Best Touch-Screen Phones

Four years later, though, there's no shortage of innovative, easy-to-use touch-screen-only smartphones, so we've picked the top models on each major carrier, along with the best unlocked phone. If you're looking for phone with a hardware keyboard, you won't find it here. (Though we've rounded up the Best Phones With Keyboards, too.) But if you're willing to say farewell to the physical keyboard for good, look no further than our favorite touch-screen phones.

Touch-Screen Phones Included in this Roundup
AT&T
Apple iPhone 4

Apple's iPhone 4 adds a gorgeous screen, a terrific camera, and a faster processor to add to the already-awesome iPhone app experience, but voice calling still isn't this phone's priority.

HTC Inspire 4G

The HTC Inspire 4G, AT&T's premiere Android phone (at least for now) can hold its own against the iPhone 4 and other top smartphones.


Motorola Atrix 4G

Motorola's Atrix 4G, the unique bleeding-edge superphone that can transform itself into a PC, shows how we'll likely be using our mobile devices in the year 2020. But to get a taste of the future, you'll have to pay, and deal with some bugs along the way.


SPRINT
HTC EVO 4G

If you live online, the EVO offers a big, beautiful, and powerful window to the world. The first WiMAX phone in the U.S. is a terrific platform for streaming media and Web browsing, and it gets your laptop online with Sprint's 4G network.


T-MOBILE
T-Mobile G2x With Google

The loaded T-Mobile G2x with Google is the fastest, smoothest Android smartphone available today.

HTC Sensation 4G

The touch-screen, Android-based HTC Sensation is T-Mobile's biggest and best smartphone yet.



VERIZON WIRELESS
Motorola Droid X

Motorola Droid X takes the crown for the most powerful Android smartphone away from the HTC Droid Incredible. The huge 4.3-inch, 854-by-480 screen makes maneuvering the phone's excellent interface with your finger a breeze.

HTC Thunderbolt

The HTC Thunderbolt, the first 4G LTE smartphone for Verizon Wireless, has the fastest Web speeds we've ever seen, but be prepared to carry an extra battery.


Samsung Droid Charge

The Samsung Droid Charge skips the HTC Thunderbolt's Sense UI layer in favor of lighter weight and a better camera; both are killer handsets, as long as you don't need great battery life.


UNLOCKED
Samsung Galaxy S II

The top-of-the heap unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II delivers in almost every way. Thing is, it's so expensive, it almost prices itself out of the market.

Best Headset for Gaming

Some headsets, like those from Razer and Logitech, are purely designed for PC gaming, while others, like the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega , can also work with game consoles. It’s important to know the difference between a PC-only headset and a console headset because it can be difficult (or in some cases nearly impossible) to get a PC headset to work with a game console.
If you prefer single-player games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you don’t need a headset at all. You can use speakers and enjoy the room-filling atmosphere. If you need to work with or against anyone online, however, a headset’s vital. The next time you deathmatch, raid, or capture objectives, make sure you’re shouting into the boom mic of a good headset. To find the right one, check out our latest reviews below.

Wired Headsets:

Logitech G35 Surround Sound Headset

$129.99
Compatibility: PC
As a gaming headset, the Logitech G35 sounds good and is well-designed. As a surround sound gaming headset, however, it doesn’t live up to its promises. Read the full review ››

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Razer Tiamat 7.1

$179.99
Compatibility: PC
The Razer Tiamat 7.1 is an excellent-sounding gaming headset with plenty of bass, and while it's pricey for a wired headset, it's one of the best we've seen yet. Read the full review ››

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Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming Headset by Razer

$129.99
Compatibility: PC
Razer's Star Wars: The Old Republic gaming headset looks striking and sounds great for gaming and other activities, but its high price and specific branding might limit its appeal. Read the full review ››

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Tritton AX 180

$69.99
Compatibility: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
The Tritton AX 180 is a well-made gaming headset, but it isn’t anything special and its sound quality pales compared to similarly priced, dedicated headphones. Read the full review ››

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Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A

$99.95
Compatibility: PC, Xbox 360 (with optional cable)
The Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A is a great PC gaming headset if you have a 5.1-channel sound card, but if you don’t, you’re going to get some adapters to even listen to it in stereo. Read the full review ››

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Wireless Headsets:

Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega

$199.99
Compatibility: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
The Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega isn’t just a great wireless gaming headset, it’s a solid set of wireless headphones too, and it can work with both consoles and PCs. Just don’t expect too much in terms of bass power. Read the full review ››

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Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930

$159.99
Compatibility: PC
The Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 stands as one of the best wireless PC gaming headsets you can find, with high-quality audio output, smart design, and an impressive range. Read the full review ››

Instapaper (for iPad)

The Instapaper 4.2.2 ($4.99) bills itself as "a simple tool to save Web pages for reading later." That is an apt description, as it lets anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch—and a serious Web browsing habit—save Web articles and read them offline, or at a more convenient time. The latest version features a number of additions since the app's 2010 debut, fixing many of the issues we had with the app's initial release.




How It WorksWhen Instapaper first launched, you had to first register at Instapaper.com, as you couldn't create an account from within the app. No more. Instapaper now lets you sign up for an account from within the app, which makes it feel like a true standalone piece of software instead of an extension of the website.

