New printers Ratings: Something for everyone

We’ve just posted our latest Ratings of 72 printers.

Do you need a regular inkjet or an all-in-one? A multifunction laser or a regular model that does nothing but print, and does it quickly? Or perhaps all you require is a portable snapshot printer. Whatever your needs, we’ve got recommended models for you: Four regular inkjets or lasers, four all-in-ones, and a couple of great snapshot printers.

All the lasers print excellent text; some are quite a bit faster than others. With many of the inkjets, you can print very good to excellent photos for 35 cents apiece, or less. Check out our Ratings to find the model that best suits your needs and budget. —Donna Tapellini

The Amazon Kindle DX: A video review

The new Amazon Kindle DX is a worthy addition to the Kindle family of e-book readers, as I thought when I used it briefly a few weeks ago. But having used the DX a little more (see the video at right), I've concluded that its heavier weight, higher price, and ergonomic shortcomings make the smaller Kindle 2 the better choice for most people.

But here's who might consider newest and biggest of Kindles, which began shipping on Wednesday at a price of $489 (compared with $359 for the Kindle 2). I've included some caveats:

Students. The DX's 9.7-inch screen, measured diagonally, allows more content to be shown at a time than on the Kindle 2, with its 6-inch screen. Textbook pages are among the reading fare that can most benefit from the extra real estate; charts, diagrams, and their associated explanations will be less likely to be broken among multiple pages. Amazon says it will soon have many more textbooks available for Kindle later this year.
Caveat: For now, though, you can by no means rely on getting any textbook for the device; check availability at the Kindle Store.

Newspaper and magazine readers. Amazon hopes to use the DX to sell more Kindle subscriptions to newspapers (for $5.99 to $14.99 a month) or magazines ($1.25 to $8.99 a month). And you certainly can see more of a story from these periodicals on the DX's supersized screen.
Caveat: Despite the larger size of the DX, Kindle editions of these periodicals still don't generally appear in the same layout and presentation as on paper—for example, you can't see and scan the entire front page of a newspaper as it is laid out in print.

The visually-impaired. The bigger screen of the DX makes its largest type size notably larger than the biggest type on the Kindle DX; the DX sizing is more like that found in the big-print editions of books or newspapers. You can also vary the length of each line of text, which might also help those with vision problems.

I could not find any caveats for a visually-impaired person who was considering buying a DX. However, I haven't been able to have such a reader use the device—and would love to hear comments from any who have.

A final consideration might be the relative availability of these models. A DX ordered today would ship next Wednesday, according to Amazon. The Kindle 2 is available for immediate shipment. —Paul Reynolds.

New HDMI 1.4 connection adds Internet, 3D, and 4K video

HDMI helped to clear up cable-clutter by sending digital audio and video through a single cable. The new HDMI 1.4 spec now adds Ethernet, too.

Later this year, new HDMI 1.4 connections will likely start showing up on HDTVs and Blu-ray players, and perhaps later, cable and satellite set-top boxes, and digital receivers.

The 1.4 specification offers much different capabilities than earlier versions. Perhaps the most game-changing feature is the addition of an Ethernet channel, which allows a single HDMI cable to carry Internet data (up to 100 megabits per second) along with digital audio and video. That means the growing number of TVs and Blu-ray players that connect to the Internet won't require a separate Ethernet jack.

HDMI 1.4 also supports 3D (which needs two separate 1080p video streams), and video resolutions four times greater than the best resolution offered today, 1080p. One day, home displays will be able to support the "4K (4096x2164/24Hz and 3840x2160/30Hz) resolutions" now found in many digital movie theaters.

The downside to a new HDMI spec, of course, is more confusion for consumers, as there will now be four different "versions" of HDMI 1.4 cables: standard and high speeds, both with and without the Ethernet channel. That means you'll have to read the labels carefully in order to get the cable you need and avoid paying more for one you don't.

New Kindle hits June 10, and other e-book reader news

Amazon announced that its new Kindle DX, introduced May 6, 2009, will begin shipping on June 10. [Photo: Amazon]

Amazon has firmed up the vague "summer" timeframe for the launch of the Kindle DX, the new and bigger addition to its family of wireless e-book readers. The $489 device will begin shipping on June 10.

I wrote some first impressions of the Kindle DX after using it at the press conference on the big-screen reader. We plan to bring you more in-depth coverage on June 11 or 12, after we receive the device, which we pre-ordered the day it was announced.

