Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 and Epson Stylus NX515.
T-Mobile MyTouch 3G - black (T-Mobile)
T-Mobile MyTouch 3G - black (T-Mobile)
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G has a sleek, attractive design with a gorgeous display, tactile controls, and an easy-to-use, customizable interface. Stereo Bluetooth and Outlook e-mail syncing are standard features, and call and data performance are excellent.
The bad: The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G lacks important features like a standard 3.5-millimeter headset jack, a file manager, and camera-editing options. Video quality is uneven, and the HTML browser interface and virtual keyboard have their flaws. Also, it doesn't support Outlook calendar and contacts syncing.
The bottom line: With the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, the Google Android OS gets a much-needed boost. A few complaints remain, and some users may bemoan the lack of a physical keyboard, but we approve of its eye-catching design and interface, improved features, and satisfying performance.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20
Editors' rating: 4
The good: First-rate design; simple operation; excellent feature-to-price ratio.
The bad: Narrow lens; lens cap is a pain.
The bottom line: If you don't mind its extra bulk and narrow lens, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 is an otherwise excellent compact megazoom camera.
Ultrasone Zino - headphones
Ultrasone Zino - headphones
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The Ultrasone Zino headphones deliver a spacious, detailed sound in a lightweight, collapsible design.
The bad: Spongy ear pads are a poor match for sweaty workouts; not as convenient as earbuds.
The bottom line: Ultrasone's Zino headphones strike the perfect middle ground of performance, style, and convenience for earbud-eschewing connoisseurs of portable audio.
Linksys WRT160N
Linksys WRT160N
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Linksys WRT160N comes in a compact, sleek design. It sports an easy-to-use Web interface and offers a good set of networking features. Its included software is very helpful for setting it up with both Macs and PCs.
The bad: The Linksys WRT160N doesn't support the faster Gigabit standard for wired connection, nor does it have USB support.
The bottom line: The Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N broadband router has consistent performance, good range, a helpful software application, and a good set of networking features. Its lack of Gigabit and USB support are the only major knocks against it.
Samsung Comeback SGH-T559 - Frost Silver Cherry (T-Mobile)
Samsung Comeback SGH-T559 - Frost Silver Cherry (T-Mobile)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Samsung Comeback SGH-T559 has plenty of features that include quad-band support, 3G, a full HTML browser with Flash Lite support, and GPS. It also has very good call quality.
The bad: The Samsung Comeback has a clunky design, plus the microSD card slot is behind the battery. The keyboard is on the small side.
The bottom line: If you don't mind its bulky appearance, the Samsung Comeback is one of the most feature-packed messaging phones T-Mobile has to offer.
LG LX-290 - black (Sprint)
LG LX-290 - black (Sprint)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The LG LX290 has four dedicated shortcut keys, a 1.3-megapixel camera, GPS, and Bluetooth. It has great call quality.
The bad:The LG LX290's photo quality is not so great.
The bottom line: The LG LX290 is a slider handset with a great design, simple features, and excellent call quality.
Sony BDV-E500W
Sony BDV-E500W
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: 5.1 home theater system; built-in Blu-ray player; wireless rear speakers; included iPod dock; wireless speakers performed flawlessly in our setup.
The bad: Expensive compared with competing systems; no streaming media services like Netflix or Pandora; should sound better, especially for the price; no video inputs; remote lacks an eject button.
The bottom line: The Sony BDV-E500W is an attractive home theater system with built-in Blu-ray and wireless rear speakers, but it's too expensive and lacks streaming media services such as Netflix or Pandora found on cheaper competing systems.
Epson Stylus NX515 (printer/copier/scanner)
Epson Stylus NX515 (printer/copier/scanner)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Fastest output speeds on any inkjet to date; outstanding print quality; compact footprint; inexpensive; robust driver options.
The bad: Higher-than-average cost per page; lacks creative software suite.
The bottom line: The Epson Stylus NX515 is a capable machine that will improve the efficiency of any office or work-at-home setup. Not only is it a lightning-fast all-in-one, but it also has a broader range of features than most other $150 AIOs. As long as you don't need a full creative software suite, the Epson Stylus NX515 will make a dependable sidekick to your computer.
ViewSonic VG2427wm
ViewSonic VG2427wm
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The ViewSonic VG2427wm includes a decent host of ergonomic options, three USB ports, and great game and movie performance.
The bad: The ViewSonic VG2427wm's chassis feels hollow and fragile; its OSD lacks useful options like presets.
The bottom line: The ViewSonic VG2427wm has a good assortment of ergonomic options and great performance, but its asking price is just a bit too high to recommend.
Wii MotionPlus
Wii MotionPlus
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Allows for 1:1 movement onscreen for Wii games that support it; bundled with some titles.
The bad: Another accessory to buy; makes Wii remote longer; won't work with older Wii games.
The bottom line: Wii MotionPlus definitely provides some impressive moments in gaming; we just wish it was incorporated in the original Wii remote.
Sony DVP FX930/W (white)
Sony DVP FX930/W (white)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: High-res 9-inch screen with 800x480 resolution; full 180-degree swivel screen; includes remote control, AV cable, and car charger; reliable 6-hour battery.
The bad: Somewhat hefty 2.7-pound weight; no USB port or flash card reader; no support for DivX or other digital video files.
The bottom line: The combination of a stunning high-resolution 9-inch screen, long battery life, and impressive design makes the Sony DVP-FX930 a winning portable DVD player.
Garmin Nuvi 255W
Garmin Nuvi 255W
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Garmin Nuvi 255W features a large touch screen and an easy-to-understand interface. Startup, destination entry, and trip routing and rerouting times are slightly faster than the competition. "Where am I?" feature is very useful for emergencies. Text-to-speech reads street and POI names aloud.
The bad: The Nuvi 255W's feature set is rather limited. Mounting cradle is bulkier than competing models and not very portable.
The bottom line: As entry-level GPS navigators go, the Garmin Nuvi 255W is still one of the best choices available for anyone who wants speedy performance without breaking the bank.