Showcases
The latest hot products from CES and other industry events. Unique gadgets that you should check out right away. gdgt’s picks for gifts (and devices you may want to pick up for yourself!), and showcases highlighting some of the best products available from our sponsors. It’s all here. Come back regularly, and see what’s new!
7 gadgets you must have and 6 to avoid
With all the gadgets available today, choosing the ones you absolutely have to have can be overwhelming. Do you really need a smartphone? What about a GPS unit for your car? Here are our picks for some gadgets we think everyone should own -- and some that most people can avoid. However, gadget-picking also has a personal aspect. There are reasons to own every product on our "avoid" list, and we've included them here. So, don't throw away that digital picture frame just yet -- though you may be hard-pressed to find a reason to buy a new one.
Cut the cord! Get TV without cable
Tired of paying for cable or satellite TV every month? It's never been easier to cut the cord and get all of your programming over the Internet, either a la carte, through on-demand services, or via affordable subscription services like Netflix. The devices below can get you up and running in no time, and there's a good chance you already have everything you need to get going (especially if you have a recent gaming console or laptop). Of course, not everything is available via the Internet, and some streaming services, such as HBO Go, require you to have a cable or satellite subscription. But more channels are online now than ever before, and even HBO makes hit shows like Game of Thrones available through services like iTunes.
Best HDTVs, bargains, and one to avoid
New HDTVs first introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January are now finding their way into stores. While some -- like Panasonic's midrange plasma models -- are worth considering, others, such as Sony's Ultra HD TVs, are still high-priced luxuries. As new models begin to hit retailers, now is also a great time to consider buying one of last year's top models, many of which are available at steep discounts.
Should Facebook be your phone's home?
Facebook Home, the social network's new software for Android smartphones, is now available, and so is the HTC First, which is, yes, the first phone to come with Home pre-installed. Early reviews of Home have been decidedly mixed, with some critics pointing out that, despite providing easy access to Facebook chat and text messages, and bringing Facebook status updates to your phone's lock screen, some other functions, such as the phone's camera and favorite apps are harder to reach from the lock screen. However, Home can be turned off or deleted, so if you have one of the Home-compatible phones below, you can give it a try, and if you find that you really don't want Facebook in your face all the time, you can switch back to the standard Android home screen.
MWC 2013: Tablets, Firefox phones, more
Each February, the world's mobile-device manufacturers head to Barcelona to show off their latest gadgets. While HTC chose to roll out its One in New York prior to MWC, and Samsung appears set to do the same with the Galaxy S IV after the show, Barcelona still saw plenty of major launches, including the first phones running Firefox OS, and Samsung's latest addition to the Galaxy Note family.
Best TVs and gear for the big game
Getting ready for Super Bowl XLVII? It's not too late to get a new TV, add a sound bar to your current set, or get a DVR or Slingbox to time or location-shift your viewing experience. Here are some of our favorite picks for your Super Sunday viewing pleasure.
CES 2013: The best and most interesting
With the Consumer Electronics Show winding down, it's time to take one last look at the products that excited and intrigued us over the past week. Many of the more interesting CES gadgets are prototypes or early versions of models that may not be available until later this year -- if ever. And some are odd devices we're not sure we'll ever actually want or need, but still think are worth highlighting simply due to the sheer creativity -- or audacity -- behind them. Although CES will soon be over, we'll continue updating our database as more information is available about these and other products unveiled this week, so be sure to add your favorites to your Want list so you can check in and get alerts once the products are available for purchase.
A year ago, speaker docks were all the rage, and Bluetooth speakers were considered overpriced, clunky devices that didn't sound nearly as good as wired alternatives. Today, docks are on the wane, and Bluetooth speakers are available for as little as $30. And while even high-end Bluetooth speakers can't compete with comparable wired models, they've gotten much better, and have added convenient features like charging ports, NFC-assisted pairing, and go-anywhere features like solar panels and ruggedized housings.
CES 2013: Gaming gear for all platforms
It may not be E3, but that doesn't mean there's no gaming going on at CES. Controllers, gaming PCs, and odd mashups like the Power A MOGA Pro abound at CES, and if you look hard enough, you can even find some console gear, including Razer's Sabertooth, the best Xbox 360 controller ever made.
CES 2013: The rise of 4K UHDTVs
So, you've finally upgraded all of your TVs to 1080p, and some of them are even 3D-capable. Congratulations! You're just in time for the industry's next upgrade cycle, as just about every TV manufacturer begins to push ultra-high-def sets with resolutions four times greater than today's HD sets (hence the "4K" moniker). But don't take out your wallet just yet. Today's UHDTVs sell for as much as $20,000, and there's almost no 4K programming available -- though Sony hopes to change that later this year, when it begins shipping a dedicated 4K media player.
CES 2013 may be remembered as the event where camera makers finally got serious about competing with smartphones. More new cameras have WiFi as a standard feature, and some, like Canon's PowerShot N -- which should have just been called the Instacam -- seem to have been inspired directly by photo-sharing services. Here are some of the more interesting models making the rounds in Vegas this week. Check back later, and we'll have our roundup of the more "serious" cameras that debuted this week.
Fitness devices have grown from a niche category to a major part of the consumer electronics landscape, and this year's CES features new products from established manufacturers like Fitbit and Withings, as well as more intriguing launches like the first smart fork, from the Kickstarter-funded HAPILABS.
With its fullscreen, touch-optimized interface, Windows 8 is like nothing you've ever seen on a PC. While the jury is still out on whether Windows 8 is a viable operating system (we still recommend holding off on upgrading to the new OS), PC makers have responded with a range of touchscreen-based laptops, all-in-one desktops, and displays. Here are some of the more interesting ones.
gdgt Zeitgeist 2012: Most-wanted gadgets
What were the most-wanted gadgets among gdgt members in 2012? Based on their Want lists, Apple products ruled. Apple also showed up prominently among our members' most-purchased gear -- and in their "Had" lists, which include products they've jettisoned, presumably as they've upgraded to newer models.
It's not very often a company as big as Apple -- or even Apple itself -- revamps just about every major product in the course of a few months. But they did just that, and are starting 2013 off strong. Here are the highlights.
The biggest consumer electronics event of the year is about to start. And while certain major companies won't be there (we're talking to you, Microsoft and Apple), those that are will be showing off some exciting new gadgets, including 4K TVs, touchscreen displays, and next-generation smartphones and tablets. Here's what we're expecting, based on what we've seen so far.
gdgt Zeitgeist 2012: Best and Worst
Over the past year, we’ve scored well over a thousand gadgets. Most of those are good products, with gdgt Scores in the mid 70s to low 80s. These are gadgets you aren’t likely to be disappointed with if you get them, but they’re not likely to wow you either. But we also scored some truly great devices, with scores in the upper 80s and 90s, as well as some that were just awful, with scores as low as 50. As with all of the products we score, the gdgt Score for these is based on a combination of a critic scores, user scores and our own take on the product.