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Tesco puts its name to a budget 7-inch tablet in the UK: the £119 Hudl
Not content with flogging other companies' tablets, today UK supermarket chain Tesco is launching one of its own. Priced at £119 and available from September 30th, the Hudl features a 7-inch (1,440 x 900 resolution) display for watching those Blinkbox titles in 720p, a quad-core Rokchip 1.5GHz processor, stock Android 4.2.2, a microSD slot for supplementing the 16GB of internal storage and, according to Tesco, a battery that'll last around 9 hours on a full charge. Some of the specs, such as dual WiFi antennae and stereo speakers on the rear face seem carefully designed to square up against Amazon's elderly (and soon-to-be-replaced) Kindle Fire HD, which, at £160, may suddenly look expensive beside the Hudl. Amazon, however, can claim the stronger ecosystem, while Google's £199 Nexus 7 boasts better all-round hardware. The device is slightly chubby and plasticky, as you'd expect, but it's not some rebadge. Tesco says it worked directly with a manufacturer (Archos, as it turns out) to produce a tablet of its own design. Also, to the retailer's credit, the tablet feels sturdy, which seems to be a theme of certain optional Hudl-branded accessories, too. These include a pair of headphones and a rubbery case intended to make the slate more child-friendly. Tesco says it'll double the value of ClubCard vouchers put towards a Hudl purchase, meaning customers can pick one up for free if they have enough points for a £60 voucher. There's also an offer coming for Blinkbox vouchers, designed to tempt you into Tesco's content ecosystem that complements its first foray into hardware -- we hear the promotion starts next week and vouchers will be half-price, so you'll be able to get £20 of streaming content for a tenner. Sharif Sakr saved up all of his ClubCard points for this report.
Tesco rumored to launch its own tablet, hopes you'll add one to the shopping list
Tesco's grown from supermarket heavyweight to digital content contender thanks to its paid Blinkbox TV / movie and music streaming services, Clubcard TV ad-supported video platform and in-development e-book store. According to The Times, Tesco's about to get into the hardware business, too, with the launch of homegrown tablet sometime before Christmas. Details of the rumored device are non-existent, but it's said to come loaded with video, music and e-books, as well as apps for Tesco's online shopping, banking and Blinkbox services. It's a completely plausible next step for the company, and would mimic Amazon and Google's model of selling low-cost hardware, in part, to showcase their digital content offerings. Presumably, there's also scope for a 3G variant running on Tesco Mobile. We'd guess that if the retailer does release a tablet, it'll run Android and be extremely budget-friendly -- it'll have to be to go up against the new Nexus 7 and Amazon's Fire slates (let alone the rumored next-gen). As always, we've hit up Tesco for confirmation and comment, and will update you if we hear anything back.
Blinkbox goes HD for Game of Thrones season three, available July 15th
Tesco's VOD service Blinkbox beat all other UK players to the punch when it hosted the second season of Game of Thrones well before the box-set launch, and it's doing the same with season three. It's only just ended, but from July 15th, the latest series will be available to download or stream in its entirety, and what's more, its arrival marks the first time HD content has been accessible on Blinkbox. You'll also be able to watch season three in SD, should you want to, and both previous seasons will get HD options when the third lands. Pricing isn't yet confirmed, but we'd expect the cost to be similar to that of season two, which was £1.79 (around $2.80) per episode, or £17.99 (around $28) for all ten. If you haven't seen Game of Thrones yet, and we highly recommend you do, you've got just over a month to prepare for the Blinkbox launch and subsequent marathon.
Call of Duty: Ghosts listed at multiple retailers for PS3, Xbox 360
Call of Duty: Ghosts emerges from the darkness thanks to Target and UK retailer Tesco, with the former advertising a release date of November 5. Meanwhile, a Tesco listing notes a release date of December 30 - early November is the traditional Call of Duty ETA. The box art posted on Tesco (see below the break for a snippet) features Infinity Ward's logo.We know (as if we didn't before) that Activision has another edition of its shooter series slated for this year. "The Call of Duty franchise continues to set the bar for innovation," company CFO Dennis Durkin said during Activision's February earnings call, "And we expect the new Call of Duty game in development for 2013 to raise that bar even higher."We've reached out to Activision for comment.
Tesco signs up BBC content for its free Clubcard TV streaming service, includes plenty of cooking shows
Tesco's recently launched TV streaming service, which is free to its Clubcard members, has signed up to a bundle of programs from BBC Worldwide. The UK supermarket, which supports its Clubcard TV with ads between shows, has focused on comedy, drama and (unsurprisingly) cooking programming, with TV chefs Gary Rhodes and Ken Hom both on hand to show you exactly what do with that tin of Tesco Value plum tomatoes lingering at the back of your cupboard. Two Pints of Lager, Blackpool and Stig of the Dump also join Clubcard TV's schedules selection, sharing digital shelf-space with content from Warner Bros., Endemol and Aardman studios. If you're looking to increase your diet of streaming media, the full release has all the incoming shows, and it's right after the break.
