User Rating:
Good: The Oreck Touch is a powerful performer from a long-trusted brand. At a price of $399, it flat-out beat the $649 Dyson DC41 in our basic cleaning tests.
Bad: A few minor design imperfections detract from an otherwise flawless build. Also, the Oreck isn't quite as versatile a vacuum as the DC41 or the Shark.
Bottom Line: The Oreck Touch is an exceptional vacuum that left us all highly impressed. It's an excellent choice for anyone looking to upgrade to a high-end machine. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: Samsung's Galaxy Ring has good call quality, a dedicated camera button, and costs an affordable $150 off-contract.
Bad: It has poor screen quality, lacks 4G, takes dull photos, and has a very slow processor.
Bottom Line: Pass on the slow, disappointing Samsung Galaxy Ring in favor of LG's superior Optimus F3. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The HP Chromebook 11 has a sharp design, comfortable keyboard, bright IPS display, and loud speakers; it also works with Chromecast for living-room media sharing.
Bad: Nothing much new under the hood: only 16GB of storage, no SD card slot, and it drops the regular HDMI port that the otherwise similar $250 Samsung Chromebook had. No touch screen. Chromebook still not great as offline-ready device.
Bottom Line: A fresh look and comfortable feel make HP's 11-inch budget Chromebook an appealing bet, especially for households that need a cheap no-frills Web-surfing Google Netbook. If you're not thinking about productivity, though, you're better off with a tablet. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Acer Aspire E1-572-6870 is an inexpensive fourth-generation Core i5 laptop with a nice keyboard, decent weight for its size, and just enough performance to power you through average daily tasks. It has a removable battery, and the hard drive and RAM slots are easily accessible.
Bad: The display is decidedly average, its touch-pad buttons are a bit of a pain, and despite having a spot for it, this model does not include an optical drive. Given its processor, battery life may be shorter than expected.
Bottom Line: As budget-friendly laptops go, the Acer Aspire E1-572-6870 is a good value with sufficient power for basic tasks, and it doesn't look bad, either. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Dropcam Pro improves on the image and two-way talk feature of the original Dropcam HD. It's easy to use and set up, and you can view a remote video feed over the Internet or on your iOS or Android mobile device via free Dropcam apps. New zoom/enhance feature works well; no service fee for basic live viewing; and the addition of Bluetooth makes setup even easier and will allow you to connect optional home-monitoring accessories in the future.
Bad: You may experience some lag with the video and audio, depending on the speed of your Internet service. PC-free setup isn't available for Android devices at launch. Camera isn't weather-proof and can't be placed outside.
Bottom Line: The Dropcam Pro dramatically improves on the company's already impressive previous generation wireless home-monitoring camera. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Fitbit Force makes it easy to track steps, sleep, and calories. Its wrist-strap design is lightweight, comfortable to wear, and also functions as a watch.The Force syncs wirelessly over Bluetooth, and Fitbit's solution provides plenty of ways to sift through fitness data.
Bad: Closing the Fitbit Force's strap shut is a challenge. Direct syncing is only available with newer iPhones, the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, and Note 2 handsets.
Bottom Line: The Fitbit Force leaps to the top of the fitness tracker heap, with a bright screen, comfortable fit, and a bevy of slick features. [Read more]