What Are the Best Products of the Year?

View this newsletter online | Newsletter Services | More Newsletters » Follow @pcworld on Twitter November 4, 2011 PCWorld.com The Best of PCWorld

PCWorld staffers get along amazingly well: We love technology and enjoy working together to get the word out to readers. But we do have a yearly disagreement--some might even call it a battle--that invariably disrupts our otherwise congenial environment. The point of contention: PCWorld's Best Products of the Year awards, which we publish every November. As is our custom, the selection process begins with every editor suggesting products, arguing his or her points, and making the best case possible for inclusion of hardware, software, and services that mattered over the last 12 months. Then the lobbying, horse-trading, pleading, wheedling, and arguing begin in earnest. It's a month-long process that ultimately yields a well-considered product list we're very proud of--even if it sometimes hurts getting there. Take a look at the fruits of our labors and see if you agree with our choices. --Editorial Director Steve Fox Top Stories 100 Best Products of 2011 The year's standout hardware, software, and services, as selected by PCWorld's experts. 38 Incredibly Useful Sites If you haven't tried underappreciated online services such as Earndit, PageOnce, and Rdio, you're missing out on some of the Web's handiest sites for managing your money, your health, your music, and more. 20 Best Browser Apps of 2011 Whether you want to stay on top of your to-do list, find out who is tracking you online, or sling a few birds at pesky pigs, here are 20 apps that are well worth your time. For more Web-based software and services, visit PCWorld.com. Top Tweets From @PCWPluggedIn IBM supercomputer will be as smart as a human by 2019 Goal of being "as dumb as a human" was reached years ago. Apple confirms that bugs cause iPhone 4S battery problems But on the plus side, the 4S's antenna is A-OK! Gravity-powered robot legs mimic human walking Gravity approach is especially good for replicating falling down. Follow us every day on Twitter: @PCWPluggedIn News New Nook Color: 4 Things We Want to See Barnes & Noble is expected to announce a new version of their e-reader/tablet soon. Here's what we think they need to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire. Two-Thirds of Consumers Fret About Phone Security We're using our phones for banking, buying, and broadcasting our location -- but that doesn't mean we're not still nervous. Nokia Picks New Chip Vendor for Dual-core Windows Phones Nokia will use ST-Ericsson's dual-core NovaThor chips in future Windows Phones, the companies said on Wednesday. For the latest reports, visit our News page . PCW Business Center How to Set Up RAID on Your PC Boost your hard-drive performance, add redundancy, or do both by converting your PC to use a RAID setup. Visit the PCW Business Center. Blogs HP TouchPad Returns to Best Buy Best Buy is offering HP's tablet, which was discontinued in August, at prices starting at $150 for the 32GB version, provided you purchase a qualifying PC. iPhone 4S Battery Woes: Where is the Outrage? Apple's iPhone 4S battery blues should act as the catalyst for change, with users demanding better battery performance no matter the handset brand. What's Inside a Giant Box of Skyrim? While you're waiting for Skyrim to arrive, here's what's coming in the $150 collector's edition. For the latest news and opinion, visit our Blogs page . Reviews HP EliteBook 8560w: A Fast, Midsize Workstation for Professionals A record-setting WordlBench performance is backed up with excellent features, but the 15.6-inch display is small for its 1080p resolution. Primordial Computers Satyr: Benchmarks Crushed, Wallets Merely Maimed This is the perfect machine for tinkerers: it's cheap(ish), and has a huge, roomy case. Compare prices on PCs. For more reviews, visit PCWorld.com. How-To Windows 8 on a USB Drive, Defragging Tips, Launch Apps Fast Install Windows 8 the easy way, learn more about defragmenting your hard drive, launch Windows 7 programs quickly. Make the Free GIMP Photo Editor Easier to Use The free Adaptable GIMP add-on adds recipes for common photo editing tasks to the open-souce image editor. For more tips, visit PCWorld.com. Videos Motorola Atrix 2: A High-End Phone With a Lower-End Price With a dual-core processor and 4G speeds, the $100 Atrix 2 is great for people who want a high-end phone for an affordable price. For more videos, visit PCWorld.com. Downloads EASEUS Todo Backup Back up entire partitions, restore partitions and individual files for free with this highly useful backup program from Easeus. For more free and trial software, visit PCWorld.com. PC World Community Unable to Move Curser in XP Join the discussion. Visit the PC World Community The Future of 3D Gaming Read the latest updates on the gaming revolution. Read