The Nikon Coolpix P7700

What you should know: 
This isn't a camera you use for burst shooting. It can only take six shots -- either raw or JPEG -- and though it's rated for 8fps that's at the default Normal quality rather than the better Fine setting. While it tested out at 7.9fps for the default, for Fine or raw it's a more sedate 3.3fps. That would be a fine speed if it could handle more than six shots.
The LCD remains visible in sunlight, and one of the advantages of the articulated screen is the option to twist it when it gets hard to see.
the P7700's performance as adequate; it's as slow as the Canon PowerShot G1 X, but I've cut it some slack in rating it because it's $200 cheaper. Though it seems to bog down at times, overall it feels responsive enough that this shouldn't interfere with getting a shot. It takes about 1.8 seconds to fire up, focus, and shoot, which is pretty typical for this class. The time to focus and shoot in good light runs 0.4 second and in dim rises to 1.1 seconds; the latter is really a bit too sluggish. It can shoot two sequential JPEGs in about 1.5 seconds, but with raw it takes an abysmal 3.2 seconds.

What it offers: 
It's a solid enthusiast "compact" that will please a lot of shooters, but the Nikon Coolpix P7700 doesn't quite deliver at midrange ISO sensitivities and its image-processing overhead might annoy impatient photographers.
The advantage: 
A comfortable shooting design and nice photos in bright light number among the strengths of the Nikon Coolpix P7700.
The unfavorable: 
The P7700's performance is sluggish, and despite being the largest camera in its class it no longer has an optical viewfinder.
The price:
$426.95 to $499.00

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The Apple iPod Classic

What you should know: 
An anodized aluminum faceplate covers the front of the Classic in either black or silver, while the back of the iPod is covered in the same scratch-showing, smudge-loving chromed steel found on iPods for generations. Inside its 2.4-inch-by-4.1-inch-by-0.41-inch enclosure you'll find a whopping 160GB hard drive capable of holding over 40,000 songs. The 2.5-inch screen found above the click wheel is unfortunately still covered with plastic, making it the only remaining iPod that hasn't yet switched to a scratch-resistant glass screen.
There are no apps on the iPod Classic. There's no Web browser or e-mail. You won't even find options for Bluetooth music streaming or AirPlay. True to its name, the iPod Classic keeps with the basic formula for the iPod's original success. You just load it up with music, podcasts, audiobooks, and video using Apple's free iTunes software on your home computer (Mac or PC). And for better or worse, once you've loaded up your media collection, it's just stuck there until the next time you connect back to your computer.
Perhaps the last feature added to the iPod Classic is the capability to create instant Genius playlists. The Genius feature lets you create an instant 25-song playlist based on the musical characteristics of a single song, offering a new way to group together similar songs in your collection.

What it offers: 
The iPod Classic refines the formula that put the iPod on the map. None can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and intuitive user interface.
The advantage: 
The iPod Classic offers a solid, understated design with an easy-to-use interface and unbelievably generous capacity.
The unfavorable: 
EQ control is limited; the plastic screen is susceptible to scratching; and the only way to move media on and off the device is through iTunes.
The price:
$209.99 to $250.02

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9 Most Popular Gadget Queries In 2012

What you should know: 
Yahoo! has ranked its annual Top 10 searches, only two other news events captured the top spot: the BP oil spill in 2010, and Michael Jackson's death in 2009. This year the half-billion people who visit Yahoo! every month typed the word 'elections' more than any other," wrote Yahoo in a blog post on Sunday.
The company also revealed the terms that mobile users were most curious about.

#1 iPhone 5

#2 iPad 3

#3 iPad Mini

#4 Samsung Galaxy S3

#5 Kindle Fire

#6 iPhone 4

#7 Nook

# 8 iPod Touch

# 9 Samsung  Galaxy Tab

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The Sony's new F5/55 4K

What you should know: 
After a few of years of denial that 4K was even necessary and thousands of RED camera sales, broadcast giants Sony began to get their act together and move toward 4K image capture. The stunning F5 and F55 cameras are the culmination of those efforts and more interestingly, an indication of a complete, and necessary, change of attitude at Sony.

What it offers: 
The F5 and F55 are identical 5 lb. (2.3 kg) rectangular bricks – to distinguish them the F55’s lens mount is silver rather than black – but their technical capabilities are different. The base camera bodies feature 4K (4,096 x 2,160 pixel) super 35 mm sized sensors with 14 stops of exposure latitude that can shoot 2K and HD to two internal SxS Flash memory card slots using various MPEG2 and MPEG4 compression codecs. The F55 can also store compressed 4K to the internal cards. Both cameras can shoot 4K uncompressed RAW (film-style digital negative) to the latching modular AXS-R5 recorder that uses new AXS solid state drive cards.

The advantage: 
The big workflow enhancer is that both HD and 4K images can be captured simultaneously, allowing for the rough editing of material using the HD proxies while the 4K RAW files are archived, color-corrected etc. This is a very attractive feature for producers and directors on busy sets.
Additionally the F55 possesses an electronic frame shutter (often called a "global shutter") that completely removes the wobbly effect that can be seen when fast panning a camera with a progressive CMOS sensor chip. The F55 can output 4K through its connectors and can shoot HD up to 180 frames per second for slow-mo effects. The F55 also utilizes a more "filmic" color filter array over its sensor than the cheaper F5.

