32GB Microsoft Surface sold out in the US, is still available in other countries

The Surface tablet pre-orders has started a fire in the US and as a result Microsoft has already sold out all its US stock of the base 32GB model (without Touch Cover). If you pre-order this version now it will only be delievered to you in three weeks, while the other two available models are still scheduled to arrive on October 26.

The RT tablet is still available in the rest of the countries where Microsoft started the pre-order yesterday.

If the success of the pre-order is anything to judge by, Microsoft is going to have a pretty successful Surface launch come October 26. However, Microsoft should do its best to bring the device to more countries if it is to mount a serious challenge to the Apple iPad.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Kindle Paperwhite now up for pre-order in UK, France and Germany

The Kindle Paperwhite finally made it across the pond. Amazon UK, France and Germany are already accepting pre-orders. UK users however, will be getting it a good month in advance.

Amazon UK has a suggested shipping date of 25 Oct, while both Amazon DE and Amazon FR expect it to launch on 22 Nov. The custom Paperwhite Leather Cover, which is capable of activating the reader magnetically, will be available around the same time, but it’s priced at the rather steep £31/€35 .

Speaking about prices, the UK version of the Kindle Paperwhite costs £109 for the Wi-Fi model, and £169 for the 3G-enabled model. The price in Germany and France is €129 for Wi-Fi version and €189 for the 3G one.

Interestingly, none of the three European stores mentions Special Offers, so I’m guessing the European edition of the Paperwhite will come unadulterated. Oh, but there’s a limit of two per customer.

Of course, if you need a charger, that’s an (overpriced) extra. The Paperwhite ships only with USB cable, much like most previous Kindle models. You can always use a charger from another device, or simply charge it off a computer.

The product pre-order campaign comes along with the related news that Amazon’s Kindle Owners’ Lending Library will finally launch in UK, Germany, and France. It’s a free perk for Amazon Prime subscribers. They can lend one e-book per month, picking it out of the growing library catalog. The Library will launch later this month – I’m guessing, just in time for the launch of the Paperwhite.

Stateside, the Kindle Paperwhite reviews have been raving so far. I’ve been eyeing a front-lit e-ink reader for a while now, so I went ahead and pre-ordered one from the European stock myself.

Are you getting one too?

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Apple launches new iPod ad, lots of colors and bouncing

Apple unveiled a snappy new ad for its refreshed iPod devices on Wednesday highlighting the range of colors on offer.

As Apple begins shipping the first batch of orders for its refreshed iPod range of media players to expectant customers around the world, the tech company has launched a new ad called ‘Bounce’ featuring the new devices.

The 30-second slot, posted on YouTube on Wednesday night and set to air on TV, features a bunch of iPods (touches, nanos and shuffles) bouncing around to a funky track called Yeah Yeah by London-based singer Willy Moon. It’s pretty, slick, and quick, and you can check it out below.

Apple unveiled a new iPod touch last month, featuring a larger 4-inch screen identical in size to that of the iPhone 5. Compared to its predecessor, the updated fifth-generation device is slimmer and lighter, and sports a vastly improved 5-megapixel camera. More RAM and a faster processor make for a much zippier device compared to earlier touches, too. It also comes in six colors – no longer just black and white – a feature that forms the basis of the new ad.

The new seventh-generation iPod nano, described as the thinnest nano to date, has done away with the small square design of its predecessor and returned to the longer look of the fifth-generation nano. An extra color has been added to the range, too.

As for the shuffle, three new colors have been added to the range.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Wii U Deluxe pre-orders sell out. Will Nintendo’s console see the same launch success as Wii?

Electronics retailers have sold out of pre-orders for the $350 Nintendo Wii U Deluxe Set, but will the console see Wii-like success?

Nintendo’s Wii made such a powerful connection with people when it came out in 2006 that Nintendo wasn’t able to satisfy demand for years. It wasn’t until the end of 2008, a full year before Wii sales peaked, that Nintendo was able to manufacture enough devices to properly meet demand. That’s an intimidating legacy for the Wii U to live up to, especially for a machine that’s so confused the public to date.

There is promise for Nintendo’s Wii U: Pre-orders for the device have sold out at GameStop.

