Best Gadgets of 2006

Plenty of the gadgets that came out in 2006 were innovative and groundbreaking, but not all of them were fun or worked particularly well. Here's my shortlist of devices that consistently thrilled me and delivered the goods (in other words, they work!).

RIM BlackBerry Pearl: Yes, this actual-candy-bar-size phone has plenty of naysayers, who complain mostly about the small SureType keyboard, but I'm a big fan. I think BlackBerry's SureType predictive text technology is more accurate than most of the T9 systems I've tried out. And I personally had no problem banging out emails on the Pearl's smaller keyboard. It's the Pearl's small size coupled with most of the BlackBerry's signature functions that closes the deal for me.

Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50-inch plasma TV: This is by far the best TV I've ever tested, with solid, warm colors, well-defined blacks, an internal upscaler, and excellent video processing that makes even iPod video look stunning. With full 1080p capability, the TV is optimized for Blu-ray discs and other HD-quality content. If you want the best, this is it.

Nintendo Wii: Gimmicky, yes, but the Wii remote is actually a ton of fun if you're playing some of the group- and family-oriented games such as Rayman Ravin' Rabbids and Wii Sports. And whimsical avatar-building features such as create-your-own-Mii are signature Nintendo all the way. But the killer app here is the ability to download every Nintendo game ever made with the Virtual Console (though, of course, we‘re still waiting for most of the thousands of potential titles).

Jamo i300 iPod Speaker System: Like the Klipsch iFi, the Jamo i300 is one of the best iPod speaker docking systems I‘ve ever heard. With a stylish retro-futuristic subwoofer and two satellites, this iPod dock is powerful enough to fill an office or a medium-size room. It has replaced the stereo in my bedroom.

Panasonic ToughBook 74: This ruggedized laptop has a shock-resistant body, sealable inputs, and a built-in carry handle. The real bonus is the built-in EVDO capability, so I can get online anywhere there's a cell phone signal (and get broadband speeds in most U.S. metropolitan areas). I lugged this baby around with me most of last year and dropped it on concrete and marble plenty of times—not a scratch or a bit of damage anywhere.

Nikon D80: The modified and smaller version of last year's D70 further brought high-end digital SLR capabilities to amateur photographers. This one does 10.2 megapixels for seriously big poster-size prints but keeps the user-friendly picture mode dial and other signature Nikon features. Plus, you can use a multitude of Nikon lenses with this one.

TomTom GO 910: Most portable GPS systems stink, but I found the TomTom GO 910 to be refreshingly quick and accurate with most of the directions it gave me this year. It recalculates much faster than similar models by other manufacturers and has an easy-to-use interface. But my favorite feature is the ability to have Australian- or English-accented voices guiding me on my way (or even John Cleese, should I care to download his voice off the TomTom web site).

Nokia N93: It's a phone, it's a camcorder, it's a 3.2-megapixel Carl Zeiss-lens-equipped camera. Yes, like many camera phones, the N93 does it all. What sets the N93 is how well it does all these things. The flexible lens and screen make shooting from all manner of angles a cinch, but it's the crisp and colorful quality of the pics and the attractive, user-friendly interface that really impress. Expect more cool, high-end stuff from Nokia in 2007.

Apple iPod Video 80GB: Nothing new here in terms of basic shape and size, but I'd be lying if I said I don't bring this higher-capacity, longer-battery life version of the video iPod with me on all trips. I've watched the entire run of The Office, Prison Break, and much of Battlestar Galactica on this thing. Now that it's 2007, this doodad may well be replaced by something bigger and better at next week's Macworld.

Sony TAV-L1: No one needs this thing, but it's the coolest and slickest home-theater-in-a-box-cum-TV I've ever seen in my life. When closed, it looks like any flat-panel speaker, but press a button, and the flat-panel speaker descends (via motor) to reveal a 32-inch flat-panel LCD. It also has a built-in subwoofer for virtual surround sound. This elegant contraption sure gives good gee-whiz!

Optoma HD70: 2006 was the year of HD, and one of the most affordable ways to go HD was with a projector. Powerful and petite, the Optoma HD70 can do 720p resolution yet costs less than $1,000, making it the least expensive HD-capable projector out there. This DLP model has one HDMI input and one component input, so a 100-inch HD version of the football game is an easy and affordable reality for the first time.