The 100 Best Gadgets of the Complex Decade

Intro

When Complex first started, in 2002, people were still getting used to the term "smartphone". It didn't matter that all the cool kids were already running around with well-equipped smartphone made by the man who would later join Google and create its Android mobile operating system. The phone we're talking about is the T-Mobile Sidekick, or the Danger HipTop depending on how you want to play it. There was no iPhone, Microsoft still had a horrible mobile OS, Palm was still poppin', and no one knew what a tablet was. Suffice to say, things have changed.

Since then we've seen the rise and fall of RIM and its BlackBerry line of smartphones, Apple come through and continually crush the buildings in practically every product category, and Google wage war against everyone. We've watched 3D take off, stall, and then take off once more. HDTVs dropped in price. And Microsoft bowed out of the media player game. Though it did kick in the door of the gaming industry with its Xbox console and gave Sony and Nintendo run for their dough.

That's just a fraction of what's happened over the past decade. We dug through our old issues and product reviews to bring you what we think are the best and most influential gadgets to drop since we started slingin' content all those years ago.

T-Mobile G1

100. T-Mobile G1

We have a love/hate relationship with the T-Mobile G1. Footage of the G1 appeared on the Internet months before its launch, when rumors of Google's iPhone competitor began heating up. The handset was referred to as a demo concept; not the final model that consumers would pick up in stores. However, when it dropped in October of 2008, it turned out the phone we'd seen for a few months, with its clef chin was indeed the real thing.

As the first phone to run Google's Android OS, it was a major turning point in the mobile game. The phone wasn't as responsive as the iPhone; things didn't flow smoothly as in iOS, but it presented an interesting deviation from Apple's handset. The G1 was the anti-iPhone. Finished in a soft-touch matte paint, it wasn't glossy and shiny. Though it sported a touchscreen like the iPhone, it borrowed a form factor from Andy Rubin's (Android's creator) past best-seller, the T-Mobile Sidekick, and sported a (paltry) physical keyboard beneath the swivel display. It had physical talk, end, home, and back buttons; as well as a roller ball when you didn't want to use the touchscreen. It also had the full suite of Google apps including Gmail, Google Calender, a souped-up Google Maps, and Google Talk.

To match iTunes, T-Mobile stuck a deal with Amazon MP3 that allowed users to purchase music directly to the phone. However, unlike the iPhone, there was no desktop software to go along with the phone; Google wanted everything done via the phone. Still, the G1 set the bar for what an Android phone could be. Things have only improved since then.

TouchFire

99. TouchFire

If you scoff at the idea of using your tablet as a replacement for your laptop when on the road, two Seattle-based inventors have just thing for you: the TouchFire. A lightweight silicon screen-top keyboard for Apple's iPad, the TouchFire allows users to touch-type on their tablets the same way they would on their regular computers. What started as a Kickstarter project has become one of the breakthrough products of the year.

BeerTender

98. Heineken BeerTender

As cool as the thought of having a professional keg installed in your crib may be, the reality is a bit harsher. Having one put in place will run you a couple stacks. Thankfully, the good people at Heineken felt your/our pain and reached out to Krups to build the BeerTender. Compact enough to easily fit on one of your kitchen counters, the BeerTender dispenses crisp, cold Heineken brew with the pull of a lever. Replacing the mini kegs is cheap (running around $20-$30) and easy: just pop the empty one out, insert the full one, let it cool, then keep on rocking.

Clocky Alarm Clock

97. Clocky Alarm Clock

Waking up sucks. Unfortunately, short of waking up to an orally induced happy ending, very little can be done to rectify that. However, with Clocky, a wheeled alarm clock that scoots around your room until you turn it off, waking up in the morning will be less labored and drawn out. No more hitting the snooze button until you have 15 minutes to shower and catch the train.

Urbanears Plattan

96. Urbanears Plattan

You should know about Urbanears by now. The Swedish company has been delivering headphones with high-style at low price points for the past couple years. With its core line-up in place, Urbanears makes sure to push out a couple cool new colorways each season. It's top-of-the-line Plattan model won't rattle your skull, but at $60, it's the most affordable, least embarrassing-to-wear headphones on the market.

Logitech Harmony

95. Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Controls

Logitech's Harmony line of remote controls has consistently been the best universal remotes for a great part of the Complex Decade. Unlike the ones that come with your cable box, the these, like the Harmony 700, are extremely easy to use. There's no fiddling around trying to find codes for each device. All you have to do is plug it in to your computer, run the included software, input what devices you have and viola.

Chumby

94. Chumby

The Chumby was one of the most interesting products to ever come through the Complex offices. Part alarm clock, digital assistant, and part tablet, the Chumby never had a defined purpose; and that's what was great about it. An at times stubborn touchscreen nestled in a bean-bag-like enclosure, it was meant to be embraced. The Chumby ran on a modified Linux OS and would connect to the Internet via a Wi-Fi connection. Widgets were available for download from sources ranging from The Weather Channel to late night talk shows. We couldn't describe it as fast or cutting edge; and we never quite figured out a use for it outside of a cool radio/alarm clock, but something about strongly appealed to us. When all the gadgets that came across our desk were made from hard, cold plastic or steel, the Chumby thought different.

LG Infinia 47LW5600

93. LG Infinia 47LW5600

When it comes to in-home 3D, you don't want to wear headache-inducing glasses. No, what you want to do is rock the same frames you wear when you go to the movies, so you will need a passive 3D TV like LG's LED 3D HDTV set. This one comes with four pairs of 3D glasses so you can your crew can enjoy Avatar the way it was supposed to be.

Denon AVR-1912

92. Denon AVR-1912

Looking for a good HD receiver that can support your love of all things in three dimensions? Look no further. Not only will it play your Blu-ray copy of Avatar in perfect surround sound, it comes out the box ready to support Apple's AirPlay standard so you can wirelessly stream any movie from your iPad, iPhone, or MacBook straight onto your TV without having to buy an Apple TV.

Sony PlayStation 3D Display

91. Sony Playstation 3D Display

Sony's been pushing 3D games for its PlayStation 3 console for a little over a year now. To help with message, it released a 24-inch 3D display built specifically for the PS3. There are a few problems: there's no remote control, there's a bit a of a glare, and it costs $500. However! It's most redeeming quality is that it actually accomplishes its goal of allowing two players to simultaneously play a game in 3D. What's cooler than that?

Epson Megaplex Projector

90. Epson Megaplex Projector

With projectors dropping in price, now's the time to grab one. One of the best is the new Epson Megaplex projector which allows you to simply dock your iPhone, iPod, or iPod and play the videos stored on the device. Yeah, there are a host of inputs so you can watch DVDs and videos from your computer, but why would you want to?

