Top 100 Products of 2011

Amazon Kindle Fire

The US$199 Kindle Fire is Amazon's first venture into the tablet market, and a simple no-frills device with a winning premise. Equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen and a dual-core processor, the Android-based (customized) tablet also showcases a compact form factor and full integration with Amazon online services like Amazon Prime.

AMD E-350 APU(Fusion Processor)

The AMD E-350 (codename Zacate) is a dual-core CPU for small form factor systems notebooks and value notebooks. It is one of the earliest incarnations of the AMD Fusion APU(accelerated processing unit) concept that had finally came to pass early this year. It packs a dual-core CPUand a relatively powerful integrated graphics engine, a Radeon HD 6310 GPU that is clocked at 500MHz, supports UVD3 to tackle all video processing needs and offers HDMI 1.4a support. The processor sports a single channel DDR3-1333 memory controller and has a TDP of just 18W, making it a all-in-one workhorse with relatively low power consumption. It is an an excellent choice for consumers who need a compact, fuss-free multimedia PC for their AV needs, or even build a HTPC to be tucked away within their TV console.

AMD Radeon HD 6990

Boasting dual-GPUs on a PCB with a grand total of 3072 streaming processors and a whopping 4GB frame buffer, the AMD Radeon HD 6990 is the first of the current generation dual-GPU solutions and is also the fastest single card according to our benchmark scores. It offers good performance increase over the previous dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 and it was marginally ahead of NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 590 in some instances. It is an extremely specialized product for unique consumers who demand only the very best in gaming performance. Setting up a pair of these graphics cards for a quad-GPU system is what the AMD Radeon HD 6990 allows a hardcore gamer or hardcore rig builder to achieve. This card is akin to an exotic high-end sports car with all its quirky and extravagant features that has an inexplicable appeal to these purists.

Apple iOS 5

Though Apple has borrowed certain design elements such as a pull down notification system from its competitors, there’s no denying that the latest iOS 5 update comes with some much needed improvements. Taking a cue from developers with its iMessage and image editing features integrated within its camera app, iOS 5 is also a prominent update for one key reason: iCloud. The prospect of wirelessly synchronizing your iOS devices through a cloud server, and having it easily restored or updated, makes iOS 5 one of the key product highlights in 2011.

Apple iPad 2

Due credit has to be given to Apple when it reignited the tablet frenzy with their first tablet, the Apple iPad. Unsurprisingly, a successor came along in 2011, with an updated Apple A5 dual-core 1GHz processor, a stronger battery life, video conferencing and imaging support via integrated camera sensors and a much thinner profile measuring 8.8mm found on the Apple iPad 2. With its apps ecosystem growing much stronger in 2011, the second tablet from Apple retains its lead in the tablet race.

Apple iPhone 4S

Apple's latest iPhone iteration might look exactly like its predecessor on the outside, but rest assured, the iPhone 4S comes with a few crucial improvements and features. These include a new Apple A5 dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera and a surprisingly accurate voice assistant called Siri.

Apple Macbook Air

Since its launch in 2008, the Apple Macbook Air has gone from an over-priced toy, to the most sought after notebook of 2011. A Sandy Bridge processor refresh, OS X Lion, wallet-friendly price and formidable battery life made this very svelte, all-aluminium 13-inch machine one of the best notebooks to pass through our labs.

Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch

The 15-inch Apple Macbook Pro is the notebook that audio-visual professionals turn to when it comes to work. But what makes this year's version even more impressive is definitely the inclusion of the Thunderbolt port. With it on board, you can now choose to even do all your editing on the Thunderbolt supported storage medium itself, thanks to its super fast connectivity (10Gbps) between devices.

Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)

If size does matter, Apple’s Thunderbolt Display, measuring in at 27 inches, is one display that will impress. What’s even more impressive about this LED-backlit display with an aspect ratio of 16:9 is its resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, producing one of the highest pixels-per-inch density on any displays in the market. As its name implies, the 27-inch display comes with Intel’s Thunderbolt interface, allowing you to tap into the display’s USB 2.0, Firewire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet ports with a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime

ASUS is one of the few companies that managed to distinguish its tablet offering from most other slates that have flooded the market in 2011. Its winning formula, lies with the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime’s ability to link up with a separate keyboard dock to enhance its usability. Incidentally, the dock also acts as a secondary battery, thus extending the ASUS tablet’s overall mileage. While it is also the world’s first tablet to utilize NVIDIA’s latest quad-core Tegra 3 processor, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime is recognized due to its innovative approach to enhance the tablet form factor with its keyboard and battery dock.

ASUS MARS II

What do you get when you combine two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 GPUs? The ASUS MARS II, a limited edition, single graphics card that basically smokes everything other graphics card in the market. Of course you would have to excuse the fact that it not only weighs a lot, but costs a lot (about S$2500). That's the price to pay for having the best graphics card money can buy.

