Newproducts Tested&Rated
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300+ New Products Tested&Rated HDTVs Cell Phones DVRs Camcorders MP3 Players Universal Remotes Gaming PCs Headphones Pocket Cameras Electric Shavers Digital SLRs Vacuums And More... REVEALED! TheBestGadget ofAllTime iFRAUD Essential Tips forSpotting Counterfeit Gear GO BIG Widescreens at Small Prices WINTER 2008 23The Wired Ultimate Gadget Tourney Sixty-four gadgets fought for ultimate techno superiority. There were run- away blowouts by fan favorites but also surprising victories by unheralded underdogs. In the end, only one sur- vived all seven rounds of competition to emerge as the single greatest gad- get of all time. Our special foldout shows each tournament head-to-head and reveals which gizmo came out on top. by christopher null 15 Start 55 ESSAY Why wireless carriers cripple 15 your cell phone FRAUD How to spot fake gear THE BEST Obsolete tech- nologies INFOPORN The cost of living on the bleeding edge of gadgetry. 30 Mobile Phones Ranging from easily pocketable com- puters to sleek fashion statements, 66 the latest cellulars do everything 30 except return your calls for you. 46 Digicams Taking great pictures has never been easier, whether you’re packing the hot- test digital SLR or grabbing snapshots with a pocket-size point-and-shoot. 58 Videocams Home movies? How about hospital- baiting parkour clips? Choose the tape-based cam, DVD model, or hard-drive storage monster that 43 best suits your action. WIRED TEST 0 0 5 153 Televisions 70 Your standard-def set is yesterday’s news. With prices plummeting on HDTVs, you can enjoy razor-sharp 86 images even on mammoth screens. 116 Video Gear 82 102 Spice up your home theater with a new hi-def DVR, a media streamer, and a Blu-ray or HD DVD player, then pick a remote to run them all. Portable Media 94 Most of today’s players can handle video and photos as well as music, letting you enjoy all your digital media anytime, anywhere. Home Audio 108 Surround speakers or headphones will immerse you in sound, while the latest receivers help you get more from your A/V setup. Household 116 82 High tech is pervasive. Products from strollers to shavers to shower-heads focus on improved functionality and innovation. Laptops 128 Portable computing doesn’t mean skimping on power. Several of the slimmest can even handle Quake 4, while high-end systems with huge screens match some desktops. 112 Gaming Gear 138 Whether you’re a console jockey or spend hours tweaking your PC for faster fragging, we’ve got all the best systems for playing to win. Automotive 148 Driving something fun can still be 154 environmentally responsible. Trick 122 out your ride with GPS or sat radio and never get lost or bored again. 70 Greatest Gadget 140 131 of All Time 158 It beat contenders from the iPod to the sextant to stand triumphant at the pinnacle of the gadget world. COVER Photographed for 150 WIRED by Andrew Zuckerman. Styled by William Ladd. 0 0 6 WIRED TEST editor in chief Chris Anderson editor Mark McClusky deputy editor Bonnie Azab Powell associate editor Joe Brown contributing editors Daniel Dumas, Cliff Kuang, Cathy Lu, Robert Strohmeyer, Kalee Thompson copy editors Brian Dustrud, Holly Haynes, Jennifer Prior, Lee Simmons senior editor, research Joanna Pearlstein contributing research editors Erin Biba, Adrienne So, Jenna Wortham creative director Scott Dadich art director Margaret Swart contributing artists Brown Bird Design, Harry Campbell, Arno Ghelfi, Kevin Hand, Victor Koen photo editor Zana Woods photo assistants Sarah Filippi, Daniel Salo, Ryan Thayer contributing photographers Gene Lee, Tom Schierlitz, Andrew Zuckerman production director Jeff Lysgaard production manager Ryan Meith contributing production manager Myrna Chiu executive editor Bob Cohn creative director Scott Dadich managing editor Jacob Young deputy editor Thomas Goetz articles editor Mark Robinson art directors Carl DeTorres, Maili Holiman new york editor Mark Horowitz senior designer Chris Imlay story editors Jon J. 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