Hasta La Gadget!

It looks like the rumors of a new iPad being announced this month are starting to become stronger as not only did a number of well-connected sources say Apple has an event planned for the end of April, but we’re also seeing a number of retailers slash prices of their iPads.

Yesterday, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and MacMall reduced the prices of their 3rd-generation iPads and current iPad minis to about 30 percent across all versions, which may be a clear indication a new iPad announcement is just around the corner. What’s surprising is Apple seems to be ramping up its iPad production as in the past, they waited nearly a year to announce a new device. Now, it seems like Apple is planning to reveal a new iPad every 6 months as it was nearly that long ago when they announced the iPad Mini and 4th-generation iPad. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Patent Hints At Their Own Version Of Google Street View, Federal Agents Are No Match For Apple iMessage Encryption,

Walmart is the largest retailer in the world. The retail giant has put more than one small business out of business around the country because it’s almost impossible to compete with the prices Walmart offers. However, Walmart and many other retailers are now feeling significant pressure from online giants such as Amazon.com.

While Walmart rules in the retail world, Amazon dominates online. Walmart is looking at all sorts of ways to help improve its online sales and take back some of the online market it has lost to Amazon and others. One of the ways Walmart is looking to do this is by figuring out how to be able to ship orders more quickly to online buyers.

Reuters reports that Walmart is considering crowd source shipping. Walmart is said to be considering allowing its customers to sign up to be able to deliver packages to online buyers on their way home from the store. In exchange for delivering packages, Walmart would offer some sort of discount the cover fuel and presumably the delivery person’s time.

If successful, this crowd sourced shipping push would likely save Walmart some money and get customers their online purchases more quickly. Walmart CEO Joel Anderson says that he sees the path to ground sourced shipping. However, senior VP of Walmart US innovations Jeff McAllister says that crowd sourced shipping is only at the brainstorming stage. However, he points out that it would be possible in a year or two.

[via Reuters]

Walmart considers crowd sourced shipping is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I’d wager everyone has shopped at Walmart at one point or another in their lives. I’d also wager that many people have had experiences where the checkout person was incredibly slow and seemed more interested in talking than ringing up your purchase. What you may not be aware of is that Walmart has been testing an iPhone scan and check out feature in some markets around the country.

Walmart has announced today that it is now expanding the iPhone scan and check out feature to 12 additional markets. The program is called Scan & Go and Walmart is bringing stores participating in the program to more than 200 stores from the current approximately 70 locations. Walmart began the pilot program near its home office in Bentonville, Arkansas in late 2012.

The program was later expanded to Atlanta and the latest increase will see it go even more locations. The Scan & Go service only works on the Apple iPhone, but Walmart says an Android version of the service will be available soon. The idea for the program is that shoppers can scan the barcodes on the items they want to buy using the Walmart app on the iPhone, iPad touch, or iPad.

The app will keep a running total of the costs of items they have put in their carts. Shoppers using the service can then go to the self-checkouts to pay, bypassing normal registers. As part of the program expansion, Walmart is also adding additional self-checkout lanes to many of its stores. Walmart says that about 1500 store locations currently have self-checkout lanes and another 1000 to 1500 stores should get the this year.

Walmart locations that will be getting the Scan & Go will be in the following markets: Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Omaha, Nebraska; Dallas and Austin, Texas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wyoming; Bozeman, Montana; Seattle, Washington; San Jose, California; and Portland, Oregon. It’s unclear if users of the Scan & Go service to check out at the register automatically using the app and a traditional payment method or if users must still scan every item in their cart at the self-checkout lane. If any of you have used the service in your local Walmart, be sure and let us know how it works.

[via Reuters]

Walmart expands iPhone checkout feature to 12 more markets is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I’m sure there were a lot of iPhone fans out there that were excited when Walmart announced its new iPhone 5 with Straight Talk earlier this month. The plan was billed as an incredibly affordable $45 per month unlimited everything offering. At first glance, the biggest caveat was that you had to pay full price for the iPhone.

Paying full price for an iPhone of any vintage is an expensive proposition with Walmart offering the iPhone 4 with 8 GB of storage for $449. The iPhone 5 16 GB model was available for $649. The thing that likely caught the attention of most people was the prospect of unlimited data for the iPhone.

Like most things that seem too good to be true, it appears that Walmart’s unlimited everything plan falls directly into that category. The data service offered on the plan is far from unlimited and has a miserly 2 GB data cap. Walmart apparently felt comfortable calling the plan unlimited because they won’t shut you off after you hit that two gigabyte monthly limit.

The data speed will get much slower after you hit the two gigabyte limit. Semantics aside, it’s extremely irritating when carriers promise “Unlimited” and then put limits on usage without being upfront with shoppers. I’ll never understand how this doesn’t qualify as bait and switch.

[via Arstechnica]

Unlimited iPhone 5 data plan at Walmart actually has a cap is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Yesterday, Walmart became the latest retailer to announce plans to offer the iPhone 4 and 5 on a pre-paid basis with Straight Talk, a no-contract carrier offering unlimited data plans. And if you go with anything else, you’re probably a sucker. More »