the words and images from a site and sends them to a mobile device for reading on the go. With its browser plug-in, you simply click ‘Read Later’ on an article to put the cleaned-up version on your phone or tablet.
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Microsoft Security Essentials (antivirus
sofware; free) When a product is this solid, it redefines the category. Tis tool offers malware detection in an easyto-use package with a welldesigned interface—and it doesn’t nag unnecessarily.
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Samsung UN55C8000
(LCD HDTV; $2900) Tis LED-backlit, 55-inch TV set has lots of features and great image quality. It’s less than an inch thick, too.
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Apple iPhone 4
(smartphone; starts at $149 with AT&T contract) Despite initial concerns, the latest iPhone is a stylish, attractive groundbreaker. Tis phone screams design elegance and has the sofware and gorgeous display to match, as well as the richness of the Apple App Store at its command. Google Chrome (Web browser; free) Te top pick in our tests is fast and well designed, has a clean and functional interface, supports plenty of add-ons, and provides strong security features. Chrome also offers
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HP TouchSmart 600 Quad (desktop; $1699) HP’s latest TouchSmart all-in-one PC packs a punch, offering great performance and a vibrant 23-inch multitouch display. It won’t replace your TV, but its connectivity options make it just as useful when you hook it up to your cable box or your game console.
extensive customization options for power users. HTC HD7 (smartphone; $200 with T-Mobile contract) It’s too early to determine the success of Microsof’s just-launched Windows Phone 7 OS, but the HTC HD7, which uses it, is one impressive handset with its 4.3-inch WVGA display, kickstand, and 16GB of memory. Trow in Netflix streaming, Xbox Live, and the Zune player, and you have a fantastic entertainment phone.
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Find More Online Looking for additional information on the 100 products, apps, and services we selected as the best of the year? Point your browser to find. pcworld.com/70937 to see links to reviews and news coverage, as well as to post your comments.
Crucial RealSSD C300
(solid-state drive; $600) Tis is the first SSD we’ve tested to support 6-gigabits-
per-second SATA, which enables faster write speeds because it can push more data through the pipe. Tis 256GB drive delivered topflight overall performance and the best write times.
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Blizzard Entertainment StarCraft II
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (digital cam-
(game; $60) Twelve years in the making, the highly anticipated sequel to the 1998 real-time strategy gaming classic does not disappoint.
era; $500) Te DMC-LX5 shines once you take it out of Auto mode and put it in Manual, offering instantaneous autofocus, great video quality, a macro mode that lets you practically touch the lens to your subject, a
bright f/2.0 aperture lens, and good low-light shooting.
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Microsoft Office 2010
(office suite; starts at $280) Afer years of ceding the online productivity world to Google Docs, Microsof finally builds Web apps into the latest Office suite. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all have new features for collaborating online. In addition, Power-
Point gains built-in video editing and playback, smooth new transitions, and a tool for broadcasting slideshows across the Web.
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Samsung LN46C650
(LCD HDTV; $1100) Te LN46C650, an inexpensive set that lacks the LED backlighting and 240Hz refresh rates of rival models, nonetheless clobbers them in image quality. It’s a better TV, yet it costs about $2000 less than its nearest competitors.
DeCember 2010 pcworld.com
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