud storage). PadFone 2 users get 50GB of WebStorage space free, which is handy as there's no microSD card slot on the handset. I also found App Backup (to back up and restore installed apps and app data) and App Locker (to protect installed apps with a password) quite useful.

What it offers: 
The PadFone 2 runs on the latest quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM, which delivered zippy performance, even while multitasking. With an Adreno 320 GPU, graphics-intensive games such as Shine Runner ran smoothly without juddering.

The advantage: 
The PadFone 2 Dock Station features a 5,000mAh battery, which is utilized first when docked. In the "Intelligent mode" setting, the Station is even able to charge the PadFone 2 when it is low on power.
With heavier usage of viewing videos, playing games, and taking photos, the PadFone 2 still managed to muster up about 16 hours on its own.

The unfavorable: 
Browsing speeds are not blazing fast.
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The Nokia Lumia 810

What you should know: 
Its thick, heavy, slab like form is hard to love. But since beauty is only skin-deep, T-Mobile customers will find hearty hardware and software features within.
Standing 5 inches tall by 2.7 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick, the Lumia 810 is shorter than handsets such as Samsung's Galaxy S3, but also much thicker. It weighs a chunky 5.1 ounces.
A bright, colorful 4.3-inch AMOLED screen comes with a WVGA resolution (800x480 pixels.)
Above the screen you'll find the 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, and just below it, touch sensitive navigation buttons sit on an overly-tall bezel.
The Lumia 810 has an 8-megapixel camera with branded Carl Zeiss optics, but all you really need to know is that it takes some nice shots.

What it offers: 
Nokia Lumia 810 makes for a practical smartphone choice, but if you're looking for something thin and light, the HTC Windows Phone 8X is one better option.

The advantage: 
Nokia's Lumia 810 has decent call quality and a nice helping of extra software that differentiates it from other Windows phones. It's also one of the first Windows phones with external storage.

The unfavorable: 
Bulky smartphone has an uninspiring build and is more expensive than AT&T's higher-end Lumia 920.Source

The HTC Droid DNA

What you should know: 
Measuring 5.6 inches tall by 2.7 inches wide, the device is large, yet thin. At 0.38 inch thick, and a mere 0.16 inch thick at its thinnest point, its profile makes its edges thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S3. Picking up both handsets and placing them side by side, however, they seem to be of equal thickness, or shall I say thinness. This phone is razor-sharp, there's no doubt about that, and its metal buttons and trim give it a much more premium feel than the Galaxy S3's plastic parts.
The screen is a 2-megapixel front-facing camera capable of shooting video in 1080p HD.
The HTC Droid DNA connects to popular Google services, too, such as Gmail, Google Plus, Maps, and Navigation. HTC has placed some of its own software on the DNA. A Music app combines the Amazon MP3 player and music storefront, Slacker Internet radio app, and phone-based tracks in one location.

What it offers: 
Quad-core power, 4G LTE, a lovely 5-inch screen, and a stunning design, the $199.99 HTC Droid DNA is currently Verizon's best Android deal.

The advantage: 
Beautifully designed HTC Droid DNA features a quad-core processor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 4G LTE, a sharp 5-inch screen, an excellent camera, and long battery life.

The unfavorable: 
The Droid DNA's large size makes it tricky to fit in tight pockets, and it lacks both an SD card slot and a removable battery.

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The Klipsch S4i II

What you should know: 
For everyday walking around these earphones fit securely. Plenty of people used the original S4 and S4i for sporting use -- that's where they ran into some durability issues -- and this new model seems fine for a light workout, but I wouldn't count on them staying in my ears while running.

What it offers: 
The Klipsch Image S4i II in-ear headphones add a new, more durable tangle-resistant flat cord while retaining their very respectable sound quality and superior comfort.

The advantage: 
The Klipsch Image S4i II in-ear headphones have the same impressive sound and fit as the original S4i model but they're more durable and have a tangle-resistant flat cord. There's an integrated Apple-friendly remote/microphone and they come with a nice, compact carrying case.

The unfavorable: 
Opt for other models in the S4 line if you want Android compatibility or better sweat resistance; bass lovers probably won't be satisfied by the amount of bass.
The price:
$99.00
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The Tesla Model S

What you should know:
The 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year has all the features you'd expect from a vehicle that has earned that honor. Tesla offers three lithium-ion battery packs for the Model S -- 40-kW-hr, 60-kW-hr, and 85-kW-hr -- that are claimed to provide ranges of 140, 200, and 265 miles, respectively. The base 85-kW-hr power train delivers a stout 362 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, while the performance version makes 416 hp and 443 lb-ft.

The Tesla Model S nails the formula established by the German brands that currently dominate the midsize luxury sedan sector. It's fast and great to drive. It's well-equipped and high-tech. It won't look out of place rolling up the drive of a leafy country club or at the curb of a hip hotel. It's a credible alternative to a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi for someone who lives in metroplexes such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta.

What it offers: 
It has a light body, advanced design, a roomy cabin, and plenty of load capacity. What the Tesla Model S doesn't have is an internal combustion engine.
The advantage: 
First Car of the Year with no internal combustion engine. Motor Trend heaps praise on the Model S, saying it drives like a sports car and sashays like a supermodel working a Paris catwalk.

The unfavorable: 
The gas/electric hybrid is starting to look kind of old school next to the sleek all-electric Model S.

The price:
This all-electric supermodel starts at $58,570 and has a range of 265 miles.

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