User Rating:
Good: The Canon PowerShot SX170 IS is a good choice for budget-conscious buyers who want to do more than point-and-shoot, thanks to its semimanual and manual shooting modes and large, comfortable controls.
Bad: Despite the switch to a rechargeable battery, the SX170 is still pretty bulky and its shooting performance is too slow for fast-moving subjects like kids and pets -- especially indoors.
Bottom Line: If you hate AA batteries, but like inexpensive compacts with manual controls, the 16x zoom Canon PowerShot SX170 IS takes a good photo. Otherwise, seek out its predecessor, the SX160 IS. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Canon PowerShot SX170 IS is a good choice for budget-conscious buyers who want to do more than point-and-shoot, thanks to its semimanual and manual shooting modes and large, comfortable controls.
Bad: Despite the switch to a rechargeable battery, the SX170 is still pretty bulky and its shooting performance is too slow for fast-moving subjects like kids and pets -- especially indoors.
Bottom Line: If you hate AA batteries, but like inexpensive compacts with manual controls, the 16x zoom Canon PowerShot SX170 IS takes a good photo. Otherwise, seek out its predecessor, the SX160 IS. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Dirt Devil Dash Upright Vacuum's Vac + Dust tool powers through debris on hard floors, utilizing both a vacuum nozzle and machine-washable microfiber pad.
Bad: The Dirt Devil was a bottom performer in all of our tests.
Bottom Line: If you're spending money on something, you want it to work. Sadly, the Dirt Devil Dash Upright Vacuum doesn't perform well enough to make it worth $119, especially when other sub-$200 vacuums outperform it by leaps and bounds. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Toshiba Excite 7 tablet is competitively priced and features a microSD card expansion slot.
Bad: Its plastic-y body feels cheap and performance slows significantly if multiple apps are open. The low resolution screen looks pixelated and dull compared to other similarly priced tablets, and it's sometimes unresponsive.
Bottom Line: Though low-priced, the Toshiba Excite 7 fails to offer as much value as other budget tablets. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: Microsoft's Xbox One integrates live TV in an innovative fashion and can control your cable or satellite cable box, TV, and receiver. Most games present noticeably improved graphics over those on the Xbox 360. The One has a slightly better roster of exclusive launch games compared with the PS4's.
Bad: The live TV integration is fraught with frustrations: Kinect voice commands don't always work, the new dashboard is more confusing than it needs to be, and the system lacks full DVR integration. It costs $100 more than the PS4, and the additional Xbox Live Gold membership fee is required to use nearly every cool feature. The lineup of launch games lacks a Halo-caliber must-have title.
Bottom Line: The Xbox One goes beyond gaming with its ambitious live TV integration, but at launch it can't deliver a knockout blow to the PS4 due to a higher price and uneven voice control. We suggest you wait for improvements, but for now, the Xbox One is better suited to forgiving early adopters. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The stylish LG Exalt is a flip phone with a large screen, expandable memory, and a free price tag under contract.
Bad: The handset's slick coating may prove slippery for some, and its camera lacks a flash.
Bottom Line: With its generously sized screen and smooth performance, the LG Exalt is a top contender in Verizon's line of basic phones. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Origin PC EON17-SLX is a very powerful gaming laptop from a company with killer tech support. Highly flexible configuration options make it easy to build to your budget, and a Thunderbolt port adds a bit of future-proofing.
Bad: A top-of-the-line build is still prohibitively expensive, and even with a few new design tweaks, the chassis can't compare with custom designs from the major PC makers.
Bottom Line: Cramming the most high-end parts into a massive 17-inch body will top $4,000, but you also get a powerful laptop that has more next-gen gaming muscle than any living-room console. [Read more]