Circuit City
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Circuit City starts shipping Lenovo IdeaPad U400, reminds you it still exists
Remember Circuit City? It may no longer exist in your local mall (or alongside the 405) but somehow it's wangled a flock of Lenovo's new IdeaPad U400s -- ahead of the company's own official store. This thin yet powerful object of desire has a 14-inch 1366 x 768 Backlit LED screen, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 1GB ATI Radeon HD6470M graphics and a 2.40GHz Intel Core i5-2430m processor. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit is stashed on the 750GB HDD and the whole thing is rated to run for four-hours on the built-in battery. If you want one to be slung on the back of a UPS truck on its way to your domicile, it'll set you back $920 -- a little more than the $850 that Lenny had promised, but isn't it worth a little bit extra to get one before anyone else? [Thanks, Elliott]
Circuit City puts DIVX patents up for sale, anyone in need of a failed disc format?
Circuit City's ill-fated video rental alternative, DIVX (not DivX), went belly up over a decade ago but just like Nortel, now that its parent company is belly-up its patents may still have some value. In case you've forgotten, the DIVX scheme offered discs similar to DVDs that were initially viewable for 48 hours, but could be activated for more time over a phone line. Now, the Circuit City Stores Inc. Liquidating Trust has entered into an agreement to sell the remaining patents to Imaging Transfer Co., but not before opening the sale to others in an auction, scheduled to take place August 16th. We're not sure what can be done with a bundle of patents covering compression, watermarking and other digital media technologies, but if you do and have more than $750k to offer, you'll want to contact Streambank LLC right away.
Samsung's 11.6-inch Series 9 now shipping in the US, priced at $1,160
It's been about a month since Samsung's 11.6-inch Series 9 laptop first surfaced for pre-order on Amazon, and now it's finally available for shipping. Touting a $1,160 price tag, this duralumin-enclosed little beast packs an Intel Core i3-380UM processor, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. The 2.3-pounder also ships with 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 3.0 and WIMAX 4G capabilities, along with a 1.3-megapixel HD webcam and a 1366 x 768 display with 340 nits of brightness. The newest addition to the Series 9 family is available on Amazon, Circuit City and Tiger Direct, but if they don't suit your fancy, you can check with Samsung to find a full list of retailers, below.
Activision confirms 22 more GH5 tracks, details pre-order bonuses
At this point, we're pretty much 100% confident that the "unofficial" Guitar Hero 5 track list we got last week was dead on. After confirming the entire list of bands back in May, Acitivision officially announced 22 more tracks today (in addition the already revealed 24, making a grand total of 46 out of 85 revealed so far. And wouldn't you know it, every one of those songs was already on that "unofficial" list we already had.The peripheral-inclined publisher also revealed the variety of pre-order bonuses that eager GH5 consumers will pick up alongside the game at various retailers, ranging from GameStop's two free playable songs (isn't that like, a demo?) to Amazon's promise of five free mp3s. Hit the break for all the officially confirmed tracks thus far.%Gallery-63471%
Systemax relaunches Circuit City's website, this time with feeling
After shelling out some $6.5 million, you had to know that Systemax planned on doing something with Circuit City's trademarks and internet domain names. As of today, CircuitCity.com is back and better than ever, carrying on the legacy of a name that became synonymous with overpriced consumer electronics for nearly six decades. Of course, this doesn't mean that any Circuit City retail stores will be re-opening, but at least the brand is living on in the world wide web. The wonders of the internet: I Can Has Cheezburger?, Twitter and the continuation of an icon that would otherwise be six feet underground.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Wal-Mart making move for Circuit City's old slice of the pie, prepping for Apple sections, Pre sales and higher-end electronics
While Wal-Mart will always be our hot spot of choice for picking up a mixed assortment box of granola bars and meeting other thrifty, outdoors-loving singles, the retailer is on a course to upping its electronics game, in light of the void left by Circuit City's closure -- about $11.1 billion in annual revenue just there for the taking. The store is rolling out new boutique sections for Apple and Nintendo products to some of its electronics departments this week, is adding to its selection higher-end Sony and Samsung televisions, will be expanding its Blu-ray equipment and selection, is nabbing some Studio One 19 all-in-ones from Dell next month, and obviously is getting the Palm Pre next month as well. Apple has been traditionally slow to offer up its higher-end products to Wal-Mart shelves, so hopefully this means that not only will Wal-Mart be doing Macs "right," but perhaps Apple will give a little in return and offer some more sub-$1000 macs beyond the Mac mini and low-end MacBook -- some Laptop Hunters fare, if you will.[Via AppleInsider]
