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PC World stops selling the Toshiba Folio 100, we go hands-on to find out why (video)
£999.99 ($1,612) for a Toshiba Folio 100?! That's a fair bit more expensive than its original $560 price point -- either its Tegra 2 chip's made out of gold (which would explain its rarity) or someone got super bored at that PC World store in the British Midlands. Soon after receiving this photo, we put on our detective hat and headed over to our local branch in London, only to find that it had already stopped selling the offending Android tablet merely ten days after its European launch. We quizzed the staff about the aforementioned £999.99 pricing and then all was clear: apparently this is a standard internal convention to stop its folks from selling certain products, so the price tag and display unit you see above weren't supposed to be there at all. Oopsie! So why is PC World (and the whole DSG International chain) pulling the Folio 100? Turns out this has nothing to do with Toshiba; but it's simply because of a high return rate from disappointed customers. In fact, head over to MoDaCo and you'll see a screenshot of PC World's internal memo that confirms this sad news. We had already given the tablet some decent (and disheartening) hands-on time back at IFA, but since our new friends at the store kindly offered to let us unbox a Folio 100 for a giggle, we decided to give it another go. And boy, it sure was a letdown: you'll see in our hands-on video after the break that the 10.1-inch LCD is haunted by an inferior pixel density plus narrow viewing angles; and the cheap plastic casing doesn't help, either. Most importantly, the official Android Market app was still MIA, which is no doubt the biggest turn-off for the buyers. Too bad, Toshiba, but do come back next year when you have Honeycomb and some decent screens. [Thanks, John L. and Adam C.] Update: Some commenters are pointing out that many software bugs -- especially in the Toshiba Market Place app -- and the lack of pinch-to-zoom in the browser are to be blamed as well. Yikes.%Gallery-107388%
iOS 4.2 to support MIDI
It's come to light that the upcoming release of iOS 4.2 (due in November) will support all-out MIDI. According to Mike Keller, writing for PC World, Core MIDI on iOS 4.2 should work just as Core MIDI does on Mac OS X, meaning that your iDevice running iOS 4.2 will communicate with other MIDI compatible devices and hardware via USB (using the iPad's camera connection kit USB adapter) or WiFi, using Apple's own MIDI APIs. What can we expect to see from MIDI in iOS? Well, until the official release of iOS 4.2, we won't have all the details. But the guys over at Create Digital Music have put an interesting guide together to demonstrate some of the capabilities of what a MIDI-equipped iDevice could look like, using a developers release of iOS 4.2. Up until now, music creation on the iPhone and iPad has been more of a novelty affair rather than a serious contender and choice for pro musicians. Could MIDI support in iOS be the catalyst that changes that? For me, one of the big attractions of MIDI support in iOS would be the ability to use an iPad / iPhone, loaded with high quality samples, as a replacement for the more traditional laptop + MIDI controller (keyboard) setup commonly used in live musical contexts. All we'd need is for some high quality sample manufacturers (Native Instruments, you interested?) to port a version of their software to the App Store. For all the details, and a video preview of the iConnectMID as well as a look at the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer, click here. [via Engadget]
C-3PO and R2-D2 invade consumer electronics megastore, get blown off by Roomba (video)
What happens when two of Star Wars' finest wander into a Currys & PC World Megastore? Unadulterated hilariousness, that's what. Hit play on the video below to see what happens with C-3PO asks a Roomba for directions, R2-D2 investigates a pop-up DSLR flash and the pair of 'em attempt to escape enemy fire in a related video game. It's worth the watch, we promise. [Thanks, Dave]
Apple will open international Stores early for iPad launch this Friday, iBooks app available now
Apple may be a despot of its own walled garden, but that doesn't mean it's not benevolent. The iPad's international launch on May 28 has prompted the company to open Stores an hour early, at 8AM local time, in order to give its devotees a reprieve from hours of queuing outside. Then again, that little asterisk up there points us to an ominous "while supplies last" note at the bottom, which together with current pre-orders being fulfilled at some unidentified point in June, might force the most impatient to just get to the Store even earlier. UK buyers will get an alternative option thanks to Dixons Group stocking Apple's slate in Currys and PC World outlets, an arrangement that we keep hearing might be exclusive for the first sixty days after launch. Either way, you've been warned, don't be tardy if you wanna be trendy. P.S. The iBooks app has also made its debut outside of the US today, though at present it's limited to just freebie titles, and the iBookstore is still described as "US only." Update: The latest we're hearing is that at least some Apple Premium Resellers will also be getting stock of the iPad in the UK -- worth checking out if other options sell out.
