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Top reviews of the week (photos)

Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite gadgets from the past week including the Apple MacBook Pro, Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10, and Olympus E-PL2.

James Martin

James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.

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James Martin

March 5, 2011 4:00 a.m. PT

1 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 (2.7GHz Core i7, 13-inch)

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

Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 (2.7GHz Core i7, 13-inch)

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: CPU updates offer big leaps in performance; phenomenal battery life; excellent ergonomics, keyboard, and large, smooth, multitouch clickpad are still among the best available; 720p HD Webcam.

The bad: Graphics performance is slightly worse than last year's 13-inch Pro; 13-inch screen resolution still low compared with the MacBook Air; Thunderbolt port still an unknown until accessories become available; limited upgrade options; expensive; no HDMI or Blu-ray.

The bottom line: Despite retaining the same price and look as last year's model, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro's significant CPU updates and fantastic battery life make it one of the top laptops we've reviewed, provided you can live with passable integrated graphics.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $1,429.99

2 of 7 Jabra

Jabra Speak 410

Jabra Speak 410

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Jabra Speak 410 has a simple and attractive design for a portable speakerphone. Audio quality is really good.

The bad: The Jabra Speak 410 is pricey, especially since it doesn't offer Bluetooth.

The bottom line: The Jabra Speak 410 is for those who want a portable speakerphone for VoIP calls and the occasional music playback, but we do wish it had more features considering its price.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $17.14

3 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Olympus E-PL2 (Black, with 14-42mm lens)

Olympus E-PL2 (Black, with 14-42mm lens)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The E-PL2 delivers excellent photo quality, with an extremely customizable interface.

The bad: Performance has improved, but the E-PL2 still couldn't be classified as fast overall.

The bottom line: A great interchangeable-lens model if you're looking for better photo quality and/or a more advanced feature set than your current point-and-shoot offers, the Olympus PEN E-PL2 still doesn't satisfy for photographing active kids and pets.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $599

4 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Palm Pre 2 (Verizon Wireless)

Palm Pre 2 (Verizon Wireless)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Palm Pre 2 ships with WebOS 2.0, which brings such improvements as better multitasking and enhanced universal search.

The bad: The Pre 2 doesn't offer a lot of hardware changes over its predecessor. The smartphone can also be sluggish.

The bottom line: The enhancements in WebOS 2.0 make the Palm Pre 2 a very capable smartphone, but we think it's worth waiting for the HP Pre 3, which will offer hardware improvements to complement the software upgrades.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $149.99

5 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 (Black)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 (Black)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 has fast shooting performance and an extensive feature set.

The bad: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 has a near-pointless touch screen; no raw capture option; noisy photos; and a short battery life.

The bottom line: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 is a very good compact megazoom, as long as you don't mind paying more for features and speedy performance than photo quality.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $399.99

6 of 7 James Matin/CNET

Samsung SGH-T259 - blue (T-Mobile)

Samsung SGH-T259 - blue (T-Mobile)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Samsung T259 has strong call and speakerphone quality, e-mail access, and room for 32GB expandable memory.

The bad: We're not fans of the Samsung T259's squared-off edges, or the shared headphone and charger jack.

The bottom line: The Samsung T259's intuitive design, excellent call quality, and affordable price make it a good choice for someone in search of a simple handset.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $119.99

7 of 7 Sonos

Sonos WD100 Wireless Dock for iPod or iPhone - White

Sonos WD100 Wireless Dock for iPod or iPhone - White

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Easy way to stream music from an iPhone or iPod to your multiroom Sonos system; wirelessly streams to Sonos ZonePlayers; charges your iPod or iPhone.

The bad: Somewhat expensive; locks down iPod or iPhone, temporarily obviating one of the Sonos system's biggest advantages.

The bottom line: While it's a bit pricey for what it does, the Sonos WD100 Wireless Dock is a flexible accessory that allows you to stream your music collection directly from your iPhone or iPod without turning on a computer.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at: $199