Systemax snaps up Circuit City's brand and domain name
Just like it did in January of last year, Systemax is snapping up leftovers from a now-defunct national consumer electronics retailer. As part of the post-bankruptcy proceedings, Circuit City Stores Incorporated recently closed a deal that'll net it $6.5 million. The price for the coinage? Systemax taking control of its trademarks and internet domain names. Circuit City stated in the filing that the sale of its intellectual property and internet assets would bring "significant recovery for the sellers' estates and creditors," and we're also told that Circuit City would be able to snag an unspecified share of sales from the brand name. Look out, Best Buy -- we hear Systemax has eyes for you, too.[Thanks, Sid]
All Circuit City stores closing permanently on March 8th
To an icon in the consumer electronics retail space, we wave goodbye. And for the hordes of employees already / soon to be looking for new uniforms elsewhere, we empathize. Circuit City has just announced that on March 8th, all of its stores will lock up for the last time. Granted, some locations have already shut their doors in permanent fashion due to stock depletion, but regardless of leftover wares, March 8th is the end of the line for the laggards. We'd say you might want to stop by your local outlet to catch any last-last-minute sales, but even at a penny, you're not going to want that open-box 4MB SD card.[Via HotHardware, image courtesy of wbeebe]
Caption Contest: Best Buy FTW
A Twitterer documents the demise of one big box via the burn of another. Tim: "And thus the 2009 FatWallet suicide craze began."Josh F: "First!"Joe: "Yeah, but what about the Palm store?"Laura: "So, you're telling me I have to pay full price for this copy of Final Destination IV? FINE."Richard: "...And we finally have proof you never actually shopped there anyway."Paul: "We've also stopped matching Buy More prices ever since that silly 3D episode."Jacob: "...And we're therefore rebranding to Kinda the Best Buy.'"Ross: "For $100, the Geek Squad has offered to read these aloud to you. For an extra $50, they'll stop themselves from giggling through the word 'unfortunate.'"Nilay: "Also, it's okay to start liking 'Just What I Needed' again."Sean: "We will, however, attempt to make the Circuit City faithful feel right at home with some new bait and switch tactics of our own."Don: "Circuit City employees will be hired based on their technical knowledge, communication skills, and rapping ability."[Thanks, Adam]
hhgregg continues to scoop up Circuit City business
We wouldn't have predicted that when hhgregg started its Circuit City gift card program months ago that it would have come to this, but it's really just a natural extension of what the Naptown-based retailer has been up to. Circuit City customers left in a liquidation lurch can turn to hhgregg (assuming one is nearby) for factory authorized service on items purchased from the big red plug that are still under the original warranty. Additionally, hhgregg is extending its Circuit City gift card amnesty program to April Fool's Day -- a fitting date to end the cakewalk music, we think. It's good to see a retailer stepping in to help out consumers, and this kind of action might score some loyalty points redeemable in more flush economic times.
Circuit City liquidates gaming accessories by 30%
Circuit City's U.S. store liquidation of hit and miss deals is still trucking along and after starting off with a 10% off "clearance", we finally have reached the moderate deal level. Word on savings avenue is that all gaming accessories including Microsoft points cards and Live subscriptions are now 30% off retail prices. That is, if you can still find them in stock. Sadly, most video games are still only 10% off. Weak.Of course, your mileage may vary seeing that each Circuit City store is its own mini-liquidating ecosystem. [Thanks, Tyler R]
Circuit City closings begin, lines form, bargains await
If you were waiting to get some fliers in the mail announcing the beginning of clearances at your local Circuit City, we're sorry to report you've probably already missed the best deals. The liquidation was just made official last week, but, when Christen over at Gadget Review happened by the trendy Santa Monica branch of the doomed franchise yesterday, he found lines of people already waiting for their chance get in on the "everything must go" action. It looks like the crowds were somewhat contrived, as sales associates were making people wait outside before going in, but just the same you might want to bundle up before heading out for bargain hunting today.
