samsung

Samsung CLP-315W printer yields disappointing results

The Samsung CLP-315W is designed for working professionals and entrepreneurs who want a laser printer for speed but also need to print out documents, photos, and presentations in full color. This version also has a wireless print server built into the device, a convenient feature if you have several computers attached to the same network that will share the same printer. Unfortunately, the CLP-315W is not without its serious flaws.

First, the quality of the printouts are simply unacceptable. The printer has trouble separating subtle gradations in color and tends to blur together close sections on the color gamut. Also, … Read more

Will Toshiba save SanDisk, parry Samsung?

Toshiba to the rescue? The Japanese electronics giant may try to stave off a Samsung takeover of SanDisk.

In the aftermath of Samsung's $5.8 billion bid for flash memory supplier SanDisk and SanDisk's unceremonious rejection, Toshiba looms as a large and potentially obstructive factor to a deal.

Toshiba and SanDisk have a partnership dating back to 1999 and operate two joint ventures called Flash Partners and Flash Alliance, as EE Times spelled out this week in an analysis of the dynamics of a possible deal.

SanDisk has a 49.9 percent interest in each of the two … Read more

Will that Dell solid-state drive be regular or ultra?

Regular or ultra? Consumers will now have at least a couple of performance options when they order solid-state drives on the newest ultraportable notebooks from Dell.

Hard disk drives are getting scarcer by the week in the ultraportable notebook market. Dell has officially started selling its new 2.2-pound Latitude E4200 this week with solid-state drives as the only storage option, accelerating a trend in ultraportables away from hard disk drives.

The popular ThinkPad X301 also comes with solid-state drive options only.

The SSD options on the E4200 come in two flavors, standard or "Ultra".

Dell pre-announced the … Read more

SanDisk on Samsung buyout offer: Not so fast

Time was when SanDisk, the world's biggest supplier of flash storage cards, was one of the hottest tech stocks this side of the Milky Way. Of course, those also were the days when companies like Lehman and Merrill Lynch were living large on Wall Street.

These days SanDisk is hardly the high-flying company it was a couple of years ago. Against a backdrop of weakening consumer demand and with flash memory prices falling, SanDisk's stock has reflected the company's changing fortunes, plummeting from a 52-week high of $55.98 to finish at $15.04 on Tuesday. It'… Read more

HDTV makers turn to budget stores, larger screens

LOS ANGELES--There are a lot of bad economic winds swirling, but the high-definition television industry doesn't appear to be moved.

Here at DisplaySearch's HDTV Conference, there is far less handwringing than in past years, when manufacturers complained about rapidly falling prices, the sudden appearance of too many brands, and consumer confusion.

Instead, far more confident industry leaders led a discussion Tuesday that revolved around how to make gentle adjustments to keep the HDTV sales machine in top condition. In North America, shipments are still increasing 17 percent year over year, according to DisplaySearch data. And this is despite … Read more

Samsung S3 Slim screams sleek and sounds super

The MP3 player market does nothing but benefit from the decline in flash memory prices. One of many examples can be found in the Samsung S3 Slim, a super slick-looking device that comes in 4GB and 8GB flavors for just $79.99 and $119.99, respectively. The S3 delivers a good value, thanks to excellent sound quality and a handful of useful features. However, we're a bit letdown by the player's shrunken screen and lack of integrated Bluetooth, a neat feature that is included on its sibling, the Samsung T10. Read the Samsung S3 Slim review, or click … Read more

AT&T goes rugged

AT&T is hoping to cash in on the rugged cell phone market with its new Samsung SGH-A837. Sporting a flip design with rubber sidings, the handset is certified for military specifications for dust, shock vibrations, rain, humidity, solar radiation, and altitude and temperature extremes.

Also called the Rugby, presumably because it could take a few tackles, the SGH-A837 offers a midrange feature set. Inside you'll find e-mail and messaging, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a music player, 3G, Cellular Video, e-mail, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, personal organizer features, and support for AT&T's push-to-talk network. The Rugby … Read more

What we Craved this week

Didn't have time to stay glued to Crave all week long? No worries. It's that time again: a quick roundup of some of the biggest stuff on Crave this week.

• Steve Jobs was in town--and he brought some new stuff with him.

• Samsung noticed it was the only one not making a Netbook. So it fixed that.

• The DTV transition has begun, and CNET's John Falcone has some suggestions about how it could go a bit more smoothly.

• Nintendo says it's adding a storage solution, but is being mysterious about exactly what that will be.

• And … Read more

LED-backlit LCDs battle for 'best' title

Now that we've published our review of the LED-backlit Samsung LN46A950, we're already receiving e-mails from readers, apparently with money to burn, who're anxious to find out whether it's better than the Sony XBR8 series, another LED-backlit contender that will hit store shelves in October.

Sony and Samsung will also be joined by LG in the backlit-LCD race, despite apparent lack of reader interest in that company's LG 47LG90. Since we haven't reviewed either of those two models yet we don't know how they compare with one another or with the Samsung, but that won't stop us from "spec"ulating with the only information we do have: spec sheets, rumors, and brief eye-time.

First off, it's worth noting that each of the three sets use a technology colloquially called "local dimming," where the individual LEDs behind the screen can be dimmed or turned off as needed. It's this technology that adds some weight to each company's claim of a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio (a nice round number, no?) When part of the screen goes dark and another is bright, standard fluorescent LCD backlights must rely on the LCD panel itself to block out the light and create dark areas. The result is the less-than-stellar black-level performance for which many LCDs have been noted. … Read more