reservations
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Yelp gobbles up SeatMe, an emerging competitor to OpenTable
Yelp just made its partnership with OpenTable very, very awkward with the announcement that it'll purchase a competing reservation service known as SeatMe for $12.7 million. The 16-person operation, based in San Francisco, runs a web and app platform that focuses on restaurants and nightlife activities. According to TechCrunch, SeatMe sent an email to its current customers in the wake of the announcement, with a promise that the service will continue operation. Meanwhile, Yelp is positioning the acquisition as a compliment to its existing offerings, which suggests that the company may bide its time before re-evaluating its partnership with OpenTable. If anything, it looks like Yelp's getting very serious about reservations and appointment bookings, and that could mean a more convenient future for you.
Groupon takes on OpenTable with 'Groupon Reserve,' bundles reservations with coupons
Not satisfied with simply locking down your discount mountain-climbing lessons and hot stone massages, Groupon announced Groupon Reserve this morning, which aims to bundle time-based discounts with restaurant reservations. Groupon's tapping Savored.com's reservation tech to handle the heavy-lifting behind the scenes -- the service is already live in 10 markets, including New York City and Los Angeles, and seemingly goes after OpenTable head-on. Of course, Groupon Reserve isn't quite the same service as OpenTable. With Reserve, you plug in a time, party size, date and city, and you're offered a variety of restaurant options with discounts, whereas with OpenTable you're simply plugging in the aforementioned info and looking for a spot. Though Groupon Reserve only handles restaurant reservations thus far, the plan is for "spas, salons and hotels" in the coming months; ambiguous options from "top beauty, product, travel and entertainment brands" are also in the cards. Groupon Reserve will reach international shores and even more US cities "by the end of 2013." Now if you'll excuse us, we're arranging a more affordable date at Butter. We're pretty fancy.
iPhone 5 ship times improve to 2 weeks
Apple's supply of the iPhone 5 is slowly starting to catch up with demand. Shortly after the iPhone 5 debuted, ship times for the device slipped to three to four weeks. This number recently improved to two to three weeks, and now the handset is available within two weeks. According to iPhoneinCanada, these improved shipping times extend to Apple's online store in the US and Canada. If you don't want to wait until December to get your iPhone 5, you can always try Apple's online reservation system. Apple lets customers order an iPhone 5 between 10 PM and 4 AM for in-store pickup the next day. Apple updates its inventory at 10 PM local time and you can try to reserve a phone when these updates hit Apple's online ordering system. [Via iPhoneinCanada]
iPad minis ready for next-day, in-store pickup
Instead of waiting two weeks for delivery, customers who want an iPad mini now can reserve one for in-store pickup, according to a report in AppleInsider. Similar to the iPhone 5, customers can use Apple's reservation system to secure an iPad mini at their local store and pick it up the next day. Inventory is updated at 10 PM each night, and customers should prepare to reserve their mini as close to that time as possible. I used the online reservation system to order an iPhone 5 last week and it works great when supplies of a device are limited.
Tesla behind on Model S production goals, aims for extra cash with stock sale
Sure, topping off a Model S in 30 minutes with a Supercharger is awfully handy, but production delays of the sedan will keep some future owners away from quick charge times -- and most importantly -- their cars for a little while longer. In a freshly published filing with the US Securities Exchange and Commission, Tesla revealed that it hasn't reached its goal of producing 400 Model S vehicles a week, which places them four to five weeks behind their 2012 delivery expectations. To date, just 255 of the autos have rolled off the assembly line, 132 of which have made their way to new homes. According to the Palo Alto-based outfit, ramping up production has been slower than expected for a number of reasons, including supplier delays and taking a deliberately measured pace for quality assurance purposes. Before the year draws to a close, Musk and Co. anticipate meeting their goal of churning out 400 cars each week, and a total of 20,000 by the end of 2013. Currently, the automaker has racked up around 13,000 reservations and thinks it'll be working to fulfill even more throughout 2013. As a result of the manufacturing lag, the firm has slashed its revenue forecast by as much as $200 million, estimating it'll rake in anywhere from $400 million to $440 million this year. In an effort to add cash to its coffers, the company is putting up roughly 5 million shares of stock for sale. Who's buying, you say? Tesla mentioned its CEO Elon Musk is interested in putting down a cool million bucks.
