Kenmore 41393 review – CNET
The Good Kenmore’s $1,000 41393 washing machine has an Express Wash setting that runs a cycle in 15 minutes flat.
The Bad The 41393 doesn’t remove stains as well as the Electrolux EFLS617S or the Whirlpool WFW87HEDW.
The Bottom Line Don’t waste your money — you can find better washers for roughly the same price.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Modeled after LG’s disappointing $1,100 WM3575CV washing machine, the $1,000 Kenmore 41393 is similarly uninspired.
With a cluttered display panel, poor stain-fighting power, and a confusing “Kenmore Connect” troubleshooting feature, I’d leave the 41393 off your shopping list. Take a look instead at the Electrolux EFLS617S and the Whirlpool WFW87HEDW — both of these midrange front-loaders look and perform better.
A closer look at Kenmore’s 41393 washing…
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More of the same
Kenmore is an appliance brand exclusive to Sears. Rather than manufacturing and selling original designs, Sears relies on refining and rebranding appliance models from other manufacturers. In this case, Kenmore used LG’s WM3575CV as the blueprint for its 41393 washer.
The 41393 is a fine-looking appliance. Its gray finish feels premium, but you can also snag one in white for $100 less (that’s model number 41392). And it offers 10 cycles and a 4.5-cubic-foot capacity — that’s plenty of cleaning options and space for most folks.
Take a peek at the 41393’s main specs versus some competing washers:
Comparing washing machines
| Kenmore 41393 | LG WM3575CV | Whirlpool WFW87HEDW | Electrolux EFLS617S |
| $1,000 | $1,100 | $1,199 | $1,099 |
| Metallic, White (model #41392 for $900) | Graphite Steel, White (for $1,000) | Chrome Shadow, White (for $1,099) | White, Titanium (for $1,199) |
| 4.5 cubic feet | 4.5 cubic feet | 4.3 cubic feet | 4.4 cubic feet |
| 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| 90kWh/year | 90 kWh/year | 109 kWh/year | 85 kWh/year |
| 27 x 38.69 x 29.75 inches | 27 x 38.69 x 29.75 inches | 27 x 38.75 x 33.13 inches | 27 x 38 x 31.5 inches |
| 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited |
| 120V; 60Hz | 120V; 60Hz | 120V; 60Hz | 120V; 60Hz |
| No | Yes, Android and iPhone | No | No |
After a closer comparison, the 41393 has fewer cleaning cycles than the WM3575CV; it also doesn’t come with a related app like its LG counterpart. You can use the LG washer app to listen to audio frequencies from the washer that sound like old-school dial-up internet. These sounds communicate troubleshooting information so you can try to pinpoint a specific issue without calling customer service.
No, the LG washer app isn’t the easiest to navigate, but at least I figured it out after a little effort.
In other washer news:
- This simple washing machine nails the basics
- This cool, uncomplicated washer performs well under pressure
- How to buy a washing machine
- How we test washing machines
Kenmore offers a similar feature called Kenmore Connect that has no discernible mobile software component. KenmoreConnect.com doesn’t help much, either. I tried the “Add an appliance” option on the site first, thinking that you could add a Kenmore-Connect-enabled model to your online account and then access instructions for the Kenmore Connect troubleshooting feature from there.
After selecting “Add an appliance,” I was directed to a search engine that prompted me to enter the washer’s model number. Unfortunately, the search tool never located the Kenmore-Connect-enabled 41393 washer I was testing. I even searched by keyword “washing machine” and scrolled through the entire list, but never found the 41393.
Hasselblad True Zoom Review
IMThe cameras in our smartphones are extremely versatile, to the point that many have ditched point and shoot cameras altogether, just because the performance and robust features set in smartphone cameras have exceeded their dedicated counterparts. Ironically, camera makers have been fighting back and have attempted on many occasions to encroach on the smartphone’s territory by coming out with eccentric accessories that try to deliver those DSLR-like qualities to smartphone cameras – like wide angle lens attachments, and even those dedicated lens modules that connect via Wi-Fi Direct. The problem with many of them is that they don’t necessarily attach seamlessly, often requiring unsightly tethers of some sort.
