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The Macallan distillery opens up for 4D virtual reality tours
Not everyone has the means to travel to Scotland and visit their favorite distillery a la Ron Swanson. To help connoisseurs live out their dreams of traipsing through its facilities, The Macallan has created the Macallan Distillery Experience. VRFocus describes it as a "4D multi-sensory" group tour that guides folks through the company's process for making its Single Malt spirit. Along the way you'll explore the Scottish distillery an the estate it resides on, learning about the outfit's history along the way. Visitors will step into a "15x15x15 cube-like projection structure" with 360-degree videos beamed to the installation's walls.
Buy an Xbox One X and get 'PUBG' free for a limited time
From December 17th through the 31st, Microsoft will give everyone who purchases an Xbox One X a copy of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. A post on Xbox Wire says that over a million people played the battle royale game within 48 hours of being available. Not bad for a game that hasn't even hit 1.0 yet. The move makes a lot of sense; the folks who've play PUBG in Early Access for almost a year are exactly the type of audience Microsoft has been targeting with its "most powerful console ever" One X marketing campaign. That said, the lovably clunky game's appeal might be lost on the folks who are buying the $500 console just to show off their new 4K TV.
Apple tosses in free Beats headphones for students buying Macs, iPads
Apple has offered student discounts on its hardware and services for awhile now, but now it's taking that further. In an effort to make its gear even more ubiquitous on campus, Apple will throw in a pair of Beats headphones with Mac and iPad Pro purchases from now until September 25th, full details here (PDF).
Sony made a gigantic PS4 controller no one can use
Sony has eSports-tailored PlayStation 4 controllers, but aside from that, the gaming juggernaut hasn't made any major changes to the gamepad that shipped with the PS4. But as a Japanese promo for the recent Parappa the Rapper re-issue, the company made a gigantic version of its best controller in years. We're talking perfect-for-Wun-Weg-the-giant from Game of Thrones size.
SoundCloud Go promo gives you 3 months of music for 99 cents
SoundCloud's Go streaming service is barely half a year old, but the company is already determined to attract hesitant listeners. It's launching a week-long promo that will give you 3 months of unlimited, ad-free music for 99 cents (or 99 pence in the UK) if you subscribe by September 19th. That's similar to offers we've seen from the likes of Google and Spotify, of course. However, it's more important here. While there's a real chance that you have at least a passing acquaintance with Google Play Music or Spotify, SoundCloud Go is relatively new and untested -- this is your chance to give it an extended try without dropping $30/£30. And when SoundCloud hasn't had much success getting customers to bite, a good deal like this could go a long way toward improving the company's bottom line.
AT&T offers DirecTV customers $500 to change phone service
Now that AT&T has finalized its acquisition of DirecTV, the carrier isn't wasting any time trying to bring in new wireless customers. Today, AT&T announced a promotion for people who are already subscribed to the satellite television provider, which includes up to $500 in bill credit. It's simple: DirecTV customers can get $300 applied to their account for every phone line switched over to AT&T, though each requires a device purchased through Next, the company's monthly installment plan. To make the deal more enticing, AT&T's also offering $200 for "eligible" smartphone trade-ins -- altogether, this could end up saving users a few hundred dollars if they decide to jump ship. "But what about me? I have U-Verse," you may be asking... There's nothing to be upset about, since these credits are available to you as well.
Flying R2-D2 will grace the skies over this year's Comic-Con
Otto Dieffenbach is famous for crafting drones that look like pop culture icons, and this one is no exception. Just in time for this year's Comic-Con, the self-described creator of "Identifiable Flying Objects" has created an R2-D2 model that can fly. From a distance, it looks just like everybody's favorite beeping pedal bin, but in fact it's just a hollowed-out casing for a quadcopter that'll hover over the skies of San Diego. So, if you're hanging out at the show, look up every now and again -- you might see something that'll bring back your memories of Attack of the Clone... actually, no, don't do that.
Buy the Moto X Pure Edition, get a free Moto E
Want to buy a smartphone for yourself, but also need to snag a cheap phone for family (or, let's be honest, a backup for yourself)? Motorola might have you covered. It just kicked off an unusual promotion that gives you a free 3G version of the new Moto E when you buy a Moto X Pure Edition. That's not so hot if you insist on LTE data for every device, but it's a no-brainer if you were either set on getting a Moto X or don't relish the idea of splurging on two phones at once. Don't spend long deciding what to do, though -- Motorola is only running the promo through March 24th.
