Overall Rating:

Sony’s last few generations of LCD TVs have earned their share of kudos in these pages for solid video performance and style. But with most TV makers making the switch to ultra-thin bezel designs, the high-tech “picture frame” look of Sony’s XBR-series LCDs was starting to seem a bit, well, baroque. For its new Z-series sets, the company decided to finally trim down the bezel to the one-inch width that’s fast becoming standard for LCD TVs. The KDL-46Z4100 sports this sleek, spiffy new design (it’s available in piano black or brushed metal), which also makes use of narrow, near-invisible speakers mounted at the bottom and separated by a clear acrylic window.

Screen/picture clarity

Powered by the Sony’s proprietary technologies, the KDL-46Z4100/B excels in video processing and colour accuracy, rendering almost perfect primary and secondary colors, along with greyscale. However, the black levels delivered by KDL-46Z4100/B leaves much to be desired – it is less impressive than other Sony TVs and fluctuates from total darkness to bright displays abruptly. Those factors make this HDTV less than superb in our view.

Sony’s Motionflow 120hz. dejudder makes fast motions smooth and left fewer artefacts than other TVs. The KDL-46Z4100/B also delivers uniform brightness across the screen, and performs better than competing brands in bright light conditions. It also has no problem resolving high-def and standard-def sources, with Sony’s technologically-advanced noise reduction system helping in cleaning out noise from low definition sources.

Features

Being on the high end of the Sony’s line, the full 1080p HD resolution KDL-46Z4100/B is packed with features: four independently-adjustable picture and three color temperature presets; four aspect ratio modes for HD sources; and an excellent surround audio. This LCD has an Ethernet port; onscreen electronic programming guide (EPG); USB and PC ports; four HDMI ports and a suite of connectivity inputs/outputs. The second window in the picture-in-picture mode, though, accepts only TV/antenna input and is thus limited.

This Sony flagship HDTV would have been a great all-around performer were it not for its inconceivably lacklustre showing in the black level aspect. Still, it isn’t a bad deal, considering the full-array of features packed into this LCD, along with its handsome and fresh styling.

[phpbay]Sony BRAVIA Z Series, 232, “3320″, “”[/phpbay]

Overall Rating:

The TomTom One 130 marks a new beginning for the company’s line of basic GPS. You still get TomTom’s hallmark ease of use and community features, but the portable navigation systems now boast more compact designs as well as a new vehicle mount that can be easily and neatly stowed away with the device. The One 130 also includes text-to-speech functionality, which is nice to see in an entry-level device.

But the ONE 130 also has some glaring flaws. Several find the 130S model’s voice-guided directions are hard to hear, and the car adaptor will be a necessary for longer trips, as the 130 only has an estimated two-hour battery life. Lastly, larger fingers might find the TomTom ONE’s onscreen keyboard difficult to master.

The drawback of that is that it tends to draw attention to the written map on the GPS device than keeping your eyes on the road. This situation is aggravated by the ONE 130’s speaker which is often provides inadequate volume. Additionally, this unit’s screen is smaller than most contemporary models measuring just 3.5-inches diagonally compared to 4.3-inches which has become the standard. The difference may not seem like much but it matters when you’re trying to find information with just a quick glance. This device also lacks voice recognition and IQ Routes that we find helpful on pricier TomTom models.

Characteristic of TomTom devices, the ONE 130 has a very responsive touchscreen on which data entry is easy. It can receive real time traffic data but only if you opt to purchase the accessory receiver.

Overall, the TomTom One 130 is a very capable GPS unit at a very affordable price. You don’t get a lot of extras, but then again, you won’t end up paying for them, either.

[phpbay]TomTom ONE 130, 200, “139835″, “”[/phpbay]

Overall Rating:

The Prestige APS596N car alarm is small and compact. The controls are limited and simple, but most are easy to use. We liked the sleek look of the remote, and all the different features added functionality to the style of the alarm. This car security system has a full and comprehensive feature set which help it stand out from all the competition. However, there are no phone integration options like the Viper car alarm system has, and the remote start feature is more difficult to use than the Python car alarm.

• Two-way LCD Vehicle Security System
• One 5-button 2-way command confirming remote and one 5-button remote
• Five channel receiver capable of accepting up to 4 transmitters
• 7 Function LED (arm, disarm, zone 1/2/3, valet, arming)
• Remote panic in all modes
• Audible arm, disarm, defective zone and tamper confirmation
• Starter disable
• Six tone multi-siren
• Instant siren activation
• Last door arming
• Selectable passive or active arming
• Defective zone bypass
• Programmable auto lock on/off
• Programmable permanent chirp delete
• Programmable door lock pulse duration
• Multi-tone siren
• Dual stage shock sensor
• Parking light flasher output
• Remote trunk release (must have electronic trunk release) and keyles entry outputs (must have power locks)
• Authorized Internet Dealer
• Compatible with multiple vehicles
• 1-year Manufacturer’s warranty

[phpbay]Prestige APS596N, 162, “3270″, “”[/phpbay]

Overall Rating:

The Python 991 model is extremely similar to the Viper 5901, except the Viper car alarm has smartphone integration options. However, the Python car alarms stand out from the competition with terrific features, including a rechargeable remote, remote starting and all the necessary safety features.