Circuit City stores to close, liquidation planned
We've just learned of some sad and all out depressing news coming from Circuit City. It was just revealed that all of the remaining 567 U.S. stores will be closing and all of the company's 30,000+ employees are expected to be jobless after Circuit City was unable to find a buyer after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November. Major bummer ...The silver lining to this corporate travesty is that all Circuit City stores will be liquidating merchandise including (of course) Xbox 360 hardware and software. The liquidation could start as soon as this Saturday, January 17th, pending court approval. They may not have been the best electronics retailer, but we still loved our Circuit City and their free gift cards. What a craptacular economy.[Via Game Stooge]
Circuit City fails to be wanted, will now be liquidated
Even Circuit City's CEO admitted that liquidation was a very real possibility if a sale of the company didn't occur by January 16th, and needless to say, time's up. According to a breaking report from the AP, the once colossal electronics retailer will indeed be forced to liquidate, which should bring happy times for bargain hunters and sad times for employees. Now that details are starting to flow in, we're told that it will liquidate 567 of its US stores after failing to secure a buyer or refinancing deal. For those who care, Great American Group LLC, Hudson Capital Partners LLC, SB Capital Group LLC and Tiger Capital Group LLC have been chosen as liquidators.[Thanks, Doug]
Deal: Street Fighter IV pre-order for $50, with free $10 gift card [Update]
Update: Looks like the deal is dead. Price is back to $60.Wow, it's only a few weeks away until Street Fighter IV hits store shelves. If you want an early pre-order deal, this offer from Circuit City looks like a champ. Circuit City is selling the PS3 version of the game for $50, and will throw in a free $10 gift card. (The 360 version, strangely, costs the regular $60 retail price.)It's a terrific deal, but there is one caveat: Circuit City may go out of business before the game comes out. Ouch.[Via CAG]
Circuit City CEO details bankruptcy proceedings, admits possibility of liquidation
Things have been a little rocky (to say the very least) for Circuit City since it filed for bankruptcy protection back in November of last year, and now the acting president and CEO has sent out a letter informing a select few (or the world, as the case may be) of what exactly is going / could be going on. In short, the company has just recently "filed with the Bankruptcy Court a motion that seeks Court approval for a process that formally puts the company up for sale." There's a lot of fluff after that, but the long and short of it is this: a sale could be approved before an auction begins (and its working mighty hard to make sure that happens), but if that doesn't go down by the 16th, the outfit will be " forced to liquidate" soon. We're not trying to be overly dramatic or anything, so we'll encourage you to read the entire, soul-soothing email posted just after the break before going into full-on panic mode.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Sunday Deals: $15 Orange Box and more
This week, you can view all of the Sunday weekly ad's best Xbox 360 deals after the break and in bulleted form thanks to the fact that there are too many games to list in a paragraph and because we just like to use bullets. Don't worry though, the same amount of care went into organizing this week's best deals, so jump towards the break to find your weekly list-o-money-savings. Pro tip: The Orange Box for $15 is a steal.
Deals for Guitar Heroes of all levels
If you're one of the eight individuals on the planet yet to acquire Guitar Hero Something, roughly now would be a good time to start. In a heartwarming display of post-festive cheer bid to rid itself of excess stock, the troubled Circuit City is offering savings on two Guitar Hero game/guitar bundles: Guitar Hero III and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, both for $47.99. Alternatively, if you're a grizzled, orange-button-happy Guitar Hero veteran whose home and life is being gradually consumed by plastic peripherals, Amazon is willing to sell you Guitar Hero World Tour for $34.99 -- sans another instrument. Source: Guitar Hero III Wireless Bundle -- $47.99Source: Guitar Hero Aerosmith Special Edition Wireless Bundle -- $47.99Source: Guitar Hero World Tour -- $34.99 %Gallery-23491%[Via Punch Jump]
Surprise! Retail sales abysmal this holiday season
Perhaps it was a foregone conclusion -- and the Black Friday body count was a rather ominous sign -- but this holiday season, according to some poor sap interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, "retailers went from 'Ho-ho' to 'Uh-oh' to 'Oh-no.'" (Way to make light of a serious issue, guy -- that's our job). Sales are down across the entire retail sector, from luxury goods (including jewelry sales, down 34.5 percent) to electronics and appliances (down 26.7 percent). This is all bad news for the likes of Circuit City, who is operating under Chapter 11 and could use the cash, but great news for bloggers like Business Pundit, who is having a field day with his parodic corporate logos, a few of which can be seen above. You know what they say: when life gives you lemons...[Thanks, Agustin; image courtesy of Business Pundit]
Sunday Deals: $50 EndWar bundle and more
This is the last week to finish your holiday shopping, so we figured we'd sift through the Sunday retail ads to find the best Xbox 360 gaming deals. And, wouldn't you know, those deals are conveniently listed below.Best Buy is selling World at War and Force Unleashed for $35, giving out a free $50 gift card with Xbox 360 and controller purchase, selling the GHIII bundle for $50, the EndWar headset bundle for $50, and a whole mess of EA Sports games are on sale from $38 on up. Reward Zone members can also score a free $10 gift card with purchase of Midnight Club: LA.Circuit City is selling EndWar and Web of Shadows for $45 as well as Halo 3 and Madden '09 for $50. At Toys R Us, they're giving away a free 12 month Live subscription with Xbox 360 purchase and selling Golden Axe for $40 which is a part of their Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off sale that also includes Saints Row 2, Smackdown vs. Raw, Web of Shadows, World at War, World Tour, Madagascar 2 and Quantum of Solace. Happy holiday shopping.