ASUS Matrix GTX580 Platinum

The ASUS Matrix GTX 580 Platinum uses NVIDIA's fastest single GPU now, the GF110 found on its GeForce GTX 580 that comes with the full 512 CUDA cores of NVIDIA's Fermi GPU architecture. Inevitably, it's overclocked, but the main attraction isn't its clock speeds or even the huge triple-slot DirectCU II cooler onboard. The reason it's generating quite a lot of online buzz lies in a number of features that encourage serious tweaking while keeping the card working cooler than any other of its class. Factor in the icing of the card, like its design, bling and quiet operation, it's easily the most notable single GPU graphics card around for 2011.

ASUS PA246Q Monitor

The ASUS PA246Q deserves a spot in our Top 100 line-up with notable credit to its competent P-IPS panel, which covers 98% of the Adobe RGB color space. This is great for those who work with wide-gamut content. Apart from its dexterous joint, this 24-inch, factory-calibrated monitor also sports a 2-port USB hub which enables you to view content from external drives in a jiffy. Limited connectivity is a non-issue as well, given the professional monitor's generous HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub and DisplayPort offerings.

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme

As a nod to the performance purist lineage embodied in the Sandy Bridge-E CPUs (i.e., the Intel Core i7-3960X processor), the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme motherboard has eight DIMM slots to take full advantage of the quad channel memory architecture of Intel's X79 chipset. The board also features the OC Key which is an exclusive piece of equipment that sits between your graphics card and display monitor. Using on-screen display (OSD) technology to control and monitor overclocking and basic BIOS matters, the OC Key attaches a transparent, graphical overlay on the original screen output and provides an informative menu for monitoring and overclocking purposes. The OC Key introduced on this board is one of the key differentiators among other OC-caliber motherboards that goes all out to make overclocking for enthusiasts easier to monitor and control on-the-fly.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

Bowers & Wilkins took the Zeppelin docking station, which we thought was as good as it gets, and made it even better in 2011. The new version, named the Bower & Wilkins Zeppelin Air, has a strong claim to be considered an entirely new product on its own as it comes equipped with AirPlay capabilities. This lets you stream music from your Apple device, such as the iPhone, to the docking station and enjoy audiophile quality sound.

Batman: Arkham City

The Dark Knight returns in the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. This time, with a much more open-ended world, more side-quests and Riddler puzzles that extends your gameplay beyond the main story, Batman: Arkham City retains the same stealth and action gameplay that made its predecessor a hit amongst gamers. First released on the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles, Rocksteady Studios took a few more weeks for its PC version to showcase NVIDIA’s latest graphics capabilities through its PhysX enhancement and DirectX 11 tessellation support. Judging from the graphics enhancements, it was well worth the wait.

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 took the familiar setting of combat and strife, on which most first person shooters are based, and piled on a huge helping of realism to it. The game not only accurately captured the expanse and scale of war with vast, expansive maps but also brought gameplay that factored in vehicles, suppressive fire and squash dynamics. Battlefield 3 is your best chance of experiencing the front lines, minus the need to sign on to the army.

Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE In-ear Monitors

With an unequaled treble and bass performance, it's of little wonder why Beyerdynamic's in-ear monitors has left the rest of the competition trailing in its wake. The DTX 101 iE also ensures a full-bodied vocal delivery which makes it one of the top of its class. Couple that with a comfortable fit and elegant styling, and you've got a winning combination that's worth every penny spent on this pair of dynamic transducers.

Canon EOS600D

The Canon EOS 600D makes for an excellent mid-range DSLR for anyone looking to get into the Canon stable. While not a revolutionary camera, it's nevertheless a capable camera. It handles well, is fast and responsive, takes great pictures and HD video and has a gorgeous swivel LCD screen. Oh and it's also affordable for its capabilities.

Canon Legria HF G10

Canon has bucked the trend of stuffing a high-megapixel sensor into an HD camcorder by introducing the 2.37-megapixel HD CMOS Pro sensor in several of its 2011 Legria camcorders, including HF G10. The logic is simple: larger pixels result in better quality videos, especially in low light. This flagship consumer camcorder also sports an 8-bladed iris, a 10x zoom lens, 32GB flash memory, dual SD card slots, and an innovative Cinema Style feature that lets you plan, create and spice up movies directly from the camcorder.

Canon Pixma Pro-1

Canon's flagship Pixma Pro-1 photo printer features a 12-ink system that produces professional-quality black and white prints. But that's not to say the Pixma Pro-1 can't print anything else; with support for input resolution of 1200 DPI, the Pixma Pro-1 can print pictures with resolutions of up to 4800 by 2400 DPI. Now that's some high quality and accurate printing.

Canon Powershot S100

If you're looking for a good advanced compact, according to our field tests, nothing gets better than the Canon PowerShot S100. With Canon's HS system, DIGIC 5 Image Processor and fast f/2.0 lens, the S100 is a powerful photographic tool that fits into your pocket.

Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D PCIe

The Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D PCIe is a sound card based on Creative’s new audio chipset named Sound Core3D. The sound card sports seven jacks in all, including a 3.5mm headphone outlet armed with a higher amplification signal (capable of driving up to 600 ohms) as well as three line-outs designed for 5.1-channel desktop speakers. Besides the microphone jack, there are two dedicated optical slots (input and output) on the card's bracket. This makes the Recon3D PCIe viable for an HTPC setup, since it enables the card's uncompressed digital signal to be fed to an AV receiver too.

