Must-Have Gadgets

A year ago, the Bluetooth headset with the best design and best sound was the Aliph Jawbone. But the new Aliph Jawbone 2 headset makes its award-winning predecessor look almost clunky and noisy. The Jawbone 2 is about half the size of the original, with US military-approved "NoiseAssassin" technology that detects when someone is speaking and eliminates all other noise. It comes with 4 ear loops and 3 ear buds so you can get a comfortable fit, and it recharges in less than an hour. CNET calls the Jawbone 2 "quite possibly the ultimate Bluetooth headset in terms of design and sound quality."

Now available with 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB of storage, the iPod Touch has the same multi-touch interface as the iPhone, but lacks the iPhone's phone, speakers, camera, and Bluetooth. But the iPod Touch does have an audio player, wide-screen video player, photo viewer, and Wi-Fi-enabled Web browser (so Mom can check her email), plus Google maps, stock and weather info, and a customizable main menu. CNET calls the iPod Touch "the most video-worthy iPod yet."

CNET says the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS, the company's follow-up to its popular 6.2-megapixel PowerShot SD700 IS, "has just about everything you'd want in a point-and-shoot" camera, including face detection, image stabilization, and great image quality. The camera has 4x optical zoom, an optical viewfinder, a 2.5" LCD, 6 movie modes, and an ISO 1600 setting for sharper images in low light.

It's a shame Gateway uses such a boring image for its award-winning XHD3000 30" widescreen LCD display. Because the picture doesn't show it in action as computing monitor, TV display, and all-around home entertainment device. Features include a native resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels; DVI, HDMI, and component and composite video connections, which means you can play games on it and watch HD programming, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs; a 6-port USB hub; and a removable sound bar so you can listen to audio from whatever device you have hooked up to it. Wired says, "What (Gateway) promised seemed unfeasible: A gaming monitor with an upscaling chip capable of over a trillion calculations per second. Yeah that's trillion with a 't'. Many moons later, the XHD3000 showed up, and our snickers were replaced with gasps of awe."

CNET calls the Nikon D3 dSLR "a camera that reaches new heights in imaging with extremely low noise at astronomical ISO sensitivities, while maintaining the pro-level control and body design Nikonians have come to expect in the company's flagship cameras." Basic specs include a 12-megapixel full-frame sensor, 2 live view modes (one for when you're holding it, one for when you're using a tripod), a 3" LCD, continuous shooting at up to 9fps, 51-point auto focus, low shutter lag, and a hefty price tag.

Introducing the Logitech Squeezebox Boom, a high-tech boombox that CNET calls "the best all-in-one tabletop Wi-Fi radio (they've) seen to date, and well worth its $300 pricetag." Connect the Boom to your home network so you can enjoy all the music on your computer (on much better speakers), or connect it to the SqueezeNetwork, which gives you access to internet radio, Pandora, Rhapsody, Last.fm, and other music services. The device also has an alarm fuction, so you can wake up to your favorite playlists. And with a small footprint (it's just 5" high by 13" wide by 5" deep), the Boom fits nicely on a bookshelf.

Imagine watching the Olympics on this glorious 50" plasma HDTV from Panasonic. CNET calls it "one of the best-performing HDTVs available" because of its great black-level performance and stellar picture quality. The THX Display Certification feature "adds THX's rigorous standards for image performance and quality, ensuring a superb cinematic experience at home." Other highlights include a PC input and 3 HDMI inputs, an antireflective screen, and a built-in SD card slot.