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Sony Reader WiFi officially drops to $129.99
Love 'em or hate 'em, one thing's for sure -- e-readers just keep getting cheaper. The latest to see a dip in price is the Sony Reader WiFi, which debuted at $149.99 just a couple of months back, but has now received a permanent drop to $129.99. What's more, Sony is also running a trade-in program through the end of December that will give you an additional $50 off if you turn in any old e-reader. Not quite the instant discount that an ad-supported Kindle gives you, but certainly not a bad deal if you're looking to upgrade from an older model.
NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang: quad-core, Tegra 3 tablets will drop to $299 in a 'couple quarters'
It's inevitable: the "latest and greatest" in tech (whatever that happens to be at the moment) always comes down in price as it makes way for something thinner, faster... better. Still, it's interesting to imagine that happening when a product is still basking in its glory days. That's exactly what what we're going to see with NVIDIA's new quad-core Tegra 3 chip, according to NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. Over lunch today with a few tech journalists, he said he expects Tegra 3 tablets to plummet to $299 in just "a couple quarters." That's pretty incredible when you remember the Transformer Prime hasn't even gone on sale yet, and when it does it'll cost $500 -- a reasonable price in its own right when you stack it up against the aging iPad 2. So it's a bit dizzying to imagine 2012 ushering in a crop of high-end Honeycomb (or even ICS) tablets that cost just a little more than the Nook Tablet currently does. We'll be curious to see how such pricing might pressure the likes of Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple, but regardless, something tells us lots of you won't wait six months to get your hands on a half-price Prime.
Best Buy whacks $50 from Nook Color's price tag
Waiting for Monday to hear about the inevitable? Don't. If you're looking to snap up a Nook Color (review) following the impending price drop -- you know, now that the Nook Tablet is about to replace it on the company's hardware pedestal -- Best Buy would like you to know that it's dropping the price of said product already. What's still listed at $249 at B&N's own site is $199 in the source link below. Celebrate accordingly.
Nook Simple Touch seeing price drop to $99, touts 'no annoying ads'
Who says a friendly jab is unwarranted? A leaked Barnes & Noble's slide that slipped into our hands has confirmed that the touch-enabled Nook (now formally know as the Nook Simple Touch) will fall from $139 to $99 as early as November 16th, bringing with it a v1.1 software update that's largely unheralded for now. In the paperwork, B&N claims that this guy offers "25 percent faster page turns than any other e-reader, a two-month battery life built-in WiFi, and no annoying ads." Man, Amazon. Are you really going to sit back and take that? %Gallery-138390%
B&N cutting Nook Color price to $199, adding Hulu Plus and more streaming music
So, if the looming Nook Tablet's retailing for $249, what's that mean for the Nook Color? A price drop, naturally. Based on leaked slides that we've received, the Nook Color will be dropping to $199 by November 16th, but the $50 price savings ain't all that B&N's throwing your way. The Nook Color v1.4 update will bring along some pretty intense extras, including the addition of Hulu Plus, "millions of songs" from services like Rhapsody, Grooveshark, Pandora and MOG and a litany of new tailored apps (with Scrabble called out in particular). Decisions, decisions...
GoPro launches HD Hero2 helmet cam, announces video streaming Wi-Fi pack for winter
Want to catch every frame of your next extreme sports wipeout in all of its grotesque glory? GoPro knows where you're coming from, and has updated its line of high definition helmet cams to help you capture every bone-breaking moment. The HD Hero2 competitively boasts that it's twice as powerful its 2009 predecessor, the original HD Hero. The new helmet cam promises to capture 1080p 16:9 footage from atop your sweaty noggin at both narrow (90-degree), wide (170-degree) and medium (127-degree) angles, and can snap up to ten 11 megapixel photos per second. The camera's mini-HDMI port, composite out, USB, SD card and HERO ports will help you share the spoils of your spills when your adventure ends -- at least until this winter, when GoPro's WiFi BacPac promises to enable live broadcasting and camera control over WiFi. Best of all? The Hero2 kills the original HD Hero's confusing 3-digit code interface in favor of a simple language-based menu. The HD Hero2 comes in three $300 configurations: outdoor, motorsports, and surf editions, all of which are compatible with existing accessories. Too rich for your blood? Then you'll be happy to know that the previous models are getting price drops -- $200 for the original HD Hero and a paltry $150 for its "960" variant. Hit the break for the official PR and a full list of features.
