Hasta La Gadget!

Today brings news that Apple is matching its competitors’ prices on iPhones at its own retail stores, but the company doesn’t want to make a big deal about it. MacRumors reports that Apple has implemented a new quiet policy that allows employees to price match on all iPhone 4S models and the iPhone 4, so if you want to buy directly from Apple but still want to get the best price possible, now is your chance. It should be noted, however, that Apple will only be price matching on sales made in-store, meaning online orders aren’t eligible for the promotion.

That, obviously, is because Apple requires that customers present evidence of a lower price before it will drop its own prices. Apparently, Apple is willing to part with the iPhone 4 for as low as $49.99, while iPhone 4S models can dip down to $149, $249, and $349. That’s a discount of $49.01 on all models, which isn’t too bad.

Apple has rolled out this price match promotion in response to carriers and other major retailers who have been dropping the price on the iPhone in order to get more people through their doors. In the past, Apple hasn’t really cared too much about partners dropping their prices below its own, with the mentality being that a sale is a sale, and more having more iPhones in the hands of consumers is a good thing. Apple makes more money on iPhone sales at its own stores though, so we can’t really blame the company for trying to bring in as much money as it can on each iPhone sold.

There isn’t any word on how long this promotion will last, and Apple is telling employees that they can only price match offers from “approved” retailers and carriers. We don’t know which retailers those are, precisely, but it seems safe to assume that prices from all the big carries and retails chains (AT&T, Best Buy, Verizon, etc.) are fair game. Keep an ear to SlashGear, as we’ll be sure to let you know if Apple gets any more specific about this price match promotion.

iPhone discounts go deep at Apple retail is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Lacie’s just announced its next generation USB 3.0 drives meant to take advantage of the new Ivy Bridge internals of the latest MacBooks. The fresh Rugged Triple, Porsche Design P’9223 and P’9233, and RuggedKey models all use USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UAS) for maximum data transfer speeds to and from machines running Lion or Mountain Lion. If you’re looking to pick one of these slick storage devices, they’ll be available in Apple stores and on LaCie’s website this summer.

Continue reading LaCie reveals new Mac-friendly USB 3.0 external drives

Filed under: Storage

LaCie reveals new Mac-friendly USB 3.0 external drives originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Apple’s New York Grand Central store is at the heart of a debate over preferential treatment, with claims that the company and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) acted uncompetitively in planning the new location. The Apple Store, which takes pride of place in the cavernous station, opened to huge response in December 2011, but according to an investigation by the New York State Comptroller was the culmination of more than a year of exclusive negotiations that contravene fair practice recommendations.

“Auditors and investigators found that the MTA worked exclusively with Apple behind the scenes on a lease for more than a year” the Comptroller’s office wrote in its report, “before issuing a request for proposals (RFP) that resulted in only one response – from Apple.” The MTA was apparently fully aware that Apple had been negotiating with the prior tenant, a restaurant, a year in advance of the RFP being issued, and indeed those negotiations went on to set the final terms for the RFP.

In fact, only two of the twelve recommendations from a previous, 2010 audit of real estate practices had been adhered to. The Comptroller says that, although Apple may indeed be a good match to the location, the behaviors of the company and the MTA demand further investigation and the possibility of statutory changes to oversight regulations.

“While Apple may turn out to be a good tenant, the MTA set a troubling precedent when it played favorites and gave Apple a competitive edge over others for the Grand Central space,” Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said in a statement. “Apple was directly involved in setting the terms of the lease and given exclusive access to information more than a year before any other vendor knew the Grand Central location was available. The company even signed a $2 million agreement with the current tenant to vacate its space five days before the MTA issued the RFP.”

According to the official timeline, the MTA approached restaurant owners Metrazur in April 2009 to discuss buying out the lease (on which 18 months remained); Metrazur then approached Apple in July 2009, with negotiations ongoing between the two pairs. Apple agreed to pay $2m early to Metrazur, and indeed did so on the same day that the MTA released the RFP to third-party bidders.

Apple bias identified in Grand Central Store negotiations is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Windows users can’t catch a break with viruses, even when they’re getting software for their Apple device. An app called “Instaquotes Quotes Cards for Instagram” was found to contain a worm called “Worm.VB-900,” which isn’t a threat to iOS itself or any other MacOS platform. However, users who tend to their apps with a Windows machine are susceptible to the baddie — also known affectionately as Mal/CoiDung-A. Any antimalware should detect it since it’s been up to no good since 2009, but Cupertino has already pulled the app and the vendor is working on a virus-free version. Just goes to show — if you’re on a PC, it pays to watch out for worms when you bite into a strange Apple.

Filed under: Software

Malware invades Apple’s App Store for iOS, only harasses Windows users originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  Apple forums  | Email this | Comments

The SoHo Apple Store in New York City has just opened its doors after its recent renovation and Core 77 has noticed something amazing: the stunning new glass panels flanking its stairs. At more than 30 feet long each, these things are impossibly huge and beautiful. More »