By Richard M. Sherwin

(With Amy Eller, Christine Eads, Erick Royer, Gary Kaye, Robert Plunkett and Susan Davis)

Since January, nearly 20,000 new smart phones, TVs, home audio equipment, Headphones, Tablets, Laptop and Desktop PCs, mobile and electronic home accessories and many other consumer electronics products have been released to retail brick and mortar and online stores.

We will be appearing on Mom Squads’ new hit Pod Cast, Headline News and other radio and TV shows in the next few weeks. We were asked to choose the best in breed in many categories. We also chose a few mobile Apps among the millions for Android and Apple products. Here’s a preview of our best picks…

PCs and Hybrid home/small business computers

The Lenovo Idea Pad Yoga sized from 11 to 13 inches converts from a very fast notebook PC in the very slim Ultra category (very thin and light) into a touchscreen Windows 8 tablet.

While we still abhor Windows 8 as being too difficult to use, in this format Lenovo seems to have made Windows 8’s touchscreen operating system easier to use. Most importantly, it is an absolutely top Tablet. Lenovo has not skimped on power, speed and ease of use when you turn the device from Tablet to full-fledged PC with a slight twist of the screen.

Internet TV set top boxes

There are now a dozen of these small boxes for sale that make any TV an Internet TV through a Wi-Fi or traditional connection. The Netgear Neo Max has the best remote control enabling it to easily type passwords or to navigate through channels. The Neo also seems to be staying ahead of former industry leader Roku by adding more streaming channels and it has the best Slingbox App (see below) for watching traditional TV whenever you are traveling.

Google’s Chromecast (only $39) is the cheapest and smallest way to add Internet TV and other content to your TV, but it does not have full plate of TV offerings like the full size set top boxes. But for $39 there’s no easier way to let your Android or IPad become a remote control. Just out this week, Chromecast supports Netflix, You Tube, Google Play Movies and Music. More Apps coming soon, but right now, you can’t play your own home media on the TV with the tiny device.

Slingbox

We can’t say this enough: the Slingbox is a reasonably priced way to sling (stream) your favorite TV programming anywhere. Whether you are viewing paid premium or network-based programming, the Slingbox will transmit all video content via Wi-Fi or direct to your router any and all content to any room in the house via your PC or tablet. You can stream content including your favorite pictures, videos and music on the go to your neighbor’s house or to your hotel anywhere in the world with an internet connection. If you add almost any Internet set top box (Boxee, Google TV, Netgear) except Roku, you can view your programming on any TV anywhere. Presently Roku does not include a Slingbox App.

Blue Tooth high quality portable speakers

Bose Sound Link and Logitech Boom are great looking, great sounding, yet very portable Blue Tooth speakers in a virtual tie in quality and features. While the Bose seems to have a little more base (a usual Bose feature), it also carries a few extra noticeable ounces to the Logitech Boom, which is a few dollars and a few ounces less. You can’t go wrong with either speaker and both seem to be really easy to connect to your phone, tablet, computer or any device that is equipped with Blue Tooth technology.

SOUND BARS

If you still want real life sound and have a large screen TV but no space for a 6 speaker system, the Sony HT-CT660, with 330 Watts using 2.1ch HD sound enhanced by a powerful wireless subwoofer, is the way to go. In the last few years, Sony’s audio division has taken aim at Bose and other high end audio manufacturers for quality and to companies like Boston Acoustics and Vizio for price and value. The newest Sony Soundbar has 3 HDMI® inputs, and analog audio and digital optical inputs. It will also wirelessly stream music from Bluetooth® devices with just one-touch. Other features include HD sound with Dolby® TrueHD & dts®-HD Master audio.

TABLETS

Samsung and Apple, followed by Acer and Asus, lead the more expensive categories in Tablet sales. But now, there are wonderfully performing devices for families on a budget like the Kindle Fire HD (though it doesn’t run all the Apps a heavy web user might want, it does feature the best kids Apps for all ages (mostly free). DFA is also advising families on a budget to opt for a Kindle or lower price Android Tablet or, if you can afford it, the smaller Apple IPad if you want your kids to have the best learning games and educational Apps.

