As 2009 ends, CNET honors an annual tradition of collecting the best cell phones of the year. Unlike the list we published last week in which we covered your favorites of 2009, this gallery includes the cell phones that we liked best.
The following 10 handsets scored the highest ratings out of the 168 handsets that we reviewed this year. I didn't include smartphones--Bonnie Cha already covered those in her top 10 list--and the models are listed in no particular order. I had to make an exception for the Motorola Cliq, though. It didn't make Bonnie's list, but it was one my favorite phones of the whole year. After you've taken a gander at CNET's top phones of 2009, be sure to tell us about your favorites below.
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:
Sure, you know what cameras you like reading about, but if you've been wondering what ones other CNET readers have spent the past year obsessing over, well, then, here you go.
Based on your clicks since January 1, 2009, the list is full of older models (shocking, I know), which have been reviewed and reside on one of our top products lists and holiday gift guide.
There were no real surprises, though I may have personally underestimated how much CNET readers love themselves some megazooms. Sub-$1,000 dSLRs fill the majority of the list, but one of my favorite sub-$200 compacts is on there, too.
See the slideshow below for a breakdown of the top 10 most popular--and still available--cameras as well as three 2008 models that would have made the list if they weren't deceased.
Update: A reader tipped me off that two of the deceased cameras--the SD880 IS and A590 IS--are currently available as refurbs through Canon's direct-sale store.
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CNET)
The end of the year is a good time to take a look back over the last 12 months to get a snapshot of the state of portable GPS navigation. So we're taking a look at our reviews pages and pulling together the 10 most viewed GPS devices for 2009.
Cumulative lists such as this tend to favor older models--mostly because they have more time to build steam than the newer models--but we were glad to see a nice, healthy mix of old and new devices. While we were expecting to see a good number of Garmin Nuvi units on our list, exactly which Nuvi models made this list is a bit surprising. Of course, TomTom, Navigon, and Magellan also make appearances.
Check out the 10 most viewed GPS devices of 2009 to see what models you and your fellow readers found the most interesting.
Just in time to round out your holiday shopping season, we've consulted the Web traffic oracles and compiled a list of the most popular laptops of 2009.
Based on which system reviews CNET readers clicked on most often, this list shows what's on the minds of laptop shoppers -- and the emphasis is clearly on value over all else.
We've got six Netbooks in the top 10, including the Asus Eee PC 1005HA, which we've held up as a classic example of a Netbook done right. Apple, and 13-inch laptops in general, are also well-represented. Interestingly, while five major PC brands are represented, there are a few big names missing in action, including Gateway, Lenovo, and Toshiba.
To see what the most popular laptops of 2009 were, based on reader interest, click through to the slideshow below.
This mysterious black rectangle is the most popular TV on CNET during 2009.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Among the three most-popular technology product categories covered by CNET Reviews--cell phones, laptops, and TVs--just one doesn't feature anything made by Apple. At least not yet.
Without having to fear roundish, white-logo-clad products whose names begin with a lower-case vowel, the scads of nearly identical-looking glossy black rectangles (notwithstanding a touch or two of color) can safely saturate the HDTV battlefield with their "Hz"-infused blood, assured of relatively equal footing.
Or is it? Judging from our list of most popular HDTVs of 2009, accessible below in suspense-building reverse order, said field is dominated by two titans that pummel the rest. Of the ten HDTVs listed, only one--the remarkable Pioneer Kuro PRO-111FD, still the highest-rated television I've ever reviewed--comes from a brand other than Panasonic or Samsung.
The disparity between brands is no coincidence. Products that made the list, which is arranged by total pageviews over the span of 2009 (and so includes a good number of TVs from 2008), invariably spent a lot of time atop or near the top of the Best Products lists. ... Read more
In the vast sea of MP3 players, headphones, and other portable audio accessories, not all can reign supreme. Some have the best battery life, some provide the boomiest bass, and some offer the best bang for your buck. But we're not addressing these more "nebulous" items here. Instead, we've got a list based only on the hardest data we can get: hits.
The top 10 most popular portable audio gadgets list is based solely on traffic numbers. Of course, even this measurement is not without a couple of caveats. Namely, these numbers favor older products, since newer products have had less time on the site to build traffic. In addition, gadgets on our top products lists also get some favoritism because--well--they're the most popular pages on CNET.
Check 'em out--in order from 1 to 10--below.
A ton of cell phones and smartphones are released in a year's time. Trust us, we've seen most all of them. However, not all handsets are created equal and some are more popular than others. If you're curious to see which handsets people are clamoring for, well you're in luck. We've compiled a list of the top 10 popular cell phones and smartphones for 2009 and put them into a pretty slideshow for your viewing pleasure.
As you peruse the gallery, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, the list is based on the most-viewed products to date by CNET users in 2009, and not just those released this year. As such, you'll find a number of older products on the list since they've obviously been on the site longer than the newer ones. Also, many of the models were highlighted on our Top products list.
All that said, it's pretty interesting to see what's still popular these days. Check it out for yourself and see if your phone made the list.
There are a lot of ways to put together a top 10 list, but for this one, we looked at what you want. Digging through our server logs, we found the Car Tech pages you viewed the most over the past year. Most of these products are cars, but there is a surprise on the list. And while hybrids prominently got a lot of attention, you are also interested in high performance. Of course, products we've reviewed recently aren't as likely to be on the list, as they haven't had time to gather clicks, but we aren't terribly surprised by the results, either.
The economy may seem bleak, but the game lineup in 2010 looks promising.
Say what you will about the gaming industry in 2009. Yeah, it was a little rough, with consumers tightening their belts and only a few megahits. However, we did see price drops for all the major consoles, a gazillion new iPhone games, and a smattering of amazing titles, some of which we're still playing.
But forget about the past, it's time to look ahead and search out the most anticipated games of next year. Our list nearly doubles 2009's, so there is a lot to get excited about.
While most of the titles on our list are scheduled for a 2010 release (and yes, several were supposed to come out in 2009), needless to say some release dates are more iffy than others. Check out our slideshow to see if your picks match up with ours.
Click on an image to start the slideshow. (Titles are listed in order of release date.)
Don't see the game you're looking forward to in 2010? Make sure you let yourself be heard by mentioning it in the comments section.
