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Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

Although the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 looks tiny, the car is filled with much more tech and horsepower than you would expect. Mercedes-Benz updated the little roadster for the 2009 model year, giving it new styling cues, improving the engine, and loading it with its newest raft of cabin gadgets. The result is a car that may not be the most practical, but scores big on fun.

The SLK350 is a roadster with a fully-powered retractable hardtop. This top compromises trunk space pretty severely, but letting in the sun becomes convenient and easy. Styling changes emphasize sport, with a more pointed … Read more

Hands-on with Sony Ericsson's flip Walkman

How long has it been since we heard about Sony Ericsson's retro-looking W350i? A while, that's how long. Months. The wait's over though, because we've snagged one of our very own.

It's an unusual, but slim, Walkman handset--technically not a slider, technically not a clamshell, but not a traditional candybar, either. It's got a fold-out flap, like the old-school Ericsson T28 of the early 2000s, which covers the main keypad when not in use.

While this flap is closed, however, you can use some dedicated MP3 player controls that sit on its exterior. The … Read more

Olympus FE cameras get firmware updates

Olympus has released firmware updates for some of their FE line of compact cameras. The firmware update, version 1.1, improves the cameras stability during operation. It also makes some changes to the Korean version. The new firmware is available for the FE-350, FE-330, FE-310, FE-290, and the FE-270.

We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can get the most out of your gear. For more information on firmware updates for a specific camera, visit the manufacturer's Web site. Before installing any firmware upgrade, always take the time to read through all of … Read more

New Sony Blu-ray players: Better than PS3?

Sony has announced two new Blu-ray players scheduled to be released in the second half of the year: the entry-level BDP-S350 and the step-up BDP-S550. We haven't been the biggest fans of Sony's recent standalone Blu-ray players (the BDP-S300 was really slow and the same price as the PlayStation 3). Fresh off its victory over HD DVD, however, the company has announced two new Blu-ray players for 2008, both of which sport considerably more attractive feature sets and prices. Here are the details:

Key features of the Sony BDP-S350:

Supports BonusView, which means it is Profile 1.1 … Read more

Sony's confusion of dSLRs

2/1/2008: Thanks to lack of sleep and rusty HTML skills, the previous table entries for the A700 were incorrect. Sorry for my own addition to the confusion. Fixed now. Lori.

I suppose it was inevitable. With its latest camera announcements, Sony brings its scorched-earth camera marketing philosophy--blanketing each price segment with multiple choices in hopes that one combination of design and features hits pay dirt--to consumer digital SLRs. Today's announcement of the Alpha DSLR-A300 and A350 brings Sony's total number of dSLRs in the $700 to $900 range to three. The models, despite some really nice … Read more

Hands on with Sony Ericsson's new phones

As we told you on Sunday, Sony Ericsson launched three new handsets at CES. The new models range from high-end (the W760) to the entry-level (the W350) with one in between (the Z555a). I got the chance to handle them at a press event at Caesar's Palace and on the show floor. The W760, which was one of our Best of CES nominees in the cell phones and smartphones category, was the most appealing of the bunch. The slider design is uncomplicated, but attractive, and it had a sturdy feeling in the hand. The slider mechanism also seemed pretty … Read more

A Walkman phone for less

Most Sony Ericssons tend to be on the pricey side, but every now and then the company gives us a more affordable model for the masses. Last year it rolled out the W200a, and at CES today, the company announced the W350a. At 0.41 inch wide, it sports a design we haven't seen for a while. The keypad is covered by a flap that folds down when you're on a call. The flap not only protects the keypad when it's not in use but it also allows you to get the feel of a flip phone. … Read more

Hands-on with Sennheiser PXC 350 headphones

Cast those brains back to July. Do you remember the PXC 450 noise-canceling headphones from Sennheiser? They were the terrific 'phones that ended up scoring an impressive 8.7 in our tests. Today we're going to give you the lowdown on the brand new PXC 350s--a version of the 450s, but more affordable (about $618 vs. $473).

These new cans are cheaper for a reason: the "Talk-Thru" functionality has been vanquished, removed and incinerated. Talk-Thru is a feature of the 450s that lets you automatically take the volume down by pressing a button on the side of … Read more

First ride: Lexus IS-F

Back at SEMA last week, Lexus brought along a handful of 2008 IS-Fs for driving at a proving ground course set up in the back parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

While some folks waited in line to drive the course themselves, we opted to hop in the passenger seat with Scott Pruett, who has driven in Champ Car, IMSA, Grand-Am, and NASCAR.

Lexus' latest performance sedan, which was unveiled at the beginning of the year in Detroit, is souped up with a 5.0-liter V8 that puts out 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. Standard features … Read more