Top rated Gadgets of 2013
Cambridge Audio Minx 200
Rarely do you come across a wireless speaker capable of handling both Airplay and Bluetooth, along
with booming bass extension and stellar mid-range. Cambridge Audio’s sound blaster accomplishes it
all and packs everything into a clean-designed enclosure that speaks to luxury home audio
enthusiasts. The Minx Air 200 flaunts dual 2.25-inch BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers and a 6.5
-inch sub, both mated with a class-D amp that cranks 200W of noise. Bump it at max volume and see if
the cops don't come knockin' at the crib.
Price $600
FitBit Flex
Nike got some stiff competition on the fitness bracelet front. The competitively priced Flex manages to pull off some of the same activity tricks as the Fuelband such as monitor step counts, distance traveled, burned calories, and more, syncing results to your iPhone or Android device. Only difference is this activity tracker is lighter, offers interchangeable bands, and presents the better web experience.
Price $100
LG Optimus G Pro
“Phablets” are becoming the next best thing in the mobile conglomerate thanks to the prominent success of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. Several other mobile manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon, though LG seems to be the only frontrunner at the moment to possibly dethrone the Android king with its latest offering. The Optimus G Pro is massive in both size and performance, pushing higher benchmarks than the Galaxy Note II thanks to its insanely fast 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor. Videos look gorgeous on the 5.5-inch 1080p HD screen and 4G data speeds excel on AT&T’s network. Bigger is better.
Price: $200 (w/two-year contract)
Trakdot Luggage Tracker
Price: $50
Ever had your bags sent to the other side of the world or incompetently misplaced by an airline?Frequent flyers can breathe easy as the Trakdot serves as a LoJack for luggage—monitoring baggage through the use of cellular technology instead of GPS. The palm-sized tracker slips into any back pack or large suitcase and sends alerts via accompanying app, email, SMS, or company website. It even shoots notifications for when your bag hits the claim carousel. Insecure types might want to secretly hide these in the back of their chicks whips.
VIZIO M-Series 80-Inch Razor LED Smart TV
Price: $4,000
A visually stunning 80-inch HDTV priced lower than five grand seems inconceivable these days. Vizio chose to go against the grain, equipping its new M-Series Smart TV with premium features, 3D capability, and enhanced LED edge lighting all for $1,000 less. The set expands on Vizio’s Smart TV ecosystem by providing improvements such as prompt set-up and a full collection of popular multimedia apps: including Amazon Instant Video, Facebook, HuluPlus, Netfix, 3DGO!, and many more.
Throw in its ultramodern design with sleek bezel frame, you're lookin at the best $5,000 a sports junkie could invest in at the moment.
Mophie iPhone 5 Juice Pack Plus
Price: $120
The reigning king of smartphone charging cases takes battery performance on the iPhone 5 to another level with the Juice Pack Plus. Supporting a 2100 mAh cell efficient enough to produce 120% extra vitality, Mophie’s new charger can generate up to 10 hours of LTE usage and nearly 50 hours of audio playback, securing Apple’s next-gen mobile in a stylishly durable jacket.
Microsoft Surface Pro
Price: $900
With desktops slowly dying out, the PC convertible market continues to grow vastly and Microsoft’s tablet/laptop hybrid is leading the brigade. The Surface Pro expands on the patented elements that made the R/T version a success, while integrating stronger specs and improved multi-touch technology into the mix. An Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge CPU with HD Graphics 4000 and 128GB SSD make room for ultrabook-like performance, plus the Pro’s innovative Touch Cover promotes accurate touch feedback that you won’t find on most competitors.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020
Price: $2,900
Next time Kanye plans a special screening for an upcoming visual around your neighborhood, be sure to have this baby on hand. Whether it be your living room wall or the side of a project building, the Epson 5020 presents marveling 2D/3D picture quality attributed to its wide brightness range and exposure levels. Lights, camera, action!
Roku 3
Price: $100
Cord-cutters developed an infatuation with with the Roku for its content streaming capabilities and unbeatable price options. The third-generation model stands as the company’s best model over 750 channels to nearly every major multimedia outlet such as HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Pandora,MLB.TV, and plenty more. Roku’s updated remote now supports a built-in headphone jack for solo listening sessions and the box demonstrates speedy performance that's yet to be matched.
Sonos Playbar
Price: $700
If you haven't noticed by now, Sonos has carved a niche in the audio market with its line of wireless speakers and innovative playback solutions. Now the company's generating some serious buzz over its wireless sound bar. Equipped with nine Class-D amps, which powers six midrange drivers and three tweeters, you don’t have to be an engineer to know this thing blares ridiculously loud noise. The Playbar delivers deep bass without showing any signs of distortion, allowing listeners to take in a rich listening experience.