Sprint promo gives you an iPhone, an iPad and service for $100 a month
Are you the sort who has to have the latest phone and tablet? Sprint might have a deal for you. It's extending its aggressive For Life deals with a promotion that gives you an iPhone 6, an LTE iPad mini 3 and service for both at $100 a month, or about $17 less than what you'd pay to get them separately. While you only get 2GB of data on the iPad, that could be enough for family vacations or regular trips to a WiFi-less coffee shop. The big caveat (besides the conspicuous lack of an Android equivalent) is that the offer ends on April 9th. If you're all-in on Apple gear, you'll want to act quickly -- Sprint's determination to win new customers with cut-rate pricing isn't going to last forever. Photo by Will Lipman.
Promo gives you subscriptions to five big productivity services for $60
Like the idea of using cloud-based services to keep your life organized, but don't relish the idea of paying a huge amount just to use the paid versions of those services? That won't be a problem for about... oh, the next month or so. Evernote, LastPass, the New York Times, Pocket and Wunderlist have teamed up to launch the Productivity Pack, a promotional bundle that gives you subscriptions to all of their premium offerings for $60 if you sign up before February 13th -- not bad when you'd normally pay $185. The NYT subscription only gives you eight weeks of unfettered reading, but you'll have a year's worth of advanced note-taking, password storage, downloadable web articles and task management. The price will go up once it's time to renew, of course, but it might be worth the investment simply to see what's worth keeping.
Apple's new US promo gives Apple TV buyers free $25 iTunes gift cards
Color us intrigued. Apple seldom offers discounts on any of its devices outside of Black Friday, and yet it just launched a short, US-only promotion (PDF) that gives Apple TV buyers free $25 iTunes gift cards to jumpstart their media libraries. There's no major strings attached -- you just have to buy the device between now and March 5th to get the bonus credit. It sounds like a solid deal, but you may not want to rush to the store right away. The promo comes hot on the heels of rumors of a next-generation Apple TV, which suggests that the crew in Cupertino may be clearing out inventory ahead of a new model. If you're not worried about owning the latest and greatest, though, it's a tempting offer.
Verizon waives activation fees, offers smartphone trade-in deals -- for a limited time
Is The UnCarrier to blame for Verizon and AT&T running different promotions lately? Perhaps. But regardless of who's to blame thank for this, the stiff competition between US carriers is a great thing for you, the consumer. The latest ones come by way of Verizon, which recently kicked off a couple of limited-time deals in hopes of luring customers in. For starters, Verizon's offering a $100 in-house gift card for any smartphone "in good working condition appraised for less than $100," though you could get up to $300 for a more valuable handset. Additionally, Verizon's also waving its $35 activation fees on new lines during the next few days -- which, when combined with the recycling promo, could end up saving you a good amount of cash. The trade-in offer will be running through March 31st, while the other is set to be valid until February 17th.
HTC looks to boost One sales with new weekend promo, offers $100 to $375 for trade-ins
HTC has already gone the trade-in route to offer folks a discount on its new One smartphone, but it's now giving it another go this weekend with an expanded promo in the US and Canada. This new one is open to anyone that buys an HTC One between today and Sunday, May 5th (the previous promotion required folks to pre-register), and it now offers up to $375 for smartphones that you trade in. Unless you're looking to unload your brand new smartphone in a hurry, though, you may want to check around for the going rates first. The slightly better option is for folks who've been sticking with an aging phone; as before, HTC is guaranteeing at least $100 for your trade-in, so you may well get more from it than you would on the open market (assuming you want to buy a One, of course). Those interested can find all the fine print and check the value of their phone at the source link below.
John Lewis stores let you buy a gadget, get half a year of free broadband
Retailers will try any number of stunts to get our feet in the door when they've got inventory to clear or services to push, whether they're offering straight-up discounts or giving away devices. UK retailer John Lewis would really, really like us to try its home broadband, so it's trying a related yet uncommon strategy: buy an internet-capable device by April 15th, 2014 and John Lewis will supply half a year of broadband for free, even at fiber optic speeds. As always, though, there's an asterisk at the end. Would-be customers need to sign up for a year-long service contract to qualify, so they'll be paying between £25 to £39 per month ($38 to $60) for at least another half-year. We doubt many will shift their laptop or tablet purchases just to get cheap data, but the promo may tip the balance for those experimenting with internet providers or wiring up a new flat.
