There are a LOT of great pre and post-show moments. So many, in fact, that I couldn't possibly fit them all into one episode. As a result, here's a second collection! Enjoy.
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EPISODE 168
Here are my picks for the best-sounding audio products of 2009, in no particular order.
Pioneer VSX-1019AH Receiver
The VSX-1019AH has just about every gotta-have feature and its stellar performance makes it the go-to choice for sound-quality-conscious midprice receiver buyers.
Onkyo HT-RC180 Receiver
Sure, the HT-RC180 goes for around double the Pioneer's price, but its power and dynamic slam put it over the top.
Onkyo HT-S9100THX Home Theater in a Box
The HT-S9100THX is not only the best sounding HTIB on the planet, you can easily upgrade its performance by adding better speakers or subwoofer. Few HTIBs offer owners that capability.
Onkyo's HT-RC180, our favorite receiver of the year.
(Credit: Onkyo)Monster Turbine Pro (Gold) in-ear headphones
I'm a big fan of the original and still-available Monster Turbine in-ear headphones, but now that I've gotten to spend time with the Pro I can tell you this: it's simply the best $300 in-ear I've heard.
Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference Strada Speaker
The double-balled Reference Strada ($995 each) measures a lifestyle-friendly 6.5 inches tall by 12.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches long, but the compact speaker makes a huge, room-filling sound. The Strada is jam-packed with unique technology.
Samsung's HT-BD7200: A CES fave in 2009, how does this Blu-ray home theater system look with the benefit of a year of hindsight?
(Credit: Samsung)At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (January 5-9), CNET editors will be choosing the Best of Show finalists and winners that will set the trends for the new year. But that begs the question: How well did we do last year?
It's a perfect excuse to look back at the picks from the most recent show, January 2009. We've gone to the archives and highlighted the winners in 10 categories--including our overall Best of Show. See which picks were right on the money, which were soon eclipsed by newer and better products later in the year, and which products were never even released. (Click on the images directly below.)
Tom and Rafe review what they feel were the biggest and best tech products and advancements of the decade.
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... Read more
Not every noteworthy product was made by Apple in 2009.
We've been doing a lot of end-of-the year lists here at CNET as our editors round up the most popular and best products in their categories. That's all great, but then someone said, "Hey, why don't we do a list that's a best-of-the-best list of all the lists combined?"
Well, that's what I was tasked with, but instead of calling it the "Best products of 2009" or the "Most popular products of 2009," I've come up with "The most notable products of 2009," which I like to think of as a kind of a hybrid between popular, best, and most hyped.
Once again, I've enlisted the help of my fellow editors, so while my name may appear at the top of this list, it's really a collective effort. That said, you can blame me if you don't like the picks (a few may surprise you).
As always, feel free to suggest your own picks. If you ... Read more
(Credit:
Gamespot)
Another year, another laundry list of video games. This year saw thousands of titles released, but only an elite few are worthy enough to be labeled as "year's best." It was undoubtedly another year of sequels, though a few new franchises do appear on our list.
We already know what to look forward to in 2010, but as we conclude another year of gaming, let's look back at the best video games of 2009.
Don't see your favorite video game of the year on our list? Let us know in the comments section.
The year is all but over. All over but the counting. Actually, we got the counting done early, so it's truly just over. We finished the year early! Yay!
And as a reward you'll be getting a bunch of Top 5s all at once. Starting with this one, the best products of 2009. The ranking is based on the editors' rating our CNET reviewers gave the products with editors' choice awards, and your user ratings are used as tie-breakers.
So watch the video, then head back to this post and answer the trivia question in the comments below.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
It's hard to believe, but the year is quickly ending and 2010 will be here before you know it. However, before we shut the door on 2009, we thought it be nice to look back on the year and highlight some of our favorite tech gadgets. It's been a particularly good year for smartphone lovers as numerous models debuted in the past 12 months, and not all were just next-generation models of previous devices--some were real game-changers.
In the collection below, you'll find our picks for best smartphones of 2009. Different from our most popular list, we hand-selected these devices as the top 10 (in no particular order) smartphones of the year for various reasons, whether it be for their sleek design, solid performance, or innovative feature set. Of course, you might not agree with our picks (or maybe you do), so share your thoughts in the comments section. Here's to another exciting year of tech in 2010!
So you've finally purchased a gaming console and you've already loaded up on some of the best games. In order to get the most out of your hardware, we recommend checking out some of our top-rated must-have accessories.
It's a safe bet that you'll need at least one extra controller, but there are also plenty of first- and third-party items that will complement the system of your choice. Whether it's rechargeable battery packs, controller attachments, or HDMI cables, you're definitely going to want to take a look at what we recommend for each video game console.
Click on your gaming console below for our top picks:
(Credit:
Apple)
Recently, with the help of some of the editors here at CNET, I put together list of the biggest tech flops of the decade. Since I'm not a negative guy at heart, it was only a matter of time before I came up with a more positive spin on the whole tech-products-of-the-decade concept that's all the rage as we approach the end of '09.
Once again, I've enlisted the help of my fellow editors, so while my name may appear at the top of this list, it's really a collective effort. That said, you can blame me if you don't like the picks.
As always, feel free to suggest your own picks. If you make a good case, we'll update the list and make some changes. Also, let us know what your top five picks are in order of innovation and influence.
Click on any image to start the slideshow and see the picks (they are listed in alphabetical order).
... Read more
