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Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week

Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including tax software, Canton speakers, and a Corvette convertible.

CNET News staff
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1 of 12 Apple

iLife '09

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

iLife '09

Editors' rating: 4

The good: Apple iLife '09 sees several improvements over iLife '08: iPhoto now has face recognition, geotagging, and social network integration; iMovie regains a few advanced tools; and music lessons come to GarageBand.

The bad: iPhoto's face detection isn't perfect and the social network integration needs some work; iMovie's great for simple editing, but advanced users might find it lacking.

The bottom line: Apple iLife '09 is a great application suite for simple media organizing and editing, and the addition of features like face recognition, geotagging, and music lessons makes it worth the update.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $75.00 to $79.99

2 of 12 Intuit

TurboTax Deluxe 2008 (Federal + State)

TurboTax Deluxe 2008 (Federal + State)

Editors' rating: 4

The good: TurboTax 2008's ability to import W2 and investment income details dramatically saves time and typing; free federal e-file for up to five returns is a new perk.

The bad: Already pricier than rivals, TurboTax 2008's extra services can add up quickly. It offers no free live tax advice, and printing the state return takes more effort than it should.

The bottom line: TurboTax 2008 is the most expensive tax app on the market, but it's also fast, complete, and straightforward. If finishing quickly is your goal, the extra cost is worth it. If you anticipate wanting live help support, look into TaxCut.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $43.99 to $61.89

3 of 12 CBS Interactive

Canton CD 90 SB (black)

Canton CD 90 SB (black)

Editors' rating: 4

The good: Sleek 40-inch-wide sound bar speaker complements flat screen displays; contains left, center, and right two-way speakers; sounds good even on music; wall-mount bracket included; can be used without a subwoofer.

The bad: You still need to buy an AV receiver; strictly left-, center-, right-channel sound; not even a hint of room-filling surround.

The bottom line: Canton's unique three-channel CD 90 SB sound bar combines good looks with above-average sound quality for music and movies.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $650

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4 of 12 CBS Interactive

Helio Ocean 2

Helio Ocean 2

Editors' rating: 4

The good: The Helio Ocean 2 has a spacious QWERTY keyboard and number keypad and an innovative optical sensor touch pad that allows for easier navigation. It has plenty of features like EV-DO, GPS, a full HTML browser with tabbed browsing, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support, quick access to several popular social networks, and more.

The bad: The Helio Ocean 2 is bulky, plus it lacks external music keys, an LED flash for the camera, and a self-portrait mirror. The microSD card slot is inconveniently located behind the battery.

The bottom line: If you can get over its size, the Helio Ocean 2 is a great feature-rich handheld with enough Web-friendly goodies to please both tech-savvy hipsters and mobile professionals.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $149

5 of 12 CBS Interactive

Dell S17-162B

Dell S17-162B

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: Inexpensive desktop replacement with touch-sensitive media controls and copious ports and connections; long battery life.

The bad: Low screen resolution; same basic components as models in Dell's cheaper Inspiron line; lacks Bluetooth.

The bottom line: For a budget-priced 17-inch laptop, the Dell Studio S17-162B has many features of a more expensive system, but also a few notable omissions.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $749

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6 of 12 Nikon

Nikon Coolpix S710

Nikon Coolpix S710

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: Nice photos; wide-angle lens; attractive design; plenty of shooting options.

The bad: Very slow performance; menu systems, navigation takes practice; no optical zoom in Movie mode.

The bottom line: If it wasn't so slow, the Nikon Coolpix S710 would be a very good high-end, full-featured ultracompact.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $295.95 to $379.99

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7 of 12 CBS Interactive

Nokia 7510 (T-Mobile)

Nokia 7510 (T-Mobile)

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: The Nokia 7510 has a brilliant display, good call clarity, and a midrange feature set that includes Wi-Fi.

The bad: The Nokia 7510 call volume is rather low and the keypad and navigation controls are slippery. Also, we aren't crazy about the button on the hinge.

The bottom line: The Nokia 7510 is a decent midrange phone that offers Wi-Fi for making calls. It earns points for a unique design, but we wish the call volume were louder.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $49 to $199

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8 of 12 CBS Interactive

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible's big LS3 engine gives supercar acceleration while providing useful torque in everyday driving, and delivers better fuel economy compared with other cars in its class. A magnetic suspension system contributes to handling, while the Corvette's look is distinct.

The bad: The Bluetooth system lacks advanced features, such as phonebook downloading, and the Bose audio produces muddy sound.

The bottom line: In this touring configuration, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is an easy car to drive in almost any situation, with monstrous power on tap, but the cabin tech feels like a mishmash of components.

Read CNET's full review
Base price: $51,700

9 of 12 CBS Interactive

Acer Aspire X1700-U3700A

Acer Aspire X1700-U3700A

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: Space-saving design; includes unique extras such as HDMI video, digital audio output, large external hard drive, and external eSATA.

The bad: Competition offers faster performance; a cramped interior limits expansion.

The bottom line: The Acer X1700-U3700A is slightly slower than the competition, but it gives you almost every component you need in either a basic desktop or a light-duty home theater PC. If you prefer functionality to performance, we recommend this model out of the three systems in the current lineup.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $479.99

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10 of 12 CBS Interactive

Philips GoGear Spark (2GB)

Philips GoGear Spark (2GB)

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: The Philips GoGear Spark packs music, photos, radio, voice recording, long battery life, and a color screen into an affordable little package.

The bad: The GoGear Spark is light on format support, voice recordings are noisy, storage capacity is meager, and not everyone will appreciate its wearable design.

The bottom line: In the world of budget MP3 players, the Philips GoGear Spark is a diamond in the rough, offering an attractive balance of features, style, and usability.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $49 to $59

11 of 12 H&R Block

H&R Block TaxCut Premium Federal + State + E-file 2008

H&R Block TaxCut Premium Federal + State + E-file 2008

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: As part of H&R Block, TaxCut 2008 offers more avenues to one-on-one assistance, some useful convenience tools, and a new, free online version for simple federal returns.

The bad: TaxCut doesn't import W-2 and investment income information, resulting in a longer tax-prep process. Some wording remains confusing.

The bottom line: TaxCut 2008 is missing TurboTax's advanced importing engines and sophisticated tax tools, and it takes longer than TurboTax to fill out. However, its free session of live tax advice and free live audit support will win over taxpayers who value personalized customer service.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $29.99 to $55.99

12 of 12 CBS Interactive

Canton Movie 150 QX (black)

Canton Movie 150 QX (black)

Editors' rating: 3.5

The good: High-performance, six-piece satellite/subwoofer system; excellent sound quality on music and movies for a small system; compact, two-way satellites; 120-watt, 8-inch powered subwoofer.

The bad: Drab styling, plastic cabinet satellites.

The bottom line: The Canton Movie 150 QX sounds terrific with movies and music, despite its plain-Jane style.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $1,169.99 to $1,199.00

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