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Top-rated reviews of the week (photos)

Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including the 2010 Audi S4, Cisco Valet Plus router, and the Canon EOS Rebel T2i.

CNET Reviews staff
1 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

2010 Audi S4

Here's our weekly roundup of the new products CNET reviewers liked best.

2010 Audi S4

Editors' rating: 4.5 out of 5

The good: The 2010 Audi S4 doesn't compromise between good performance and fuel economy, offering both in the same package. The optional Drive Select package delivers spectacular handling, and Audi offers a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Maps show detailed 3D information and the driver can control most functions with voice command or the steering-wheel buttons.

The bad: For aesthetic and usability reasons, some of the cabin tech screens could use some work.

The bottom line: A smooth driver for a commute and an exciting ride for fun, the 2010 Audi S4 offers refined cabin tech and good fuel economy. It comes close to being a perfect tech car.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $45,900

34041743-2-440-OVR-1.jpg
2 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

Cisco Valet Plus router

Cisco Valet Plus router

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The Cisco Valet Plus is by far the most easy to use wireless router to date. It also has great range, decent performance, and comes with an effective wireless networking management software for home users.

The bad: The Cisco Valet Plus doesn't support dual-band and it has no USB port for storage or print-serving features.

The bottom line: Look no further than the Cisco Valet Plus if you want to get a robust wireless home network up and running effortlessly.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $124.99 - $151.99

3 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

Synology Disk Station DS410 - NAS server

Synology Disk Station DS410 - NAS server

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The Synology Disk Station DS410 offers excellent throughput speed, vast amounts of features, and a state-of-the-art Web interface at a good price. It also supports Apple's Time Machine, many RAID configurations, and up to 12 IP cameras.

The bad: The Synology Disk Station DS410 doesn't support dual Ethernet, USB 3.0 and requires licenses to support more than one IP camera. It has limited amount of ports and lacks the Quick Copy function. Also, its setup application is not helpful for novice users and you'll need to open its case to install/replace the hard drives.

The bottom line: The Disk Station DS410 is one of the most affordable four-bay full-feature NAS servers on the market. While it's overwhelming for novice home users, advanced users will also find it to be one of the best RAID 5-capable NAS servers for their home or small business environments.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $499.99 - $512.69

4 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

Wilson Electronics Sleek

Wilson Electronics Sleek cell phone signal booster

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The Wilson Sleek noticeably improves your cell phone signal in areas with poor reception. Also, it has a compact, user-friendly design.

The bad: The Wilson Sleek doesn't securely accommodate the smallest cell phones and it won't support Nextel or overseas GSM networks.

The bottom line: The Wilson Sleek is easy to use and performs well. Just make sure that it supports your phone.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $94.95

5 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Asus Eee PC 1001P

Asus Eee PC 1001P (Atom N450 1.66GHz, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Windows 7 Starter)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Smart design; $299 price; excellent battery life.

The bad: As a no-frills Netbook, it doesn't stand out from the competition

The bottom line: This entry-level version of the popular Eee PC Netbook, the 1001P, is just as good as slightly more expensive versions, making it a solid default choice.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $299.99 - $306.21

6 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon EOS Rebel T2i (with 18-55mm lens)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Fast performance; excellent photo quality; above average video-capture quality.

The bad: Annoying viewfinder; irritating control layout for video capture.

The bottom line: A great follow-up to the T1i, if you want the best photo and video quality in a dSLR for less than $1,000, the Canon EOS Rebel T2i is hard to beat.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $899.95 - $1,097.95

7 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS (silver)

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS (silver)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Tiny, attractive design; well-priced.

The bad: No marked improvements from previous model.

The bottom line: The PowerShot SD1400 IS is another stylish ultracompact from Canon with features and performance that are stuck in the past.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $239.00 - $249.99

You can also check out our review of the more basic (and less expensive) Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS

8 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

LaCie Rikiki hard drive - 500GB

LaCie Rikiki hard drive - 500GB

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Lowest cost-per-gigabyte drive in its class; aluminum case looks sexy and protects the drive; two-year warranty.

The bad: No FireWire port; average transfer speeds; short USB cable.

The bottom line: LaCie's Rikiki mobile USB hard drive is an elegant storage solution that comes in three sizes up to 640GB. Its simple design exudes timeless style in a very affordable package. As long as you're not a stickler for fast transfer speeds, the LaCie Rikiki will make a worthwhile addition to your mobile arsenal.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $96.88 - $105.99

9 of 10 Josh Mller/CNET

LG Wine II UN430 - titanium gray

LG Wine II UN430 (U.S. Cellular)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The LG Wine 2 is a slim and lightweight flip phone with a bright display, dedicated shortcut keys, and a very roomy keypad. It has a 2.0-megapixel camera, a music player, an FM tuner, stereo Bluetooth, and more.

The bad: The LG Wine 2 doesn't come with the browser or e-mail application preinstalled.

The bottom line: Despite a few shortcomings, the LG Wine 2 has a really nice design and a solid feature set, especially for the price.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $49.95

10 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock NST-D300S3

Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock NST-D300S3

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock offers a robust solution to work with internal hard drives. It has a nice and sturdy design and offers very fast throughput speeds with USB 3.0 and is backward compatible with USB 2.0. It supports both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA hard drives.

The bad: The Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock is rather bulky and doesn't support legacy IDE hard drives. It has no eSATA or FireWire connections, and it doesn't come with a USB 3.0 add-in card.

The bottom line: The Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock is a good, affordable tool for computer technicians and those who work with internal hard drives.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $31.50 - $39.99

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