CNET's 18 favorite tech gifts - Holiday Gift Guide

Samsung Galaxy S3 (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, Verizon)

Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a huge, vibrant HD screen, a large battery, an awesome camera, and a boatload of software extras -- the best lets you tap two like phones together to share photos and video. A fast dual-core Qualcomm processor and 4G LTE make it a compelling Android 4.0 package. You'll have your choice of 16GB or 32GB versions, which also store up to 64GB of your movies and e-books on a microSD card.

4.0 stars - CNET Editors' Rating

Starting at: $99.99

The good: The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes fully loaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4G LTE/HSPA+ 42 capability, a zippy dual-core processor, and a strong 8-megapixel camera. S Beam is an excellent software enhancement, and the handset's price is right.

The bad: The Galaxy S3's screen is too dim, and Samsung's Siri competitor, S Voice, disappointed.

The bottom line: Pumped with high-performing hardware and creative software features, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is an excellent, top-end phone that's neck and neck with the HTC One X.

Read CNET's Full Review

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V
 

Those who need a camera to satisfy a couple different users will like the HX200V. Its 30x, f2.8-5.6, 27-810mm lens is good for a variety of subjects -- from close-ups to field shots from the bleachers. It has a wide selection of shooting modes, too, so whether you like to fiddle with settings or leave it in auto, the HX200V has you covered. 

4.0 stars - CNET Editors' Rating

Starting at: $385.00

The good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V is a fast-shooting megazoom with excellent photo and video quality for its class, and plenty of shooting options to make casual and advanced shooters happy.

The bad: The HX200V lacks advanced bridge camera features like raw image capture, a hot shoe, or mic input. Some of its shooting modes and general operation can get confusing if you want to do more than leave it in auto.

The bottom line: A lot of camera, both in lens and features, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V is a solid choice for point-and-shoot users looking to do a little more than that.

Read CNET's Full Review

Samsung SyncMaster S27B970

The Samsung SyncMaster S27B970 impresses with both its sleek aesthetics and stellar performance. It's a bit on the pricey side with a hard to disconnect DisplayPort, but both design and performance of the monitor outweigh its cons.

 

4.0 stars - CNET Editors' Rating

 

Starting at: $999.99

The good: The Samsung SyncMaster S27B970 has stellar performance, a sleek, sexy design, and useful OSD options.

The bad: At $1,200, the monitor will set you back a few car payments. Also, attempting to remove the DisplayPort cable can have disastrous consequences.

The bottom line: The Samsung SyncMaster S27B970's excellent performance and beautiful aesthetic outweigh some thoughtless design choices.

Read CNET's Full Review>>

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Hitchcock TRAILER (2012) - Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren Movie HD

Hands-on with the new $199 HTC Droid DNA

HTC jumps into phablets with Droid DNA (hands-on)

Design

On the surface, the slab-shaped HTC Droid DNA looks like just about every other Android smartphone on the market. The only touch of flair are signature Verizon-red highlights which circle the 8-megapixel megapixel camera lens and form a thin line above the screen. Frankly it gives the handset a classic Droid Incredible flavor similar to the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE That said I really like the long red stripes which run along both the left and right edges of the phone. HTC says it was inspired by Lamborghini supercars when crafting them. As for me, I just think the stripes, which are metallic and perferated by tiny holes, look futuristic and striking.

On back, the phone’s soft-touch surface cut from premium polycarbonate reminds me more of the HTC One X and One X+’s design language though. You’ll need that soft-touch coating too since its rubber feel provides a sure grip. The device is large, yet thin. Its 0.16-inch profile makes it thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S III. Picking up both handsets and placing them side-by-side, however, they seem to be of equal thickness, or shall I say thiness. This phone is razor-sharp, there's no doubt about that and its metal buttons and trim give it a much more premium feel than the Galaxy S III's plastic parts.


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New Acer Chromebook costs just $199

 PCWorld - It was just a few weeks ago that a $249 Chromebook appeared courtesy of Google and Samsung, but on Monday that already-low price point dropped even further.

Google and Acer today announced the brand-new Acer C7, a Chromebook priced at just $199.

Powered by an Intel Celeron 847 processor and equipped with 2GB of DDR3 memory, the new device will be available to U.S. customers starting tomorrow on the Google Play store, at Best Buy stores, and on BestBuy.com.

In the United Kingdom, it's available on Google Play, Amazon UK, PC World, and Currys; “we’re working hard to bring it to more countries soon,” wrote Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president for Chrome and Apps, in a Monday blog post.

An 18-second boot time
 
The Acer C7 weighs just slightly over three pounds and measures a mere one inch thick, yet it features a full-size keyboard, a fully clickable trackpad, an “extra bright” 11.6-inch display, and a battery life of more than 3.5 hours.

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Gaming Holiday Gift Guide 2012

IGN - Gamers and geeks are notoriously hard to shop for. Our tastes are...particular. Hundreds of new games, movies and gadgets come out every year, but we're only interested in the cream of the crop, the best handful of products that scratch our fanatic itch. At IGN, we want to remove the mystery of shopping for gamers. So we've assembled this collection of the absolute best gifts for 2012, in categories spanning the hottest video game consoles, and our favorite movies and comics. No more bad gifts. Just the most coveted goods for the online generation.