Hasta La Gadget!

Imagine for a second that you’re Microsoft: unimaginably rich, a bit bloated after years on the Office hog, and worried about a few big projects you’ve been meaning to finish if only you could find the time. Now, what day would you choose to launch your brick-and-mortar stores back into retail if you were David Porter, vice president of retail stores and former Wal-Mart exec? If it was us, we’d choose October 22nd, the official Windows 7 launch. That’s exactly what a number of tipsters are telling us courtesy of an in-person briefing by Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s COO. Specifically, the Scottsdale store will swing the doors wide on the 22nd, we’re not sure about the Mission Viejo location. According to the Wall Street Journal, the stores will sell Windows-based laptops and cellphones and allow consumers to play Xbox 360 games on a 94-inch in-store screen. It’ll even have a Genius Bar “counter” where people can bring their Microsoft gear for help. In fact, the WSJ claims that the Scottsdale store interior is a “nearly exact replica” of the store created on Redmond’s campus — something we covered back in January (pics in the gallery below). Who knows, this could be the beginning of www.peopleofmicrosftstore.com as Internet trends go.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Microsoft store opening October 22nd, insides revealed? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know the HD2 is hitting O2 later this month and Vodafone is getting the handset in Spain in December, but now it looks like the unlocked version isn’t too far off either: UK retailer Clove says it’ll be out on November 11 for £469, about $740 US. Importing will soon follow, to be sure, but though the phone is unlocked and sim-free we’ll be limited to EDGE in the States until that US-specific version hits our shores next year. The question is: will we be strong enough to wait?

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Cellphones

Unlocked, contract-free HTC HD2 will be available November 11 for a lot of money originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s really happening, people — these Windows 7 retail boxes just turned up at a Chicago electronics store today. We’ve got our party packs ready, what about you?

[Thanks, Frank]

Filed under: Software

Windows 7 retail boxes hitting stores originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard plenty of arguments for high priced products before — many of them from Sony, oddly enough — but this has to one of the odder ones. Sony UK’s Claire Blackhouse says that Sony was actually expecting a greater backlash from retailers than it got in regards to the PSP Go, and that many retailers are seeing the new launch as a way to get consumers into stores, at which point they’ll realize they’re too poor for a PSP Go and might end walking out with a PSP-3000 instead. Sadly, the logic sounds pretty sound, though Claire’s own suggestions that some families might get a PSP Go for dad and PSP 3000s for the kids seems a little fantastical — kinda hard for dad to rock those Hannah Montana UMDs, yeah Sony?

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Sony thinks its “aspirational” PSP Go might encourage an uptick in PSP-3000 purchases originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They’ve got the jeans and the t-shirts down-pat, so naturally UNIQLO wants to complete the wardrobe from head to toes, and we’re not just talking socks. Last week UNIQLO announced their new UNIQLO Shoes line, affordable basic shoes ranging from $20~50 a pair.

This is a natural progression of course, but selling the same limited selection of shoes to all of Japan is very different from basics like t-shirts and socks. The design is simple and the prices reasonable, and we’re assuming good things about the quality as well, but shoes have a different influence on people’s fashion lives.

What would be especially interesting is if they started to take the limited edition route as they did with their UT brand, bringing in all sorts of designers and collaborators to create mass-market goods with niche appeal. Sneaker and t-shirt culture go hand-in-hand, so it would be a shame not to use plain UNIQLO shoes as a canvas for creative types to work with.