• One Mile Range with SST
• Priority 5-button user interface
• Priority™ user interface and icon map
• SilentMode2 – alerts of intrusions without vehicle siren or light activation
• Remote can confirm commands with tones, vibration, text and icon display
• Powerful lithium-ion rechargeable battery with mini-USB charging
• Remote notifies of security intrusions with tones, vibration, text and icon display
• Integrated text display
• Active Temp Check – displays internal cabin temp while remote start engaged
• Tone, vibe and display notifications and confirmations

[phpbay]Python 991, 162, “3270″, “”[/phpbay]

Overall Rating:

The Viper 5901 is a combination car alarm and remote starter. You will be able to protect your vehicle through a variety of features including the starter kill, the shock and door sensors. The Viper 5901 car alarms have a large LCD screen on the remote that will keep you alerted to everything that happens to your car. The incredible features and reliability of these car alarms make them stand out from the competition.

In remote start mode, if Active Temp Check is selected, Responder LC3 will display Temperature (in either Fahrenheit or Celsius) instead of the time (the default display). Now you can see the actual temperature inside the vehicle, before walking through the weather to get to it! If it isn’t warm enough inside your car yet, use Runtime Reset to extend your runtime. Don’t worry about forgetting about your car – Responder LC3 reminds you 3 minutes before your time runs out, with an audible tone, a vibration, and on the screen.

If anything happens to your vehicle, Responder LC3 notifies you right away if you are within range, playing the Revenger siren tones from inside your pocket. If anything has happened to your vehicle during your absence, LC3 spells out what happened when you unlock your doors: “Shock Sensor” for example.

Or you can silence your car’s siren and only be alerted on your remote, with Silent Mode2 sirenless arming. Arm your alarm with the door open and Responder LC3 will alert you – audibly and with large readable text: “DOOR OPEN”. Responder LC3 gives you an unprecedented level of control.

Features

• easily readable LCD screen that will alert you to whatever is happening to your car
• shock sensors will go off whenever your car is moved in any way
• intuitive and is rechargeable with any USB port
• start your car and the air conditioner or heater and bring the temperature to a preset level
• 24 different options and functions
• for an additional charge you can have your phone turned into the remote

Summary:

The Viper 5901 car alarms are affordable, packed full of spectacular and original features and the manufacturer offers great customer service. We loved the remote starting options and the ability to replace the remote with your smartphone.

[phpbay]Viper 5901, 162, “3270″, “”[/phpbay]

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Overall Rating:

Blackberry may have lost the top spot in the US smartphone market this year, but it’s not giving up. The Canadian company RIM is fortifying its smartphone stable releasing the Blackberry Torch 9800 as its first combination touchscreen and full QWERTY portrait slider. Its form has the promise of leading the way for future Blackberry smartphones not only in looks but in proven robust features that continue to sweep corporate America, despite most of them switching to the Android side.

Continuing its Appeal to Business

Blackberry’s conventional looks that have defined the form may have boxed it in and confined the marque to a limited market that will no doubt be the same one to patronize the Blackberry Torch 9800. Even a blending with the more popular touchscreen form which may seem revolutionary for Blackberry but is already pedestrian elsewhere, won’t be extending it to wider markets anytime soon.

Blackberry Torch 9800

Powered by a 623 MHz CPU, the Blackberry Torch 9800 comes with a 4GB onboard storage gives the Torch 9800 enough user memory for most business apps while its microSD expansion capability for up to 32GB takes the better storage option for multimedia files. In addition, its generous 512 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM gives the new Blackberry OS v6.0 and preloaded apps enough room to play.

Respectable Multimedia

Blackberry has never led in the multimedia department as its target business markets are not supposed to have the time to engage in such frivolities. But it does take some nod to some entertainment features. For sure, you might never have to expect an FM stereo radio in one.

None of their models do. But Blackberry Torch 9800 surprises us here with a DivX and XviD support for its video codecs, as well as OGG and FLAC support for its audio players – something you won’t find in many so called music smartphones. It even has the industry standard 3.5mm headphone port and you can go wireless stereo listening with its A2DP profile support.

A 5 megapixel resolution is the common limit among its high end smartphones and so does the Torch 9800. But it features LED flash, geo tagging and continuous auto focus as well as image stabilization. Just don’t expect video recording to go past VGA resolution at a respectable 24fps frame rate.

High End Connectivity and Other Features

As a phone, the Blackberry Torch 9800 carries a wealth of connectivity and is one of the few offering quad band on both GSM on 2G and UMTS on 3G. It has class 10 GPRS/EDGE on 2G and HSDPA/HSUPA on 3G, along with local data connectivity for WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with carrier-dependent UMA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and microUSB v2.0.