Barnes and Noble giving away Nook Simple Touch with every Nook HD+ purchase in limited promo
Americans love a good bargain -- especially, when it's a twofer. Barnes and Noble, arguably the only real competitor to Amazon's Kindle juggernaut, has just announced a promotion to get as many of its Nook readers into consumers' hands as possible. Starting March 24th and running until the end of the month, consumers that purchase the Nook HD+ online, in-store or at select big box retailers will also be given a free Nook Simple Touch. The limited promotion comes hot on the heels of rumors that B&N would start to de-emphasize hardware production for the Nook line in favor of its content services; a rumor the company publicly shot down. Still, there's no denying e-reader market share's been an uphill battle for B&N, even if the segment is seeing marginal year-over-year increases. Numbers aside, if you've been holding out on joining the digital reading fray because of cost, now's the time to make the switch.
AMD Never Settle bundle gives Radeon HD 7000 buyers free games they'd actually care to play
Just about anyone who has bought more than one aftermarket graphics card knows that bundled games rarely matter. They're usually year-old titles or neutered editions built only to showcase the GPU's performance for a few hours. AMD thinks its Never Settle bundle might finally get us to notice. Buy any modern Radeon HD video card from the 7770 GHz Edition on up and you'll get a download code for at least one new game you'd genuinely want to try, ranging from Far Cry 3 on basic cards to a full three-game deal that supplies Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs to high rollers buying the 7900 series. There's likewise a discount for Medal of Honor: Warfighter and promises of bundles in 2013 for Bioshock Infinite and the reimagined Tomb Raider. As long as you're not dead set on springing for a GeForce board in the next few months, one of the qualifying cards might be worth a look to jumpstart your game collection.
Microsoft announces Xbox 360 holiday bundles and $50 off promo for US market
With this year's holidays being just around the corner, it's only natural for companies to start tempting potential customers with cash-saving, too-good-to-pass deals. With that in mind, Microsoft, via the informative Major Nelson, announced earlier today its 2012 Xbox 360 holiday bundles in hopes of luring some folks in; among these are a 250GB console with Kinect, Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures and one month of Xbox Live for $400, while there's also a 4GB, $300 option that comes with the same Gold subscription, Redmond's motion-tracking peripheral, Kinect Disneyland Adventures and Kinect Adventures. In addition, the Surface maker said retailers should start offering the console for $50 off MSRP, and that this limited time deal will also apply to the Halo 4 bundle which is due to come out on November 6th. Better yet, these new bundles and promos are available now -- so, for those living in the US, now could be a good time to snag one of Microsoft's renowned consoles.
PSA: $25 Google Play credit for Nexus 7 ends this weekend
Those who have been keeping a close eye on Google's 7-inch, Jelly Bean-loaded Nexus 7 would know that the company kindly includes 25 bucks worth of Play credit with any purchase of said tablet. Unfortunately, as the famed cliché would tell us, all good things must come to an end -- and, well, such is the case with this neat promotion, which will expire on Sunday, September 30th. Here's the good news, however: there's still a relatively good amount of time for folks interested to get it on the Google Play deal, so now would be the perfect moment to snag what some are calling the best $200 tablet -- and who knows, this might even lead to a post-order Gangnam Style celebration of your own.
Anarchy Online offers subscription bonuses
Anarchy Online wants your business,- and it's prepared to undertake a fair bit of bribery to make that happen. Funcom is offering a pair of promotions for new and existing players who choose to subscribe any time between now and November 12th. For new players, AO will dish out more bonus items the longer you stay subscribed. These bonuses include Funcom points, a luxury apartment, fancy armor, and even all of the Anarchy Online expansions. Existing players who sign on for a 12-month subscription will get over $100 of bonuses including Funcom points, all expansions, armor, and consumables.
Microsoft reveals new logo after 25 years, proves that it's (still) okay to be square
Remember that time Microsoft teased what most sane humans thought were new logos? That was right around two years ago, but the branding you see above is no mistake -- that's the new Microsoft logo, landing just months after Windows 8's new flag and merely weeks before the aforesaid operating system takes the planet by storm. Astoundingly, it has been a full quarter-century since Microsoft gave itself a new logo, and while we're sure pundits will jump all over it just because "dealing with change is hard," there's no doubt that the outfit's new face is bold in its simplicity. Care to learn more? There's a happy-go-lucky video waiting just after the break.
