RadioShack
Latest
Radio Shack stores getting WiMAX upgrades ahead of Evo launch?
While there's certainly plenty to love about HTC's EVO 4G, that 4G in the title is certainly one of the major draws. We're guessing it'll be a little easier to sell the things if customers can experience the wonders of WiMAX for themselves, so that's probably why RadioShack is (according to our tipster) installing these Clearwire WiMAX repeaters in at least some of its stores ahead of the May 30 June 4 launch of the phone there. This will effectively turn The Shack into 4G hotspots and, while we're not sure of the range of these bad boys, this is a good thing even if it extends the reach of WiMAX just a few feet further into our lives. Another picture after the break. Update: Oops, the phone is of course launching on June 4. It's 4G that's going live in this tipster's home city on May 30. [Thanks, Markus]
Radio Shack taking EVO 4G preorders for $50 deposit, will toss in $20 for accessories
Between Sprint and Best Buy locations, there shouldn't be any shortage of opportunities to score an EVO 4G next month -- assuming inventory holds up, of course -- but Radio Shack's getting in the game, too, and it's sweetening the deal just a little bit. If you reserve a phone prior to launch by purchasing a $50 gift card (which you'll presumably use in June to help pay for the purchase), they'll toss in a $20 credit toward accessories when you come back in. Of course, these days, that doesn't even get you all the way to affording a freaking wall charger, but it's better than a punch in the nose. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Radio Shack nixing sales of Sprint's Pre and Pixi, but what does it mean?
So it looks like Barron's and The Wall Street Journal have talked to enough store clerks and Sprint reps today to confirm that Radio Shack is definitely dropping the original Palm Pre and Pixi from its in-store lineup. For what it's worth, Sprint says that "this is in line with Radio Shack's normal product planning process -- there is a designated amount of space in stores for handsets and they work to keep the line up of devices as current as possible," and we actually tend to believe that story since the phones (the Pre in particular) are getting awfully long in the tooth and we wouldn't blame the retailer for trying to cycle in some fresh stuff. The bigger question is whether the move indicates that Palm has some hot new gear for Sprint around the corner; if not, this gives Palm one less avenue for sales at a time when it needs all the help it can get, especially since you won't find these guys hawking Verizon's versions. [Thanks, Brent]
myTouch Slide leaks from Radio Shack Direct2U system
What do we have here, then? According to an anonymous tipster, this is the first appearance of the rumored myTouch Slide -- the alleged and presumed successor to the G1 on T-Mobile -- in Radio Shack's (um, "The Shack's") Direct2U system. These things are always to be taken with a grain of salt, but really -- who would fake this? All we can say is that we sure hope that when the image does arrive ("soon") it looks a sight better than the pics we've already seen.
Android-based Archos 5 Internet Tablet surfaces in 8GB form for $250
The Archos 5 Internet Tablet hasn't had the smoothest ride into the commercial realm, but thanks to a few firmware updates, the Android-based player seems to finally be humming along just fine. That said, not everyone's interested in shelling out big bucks for a capacious version, which makes the latest edition perfect for those simply curious to see how Google's mobile OS fares on a portable media player. The 8GB model has surfaced over at Radio Shack, bringing with it all the goods on the larger siblings but with far less internal space. The best part? That $249.99 price tag (and that little "In Stock" icon beside it).
Black Friday deals roundup, starring SonyStyle, Sam's Club, and more
It's less than 24 hours before the US Consumer Conglomerate commences its attack on the brick-and-mortar retail battlefield. We've already seen a number of outlets show their Black Friday cards, but now some of the bigger guns are revealing their specials. SonyStyle is taking a couple hundred dollars off of VAIO laptops, and offering some even deeper discounts on BRAVIA TVs. Sam's Club? Sears? RadioShack? Yep, their fliers are now out in the open. Even Canada's getting in on the fun, at least as far as NCIX is concerned. Stuff yourself full of turkey tonight, there's a war coming -- we suggest you prepare properly. Bonus: Here's a list of our most recent other Black Friday round-ups. Black Friday deals roundup: Best Buy, Lenovo, Verizon and more Black Friday deals roundup: Walmart, Target and NewEgg Black Friday deals bonanza round up Black Friday ads leaking all over town, we've rounded them up Sears Black Friday ad revealed, we'll be sleeping off our tryptophan hangovers
LG X120 netbook comes to the US with 2-year AT&T contract
If you've been aching to get your hands on the 10.1-inch, matte white LG X120 netbook that's been thrilling the trendy Euro jet-set elite for the last 6 months or so, now is your chance! Available at RadioShack.com and select brick and mortar The Shack locations, it can be yours for $179.99 with a 2-year $60/month AT&T contract. We'll let you do the math -- but believe us, you're probably better off shelling out the cash for the Levis Special Edition. Available at some unspecified near future date. For more info, peep the PR after the break.
FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon
Look, we fully understand that someone, somewhere put a lot of time and effort into designing a $250 handheld that does nothing but watch pixelated mobile TV for a lofty per-month price, but seriously, there has to be better uses of one's time. The 3.5-inch FLO TV Personal Television is on sale today at Amazon, Best Buy and RadioShack, though we suspect that the $249.99 up front price will probably keep most potential buyers at bay. Six months of service are included, but afterwards you'll be paying at least $8.99 per month (and a rate that low requires a three-year contract) to keep the signals flowing. If we're being honest, this thing is still more useful than Celio's REDFLY, but that sure ain't sayin' much.
Shacking up: iPhone sales plan at RadioShack sparks rally
It's been in the rumor mix for well over a year now, first popping up in connection with the iPhones-at-Walmart & Best Buy deal, but now the cat is out of the bag and rummaging around in the shelves full of diodes, UHF antennas and talking robots: late last Friday, RadioShack announced that it would begin selling the iPhone in a few NYC and Dallas stores in time for the holiday shopping rush, with wider availability to begin in 2010. While the addition of another retail outlet to the mix of stores (including AT&T and Apple's own operations) that carry the iPhone may not do a whole lot for general availability of the device -- frankly, if you can't find an iPhone 3GS near where you are, you can get one online in a jiffy -- it certainly did a lot for RadioShack's investors. The stock was up over 14% on the first trading day since the announcement, with analysts suggesting that the presence of the iPhone may help to drive up in-store traffic for the Shack during the busy holiday season and year-round. Let's think about that for a second. Just having the iPhone in the shop for shoppers to fondle, nuzzle and take home as their very own is considered, in the eyes of the market, a material advantage for an electronics chain with nearly 5,000 US stores. You've come a long way, baby.
Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80
Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel dongle you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters. %Gallery-77806%
Gigaware adapter brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80
Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel in-line adapter you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters. %Gallery-77806%
iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?
So we knew a select number of authorized resellers would start stocking iPhones soon, and thanks to a tipster, it looks like we might be getting a glimpse at a none-too-surprising recipient of the new order. As these pics from an anonymous tipster show, "big hug for your mobile life" retailer The Shack will be getting AT&T's flagship device soon, with a letter supposedly from EVP of store operations Bryan Bevin (found after the break) adding that the 3G and 3GS rollout will begin this month at some company-owned locations in the Dallas Forth Worth and New York City areas, with a nationwide rollout in 2010. Not that you necessarily needed more places to tempt you with the device, but it's always fun to have options.
Engadget Podcast 158 - 08.07.2009
The gang's all here, folks! Yes, it's been a rough couple weeks apart, but Josh, Paul, and Nilay have finally managed to reunite, and Engadget Podcast 158 is the happy result. Join the boys as they take Apple to task for its recent App Store shenanigans and the dismissal of Eric Schmidt from the board of directors, pick apart the Windows 7 upgrade matrix, and then shift into cruising gear for a run to The Shack and some quick thoughts on a trio of new cameras. Yeah, it's good to be back. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Ruby Soho Hear the podcast 00:02:20 - FCC queries AT&T, Apple on Google Voice iPhone app rejection 00:03:10 - Google's Eric Schmidt resigns from Apple board over "conflict of interest" 00:12:40 - Phil Schiller says Apple didn't censor a dictionary. 00:35:15 - Official Windows 7 upgrade chart is ridiculous 00:45:20 - The Shack! Radio Shack's current bid for relevance 00:52:43 - Nikon Coolpix S1000pj projector-cam beams into reality along with friends 00:59:28 - Kodak Zi8: Kodak Zi8 impressions: surprising functionality, but it's still a pocket camcorder 01:04:38 - Sony Party-show dock: Sony's Party-shot dock snaps incriminating Facebook photos while you drink Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
The Shack, short on money for new signs, asks for your help
Like the rest of America, we've gotten some serious LOLs out of Radio Shack's current bid for relevance. But, as you know, rebranding comes at a price -- all those new signs excising the word "Radio" from the chain's storefronts aren't exactly cheap, you know. That said, we were equally amused and annoyed by today's email blast urging consumers to carry around little pieces of paper with the word "THE" printed on it. That way, you can obscure the offending noun whenever you find yourself within close proximity of one of these signs -- saving the company money on signage and increasing brand recognition in one bold move. Still unclear of the concept? Get yourself detailed instructions after the break, or hit up that read link to catch some rockin' videos on the company's Facebook page... and prepare to be underwhelmed.