Dell Alienware M18X

This giant 5.3kg, 18-inch monster of a machine is currently the best gaming notebook money (a load of it) can get you right now. You can't carry it around much, but that's because it's not meant to be portable. If it were, then it wouldn't come with two of the most powerful discrete graphics engines on the market - you've the option to select dual AMD Radeon HD 6990M with CrossFireX enabled, or Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M with NVIDIA SLI enabled!

Denon AH-D1100 Professional Headphones

It's not easy to find a pair of one-size-fits-all headphones. Some cans fare better with jazz vocals whilst others do better with big beats. However, Denon's D110 comes close with its unbiased and balanced audio performance. What's more, this pair of circumaural headphones also offers unparalleled comfort, thanks to its soft leather pads on the headband and ear cups. And to top it off, it won't ravage your wallet too much with its S$299 asking price.

Eizo ColorEdge CG275W

Professionals in digital photography, graphic design, video editing, and prepress will appreciate the 27-inch ColorEdge CG275W monitor. This pricey, 2560 x 1440-pixel IPS display is able to calibrate itself. The computer doesn’t even need to be turned on. The panel can display 10-bit color from a 16-bit LUT via the DisplayPort input, and can reproduce 97% of the Adobe RGB color space.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Every year people herald the demise of PC gaming. And every year PC gaming refuses to die, in great part due to titles like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Utilizing the superior hardware options available for desktops, Skyrim is situated in lush, Nordic lands where the player embarks on a quest worthy of the adjective "epic". With the modification community already expanding the game beyond the creator's imagination, Skyrim displays qualities no console game can attempt to match. And oh, did we mention the game also has Dragons?

Epson EH-TW8000

The 3LCD-based EH-TW8000’s 2,400-lumen brightness rating makes it the world’s brightest 3D home theater projector. Using an image engine with a 480Hz refresh rate, the projector also has a manual lens shift mode with a wide lens shift range; the latter gives you more installation flexibility. A frame interpolation technology is used to reduce image blurring. It's also capable of 2D to 3D conversion.

Epson Stylus Photo R3000.

The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 is one impressive photo printer; professional photographers or even serious amateurs will not be let down by its high quality photo and text printing. The inclusion of Wi-Fi and Ethernet capabilities, as well as higher capacity ink cartridges, serve to sweeten the deal.

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified Ultra Hydro Copper 3GB

If you're looking for the fastest single GPU graphics card money can buy, EVGA has designed the GTX 580 Classified from the ground up in order to have a product 100% focused on the overclocking capabilities. Never mind that it comes overclocked with a mind boggling 900MHz core clock and a huge 3GB frame buffer, it's also outfitted with a water cooling block to ensure you get even higher overclocking margins. Only hardcore tweakers need apply.

Fujifilm X10

Fujifilm continued to push the boundaries with the Fujifilm X10 digital compact camera. Simply put - there's no compact camera in the world like it. Beautiful, with great manual handling and excellent image quality, the X10 stands in a class of its own.

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Without a doubt, Fujifilm stole the thunder this year with the X100. Who knew retro could look so good? Throw in a fast f/2.0 lens with a classic 35mm focal length, an APS-C sensor and you have one of the best cameras of 2011.

Fujitsu Arrows Tab F-01D

The most glaring disadvantage of an electronic device is its inability to come into contact with water. That is, until we saw the Fujitsu Arrows Tab F-01D. Specs-wise, it's really nothing to shout about, but it's water-proof ability is something other tablets in the market don't boast yet, which means you can actually use this tablet at the beach or in pool with the utmost confidence.

Gigabyte G1.Sniper 2 (Intel Z68) Motherboard

Gigabyte's G1.Killer series targets hardcore users by including additional on-board hardware such as a dedicated sound chip by Creative and a network controller from Bigfoot Networks. Those extras are backed by a fierce matte-black military theme (note the magazine-style heatsink) that is sure to attract gamers. Those niceties make the G1.Sniper2 one of the most expensive and attractive Intel Z68 chipset based motherboards available.

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti Super Overclock

The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti Super Overclock is a superlative laden card, thanks to its quality engineering build which allows Gigabyte to get the card running at an amazing 1000MHz at its GPU core, 2000MHz at the shaders and 4580MHz DDR at its memory. It boasts of Gigabyte’s Ultra Durable VGA+ suite of high quality components that includes the 2-oz copper PCB, Japanese-made solid capacitors, and NEC proadlizers for better current capacity. On top of the impressive build components, the card also sports Gigabyte’s highly effective Windforce 2x custom cooler, which has dual fans that are specially angled that Gigabyte claims to reduce air turbulence thus allowing greater and smoother airflow.

Google Android 4.0 OS(Ice Cream Sandwich)

With Google coming to terms that Android 3.0 Honeycomb was a rushed job in an attempt to aid its hardware partners in the tablet wars, its next iteration avoids that particular pitfall that separates the smartphone and tablet form factors. Dubbed as Ice Cream Sandwich, Google Android 4.0 sports a user interface similar to its Honeycomb predecessor, and unifies the experience between Android smartphones and tablets. Various features are also introduced to enhance its usability, which includes a data usage setting, resizeable widgets and a much easier way to close apps or dismiss notifications by swiping it to the side.

