The Top Five Must-have Gadgets Of 2011

As 2011 finally comes to a close, a review is in order of the top five gadgets that caused consumers to drool and fawn over technology. They spanned across a broad range of interfaces, technologies, and platforms, yet enthralled individuals across the world.

While some people were able to get their hands on the coolest gizmos, many more were green with jealousy. Here are the top five must-have gadgets as reviewed by CNET.com.

1. Apple iPad 2. The slimmer, glossier, lighter and faster improvement to the previous tablet installment has consumers clamoring to get their hands on it. As the current king of tablet technology, the iPad 2 is showing up the competition with easy ergonomic designs that seem to draw people into wanting them (there is very little need for a tablet). Its easy interfacing ability appeals to those in multiple industries and for personal video watching.

2. Apple iPhone 4S. The iPhone may not be the best smartphone, yet it makes a convincing argument according to consumer popularity. "The Apple iPhone 4S after making a revolution in industrial design with iPhone 4 last summer remains one of the most attractive smartphones to have ever been built. Apple’s choice of materials and its manufacturing prowess are unmatched, and puts a group of other wanna-be competitors to shame," says iPhone4SReview.org. The newest edition has a faster processor and upgraded camera. However, it fails to process data at 4G speeds, unlike other smartphone options. A Cell Phone Shop promotion code could save you money on your next phone purchase.

3. Apple MacBook Air. The newest installment of MacBooks boast dramatically faster speeds, decreased weight and fixed last year's largest complaint - the lack of an SD card slot. However, despite its stunning appearance, it lacked affordability and did not improve on the flash storage, RAM or battery life from last year’s model. A Gadget Town promotion code could provide all of the supporting supplies to make your laptop a favored possession.

4. Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader. The Nook wins the e-reader race with a responsive screen built for easy reading. It is significantly smaller than the previous generation - weighing in at only 0.47 pounds and fully redesigned to be finger-friendly to make it easier to navigate the interface options. However, unlike tablets and other e-readers, the Nook does not support web browsing. That could be both a positive and a negative depending on an individual's need.

5. HTC Sensation 4G. The new generation of sensations offers a new sleek design to users to combat the previous generation's poor reviews. It offers an impressive display for consumers looking to browse the internet, with an easy scrolling screen. However, there are potential antennae issues that make holding the phone a certain way result in loss of the 4G signal that made the purchase worthwhile. It still browses, just at a limited capacity.

These five products made consumers drool over sleek chrome designs and beautiful interfaces. Check out Radio Shack's promotion code for deals that could save you money if you try to purchase some of the hot items.