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The UK's biggest phone store chain is closing all of its outlets
The UK's only remaining independent phone store is closing its vast network of retail locations on April 3rd, 2020. Dixons Carphone, owner of Currys PCWorld and Carphone Warehouse (CPW), will shutter the latter's 531 outlets at the start of next month. The company says it will focus on selling mobile gear and packages through Carphone Warehouse-branded areas inside the 305 remaining Currys PCWorld stores.
Major UK electrical retailer Dixons Carphone confirms it was hacked
One of Europe's largest electrical retailers has been the subject of a cyber attack that's compromised more than 5.9 million card records and as many as 1.2 million personal accounts. Dixons Carphone, the owner of Currys PC World and Dixons Travel stores, says that most of these cards have chip and pin protection and noted that the data accessed doesn't include PIN numbers, card verification values (CVV) or any authentication data "enabling cardholder identification or a purchase to be made." However, some 105,000 cards were from non-EU countries and do not have the chip and pin feature.
Carphone Warehouse says a lack of 'innovation' is hurting sales
Your smartphone is probably the most important technology purchase you'll ever make. It travels everywhere you go, delivers the sum of total human knowledge and helps you capture important memories with photos and video. In fact, they're so good at providing these features that you might not feel the need to upgrade when the time comes. That, or the next-generation devices designed to replace them simply don't innovate enough.
Dixons Carphone to close 11 percent of UK stores
The British high street is a difficult place to compete. Dixons Carphone, the company behind Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse, knows that all too well after announcing plans to shutter 134 stores. The downsizing manoeuvre will merge any remaining PC World and Currys outlets under a single brand -- the convoluted "Currys PC World" -- with a smaller Carphone Warehouse section inside. Although its footprint will shrink by 11 percent, Dixons Carphone says it's "very confident" the move will have a "neutral or better" impact on sales and staff numbers. It's an ambitious target, and one that puts faith in its new three-in-one store concept.
Currys PC World trials collections from Carphone Warehouse stores
Following their £3.8 billion merger, Dixons and Carphone Warehouse have set about expanding their collective retail presence by incorporating phone shops inside bigger Currys and PC World stores. It's a tactic that has worked well, so well in fact that the two companies are now set to make better use of Carphone's independent outlets. In a bid to compete with rivals like Argos, Currys and PC World have begun trialling collection points at the phone seller's stores. Right now, the trial is limited to smaller appliances and is available in 22 Carphone Warehouse locations across London, Hertfordshire and Canterbury.
Apple Watch heads to more UK retailers by way of Currys & PC World
It seems you'll soon be able to buy an Apple Watch from Currys and PC World stores across the UK. As 9to5Mac notes, the retailer is now teasing the wearable on its homepage, with the messages "Coming Soon" and "Pre-Register" in tow. If you click the banner, however, you'll be sent to a page where you can register your interest in all new Apple products -- so it's not clear exactly when the smartwatch will be available.
Pioneer to start building TVs again, but not plasmas
Pioneer has announced that it'll re-enter the TV market as an exclusive brand for Dixons after it completely stopped making them in 2010. Unfortunately for fans of the sublime Kuro plasma displays, the company will only make 1080P LED models in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes. They'll get 3D and Smart TV capability along with a wide range of connection options, including HDMI, USB and WiFi. The new sets will be marketed and sold by Dixons in the Nordic countries at launch time in December, with plans to bring them to the UK at a later date. It's perhaps not surprising that Pioneer has no intention of going back to plasma and its low margins -- after all, even Panasonic is bowing out, despite all its fans.
Currys and PC World now offer same-day delivery to impulsive UK tech shoppers
Brits who can't stand waiting for gadget purchases can swing by a Currys or PC World to pick them up immediately, but that also requires the hassle of visiting a big-box store. As of today, impulse buyers won't have to brave that gauntlet: both Currys and PC World are offering same-day delivery for online orders. UK residents buying small gadgets from either shop before 9:30AM can spend £15 ($23) to have the goods reach their door by 10PM that night. The stores are also offering Sunday afternoon deliveries at similar pricing, and the £5 ($8) next-day option now includes all orders made before midnight. Extra-speedy shipments are initially limited to those in greater London and a handful of other post codes, but the retailers promise wider availability in the near future.
Surface RT prices slashed in UK and Australia, 32GB model down to £279 or $389
Following the significant price cut Microsoft's Surface RT received in the US recently, its cost has begun dropping in other regions, too. In the UK, Redmond's official online store is selling the 32GB model for £279 (down from £399) and the tablet with 64GB of storage for £359 (reduced from £479) -- adding £80 to those prices will get you the Touch Cover bundle. UK retailers John Lewis and PC World are offering the same discounts (although the latter is £0.99 more expensive across the board), and Microsoft's Australian store is knocking up to 180 Aussie dollars off the tablets and cover bundles. We imagine all countries the RT ships to will follow suit if they haven't already, so check your local MS store for confirmation. Meanwhile, it's hard to escape the feeling that RT as a whole has been overtaken by full-fledged Windows 8 machines. [Thanks, Erik]
Barnes & Noble Nook lands in Currys, PC World and Sainsbury's stores, furthers the UK conquest
Barnes & Noble must want no corner of Britain untouched by Nooks. Following its planned bookstore invasion, the American company is bringing both the Nook Simple Touch and its GlowLight cousin to Sainsbury's and Waitrose supermarkets, as well as Dixons Retail-owned chains Currys and PC World. When the e-readers arrive at the outlets' respective online and retail stores from early October onwards, they'll bring the Nook's reach to nearly 2,000 UK sales points -- not quite ubiquitous coverage, but more than double what we saw in our most recent check. About all that's left is to offer the Android tablets that have been conspicuously missing from Barnes & Noble's initial expansion strategy.
