All Specialized electronics

The Bottom Line: While it has a few kinks, the Nook's extra features make it a worthy and enticing alternative to the Kindle.

The Bottom Line: By itself, the Garmin Nuvi 1690 is merely a solidly performing GPS device, but it earns its keep through the free NuLink service, giving users easy access to up-to-the-minute data for safety, convenience, and entertainment.

Specs: Hiking, Automotive, Navigation instructions, Street name announcement, 6.2 oz

The Bottom Line: The TomTom Car Kit for iPhone lets you consolidate the number of devices carried around by elevating iPhone navigation to a standalone navigation device level. It's pricey, but TomTom gives users a fair amount of functionality for the money.

Specs: Warnings, Navigation instructions, 4.1 oz

The Bottom Line: The Magellan RoadMate matches the competition's performance and ease of use, while providing a larger screen at a lower price.

Specs: Automotive, Navigation instructions, Street name announcement, 10 oz

The Bottom Line: While the new internationalized Kindle looks exactly like the earlier U.S.-only model, this e-reader, which uses AT&T's data network for wireless access, represents an incremental improvement to the Kindle line--just as serious competition is ramping up in the e-book market.

The Bottom Line: The compact Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro has a solid feature set and an affordable price tag, but it faces stiff competition from competing models by Amazon, Sony, and Barnes & Noble that offer better designs, improved navigation, and more features.

The Bottom Line: The compact Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro has a solid feature set and an affordable price tag, but it faces stiff competition from competing models by Amazon, Sony, and Barnes & Noble that offer better designs, improved navigation, and more features.

The Bottom Line: The compact Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro has a solid feature set and an affordable price tag, but it faces stiff competition from competing models by Amazon, Sony, and Barnes & Noble that offer better designs, improved navigation, and more features.

The Bottom Line: The compact Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro has a solid feature set and an affordable price tag, but it faces stiff competition from competing models by Amazon, Sony, and Barnes & Noble that offer better designs, improved navigation, and more features.

The Bottom Line: The compact Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro has a solid feature set and an affordable price tag, but it faces stiff competition from competing models by Amazon, Sony, and Barnes & Noble that offer better designs, improved navigation, and more features.