User Rating:
Good: The AKG K495 NCs are stylish, well-built headphones with excellent fit and finish. They sound good, offer effective noise cancellation, and are rechargeable via USB. They also fold flat and come with a nice carrying case and can play without the noise cancellation engaged.
Bad: At $350, they're pricey--and should sound even more refined; a little light on the bass.
Bottom Line: The AKG K495 NCs aren't as comfortable and don't sound quite as good as the Bose QC 15s, but they're built better, offer very good noise-cancellation, and recharge via USB. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: Logitech's Touch Mouse M600 cuts an attractive profile and delivers effective, touch-based mouse input, as promised.
Bad: For all of the M600's fancy touch technology, you will find few functional differences between this mouse and a more affordable mechanical model.
Bottom Line: Logitech's Touch Mouse M600 works well enough, but it's not as ambitious as Apple's and Microsoft's competing touch mice, which means Logitech shouldn't be asking for the same price as its competition. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The lightweight, ergonomic HP X7000 Wi-Fi Touch Mouse transmits a pairing signal through a wireless network to liberate precious USB ports for other peripherals.
Bad: The X7000's ergonomic shape alienates left-handed users, the oversensitive touch scroll pad doesn't compare to the tactility of a classic scroll wheel, and the driver software lacks tools to reroute the functions of the mouse buttons.
Bottom Line: The HP X7000 Wi-Fi Touch Mouse frees up USB ports by pairing through a wireless adapter, but its hypersensitive touch dial and accident-prone design make it frustrating to use. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Satechi Sound-Fly View gives you about a half dozen ways to get your audio and hands-free calls via your car stereo thanks to a combination of FM transmission, analog connections, and an SD card slot. A powered USB port helps keep portable devices charged while in use with the Sound-Fly View.
Bad: Controls are a bit redundant in places and complex in others; the USB port doesn't read media; and Bluetooth audio streaming performed inconsistently during our testing.
Bottom Line: The flexible Satechi Sound-Fly View has the right features and the right connections, but it needs a bit more design and polish. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition is a sharp-looking black 14-inch laptop with a hybrid hard drive, high-res matte display, very cool red backlit keyboard, and a subwoofer.
Bad: Starting at only $150 less than the all-metal HP Envy, parts of the dm4's plastic body feel cheap in comparison. With thin, lightweight laptops popping up everywhere, it's a bit hefty, and the touch pad can be finicky.
Bottom Line: The only real knock against this chic-looking 14-inch multimedia laptop is its plastic body; other than that, this is a great midrange laptop with a unique, eye-catching design. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Samsung Galaxy Note's 5.3-inch HD screen is ideal for showcasing multimedia. It has 4G LTE, a great 8-megapixel camera, and a souped-up S-Pen stylus that brings new ways to interact with your phone.
Bad: The Galaxy Note's S-Pen is small, has a delayed response, and requires a little training to use. The phone will be awkwardly large for some, and it doesn't fit easily into pockets.
Bottom Line: With its huge screen and throwback stylus, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a polarizing smartphone that winks at tablet territory. Those who like their screens XL will find a top-notch device that lets multimedia shine. The S-Pen adds some artistic potential, but for some, the phone will just simply be too big. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Samsung Galaxy Note's 5.3-inch HD screen is ideal for showcasing multimedia. It has 4G LTE, a great 8-megapixel camera, and a souped-up S-Pen stylus that brings new ways to interact with your phone.
Bad: The Galaxy Note's S-Pen is small, has a delayed response, and requires a little training to use. The phone will be awkwardly large for some, and it doesn't fit easily into pockets.
Bottom Line: With its huge screen and throwback stylus, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a polarizing smartphone that winks at tablet territory. Those who like their screens XL will find a top-notch device that lets multimedia shine. The S-Pen adds some artistic potential, but for some, the phone will just simply be too big. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The PlayStation Vita delivers amazing visuals on its 5-inch OLED touch screen that look almost as good as PS3 graphics. The system's launch lineup is very impressive and allows for downloading of some games (including all first-party titles) over the PlayStation Network. The Vita's operating system is smartly designed, easy to use, and ultraresponsive. The unit feels great to hold and has excellent standby battery life.
Bad: The Vita uses proprietary media and connections across the board, and even requires the purchase of a separate memory card to play most games and use most apps, which results in a hidden cost. Battery life could be better, and there's no way it can be replaced by the user. There's also no video out. Also, some antipiracy implementations are a bit cumbersome to deal with (for example, mounting the Vita to a PC/Mac for file transfer). It's also unclear how much storage the Vita has onboard, and it'll cost you more money for larger Vita Memory Cards.