Apple iPod with Retina Display
Price: $230
Despite the lack of rear camera and memory capacity, Apple’s managed to improve its portable media player for the better by squeezing in a faster processor, enhanced FaceTime camera, and gorgeous 4-inch Retina Display into a lighter package. Apple also includes a pair of its signature EarPods headphones for good measure.
Harman Kardon NC
Price: $300
Swanky and well-engineered, Harman Kardon’s retro-inspired sound cans are the freshest-looking and most impressive pair of noise cancellers on the scene. The appropriately tagged NC’s match the soundstage and refine audio output of the Bose QC 15, though carrying a built-in rechargeable battery that gets 40 hours of playback. It's even functional when vitality is drained. NC might have just took on a whole new definition: No competition.
Samsung NX300
Price: $750
An editor’s choice on most tech blogs, Sammy’s compact mirrorless shooter captures high-quality stills and welcomes state-of-the-art wireless sharing features (hotspot, social media) absent on most of today’s top camera models. The NX 300 is the first of its kind to carry a 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens and execute both third-dimensional photos and videos flawlessly, making it a suitable DSLR replacement. And with a 7fps burst-shooting mode, pictures are instantaneous with the press of the shutter button.
Razer Edge Pro Gaming Tablet
Price: $1,300
Gamers have clamored for a device that can double as a gaming PC rig on the go. Low and behold, Razer went as far as to fullfill such a dream by unleashing the world’s most powerful tablet: the Edge Pro. Housing a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7 CPU with 8GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce GT 640 LE GPU, and 256GB SSD under a stylish, bulky frame—the slate bears the processing firepower to handle high-powered titles like BioShock Infinite and Crysis 3 with ease. Optional peripherals like the Gamepad and docking station bring about a console-gaming feel that’s never been executed on a tablet.
Bose SoundLink Mini
Price: $200
Bose steps into the portable Bluetooth speaker octagon and is straight Jon Jones-ing its way to the top of the ranks with the SoundLink Mini. On top of packaging the mobile speaker with the same full-range audio and rugged ergonomics found on the previous SoundLink II, the company built two custom high-powered transducers to promote an efficient soundstage capable of handling strong bass and mid-range. Oh yea, it also remembers up to six devices, each requiring a one-time-only synchronization. Remember this come next business trip.
Samsung S9 Ultra HD 85-Inch TV
Price: $40,000
Sammy unveiled its 85-inch beast at CES 2013 and left the audience awestruck over its industrial design, phenomenal ultra hi-def picture quality, and yes, astronomical MSRP. The ginormous panel exhibits 4K technology, a new format billed to make your current HD TV look like grandpa’s hand me down, displaying 4,000 pixels wide across the entire screen to deliver the most refined viewing experience. It also boasts three-way 2.2 channels of 120-watt sound, quad-core processing, and gesture/voice control. Hope you saved that income tax towards a layaway.
Sony Vaio Pro 13
Price: $1,250
Less than a handful of ultrabook models can give the MacBook Air a run for its money and Sony’s latest build might be the closest of the select few. Sexy, slender, and powerful, the world’s lightest 13.3-inch touch laptop is a multimedia beast that delivers gorgeous visuals on a colorful full-HD panel and outputs rich sound from its hinge-located speakers. With Intel's new Haswell 4th
Generation Core CPU at the helm, the Vaio Pro enforces stronger processing speeds and booting times than most premium Windows 8 laptops. The affordable price tag also works in its favor.
Bang and Olufsen BeoPlay H3 Earphones
Price: $250
Most audiophiles won’t drop over two Benjamins on a pair of headphones unless they come in the over-ear form. B&O's new gorgeous and sonically powerful in-ears are so great, it’ll encourage you to break bank. Sporting an aluminum unibody frame storing a 10.8mm driver and new Micro Bass Port to create a dynamic sound design, plus 23 air holes on the side of each ear bud for ventilation purposes, the H3 lets listeners take in maximum clarity and sound quality without compromising noise cancellation. These are the only in-ears that matter right now.
Dish Network Hopper with Sling
Price: $250
Two of the industry’s biggest home entertainment technologies join forces to produce the ultimate DVR set-up. The next-gen Hopper offers the same industry-leading DVR services, while integrating Sling’s popular place-shifting features. Viewers have the option to download (iPad only) and watch programs on any iOS or Android device using the Dish Anywhere app. No more excuses for missing Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead.
