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Best Buy chops older iPad prices as much as 30 percent

Consumers looking to pick up an iPad will find discounts as high as 30 percent courtesy of Best Buy.

The retailer is offering the 16GB version of the 3rd-generation iPad $314, down from $449. The 32GB will run you $384, down from $549. And the 64GB edition is on sale for $454, down from $649.

The discounts also extend to the cellular flavors of the iPad 3, mostly with A&T but at least one with Verizon.

Consumers not interested in the iPad can also land a few discounts at Best Buy.

The first-generation version of Amazon's Kindle Fire is on sale for $99, … Read more

Nokia shutters its flagship China store

Nokia has closed its flagship store in China, once touted as its largest worldwide.

Nokia told ZDNet that the Shanghai store, which opened in 2007, shut down at the end of March. CNET also confirmed the closure.

"For a while now, Nokia has been focusing on growing its presence in operator and third-party retail outlets, rather than through our own physical stores," according to a company representative. "We are, of course, also continuously beefing up our online presence."

Nokia is shuttering the store even as it presses further to regain lost ground in China, considered one … Read more

The strange and inglorious history of tech boutique retailers

Last year, nearly as many people visited Apple's retail stores as went to Disneyland parks. That's something to marvel considering Disney has been in the amusement park business since 1955, and Apple's gadget stores are barely 12 years old. Apple's stores are also light on the cotton candy, fireworks, and bathrooms.

While there are plenty more differences between the two, one major similarity is that both companies have relied on these institutions as the ideal experience for interacting with their products.

In that same vein comes Samsung's latest foray into the retail business. Today, the company announced plans … Read more

Samsung takes smartphone battle to the storefront

DALLAS -- Samsung has opened a new front in its battle for smartphone supremacy: the storefront.

The Korean electronics giant plans to set up mini Samsung stores inside all U.S. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile venues within the next couple of months -- just in time for the Galaxy S4 launch. The "Samsung Experience Shops," which start rolling out Monday, will be in 500 big-box Best Buy stores and all 410 Best Buy Mobile locations by early May. Best Buy's remaining 550 large-format Best Buy stores will feature the shops by early June.

A larger … Read more

Best Stopwatch & Timer isn't worth your time

Some iPhone apps have a single focus, which is okay as long as they perform well. Best Stopwatch & Timer offers users a simple stopwatch, as well as the ability to add multiple timers. A glitch, however, caused the app to crash on us repeatedly, so we never got to see it actually do its full job.

Best Stopwatch & Timer opens with an extremely simple and intuitive interface. Three menu items line the top of the screen: Stopwatch, Timer, and Timers. The Stopwatch is what you'd expect, with a large clock display in the middle of your screen, … Read more

Features we want in an Apple iWatch

Does the world really need an Apple iWatch?

Probably not, but the only thing I'm sure of is that I've been consistently wrong when it comes to guessing what people will buy. I still remember when Apple launched the iPad and I was absolutely certain that the name "iPad" was a kiss of death. I also remember believing in my heart that the Microsoft Zune would eventually win people over.

If Apple does release a smartwatch this year (and the jury's still out on that one), it would have to solve a number of problems … Read more

Samsung launching mini stores in Best Buy shops, report says

Samsung may soon be launching mini stores within Best Buy stores, according to a new report, giving the Korean electronics giant some retail heft just in time for the Galaxy S4 launch.

According to Geek.com, certain high-traffic Best Buy locations will soon remove two aisles near their mobile departments to install new Samsung stores. Each section "will be dressed in large Samsung signage and offer custom demo stations for many of Samsung's products," the site said. Employees in each section will receive special training about how to demo Samsung-specific features.

The stores-within-stores will highlight the Galaxy … Read more

Best Buy brings founder Schulze back on board

Best Buy said today that its founder, Richard Schulze, is returning to the company as chairman emeritus.

Schulze is also bringing with him a pair of new members for Best Buy's board of directors, former company executives Brad Anderson and Al Lenzmeier. The two are joining the board immediately and then will stand for election at the annual shareholder meeting in June, Best Buy said.

It wasn't so long ago that Schulze was trying to acquire Best Buy and take it private. Last August, he submitted an offer of between $24 and $26 a share to buy the … Read more

Consolidate your content in Rockmelt

The sheer volume of information people interact with each day is overwhelming. Articles, blog posts, Facebook posts, and tweets -- it's impossible for many to keep track and stressful for others who try. So apps like Rockmelt are becoming increasingly popular. Designed to consolidate your favorite Web sites and content sources into a single interface for reading, sharing, and saving, Rockmelt is a very effective app in many ways, and in others very much in need of updates and refinement.

Upon installation, Rockmelt prompts you to sign in to at least one social account. You can alternately create an … Read more