Beware of the Upsell

It's something worth repeating every holiday season: When retailers take a hit on TVs, they often make up the difference on ridiculously overpriced extras. You may find a genuine deal or two on a big ticket item at a giant tech retailer like Best Buy, but, as far as I am concerned, you would have to be a damned fool to buy any of their extras and accessories. You know about HDMI cables, but there's a lot more profit-driven accessorizing where that came from.

Even if you already did buy the accessories needed for your gadget gifts, go online and do some calculations before you toss out those receipts. You may want to return them when you see how much you could have saved. As for late shoppers—listen up. Getting batteries, cables, controllers, mounts and other necessities can really nickel-and-dime your holiday budget. Time may be running out to shop, but that doesn't mean you should allow retailers to take advantage of you.

Let's go over this again. Retailers like Best Buy are not above bending you over with sucker warranties and massively overpriced or deceptive services.

And how about those high-margin extras? For example, I selected a random low-profile wall mount from Sanus designed for HDTVs measuring 30 to 60 inches diagonal. It's the kind of wall mount the average Joe would probably select for their new TV—a TV they may well have got a reasonable deal on. Best Buy is selling it for $169. Buy.com is selling it via Amazon for $94 with free shipping. Guess what, Best Buy—bite me. I can wait for the UPS guy if it means saving $75 or more.

The Rewards of Patience

So, I have to ask: Is the convenience worth spending $50 or more on that "high quality" 6-foot HDMI cable upsell in a store when you can get basically the same performance from a $3 version (shipped) from Amazon? Best Buy's cheapest 6-foot HDMI cables will still run you $13. Even discount giant Walmart can't get anywhere near the prices you can find online at places like Amazon and Monoprice. When you consider all of the various cables you might need to buy for your gadgets this holiday, the costs can really add up. My advice with cables is to suck it up, shop online and and wait if necessary.

For other products, you may not need to wait for an online shipment because the best price is just up the road. I don't know why anyone would spend $50 on a wireless Xbox 360 controller and $100 on a wireless-N adapter at Best Buy when they can hop in the car and head to Walmart and get them for $38 and $83 respectively. I know shopping can be hectic, and I understand why you would just want to get it over with, but saving money is going to be worth the inconvenience. As always, it is best to do your price comparisons before heading out. And if your local store is sold out, you can always order them.

Other Extras You Might Need

Now that you're good and aware of the nature of this problem, let's go over all of the things you might still need, even after Santa has left the building.

Batteries: I don't expect you to order batteries online last minute, but the good news is that you can probably find great prices in your area. We recommend Duracell rechargeables, but if you try and pick up a basic 6-hour charger with 4 AA batteries from Best Buy, it is going to run you $28 compared to $20 at Target. Futhermore—if you already have the charger or are buying it separately—a 4-pack of extra pre-charged NiMH AAs runs you $18 at Best Buy and only $13 at Target.

Storage: Everyone who buys a new computer or even upgrades their OS suddenly finds themselves in need of a backup hard drive. Generally speaking, a big ole USB desktop unit is the best value. The going rate for a 1TB brand-name USB 2.0 drive is around $100, and while Amazon, NewEgg and Walmart all beat Best Buy on price in some ways, only Walmart, strangely enough, offers either the 1TB Seagate FreeAgent desktop drive or the 1TB WD My Book desktop drive for $99.

If you have several computers (especially with different OS platforms), you're going to want to check out setting up a network drive or array. We really liked the Iomega's Ix2-200 as a cheap but full-featured NAS solution. I actually ended up picking one of these up myself for about $40 off list at Amazon, but you can find a slightly (and I do mean slightly) better deal on Next Warehouse right now. NewEgg also has a great reputation for good prices on storage devices. In this case however, they come in third because of shipping charges.

Powerline Networking Kit: If you're getting a connected Blu-ray player, TV, Roku Box, game console, HD media player or other assorted networked thingamajigs, you may want to think about a powerline adapter, like Linksys' PLK300. It's a simpler and usually more broadband friendly alternative to Wi-Fi. But the PLK300 sells for $155 on Best Buy and a shocking $169 at Walmart. Amazon will hook you up for $122, but if you don't mind a little risk, NewEgg has an "open box" offer for $93.

Bags and Camera Packs: There are countless options when it comes to cases and bags for your gadgets, but one of our faves is the Timbuk2 HAL backpack. It has all of the storage you would need, and you can score it for as little as $96 on Amazon shipped. In other stores, it might cost as much as $120. eBags also has the Timbuk2 for $96 with a free 2-day air upgrade. Some cool bags aren't as easy to find on sale—Matt loved the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar Home camera bag, and we can't really find it anywhere (respectable) for under $80.