Kodak ESP C310 All-in-One Printer

89. Kodak ESP C310 All-in-One Printer

A good printer always comes in handy. Kodak's all-in-one printer lets you wirelessly print from your computer, iDevice (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad), Android, or BlackBerry phone via wi-fi connection using the KODAK Pic Flick App. The C310 produces crisp text documents and high-quality image printouts that dry instantly. Green-ready, it also runs on recyclable Kodak Inkjet cartridges and conserves up to 71 percent of energy on standby mode. Save money on cartridges, as well as numerous trips to the nearest Staples, by picking one of these up.

Phonophone II

88. Phonophone II

Yes, this powerless speaker horn costs $600, but look at it! It's beautiful. If Kanye were looking for an electricity-free amplifier for his iPhone, we'd point him in the direction of this ceramic work of art. The people at Science and Sons say it can go as loud as your average laptop speakers. We think it's a little louder, but if you're dropping that kind of paper, well, you probably won't care.

Alienware

87. Alienware M11x

At 11-inches, the Alienware M11x was the smallest gaming laptop on the market. And while awesome, some found the little machine a bit too tiny for their fragging aspirations. In response, the Dell-owned gaming rig builder came out with the M14x: a rather bulky but insanely powerful portable rig that sports a clear and crisp 14-inch display. All the Alienware hallmarks are present: the comfortable and hardwearing keyboard, the ability to adjust and customize the backlighting, and awesome graphics (this time courtesy of the NVIDIA GeForce GT555M). Our only gripe with the M14x was its heft. In order to accommodate all of the previously listed goodies, the machine ended up tipping the scales at 6.4 pounds. Seems portability is open for interpretation.

Roomba 560

86. iRobot Roomba 560

If you're one of the few that haven't heard about Roomba's, they're automated robots that you can program to sweep and vacuum your floors. Using Auto Virtual Walls sensors, you can tell the Roomba which room to clean, which part of the room to clean and for how long. Got carpet and hardwood in the same room? No problem, the Roomba can transition from floors to carpets easily. The 560 model has a powerful vacuum with strong bristles so it can really dig deep and get out all the stuff you missed, and a Spot Cleaning function that can focus on concentrated spills and messes. It can go under tables, chairs and get the hard to reach grime that builds up alongside your walls. It's not flawless, but it's surprisingly on point.

Asus Eee PC

85. Asus Eee PC

Remember the netbook craze? Before Ultrabooks and tablets took over the consumer electronics field, netbooks were seen as the next big thing. They were thin, light, and could handle extremely simple tasks such as web browsing, email, and word processing. The best of the bunch was the one made by Asus, the EeePC. Available in a range of configurations and materials, the line came to represent what was possible within the netbook segment.

Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank with Night Vision

84. Brookstone Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank with Night Vision

If the soldiers in Call of Duty were to use an iPhone-controlled device, it'd be this one. The Brookstone Spy Tank allows you to control it using a free app from up to 200 ft away and comes equipped with microphone and video camera capabilities so you could, you know, spy on people and what not. The price was recently slashed down to $100 so now's the time to cop.

JBL Creature Computer Speakers

83. JBL Creature Computer Speakers

It makes perfect sense that JBL would create one of the most interesting-looking computer speaker sets on the market. After all, the company is owned by Harman/Kardon, the company that in 2000 built the coolest-looking computer speakers with the Soundsticks and the iSub. The Creatures looked like nothing else in stores. Resembling an extra terrestrial being or a means conveyance or home for an extra terrestrial being, the Creatures sounded as good as they looked and were priced under $200, making them accessible to a large swatch of consumers. High design and good sound for everybody? That's what we're all about.

Kogeto Dot

82. Kogeto Dot

We've seen a number of dope iPhone camera add-ons, but the Kogeto Dot is the best so far. Simply snap the device on to your phone, download the free "Looker" app and record 360-degree panoramic video onto your phone without having to record separate video clips and stitch them together afterwards. And, yes, it's real panoramic video. When you want to play it back, you can watch the video from any degree you want. You can watch the same footage in a number of different ways.

Microsoft Arc Mouse

81. Microsoft Arc Mouse

The Arc Mouse was one of the most comfortable portable mice we ever used. Other competitors are so tiny they easily get lost in even the smallest of hands, leaving your skin dragging against the surface. Not a good look. Looking to bridge the gap between desktop and portable mice, Mircosoft found a way to deliver desktop size with the same (or, better, if you ask us) portability as most notebook options. This was accomplished by ingeniously allowing the rear third of the Arc to fold inwards to 60% of its normal size. We're surprised Michael Bay didn't enlist one for Revenge of the Fallen. At first the Quasimodo shape seemed a bit extreme, but we stuck with it, and after a while we though to ourselves: Why isn't every portable mouse shaped like this?

SonyAlpha NEX-5

80. Sony NEX-5

Sony's NEX-5 was without a doubt one of the coolest cameras to come out during the Complex Decade. The 14.2 megapixel mirrorless camera had the body of a point-and-shoot but rocked a sensor nearly as big as most DLSRs. It also allowed you to swap out lenses like most DSLRs. Sony developed the E-mount system that would be used by the NEX-5, NEX-3, and NEX-VG10 cameras, allowing all cameras to share the range of lenses.

Griffin iTrip

79.Griffin iTrip

With the iPod becoming the de facto way to listen to music on the go, people needed a way to listen to their MP3s while in their car. Most didn't have an in-car audio system equipped with USB or AUX plug-ins, so the only way to play your iPod was either throw a tape-deck adapter or with something like the Griffin iTrip. The iTrip wasn't the first gadget that allowed you to play your iPod through your car stereo, but it was the best. Static was kept to a minimum and stations were easy to find. Even though all new cars come with an in-car MP3 player solution, we still keep an iTrip on deck just incase.

Lytro Camera

78. Lytro Camera

Digital Camera development has taken major great leaps in the past years, but nothing has come close to how cool the Lytro camera is. Priced at $500 and appearing to be nothing more than a children's toy, the Lytro allows users to change the focus and lighting of an picture after the image has been taken. How? To let Lytro tell it: The camera captures all the available information—light, intensity, color—and lets you play with it after the shutter is snapped. The first time you use it you'll think the experience boarders on miraculous.

Sony Handycam HDR-TD10

77. Sony Handycam HDR-TD10

Sony is determined to make 3D work. We have our reservations, but we think the HDR-TD10, despite its clunky name, is a winner. Shoot true 3D HD video with a device you can fully hold in your hand. If you want to see what you've just shot, you can view the 3D video on the screen without glasses. Also, if you want to send video to friends and fam that don't have 3D TVs, you can easily convert the video to 2D right on the camera. Popular Science called it the "Product of the Future" at this year's CES, we're going to have to agree. If 3D does take off, it will be because of products like this.

