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  • Lichborne: Downfall raid loot and patch 5.4 world boss loot for death knights

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    10.08.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. This week brings us to the end of our patch 5.4 raid gear guide as we take on Garrosh and the bosses guarding him. In addition, we'll take a quick look at what the world bosses of this patch have to offer a death knight. The disclaimers from previous weeks still apply, so keep those in mind. Read on for the breakdown.

  • Lichborne: The Underhold raid loot for death knights

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    10.01.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. The Underhold is the third section of the Siege of Orgrimmar, and will be opening up for Flex raiders this week. With that in mind, today we'll look at the loot that drops for the 3 bosses contained within. As before, the same disclaimers from the last two weeks apply. While "Best in Slot" is all well and good, "Best in Slot" also assumes you are playing at the top of your game, using very specific rotations, talents, and glyphs, and using cooldowns at the proper times, and that the gear you're picking up is mostly heroic or heroic warforged gear. Also, upgrades are upgrades, so if you're wielding Raid Finder gear from Throne of Thunder, even non-optimal flex gear from Siege of Orgrimmar is probably going to be an upgrade. Keep that in mind when grabbing gear as well.

  • The Care and Feeding of Warriors: The Plunder from the Siege Part 2

    by 
    Matthew Rossi
    Matthew Rossi
    09.28.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host. Seven bosses down, six to go. Let's talk about the loot we're going to, well, loot from the Siege of Orgrimmar. As an aside, this is the most I've ever felt like I was actually looting a place. Malkorok Winner of the prestigious "Name that I keep sticking extra A's in for no reason" award, and this raid's Hulk impersonator. What does the big M drop? Besides pain. He drops some pain. But also loot. Let's look at it, shall we? Malkorok's Skullcleaver - solid for either tanking or SMF fury, with hit and critical strike rating and a red socket. It also appears to have a set of tauren horns mounted on the side of it, which is somewhat disturbing. Vial of Living Corruption - tanking trinket, the stam on it is useful (stam is still a solid tanking option, even if it lacks the appeal of hit or mastery or an avoidance stat) but the cooldown reduction is the real draw here. It actually works on both Last Stand and Shield Wall for protection as well as Recklessness, meaning you can get more crit and thus put out more damage/threat (as well as guaranteeing a Shield Slam critical hit to Enrage you). Malkorok's Giant Stompers - tank/DPS boots with expertise, mastery, a blue socket and a crit bonus on that socket. I'd definitely use them for tanking over DPS unless expertise is a significant problem for you, there's better DPS options for boots in the raid as a whole. Malkorok's Tainted Dog Tags - See, this is why it feels like we're really actually looting a place - we're practically rummaging through Malkorok's entire kit of worldly possessions. This necklace is a very solid melee DPS neck for warriors, with critical strike and mastery. Legplates of Willful Doom - On the one hand, very nicely itemized DPS legs with crit, mastery and three sockets. On the other hand, with legs and gloves dropping not just in this raid but from the Celestials on the Timeless Isle (not the Timless Isle, although I have not seen Tim out there yet) it's likely you'll have your 2 piece by the time you fight Malkorok, and thus, these legs won't be of much use to you. Blood Rage Bracers - Parry/Expertise tank bracers, solidly itemized. Good for a warrior tank.

  • Lichborne: Gates of Retribution raid loot for death knights

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    09.24.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. The second tier of Patch 5.4's Siege of Orgrimmar, Gates of Retribution, brings us to the Horde capital itself. There are four bosses to kill and much death knight loot to plunder. The disclaimers from last week's loot guide still apply. While best-in-slot guides are all well and good, keep in mind that what is "best" for you will change based on your skill level, talent choices, and your current gear, and that new gear at a higher item level, even if not optimal, may still be an upgrade over what you had before. With that in mind, let's dig in.

  • The Care and Feeding of Warriors: The Plunder from the Siege Part 1

    by 
    Matthew Rossi
    Matthew Rossi
    09.21.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host. Loot lists. Let me tell you a little secret about them - they're a lot more work than you'd expect. They involve going over each boss to see which plate and strength items he drops, checking them out, looking at their stats and then writing up a brief summary of the items here. There are fourteen bosses in Siege of Orgrimmar. That's a lot of items. And in order for the lists to be useful, I have to prioritize gear that's good for warriors and explain why. So it's not as easy as flipping open the Dungeon Journal and then linking a few items. Which is why I resist doing loot lists every single time a new tier opens, but in the end, we all know I have to do it. So then, let's get started. I'll probably cover the first six or seven bosses this week and move on to the rest of the raid next - there's a lot of gear in Siege of Orgrimmar. I'm not going to link all the LFR, Flex, Warforged, Heroic and Heroic Warforged items, just the normal mode ones - assume any piece I link scales up and down properly depending on the version of the raid you're running.

