Best Buy to match the prices of online retailers this holiday season to prevent “showrooming”

We’ve all done this before where we go to a retail store, try out a product before heading home to place our orders online. This is not a move appreciated by many retailers especially since online retailers, such as Amazon or even eBay offer the products for cheaper prices. Well the good news is that if you’d rather not wait for a product to be shipped to you, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that during this holiday season, Best Buy will be matching their prices against online retailers such as Amazon. This is a move to put a halt to what is known as “showrooming”, where people come to try products out before buying them online.

Granted Best Buy admits that showrooming isn’t that huge of a deal, since 40% of their customers that walk leave with a product, but firmly believes that this is an issue that they should pay attention to. As an added incentive, the report has also revealed that Best Buy could be offering free home delivery on items that are out of stock which hopefully will keep customers loyal and choose to buy from them. Assuming this report is accurate, we guess we know where we will be shopping this holiday!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Best Buy drops HTC Flyer further down to $100 (Updated), Microsoft Kinect Sold Out At Various Retailers,

MIT pencil draws out sensors with carbon nanotubes

Have you played the game Scribblenauts? I am quite sure that those who have given it a go would have most likely fallen in love with the title. Well, if you have a penchant for drawing stuff using a pencil, then this particular pencil from MIT is a little bit extra special. Chemists from MIT have managed to use a pencil where its graphite “lead” has been replaced by a special material that is known as carbon nanotubes. Basically, lines of carbon nanotubes are drawn on specially treated paper, and whenever an electrical current is fired through the paper, the change in resistance will be a sign that depicts the bonding of gas molecules to the nanotubes. So far, MIT’s test sensor has managed to detect small traces of ammonia gas successfully, and eventually, the whole idea of this exercise is to develop it in a way for it to function with just about any kind of gas. A smart pencil, if you will.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Indoor flying plane smart enough to avoid obstacles while flying in a tight spot, Meshworm robot from MIT creeps along like an earthworm,

Biggest Street View update ever from Google

street-view-parksGoogle’s Maps is certainly going great guns, regardless of the platform it is on, and the latest update to the Street View feature is the biggest and most comprehensive to date, doubling the number of special collections while updating more than 250,000 miles of roads worldwide. Not only that, Street View coverage is being increased by the – well, I’m all out of adjectives here, but a whole lot in countries such as Macau, Singapore, Sweden, the U.S., Thailand, Taiwan, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Canada. Not only that, countries such as South Africa, Japan, Spain, France, Brazil and Mexico among others will be receiving a special collection of sorts.

You can now explore new places directly in Google Maps, and the places include parks, city centers, castles and tourist attractions including the Catherine Palace and Ferapontov monastery in Russia, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan, or Stanley Park in Vancouver. Heck, why not traipse through Singapore’s Fort Canning Park without having to leave home, and not subjecting yourself to the hot and sweltering weather?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Street View imagery to arrive on Mobile Safari in a fortnight?, Google Street View checks out the Kennedy Space Center,

Most American ISPs are implementing a Copyright Alert System


It’s been a long time coming, but the United States’ major internet service providers are finally implementing a system which will disrupt internet service for alleged copyright infringers. Although Washington failed to pass anti-piracy bills like SOPA and the Protect IP act, this new system is effective at the industry-level. Partners include AT&T, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon. The system is referred to as a “six strikes” plan, because most subscribers have six chances before their internet connection is terminated.

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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: US court to decide whether an IP address identifies a person, YouTube’s automated copyright takedowns aren’t broken anymore,

Facebook “Want” button undergoes test

Facebook did stumble upon (pardon the pun there) with the “Like” button which was introduced some time back, and remaining in one spot despite being at the top of the social networking chain is not such a good idea. Innovation continues to be the bedrock of the tech industry, and Facebook has just confirmed that they are going all out to test an array of business-friendly interactive tools for users, with the “Want” button being one of them.

