Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including the Malibal Veda series notebook, Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch, and the Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers.
Canon Vixia HF S11
Canon Vixia HF S11
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Excellent video quality and performance; nicely designed interface; fast battery charging.
The bad: No eye-level viewfinder; expensive; lens cover rattles when closed.
The bottom line: An excellent flash-based prosumer HD camcorder, the Canon Vixia HF S11 has the advantage of an excellent image stabilizer but it disappointingly lacks an eye-level viewfinder.
HP Mini 311
HP Mini 311
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Nvidia Ion graphics adds HD video and basic gaming functionality; reasonably priced; high-def display.
The bad: Annoying touch pad; streaming Flash video support for new Nvidia Ion graphics is spotty; $20 extra for a white lid, seriously?
The bottom line: HP's Mini 311 adds a larger, high-definition display and advanced graphics to a basic Netbook, while keeping the price very appealing. Once it starts shipping with Windows 7, this could become our favorite Netbook.
Malibal Veda series
Malibal Veda series laptop
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Powerful desktop gaming performance; excellent service, support, and pricing policies.
The bad: Poor speaker performance; fingerprint magnet; small keyboard and touch pad for a gigantic notebook.
The bottom line: If you're ready to give up your gaming desktop once and for all, consider replacing it with the Malibal Veda series laptop.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: Base price is $2,272; review model cost $5,242
Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers (gold)
Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers (gold)
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: The Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers are exceptionally stylish and well-made, and they offer a massive amount of bass without sacrificing on high-end clarity. Passive sound isolation is excellent.
The bad: The Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers are pricey, and they don't include an integrated mic or controls for the iPod.
The bottom line: The Monster Turbine Pro earphones offer a sleek and stylish design and plenty of deep, thumping bass. If you have money to burn, these are a nice choice.
Read CNET's full review
Price: $250
Samsung UN46B8500
Samsung UN46B8500
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Deeper black levels than any HDTV available aside from Pioneer Kuro; solid shadow detail; reduced blooming compared with other local dimming LED-based LCDs; accurate, highly saturated color; excellent video processing with adjustable dejudder; numerous picture adjustments; extensive interactive features including Yahoo widgets; beautiful styling with 1.6-inch deep panel; extremely energy efficient.
The bad: Expensive; poor off-angle viewing; some blooming effects; benefits of 240Hz difficult to discern; glossy screen reflects ambient light.
The bottom line: It costs a mint, but Samsung's local dimming, LED-based UNB8500 series delivers the best picture quality of any LCD we've tested.
Samsung UN55B8500
Samsung UN55B8500
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Deeper black levels than any HDTV available aside from Pioneer Kuro; solid shadow detail; reduced blooming compared with other local dimming LED-based LCDs; accurate, highly saturated color; excellent video processing with adjustable dejudder; numerous picture adjustments; extensive interactive features including Yahoo widgets; beautiful styling with 1.6-inch deep panel; extremely energy efficient.
The bad: Expensive; poor off-angle viewing; some blooming effects; benefits of 240Hz difficult to discern; glossy screen reflects ambient light.
The bottom line: It costs a mint, but Samsung's local dimming, LED-based UNB8500 series delivers the best picture quality of any LCD we've tested.
Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch CTH661
Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch CTH661
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Reasonable price; multitouch controls work seamlessly alongside pen; attractive design.
The bad: No mouse.
The bottom line: Multitouch in place of a mouse may not appeal to pro designers, but the Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch is an excellent choice for mobile users who want to begin dabbling with art tools.