  • Blizzard's guide to gearing up for patch 5.4

    by 
    Sarah Pine
    Sarah Pine
    08.22.2013

    With an exciting new raid on the way, one question sure to be on many people's minds is that of gearing. How to make sure that you're ready to step into the Siege of Orgrimmar the moment it drops? Our own Olivia Grace covered that very topic earlier this week with this comprehensive guide, but today Blizzard released their own, as well. If you want the truncated version, it looks as though the Timeless Isle will offer the most diverse and quickest potential ways to upgrade your gear, however, it could be difficult for fresh level 90s or certain classes to solo there, so keep in mind other options--like intro ilevel 476 PvP gear, reputation gear, Valor gear, and Battlefield Barrens gear (while it still lasts!). The full Blizzard post is available behind the cut, and good luck gearing up for the Siege of Orgrimmar!

  • Spiritual Guidance: Discipline and holy priest stat weights and gear in tier 15

    by 
    Dawn Moore
    Dawn Moore
    04.04.2013

    WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. Dawn Moore is a discipline priest by reputation, but still enjoys melting faces as shadow and bugging her raid to click the Lightwell as holy. A while back Spiritual Guidance looked at the various upgrade options for priests in patch 5.2. Today we'll be discussing which of those upgrades you want to take, depending on whether you're a discipline or holy (the weighty topic of shadow will be covered next week). Discipline priests in particular saw some big changes with the release of patch 5.2 and will want to adjust their strategy for selecting new gear from here on. Since we're already talking about disc, let's start there. Most of you probably know the basics. When gearing, don't take intellect downgrades and be sure to mostly select gear with spirit on it for mana regeneration. How much spirit do you want? There's no hard, set number to aim for; the goal is to find an amount that allows you to get through most encounters without running out of mana too early. This will be different for everyone so just go with what feels comfortable, remembering that you can always supplement a shortage of spirit with consumables (food and flasks) for fights that are more stressful on your mana pool than most others. (Rememeber that it's not necessary to gear for that one tough fight, and then be running surplus mana the rest of the time.) With that said, let's look at what has really changed: secondary stats.

  • The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Patch 5.2 and warrior gear part 3

    by 
    Matthew Rossi
    Matthew Rossi
    03.30.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host. This has been something of a wild month for me. I started it playing a tauren warrior, and I'm ending it as a worgen. I've spent the month raiding Throne of Thunder and thinking about warrior gear I need to pick up as we progress through the place. The weird thing about gear is, it's really just a means to an end. You get gear to get better to progress through harder content, that's pretty much all there is to the gearing cycle. Each new patch, each new raid opens up new angles for progression, but it's really always heading towards that brass ring of "Beat X boss, get Y gear to beat Z boss." Until the expansion ends, anyway. As one of the largest raids we've seen in a while, Throne of Thunder has a lot of gear. We covered six bosses last time, taking us to the mid point of the raid. Now we get to look at the remaining bosses. The Halls of Flesh Shaping and Pinnacle of Storms await. As before, I'm just going to list the 522 gear that drops in normal 10/25 - thunderforged variants are 6 ilevels higher, and thus are usually the best option in normal raids.

  • The Art of Wushu: The right stats for each style

    by 
    Patrick Mackey
    Patrick Mackey
    03.27.2013

    There are a few questions I answer on a very regular basis in Age of Wushu. "How do you make money?" is a pretty common question, but I think we've answered that. "Can you annotate my book?" happens rather frequently, too. However, the most common question I answer is "what stats should I get?" The answer for this question is anything but simple, and I end up spending hours explaining it to individuals. If I went back through my chat logs, I could probably fill this entire column just by copy-pasting because I've answered this question so many times. For the first time, this information will be available as a public resource. Instead of spending hours of my time explaining it to people, I can just link it! Even if you think you know what you're doing with your stats, this is a must-read.