In other news on the e-book reader front:

• Kindle gets a new Web connection. The ability to highlight passages or make notes on what you're reading is among the Kindle's distinctions. Now you can read those notes online as well as on the Kindle itself, by signing in to your to Amazon account from your computer. The features doesn't allow you full flexibility—you can't e-mail the notes on to others, for example—but it's a welcome step, especially for those (like the author I met last summer) who use these Kindle features when writing on a computer.
• A new, would-be Kindle killer is unveiled. We learned more last week about the Plastic Logic reader, a pilot of which is promised for later in 2009; no price has been announced. Its Kindle DX-sized (about the size of 8.5 by 11 paper, the company says) and, like the Sony PRS-700, offers a touchscreen interface.
• A smartphone/e-book reader is coming to Japan. The Toshiba Biblio resembles many other smartphones that have sliding QWERTY keyboards, and it boasts a 3.5-inch LCD screen and a 5-megapixel camera. But, interestingly, the device is being marketed—so far, only in Japan, where it launched June 24—as an e-book reader. Like the Kindles, it allows wireless downloading of e-books, and can store up to 5,000 titles.

—Paul Reynolds.

Now live: New headphone Ratings

The headphones that came with your MP3 player might not do justice to your tunes, but it won't cost you an arm and a leg to give your ears a treat.

Our latest headphone tests found a number of models that can upgrade your listening experience, whether you’re on the go or relaxing at home. (Headphone reviews and Ratings are available to subscribers.) One of our recommended portable models, a Sony, costs just $20. The best-sounding headphones we tested, two Grado home/studio models, cost about $100.

For portable use in situations where you want to reduce external noise—while sitting in a crowded airplane, for example—you may want an isolating model that physically blocks out those sounds. But keep in mind that this makes you less aware of your surroundings. A non-isolating model would be a safer choice when you’d want to hear external sounds, such as station announcements on a train or a car approaching when you’re walking or jogging.

For the ultimate in sonic serenity—to block out the screaming baby in the next row or the mind-numbing cellphone chatter on the commuter train—check out the active noise-canceling models we tested recently.

With any headphones, don't forget about fit. Heads and ears come in all shapes and sizes, so make sure headphones fit yours comfortably, especially if you'll be wearing them for extended periods of time. —Eileen McCooey

Related: Headphones Buying Guide (with video)

Digital picture frames: Avoid most frills, new test results confirm

Digital picture frames make great Mother's or Father's Day gifts, but a batch of models newly posted to our Ratings of digital picture frames (available to subscribers) confirms our advice to skip most of the frills used to make models stand out in a crowded market.

As we advise in our Buying Advice, including the video at right, when choosing a digital frame, the size, shape, and quality of the screen should be top priorities, along with a decent amount of memory and maybe a Wi-Fi connection.

The frames you'll encounter when you go gift-shopping this spring will try to entice you with all manner of features, from simple extras like built-in speakers and iPod docks to online photo-sharing services exclusive to a particular frame.

For example, the speakers on the frames we tested didn't sound good. Anyway, you probably don't want music playing continually in the background as your frame goes through its slide show over and over.

Another puzzling feature is Ceiva's subscription-based online photo-sharing service. There's no need to pay for storing your pictures on Ceiva's site when other frames let you choose popular free options like Flickr. However, if you are planning to use a photo-sharing site in conjunction with your frame, make sure the frame you choose supports Wi-Fi (it's built-in on some frames, optional on others, and not available at all on still others) and that it works with a site you like. Different frames support different services.

Do pick a frame with some extra memory, at least 256MB. But more is even better. One of the digital picture frames we recommend (available to subscribers) comes with 1GB, another with 512MB. Less than 256MB means you'll frequently be switching your camera's memory card in and out of the frame. Built-in memory is much more convenient. —Donna Tapellini

Super-sized Kindle coming in summer, at $489

Amazon today announced a second version of its Kindle e-book reader, one with a bigger screen and other enhancements aimed at making the device more versatile.

The new device, called Kindle DX, will be introduced inthe summer (no precise date was announced at today's press conference) and will cost $489. That's $130 more than Amazon’s other model, the $359 Kindle 2, which will remain available.

As expected based on early leaks about the new model, it closely resembles the Kindle 2, but has a screen that's about 50 percent bigger—at 9.7 inches measured diagonally.

[UPDATE: We took a closer look at the Kindle DX during a hands on demonstration session at Amazon's press conference today. See our related post, Trying out the Kindle DX: So far, so good. —Ed.]

New Kindle: What to expect, and what we'd like

As Amazon gears up to launch an additional, larger version of its Kindle e-book reader later this morning, here are highlights of what to expect, by all reports, plus a little of what we hope to see from the new device:

• A big-screen version of the existing Kindle 2. Leaked, if indistinct, pictures of the device from Engadget suggest no radical makeover. Rather, it appears to resemble the current Kindle, but have more screen–reportedly 9.7 inches, versus 6 inches for the Kindle 2. That will be better to display newspaper or other large-format pages. It may also make the new device more appealing than the Kindle 2 even to readers of regular books. (One colleague in the office has already expressed buyers' remorse over their recent Kindle 2 purchase.)