Gadget Cases: When it comes to cases for iPhones and iPods, profit is the name of the game, so be careful about any potential screwings. Our best advice is to try doing generic searches—instead of a brand name, type in "silicone iphone case" or "rugged iphone case" and weigh your options. For the former, Amazon and NewEgg yield a huge selection of cases in the $15, while Walmart only shows just two $20 cases, and Best Buy has a similar two, for $25 a piece. A combination of thinking—and thinking ahead—is what works here.

iPhone and Smartphone Car Mounts: With many of us relying on our cellphones for GPS guidance these days, a good car mount is becoming essential. Unfortunately, those fancy iPhone docks with a GPS-boosting receiver like the TomTom and the Magellan are pretty overpriced (especially when you have GPS already built into the phone), and besides, they're in pretty short supply, as is the official car mount for Droid phones. So where does that leave you? Well, it leaves you with a lot of basic, no-frills options that do the job just fine. For the iPhone, you could get something as dirt-ass cheap as this $6 windshield mount from DealExtreme. Here's a secret, the Droid fits in many iPhone docks, especially ones that hold at just one end. But if you're gonna fudge it, go cheap, or else hold out for the official dock.

In-Car Phone Chargers: Don't ever ever ever spend money on specialized, phone-specific chargers if your phone happens to charge with USB. That's just a con. Just take the same cord you plug your phone into your computer with—regardless of whether you have an iPhone, a Droid, a Pre, really anything "smart"—and plug it into one of these super-cheap 12V USB adapters. Griffin's dual-USB one sells on Amazon for $7.50. With all the money you can finally save not buying proprietary car chargers, you may just want to buy a few of those, and while you're at it, stock up on extra USB cables.

Universal Remotes: You can get cheap universal remotes anywhere, but if you want something more high end, the Logitech Harmony 900 should fit the bill. On Amazon it's $280 shipped. How about Best Buy? Oooh, $380. See a pattern developing here?

As I mentioned in my recent article championing the HTPC, you can get something as simple as the HA-IR01SV from Mediagate to control Windows Media Center for only $25.41 shipped from Amazon. If you absolutely need it now you will have to pay a few extra bucks at Walmart.

Conclusion

When it comes to buying all of those extras for your holiday gadgets this year, my advice is simple: Use common sense and don't settle. Stores like Best Buy, Staples, Office Max and Gamestop are probably not the places you want to go to score your accessories. Look at the local discount stores like Walmart and Target first—and if you can't find a good enough price without ordering online, you're just gonna have to wait it out. As tough as that might be with a new gadget to play with, the savings will be worth it.

And if any of you have come across any good deals of your own on stuff to make your gadgets run at 100%, just throw them into comments—with pricing and a photo, if possible.

Image via Link

Look, it's nice and all that you've got Atlas woofers and CMMD tweeters and DSP equalization, but seriously, Harman Kardon? You're going to charge a thousand dollars for speakers with no subwoofer? To you I say good day, sir! [BusinessWire via Coolest Gadgets]

"
On average, the OECD found that Americans pay $635.85 on cell phone service, compared to $131.44 per year in the Netherlands or $137.94 per year in Sweden."

As you might expect, the wireless industry issued a press release proclaiming the study was based on "flawed assumptions" that "just don't make sense." If you look at the data the way carriers would like, you're getting quite the bargain. The CTIA does have a point that the OECD's usage categories seem low — particularly when it comes to MMS use. Another reason U.S. prices seem high? Carriers charge a hell of a lot of money for service. They also spend millions on lobbyists who tirelessly work to eliminate consumer protections and price controls.

It does appear that OECD's findings are inflated—after all, the three countries mentioned on this list have bigger appetites for wireless technologies and services. Still, I have little doubt that carriers are sticking ti to us in one form or another. [DSLReports via Consumerist]

Specifically, they are referring to the extra space you gain from the wider perspective. Because TV networks employ "center-cut protection" to ensure that all of the action can be viewed on older TV sets, that extra space is generally filled with a whole lot of nothing—like the crowd, empty field and so on. It's common sense really, but something that many of us probably don't think about.

I suppose this could be a turn off to some buyers but I, for one, would prefer to see more of a scene, not less. Besides, isn't the HD resolution really where it's at? But let me ask you—do you care what is in (or not in) the extra space afforded by a widescreen TV? [Blue Donut]

Get them while they last when they arrive in January for about $130. [B4Tech]

Yves Behar, designer of OLPC and Jawbone, and founder of fuseproject design studio in SF
"When a company comes out with an innovative, landmark gadget, many companies incorporate those design features into their own gadgets over time. But at what point does inspiration turn into bootlegging or IP theft?