  • Spiritual Guidance: Priest gear in patch 5.2 and Throne of Thunder

    by 
    Dawn Moore
    Dawn Moore
    03.07.2013

    WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. Dawn Moore is a discipline priest by reputation, but still enjoys melting faces as shadow and bugging her raid to click the Lightwell as holy. Priests have a tremendous amount of gear choices available to them in patch 5.2. There are several valor point options tied to the Shado-Pan Assault faction. Epics can also be obtained in a new, single player scenario, Troves of the Thunder King. And, well, obviously upgrades can be found in the latest raid instance, Throne of Thunder. To get started, let's take a look at the new tailoring gear priests can pick up. In patch 5.2, tailors have a chance to learn ilvl 522 cloth armor patterns from their daily cloth cooldown. The new crafted gear is BoE, so if you're not a tailor you may be able to purchase it from the auction house or commission it from a guildmate. These items require Imperial Silk and Haunting Spirits, though, so expect them to be costly. Head Falling Blossom Cowl (hit/mastery) 6 Imperial Silk and 8 Haunting spirit Falling Blossom Hood (spirit/mastery) 6 Imperial Silk and 8 Haunting spirit Feet Falling Blossom Treads (hit/mastery) 4 Imperial Silk and 6 Haunting spirit Falling Blossom Sandals (spirt/haste) 4 Imperial Silk and 6 Haunting spirit

  • Lichborne: More death knight loot from patch 5.2's Throne of Thunder

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    02.26.2013

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. We continue our loot preview this week by delving into the Forgotten Depths and Halls of Flesh-Shaping in the Throne of Thunder. The same disclaimers apply as did last week. Since this is based on PTR information, drops can change. In addition, this preview focuses on normal gear, so your gearing priorities may change if you get Thunderforged gear or heroic gear. With that in mind, lets dig in and see what the next six bosses of Patch 5.2's Throne of Thunder raid have to offer.

  • Lichborne: Heart of Fear gear for death knights

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    10.30.2012

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. Heart of Fear, which will open up this week, is the next step up from Mogu'shan Vaults. As a result, the ilevels are a bit higher and the gear just a bit more desirable. We'll be checking out the loot on a boss by boss basis, in order to give you a better idea about which bosses to spend your Elder Charms of Good Fortune on. As with last week, our analysis will be based primarily on normal gear drops. If you are raiding LFR or heroic tiers, your gear choices may vary a bit based on item levels.

  • Lichborne: Mogu'shan Vaults loot for death knights

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    10.22.2012

    Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. It's actually more important than ever to know what loot drops from what bosses in raids in Mists. This is because, if you've been collecting Elder Charms of Good Fortune, you'll have the option when a boss dies to spend one for a chance at extra loot. Knowing what loot is available means you can be better informed when you spend coins. With that in mind, let's take a quick look at the bosses of Mogu'shan Vaults and figure out if their loot is worth spending charms on. This analysis is made on the basis of the normal 25-man raid drops. If you are running raid finder, many valor point choices may pull ahead because of superior item level. On the other hand, you do have a highly limited number of valor points due to the 1000 per week cap, so in some cases you may want to "settle" for the raid drop so you can use your valor points to buy something else. In addition, DPS will want to maintain 7.5% hit and 7.5% expertise at the raid level. This can usually be accomplished via reforging, but there may be times you take an "inferior" piece of gear to hit one of those caps.

  • Distro Issue 54 arrives with the complete Engadget back to school guide!

    by 
    Billy Steele
    Billy Steele
    08.24.2012

    Well, friends, back to school season is in full swing. For some, it's a time of great sorrow, but for others it's a glorious time that usually means some new tech is on the way to combat the year's upcoming workload. Lucky for all of those in the latter group, the folks here at Engadget HQ have done our homework and compiled our picks in 14 different categories for your buying reference. In this issue of our weekly, we give you the full rundown on what to look for when you're in the midst of your back to school gadget shopping. As you might expect, some of the usual suspects are here as well for your weekend reading exploits -- including a closer look at the Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch, hands-on with a few of Gamescom's gadgets and a list of "Rec Reading" for the end of this seven-day period. Don't wait any longer, though. Hit your link of choice below to grab an end of summer guide of your very own. Distro Issue 54 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter

