Powertraveller has managed to do what many other solar companies have tried less successfully: sturdy build and efficiency are combined with long-term power storage; auto-off and short-circuit protection; and handy battery-charge indicators. This is one monkey you will definitely want to keep on your back.

We loved writing with this well-balanced, classy pen, and the powerful Paper Replay functions worked incredibly well. Businesspeople, journalists, students, secretaries, and anyone who takes a lot of notes during talks will find this an invaluable tool.

The TuneBuds’ sound impressed us, especially for earbuds at this low price point. The low end was strong in our hip-hop and hard rock tracks, the sparse details of a Brian Eno album came through faithfully, and the subtle sound effects in an episode of Lost were appropriately creepy.

Photoshop CS4 is a strong revision—there’s a lot to like, which is why it earns our Editor’s Choice designation. We suspect that many serious Photoshoppers will spring for the upgrade, but we also hope Adobe takes a closer look at how much it charges for upgrades in the future. They don’t call us starving artists for nothing, folks.

Indev Software’s Mail Act-On is a hugely useful Mail plug-in to do just that and much more. Using rules and user-configurable keystrokes, Mail Act-On can easily tame even the most unruly inbox. And compatibility with Indev's Mailtags turns Mail Act-On into an organizational powerhouse.

With its color-splashed backgrounds and gorgeous, hand-painted 2D sprites, Aquaria might look like a kids’ game, or a casual one. But like its ocean setting, this fantasy action-adventure game is miles deeper than what you see on the surface.

This excellent, fundamental challenge makes a great game. But the layers of beautiful art, goofy sound, and humor piled on top make World of Goo a must-have for anyone who’s ever connected two Lego bricks. World of Goo’s funny, emotional story and solid puzzle premise form an excellent, unique game.

The stylus was comfy to use and surprisingly responsive. The small tip with its patent-pending technology makes for fast and smudge-free navigation. And we jammed through everything we normally would do with our fingertips.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 is a major milestone in the Mac video-editing world. The software isn’t perfect, but this is the first Premiere in a long time that can handle plenty of real-world, pro-level projects without any excuses.

In our tests, Colorware’s service was quick and easy. The two-color metal-flake finish on our aging MacBook was brilliant enough that we’re putting off plans to replace it.