more. Advertisement Lenovo ThinkPads & IdeaPads Click thru to shop the bestselling ThinkPads & IdeaPads! Most Popular Searches Android Windows 8 HTC Asus Printers Product Reviews Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2011 93 Pros Good interface; Strong malware detection Cons Scan speeds lag behind top performers Read Complete Review » Top 10 Paid Antivirus Programs for 2011 » Top 5 Paid Antivirus for 2011 » Apple MacBook Air (Mid 2011) family 0 Pros Cons Read Complete Review » 100 Best Products of 2011 » HTC Sensation 4G 90 Pros Dual core + 4G = awesome performance; Gorgeous qHD display; Thin, curved design Cons Some antenna issues may exist; Camcorder footage looks shaky Read Complete Review » Top 10 Cell Phones » Top 10 Android Phones » Top 5 T-Mobile Phones » Get Big Savings When you Shop at PCWorld.com Shop online at PCWorld.com, where you can compare product information, read trusted reviews, and find the best prices on consumer electronics. Alpha NEX-5N Black SLR Digital Camera Body Only Price: $599.00 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review Alpha NEX-5N Black Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55 mm Lens Price: $698.00 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review Browse more Best Prices on Digital Cameras, Flash Memory, Graphics & Publishing Software, Lenses, Bags & Cases Top News on PCWorld.com 'Do a Barrel Roll' is Google's Latest Loony Easter Egg Want to see your search results do a barrel roll? Search for 'do a barrel roll' on Google. Share: 15 Apps and Tweaks That May Convince You to Jailbreak Your iPhone If you've never considered jailbreaking your iPhone, these handy hack helpers might sway you. Share: Top Reviews on PCWorld.com 3 Bluetooth Keyboards for Android Tablets A Bluetooth keyboard can add a whole new dimension to your Android tablet. We highlight three excellent options. Share: 6 Great Apps to Help You Manage Your Household Can't remember what items your family needs from the grocery store or what days the kids' dental appointments fall on? These apps can help you keep everyone in your life on the same page. Share: Tech Revolutions: Products Tell the Story Want to see how technology has changed? Look at the hardware, software, and services that have topped PCWorld's annual Best Products list since 2005. Share: Motorola Atrix 2: A High-End Phone With a Lower-End Price With a dual-core processor and 4G speeds, the $100 Atrix 2 is great for people who want a high-end phone for an affordable price. Share: Downloads: Editor's Collection Free Halloween Fun: Themes, Screen Savers, and Fonts to Ward Off the Holidays It's that time of the year again, when days get short, nights get long, and Christmas seems just over the horizon. Perhaps Halloween is Nature's way of slowing the inevitable slide to the holidays. If you're planning a Halloween party instead of making your holiday gift list, how about printing out invitations in a Ghoulish font? And if you're busily hanging up paper ghosts and spider webs, don't neglect your computer: We've got several free wallpapers and desktop themes to choose from, including a festive Day of the Dead theme and mutant zombie-jack-o-lantern wallpaper. --Kim Saccio-Kent Browse DownloadsAntivirus & Security • Design & Multimedia • Utilities • Games • Chat, Email, & the Web • Sponsored Downloads Halloween 3D ScreensaverMost Halloween screensavers are boring and plain, but this screensaver is artistic, outstanding and smart. And scary of course! Featuring a horrifying Jack olantern served together with skeletons, skulls and shrieking sounds, install this--if you dare. (Compatibility: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7) PCWorld newsletter subscribers use discount code DEF-6Y1E-DA for 50% off! AV Voice Changer Software 7.0Confuse your friends. Confound your enemies. Generally have a lot of fun with this voice changing software. Use it for serious stuff like voice over or dubbing for video clips, presentations and the like, or use it for games like Second Life, World of Warcraft and more. Even works with VoIP and IM programs like Skype, Yahoo Messenger, etc. (Compatibility: Windows 95/NT/ 2000/XP/ 98/ME) Discount code AVNE-N4L6 gets PCWorld newsletter subscribers 50% off!

Newsletter Subscription Resources You are subscribed to this newsletter as: irani.bharath.good@blogger.com To add or remove newsletters, change your address, or change your format (HTML or text-only), please go here. If you have questions or comments about PCWorld e-mail newsletters, please contact: webmaster@pcworld.com PCWorld Privacy Policy © 2011 PCWorld Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of PCWorld Communications, Inc. is prohibited. PCWorld is a registered trademark of International Data Group, Inc. All other trademarks used on PCWorld are the property of their respective owners. PCWorld Communications, Inc., 501 2nd St., San Francisco, CA 94107.