And then came the modular phone, which we’re inclined to say that Lenovo has perfected with its latest line of Moto Z smartphones.
The concept is brilliant with Moto Mods, as these accessories provide expanded functionality to smartphones. In fact, the latest one is a prime of example of how a renowned camera maker is once again fighting back for recognition by fashioning on a feature that’s not widely available to smartphone cameras – the optical zoom, for added range to get closer to shots.
The Hasselblad True Zoom is an attachment that adds a 10x optical zoom range for any of Lenovo’s Moto Z line of smartphones that are Moto Mods compatible, so think the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, and Moto Z Play.
Camera ergonomics in a smartphone
Attaching the Hasselblad True Zoom is a cinch, seeing that all that’s needed is to align the corresponding pins on the Moto Mod to those that are on the phone. Once that’s done, the magnetic connection ensures a tight grip, so that it can’t be easily removed by accident. When it’s attached to a phone, a Moto Z Play Droid in this instance, there’s no hiding the girth that’s tacked onto the phone in the process. It’s a beastly looking thing, making the phone’s overall thickness triple in size!
The beauty in Moto Mods, though, is that they don’t always need to be attached – only when a particular situation arises. Aesthetically, the Hasselblad True Zoom follows the styling of a traditional camera with its rubbery textured grip, Xenon flash, zoom controls, dedicated shutter key, and focus light assist. When it’s attached, it can be mistaken for a camera – not a smartphone with an accessory connected to it. The hefty size makes it impractical to discretely hide away in our pockets, but again we can’t stress enough about how Moto Mods are here for the convenience of the situation.
Our only qualms with the design is that it still lacks some controls and other conveniences we find in traditional cameras – like a tripod mount, a spot for a lanyard or something, and a ring control of sorts for manual focusing. These omissions indicate that the Hasselblad True Zoom isn’t necessarily targeting enthusiasts. Don’t get us wrong, the design is solid and super sturdy, but we would’ve liked to see more from a photo-centric accessory.
The specs are camera-phone caliber
Okay, we know what’s most outstanding about the Hasselblad True Zoom – its 10x optical zoom, which is something that few phones can attest to offer. Beyond that, and as we uncover its specs, it becomes more evident that we’re still dealing with specifications that are camera-phone caliber. Sorry folks, don’t think that it comes with a large sensor to match those found in today’s mirrorless or DSLR cameras.
Specifically, it features a 12MP 1/2.3″ BSI CMOS sensor with 1.55um sized pixels, f/3.5-6.5 aperture lens, OIS for still shots, EIS for video, 2 microphones, Xenon flash, and up to 1080p video recording. The sensor size alone isn’t something worth bragging about, since there are phones out there, like the Panasonic CM1, that have even larger ones. And another glaring thing about the specs is how it tops out at 1080p resolution for video, which is a shame given that 4K is increasingly being adopted into mid-range phones, not just high-end or flagship ones.
Needless to say, the star of the show for the Hasselblad True Zoom is its 10x optical zoom. That’s better than some recent zoom-centric phones like the Asus Zenfone Zoom (3x zoom), so in that respect, there’s a level of versatility in being able to get close to the action – without having to be up close like that, of course.
The shooting experience
Activating the Hasselblad True Zoom is done by pressing on the dedicated button on its chassis, wherein it proceeds to launch the camera app. Our anticipation about using the Moto Mod is somewhat dashed when we realize that there’s not a whole lot to the camera app that we don’t already have in most phones. Yes, you can snap standard photos, adjust some controls using the manual setting, and even compose a panoramic, but we were expecting more. Instead, it’s lacking on some much-needed “fun” modes.
For photos, it’s nice to see that the OIS kicks in when the shutter key is pressed halfway, ensuring that the scene is as steady as possible to snap the shot. OIS really shows its worth the most when the zoom is at its maximum, mainly because even the slightest of movement can cause other cameras to become jittery. With this, however, there’s no concern because the OIS helps to compensate things for a steadier shot.
