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iMac benchmarks and review say it's a beast
People have had their chances to put their grubby hands on those "incredible" iMacs that got released a few weeks ago, and the results are in. And they're great, apparently. First up, MacRumors has a collection of a few sets of benchmarks on the new machines, and the Core i7 processor (a $200 upgrade from the still very powerful Core i5) especially kicks up the speed to a place where it's competing with even the Mac Pro. In fact, in the second comparison, when pitted up against the single CPU Mac Pro, the iMac is virtually identical. Not only is it slightly cheaper depending on options, but you get that nice monitor for free. Electronista has a much more qualitative analysis, but they still love the new machine. Their "biggest" problem (aside from the usual complaints about the glossy screen and a lack of easy-to-reach ports) seems to be just the size of it. The 27" iMac is a big machine no matter how thin it gets. But they agree: with the i7 in there and all of the extra options, the iMac is a monster, matching up to the Mac Pros sitting in the lower atmosphere. Good stuff. I'm not personally in the market for a new computer, but man -- if I was ready to spend $2000 on a quality machine, it's tough to consider anything else a better purchase than the new iMac. UPDATE: Chart graphic is from Timon Royer, we regret the omission.
Canon EOS 7D firmware update cures 'residual image' phenomenon
Say what you will, but Canon's customer service / engineering department definitely looks out for consumers willing to spend just under two large on a new body. Merely days after the outfit made public that a "residual image phenomenon" was negatively impacting EOS 7D images under certain conditions, it has now published a firmware update to wipe all of those woes away. Firmware v1.1.0 specifically "corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible." Hit the read link if you're looking to put said phenomenon to bed. Or don't. We don't care.
Canon's EOS 7D experiencing 'residual image' phenomenon, fix is on the way
Canon's $1,900 EOS 7D DSLR just started shipping a month ago to pros and those who'd like to be, and already the thing is causing all sorts of fits when shooting continuously. In a service notice posted today on the outfit's website, we're told that images "captured by continuous shooting and under certain conditions [can exhibit] barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame." The phenomenon isn't apt to be noticeable with optimal exposure, but apparently a number of Photoshoppers have been irked by the additional (and unwelcome) elements added to their shots. Canon assures us that a firmware fix is on the way, and you can bet we'll point you to a download link as soon as it hits. [Via DPReview]
Peek offers disgruntled Sidekick owners a free Pronto, internet high-five
As Microsoft and Apple have so precisely demonstrated, there's nothing like a face full of egg to make the competition fire up the sucker punch machine. Take Peek, for example, who is now offering angered Sidekick users (you know, the ones that probably lost all of their data recently) a gratis Pronto for their trouble. All that's required is an image of you, a frowny face, your wiped Sidekick and a T-Mobile bill -- once that's sent over to Peek's dedicated inbox, you'll soon receive your Pronto in the mail. 'Course, it's up to you to foot the $20 monthly bill for keeping the thing active, but hey, free's free. Kind of.
Snow Leopard 'Guest Account' bug deleting user files, terrorizing children?
Think your Snow Leopard woes are finally over? Don't go logging into that Guest account, then. A flurry of reports have surfaced around the web explaining that even an accidental login to one's Guest account within Snow Leopard could lead to mass deletion of all user files on the primary account, and when we say "mass deletion," we mean "mass deletion." The problem goes something like this: if one clicks on the Guest account after upgrading their machine to OS X 10.6, and everything hangs, there's at least a decent chance that all of your data will be evaporated whenever you surf back over to the main profile. Apple has yet to address the issue (at least publicly), but we'd probably recommend disabling Guest accounts on your rig(s) until all of this gets sorted. You know, unless you actually enjoy watching your data vanish. [Via Neowin]
Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)
Ruh roh. Without claiming that there's some sort of high-speed conspiracy going on at Sprint (read: there's not), we'd like to point out that quite a few early adopters are claiming that their Hero refuses to hop on the carrier's EV-DO Rev. A network. We took a peek back at the company's press release for this very phone, and sure enough, the Rev. A experience is promised. We're guessing that a simple firmware update will be all it takes to remedy the issue (if there's truly an issue at all), but 'til then, there's always WiFi! Right, guys?[Via Examiner, thanks Tracknod] Update: We just heard directly from HTC about this snafu, and as it turns out, the message that Sprint Hero users are seeing is merely a mislabeling. If you're within an EV-DO Rev. A area, you'll get Rev. A speeds -- despite that fact that your phone says it's only on Rev. 0. We're also told that a future maintenance release will address the message. Check the full quote after the break.
