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Distro Issue 99: Inside the Nike+ Accelerator
Back in March, 10 companies descended upon the Nike+ Accelerator in Portland, Oregon, with the aim of building devices that would integrate with the athletic outfit's line of fitness gadgetry. In a brand new issue of our weekly, we step inside said venue after three months for a glimpse at Nike's formula for fueling the quantified self. Eyes-On takes a look at a quite dapper Ricoh point-and-shoot, Hands-On fondles Nokia's latest Lumia and IRL offers up another pair of our daily items. So pull up a comfy chair and grab a cup of tea, because the latest issue is here for your end of the week perusal. Distro Issue 99 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro in the Windows Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
$99 iPad app dinged by Wired, drops price 90% for the day
We love a good App Store pricing story, and this one has a happy ending (mostly). Yesterday Wired picked up the scent of Autriv's SignMyPad Pro, which has a rather breathtaking price tag of $99. Since the non-pro version of the PDF-signing app -- which shares almost all its features -- is only $4, why should the Pro version cost more than 20x as much? Not to mention that the PDF signing genre on the iPad, while not as crowded as some other sectors, still has a healthy suite of available apps ranging in price from $10 down to free. Autriv's jefe, Justin Esgar, may be familiar to TUAW readers as the former face/voice of our Ask TUAW videos, so we checked in with him to get the developer's side of the story. It turns out that the key improvement between the $4 standard and $99 pro versions of SignMyPad is the ability to embed the iPad's GPS location and timestamp into the PDF metadata along with the signature; Autriv developed this feature specifically to support a request from a major financial industry client. While in theory the custom version could have been delivered through enterprise distribution instead of the App Store, apparently it was easier and quicker simply to mark up the price of the GPS-aware version and let the corporate client buy the copies it needed. The app remained in the store at the $99 price point from then on. Obviously, not everyone wants to geo-tag signed PDFs, but for those professionals that do need the capability (real estate brokers, lawyers, architects, etc.) it could be worth the investment. As far as we can tell, there isn't another tool, iPad or desktop, that includes this feature, so SignMyPad Pro has a case to make for its value in the market. Value propositions aside, however, Autriv isn't taking the Wired story lying down. Justin has posted a rabble-rousing video on the company's site, and at the same time lowered the price of both SignMyPad versions for today. The standard version has dropped down to 99 cents, and the Pro C-note version will cost you just $9.99. If you're eager to sign your PDFs with the added power of geotagging, today would be the day to pick it up.
NVIDIA's new wired 3D Vision glasses give up some freedom for a lower price
NVIDIA has been pushing its 3D Vision platform for a couple of years and at this year's Computex it is looking to pull in more PC users with new wired LCD active shutter glasses. The original wireless specs rely on the same IR sync tech and battery power seen in glasses for many HDTVs, but these get power and data over a 10-foot USB cable. While that might not work for living room viewing, a single user application like PC gaming or watching a Blu-ray 3D on a laptop doesn't suffer for the cable restriction. Besides foregoing the sometimes finicky IR sync these are also cheaper, with a $99 MSRP when they go on sale in "late June" compared to $149 for the wireless version. The company hopes the combination of a lower entry price and ability to be secured to the PC make it a viable option for gamers who may already have a compatible LCD and GPU, or gaming cafes that want to run a few Starcraft II tournaments in 3D -- check the rest of the details in the press release after the break.
Verizon testing a $99 unlimited plan that simply matches Sprint's famous offering
Carriers test the waters on new plans all the time, but this new one from Verizon seems -- at least at cursory glance -- squarely aimed at its CDMA competitor. According to research from Current Analysis, the nation's top carrier is trying out an unlimited Nationwide Talk & Text plan for $69.99 in San Diego and Los Angeles retail outlets. That's $20 less than the current price, and coupled with a $29.99 data plan, we're looking at a monthly fee that's within pennies of Sprint's Simply Everything plan. As with other network trials, this one may never expand beyond certain test markets -- but needless to say, this seems to indicate Verizon's taking its smaller CDMA rival a whole lot more seriously. Amazing what a quarter of positive subscriber growth can do, isn't it?