We found that, while originally Oregon Scientific and Toy R us and other “toy Tablets” were sufficient to give kids their own tablet experience, those units are now not priced low enough and are not easy or fast enough to compete with several budget priced Tablets.

Recently, the revamped Google Nexus 7.2, about $30 more than the Kindle, now has improved speed, a better screen and more built in memory. This makes the new Nexus almost at the pro level and rated by our staff as a real best in breed because you know you are getting Google’s latest technology.

Amazon’s Kindle division and Google both apparently have 8-inch models ready for this fall, but will be pricing their units near the Apple and Samsung products, so we wouldn’t recommend consumers wait for fall for the new entrees from Kindle and Google.

Wal-Mart, which has been burned by some off shore brands that weren’t fully Google approved, now features two really nice, well under $160 units, that are Google Android approved. The Hisense Sero Pro and the E-Fun 8 inch NextBook impressed our entire team. They do about 99% of the Apps available for Android and have decent battery life and enough processing speed to qualify as real Tablets, not just emergency e-book readers. Microsoft is spending gillions touting their Windows 8 based Surface Tablets. So far we haven’t found one staff member or respected competitor to recommend those Tablets.

Smart Phones

Sprint Version of Samsung Galaxy S4

Once the easiest choice for reviewers and consumers was to just buy an IPhone, but our experts are just about unanimous now that if you need the best performance, best memory, best price and best features and now even the best Apps, you are better off with a Samsung S4 (Verizon or Sprint version). If you want a larger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Note II does almost as much as a tablet (again Sprint and Verizon). LG is making a strong comeback with its Optimus G for AT@T. HTC’s VX Verizon version had more multimedia features than even Samsung, and can now be found for less money, making it a top choice. Former industry leader Nokia has been slammed by just about every industry analyst, as its Microsoft Windows OS is very disappointing…. ditto Blackberry’s comeback models Z10 and Q10. The new Blackberries are saddled with Blackberry’s disappointing Apps. Of course the Q10 is one of the last Smart Phones with a real keyboard making it very convenient for those who require that kind of typing input.

Some Apps for your Smart Phone

While Drop Box and Google and Apple’s own cloud storage Apps are very convenient ways to store your most important digital content, Wuala by Lacie is faster, cheaper and easier to upload and safely store your most important documents, pictures, videos and music on the cloud. It has an easier to manage file and folder system than the most famous storage Apps and its price for storage after its free 5 Gigabytes is much less than the so-called industry leaders.

Our newest favorite App that’s only for IPad and not ready for Android or even IPhone yet, (but worth borrowing your friend’s IPad for) is found at Glasses.com (formerly contacts.com), where you can virtually try on thousands of glasses and sunglasses to see how you look from any angle in photo-realistic 3D. Try on frames from Ray-Ban, Burberry, Oakley, Versace, Maui Jim, and more — scaled to fit your face correctly. The best part of this sophisticated App is it’s easy to use despite the almost unbelievable complexity involved.

http://www.glasses.com/virtual-try-on

(Watch this video)

Even if you don’t need glasses this App is lots of fun

The glasses.com app utilizes 3Dfit technology and blends the best of Hollywood special effects, with advanced computer modeling, giving you the ability to try on more than 100 frames in less than a minute. The 3Dfit technology uses facial mapping to produce a true to life 180° view of your face, showing how each pair of frames fits you in 3D. Then you can compare frames using side-by-side images and save your favorite styles to compare them to one another. The “share” feature allows you to send the images to family and friends for their opinions.

Our staff all had it up and running in minutes and, if you do find the lens and frames you like, the prices were competitive.

ES FILE Explorer is another free App designed for sophisticated Android users, but in reality is a boon to novice tablet owners as well. It helps you find any file on your device or on your micro SD storage card literally in seconds.

