Having just officially learned of the Moto G’s existence this Wednesday, we didn’t expect the device to literally be in stores quite so quick (today is Friday, if you did not know). What we’re seeing right off the bat is availability of this smartphone after Motorola announced it at locations like Phones4U in the UK. […]
The Wall Street Journal claims that Amazon is planning to start delivering packages on Sundays, to customers in Los Angeles and New York, in a new partnership with the United States Postal Service.
     |
Google caught some attention this past week for mooring a huge barge in SF Bay for mysterious purposes. Rumors have been flying about what that barge could be used for, with some suggesting it’s a floating data center, which Google does indeed have a patent for. But reports from a Bay Area local CBS affiliate and CNET suggest it’s a retail play, and now CBS is reporting (via 9to5Google) that as confirmed from multiple sources.
According to our sources the various reports about the barges being showcases for Google’s Glass retail efforts are correct.
The sources we spoke to were still uncertain about the exact uses that all of the barges would be put to in the end, but aiding Google in showcasing Glass for its eventual retail run is the likeliest fate of the units docked behind San Francisco’s Treasure Island.
The CBS story outlined a luxury showroom with a ‘party deck’ up top and spaces below for retail stores that could showcase Glass and other Google products. This report was said to be ‘pretty accurate’ by our sources.
CBS affiliate KPIX 5 says that the barge will eventually include luxury showrooms for gadgets such as Google Glass, as well as a party deck, and provide hands-on experiences to select potential clients by invitation only. It’s the brainchild of Google X, the skunkworks at Google designed to build some of that company’s more experimental products and services, including Google Glass and self-driving cars, and it’s overseen by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Brin is reportedly the driving force behind this retail barge experiment, and the purpose of the plan is to compete with Apple’s dominating retail presence, according to the CBS report.
While the barge doesn’t look like a luxury showroom at the moment, it’s built out of modular 40-foot shipping containers and is designed to be quickly torn down and put back together easily. It’s not a strictly seaborne affair, either – Google could reportedly assemble it on trucks or on freight trains, too, adding new meaning to the term “road show.”
CBS says that the barge’s launch has been delayed because of how it’s been designated by the U.S. Coast Guard, which is so far complying with Google’s apparent request that its purpose be kept secret.
Earlier this year, reports surfaced that suggested Google would begin opening its own retail stores in time for this year’s holiday season. A splashy launch of a naval retail outlet aimed at high-value clientele would definitely be an interesting way to kick-off wider retail efforts, and this will help Google do more to evangelize established lines of business like Chrome OS and Nexus devices, as well as more experimental projects like Google Glass, which will need plenty more consumer exposure if it ever hopes to be a more broadly appealing device.
Image credit: CBS KPIX 5
Apple has hired Angela Ahrendts, the current CEO of Burberry, to head up its retail efforts. Could Macs get any more fashionable?
| |
Good news retail fans! Everybody’s favorite skinny jeans store, Urban Outfitters, is about to break ground not only on a new store but on an entire little Urban Outfitters town. Soon you’ll be able to eat, sleep and shop without ever leaving leaving the cozy embrace of Urban Outfitters. Just like in college.
| |
This fully automated drive-in food market held the promise of a leisurely, push-button future. But even people of the 1950s probably recognized it as a sleek re-imagining of a surprisingly retro idea.
| |
Etsy, the online marketplace for DIYers, just announced several changes to its seller policies, giving store owners significantly more control over how they run their businesses. Going forward, sellers will be able to hire as many employees as necessary, as well as use outside companies to deliver their products and outsource manufacturing to third parties (provided they receive Etsy’s approval).
Most notably, these changes allow for a wider definition of “handmade” — now, the idea for an item simply must originate with the seller. This means 3D-printed items can carry the prized handmade distinction, for instance. And this change isn’t just about semantics; previously, Etsy customers could assume items that didn’t look handmade were breaking the site’s rules and consequently steer clear.
Filed under: Internet
Via: All Things D
Source: Etsy News Blog, Etsy’s New Guidelines
In an effort to make Toshiba’s TransferJet more… business, the company revealed a touchscreen kiosk that allows you to buy (and immediately download) music, videos and more. Just in case that alone wasn’t enough, the kiosk, which is adorably petite, also uses NFC to pair the device and (if you have the appropriate account or software) pay for downloadable content. The kiosk even throws in Qi wireless charging for your handset as you select, buy and download that new anime episode. Of course, if you don’t have wireless charging (or TransferJet to grab the downloads in the first place), you might not get the most out of what Toshiba’s offering here, but the idea is to place the device in places like airports and convenience stores, where people are likely to have time to kill and want something to watch or listen to right away.
Darren Murph contributed to this report. %Gallery-slideshow99600%
Filed under: Cellphones
Get excited, Earthlings who like the Earth: IKEA just announced a new program to sell energy-saving solar panels in each of its 17 UK stores. This means that with a little bit more effort than it takes to purchase a set of Billy bookcases, Brits can be doing their part to bring the world a little closer to sustainable energy.
| |
Those planning on heading in to their local mobile carrier this week to pick up the HTC One in Metallic Blue had better think twice: this device is coming to Best Buy exclusively inside the USA. While the Blue HTC One doesn’t differ from its silver or red iterations inside, the casing (the metal casing […]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
