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Best Buy is shutting down Canada's biggest tech store chain
Best Buy is a mainstay of tech shopping in the US, but it knows that it's small potatoes in Canada -- it kept the country's better-known Future Shop chain going for years after a takeover, even after opening shops of its own. However, the American retailer is now making its presence felt in a big way by shutting down Future Shop altogether. It'll convert 65 of the locations into Best Buy stores within a week, and 66 others are closing immediately.
Office 2013, 365 listed as arriving January 29th at Canadian retailers
What is it with Canadian stores potentially spoiling launch plans? Fresh from revealing a white PS3 bundle on late notice, Best Buy Canada and its Future Shop sibling are both listing multiple entries for Microsoft's Office 2013 and Office 365 in downloadable and retail forms. We'll refrain from comments on pricing given possible cross-border markups, but all of the entries are shown arriving January 29th. Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything beyond its established first-quarter target, so take the date with the requisite grains of salt; any truth to the schedule, though, will leave just a short wait for productivity mavens.
White PlayStation 3 bundle surfaces unannounced at Canadian retailers
In North America, the PlayStation 3 is the Model T of consoles: you can have any system color you want, as long as it's black. Sony might be dropping the circa-1908 approach in the near future, at least in Canada. Both Best Buy and its Canada-only sister chain, Future Shop, are listing a Crystal White Limited Edition Bundle that includes a 500GB hard drive, a year-long PlayStation Plus subscription and a trio of games for $300 Canadian ($305 US). It's a good deal compared to the existing lineup, but extra-special when white has been limited to a handful of other countries -- and when Sony hasn't mentioned any North American plans for the color. We've asked the company for comment, and we'll let you know the response. When both stores list a January 27th in-stock date, however, any answers will come quickly.
iPads replaced with clay, sold to unsuspecting Canadians
That fuzzy sensation we get when unboxing a new toy gadget is the fuel that keeps us going at Engadget. A feeling a few unlucky Canadian's were deprived of, after buying what they believed to be an iPad 2 actually turned out to be a slab of clay. In a calculated scam, crooks purchased real iPads, replaced them with terra-cotta tablets, then returned them to the store in re-sealed boxes. The fakes then found their way back on to the shelves, and into customer's baskets. It was Mark Sandhu who first reported the incident after gifting his wife something a little too slate-like on Christmas Eve. Initially Future Shop wouldn't refund Sandhu, possibly believing him to be the scammer; it was only after taking the story to CTV, and up to ten other cases coming to light -- including some from Best Buy -- that the retailer took the claim seriously. Future Shop has since issued a refund, and given Mark a real iPad 2 for his troubles. Next time, he might want to try an official retailer -- or not.
BlackBerry Playbook gets massive, temporary $300 price cut in Canada
So, PlayBooks haven't exactly been flying off the shelves... anywhere. Not even in RIM's native Canada. But that might actually change over the nex few days as BestBuy, Walmart, Staples and Future Shop have chopped $300 off the price of the QNX-based slate. The sale lasts from November 16th to the 22nd in Quebec, and the 18th to the 24th in the rest of Canada. Now, they're probably not going to eclipse the iPad in sales anytime soon, but a $200 16GB PlayBook is a much more compelling proposition than a $500 one. The WiFi only 32GB and 64GB models are also being discounted to $300 and $400 respectively which, in case you're not mathematically inclined, means the 64GB BlackBerry tablet will actually cost less than the 16GB version normally does. Obviously, though, you'll have to be quick -- we're sure this fire sale (tundra sale?) will have stocks running pretty low. [Thanks, Shawn]
Kobo quietly launches Vox Android tablet with 7-inch display, Gingerbread, $200 price tag
Canadian retailer Future Shop gave us an accidental sneak peek at the tablet last month, but now Kobo is making Vox official, complete with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution AFFS+ display with multi-touch, a 7-hour battery and 8 gigs of internal memory with support for up to 32GB of SD storage. The $200 tablet is running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and is powered by an 800 MHz processor and 512MB of RAM. There's also a built-in speaker and 3.5mm headphone jack, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and a variety of pre-loaded apps (naturally you'll have access to Android Market as well). Vox is listed as in-stock on Kobo's online store, though you'll have to wait until October 28th for yours to ship. It'll also be available at Best Buy and Fry's Electronics stores in the U.S., and Best Buy, Future Shop and Indigo in Canada. Jump past the break for the PR from Kobo. [Thanks, Mankie]
Kobo's Vox Android tablet appears online briefly, gets Canadian release date and pricing
A day after another little-known e-reader manufacturer announced a tablet, a new Android slate from Kobo made a brief online appearance on Future Shop's site, only to be quickly taken down. According to the Canadian retailer, the FCC-approved tablet will offer up a 7-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, WiFi, a speaker (perhaps the reason behind the Vox name) and 8GB of storage. The tablet is apparently set for an October 17th release in that country, priced at $250 Canadian. [Thanks, Carolyn and Bart]
UFC Undisputed 3 pre-order bonuses detailed
Four potential fighting favorites will only be accessible as DLC in North America if you pre-order UFC Undisputed 3 through GameStop or EB Games: Nick Diaz, Phil Davis, Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Brian Stann. If extra fighters aren't your thing, pre-ordering through Best Buy can net you early access to 150 in-game items to use with custom-created fighters. A pre-order at Walmart includes a $10 credit, and also ensures access to the "Ultimate Fights: Knockout Pack," DLC compatible with the game's Ultimate Fights mode, and five of the "most memorable knockouts in UFC history." Finally, if you go through Amazon or FutureShop you'll get the Ultimate Knockout Artist Boost Pack, which will let you cut corners in the game's Create-a-Fighter mode by granting early access to upgrades that would otherwise take hours to unlock.