When it comes to videos, the EIS system in place desperately tries to adjust for the shake and jitter, but we find its approach to be delayed. You can easily see how it’s slower to react to the movements of us panning while walking with some of the footage. Now, this can possibly be attributed to the phone we’re using, a Moto Z Play Droid, since it doesn’t have what many would agree to be the most cutting-edge processor, but we’d be curious to see how it works with the Moto Z or Moto Z Force. That, of course, will depend on whether or not the processing is done by the phone, or locally by the Hasselblad True Zoom.
Zooming, that’s the one most defining perk of the Hasselblad True Zoom. This is useful if you’re trying to capture something in the distance, but not so much if you’re trying for a macro shot. The closest that the Hasselblad True Zoom can focus properely is about 1 meter in our experience, anythig less than that it won’t do.
How about the quality?
As we’ve mentioned already, there’s a 12MP camera in the Hasselblad True Zoom – while the Moto Z Play Droid we’re using it with has a 16MP one. Honestly, when it comes to standard shots when the zoom isn’t required, we find the quality of the Moto Z Play Droid’s camera to be superior. You can see for yourself in many instances how there’s more detail in its shots, while the Hasselblad True Zoom has a tendancy to be softer with washed out colors.
This is concerning right from the get-go, given that you’d expect better results from a photo-centric accessory like this. But then again, we’re not too shocked by this revelation because the specs of the Hasselblad True Zoom are very much on par to what we get in smartphone cameras. Obviously, its distinct advantage is its 10x optical zoom, which by itself is the only meaningful difference.
10x optical zoom with a hefty price
At the end of the day, we can say that the Hasselblad True Zoom is there for the convenience of zooming. Beyond that, however, we really can’t recommend it to replace the cameras in the Moto Z line – just because for standard shots, you get superior ones from the phones. And on top of that, it’s mind-boggling for us to believe that the Hasselblad True Zoom tops out at 1080p video recording.
Given the steep cost of the accessory, $250 if you’re buying through Verizon or a crazier $300 from Motorola directly, it faces an uphill battle in validating a purchase for it. Again, its only meaningful advantage is its 10x optical zoom, which few phones offer. The expense is really steep, making it hard for the average Joe to even fathom buying just to achieve such a lengthy zoom, but even worse is that it lacks the necessary tools and enhancements that could potentially entice enthusiasts to buy at that price.
Windowmate Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Chris Monroe/CNET
Spring cleaning just got easier…maybe. Attach the Windowmate to each side of your window, and it’ll make its way in Zamboni-like rows until both sides of the pane are clean. It’s essentially a robot mop with sponges attached to the base that works vertically.
The Windowmate is on display here at the IFA trade show in Berlin this week. And it chugged along diligently during a demonstration. Apparently, the Windowmate can clean for 90 minutes straight on a full charge, though it takes two and a half hours to charge.
It cleans both sides of the window simultaneously because it attaches to the glass with magnets. One half of the body sits on either side of the pane, so they hold each other in place. The advantage of that is the robot won’t fall off your window if it loses power. The Windowmate representative at IFA told me the magnets are strong enough to withstand wind as well. The disadvantage: You have to be able to reach both sides of the glass simultaneously to put the Windowmate in place.
Chris Monroe/CNET
If you have a window that doesn’t open, you’re probably out of luck unless you send someone outside with the other half of the robot. Plus, the Windowmate orients itself by the frame, so you have to detach it and put it back up for each different pane of glass you want to clean.
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I can’t think of a window in any home I’ve ever lived where using the Windowmate would make more sense than grabbing some paper towel and Windex. Store owners, though, might find it more useful, and that’s the primary intended market for the bot. Still, it’s a cool concept — I’d certainly like a robot to take window cleaning off my plate.
Horizontal robot cleaners
- Neato D5
- iRobot Braava Jet
- Dyson 360 Eye
The model on display at IFA is the second edition of the Windowmate. The first launched in Japan only, but this one’s coming to Europe as well, where it’ll retail for 500 euros, which converts roughly to $560, £420 or AU$740. A Windowmate representative told me of plans to bring the bot to the US as well, perhaps in 2017.