ASUS to sell pink and gold Zenbooks in the UK, where good taste is alive and well
You know what ASUS' Zenbooks needed, right? Like, even more than a cushier keyboard or Ivy Bridge refresh? The Malibu Beach House treatment, obviously. For those of you in dreary 'ol Blighty waiting for an Ultrabook with tropical coloring (but no sequins), take note: ASUS is going to start selling its candy-colored, oh-so classy Zenbooks in the UK. Specifically, that includes the 13-inch UX31 in hot pink, and the 11.6-inch UX21 in Rose Gold. Both will be available by the end of April, with the UX31 available through PC World and Curry's, and the UX21 through Littlewoods and Argos. Find the PR below, and pay no mind to the lady editor behind the curtain doing a facepalm.
Thunderbolt is everywhere, now let's make it faster with PCI-Express 3.0
Things are different on Planet Intel. Over there, Thunderbolt drives and peripherals are as cheap and abundant as artificial intelligences in a Culture novel, so the population's attention has already turned to what comes next. Some are prepared to wait for a promised 50Gbps optical interconnect by 2015, but an impatient few are trying to make Thunderbolt exploit the new PCI-Express 3.0 standard for more immediate thrills. PCWorld claims the latest form of PCI-Express found in Sandy Bridge E, Ivy Bridge and Xeon E5 chipsets could make 10Gbps Thunderbolt run "significantly faster", thanks to a 60 percent speed boost over PCIe 2.0. Maybe they're right, but back on this planet we're still 33 percent of the way through transferring The Best of Leo Sayer to our USB 2.0-equipped Xperia S.
Currys launches 'Knowhow Movies' VOD service / money-pit
Today, Dixons Retail plc (Currys, PC World) and Rovi launch a UK-based VOD service under the retail giant's Knowhow paid-support brand (think: Geek Squad with more overcharging). You'll be able to buy and download movies and TV to your Windows PC or stream them to a Mac using Rovi's DivX technology with adaptive streaming. The platform is promised to swell to include smart TVs, Blu-Ray players, tablets, consoles and smartphones through 2012. You'll be able to register up to five devices with the service and switch between them as you wish, as long as everything's connected to the internet. Selected movies are available to rent for around £3 ($5), or can be bought in SD/HD for £13 ($21) / £18 ($29). Just as an FYI for consumers planning on signing up: most of the titles are available to buy on DVD for around two-thirds of that price, if you can bear to wait a couple of days.
Apple threatens defamation lawsuit in Chinese iPad trademark case
Apple and Proview are in a heated legal battle over the ownership of the iPad name in China and now Apple is threatening to sue the Asian company for defamation. Apple is upset with Proview's attempt to reclaim the iPad trademark and use it to ban iPad sales in China. According to PC World, Apple supposedly sent a letter to Proview founder Yang Rongshan which says, "It is inappropriate to release information contrary to the facts to the media, especially when such disclosures have the effect of wrongfully causing damage to Apple's reputation," Apple's letter follows a public press conference by Yang during which he claimed Proview never transferred the trademark to Apple. Yang claims the Taiwan subsidiary did not have the authority to sell the trademark and the main Proview company was not aware of the deal. Apple asserts it owns the trademark and bought it from Proview's Taiwan subsidiary in 2009 with the knowledge and consent of the parent company. Apple supposedly has emails to back up this claim and has already won a case in a Hong Kong court. Undeterred, Proview continues to pursue its legal battle in China and is asking Apple for US$400 million in compensation to settle the case. It's also seeking a ban on the import and export of the iPad into the country and has halted sales of the tablet in select Chinese cities.
Apple sweeps PCWorld satisfaction survey
Despite the occasional report of issues with new models, most Macs tend to be quite reliable. Most Mac users intuitively feel that they're getting a quality machine for their money, and now the PCWorld 2011 Reliability and Service Survey validates that feeling. Apple desktop computers (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro) topped the survey, which compiled results from 63,000 PCWorld readers. The survey ranked manufacturers on five criteria -- problem on arrival, any significant problem, any failed component replaced, dead PC, and overall satisfaction with reliability. Apple got a better than average rating from respondents in four of the five categories, trouncing second and third place Asus and Dell business PCs that both captured that rating in only two categories. In terms of reliability, what are the desktop PCs you want to stay away from? At the bottom of the list were CyberPower, Dell (for home), and HP (for home). The CyberPower PCs (which I've personally never even heard of) received worse than average ratings across the board. Mac owners were also ecstatic about the features of their computers, with Apple getting a better than average rating in six out of seven categories. The sole category in which Apple got slapped with a worse than average rating was expandability. That's not surprising, since the majority of Apple desktop owners have either purchased the iMac or Mac mini, both of which are pretty well closed to any expansion except for RAM. The third area in which Apple kicked butt and took names was in desktop support and maintenance. Apple received better than average scores in four out of four categories, with no other manufacturer receiving a better than average score.
