Apple launches Support Profile website, personalises future technical support

Apple has launched a new Support Profile website, allowing existing Apple customers to keep their details up-to-date and receive personalised service when they contact Apples technical support.

The site asks existing Apple customers to log in using their Apple account details, immediately listing products that have been bought and registered using those credentials. Users can check on the registration of their products but also the warranty status, providing an easy way to check on a repair or support issue should a customer have contacted Apple.

When I logged in, I was presented with the details for both my iPhone 4 and my Macbook Pro. Serial numbers were listed, as was a field allowing me to enter a nickname for my devices, enabling Apples support teams to better identify your product from a long list of Apple products you may own.

There are options to register and add additional products that are not listed, the system will auto-detect the serial number of different Apple devices.

Listed on the left hand side of the portal is a VoicePass option, currently only available to U.S and Canadian citizens, which provides fields for customers to enter their current contact details. This is designed to enable Apple support technicians to recognise who is calling and tailor their service to the caller, bringing up the customers details to enable fast and efficient support.

You may not experience any issues but its always a good idea to be prepared for when you should need technical support. Apples Support Profile website might save you those all-important few minutes when your computer crashes and you n! eed to g et that video render back.MacWorld, Image Credit

Enterprise to offer Chevy Volt in California, probably ding you for bringing it back half-charged

Not one to be one-upped by Hertz -- which already announced a plug-in rental program that'll include the almighty Tesla Roadster and the diminutive Smart Fortwo -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car has just announced that it'll be the first to offer Chevrolet's Volt later in the month. The company's Mark Christopher Auto Center in Ontario, California will have an undisclosed amount in stock for daily and weekly rentals, and it sounds as if it'll be grappling for more just as soon as they roll off of the production line. For those who can't quite make it down to the desert, Enterprise will be offering 500 Nissan Leaf vehicles nationwide, with charging stations already installed in Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Monica. No word on what type of fee you'll be hit with when you bring it back with only 20 percent of the batteries charged, but you can rest assured the bigwigs at Enterprise are already thinking about it.

Continue reading Enterprise to offer Chevy Volt in California, probably ding you for bringing it back half-charged

Enterprise to offer Chevy Volt in California, probably ding you for bringing it back half-charged originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 01:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NetTalk TV to deliver la carte HD television programming?

NetTalk hasn't exactly made it easy for the world to believe in all of its claims, but things are just getting loco at this point. The NetTalk TV has been introduced here at CES, touted as a companion device to the Duo that provides ultra-low cost digital TV service. Reportedly, the bantam box offers HDMI / S-Video / composite outputs, Ethernet and WiFi, and it'll enable consumers to receive only the standard- and high-definition content that they want. According to the company, this allows individuals to detach themselves from the high-priced cable packages that force you to pay for 50 channels (when you only need three), but here's the kicker: there are no details whatsoever provided in the press release after the break. Not even a price. We're told to expect shipments in Q3 of this year, followed by undoubted disappointment as you begin to understand that it won't be NetTalk to finally convert the la carte dream into reality.

Continue reading NetTalk TV to deliver la carte HD television programming?

NetTalk TV to deliver la carte HD television programming? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation Phone sized up with numerous devices in another in-depth Chinese preview

Okay, now this is getting ridiculous. It's been literally less than 48 hours since we saw the first in-depth Chinese-language preview of Sony's still yet-to-be-confirmed PlayStation Phone, and believe it or not, we've got another one. (Our resident translator Richard Lai suggests this might be the same PS Phone just being passed around the various websites.) It's just as long and arguably just as in-depth with an absolute ton of comparison pics with the PSP Go, the Xperia lineup, a DSi, a Droid... the list goes on. Much of what's written is the same, and the PlayStation Pocket app is still a mystery. The preview does say a third-party emulator was downloaded and tested, with 70 percent success, but that doesn't actually tell us anything. Anyway, even if you don't know Chinese, hit up the source and bask in the glory of a ton more pics.

[Thanks, Shaun]

PlayStation Phone sized up with numerous devices in another in-depth Chinese preview originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC EVO Shift 4G vs. Motorola Cliq 2... fight!

HTC's ThunderBolt along with Motorola's Atrix 4G and Droid Bionic might be taking the overwhelming majority of the attention here at CES over the past few days, but remember that both companies have introduced some other models that are expected to be serious midrange breadwinners for their respective carriers. One of the most obvious head-to-head matches would be the HTC EVO Shift 4G taking on the Motorola Cliq 2, both launching this month on Sprint and T-Mobile, respectively.

Physically, both phones are a little on the chubby side, but they rest really nicely in the hand, probably thanks largely to the smaller displays -- if they were 4 inches or larger, we think the girth would be far more noticeable. Neither of these devices fall into the realm of "beautiful," but we'd say it shakes out this way: the Cliq 2 looks better closed, but the weird keyboard's ugly enough so that the EVO Shift takes the crown when they're open. Seriously, the Cliq 2's QWERTY borders on the atrocious -- we can't imagine what prompted Moto and T-Mobile to green-light this freaky organic design that seems at odds with the rest of the phone. What's more, it's a membrane type -- the keys aren't individually installed -- which gives it a cheap feel with far too much resistance for comfort, especially if you're a heavy user. The displays are roughly equivalent, and it's the same situation as the chassis: they're good, not great. Both screens start to wash out if you go too far o! utside a straight-on viewing angle and there's a good deal of gap between the glass and the display itself.

But let's get down to brass tacks -- you probably want to know about speed, right? With WiMAX enabled, the Shift topped out around 3Mbps down and 1Mbps up here at the CES grounds (in other words, all these figures could be skewed a bit by the extraordinary user load going on right now). The Cliq 2, meanwhile -- which is billed as a 4G device by T-Mobile thanks to HSPA+ support, maxed at 2.6Mbps down and 1.4Mbps up; both had ping times in the low 100ms range. Your mileage may vary, but the fact is both of these suckers are pretty much in the same category... hence T-Mobile's 4G branding, we suppose. Check out the gallery (and stay tuned for full reviews)!

HTC EVO Shift 4G vs. Motorola Cliq 2... fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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