Apple's iPod nano now $149 for 16GB and $129 for 8GB (update: 2010 nanos get the goodies too)
Apple keeps coming with the news from its "Let's talk iPhone" event, and the latest is a price drop for its diminutive PMP, the nano. From now on, you'll be forking over $129 for an 8GB version and $149 for twice the tunage space. Additionally, Cupertino's tossing in big icons -- as opposed to the grid of 4 that was the only option previously -- 16 new clocks (Mickey Mouse included!) to go with all those fabulous watch accessories, and workout tracking abilities right out of the box so you no longer need a Nike+ shoe dongle to see how many calories you've burned. Not bad for a little guy, eh? Full PR after the break. Update: Thanks to the folks over at 9to5 Mac, we now know that owners of 2010 nanos will get the software update with the new features too. %Gallery-135721%
Sony cuts the VAIO SA's starting price to $1,000, starts shipping the 15-inch VAIO SE
Lots of PC news flowing out of Sony Electronics' US headquarters this fine Sunday morning. First, the company slashed the starting price of the 13-inch VAIO SA laptop from $1,250 to $1,000, while the lower-end SB series now starts at $780 (it had been going for $800 after instant savings). We asked Sony's PR team what that means for folks who recently purchased either of these through Sony's online store, and still haven't gotten a response, but the company was quick to remind us that it's up to retailers such as Best Buy to set their own price protection policies. (Thanks, Sony!) Moving along, that 15.5-inch VAIO SE series we reviewed a month ago is at last up for sale, beautiful 1080p display and all. You can find her on Sony's site starting at a thousand bucks with a Core i5-2430M processor, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive, DVD burner and, of course, that 1920 x 1080 panel. So, is all that worth a flaky trackpad and poor battery life (sans $150 slice)? That, friends, is a decision you'll have to make for yourself. Finally, in more granular news, the 14-inch C and E series are getting expanded Sandy Bridge processor options, while the 16-inch F series and L series all-in-ones will come with Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum, Sound Forge Audio Studio and ACID Music Studio pre-installed. In addition, the SA, L, F and E series are all getting speed bumps, as are pre-configured SB and Z series laptops. Oh, and the SB is now available in red. Got it? Good. Lots of up to date specs at the source link.
Amazon discounts 'original' 6-inch Kindle Keyboard: now starting at $99
Ready for another new Kindle moniker to remember? Here it comes! "Kindle Keyboard." That's the name that was bestowed upon the tried-and-true 6-incher today after Bezos unwrapped a touchscreen model and a low-cost variant that tout no physical QWERTY keys whatsoever. Now, the WiFi-only Kindle is going for as low as $99 with ads (down from $114), while the non-ads edition can be had for $139. Meanwhile, the 3G + WiFi Special Offers edition has fallen from $164 to $139, and the ad-free brother is going for $189. Naturally, all four of 'em are in stock and shipping today if the new blood just didn't do much for ya.
