Narrow down all of the electronics products from the past year to only the award-worthy?  If it sounds like an impossible task, well…let’s just say it isn’t easy.  It is fun, though, and our editors had a good time wading through the hundreds of submissions – comparing, contrasting and commending them, along with our own recommendations.  Judgment criteria included everything from value to technological innovation to convenience to good ol’ wow factor.  We’ve got every budget covered too, with products that sell from $4 to $185,000.  At the heart of our Products of the Year awards remains our core belief that electronics can enhance people’s everyday lives, which today also means keeping up with the green movement.  Manufacturers are working harder in this respect too, and many offerings deserve recognition.  How did we do overall?  Check out the slideshow on www.electronichouse.com and let us know.  Some products have been available since last fall, so perhaps you’ve experienced them firsthand-and if you’re one of the owners or KEF’s elite Muon speakers or Meridian’s new M810 projection system, we’re very jealous.

APC

Back-UPS ES 750 Not only is it an uninterruptible power supply (battery backup), the Back-UPS ES 750 (BE750G) saves energy.  Its SmartShedding Technology allows the master outlet to sense when a computer has either been turned off or has gone into sleep mode, so it can shut off power to three unused peripherals plugged into the controlled outlets.  By cutting power to these ‘dark loads’, APC says the Back-UPS ES 750 can provide a savings of $40 per year.

The Nitty Gritty:

10 outlets, including one master and three controlled

Maintenance-free sealed Lead-Acid battery

6-foot cord

$100