Seven ways PC World is wrong about the iPhone-Android matchup
Android's new features in the upcoming version 2.2 (aka "Froyo," announced this week at Google I/O) are certainly intriguing, but some sections of the press have gone off the deep end in their analysis of what this means for the iPhone and the smartphone market in general. PC World's piece, "7 Ways Android 2.2 Froyo Tops Apple's iPhone," is a perfect example of this phenomenon, and it reads like it was written by someone who's never even held an iPhone. All seven of their points are easily debunked, even leaving aside the fact that they're comparing today's iPhone with the as-yet-unbuyable Froyo phones of tomorrow. Read on to find out why -- and bring marshmallows.
Best Buy opens first UK store in Thurrock, we go hands-on (video)
Ah, there it is, UK's first-ever Best Buy store, officially born at 7am local time yesterday. Naturally, we had to be there to witness such magical moment for Britain's consumer tech market -- the Brits had longed for an injection of energy and professionalism to the seemingly slacking chain stores. Many would agree that DSGi's two main brands -- Currys and PC World -- are on the naughty list, even after their recent relaunch. From what we saw today, it looks like Best Buy's already heading in the right direction. Let's start with the front-line employees. Most of these Blueshirts provided genuine technical answers rather than bluffing their way out, plus we were given product recommendations with no desperate sales pitch as commonly seen in other stores. When we revealed our identity to one of the sales reps, he confirmed that they were trained to not force random products onto customers -- quite the opposite culture to his old days at DSGi (assuming he was telling the truth). We sure did appreciate this new-found shopping freedom in gadget stores, but did the other customers feel the same way? Find out what we heard after the break.%Gallery-92099%
PC World study: AT&T network has undergone "drastic makeover"
According to AT&T's commercials, they provide both "a better 3G experience" as well as "the nation's fastest 3G network." And, based on PC World's latest 3G wireless performance study, they've got more meat and potatoes (as if Luke Wilson wasn't enough) to back up their claims. The study, a collaboration between PC World and wireless analysis firm Novarum, took place from December 2009 to January 2010, and compares the four major U.S. wireless carriers (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile) in 13 "broadly representative" cities in the U.S. During the study, 51,000 separate tests were run, in which 850 square miles, and 7 million wireless subscribers, were covered. AT&T showed marked improvements over their figures from a similar study conducted during March and April 2009. Highlights of the most recent study include: Using notebook computers (e.g., with a built-in or external 3G card), AT&T had the fastest download speed in 11 of the 13 cities, and the fastest upload speed in all 13 cities. For smartphones, AT&T had the fastest download speeds in nine of the 13 cities, and the fastest upload speed in all 13 cities. Of the smartphone-carrier-based combinations, the AT&T-iPhone pairing had the fastest download and upload speeds, although its reliability slightly trailed the T-Mobile-G1 combination, which posted the highest figures. Given the nasty back-and-forth between AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which resulted in AT&T taking legal action (which they dropped in December 2009) against Verizon Wireless, the study could serve as a feather in AT&T's cap. Readers, what do you think? Does the study mesh well with your experiences with AT&T Wireless? Let us know in the comments! [Via PC World].
PCWorld ranks AT&T tops in 3G performance test
We all have something of a need, a need for speed, and while most won't have an opportunity to go all Maverick on some MIG-28s somewhere over the Indian Ocean, we can do our best to get the quickest wireless on offer. Last summer, when we stacked the top four mobile broadband cards against each other, we found that AT&T came out on tops for peak performance, and now nearly a year on PCWorld has come to the same conclusion, finding that Ma Bell offers upload and download speeds that are twice some of the competition. The seven page test splits everything out by city and goes into more details than we'll tire you with here, but do note that all this testing was done in urban areas, so don't forget to double-check the coverage map before you sign the next 24 months of your life away. [Thanks, A. Dewan]
Popcorn Hour casually announces the A-200 NMT for its most dedicated media streamer fans
Not satisfied by the new retail-friendly Popbox that just debuted at CES? Popcorn Hour has announced it is introducing the A-200 Networked Media tank, internally as powerful as the bigger C-200 but with the A-110's profile and lacking a Blu-ray drive port. Priced at $179, or with optional WiFi dongle for $20 more, preorders are to begin January 18 at 10 a.m. PST, it still has a slot for an internally mounted SATA HDD, and reported support for "simple" Blu-ray menu browsing. As far as other features, they've listened by including NTFS write support and also confirmed a new Flash Lite menu announced for the C-200 will arrive on this box, but unfortunately Netflix support on the Popbox doesn't appear to have worked its way into the A-200. Check for even more specs and pics after the break, for those PCH fans once again choosing between flexibility and all-in-one ease. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Plasma prices falling as they cede sizes to LCD
It's no secret that we're big on plasma picture quality around these parts, but with the average cost of a 50-inch set coming in $300 cheaper for plasma than LCD, there are some other reasons to consider the older technology as well. Among the myriad of plasma misconceptions, fear of burn-in is the gift that keeps on giving to LCDs, even as they move into the 40-inch regime largely vacated by plasmas. At the more pricey end of the spectrum, dynamic LED backlighting has narrowed the performance gap, but those LED backlit sets are still quite pricey. In the end, it's good to have choice -- and as much as we support plasma, we just can't agree with the zealots that claim "death" to either technology. The competition between LCD and plasma is exactly what has brought better performance and lower prices to everyone, so we're hoping this fight goes as many rounds as possible.