PSP Go Rewards program hitting DRM-laced brick wall
Needless to say, none of this applies to the Americans in attendance, but for international PSP Go buyers looking forward to taking advantage of Sony's PSP Go Rewards program, the always user-friendly DRM seems to be putting a solid kink in those enjoyment plans. According to a growing number of users at the official European PlayStation boards, an error by the name of 80109D53 is causing downloaded titles to not play back on the new handhelds. We're told that Sony is aware of the issue and is toiling away in an effort to fix things, but for now, it seems as if you can sidestep some of the risk by downloading your trio of free titles (which Sony offers if you're an existing UMD owner) directly to the PSP Go rather than sideloading 'em from a PS3. Any others having this issue? Figured out a solution? Shoot your mouth off in comments below.[Thanks, James]
Poll: Has your Zune HD screen been unresponsive?
While penning our Zune HD review, we were initially quite baffled by our inability to do much of anything with it after installing Microsoft's newest firmware update. Our concern had been properly kiboshed by assurances from the company that we'd gotten a fluke unit... and by the properly working replacement we received to finish the review with. Now, however, it seems as if we weren't alone in our glass cage of emotion, with gaggles of irate Zune HD users emerging from the woodwork in order to express their disappointment online. Hop on past the break for a video of the issues we were having, and if you're seeing something eerily similar on your own device, drop a vote / comment below.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] %Poll-34795%
Poll: Has iPhone OS 3.1 screwed up your phone?
It's pretty much as reliable as the sun: a new iPhone OS update generally leads to at least a handful of issues. But iPhone OS 3.1, which was made available on September 9th, seems worse than most. We've seen tip after tip pour in, and we've watched Apple's support forums grow increasingly ugly with irate iPhone users dealing with horrid battery life, random shut downs and the occasional screen freeze. A few of our own have also experienced some of these quirks, though others have escaped without a scratch. So, we're putting it to you all -- has the latest iPhone update borked your handset? If so, in what way? %Poll-34495%
Intel issues X25-M G2 SSD firmware fix for BIOS password conundrum
Eagerly waiting to change that drive password within the system BIOS on your fancy new X25-M G2 solid state drive? Good news, storage junkies -- today you can. After Intel saw its next-gen SSD launch party hit a snag with an off-the-wall quirk that could cause data corruption for those who altered or disabled a drive password within the system BIOS, the company has finally come forward with a firmware update that solves the dilemma, along with world hunger, "the economy" and an undisclosed amount of other universal pains. Hit the read link for instructions on how to update your drive, but don't blame us if every precious memory you've ever collected goes down in flames during the process. Just kidding.[Via HotHardware]
Open XML compatiblity issues spring up in Service Pack 2 update for Office 2008
A few weeks back, Microsoft released its Service Pack 2 update for Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac. While adding a host of features and refinements (such as Custom Path Animation in PowerPoint and increased speed and load times in Word and Excel), the service pack apparently packed too much of a punch. The update has prevented some Open XML files from opening, for which Microsoft provides the following suggestions, and I've done a bit of MS-to-English translation (with apologies to DF)... read on to get the gist.