Popcorn Hour A-300 ready to sit quietly and enjoy the movies, starting October 18th (video)
Syabas has released a torrent of details about its next media streamer. The forthcoming Popcorn Hour A-300 houses the latest Sigma 800MHz CPU and Real Media decoder support, plus USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet connections to ensure dizzying transfer speeds. Like its predecessor, the aluminum-encased streamer is entirely fanless, broadcasting your favorite content in stoic silence. The A300 will be available starting October 18th, direct from Syabas. You can prepare yourself by checking out the source link below for a plethora of detailed videos and screengrabs of the A-300's interface in action.
Motorola Xoom UK pricing official at £580 for 3G and £480 for WiFi-only
Motorola has now confirmed that the latest round of prices the Carphone Warehouse, PC World and other UK retailers are listing for its Xoom tablet are indeed the officially sanctioned price points for the Honeycomb slate. After being listed at £600 for the 3G model and £500 for the WiFi-only version initially, the 32GB-equipped 10-incher is now mercifully £20 cheaper, at £580 and £480 for each variant. A quick glance at Apple's online store tells us that those levies match up exactly to what a corresponding 32GB version of the iPad 2 will cost you, signaling Motorola's intent to at least be on par in terms of pricing. Stores are still showing the Xoom under a pre-order status for now, but that should be changing swiftly if Motorola wishes to live up to its promise of availability this very week.
Motorola Xoom returns to PC World UK, this time at £500, promises April 9th delivery
Maybe PC World is trying to sneak the bad news in under the cover of the iPad 2 launch, but it's returned Motorola's Xoom tablet to its pre-order systems with a far less pleasing price than before: £500. It was £450 yesterday, but our suspicions were raised by the impossibility of actually pre-ordering one, and sure enough, now that you're able to sign yourself up to be among the first in Europe to own a Xoom, it'll cost you a 50 note more. Launch is scheduled for the first week of April, we're told, and PC World has a tentative April 9th delivery date. Yours, if you want it, at the source link below.
Motorola prices WiFi-only Xoom at £500 in the UK (update: €700 in Germany with 3G)
Finally Motorola gives us a chance to say something positive about its pricing of the 10.1-inch, Tegra 2-powered Xoom tablet. UK electronics retailer PC World has just put up its Xoom pre-order page, which will surprise many waking Brits with an extremely reasonable £450 ($730) asking price. That's £60 less than the direct competitor 32GB WiFi-only iPad -- the Xoom only has one storage option of 32GB and the model listed here comes without 3G -- and perhaps more importantly, is only £10 more than the 16GB version of Apple's tablet. It's common knowledge that to take on the iPad empire you'll have to at the very least match its price, and Moto is doing even better than that in the UK. There's only one worrying sign, we haven't been able to place a Xoom into our shopping basket yet, as the "Pre-order today" button seems to be malfunctioning, but we're guessing that's a temporary glitch that will be fixed without the price shooting up skywards. Update: T-Mobile Germany has also revealed its Xoom pricing, this time for the 3G model: €699.95. Distribution will begin at the end of April and T-Mo will have a three-month exclusive on the tablet in its native land. The pricing positions the Xoom a mere 95 Euro cents above the 32GB-equipped iPad WiFi + 3G, meaning that your choice will truly come down to preference and not economics. See T-Mobile's full press release after the break. Update 2: The PC World price and pre-order have been pulled. Gulp. Let's hope they comes back unchanged. Update 3: The page is back, this time with an April 9th delivery date, but the price has Xoomed up to £500. Oh no. [Thanks, John]
Apple, ASUS top PC World satisfaction survey
Apple has garnered yet another win in a customer satisfaction survey -- this time it's PC World conferring the honors onto Cupertino, as Apple has topped both the laptop and desktop categories for most reliable and well-supported computer products. PC World says that Apple also did well in its smartphone category (with, of course, the iPhone), but that the antenna issues and a few other problems with the iPhone kept it from being listed at the top of the category. Still, PC World has nothing but praise for Apple, which is well-known both for solid, perfectly built hardware and a software experience that rules out as many questions as possible. This, of course, fits everything we've heard anecdotally about Apple in the past -- while there are sometimes issues from computer to computer or in certain experiences at the Apple Store, most of Apple's products are extremely reliable. Even when they're not, 9 times out of 10 we'll hear about Apple just outright replacing them for customers, under warranty or otherwise. ASUS also joined Apple at the top of the survey for both desktops and notebooks, and down at the bottom, PC World says that Dell and HP both show "troubling" figures for customer support. Both of those companies still saw increased earnings this past year, but problems in their customer support departments and cheaply made hardware have earned them reputations for trouble.