Hitachi 4TB Deskstar HDD

The Hitachi Deskstar 5K4000 HDD provides about 33% more storage capacity than the current offerings of 3TB desktop HDDs. This disk also features Hitachi's Advanced Format feature that increases the sector size from 512 bytes to 4096 bytes (4KB), which in turn boosts capacity and offers improvements to error correcting capabilities. This HDD is available as a retail kit that comprises mounting screws, instructions and the Hitachi GPD Disk Manager, an easy-to-use software application designed to overcome the 2.2TB limitation of 32-bit Windows operating systems. The drive is also featured in Hitachi's Touro Desk 4TB external HDD as a convenient and portable storage solution.

HTC Chacha

While a Facebook smartphone didn’t materialize in 2011, HTC came quite close to that with the HTC Chacha. Focusing on making Facebook updates easy with just one click of the Facebook button, the HTC Chacha comes off as a smartphone that’s suitable for the average consumer living their lives on the social network. Its physical QWERTY keyboard, which lets you type status updates with ease, serves to make this Facebook-centric smartphone a hit amongst social network users.

HTC Sensation XE

Here's what you'll get from the Android 2.3 equipped HTC Sensation XE smartphone - a dual-core 1.5GHz processor and the newly integrated Beats Audio by Dr. Dre. The same things that made the original HTC Sensation great are retained on the XE, including a massive 4.3-inch S-LCD display with a screen resolution of 540 x 960 pixels and 768MB of RAM to handle its intuitive HTC Sense 3.0 user interface.

iDJLive

iDJ Live lets you try your hand at becoming a DJ with the appropriate software for your iOS device and the iDJ Live controller. With two large performance platters and a central mixer section that sports a crossfader, buttons and knobs, the iDJ Live offers a unique experience for beginners and professionals alike, at a fraction of the price of a high end DJ system.

Infinity Blade II

Announced alongside Apple’s iPhone 4S, Infinity Blade II is what many consider a successful sequel to the earlier Infinity Blade. While its gameplay has been bumped up a notch with new weapons, enemies and even combat styles, the iOS game made it to the Top 100 list for a different reason. With its Unreal Engine 3 working in tandem with Apple’s new A5 dual-core processor, Infinity Blade II showcased the prowess of the multi-core processor and a much more powerful graphics engine with its attention to graphic details.

Intel Sandy Bridge CULV processors (17W TDP)

Besides giving birth to the Ultrabook category, Intel's Sandy Bridge 17W Consumer Ultra Low-Voltage processors also signal the notebook's independence from discrete graphics to a certain extent. Its integrated graphics isn't extremely powerful, but for standard usage and media handling needs, it provides more than adequate graphics crunching power while retaining all the powerful CPUprocessing cores. This is while keeping energy consumption extremely low, leading to notebooks with longer up-times than previously possible.

Intel Core i5-2500K

The Intel Core i5-2500K quad-core processor is an all-rounder CPU in terms of raw performance and makes it one of the top models in the Sandy Bridge family. According to our benchmark scores, it performs slightly below that of its higher-rated brethren, the Intel Core i7-2600K. The Core i5-2500K is rated with a clock speed of 3.3GHz and its maximum turbo frequency is 3.9GHz. It is also an unlocked processor which allows overclockers to push it to higher clock speeds. Priced approximately a third cheaper than the Core i7-2600K, it makes an excellent hardware upgrade when it is paired with a Z68 chipset motherboard for rig builders who need to balance budget with raw performance and overclocking desires.

Intel Core i7-3960X

The Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition CPU is the most complex enthusiast processor and the top dog of the 2nd generation Intel Core i7 series. It's clocked at 3.3GHz with turbo speeds up to 3.9GHz and features quad-channel memory support, 40-lane PCIe controller and comes unlocked for overclockers. This new processor is ideal for a select target group of users who spend a lot of time creating intense multimedia content and individuals with very deep pockets to power their passion like indulging in an extreme gaming rig. For early adopters of the Nehalem or Westmere microprocessor architectures, the Intel Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E processor may be the upgrade your system is sorely missing.

Intel Thunderbolt

Codenamed Light Peak, Intel’s Thunderbolt serial interface made its debut on Apple’s MacBook lineup in 2011. Its significance lies with its ability to combine data, video, audio and power into a single, longer and less costly cable. As demonstrated through Apple’s latest range of MacBooks and Thunderbolt Display, the new interface allows users to achieve data transfer speeds up to 20 times faster than the commonly seen USB 2.0 interface (a whopping 10Gbps to be exact). Furthermore, you can daisy chain up to six Thunderbolt-enabled peripherals, provided these peripherals come with two Thunderbolt ports to create the chain.

Jawbone Jambox

With the guiding hand of Yves Behar behind it, the Jawbone Jambox is the perfect representation of 2011's design aesthetics and modern chic. The Bluetooth wireless speakerphone is the perfect companion for your smartphones, expanding their audio capabilities and providing you with high quality, top notch sound.