Maybe the product will be a little more refined and make more sense as a consumer device by the time it launches in the US. Regardless, I’m happy to know window cleaning robots are out there.
- Head here for lots more from IFA
Razer Blade Stealth (late 2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
I might finally buy a Razer laptop.
I could never quite do it before. They were always a little too expensive for my tastes, ran too hot, and the battery life was often poor.
The specs/price breakdown for the new Razer Blade Stealth, in the US.
Razer
But the 12.5-inch Razer Blade Stealth starts at just $999 or AU$1,549 (around £750) — an incredible deal for a ridiculously thin, well-built aluminum laptop with a Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory, a beautiful, mesmerizing keyboard and a high-res 2,560×1,440-pixel display.
Particularly now that Razer has addressed the Blade Stealth’s biggest weakness: that battery.
Though we really, really liked the Blade Stealth in our CNET review, battery life was its Achilles’ heel. The upgraded version of the laptop, with a 4K-resolution screen, only lasted 3 hours 12 minutes in our streaming video battery drain test. (We see over 10 hours on a MacBook Air, in case you’re wondering.)
But today, Razer says it’s crammed 15 percent more battery (53.6 vs. 45 watt-hours) into the same 0.52-inch thin, 2.84 pound (13.2mm, 1.29 kg) body, and for the same price.
Oh, and it’s also trading the sixth-gen Intel Core i7-6500U processor for a faster seventh-gen Core i7-7500U chip, which may or may not improve battery life even more. Plus, you can now add up to 16GB of memory and 1TB of solid-state storage (the fast PCIe variety) if you’ve got a little more money to burn.
Another reason to wait for reviews: the $499 Razer Core dock lets you add the power of a desktop graphics card to the Blade Stealth, but Razer hasn’t sent out review units yet.
Sean Hollister/CNET
Mind you, I can’t actually say for sure that the Razer Blade Stealth’s 15 percent larger battery means it’ll last 15 percent longer on a charge, or if that’ll be enough for me with the more battery efficient screen. I’ll be waiting for our full review, and I recommend you do too.
Last September, I told myself I’d buy a MacBook Pro. I’ve been waiting an entire year, but Apple’s new laptops are nowhere to be found. And if you believe the rumors, we may not see them in 2016 at all.
That’s plenty of time for Razer to win me over.
The updated Razer Blade Stealth is on sale today in the US at razerstore.com. No word on availability for the UK and Australia.
Razer Blade (14-inch, late 2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Razer’s about to sell a whole lot more Blades. All it took was one tweak.
With one of Nvidia’s new GeForce GTX 1060 graphics chips inside, the 0.7-inch (18mm) thick Razer Blade just become one of the smallest, most attractive VR-ready PCs.
Instead of lugging around a giant desktop to introduce your friends and colleagues to the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, Razer claims you’ll be able to do it with a sleek laptop roughly the size of Apple’s smallest MacBook Pro with Retina display. (Razer’s computer is not the only laptop with Nvidia’s new VR-ready laptop chips, but it’s definitely the smallest we’ve seen.)
The new Razer Blade 14’s price breakdown in the US.
Razer
Plus, the new Blade 14 starts a full $200 cheaper — thanks to a lower-res 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution IPS screen with a matte finish, instead of the high-res 3,200×1,800-pixel touchscreen panel that came standard earlier this year.
Personally, I’d take a matte 1080p screen any day of the week. Not only do they typically offer more battery life and fewer distracting reflections, the reduced graphical demands of lower resolution typically means smoother gameplay.
Other than those important tweaks, the 14-inch Razer Blade is pretty much the same thin gaming laptop we liked earlier this year. It’s got the same 4.25-pound (1.92 kg) jet black aluminum body, the same sixth-gen quad-core Intel processor and 16GB of RAM, the same colorful Chroma keyboard and the same 70 watt-hour battery. (Razer says it’s hoping for improved battery life, but wouldn’t promise it during an interview with CNET.)
You can watch our video review of the previous Blade 14 below:
Close
A gaming laptop with a colorful personality
Drag
The new Blade 14 is also still compatible with the Razer Core external graphics dock if you need some additional oomph, though I can’t recommend you buy that till we’ve had a chance to test it out.
