19 Oct 09 First Microsoft store looks set to open

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's first store looks ready to open in an upscale Phoenix valley city in the next few days, as the software maker takes its first step in trying to match rival Apple Inc's successful venture into retail.
Tagi: phoenix valley, microsoft store, ape inc, ariza, microsoft corp, software maker, reuters, few days, microsoft

22 Oct 09 Amazon's international Kindle surprises owners with $20 refund, limited web browsing

The only thing better than unannounced functionality is an automatic, surprise refund on your purchase. With the international version of Amazon's 6-inch Kindle you get both. Several readers who ordered the $279 international Kindle have received the following email:

Good news! Due to strong customer demand for our newest Kindle with U.S. and international wireless, we are consolidating our family of 6" Kindles. As part of this consolidation, we are lowering the price of the Kindle you just purchased from $279 down to $259. You don't need to do anything to get the lower price--we are automatically issuing you a $20 refund. This refund should be processed in the next few days and will appear as a credit on your next billing statement.

By "strong customer demand" we assume that Amazon means "we're trying to stay competitive with the $259 Barnes and Noble Nook," but that's just a hunch. A hands-on at the Gadget Lab also reveals the inclusion of web browsing thought to have been disabled. For the most part it is disabled but Amazon does let you browse to the English version of Wikipedia and nowhere else. The hands-on also notes "dead slow" 3G performance and Amazon's decision to ship the international Kindle with a US power plug regardless of destination. Weird.

[Thanks, Simon]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds

Amazon's international Kindle surprises owners with $20 refund, limited web browsing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tagi: barnes and noble, amaz, billing statement, customer demand, amazon, web browsing, hunch, nook, wikipedia, gadget, 3g, surprises, gadgets, sim, few days, nbsp

05 Nov 09 Beware the phantom tweet

Over the past few days, twitter users have been receiving DM messages supposedly from friends linking to a Twitter login page. DON'T DO IT!
Tagi: tweet, twitter, few days

22 Jan 10 Nexus One's unitouch browser falls victim to Cyanogen

Hey, Andy, thanks for "considering" adding multitouch to the Nexus One -- meanwhile, though, there are folks in the trenches actually making it happen, so we might not need your help anymore. The usual suspects over at xda-developers (the legendary Cyanogen, specifically) have mixed, baked, and cooled a delicious new Browser APK for Google's so-called superphone that undoes the company's poorly-made decision to leave out the hot-button feature on everyone's mind. The dude says that you might lose your settings and bookmarks in the process, but we'd say that's a small price to pay -- especially considering that you'd normally have to flash the entire ROM anyhow. Seriously though, Andy, just check it out for a few days and see what you think, alright?

[Thanks, Owaeis]

Nexus One's unitouch browser falls victim to Cyanogen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tagi: xda developers, hot butt, cyanogen, google, apk, nexus, usual suspects, trenches, new browser, gadgets, few days

10 Feb 10 Google Buzz — First Reactions

Google announced Buzz today, as we anticipated this morning. CNET has a workmanlike description of the social-networking service, which is integrated into gmail. CNET identifies a central obstacle Buzz will have to overcome to gain traction: "The problem, however, will be the increasing backlash Google is seeing from the general public over how much data the company already controls on their online habits." Buzz is being rolled out over the next few days so some people will see a Buzz folder in their gmail, but most won't yet (this Twitter post explains how Safari users can get an early glimpse). A blog posting up at O'Reilly Answers points out some of the distinguishing characteristics of Google Buzz — one interesting one being its ability to post an update either pubilcly or privately, at the user's option. This design choice places it between the public-by-default Twitter and the private-by-default Facebook. Lauren Weinstein sounds a note of caution about the inherent privacy risks of Google's method of filling out initial friend profiles by automatic friending.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Tagi: social networking service, lauren weinstein, th morning, design choice, google, mdash, o reilly, rks, cnet, twitter, opti, backlash, obstacle, glimpse, safari, few days, peoe, profiles, blog