The last few months, I've experienced a few straight rip-offs of the Jawbone earpiece. Not just copying the design, but copying the language, the packaging, the way we present ourselves. I really don't see it as a form of flattery, I see it as a complete lack of originality. When the #1 in the industry is copying #10, that means something is really lacking in #1. It's unable to establish its own vision and direction. People forget there are 1,000 different ways to deliver, 1,000 different ways to create great design. I'm not sure what there is to be done besides continuing to move forward."

Karen Marie Kitterman, intellectual property lawyer with Fenwick & West LLP, Based in China
"Bootlegging is not a legal term, but there are several legal theories under which innovative companies can stop copycats.

Design patents protect the ornamental design of an object [and] are granted only if the design is novel and not obvious. The patent owner can stop the copycats only if the similarities and differences between the two products create an overall similarity that would deceive the ordinary observer. Often if a copycat copies only enough to call the original to mind, but not enough to confuse consumers that the new product is the real McCoy, then the copycat may pass under the legal nets of design patent and trade dress infringement (assuming the innovative company has design patent and trade dress rights). Copyright protection usually does not cover the design features of products because they usually are not separable from the product itself. If the copycat, however, uses the actual name or logos of the original company, then it can likely be stopped for trademark infringement.

Please note also that the volume of counterfeits, especially out of China, is so large that, even when innovative companies have the legal rights to stop counterfeits, they cannot always stop all of them."

Ravi Chhatpar, Strategy Director for Frog Design, based in Shanghai
"We heard stories of teenagers in third-tier cities in China "adapting" the Nike ID customized shoe concept by acquiring fake Nike shoes, customizing them in Nike ID style with locally created design elements with local fabrics, color patterns from local schools, and selling them. Contrast this to the fake markets in Shanghai and other first-tier cities that sell pure rip-offs of Nike ID shoes. Many at our forum agreed that the former, while in the end involving infringement of Nike's IP and illegal sales of bootleg Nike shoes, could be condoned as it was highly imaginative and locally improvisational in a market that is so unsophisticated. It's reflective of newfound creativity. Meanwhile the latter is clearly an example of ripping off for profit.

Similarly, many innovative consumer electronics are copied (some poorly and/or hilariously) in China (e.g., iPhone knock-offs). It's easy for Westerners to point at these copies as examples of blatant IP infringement, which they are. But some will argue that these cheap knockoffs are bringing high quality design (or more accurately, an attempt at design) to a population that could never afford a real iPhone, thereby building interest in designed products to a market that is currently unsophisticated about it. People in first-tier cities can afford to buy real iPhones and do so. But those in second-tier cities can't, but are intrigued by the iPhone's buzz and buy knock-offs. This is clear bootlegging, but does it serve a larger "good"?

In the end, the main theme that emerged relates to the importance of context. Does the need to build design sensitivity and sophistication in a market that does not yet appreciate it permit what wouldn't be tolerated in more developed markets?"

*Special thanks to Sara Munday from Frog for the story idea.

2.1-inch, 16 million color QVGA screen
FM radio
2 Megapixel camera
Micro SD support
Stereo speakers
110x50x17.6 mm
Weighs 99g

The bit that makes me laugh the most is that it comes with a certificate stating that the gold and crystals are real. Cough. [Just Another Mobile Phone Blog via Slashphone]

From what we can gather, its makers think this is better than the iPhone because it accepts microSD cards, and it says here it runs Windows XP and has a 2-megapixel camera on board. And hey, it has 3D sound! At least they're not claiming it's a smartphone. [Taibao.com]

Their official stance now is to offer refunds to every customer affected, which means if you were forced into buying iPhone accessories you don't want, go ahead and return them to the store where you bought them. AT&T's also said they've "taken significant disciplinary action in this matter", but it's hard for us to gauge what type of disciplinary action that is.

A reader emailed us over the weekend and outlined exactly why this was happening. From the previous post:

A reader tells us if an AT&T rep doesn't sell between $60-$65 worth of accessories for each phone sale and $20-$30 worth of features, he can be written up and terminated if sales don't improve within 45 days. If customers came and bought iPhones without accessories, this would have caused a big downwards drag on their record. Each accessory sold will count toward a rep's sales goals, even if it's returned the next day, plus he gets six cents on the dollar.