Tesco names new digital services and the ex-Facebook, Sainsbury's execs that'll run 'em
Anyone that calls the UK home will know that Tesco is a retail behemoth and, like many other supermarkets, has turned into a one-stop shop for everything from a pint of milk to the latest video game releases. It's grown into much more than a store, however, running an MVNO (although it sometimes gets confused about hardware) and the subscription-based video streaming service Blinkbox. Last year, Tesco let its wider digital ambitions be known, acquiring both a music streaming service and an e-book publisher. We've now been told these companies are the primordial soup from which its new online content emporiums will spawn later this year, known as Blinkboxmusic and Blinkboxbooks, respectively. And who'll be responsible for these new ventures? Well, they're somebodies -- Gavin Sathianathan, who was previously Head of Retail (EMEA) at Facebook, will head up the e-book offering, while Mark Bennett, formerly Head of Digital & Cross Channel at rival super-supermarket Sainsbury's, will run the musical endeavor. Tesco also announced that former Blinkbox exec Scott Deutrom is taking the reins of Clubcard TV, a new ad-supported video streaming service currently being tested. So, what's next for Tesco, apart from world domination? If industry trends are anything to go by, a mobile OS, most likely.
Tesco experiments with free movie and TV streaming for Clubcard members
Brits who shop enough at Tesco to be on a first name basis with the clerks may soon have a reward that doesn't require leaving home. The UK retail chain is currently testing Clubcard TV, a web-based movie and TV streaming hub that would be a free perk of Clubcard membership. As it exists in beta form, the Blinkbox-derived service won't have Lovefilm or Netflix quaking in their boots: there's a limited slate of mostly family-oriented fare, and Tesco's notion of TV streaming involves the video output on a laptop. While neither is an issue as long as the trial is limited to staff, we hope there's a richer platform by the time Clubcard TV is open to anyone with a lot of grocery shopping in mind.
In China, virtual stores may go one step more virtual
I love the concept of virtual stores. You whip out your phone and order merchandise for home delivery, typically using QR codes. We first saw these pop up when Tesco launched one in the South Korea subways. They appeared in the Prague subway system, in Sweden's Jetshop and with Toys R Us' mobile interactive virtual store initiative. Virtual stores have been spotted in Australia, Singapore, Germany, Canada and the UK. The system usually works through large posters of fake store shelves, all labeled with phone-readable codes. When you see items you desire, just point, shoot and order. Customers receive an automated message that confirms the purchase and work with vendors to iron down delivery details. Now, China is joining the virtual storefront revolution. According to Springwise, Unlimited Yihaodian plans to add ecommerce to public spaces, with a virtual virtual store experience. (Yes, you read that right.) The store will actually project over the real world, adding another layer of virtual into the virtual shopping experience. Retailers will be able to cut down on physical plant costs by skipping bricks and mortar and creating a straight path from warehouses to the consumer. It sounds like this may still be proof-of-concept project (if any Chinese readers can figure anything further out, please let us know!) but we look forward to seeing it pan out. Right now, here in Denver, it's 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Heading to a public square to play shopping games with my phone doesn't sound nearly as appealing as competitive shopping in a warm, enclosed subway. In the TUAW newsroom, we're having a debate whether this new option is more weird than cool or more cool than weird. What do you think? Drop a note in the comments and share your opinion.
UK pricing begins to filter out for Motorola's Intel-powered RAZR i smartphone
Soon after it's unveiling, the Intel-based RAZR i showed up in Clove's listings with a SIM-free price of £342, and now it looks as if a few more outlets are pushing pricing details to the world. Expected to storm the UK in October, the phone should ship to Virgin Media customers for around £23 per month on its Premiere Tariff, while T-Mobilers will be able to score one for £0 to £31 per month depending on the contract. All told, not too shabby for the world's first 2GHz Atom-backed Android phone, and if you're eager to push all of this iPhone 5 stuff aside, at least you know precisely how many quid to save up between now and next month.
Tesco recruits Andy McNab's e-book firm Mobcast to help win the Supermarket content war
Hot on the heels of purchasing Blinkbox and Peter Gabriel's WE7, Tesco has purchased Andy McNab's e-book publishers, Mobcast. It seems clear that the British supermarket heavyweight is currently engaged in a phony war with rival Sainsburys, which snapped up Rovi, Global Media Vault and Anobii for its competing online content service. McNab's company is rather small, only offering around 130,000 titles in the UK, but like the earlier purchases, its infrastructure and resources will most likely be cannibalized to boost the company's forthcoming digital platform.