Xiaomi Phone 1S ships August 23rd with avalanche of backorders
You know you're doing well when even your warmed-up, older smartphone is triggering queues before it's on sale. Xiaomi has just promised that the Phone 1S will reach the market on August 23rd, but with 200,000 units to share -- a slight shortfall when there are 1.3 million reserved phones. The company hasn't said how quickly it will catch up to the backlog for its revived Android flagship. We hope it's soon; it wouldn't do to have customers still waiting for the 1S by the time the Phone 2 rolls around in October, after all. We'd say it's a nice problem to have, and it bodes well for sales of the true sequel.
Apple employs reservation system in China ahead of iPad launch
China hasn't had the best of luck with new iDevice launches. The devices are so popular in that part of the world, and the black market over there is so hungry for goods, that Apple often has issues with legitimate customers trying to get devices. Sometimes fights or vandalism break out when the items go on sale. But Apple has a new weapon against that kind of shenanigans with the upcoming iPad 2 new iPad launch: The company is rolling out a reservation system over in China, designed to make the iPad buying process a lot easier and calmer. Basically, customers will have to make a reservation online to even buy an iPad, which should hopefully do away with the long lines and long waits that led to frustration during previous launches. I'm sure there will still be some annoyed customers who are turned away because they don't have a reservation, but maybe the annoyance will be a little more spread out and not quite as inflammatory. Of course, the real issue here is supply. Apple needs to make sure it has enough devices to meet demand over in China, and so far, it hasn't been able to do that. Meeting that demand will solve both the problem of raucous sales as well as increase profits overall. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Samsung Galaxy S II LTE ready for your reservation on Rogers
There was much rejoicing Stateside upon Tuesday's unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S II, but it's Canadian fans that are getting the party favors ready. A reservation page for the Galaxy S II LTE -- essentially the device we've grown to admire, but with an added 4G turbo boost -- is now up and running on Rogers' site. As a disclaimer, the only way to get one put on hold with your name on it is to fork over a $40 refundable deposit. We haven't seen any change in the phone's official release, so for now we should still expect it before the end of Autumn; at least speed enthusiasts are now one step closer to having the highly-coveted device in their hands. [Thanks, Mariano]
How to reserve a room for BlizzCon 2011
Going to BlizzCon 2011? That makes two of us! But if you're like other confirmed con-goers, you may have had trouble reserving a room; lots of hotels in the area are telling callers that they're sold out for the days BlizzCon takes place. This is not necessarily true! We've discovered that Blizzard and/or the Orange County Visitor's Center has reserved many rooms in the hotels surrounding the convention center specifically for BlizzCon guests. In order to claim them, though, you have to call the Visitor's Center directly. If you have a specific hotel in mind, you can ask for it, but they can also hook you up with other hotels that fit your price range. There's no cost to reserve a room, and you have until Sept. 1 to cancel the reservation with no charge. You just need a credit or debit card to have on file. The number to call for reservations is (714) 765-8868. They're open normal business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Scarpar off-road powerboard coming December 2011, just in time to replace Santa's sleigh
It's been a little over two years since we first came across Scarpar's all-terrain powerboard, and now it's just about ready to hit the streets, or mountains, or whatever. The Australian startup is currently accepting reservations for its surprisingly powerful electric skateboards -- now in two flavors. Scarpar's Model X comes equipped with two 1.5-kilowatt DC Motors and tops out at 28MPH, while the Model S offers two 750-watt motors and hits 18MPH. You can reserve one now for $500 or $600, depending on how much power you want under your feet, but be prepared to shell out either $2,800 or $3,800 when it's finally time to buy. Scarpar expects the things to ship sometime in December, so don't go making any summer vacation plans for you and your new off-roader just yet. [Thanks, Alex]
HotelPal 2.0: A first look at the updated lodging reservation app
