How a computer looks, feels, and performs are all obvious considerations when shopping for a new model. What many buyers might not think about, however, is the support available if their pricey new laptop or desktop goes on the fritz. 

Our latest Ratings of laptop tech support and desktop tech support (available to subscribers) reveal some clear winners and losers. Manufacturer scores are based on an annual survey from the Consumer Reports National Research Center this past January of over 7,000 desktop- and laptop-owning subscribers to Consumer Reports. Respondents weighed in on the ability of manufacturer's tech support to solve their problems, the communication and knowledge of phone support staff, how long they were placed on hold, and the quality of the company's online support.

We grouped together computer labels made by the same company (HP and Compaq were ranked together, for example). Of the six major manufacturers, one earned top marks across the board, and left the others in its wake in terms of overall satisfaction. In striking contrast, another manufacturer received disappointingly low scores in overall satisfaction among respondents.

To see how computer manufacturers stacked up when it came to helping their technically challenged customers, check our laptop and desktop tech support Ratings. Additionally, see our free guide to computer tech support.

—Nick K. Mandle

Just a day after Samsung announced its plans for 3D TV, Panasonic this morning said it's offering a 3D bundle—containing a 50-inch 1080p plasma (TC-P50VT20, $2,500), one pair of 3D glasses, and the company's new 3D Blu-ray player (DMP-BDT300, $400)—for $2,900, exclusively at Best Buy's Magnolia store-within-a-store department.

If you're looking to compare prices to other retailers, though, you can't: the VT20 is a Best Buy exclusive, though it is equivalent to the VT25 series that will be sold elsewhere.

In addition to the 50-inch set, Panasonic will also be offering 3D plasmas in 54-, 58-, and 65-inch screen sizes. All the TVs include Panasonic's Viera Cast Internet service, with access to a variety of online services, including Amazon Video on Demand, Netflix, and Skype. Pricing and availability weren't disclosed today.

We're very happy to announce that we now have full setups from both Samsung and Panasonic in our labs for testing, and we should post our first 3D TV report here in the next day or two. So stay tuned to our blog for the report!

—Michael Rosato and James K. Willcox

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Samsung’s 3D glasses.
Photo: Samsung

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If you’re willing to leap head-first into 3D rather than gingerly testing the waters with your toes, Samsung has an offer for you: Buy both a 3D TV and a 3D Blu-ray player or 3D HTIB, and you’ll get a free 3D Starter Kit that bundles two pairs of battery-powered 3D glasses with DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens 3D title.

At a press event this morning in New York City, Samsung unveiled its entire lineup of 3D LCD and plasma TVs, which range in price from $1,700 for a 46-inch LCD with a conventional CCFL backlight to almost $7,000 for a 55-inch LCD model with 240Hz technology and an edge LED backlight. All 240Hz LCDs in Samsung’s lineup are 3D models, and all except one series (the C750 set mentioned above) have LED backlights. 3D TVs immediately for sale are 46-inch (UN46C7000) and 55-inch (UN55C7000) 7000-series models, priced at $2,600 and $3,300, respectively. New 7000 and 8000 ultra-thin plasma 3D sets, which start at $1,800, won’t be available until May.

All of Samsung’s 3D TVs have built-in processors that can render standard 2D content into 3D on the fly. The new C8000-series LCD sets have edge LED backlights that can be locally dimmed, a feature normally reserved for full-array LED models. All 3D models have Internet connectivity, plus Samsung Apps, which provide access to online content, including Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, USA Today, and Vudu, among other.

Samsung BD-C6900, a 3D Blu-ray player
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s 3D-enabled Blu-ray player, the BD-C6900, is priced at $400. It’s a slim-line player with built-in Wi-Fi and a transparent cover so you can see the disc spinning. The 7.1-channel 3D-enabled Blu-ray HTIB system, model HT-C6930W, is $900, and it includes wireless rear satellite speakers.

For a limited time, you’ll get a free 3D Starter Kit, which includes two pairs of basic active LCD shutter glasses and the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D disc, with the purchase of a Samsung 3D HDTV and either the Samsung BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray Player or the HT-C6930W 3D Home Theater System.

Samsung will also offer two other 3D glasses—a model with Touch of Color accents and a rechargeable battery, and a model designed especially for kids. If purchased separately, the glasses are $149.

