Sharp was an early player in the flat panel screen market, but the Japanese company has decided to leave behind their TV business in the Americas, agreeing to license their name to a Chinese company, Hisense. Sharp sold its factory in Mexico to Hisense, which will presumably supply TVs to customers in North and South America alike. [More]
ELECTRONICS
Posting Pics Of Frayed Apple Cords Won’t Do Anything, But This Might
By 7.30.15
People all over the world adore Apple’s phones, tablets, and computers, but they quite emphatically do not like the charging cords for those devices. People discuss the failings of these peripherals everywhere online, from product review pages to support forums to dedicated blogs full of frayed-cord gore. Yet there are avenues to complain about products that are obviously defective that could trigger a recall or other action. [More]
Now Your Kid Can Enjoy A Disney-Licensed MP3 Player That’s Older Than She Is
By 7.20.15
The first film in the live-action Disney franchise High School Musical was released in 2006. Like all Disney properties, it came with a significant amount of licensed merchandise, since that’s how Disney keeps Mickey Mouse in cheddar. So this movie-branded MP3/WMA player found on a shelf at Walmart wouldn’t really have attracted our attention…if it were still 2007. [More]
This 9-Year-Old MP3 Player Is Ready For The Latest Tunes, Costs $300
By 7.10.15
If you weren’t all that familiar with technology, this “portable media center” that reader S. found in the clearance section at Walmart might seem like a reasonable enough purchase. What isn’t obvious until you look more closely is that the $300 price tag has been on the box since 2011. What isn’t obvious until you perform a quick Google search is that the PMC7230 has been on the market since 2006, which would explain why it’s still languishing on the shelf. [More]
New Google Glass Could Reportedly Have Larger Display, Hand-Triggered Photo Capabilities
By 7.8.15
Citing the need for a redesign – and slow sales for its Explorers program – Google stopped selling the most recent version of its Google Glass back in January. While the company declined to provide any specifics on its next version of the device at the time, a newly awarded patent – and sources close to the device’s creation – give a few hints of what might be in store for the high-tech gadget. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Can’t Find Their Way Back From 2007
By 7.7.15
Members of the Raiders of the Lost Walmart, our brave band of retail archaeologists, need a GPS unit to help them find their way from one big-box store to the next. However, the savvy big-box store explorers know that while this rare and ancient Garmin unit is a special find, they shouldn’t purchase it. Because it’s old and overpriced. [More]
Google’s First Branded Retail Store Opens In London
By 3.11.15
Move over Apple and Microsoft, there’s another tech company taking its products to the retail floor with its own branded store: Google. [More]
Should You Keep The Box For Your New Gadget? Maybe
By 12.29.14
We’ve already established today that when you buy a new gadget at a brick-and-mortar store, you should tear open the box before leaving to ensure that it contains the thing that you paid for. Once you get your new toy and its box home, though, how long should you keep it? That depends on a few factors. [More]
Don’t Let The New Gadgets Santa Brought Be A Drain On Your Electricty
By 12.24.14
The holidays are filled with spirit, joy and tons of the latest electronic gadgets under the Christmas tree. While these gifts might have not cost you anything, they could certainly end up hitting you in the wallet when the electric bills come. There are a few things you can do to reduce the impact your new toys will have on your energy expenses. [More]
Group Of 20 Thieves Hit Samsung Factory, Grab Millions Worth Of Electronics
By 7.8.14
Like one of those heist movies starring a well-dressed, smirking George Clooney and his BFF Brad Pitt, a group of about 20 thieves overpowered workers at a Samsung factory in Brazil and managed to make off with about 40,000 phones, tablets, computers and other electronics. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Must Wait Until January 30, 2007 To Sell This Computer
By 4.21.14
All over the world, in dusty corners of discount stores and warehouses, retail antiquities are waiting for someone to discover them. These tiny pockets of obsolete, comically overpriced technology are the purview of the Raiders of the Lost Walmart, a group who tirelessly search for these artifacts, then send pictures of them to Consumerist. This week, they uncovered two fascinating treasures. [More]
Samsung Needs To Stop With The Sexist Marketing Already
By 4.3.14
Okay, the electronics industry in general isn’t known for its commitment to progressive views on gender. As Samsung has become a global brand, though, people are noticing the subtle and not-at-all subtle sexism of their advertising. [More]
Dyson Bladeless Heaters Recalled Because A Fire Is Too Much Heat
By 4.2.14
We know that a lot of our readers are fans of Dyson vacuums, but we aren’t sure whether any of you are into their air multipliers, which are totally not mini-portals to a distant dimension. Someone out there is, because they’ve expanded the line to include portable heaters. Some of these units have been heating a little too much lately, and 380,000 of them have been recalled in North America. [More]
3 Years Is The Warranty Length, Not How Long It Should Take To Get Your Computer Back
By 10.23.13
The state of California has pretty good consumer protections, but not when it comes to extended warranties. That’s what a family who bought a laptop computer at Fry’s learned after a planned five-week repair of an HP laptop ended up taking three months. Three months? [More]
Stupid Shipping Gang Takes Over Newegg, Sends Cables In Huge Boxes
By 7.10.13
Matthew writes that he ordered one HDMI cable from Newegg, and got a box large enough to fit at least a dozen more. You could throw in a laptop computer without too much trouble, too, even though he only set his 15″ Macbook on top of the box to give us a sense of scale. [More]
The Crazy Ants Are Coming And They Want To Get All Up In Your Electronics
By 7.2.13
Upon first reading of the words “crazy ants,” one might think that is not a real thing — perhaps it’s just someone being like, “You’re so crazy, ants!” Alas, crazy ants are a real species — Nylanderia fulva — currently swarming all up in the Gulf Coast states’ business, and they present a very real problem for your electronics. [More]
How To Not Kill Every Rechargeable Battery You Own
By 6.17.13
It seems like every device we use, from toothbrushes to mobile phones, has some kind of rechargeable battery in it now. I mean, seriously, toothbrushes? Prolonging the battery life means prolonging the useful life of your gadget. Are there things you can do that would wreak havoc with the millions of microscopic hamsters inside the battery that power your laptop? [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Find MP3 Player From 2005 Marked Down To Only $100
By 5.15.13 — Updated: 8.15.13
Exploring the clearance section of his local Walmart, Eric made a rare and fascinating discovery. Well, as we’ve learned on this site, not all that rare, but it is pretty fascinating to see an electronic gadget that’s around eight years old sitting on the shelf, marked down on “clearance” to a comically high price. [More]
