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Discord will start selling games in a 'curated' store
Discord isn't just for chatting (and watching the occasional video) any more. The community-driven service is launching a beta that will offer games, including a full-fledged game store. The new portal will offer a "curated" store that focuses on titles both Discord and the community feel you might like. That currently includes a mix of familiar, well-received indie games like Dead Cells and Into the Breach. However, that's really just the start.
YouTube looks to merch and memberships to make creators more money
YouTube is having a busy day at VidCon 2018. Aside from launching Premieres, a feature that lets creators hype prerecorded videos with a public landing page, the company is also announcing new ways for them to make more money. For starters, channels with more than 100,000 subscribers will now have access to Memberships, which will allow viewers to pay a monthly fee of $4.99 to get exclusive access to badges, emoji, livestreams, members-only videos and shoutouts, among other perks. This is exactly what YouTube was already doing with Sponsorships, though that was available only to a select group of YouTubers. If you're a creator but don't meet the 100,000-subscriber threshold, YouTube says it hopes to bring Channel Memberships to more people in the coming months.
Tesco Direct to close as it falls to other online retailers
Online shop Tesco Direct -- the non-food outlet of British supermarket Tesco -- will close this summer. The store, which sells electronics, clothing, sports goods and video games has "no route to profitability" according to bosses. The site and its distribution center will close on July 9th, with 500 workers facing redundancy.
Microsoft's Windows 10 Store is getting more web apps
Thanks in a roundabout way to Google, you're about to see more apps on the Windows 10 Store. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are like app versions of websites that work even when you're offline and offer services like push notifications -- minus the installation fuss of regular apps. Android popularized them by letting you add them to your home screen when you load certain websites. Now, Microsoft is introducing Progressive Web Apps to the Windows 10 Store, making them "first-class app citizens in Windows," on par with Universal Windows Apps (UWAs).
Amazon's checkout-free store opens to the public January 22nd
Amazon's bid to automate the convenience store is finally ready for the public. The company has confirmed that the Amazon Go store attached to its new Seattle headquarters will be open to non-employees on January 22nd, or more than a year later than planned. The premise remains the same. You have to scan in with a smartphone app when you enter the store, but it's largely friction-free beyond that. A computer vision AI system tracks the items you remove from the shelves, letting you walk out without talking to a cashier or using a self-checkout machine. The only staff you'll likely see are for ID checking (when buying alcohol), greeters and the kitchen.
Pornhub's first store has a livestreaming bed camera, of course
Pop-up stores are all the rage, but Pornhub's shop in New York City is offering something... unique. If you visit its just-opened location on 70 Wooster Street, you'll see a bed with a camera that livestreams directly to the porn giant's website. No, you can't get away with what normally happens on a bed at Pornhub, but you are encouraged to "interact" with the camera. And let's be honest: this is probably your best shot at appearing live on a porn site without having to explain a surprise career move.
BBC Store to close because people prefer streaming
The BBC has confirmed it will close its digital download store less than 18 months after it launched following poor sales and tough competition from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video. The corporation has begun emailing customers about the closure, noting that it has already stopped making programmes available to buy before it completely shuts down on November 1st.
Apple wants to sell iPhones out of an historic DC library
Apple is no stranger to the challenges of opening stores in historic locations, such as New York City's Grand Central Terminal. Its latest shop may be its most ambitious yet, however. The company has unveiled plans to convert Washington, DC's Carnegie Library into a retail store. The building hasn't been used as a book repository for a long time (it's currently shared between the city's Historical Society and the organizers at Events DC), but this would still be a vast undertaking. In the proposal, Apple would turn most of the Library into one of its shining beacons of modernity while (hopefully) respecting its 114-year legacy.
Apple sees its redesigned retail stores as community spaces
Apple's retail stores have long had a social side. You might not visit just to hang out, but the combination of free workshops and an abundance of connected devices gives you a reason to stay besides gawking at the latest products... if just to check up on Facebook. And now, Apple is banking on that social aspect as a selling point. The company is both redesigning its 100 largest stores and launching new "Today at Apple" workshops to turn its stores into community spaces of sorts. The shops are still very much geared toward sales, but you'll have more reasons to swing by on a frequent basis.
Amazon considers opening augmented reality furniture stores
Amazon's retail plans could extend well beyond books and groceries. New York Times sources hear that the internet giant is "exploring" the possibility of appliance and furniture stores with a technological angle. You'd use augmented or virtual reality to see how items would look in your own home, making it easier to pull the trigger on that new couch or stove. And there's a chance that Amazon might challenge some of its tech rivals more directly in retail, too.