Tapping the Web icon opens an address bar in which you can key in an URL. I like that I could do this within Instapaper and not in Safari; Pocket (free, 4 stars), Instapaper's rival "read it later" app, requires you to install a bookmarklet into mobile Safari which has a somewhat confusing setup. When you come across a webpage of note, you simply tap "Read Later" in the upper-right corner of the screen to bookmark the page. Saved sites synced to the Web version of Instapaper nearly instantaneously, but, curiously, I couldn't save a few top-level domains, only their individual pages.

There's also an applet that you can drag onto your computer's Web browser. This will add a "Read Later" option to your bookmark list. From that point on, any time you visit a Web page, or even see a headline in Google Reader, you can Click Read later to send it to Instapaper.
You can view all of your saved pages by tapping the "Read Later" icon. The links are presented in a grid that features the articles title and the first few lines of text. Tapping a square opens a stripped down version of the story with just text and images, but you can use the "Open in Browser" option to see the real deal. As with Pocket, Instapaper lets you can read these articles without a wireless connection, this makes Instapaper ideal for commuting home on the subway, or any scenario where you would be unable to connect to the Web. You can also read your Instapaper collection on the Web using any browser, but of course, that requires an Internet connection. Once you have read an article, you can move it to your archive. The app will store up to 500 articles.

Unfortunately, you need to shell out additional money to search article text: $2.99 for a 3 month subscription, $5.99 for a 6 month subscription, and $11.99 for a 1 year subscription. Frankly, this comes off as a bit of a nickel-and-dime as I've already dropped $5 on the app—search should be included at no extra charge. Still, it's not huge ding as most users won't need the feature.

ExtrasInstapaper serves up numerous sharing options. You can fire off links to others via email, Evernote, Facebook, Pinboard, Tumblr, and Twitter. You can also sign into any of those services to find friends who've liked articles on Instapaper. I liked this, as I was able to check out articles from people with similar interests. Pocket lacks this social element.
Instapaper also has a section called "The Feature," editorial selections from the best articles saved to Instapaper. The stories came from outlets such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Wired, and other high-profile and popular outlets.

The Wrap on InstapaperInstapaper represents everything I love about software—it's a simple, elegant solution to a universal problem. It isn't as real-time or interactive as Flipboard (Free, 4.5 stars), but that's because it's designed for offline reading (in fact, you can use Instapaper to save Flipboard articles). To be clear, if you aren't the type of person who finds the Web filled with curious stories that you would read if you just had a little more time, Instapaper isn't for you. For me, however, Instapaper is an essential app; its overall usefulness makes it an Editors' Choice award winner, and a must-download for any iPad owner.
 

Best LCD Monitor

Monitors can be broken down into several categories, classified by price range and intended use, from gaming and entertainment to business use, to professional grade displays for photo and video editing. 

For many buyers, the first consideration will be the price above all else. While high-end displays will often be priced at $1,000 or higher, you can still find plenty of decent mid-range monitors for less than half that price. Business users will often benefit from features like built-in USB hubs that allow peripherals to be connected to the monitor instead of the PC tower, and power-usage profiles that help companies manage their electricity costs across an entire computer-using staff.  


For anyone working with photo and video, clear and accurate images are a must. To get truer colors, most photographers and graphic designers opt for a monitor with In-Plane Switching (IPS), a technology which offers clearer detail and a wider color gamut. Larger monitors also provide wide canvases for the digital artist to work on, or to display their work.

Gamers and home-theater enthusiasts will want a monitor that does more than offer bright colors and sharp details—they also need a display that can handle the fast moving images of games and movies without blurring and smearing across the screen. For these users, we recommend finding a monitor with a faster response rate, which is the time (measured in milliseconds) it takes for a pixel to transition from one color to another or to transition from black to white. You may also want to find a display that goes beyond the two-dimensional—3D capable displays offer an immersive aspect to games and films that normal displays cannot match.

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP:

Asus VG278H

$699 list
The Asus VG278H has everything you need to enjoy realistic 3D gaming right out of the box. It may be a bit pricey and lack USB ports, but this 27-inch gaming monitor offers a lot of bang for your buck in terms of performance and features. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421

$199.99 list
The Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421 portable 14-inch monitor is a great travel companion for users requiring more screen real estate while on the road. Read the full review ››

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Asus PA246Q

$499 list
The Asus PA246Q is a 24-inch IPS monitor that delivers professional grade performance and a robust feature set at a reasonable price. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo LS2421p Wide

$219.99 direct
The Lenovo LS2421p Wide is an affordable 23.6-inch monitor that delivers solid color and text performance without using much power. Read the full review ››

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Viewsonic VX2753mh

$349.99 list
The ViewSonic VX2753mh is an energy efficient 27-inch display that delivers great all around performance for a reasonable price. Read the full review ››

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Apple Thunderbolt Display

$999 direct
The 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display delivers solid picture and audio quality in a stylish aluminum cabinet, but it doesn't come cheap. Read the full review ››

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NEC MultiSync PA301W

$2,299 list
The NEC MultiSync PA301W is a professional grade 30-inch display offering excellent color and grayscale performance at a premium price. Read the full review ››

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NEC MultiSync EA273WM

$499 list
The NEC MultiSync EA273WM is a slim 27-inch business monitor offering a robust feature set and vibrant colors. It'll save you money on your electric bill, but you'll pay a bit more at the register. Read the full review ››