ALTERNATIVE TELEPHONY SYSTEMS

While Oovoo has gone past Skype in all around features for making calls from your Tablet or Smart Phone, if you are planning to record your video chats or even your phone chats forget about it for a while with IPhone or IPad. Microsoft, which now owns Skype, seems to have forgotten how to add the record button on many devices. Oovoo’s owner claims that it will add this function very soon. And if you think your Mac can record those chats forget about it, only PCs up to Windows 7 can record chats in either Skype or Oovoo. BOOHOO. Another new entry is Tango, whose instant messenger and International calling via the Internet is quite easy, though contains a few more annoying advertising drop ins than their rivals.

TELEVISIONS

Does anyone care any longer? According to some experts TVs have such little difference in quality that cheaper and larger is the defining point for many consumers. We disagree. There is a distinct difference in that $200 to $600 that some of the elite brands charge over the no names. This difference in price appears whether you choose to buy from a big box store or a regional CE retailer. Yes even the top of the line models with elite features like Ultra HD and almost full computer functions can be purchased online. And showrooming where you look at the product at Best Buy or Costco and purchase from Amazon is de riguer.

Here are some models that will satisfy your feature and performance wishes no matter where the final purchase is made.

BEST TVs ever?  We don’t always agree with the so called independent consumer electronics rating magazines and web sites but with the Panasonic Viera TC-P65VT50 , a 65 inch plasma set, this could be one of the best pictures we’ve ever seen. This TV looks good whether in a showroom where lighting and content might be bad or in a private screening room with perfect sound and screen settings. Yes a little pricey, but few TVs com even close to this unit.

The best 55 inch we saw the Samsung UN55ES6500 , which does have the almost never used 3D capability making it cost an extra $200, but this plasma based unit has an amazing refresh rate making moving objects so clear and sharp screen reception in almost any angle.

Sharp’s  Aquos LC-60LE857U 60 inch unit and LG’s 60 inch LG 60PM6700 Toshiba 65HT2U units were  almost a virtual tie for picture clarity, performance and price per value.

Budget Buys: This is a tougher call: Vizio, the past few years a leader in entry level TVs rising to a major player, has been caught up to in  price and performance war by low cost brands like Westinghouse Digital, Hisense, Sanyo, Dynex , RCA, Magnavox , Coby, Sceptre and even former industry giant Philips. So how do you choose what seems like a no brainer for a 50 inch TV at less than $600 or a 65 inch with all the features of the major players,  but a couple of grand less in price? If you want just a TV and don’t require Internet Apps, Westinghouse Digital and Vizio are both delivering strong clear LCD pictures and both have decent customer support if you are worried that you are not backed by a famous brand. Hisense and Best Buy’s house brand Insignia have fully feature loaded TVs in the 42 to 60 inch range. If you just want to purchase a 32 inch and under for the kids room, any of the above will do because they are easily returned.

Editor’s note: if you are showrooming at Best Buy and then plan to buy online or at Costco or BJs remember there is an advantage at some of these clubs. Costco often adds an extra warrantee and the other clubs have liberal return policies).

 CYBER RELAX MASSAGE CHAIR

We’ve saved our favorite and least affordable electronics product for last. The first product we ever purchased that was way beyond are means nearly 30 years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show was the (still) award winning) massage chair by Panasonic. Up until now the technology was great for a simple massage, now a company called FujiiryYoKi has introduced a chair that does as well as any human massage we’ve ever had. The $10,000 chair includes a 4D knead ball system: This new system controls the speed and time of all 3D movements to replicate the movements of the human hand to give detailed massages.
– Four different types of back massages: Kneading, Tapping, Knead Up/Down, and Shiatsu
– 28 different types of massage techniques (Upper shoulder press massage, shoulder blade massage, side knead, twist massage, and more). The chair also recreates reflexology for your feet and its patented face and manipulator seems to be even gentler than some masseuses we know.  Its leg and thigh stimulator has 18 automated programs (Rejuvenate course, whole body stretch, etc.) with 12 levels of strength adjustability.

Next week: Accessories for everything in the house