Even weirder: regional managers had side bets on Friday with stores and had perks for reps that sold an X amount of accessories. The reader says they basically acted like used car salesmen.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in about their difficulties! Here are some more reports:

Greg says the store at 3711 eS Bristol, in Santa Ana, forced each person who bought an iPhone to buy a case and a car charger. They also ran out of iPhones, but promised that if customers pay now they would ship more directly to them. When Greg showed up the next day, he found the store selling phones to people at the door instead of delivering them as promised.

James says the Cathedral City, CA store forced them to buy $75 worth of accessories. The manager claimed it was "corporate policy", pointing to a laser printer printout when challenged.

HardD99 says he was forced to buy three accessories at the Everett, WA AT&T store, with the employees telling him he'd be charged a 10% restocking fee on the accessories, not just the phone.

Sean says the Bellevue Square, Bellevue Washington store was forcing 1 accessory per iPhone.

Vince says the bundle he was forced to buy in San Pedro, CA, on Western & Park Western, added up to an extra $100 over the normal 8GB price. "Rules" were on a dry erase board next to the iPhone banner.

Bruce says his local (no address) AT&T store claimed the local Apple store was sold out of iPhones at 6:45 PM (they were not) in order to entice line-campers to use the voucher system. The voucher let them pay now and get the phones in 3-5 days.

Bryan from Manhattan Beach, CA says he was also forced to either buy two accessories or leave.

The first comes from the University Village AT&T store at
4626 25th Ave NE, Seattle, WA (Phone 206-729-7184). When buying the iPhone yesterday, the store said all customers must by two accessories with an iPhone, but the accessories could be returned, opened, without a restocking fee. Add to that the fact that the salesman didn't even know a charger was included and tried to upsell a different charger to the reader.

The second, at the Hawthorne California AT&T Store at 5249 W. Rosecrans in Hawthorne California (Phone 310-725-9902), the store manager said customers were required to buy a "bundle" of accessories. The bundle, written up with magic marker on an unofficial sign, listed the 4GB bundle at $650 and the 8GB bundle at $750. The manager told the customer that they couldn't buy the phones without the bundle and that they could leave the store if they didn't want it. When asked if he could return the items, they said yes, but only tomorrow (today).

The third store, at Pike Street in Seattle, forced people to buy $60 worth of accessories (a case and car charger), and if you didn't, you'd get a voucher and the iPhone would be mailed to you some time next week. The reader eventually went to the Apple Store nearby, and eventually his friend (who stayed at the AT&T store) told him they stopped pushing the accessories.

One is a fluke, two is a coincidence, but three? And possibly more? That, my friends, is ridiculous.

If this happened to you, send a tip to us at tips@gizmodo.com.

Update: Joel says the AT&T store on broadway near city hall in NY was doing the same until some guy told them it was "illegal".

Scott says the 4th Street store in Santa Ana had 20 phones, and after 10 people went in they announced everything was sold out. They then told the remaining customers that throgh a "special deal", they could order an iPhone and receive it within 2 business days. The special deal? To buy 3 accessories that night.

Update 2: A reader tells us if an AT&T rep doesn't sell between $60-$65 worth of accessories for each phone sale and $20-$30 worth of features, he can be written up and terminated if sales don't improve within 45 days. If customers came and bought iPhones without accessories, this would have caused a big downwards drag on their record. Each accessory sold will count toward a rep's sales goals, even if it's returned the next day, plus he gets six cents on the dollar.

Even weirder: regional managers had side bets on Friday with stores and had perks for reps that sold an X amount of accessories. The reader says they basically acted like used car salesmen.

Update 3:Not forcing the accessories on people, but the store on Bridford Parkway in Greensboro, NC sealed the phones in with the accessories anyone purchased so they could charge the 10% restocking fee even if the iPhone box was unopened.

First, there's the obvious "Amycoll" instead of Samsung's Anycall. Then there's the even more obvious "PS3." They didn't even try with that one. Add to that the PSP-like buttons on the top, which can be used in landscape mode with the D-pad on the left for gaming. Oh, there's more.

Once you start the thing up you see it's "running" Windows Mobile with Direct Push, except it's not. You wouldn't know that from the startup theme and sound effects though.

If you pop open the battery cover, you'll see that it's "Made in Koera," which truly cements the fact that Korean manufacturers like Samsung and LG have made it into the big leagues—who would have thought that only 15 or 20 years ago?

And speaking of software, there's a Bejewelled clone, plus Gameboy and Nintendo emulators. We suppose there's a Super Nintendo emulator in there too, but we're not entirely sure.

In any case, the Amycoll PS3 is a classy addition to anyone's phone library. And by classy, we think you know what we mean. – Jason Chen

Amycoll PS3 [Phonedaily via Newlaunches]