Polygon reported on Saturday that myriad GameStop stores around the US had already sold through their expected allocations for the Wii U’s Nov. 18 release. Reservations for the Wii U Deluxe Set, the $350 model that comes packed in with a copy of NintendoLand as well as free access to Nintendo Network Premium, were half-filled within hours of the console’s price announcement on Thursday. By the end of Friday, all Deluxe sets were sold out including online.

The Wii U Basic Set, the $300 edition of the console that comes with just the machine, controller, and 8GB of flash memory, is still available for pre-order at GameStop’s website as well as in many stores.

Nintendo is discovering what Microsoft proved with the Xbox 360 in 2005: When you offer multiple models of a console, people will ignore the cheaper model unless it offers real value. The Xbox 360 Arcade, a hard drive-less version of the machine sold at launch, was roundly ignored by consumers until it was re-released in 2010 as a $200 package with 4GB of internal flash memory.

The Xbox 360 is the device responsible for GameStop and other retailers’ policy of limiting the number of pre-orders taken for new consoles. In 2005, far more Xbox 360 pre-orders were sold than systems that were actually available on day one. As a result, devices had to be trickled out to customers over the course of months.

As of right now, there are still other outlets taking pre-orders for Wii U Deluxe. Walmart is taking preorders online but require you purchase it as part of a $450 bundle along with New Super Mario Bros. U. Others like Best Buy have sold through this initial round of pre-orders. Other outlets however haven’t started accepting pre-orders at all. Amazon.com’s product pages for Wii U don’t allow you to pre-order yet and Toys R Us simple has a placeholder page that says pre-orders will be accepted soon.

Wii U’s success is far from guaranteed. There’s interest, yes, but nothing resembling the furor of Wii’s 2006 release. At least, not yet.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

DT Daily: YouTube censors anti-Islam video, iPhone 5 pre-orders sell out

Tweet

September 14, 2012

• DT Daily Syndication

YouTube censors an anti-Islam video, iPhone pre-orders begin to sell out, women love Pinterest, Anonymous arrest is caught on video, and Google adds a Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon search feature.

Related Links:

• YouTube blocks video inciting violence in Mid East
• ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Trailer [HD] – Egypt Protest Film
• How to find an iPhone 5 (Update: Apple.com sells out of day 1 orders)
• Study: Women love Pinterest
• AntiSec leaks ‘Feds’ credit cards’ after Barrett Brown cuffed
• Barrett Brown Raid on sept. 12 2012
• Google really wants you to play ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’
• Logitech | Google TV and Kevin Bacon Commercial

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Walmart taking iPhone 5 pre-orders Friday morning, cheaper than competitors

Walmart will be taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 at its US stores from Friday morning – for a price that undercuts its competitors.

Following the unveiling of the latest iPhone in San Francisco on Wednesday, it’s possible many owners of the 4S are already looking at their device like it belongs in a museum. It’s a safe bet many will be chomping at the bit to rid themselves of their ‘ancient’ handset in favor of the new one, with its bigger screen and faster processor.

If you happen to be one of these people, or if your current phone is on its last legs and the iPhone 5 seems like a fine replacement, you may be interested to know that Walmart will be taking pre-orders for the new handset at its US stores from Friday morning – for a price that undercuts its competitors.

The retail giant is offering the 16GB version of Apple’s new phone with a $189.97 price tag, as part of a two-year contract. Meanwhile, Apple, AT&T and Verizon will be selling the same phone for 10 bucks more – $199. Walmart’s prices for the 32GB and 64GB versions aren’t known.

Those choosing to buy the new handset from the store are asked to pre-order in person. In return for a $25 deposit, you’ll be given a reservation card, needed for when you collect the phone a week later.

Walmart is also slashing the price of the old iPhone 4S from $148 to $89.97, with a two-year contract. Even cheaper is the iPhone 4, going for just 97 cents with a two-year contract. That’s down from $48.88. If the iPhone 5 seems a little on the pricey side but you’d still like to bag yourself an iPhone, you have choices.

Many analysts believe sales of the Cupertino company’s new smartphone will break all records, selling 10 million units even before the end of the month. The iPhone revolutionzed the handset market when it burst onto the scene in 2007, and in the intervening years has sold a staggering 244 million units.

Users upgrading from an earlier iteration to the new model will gain a lighter, slimmer device with a larger screen, a faster processor, 4G LTE compatibility, and a better camera.

It’ll be available for pick-up on September 21.