Business and personal travelers with iPads and iPhones are familiar with Mobiata's travel apps already. The company's FlightTrack (US$4.99) and FlightTrack Pro ($9.99) apps are often listed as "must-have" tools for travelers, and the fun FlightBoard ($3.99) turns your iPhone or iPad into a live flight departure and arrival board for any airport. Mobiata rolled out the free HotelPal app for iPhone in 2010, and now there's an iPad-optimized version that has shipped along with the updated 2.0 version. What's the app for? Looking at hotel listings for almost any destination, and then actually making reservations from the app. Think of it this way; you're stuck at an airport in a strange city because of a blizzard, and you'd like to find a hotel that isn't too expensive, yet still comfortable and clean. Launching HotelPal on your iPhone or iPad (I looked at the iPad app), the app determines where you are and then immediately populates a map with little price tags indicating the nightly rate. You can also type in a location or tap on a map to drop a location pin, after which HotelPal populates the map with hotel pins and prices. %Gallery-115673%
LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black priced at €499 by Amazon Germany, not yet available to buy
Amazon's German outlet has started listing LG's two latest and undoubtedly greatest phones: the Optimus 2X (seemingly renamed the Optimus Speed here) and the Optimus Black. Both run Android 2.2 on 4-inch screens, with the former offering a dual-core Tegra 2 processor capable of 1080p video recording and HDMI output, and the latter cranking up the display brightness to a quite unreasonable 700 nits. The Optimus Black also has one of the thinnest profiles on a smartphone of its class at 9.2mm, and will be one of the first phones to offer WiFi Direct connectivity. Intriguingly, Amazon's Optimus Speed / 2X listing also shows a brown color option for the handset, though only its black SKU is subject to a neat €50 discount bringing its price to €499, the same as the cost of the Optimus Black. We don't know when either one will drop, but you can go and reserve yourself one (or a dozen) at the links below. [Thanks, Julian]
Nintendo 3DS pre-orders begin at GameStop, still no official US price
The forumites at NeoGAF were chatting it up all evening, and sure enough, it's true -- starting this morning, you can reserve a Nintendo 3DS by dropping a stack of change at any GameStop store. How high you'll have to pile the coin seems to depend on the location, as a New York employee wanted us to deposit $50, even as an Arizona store said we'd only need to bankroll a modest $25. Not that it much matters, as either way your money will go directly towards the as-yet-undetermined (likely $300) purchase price. Should your local GameStop fail to recognize the autostereoscopic handheld's impending availability, just kindly ask them to consult their computer, find the SKU field, and type in the magic numbers "020132." Then, painstakingly wait until March to claim your prize.
NYT on restaurant reservation apps
There's a great piece in the New York Times today about the growing practice of using mobile apps to find and review restaurants. The way it works is simple for customers. Just pull out your phone (or your iPad), launch the app and find what's nearby. Initially, OpenTable was the only app that could be used to make reservations. Now UrbanSpoon offers them as well, and customers are taking advantage. They're testing the idea in LA and Seattle, with 50 and 100 restaurants participating, respectively. Once you've eaten you can post a review. These are sorted by date, so those paying attention can see if a given place is on a slide or an upswing. Even without these apps, I'll use my iPhone to search "coffee" or "hamburgers" with the Maps app to find a place in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Taking it that extra step -- placing a reservation -- is, as Spock would say, logical.
iPhone 4: First Best Buy preorder, Radio Shack kickback plan
If you've got a choice of stores where you can reserve your new phone, may we suggest you consider Radio Shack? Edible Apple reports that the fine folks at the Shack (as noted on the company's Twitter account) are accepting trade-ins for discounts on the iPhone 4. In fact, if you've got a 3GS in good working condition that you're willing to give up, you might get $200 off your purchase -- meaning that you could pick up a new 16GB iPhone 4 for a grand total of nothing, plus tax. Thanks Chris and John
Have an iPad reservation? Your "pick up" email has arrived
Those of us who reserved our iPads for pickup at a nearby Apple Store have been reading about all of the UPS and FedEx shipping notices that were sent with envy. Now we have something we can get excited about! Squeeeeee! This morning, Apple sent out emails to anyone who had reserved an iPad, basically telling us what we already knew -- the iPad will be waiting for us from 9 AM until 3 PM on Saturday at a specific Apple Store, that the reservation will be held only until 3 PM, and that after that time, it's up to you to fight in a to-the-death cage match for one. Well, it doesn't say the last thing, but it does say that sales will be "first-come, first-served basis while supplies last." In case you have an extremely bad memory, Apple has thoughtfully provided a small reminder of what model of Wi-Fi iPad you reserved as well. Note to reservees: be sure to print out your reservation email, laminate it, and carry it around until you actually pick up your iPad on Saturday. It will make you look like a true Apple fanboy.
