Gizmodo: best buy

A Number of Best Buy's PlayStation 3/HDTV "Deals" Are Iffy

Jack Loftus — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

So you know that $1,100 off deal Best Buy and Sony teamed up to deliver that packages a PlayStation 3 with games and a Bravia HDTV? Somewhat misleading, according to analysis from our friend Gary over at HD Guru.

You see, the televisions in a few of these bundles never really sold for as much as Best Buy says they did, meaning the "steep discounts" are anything but. There's some savings to be had here, definitely, but even so six of the twelve TVs sold through this promotion were never actually offered for full price by Best Buy.

Here's just one example from HD Guru (emphasis theirs):

Sony KDL-46Z5100 46″(sku #9279899): $2,099.99 TV + $299.99 PS3 System + $59.99 PS3 Game + $29.99 Blu-ray Movie = $2,489.96 Regular Price – $410 TV Savings – $428.98 Package Savings = $1,650.98 Package Price

Current TV price is $1689.99. This TV never sold at BB for the MSRP of $2099.99

However, tucked in amongst the 12 bundles are a number of good deals. Just be careful when shopping around to be sure the one you've selected is really saving you a bundle. Price check against Amazon, here, or elsewhere first. The sale begins today and lasts through December 12. [HD Guru - Thanks, Gary]

What Was This?

Mark Wilson — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Obviously, it's not much now but an empty lot you can find in Chattanooga, TN. But what was here once upon a time?

Circuit City.

That's a pre-holiday consumer downer if I ever heard one, but hey, at least the whole strip mall didn't go down alongside the electronics retailer. Oh wait, it did. [Thanks Kevin!]

Helpful List of Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Mark Wilson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:20:00 EST

Just how long can you procrastinate in your online holiday shopping? Dealnews assembled a verified list including retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Macy's. Not everyone is here, but your "Lids" will most certainly arrive on time. [dealnews and image]

Best Buy's Holiday Carolers Make Me Want to Murder

Adam Frucci — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but already Best Buy seems to have won the "most annoying holiday ad of the season" award. Seriously, try to sit through one of these without squirming around uncomfortably and wanting to punch the screen.

Best Buy Selling Super Cheap HDTVs Online...Right Now

Mark Wilson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:55:55 EST

I don't know that we'd recommend buying a Dynex set, but $500 for a 40-inch, 1080P LCD is a tad tempting. Best Buy also has 32-inch models for $300 and a 50-inch (720P) for $650. [Best Buy via Black Friday]

Sprint's HTC Hero Takes Inevitable Price Dip to $100

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:50:00 EST

After the HTC Droid Eris, a rebadged Hero, debuted on Verizon for $100, Sprint's Hero couldn't well sit at $180 and expect to sell—and now Best Buy has stepped up, selling the Hero at $100 with contract. [Engadget]

Dealzmodo: Best Buy Black Friday Ad Features Pre-Loaded Nintendo DSi

Jack Loftus — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

As this leaked Best Buy Black Friday ad reveals, one of the many deals coming our way the day after Thanksgiving is a Nintendo DSi, preloaded with a number of free DSiWare titles.

The price remains the same as it's been for the DSi: $170. The downloadable titles, which have been downloaded for you at the factory, are the gravy.

There are two bundles in all, reports Siliconera:

One bundle is geared towards Brain Age fans. It includes Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Sudoku, Brain Age Express: Math, Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics, Photo Clock and a white Nintendo DSi.

The Metallic Blue DSi Mario bundle is better suited for core gamers. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, WarioWare Snapped!, Dr. Mario Express, Mario Calculator, and Mario Clock are loaded on that DSi.

All told, the two bundles give you $28 and $22 worth of freebies, respectively. [Gearlive via Siliconera]

7 Ways for Best Buy to Make Its 24-Hour Store Kick the Apple Store's Ass

Adam Frucci — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

So, Best Buy's new store in NYC is going to be open 24 hours during the week. Apple also has a 24-hour store in NYC, but this could be way better. I have some pitches for you, Best Buy.

1. Capsule Hotel
Say you're in Union Square, it's 4am, and you're drunk. Far too drunk to figure out how to get back to Queens on the subway. Well, why not go and crash in the capsule hotel at Best Buy for $15? And when you get up, you can make a quick video game impulse purchase to help nurse your hangover with.