BIOS password snag subdues Intel's 34nm X25-M G2 launch party
Man, Intel can't win for losin'. After it was forced to issue a firmware update to remedy an off-the-wall slowdown issue that affected a few of its original X25-M SSDs, the outfit is already having to push out a patch to solve a minor quirk with its newfangled 34nm X25-M G2 drives. According to Puget System's William George, his company -- along with NewEgg and a number of other respected vendors -- was forced to yank the new drive from its website shortly after it became available. Turns out, there is a defect in the initial shipment that could cause data corruption if "a password is set on the drive in the system BIOS, and then changed or disabled later." We're told that a firmware fix should be out within a fortnight, and while most companies are allowing folks to hold off and wait for factory-patched drives, those who don't foresee themselves placing such a password on their SSD can go ahead and enjoy the spoils of 34nm flash goodness while waiting for Intel's engineers to do their thang. Oh, and if you're thinking about buying in now, you should probably know that Intel has halted shipments until the fix is complete. Ready to deal with a shortage, are you?[Image courtesy of HotHardware, thanks Joseph]
Etisalat BlackBerry update was indeed spyware, RIM provides a solution
Um, yikes? An unexpected (and unwanted) surprise struck some 145,000 BlackBerry users in the UAE this time last week, when an official looking prompt coerced many of the aforesaid Etisalat customers to follow through with a software update. Rather than bringing about performance enhancements, the SS8-built app enabled the carrier to keep tabs on customers' messages. According to RIM: "Etisalat appears to have distributed a telecommunications surveillance application... independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could then enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone. Independent sources have concluded that the Etisalat update is not designed to improve performance of your BlackBerry Handheld, but rather to send received messages back to a central server." Like we said, yikes. The zaniest part is that Etisalat isn't backing down, still assuring the world that the upgrades were "required for service enhancements." At any rate, RIM has made remarkably clear that the update wasn't one authorized by the company, and it's even providing an app remover for those who'd prefer their BlackBerry to be in working order and, you know, not forwarding all their email to some dude in an Etisalat supply closet. Good on you, RIM. Bad on you, Etisalat.[Thanks, Gerald]Read - Confirmation of spywareRead - RIM app remover
Toshiba's potent TG01 back on sale through O2 Germany
Well, that was snappy. Just days after O2 Germany abruptly halted the sales of Toshiba's 1GHz TG01 smartphone due to an unexplained virus outbreak among new units, it seems as if things are back in gear. Online, anyway. As of this moment, web shoppers can order the Snapdragon / WinMo-powered from the carrier once more, though there's no word on if retail shops are still keeping their stock in quarantine. Either way, we'd don a mask before waltzing in to inquire.[Thanks, Fab]
Apple iPhone 3G S trouble roundup
As we said following the Pre launch, no new gadget is immune to growing pains -- especially when it's tied to a manufacturing and distribution campaign on the scale of the iPhone 3G S. Statistically, it's just not possible to walk away from an opening weekend without a few hiccups when you're pushing this many units of anything; the best manufacturers can realistically hope for is to keep problems minor, respond to issues quickly, and spin the crap out of anything that comes up.To that end, here's what we're tracking on the 3G S from the first three full days of sales: Apple is awarding $30 iTunes store credits to individuals affected by lengthy activation times on their new phones. Regular activations shouldn't take more than an hour or two (ours were basically instantaneous) and ports from other carriers should take a maximum of 48 hours, but some unlucky individuals are still waiting to come online. We probably would've destroyed the phone with a hammer or a direct impact with a wall by now, so our respect goes out to those of you who are still waiting and haven't destroyed anything of value. It seems that some users are getting the error message pictured above when attempting to hack tethering support onto their AT&T iPhones using mobile config files available online, though repeatedly deleting and re-adding the configuration seems to help in some cases. Of course, AT&T isn't supporting tethering on the phone at this point anyway, so we wouldn't expect a shoulder to cry on if you call in to customer service with this one. Boy Genius Report is reporting that sounds played by the phone are immediately followed by some sort of extremely high-frequency tone -- the kind little kids and the next door neighbor's dogs hear, but you may not. Anything else going on out there in the field? Perhaps more importantly, anyone being driven batty by shrieking blasts of ultrasound they couldn't identify?[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
Palm Pre trouble roundup
