User Rating:
Good: The Google Nexus 5 is the first Nexus introduced with LTE (finally), has a sleek and solid build and an excellent price, and makes crystal-clear calls. Integration of Google Now is deep and wide.
Bad: The Nexus 5's screen is dimmer than its competitors' and its camera struggles under auto settings. While an important OS update, Android 4.4 KitKat is more conceptual than feature-rich.
Bottom Line: Strong performance, high-end specs, and an ultra-affordable price make the Google Nexus 5 not just the best unlocked phone on the market, but the best Nexus phone by far. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The BlackBerry Z30 is equipped with a big screen, long battery life, and excellent messaging capabilities. It also boasts great call quality plus a removable battery and microSD card slot for extra storage.
Bad: The Z30's BlackBerry 10.2 software is bogged down with unnecessary eye candy. The Blackberry platform still lags behind iOS and Android in both app number and quality. The Z30's camera takes unimpressive pictures. The phone is only sold by Verizon.
Bottom Line: The BlackBerry Z30 lives up the promise of a flagship phone, but it's too little, too late for all but the most committed BlackBerry users. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The DC40 Origin is a good-looking vacuum that functions well, but it's not a showstopper in terms of performance.
Bad: Fragile-feeling hardware makes it hard to feed confident in the DC40's durability and staying power.
Bottom Line: You could do a lot worse than the DC40; however, you could also do better and spend less. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: Dell's Alienware 18 is highly configurable, with dual video cards, tons of RAM and storage space, and an understated design that you won't hate.
Bad: The thick body raises the keyboard uncomfortably high, and getting primo parts costs a lot. Battery life is predictably poor, and this would have been a prime candidate for a better-than-HD screen.
Bottom Line: There's a premium to be paid, but the massive Alienware 18 is a show-off-worthy desktop replacement that takes down even the newest PC games, and is just plain fun to use. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The Amazon Kindle Fire HD (2013) is faster than its predecessors, has an affordable price, and runs the latest and greatest version of the Kindle Fire OS.
Bad: Its default storage size -- 8GB -- is too little space for most tablet needs. Also, there are no cameras and Amazon's video chat customer support is not available. Ad removal still costs an extra $15.
Bottom Line: The 2013 Kindle Fire HD works perfectly as an e-reader with a few extra tablet features, but users looking to take full advantage of Amazon's ecosystem should pay more for the Fire HDX. [Read more]

User Rating:
Good: The 2014 Lexus IS 350 AWD F-Sport's acceleration and adaptive-suspension-enhanced handling leave little to be desired at this price. The F-Sport package's TFT instrument cluster is one of the best that I've tested. Available voice command responds to conversational inputs rather than laborious, endless prompts.
Bad: The Remote Touch Controller can be annoying for precision inputs. The AWD variant of the 350 F-Sport loses a number of the RWD model's performance upgrades, as well as two forward gears.
Bottom Line: The Lexus IS 350 isn't without its flaws and quirks, but it is a fantastic sport sedan offered at a fantastic value. [Read more]