2. Pay by the hour video games
Best Buy has tons of huge, beautiful TVs. They also have boatloads of video games and consoles. Why not use all that gear? If they set up Xboxes on those big TVs, they could charge people by the hour to play on them late at night. Say, from 11pm-6am. I'm sure they'd make a boatload of cash from semi-drunk people paying $20 to kill each other in Call of Duty before going home after the bars.

3. Food
Of course, you've gotta have food late at night. Might I suggest a make-your-own sundae bar? Just make sure you've got enough wet naps on hand to keep all of your nice products from being covered in sticky fingerprints.

4. Skee-ball
Everybody loves skee-ball!

5. Karaoke
Again, this would be a great way to showcase your TVs as well as the big musical instruments section that this new flagship Best Buy is going to have.

6. Hot Tubs
Look, if you want to get people into your store late at night, you've gotta offer incentives. And there are few better incentives than a hot tub on a cold night. Combine this with #2 and I'd practically live there.

7. A Bar
Why only settle for people shopping after they've been out drinking when you can sell them their drinks as well? Do you know what the profit margins are on booze sales? Enough to make you rethink being an electronics retailer, that's what.

Best Buy Black Friday Ad Leaks

Adam Frucci — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:59:03 EST

Oh Best Buy, won't you save us from the legions of mediocre Black Friday deals that have leaked so far? Please? No, not really? Well, at least there are some great video game deals.

* Indicates a doorbuster item

Cell Phones
AT&T Sony Ericsson W518a - Free w/2 Year Contract *
BoostMobile Motorola Clutch i465 - $59.99
DLO Jam Jacket For iPhone - $9.99
Jabra BT-2080 Bluetooth Headset - $19.99
LG Chocolate Touch From Verizon w/Two Year Activation - $0.00 *
MiFi 2200 By Novatel Wireless w/Two Year Activation - $0.00
Mobile Broadband Card 598U By Sierra Wireless w/Two Year Activation - $0.00
Motorola H710 Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headset - $39.99
Motorola S9 HD Stereo Bluetooth Headset - $49.99
Net10 Samsung T401G - $39.99
Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smart Phone - Free w/2 Year Contract
Sprint Samsung Instinct S30 - Free w/2 Year Contract
T-Mobile Motorola Renew Phone - $7.99
Verizon Wireless DROID - $199.99 w/2 Year Contract
Verizon Wireless Motorola Rival - Free w/2 Year Contract *
Virgin Mobile Kyocera X-tc - $49.99

Computer Accessories
Logitech C250 Webcam - $19.99
Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse - $24.99
Rocketfish AC Power Adapter - $39.99

Computers
Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive - $179.99
Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive - $229.99
Dell 10.1" Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive - $379.99
eMachines Desktop w/AMD Athlon Processor, 3GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7, w/18.5" LCD Monitor and HP Deskjet D1530 Color Printer - $299.97
HP 15.6" Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 6GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 - $599.99
HP 15.6" Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 - $699.99
Macbook 13.3" Notebook w/2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive, w/$150 Gift Card - $999.99
Sony 15" Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 - $399.99
Sony 15" Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray Player, Blu-ray Movie - $479.97
Toshiba 16" Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 3GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) - $399.99
Toshiba 16" Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB DDR3 Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) w/Printer and Case - $499.97

Digital Cameras
Canon EOS Rebel Tli D-SLR Camera w/18-55mm IS Lens - $699.99
Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Grey) - $149.99
Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Teal) - $149.99
Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Grey) - $179.99
Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Teal) - $179.99
Canon Rebel Tli Camera w/55-250mm IS Telephoto Lens and Lowepro D-SLR Bag - $849.97
Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case - $149.97
Fujifilm Finepix Z37 Polka Dot 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera - $119.99
Insignia 720p HD Camcorder - $69.99
Insignia NS-DSC10A 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Pink) - $49.99 *
Insignia NS-DSC10B 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Blue) - $49.99 *
Kodak EasyShare C140 Digital Camera With 7" Kodak Digital Photo Frame - $109.99
Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera - $299.99
Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case - $329.97
Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Red) - $179.99
Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case - $209.97
Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm and 55-200mm Lens and Bag - $599.97
Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm VR Lens - $499.99
Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera (Black) - $99.99
Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Flexpod and Camera Case - $119.97