Canada: 3DS $50 off at Future Shop through July [update: Best Buy too]
Canadian retailer Future Shop has knocked $50 off the price of the 3DS from now until July 31. Both the Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black models are discounted, online and in-store. If you've been jealous of your friends' growing StreetPass Mii collections, now's your chance to begin building your own! Actually, since there will be more 3DS buyers than usual at pretty much every Future Shop, you should just hang around there for a while and hope the new owners set up StreetPass while they're still in the store. That way, you'll be able to grab plenty of extra Miis until the police arrive. Update: Best Buy is also offering the $50 discount in Canada.
Nexus S immigrates to Canada, Future Shop commemorates event with gingerbread muffins
It's been a good week for Canadians to get a taste of Gingerbread, with today marking the official release of the Nexus S for our friends up north. To mark the event, lucky Toronto residents were greeted with a release party at Future Shop, replete with ginger-themed treats and giveaways. With availability spreading across the country, Samsung's homage to Android purity is now available online through Mobilicity, Telus, Koodo, Wind, and Videotron, effectively tempting the majority of Canada with Google's finest offering. If you'll remember last week's report on Mobilicity's soft launch of this praised handset, we assumed Fido and Rogers were nipping at their heels... and while the Nexus S has yet to hit their online stores, you might find them sitting in your local Best Buy. So, Canada, how does it feel to get this awesome slab of engineering coming at you from all corners? Don't worry, we'll understand if this is an emotional time. %Gallery-121302%
BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April?
A round of leaks today has potentially pinpointed the second week of April as the launch window for RIM's slick seven-inch PlayBook. An email purportedly sent out by Sears up in Canada confirms earlier echoes, informing buyers that the device will up for grabs on April 10, with preorders possibly beginning as soon as tomorrow. On top of that, an image from Staples' backend sent to Crackberry pegs a 33-day count down to start on the 15th, which lines up nicely with another leaked shot denoting an "ad date" of April 17. We've also received an unconfirmed tip from a Sprint rep saying that the PlayBook would be landing on the 15th, along with an a smattering of cases and a... stylus? Finally, we've been sent shots of some PlayBook signage apparently on display in a Future Shop in Canada highlighting the device's multitasking capabilities, reminding us "it's whats on the inside that counts." Oddly, the same signage mistakenly attaches the Xoom moniker, though we'd imagine that's just a blunder on the retailer's part. Of course, all of this is still completely unconfirmed by RIM itself, so until we hear otherwise, anything could happen. Signage shot after the break, and other photo goodness available at the source links.
Multiple Intel Core 2011 PCs spotted at Vancouver Future Shop, yes it's still the present
Ooh, what's this? A couple of desktops rocking Intel's latest and greatest, available for purchase perhaps a few days too early? Matthew T. spotted these machines at a Vancouver Future Shop, advertising Core i7 2600 and Core i5 2300 processors, which fall squarely in the Intel Core 2011 (née Sandy Bridge) family. Both come from Gateway and both offer all that core 2011 has to offer, which in the case of these desktops isn't too much since neither has a Blu-ray drive to take advantage of the new 3D HDMI 1.4 support and neither has much use for WiDi 2.0 wireless displays. But, don't let that stop you from being the first on your block to Core it up 2011 style. [Thanks, Matthew T.]
Sony Canada prices 3DTVs for June, Samsung models available at FutureShop
While the U.S. SonyStyle site continues to sit on information about 3DTV pricing, its cousin to the north has already listed the edge LED lit LX900 and HX800 series LCDs for pre-order, while Samsung 3DTVs have also hit shelves at FutureShop. Due in June (no need to rush the maple syrup season) the LX900 is out of the box 3D ready with integrated IR emitter and two pairs of glasses, for as little as $2,999 for a 40-inch going up to $5,499 for the 60-inch edition. As the same time, those looking to be merely 3D ready in case of another hockey matchup can opt for the also edge LED lit HX800 (glasses and emitter sold separately) available in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes for $2,599.99, $2,999.99, and $3,799.99 respectively. Hard to say what this means for the U.S. pricing, a quick look at other HDTVs reveals differences ranging from nothing to several hundred dollars and even for Canucks there's still no word on the LED backlit HX900 versions so we'd keep the wallet holstered until there's some sort of TSN 3D announcement.
