price

Oops! Microsoft outs Surface RT prices, starting at $499

Editor's note: Pricing on the Surface has since been confirmed. Click here for more details from the official announcement post.

Microsoft's Surface tablet pricing has been outed by the software giant.

Earlier today, Surface pricing was posted on the Microsoft Store online site. Not long after, the page was taken down, seemingly because the pricing information was put up on the site before it was supposed to go live. However, TechCrunch was able to snap a screenshot of the page before it was taken down.

Based on that screenshot, it appears Microsoft will sell its Surface with Windows … Read more

Xbox Music service has its limits

Monday's CNET Update wants to keep rockin' in the free world:

Today's tech news roundup looks into the limitations of Microsoft's new music-streaming service, Xbox Music. It debuts on the Xbox 360 on Tuesday, but aside from a 30-day trial period, it won't come free. The streaming service, which syncs music across devices, costs $10 a month to be used on the Xbox 360 and on Windows Phone 8. There will be a free ad-supported version for Windows 8 PCs and tablets, but playback time is limited to 10 hours a month after the first six … Read more

E-book junkie? Amazon may have some money for you

If you've been a regular buyer of Kindle e-books for the last couple of years, Amazon has what might turn out to be a little good news for you.

The company has posted an FAQ about a credit that may become due to certain e-book buyers as a result of antitrust settlements reached in April between the Justice Department and the publishers Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster. (Amazon was not a party to the lawsuit in question, which involved allegations of price fixing between these publishers, two others, and Apple.)

If the settlement deals are approved by … Read more

Apple might unwrap iPad Mini on Oct. 23

Friday's CNET Update is scanning for sales:

Best Buy plans to match prices on Amazon this holiday season, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Today's tech news roundup dives into the trend of "showrooming" and how you can use apps to get the best price at the register.

There's a fresh report on the iPad Mini. All Things Digital says Apple will reveal the smaller tablet at a news event on Oct. 23. But of course we won't know for sure until Apple breaks its silence. Pricing will be a big … Read more

Microsoft Surface pricing will be comparable to PCs -- analyst

The least expensive Microsoft Surface tablet will be priced more in line with a low-end laptop than a $199 Google Nexus 7, one analyst argues.

Microsoft's imminent Surface RT tablet will priced between $399 and $499, excluding the smart cover/keyboard, according to Sameer Singh, an analyst with India-based consulting group Finvista Advisors, a mergers and acquisitions consulting group.

And the Pro version -- due next year -- will fall in the $799 to $899 range, also excluding the smart cover/keyboard.

Surface RT uses an inexpensive Nvidia ARM chip and won't run older Windows software. The pricier … Read more

Nook GlowLight e-reader price drops to $119

As Amazon gets set to ship out the Kindle Paperwhite, its new e-ink e-reader that features an integrated light, its chief rival appears to be getting a price cut. At least two major retailers -- Target (shown above) and Wal-Mart -- are now advertising the Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight for $119. That's $20 less than the original $139 price, and the exact cost of the entry-level Paperwhite (which, unlike the Nook, includes "Special Offers" ads).

When Barnes & Noble introduced the Nook GlowLight earlier this year, it had problems keeping up with demand (it later admitted … Read more

iPhone 5 estimated to cost 41 cents per year to charge

A new estimate claims Apple's latest iPhone costs 41 cents a year to keep charged, less than a third of its sibling, the iPad.

The metric, put out this week by energy analytics company Opower, is based on the assumption that iPhone owners will recharge their device once a day for the entire year:

Phone 5: consumed 9.5 watt-hours to charge, taking 1 hour and 50 minutes. Maximum wattage was 6.3 watts, with an average of approximately 5.0 W. Multiplying 0.0095 kWh/day by 365 days = 3.47 kWh per year. Annual charging cost is … Read more

EU to market test e-book settlement proposed by publishers, Apple

The European Union's executive arm confirmed today that Apple and four e-book publishers have offered up a settlement deal on e-book price-setting that could be approved in the coming months.

According to the European Commission, Apple, Harper Collins, Hachette Livre, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster (which is owned by CBS, the same company that publishes CNET) have agreed to terminate e-book agency pricing contracts and allow retailers to set their own prices on titles for a period of two years.

The proposed deal, which the EC did not offer an opinion on, will now be open to public comment, … Read more

Apple reveals prices for unlocked iPhone 5 in U.S., Canada

If you're in the market for an unlocked iPhone 5, Apple has posted a handy tool detailing how much you can expect to pay for each configuration.

The Apple Store's comparison tool lists the 16GB iPhone 5 at $649, the 32GB at $749, and the top of the line model 64GB at $849. In Canada, where all models sold by Apple are unlocked, the same models are priced at -- in Canadian dollars -- $699, CAD $799, and CAD $899 , respectively.

However, those expecting to get their hands on Apple's next-generation smartphone soon will have to put … Read more