Let’s start with the new. The DSi’s dual screens are larger than that of the DS lite, but are the same resolution. The handheld is thinner, but longer than its predecessor. The DSi’s buttons and d-pad also feel much better than those of the Lite, more similar to the original DS. The DSi has improved wifi capabilities, now supporting WPA2 in DSi applications such as the Opera browser, but not in games that did not previously support it.

One of the main new features of the DSi is the ability to take photos. The DSi has one camera on the outside and one on the inner hinge, both at VGA (640×480) resolution. This is more of a gimmick than anything though as even my VGA resolution cell phone camera is of better quality. It does have one nice new feature though which is the ability to upload photos to Facebook.

The system also features a built-in SD card slot for added storage capabilities, as well as an improved sound system. You can even use your DSi as an audio player and it features an app with which you can remix or add effects to your music as you listen. Unfortunately you cannot save these remixes, but you can save mixes if you record them yourself using the DSi’s built in microphone.

The main point the DSi lacks is the Gameboy Advanced game slot which the DS lite has, giving you the capability to play both DS and GBA games on your handheld. It makes sense for Nintendo to do this because they are not making GBA games anymore, but it is still something that left some players sour over the DSi.

Lastly a big selling point for the DSi was the DSiWare store, which is similar to the App Store on the iPhone. Unfortunately this has seen a very weak offering thus far with very few titles worth purchasing.

Overall I would give the Nintendo DSi a 3/5 rating. While I am very happy with it as a gaming device overall, the lack of titles on the DSiWare shop and only gimicky features over the DS lite bring this down. If you do not own a DS at all or still own the original DS, I would recommend upgrading to a DSi, but if you are a DS lite owner, you are probably safe to stay with your lite for now.

Apple iPod Touch Our Rating:
The iPod Touch is Apple’s offering for those who want all the features of the iPhone sans phone. The Touch is by far the most feature-packed iPod Apple has to offer, offering all the functionality of a PDA or Blackberry in a sleek design and full touch screen. The current generation Touch has four external buttons: The Home button below the touch screen, the hold button at the top, and volume control on the left side. Next/previous track buttons may have been more useful but it is still better than the original touch which did not feature the volume control buttons. On the bottom is the jack for connecting the Touch to a PC or Mac via USB, and the audio input.

By default the touch comes with a standard set of apps, similar to that of the iPhone: Calendar, Photos, Videos, YouTube, Stocks, Maps, Weather, Clock, Calculator, Notes, Mail, Safari, and of course Music, iTunes, and the App Store. Within the App Store one will find hundreds of additional free and premium apps to install, from Google Earth to Quake. The presence of a built-in YouTube player and the largest screen out of any iPod make it the best choice for watching video. The Touch comes in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB sizes, so there is bound to be one for everyone.

The Touch does have its downsides. The lack of more external buttons could make it a hassle to have to skip through songs. A much-needed App is a built-in instant messenger. There are several choices from third parties in the App store, but this is such a popular feature that it should definitely be added. However these are small problems when compared to how much the Touch has to offer.

Apple’s iPod Touch is definitely one of the best portable media devices available today, and short of owning an iPhone it’d be hard to find a device to beat it.

LG VX5500 Cell Phone Our Rating:
The LG VX5500 is by far the best cell phone I’ve tested so far. First I’ll just say that I have personally always used whatever phones Verizon will give for free when a contract is renewed, so naturally, this phone as well was a free phone from Verizon. This was the best out of the 3 others I could choose from the last time I renewed.

Since I really use no other functions than the simple phone function, and this does a great job of it, I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a phone to be just that. It’s durable as I dropped it more than once and it’s still going strong. At first I noticed the battery life did not seem a reliable as my previous phone, but after 2 charge cycles it is right up where I would expect it to be. The camera on it is what you would expect from a basic camera phone, VGA quality. No technical issues whatsoever, and Verizon service is always great. The design is sleek and fits well in my pocket.

One downfall of this phone is that it does not have a simultaneous “ring and vibrate” feature, but that is a minor issue compared to the otherwise very high quality of the phone.

Overall, I was very pleased with the LG VX5500 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a basic but reliable phone.

Lenovo Y510 Notebook Our Rating:

There are not many negatives when it comes to this laptop.  It is sturdily built and has a lot of great features.  Several of the most prominent features that sets this laptop apart from others are its touch-sensitive media pad, its “frameless” screen and its built-in Dolby sound system.  This is also a great bang-for-your-buck buy.  The retail price for this laptop is under $1000 and is not much more if it comes with discrete graphics.  This is a very good price considering the specs: Intel Dual Core processor (1.8GHz), 2GB RAM, NVIDIA 8600M GT (optional), and a 250GB hard drive to boot, quite large to come standard with a laptop.  This model also features a glossy 15.4″ widescreen LCD.

The only negative to find with this laptop is the battery life.  On power saver options with screen brightness turned all the way down, the max this laptop will last is two hours, but do not usually count on that.  And the battery is only a 6 cell which is not upgradable.  However these are small negatives when you consider how much this notebook has to offer for the price.

Logitech G5   Our Rating:

This is by far one of the best gaming mice on the market today.  It has many customizable options and is very comfortable to use.  This mouse has up to 9 buttons: right and left click, middle mouse down, right, and left, two buttons near your thumb, and two buttons below the middle mouse.  The last two buttons have a default setting of the mouse’s sensitivity which is a very nice option for gamers when you need to adjust quickly.  And, the two thumb buttons can be mapped to any function in most games, a very handy click for games such as World of Warcraft.  The last cool feature about this mouse is that it has two sets of weights which you can insert into a tray into the mouse depending on your preference so it can be as light or as heavy as you like.  This mouse retails at $49.99, which compares very well against it’s Razer competitor.