JVC GS-TD1

The JVC GS-TD1 is the other twin-lens/twin-sensor full HD 3D and 2D camcorder besides the Sony HDR-TD10E. It offers 10x optical zoom in 2D and 5x optical zoom in 3D. The lens has a large F1.2 opening. There are four 3D record modes, and a wealth of manual controls. The GS-TD1 comes with 64GB of flash memory; if that isn't enough, there's an SD card slot.

Legend of Zelda:Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda series has always been a Nintendo staple, and Nintendo has rewarded loyal fans with its 2011 offering, Skyward Sword. With great visuals, innovative use of the Wii's motion controls, Skyward Sword not only reveals the origins of the story between Link and Zelda, but also establishes itself as the best Zelda game to be released.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1

When you think business notebooks, you think ThinkPads. And the handsome matte black ThinkPad X1 is the business notebook that runs a full mobile powered mobile processor with a SSD. Topping those qualities, its internals are protected with a roll cage structure and it also has a Gorilla Glass covered screen that makes the entire notebook usable even in a hurricane - well, you get the idea.

LG Cinema 3D 47LW6500 TV LED TV

LG is one of the first consumer television makers to initiate a passive 3D display this year, and the LW6500 Cinema 3D model is testament to that. Equipped with fuss-free polarized glasses and a crosstalk-free 3D performance, LG's edge-lit flagship TV looks set to entice shoppers who desire a comfortable and satisfying 3D viewing experience without the frills. If we may add, LG Apps store is finally available here too.

LG Optimus 3D

If you are looking to be an early adopter of 3D smartphones, the LG Optimus 3D is a good bet to put your money on. The 1GHz dual-core smartphone comes with ample 3D dedicated software, including a dedicated user interface that allows quick access to apps like 3D games, 3D camera and 3D YouTube. Not to mention, the phone comes with support to convert 2D media to 3D, with an upcoming software update that will allow the phone to convert 2D games to 3D games.

Madcatz R.A.T. 9 Cyborg Gaming Mouse

Gamers will definitely appreciate the customizability of the Madcatz R.A.T. 9 Cyborg Gaming Mouse. With its interchangeable pinkie grips and palm rest, this high-end mouse also comes with a customizable weight system for you to find the right balance that suits your usage pattern. What makes the Madcatz R.A.T. 9 Cyborg Gaming Mouse stand out from the rest, is its 1ms response time with its zero latency 2.4GHz wireless technology and how easy it is to switch through its wide variety of profiles customized for different games with just one click.

MakerBot Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer

Not many people know of 3D printers, and even less know that they are commercially available. But they do exist and it's pretty amazing to see one in action. If you feel compelled to own one, there's MakerBot's Thing-O-Matic 3D printers. They can be plugged into your computer to start printing 3D designs like a chess set or even a bobble head that sports your own head. Best of all, it does the printing automatically, all you need to do is to load a design and let the Thing-O-Matic work its magic.

Marantz PM6004 Integrated Stereo Amplifier

Since the arrival of the PM6002, Marantz has continued to infuse its entry-level offerings with the best audio circuitry it could possibly offer. The PM6004 integrated amp upholds that tradition with one significant overhaul - the separation of its pre-amplification and power amplification sections, now powered by discrete components instead of integrated circuits. Sound-wise, you can expect a precise yet warm acoustic delivery. Marantz has also retained the same toroidal transformer as sported by the PM6003.

Motorola Atrix

Dual-core processor, 1GB of working memory and 4.0-inch qHD touchscreen aside, the Motorola Atrix has one more cool feature up its sleeve. Namely, it presents users with a notebook-like experience when it's plugged into the Motorola Lapdock, a full-bodied accessory that comes with an 11.6-inch screen, keyboard, touchpad, and a built-in 36Wh three-cell battery.

MSI Big Bang-Marshal

MSI’s Big Bang-Marshal is an ambitious high-end P67 board of large dimensions; it is a XL-ATX form factor motherboard, making it one of the largest boards we have seen (for a single CPU socket). The board’s 6-layer PCB is packed to the brim due to the presence of eight PCIe x16 slots. Besides the staggering number of expansion slots, the XL-ATX form factor also allowed MSI to fit an extra couple of SATA 6Gbps ports, aligned outwards like we preferred. The edges of the board are occupied by headers for things like FireWire, USB (both 2.0 and 3.0) and of course, various enthusiast-oriented features, from the OC Genie button to voltage measuring points.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

A billion US dollars in 16 days. That is how much Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 earned in that specific time frame, which just goes to show that people were not wrong in labeling it the most anticipated game of 2011. Sales figures like those are helping establish gaming as a credible part of the entertainment industry. The game itself is similar to previous titles, but as they say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Nike+ SportWatch GPS

Never slack off from your running with the Nike+ SportWatch GPS. With the TomTom GPS via the Nike+ Sensor, start tracking your runs and get accurate speed and distance information, pace, heart rate and calories burned. Best of all, the data is readily available by just plugging the watch directly into a USB port on your computer and you're set. So all you need to worry about is improving your lap times.

Nikon D5100

The Nikon D5100 offers much more than its predecessor, improving upon it in every which way. The body is smaller and lighter, but image performance has been improved to a stunning level. It's a camera that both the beginner and enthusiast will enjoy using.