Bowers and Wilkins Z2
Price: $400
B&W made a name for itself when introducing the world to its ultra-modern Zepplin Air sound dock. Now the luxury audio brand’s made the decision to go with a more compact form factor for its latest Airplay speaker, one bearing a seamlessly unobtrusive mold that sits beautifully in any private home setting and outputs implausibly rich sound. The sexy Z2 accomplishes both feats and more. One can only expect clear wireless audio and resonant bass levels to blast through the 20 watt-per-channel stereo amp and 3.5-inch full range drivers. This little beauty knows how to bring the noise in elegant fashion.
HTC One
Price: $100 (w/ two-year contract, Sprint), $100 (w/ two-year contract, T-Mobile), $200 - $300 (w/ two-year contract, AT&T)
With over 5 million units sold, HTC’s flagship device is starting to catch on with mobilephiles. And why shouldn’t it? From the beautifully stunning aesthetics to its raw horsepower, the One is an all-around stunner. Dynamic software spearheaded by the latest Sense UI brings a more intuitive user experience with notable enhancements made to the new “UltraPixel” camera and the introduction of its new feed-inspired BlinkFeed feature. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 1.7GHz quad-core provides seamless and speedy multitasking, plus the new BoomSound front-facing speakers elevate portable audio to the next level by blasting impactful audio through the bottom grill.
Olympus PEN EP-5
Price: $1,000
Olympus retro-inspired camera arguably stands out as the top Micro Four Thirds shooter at the moment and the only one to feature a 1/8000S shutter speed, which until now was unheard of such a device. Accompanied by a 16MP sensor with five-axis stabilization system, the PEN E-P5 takes advantage of
lightening-fast auto focus to produce some of the most detailed and illuminating shoots. Don’t be fooled by the camera's nostalgic presence, as it boasts a number of modern facets like wi-fi capability and tilting 1.04M-dot 3-inch touchscreen to view captured portraits. Believe it when we say this thing handles great in any lighting condition.
MacBook Air 2013 Edition (13-inch)
Price: $1,099
Another year, another upgrade to the MacBook Air line. Only this time around, Apple’s ultra-slim laptop is priced $100 less than its predecessor and carries Intel’s new fourth-gen CPUs to help achieve over 15 hours of battery life—making it the longest-lasting portable PC around. Apple also keeps intact its industry-best keyboard and touchpad, also supporting faster flash memory and improved graphics performance. If there was ever a time to cop a MacBook, it’s now.
Cambridge Audio Minx 200
Rarely do you come across a wireless speaker capable of handling both Airplay and Bluetooth, along
with booming bass extension and stellar mid-range. Cambridge Audio’s sound blaster accomplishes it
all and packs everything into a clean-designed enclosure that speaks to luxury home audio
enthusiasts. The Minx Air 200 flaunts dual 2.25-inch BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers and a 6.5
-inch sub, both mated with a class-D amp that cranks 200W of noise. Bump it at max volume and see if
the cops don't come knockin' at the crib.
Price $600
FitBit Flex
Nike got some stiff competition on the fitness bracelet front. The competitively priced Flex manages to pull off some of the same activity tricks as the Fuelband such as monitor step counts, distance traveled, burned calories, and more, syncing results to your iPhone or Android device. Only difference is this activity tracker is lighter, offers interchangeable bands, and presents the better web experience.
Price $100
LG Optimus G Pro
“Phablets” are becoming the next best thing in the mobile conglomerate thanks to the prominent success of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. Several other mobile manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon, though LG seems to be the only frontrunner at the moment to possibly dethrone the Android king with its latest offering. The Optimus G Pro is massive in both size and performance, pushing higher benchmarks than the Galaxy Note II thanks to its insanely fast 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor. Videos look gorgeous on the 5.5-inch 1080p HD screen and 4G data speeds excel on AT&T’s network. Bigger is better.
Price: $200 (w/two-year contract)
Trakdot Luggage Tracker
Price: $50
Ever had your bags sent to the other side of the world or incompetently misplaced by an airline?Frequent flyers can breathe easy as the Trakdot serves as a LoJack for luggage—monitoring baggage through the use of cellular technology instead of GPS. The palm-sized tracker slips into any back pack or large suitcase and sends alerts via accompanying app, email, SMS, or company website. It even shoots notifications for when your bag hits the claim carousel. Insecure types might want to secretly hide these in the back of their chicks whips.
VIZIO M-Series 80-Inch Razor LED Smart TV
Price: $4,000
A visually stunning 80-inch HDTV priced lower than five grand seems inconceivable these days. Vizio chose to go against the grain, equipping its new M-Series Smart TV with premium features, 3D capability, and enhanced LED edge lighting all for $1,000 less. The set expands on Vizio’s Smart TV ecosystem by providing improvements such as prompt set-up and a full collection of popular multimedia apps: including Amazon Instant Video, Facebook, HuluPlus, Netfix, 3DGO!, and many more.