Digital Media Cards
PNY 4GB Flash Drive - $9.99
PNY 4GB MicroSD HD Memory Card - $9.99
PNY 4GB SDHC Memory Card - $9.99
Sandisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo - $14.99
Sandisk 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card - $19.99
Sandisk 8GB SD Card - $19.99

DVD Players
Insignia Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # NS-BRDVD3) - $99.99
Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray Disc Player - $279.99
Samsung Blu-Ray Disc Player - $149.99
Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc Player - $149.99

Electronics
2GB Pulse Smartpen w/$30 Gift Card - $169.99
Bose In-Ear Headphones - $89.99
Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder - $499.99
Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8" HDMI Cable - $599.97
Dynex 7" Digital Photo Frame - $29.99
iHome Portable Alarm Clock Speaker iPod Dock - $39.99
Insignia 7" Digital Photo Frame - $44.99
Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote - $39.99
Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/3 Handsets - $59.99
Pandigital 9" Digital Photo Frame - $59.99
Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder - $249.99
Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & Bag - $299.97
Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder - $199.99
Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8GB Memory Stick - $259.97
Sony Reader Pocket Edition w/$30 Gift Card - $199.99
Sony Studio Monitor Headphones - $9.99
VTech DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/2 Handsets - $44.99

GPS Navigation Systems
Garmin GPS Friction Mount - $14.99
Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS Navigation System - $99.99 *
Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS Navigation System - $129.99
Lowepro Black Neoprene Sleeve - $7.99
Magellan SE4 GPS - $89.99
Tom Tom 540S Portable GPS Navigation System - $149.99
Tom Tom GO 730 Portable GPS Navigation System - $174.99

Hard Drives
LG External Slim Portable USB 2.0 DVD Drive - $49.99
Western Digital 1.5TB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive - $119.99
Western Digital 500GB My Passport Elite Portable Hard Drive Titanium - $79.99
Western Digital WDTV Media Player - $74.99

Home Theater
4" Monster Cable 700 Series HDMI Cable - $49.99
Init Cherry Wood Stand With Mount For TVs Up To 46" - $99.99
Init Cherry Wood w/Black Glass Shelves TV Stand - $149.99
Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 5.25" Floorstanding Speaker - $186.99
Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 6.5" Floorstanding Speaker - $236.99
Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player - $399.99
Sony 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System - $279.99
Sony 7.1 Channel 770-Watt A/V Receiver - $279.99
Tilting Wall Mount For 30"-56" Flat-Panel TVs - $99.99

Monitors
Acer 20" HD LCD Monitor (Model # X203H) - $79.99
Dell 20" HD LCD Monitor (Model # S2009W) - $99.99

MP3 Players
3 $10 iTunes Gift Cards - $25.00
8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Black) + Wall Charger & Case - $159.97
8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Blue) + Wall Charger & Case - $159.97
8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Pink) + Wall Charger & Case - $159.97
8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Purple) + Wall Charger & Case - $159.97
8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Silver) + Wall Charger & Case - $159.97
Apple 8GB iPod Touch 3rd Generation w/$30 Gift Card - $199.99
Bose Sound-dock Series II Digital Music System - $269.99
Power Pack for iPod/iPhone - $19.99
Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Black) - $44.99
Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Blue) - $44.99
Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Red) - $44.99

Networking & Wireless
Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router w/4-Port Switch (Model # WRT160N) - $59.99
NetGear Wireless N Router (Model # WNR2000-100NAS) - $49.99

Portable USB Storage
Sandisk Cruzer 8GB USB Flash Drive - $19.99

Printers
$10 Gift Card With Any $40 Ink Purchase - $0.00
Epson Stylus NX110 Multifunction Printer - $24.99
HP Photosmart C4795 Wireless Multifunction Printer - $64.99