Sony HDTVs found most reliable in PC World study
Yep, it's already that time of year again folks. That time when you begin to "see" your breath, the air has that "certain chill," shoppers go berserk and PC World readers toss in their votes for the most reliable HDTVs. The latest annual Reliability and Service survey received inputs not from independent researchers, but from 16,000 actual owners who can speak best for the quality of the wares they own. The happy winner was Sony, which notched above-average ratings in seven of nine measures, though LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp and Vizio didn't fare too bad, either. The biggest loser was Mitsubishi, which showed four below-average scores and a "higher-than-average incidence of severe problems." The four-page writeup can be viewed in full by clicking the read link, but our main question is this: are you in agreement with the findings?
Game economy grows with micropayments
As was recently discussed in a similar topic here at Massively, the idea of micropayments for our MMOs and virtual worlds is growing in popularity among game developers, but is it the best option? According to several highly-successful companies such as Nexon and MindArk, it's not only the best option, it's the future of online business models.A spokesperson for MindArk, maker of Entropia Universe, says that over $400 million in U.S. funds has changed hands in their game's four year lifespan. While some companies have strict rules against the interchange between real world money and virtual credits, there are plenty of others who swear it's the only way to go these days. A perfect example of this, as cited by a PCworld article, reminds us that the downloadable album from Aerosmith's Guitar Hero ventures have earned them more sales than all other album sales combined. "Who would have thought ringtones, wallpaper screensavers, and non-game mobile entertainment would be a $250 million business?", adds Joseph Olin, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
Advent Eco PC dials down your power meter
PC World has branched out its Advent brand, offering the Eco PC through its UK online store, aiming to best the average desktop power consumption by 78 percent. The system is priced at just under what you might expect to pay for a slightly dusty super computer -- £599.99 (or about $1100) -- but the specs don't quite match up: 1.5GHz Core 2 Duo T5250 CPU, 2GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, and Vista Home Premium onboard. The environmentally-friendly PC is made from recycled materials, so don't be surprised if it starts to reek of old banana peels after a while.
Advent 4123 netbook boasts built-in SIM card slot, can't escape UK
PC World (the store) already netted itself an MSI Wind rebadge for its Advent brand, and it's now plundered the netbook depths yet again for another model, with its new Advent 4123 adding a built-in SIM card slot to the mix. While it's getting increasingly tough to distinguish the rebadges from the rip-offs, this one appears to be based on ECS' G10IL netbook, with it boasting all the same design cues (minus the LED-adorned trackpad button) and identical specs, including a 10.2-inch display, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Window XP as standard. You'll also apparently be able to get this one in both black and silver versions, but only in the UK, it seems, where it'll set you back a hefty £349 (or just over $600 if you're thinking about trying to import one).[Via Pocket-lint]
Currys, Dixons to stop selling analog TVs in Europe
DSG International, the parent company to Currys, Dixons and PC World stores across Europe, has announced that it will no longer be stocking analog sets (sound familiar?). Granted, only 10-percent of the remaining TVs it sold were of the analog flavor, but it looks as if even those units will soon be gone. Reportedly, the chains are looking to further promote units with integrated digital Freeview tuners, and considering that some parts of Europe have already begun the analog-to-digital switchover, we suppose that follows logic precisely. Also of note, these same retailers will halt sales of DVD recorders with only analog tuners within, but on the real, we can't say we'll miss 'em.[Image courtesy of Waltondale, thanks CMC]
Virtual gang violence turns real in Russia