• A better browser. If true, as the Wall Street Journal reports (WSJ.com subscription is required), this is welcome. The browser on the first two Kindles was kept under an "Experimental" tab to reduce expectations. Aptly so; having, er, experimented more with it lately on the Kindle 2, I found myself unable to get to Web pages I wanted in any easy manner. A more robust browser promises to bring the Kindle closer to the Web-surfing ease of, say, a netbook or smartphone.



• More textbook content. The Journal story reports that textbook publishers will make more titles available for Kindle, and some colleges will begin pilot programs to have students use the device, rather than paper books, for coursework. E-book readers have considerable and, to date, mostly undeveloped potential for students. Developments like those reported for the new Kindle promise to begin aligning readers with the rise of paperless textbook solutions like PDFs and the like at many campuses. (The new Kindle also will build in a PDF reader, according to Engadget. That promises to eliminate the current requirement to convert these to a Kindle-friendly format before they can be read on the device.)

No reports yet on the price of the new device. Given that the $359 price tag for the Kindle 2 was perhaps its biggest drawback, it will be interesting to see if the new device is priced still-higher–as is likely–or priced the same, with the Kindle 2 then reduced in price.

That strategy might anger recent Kindle buyers–and make my colleague even more remorseful. But it would also allow a gadget that's been premium-priced to reach a little more deeply into the mainstream. –Paul Reynolds

From awful to earful: Choosing a good pair of headphones

A pair of good headphones can be a godsend, whether you want to listen to music without disturbing anyone or get some sonic sanctuary from others. If you're in the market for some, check our latest headphone Ratings (available to subscribers) of several types.

The type of headphones you buy will likely depend on your lifestyle and perhaps on your budget. You may decide to buy different types of headphones for different uses, such as a portable sports model to wear at the gym or a larger over-the-ear set for listening to music at home.

If you'll be listening anywhere extraneous sounds could be distracting—in a crowded airplane or train, for example—you may want a noise-reduction model that can diminish unwanted ambient noise. Make sure the headphones fit comfortably, especially if you'll be wearing them for extended periods of time. (Click on the player above to watch our Guide to Buying Headphones video and get more buying advice.)

The good news is you don't have to pay a fortune to get good sound. One of our recommended portable models, a Sony, costs just $20, and our top-rated noise-canceling model, an in-ear set from Panasonic, is $60. The best-sounding headphone we tested, a Grado, costs less than $100.

We've separated our latest headphones Ratings and recommendations into two sections. One section features Ratings of home and portable stereo headphones along with our Recommended models. The other includes Ratings of noise-canceling headphones and our Recommended models. (Ratings and Recommendations are available for subscribers.)

Don't see a model you like? Check back with us this summer when we'll be updating our headphone Ratings with newer models. —James K. Willcox

Samsung adds new soundbar systems, Blu-ray players

Have you been craving a Blu-ray sound and video system, but can't spare the room for even a compact home theater in a box system? Samsung's new HT-BD8200 packs a Blu-ray player into a sound bar speaker system that includes a separate wireless subwoofer. The system, priced at $800, won't arrive until July. But if you can't wait, and already have a Blu-ray player, the company has a lower-priced option that arrives in just a few weeks: the HT-WS1, a slightly smaller, cheaper ($350) sound bar speaker that also connects to the TV via a single cable. (Click on the image at right for a closer look at the Samsung HT-BD8200, top, and the Samsung HT-WS1.)

Both models have virtual 5.1-channel sound, and can connect to a wireless home network via an optional USB dongle—much like the company's new TVs—to access music, videos and photos stored on a PC. The less expensive model lacks the built-in Blu-ray player, but does include a wireless subwoofer. Both models come with a wall mount, and feature Samsung's red Touch of Color accents to complement its flat-panel TVs.

The company also has three new Blu-ray players: the BD-P1600 ($300), the BD-P3600 ($400) and the stylish BD-P4600 ($500). All include the ability to stream videos from Netflix and music from the Pandora Internet radio service.

The BD-P1600, which is already available, is the company's new entry-level piece, replacing the older BD-P1500 model. The BD-P3600, which replaces the BD-P2500, is a step-up model with 7.1-channel audio outputs, while the BD-P4600 is a stylish, ultra-thin statement piece that can either be be wall mounted or seated (at a 25-degree angle) on its integrated stand. The player, just 1.5-inches thick, has a piano-black design with red Touch of Color accents. (Click on the image at right for a closer look at the Samsung BD-P4600.) All three models claim improved load times, and can connect to a wireless network via an optional USB wireless dongle. — James K. Willcox