Retrevo

So Facebook says it's got a "new home on Android," and we're invited to the housewarming tomorrow, which CNET will be live blogging from. Many speculate the highlight of the occasion will be the launch of a Facebook phone, or at least a Facebook-centric forked version of Android that could land soon on an HTC phone.

The only problem is, when it comes to the idea of a new Facebook phone, or skin, or whatever, very few consumers seem likely to click "like."… Read more

Apple is likely counting on a lot of iPhone 3/3GS owners to jump to the iPhone 4S, but a fair number of iPhone 4 users may also be eyeing the new phone.

A new study from gadget review site Retrevo found that 44 percent of iPhone 3/3GS owners will buy the iPhone 4S. But trailing close behind, 42 percent of iPhone 4 owners also plan to upgrade to the new iPhone.

Those results apparently surprised Retrevo for two reasons.

A fair number of potential buyers were disappointed that Apple didn't unveil an iPhone 5 with a whole … Read more

Tech hardware advice site and reviews aggregator Retrevo is opening its own online store. The company has struck deals with 10 online resellers that will fulfill orders for Retrevo, but buyers will conduct all their business on Retrevo.com itself. Retrevo is also taking on the support role for customers who need help with products they purchase on its store.

Retrevo's main function, to date, has been to provide tech buying advice to consumers. It aggregates reviews data from professional sites (like CNET) as well as consumer reviews (from sites like Amazon) and generates reviews scores and other analytics to help users make buying decisions. There's also a strong editorial hand at work at Retrevo to come up with the criteria that the site's algorithms use to rank products.

Retrevo has always linked out to online stores for people who want to purchase a product they read about. Today's new store function replaces the links to other stores with Retrevo's own "Add to Cart" button for select items.

The ethical wall There is a barrier at good reviews sites between opinion and commerce, for one big reason: If a site is recommending a product and then turns around and makes a direct profit from selling it, one could think the site's recommendations are tainted by potential profits. Retrevo CEO Vipin Jain says you can still produce a trustworthy editorial service even if you are helping readers close the loop in commerce.

… Read more

Gdgt, a new site co-founded by Peter Rojas (founding editor of both Gizmodo and Engadget) and Ryan Block (former editor in chief of Engadget) is opening up today.

It is--surprise--yet another gadget site, but it's quite good, and more useful to real people than the gadget porn sites these two editors came from. It's a community-driven site, wiki-like in features and general atmosphere, so it's the site's users that will make it succeed or fail.

Meanwhile, the new version of Retrevo (previous coverage), another tech product site, launched on Monday of this week. It's a … Read more

Though DTV converter boxes are stacked up in most electronics stores, there are not enough guaranteed government coupons for them since the funds for the program began to run out.

With the scheduled transition to DTV broadcasting fast approaching (slated for February 17), one company is encouraging us to share the wealth. Retrevo's Good Neighbor Coupon Exchange Program links up those who have unused converter box coupons with those who are in need of them.

On Retrevo's DTV site, you simply choose whether you have a coupon to give or if you need one. Enter an e-mail address … Read more

Story updated with commentary from NPD. See end.

We all know that it's going to be a "soft" holiday shopping season. There are stories to back it up from Amazon.com and elsewhere. And now Retrevo, a consumer electronics research site (arguably a CNET competitor), is launching the charts and graphs we all need to drive the point home. They call the service Retrevo Pulse.

Using data from its own site--the reviews content it aggregates, traffic analysis from user behavior, search keyword tracking, and so on--Retrevo is making available daily updates of two charts: pricing trends and … Read more

Product search Retrevo is getting a facelift this morning. The search tool, which we've briefly covered a few times since its launch at DemoFall 2006, uses a metacritical approach to serve up a hodge-podge of prices, reviews, and resources for buying just about anything that uses electricity.

This morning they're unveiling a new look for sorting through their search results, which has changed from just throwing out a series of lists, to an all-inclusive page that combines pricing, features, and competing products. That last bit is what the service's creators are the most proud of though. They … Read more