Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS, 8GB LaCie iamaKey USB flash drive, and 6TB Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440.
Flip UltraHD (white)
Editors' rating: 4
The good: Shoots 720p HD video; high-quality video for its class; easy to use; uses rechargeable AA batteries; FlipShare software compatible with both Mac and Windows machines.
The bad: Somewhat pricey; no memory card slot; no cable included for HD output to HDTVs.
The bottom line: The Flip Video UltraHD may not be the sexiest mini camcorder out there, but it offers a respectable feature set and some of the best video we've seen from this type of cheap, YouTube-friendly camcorder.
Price: around $200
LaCie iamaKey USB flash drive (8GB)
Editors' rating: 4
The good: Sturdy construction; slim; key ring attachment won't break.
The bad: Plastic cap can get lost easily.
The bottom line: LaCie's iamaKey USB flash drive is slim, sturdy, and, most importantly, will stay on your key ring.
Phiaton PS 300 Primal Series Noise Canceling Headphones
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The Phiaton Primal Series 300 Noise Canceling headphones cost less than the Bose QuietComfort 3 and offer more extras, such as an additional rechargeable battery and the capability to work without noise cancellation activated. The headphones are very comfortable and compact. A nice, hard-shelled case and international power adapters are included.
The bad: Although cheaper than competition from Bose, the PS 300 headphones are still pricey. Bass has a tendency to sound mushy and the PS 300 makes several genres of music sound slightly muffled.
The bottom line: The Phiaton Primal Series 300 Noise Canceling headphones are supercompact and packed with features any frequent flier would lust after, but only those with a particular penchant for dance pop, electronica, and hip hop should consider picking up a set.
Price: $299
ZT Affinity 7308Ma
Editors' rating: 4
The good: Overachieving quad-core performance for its price range, thanks to a fast AMD CPU; Blu-ray drives uncommon at this price range; more display outputs than we've seen on any other desktop; Asus ExpressGate software lets you watch movies and get online without booting to Windows.
The bad: Bland looks.
The bottom line: ZT's smartly configured Affinity 7308Ma offers a Blu-ray drive and fast application performance, both rare for its $699 price tag. You won't show off this midtower PC off for its looks, but we recommend it to those who enjoy the satisfaction that comes with finding a hidden bargain.
Price: $699
Acer Aspire 3935-6504
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Slim, polished design; powerful for a sub-$1,000 13-inch laptop; good battery life.
The bad: Wimpy touch pad, VGA-only video output; some parts feel quite plastic.
The bottom line: Thin, sexy 13-inch laptops are reasonably common, but the Acer Aspire 3935 is one of the slickest available for less than $1,000.
2009 BMW 650i Convertible
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Antiroll technology keeps the 2009 BMW 650i Convertible stable in the corners, while its engine provides a compromise between power and economy. The navigation system's traffic avoidance feature works well, and we like the new lane departure warning system.
The bad: The BMW 6-series still uses the old iDrive interface, which makes using the cabin electronics difficult. An otherwise nice exterior design is ruined by the oddly shaped trunk lid.
The bottom line: Although the 2009 BMW 650i Convertible makes for a good luxury cruiser and sport driver, with practical cabin tech, we would wait for the next model update, which promises a better design and new navigation system.
Price range: $84,900 - $94,070
Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Relatively fast; good HD video; raw file support.
The bad: Big; quirky interface; some image artifacts.
The bottom line: A top megazoom option, the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS offers a 20x zoom lens and HD video, which you can't get in a similarly priced dSLR, and delivers more features and slightly better performance and photo quality than the cheaper SX10 IS.
Canon PowerShot SX200 IS (black)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Compact body with wide-angle lens with 12x zoom; manual controls; very good photo and video quality for its class.
The bad: Mixed performance; no optical zoom in Movie mode.
The bottom line: More than just a point-and-shoot pocket megazoom, the Canon SX200 IS improves upon its forerunner, but not by much.
Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440 (6TB)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Seagate BlackArmor offers fast throughput, hassle-free remote access, excellent backup solutions, and has many customization options. Also, its large amounts of storage; RAID 5, RAID 0, RAID 10, and Span support; tool-less design; and great expandability will satisfy most small businesses.
The bad: The Seagate BlackArmor requires more than basic networking know-how to take advantage of its advanced features. Also, it lacks port aggregation, has scant instructions, and may not be compatible with some routers.
The bottom line: Although Seagate BlackArmor is difficult to use for networking novices, it is a good choice for small business and advanced users.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Fast; tiltable LCD; Hand-held Twilight mode produces better-than-average photos in low light; zooms during movie capture.
The bad: Small EVF; no raw support; HDMI output requires dongle; no standard continuous-shooting mode.
The bottom line: Tradeoffs abound in Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 megazoom: though it's fast and has some really novel, useful features, it just doesn't deliver the photo quality expected for its class.