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'Retail Significant Stores' video highlights Apple's thoughts on retail
Apple is known for its perfectly positioned and thoughtfully designed retail stores. In an unreleased video spotted by 9to5Mac, former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson and Apple VP of Retail Development, Bob Bridger, talk about Apple's retail store philosophy. The video clip was directed by Peter Sillen and produced by Washington Square films. According to the information at Production Hub, the clip was uploaded in July 2011, which is a few months before Johnson left Apple for J.C. Penney. The five-minute promo covers some of Apple's flagship retail stores in NYC, Paris, Shanghai and more. You can view the clip below. [Via ifoAppleStore]
Apple discounts Macs, iPads and more on Black Friday
Apple kicked off its Black Friday sale today with discounts on iPads, iPods, Macs and accessories. The retailer is offering the following deals: iPad with Retina display for US$468 (Save $41) iPad 2 for $368 (Save $31) iPod nano for $138 (Save $11) iPod touch fifth generation for $268 (Save $31) iPod touch fourth generation for $178 (Save $21) iPad Smart Cover - Leather for $48 (Save $21) iPad Smart Cover - Polyurethane for $28 (Save $11) iPad Smart Case for $34 (Save $15) Save $101 of the price of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and MacBook Pro with Retina display AirPort Express Base Station for $88 ((Save $11) Time Capsule for $278 (Save $21) AirPort Extreme Base Station for $158 (Save $21) Apple Magic Mouse for $58 (Save $11) Apple Magic Trackpad for $58 (Save $11) Apple Wireless Keyboard for $58 (Save $11) Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic for $22 (Save $7) Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic for $68 (Save $11) You can shop for these deals online or head out to your local Apple Store, which is open for extended hours today.
Apple Store down to make way for Black Friday discounts
The gray box awaits you, weary turkey eater. The Apple Store is down for its annual discount refresh, and the expectations (as usual) are for modest reductions on popular products. You can get a sense of what's in store by checking out the Aussie version of the holiday price cuts, which have been active for more than 12 hours already. You may find better deals on some items elsewhere; have a look at our Black Friday coverage or check dealnews.com for updates. [holiday hat tip 9to5Mac]
Origin Stories: Tekserve
Tekserve is a much-beloved Apple repair and sales shop in Manhattan. Our own Mike Rose has been a customer, and profiled the shop a little while ago. In the video below, I speak with Tekserve's CTO, Aaron Freimark about how Tekserve began, and a short history of Manhattan's longest-open Apple shop. Happy 25th anniversary, Tekserve!
Daily iPhone App: Curiosity makes you wonder what is in the cube
Curiosity, a free app that arrived on the App Store last night, is more of an experiment than a game. It's developed by a company called 22 Cans, which is Peter Molyneux's latest endeavor. Molyneux is the famous creator of classic games like Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Fable. Now he's built 22 Cans to work on smaller, more experimental projects. Curiosity is definitely that. As you can see in the video below, it's essentially a collaborative destruction engine, tasking thousands of users around the world with chipping away at a large virtual cube, in hopes of discovering what's at its center. That's the whole game, really. When you log in (optionally with a Facebook account), you can tap away at various surfaces on the cube, and clear them out to earn coins. The coins let you buy various implements to destroy the cube with additional effectiveness. All 50,000 players (the total when I logged in to play) will continue to hack away at the cube's many layers until its center revealed. Some text that appears in the game's introduction reveals a twist: only one player will discover what's in the cube (because presumably only one player will get to hack away at the final square in the middle). Of course, no one knows who that will be. If you're curious and want to help find out, Curiosity is a free universal download on the App Store right now.
Microsoft drops Windows Phone Store developer registration to $8 for eight days
How amped is Microsoft to get developers into the Windows Phone 8 Store? The company announced today at Build that it's lowering developer registration to $8 -- that's down from $99. Got to get in there quick, however -- that price is only good for the next eight days. Seems to be some kind of theme here, no? Update: Looks like the discount situation is a little more involved than just that. According to Microsoft, "You'll be charged $99 USD or equivalent in your local currency, and we'll refund the difference in the next 30 to 45 days." Ninety-two percent discounts don't just happen overnight, after all.
PayPal Here goes on sale at AT&T stores: like a one-stop shop for account hiccups
PayPal Here, despite all its focus on in-store transactions, hasn't really been available to buy in a US store -- that's been the domain of the seemingly ubiquitous Square reader. eBay's payment wing has at last established that retail beachhead through a deal with AT&T. About 1,800 of the carrier's stores are now carrying PayPal Here readers, and they'll keep the service's big rival from hogging the spotlight at a time when most aren't even aware that there's any competition. If you're still cynical, you can look at the AT&T move as a matter of convenience: at least this way, all your account headaches will come from one place.
