Between traffic, potholes, and pedestrians, it's murder out there on the streets, making it imperative you keep distractions-e.g. remembering where to turn, accidentally steamrolling the errant toddler while ordering lunch-to a minimum. Albeit a pricey solution, Navigon's luxury GPS can help, with its stunning 3D view-sporting touch-screen, voice-powered commands, hands-free Bluetooth calling, and free real-time traffic updates for avoiding sudden pile-ups. Better still, streamlined command input and route calculation only further minimize opportunities for turning cyclists into speed bumps.
www.navigon.com / $499
So much for simple dungeon crawls. Equally notable for depth and open-endedness (you can even marry and have kids), uber-designer Peter Molyneux's newest epic lets you experience life in a living, breathing fantasy world. Craft a charismatic hero or villain, fell opponents using fey magic, swordplay or guns, and roam a world of dazzling sunsets and dank forests with a trouble-sniffing dog at your side. Co-op play's the true highlight, however, letting friends instantly jump into/out of each other's bethsoft.
www.xbox.com / Xbox 360
Microphone? Check. Drum kit with cymbals? Check. Support for creating your own songs/superstars, butchering exclusive joints by Van Halen and The Eagles, and chopping it up in battle of the bands-style showdowns? Hey, it's almost like we died and went to stale cigarette smoke- and strobe light-drenched heaven. Throw on an REM track pack offering an advance crack at three songs, plus digital availability of Metallica's new album, Death Magnetic, the same day as stores, and this sucker rocks hard.
www.activision.com / PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
Imagine: You've finally managed to get Jenna Jameson, Tera Patrick and Verne Troyer (dude, WTF-2NR staff) in one place - then disaster strikes. Thankfully, you can avoid such soul-crushing heartbreak by protecting your precious data with the current contender, a 250GB hard drive capable of withstanding flame/heat/intense rubbing for 30 minutes at 1550-degree temperatures and submersion in water for 24 hours; especially valuable when that special someone discovers your stash and tosses it in the pool.
www.sentrysafe.com / $399.99
Forget film school... Flimsy construction notwithstanding (hey, you get what you pay for), this budget camcorder - astonishingly capable of delivering 1080p high-def video for under $200 - can turn you into tomorrow's next Francis Ford Coppola overnight. SD card expandability up to 32GB allows for hours of shorts, with creations viewable on a 2.4-inch LCD or ready for output straight to HDTV. We can't wait to submit our newest epic, "Geezers Gone Wild," (you're a natural, grandma!) for Oscar consideration.
www.aiptek.com / $199.99
Hooray for Dan Aykroyd and Harold "Egon" Ramis: Nearly three decades overdue, the duo reconnect alongside Bill Murray and what's-his-face-who-played-Winston to deliver a proper sequel to Hollywood's most haunting comedic caper. As a new team member, alleviate New York's spectral hangover in an original tale set in '91, right after Ghostbusters II, with a fresh script penned by the franchise's creators providing tongue-in-cheek thrills aplenty. Who you gonna call? The local GameStop to reserve an advance copy, if you're smart...
www.sierra.com / PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
We prefer playing Gears of War 2 the way God (and Bill Gates) intended - cranked up to volume 11. The neighbors? They disagree. Enter these difference-splitting wireless Xbox 360 headphones, packing resonant 5.1 surround sound, vibrant bass and auto-adjusting Xbox Live chat volume levels, ensuring opponents' smack-talking jibes don't disappear behind hails of gunfire. Ergonomics even extend to the device's microphone, whose signals pipe into the cans so you can hear just how loud you're screaming bloody murder during tense stand-offs.
www.turtlebeach.com / $199.95
Global thermonuclear war gets the next-generation sci-fi role-playing treatment in this 3D successor to yesteryear's mega-popular PC classic. Thank the team behind best-seller Oblivion, who turn Washington and its surrounding areas into a post-apocalyptic wasteland rife with adventure, which you'll roam as a personalized champion wielding makeshift arms and portable nukes. Blending real-time and turn-based battles with jaw-dropping aesthetics and incredible depth (wannabe Mad Maxes can target specific body parts, make decisions with lasting consequences), it's radioactive fun for everyone.
www.bethsoft.com / PC, PS3, Xbox 360