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Bottom Line: The Samsung Galaxy S III's plastic build may not be to everyone's liking, but the quad-core processor and improved voice control feature show that Samsung's flagship Android line has staying power. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good:
Bad:
Bottom Line: The Samsung Galaxy S III's plastic build may not be to everyone's liking, but the quad-core processor and improved voice control feature show that Samsung's flagship Android line has staying power. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Dell XPS 8500 moves to Intel's new third-generation Core i7 CPUs and features fast boot times and file access thanks to an onboard solid-state drive.
Bad: With limited ability to tweak this configuration, you're forced to choose an expensive SSD that throws off this PC's price-performance equation.
Bottom Line: Dell makes a game effort to set the XPS 8500 apart from other performance PCs, but it overshoots with a pricey SSD, making the price hard to justify given this system's average overall performance. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Samsung SSG-4100GB glasses are inexpensive for active glasses and compatible with other brands of TVs thanks to the Full HD 3D standard. Pairing them with your TV is fairly straightforward, they don't require line-of-sight, and the battery lasts a long time.
Bad: The glasses are fairly flimsy, the arms are quite short, and the fit is uncomfortable, especially if you wear glasses. An open design lets in more ambient light and can hinder immersion. They're not rechargeable and require a coin battery.
Bottom Line: The Samsung SSG-4100GB universal glasses are cheap and fine for casual use, but an uncomfortable fit and too-open design means 3D enthusiasts will want other primary glasses. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The 13-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultra NP530U3B is a more affordable ultrabook than the executive-line Series 9, and has plenty of ports crammed into its sleek body. Get the hard drive version, and you'll shave an extra $150 off the price.
Bad: Touch pad, keyboard, and battery life all aren't as excellent as you'd expect from a laptop this attractive-looking, and a plastic feel throughout makes it feel like a step down from a MacBook Air, which it is, price-wise.
Bottom Line: Samsung's finally made an affordable ultrabook, and the 13-inch Series 5 Ultra is a well-priced and far slimmer product than its 14-inch cousin. Still, it's not a runaway bargain, and it feels like corners have been cut from the stellar Series 9's design. You also might want to wait a few weeks for Intel's latest processors to arrive. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Canon EOS 5D Mark III offers a more streamlined shooting design, significantly updated feature set with more configurability, plus better performance over its predecessor. It maintains its excellent photo and video quality as well.
Bad: JPEG photos at low ISO sensitivities don't match the generally excellent level of quality that you can otherwise get out of this camera.
Bottom Line: While it's not a no-brainer upgrade over the Mark II, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is worth the price premium if better performance and configurability matter to you. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Canon EOS 5D Mark III offers a more streamlined shooting design, significantly updated feature set with more configurability, plus better performance over its predecessor. It maintains its excellent photo and video quality as well.
Bad: JPEG photos at low ISO sensitivities don't match the generally excellent level of quality that you can otherwise get out of this camera.
Bottom Line: While it's not a no-brainer upgrade over the Mark II, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is worth the price premium if better performance and configurability matter to you. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: In pure dollar/performance terms the Panasonic TC-P50UT50 is one of the best TVs we've seen, with astounding picture quality for the money. Black levels are the equal of Panasonic's ST50 series in a darkened room, shadow detail is very good, and colors are accurate. Unlike an LCD, as a plasma TV it has superb off-angle and uniformity characteristics. Despite the low price, the UT50 is still studded with the latest features, including 3D and Smart TV.
Bad: The UT50 series doesn't perform very well in a lit room, with blacks becoming muddy and indistinct. The performance of 3D is only passable, with quite distinct ghosting effects. The TV lacks advanced setup controls, which makes tweaking a better picture almost impossible. With only three video inputs it's not suited to users with lots of gear.
Bottom Line: The Panasonic TC-P50UT50 plasma TV nearly matches the world-beating picture quality of the ST50 series, at an even lower price. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: In pure dollar/performance terms the Panasonic TC-P50UT50 is one of the best TVs we've seen, with astounding picture quality for the money. Black levels are the equal of Panasonic's ST50 series in a darkened room, shadow detail is very good, and colors are accurate. Unlike an LCD, as a plasma TV it has superb off-angle and uniformity characteristics. Despite the low price, the UT50 is still studded with the latest features, including 3D and Smart TV.
Bad: The UT50 series doesn't perform very well in a lit room, with blacks becoming muddy and indistinct. The performance of 3D is only passable, with quite distinct ghosting effects. The TV lacks advanced setup controls, which makes tweaking a better picture almost impossible. With only three video inputs it's not suited to users with lots of gear.
Bottom Line: The Panasonic TC-P50UT50 plasma TV nearly matches the world-beating picture quality of the ST50 series, at an even lower price. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: In pure dollar/performance terms the Panasonic TC-P50UT50 is one of the best TVs we've seen, with astounding picture quality for the money. Black levels are the equal of Panasonic's ST50 series in a darkened room, shadow detail is very good, and colors are accurate. Unlike an LCD, as a plasma TV it has superb off-angle and uniformity characteristics. Despite the low price, the UT50 is still studded with the latest features, including 3D and Smart TV.