No more reservations available for iPad launch day
If you were planning on reserving an iPad for pickup at an Apple Store on April 3rd, you're out of luck. Reservations, both in-store and online, ended on Friday. According to TUAW reader Travis, who sent us the tip early Saturday, an Apple sales associate mentioned told him Apple had to shut down reservations since they have no product left between pre-orders and reservations that have already been made. Apparently Apple believes that they may get a 10% bump in extra product at the stores for launch day, but that may be wishful thinking. For those of you who were procrastinating, your best bet at getting an iPad in the near future may be to show up at an Apple Store just before 3 PM on April 3rd. At that point in time, the stores will release any iPads that were reserved, but not picked up. Your other alternative is to make an online order for an iPad for delivery by April 12th. [Thanks for the tip, Travis!]
iPhone 3G S pre-orders start shipping, reservations estimated in the hundreds of thousands
We've got a number of tips this morning about lucky iPhone 3G S pre-orderers getting shipment notifications from Apple. Naturally, with a high profile launch like this we're guessing Apple has done all it can to ensure shipments won't slip through earlier than the June 19th launch date, but hopefully at least few folks will get lucky -- and at least they've got one of the only guarantees of a launch day phone going. In other news, an anonymous Apple Store employee has done some homework and tallied up average reservation numbers at other US stores -- he estimates about 800 people on average are on the reservation list per Apple Store (ranging from a couple hundred to well over a thousand), which amounts to about 200,000 reservations as of now, a number he believes could double before launch. There's no way to back that number up, but it sounds fairly rational. Finally, the iPhone 3G S firmware download link has made its way into the wild. Sure, it doesn't do you any good if you don't have an iPhone 3G S, but we thought you just might want to know all the same.[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]Read - iPhone 3G S shipping noticeRead - iPhone 3G S firmware
GameStop clarifies Wii Reservation program details
Gamasutra has received some clarification on GameStop's Wii Reservation program, which Reggie Fils-Aime first announced during a conference call. Unlike our previous report stated, Wii reservations will only be taken this Friday, December 21st, and can only be placed in person at any GameStop or EB Games location in the US. The reservation will cost the full price of the Wii console ($249.99 USD plus tax), and the reservation slips come in DVD cases with an image of the Wii and Mario on the front, with Mario cheerily stating "Happy Holidays! Your Wii is on the way!" Gee. Thanks, Mario.Reservation slips are limited at each location, though exact numbers have not been given. Only one reservation is available per household, and each customer will receive a phone call in January once their Wii is available for pick-up. All reserved consoles must be picked up by January 25th, 2008. Who's betting on long lines for these tiny slips of paper?
UK trial allows patients to book doctor visits via remote
Amidst the recent boom in home healthcare gizmos that are enabling the elderly to better care for themselves, it's no surprise to see a trial hit the UK which allows patients to book GP appointments via their TV. The system was devised by EMIS, and was initially available "through the Looking Local portal on the interactive menus on Sky, cable, and Freeview boxes with a modem or broadband connection." Additionally, users could access the menu via WAP-enabled mobile phones, and customers in participating areas were able to "access information from the doctor's receptionist along with a password which allowed them to log in to the system." Results from the pilot program included fewer missed appointments and less time spent chatting with the ill over the phone, but we don't foresee any of these productivity savings being passed along to the consumer in the form of pounds and pence.