Nintendo 3DS

Trying to breathe life back into the portable handheld console market segment, Nintendo launched the Nintendo 3DS. Its unique selling point was its glassless 3D screen where the depth of field could be controlled with a slider. Add a 3D camera and augmented reality functions, along with well-loved titles such as Street Fighter and Super Mario, and we have a winner on our hands.

Nokia Lumia 800

Announced as the first real Windows Phone by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, the Nokia Lumia 800 is a fine example of great industrial design thanks to its polycarbonate unibody design. As the debutant of Nokia’s future Windows Phone lineup, the Nokia Lumia 800 is perhaps one of the few Windows Phone devices that comes close, though not that near of a match, to the offerings from Apple and Google.

OCZ Revodrive X2 PCI-Express SSD

This is an ultra high-performance PCIe SSD for enthusiasts and workstation setups as it uses the motherboard’s spare PCIe 2.0 x4 interface to overcome the limitations of the SATA I/O interface. The OCZ Revodrive X2 uses lots of Multi-Level Cell (MLC) memory modules mounted on its PCB to achieve its massive storage capacity (100GB to 960GB capacity options) that is set for RAID 0 while it sports four SandForce SF-1200 memory controllers! It trumps the already powerful OCZ Revodrive PCI-Express SSD solution with an even more insanely fast implementation to offer speed demons and enthusiasts with big wallets a convenient way to supercharge their PCs with a spare PEG slot for an ultra speedy, ultra expensive, but convenient storage solution.

OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCIe

For a slightly more economical option, The OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid uses two PCBs with one PCB housing the SSD and its two NAND controllers. The other PCB which is a daughterboard housing a 1TB HDD. A heatsink provides passive cooling for the SSD while there is no active cooling solution for the HDD. This is perhaps the best extreme mix of traditional storage with advantage in cost per gigabyte and SSD technology for speedy access and storage, augmented with intelligent caching software to make the most effective use of both storage technologies.

Olympus Pen E-P3

The Olympus Pen E-P3 is the Japanese company's most refined Micro Four Thirds camera yet. The compact shooter comes with an OLED touchscreen while offering an improved and faster AF system, a new 12-megapixel high-speed Live MOS sensor and dual-core TruePic VI image engine. For those looking for smaller alternatives, the Pen E-P3 was also launched with two other equally functional models - the Pen Lite and Pen Mini.

Olympus XZ-1

The Olympus XZ-1 stands apart with a list of impressive credentials. It has a larger than usual image sensor, fully manual controls and a quick f/1.8-2.5 i.Zuiko Digital lens with a 4x optical zoom - making it the fastest glass with the longest zoom available on a digital compact today.

Panasonic Lumix GX1

The long-awaited spiritual successor to the two-year old GF1, the GX1 is a fulfilling improvement to everything the GF1 offered. Image performance is dramatically improved and offers the best looking images yet made from a Micro Four Thirds camera. Smooth and easy controls finish off the polish on a great product.

Panasonic HDC-TM900

The HDC-TM900 probably has the best 1080/50p footage we’ve seen in any camcorder this year. While it doesn’t capture 3D natively, an optional conversion lens is available for purchase. This 3MOS-based HD camcorder has an F1.5-2.8 Leica Dicomar lens with 12x optical zoom, 32GB internal memory, an SD card slot, and a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD. Targeted at enthusiasts, the HDC-TM900 offers plenty of controls. For example, the lens ring controls focus, as well as exposure settings such as shutter speed and aperture.

Panasonic PT-AE7000

The PT-AE7000 is Panasonic’s first 3D home theater projector. It uses a 200W “Red-Rich” lamp capable of a brightness of 2,000 lumens. It also claims a 300,000:1 contrast ratio. The full HD LCD panels are designed for 480Hz processing - this results in a brighter 3D image and reduced crosstalk. It even uses the double refraction property of crystals to arrange pixels to minimize screendoor effect.

Panasonic VIERA TH-P50VT30S Plasma 3D TV

Slimmer and meaner than its VT20S predecessor, the VIERA VT30S has earned its stripes for its natural finesse in delivering an impeccable picture quality and producing deep black depths. Armed with a battery of accolades, such as Panasonic's latest Infinite Black Pro 2 panel, the internet-flavored VIERA Connect platform, and THX accreditation, the 3D-capable VT30S is easily one of the finest plasma display panels out in the market with all the right perks.

Portal 2

Valve deviates from the beaten path and served up a real contender for the game of 2011. The puzzle solver Portal 2 is a title that can enrapture five-year-olds and physicists all the same. Besides innovative gameplay, the game also features Stephen Merchant on voice acting duties and a deliciously snarky narrative. If you want to test your wits rather than your reflexes, give Portal 2 a try.

Promise Pegasus

You may have the storage capacity, but transferring large amounts of data still take a while. The Pegasus solves this with its Thunderbolt interface. With the ability to house multiple 3.5-inch internal hard drives, the Pegasus also supports multiple RAID configurations, making it a compelling buy for those who demand for ultra fast external storage.

RIM BlackBerry Bold 9900

When it comes to QWERTY smartphones, Research in Motion (RIM) still has the clear advantage. Its Bold lineup received a timely update via the BlackBerry Bold 9900, touted as their thinnest BlackBerry device to date with a side profile of 10.1mm. With a single-core 1.2GHz processor and RIM’s latest BlackBerry 7 OS working the ground, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 also took a bold approach to integrate touch screen capabilities with its physical QWERTY keyboard.