SatNav gets a built-in GPS receivers with AGPS support preloaded with its own Blackberry Maps. A standard li-ion battery rated at 1300 mAh gets you going up to 5.5 hours in 2G talk time and almost the same for 3G, while music playback can reach 30 hours.

[phpbay]Blackberry Torch 9800, 132, “3312″, “”[/phpbay]

HTC EVO 4G

Nearly all the features remain intact except that as a US-bound smartphone, the Evo 4G gets a CDMA twin-band radio on 2G and supports 3G and 4G EV-DO exclusive to Sprint. Though the device is touted as a 4G phone, this is exclusive to Sprint as there is still no standard issued by the wireless standards committees. If you have been using the HD2 on the GSM network, the two carry almost the same feature set.

Better Multimedia Prowess

The HTC Evo 4G gets a high resolution 8 megapixel for its camera against the 5 megapixel on the HD2. But you still get the same autofocus, dual LED flash and geo tagging, along with its gorgeous high definition 720p video recording, one of the first in the market when the HD2 came out.

A high end video recording resolution is matched by a gorgeous 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display with wide-VGA (480 x 800) resolution, 65k colors, multitouch data input technology and the expected proximity and accelerometer sensors. Needless to say, watching our favorite Transformers movie on MP4 looks as great on it is in the Droid X which is its direct competitor.

It even has an HDMI port to feet your HTC Evo 4G content to your large screen plasma or LCD TV a great way to escape your friends crowding over the handset when showcasing your photos or videos taken with it. There’s also a secondary front facing video call camera with 1.3 megapixel resolution.

On the entertainment is another plus with its own stereo FM radio with RDS and the media playback support from the popular audio and video files. Stereo listening with headphones can be wired using its 3.5mm headphone port or you can go wireless with its A2DP profile support over Bluetooth.

Rich Hardware Specs

As a high end cellphone, the HTC Evo 4G offers the same data connectivity options apart from its CDMA connectivity. You get WiFi 802.11b/g with WiMax 802.16e protocol support on test for data speeds that can reach up to 10 Mbps when downloading and 1 Mbps when uploading. There’s also Bluetooth v2.1 and microUSB v2.0 as well as an onboard GPS receiver with AGPS support preloaded with Google Maps.

Your Android apps will love its 512 MB RAM and 1 GB ROM to run smoothly even with multitasking of a few apps running on the background. It has support for micro SD expandability for up to 32GB and comes with a free 8GB micro SD card in the sales it. Preloaded software apps include an integrated Facebook, Twitters, Picasa and Flickr apps, along with YouTube, Google Search, Google Talk and Gmail right out of the box.

[phpbay]HTC Evo 4G, 132, “3312″, “”[/phpbay]

Motorola Droid X

Multimedia at its Finest

There’s no arguing the fact that when it comes to display, bigger is better, up to the most practical limits before it gets too big to be called a handset. The Motorola Droid X pushes its display to these limits with a gorgeous 4.3inch capacitive touchscreen with multitouch, 16 million colors and WideVGA (480 x 854) resolution. It also has the gravity accelerometer and proximity sensors. There are only a few smartphone out there that can rival its heightened movie watching experience when on the road. Our Ironman MP4 video certainly looks best on it.

Imaging is in top form with an 8 megapixel autofocus dual LED flash camera that features face detection, image stabilization and geo tagging. Completing this high feature to take advantage of it magnificent screen is its high definition 720p video recording prowess at 24fps or in D1 resolution at 30fps.

It’s only natural to expect mobile phones with HD recording to have a TV out port to connect to your Plasma to LCD TV and the Motorola Droid X obliges with one an HDMI 1.4 port. This is certainly one feature you can enjoy with friends to showcase your images and video taken on it without crowding over it.

Its media playback features support the popular audio and video file formant though it’s wanting in the Xvid department. Should you get tired of the players, you get unlimited music from its Fm stereo receiver with RDS. With A2DP support over Bluetooth, you can enjoy wireless stereo listening or use your favorite headphone with its 3.5mm port.

Other High End Features

The Motorola Droid X radio operates on the dual band CDMA with EV-DO on 3G along with data speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps. What makes calling on the Droid X an edge over some other smartphone is its active noise cancellation using a dedicated microphone. We found this useful when receiving or placing a call in a noisy mall.

Local data connectivity gets WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA for hotspot surfing while data synching and transfers get Bluetooth v2.1 and microUSB v2.0. There’s a built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support preloaded with Google Maps.

Powered by a 1 GHz OPMPA 3630-1000 from Texas Instruments, the Motorola Droid X runs on the Android v2.1 Éclair and should be upgradable to the latest Froyo. Its system memory gets a 512 MB ROM which should make Android apps run fast and smooth along with generous 6.5 GB of user memory that gets micro SD expandability for up to 32GB. It even comes with a 16GB micro SD card in the sales kit. The Droid X gets fueled by a generous 1500 mAh li-ion battery that delivers up to 8 hours of talk time and 20 hours of standby time.

[phpbay]Motorola Droid X, 132, “3312″, “”[/phpbay]