Right not, Facebook has revealed that they are conducting a small test where a bunch of select businesses are now able to share information about their products thanks to a feature known as Collections. Pottery Barn, Wayfair, Victoria’s Secret, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus, Smith Optics, and Fab.com will be the retailers involved, where a trio of actions are being tested separately – and they are “Want,” “Like,” and “Collect.” Right now, the Collections feature is unavailable as a social plug-in or outside of Facebook, but can be viewed by Facebook users on their respective News Feeds. How do you think that these new buttons will fare in the long run?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Facebook’s new Collections feature is like Pinterest for stores, Yes, college admissions officers are looking through your Facebook,

Microsoft sponsoring free WiFi in San Francisco and New York as part of Windows 8 marketing campaign

If you’re visiting New York or San Francisco, or if you’re a resident, well be prepared to receive free WiFi! Yup that’s right, it seems that in an attempt to generate some buzz for the upcoming launch of their Windows 8 platform, Microsoft has sponsored Boingo’s WiFi, so from now until the end of the holidays, visitors and residents to New York and/or San Francisco can expect to access WiFi hotspots. For San Francisco, Microsoft has rolled out WiFi coverage to certain popular areas, such as Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf, but for New York, Microsoft has gone all out and starting 1st November, 200 locations in Manhattan and six subway stations will be offering up free WiFi coverage. Granted it’s a publicity stunt but hey, free WiFi, right?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Windows 8 event on Oct 25, Microsoft rolls out invitations, Windows 8 companion app for Windows Phone 8 spotted,

US court to decide whether an IP address identifies a person

Most copyright holders who start legal action aren’t looking to go to court. They’re looking for out-of-court settlements; easy money. Many copyright-focused lawsuits are started en masse, with little more than IP addresses to identify the plaintiffs. For instance, Malibu Media, an adult-movie studio, has started 349 mass lawsuits in 2012 alone, with all of them ending in out-of-court setllements. Except for five anonymous defendants who filed a motion that these lawsuits were primarily for extortion and did not accurately describe how BitTorrent woks. Pennsylvania District Court Judge Michael Baylson has written a memorandum that, ultimately, “a trial are necessary to find the truth.” To court we go! According to the memo:

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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: US court to rule on digital content resales in ReDigi vs EMI case, could set a legal precedent, YouTube’s automated copyright takedowns aren’t broken anymore,

Looper’s director wants you to listen to an iPod in the theatre

This is a cool idea. In order to encourage repeat in-theatre viewings of Looper (currently in theatres), director Rian Johnson has released a commentary track which is meant to be played simultaneously with the movie. In movie theaters, on your personal device. The next time you’re at the cineplex, the guy sitting next to you with huge headphones on might not be crazy after all. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Throwback first-ever iPod in a browser is too much fun, Apple patent describes “shake to charge” technology that could one day power iPods and iPhones,

Ditch your random phone number for a easy to remember **HANDLE

Sprint may be solidly in 3rd place in the US carrier market, and they may be totally down in the Pacific Northwest currently, but they certainly have some of the most innovative cell phone services. They were the first to offer full integration for Google Voice, and now they’re offering a way to ditch the phone number almost completely. The service, called StarStarMe, allows Sprint subscribers to be contacted through a word instead of a mobile phone number. So if your name is Bryan and you got that  handle, someone could dial **BRYAN (**27926) and reach your phone.  (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: It’s not just you: Sprint cell phone service is down in Washington and Oregon, Sprint reportedly looking to outbid T-Mobile on MetroPCS deal,

Facebook’s new Collections feature is like Pinterest for stores

Facebook is getting into online commerce in a big way: last week they unveiled an easy way to send physical goods to friends, and today they’ve announced Collections. Collections, according to Facebook, is a way for companies to format image posts of products to facilitate easy sales through Facebook. Sounds a lot like another image-based social network, right? (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Yes, college admissions officers are looking through your Facebook, Facebook: Over one billion served,