Nintendo finally gives us a glimpse at the Switch eShop
The launch of Nintendo's very hyped (and very strange) Switch is only a couple of days away. And we're only just now getting our first look at its digital storefront the Switch eShop. If you've touched an electronic device at all in the last few years, the interface should seem pretty familiar. It's clean and simple, with sidebar shortcuts for search, new and upcoming releases and a place to enter download codes. On the right games are listed as a grid of cards with cover art and prices. It's not all that different from any other app store really, and looks quite a bit like the Google Play store. And you'll find most of the features you'd expect from a modern console -- like a wishlist and the ability to download games in sleep mode -- baked in.
How Rebecca Minkoff uses tech to make her fashion stores stand out
Nike and Adidas aren't the only lifestyle brands designing their retail spaces with technology in mind. Others such as Rebecca Minkoff, a fashion label based out of New York City, are taking similar steps by implementing things like smart mirrors and, most recently, self-checkout at its boutiques. Although the latter feature is far less advanced than what Amazon's Go grocery stores will offer, it's yet another example of how the brick-and-mortar landscape is changing in several industries.
Inside Adidas' new tech-infused store in New York City
Not to be outdone by Nike, Adidas has opened a new flagship store in New York City. And, just like its rival, the German company packed the space with loads of technology. Inside the four-story, 45,000-square-foot space, on the corner of 5th Avenue and 46th Street, you'll find a virtual-reality experience and a wearable system designed to help you find the best running shoe. Let's take a look at what other tech Adidas is featuring at its biggest retail store yet.
A tour of Xiaomi's headquarters and Mi Home store
Xiaomi was quite a different company when I first visited its headquarters back in August 2011: It only occupied three floors in a small building, the cubicles were tight, security was loose (I literally just walked in almost every time) and people were working crazy long hours almost seven days a week. That was right after the company launched its first device, the original Xiaomi Phone, which set a new bar for affordable flagship smartphones in China. Fast forward to today and you'll find yourself looking at a global brand that has gone well beyond mobile and online, while its latest smartphones -- namely the Mi Note 2 and Mi MIX -- are looking better than ever. To see for yourself, check out our photo tour around Xiaomi's latest headquarters and a strangely familiar-looking Mi Home store nearby.
Google begins its big Pixel push in the UK
It's a big day for Google. The company is launching its first Pixel branded phones in the UK, retiring the Nexus line and attacking the iPhone with gusto. To give its new handsets a proper introduction, Google has renovated its store-within-a-store at the Currys PC World on Tottenham Court Road. We went to take a look, and stumbled across a Google-branded coffee stall along the way. (Helpful, given the shop opened at 7am.) If you're wondering how Google plans to market the Pixel, and ultimately compete with Samsung, Apple and others, check out the gallery below -- a similar store concept is being launched in New York City today.
A 'Made by Google' pop-up store is coming to New York
With a slew of new hardware, Google is finally aiming for scale. The new Pixel phones, the smart Home speaker -- these aren't Nexus-level side projects. These are polished, premium projects that Google wants to sell in large numbers. For that to happen, the company will need to spend some marketing dollars -- and based on the official Made by Google website, it's prepared to do just that. One page with "popup" in the URL shows the Google logo and the address "96 Spring Street" underneath. Further down, the page confirms the New York store will be opening on October 20th.
Amazon's Handmade store comes to Europe
Amazon has become home to millions of products over the years, but hand-crafted items weren't something you'd typically come across. That changed late last year when the online retailer launched its Handmade store in the US, giving artisan-goods company Etsy a run for its money in the process. Now, that same store has come to Europe, launching today in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
Amazon may open its first East Coast bookstore in NYC
Given how Amazon has done its best to put the brick-and-mortar bookstore out of business, it's still odd to see the company building retail locations of its own. But CEO Jeff Bezos said the company would keep doing it after opening a store in Seattle and announcing plans for one in San Diego, and now we're hearing rumors about the location for the next store. The New York Post says that Amazon will soon be going toe-to-toe with the many wonderful booksellers that can be found around NYC.
Razer's first US retail store is also an arcade
Console gaming killed the American arcade, but it's possible that PC gaming might be responsible for the resurrection. Razer is opening its first US-based retail store in San Francisco but it sounds more like the arcades of yore than a high-end retailer. The centerpiece of the 1,300 square foot, two level outlet is the 20 "gaming stations" where patrons are encouraged to "stay all day and play games." In addition, the company will support the local community with regular gaming competitions, which will be broadcast on the store's 16 x 9-foot video wall.
Google pulls Taliban app after it was on Play for two days
A propaganda app from the Taliban that was initially accepted on the Play store Friday has now been pulled by Google over hate speech concerns. Called "Pashto Afghan News - Alemara," it reportedly features videos and statements from the group's main website. A Google spokesperson told The Telegraph that "we don't allow apps that advocate against groups of people based on their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity."
