Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Best Buy has begun to launch cell-phone-only stores in Manhattan via a partnership with U.K. retailer Carphone Warehouse. The stores, called Best Buy Mobile, carry more than 80 cell phones from manufacturers like Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung. Shoppers also have the option to choose from seven mobile phone service carriers, including Cingular, Verizon, Sprint, Amp’d Mobile and pay-as-you-go plans from Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, Verizon InPulse and Cingular GoPhone.

“What we’ve seen over time is no one out there is offering customers both choice and service in one location,” said David Sprosty, chief executive officer of Best Buy Mobile, in an interview. “Our hypothesis is that by offering the level of care that they get from a carrier store with a better choice of phones, ultimately we can create something that will hopefully meet the needs of the customer that are underserved today.”

RadioShack has recently started selling Cingular Wireless phones and cut ties with Verizon Wireless to try to revive its wireless sales. It has also signed a new 11-year deal with Sprint Nextel.

The Best Buy Mobile stores operate either as small stand-alone stores or as “stores-within-a-store.” Employees will not work on commission and will not be pushing one wireless brand over another—they will just stop at no end to make a sale.

New York stores are at the following locations:

• 360 Madison Ave.


• 2233 Broadway


• 2 Union Square East


• 750 Seventh Ave.


• 1186 Third Ave.


• 1280 Lexington Ave.


• 622 Broadway


• 60 W 23rd Street


• 529 5th Ave.

Read [Best Buy] Read [Yahoo] Via [Engadget]

OQO, creator of the world’s smallest fully-functional Windows XP computer, today announces its debut retail partner, RCS Experience in New York City. Just in time for the holidays, you will be able to test drive the OQO model 01+ (actually it’s the only model they have). The model 01+ will be finally be able to be seen by the over 300,000 customers that enter the Madison Avenue retail store each month, as opposed to the current brochureware online.

The OQO model 01+ features include processing power, full application compatibility, wireless connectivity, an integrated keyboard, and a rugged magnesium chassis with a shock-mounted hard drive and drop detect technology.

“We see the OQO model 01+ computer as the latest step in the evolution of the notebook, offering a fully-featured computer that fits in your pocket and enables constant access to your information and Windows XP programs. The OQO can also be used for sending email, listening to music or watching a movie. It’s one of the mobile road warriors’ best tools while traveling,” said Charlie L. Tebele, CEO, RCS Experience.

Read [OQO]

Apple will open its third Manhattan retail store at SL Green Realty Corp.’s retail joint venture at West 34th Street.

“The team had to negotiate more than six separate transactions and explore the outer reaches of the New York City building code with help of several consultants,” Andrew Mathias, SL Green’s chief investment officer, said on Tuesday during a third-quarter conference call with analysts.

The deal for the Apple Store west of Fifth Avenue began with discussions of a 50-by-100 square-foot floor plan but the store will end up being 50 to 75 feet by 100 feet.

Apple’s Manhattan locations are known for their innovative designs, including a glass cube entryway at Apple’s underground Fifth Avenue location and a glass staircase at the computer maker’s Soho store.

Read [Washington Post]

MVNO mobile phone provider Helio is the latest to dream up a flagship store.  The company is better known for such things as their MySpace phone and Yahoo! integration which surfaced back in may when they launched.  Back in may, they aspired to have their handsets / plans sold at over 1,000 retail locations.  I wonder how that’s going?  Blake over at CrunchGear doesn’t seem to think Helio’s quite as popular as they’re claiming they are...and I’m going to have to agree with him.  Not that they’re lying or anything, it’s just I have yet to see someone walking down the street with a Helio phone.  The first Helio store will be opening shortly in Santa Monica, CA with locations to follow later this year in New York, Denver, San Diego, Palo Alto, and other major markets.

Via [CrunchGear]

Read [SlashGear]

I don’t know about all of you, but writing outside is something I enjoy and until recently the matte finish has hindered this experience, unless I sat in direct shade. Well...needless to say, this article is being written while I am sitting outside in my backyard.

For those of you, like me, who bought your notebooks before the new high-gloss polymer has become the standard you need not worry. I purchased my Toshiba Satellite 2 years ago and I fell in love with it. Little did I know, two weeks later a newer version of my notebook was introduced with one upgrade/change—a gorgeous truebrite, high gloss screen. My friends you no longer have to sit around squinting and adjusting the screen to see. A company called ScreenTek located in Houston, Texas specializes in this particular type of notebook face lift and for $100 your LCD can look just like mine.