EyeFi

76. EyeFi

Slowly but surely more and more cameras are hitting store shelves with a built-in wi-fi connection that will allow you to wirelessly send your saved images to a computer. It cuts down time and the ease of use is spot on. For those of you who don't plan on buying a new camera anytime in the near future, there's the Eye-Fi Mobile X2. Essentially an 8 GB SD card with built-in high-speed wi-fi, the Eye-Fi Mobile X2 will let you transmit photos do computer quickly and easily. And if you're not near a wi-fi connection, thanks to a feature called Direct Mode, you can send images directly to your iOS or Android device.

Victorinox Slim 32GB

75. Victorinox Slim 32 GB USB Drive

Sure, everyone's using cloud services and multi-platform apps like DropBox to tote their files and documents, but we still like to have our things on our person. And for that we turned to Victornix. Yep, the people that make Swiss Army Knives also make USB flash drives. Good ones, too. You can get one in nearly any size you wish. This one is thinner than a five-pack of Juicy Fruit gum and can hold 32GB. Remember when your computer didn't even have 16GB?

Apple Airport Express

74. Apple Airport Express

Five years after releasing AirPort wireless LAN base station, Apple created a smaller version that would cater to those who didn't need a full-scale wireless station. Unlike its big brother, the AirPort express would only allow 10 people to access the Internet at a time. Its coolest feature, however, was AirTunes, Apple's predecessor to AirPlay. Using AirPlay, a user could stream music from their iTunes collection to a stereo that was connected to the AirPort Express module. Not one to waste space, Apple also made it so users could plug their iPods into the USB port and let it charge.

Red Cameras

73. Red ONE

The Red One camera is kind of like a big deal. Announced at the 2006 NAB Show in Las Vegas, the Red One provided a professional digital camera rig capable of shooting feature-films. It's able to use a wide range of industry-standard lens mounts and can capture anything from 1 to 120 frames per second. Since its release, many directors have opted to shoot their features with the camera; some of the films include District 9, the Academy Award nominated Beginners, and Steven Soderbergh's Che.

Apple iMac

72. Apple iMac (G4)

Based on a sunflower, the iMac G4 was the first major revision to the Apple's popular line of entry-level desktops. The lamp-looking machine was the first iMac to incorporate an LCD display. The display was a big draw, as it was able to be effortlessly adjusted depending on your viewing angle. Looking back now, it's a bit too cute of a computer, but when it was new, it was right on the money.

Boxee Box

71. Boxee Box

The good folks at Boxee realized how much of a pain it was to get their great software service set up, so they released the Boxee Box. An oddly shaped set-top box that users the Boxee software to pull in all the Internet vide you love to consume on your computer and puts it on your TV. More than that, it will also play any video—in nearly any format—that you have stashed on your computer. The box will cost you $180, but if you don't mind dropping another $50 you can get the Boxee Live TV adapter that acts as a bridge between your Boxee Box and your HD antenna. Because somethings are still best watched live.

Nest

70. Nest

We can guarantee that you've never thought twice about your thermostat. You're not alone. Most people have a reactionary relationship with their thermostat. They interact with it when it's too cold or too hot, which is a shame because thermostats play a big role in most people's monthly expenses. The Nest, designed by a former Apple employee, looks to change all that by making people want to interact with their thermostat. It's beautiful, but it's also smart. The Nest can build a schedule around when you're in your home and when you're sleeping and when you use the most energy and any other variable that goes into deciding how many energy output is needed for your home. Hopefully every other thermostat maker wakes ups and tries to compete.

Incase Sonic

69. Incase Sonic

Bringing its clean, simple designs to the world of headphones, Incase has created what may be the most comfortable pair of over-ear headphones ever with the Sonic. Lightweight, the Sonic's earcups fit perfectly over the ear, creating an isolation effect so you can't hear a thing while bumping whatever it is you bump.

Panasonic G1

68. Panasonic G1

With its G1 camera, Panasonic set out to knockdown a major roadblock preventing some photographers from stepping their camera game up: Price and size. When it came to taking better photos, Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras were the go to. There's still no substitute for their larger image senors and ability to use a number of different lenses. But most cost upwards of $1200 and are way too big to fit in your coat pocket so you could sneak it into a club. Not the G1. It was more than a couple hundred dollars cheaper than most DSLRs and only around 35% larger than a regular compact digital camera

Jawbone Jambox

67. Jawbone Jambox

Not only is the Jambox the best-looking wireless speaker on the market (available in four color ways), it's one of the best sounding as well. Which is remarkable considering its size. At five inches long and one and a half inches tall, and protected by industrial-grade molded rubber, it's easily the most portable of the bunch. It's easy to use, too, with just three buttons. Even better, it's upgradable—plug it into your computer and download software updates like LiveAudio, which makes your audio sound more realistic.

Audyssey Dock

66. Audyssey Audio Dock

Compact and powerful, the Audyssey audio dock is one of the most versatile speakers on the market. It's able to operate like a regular iPod dock as well as a wireless speaker thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. With its dual microphones and voice-processing software, it's also an amazing speakerphone. While the 3.5” jack in the back ensures your computer can get in on the party, too. Yes, it's incredibly pricey, but trust us: the sound it delivers is worth every penny.

Samsung Galaxy Tab

65. Samsung Galaxy Tab

Unsurprisingly, the first serious iPad competitor came from the company fighting tooth and nail to dominate Apple: Samsung. The Galaxy Tab would launch with a 7-inch touchscreen display and run Google's Android 2.2 OS. It was the first serious look at what a tablet running Android would look like. Considering the fact that Android 2.2 was designed for smaller smartphones, and not for tablet use, Samsung did well. Later models would improve by using newer versions of Android and incorporating faster processors, better displays, and more storage space.

TomTom

64. TomTom

TomTom came to be synonymous with navigation systems during the Complex Decade. In 2002, the company released its first consumer product, the TomTom Navigator for Windows CE PDAs. In 2004 it began releasing stand-alone devices. Its easy-to-use interface, affordable prices, and great accuracy kept it in the game when others decided to jump ship and focus on smartphone apps.

Parrott Drone

63. Parrott A.R. Drone

Yes, it costs as much as an Xbox 360, but Parrot's AR.Drone is very worth the cost of entry. The only quadricopter that can be controlled via iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, it's also the most high-tech toy on this list. Thanks to a built-in wi-fi sensor, you don't need to add any dongles to your iOS device. The coolest part of the Drone, however, comes courtesy of its on board cameras that allow you to see exactly what the Drone would see and play a series of downloadable augmented reality games.

GoPro Cameras

62. GoPro Cameras

If you're looking to record cool footage of you doing outrageous stunts, there's only one way to do it: attach a GoPro camera to your vehicle and hope for the best. That's the whole point of GoPro. The company's founder Nick Woodman sought a way to record video of himself surfing and figured the best way was to attach a camera to his surf board. Starting with 35 mm film cameras, the company quickly moved to digital and now you see them every where from races to skate parks, even on dudes just biking home from work.