The unfavorable: 
The cameras won’t be available until February 2013, many features will require (free) firmware updates throughout the year and prices are not yet announced, though are estimated at US$35,000 and $20,000 for the F55 and F5 respectively.

The price:
estimated at US$35,000 and $20,000 for the F55 and F5 respectively.

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The Tivoli Audio PAL BT

What you should know: 
The PAL was always impressive because it played louder and offered more detailed sound than its 6.25 x 3.69 x 3.88 (HWD) dimensions would indicate. As Steve Guttenberg wrote in hisoriginal review of the PAL in 2003, "The PAL's rich sound belies its modest dimensions. With FM radio, audio quality was excellent, and reception was consistently clean. For kicks, we hooked up our iPod and marveled at the PAL's crisp MP3 sonics."
Tivoli Audio's PAL radio has been out for several years and while it's pretty pricey, it remains one of our favorite portable speakers. ("PAL" was allegedly an acronym for "Portable Audio Laboratory.")

What it offers: 
It's great that Tivoli added Bluetooth streaming to its great little PAL radio, but its $300 price tag is excessive.
The advantage: 
The Tivoli PAL BT retains the wonderful retro design, compact form factor, strong battery life, and excellent AM/FM radio of its predecessors, while adding Bluetooth compatibility. It offers surprisingly big sound for its size.
The unfavorable: 
The Bluetooth performance (and overall sound quality) is decent but not good enough for a $300 speaker -- yes, it's overpriced.
The price:
$299.99
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The Best iPhone Apps

What you should know: 
Years ago, the iPhone didn't support third-party apps. Today, it's a fully-fledged computer that fits in your pocket.
Let's take a look at the best iPhone apps of 2012.

Sparrow has an attractive interface, and a feature set designed to please volume e mailers.
There is, however, one big problem with Sparrow. It lacks push notifications. Google's purchase of Sparrow also means that future support for the iOS app will likely be minimal.
Even with those huge caveats, though, Sparrow is the iPhone's first third-party email client worth having.
App Store: Sparrow (US$2.99)

iPhoto is nothing like its desktop counterpart. This version is a gesture-based editing suite designed specifically for touch screens. Its controls take some getting used to, but it's easily one of the best apps for enhancing pics on the go.

App Store: iPhoto ($4.99)

Chrome browser for iOS. Its interface and syncing get top marks, but it can't boast any performance improvements over Safari. Through no fault of Google's, it's powered by the same engine (iOS WebKit) as Apple's default browser.

App Store: Chrome (free)

Google Drive offers cloud storage and simple document editing on the go. Users get 5 GB of free storage, and you can pay $25/year to increase that to 25 GB.

Google's recent update, which adds spreadsheet editing, only reinforces Drive as one of the best apps of 2012.
App Store: Google Drive (free)

iTranslate Voice lets two people who speak different languages have a conversation. Tap the English button, speak, and listen as your words are spoken in the target language. When your friend taps the other button and speaks, their words are spoken in your language. While results can be hit and miss at times, its support for over 30 languages makes it a handy tool for travelers. However, it does require a constant internet connection.
App Store: iTranslate Voice ($0.99)

Burner gives you a disposable phone number for calling and texting. It's great for Craigslist transactions, online dating, and all sorts of shady activities (or so I hear).
The only downsides are that each new number is a bit pricey, and you only get limited blocks of minutes and messages. You can also achieve the same ends for free by creating multiple Google Voice accounts.
App Store: Burner ($1.99)

Drafts is a virtual scratchpad. When you open the app, it's immediately ready for input. When you're finished typing, a couple of taps will copy the text to the clipboard or export it to a variety of popular apps.
App Store: Drafts ($1.99)

Summly is built on a simple idea: you only need quick summaries of the news. It only gives you a couple of short paragraphs for each story. If you want more than the barebones version, you can double-tap on the feed to read the full article.
App Store: Summly (free)

Solar is a simple and beautiful weather app. The color gradient tells you the temperature and weather. Swipe up for the next few hours, swipe down for the next three days, and swipe to the left to change locations.
The only drawback is that the developers still haven't updated Solar for the 4-inch screens of the iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5G.
App Store: Solar ($1.99)

Dark Sky. The app answers three questions: "what's the temperature?", "is it raining?", and "is it going to rain?" Unless you're a weather geek, that may be all you need to know.
For those seeking more detail, a tap or a swipe will show you the radar and the next day's forecast.
App Store: Dark Sky ($3.99)

The free Pocket and Readability apps save lists of web articles, and present them in a clean, clutter-free layout.
App Store: Pocket (free), Readability (free)

Clear is the most polarizing app of the year. Depending on who you ask, the gesture-based to-do list is either a breakthrough, or too clever for its own good. Love it or hate it, Clear is worth checking out.
App Store: Clear ($1.99)

Bastion is one of the most stylish and imaginative video games in years. Originally released for Xbox Live, the iOS port has stunning graphics, a memorable soundtrack, and surprisingly deep RPG elements. The star of the show, though, is the gravelly-voiced narrator who reacts to your every move.
App Store: Bastion ($4.99)

Max Payne was one of the top games of the last decade. Eleven years after its initial release, it's one of the top games on the iPhone. The mobile port has enhanced visuals and some of the best virtual controls in the App Store.
App Store: Max Payne Mobile ($2.99)