Televisions
Dynex 19" 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L19-10A) - $149.99
Dynex 32" 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L321-10A) - $299.99 *
Dynex 40" 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L40-10A) - $499.99
Insignia 42" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV (Model # NS-L42Q120-10A) - $699.99 *
LG 32" 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # 32LH30-UA) - $439.99
Panasonic Viera 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # TC-P50U1) w/Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # DMP-BD60K) - $999.98
Samsung 32" 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B530P7F) - $497.99
Samsung 32" 720p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B360C5D) - $397.99
Samsung 40" 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # LN40B500P3FXZA) - $597.99
Samsung 42" 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN42B400P3DXZA) - $547.99
Samsung 46" 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Model # UN4686000VF) - $1599.99 *
Samsung 46" 1080p LCD HDTV (LN46B500P3FXZA) - $847.99
Samsung 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B530S2F) - $897.99
Samsung 50" 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B430P2D) - $697.99
Sony 32" 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL32L504) - $377.99
Sony 40" 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL40S504) - $662.99
Sony 46" 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL465504) - $852.99

Video Games
$20 Gift Card w/Any DSi Game System Purchase - $0.00
Assassins Creed (PC Game) - $19.99
Bash Party (Wii) - $14.99
Bioshock (PC Game) - $19.99
Bolt (DS Game) - $9.99
Brutal Legend (PS3) - $34.99 *
Brutal Legend (Xbox 360) - $34.99 *
Call of Juarez (PS3) - $19.99
Call of Juarez (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Civilization IV (PC Game) - $19.99
Cooking Mama (DS Game) - $9.99
Cooking Mama (Wii) - $14.99
Crash (DS Game) - $9.99
Dragon Age (PS3) - $34.99 *
Dragon Age (Xbox 360) - $34.99 *
Excite Bots Trick Racing (Wii) - $14.99
Fallout 3 (PS3) - $19.99
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Family Game Night (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Far Cry 2 (PC Game) - $4.99
FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3) - $34.99 *
FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360) - $34.99 *
Guinness World Records (DS Game) - $9.99
Hawx (PS3) - $19.99 *
Hawx (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Left 4 Dead 2 (PS3) - $34.99 *
Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) - $34.99 *
Madagascar 2 Escape From Africa (Wii) - $14.99
Madden 10 (PS3) - $34.99 *
Madden 10 (XBox 360) - $34.99 *
Marker Man (DS Game) - $9.99
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii) - $14.99
My Sims Kingdom (Wii) - $9.99
My Word Coach (DS Game) - $9.99
NBA Live 09 (Wii) - $9.99
NBA Live 10 (PS3) - $34.99 *
NBA Live 10 (Xbox 360) - $34.99 *
Need For Speed: Shift (PS3) - $34.99 *
Need For Speed: Shift (XBox 360) - $34.99 *
NHL 10 (PS3) - $34.99 *
NHL 10 (Xbox 360) - $34.99 *
Nintendo DSi Brain Age Bundle (White) w/$20 Gift Card - $169.99
Nintendo DSi Mario Bundle (Metallic Blue) w/$20 Gift Card - $169.99
Pikmin Classic (Wii) - $14.99
Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii) - $9.99
Resident Evil 5 (PS3) - $19.99
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Riddick (PS3) - $19.99
Riddick (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Slots (PC Game) - $19.99
Sonic Chronicles The Dark Brotherhood (DS Game) - $9.99
Sony PlayStation 3 Package w/120GB Console, Little Big Planet, and Ratchet And Clank - $299.99 *
Spyro (DS Game) - $9.99
Stalker (PC Game) - $4.99
Sudoku Ball (DS Game) - $9.99
The Bigs 2 (PS3) - $19.99
The Bigs 2 (Xbox 360) - $19.99
Wii Sports Snowboard (Wii) - $14.99
Wii Sports (Wii) - $9.99
World Of Warcraft (PC Game) - $4.99
Xbox 360 Elite 120GB Bundle w/Four Pack Game Set - $299.99 [BlackFriday.info]

Nokia Booklet 3G Landing November 15 at Best Buy

Chris Jacob — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

We knew the the place and the price, just needed to know when the party starts. You can grab a pre-order for the $600 netbook ($300 with two-year contract) at Best Buy and pick it up November 15. [Engadget]

New NYC Best Buy to Be Open 24 Hours During the Week, Host Concerts

Adam Frucci — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:10:34 EST

A week from today, a brand new Best Buy is opening in the space on Union Square South that Circuit City used to reside. But this is no ordinary Best Buy: it'll be open 24 hours during the week (while only staying open from 11-7 on Sundays for some reason), and it'll have concerts. Concerts already lined up include Lamb of God, Peter Erskine and Friends and Anthrax. Oh, and Bon Jovi will be there on opening day. Awesome? [Racked, Thanks, Ponies]

Best Buy's Taking Droid Pre-Orders and Lets You Skip the Mail-In Rebate Madness

matt buchanan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:19:56 EDT

Like it's done for every major phone that carriers force you to actually mail in a rebate for to get the advertised price (*cough*PalmPre*cough*), Best Buy's taking care of the rebate bullshit for you with the Motorola Droid, whose rebate process with Verizon—resulting in a $100 debit card—is inexplicably stranger than most.