Apple iPod Nano

61. Apple iPod Nano

A year after releasing the iPod Mini, Apple completely revised it and renamed it the iPad Nano. Cheaper than the iPod Classic, the Nano became the best-selling iPod and helped Apple record record profits in 2005. Future generations would play with forms and features: one squished into a chubby square, while later versions would regain its rectangle shape and include a video camera and microphone. Our favorite model, however, is the sixth generation model which dropped in 2010 and was nothing but a tiny square with a 1.54-inch touchscreen. it retained the FM radio tuner and added an accelerometer that could work with Nike's Nike+ system. Also cool: When paired with a wristband, you could rock it as a watch.

Bose SoundLink

60. Bose SoundLink

Continuing its mission to deliver better sound through research, Bose crams huge audio performance into a tiny, portable package with its first wireless speaker system. Available in two finishes—black or silver—the SoundLink lets you easily pair up to six Bluetooth-enabled devices (phones, laptops, or tablets). The incredible sound comes courtesy of four low-profile neodymium transducers for highs and mids, and Bose's proprietary dual-opposing passive radiators for the deep, bassy notes. It all works together to pump out notes that will shame most other portable speakers. And while it will work fine entertaining in your crib, the SoundLink is designed to be mobile. That's why Bose outfitted it with end-caps made from automotive-grade chrome and tested the device in its environmental labs to make sure its safeguarded from all the elements and any accidental drops. Rock on.

Western Digital My Passport Studio

59. Western Digital My Passport Studio

Made exclusively for Apple computers, Western Digital's Firewire 800-powered My Passport Studio let you carry around 500 GBs in a device that can fit in the palm of your hand. Even cooler, it had a screen on the front that you could personalize to tell you exactly what was stored on the drive. It also showed you how much free space you had on the drive even when it was not plugged in. That's hugely important if you use you an external hard drive as much as we use ours. The fact that they were designed to fall in line with most of Apple's products is a plus, too.

Astro A30

58. Astro A30

Though known for its gaming accessories, Astro knows how to crank out a good pair of headphones. The A30s previously made it onto our Best Of Year list because of its amazing sound quality—watching movies on our iPad using the A30s was sick—and its comfort. Astro outfitted the A30s with extremely soft earpads covered in some sort of felt-like material. The end result is a pair of headphones you won't mind wearing all-day.

Motorola Xoom

57. Motorola Xoom

Say what you want about the XOOM, as the first tablet to run Google's Android Honeycomb OS, it was, and still is, a great buy. Front and rear-facing cameras? Check. Speedy processor? Check. Nice display? Check. Available with data from the fastest wireless company in the market? Check. Though it was hampered by the release of the iPad 2 it still continued to thrive as viable alternative with a full set of useful motorola accessories akin to the Atrix. It set the bar for what an Android tablet needed to be.

Microsoft Zune HD

56. Microsoft Zune HD

Microsoft's last hurrah for its Zune brand was, ironically, its strongest. Only available for two years, the Zune HD was a complete rethinking of the Zune music player, this time featuring a blisteringly clear 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen display, faster hardware, and a beautiful operating system that laid the foundation for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 operating systems. Even with stand alone music and video players getting cannibalized by smartphones, we were sad to see the Zune HD go.

FlipCam

55. FlipVideo FlipCam

If you want a good gauge of how quickly the consumer electronics game changes, take a look at the story of FlipVideo. Before smartphones were able to record HD video, FlipVideo gave people an easy way to record life's moments in high definition. No need to adjust color or framing, just press the big red record button and go. Starting life as a portable camcorder only sold at CVS, Cisco bought the company and flushed out the product line developing models that encompassed each and every type of user. Unfortunately, with everyone copping iPhones and Android phones, the need for a stand alone video camera slowed and Cisco shuttered the company in 2011. But FlipCams will always have a place in mental museum as the camera everyone had on drunken nights.

Sonos Multi-Room Music System

54. Sonos Multi-Room Music System

You were probably never interested in any Sonos products because your crib wasn't big enough to warrant a system that had speakers in every room that you could control via smartphone or remote control. Still, imagine if it did. Picture yourself chilling in your living room listening to music then deciding to go to your kitchen to fix dinner, but you would still like to finish the album you were listening to. No problem. With Sonos products hooked up to your home Wi-Fi network, you could do just that.

Apple Powerbook Aluminum

53. Apple PowerBook (Aluminum)

Apple's PowerBook G4 changed the game completely. Wrapped in titanium, it was one of the most powerful laptops you could purchase in 2001, not to mention the best-looking one by a wide margin. Two years later, Apple made the switch to aluminum and revised the PowerBook line, this time adding the smallest full-featured laptop Apple's ever made with the 12.1-inch PowerBook, and, what was at the time, laptop with the largest screen in the world with the 17-inch PowerBook. The portables looked like nothing else on the market; they were achingly beautiful. During its two-year run, the PowerBook G4 went through numerous upgrades that kept it competitive with the rest of the PC field until Apple made the switch to Intel and changed the line's name to MacBook.

Nokia Lumia 900

52. Nokia Lumia 900

Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system has come a long way. Original in design and concept, it sought to differentiate itself from Apple's iOS and Google's Android OS. Version 7.5, codenamed "Mango", brought many welcomed improvements, but there was still something missing: a premium handset. Sure, HTC and Samsung both delivered good phones, but in order to compete with Apple and Google, Microsoft needed a halo phone, something people would fawn over. Thanks to its partnership with Nokia, it got just that in the form of the Lumia 900.

Unveiled at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show where it took home the award for Best Smartphone, the phone showed how key a great hardware and software partnership is when creating a phone. The Lumia 900 is quick, responsive, and well-built; it feels great in-hand. Its 4.3-inch touchscreen display is a sight to behold. It looks like the people agree as the phone has reportedly sold out in many AT&T stores. Microsoft back? We'll see.

BlackBerry 5810

51. BlackBerry 5810

In 2001, Research In Motion announced that it was going to add phone capabilities to its BlackBerry pagers. The result was the BlackBerry 5810, a handset that sought to compete with Palm's Treo line of smartphones. Was it good? Sort of. It laid the foundation for what would become, at one point, the most popular mobile platform in the world. The 5810 lacked many things that would now seem implausible: There was no built-in speaker or microphone; if you wanted to make a call you would have plug in an included headset. Still, without the 5810 we would have no BlackBerry Messenger. Imagine that.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 4

50. Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 4

We don't expect anyone reading this to go out and drop $80,000 on a TV. However, if you are ever so inclined to spend the price of a entry-level Porsche on a TV, this is the one to get. Bang & Olufsen turn the simple process of turning on you TV into theater. When summoned, the BeoVision 4 raises off the ground and greets you. Did we mention that it's a 3D set? For $80K you would expect your TV to adjust itself, right? The BeoVision does that. An Automatic Picture Control Sensor measures light in the room and adjusts the brightness of the display accordingly. It has an Automatic Color Management system that constantly checks to make sure the picture isn't degrading over time. It's all very opulent. And that's great.

