KINGS of HI-DEF 1080P Hdtvs Give You Best the Best Picture Yet!
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KINGS OF HI-DEF 1080p HDTVs give you Best the best picture yet! GETAWAY GADGETS: travel-worthy iEVERYTHING 10 What every iPhone PLUS digicams and iPod owner NEVER GET LOST AGAIN must know ONLINE GAMING MANIA HOUSE PARTY! Wholehouse Audio Made Easy POWER UP with WINDOWS VISTA Why Now Is The Time For A New PC Plus 5 Luxury Convertible Hardtops! Best CONTENTS Best /// SPRING/SUMMER 2007 DEPARTMENTS FROM THE WHAT’S NEW 8|EDITORS 14|A sneak peek at Turning Bets into Bests some of the most sophisticated gear around CONTRIBUTORS BITS & BYTES COMING 9| 10|The latest news and views 120|NEXT from the digital frontier ISSUE BEST LIFE THE TIME 22|MACHINES The finest watches for work and play VIVA LAS VEGAS! 26|The best places to eat, drink, stay, and play BEST HOME ENTERTAINMENT BATTLE OF THE 60|AIRWAVES With XM and Sirius merging and HD radio gaining HOUSE PARTY momentum, this 46| The Sonos system is an guide will help you incredibly simple plug-and- sort out what is what play whole-house digital music on the new frontier of solution that will make your audio entertainment home the place for parties THE KING OF HI-DEF 38| New 1080p HDTVs set the bar high for hi-def picture quality FINE TUNING 50| Amazing sound adds a multidimensional aspect to your home- TAKE A FEW BYTES theater experience, 44| FROM THE LATEST APPLE and with all the new The slick new 40GB Apple TV speakers, it’s easy to find liberates your music, photos, and models that fit your lifestyle videos from your PC 4 /// Best Best CONTENTS Best /// SPRING/SUMMER 2007 BEST PORTABLE ACCESSORiZE An industry has 76|been built up around the Apple WIRELESS LOST & FOUND iPod, with manu- WONDERS 70|How to take the facturers producing 64|Get ready for a new [bleep] out of all sorts of acces- generation of cell phones “Where the sories to help you on steroids–led by the new [bleep] are we?” get the most from Apple iPhone your player BEST COMPUTING BEST DIGITAL IMAGING DIGICAMS ON VACATION! Hitting the road this summer? When 94|you do, don’t forget to pack one of these great digital cameras PICTURE PERFECT PRINTS The best photo printers offer 102|lab-quality prints in the comfort of your home SET YOUR SIGHTS 82|ON VISTA CREATIVE EDITING Our complete guide to 107|Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and buying Windows Vista–plus Photoshop CS3 take your photos to our picks for the top new exciting new levels computers SAVE THOSE MEMORIES! BEST GAMING Here’s how to keep those photos for 110|generations to come BEST AUTO OPEN ROAD, OPEN AIR You can argue “hardtop con- ONLINE GAMING’S 112| vertible” is an oxymoron, but 88|NEW LINEUP there’s no disputing that it’s a Online connectivity takes hot trend for sunny days gaming to the next level BEST DVD GAMING TO GO 92|PSP and Nintendo DS PRIMETIME ON YOUR TIME keep the hits coming 118| Enjoy great TV without the commercials 6 /// Best Best EDITORS’ NOTE Publisher Turning Best into Bests John D. Lentz [email protected] any consider buying new technology similar Editors to throwing dice or playing high-stakes poker David J. Elrich [email protected] Krissy Rushing [email protected] at a casino—you can win big, or go bust Art Director dropping a lot of money on a technological Chuck Hargett gamble. That said, wouldn’t you like the Designer Mopportunity to see your opponents’ hole cards? If you could, Jade Place it would dramatically increase your odds of walking away President/Advertising Manager from the hi-tech table a winner with the coveted jackpot. Rick Deckbar [email protected] That’s where Best magazine comes in. Vice President Advertising/Digital Director Best writers and editors were charged this issue with Jeffrey C. Heeren [email protected] teaching you how to place winning bets on electronics and Advertising lifestyle products. Concerned about the high-stakes world of Tory Abel [email protected] Harold Chambliss [email protected] next-generation HDTV? See this issue’s “The King of Hi- Sue Todd [email protected] Def,” where we tell you how to get a hi-def image worth brag- Contributors ging about—and give you the best bets for the top televisions Gary Altunian, Shawn Barnett, John Biggs, Bill Howard, Bobbie Katz, available today. And we don’t stop there. Adrienne Maxwell, Peter Putman, Jon Sienkiewicz, Beth Stein, What camera should you bring along for your summer Scott Steinberg, Stewart Wolpin vacation? We choose 10 of the top digital cameras to ensure Copy Editors Richard Lehnert, John Lentz Jr. that you’re getting the right camera for your needs at the Photo Editors right price. Then we’ll take the mystery out of Windows David Lentz, Jessica West Vista—and even detail those new laptops and desktops that IT Editor are sure things. And, since it’s almost summer, read our Joe Stewart article on multimedia cell phones, “Wireless