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Target starts selling Kindles again after a four-year break
Years ago, visiting a Target was one of the best ways to check out Amazon's Kindle products in person before plunking down your hard-earned cash. But in 2012, Target stopped selling Kindles both online and in its stores. That's changing, however -- as of today, you can buy the Kindle Paperwhite and standard Kindle from Target online. And a report from Bloomberg indicates that you'll soon be able to buy them in Target's physical retail stores, as well.
Target has an in-store space for explaining the smart home
Last year Target unveiled its Internet of Things "Open House" experiment in San Francisco. The goal was to create a shopping experience that would help customers figure out how connected devices work with each other. In the confusing and fragmented world of IoT, the retailer carved out a little corner of knowledge. Now it's moving past the testing phase and opening a "connected living experience" in a suburban Minneapolis store.
Retailers fight to silence customer data breaches
A consortium of retailers, including Target and Home Depot, vowed to fight a data breach notification bill. The bill, HR 2205 from Reps. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) and John Carney (D-Del.), would require companies to tell customers when they've been hacked and would also require the encryption of data in both storage and transit. It would hold retailers to the same data-security standards as the financial sector. The large and powerful Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) sent a letter on Tuesday to House leadership saying that "it makes no sense to take one industry's regulations and apply it to a large segment of the economy without understanding the consequences."
Fitbit's low-profile Alta tracker is up for preorders
FitBit announced on Wednesday that its newest fitness tracker, the Alta, is now available for preorder. Unlike the recently announced mid-level Blaze (which we weren't too impressed with) or top-end Surge -- both of which feature large displays -- the Alta is designed to discreetly track your activity.
Target is reportedly working on its own mobile payments, too
Walmart isn't the only major retailer developing its own mobile wallet. Reuters reports that Target is in the early stagings of planning its own payments system as well. While the company hasn't committed to launching just yet, it has reached out to credit card companies regarding how transactions will be handled. If you'll recall, Target is part of the CurrentC mobile wallet initiative, and plans to remain a member (alongside Walmart) of the Merchants Customer Exchange that's developing the software. The company says it's just exploring its options.
Best Buy knocks $100 off all its Apple Watches
Here are two pieces of information that you might think that it's worth using to draw a conclusion, or not, we won't judge. First up, Best Buy is offering a $100 discount on the Apple Watches that it sells, meaning that you can grab a base-model 38mm Sport for just $249. Second, rumors have emerged claiming that Apple will launch the second-generation of its wearable at an event in March. Now, if you wanted to imply that the retailer is clearing house in preparation for the inevitable refresh, well, that'd entirely be up to you.
Target settles data breach lawsuit with banks for $39 million
Nearly two years after Target's massive data breach leaked customer payment info, the retailer has reached a settlement with financial institutions. The company agreed to pay $39 million to the likes of MasterCard and banks who filed claims stemming from the 2013 incident. More specifically, Target will pay $20 million to the settlement class and $19 million to MasterCard to fund its Account Data Compromise program that ties into the hack. These figures are in addition to the $10 million settlement that the retail company already agreed to with lawyers for individual victims and its $67 million settlement with Visa.
A Misfit Flash wrapped in glitter is still a Misfit Flash
Misfit has teamed up with BaubleBar to create a necklace and bracelet for the Misfit Flash that'll provide the wearable with some much-needed style points. Essentially, the Helena Necklace and Bracelet are glittery lockets that keep the device tucked inside, hanging from either a six or 32-inch chain. According to the company, the pieces are "as smart as they are stunning" and will be available exclusively at Target from November 29th for $69.99 a pop. It's worth mentioning that the devices come with their own $29.99 Flash tucked inside, as well as the traditional rubber strap for workouts.
Target and Indiegogo team up to get crowd-funded wares to retail
When you back a project on Indiegogo, Kickstarter or any other crowd-funding site, chances are you've never seen the product you're putting your faith (and cash) in the flesh. Target and Indiegogo want to change that. The two companies announced that select devices from Indiegogo campaigns would show up in the retailer's Open House connected-home experiment in San Francisco. It's a small step towards giving the folks that can actually deliver their device a chance to show the world, they actually made something that's worth buying.
Nuka-Cola Quantum available in time for 'Fallout 4'
No one really knows what's in those bottles of Fallout Beer, but they likely won't hit US shores. What will however is Nuka-Cola Quantum. The folks at Fallout developer Bethesda have teamed up with the purveyors of funky fizzy drinks, Jones Soda, to put the "irradiated" refreshment on Target shelves just in time for Fallout 4's launch. Come November 10th, you'll be able to start slugging down what looks like the company's Berry Lemonade (a picture's embedded after the break) in preparation for what we're affectionately calling "Vault Day" here at Engadget. You know, what everyone else is referring to as November 10th, a.k.a. Fallout 4's release date.
Apple Watch is coming to Target stores on October 18th
If you're shopping at Target, you'll soon be able to buy something other than picture frames and bedding. The Apple Watch arrives October 18th and be available in every store by October 25th. The retailer said it will stock 20 different models, with prices ranging from $349 for the 38mm Watch Sport, up to $599 for a stainless steel 42mm Watch model. Target is the second retail chain to get the Watch after Best Buy, and apart from Apple, only high-end department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris have carried it. The Target deal makes sense, however, since the chain already carries the iPhone, iPad and most other Apple products.
