Jim Bray, CFP Automotive Editor

Golf GTI: A little Rocket

When the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada named the GTI as its 2010 Canadian Car of the year, I didn't agree. I thought it should have gone to the Porsche Panamera, because it was a completely new car – as opposed to the GTI's being merely another generation of a long-running vehicle – and it had represented a bigger risk for its company.

OHM Bicycles Make for Power Pedaling

Avid bicyclists, environmentalists, or weenies who don't want to work hard may want to check out OHM bicycles, power-assisted units that certainly made the ordeal of bicycling easier for this sedentary writer/weenie.

Acura ZDX – a Stealth Bomber for the Road

Acura's new "crossover utility vehicle with the design of a personal sports coupe" turns out to be a heckuva vehicle. Once you get used to it, anyway.

Corel Ups the Draw Ante with X5

Corel switched from straight number to the "X" factor with version X3, which followed v. 12, possibly for the same reason there aren't many 13th floors in buildings. Version X5 not only moves the product forward, it also takes an interesting and welcome step backward, because it comes with a hardcover manual the likes of which we're seeing less and less of these days as companies offer either online or PDF manuals. Both manual types have their advantages. Online and Acrobat files are easier to manage, cheaper to publish (and kill fewer trees, if you're into that kind of thing) and are more easily searchable than a print manual. On the other hand, I like being able to sit the print manual beside me on the desk and look at its hints while my document is open in front of me on the screen.

Infiniti M56s – Top Line Luxury

Maybe you've seen the commercials, an invisible artist painting the lines of an attractive new sedan, the announcer extolling virtues such as "Forest Air" and silver flakes in the wood grain.

Element LED Tasks Home Theaters; MotorMouse Worthy of a Tale

Finding the proper light for a particular task can be tough. If you're working at a desk, doing finely detailed work, for example, you might want something different than if you're trying to read in a darkened home theater. This can make choosing a light fixture more difficult than you might think. Do you go for something ultra bright, that casts a big splash of light on the surface? Do you want something more subtle, and more focused? Or do you try to find a combination of the above.

Lexus HS 250h – an Easy to Like Hybrid

Call it an uber-Prius, if you like. It's the Lexus HS 250h, the luxury car maker's first four cylinder model, and at heart it's a luxury hybrid. It's also a very nice car that would undoubtedly be easy to live with.

iPhone Apps Bring cars, Radio Home, Grosses Out, Punks Friends

It isn't often that one of them gets me excited, but I've been using a couple that I've found really handy, including apps from Car and Driver and Autoweek magazines. Both of these car apps are free – the best type! – and between the two you get buyer's guides and stuff like news, reviews, photos, specifications and more, covering an abundance of autos and automotive issues.

Brother All-in-one Prints Charmingly

Whether you have a small office or a home office, Brother has a line of printers it thinks will serve your needs well. And it just might. I've reviewed a series of these printers over the past few years and have been impressed by their quality and affordability – though of course the affordability of the initial expense pales once you're faced with replacing toner or inkjet cartridges. This isn't a Brother thing, however; it's the nature of the beast regardless of what brand you buy. Among the Brothers I've reviewed are color laser printers and all-in-ones, as well as a nice little inkjet all-in-one that fit really nicely onto the desktop. I even played with a small label printer that really comes in handy.

Ford Flex Gets an Eco-Boost for 2010

Ford's Flex has a new heart this year, new motivation for both the vehicle and perhaps for those interested in buying it. It's Ford's Ecoboost technology, which includes the company's new twin turbo 3.5 liter V6 that Ford says delivers V8 power with V6 fuel economy. It's a peach of a system and it produces 355 horsepower, which Ford says is 35 percent more than that of the base Flex's V6, and 350 ft.-lb. of torque, up 41 percent.

Epson Pro Cinema Another Home Theater Winner

Epson has been turning out excellent front projectors for the home theater market, products that not only offer consumers a wonderful home theater experience, but which do it for a reasonable price. The PowerLite Pro Cinema 9500UB continues this noble tradition.

Mazda CX-9 “Crossover” SUV – Big and Comfy, with “Zoom”

They've upgraded its looks and features a bit for 2010, but at heart the Mazda CX-9 is the same big SUV it has been since its introduction. And that's a good thing.

The Print Shop 2 – New, After 20-something Years?

Companies, schools, community groups and individuals who want a quick and easy publishing software solution can't go too far wrong with the Print Shop, a program that has been doing it right since the 1980's.

Toyota Venza a True Crossover

It's neither a station wagon nor a minivan, and it isn't an SUV, either. Instead, Toyota's Venza blurs the lines between these distinct market niches, a vehicle that crosses over from one to the other.

StarTech Clones Hard Disks – TomTom Clones the Clone Wars

If you or your company need to make multiple copies of a hard disk quickly and easily, StarTech's SATDOCK22R may be just the tool you need.

Acura and Honda “Cute Utes” Provide Good Rides

Whether you go up market or mainstream, the Honda Motor Company has an "entry level" sport utility vehicle they think you'll like. And they may be right. I certainly like both of them.

Ole Bull Violin Concertos Push Blu-ray’s Boundaries

From Norway's 2L comes an excellent audio Blu-ray that's a good example of how Blu-ray discs can be used for more than just movies and other video titles.

Toyota Sienna a New Standard in Minivans

Minivans may not be particularly sexy, but they can be pleasant and convenient if your automotive needs require space to haul people and their stuff. So it is with the 2011 Sienna, a minivan Toyota is daring to call "Comfortable, Convenient and above all, Cool."

Car Wars, Episode Diesel: Return of the Jetta

My love affair with Volkswagen's current product line continues with the 2010 Jetta sedan and wagon. Heck, if I were French, I'd simply look at the car's flanks, say "Jetta door!" and be done with it.

Avatar on High Definition disc – Blu-folk Belong on Blu-ray

"Dances with Smurfs." "Pocahontas". "A Liberal Guilt Trip."