Plus, you can pre-order it today. I'd wait for the reviews in about a week though, personally. [BusinessWire via Engadget]

Stick This Thing to Your Kid and You Won't Lose Them

Mark Wilson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:40:00 EDT

The Insignia Little Buddy is a $100 child-tracking GPS system. You simply duct tape the Little Buddy to your kid, and you'll never lose the little bugger again (involuntarily).

A web interface positions you various little ones on a map marked with your custom "safety zones." But the most enticing feature, if we're studying the GPS tracking page properly, is that you can assign your children with various barnyard animal iconography. That'll teach little piggy the consequences of being late.
The Little Buddy will be on sale at Best Buy shortly, and we assume the service could come with some sort of monthly cost. [Best Buy via navigadget]

Dealzmodo: HP Desktop, Monitor, Laptop, Netbook and Router, all for $1200 (!)

Dan Nosowitz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EDT

Those looking for new Windows 7 hardware might want to head to Best Buy tomorrow—according to our source, they're set to debut an HP package with a desktop, monitor, laptop, netbook, and router, ridiculously priced at $1200.

All three computers in the package will be preloaded with Windows 7, the full contents of which include:

* Space-saving HP Slimline desktop (s5212y)
* Thin-profile 18.5" LCD monitor (w1858)
* Media-savvy HP laptop (G60-535DX)
* Compact HP Mini netbook (110-1125NR)
* Speedy NETGEAR Wireless-G router (WGR614)
* Seamless in-home setup of the PCs and router by Geek Squad (4000954811)

The desktop features a dual-core 2.5GHz Pentium, 3GB memory, 320GB hard drive and double-layer DVD burner, while the laptop is your standard-fare 15.6-inch HP (320GB HDD, 3GB memory, HDMI-out). The netbook is the HP Mini 110, one of our favorite netbooks. Individually, none of these are really thrilling items, but selling them together for $1200 is a ridiculously great deal. That package would run you over $2000 normally, so if your entire household is in need of an upgrade, this looks like a real winner—certainly one of the best ways to save money with Windows 7 promotions. [Best Buy]

Blackberry Storm 2 Dummy Units Arrive At Best Buy and Verizon Stores

Sean Fallon — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:34:00 EDT

As this spy shot confirms, Blackberry Storm 2 dummy units have started to arrive on Best Buy shelves—and word is that Verizon has received them as well. In other words, the launch is imminent.

How iminient? Well, If you believe earlier reports, there is a good chance that the launch could take place as early as October 25th. [Crackberry via MobileCrunch]

Netflix Streaming Gets Ever Cheaper, Comes to $180 Blu-Ray Player

Dan Nosowitz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:20:00 EDT

Netflix is taking over the world, bit by bit: First it gets beautifully integrated with Windows 7 Media Center, and now it comes to Insignia's dirt-cheap Blu-Ray decks. $180 for a Netflix-connected Blu-Ray player isn't anything to sneeze at.

Insignia, Best Buy's house brand, offers the NS-BRDVD3 at $180, with the NS-WBRDVD adding Wi-Fi to the mix for $20 more (seems worth the upgrade to us). All it takes is a firmware upgrade and you can start streaming Netflix. It's great to see Netflix invading our homes, one gadget at a time. Here's hoping smartphones are next! [Netflix via Engadget]

Whoa, Best Buy Sells 30 Percent of the Computers in the US

matt buchanan — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:41:40 EDT

At a Nokia event announcing the surprisingly decent pricing for the Booklet 3G, Best Buy's CMO said that Best Buy currently sells "30 percent of the computers in the US."

I'm guess the qualifier is that it's 30 percent of the computers at retail, not including biz or education, but still, that's a crazy amount of computers.