Bad: The UT50 series doesn't perform very well in a lit room, with blacks becoming muddy and indistinct. The performance of 3D is only passable, with quite distinct ghosting effects. The TV lacks advanced setup controls, which makes tweaking a better picture almost impossible. With only three video inputs it's not suited to users with lots of gear.
Bottom Line: The Panasonic TC-P50UT50 plasma TV nearly matches the world-beating picture quality of the ST50 series, at an even lower price. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: In pure dollar/performance terms the Panasonic TC-P50UT50 is one of the best TVs we've seen, with astounding picture quality for the money. Black levels are the equal of Panasonic's ST50 series in a darkened room, shadow detail is very good, and colors are accurate. Unlike an LCD, as a plasma TV it has superb off-angle and uniformity characteristics. Despite the low price, the UT50 is still studded with the latest features, including 3D and Smart TV.
Bad: The UT50 series doesn't perform very well in a lit room, with blacks becoming muddy and indistinct. The performance of 3D is only passable, with quite distinct ghosting effects. The TV lacks advanced setup controls, which makes tweaking a better picture almost impossible. With only three video inputs it's not suited to users with lots of gear.
Bottom Line: The Panasonic TC-P50UT50 plasma TV nearly matches the world-beating picture quality of the ST50 series, at an even lower price. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a slick, small rugged ultracompact that is fast to focus and shoot, and has plenty of fun shooting options for those looking to do more than just take pictures.
Bad: The TX20's photo quality is disappointing compared with nonrugged Sony Cyber-shots, and its design is almost too small and slippery to use in water.
Bottom Line: The rugged camera that doesn't look rugged, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a nice option for people wanting an ultracompact for days by the pool and nights on the town. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a slick, small rugged ultracompact that is fast to focus and shoot, and has plenty of fun shooting options for those looking to do more than just take pictures.
Bad: The TX20's photo quality is disappointing compared with nonrugged Sony Cyber-shots, and its design is almost too small and slippery to use in water.
Bottom Line: The rugged camera that doesn't look rugged, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a nice option for people wanting an ultracompact for days by the pool and nights on the town. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a slick, small rugged ultracompact that is fast to focus and shoot, and has plenty of fun shooting options for those looking to do more than just take pictures.
Bad: The TX20's photo quality is disappointing compared with nonrugged Sony Cyber-shots, and its design is almost too small and slippery to use in water.
Bottom Line: The rugged camera that doesn't look rugged, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a nice option for people wanting an ultracompact for days by the pool and nights on the town. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a slick, small rugged ultracompact that is fast to focus and shoot, and has plenty of fun shooting options for those looking to do more than just take pictures.
Bad: The TX20's photo quality is disappointing compared with nonrugged Sony Cyber-shots, and its design is almost too small and slippery to use in water.
Bottom Line: The rugged camera that doesn't look rugged, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a nice option for people wanting an ultracompact for days by the pool and nights on the town. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a slick, small rugged ultracompact that is fast to focus and shoot, and has plenty of fun shooting options for those looking to do more than just take pictures.
Bad: The TX20's photo quality is disappointing compared with nonrugged Sony Cyber-shots, and its design is almost too small and slippery to use in water.
Bottom Line: The rugged camera that doesn't look rugged, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is a nice option for people wanting an ultracompact for days by the pool and nights on the town. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The updated Toshiba Qosmio F755 improves the original's glasses-free autostereoscopic 3D.
Bad: The 3D effect still works best for a single viewer, and can be finicky at times. While 3D games are supported, the underpowered GPU makes most unplayable.
Bottom Line: The glasses-free 15-inch 3D display on the Toshiba Qosmio F755 falls just short of being really impressive. The software support and stability are better than for previous models, but low-end hardware needlessly hobbles this laptop. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The 13-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultra NP530U3B is a more affordable ultrabook than the executive-line Series 9, and has plenty of ports crammed into its sleek body. Get the hard drive version, and you'll shave an extra $150 off the price.
Bad: Touch pad, keyboard, and battery life all aren't as excellent as you'd expect from a laptop this attractive-looking, and a plastic feel throughout makes it feel like a step down from a MacBook Air, which it is, price-wise.
Bottom Line: Samsung's finally made an affordable ultrabook, and the 13-inch Series 5 Ultra is a well-priced and far slimmer product than its 14-inch cousin. Still, it's not a runaway bargain, and it feels like corners have been cut from the stellar Series 9's design. You also might want to wait a few weeks for Intel's latest processors to arrive. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The HP 2311gt is decently priced, and has good general performance, useful OSD options, and convincing passive 3D.
Bad: There's an undeniable green-tint push that permeates the visuals, requiring deep customization to improve. The lack of ergonomic options is annoying, though not surprising. The price premium for 3D is a bit higher than I'd like.
Bottom Line: The HP 2311gt is a fairly cheap way to get decent 3D on a monitor. It's also capable for general-purpose use, with useful connections and OSD options. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones offer excellent build quality and very detailed, balanced sound with tight bass. They're also very comfortable and are a relative bargain.
Bad: There's no integrated microphone for making cell phone calls; the bulkier design makes them less suitable for mobile use.
Bottom Line: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones are among the best available for less than $200, offering excellent sound and build quality. [Read more]