samsung

As anybody who pays attention to the ubiquitous Samsung ads that run in CNET's home theater section can tell you, last year I called the picture quality of the company's LN-T4681F a "breakthrough" for flat-panel LCDs. I didn't resort to such highly descriptive language in my review of its successor, the LN46A950, but that doesn't mean I wasn't impressed. It can produce the deepest shade of black of any flat-panel LCD I've reviewed so far.

The extremely expensive A950 series, which also includes a 55-inch version, earns the right to charge so much because it employs LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to create the light behind the screen, whereas most flat-panel LCDs use florescent lights. The difference is that LEDs can be dimmed or turned off in dark areas of the screen.

Last year I noted that the LED-backlit Samsung, while capable of producing some very deep black levels of its own, suffered from some blooming effects--where especially bright objects on dark backgrounds are surrounded by a dim glow--and worse-than average off-angle performance. So did the company correct these issues in its second generation?

Read the full review of the Samsung LN46A950.… Read more

Is it just us, or is this deja vu? If we didn't know any better, we've seen one of Sprint's newest cell phones before. The Samsung Rant, which Sprint introduced Wednesday as CTIA Fall 2008 began, looks a lot like the year-old LG Rumor. It has same basic candy-bar shape with similar dimensions (4.5 inches by 2.1 inches by 0.7 inch) and it sports a full QWERTY keyboard hidden that's hidden behind the sliding face. And like the Rumor, the Rant is aimed directly at messaging addicts.

So what gives? Has Sprint run … Read more

Samsung has been spinning out new cell phones left and right since the start of the month, but it is using the CTIA fall 2008 show to showcase its newest and flashiest models.

One of its most promising handsets is the new Samsung Highnote for Sprint. Positioned as a music phone to replace the Samsung Upstage and the LG Muziq, the Highnote offers all the usual comforts of a Sprint music phone including access to the Sprint Music Store. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera, a 262,000-color display, a 3.5mm headset jack (yay!), support for Sprint's 3G … Read more

Starting October 1, Samsung will commence with a new recycling program for its consumer electronics products.

Anyone in any U.S. state will be able to take their old, used, or unwanted Samsung-brand electronics bought in the U.S. to a collection site--either a permanent drop-off point or a local recycling event--at no cost to the owner. You can also bring electronics not made by Samsung, but they'll charge you for it.

Samsung says it is partnering with recycling programs "that do not incinerate, landfill, or export toxic waste to developing countries." The only things it will … Read more

Updated at 5:00 p.m. with closing share price.

SanDisk for Sale? The stock price says so.

The world's largest maker of flash memory cards for digital cameras jumped 31 percent, or 4.18 points, Friday on rumors that Samsung would buy the company.

This follows a recent spate of rumors including one that said Seagate was interested in SanDisk. While Samsung already makes flash memory and is a leader in the emerging solid state drive market, Seagate does not sell SSDs and is looking to get into the market.

Samsung doesn't need SanDisk to grow; the … Read more

The first ad for Microsoft featuring new spokesman Jerry Seinfeld appeared last night, and already it's causing a stir. CNET News reporter Ina Fried speaks with a Microsoft Windows consumer marketing specialist about what the software maker hopes to achieve with its latest campaign.

Speaking of campaigns, CNET's Declan McCullagh checks in from the St. Paul, Minn., where he was covering the Republican National Convention.

Also on today's podcast, Dell says it will sell its factories to increase its profit margins, Michael Moore says his next film will skip theaters and head directly to the Internet, and … Read more

Samsung Electronics is looking into snapping up SanDisk, according to a late-Thursday post on PaidContent.

The South Korean consumer electronics maker confirmed that it is exploring "various opportunities" with SanDisk, but it noted that no decisions have been made, according to PaidContent, which cited an online Korean report.

Samsung reportedly is taking a look at SanDisk as a means to reduce its NAND flash memory costs, given that it pays the chipmaker roughly $354 million in annual licensing fees, according to the report. SanDisk is a strong player in the market for NAND flash memory, which is found … Read more

When Samsung launched the P2 late last year, it was already a pretty cool device. It impressed me with a super slick interface (albeit touch screen), plentiful features (including stereo Bluetooth-streaming ability), and some of the sweetest sound to hit my ears in the history of MP3 players. Who knew then that the P2 was only three-quarters baked? Actually, it wasn't too tough to figure that out--the inclusion of a built-in mic with absolutely no usability was a dead giveaway.

Fast forward 10 months later, and Samsung finally has a complete P2 on its hands. The company issued update … Read more

Though AT&T has yet to concur, Samsung has added a new AT&T cell phone to its Web site. Samsung originally told us about the new phone earlier this week, but we were expecting that they wouldn't actually launch it for a few days. But in any case, the SGH-A137 isn't too much to get excited about. The simple flip phone is so basic that it doesn't even offer an external display. The feature set is centered squarely on making calls and messaging but it offers a couple of extras including a music player … Read more