So we've been doing this whole gadget blogging thing for a while now, and we've noticed a timeline trend with these major, buzz-filled launches. They tend to go something like this: T minus 2 hours: lines reach critical mass across the country; odds are you'll find some of us in those lines. Camaraderie amongst line-waiters is at a high, but it's a guarded emotion -- the scene'll turn ugly the second inventory runs out. T minus 30 minutes: for morning lines (particularly those where folks have waited overnight), store managers come out and offer coffee and pastries. Anything less is uncivilized -- don't hesitate to complain. T minus 0 minutes: the gizmo goes on sale. T plus 1 hour: the first teardowns and cost estimates hit the web. T plus 4 hours: mass (or at least loud) complaints of manufacturing defects, bugs, and shortcomings start cropping up. It's still too early to tell whether the Pre is more, less, or equally as defective as any other blockbuster product in recent memory, but as you might expect, there are plenty of issues being sporadically reported in the first weekend of availability and it'll be interesting to see how Palm spins and handles them. Here are a few we're tracking: A good number of early adopters are reporting "splotchy," distorted, or discolored displays (we've seen reports of dead pixels, too, though we'd actually be more weirded out if there weren't). See examples here, here, and here. We've also heard reports of unexpected system shutdowns (like those reported in the LAPTOP piece above) that require a battery pull to resolve. We're hearing that you can also patch this up by holding down the power button and toggling the ringer switch three times, but your mileage may vary. If we had to guess, this'll be fixed up with a firmware update at some point, which really drives home the value of OTA capability. Text fields in the web browser don't seem to support symbols that aren't on the keyboard (that is, symbols you need to hold down "Sym" to access). We've independently verified this one, and it's nasty -- it'll be particularly bad once the phone launches internationally, so we'd also expect this to be patched sooner rather than later. If you've noticed anything else, drop us a line in comments -- we think Palm and Sprint are both motivated to make this launch a smooth one, and something tells us their ears are firmly planted to the ground right now.[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
Nokia's Ovi Store overwhelmed at launch, apology issued
Where's the fail whale when you need it, right? Early yesterday morning, Nokia flipped the switch on its Ovi Store, claiming that it's app market would potentially reach some 50 million users around the world. Unfortunately for Nokia, it seems as if all 50 million attempted to check things out at the same time. Web-wide, users were griping that things just weren't working out, and we're not talking about small packets of flustered users. In fact, Nokia was forced to admit that "shortly after launching, it began experiencing extraordinarily high spikes of traffic that resulted in some performance issues," and judging by reactions, we'd say "some" is now a front-runner for understatement of the year. Have things smoothed over for you today? Are you even bothering to check? Update: Nokia has apologized for the gaff and has reportedly added server capacity to handle the demand. Question is: is the fix working?
Login servers down
We're not out of the woods with this patch yet. I'm seeing this message on a North American realm, and lots of other people are seeing the same thing. At least one of our bloggers is still in the game, though, and Blizzard is saying the Authentication servers are still up and running, so this should be fixed soon.We'll keep you updated, stay tuned.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Update: A login server died. If you try signing in with a Bnet account, you should be able to get in. Otherwise, everybody PANIC hold on and they'll be back up soon.Update 2: Everything seems back up. That was relatively painless. Thanks for playing, everybody!
Urgent authentication database maintenance underway
The opening announcement on the login screen has just let us know that there is urgent maintenance being performed on the authentication servers. The maintenance will continue until 1:00 p.m. PDT / 4:00 p.m. EDT. During this time you may or may not be able to log into the game. Pretty much the luck of the draw and beyond your control. Account management and posting on the forums will be offline during this time as well, so the troll's trolling will have to terrifically terminate 'till temporally soon.We'll update this post when things are back to normal, or if there are additional issues.
Pioneer KRP-600M plasma showing up with cracked screens?
Maybe Pioneer just needs to change shipping companies here, but we're seeing a frighteningly high amount of cracked screens on the KRP-600M over at AVSForum. The problem has become so bad, in fact, that users have started a dedicated thread just to grumble about it. Thus far, 11 responders have seen their precious plasma arrive with a cracked screen, while 18 received theirs in good shape -- not a good ratio in terms of quality control standards. We aren't sounding the fire alarm just yet, but we're curious, have any of you unboxed your shiny new set only to weep for hours due to a busted panel?[Thanks, Gio]
