| Time Warner Cable Ranked as Worst Company for Customer Satisfaction Posted: 30 Dec 2014 05:35 PM PST  Comcast also at the bottom
It has been a tumultuous year for internet service providers as the Federal Communications Commission continues to debate on net neutrality laws. But other issues that included customer service gaffes and the potential merge between Time Warner Cable and Comcast have not painted ISPs in a good light. As a result, Time Warner Cable was ranked the worst company in customer satisfaction by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. The results, reported by MarketWatch, not only ranked TWC's internet service at the bottom with a score of 54 out of 100, but TWC's TV service (56) came right after it with Comcast's internet service (56) following after. Comcast, which was voted as the Worst Company in America for 2014, announced earlier this year plans to obtain TWC for $45.2 billion which would give Comcast a huge market share as neither company overlaps the other. Both ISP providers have been criticized for poor customer service and were already at the bottom of the ASCI earlier this year. However cable companies, overall, have been subjected to scrutiny in regards to rising subscription rates and the lack of choice in markets for consumers. Are you surprised that Time Warner Cable and Comcast have been ranked the worst companies regarding customer service? Or do you think another company should be ranked the worst? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Samsung Unveils ATIV Book 9 Laptop and ATIV One 7 Curved All-in-One PC Posted: 30 Dec 2014 12:00 PM PST  Samsung takes a break from mobile handsets to announce a pair of PC products
Between all the Galaxy smartphone and tablet releases, we're a little surprised Samsung has time to take a breath, let alone announce a pair of sleek looking PC products. Yet that's exactly that the company has done today. Specifically, Samsung today unveiled its ATIV Book 9, an all-aluminum laptop with an Intel Broadwell Core M processor inside, and ATIV One 7 Curved, the company's first curvaceous all-in-one PC. Starting with the latter, the ATIV One 7 Curved sports a 27-inch curved display with a Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) resolution. According to Samsung, the curved design ovvers a "unique entertainment perspective" that makes the screen feel even larger than it already is. The company also says it features wide viewing angles (178 degrees), so you don't need to worry about always being front and center. Other specs include an unspecified Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 5500, 8GB of DDR3L-1600 RAM, 1TB storage, USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports (two each), 3-in-1 memory card reader, two 10W stereo speakers, Full HD webcam, and Windows 8.1 64-bit. Look for it to be available beginning Q1 2015 for $1,300 MSRP. Moving on, the ATIV Book 9 measures a scant 0.46 inches thick and weighs just 2.06 pounds, qualifying it as the lightest Book 9 ever. 
Inside those tight confines is an Intel Core M 5Y10c processor with Intel HD Graphics 5300, 8GB of RAM (4GB option will also be available), 128GB or 256GB SSD, 720p HD webcam, two USB 3.0 ports, micro HDMI output, Ethernet (supplied via an adapter dongle), headphone/mic combo port, two 1.5W speakers, and Windows 8.1 Pricing will be $1,200 MSRP for the model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, and $1,400 for 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Each will be available in the first quarter of next year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: AMD A8-6600K Richland, Corsair CS550M 550W Modular PSU, and More! Posted: 30 Dec 2014 11:43 AM PST |
| Chromebooks Took Amazon's Top Three Spots for Holiday PC Sales Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST  Where are all the low-cost Windows laptops?