Throw in its ultramodern design with sleek bezel frame, you're lookin at the best $5,000 a sports junkie could invest in at the moment.
Mophie iPhone 5 Juice Pack Plus
Price: $120
The reigning king of smartphone charging cases takes battery performance on the iPhone 5 to another level with the Juice Pack Plus. Supporting a 2100 mAh cell efficient enough to produce 120% extra vitality, Mophie’s new charger can generate up to 10 hours of LTE usage and nearly 50 hours of audio playback, securing Apple’s next-gen mobile in a stylishly durable jacket.
Microsoft Surface Pro
Price: $900
With desktops slowly dying out, the PC convertible market continues to grow vastly and Microsoft’s tablet/laptop hybrid is leading the brigade. The Surface Pro expands on the patented elements that made the R/T version a success, while integrating stronger specs and improved multi-touch technology into the mix. An Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge CPU with HD Graphics 4000 and 128GB SSD make room for ultrabook-like performance, plus the Pro’s innovative Touch Cover promotes accurate touch feedback that you won’t find on most competitors.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020
Price: $2,900
Next time Kanye plans a special screening for an upcoming visual around your neighborhood, be sure to have this baby on hand. Whether it be your living room wall or the side of a project building, the Epson 5020 presents marveling 2D/3D picture quality attributed to its wide brightness range and exposure levels. Lights, camera, action!
Roku 3
Price: $100
Cord-cutters developed an infatuation with with the Roku for its content streaming capabilities and unbeatable price options. The third-generation model stands as the company’s best model over 750 channels to nearly every major multimedia outlet such as HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Pandora,MLB.TV, and plenty more. Roku’s updated remote now supports a built-in headphone jack for solo listening sessions and the box demonstrates speedy performance that's yet to be matched.
Sonos Playbar
Price: $700
If you haven't noticed by now, Sonos has carved a niche in the audio market with its line of wireless speakers and innovative playback solutions. Now the company's generating some serious buzz over its wireless sound bar. Equipped with nine Class-D amps, which powers six midrange drivers and three tweeters, you don’t have to be an engineer to know this thing blares ridiculously loud noise. The Playbar delivers deep bass without showing any signs of distortion, allowing listeners to take in a rich listening experience.
Apple iPod with Retina Display
Price: $230
Despite the lack of rear camera and memory capacity, Apple’s managed to improve its portable media player for the better by squeezing in a faster processor, enhanced FaceTime camera, and gorgeous 4-inch Retina Display into a lighter package. Apple also includes a pair of its signature EarPods headphones for good measure.
Harman Kardon NC
Price: $300
Swanky and well-engineered, Harman Kardon’s retro-inspired sound cans are the freshest-looking and most impressive pair of noise cancellers on the scene. The appropriately tagged NC’s match the soundstage and refine audio output of the Bose QC 15, though carrying a built-in rechargeable battery that gets 40 hours of playback. It's even functional when vitality is drained. NC might have just took on a whole new definition: No competition.
Samsung NX300
Price: $750
An editor’s choice on most tech blogs, Sammy’s compact mirrorless shooter captures high-quality stills and welcomes state-of-the-art wireless sharing features (hotspot, social media) absent on most of today’s top camera models. The NX 300 is the first of its kind to carry a 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens and execute both third-dimensional photos and videos flawlessly, making it a suitable DSLR replacement. And with a 7fps burst-shooting mode, pictures are instantaneous with the press of the shutter button.
Razer Edge Pro Gaming Tablet
Price: $1,300
Gamers have clamored for a device that can double as a gaming PC rig on the go. Low and behold, Razer went as far as to fullfill such a dream by unleashing the world’s most powerful tablet: the Edge Pro. Housing a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7 CPU with 8GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce GT 640 LE GPU, and 256GB SSD under a stylish, bulky frame—the slate bears the processing firepower to handle high-powered titles like BioShock Infinite and Crysis 3 with ease. Optional peripherals like the Gamepad and docking station bring about a console-gaming feel that’s never been executed on a tablet.
Bose SoundLink Mini
Price: $200
Bose steps into the portable Bluetooth speaker octagon and is straight Jon Jones-ing its way to the top of the ranks with the SoundLink Mini. On top of packaging the mobile speaker with the same full-range audio and rugged ergonomics found on the previous SoundLink II, the company built two custom high-powered transducers to promote an efficient soundstage capable of handling strong bass and mid-range. Oh yea, it also remembers up to six devices, each requiring a one-time-only synchronization. Remember this come next business trip.
