Apple's newest retail store is on Broadway and 67th Street in Manhattan.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Apple's latest Manhattan store doesn't officially open until this Saturday, but it had the press in today for a sneak peek. Of course, because the store's made mostly of glass, the general public can get a pretty good idea of what everything looks like inside--except for what's below ground.
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Riding the success of the iPhone, AT&T, apart from trying to keep the phone exclusive, seems to be learning from Apple in another way--its retail stores.
The company announced Monday that it has done a major makeover to more than 2,200 retail locations across the country. The aim is to provide consumers and small-business customers with a better hands-on experience when shopping for devices and service plans.
According to the telecom giant, the overhaul brings a refreshed, more intuitive organization of products and services. For example, all wireless devices now show up on new power-enabled displays, making it easier for customers to experience and compare features such as touch screens versus full QWERTY keyboards.
These store enhancements are also part of the company's effort to prepare for the nationwide introduction of Netbook data plans and the availability of AT&T ConnecTech services. These services include a nationwide next-day in-home service and 24-7 remote support for Netbook computers.
Personally, I think the makeover is good news. The last time I was at an AT&T store, there was not much else to do about a phone besides look at it.
However, I'd rather see AT&T overhaul its sketchy 3G connection for the iPhone, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now that would make great news.
Amid the recession and layoffs, there are some glimpses of employment hope and opportunities to help you make informed decisions on what technology to spend money.
Sony Electronics and Comcast announced Sunday that they have partnered to open a unique retail experience in Philadelphia. The store is named Sony Style Comcast Labs and will serve as a place where consumers can learn about emerging technologies and experience new digital devices.
The co-branded retail store and technology lab, which opened to the public March 16, showcases the latest innovative products and services from both companies and previews future Comcast technology, products, and services.
A Sony Style retail store
(Credit: Gizdomo)Examples of future technologies that Comcast unveiled to Philadelphia consumers for the first time include "The Future of High-Speed Internet" and "The Future of Home Phone Service."
The former offers the experience of Internet surfing and downloading at 100Mbps, about 20 times faster than regular existing cable connection. To put this in perspective, at this speed you can use up Comcast's 250GB ration in about 40 hours.
The latter, on the other hand, shows of what you can do with the future enhanced cordless telephones. Obviously, they can do a lot more than just place calls; they also handle e-mails, IM, text messaging, and access to Yellow Pages.
As for Sony, the new Sony Style Comcast Labs feature the best of Sony's electronics. Sony's current showcase includes Bravia HD LCD televisions, Vaio PCs, dSLR and Cyber-shot digital cameras, Handycam camcorders, and PSP and PlayStation 3 game consoles. Emerging technologies such as organic light-emitting diode TVs are also shown.
Comcast will also showcase all of its products and services from voice to video and Internet, and it will demonstrate how they work together seamlessly for the consumer.
The Sony Style Comcast Labs is located at the base of the Comcast Center in Philadelphia.
PALO ALTO, Calif.--Despite the digitization of nearly everything else in our daily lives, the Sunday circular ad for beef and bags of baby carrots has remained. Hewlett-Packard is developing a technology to bring even the banal task of grocery shopping into the Digital Age.
At HP Labs here, researchers are developing an in-store kiosk solution called Retail Shopping Assistant (RSA) that will make shopping for food, clothes and electronics easier for buyers and make selling things easier for retailers.
HP Retail Store Assistant
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET News.com)The idea is this: imagine walking into a grocery store, and instead of bringing your shopping list along, simply swiping a club card or entering a phone number. Any information you've entered online from home (milk, eggs, pretzels, ground beef, apples) will show up on your profile. There will also be special offers tailored to your shopping habits--your club card already keeps track of the fact that you prefer Diet Pepsi to Coke, and that you buy a carton of eggs every other week. The kiosk simply matches your info with retailer offers to generate the appropriate coupons.
The RSA kiosk will then create a printed list of special discounts and shopping items. On the back will be a map of the store and the location of all of the items, eliminating the need to comb every aisle of a store. And instead of fumbling for coupon clippings, a single barcode on the printout will track the customized offers and remove items from the shopping list that were purchased.
If a printed piece of paper is too cumbersome, HP says the list and information could also be transferred by Bluetooth technology to a mobile device, like a phone.
To read the full CNET News.com story on this innovation, click here.
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