samsung

Verizon could get even sexier

Yes, you read that correctly. America's least fashion-conscious carrier is changing its ways with a possible new phone from Samsung. Though we've seen it a few times at CES and CTIA, the Samsung SCH-U470 (and its GSM cousin, the SGH-X830) has existed in the United States only behind glass thus far. It's a striking phone in many ways; not only does it take Samsung's obsession for thin handsets to a whole new level but it also brings back the swivel design, which never seemed to catch on in North America.

In our opinion the design was … Read more

Toshiba hits 160GB with tiny drive

Toshiba on Wednesday pushed the capacity of its 1.8-inch hard drives up one more notch to 160GB but said it also made the products more power-efficient.

The 8mm-thick, dual-platter model also employs a new interface called CE-ATA for consumer electronics devices. Toshiba also introduced a 5mm-thick single-platter 80GB drive; both drives spin at 3,600rpm and have an average seek time of 15 microseconds.

Toshiba won't comment on who's buying this drive, but it doesn't take big brains to figure out one company Toshiba is courting: also on Wednesday, Apple introduced new iPod media players with 160GB drives. … Read more

More details on Samsung's HD DVD/Blu-ray combo player

Editors' note: Toshiba has officially announced that it will stop producing HD DVD products, bringing an end to the format war. For that reason, CNET recommends that consumers should avoid buying this player for high-definition movie playback, as very few HD DVD discs will be produced in the future.

We've already known most of the details about the upcoming Samsung BD-UP5000 HD DVD/Blu-ray combo player for a while, but today at CEDIA they announced a few more nuggets of info. Here's a summary of what we know:

BD-UP5000's key features

1080p output at 24 frames per … Read more

Locking doors never looked so good

Samsung may not have an iPhone, but it's determined to maintain the best-looking design in one undisputed category: home door-lock remotes. The "EZon SHS-1110" is a handheld device that controls Seoul Commtech's EZon Home Network System, according to Newlaunches, but it looks more like one of Samsung's sleek handsets or other gadgets.

After all, how many domestic security systems have a remote control with a touch screen housed in a case of alluminum alloy and tempered glass? (For that matter, how many have remotes at all?) Certainly none in the United States, anyway, at least … Read more

Samsung printers bring sexy back

Finally it's been done. Somebody's made printers that don't look rubbish! We'd begun to think it was a lost cause, but mad props to Samsung--its new luxury printers look absolutely flippin' stunning.

The ML-1630 mono laser (pictured top) and SCX-4500 all-in-one (pictured bottom) are similar in shape to a DVD player or component hi-fi system, and are finished in the same glossy piano-black veneer as Samsung's TVs.

They also have blue touch-sensitive buttons and a sexy OLED-style display. These show letters and numbers made of oversize circular dots--a bit like on the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 … Read more

Hands-on Friday: Samsung HT-TX75

The Samsung HT-TX75 is a well-rounded home theater solution that doesn't break the mold, by any means, but is a well-equipped device that is worth the $499 (and sometimes lower) price tag.

Before I tell you about what I liked and what I didn't, I want to point you to the following CNET Review performed by the ever-capable John Falcone. Although he reviewed the Samsung HT-X70, the head unit is roughly identical to the HT-TX75, but the speakers and a few other specs are different. For this reason, I will not be rehashing the in-depth coverage of those features that are the same as the HT-X70. In case you're wondering, the HT-X70 was given a 7.1 out of 10 by Falcone.

First Impressions

The first thing that will strike you with the HT-TX75 is the device's stylish head unit. With a sleek black finish and a host of options including a hidden USB port for easy connectivity of an iPod or other USB-capable device, XM capability, wireless speaker capability and support for DivX, the HT-TX75 will immediately strike you as a capable product.

One of my favorite features of this home theater in a box is its five-disc CD/DVD changer. Not only did I appreciate just one trip to the system, but the remote's disc skip button basically allowed me to be lazy and sit in my chair when we were ready to watch the next movie. That said, there is no easy way to know which film is next and I sometimes found myself waiting for each movie to load before I could decide if that was the intended disc.Another great feature of the device, as John pointed out in his review of the X70, is the HDMI upscaling to 720p/1080i. Usually, I'm not a fan of upscaling DVDs to 720p or 1080i because if it's not done well, the picture looks worse than if it was a simple 480p image. With that in mind, I was quite impressed with the TX75's upscaling abilities.

And while I tend to get sucked in by a good remote more than anything, the Samsung remote leaves a bit to be desired. And although my hand size is above average, the remote is still too long for anyone to hit a button on the bottom and the top without sliding it back and forth in their hand. Besides that, the buttons are in awkward positions and the range of button sizes didn't help in any way. All in all, the remote is pretty bad.… Read more

Samsung's preemptive iPod-killers

Samsung has just announced the release of their two most eagerly-awaited MP3 players of 2008, the YP-T10 and the YP-P2. While leaked photos of both players have been circulating this past week, few details have been announced until now. Both players are due out in September (no pricing details yet), and with the deafening buzz surrounding a possible new iPod announcement, the preemptive timing of these feature-packed players couldn't be better.

YP-P2

The Samsung YP-P2 is really the star of the show and looks like a well-executed answer to the shrieking demands for a phone-less iPhone. The 3-inch touch … Read more

Two new Samsungs

The DM-S110 and DM-S105 are based largely on the earlier Samsung SPH-M300 and are the first Samsungs for Disney Mobile. Though they sport the same dimensions and the same exterior features Disney put its personal stamp on both phones. The DM-S110 is pink and the DM-S105 is silver, and both have a design of interlocking stars on the front face. Features are standard Disney Mobile with Bluetooth, a speakerphone, a VGA camera and lots of Disney content. Read more about it in our DM-S110 review or take a gander in our slide show.

Samsung's plasma TV for movie fans

While 1080p LCDs are nothing new, "Full HD" plasmas have only started to come on to the market this year. The new PS50P96 from Samsung is designed to redress the balance and make us fall in love with that glorious gas.

Samsung has added a whole bunch of features also intended to improve the viewing experience. Firstly, it is using a technology called "Ultra FilterBright" that is designed to reduce reflection on the screen in bright viewing conditions. In the past, plasma screens have been criticized for being too reflective, so it's nice to see … Read more