[Source: Bloomberg, LA Times]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How to get an iPhone 5 on launch day

The iPhone 5 has finally been announced. Pre-orders start September 14 and the phone hits the streets on September 21. We've got a guide to getting yours.

The September 12 announcement of the iPhone 5 was anything but shocking to the tech world, but that doesn’t mean we won’t all dash out to get one. That’s the crazy thing about Apple products: the information can leak days in advance, but the official announcement can put consumers in a trance until they wake up in line on launch day. There’s no stopping the horde of fruit phone frenzied zombies, so you may as well prepare yourself to join in.

Before you decide to jump head-first into the pool of iPhone 5 early adopters, make sure that you take a look at everything that’s out there. The market is full of worthy competitors, from the Galaxy S3 to the new Razrs, and even Apple’s own iPhone 4S. Who are we kidding, though? You want the iPhone 5. I mean, just look at the thing. If you’ve made up your mind and are already packing your tent to camp out at the Apple Store, make sure to arm yourself with this information.

Basics

The iPhone 5 will become available for pre-order online through the Apple Store on Friday, Sept. 14. The phone will officially be available on the following Friday, Sept. 21. Apple stores open at 8:00 a.m., so make sure you’ve got a fresh cup of coffee for the morning. The lowest price rung for the iPhone will be the 16GB model for $200, followed by the 32GB for $300, and the 64GB for $400. 

Pre-Order Details

Sprint customers should sprint to Sprint’s iPhone page to do their own pre-order. While the site will remain filled with old model information until the 14th, the service provider will start their own pre-order offer at 12:01 a.m. AT&T users can also get themselves geared up to keep hitting the refresh button come Friday, because they have a pre-order option available as well. The information is likely to live right after midnight on AT&T’s iPhone page. No word has come from Verizon about a Friday frenzy, but it’d be a safe bet for customers to bookmark the iPhone landing page there.

What to Expect when Pre-Ordering

If you decide to be one of the brave few (million) that decide to stay up to snag an early purchase of the iPhone 5, there are a few things you should prepare for. First of all, slow loading. These sites are built to manage a fair amount of traffic, but any event like this is sure to cause the servers to take a beating. If you have to refresh a few times, don’t be too shocked. Once you do get through, you should make sure that you’ve received email confirmation of your order. This will come in handy when you decide to pick up your phone from the local carrier of choice.

What to Expect In-Store

Buying an Apple product on the day of launch historically calls for a camping session the night before. There might not be s’mores in store, but there are no bears either, and you’ll be getting the ultimate Swiss Army Knife when you wake up in the morning. Needless to say, though, you should arrive as early as you possibly can to secure your spot in line. If you’re not committed to the cause and you didn’t pre-order, don’t bother. Wait for the madness to die down after the first few weeks so you can easily slip in and out of the store without running the risk of being squished or body-surfed to the back of the line. But if you want an iPhone on launch day and don’t want to pre-order, be prepared to get in line and wait there… for many hours.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Grove to start taking pre-orders for its signature iPhone 5 bamboo case

Grove is one of the first case manufacturers to begin taking pre-orders on the iPhone 5 case, giving us a glimpse of what's in store.

Shopping for an iPhone 5 case already? Our friends at Grove has e-mailed us informing that the latest design to incorporate the company’s signature bamboo style will be for the upcoming Apple device. Based on the design, it’s pretty much what we’ve expected given the leaked cases photos from AT&T earlier this morning: slim body, side buttons, centered microphone and placements. 

The case itself is looks to be much like previous Grove products we’ve seen before, combining the natural look of wood with a plant fiber composite to add durability and style. The sustainable, handmade design and production takes place right in Portland.

Grove will begin accepting pre-orders for its iPhone 5 case starting tomorrow, which requires buyers to leave a $20 refundable deposit. The credit will apply to Grove’s introductory price of $60. The item is expected to ship early October, right along the rumored September 21 iPhone 5 release date we’ve previously reported. If you don’t get your pre-order in by September 30, the price bumps up to $80 so you might want to get your deposit in if you’re a fan of Grove’s all-American design. 

Grove has warned that some designs may change depending on what Apple actually announce on September 12, and shipment dates may also be adjusted to accommodate the official release date. If Grove holds true to being one of the first boutique designers to craft protective gears for the latest Apple products, we’re keeping our fingers crossed the company might unveil something for the rumored iPad Mini in the near future as well. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com