Nintendo 3DS

49. Nintendo 3DS

People may talk of the decline of mobile gaming and how smartphones are taking over, but those people must have not touched a Nintendo 3DS. You can read all about the 3DS in our official review, but all you need to know is that the 3D really works without glasses, and the experience is all the better for it.

Dyson Air Multiplier

48. Dyson Air Multiplier

After the massive success his vacuum line, Sir Dyson decided it was time to take his expertise in air manipulation to other fields. In 2006 his company released the Dyson Airblade, an electric hand dryer that claimed to be more environmentally friendly than other hand dryers. Three years later Dyson announced a new product that built on the technology behind the Airbade: the Air Multiplier. Consisting of a line of floor-standing and desktop fans, the Air Multiplier would use no fan blades, and instead draw 27 liters of air per second through the base and blow it through the ring up top. The product is a more effective flow of air than you would get from a traditional fan. Only problem? The cheapest one is $300.

Barnes & Noble Nook Color

47. Barnes & Noble Nook Color

Amazon may have stolen the show with its Kindle Fire tablet, but the original e-reader-cum-tablet was the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. Already running on a modified version of Android, some earlier versions were hacked transformed from a simple color e-reader to a full-on tablet running Android 2.2. It was so popular Barnes & Noble embraced it and let everybody in on the fun with an official update. Sure, it wasn't the fastest tablet, but for a fraction of the price of a real tablet, (and cheaper still than the Fire), it was a steal. And let's not forget that as an e-reader, it was great.

Apple TV

46. Apple TV

The most tempestuous Apple rumor of the moment has the house that Steve Jobs built releasing a television set. In the biography of the legendary CEO, Walter Isaacson recounts that Jobs recalled finally figuring out what the TV industry was missing. That's exciting. But for the moment, we're happy with Apple's take on the new-age set-top box, Apple TV. We prefer to act like the first generation model never happened, so let's focus on the second gen: a diminutive black box that lacked a hard drive and connected to your home network either wirelessly or via a LAN connection. The interface wasn't the greatest when compared with other Apple software offerings, but it allowed us to rent video from iTunes, access iTunes and YouTube, and, more importantly, stream video from our iDevices using AirPlay.

HTC Thunderbolt

45. HTC Thunderbolt

When the HTC Thunderbolt debuted, it was the fastest Android phones running on the fastest wireless network in the country (Verizon). Sure, the battery was paltry and drained faster than Lambo's gas tank under full throttle, but let's look at the upsides. The Thunderbolt was the first handset to run on Verizon's blisteringly quick 4G network, sported a slick design with solid construction, and was helped along even further than HTC's Sense UI overlay. For a good three months or so, this was the phone to have.

TDK Boombox

44. TDK 3 Speaker Boombox

You probably think of TDK as the brand that made your pop's stereo back when he was still about that cold-pizza-for-breakfast life. You're right. It was. But the brand has remixed itself and is now cranking out extremely dope, well crafted products that pump out excellent, well-balanced sound. Case in point: its 3 Speaker Boombox. Harkening back to a time when dudes walked around the 'hood carrying a blaster that could be heard blocks away, the Boombox has futuristic retro design and USB and AUX ports so you can plug in your iPod or MP3 player. Sorry, no cassette tapes here.

Bose VideoWave

43. Bose VideoWave

The Bose VIdeoWave may not look like much, but all the magic lies on the inside. Crammed into the back of a 46" LCD HDTV are six woofers connected to a redesigned Bose WaveGuide (which means, amazingly, zero vibration from the bass), as well as a bunch of newly built sound technology that can recreate the effects of a full-fledged sound system. The TV also comes with a mindblowing new remote control system called the Bose Click Pad which features the minimal amount of buttons, but gives you the ability to control any peripheral through well-designed, on-screen menus that don't interfere with what you're watching. It's so good we wish Bose sold it separately.

iMac Intel

42. Apple iMac (Intel)

The latest version of the computer that changed the consumer desktop is still the king of the hill. From the $1,200 entry-level model (21.5-inch screen, Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 500GB hard drive, AMD Radeon HD 6750M) to the $2,000 top-of-the-line (27-inch screen, 3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 1TB hard drive, AMD Radeon HD 6750M), you get an outstanding, powerful machine capable of handling anything thrown at it. It's now so good, you may no longer need to cop a Mac Pro tower.

HTC EVO 4G

41. HTC EVO 4G

The way Sprint customers were clamoring for the iPhone, you would think the nation's third-largest wireless carrier never had a good phone. Well, that's just not true. Two years ago, Sprint received HTC's most powerful smartphone to date, the EVO 4G. Running on the its new 4G network, the EVO was ran on its own terms. While other phones had three-inch displays, it came through with a 4.3-incher that made it seem more like a mini-tablet than a phone. It was fast, too, thanks to Qualcomm's 1GHz processor. The battery, like on many 4G phones at the time, was horrible, forcing many to keep a close eye on their usage. But other than hangup, the EVO was a mobile monster.

Verizon LTE MiFi Hotspot

40. Verizon LTE MiFi HotSpot

A lot of carriers talk about 4G wireless, but only one really delivers on the promise of high-speed wireless: Verizon. With the MiFi you could finally have access to that speed wherever you were. It's one of the few products that worked better than advertised.

HTC EVO SHIFT 4G

39. HTC EVO Shift 4G

The original HTC EVO was Sprint's halo phone. Packing a ridiculous amount of horsepower in a larger-than-life (and difficult to pocket) form-factor, it was one of the best phones on the market save for the one from Cupertino. So, how did HTC plan on improving its best-seller? But appealing to those who didn't need a 4-inch screen and wanted a physical keyboard. Despite having a slower chip than its predecessor, the EVO Shift was a remarkable and enjoyable handset that gave Sprint users who were left hanging with the Palm Pre a phone to latch on to.

Roku

38. Roku

Five years before Apple released its set-up Internet-connected media box, there was a little called called Roku. However, it wasn't until 2008 when Roku partnered with a burgeoning video-streaming service called Netflix and released the Linux-powered Roku DVP. The DVP allowed users to stream content from Netflix directly to their TVs without a computer. It may sound commonplace today, but back then it was revolutionary. Sure, hackers found ways to set up dedicated media machines for their home entertainment systems, but Roku gave the power to the people.

Motorola Atrix

37. Motorola Atrix

When announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, the Motorola Atrix seemed ahead of its time. It wasn't because it was touted as the world's fastest smartphone with a 1 GHz dual-core processor, had 4G connectivity, and Google's then new Android Gingerbread OS. It seemed that way because Motorola touted the Atrix as the first phone that you could use as a laptop. Equipped with a keyboard dock, the phone could transform into a full-on laptop—albeit an incredibly slow one. But it didn't matter. The phone was incredible and the thought of a phone being, physically, more than a phone changed the game.

