Product: Humanscale ZŌN Personal Air Purifier
Price: $239.00 (Amazon)
Rating: Recommend*

Doesn't it seem like every allergy season seems to be the worst ever? So when I was offered an opportunity to review the ZŌN Personal Air Purifier, I leapt at the chance. Initially previewed at the New York International Gift Fair 2013, the ZŌN stood out on the show floor, yet inaudible amongst the din of the show floor. Advertised as extremely quiet, yet effective for combatting allergens, I was definitely curious as an allergy sufferer myself about the ZŌN's effectiveness... 

Product: High Resolution Technologies microStreamer
Price: $189.95
Rating: Recommend*

Walking across the CES show floor earlier this year made one thing clear: more audiophile companies are (finally) realizing music listeners place portability on equal ground with audio performance. High Resolution Technologies took note of the trend, releasing the microStreamer, a tiny USB Headphone DAC unit designed to amplify and massage digital music for headphone listeners.

Product: Nikon 1 J3
Price: $599.95
Rating: Recommend*

Is three the magic number for Nikon and their third iteration of the J-series, a 14.2-megapixel compact interchangeable lens model with a few notable improvements over its J1 and J2 predecessors? From all appearances inside and out, this sequel looks like more of the same...but yet proves to be a little bit better.

Product: Belkin Thunderstorm
Price: $199.99
Rating: Recommend*

There's really no way around the fact the built-in speakers of the Apple iPad are tiny and anemic. Movies, games, and music require plugging in a pair of headphones for clear dialogue and an immersive experience. Belkin's aptly named Thunderstorm was designed to eliminate the need for headphones or Airplaying to an external source by augmenting output with a miniature sound bar design. Using my iPad 3, I took this hybrid case/speaker for a high-fidelity test drive.

Product: Get Maid
Price: $45 per hour
Rating: Strong Recommend*

Living in a city where it seems like almost anything can be delivered in short order, it's not surprising that there is a market for this to extend to cleaning. When I initially learned about the idea behind the startup Get Maid, I was skeptical. A professional cleaning service that's on demand and won't cost me a fortune?  

Product: Crosley Cruiser Portable Turntable
Price: $99.95
Rating: Recommend*

Saturday, April 20th is Record Store Day, an international celebration when independent record stores release exclusive vinyl releases and special performances all over the world in honor of the beloved record. It's as good a day as any for a beginner to dive into the world of record collecting and listening, and this compact portable turntable is just the player to get started with.

Product: Wren Sound Systems V5AP AirPlay Speaker
Price: $399
Rating: V5AP (AirPlay): Recommend*; V5PF (Play-Fi): Strong Recommend*

Until now, there have been two main choices for people who want to stream wireless audio from a computer or device in one room to speakers located in another: a smattering of black AirPlay devices that look a lot alike, and the pricey Sonos system that creates its own mesh network over Wi-Fi.

Product: Sonos Playbar
Price: $699.00
Rating: Recommend*

Soundbar speakers evolved as a compromise between improved sound (compared to tiny built-in TV speakers) and retaining the sleeker presence of a flat panel display. Sonos has further improved the design by further streamlining the form factor, offering the Sonos Playbar, a wireless streaming speaker designed for wall-mounting or positioned underneath a display. With a selection of TV shows, action movies, and favorite songs, I recently had the opportunity to put this all-in-one soundbar to a real world test to see if its beauty went beyond skin deep...

Product: Able Planet Sound Clarity NC510B
Price: $124.95 (Amazon)
Rating: Recommend*

Active noise-canceling headphones have been around for ages, but models truly effective in counteracting ambient sounds can still easily set you back beyond $300. Can a pair of headphones priced at half the price of premium models compete on the grounds of audio performance and noise-canceling technology, or is this a case of "you get what you pay for"?