Best Car: Chevy Volt We spent three days test-driving the Chevy Volt back in October, and we were impressed. Very impressed. It’s not just the Chevy Volt itself, it’s what the car is about. As the first plug-in gas hybrid to be commercially available at a price that could be called affordable, it offers you the option of never buying gas ever again without having to worry about the range anxiety that comes with a car that runs solely on batteries. What we liked most about the Volt was how it didn’t act like a car that cares so much about the environment: it was solid, sporty, and fun to drive, whether it was in emissions-free all-electric mode or range-extending gas-hybrid mode. At just under $32,000, the Volt isn’t cheap for what you’d call a compact car, but we think that it’s the first step towards the future of driving. — Evan Ackerman

Best Exoskeleton: Cyberdyne HALThey say it’s for the elderly. They say it’s for rehab. I don’t care about any of that. Cyberdyne’s HAL strength-enhancing cybernetic exoskeleton, which took me for a ride at CES last January, can enhance whatever muscle power you have by a factor of ten. Electrodes intercept signals from your brain to your muscles so that the suit moves with you (and for you), and you can kick ass and take names for hours with swappable battery packs. Being in one of these things is like nothing else: you give a machine control over your body, and in return, you eel like Ironman. If you’re in Japan and can convince Cyberdyne that you’re an institution that needs one of these for medical rehab, and not an evil superhero bent on world domination, you can rent a HAL suit for just $1,500 a month. — Evan Ackerman

Best Thing Evan Made: a New Computer I’ve always been a laptop guy, but for me, 2011 was the year of the home-built PC. What with laptops getting so cheap, having a laptop and a desktop starts to make both financial and logistical sense, and I decided to take the plunge. I’d never built a computer before, but thanks to some experienced and opinionated friends, the absurdly helpful system guide on The Tech Report, and Google’s product search, I ended up paying about $1,100 for a computer that performs about as well as a pre-built gaming PC that costs over $700 more. The actual build process was mostly fun and only slightly nerve-wracking (mostly due to trying to use just the right amount of thermal compound on my heat sink), and I now have a computer that I know inside and out and can easily repair and upgrade. Try it! — Evan Ackerman

Best Earbuds: Shure SE215 Earbuds I have found the greatest affordable earphones ever at only $100. After a few days of auditioning, an audiophile friend of mine confirmed their greatness and thought they’d cost $500. Aurally, they have a beautifully wide and airy soundstage — they’re sound-isolating but you don't feel claustrophobic. With the wide soundstage you get great presence and detail, crisp yet smooth but without the treble peaks other ’phones foist on your ears. There’s just enough bass — and my audiophile friend loves house music — with none of the overbearing boominess found in other "beat"-heavy phones. Physically, you drop them behind and over your ears and they lie naturally in your lobes and canals (tip: choose the right size earbud) — you can lie on your ear and not puncture your head. Drawback: the in-line iPhone mic and controls cost an extra $50. — Stewart Wolpin

Best Peripheral: iTwin PC Remote Access USB Stick Let's get one thing clear — this is NOT a USB drive. The $100 iTwin is a two-piece USB, uh, thing, one that essentially creates shortcuts to the file folders on your home PC and let’s you access and save to them from any laptop or remote PC. You plug in the whole USB stick, drag whatever files — regardless of size — onto it, and then shortcuts are copied — not actual files. Separate and stick the other half in your laptop or a remote PC, and you can now access all your home files, and any changes made anywhere are saved at both ends; it's like a room with doors on opposite sides. iTwin is encrypted and password protected, so if you lose it the remote half, whoever finds it can't do anything with it; a replacement half is $50. (Unfortunately, the half iTwin is so small, there’s a good chance you will lose it.) — Stewart Wolpin

Best iPhone Peripheral: Mophie Juice Pack Air/Plus The iPhone 4/4S's battery usually lasts a full work day, but let's face it, that's really only about 8-10 hours (moderate usage) on one charge. For when you're hanging out extra late and know you'll need the extra juice, keep one of these charged up and ready to go in your bag. With the recent unexplainable iOS 5 battery drain issues still unresolved, having an external battery pack is even more essential than ever. Price: $80-100 — Raymond Wong

Photographer's Best Friend: Mini Tripod Eliminate camera shake when shooting photos or video with a mini tripod. Almost every digital camera comes with a standard screw-mount on its bottom, so there's no fear of incompatibility. Stop relying on your shaky hands, grip that camera like a pro with a mini tripod, and go out and shoot wonderful non-blurry photos and videos. If you need even more flexibility, many photographers swear by the GorillaPod. Price: $8 (I bought any ol' tripod on eBay for less.) — Raymond Wong

Favorite Portable Storage: Victorinox Slim USB Flash drives are a dime a dozen, but my hunt for the best one ended this year. With an iconic Swiss Army knife flip-out design, a waterproof aluminum alloy body and storage capacities from 4GB to 64GB, the Slim is as durable as it is stylish. I've kept my 32GB Slim on my keys and it's been a godsend for carrying huge files around. I dare you to find a more classy looking USB flash drive, because this one is as timeless as Victorinox's pocket knives. Price: $46-290 — Raymond Wong

Best Smartphone: Samsung Droid Charge The Droid Charge isn't the most powerful phone you can buy right now — it even predates the iPhone 4S. Even still, it stood a rare test: all year as I was playing with other phones, I didn't want to immediately ditch the Charge for one those. With 4G, a crisp and roomy 4.3-inch screen and the ability to swap out the battery — handy for a reporter working long hours — it did and still does everything I want. The Samsung-branded dock even charges the phone and a spare battery (which it comes with) at the same time, for only $35. I know there are phones coming out next year with nicer display and faster processors, but for me the Droid Charge held down 2011 like a champ. — Kevin Hall

Best Laptop: MacBook Air Yes, putting an Apple product on a top 10 list is always divisive, but, you know what? Apple earned it. With the iPhone, Apple defined the smartphone market. The iPad did the same for tablets. I think we're going to see the Air do the same for laptops come 2012. The Air has found a real sweet spot between power and portability and price, and other computer makers are going to follow suit (they already are with ultrabooks and the like), much in the same way Asus shook it all up with the Eee PC. While there are a few things I could do without in Lion, I love this year's refresh of the MacBook Air. Ray actually wanted to claim this as one of his picks, as he's just as impressed with it. — Kevin Hall