BEST GADGETS OF 2013
Rarely do you come across a wireless speaker capable of handling both Airplay and Bluetooth, along with booming bass extension and stellar mid-range. Cambridge Audio’s sound blaster accomplishes it all and packs everything into a clean-designed enclosure that speaks to luxury home audio enthusiasts. The Minx Air 200 flaunts dual 2.25-inch BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers and a 6.5-inch sub, both mated with a class-D amp that cranks 200W of noise. Bump it at max volume and see if the cops don't come knockin' at the crib.
FITBITFLEX
Nike got some stiff competition on the fitness bracelet front. The competitively priced Flex manages to pull off some of the same activity tricks as the Fuel band such as monitor step counts, distance traveled, burned calories, and more, syncing results to your iPhone or Android device. Only difference is this activity tracker is lighter, offers interchangeable bands, and presents the better web experience.
LG Optimus G PRO
Phablets” are becoming the next best thing in the mobile conglomerate thanks to the prominent success of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. Several other mobile manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon, though LG seems to be the only front runner at the moment to possibly dethrone the Android king with its latest offering. The Optimus G Pro is massive in both size and performance, pushing higher benchmarks than the Galaxy Note II thanks to its insanely fast 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor. Videos look gorgeous on the 5.5-inch 1080p HD screen and 4 G data speeds excel on AT&T’s network.
Trakdot Luggage Tracker
Ever had your bags sent to the other side of the world or incompetently misplaced by an airline? Frequent flyers can breathe easy as the Trak dot serves as a Lo Jack for luggage—monitoring baggage through the use of cellular technology instead of GPS. The palm-sized tracker slips into any back pack or large suitcase and sends alerts via accompanying app, email, SMS, or company website. It even shoots notifications for when your bag hits the claim carousel. Insecure types might want to secretly hide these in the back of their chicks whips. Just saying.
Microsoft Surface Pro
With desktops slowly dying out, the PC convertible market continues to grow vastly and Microsoft’s tablet/laptop hybrid is leading the brigade. The Surface Pro expands on the patented elements that made the R/T version a success, while integrating stronger specs and improved multi-touch technology into the mix. An Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge CPU with HD Graphics 4000 and 128GB SSD make room for ultrabook-like performance, plus the Pro’s innovative Touch Cover promotes accurate touch feedback that you won’t find on most competitors.
An editor’s choice on most tech blogs, Sammy’s compact mirrorless shooter captures high-quality stills and welcomes state-of-the-art wireless sharing features (hotspot, social media) absent on most of today’s top camera models. The NX 300 is the first of its kind to carry a 45mm f/1.8 2D/3D lens and execute both third-dimensional photos and videos flawlessly, making it a suitable DSLR replacement. And with a 7fps burst-shooting mode, pictures are instantaneous with the press of the shutter button.
Sony Vaio Pro 13
Less than a handful of ultrabook models can give the MacBook Air a run for its money and Sony’s latest build might be the closest of the select few. Sexy, slender, and powerful, the world’s lightest 13.3-inch touch laptop is a multimedia beast that delivers gorgeous visuals on a colorful full-HD panel and outputs rich sound from its hinge-located speakers. With Intel's new Haswell 4th Generation Core CPU at the helm, the Vaio Pro enforces stronger processing speeds and booting times than most premium Windows 8 laptops. The affordable price tag also works in its favor.
MacBook Air 2013 Edition (13-inch)
Another year, another upgrade to the MacBook Air line. Only this time around, Apple’s ultra-slim laptop is priced $100 less than its predecessor and carries Intel’s new fourth-gen CPUs to help achieve over 15 hours of battery life—making it the longest-lasting portable PC around. Apple also keeps intact its industry-best keyboard and touchpad, also supporting faster flash memory and improved graphics performance. If there was ever a time to cop a MacBook, it’s now.
Google Glass
Momentarily limited to the developer crowd, Google’s computing eyewear is slowly progressing into the game-changer we all imagined it would become upon launch. The Android-based smart glasses known as Google Glass pushes the boundaries of wearable technology by allowing owners to perform actions such as answer emails, take pictures, and translate text hands-free—all viewable on a micro-display. The steep price hasn’t stopped many from garnering interest in the hi-tech specs. Plus Google’s commitment to enhancing its mobile OS platform only shows Google Glass’ true potential as we head into the future.