The Shack: You have questions, we have propaganda
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/04/the-shack-you-have-questions-we-have-propaganda/'; tweetmeme_source = 'engadget'; Here are some of the memorable catchphrases you can expect from the retailer formerly known as Radio Shack's rebranding, as caught on camera from an anonymous tipster: "The Shack is fluent in mobile. The Shack is a big hug for your mobile life. The Shack is music to your ears. The Shack is your path to wireless wisdom. The Shack helps you get it right. The Shack is like a GPS to your GPS. The Shack knows what you want to hear. The Shack is not camera-shy." The Shack is not at war with Eastasia. The Shack has never been at war with Eastasia.
The Shack's gargantuan laptop keyboard adds ominous undertone to Radio Shack relaunch
So, this whole "The Shack" relaunch is really happening, and the San Francisco and New York "Summer Netogether" events promise to be speaker wire-riddled mayhem. Take this giant laptop keyboard an anonymous tipster sent us, for instance. You could probably write a really nice email to your mom on that thing, don't you think? Like we said: ominous. The tipster also said The Roots are slated to perform at the Times Square version of this event, which will connect two gigantic, fake laptops with live webcam imagery of the two events being beamed across the country -- sure to prompt either national unity or riots in the streets.
Radio Shack rebranding to 'The Shack'?
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/02/radio-shack-rebranding-to-the-shack/'; tweetmeme_source = 'engadget'; Details are a bit light on this one, but thanks to a tipster and some chatter we picked up on the interblogs, it looks like Radio Shack may be about to undergo a pretty noticeable rebranding. The above image was taken from a terminal within a store, and while it's not completely clear if this is a short-term promotional push or long-term strategy (apparently the company will remain Radio Shack on the corporate side), our tipster says that in-store signs will reflect the change this week, and storefront signage will begin to be reworked as "The Shack" sometime later this year. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense -- radios aren't exactly considered cutting edge these days, and from the sounds of things, the store is about to launch a full assault on the mobile space, bringing T-Mobile into the fold this month, and attempting to cover the gamut on cellphone reselling. Still, we're not sure "The Shack" is the right direction... unless they wanted us to immediately picture a remote location where very, very bad things happen. Update: Apparently we're not the only ones talking about this -- someone has added detailed info on the rebranding to the company's Wikipedia page. According to the writeup, the switch will kick off with celebrations "in San Francisco and New York featuring '14 foot tall laptops' streaming the images from their webcams from one city to the other, live music in both locations, as well as television coverage of the event." Uh, okay! Update 2: Guess they weren't kidding. Here's the promo page on Radio Shack's site. Thanks Ellis D.!
Sprint's Samsung Exclaim and HTC Snap in Radio Shacks this week?
So the HTC Snap missed its rumored June 7 date with destiny on Sprint, but don't count it out -- it might still be available before the weekend comes around. Word on the street is that Radio Shack is gearing up to offer the S511 Snap alongside Samsung's Exclaim QWERTY slider as soon as Friday for $149.99 and $79.99 on contract, respectively. If true, that would almost certainly make Sprint the first US carrier to offer a version of HTC's latest WinMo Standard device, beating out T-Mobile and Verizon -- the two others currently rumored to have eyes on it. Anyone planning on camping out at their local Shack Thursday night?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Retailers getting meager Pre stock, Radio Shack recommending Instinct S30 instead?
Boy Genius Report cites a source claiming that Best Buy -- the whole chain -- will be allotted just 4,250 Pres for launch day, which works out to something like 4 per Pre-selling Best Buy Mobile installation. Seems like those should sell out right quick and leave a whole bunch of folks high and dry (if demand is as strong as Palm and Sprint undoubtedly hope it'll be), and the situation isn't any better over at Radio Shack where we've learned an internal communication reads:"Due to inventory constraints on the June 6 launch date, not all stores will be able to carry the Palm Pre at launch. To make sure we get the maximum advertising and brand benefit while still having enough inventory to meet the expected demand, we have selected key markets to receive the device at launch."Here's the best part, though: Radio Shack locations not receiving the phone on the 6th are being encouraged to offer the Instinct S30 as an alternative. Look, the S30's a fine phone for what it is (we suppose), but something tells us that no one -- and we mean no one -- is cross-shopping it with the Pre.[Thanks, RWS]
Palm Pre on June 6th for $200: It's official!
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/hardware/Palm_Pre_release_date_confirmed'; The day you've been waiting for is here. Sprint just announced that the Pre will cost $199.99 after $100 mail-rebate and 2-year contract and will launch on June 6th as rumored this morning. The phone will go on sale nationwide (US-only at the moment) at Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and select Wal-Mart stores. The Pre will be available under Sprint's Everything Data or Business Essentials with Messaging and Data plans. Accessories include the optional $69.99 Touchstone charging dock kit that includes the $49.99 dock and $19.99 Pre back cover. June 6th, that's two days before the WWDC keynote. Poor Apple.
