vouchers
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Nintendo is selling discount game vouchers to Switch Online members
Nintendo is selling vouchers exclusively to Switch Online members that you can use to purchase some of the platform's most popular games at a discount. A pair of vouchers will set you back $100, and you can use each one to redeem any eligible title. While the list of compatible games is pretty short, it does include Breath of the Wild and the Pokémon Let's Go games -- it's also mostly titles that'll cost you $60 when you buy them from the eShop, with some $50 games in the mix.
Google Offers now lets you clip coupons without paying in advance
Mountain View wants you to know that Google Offers isn't another Groupon copycat; that's why the service is now taking a different approach. Whereas you've previously had to pay for discount vouchers in advance, you can now clip them for free and then pay for purchases in-store, making Offers more convenient to use. The company's also introducing coupons outside the main Offers app, adding them to Wallet, Maps and Search, as well as programming Google Now to flash a notification whenever you pass by a participating establishment. Here's some even better news for veteran users, though: you can either get a refund for unused offers you've paid for, or get your money back as Google Play credit. If you go the latter route, you'll get extra dollars on top -- enough to jazz up your phone with SwiftKey or Photoshop Touch.
Google Offers swings by the iPhone, saves dough for Apples
iPhone owners bummed that their Android-using friends were taking advantage of Google Offers they couldn't use can now level the playing field: an iOS port has just gone live. Much like its Google-native peer, the iPhone-optimized version can spot discounts in the neighborhood and will let you claim them on the spot. The chronically inattentive still get a lot of love in the process with both mentions of new offers and warnings for soon-to-expire deals. In keeping with Google Offers' current US-only focus, the app won't show outside of American borders just yet -- but if you've been thinking those yoga classes in Portland were a bit too dearly priced, your iPhone (and a well-timed sale) is now all it takes to set things right.
PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs
PayWizard's "multi-screen" TV payment platform has been available for some time in the UK, but the company's now taking advantage of CES to attempt a big push into the US market. That multi-screen bit comes from the ability to manage your account and purchase content on multiple devices (including smartphones and PCs, in addition to smart TVs), and the company is also touting a new voucher system that can be used for gifting and promotions from content providers. While it remains to be seen how widely it will be used, the company has already gotten off to a decent start by announcing an application for Samsung's smart TVs, which will let folks refill their balance and manage their accounts. Additional details can be found at the source link below and in the press release after the break.
GameStop brings digital download purchases to stores, thus completing the retail circle
In some weird alternative universe, this is how retail is done: you walk into a store, buy a voucher for a digital product, and then download it. It's a model that GameStop is embracing by offering digital PC game purchases through its retail locations. There are certain benefits to buying from a brick and mortar location -- for one thing, customers can use trade-in credits for their purchases. And those who pre-order a digital copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution -- the first game being offered through this model -- will receive some extras including downloads of earlier entries in the series. Just be mindful of pop-ups -- they're way worse in real life.
Half of government-issued digital TV coupons have expired before use
Okay, it's not that alarming, now is it? How often do you (or wait, let's use your neighbor in this example) let mailer coupons sit around, collect dust and expire? Yeah, exactly. According to a recent writeup over at WDEF-TV, around half of the 840,000 government-issued digital TV coupons have already expired before they were used, and interestingly enough, Congress may not be placing all of the blame on procrastination. It's said that many folks are still having a tough time tracking a converter box down, and judging by Ben's runaround a few months back, we guess we can sympathize. For those with recently expired vouchers, you may want to keep them around a few weeks longer -- if this proves to be too widespread, The Man may actually extend their useful life to enable more citizens to get discounts.
Engadget HD discovers how the FCC left early HDTV adopters in the cold
Ringing in the new year, the FCC started their digital TV voucher program yesterday. But all of the early HDTV adopters who were hoping to use a voucher to help offset the cost of a OTA HD set-top-box for their "HD Ready" HDTV are out of luck. So if you're the early adopter type, head over to Engadget HD for the full scoop.
HD STBs are not eligible for $40 DTV vouchers
With only 412 days to go until analog TV goes dark, there are plenty of questions about the new voucher program that started yesterday. While none of the new boxes are available just yet, reading through the very long list of rules, we found something a little disappointing; any STB with HD outputs (DVI, HDMI or component) can't be purchased with the help of a $40 voucher. While we understand the government's desire to cut back on fraud -- while at the same time keeping costs down -- we can't help but think about all the early HDTV adopters that have "HD Ready" HDTVs. These people bought well before the DTV tuner mandate went into effect, and will be left out of the voucher program completely. Of course one could argue that if they could afford to be early adopters, then they don't need the hand out, but what about all those who picked up an HDTV on the secondhand market? The other interesting tidbit in the rules section is the inclusion of CEA-909, aka smart antennas. This is an antenna with a interface to the STB that allows the tuner to adjust the antenna to optimize reception. This can be very important to anyone who lives in an area where transmitters are installed in multiple locations.
