The 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD

What about the new Jaguar XJ AWD..

• The AWD is rear-biased and operates as full rear-wheel drive in good weather, but when the road conditions turn slick, the system can split engine power 50:50 between front and rear axles using a center transfer case.
• On separate tracks normally used for motorcycle and rally car racing, Jaguar let us test out the XJ AWD and XF AWD for accelerating, braking and cornering on snow- and ice-covered asphalt and dirt tracks. Both of these circuits demonstrated the two different attitudes these cars can exhibit. With Winter mode on, the system does a great job of nannying the driver making sure the car keeps its footing and remains on the road, but staying true to Jag's motorsports heritage, the system can also be set to Dynamic to improve the performance of the car in bad weather giving the driver fewer safety nets to rely on. The complex also had courses set up for snowy slaloms and an icy, drift-friendly skidpad.
• Rather than being a part of an expensive option package, each AWD version of the XJ and XF will be an individual model. This means that getting the added benefit of all-wheel traction doesn't require buyers to opt for other unrelated packages (such as a cold-weather or technology package, for example) that some automakers force on buyers. On the XJ, AWD is offered on both regular and long-wheelbase XJL models.
• Neither the XJ nor the XF architectures were originally designed to accept all-wheel-drive, so Jaguar made extensive changes to parts of the car most people will never see, including the suspension, front floorboard and even some of the engine components. For example, to keep the engine low in the engine bay for optimal balance, the front driveshaft is actually built into the oil pan. All of the changes and added AWD parts increase the XJ's curb by less than 300 pounds.
• As the new base engine in the XJ, Instinctive AWD can only be had on cars equipped with the new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine. While this engine lacks the throaty exhaust note of the 5.0-liter V8, at virtually no point can its performance be faulted especially when factoring in the car's curb weight of just over two tons.
• The XJ AWD comes standard with Continental all-season tires, but Jaguar equipped our test cars with Pirelli M+S winter tires. While this certainly helped the cars handle better in the snow, Jaguar representatives noted this was done so to abide by Quebec law – and besides, these tires are available as an option.

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The McAfee All Access 2013

What you should know: 
When you first install McAfee All Access, you'll set up your McAfee account online and install appropriate protection for the Mac or PC on which you're installing it. During installation you can choose to install security on just the device you're using or on that device plus a smartphone. Once installation is finished, you can extend McAfee's protective umbrella to all the rest of your devices.

The online McAfee dashboard is your control center for security. You can log into it from any Mac or PC and install the appropriate security utility on that device, or send an email to a different Mac or PC with a link to installation.

The dashboard offers an overview of security status for all of your devices with McAfee security installed. Clicking a particular device gets you details about what security components are installed, and what additional components could be installed. If you've installed the McAfee Family Protection parental control system, the dashboard offers a summary of recent activities. You can also access your backups using the Web restore console.
What it offers: 
A single subscription to McAfee All Access 2013 gets you security protection for all of your devices, or for all of your household's devices. From its online management console, you can easily extend protection to any of your PCs, Macs, smartphones, or tablets. If you've got a houseful of connected devices, this is the security solution for you.

The advantage: 
One price protects unlimited PC, Mac, or mobile devices. Online management console to check status, add protection. Can choose AV or suite for PC or Mac. Advanced parental control with online management. Web-based access to backups. App Locker adds mobile security. New SafeKey password management.
The unfavorable: 
Backups can't sync between machines. Mac parental control still doesn't have all features of PC version. Standalone security products don't rate as high as some competitors.
The price:
$ 81.99

The Energizer Dual Inductive Charger

What you should know: 

Compared with competing wireless charging products such as the Duracell Powermat 24-Hour System, the Energizer Dual Inductive Charger is big and bulky.
The large, square charging pad is inclined at about a 20-degree angle. Because of this the Dual's back sits higher than its front, serving to prop up phones you place on it. Two circular Qi logos on the left and right of the pad indicate where to place your handset for charging.
Based on its substantial size and 0.8-pound weight, however, the Energizer Dual Inductive Charger won't make a convenient travel partner. That's also true of the device's large AC adapter, which doesn't offer a nifty way to wrap and stow its cord. By contrast, the Duracell Powermat 24-Hour System weighs 0.4 pound and has a smaller footprint, and its power brick has a handy section for tightly winding up its cable.

