Photos: Top 10 reviews of the week
Pioneer AVIC Z-1
1. Pioneer AVIC Z-1
Editors' rating: 8.4
The good: A user-friendly touch-screen interface and a decent voice-recognition system combine with intelligent navigation and Bluetooth to make the AVIC Z-1 a one-stop shop for major cabin tech.
The bad: The need to activate the parking brake to program the navigation is overly cautious, and some delays in start-up and music playback can be frustrating.
The bottom line: The Pioneer AVIC Z-1 is an impressive all-in-one aftermarket head unit incorporating most of today's in-car technology features. Despite a few usability glitches, it is a competitively priced car tech package.
LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Hard Drive
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: The rubber bumper and the scratch-protected aluminum case keep your LaCie Rugged All-Terrain drive looking good and working hard. It's fast and quiet and comes with backup software.
The bad: LaCie's telephone support line is not toll-free.
The bottom line: LaCie's Rugged All-Terrain portable hard drive is an all-around winner: It's fast, it's durable and it boasts multiple connection options. This belongs in your laptop bag.
Harman Kardon TC 30
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: Take away the Harman Kardon label and the TC 30 is cross between the highly rated and sleekly styled Logitech Harmony 520 and 720 models. Like the 720, the TC 30 has a color screen, includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a docking station, and is PC-programmable, offering compatibility with Windows and Macintosh machines.
The bad: The remote could sit a little more securely in its dock, the Web interface may intimidate nontechie users, and the TC 30 works only with Harman Kardon's desktop software, not Logitech's Web-based interface.
The bottom line: Essentially a high-end Logitech Harmony remote sold under the Harman Kardon name, the excellent TC 30 delivers a larger color screen but maintains Harmony's same great features and ease-of-use.
Sony Ericsson K800i Cyber Shot
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: The Sony Ericsson K800i offers solid features, superior photo quality and excellent performance in a sharp, eye-catching package.
The bad: The Sony Ericsson K800i's call volume was a tad low, and the navigation controls were squashed together. Also, menu navigation was somewhat sluggish.
The bottom line: With an amazing selection of features and great performance, the Sony Ericsson K7800i joins the company's K790a as a superior camera phone.
Dell 1200MP DLP projector
Editors' rating: 8.2
The good: Low price; bright; high contrast; sharp and steady images; lightweight; semi-rigid case; includes component video cable.
The bad: Only SVGA resolution; small image size; long start-up time; noisy fan; jumpy video; short warranty.
The bottom line: Packed with intense brightness, an abundant feature set and a minuscule price tag, the Dell 1200MP is ideal for business presentations on a tight budget, but it could face competition from higher-resolution XGA projectors.
Canon Pixma MP950
Editors' rating: 8.2
The good: Excellent print quality, including text printing; autoduplexer; lots of features for photography hobbyists: media card reader, PictBridge and IrDA ports, and slide and negative scanning.
The bad: Not networkable; no automatic document feeder for large copy/scan jobs; poor LCD placement; no fax function.
The bottom line: The Canon Pixma MP950 is a near ideal photo all-in-one for an amateur photo enthusiast. The inclusion of fax and networking capabilities would've made it a must-buy.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9
Editors' rating: 8.0
The good: Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9 lets you skip dictation setup; features a slimmer toolbar; allows voice command to browse Web pages; lets you drop the mouse and keyboard while typing; handy transcription tools; support for PDAs; supports Bluetooth headsets.
The bad: Dragon is costly and requires a robust computer; Windows only; takes time to learn the voice commands and other features; pricey tech support.
The bottom line: For people who type a lot or suffer sore fingers and hands, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 is the best tool available for dictating text and commanding a Web browser by voice, despite the gradual adjustments needed to conform to your personal manner of speaking.
JBL Radial
Editors' rating: 7.7
The good: The JBL Radial speaker system sounds fantastic; includes audio line-in, video out, sync, and recharge capabilities, as well as an RF remote.
The bad: The JBL Radial speaker system is pricey, and its design may not appeal to some. It doesn't run on batteries.
The bottom line: If you're looking for a stellar-sounding iPod speaker system for your home--and you don't mind dropping a wad of cash for it--JBL's Radial might be just the ticket.
Klipsch iGroove HG
Editors' rating: 7.7
The good: Stylish iPod speaker system; stereo, two-way speakers; cute remote; charges connected iPod; line-in support lets you use non-iPod music players as well.
The bad: Not in the same league as Klipsch's mighty iPod speaker set, the iFi.
The bottom line: Klipsch's new iGroove iPod speaker trumps the competition's tweeterless models.
Canon Pixma MP800R
Editors' rating: 7.4
The good: The Canon Pixma MP800R has all the features a photo hobbyist needs, including a media card reader, PictBridge and IrDA ports, a huge color LCD, and slide and negative scanners. Additionally, you can network this printer--either wired or wirelessly--so that you can share it with everyone in your home or small office, whether they're on Windows or Mac PCs.
The bad: The text quality of the MP800R is subpar.
The bottom line: With its wealth of photo-manipulation features, the Canon Pixma MP800R is a great choice for an amateur photo hobbyist. It's also fast at all tasks, which makes it a better choice than the HP Photosmart 3310.