HBO and Blinkbox offer second season of Game of Thrones online before DVD / Blu-ray release in UK
Folks in North America may have to wait for the upcoming DVD or Blu-ray release to purchase the second season of Game of Thrones, but those in the UK have another option thanks to a new partnership between HBO UK and the Tesco-owned Blinkbox video-on-demand service. That deal sees both the second seasons of Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire making their debut on the online service well ahead of their traditional home video releases, where they're also available alongside the first seasons of each show and a number of other newly available HBO titles. In the case of Game of Thrones, you'll pay £17.99 (or about $30) for each season or £1.79 (or $3) for individual episodes, and you can choose to either download or stream the episodes and view them on a variety of devices (including game consoles, the iPad and some smart TVs).
Motorola starts Android 4.0 upgrades for international RAZR owners
Motorola may have pushed some of its earliest Android 4.0 updates to the Verizon-centric Droid RAZR, but it hasn't forgotten those who call the international, HSPA-based RAZR (the XT910) their own: the phone's first wave of over-the-air upgrades to the new OS should be rolling out now, going by GSMArena's tips. Who exactly is getting the upgrade isn't obvious, although at least one owner on Tesco's network has the visual evidence to suggest the UK is part of the first batch. We can vouch that at least a few Canadian RAZRs are still making do with Android 2.3. Never mind the unconfirmed claims of carrier-related delays for the update, though -- we're just glad that both Americans and the rest of the world will likely be on the same page before too long.
Supermarket launches trial virtual stores in UK airport, readies fresh milk for your return
UK supermarket Tesco has decided to bring its virtual supermarket screens (successfully trialled in South Korea last year) to Gatwick Airport. There's ten touchscreens in total, dotted around the departure lounge, with eager shoppers able to make a preemptive grocery strike with their smartphone. On-screen barcodes for around 80 items can be scanned by compatible -- that is, Android and iOS -- devices and added to your shopping basket. Following online payment, your bounty of food can then be assigned a delivery date up to three weeks in advance. The virtual shelves will stay up for two weeks; the UK retailer hasn't commented on further roll-out or extension plans. However, in an airport, during summer vacation, is probably the last place we'd muse on what we're going to eat on our eventual return. If you're wondering exactly how to shop with a four-foot touchscreen, Tesco walks you through it at the source link below.
So, Tesco buys Peter Gabriel's WE7 music service for $16.7 million
British Supermarket behemoth Tesco has snapped up WE7, a streaming music service co-founded by Peter Gabriel that offers personalized radio stations to users, for £10.8 million ($16.7 million). The UK's biggest supermarket has purchased 91 percent of the company, with the remaining stake set to be transferred over shortly. It looks like the chain will use WE7's infrastructure and resources as the spine for a beefier music service as British supermarkets look to diversify into the entertainment market following its purchase of Blinkbox last year.
Apple hires former Dixons CEO John Browett as senior VP of Retail
More than six months after Ron Johnson's departure, Apple has finally found a new retail chief to replace him, in one John Browett. The Cambridge- and Wharton-educated Browett will be coming to Cupertino in April after serving nearly five years as CEO of Dixons -- the Taj Mahal of British retail. Before that, he held a smattering of obscurely defined "executive positions" at Tesco plc and advised retail clients at Boston Consulting Group. In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook lauded his company's latest appointee, citing his "incredible retail experience" and commitment to customer service. Read more in the PR after the break.
Caption contest: this is why grocery stores shouldn't sell smartphones
"We call it a very nice phone and you can get it on a 12 month contract." Oh, really, Tesco? Nifty! So, how much is that bag of day-old doughnuts... with and without a contract? Don: "Knowing my luck, if I buy this now they'll have an iPhone 4 with a Bold keyboard on sale next week." Darren: "Do you guys sell a vegan model?" Michael: "At Tesco, we've got raspberries, strawberries, and... ThunderBerries?" Tim: "With Android, are you supposed to squeeze it or shake it to tell if it's ripe?" Chris: "You can find it in the toothpaste aisle of your local grocery store." Myriam: "Behold the Desire Torch, a new AndroBerry phone from HTRIM... now available in the cheese aisle." Richard Lai: "By popular demand we have extended our Tesco Mobile Rewards offer to our shanzhai range." Sean Hollister: "And Tesco embraced fragmentation, the only way it knew how." Vlad: "Hey, if RIM's gonna use our apps on its tablet, then we're gonna use its buttons on our phones. Fair's fair." [Thanks, Matt O.]