The new 14-inch Razer Blade starts at $1,799 in the US, which is roughly £1,355 or AU$2,380, though availability outside the US hasn’t been confirmed. Preorders begin today at razerstore.com, and devices should ship this October.
Samsung AddWash Combo Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Chris Monroe/CNET
First, Samsung gave us a hatch door on its nifty AddWash washing machine so you can pop in stray socks and undies in the middle of a cleaning cycle. Now, the Korean electronics giant wants to let its European customers add forgotten items during drying.
Additional AddWash Coverage
- A superfluous second door doesn’t damage this washer’s appeal
- Surprise! Samsung’s new washer has a secret hatch
- Samsung’s hatch-equipped washers hit US retail
The Samsung AddWash Combo has the same second, smaller door built into the front-facing main door as the original AddWash, but the Combo dries clothes, too. Samsung debuted the washer-dryer combination here at the IFA trade show in Berlin Thursday.
The AddWash Combo’s price starts at about 800 euros (roughly $890, £670 and AU$1,185). The appliance, along with a slimmed-down version of the AddWash, will begin to appear in stores across Europe next week, but will not be available in the US because of low demand for washer-dryers.
Samsung has previously said people reported in surveys that they regularly forget to add some of their clothes to the washer, but they are uncomfortable completely stopping a wash cycle to add the wayward items that didn’t make it in with the original load. With the AddWash, you pause the cleaning cycle and push the hatch door to open it. Since you’re still stopping the washing machine (albeit using a smaller door to load stray pieces), we were doubtful of how necessary the AddWash’s door-in-a-door really is when we reviewed it in July.
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- For all of CNET’s coverage from IFA, click here
Alienware 15 (2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
It’s a great time to be a PC gamer, or at least a fan of PC gaming hardware. Desktops are flying off the shelves, thanks to the popularity of virtual reality headsets among tech early adopters. Companies such as Nvidia and AMD have new graphics hardware that makes major leaps over older components, and there’s even a small but growing number of gaming laptops that are ready for VR.
The older Alienware design is on the left, with the new design on the right.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Alienware is joining that arms race with a pair of redesigned gaming laptops. The new Alienware 15 and Alienware 17 both feature current-gen Intel processors and Nvidia’s new 10-series GPUs. That’s important, as these new Nvidia GPUs promise nearly the same performance in both their laptop and desktop versions — no more underperforming “M” versions of graphics chips.
That means the Alienware 15 and Alienware 17 are ready for the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, despite being slimmer than the models they’re replacing. The new design is subtly updated, with a thinner body, an inset hinge that gives the fans and vents more room to work without adding bulk, and even optional eye-tracking, from a company named Tobii, in the 17-inch version.
The sleek, new Alienware logo.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you look closely, you’ll see one more important change. The Alienware logo, untouched for most of the company’s 20-year history, has gotten a makeover. The iconic alien head is just a hair slimmer and more streamlined, while the Alienware name is now written in a lighter font for a more modern look.
HTC One A9S Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
HTC
I know, I know. In the age of phones as metal rectangles, it’s not easy to make your product’s design profoundly unique. But HTC is doing its best to wow us, at least in how it describes its newest phone, the One A9S.
With phrases like “perfectly glistens” and “nature-inspired” in the A9S’s press release, HTC almost trips into hyperbole. It also promises “diamond-like cut buttons”, which is a bit odd given that many phones these days ditch buttons almost completely. We’ll give you a report on how the A9S looks and feels when we actually hold one. But if HTC’s design history is any guide, it should be something of a looker.
An update to 2015’s One A9, the A9S has a slate of popular features without delivering any huge upgrades over its predecessor. Highlights include a 5-inch 720p display, a fingerprint sensor, an octa-core processor and a 13-megapixel camera. The A9S also promises a durable design that will withstand “hundreds of drop and scratch tests in addition to hundreds of hours of extreme weather.”
HTC didn’t have a final price except that the A9S would cost less than the A9 ($499 or £430). It will be available globally at a yet-to-be-announced date.
