bundles

Carriers should bundle plans for smartphones, tablets, more

I know nobody who enjoys extracting a triple-digit Comcast bill from a ripped-open envelope (or from an e-mail) come bill time, but for me, the bundled home Internet, cable, and phone service does at least reduce my monthly bill-paying hassle.

Wouldn't it be great if carriers offered increasingly tech-savvy and gadget-happy consumers a similarly bundled plan for a cell phone or smartphone, plus a tablet and a mobile hot spot?

I believe this is a model we'll increasingly see, for three reasons.

First, there's already a precedent for this kind of volume pricing for home services like … Read more

Get a $220 software bundle for $19, help charity

I've got something special today. A few months back, I approached AppSumo (known for putting together great software and service bundles) about creating a package that would benefit charity.

They agreed, so I got to work rounding up some of my favorite programs, games, Web services, and so on. And I'm happy to share the result: The Windows Holiday Bundle for Charity. It has a combined value of $220, but a sale price of just $19.

For every bundle sold, AppSumo will give a full 40 percent of the proceeds to Charity:Water, which provides clean drinking water … Read more

Nintendo announces Black Friday DSi bundles

Nintendo has announced more bundles for its DSi line of portable gaming devices.

Starting on Black Friday, Nintendo will be selling both green and orange DSi bundles to customers for $149.99. According to the company, the bundles will be offered while supplies last, and will include a copy of Mario Party DS.

Earlier this month, Nintendo started selling a "Mario-red" Wii bundle for $200. That offer includes a red Wii, the Wii Remote Plus, Wii Sports, and a red nunchuk. It also includes a copy of Super Mario Bros. Wii. A DSi XL bundle that's also … Read more

Mario celebrates 25 years with Wii, DSi bundles

Nintendo has unveiled limited edition Wii and DSi XL bundles to mark the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.

The new Wii bundle includes a "Mario-red" Wii and a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

In addition, the bundle will come with a red Wii Remote Plus, the game company's upcoming controller, which combines the functions of the Wii Remote and the Wii MotionPlus add-on. The bundle will also include a red Nunchuk controller and a copy of Wii Sports.

According to Nintendo, the limited edition bundles will be "available while supplies last." They … Read more

Crave giveaway: Guitar Hero, Warriors of Rock

Attention all you shredders. We've got Activision's new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Guitar Bundle (XBox 360) to give away to one lucky winner. You get 90 tracks, a completely redesigned, rockin' guitar controller and lots of new gameplay features, including the franchise-first, story-based Quest. We're talking Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Megadeth and those rock anthems you know and love from Queen, Muse, KISS, and others.

Normally, this Xbox 360 Guitar Hero bundle would cost you about $100, but we're giving one away gratis. So, how do you try to win it? Let me enumerate the basic … Read more

Google Instant keeps it clean

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded: Google Instant keeps it clean Microsoft announces second Xbox Kinect bundle Bill Clinton takes your questions on YouTube Comcast texts TV info Amazon Kindle is coming to Best Buy

Microsoft intros Kinect bundle

Microsoft plans to offer a Kinect bundle for $400 when its motion-gaming peripheral launches on November 4.

The bundle includes a 250GB Xbox 360 Slim, the Kinect peripheral, and video game Kinect Adventures. Microsoft plans to release the bundle on November 4, the same day it will launch the Kinect peripheral.

For the price, consumers are getting a decent deal. The 250GB console retails for $300 without the extras, and the Kinect on its own will sell for $149.

The latest bundle is the second Microsoft has announced for the Kinect. In July, the company announced a $300 Kinect bundle … Read more

Wii's GoldenEye controller goes gold

If you're a fan of the old N64 classic GoldenEye and look forward to Activision's remake for the Wii coming this fall, we're happy to note that Activision will be serving up a special bundle that contains a gold-colored Classic Controller Pro for $69.99.

The standalone game, which will retail for $49.99, does allow you to play with the Wii's motion controller, but many argue that the dual-analog Classic Controller Pro lends itself better to first-person shooters. Alas, a white Classic Controller Pro retails for $20, so you're not getting any sort of … Read more

LG jumps on 3D TV bundle bandwagon

Since actually watching 3D TV in the home requires not only a new TV but 3D-compatible hardware, expensive 3D glasses for everyone, and, yes, something in 3D to watch, TV makers are using bundles to promote 3D.

LG is the latest, joining other TV makers Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic. According to LG's press release:

Consumers who purchase any LG LX9500 or LX6500 LED HDTV paired with the LG 3D Blu-ray Disc Player from participating retailers, will receive two free pairs of the 3D active shutter glasses, a $100 instant rebate, and a bonus redemption certificate to receive Warner Home Video's Blu-ray 3D title "IMAX Under the Sea 3D" by mail while supplies last.

3D will still cost a bundle, however. At press time, the least expensive LG 3D TV, a 47-inch LX6500, costs about $2,300, so buying the qualifying BX580 player ($300) and factoring in the rebate brings the total cost to about $2,500. That's eerily similar to the $2,500 entry price for the Samsung UN46C7000 ($2,200) and BD-PC6900 ($300), which together qualify you for a similar "3D Starter Kit" with, yes, two pairs of glasses and a Blu-ray disc.

Black Wii coming; all signs point to May

A photo of a leaked GameStop circular hints at a brand-new black Wii bundle coming in May. Apparently an employee of the game retailer tipped off Kotaku saying the advertisement came along with instructions to hold the information until May 4.

Nintendo has told us the company refuses to comment on rumor or speculation, but it does seem a bit ridiculous that someone would go out of his way to forge an ad detailing the black console. Fanning the flames even more comes word that a subsequent corporate e-mail was sent out warning GameSpot employees to keep information about products … Read more