Samsung D8000 LED TV

Thinner than ever before and with a virtually non-existent 5mm bezel, the Samsung D8000 55-inch TV is the flagship product of the Korean company's LED lineup. Those with discerning taste will enjoy its vivid blacks and dynamic colors along with its deft handling of HD content. Equipped with Samsung's SmartTV features and active shutter 3D technology, this LED TV is certainly one of the definitive displays of 2011.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the definitive Google smartphone of 2011. Armed with the newest bot-friendly Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and a generous 4.65-inch HD touchscreen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, the Galaxy Nexus rounds it up with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and near field communication capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy Note

The new Samsung Galaxy Note blurs the line between tablets and smartphone. With a huge 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display, the device combines portability, ample screen space and an advanced S Pen technology to enhance both creativity and productivity needs.

Samsung Galaxy S II

Being the winner of our prestigious Editor’s Choice, the Samsung Galaxy S II has a suite of enhancements that makes it one of the most desirable smartphones in 2011. With Samsung’s very own Exynos dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread on duty, the smartphone gets a few more points for its generously sized 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Besides a bumped up hardware listing such as an 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video recording, the real draw comes from its excellent battery life, which is a rarity amongst high performance smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 might not be an Apple iPad 2, but it certainly got the Cupertino-based company’s attention with the various injunctions thrown at Samsung. As one of the many Android Honeycomb tablets powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 scores a few brownie points with its thin 8.6mm profile and easy to handle 565g weight. Amongst the Android tablets out there, the Samsung slate is the closest match to Apple’s iPad 2.

Samsung SyncMaster S27A950D

For an immersive 3D gaming experience, consider the S27A950D, which is a 27-inch full HD 3D LED monitor from Samsung. It has a built-in emitter, and comes with a pair of 3D active glasses. It sports a 2ms (gray-to-gray) response time, as well as HDMI, DVI-D and DisplayPort inputs. 2D and 3D at 120Hz are possible over DVI Dual-Link and DisplayPort. It’s also capable of 2D to 3D conversion.

Samsung Series 5 UA40D5500RM TV

When you think of the Samsung Series 5, think of the compelling Full-HD pictures and convenient access to a generous range of online multimedia content. This edge-lit LCD TV might not flaunt a web browser, but the D5500 compensates for this minor shortfall with its impeccable playback performance and resourceful Smart Hub portal. Priced at $1599, the 40-inch D5500 makes for a tantalizing choice if you want a capable mid-range display to grace your living space.

Samsung Series 7 700G7A Notebook

A credible gaming notebook need not burn a hole in your pocket. Driven by an Intel quad-core i7-2670QM workhorse and a quality AMD Radeon HD6970M graphics module, Samsung's handsome 700G7A not only gave the competition some food for thought with its dependable performance, but it also has an attractive shelf tag to unnerve its more expensive rivals. Other sumptuous treats include a 3D 1080p display, light and comfortable 3Dglasses, a Blu-ray drive and nifty physical controls. In essence, it delivers what mobile gamers hope to have, wihout the huge price tag.

SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SDHC/SDXC

If you capture a lot of RAW+JPEG images using your DSLR’s burst mode, or record a lot of full HD videos, then you’d appreciate the speeds that the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC and SDXC UHS-I memory cards bring to the table. Available in 8GB to 64GB capacities, they possess up to 95MB/s read speed and 90MB/s write speed.

Sonos Play:3

Audiophiles will probably agree with us when we suggest the Sonos Play:3 as one of the Top 100 Products of 2011. With just one touch, you can easily link up your devices onto the Sonos Play:3. Its high level of compatibility extends towards the mobile platform, allowing you to control the Sonos Play:3 via an Android or iOS device. And if you need more tunes, there's always a wide range of online music services to stream through the multi-driver speaker system, 3 digital amps, 1 tweeter, 2 mid-range drivers and 1 bass radiator on the Sonos Play:3

Sony Alpha NEX-7

The most amazing mirrorless system camera yet. The Sony NEX-7 is a powerhouse which offers both great handling and superb image performance for the enthusiast looking for a compact camera with smooth manual handling. Outstanding features include the innovative Tri-Navi system, 24MP sensor and electronic view finder (EVF).

Sony Alpha A77

Loyal users have waited four years for a new Sony enthusiast DSLR, and the A77 is not only worth the wait but promises to ignite a revolution. Because of its translucent mirror technology, the A77 can shoot an impressive 12fps at 24MP, has an excellent EVF with electronic info and a responsive Live View.