Chinese online retail giant 360buy spreads worldwide, may keep Amazon on its toes
Many of us who live in North America and Europe consider Amazon synonymous with online retail -- yet we forget that the company barely even registers in some parts of the world. That misconception is about to be cleared up now that one of China's largest online retailers, 360buy, is going global. A just-launched English version of the store is initially shipping China-made goods for free to 36 countries that include obvious candidates like Australia, Canada, the UK and the US as well as France, Germany and southeast Asia. You're unlikely to find a Kindle Fire HD equivalent in the selection, but the mix could still make Amazon nervous when the brand-agnostic can already find real bargains. Combined with long-term plans to set up local distribution points, 360buy's international expansion could get more of us comfortable with buying from China and heat up a retail race that some thought had already been won.
Sony Playstation Mobile store now live, offers cross-platform games and apps from $0.80
After what feels like a mighty long time since it was first announced, Sony's cross-platform PlayStation Mobile store is now up and running with an initial line-up of games (plus one lonely-looking app) for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Certified Android devices. That hardware category currently includes Sony's latest tablets and Xperias, plus HTC One-branded handsets -- check the source link for a full list and installation instructions. So far, we can access PSM on the Vita via a new tab on the PlayStation Store, and we know that readers are having luck on devices in the US -- including the Xperia Play -- but the One X (both global and AT&T) has only given us error messages. If you succeed or fail, please post your results below and we'll update accordingly. Update: Okay, there are definitely teething problems on HTC devices and we're reaching out for an explanation. Meanwhile, owners of the Nexus 7 and the Xperia Ion on AT&T bring happier tidings. Update: Depending on which Sony page you visit, you may or may not see the statement below, which HTC has confirmed to us is true: ""HTC mobile device owners cannot access PlayStation®Mobile for the moment. However, we are working with HTC to ensure PlayStation®Mobile launches as soon as possible. We will update you soon." [Thanks to Paul and all who've commented]
Visualized: 808 PureView display at Nokia's flagship store
While in Helsinki, do as the Finns do -- shop at Nokia's flagship store, right? Just as we were contemplating the purchase of an unlocked Asha (or three) as stocking stuffers, we stumbled upon this delightfully futuristic 808 PureView display -- complete with quirky dioramas. Sadly, we weren't packing Nokia's imaging handset, nor the phenomenal Lumia 920 camera, so we used our trusty HTC One X to capture the moment. Check out the gallery below -- where you'll find the 808 PureView serving as a swimming pool and being assembled by tiny workers -- then hit the break for a short video.
Build-a-bear's new store concept wants you to choose, love, stuff and fluff with high-tech (video)
If little Johnny thought Build-a-Bear had nothing for his tech-savvy toddler sensibilities, he'd better think again. The plush toy-seller has just launched a new high-tech store concept that it hopes will help re-engage children otherwise distracted with tablets, phones and game consoles. The new additions include a 55-inch interactive digital sign out front, with touchscreen and Kinect functionality, complete with unlockable content via barcodes. Once inside, four Samsung SUR40 smart tables loaded with custom software offer a range of different parts of the teddy-making process, as well as interact with the toys in real-time -- like a virtual bubble bath -- thanks to a purpose-built tagging system. The sound side of things also gets a lick of paint, with six audio "zones" created, using ultrasonic speakers that can target sound to specific parts of the store and stop all the collective noise from reverberating like something from a bad dream. The first such shop is already open in St Louis, with five more locations to follow: Pleasanton CA, Annapolis MD, Troy MI, Fairfax VA and Indianapolis IN between October and November.
Barnes & Noble Nook lands in Currys, PC World and Sainsbury's stores, furthers the UK conquest
Barnes & Noble must want no corner of Britain untouched by Nooks. Following its planned bookstore invasion, the American company is bringing both the Nook Simple Touch and its GlowLight cousin to Sainsbury's and Waitrose supermarkets, as well as Dixons Retail-owned chains Currys and PC World. When the e-readers arrive at the outlets' respective online and retail stores from early October onwards, they'll bring the Nook's reach to nearly 2,000 UK sales points -- not quite ubiquitous coverage, but more than double what we saw in our most recent check. About all that's left is to offer the Android tablets that have been conspicuously missing from Barnes & Noble's initial expansion strategy.
Deezmaker 3D Printer Store opens in Pasadena, will sell you a slice of the future for $600
If the MakerBot store in Manhattan is the East coast's vanguard for 3D printer stores, Deezmaker's just-opened store in Pasadena, California is the equivalent pioneer for the West coast crew. As of now, you can walk through the doors at 290 North Hill Avenue and at least see the store's own Bukobot printer in action, even if high demand through Kickstarter pre-orders precludes walk-in sales for the next few weeks. When you can make that impulse purchase, however, you'll find the Bukobot at a relatively cheap $600 and may see some alternatives during your visit. Store owner and Bukobot creator Diego Porqueras stresses to Ars Technica that he wants Deezmaker lasting for the long haul, and he may have chosen just the right area to make that happen -- the shop is a stone's throw from the experimenters (and simply curious) at Caltech, NASA's JPL and Pasadena City College. No matter how it all shakes out, we're hoping that the two near-simultaneous store openings are the start of a larger trend that takes 3D printing into the mainstream.