Monster Cable Turbine Pro

36. Monster Cable Turbino Pro

Noel Lee and Monster Cable started out selling cords that would bring the most out of your home theater systems. After dominating that segment, the company moved to headphones. While manufacturing Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, it also created its own. And they were great. Case in point: the Turbine Pro in-ear headphone line. We tested the Gold version and declared the best in-ear headphones money could buy. Which was good because you would need a lot of money to acquire a pair. But, hey, you got to pay to play.

Amazon Kindle Fire

35. Amazon Kindle Fire

No one knew what to expect from the Amazon tablet. Some thought it would go head-to-head with Apple's iPad while others thought it would simply be a trumped up Kindle. Both parties were right. While not as powerful as other tablets on the market, it's also not as expensive. But the Fire works in providing users with more content than they could hope to consume. Once you're locked into the Amazon eco-system, the Fire is a beautiful experience, allowing you to read, watch, and listen to nearly anything available on the popular website. It has dreaming of what the Fire 2 will bring.

BlackBerry Pearl

34. BlackBerry Pearl

You can tell exactly when RIM began taking the consumer smartphone market seriously. It was the moment it announced the BlackBerry Pearl. Much smaller than the rest of the BB line up, the Pearl was obviously suited more towards socialites than CEOs, as it was the first BlackBerry to have a built-in camera. Security experts believed the phone couldn't possibly take off with real businessmen and women because of the security risk the camera posed. The phone became one of RIM's best-selling models.

Sling Media Slingbox

33. Sling Media Slingbox

These days it seems every TV station worth watching has a mobile app that allows you to watch their programming while you're away from your TV. If they don't have one, there's Hulu. But before all of that there was Slingbox. The device compressed video from your cable box into a streaming-friendly format so you could watch live TV on your laptop or smartphone. Yes, it was choppy at times, but you were able to watch the big game at work without anyone being the wiser.

Leica D-Lux 4

32. Leica D-Lux 4

With a price tag of over $900, Leica's Titanium D-Lux 4 was extremely expensive when compared to its competition. But, really, when you're talking about limited edition Leicas, there is no competition. A full-spec compact camera, the D-Lux 4 could be adjusted by those in the know to take really amazing photographs. Even if you had no idea what all those knobs and settings did, you could still use the D-Lux 4 to take great photos. The fact that only 10,000 were produced made an already hot camera, even more exclusive.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

31. Canon EOS 5D Mark II

One of the biggest trends to take place during the Complex Decade was the proliferation of videographers using DSLRs as their main rig. What brought about this major change? Canon's EOS 5D II. The follow-up to the popular EOS 5D camera, the 5D II came equipped with nearly double the megapixels (21.1) a larger, faster image processor (DIGIC 4), a larger viewfinder and LCD display, and, most importantly, the ability to record full 1080p HD video. Thanks to its powerful image processor, the 5D II let videographers shoot in low-light settings, and the range of lenses available allowed them to play with depth in a way they could only do on video cameras that were much more expensive. Since the 5D II, nearly ever—if not all—DSLRs have the ability to shoot HD video.

Xbox

30. Microsoft Xbox

When Microsoft discovered consoles were drawing users away from PC gaming, it—in usual Microsoft fashion—decided to enter the market. However, unlike most late-entry products from Microsoft (how's that Zune doing?), the Xbox killed. Despite going up against industry heavyweights like Sega, Nintendo, and Sony, Microsoft notched a solid foothold in the U.S. and Europe thanks to a strong crop of launch games like Halo. In late 2002, Microsoft unleashed the real game-changer: Xbox Live, a service that allowed gamers to play against each other online, which truly brought gaming into the Internet age. Soon you could download old-school favorites like Ms. Pac-Man and Gauntlet, reeling in trash-talking teenagers and wistful thirty-somethings alike.

Apple MacBook Pro

29. Apple MacBook Pro

When Apple announced it was ditching Motorola and IBM's PowerPC chips in favor of Intel's roadmap, some balked while some cheered. Those cheering must have seen the glamorous future of Intel-powered Apple laptops. When the switch hit the portable line and the name was changed to MacBook we saw an increase in power along with the reassurance that Apple would always have competitive hardware. We call that a win.

Canon PowerShot S95

28. Canon PowerShot S95

The Canon S95 was inevitable. Someone along the technological timeline, a camera that more than adequately combined features from high-end "prosumer" cameras with the ease of use of a true consumer model was bound to be made. Canon happened to do it in 2010 with the S95. Essentially an upgrade of the S90, the 10 megapixel S95 was thinner, faster, and had improved image features like Hybrid IS image stabilization and true 720p HD video recording. It did all this in a package that could fit in your pocket. Game changer? Yes.

Klipsch Image S4

27. Klipsch Image S4

We've been fans of the Image S4 since it debuted over three years ago. Comfortable, durable, and powerful, Klipsch's mini in-ear model does well with acurately recreating sounds while keeping most of the distracting background noise—babies crying, subway performers, loud conversations—blocked out. Oh, and though we found 'em to be pretty sturdy, if you do manage to break 'em, don't worry—buy the Image S4s new and you're covered by a two-year replacement warranty.

Playstation 3

26. Sony PlayStation 3

Released a year after the Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 strove to be the most powerful video game console in the world. And for the most part it succeeded. At the heart of the console was the 3.1 GHz Cell processor, a chip developed by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM that was built with the purpose of accelerating multimedia and vector processing. The hardware in the PS3 was so powerful, rumors began to leak that engineers had trouble containing all of it in the case the designers provided and that they may have to downgrade it in order to ensure it won't combust in gamer's living rooms. The result was a console capable of delivering mind-blowing graphics. It's so powerful, Sony hasn't been able to fully tap its potential. All of that leaves us wondering: What the hell is the PS4 going to bring?

BlackBerry Bold

25. BlackBerry Bold

It wasn't long ago that BlackBerry was the king of the smartphone hill. After building its brand in the early 2000s, RIM dropped its best model ever: the BlackBerry Bold. Larger, faster, and more luxurious than the Curve, the Bold sported a better screen and better materials (leather, carbon fiber) than its little brother. Before the IPhone came through and crushed the buildings, the Bold was the best phone for staying connected.

Barnes & Noble Nook

24. Barnes & Noble Nook

Smaller, lighter, with simple touchscreen navigation, the NOOK Simple Touch may be the best e-reader for the money. Yeah, you can get a Kindle for almost $20 less, but you're going to be stuck with ads. All the NOOK has is a great six-inch E-Ink screen and a battery that can last nearly two months. What more do you need?

