Here’s a list of the very best gear we’ve seen this year. It’s more bragger’s guide than buyer’s guide—if you have any of this, you can officially tell your friends to suck on it.
The year winds to an end and every product worth a damn has already hit store shelves—there’s not going to be any new shiny coolness until next month’s CES. We were lucky enough to have a look at most of the best gear out there, and we’ve passed judgment on all that we saw. Here’s a complete list of great products, yanked from our first looks, reviews, and epic Battlemodos:
TV & HOME THEATER
TVs:
Pioneer Kuro Elite PRO-111FD Plasma
Samsung 650 and 750 Series LCD
Honorable mention for value: Toshiba Regza RV535 Series LCD
https://gizmodo.com/panasonic-65vx100u-premiere-plasma-is-a-kuro-killer-5045709
Surround Bar:
https://gizmodo.com/yamaha-ysp-3050-soundbar-same-as-the-ysp-3000-plus-hdm-5020812
Blu-ray Player:
https://gizmodo.com/pioneer-sneaks-out-2200-elite-bdp-09fd-first-blu-ray-5040707
Blu-ray Movies (with iTunes/WMV Digital Copy):
https://gizmodo.com/review-the-dark-knight-blu-ray-disc-5105005
CAMERAS & CAMCORDERS
DSLR Cameras:
Nikon D300 and D700
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with HD video
Honorable mention for value: Sony Alpha A900 and Alpha A300
https://gizmodo.com/nikon-d300-dslr-lightning-review-5049522
Point and Shoot Camera:
https://gizmodo.com/the-ultimate-250-camera-shoot-out-5101649
Crazy Hybrid Camera/Camcorder:
https://gizmodo.com/casio-exilim-ex-f1-slow-mo-super-cam-full-review-verdi-383843
Mini Camcorders:
https://gizmodo.com/kodak-zi6-pocket-camcorder-lightning-review-5055576
COMPUTERS & ACCESSORIES
Laptops:
https://gizmodo.com/macbook-and-macbook-pro-dual-review-5063492
All-In-One PC:
https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-sony-vaio-lv-all-in-one-pc-5096501
Routers:
Linksys WRT610N Dual N-Band Wireless Router
https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-linksys-wrt610n-dual-n-band-wireless-5021685
Router/NAS:
https://gizmodo.com/time-capsule-review-smooth-sailing-no-surprises-362391
NAS:
https://gizmodo.com/hp-media-vault-mv2120-linux-server-reviewed-one-kick-a-373711
Mouse:
https://gizmodo.com/logitech-mx-1100-mouse-review-verdict-our-favorite-mo-5040312
Keyboard:
SteelSeries 7G Pro Gaming Keyboard
https://gizmodo.com/steelseries-7g-pro-gaming-keyboard-built-like-a-tank-c-387145
iPod/iPhone USB Dock:
Griffin Simplifi iPod-iPhone Dock/Card Reader/USB Hub
https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-griffin-simplifi-ipod-iphone-dock-car-5068952
PHONES & PORTABLE DEVICES
Phones:
Apple iPhone 3G @ AT&T
Sidekick 2008 @ T-Mobile
Samsung Instinct @ Sprint (after firmware update, it’s officially better than Verizon’s LG Dare)
LG Decoy with docking Bluetooth earpiece @ Verizon
Sony Ericsson W890i @ Europe only; unlocked may be available
https://gizmodo.com/iphone-3g-review-5024412
Phone Stereo Headsets:
Maximo iMetal iP-HS2 Isolators
Shure Music Phone Adapter to use with your current earphones
https://gizmodo.com/cut-the-crap-iphone-headset-battlemodo-5039819
In-Ear Headphones:
Etymotics hf5
Shure SE110
Ultimate Ears metro.fi 2
https://gizmodo.com/ultimate-cut-the-crap-in-ear-headphone-battlemodo-5033455
Pico Projector:
https://gizmodo.com/aiptek-pocketcinema-v10-pico-projector-review-5099074
GPS:
Garmin Nuvi 785T with lane guidance
Garmin Nuvi 880 with speech recognition
https://gizmodo.com/garmin-785t-gps-and-friends-free-lifetime-traffic-lan-5042547
ASSORTED CRAZY STUFF
Flashlights:
Wicked Lasers Torch Flashlight
https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-the-wicked-lasers-torch-flashlight-ca-5054103
Toy Robot:
https://gizmodo.com/ultimate-toy-robot-battlemodo-5105071
Cheap Night Vision Goggles:
https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-eyeclops-night-vision-goggles-5072778
Unmanned Vehicle:
https://gizmodo.com/draganfly-x6-uav-ufo-thingy-packed-with-carbon-fiber-5042268
Spy Gadget Book:
Spycraft by Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton
https://gizmodo.com/cia-spy-gadgets-revealed-q-aint-got-nothin-on-langley-392289
Water Guns:
Super Soaker Sneak Attack 4-Way
https://gizmodo.com/gizmodos-ultimate-water-gun-battlemodo-royale-5021424
—With reporting by Erica Ho