Here’s a breakdown of Samsung’s 3D TV lineup, with pricing:

LCD with LED backlights

• UN55C9000 $7,000 55″ April 2010
• UN46C9000 $6,000 46″ April 2010
• UN65C8000 $5,000 65″ July 2010
• UN55C8000 $3,500 55″ April 2010
• UN46C8000 $2,800 46″ April 2010
• UN55C7000 $3,300 55″ March 2010
• UN46C7000 $2,600 46″ March 2010
• UN40C7000 $2,000 40″ May 2010

Plasma TVs

• PN63C8000 63″ $3,800 May 2010
• PN58C8000 58″ $3,000 May 2010
• PN50C8000 50″ $2,100 May 2010
• PN63C7000 63″ $3,500 May 2010
• PN58C7000 58″ $2,700 May 2010
• PN50C7000 50″ $1,800 May 2010

Panasonic will be officially unveiling its 3D lineup tomorrow, so check back in with our blog for our report.

—James K. Willcox

Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below.

This Car Runs on Code (IEEE Spectrum)

…These are impressive amounts of software, yet if you bought a premium-class automobile recently, ”it probably contains close to 100 million lines of software code,” says Manfred Broy, a professor of informatics at Technical University, Munich, and a leading expert on software in cars. All that software executes on 70 to 100 microprocessor-based electronic control units (ECUs) networked throughout the body of your car.

Lip reading mobile promises end to noisy phone calls (BBC)

…The device, on show at the Cebit electronics fair in Germany, relies on a technique called electromyography which detects the electrical signals from muscles. It is commonly used to diagnose certain diseases, including those that involve nerve damage.

Keep Your Passwords Safe on a Piece of Paper (Digital Inspiration)

…What you need is just a piece that has a unique (per card) combination of secret letters to help you create a unique password for each website. You may use the RAND() function in an Excel spreadsheet to generate unique password cards.

Miso: A Foursquare-Like App for Homebodies (ReadWriteWeb)

…With Miso, instead of checking in to locations outside of your home, like bars, restaurants and events as you do with popular mobile applications like Foursquare, Brightkite, Loopt and Gowalla, the Miso app takes the "check-in" model and uses it to connect people enjoying TV shows and movies. Although you could check-in when watching a movie at a local theater, the app is just as useful to those who tend to stay at home.

Lighter side: New York's PS22 Chorus covers "LISZTOMANIA" by Phoenix (agreggofsociety)

Beatmaker
Source: Intua.net

In part one of this blog post, I said apps are integral to creating music or video on an iPhone. Here are the ones I used to create music:

First, I downloaded Beatmaker, by Intua, $20, because it was one of the few that let me play the iPhone like an instrument and program what I wanted it to play. In this app, I mostly used the step and song sequencer features.

In the step sequencer, I chose each instrument (such as a bass guitar), then painstakingly selected individual notes in a four-beat measure to make several different short-pattern sequences. Next, using the song sequencer part of the app, I strung a series of these short sequences together to produce a line of music, such as the bass line in a song. I programmed all the instrument patterns and, after several hours, produced a song with several instruments—drums, bass, guitar and two funky keyboard sounds—playing along with each other.

To record a vocal track, I needed another app. So I downloaded GigDaddy, $3, an app that lets you record several simultaneous tracks, import music files and combine various tracks together. But I couldn’t edit my piece with GigDaddy until I first exported my “instrumental” song as a .wav file from Beatmaker to my computer. (Check Beatmaker’s site for details on this painstaking, intricate process).

GigDaddy (click to enlarge)
Source: Iometrics

Then I imported my instrumental music into GigDaddy and created several vocal tracks by singing into the iPhone’s mic. At the beginning of the song, I recorded my voice several times to create an a cappella sound clip, although most of the song has just two vocal tracks. Once I finished the vocals, I left one track open for additional sounds.

At the end of the song, which got cut off in the video due to the video editor’s limitations, I added keyboard effects created with synthPond and Argon synthesizer apps.

Unfortunately, you can’t use two iPhone apps at once, so I transferred the output from each app to my computer, then re-recorded it back to the open track on the iPhone, through the built-in mic. This was one of several workarounds I used in this project.

Next, I mixed down the song, converting this multitrack file into a .WAV file by exporting it to my computer. GigDaddy requires a wireless transfer (since Apple limits your ability to access any of the iPhone’s internal file structure). Luckily, I had a wireless router that let me transfer the file. I also needed to export the file to my computer yet again because the video editor couldn’t import it directly from within my iPhone. But I’ll get into this in my next post.

I know that there are lots of hardware and software that are better and easier to use than the iPhone to create music. Still, I was impressed that the technology let me create a complex music composition using several apps, right on my iPhone. In my next blog post, I’ll describe what apps I used to capture still images and video for the music video.

—Terry Sullivan