Dyson Vacuum

23. Dyson Vacuums

You should know Sir James Dyson's story by now. After buying a Hoover vacuum cleaner, the British engineer discovered that over time it became congested and lost suction power. He sough to create a vacuum that did neither. Over 5,000 prototypes later, Dyson arrived at a design that used centrifugal force and cyclonic action to suck dirt up from carpet and hard floors. It would become the basis a best-selling vacuum cleaner business. Though his early models sold out in the UK, the Dyson brand took some time to blow up in the states. However, if you mention high-end vacuums, only one name comes to mind.

Sony PSP

22. Sony PlayStation Portable

When word broke at the 2003 E3 conference that Sony was working on a portable version of its PlayStation console, we envisioned something similar to a Game boy—a handheld that played pared down versions of console games. We were wrong. The PlayStation Portable was a full-fleged entertainment system that you could carry around with you. The specs aren't really important. What is important is the experience the device delivered. The beautiful 480x272 4.3-inch screen allowed us to play games on the subway as if we were in our living rooms. We even went so far as to buy movies on Sony's proprietary UMD discs to watch on long flights. The Wi-Fi capabilities and ability to connect to the PlayStation Network were just bonuses.

Samsung Series 9

21. Samsung Series 9

One of the major story lines in the latter half of the decade has been the battle between Samsung and Apple. The two have been waging war against each other in every product category including the ultra portable laptop segment. After Apple shocked the market with MacBook Air, and before Intel decided to kick off its "Ultrabook" initiative, Samsung came through with the svelte, deceptively thin Series 9 laptop. Equipped with a solid-state hard drive, an great bright HD display, and full-sized keyboard, the dark grey Series 9 was the perfect yang to the MBA's yang. Things got even more interesting at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show when Samsung unveiled a 15-inch version, which still reigns as the world's thinnest 15-inch laptop. Rumor has it Apple is cooking up a new MBA with larger screens. Apple responding to Samsung? Are pigs flying?

T-Mobile Sidekick

20. T-Mobile Sidekick

Before all the celebrities began ditching their BlackBerrys for iPhones, they ditched their T-Mobile SideKicks. We remember when we first saw it: Fabolous had one in the "It's My Party" video. Made by Danger, a company created and once owned by the father of Google Android, Andy Rubin, the Sidekick (or HipTop) was the first smartphone to appeal to non-techies. Not only was the form-factor dope—what was cooler than the swivel screen? Nothing.—it packed a lot of features that weren't available in phones in the same price range. Users were able to text, surf the web, and chat via instant messenger clients like AOL IM. If you're of a certain age, it's almost a certainty that you wanted a SideKick. If you say you didn't, you're lying to yourself.

Nintedo Wii

19. Nintendo Wii

While Sony and Microsoft found themselves in a console cold war, Nintendo decided to go a different route. Codenamed "Revolution" Nintendo sought to create a different console experience. It wanted a console that everyone would feel comfortable buying and playing, unlike the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 which were favored by hardcore gamers. The name "Wii" was meant to solidify that sentiment. The feature that would guarantee the console would find a place along side the two heavyweights was the Wii Remote: A wireless motion-sensing controller that used accelerometers and optical sensors to let gamers use natural gestures in games. The Wii became a success, outselling both the 360 and the PS3 in almost every country. The sales influenced Microsoft and Sony to both invest in motion-sensor controllers for their consoles, with Microsoft creating the Kinect and Sony releasing the Move controller.

FujiFilm X100

18. FujiFilm X100

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the best camera currently for sale. You won't find a better one for the money. Back in the spring when we reviewed it, we crowned the X100 the camera of the year, an accolade we proudly stand behind. The fixed 35mm lens is incredible and forces you to work for your shots. Everything is laid out exactly where it should be making it a pleasure to use. And it's built as rock-solid as a camera can be. You won't find better fit and finish from any other brand save Leica.

Motorola Droid

17. Motorola Droid

Despite T-Mobile selling a million G1s upon launch, Google's Android operating system didn't blow up until the search giant partnered with Motorola and Verizon on a new line of smartphones that would run Andy Rubin's creation. The line would be called "Droid" and the first handset from the partnership was, of course, the Motorola Droid. Similar to the G1, the Droid ventured even further from the iPhones aesthetic. Where the iPhone was round and curvy, the Droid was rigid and sharp. It featured a sharp 854 x 480 3.7-inch touchscreen display, a full QWERTY keyboard, as well as a touchpad for navigation when the touchscreen wasn't being used. The Motorola Droid wound up selling more than the G1 and the iPhone sold during its launch week and firmly drew a line in the sand between the Apple and Google camps.

Lenovo X1

16. Lenovo ThinkPad X1

The ThinkPad line has endured through the years as one of the best laptop brands and the X1 carries that tradition along. Lenovo's ultra-thin is the pinnacle of ThankPad design—carbon fiber roll cage, Corning Gorilla Glass on the 13.3 display, and a spill-resistant keyboard that, while appearing to fall in line with newer keyboard designs, still retains the signature ThinkPad feel. We can't think of any other Windows laptop we would buy.

BlackBerry 8700

15.BlackBerry 8700

You may have had a different experience, but for us, the BlackBerry 8700 was the handset that made RIM's handset brand pop. It was the device that was popular when the term "CrackBerry" became popular. It's not hard to see why. The 8700 was a slim, compact (for the time) device that had an amazing keyboard, and a intuitive OS that was manipulated by the scroll-wheel on the right side. It also contained a great (for the time) HTML browser that let you surf the (mostly mobile) web. The color screen is tragic by today's standards, but back in '06 it was simply amazing. When you throw in RIM's communication suite of BES email and BlackBerry messenger, you get a phone that was damn-near perfect.

Samsung Galaxy S II 4G

14. Samsung Galaxy S II

The fist Galaxy S became an instant best-seller thanks to its display and raw power. For the follow-up, Samsung stuck to script, delivering an incredibly powerful handset and an even better SuperAMOLED display.

Apple MacBook Air

13. Apple MacBook Air

Turn on your TV and you're bound to see a commercial for an Ultrabook, an Intel-powered ultraportable laptop. However, Ultrabook was even a term, Apple created the first one with its MacBook Air. Stripping away everything that wasn't essential to the operation of the machine, the AIr debuted with no optical drive, minimal ports, and an adequate processor. The second generation fixed most of everyone's concerns by tossing in Intel's latest processors, larger hard drives, and a backlit keyboard. Now that it's powerful enough to stand up to some "professional" portables, dare we say the MBA is the best laptop on the market? Unless you're Louis C.K. and need to edit a full-length TV show on your laptop, yes. Yes, it is.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

12. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

As the newest official Google phone, the Galaxy Nexus manages to pack in nearly every technology that may or may not get play in the upcoming year. There's Near-Field Communication, facial and voice recognition, a gyro, and even a barometer. The rest of the hardware is also top-of-the-line, but it's the unadorned, unmolested, pure Google Android experience that makes this the Android phone to get.

iPhone 4S

11. Apple iPhone 4S

Many grumbled at the iPhone 4S sporting the same aesthetics as the iPhone 4. We didn't. Look at it! It's still one of, if not the best-looking phones ever made. We also didn't grumble about the faster A5 dual-core processor, or Siri, the digital personal assistant that even though we don't use as much as thought, is still cool. And you know what? Neither did millions of other people because it sold faster than Bieber's Christmas album. Many would rather have the iPhone 3G or 3GS in the place of the 4S; again, not us. The 4S was an improvement on the 3G model in every conceivable way. We read rumors like everyone else, and we still can't see how Apple can top this with the iPhone 5, or new iPhone, or whatever name it'll carry.