  • Engadget's summer gear guide 2012

    by 
    Billy Steele
    Billy Steele
    06.01.2012

    <p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/2012-summer-gear-guide/"><img alt="Engadget's summer gear guide 2012" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/sgg600.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:600px;height:175px;"/> </a></p><p>It's that time of the year once again, friends. As you make your recreation and travel plans for the upcoming balmy weather, we're sure you're looking to snag a few new gadgets. Who doesn't like to take the latest and greatest camera or smartphone with 'em on that trip to Yellowstone? Well, we're looking to offer some help navigating the vast expanse that is the world of gadgetry. Here, you'll find the hub of our <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/25/distro-issue-summer-gear-guide/">Summer Gear Guide</a> -- think of it as the Grand Central Station for all your warm-weather tech suggestions. From this library of sorts, you'll be able to navigate easily to the category of your choice for a quick read on our gear favorites this season. So, what are you waiting for? It certainly isn't going to get any cooler out for a few months. Grab a glass of lemonade and head out on the porch before perusing our picks --- all accessible through the list of links below.</p><p></p><center> <br /> <table border="0" style="width:630px;height:281px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/laptop-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/samsung-notebook-series-9-12.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:129px;height:88px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/tablet-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/iphotoipadwhiteeditprint.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:93px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/smartphone-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/international-version-of-the-htc-one-x-screams-loudly-with-its-quad-core-nvidia-tegra-3-cpu-2.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:91px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/portable-audio-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/bigjambox-hires-001.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:54px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/laptop-buyers-guide/">Laptops</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/tablet-buyers-guide/">Tablets</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/smartphone-buyers-guide/">Smartphones</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/portable-audio-buyers-guide/">Portable Audio</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/desktop-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/10imac27photo.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:111px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/camera-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/d51001855front.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:93px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/home-entertainment-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/tivopremierexl4rfwremote300rgb2011.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:39px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/dock-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/jbl-onbeat-xtreme-bild-rid.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:89px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/desktop-buyers-guide/">Desktops</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/camera-buyers-guide/">Cameras</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/home-entertainment-buyers-guide/">Home Entertainment</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/dock-buyers-guide/">Docks</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/gaming-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/geforcegtx6903qtr.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:120px;height:102px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/bags-and-cases-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/432-4-7141frontcmyk.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:87px;height:120px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/e-reader-buyers-guide/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/01nstglfront.jpg" style="margin:4px;width:92px;height:120px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/gaming-buyers-guide/">Gaming</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/bags-and-cases-buyers-guide/">Bags & Cases</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/e-reader-buyers-guide/">E-readers</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> </h5> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table></center><p></p>

  • Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: e-readers

    by 
    Brian Heater
    Brian Heater
    06.01.2012

    In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. Summer is coming. Time to relax by the pool with a good book -- though, judging by what's on your reading list this year, perhaps it's time to go for the anonymity of an e-reader. No one needs to know how you've been slogging through Fifty Shades of Grey for the past two months, right? Thankfully, there's no better time to buy one of these devices -- there's plenty of choices and, thanks to competition, some seriously good deals. One thing all of these readers have in common: E Ink displays -- way better for reading out in the summertime sun than their LCD counterparts. So let's not delay that warm weather reading list any longer. Head on past the break to see our picks.

  • Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: bags & cases

    by 
    Billy Steele
    Billy Steele
    06.01.2012

    In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. Sure, you'll want to snag some new tech candy for your summer mountain expedition or ocean excursion. But once you splurge for that new gadgetry, you'll need something to keep it safe for the duration of your travels. Whether it's a go-to rucksack to carry your mobile workstation or added protection for that shiny, new GoPro camera, we've got you covered. In this portion of the Summer Gear Guide, we'll take a look at the bags and cases that will cradle your valuables -- and perhaps even enhance their utility. Read on to view our seasonal recommendations.

  • Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: docks

    by 
    James Trew
    James Trew
    06.01.2012

    In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. So, you've got a new fancy-pants smartphone and filled it up with pictures, movies and music. That's great for when you're on the train and all, but sometimes you'll want to share your music with the world (whether they like it or not) and this is where docks come in. If you've done even the quickest of web searches for one, you'll have no-doubt been dazzled by the sheer amount of choices. They literally come in all shapes and sizes, and with prices to match. Good thing we made this summer buyer's guide to help you make your mind up then. Follow us past the break as we sort out our selections.

  • Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: home entertainment

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    06.01.2012

    In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. Forget heading outside to battle the sun, bugs and whatever other dangers may lurk in the wild -- we'll be inside near the TV. Of course, the summer programming schedule can often leave something to be desired, so we'll have to take that into account in our hardware suggestions going into the break. Also key is access to our preferred programming wherever it might be, broadcast or online. So, which devices are absolute must-have's to keep you chilling where the AC blows through October and beyond? Check past the break to find out.

  • Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: cameras

    by 
    Sharif Sakr
    Sharif Sakr
    06.01.2012

    In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. Of all the seasons when you could have bought a new camera, you had to pick summer? When the sun casts its harshest shadows, when thieves go wild over tourists with Lowepros, and when springtime puddles are still such a heavily neglected subject on Twitpic? Oh well, since you're here, our topic for today is cameras that cost a bit of money -- specifically, $199 and up -- but which murder camera-equipped phones on every spec that matters. Perhaps the only area in which the latest smartphones can still contend with our choices is wireless connectivity for the quick sharing of pictures, but as you'll see, dedicated cameras are catching up in that department too. Enough chatting, let's get to the picks that wait past the break.