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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