Apple's 9/9 event: the TUAW Liveblog
Update: That's all folks! We've got iTunes 9 and iPhone OS 3.1, with scads of new features (app arrangement! Home sharing! iTunes LP!); also new capacities on the iPod touch, new iPod shuffle models, and the camera-equipped iPod nano. Join us at 1pm ET/10am PT for our liveblog of the Apple 9/9 event. We're joined by our onsite special correspondents, Daniel Brusilovsky and Sam Levin. <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=3f34e80bab" >Apple 9/9 Event Liveblog</a>
Meijer's brand new $99 (shipped) Blu-ray player brings joy to skinflints everywhere
Whether you want one for a cheap Father's Day gift, player for a second room, or just a low barrier to entry for Blu-ray ownership we certainly won't judge, and we suspect more than a few will be tempted by Meijer's offer of a $99 Curtis Mathes branded CMMBX130 Blu-ray player. Add on coupon code DOTMJR09 for free shipping, and its easy to over look its lack of surround sound analog outputs or Profile 2.0 support for the cheapest new Blu-ray player we've ever seen. Inside is the same Broadcom 7440 chipset that powered much higher priced players from Samsung and others in the past, so while the absolute latest in energy efficient, fast loading, BD-Live connected goodies may escape you, we figure that extra Benjamin or two in your pocket will be more than enough to compensate.Update: Looks like it's sold out now, sorry folks![Via Dealnews]
Does a $99 iPhone break the psychological barrier to buying?
Sure, the reduced price on the iPhone 3G 8GB model is swell, but is there something magical about 99 dollars? The AP story on yesterday's product announcements gets a quote from analyst Michael Gartenberg where he seems to think there may be some retail psychology at work: "Every $100 you move down in consumer electronics brings in a lot more customers," [Gartenberg] said. "Ninety-nine dollars is a psychological price point, so that's a real barrier to move through. It becomes something people can afford - it becomes an affordable luxury. In my experience, a $99US item is right at the point where I can at least consider buying it on impulse without consulting my spouse; this was the case with Palm's Zire handheld when it debuted, and it includes the iPod shuffle now. Anything that could be a 'checkout line' purchase should hit at that price point or below, so it's all well and good to include the 8GB 3G in the mix for new or over-contract purchasers... but knowing that the real cost of the phone is in the two years of voice and data, will consumers bite in large numbers? The Wall Street Journal cites Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi's guess that the price cut could increase iPhone demand as much as 50%, even with the presence of the 3G S at the top of the food chain. Is iPhone demand that price-elastic? I have my doubts... but it's worth noting that the numbers from the first quarter, where RIM had to give away a free Curve with every purchase to catch up with Apple in handset sales, indicate that the smartphone market can definitely get a big boost from price cuts. [via MacDailyNews]
AT&T sells $99 refurb iPhones until end of December
Just last week we mention that AT&T would start selling the iPhone 3G through its website. AT&T took that idea a bit further, and is now offering an iPhone 3G at a really good deal. Currently being offered is a refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G for only $99US (with a 2-year contract). You heard right, you can get an iPhone 3G for only $99. So the rumors about the $99 iPhone were semi-true, except this isn't Walmart, and it's only a limited deal. You can get $50 off all refurbed iPhones until December 31.Here's how the prices break down for the refurbs: iPhone 3G 8GB Black - $99US iPhone 3G 16GB Black - $199US iPhone 3G 16GB White - $199US Thanks for the tip, Binja!
Walmart iPhone on sale the 28th for a lot more than $99
At this point, it's clear that the $99 iPhone 3G rumor was just that: rumor. We have a letter that we believe to be authentic from a source within Walmart that says the iPhone will launch in the house that Sam built at 9am December 28th. At launch, only the 8GB ($197) and 16GB ($297) iPhone 3Gs will be available with a required signature on a 2-year AT&T contract. An internal pilot program kicks off today at 488 stores across the nation. The iPhone 3G and a sack of garden manure all under the same roof... heaven.
Jobs close to winning iTMS pricing war?
The New York Post is reporting that the record companies "might be on the verge" of finally throwing in the towel on the fight for variable pricing in the iTMS. The labels are reportedly pulling out all the stops, with some executives even telling the Post that they are considering allowing their label's deal to simply run out so they could pull their catalog from the store. With neither side backing down, and the subscription model not even an option in Jobs' eyes, it sounds like things might get interesting soon as every label's contract is due for renewal within the next couple of months. Oddly, the Post forgot to mention that, even with the current iTMS flat-rate $.99/song model, the labels are already raking in far more cash with each song and album sold than with traditional CDs.While Engadget sounds like they're clamoring for an iTMS subscription model that revokes your entire library the moment you decide to cancel service, I have to say I'm hopeful that Jobs can successfully stick it to the labels and make them deal with a pricing model that actual *gasp* favors consumers. Stay tuned for more iTMS drama as it unfolds.