Xbox 360 Arcade currently $130 in Canada
If you've been holding out on buying an Xbox 360 for the last five years you live in Canada, you'll be totally psyched to hear that the Arcade bundle of Microsoft's console is currently on sale in for $130. The Xbox Canada site lists the price drop for both Futureshop and Best Buy, though we also found it over at Amazon Canada and GameStop Canada. Get 'em while you can! We've followed up with Microsoft to clarify whether or not this is a permanent change for our Canadian friends, and, of course, if we'll be seeing a similar sale/price drop in the US.
PSA: Futureshop slashing prices on Dragon Age, Left 4 Dead 2, NFS: Shift
Hey Canadians! Yeah, you guys and gals huddled together attempting to maintain sustainable body heat. Just a friendly reminder that big-box retailer Futureshop is currently slashing prices on a slew of new video game titles. Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead 2, Brutal Legend and Need for Speed: Shift are all on sale for $39.99. Wait, what's this? NHL 10? Oh, Canada. You're so adorably predictable! The online and in-store sale ends on December 3, so make sure to defrost your car, dust off your skates and hit the store ASAP. And before you ask: Yes, Rock Band 2's special edition is priced at $99 and does include a free mullet kit. We don't know what that is, but we know we want it. More Canadian deals can be found after the break.Update: Best Buy Canada is offering similar discounts.
Acer Aspire Timeline found in the wild, chilling in Canada and up for pre-order in UK
Acer's been largely mum about its new Aspire Timeline laptop since its initial unveiling back in early April, but now it looks like the company's getting ready to roll out the portable to the customer base at large, if these spy shots from a from a Canadian-based Future Shop store are any indication. The list of specs is a bit hard to read, but from what we gather, the 14-inch Aspire 4810TZ-4129 is packing a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU2700, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, a DVD drive, WiFi, WAN, a touted 8 hour battery life, and Windows Vista Home Premium. No indication on the price or official street date, however, but if they're being sent to retail, we can't imagine we'll be waiting too much longer. Feast your own eyes on the specs sheet in the image after the break. Update: Reader Oleg has written in to let us know it's also up for pre-order at UK retail site PC World -- 14-inch for £550 and 15.6-inch for £600. [Thanks, waterboy99troop]
Canadian Deals: Future Shop & Best Buy shower you with games
Future Shop and Best Buy Canada have a few bundle offers to help new Xbox 360 owners kick start a large gaming collection. At Future Shop until December 4, customers who purchase the Xbox 360 Pro Console will receieve Turok, Dark Sector and GUN for free on top of the system's already included Lego Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda. That's the 60GB console plus five games, all for $299.99Best Buy Canada is offering four games with the purchase of a 60GB Pro console. For $299.99 customers get the system with Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indiana Jones as well as the original Viva Pinata and Assassin's Creed until December 4. Those are some good holiday ideas!
Telus BlackStorm Storm available for pre-order at Future Shop
We had always heard that Telus' BlackBerry Storm would be made available in time for the holiday season, but according to the estimated ship date on Future Shop's website, it'll be pushing it. The touchscreen handset can be pre-ordered right now by interested Canadians, though the $649.99 sticker may give you pause. Better not hold up your plans too long though -- wouldn't want that December 18th delivery date to slip.[Via mobilesyrup]
Canadian Zune undercuts American price, hip checks into boards
There was a time, not so many years ago, when smug Americans could scoff at the currency of our neighbors to the north, saying "That's what, fifty cents?" at any Canadian price whilst laughing heartily. Naturally we American's aren't quite so giddy these days, and while the US dollar is regaining some traction versus its northern neighbor that doesn't explain this Canuck second-gen 8GB Zune's price discrepancy. It's selling at Future Shop (which is like Best Buy, eh?) for just $99 CAD -- that's $82 US, and over $50 less than we can find it at any other reputable 'Merican retailer. It is a limited time offer, however, going back up to $149.99 CAD in just six days. So, you'd better hurry up and take off to the great white north -- Future Shop doesn't ship international, don'cha know.[Thanks, evil-m0nkey]
More Wrath deals around the world
We've rounded up a few more Wrath of the Lich King deals if you haven't pulled the trigger on a preorder yet. Newegg has the game available for the low price of $36.99 with free shipping, which is a couple bucks cheaper than Amazon. (thanks, Lîlîth of Crushridge!) Reader Tyler G tell us that Gametraders, a chain in Australia, will be selling the game with a 60 day timecard and poster for AU$79.95. Usually the game is AU$60 and the timecard is AU$40, so it's a deal. Commenter Rey tells us that Canada's Futureshop is offering 40% off if you trade-in two games. We don't see that on their site (there is a $100 costume contest though and a free hat!), but we'll take his word for it. A free hat! A few more after the break.
