Jul 09 2008
VW’s 282 MPG Super Fuel Efficient Car
The 1-Liter car has been around in prototype form since 2002 and greens everywhere have been drooling at its 282 miles per gallon fuel economy (or 1 liter of gasoline per 100 kilometers, hence the name). VW has finally decided to make more and sell them, and a limited edition (estimated in the thousands) should start selling in 2010.
Jul 09 2008
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL550 represents the best that the German automaker has to offer. With a premium version of the COMAND system, adaptive cruise control, Night View assist, and an arsenal of other performance and safety technologies, the tester car came in as our priciest Car Tech review model, at almost $111,000. But for all those dollars, the CL550 sits firmly at the crossroads of consummate luxury, admirable performance, and advanced onboard and driving technologies.
Jul 09 2008
The pricier, high-tech hybrid sibling of the LS 460 L is a classy ride with all the car gadgetry you could ask for. Its design turns all the heads it should given its $104,000 price tag, and it comes loaded with a 5-liter V-8 engine, the Advanced Parking Guidance System for parking assist, a rockin’ stereo, a hard drive-based navigation system, and a voice command system that’s among the best reviewed by our editors. No wonder it won an Editors’ Choice award.
Jul 09 2008
The slim and oh-so-fancy LG Prada smartphone is, simply put, the epitome of elegance and style. Designed by one of the world’s premier fashion houses, this unlocked beauty may cost a jaw-dropping $849, but for that price you get function along with form: there’s support for stereo Bluetooth and MP3 ringtones, a camcorder and a music player with FM radio are built in, and there’s even a document viewer for professionals on the go.
Jul 09 2008
This $1,700 Sony raises the bar on what to expect from a high-end AV receiver thanks to its incredible list of features including a gorgeous GUI, six HDMI inputs (more than we’ve seen on other receivers in this price range), video upconversion,and onboard decoding for the latest high-definition soundtracks. Did we mention it has six HMDI 1.3 inputs? That’s enough for a high-def cable box, a PlayStation 3,an Xbox 360 Elite,an Apple TV,a Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player,and an HDMI-equipped DVD recorder,all connected via HDMI.
Jul 09 2008
Slim and silent, the Sony VAIO XL3 is expertly designed and about as well-equipped as any convergence hound might like. With an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7600 GTL graphics card, and a touch pad-equipped wireless keyboard, this home theater PC may sacrifice expandability for size but it offers more connectivity options than its competition does. And there are also several setup guides included for the 33 Benjamins you’ll be forking over.
Jul 09 2008
A worthy choice for anyone who has $500 to splurge, each earbud of the Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones packs in the Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeaker. That’s two woofers and one tweeter per ear for the audiophile on your list. Sound quality is, without a doubt, the star of the show with these ‘buds, and our listening tests inspired frequent bouts of desk dancing, much to the amusement of neighboring editors.
Jul 09 2008
Aperion’s Intimus 533-PT speakers are really good. At $1 million, Kharma’s Grand Enigma speakers better be good. The Dutch company’s higher-than-high-end speakers top HigherFi’s list of the world’s most expensive speakers, and we’re betting they have the sound to match the price. If the system is within your financial means, you’d better hurry up and buy them; there’s only one of them in existence.
Jul 09 2008
For just $14,000, you can get a 2007 Honda Fit. But who needs a real car when, for the same price, you can roll around in the Berline Cadillac Escalade golf cart, fully pimped with 15-inch rims. This chromed-out electric cart tops out at 20 mph and comes equipped with an Alpine CD system. If the Caddy doesn’t float your boat, you could always fork over a couple extra grand for the Berline Smoothster cart.
Jul 09 2008
At about $2,000, this Aperion five-speaker surround sound set is a bit pricey, but you get a whole lot of speaker for your money. The plug-in tower speakers are almost 3-and-a-half feet tall and have built-in 150-watt subwoofers. They’ll fit right in with your furniture, too. The wooden speaker system is available in either cherrywood veneer or piano-black finish, and the build quality is rock-solid. Just be sure to save a little money for some new socks, because the sound quality of this package will blow your current ones clean off.