Apple, carrier stores open at 8AM on September 21st for iPhone 5 sales, early pre-order tallies are 'incredible'
Apple regularly likes to kickstart major launches with early retail openings, and it's just confirmed that the natural order of things is intact: both its own stores as well as those for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will open at 8AM local time on September 21st to take iPhone 5 sales from anyone who missed out on the pre-order rush. As for how well those pre-orders have gone so far? Apple's statement on the subject doesn't give us concrete numbers at this stage, but it certainly hints at an upbeat outlook: "Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible," said Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris. "We've been completely blown away by the customer response."
PlayStation Home updated to version 1.7
PlayStation Home has earned itself another global platform update, bringing Sony's virtual environment to version 1.7. This update adds the Camera to the Emotes menu, so you can pull it out at any time and take some pictures of your bad virtual self. There are also improvements to the in-game item store, new animated items to buy and find, and some new features on the ignore and block system, as well as some general stability improvements.You can download and install the update on PlayStation Home right now. There are also some new deals and sales going on for Home's various virtual areas (like the x7 nightclub, above), but we'll let you find those for yourself. After all, exploration is what really draws players into Home, right? There is something that draws players into Home, right? We're pretty sure there must be something.
Apple Store goes down ahead of iPhone announcement
With the big event only a few hours away Apple has already taken its shop offline. It's become standard practice for the Cupertino crew, so it's hardly a surprise. Still, it's a good sign that some new products will be available, at least for pre-order, starting today. Interestingly, the store isn't the only Apple property out of commission currently -- reports have been trickling in since yesterday that iCloud is out for some customers as well. The down time could just be a bug that needs fixing, but perhaps iCloud will also get some significant updates this morning to accompany the launch of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Firefall beta opens up its item store, sells Founder's Packages (on sale now)
Red 5 Studios is once again showing off its open world, free-to-play MMO Firefall (currently still in closed beta) at PAX, and the newest bit of content included is a set of in-game stores, allowing players to purchase items and features via microtransaction. Firefall lead designer David Williams promises the developer won't "sell power items or content areas to players." Instead, Firefall's item stores are all about aesthetic and convenience items, things that players can use to customize their character's look, or have some fun in the game world.In addition to the company's just-announced 'Founders' content bundles (detailed above, and currently on sale during PAX), Williams showed us some special cosmetic items available for purchase, like shaggy dreadlocks or a flashy helmet, as well as items from an in-game store called Luau Larry's. Larry will happily sell you some fun items, like a little voodoo doctor pet, or a tiki torch that plays in-game music and causes everyone around it to dance when placed in the world.Becoming a founder also grants priority access to Firefall's current beta build – along with XP boosts, real-world items, in-game currency and more based on purchased tier. And the items in the founders' packages are set to be available on September 24, so we may hear about a bigger update coming then. Meanwhile, the current price on all three packages ($15, $37, and $75, down from $20, $50, and $100) lasts through PAX weekend.
PayPal expands presence in US retail stores with new Discover partnership
PayPal already has a partnership with MasterCard in place that lets you use its debit cards in stores, but the company has now expanded that retail presence even further with a new deal it's struck with Discover. Starting sometime next year, that arrangement will let PayPal customers use their charge cards at any of the 7 million retail locations that accept Discover cards, with funds drawn directly from their PayPal account. What's more, PayPal says that retailers won't have to make any hardware or software upgrades to accept the PayPal payments, noting that they'll simply have to let customers know of the new option with in-store signage. Of course, the deal also likely has implications beyond traditional plastic cards, as PayPal is now also pushing its mobile payments more than ever, not to mention its own triangular Square competitor. You can find the official announcement below.
Apple reported to be preparing direct sales in Russia, wanting more Macs for Moscow
Despite Russia's size, Apple has always had to sell in the country through carriers and resellers -- a pain for customers who might have to wait weeks beyond the initial launch of a device to see it in stores. If we're to believe tips from distributor insiders speaking with Kommersant, Apple wants at least some kind of first-party presence in the country. The company has supposedly set up a majority-owned local branch, Apple Rus, to run an operation that would start direct sales as soon as 2013. As for official retail stores, we simply don't know. Apple executives were reported as disappointed in available locations following a trip to Moscow in 2011, but there's been no chatter since. Apple certainly hasn't commented on the subject. We do know that iOS- and Mac-loving Russians in at least major cities will be happy if Apple establishes a more official presence, even if it still leaves us mourning the lost opportunity for an obvious Snow Leopard tie-in.
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best business model?
Free-to-play MMO business models come in all shapes and sizes. There are those that are completely free, those that sell only cosmetic items and nothing else, those that nickel-and-dime you to death with cash-shop barriers, and those that offer VIP packages so players can still sub and get everything that a normal subscription game would offer. With so many existing MMOs making that F2P conversion, it's safe to say that the market hasn't really figured out the perfect business model yet. Or has it? Let us know which MMO has the best business model in your opinion, be it subscription, free-to-play, or any combination. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
