User Rating:
Good: The Toshiba Qosmio F755-3D290 offers surprisingly good glasses-free 3D video playback, built into a decent high-end midsize laptop, with eye-tracking software to adjust the image on the fly.
Bad: The 3D effect works best for a single viewer, and can still be finicky at times. Games and online 3D video don't work yet, although future updates are promised. Playback of 3D content is at a lower resolution than 2D content.
Bottom Line: More of a proof-of-concept than anything else, the glasses-free 15-inch 3D display on the Toshiba Qosmio F755 can be impressive when paired with the right content. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Samsung Gravity Txt has a functional feature set and admirable call quality.
Bad: The Samsung Gravity Txt isn't the best phone for an optical joystick. Though the QWERTY keyboard is spacious, the buttons are stiff and the placement of some shortcut controls is disorienting.
Bottom Line: We didn't love everything about its design, but as an inexpensive, easy-to-use cell phone for making calls, the Samsung Gravity Txt gets the job done. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The gearless nature of the continuously variable transmission gives the 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet smooth acceleration, and a soft suspension contributes to the comfortable ride. All-wheel drive includes a differential lock. The navigation system features 3D buildings and traffic data.
Bad: The Murano CrossCabriolet looks like a coupe on a junk food diet. Its top comes down with a disconcerting crash. Lacking modern efficiency technology, its engine achieves mediocre fuel economy.
Bottom Line: A convertible SUV, the 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet carves out its own niche, but it's an odd-looking design with some serious problems. Its technology is Nissan-standard, very good in the cabin, but becoming dated under the hood. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: A clean, slim design, backlit keyboard, very good battery life, strong performance, and an affordable price make the Dell Inspiron 14z more useful than most thinned-down laptops.
Bad: Limited upgrade options and no dedicated graphics might turn off some who need more flexibility, and flip-down port doors are a minor annoyance.
Bottom Line: The Dell Inspiron 14z thins down the bulky look of the average Inspiron laptop while sacrificing none of the performance or battery life, adding up to an affordable mainstream notebook that's an excellent late consideration for back-to-school shopping. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Samsung Convoy 2 has a sturdy design, push-to-talk capability, a flashlight, and a built-in music player.
Bad: The phone doesn't seem as durable as it could be, and both the call quality and camera quality need work. It's disappointing that the Convoy 2 still has a 2.5mm headset jack.
Bottom Line: Certified to withstand the elements, the Samsung Convoy 2 is also a ruggedly attractive handset with a fair number of creature comforts; however the headset jack is a disappointment and there are more rough-and-tumble phones out there. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Philips BDP5506 has built-in Wi-Fi, 3D compatibility, a simple user interface, and a few high-quality streaming-media services, including Netflix, Vudu, and Pandora. Its MediaConnect screencasting feature also allows you to stream the display of a laptop directly to the BDP5506.
Bad: The Philips is the only player we've tested this year to offer below-average image quality on Blu-ray movies and DVDs. Its suite of streaming-media services also lacks premium services like Amazon Instant, MLB.TV, and Hulu Plus. And despite its shortcomings, the BDP5506 costs the same as better, competing Blu-ray players.
Bottom Line: We wouldn't recommend the Philips BDP5506 over competing Blu-ray players. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony KDL-NX720 series produces deeper black levels than any edge-lit LED-based TV we've tested. It evinces relatively accurate color, a uniform screen for edge-lit LED, and can properly handle 1080p/24 sources. It has a beautiful, thin-profile exterior design with flush Gorilla Glass, and its Internet suite includes numerous streaming services and widgets as well as built-in Wi-Fi.
Bad: The expensive KDL-NX720 shows some blooming artifacts, crushes detail in shadows, and deteriorates more noticeably than usual when seen from off-angle. Its menu and Internet service design is lackluster, and Sony does not include 3D glasses. Its 3D image is poor, with significant crosstalk, flicker when dejudder is turned off, and extreme intolerance to head tilt.
Bottom Line: Albeit expensive and plagued by issues in 3D, the beautifully styled Sony KDL-NX720 outpaces the picture quality of most other edge-lit LED-based LCD TVs. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony KDL-NX720 series produces deeper black levels than any edge-lit LED-based TV we've tested. It evinces relatively accurate color, a uniform screen for edge-lit LED, and can properly handle 1080p/24 sources. It has a beautiful, thin-profile exterior design with flush Gorilla Glass, and its Internet suite includes numerous streaming services and widgets as well as built-in Wi-Fi.
Bad: The expensive KDL-NX720 shows some blooming artifacts, crushes detail in shadows, and deteriorates more noticeably than usual when seen from off-angle. Its menu and Internet service design is lackluster, and Sony does not include 3D glasses. Its 3D image is poor, with significant crosstalk, flicker when dejudder is turned off, and extreme intolerance to head tilt.
Bottom Line: Albeit expensive and plagued by issues in 3D, the beautifully styled Sony KDL-NX720 outpaces the picture quality of most other edge-lit LED-based LCD TVs. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony KDL-NX720 series produces deeper black levels than any edge-lit LED-based TV we've tested. It evinces relatively accurate color, a uniform screen for edge-lit LED, and can properly handle 1080p/24 sources. It has a beautiful, thin-profile exterior design with flush Gorilla Glass, and its Internet suite includes numerous streaming services and widgets as well as built-in Wi-Fi.
Bad: The expensive KDL-NX720 shows some blooming artifacts, crushes detail in shadows, and deteriorates more noticeably than usual when seen from off-angle. Its menu and Internet service design is lackluster, and Sony does not include 3D glasses. Its 3D image is poor, with significant crosstalk, flicker when dejudder is turned off, and extreme intolerance to head tilt.
Bottom Line: Albeit expensive and plagued by issues in 3D, the beautifully styled Sony KDL-NX720 outpaces the picture quality of most other edge-lit LED-based LCD TVs. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Harman Kardon Soundsticks III 2.1 speakers equip music lovers with four drivers in each satellite and a large subwoofer to pump extra bass.
Bad: There's no external jack to plug in headphones, the bass controls are mounted on the subwoofer itself, and there's no way to turn off the translucent lighting without powering down the entire system.
Bottom Line: The $170 Soundsticks III speakers offer light cosmetic upgrades (and unfortunately retains a few irritations) from the previous model, but if you're a fan of the iridescent design, this speaker system won't disappoint. [Read more]