IFA 2016: All of the gadgets from Europe’s…
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Features and key specs
- 5-inch, HD 720p Super LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass
- HTC Sense
- Fingerprnt sensor
- Octa-core, 64-bit processor
- 13-megapixel main camera with LED flash
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 16GB or 32GB internal memory (depends on region)
- microSD slot takes cards up to 2TB
- HTC BoomSound
- 2,300 mAh battery
- Comes in multiple colors
Panasonic DMP-UB700 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Panasonic
Panasonic has introduced a new 4K Blu-ray player at IFA in Berlin, designed to be a more affordable version of its high-end DMP-UB900.
The new DMP-UB700 player can play back 4K Blu-ray discs with HDR, as well as regular HD Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs.
Like the $699/£599 DMP-UB900, the UB700 also offers high-end video processing, including upscaling 4K color information to 4:4:4, which offers potentially better picture quality.
The UB700 has internet connectivity, which brings with it Netflix and YouTube 4K playback, though it’s yet to be determined if the player is capable of delivering Netflix’s HDR video.
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The player will also play music from your network including FLAC, WAV, MP3 and DSD files, though it lacks the high-end digital-to-analog converters of the UB900.
The UB700 is destined for Europe only at this stage for £400 and Panasonic said the company is yet to decide if it will get a release in the US or Australia. This price converts to $530 or AU$700.
With the release of the $300 Xbox One S, the market for 4K Blu-ray players is getting cutthroat. Even with its cheaper price the UB700 costs substantially more than Xbox, the Samsung UBD-K8500 and the Philips BDP7501, so it might be a tough sell for Panasonic.
Google Android Nougat review – CNET
The Good We welcome Android 7.0 Nougat’s faster speeds and more efficient notification displays. It’s handy to reply right from an alert, and new and updated emoji are always 🙂 .
The Bad Thanks to manufacturer and carrier restrictions, Nougat is only available for a handful of Android Nexus devices at first. Google’s more enticing hardware and software endeavors — the Daydream VR platform and rumored new phones — won’t hit until later.
The Bottom Line Android Nougat offers welcome improvements in what is a functional, if not very exciting, update.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
When Google announced Android 7.0 Nougat as the latest version of its mobile software, we envisioned something feature-loaded we could sink our teeth into. Something with real chew, like this:
View full gallery James Martin/CNET
Instead, we got something airier, like this:
View full gallery James Martin/CNET
There’s a good reason why Nougat doesn’t seem as dense as past Android updates, and that’s because a lot of the upgrades happen behind the scenes. It’s undoubtedly faster and smoother, and your battery should last longer between charges. These are less-visible — but still important — performance gains. But the interface doesn’t look or function all that differently, and that’s disappointing for a major OS update.
While you should jump on the Android 7.0 update as soon as your phone gets it, you’ll be happier thinking of Nougat as the cherry on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, not a brand-new dessert. We hope Google follows up with more interesting updates in the months to come — possibly when rumored new phones hit later this year.
That said, here are Nougat’s most notable and likable improvements.
Bundled notifications
You know the endless list of notifications that stack up in the pull-down window? Nougat takes care of that. It groups related alerts into a tidy package you can expand and collapse with a tap on a button. It works terrifically well and is one of our favorite new features. From here, you can share, reply and open to view more.
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Direct replies
This goes hand-in-hand with bundled notifications. You can either reply to messages straight from the alert when it pops up at the top of the screen, or from the bundled notification, without leaving this part of the screen. We love that, and it lets Android catch up to Apple here. Direct replies work for most texts and chat apps, but replying to a Gmail message opened the Gmail app, so we know there are still some limitations here.
Battery savings with Doze on the Go
The idea is to get big battery savings from a sleeping device in your pocket or bag. It’s a hard thing to determine if you’re getting more battery life if you aren’t paying close attention over the course of days, and that’s kind of the point. This is one of those invisible Android benefits. We’ll be doing some intense testing of Doze on the Go, as soon as we finish intensely testing Nougat. Stay tuned!
AIVAnet 