Fusion Garage hacks $200 off of Grid 10 tablet, aims to play the undercutting game
Looks like we're all indebted to HP in one way or another. Since the TouchPad fire sale began, we've seen a noticeable southward shift in tablet pricing -- it's as if iPad rivals finally figured out that battling on price was just about the only way to make a dent in Apple's enviable market share. Now, we're seeing Fusion Garage wipe a full $200 from its Grid 10 tablet... before the thing even ships. If you'll recall, the outfit was aiming for a September 15th release date here in the States, with initial pricing for its 16GB model set for $499 (WiFi-only) / $599 (WiFi + 3G). Out of the blue, those pre-order rates have plummeted to $299 / $399 this morning, giving prospective Grid OS adopters entirely more motivation to buy in. It seems that Amazon hasn't received the memo quite yet, so those hoping to get in the low-cost line should scurry down to the source link. Naturally, we'll be bringing you a full-on review as soon as we procure one, and we're guessing that just became a lot more relevant to your interests. Update: A Fusion Garage spokesperson told Engadget that the company had planned to launch with the lower price all along, but negotiations with an ODM made it impossible to announce the price earlier. The company also added that the Grid 10 will experience a slight shipping delay, being pushed back to October 1st due to a "new criteria in [the] Adobe Flash Player (FP) 10.3 approval process." Update 2: Looks like UKers can also get in on the fun! Those prices are listed at £259 (WiFi-only) / £359 (WiFi + 3G). [Thanks, Jeff]
Intel adds 16 CPUs to Sandy Bridge stable, slashes prices on some older silicon
It's been a few months since AMD threw down the gauntlet on Intel with its lower-priced Llano lineup, and now Chipzilla's responded with some new bargain basement Sandy Bridge silicon. The refresh includes 11 new desktop CPUs: a Core i5 chip, three Core i3s, and a handful of dual-core Pentium and Celeron processors as well. There are also five new mobile chips, including three new quad-core Core i7s (2960XM, 2860QM, and 2760QM), and the dual-core Core i7-2640M and Celeron B840. In a separate nod to these tough economic times, Intel cut the prices on a few of its existing models, too. Granted, it's only a six-percent discount at the most, but we're sure you can put those dollars to good use elsewhere in your next DIY rig.
Rumor: Walmart dropping Xbox 360 4GB Kinect bundle to $249 on Aug. 28 [update]
The upcoming Walmart circular reveals that the mega-retailer will do a "rollback" on the price of the Xbox 360 4GB Kinect bundle, dropping it to $249 (down $50 from the current price). The flyer we were provided was for the week beginning August 28. The timing of the price cut could be a reaction to Sony's recent PS3 price snip. Microsoft recently stated it wasn't feeling any pressure to reduce the price of the Xbox 360 in Europe. Meanwhile, in America, the system has performed consistently well in the later years of its life Update: Microsoft tells Joystiq that "Walmart made an independent decision to implement this temporary price cut." Full statement after the break.%Gallery-131658%
European Xbox boss not feeling pressured to cut 360 price
It's the question every potential buyer wants to know: Will Microsoft respond to Sony's $50 PS3 price cut with an Xbox 360 price cut of its own? After all, it didn't take long for Microsoft to match the lower price of Sony's PS3 Slim, first unveiled at Gamescom two years ago. But over a week in and there's still no sign of a price cut coming from Redmond. At $200 for the 4GB Xbox 360 and $300 for the abnormally large 250GB model, Sony's $250 160GB PS3 not only bests the 'box on hardware (hello Blu-ray!) but on price as well. So what's Microsoft going to do about it? Nothing, apparently. When asked if he was "feeling any pressure to move [price] down a little" in response to the PS3 price cut, European Xbox bigwig Chris Lewis told VG247 simply, "No." He elaborated, "We think we offer great value now," pointing to features like Xbox Live and Kinect, but insisted, "We're happy with our position." If we were in Lewis' position, tasked with beating back Sony's European sales lead, "happy" probably wouldn't be our first response to Sony's aggressive pricing.
Verify your Ambassadorship with Nintendo's eligibility checker
As one of the first 4 millionish people to buy Nintendo's 3DS prior to its dramatic price drop earlier this month, you've no doubt assumed the role of Ambassador with pride, dignity, and a frantic, ever-present anticipation for all of the dope swag in your near future. We get the feeling that you already know whether or not you successfully connected to the Nintendo eShop before the deadline, but just to make super double sure, Nintendo has launched an Ambassador eligibility verification tool on its support site. Our eagle-eyed tipsters have informed us that including the last digit of your serial numer (the one in the box) may return a false ineligibility error, so 3DS owners looking for absolute peace of mind regarding their free games should be sure to try the tool both ways. [Thanks, Sonny!]
Walmart, Target jump the gun on Nintendo 3DS price drops
Can't wait for August 12th for Nintendo's 3DS price drop to take effect? Good news, neither could two giant retailers, apparently. Walmart reportedly got the ball rolling yesterday, cutting the asking price down from $250 to $170 in-store, and Target quickly followed suit -- the price is still listed as $250 on both sites for the moment. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata acknowledged late last month that the drops, officially scheduled for August 12th, were due to concerns from retailers and game designers. As Joystiq points out, those who buy the console before the switchover is official will likely be able to take advantage of the price drop and Nintendo's offer of free games for early adopters. Score.