Report: GAME bought 3DS stock from Tesco to resell as pre-owned
If you were confused by the presence of a pre-owned 3DS on the shelves of your local GAME outlet on the handheld's launch weekend, Eurogamer's uncovered a possible shady explanation. According to an unnamed source who works for the retailer, a company memo encouraged GAME employees to use money from their registers to purchase a 3DS and game bundle from its competitor, Tesco, for the discounted price of £209.90. They could then trade the merchandise back to GAME for the exact same price. The memo described this maneuver as "a great opportunity to gain 3DS consoles and games for your store's pre-owned stock." Each pre-owned system could then be "set at the same price as mint due to unexpected supply shortage on the market and the quality of the stock." However, the memo instructs employees not to sell the pre-owned handhelds until the mint hardware is sold out, prohibiting clerks from "up-selling" the used merch. The document describes these shopping runs as "not mandatory," but Eurogamer reports one GAME employee said his store was reprimanded for not participating.
T-Mobile expected to cut Galaxy Tab pricing to $249.99 (update: drop is official!)
After initiating the first on-contract Galaxy Tab price cascade back in December that quickly led Sprint to respond, T-Mobile may chop subsidy prices again today for the 7-inch tablet to just under $250 (after a pesky $50 mail-in rebate). Together, that's only $62 more than the bargain bin CherryPad, which should infuriate early adopters who paid double that only a few months ago, not to mention sober up Samsung. However, when you consider that pseudo-4G tablets like the Dell Streak 7 and LG G-Slate will join Magenta's lineup soon, it is a viable strategy for extending the Tab's consumer appeal in this viciously competitive Android tablet world we live in. Then again, if the dual-core processors teased for the Tab's successor actually pan out, we doubt Samsung will need any assistance getting back to its smug position on top of the Android heap. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled on T-Mobile's site today and be sure to update should the price change actually materialize. Update: A recent peek at T-Mobile's site shows the price drop is now official. If you're in the UK and prefer buying the Tab unsubsidized, Amazon and Tesco have also chopped their prices to a palatable £341.24 ($542) and £359.20 ($571), respectively. Thanks, Raphael and Rupert!
Tesco begins selling iPad in the UK
Tesco, the massive global grocer and merchandising retailer, has begun selling all six models of the iPad on its Tesco Direct website and in select Tesco stores today. While the iPad has been available in the UK since May, the addition of Tesco as an iPad reseller is significant, because it is the largest retailer in the United Kingdom and provides yet another locale for UK customers, specifically those not close to an Apple Store, to buy an iPad. Though typically known for its cutthroat prices, all six models of the iPad retail for the same price as they do on the Apple UK Store. Tesco is the second-largest retailer in the world with stores in over 14 countries, but it is unknown at this time if the iPad will be available in any of those stores located outside the United Kingdom.
iPhone 4 shipping times improved
Good news for those wanting to purchase an iPhone 4...in the US anyway. Shipping estimates have improved from three weeks to between five and seven business days, according to Apple's US online retail store. Improved shipping estimates usually indicate that Apple is catching up with consumer demand. The iPhone 4 has been in high demand since its release in June, selling well over 1.5 million devices in its first three days of availability. But supply is still short, especially with expansion into the overseas market. According to AppleInsider, mobile carrier China Unicom was only able to meet about half of the pre-orders placed by customers, with the rest having to wait until the end of October for their orders to be fulfilled. Similarly, the iPad suffered high shipping times upon its release in April, with things only improving in August when Apple's standard shipping time of 24hrs was reached. In the UK, the iPhone 4 shipping time is set at three weeks, while the iPhone 3GS can be shipped in one to two weeks, according to Apple's UK online retail store. Personally, I've currently got an iPhone 3G with the mobile carrier O2. The contract has expired, and I'm now running on their Simplicity tariff. I could upgrade to the iPhone 4 with O2 (they seem to get priority stock), however, Tesco is offering the most cost effective contract (for me anyway). Unfortunately, though, they never seem to have any stock. Tesco is offering a 16GB iPhone 4 on a 12 month contract at £35 a month. The upfront cost is £229, but the overall cost of ownership is £649. With this contract, you get 750 monthly minutes, a 1GB monthly data allowance, and unlimited texts. Alternatively, O2's £35 a month contract is for 18 months. The upfront cost is cheaper, at £179, but the overall cost of ownership comes in at a much steeper £809. Worse still, with this contract you only get 300 monthly minutes and a 500MB monthly data allowance. If I was to purchase a contract nearer the 600 minute a month point with O2 (which is more like what I need), I'd have to pay £40 a month on an 18 month contract with the overall cost of ownership being £839. For me, it's obvious to go with Tesco's iPhone 4 contract. Unfortunately, until stock supplies improve, I'm forced to hold onto my iPhone 3G. Engadget has done a fantastic comparison of all the price plans for the iPhone 4 in the UK. If you haven't got an iPhone 4 yet, and you live in the UK, it's well worth the read.