Banks can bring class-action suit against Target over data hack
Target's legal woes continue to mount over its now-infamous data breach in 2013, which exposed the credit card numbers and personal information for as many as 70 million shoppers. A District Court judge in Minnesota ruled on Wednesday that Target was negligent in its credit card data security and is therefore liable to a class-action suit brought by banks affected by the hack. That $5 million lawsuit seeks to defer the cost of covering fraudulent charges made with the stolen data. Wednesday's decision allows the primary five plaintiffs -- Umpqua Bank, Mutual Bank, Village Bank, CSE Federal Credit Union and First Federal Savings of Lorain -- to represent the rest of the class in its action.
Target takes on Amazon with same-day grocery delivery of its own
Amazon may already offer grocery delivery, but Target is looking to take on the online retailer when it comes to same-day drop-offs. To power its grocery delivery effort, Target is teaming up with San Francisco-based startup Instacart, a company what already works with Costco, Whole Foods and others. Unlike AmazonFresh that requires a $299 annual fee, Instacart's pricing starts at $4 per order and varies depending on size. Google's food delivery service, Google Express, is also set to begin testing a grocery option in two US cities this year, so the options for shopping from the couch could continue to grow. Right now, the service will only be available in Target's home city of Minneapolis and there's no word on when, or if, it'll expand to other areas. [Image credit: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images]
Target's data breach payout to Visa may hit $67 million
It's nearly two years since Target suffered its giant shopping data breach, and the retailer is still paying for its mistakes. In the wake of a $19 million payout to MasterCard, Target has reached a settlement with Visa over compensation for the many, many customers exposed to potential credit and debit card fraud. Neither side is revealing the specifics, but the Wall Street Journal understands that Target will pay up to $67 million. That's a significant blow for a breach, though not crushing for a company that raked in $635 million in profit last quarter. Target adds that it already factored these costs into its previous earnings reports, but this should still serve as a friendly reminder that lax security can prove costly in more ways than one. [Image credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty]
Retailers' Apple Pay rival is ready for testing, three years later
Merchant Customer Exchange is an alliance of several of the US' biggest retailers and restaurants, including Wal-Mart and Target, aimed at bringing mobile payments under their own control — and not by tying themselves to a particular tech company. Public tests will finally start in Ohio in the coming weeks, according to the WSJ's sources. Crucially, or hilariously, the tests will start not long after MCX loses its exclusivity deal with retailers. That's why some of them didn't pick up Apple Pay when it launched.
Target launches Bluetooth beacon pilot program in 50 stores
Bluetooth beacons are already helping London's visually-impaired subway riders navigate the Tubes, now they're going to help shoppers find great deals at their local Target stores. The retailer recently announced that it is implementing a pilot beacon program in 50 of its stores. These beacons will send push notifications to shoppers phones whenever they browse within range of the device, similar to the Tips system that Facebook is working on.
Target attempts to unravel the connected home with new showroom
Target wants you to have a connected home. It even created a showroom called Open House in the middle of San Francisco to help its shoppers figure out how such a home is supposed to work. But a side effect of this new mini store is that it could show device makers how the Internet of Things should work. With a combination of vignettes meant to show off situations that can be solved with the help of a connected home and so-called Deep Dive tables that showcase a product's features, the retailer aims to educate its shoppers. But while a controlled room carefully decorated with gadgets is cool, it's those tables that will give shoppers a sense of how something works both on its own and with other products. It's an interactive window into which devices are truly connected and are trapped in a manufacturer's ecosystem.
Sony pledges to be 30 percent 'greener' by 2020
Like the epic vomiting session after a long evening in Las Vegas, climate change is inevitably coming for us all. Sony has decided to show off its greener side by pledging to shrink both its carbon footprint and the amount of power that its devices guzzle. The company has launched a "Green Management 2020" project that aims to make its products 30 percent more efficient by the end of the decade. At the same time, executives are committing to a target of having no impact upon the environment at all by 2050.
Target's proposed data breach settlement pays victims up to $10k
Target has agreed to a $10 million settlement with lawyers for victims of its 2013 data breach, and CBS News reports it could pay individuals up to $10,000 each in damages. It has yet to be approved by a judge, but Target spokesperson Molly Snyder says the company is "pleased to see the process moving forward." In case you've already forgotten, the retailer discovered in December 2013 that hackers had stolen information for some 40 million credit and debit cards, while its security ignored breach alerts for 12 days. The company's CEO stepped down in May saying he felt "personally accountable" for the lax security. KSTP TV5 in Minnesota has posted a copy of the form victims will fill out to receive their damages if the settlement is approved, which you can see here.
Microsoft Band arrives in more US stores and the UK
You no longer have to head to a Microsoft Store in the US to put the Band on your wrist. Microsoft's smart wearable is now available through Amazon, Best Buy and Target in the country at the usual $200 asking price, and it'll go on sale in the UK on April 15th for £170. Fitness-minded Brits can pre-order today, with Amazon, Curry's PC World, Dixons Travel, Harrods and O2 all promising to carry stock. And you won't have to rush quite so quickly to get a Band this time around -- the crew in Redmond is planning both more frequent shipments and larger supplies in each batch, so shortages won't be as common.