HP TouchPad price drop goes permanent (update: confirmed)
Pricing has long been one of our biggest concerns with HP's webOS-tastic TouchPad. So, when the company offered up a $100 discount on the slate, things certainly seemed headed in the right direction. The drop was only tease, sadly, and the price went right back to normal levels two days later. Apparently consumers liked the price cut as well, and HP, in turn, liked that, moving the company to implement the reduction on a more permanent basis. This is according to a reported internal memo from the company highlighting the decision to permanently price the 16GB and 32GB WiFi versions of the tablet at $399 and $499 "effective immediately." Update: We just heard back from an HP representative, who confirmed the pricing is indeed legit and in fact is in effect on HP's site. [Thanks all]
Wii Mario Kart bundle drops to $134 on Walmart.com
If you've just gotta get those blue sparks, but also have to maintain your personal fiscal responsibility during these tough and uncertain economic times, Walmart.com has made your internal struggle between green-backs and green shells a little easier to reconcile by dropping both black and white Wii Mario Kart bundles to $134.00. Other online storefronts such as Best Buy and Target still have the bundle listed for $149.99, so this appears to be a Walmart-thing, rather than a Nintendo-thing. It will be interesting to see if other retailers follow suit, or if Nintendo will drop the price themselves ahead of the Wii U's launch, which would render Walmart's 15 dollar discount irrelevant. Either way, Walmart certainly seems determined to move some Nintendo merchandise out the door. [Thanks, Phil!]
Nintendo CEO responds to 3DS price drop backlash
Post-purchase price drops are one of a number of curses that plague early adopters. Generally, however, such shifts take time, so Nintendo caught us all a bit by surprised when it announced that it will be cutting the cost of the 3DS from $249 to $169 in mid-August. The gaming giant was quick to mend fences, offering 20 free virtual console games to those who got burned by the discount. Nintendo's CEO Satoru Iwata followed up the announcement with a more formal apology to consumers, noting that they may well feel "betrayed" and "punished" for their early adoption. Iwata added that early buyers are still "important" to the company, and that the decision to drop the price was due to concerns on the part of retailers and designers that Nintendo hasn't released a worthy followup to the ultra-popular DS.
iPhone price cuts hitting Radio Shack, Target tomorrow?
Let the speculation begin! It may not be a sign of an iPhone refresh, but we've received multiple tips today about an imminent price drop for Apple's flagship smartphone. According to a pair of trusty tipsters, Radio Shack is prepping to cut the cost of AT&T's 16GB iPhone 4 to $169.99, with a two-year contract, from $199.99. The 32GB version will likewise take a $30 plunge at the Shack, ringing in at $269.99, and the price of the 8GB 3GS will drop to $19.99. Phone Arena is likewise reporting on Target slicing up the old Apple price tag, but lists varying numbers based on carrier. If all this talk turns out to be true, those prices should be ripe for the picking starting tomorrow. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Current 3DS owners eligible for free games
Nintendo is looking to reward early adopters of 3DS, or at least incur a last-minute sales burst before $80 (that's over 30 percent!) comes off the system, bringing it down to $170 on August 12. Those who own a 3DS and connect to the Nintendo eShop before 11:59PM EST on August 11 will be automatically enrolled into the "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador" program. 3DS ambassadorial duties mostly involve playing a bunch of free games. The status grants you access to 10 free NES Virtual Console games on September 1 before their general release (these include The Legend of Zelda, Balloon Fight and Ice Climber), along with 10 more Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games by the end of 2011. The GBA games -- like Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames and Mario vs. Donkey Kong -- will not be available to anyone else. Is all that enough to ameliorate early buyer's remorse? Nintendo claims that it has sold more than 830,000 3DS systems in the US since it debuted in late March, and that it will keep momentum up with several big holiday releases. In the category of games available to everyone: Kid Icarus: Uprising in the holidays, Super Mario Land 3D in November, followed in December by Mario Kart 7.
