QUICK SPECS

Weight: 0.4 oz Features: • Dual-mic AudioIQ noise canceling • Windsmart technology reduces wind noise • In-car adjustable charger • Pairs with two Bluetooth phones • Plantronics QuickPair MSRP: $119.99

The Skinny: Plantronics takes another stab at making the perfect mobile companion for people with no hands. Stab you! Stab you! Stab you!

The Good: From our extensive testing, which consisted of calls made to random people across America (sorry, Americans!), the headset performed well above other, more expensive models. The ear bud fits snuggly into the ear and the soft lining provided a comfortable experience. There weren't any issues connecting the unit to two different phones.

The Bad: Designers weren't really going for looks when they made this thing. The clear, plastic loop that hooks onto your ear is flimsy and doesn't really do much in the aesthetic department. We also tested while playing NHL 09 on the PS3 and ran into trouble trying to get it recognized by the console (it was already connected to a phone). Un-pairing from the phone and re-pairing the 835 with the PS3 worked, but we eventually had to redo the whole process to get it working with the phone again. The volume buttons could have been made a tad bit longer also.

Other Features With Fancy Names: Plantronics' patented AudioIQ noise canceling helped to eliminate much of the noise during conversations we had while walking down a busy New York street, even the sound of the latest stock market crash. Of course, there were the occassional police sirens that made the person I was talking to think I was riding shotgun on Cops.

Verdict: For the price, you're only getting basic headset functionality. If you can find it for cheaper—say $80 or so—it's a decent headset for someone who values function over fashion... like this guy:

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QUICK SPECS

Song Capacity 2,000 Picture Capacity 25,000 Video Capacity 25 hours Available Colors blue, black, red, pink MSRP $149.99

The Skinny: Big M retools its personal media player for the upcoming holiday season, throwing nearly everything but Bill Gates into the package.

The Good: It's Web 2.0 time, and in this worldwide web of wonderment, there's more to be done on the Internet than checking your plummeting stocks. The Zune v3 packs an FM tuner that not only allows you to magically listen to the greatest innovation of the 19th century, you can purchase whatever track is playing at the time wirelessly from your player. If you live in Futtbuck, TN, the tracks are added to a queue for download later. A simple rectangular design with slightly rounded corders, the Zune fits into your palm quite well, like a Hershey's Skor bar that never melts. Mmmmmm, delicious bars of Skor.

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Hedge fund still hammering? Time to celebrate by hopping on Denver-based Ecosse Moto Works’ Titanium Series Supercharged Edition. For the price of a Lamborghini Gallardo (plus or minus a month’s worth of mani­cures), this sweet $230,000 superbike delivers a hand-built titanium frame, a supercharged billet aluminum engine, and enough bespoke details to reduce a billionaire to tears. Tossed into the high-tech mix of carbon fiber and aerospace aluminum are old-school touches like hand-painted pinstriping and metal surfaces polished to a velvety sheen. But forget all the museum-worthy minutiae; this baby’s got the subtlety of a Bunker Buster, and the power to cause about as much damage.

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Which flat-screen HDTV is right for your living room? Miracle at St. Anna director Spike Lee tests the best.

CINEPHILE
Pioneer Elite Kuro HDTV PRO-111FD 50-inch Plasma $5,000
The Lowdown: Home theater obsessives swear by Pioneer’s best sets, which for years have produced deeper blacks than anybody else’s in the game. Well, hold your Criterion Collection—the new ’08 models make darks five times dark­er. An “optimum mode” uses light and sound sensors to automatically calibrate the brightness level and ambient light color in your porno lair, er, home theater.
Spike’s Take: “It’s not a scientific test, but obviously this set is gorgeous. Everybody knows about Pioneer Kuros. I have two of ’em in my offices.”

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Featherweight camp gear for climbing high without breaking your back.

The Perfect Pitch
At 30.5 square feet, the Marmot Aura Tent sleeps two and sits four comfortably yet weighs barely four pounds. The secret? Smartly angled, offset DAC aluminum poles—15 percent lighter than traditional ones—that raise the roof, Arsenio style, to increase head space. And a mesh canopy lets you soak up the sun while your significant other hunts and gathers. $299, marmot.com

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