Microsoft and Intel have started working together to promote low-cost Windows laptops in the $200 and under range, which prior to the collaboration was a space that mostly belonged to Chromebooks. So far things are off to a slow start, at least if Amazon's holiday sales are any indication. Amazon says that its top three PC sales over the holiday period were all Chromebook models. The best seller of the bunch was Acer's C720 Chromebook (11.6-inch display, 2GB RAM), followed by the Asus Chromebook 13-inch (2GB RAM, 16GB storage) and HP's 11-2010nr 11.6-inch Chromebook model (Snow White, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage). At present, these three models sell for between $200 and $205. We're cautious not to read too much into this, in part because it represents sales from a single vendor, albeit the biggest online e-tailer around. The bigger reason, however, is because Microsoft's and Intel's combined effort to flood the market with $200 and under Windows-based laptops is relatively new. Given more time, and perhaps a bit of advertising, we would expect to see a shift in sales, though time will tell. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| AMD Revises CPU Strategy to Chip Away at Intel's Lead in Laptops Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:24 AM PST  AMD has high hopes for its Carrizo processors
Heading into the new year, AMD's resolution is to increase its laptop market share, and the key to doing that lies in its Carrizzo and Carrizo-L laptop chips. Going forward, the chip maker will take a plug-and-play approach that will make it easy for hardware partners to plug any Carrizo chip into any laptop, regardless of the size of the notebook or what pricing tier it falls into. To put in the plan in motion, AMD will supply a single motherboard that supports a whole bunch of different Carrizo and Carrizo-L notebook processors, PCWorld reports. This will give OEMs added flexibility since they won't have to juggle different boards, chipsets, and CPU families, ultimately giving them access to a wide range of Carrizo parts. According to Jason Banta, director of product management for client solutions at AMD, the benefit for buyers is that they'll be able to score a laptop with their processor of choice rather than settle on one they may not want due to compatibility concerns. Carrizo, if you're unfamiliar, is based on AMD's new Excavator core. The "L" variant is intended for entry-level and mainstream laptops, while the regular Carrizo parts will find their way into mid-range and performance models. Details are fairly sparse at the moment, though perhaps not for long -- Carrizo could make a cameo at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month. In the meantime, we know that Carrizo will support next generation AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next, along with Mantle and DirectX 12. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft May Build a New Browser for Windows 10 Posted: 30 Dec 2014 07:44 AM PST  Say goodbye to Internet Explorer as you know it
The reason Microsoft is rolling with Windows 10 instead of Windows 9 for its next major operating system is because the changes are so dramatic, it warranted a generational leap in naming the product. That's the official story Microsoft wants us to believe, anyway, and while there are alternative theories -- like lazy coding -- there are parts of Windows 10 that are truly shaping up to be vastly different than Windows 8/8.1. That includes the browser, and word on the web is that Microsoft is rolling out a new vehicle for surfing through cyberspace in Windows 10. There's already been plenty of talk about Microsoft stripping down Internet Explorer so that it more closely resembles the look and feel of Chrome, but according to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, the Redmond outfit is actually building a new browser. The codename for the new browser is "Spartan" and as far as Foley's sources are concerned, it's not an early version of IE 12, but something completely different. Those same sources say Spartan will still use Microsoft's Chakra JavaScript engine and Trident rendering engine (sorry, WebKit fans), but in a new lightweight package that resembles Chrome and Firefox, and of course supports extensions. The desktop version of Windows 10 will supposedly ship with both IE 11 and Spartan. Why both? IE 11 will be included for backwards compatibility, while Spartan will ship on both desktop builds and mobile versions of the OS. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Asus Rolls Out Strix 2.0 Gaming Headset for Multi-Platform Gamers Posted: 30 Dec 2014 06:11 AM PST  A headset for platform agnostic gamers
We obviously favor gaming on the PC, and that's not about to change. However, we also recognize that some gamers like to groove on multiple platforms. Apparently so does Asus, which just announced its Strix 2.0 headset with support for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, smartphones, and tablets. Granted, you may look a little funny wearing one of these things on the bus as you battle enemies on your smartphone, but hey, the option is there. It comes with the usual separate 3.5mm headphone and microphone plugs for PCs and Macs, though Asus also includes a Y-adapter that converts them into a native four-pole 3.5mm audio/mic combined connector and a 1.5m extension cable so that it can be used with the other types of devices mentioned above. Regardless of platform, the Strix 2.0 delivers audio through large 60mm Neodymium magnet drivers. Asus promises "deep bass" and clear in-game chat through its dual-microphone design consisting of a detachable boom mic and an in-line mic for on-the-go use. Some specs: - Impedance: 32-ohms
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Sensitivity: 98dB SPL
- Weight: 320g (w/o cable)
From the pictures we've seen, Asus is clearly going after an aggressive look with an angled design at nearly every turn. It's also shooting for convenience by way of foldable earcups, making them a bit easier to pack away. Unfortunately, Asus didn't say how much the Strix 2.0 will cost or when it will be available for purchase. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