Samsung S9 Ultra HD 85-Inch TV
Price: $40,000
Sammy unveiled its 85-inch beast at CES 2013 and left the audience awestruck over its industrial design, phenomenal ultra hi-def picture quality, and yes, astronomical MSRP. The ginormous panel exhibits 4K technology, a new format billed to make your current HD TV look like grandpa’s hand me down, displaying 4,000 pixels wide across the entire screen to deliver the most refined viewing experience. It also boasts three-way 2.2 channels of 120-watt sound, quad-core processing, and gesture/voice control. Hope you saved that income tax towards a layaway.
Sony Vaio Pro 13
Price: $1,250
Less than a handful of ultrabook models can give the MacBook Air a run for its money and Sony’s latest build might be the closest of the select few. Sexy, slender, and powerful, the world’s lightest 13.3-inch touch laptop is a multimedia beast that delivers gorgeous visuals on a colorful full-HD panel and outputs rich sound from its hinge-located speakers. With Intel's new Haswell 4th
Generation Core CPU at the helm, the Vaio Pro enforces stronger processing speeds and booting times than most premium Windows 8 laptops. The affordable price tag also works in its favor.
Bang and Olufsen BeoPlay H3 Earphones
Price: $250
Most audiophiles won’t drop over two Benjamins on a pair of headphones unless they come in the over-ear form. B&O's new gorgeous and sonically powerful in-ears are so great, it’ll encourage you to break bank. Sporting an aluminum unibody frame storing a 10.8mm driver and new Micro Bass Port to create a dynamic sound design, plus 23 air holes on the side of each ear bud for ventilation purposes, the H3 lets listeners take in maximum clarity and sound quality without compromising noise cancellation. These are the only in-ears that matter right now.
Dish Network Hopper with Sling
Price: $250
Two of the industry’s biggest home entertainment technologies join forces to produce the ultimate DVR set-up. The next-gen Hopper offers the same industry-leading DVR services, while integrating Sling’s popular place-shifting features. Viewers have the option to download (iPad only) and watch programs on any iOS or Android device using the Dish Anywhere app. No more excuses for missing Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead.
Bowers and Wilkins Z2
Price: $400
B&W made a name for itself when introducing the world to its ultra-modern Zepplin Air sound dock. Now the luxury audio brand’s made the decision to go with a more compact form factor for its latest Airplay speaker, one bearing a seamlessly unobtrusive mold that sits beautifully in any private home setting and outputs implausibly rich sound. The sexy Z2 accomplishes both feats and more. One can only expect clear wireless audio and resonant bass levels to blast through the 20 watt-per-channel stereo amp and 3.5-inch full range drivers. This little beauty knows how to bring the noise in elegant fashion.
HTC One
Price: $100 (w/ two-year contract, Sprint), $100 (w/ two-year contract, T-Mobile), $200 - $300 (w/ two-year contract, AT&T)
With over 5 million units sold, HTC’s flagship device is starting to catch on with mobilephiles. And why shouldn’t it? From the beautifully stunning aesthetics to its raw horsepower, the One is an all-around stunner. Dynamic software spearheaded by the latest Sense UI brings a more intuitive user experience with notable enhancements made to the new “UltraPixel” camera and the introduction of its new feed-inspired BlinkFeed feature. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 1.7GHz quad-core provides seamless and speedy multitasking, plus the new BoomSound front-facing speakers elevate portable audio to the next level by blasting impactful audio through the bottom grill.
Olympus PEN EP-5
Price: $1,000
Olympus retro-inspired camera arguably stands out as the top Micro Four Thirds shooter at the moment and the only one to feature a 1/8000S shutter speed, which until now was unheard of such a device. Accompanied by a 16MP sensor with five-axis stabilization system, the PEN E-P5 takes advantage of
lightening-fast auto focus to produce some of the most detailed and illuminating shoots. Don’t be fooled by the camera's nostalgic presence, as it boasts a number of modern facets like wi-fi capability and tilting 1.04M-dot 3-inch touchscreen to view captured portraits. Believe it when we say this thing handles great in any lighting condition.
MacBook Air 2013 Edition (13-inch)
Price: $1,099
Another year, another upgrade to the MacBook Air line. Only this time around, Apple’s ultra-slim laptop is priced $100 less than its predecessor and carries Intel’s new fourth-gen CPUs to help achieve over 15 hours of battery life—making it the longest-lasting portable PC around. Apple also keeps intact its industry-best keyboard and touchpad, also supporting faster flash memory and improved graphics performance. If there was ever a time to cop a MacBook, it’s now.
No comments:
Post a Comment