Tags: apps, cnet, gps, guide

CNET Australia's best tech of 2009

Looking for a tech enthusiasts shopping list for the post-Christmas sales? Look no further then CNET Australia's best of the best in tech for 2009.

With iTunes gift cards being a great gift idea this Christmas, what apps will you be splurging on over the holidays?

Navman MY500XT

Improved, but still deeply flawed. We'd suggest checking out the lesser fruit from the Navman tree first.
Nokia E52

At first sight the Nokia E52 won't set your heart racing, but its excellent battery life and ease of use make it a smartphone worthy of consideration.
Pioneer AVIC-F10BT

Pioneer's top-of-the-range in-dash navigation unit, the F10BT features a 7-inch touchscreen, movie playback including DivX, Bluetooth hands-free, USB connectivity and iPod support, as well as sat nav with text-to-speech, 3D view and traffic messaging.
Pioneer AVIC-F310BT

At just under AU$1,200, the AVIC-310BT is an on-paper bargain. It features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth hands-free, GPS navigation with text-to-speech and 3D view, a CD player, USB connectivity and iPod support.
LG GM730

The GM730's feature set makes it feel like it belongs in 2008. Unless you really like the design, there are much better WiMo phones out there to choose from.
Nokia 6700

The Nokia 6700 Classic is not a fancy-pants smartphone, but its high quality, 5-megapixel camera and brilliant screen help make this phone a front-runner in the mid-range market.
TomTom One 140

Same, same but slightly better than before. Quicker responses and lane guidance justify slight premium over fourth-gen One.
Navman MY55T

Just like the 4.7-inch MY50T, but with added goodness in the form of Bluetooth hands-free, more memory, an FM transmitter, 3D landmarks and a higher capacity battery.

Best sports games

Most of us aren't born with the ball-thwacking ability of Tiger Woods, the wheel twirling skills of Michael Schumacher or the heading ability of Tim Cahill.
Best strategy games

Are you a general in training? Someone who prefers to direct the battle, even if you sometimes zoom in for the final kill? Sounds like you're a strategy player. Launch your own epic conflict with these top strategy games.
Best first-person shooter games

For the elite gamer nothing beats a first-person shooter. Whether battling alien hordes or human armies, there's something for everyone who wants to pick up a gun and fight (digitally, of course).
Best role-playing games

If you live to battle with thousands of fellow warriors, then you're an RPG fan. A genre most at home on the PC, role-playing games are sneaking on to consoles as well, giving fantasy fans of all kinds something to get excited about.

Best GPS devices of 2009

Despite GPS devices reaching the point of ubiquity this year, we wade through the morass to pick our devices of the year.
GPS deals for Christmas

It's Christmas and the season for giving, whether it be to loved ones or oneself. We check out what deals GPS makers are willing to make to separate us from our cash.
Adobe's Photoshop.com app now on iPhone

Adobe Systems introduced a new Photoshop app for iPhone users that lets them edit photos from both their phone and their online library on Photoshop.com.
Game over for Nokia N-Gage

Nokia's N-Gage gaming service is set to close towards the end of 2010 as the company focuses its application downloads through the Ovi Store.

Home cinema systems: Are kits or components right for you?

Whether you want to buy a home theatre in a box or go the components route, you'll need to decide which way is best for you right from the start.
Laptop lowdown: 25 things you need to know to buy the perfect notebook

In the market for a new notebook? Check out our list of 25 things you need to consider before you hit the shops.
Wipe your hard drive clean

Get out your virtual scrub brush and let's get busy.
GPS buyer's guide

Prices for GPS devices and apps have come down in the last year and many of us are looking at jumping on the bandwagon. We take a look at how it works, why you should (or shouldn't) buy a GPS, as well as key features to look out for.

MDK demo for DOS

Fight the Stream Riders and save humanity from slavery.
MDK demo

Fight the Stream Riders and save humanity from slavery.
Meat Puppet demo (revised)

Help Lotos get to safety.
Adobe FrameMaker Templates: More Book Templates

Create FrameMaker publications using specific templates.

Get (laptop) smart before you buy

Win the numbers game and get the laptop that's perfect your needs as well as your budget!
Microsoft Windows® 7. Your PC, simplified.

Windows® 7 has been designed to be more reliable, more responsive, and to make the things you do every day easier.