Russian news outlet Russia Today is reporting that a clash between two Russian clans bled into the real world, and led to the brutal beating and murder of a young man from Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. The two clans, Coo-clocks and Platanium, were reportedly engaged in a bitter in-game struggle that developed to the point where the two groups agreed to go toe-to-toe. The victim's sister was quoted as saying, "I think they have confused the game and reality. And after we buried him on December 31, they continued to threaten us"It's not clear from Russia Today's account exactly what game the two groups were playing, though they did include a Lineage 2 screenshot. Regardless, it seems clear from the details we have that any link between the violent acts and the games that the two groups were playing is circumstantial at best. That the two groups agreed ahead of time to engage in a fight away from the game speaks to their character. Game or no, these young men were bound to get themselves into trouble. It's unfortunate that their conflict led to the death of a young man, but blame in this case doesn't have anywhere to go but to the participants.[Via PCWorld]
Vista named #1 biggest tech disappointment of 2007 -- by PC World
First PC World gets all up on the soapbox that (until a certain date) the MacBook Pro is the fastest PC the mag had tested, but consider the next step taken: PC World has boldly declared Vista #1 with a bullet in their Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007. Ok, sure, we get that it's "disappointments" and not "crappy products" -- the two imply very different things, and it's hard not to be somewhat disappointed by any product that took the better part of a decade to come out -- but if PC World harshing on Vista this bad doesn't smack at all of linkbait, well, we don't know what does. Oh, and here's that link.P.S. -Seriously though, can Vista get a break here? We mean, honestly, it ain't all THAT bad.
MacBook Pro really was PC World's fastest tested laptop... until the Phantom-X
So there's a bit of grumbling on the internets that PC World, like, totally sold out and lied about the MacBook Pro being the fastest Vista laptop they ever tested (presumably just so they could get mentioned in that new Apple commercial, right?) shortly before the staff went cow tipping and passed out drunk in a public park. The reality is PC World apparently hadn't tested a laptop faster than the MacBook Pro at the time, and it wasn't until weeks later they tested the Eurocom D900C Phantom-X, which handily bested Apple's lappie by a broad margin. At least that's what PC World's editor Harry McCracken told us, but then again we did hear he recently got an Apple tat and is planning a hostile takeover of Macworld magazine in '08.Read - PC World's statement about the MBPRead - ... and their review of the EurocomRead - The punter doing the grumblingWatch - The Apple ad
New Apple ad "Misprint" cites PC World on fastest Vista laptop
Back in early November, PC World magazine gave a wet, sloppy kiss to the MacBook Pro, noting that "[t]he fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year--or for that matter, ever--is a Mac." Apparently this rousing endorsement of a laptop so freakishly powerful, so undeniably force-of-nature fast that it flat-out screams while running an OS that it happens to support only in 'bridesmaid mode'... well, that is the sort of thing that causes marketing executives to cock their heads and listen like extras in an E.F. Hutton ad.Apple's new "Misprint" ad, appearing online and on TV now, features an irate PC calling the editorial offices of PC World to complain about this obvious benchmarking error. It's a funny ad, but along with the recent Podium and PR Lady ads, this new spot provokes some fascinating cognitive dissonance. We're told that Vista is undesirable, that users are 'upgrading' back to XP -- but hey, if you're gonna run it, you could run it awful quick on a Mac. Is it just me, or is that somewhat weird?Thanks Alex
PC World pits Leopard against Vista
The gang at PCWorld magazine have sincerely accepted the premise that a Mac is really truly a personal computer, and as such deserves coverage in their fine industry publication. With a full and enthusiastic Leopard review (cribbed from sister mag Macworld), side-by-side Leopard & Vista feature comparison gallery (sure, Shadow Copy can back up your files, but can it give you motion sickness?) and editor Harry McCracken's 'tough love' 21 Quibbles with Leopard article, the full-court 10.5 press is definitely on. The "21 Quibbles" article is harsh as a butterfly kiss, starting out with McCracken noting that "[c]ompared to Windows Vista, Leopard is a meatier, more polished, more immediately useful, less annoying OS upgrade." Aww, Harry, we didn't know you cared!My favorite PCWorld Mac-related comment is the brief note here in the Best Vista Laptops photo feature: apparently the fastest Vista laptop ever tested by PCWorld labs comes with another OS as a bonus. Apparently one of the advantages of not really caring if your laptop runs Vista is that it ends up running Vista really, really quickly.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