Sony Dev-5 HD Digital Recording Binoculars

The Sony Dev-5 HD is basically the world's first binoculars with 10x zoom that allows you to record videos (or 3D videos) at 1080p resolution, and take 7.1MP still images. And all that excitement is only possible if you have dual CMOS sensors connected to dual F1.8 zoom lenses, which of course the Dev-5 has.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

Similar to its predecessor that was announced earlier this year, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is a smartphone that turns head with its sleek arc design. Its updated yet modest single-core 1.4GHz processor demonstrated a smooth and fuss free experience with Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This goes to show that it’s not the hardware, but how it’s optimized across the board that makes the cut.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Gaming on your smartphone gets a boost with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, thanks to its PlayStation controls. The PlayStation-certified Sony Ericsson smartphone isn’t the prettiest nor thinnest kid on the block, but it definitely makes gaming much more enjoyable with the dedicated gaming controls that leaves the 4.0-inch alone from virtual controls. And the icing on the cake? Playing classic PlayStation One games on an Android 2.3 smartphone.

Sony Handycam HDR-PJ50

The HDR-PJ50 is a full HD camcorder with a major twist. It has a built-in projector that’s capable of projecting a 60-inch image. Powered by a Bionz processor and an Exmor R CMOS sensor, the HDR-PJ50 also comes equipped with a 12x optical zoom, 29.8mm wide-angle Sony G lens. There’s ample storage to store your precious moments too, as it has a 220GB hard drive.

Sony Handycam HDR-TD10E

The HDR-TD10E has dual lenses for full HD 3D video recording. It’s also a full HD 2D camcorder. And you don’t need a 3D TV to review the 3D footage; the HDR-TD10E has a glasses-free 3.5-inch 3D LCD. Furthermore, 3D videos can be optically magnified up to 10x. Optical SteadyShot with Active mode anti-shake technology ensures the video remains smooth when you’re moving or zooming into the subject. The camcorder comes with 64GB of internal memory. If you’re serious about 3D, this is arguably the best 3D camcorder right now.

Sony MDR-Z1000 Monitoring Headphones

The Z1000 marks Sony's realigned acoustic efforts, now aimed squarely at serious musicians and audio professionals. Thanks to Sony's Liquid Crystal Polymer Film diaphragms and the company's dedicated engineering, the Z1000 is a newcomer to the monitoring scene you should pay attention to, if only for its faithful sound reproduction, warm yet natural bass, and a wonderfully comfortable fit.

Sony Playstation 3D TV

Two-player gaming used to involve cramped and ugly split screens. Well, that was before the Sony PlayStation 3D TV came along. Powered by Sony's Quad-speed frame sequential display technology, this nifty 24-inch display enables you to view games in 3D whilst in solo mode or full-screen images during a dual-player skirmish. In other words, each player gets to see his or her own perspective in Full-HD glory instead of sharing the screen estate. It won't cramp anyone's style, that's for sure.

Sony Playstation Vita

The long-awaited successor to the PlayStation Portable, the next-gen PlayStation Vita boasts of superior features like a 5-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen and optional 3G connectivity options. There's more to like about this state-of-the-art handheld portable: dual thumbsticks, dual cameras, rear touchpad and a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor.

Sony Tablet S

While there has been a flood of Android tablets in 2011, it's hard to differentiate one from the other with their similar design. All, except for Sony. The Sony Tablet S adopts an asymmetrical design that emulates an experience of holding a book with one hand, and it's also suitably used to prop the tablet to a comfortable viewing angle. While it has the commonly seen hardware such as NVIDIA Tegra 2 and Android 3.2 Honeycomb, the Sony Tablet S adds a few unique touches to its interface, and is also the first PlayStation-certified tablet. The latter brings classic PlayStation One games such as Crash Bandicoot and many more to the tablet.

Sony Vaio Z (2011)

It's got a 1980 x 1080 pixels resolution screen, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and a full-powered Core i7 mobile processor. What more can you ask for in a 1.16kg, 16.65mm thick ultra-portable notebook? Oh that's right, a Power Media Dock that has decent discrete graphics and a Blu-ray drive that connects via Thunderbolt.

Sony XBA-4 Headphones

Launched in Japan near the tail end of 2011, the Sony XBA-4 headphones show what is possible with balanced armature technology. The headphones boast four drivers, hence the numerical presence in the title. With that much hardware present to drive sound, these headphones match, if not surpass, most products on the market and have their own unique quality and performance.

Spotify

Developments with cloud services and storage were significant throughout 2011. And no one showcased the potential of the cloud as Spotify did. The service allows options for free or paid usage and can allow you to stream the song of your choice to your computer of smart device. Introduction of applications and a heavy sync with Facebook shows that Spotify knows how to succeed in modern times.

Toshiba Portege Z830

The thinnest and lightest Ultrabook in the market is a moniker that can only belong to one notebook, and that is currently the Toshiba Portege Z830. This tiny 13-inch notebook is comfortable both at home and in the corporate environment with its complete security features and exceptional battery life.

Toshiba Qosmio F750

3D notebooks represent the ultimate in personal 3D devices, letting you play games or watch videos in 3D - except they also come with unwieldy 3D glasses. Enter the Qosmio F750, the world's first (and possibly only) glasses-less 3D gaming machine that lets you do all that without the hassle of glasses, via face-tracking technology with the help of clever software and the notebook's built-in webcam.

Uncharted 3:Drake's Deception

2011 has been a major year for video games and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was one of the gems. With beautiful graphics, a great storyline and an engaging "cast", Uncharted 3 proves that video games can be a great storytelling medium. And once the single player experience ends, its multiplayer mode will keep you coming back for more.