What it offers: 
The $89 Energizer Dual Inductive Charger powers up compatible gadgets without the hassle of cords, but is a poor travel companion.
The advantage: 
The Energizer Dual Inductive Charger charges phones conveniently without wires. The charger is easy to set up and can power three devices at once. It accommodates compatible phones without needing an add-on case or sleeve.
The unfavorable: 
The Energizer Dual Inductive Charger is large, bulky, and not very portable. It only supports Qi-standard devices for wireless charging.
The price:
$ 68.98

The RHA SA950i

What you should know: 
You may have never heard of RHA -- short for Reid and Heath Acoustics products -- but it's a small Scottish headphone company that makes some pretty decent products for affordable prices.
Build quality seems good but not great. However, RHA does offer a three-year warranty on these guys, which is a couple of years longer than what you get with most headphones.

What it offers: 
The RHA SA950i may not excel in any one area, it's an all-around solid on-ear headphone that won't break the bank.

The advantage: 
The RHA SA950i on-ear headphones are lightweight, offer a comfortable fit (especially for on-ears), have a detachable cloth-covered cord with a built-in Apple-friendly remote and microphone, and they sound good for the money. You also get a three-year warranty.

The unfavorable: 
Earcups' glossy finish may get scratched over time and the headphones don't fold up for storage.

The price:
$ 59.95

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The Samsung PN51E7000

What you should know: 
Samsung has still been a solid contender. Both the Samsung E8000 and E6500 were excellent televisions, coming a close second as a brand to the Panasonic ST50 and VT50.
The Samsung is available in three sizes, and all should perform similarly. Using Amazon as a guide, the 51-inch is currently $1,000 and offers the best value. The 60-inch is twice the price at $2,000 while the slightly larger 64-inch is $2,700. In comparison, the 51-inch E6500 is actually more expensive at about $1,200 currently, so we'd suggest going for the E7000 at this size instead.

What it offers: 
This upgrade enables users to give their TV the newest hardware and software but Samsung has yet to announce any prices or details for the kit.

The advantage: 
It has improved black-level performance by 10 percent for 2012.

The unfavorable: 
The E7000 does miss out on the advanced features of the E8000 as it doesn't include the camera.

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The Acer Aspire V5-571-6891

What you should know: 
The system comes with a 15.6-inch widescreen LCD panel, with a 1,366 by 768 resolution. 1,366 by 768 is good for up to 720p HD video, though 1080p videos will have to be scaled down to fit. 1,366 by 768 means that user interface elements like close boxes and icons will be larger than they would be on a 1,600 by 900 or 1,920 by 1,080 resolution screen. While this may be a little low res for a high-end user, 1,366 by 768 is perfectly adequate for the general user who doesn't need high resolution for photos or videos.

The V5-571-6891 is a thin, black desktop replacement laptop. Its dimensions measure about 10 by 15 by 0.91 inches (HWD), with a weight a smidge above five pounds (5.07 pounds). This makes the system a lot more portable than older laptops that can be twice as thick. The system's chiclet style keyboard is comfortable to use, with a good key feel.
What it offers: 
The Acer Aspire V5-571-6891 comes in as a price leader: under $500, yet it's a fully functional desktop replacement laptop rather than the stripped down netbook that you'd expect for so few ducats.
The advantage: 
Great Price. 6GB of memory. Full keyboard including numeric keypad. Core i3 processor with Intel HD 4000 Graphics. 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Good speakers and sound.
The unfavorable: 
No Touch screen. Only one USB 3.0 port. Dongle for Ethernet and VGA. Bloatware in desktop mode.
The price:
$ 499.99

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