Palm Treo 600

10. PalmOne Treo 600

It's sad that Palm will most likely be remembered as the company that failed to adapt to the newfound world of smartphones and tablets. Especially when it was one of the pioneers of the smartphone market back in the day. Before the iPhone hit shelves, the Treo was the "computer in your pocket". One of the most important pieces of hardware to come out in the past 10 years was the PalmOne Treo 600. It sported features that make up the bedrock for today's smartphone scene: touchscreen, mobile Internet, desktop synching, a strong developer community which churned out applications, and mobille e-mail.

Apple iPad

9. Apple iPad

It took a little for people to realize exactly what the iPad was meant to do, but that didn't stop people from flocking to Apple Stores around the world to cop one. Consumers didn't have to wait until the second one came out to appreciate the magic that was Apple's new tablet. The experience of, as Jobs said, "holding the Internet in your hand" was one that very few, if any, people had ever experienced. It caught everyone—consumers and companies—off guard and created a new market segment in its wake. Sure, it was flawed. But what first-gen product isn't?

Beats by Dre

8. Beats by Dr. Dre

There was a time when only audiophiles cared about their headphones. Everyone else would just rock with whatever came with their CD player. Beats by Dr. Dre changed all of that. Debuting in 2006 with a highly stylized over-the-ear headphone that delivered studio-quality sound with a price to match, Beats headphones completely changed the consumer audio game. Riding on a mantra of wanting consumers to hear music the way it was intended, Beats did just that. No one thought people would pay over $200 for a paid of headphones when they got free ones with their iPods. They were very wrong. Now when you peep your favorite rapper, singer, actor, or athlete, you can be sure they're rocking a pair of headphones with the "B" on the side.

Xbox 360

7. Microsoft Xbox 360

It's safe to say the original Xbox left a great impression. Why? When Microsoft's follow-up console, Xbox 360 launched four years later, it sold out immediately across the globe. Available in a host of configurations all at different price points, the 360, as it became known, was a massive upgrade in every discernible way. To oversee the project, Microsoft hired Peter More, the former President of SEGA of America, the man who oversaw SEGA's last hardware product, the Dreamcast. The console had next-gen graphics courtesy of ATI and tapped IBM to build supply its processor. The results were overwhelming. The only weak point on the hardware side was due to the company's allegiances. Microsoft, an HD-DVD supporter, opted not include a Blu-Ray player. However, that didn't stop the console from becoming a best-seller.

Motorola Razr V3

6. Motorola Razr V3

Before phones were required to be everything to everyone, phones were, well, just phones. And in 2004, the best phone was the Motorola RAZR V3. Priced at an astronomical $500, it was pricey as hell, but it was well worth the price for a handset unlike anything anyone had ever seen. It was remarkably, impossibly thin, crafted from aluminum, and didn't do anything other than making phone calls and sending text messages. Back in 2004, even with the T-Mobile Sidekick and RIM's BlackBerry line changing the landscape, it sold millions. Over 100 million to be exact. It was a big deal.

TiVo Series 2

5. TiVo Series2

TiVo made the digital video recorder, or DVR, one of the most sought-after products on the market when it launched the Series1 in 1999. However, when it dropped the Series2 in 2003, things really took off. The set was cheaper and included more features as well as a larger, 60 GB hard drive. Cable companies, seeing their lunch being eaten, got with the program and began renting DVRs to their customers. But even today the TiVo is the best of the bunch.

Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones

4. Bose QuiteComfort 3

Before Bose released the QuietComfort 3s, the company was primarily known for its stand alone music systems; the ones you would see in the commercials that could nestle somewhere in your kitchen and pump tunes the same way a much larger system would. That's not to say Bose doesn't make other good products, on the contrary—We've yet to come across something from the Massachusetts company that we didn't like. But that's just how good the QC3s are. Building on technology developed in the 1980s by Dr. Amar Bose, the company's founder, the QC3s combined Bose's great passive noise canceling with active noice canceling technology. All of this made for the perfect office and flight gadget.

Apple iPad 2

3. Apple iPad 2

The iPhone 4S may have been a slight retread of familiar ground, but the iPad 2 completely broke new territory. Apple's latest tablet delivered the same user experience as the first one but did so with a faster processor, lighter weight, and slimmer profile. And Apple didn't stop there. It focused on the little things that would make using the tablet all the more enjoyable. Things like lining the front fascia with magnets and then building a cover for the tablet that made use of all those tablets so protecting the screen was simple as connecting the Apple power plug on a MacBook. It was so good, the folks in Cupertino couldn't managed to do much but slightly improve it for the new iPad. We're not mad at all.

Amazon Kindle

2. Amazon Kindle

It was bulky, shaped oddly, and had, when compared to the e-readers of today, was painstakingly slow. But when the Amazon Kindle dropped in November of 2007, it was incredibly groundbreaking. Even with a retail price of $400 and e-books still an unproven media, the Kindle sold out in under six hours. Five years and four generations later, Amazon's Kindle line of e-readers remains the king of the hill.

Apple iPhone

1. Apple iPhone

Magical. Miraculous. Revolutionary. All those plaudits have come to define Apple's iPhone. It's influence on the mobile phone market is so strong, history can be divided into two eras: Before iPhone and After iPhone. The Apple's touchscreen device wasn't the first smartphone. Before 2007, BlackBerry was doing well with its QWERTY-clad handsets, Palm was pushing plenty of Pilots, and T-Mobile had the youth market locked with the Sidekick.

However, before the iPhone, the idea of using your phone as a portable computer was laughable. Sure, you could check and respond to email, peck out a note, and even browse a few select websites, but the experience wasn't nearly the same. The iPhone bridged the gap. It put the real Internet—not mobile web—in your pocket.

Apple wrestled control away from the wireless carriers making it possible for users to install applications (coined apps) on their phone in the same way they would on their PC. These apps would exponentially expand the breadth of functionality of the iPhone, and create a billion-dollar industry in its wake. Every smartphone maker would soon follow suit. Even if you're #TeamAndroid, #TeamBlackBerry, or #TeamWindowsPhone, you owe a debt of gratitude to Apple. Without the iPhone, there would be no post-PC era. And no Angry Birds. Imagine that.