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NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chips get LTE support, radio makers GCT and Renesas on board
After yesterday's clarification that Tegra 3's architecture will now be known as 4-PLUS-1, NVIDIA's got something a little meatier to share. The outfit just announced that its quad-core chips are getting LTE support, with modem makers GCT and Renesas pledging support right off the bat. In a way, it's hard to believe Tegra 3 didn't already support 4G officially, given that the chip was detailed a whole five months ago. In any case, these partnerships feel somewhat transitional, given that NVIDIA's "Project Grey" Tegra chips will get integrated, NVIDIA-made modems in 2013, though it might be an exaggeration to say these current partnerships will be moot then. In the meantime, we'd love to get our hands on some quad-core, LTE handsets, but something tells us we'll get our fill in Barcelona.
Apple posts photos of Grand Central Terminal store opening
We've already seen some great shots of the Apple Store opening held in Grand Central Terminal in New York last week thanks to our own Mike Rose, but Apple now has the store's official page posted on its website, with additional photos and information about the big setup. It looks very impressive -- as promised way back when, the store is pretty seamlessly integrated into the big GCT lobby, and some really excellent lighting makes the whole place really stand out at night. I'm impressed. Obviously Apple always does a nice job with its retail spaces, but this is such great design -- looks like I've got one more destination to add to the tourist list next time I visit the Big Apple. [via CNN]
A grand opening for the Apple Store at Grand Central Terminal
Early this morning, while thousands of NYC commuters trudged by, mostly unaware and uninterested, a modest band (about 100 at 8 am) of diehard Apple fans congregated in a long underground corridor waiting for the opening of the Grand Central Terminal store. The grandeur and architectural majesty of the station's main concourse and the massive staircase leading up to the new retail outlet were invisible from the utilitarian and bare Northeast Passage, where security personnel and store employees kept the line waiters out of the main flow of pedestrian traffic. %Gallery-141506% Grand Central serves as the terminus for the Metro-North commuter railroad and a hub for several subway lines, but despite its role at the heart of the "city that never sleeps" it actually does close for a time every night; from 2 AM to 5 AM, the building is inaccessible to the public. That meant that the 12 or so folks who were actually waiting to get into the store at 10 AM Friday had to step out to the sidewalk for three hours. That's some dedication right there. Here's a video visit with Jacob, who held the first spot in line. His wait, and the wait of hundreds of others who eventually joined the line before and after the opening (including a mom & two sons from New Jersey who made a day trip of it; Harrison, the 13-year-old, is an iOS and Mac developer), found ample reward with cheers and high-fives from the red-shirted Apple staff lining the staircase and the store floor. See below for video clips of the opening moments; the main GCT concourse was full of people watching the spectacle. The store itself covers a huge swath of the terminal's balcony, with most of that real estate dedicated to systems & iOS device sales, workshops, Genius Bar support and other high-touch activities. Accessories and software occupy only one small hideaway, two flights above the main sales floor. Weekday hours will be 7 AM to 9 PM, and you can safely bet that the commuter rush hours will be packed solid -- but midday and early afternoons should be pleasant enough in the store, with plenty of room to spread out. The store may also take some of the shopper load off of the 5th Avenue store, which is just over a mile away. Unfortunately the store launches with some controversy already in place, as the New York Post reports. At least two inquiries are pending regarding Apple's deal with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, concerning the lack of revenue sharing for the store (a contingency of other rental deals in GCT). Here's Philip Elmer-Dewitt's linewalk video -- you can see me at about the 39-second mark, waving. Thanks to Rich Rose for the countdown video.
Grand Central Terminal Apple Store previewed for media, opens Friday
Apple previewed its latest retail development for the press today. The Grand Central Terminal store in New York City, opening Friday, will be among the largest Apple stores in the world; it overlooks the Main Concourse from the East and North East balconies of Grand Central Terminal. %Gallery-141279% Check out the gallery of inside shots above, courtesy of NPD's Ross Rubin. He reports that the store includes an "express checkout" area ("like an Apple Store inside the Apple Store") and dual Genius Bars. Business Insider posted some nice shots of what the store looks like on the inside and Fortune has a video walkthrough, embedded below. As an extra bonus to commuters, Apple is providing free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal. Also, the store will be the first to offer 15-minute Express Workshops of "tips and tricks in a streamlined format to serve customers on a tight schedule," according to a press release issued by Apple this morning. The Grand Central Terminal store opens to the public this Friday, December 9, at 10 AM. Over three hundred Apple employees will be on hand to help the expected rush of holiday shoppers. Normal business hours will be from 7 AM to 9 PM, Monday through Friday; Saturday 10 AM to 7 PM, and Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM. Our own Mike Rose will be scoping out the opening; if you see him on Friday, say hello (he'll be the guy in the TUAW t-shirt).
Grand Central retail store lease is signed, could be approved next week
The possibility of an Apple retail store gracing New York's busy Grand Central Terminal has been rumored, reported and bandied about for months now; in February, it looked like a deal was in motion, but in March reports suggested the plan had run off the rails. Now it's close to being reality, again. Today the New York Post reports that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (which manages GCT) and Apple have signed a 10-year lease worth US$8 million to put the world's largest Apple retail outlet on the terminal's north and northeast balconies, looking down at the iconic clock in the central waiting area. The 23,000 ft2 (2137 m2) site is currently occupied by the Metrazur restaurant. With approval by the MTA's finance committee and full board expected later this week, the deal looks to be locked in. [As pointed out by Apple 2.0, the store will actually be slightly smaller than two of the UK Apple Stores.] A train station might seem to be an odd location for a high-end retail outlet like an Apple store, but Grand Central is not exactly an ordinary railway terminal. As the commuter hub for New York City's affluent northern suburbs, it hosts hundreds of thousands of passengers and visitors every day and features a wide array of shops and restaurants. Considering that almost every Apple product can be wrangled onto a train pretty easily -- except a Mac Pro, larger iMacs and possibly the two 27" displays -- the new store could see tremendous business during the afternoon rush. It could also take some of the customer load off of the 5th Avenue store, which is now as much a tourist hot zone as it is an actual retail operation. If this store does get built out, it will be the city's sixth; Manhattan already features four Apple stores (W14, Lincoln Center, 5th Ave and Soho) and Staten Island has one. Brooklyn's borough president made a play for a store last year, and there are rumors that Apple's retail team is looking at space in the upcoming Atlantic Yards arena/retail center. [hat tip MacStories]