Artist Takes Over Every HDTV at Manhattan Best Buy

Mark Wilson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Generally, a Best Buy's monstrous collection of HDTVs display repetitive, lame video clips and advertisements. But on artist convinced a Manhattan Best Buy to hand over all of their HDTVs for a digital gallery.

This abstract collection of video paintings by Borna Sammak was created through the heavy post-processing/layering of found footage from sources like Planet Earth.

But how did Sammak secure the Best Buy gallery, especially during regular business hours? He simply asked the manager while hinting at increased foot traffic.

Needless to say, Best Buy could transition itself from faceless retailer to hip uncle status if more locations supported local and experimental film like this through digital community outreach programs. Let's make this happen, BB!

[popsci and Rhizome]

Remainders - Things We Didn't Post

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:40:00 EDT

Best Buy and Walmart battle for the right to screw the most customers...Brad Pitt Foundation creates an anchored floating house in New Orleans...Nobel Prize awarded to the three "masters of fiber optics"...Back-to-school laptops sales basically recession-proof...

The American Consumer Institute posted a thoughtful, objective look at the public opinion versus the facts regarding pricing and helpfulness of the two biggest major brick-and-mortar electronics retailers left, Best Buy and Walmart. Unfortunately they neglected to note that both are a total wash if you compare to pretty much any online retailer, and neither Best Buy nor Walmart are exactly renowned for good customer service. The facts were nicely summed up by our own Wilson Rothman:

This is retarded beyond retarded.

How much would you rather pay for a Blu-ray player, $700 or $1000?

Who is the better head of state, Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini?

What would you rather eat, poop or a totally black banana?

W

For the record, I prefer a black banana (they're okay in smoothies!). [The American Consumer]

Brad Pitt's charitable foundation created an environmentally friendly floating house designed to be practical, safe and aesthetically consistent in New Orleans neighborhoods. In periods of intense flooding, the concrete-covered polystyrene house breaks away from its moorings and floats, anchored with two 12-foot guideposts. It's made from all green materials and actually looks like a real house, which is commendable. Hopefully New Orleans won't have a call for any floating houses anytime soon, but just in case, thanks, Brad! [Inhabitant]

The Nobel Prize in Physics was just awarded to three pioneers that actually made stuff we all use everyday: Fiber optics, which power, you know, the entire internet, and CCDs, which allow us to post dumb pictures to said internet. Physicists Charles Kao, Willard Boyle and George Smith all shared the 2009 prize, which totals $1.4 million. Almost enough to make me wish I wasn't such a horrible student in physics. Almost. [Huffington Post, image from The Guardian]

The NPD group, which extensive online research tells me has nothing to do with Canada's NDP, found that back-to-school notebook sales are just about as strong as they were last year, which makes them as close to "recession-proof" as anything in the tech sector is likely to be. Unfortunately, sort of, the average amount spent on these laptops shot down from $804 in 2008 to $624 this year, mostly due to the skyrocketing popularity of netbooks. Still, good news for tech makers. [Electronista]

Verizon Motorola Sholes With Android Will Be On Sale By The Holidays

Joanna Stern — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:40:00 EDT

'Tis going to be the season of new cell phones. Boy Genius Report has gotten a hold of holiday inventory lists from Target and Sam's Club. The details are juicy and include the rumored Verizon Motorola Sholes Android phone.

You can check out the raw material in the leaked documents below, but here is the most interesting stuff to me:

• The Sam's Club document includes the Verizon Motorola Sholes (also been rumored to be called the Droid or Tao). From the tiny picture, the Android phone seems to have a front-facing camera. We already know a good deal of the rest of the specs. Say it is so: Verizon is finally going to get some 'droid!
• The Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 is finally on its way to Sam's Club, Target and Best Buy. It will be joined BlackBerry Curve 2 or LG Chocolate Touch.
• Don't forget yesterday's Best Buy leaks: the Nokia Booklet 3G netbook is listed and launching on October 25 with the option of AT&T activation. The retailer will also have the Palm Pixi and plans to have "new BlackBerry devices across multiple carriers."

That could be all the exciting holiday phone news we see and not to mention lots of them will be able to run full Flash! Not a bad way to start off the week. [Boy Genius Report]