After meeting with with Kevin Bailey, ScreenTek’s director of marketing, at a New York technology trade show, he told me about the process. First they inspect the notebook to make sure it works properly, they then remove the LCD screen and test it again with their equipment, then using a machine called a delaminator they remove the matte finish, and the last step brings your LCD into a class 100 clean room environment to ensure no dust particles get onto your new high-gloss polymer glass screen when applied.

ScreenTek was able to do something that other companies strive to do, provide trust. Before I even sent out my notebook Kevin assured me the process was safe and my notebook would return to me in the same condition they received it. Their service was quick and effective. In a nut shell, Screentek’s quick turnaround and great service has provided me with a new look to my notebook. The only negative is, if you don’t like the super cool look you’re stuck with it. But Screentek will change it back for an additional fee.

Before the process outside in the sun

After the process outside in the sun

After the process inside (compare this image to the first image in the post)

Last we told you Apple and Nike were offering their sports kit for preorder. Well wait no longer to start getting in shape because today Nike and Apple have released the sports kit. If you don’t remember, the Nike+iPod Sport Kit allows Nike+ ready footwear to communicate with the Apple iPod nano through a sensor in the Nike+ footwear and a receiver plugged into the nano. The Nike+iPod Sport Kit allows the runner to receive audible updates on speed, distance and calories burned upon request throughout the run. Apple has also integrated this with athlete playlists on iTunes and the hardware come with tracking software so you can keep tabs on your progress.

Niketown locations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles will host launch events to celebrate the Nike+iPod product being available at retail. Mariano Rivera (New York), Chien-Ming Wang (New York) and AJ Pierzynski (Chicago), basketball player Ben Gordon (Chicago), retired basketball player Cynthia Cooper (Houston), Olympic speedskater Chad Hedrick and Olympic snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis will all be at today’s New York launch.

Niketown Chicago will host an entire day of music in connection with the adjacent Apple store on North Michigan Avenue between Erie and Superior. The day will feature a lunchtime concert by Mae from 12:00pm -1:00pm and performances by Chicago cover band Underwater People from 10:00am - 7:00pm.

Niketown Los Angeles will host a retail celebration hosted by local personality Carol Lewis and featuring Jeff Garcia from Power 106.

The Nike+iPod Sport Kit will retail for $29 and all Nike+ enabled footwear will be available at retail for $80-$100.

Read [Nike]
Read [Apple]

Beginning on June 24th, Chicago’s world-famous ‘Magnificent Mile’ shopping district will be home to the first Nokia Flagship Store in the United States, the second to be opened in the world and then will be followed with the second in the USA on New York’s Fifth Avenue in the fall of 2006.

Each Nokia Flagship Store features a carefully crafted retail environment ringed with state-of-the-art multimedia displays. These displays interactively walk guests through the features and benefits of a wide range of Nokia products and even allow them to send text messages that can then be seen on not only the local store displays, but in other Nokia Flagship Store locations around the world.

“While the Nokia Flagship Stores are an important part of our overall retail strategy, the vast majority of Nokia’s sales will be made by the hundreds of thousands of operator and retail locations around the world that make up Nokia’s global retail distribution network,” said Crosbie. “One important goal of the Nokia Flagship Store program is to determine the most impactful methods of retailing Nokia’s product line, and sharing those learnings across Nokia’s retail and operator channels.”

Read [Nokia]

The Apple flagship store on 5th Ave in New York, NY is officially opening later today (6 pm to be exact). The press got a sneak-peek yesterday and this morning. Thus far people are overall impressed with the store and believe the location and design are fantastic for the city that never sleeps (oh, don’t for get it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year). There are 300 total employees: 96 Genius Bar employees along 45’ of space, a iPod Bar for getting more out of your player and “The Studio” staffed by creatives. Tourists can play with over 100 Macs and 200 iPods besides all for the accessories. They expect this store to bring in $40 million, if not more. Enjoy more pics after the break.

Via [Apple Insider]
Flickr

Tekserve, the “largest single location independent Mac shop in the country” has created the commercial (above) using 200 iPods like dominoes.  The store is located in New York City and the ad will run every 20 minutes on the LED display outside of Madison Square Garden at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue from May 1 to June 30.

“Despite our rather rough treatment of the iPods, I want to assure Apple lovers everywhere that no iPods were hurt during the filming of this commercial,” said Dick Demenus, one of Tekserve’s principals.

Read [Press Release]