Do you want a set of nice headphones? Do you want a set of headphones endorsed by Dr. Dre? If the answer to both of those questions is “yes,” then perhaps Beats headphones are for you. The question, as it is with many luxury brands, is whether you want to spend $300 for a pair of headphones, and why. [More]
ELECTRONICS
Save Electricity: Don’t Turn Off Your Printer
By 4.4.13
Do you turn your printer off when you’re not using it? You might be wasting electricity…and ink. Our watt-measuring colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports Electronics note that letting your printer enter standby mode often uses less power than turning it off or on. For inkjet printers, the toll also includes ink: some models slorp a bit more ink when priming the jets to print when you turn the printer on rather than letting it wake up from standby mode. [Consumer Reports Electronics] [More]
Should You Take Back That GPS You Got For Christmas?
By 12.27.12
You might have ripped the wrapping paper off a shiny new GPS unit earlier this week, but should you keep it? A well-meaning loved one might have bought you a new one this week, but that doesn’t mean that they chose the best one for your needs or that you should keep it. How do you know whether the unit you have is the best for you? If only there were an entity out there that tested different models side-by-side and published the results…Oh, right, that would be our elder sister publication, Consumer Reports! [More]
If You Buy An iPad In A Gas Station Don’t Be Surprised If It Turns Out To Be A Picture Frame
By 11.12.12
Here at Consumerist we like to keep our readers in the loop about schemes, cheats and tricks we hear about so you don’t end up as a victim. Unfortunately for a few wannabe iPad owners, they apparently hadn’t heard the story of the woman who bought one of the tablets at a gas station only to find out she’d really purchased a mirror. A couple unsuspecting consumers in Miami were looking for cheap electronics, but they ended up with picture frames after dealing with strangers at a gas station. [More]
I Can’t Get Sam’s Club To Take My Money
By 11.7.12
Rhoda wanted to get the new Halo 4 edition of the Xbox 360, and she wanted to get it from Sam’s Club. Presumably, she’s a member, and she says that she has ordered online from Sam’s before. But something about this transaction made the store’s computers unhappy, and the order wouldn’t go through. She called up the company to verify the order and tried again, only to face even more rejection. [More]
Staples, Where ‘Item In Stock’ Means ‘Meh, I Don’t Feel Like It’
By 11.5.12
Perhaps irrationally, Robert thought that because the Staples website said that the tablet he desired was “in stock” at the nearest Staples store, that meant that it would be available for purchase. You can’t be too sure, so he called up the store. Yes: they had three tablets! Score! He drove to the store to bring home his precious, precious Nexus 7. The very same employee he had spoken to on the phone dispatched someone to get the tablet, and he was told that there were none in stock. [More]
Sanyo’s Tech Support Will Read Your TV Manual To You Until You Hang Up
By 10.18.12
Renato bought a 50″ Sanyo LCD TV at Walmart with the understanding that he’d be able to use a DVI adapter and the audio port instead of the HDMI port that his computer doesn’t have. This would have been true had the TV’s audio port been working. He called Sanyo’s tech support for help, only to discover that their tech support staff knew less than he did about how audio and video ports work. They were, however, pretty good at reading the manual. [More]
I Bought My TV In 2006, Costco's 2006 Electronics Return Policy Should Apply
By 8.17.12
A few years ago, Costco changed its famously generous return policy when it comes to electronics. Customers have only ninety days to bring back gadgets that break or don’t make them happy, unlike the previous seemingly infinite return policy. Nick, however, bought his Vizio TV from Costco before the return policy changed. Back when he had as long as he wanted to bring it back. Now the six-year-old set won’t turn on, and he thinks that Costco should take the set back for a refund, which was the policy at the time he purchased it. [More]
Fixing Your Own Electronics Is Fun And Almost Easy
By 4.27.12
Last year, I bought a used iPhone 3Gs that is now well out of warranty. Not a big deal. Only the battery didn’t stay charged all day anymore, and I wondered whether it was time for a new phone, even though mine is otherwise in great shape. Too bad I couldn’t just order a new battery online and snap it in like with previous phones. Except…I could. I just needed a tiny screwdriver, a few other tools, step-by-step instructions, and a lot of patience. [More]
Give Second Lives To Your Old Cell Phones
By 2.3.12
Old cell phones you’ve got piled up in that drawer could do some good for others. There are ample options for donating or recycling the outmoded devices. [More]
Staples Recycles Laptop By Cracking Its Screen
By 12.30.11
When you trade in your old electronic device for “recycling” while buying a new one, does that device have to work? Staples offered a $100 rebate this holiday season to customers who sent in their old computers after purchasing a new one. “Recycling” is in quotes because computers traded in had to be running, and include the charger, so they were bound for re-use rather than recycling. That was no problem for George, though — he traded in a working computer. Only the screen was cracked when it reached the center, and he didn’t get the full rebate. [More]
No, You Don't Need To Drop $1000 On A Wifi TV To Use A Roku
By 12.28.11
Sure, you should research purchases ahead of time, but discovering new things while shopping out in the real world can be fun. Reader HogwartsProfessor was browsing the electronics section at Walmart and had some questions about a Roku. Two associates told her that no, the devices only work if you have a wifi-enabled TV. This isn’t true, as she learned: the point of the Roku is that it is the device that streams Internet content to your TV. [More]
More Shoppers "Renting" Electronics From Retailers
By 12.13.11
A new study shows that a growing number of electronics purchases — up to one in five — are being returned to retailers, and that a large majority of the items returned as defective are in fact perfectly fine. [More]
How To Clean An HDTV Screen
By 12.8.11
Dust, smudge marks and other mysterious grime can obscure the picture on that TV you’ve made the centerpiece of your living room. But the device is so seemingly fragile that it’s intimidating to attempt to clean it. [More]
Target Demands Extra $189 To Exchange Camera No Longer On Sale
By 12.7.11
Coco took advantage of a great deal at Target, buying a digital camera on sale for $189 below list price, with a $75 Target gift card on the side. Neat! Trouble was, he didn’t open or test out the camera until a week later, once the sale was over and the gift card had been spent. Photos taken with the camera didn’t come out, so he took the camera back to Target to exchange it for a working one. The trouble was, they couldn’t exchange it for him unless he paid an extra $189 and return the $75 gift card. [More]
If You Want The Best Electronics Deals, Wait A Few Days
By 11.28.11
Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday grab the headlines, those who wait until the first week of December to buy electronics may score the best deals. According to research by a University of Washington computer science professor, gadgets hit their lowest price levels after the deal-hunting crowds have thinned out a bit. [More]
Apple Replaces Frayed Magsafe Adapter Cables For Free
By 11.9.11
Apple will replace or refund out-of-warranty frayed Magsafe adapters, according to the terms of proposed class action lawsuit settlement. [More]
Thailand Flooding May Cause Hard Drive Shortages, Price Increases
By 11.3.11
If a butterfly on the other side of the world can cause a hurricane, a flood in Thailand can wreak havoc on hard drive customers. Devastating floods in the country are expected to soften manufacturers’ abilities to crank out hard drives, and analysts say private customers will have to deal with the resulting price increases more than computer manufacturers. Affected companies include Toshiba and Western Digital, which have temporarily shut down Thailand plants. [More]