Bottom Line: Overall, the PlayStation Vita is the most advanced portable gaming system ever made. While the price is deceiving because of a hidden cost, gamers are getting an impressively complete package right out of the gate. A healthy launch lineup is sure to provide something for every kind of gamer, and a large selection of digital downloads is available right now. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The PlayStation Vita delivers amazing visuals on its 5-inch OLED touch screen that look almost as good as PS3 graphics. The system's launch lineup is very impressive and allows for downloading of some games (including all first-party titles) over the PlayStation Network. The Vita's operating system is smartly designed, easy to use, and ultraresponsive. The unit feels great to hold and has excellent standby battery life.
Bad: The Vita uses proprietary media and connections across the board, and even requires the purchase of a separate memory card to play most games and use most apps, which results in a hidden cost. Battery life could be better, and there's no way it can be replaced by the user. There's also no video out. Also, some antipiracy implementations are a bit cumbersome to deal with (for example, mounting the Vita to a PC/Mac for file transfer). It's also unclear how much storage the Vita has onboard, and it'll cost you more money for larger Vita Memory Cards.
Bottom Line: Overall, the PlayStation Vita is the most advanced portable gaming system ever made. While the price is deceiving because of a hidden cost, gamers are getting an impressively complete package right out of the gate. A healthy launch lineup is sure to provide something for every kind of gamer, and a large selection of digital downloads is available right now. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The PlayStation Vita delivers amazing visuals on its 5-inch OLED touch screen that look almost as good as PS3 graphics. The system's launch lineup is very impressive and allows for downloading of some games (including all first-party titles) over the PlayStation Network. The Vita's operating system is smartly designed, easy to use, and ultraresponsive. The unit feels great to hold and has excellent standby battery life.
Bad: The Vita uses proprietary media and connections across the board, and even requires the purchase of a separate memory card to play most games and use most apps, which results in a hidden cost. Battery life could be better, and there's no way it can be replaced by the user. There's also no video out. Also, some antipiracy implementations are a bit cumbersome to deal with (for example, mounting the Vita to a PC/Mac for file transfer). It's also unclear how much storage the Vita has onboard, and it'll cost you more money for larger Vita Memory Cards.
Bottom Line: Overall, the PlayStation Vita is the most advanced portable gaming system ever made. While the price is deceiving because of a hidden cost, gamers are getting an impressively complete package right out of the gate. A healthy launch lineup is sure to provide something for every kind of gamer, and a large selection of digital downloads is available right now. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Olympus PEN E-PM1 has a relatively compact and appealing design, and operates similarly enough to a point-and-shoot that upgraders needn't be intimidated. Plus it's priced aggressively.
Bad: If you're picky, the image and video quality may not completely satisfy you.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a step-up model that's still pretty compact, the Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a solid, affordable choice. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Olympus PEN E-PM1 has a relatively compact and appealing design, and operates similarly enough to a point-and-shoot that upgraders needn't be intimidated. Plus it's priced aggressively.
Bad: If you're picky, the image and video quality may not completely satisfy you.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a step-up model that's still pretty compact, the Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a solid, affordable choice. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Olympus PEN E-PM1 has a relatively compact and appealing design, and operates similarly enough to a point-and-shoot that upgraders needn't be intimidated. Plus it's priced aggressively.
Bad: If you're picky, the image and video quality may not completely satisfy you.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a step-up model that's still pretty compact, the Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a solid, affordable choice. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Olympus PEN E-PM1 has a relatively compact and appealing design, and operates similarly enough to a point-and-shoot that upgraders needn't be intimidated. Plus it's priced aggressively.
Bad: If you're picky, the image and video quality may not completely satisfy you.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a step-up model that's still pretty compact, the Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a solid, affordable choice. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Olympus PEN E-PM1 has a relatively compact and appealing design, and operates similarly enough to a point-and-shoot that upgraders needn't be intimidated. Plus it's priced aggressively.
Bad: If you're picky, the image and video quality may not completely satisfy you.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a step-up model that's still pretty compact, the Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a solid, affordable choice. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Olympus PEN E-PM1 has a relatively compact and appealing design, and operates similarly enough to a point-and-shoot that upgraders needn't be intimidated. Plus it's priced aggressively.
Bad: If you're picky, the image and video quality may not completely satisfy you.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a step-up model that's still pretty compact, the Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a solid, affordable choice. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Samsung Galaxy Note's 5.3-inch HD screen is ideal for showcasing multimedia. It has 4G LTE, a great 8-megapixel camera, and a souped-up S-Pen stylus that brings new ways to interact with your phone.
Bad: The Galaxy Note's S-Pen is small, has a delayed response, and requires a little training to use. The phone will be awkwardly large for some, and it doesn't fit easily into pockets.
Bottom Line: With its huge screen and throwback stylus, the Samsung Galaxy Note is a polarizing smartphone that winks at tablet territory. Those who like their screens XL will find a top-notch device that lets multimedia shine. The S-Pen adds some artistic potential, but for some, the phone will just simply be too big. [Read more]