Wonders,” to get Executive Assistant tunes and movies on the go. You’ll also find the skills to wager Lee Ann Hollingsworth on the best online video-gaming experiences, home audio Best Magazine, LLC systems that fit your lifestyle, and the top iPod accessories. In AmSouth Center, 11th Floor • 315 Deaderick Street Nashville, TN 37238 short, by reading Best, you’re destined to become an electron- Phone: (615) 726-2121 ics ace. copyright © 2007 Best Magazine, LLC We also know there’s a big world outside of high technolo- www.BestMag.com gy. That’s why we suggest you take our advice and consider a Digital Version trip to the Entertainment Capital of the Word—Las Vegas! Vice President, Sitening We’ll tell you where to stay and play (Caesars), where to dine Anastasia Holdren [email protected] (Restaurant Guy Savoy), what to see (Love), and other sure Interactive Designer, Sitening things to make your desert holiday unforgettable. Not only Amy Mauk [email protected] that, we give suggestions for arriving in style and on time— in Las Vegas or anywhere else. We profile the ultimate hard- top convertibles—the ones that redefine the category and our experts provide an exclusive suite of wristwatches that trans- Athlon Sports Communications Inc. form keeping time into luxury. CEO Charles W. Allen Executive Assistant So for the greatest that life and technology have to offer, Doris Kyle CFO Mary Lee Dunn read on. With Best magazine, there’s simply no limit. Accounts Receivable Lu Ann Williams Controller Donna Hathcock The Editors Director of Circulation Troy Childers Newsstand Sales Manager Joe Berger Production Manager Mark Malone 8 /// Best Best Gary Altunian began his career in the consumer-electronics executive editor for four years. She is now industry in retail and later was the director of training for an audio a freelance writer and reviews audio, video, manufacturer. In 2003 he began a career as a freelance writer. Gary and convergence products for Home Theater, is an audiophile who is passionate about music and home theater. Digital TV & Sound, and AVrev.com, among others. CONTRIBUTORS Shawn Barnett is senior editor at Imaging-Resource.com, one of the most visited photography websites in the U.S. Peter Putman heads ROAM Consulting LLC and runs Shawn started taking pictures early and hasn’t stopped for 30 HDTVexpert.com, a fast-growing display technology website. years. Though his wife, daughter, and two sons take first place, Peter is adjunct faculty for the International Communications photography was his first love. Industries Association and a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and the Society for John Biggs writes for InSync magazine, CrunchGear.com, Information Display. He holds certifications from the ICIA WristWatchReview.com and the New York Times. He lives in and the Imaging Science Foundation. Brooklyn with his wife, son, and dog. Jon Sienkiewicz played an integral role in the develop- Chuck Hargett, Best art director, began his career at Team ment of some of the world’s first digital cameras in his three & Associates Advertising in Dallas. Among his many creative decades as VP of marketing at Minolta Corporation. Active accomplishments are a stint as creative director at Word today as a writer and photographer, he is a contributing edi- Entertainment, a Nashville record label and creative director of tor/writer at PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Daily Variety magazine, where he designed the look of Pro, Photo Industry Reporter, Shutterbug, and Popular Showtime’s Emmy Awards party, art-direced the Golden Globes Photography, among others. program, and created materials for the Academy Awards. He later founded The Hargett Agency in New York City. Beth Stein’s career in cars spans more than 18 years. She has reviewed new vehicles weekly for Nashville’s daily news- Bill Howard is New Jersey–based editor of Technoride.com, papers, BestStuff.com, and as an on-air personality for Road the car-technology site of PC Magazine. He was executive Test and MotorTrend magazines, as well as Car and Driver tele- editor and technology columnist for PC Magazine for 15 years. vision on cable nationwide. Bill’s work was honored five times by the Computer Press Association, and he has been cited as one of the tech Scott Steinberg is the author of Videogame Marketing and industry’s most influential journalists by Marketing Computers PR, co-author of The Videogame Style Guide, and managing magazine. director of Embassy Multimedia Consultants. Reach out to him at www.scottsteinberg.com. Bobbie Katz has been covering Las Vegas’ entertainment scene for the last 15 years, including for the Las Vegas section Stewart Wolpin is a New York City-based writer who has of the Los Angeles Times Sunday Calendar, the Los Angeles Times been writing about technology for more than 20 years for out- Magazine, and special guides put out by that paper.