Section: Communications, Accessories, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Those who are still sporting a Palm device that is touchstone compatible, (ie the Pre Plus) and who have held off for one reason or another when it came time to buy a Touchstone Charging Dock—we have a deal for you. It seems Verizon has discounted that, along with the Palm branded USB Wall Charger—and both are priced at $4.97 each. Yup, you can buy an official Palm branded Touchstone or wall charger for slightly less than $5. And a few other small perks, you do not need to be a Verizon customer in order to get this deal and it also comes with free 2-day shipping. Products [Touchstone Dock] and [Wall Charger] Via [webOSroundup] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers Acer revealed the Iconia Tab A100 tablet back in mid-February during Mobile World Congress and at the time they mentioned that it was coming to the UK sometime in April. And aside from that, they left many here in the US wondering when and/or if. Well, flash forward till today and it looks like those in the US may soon get their chance. Or maybe not soon, but someday. Anyway, as you can see from the above image, the Acer Iconia Tab A100 has stopped by the FCC for a visit, and as you all likely know, that is the required stop before actual availability. That said, we still need a release date and for that we will be looking towards Acer. Via [FCC] and [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple Last month Apple celebrated the tenth anniversary of it’s first retail stores. To celebrate, each store was upgraded to have iPads as displays instead of the usual paper. That wasn’t the only addition, though. Each store was also given a poster like the one you see above. The poster seems fairly uninteresting from a distance, just grey and white words on a black poster, with some words bolded to form a 10. The words are actually pretty interesting if you looks closer, however. All 1800 words are there to detail the things Apple learned when building the Apple retail empire. There’s some interesting facts about the stores, and the company that built them. Some interesting facts from the poster include: - After 30 minutes of the first store’s opening Apple realized it needed a new way to keep the steel polished. Now it’s all blasted with virgin sand.
- Blackshirts make employees blend in. Apple found the particular bright blue shirts it uses help employees stand out more.
- The Apple logos on those blue shirts are made of 4,253 stitches.
- Apple once closed a street in Sydney to bring in three-story glass panels.
- A replica of the Regent Street store was built in the Cupertino parking lot to make sure it looked right.
There’s obviously a lot more facts included in the poster, which is an interesting read. If you have the time here’s the full text: In the last 10 years, we've learned a lot. We've learned to treat every day with the same enthusiasm we had on the first day. We've learned the importance of giving our customers just as much attention as they give us. And we've learned the art of hiring the right people for the right positions. We've learned it's better to adapt to the neighborhood rather than expecting the neighborhood to adapt to us. Which is why we spend so much time and energy building stores the way we do. Our first store, in Tysons Corner, taught us our first lesson within the first 30 minutes. We had just opened the doors when we noticed the steel already needed polishing. With a special polishing solution. And a special polishing tool. That's when we learned that blasting steel with virgin sand makes it less prone to scuff marks. We've also learned that glass can be much more than glass. We've learned that a 32'6″ transparent glass box can stand tall even among the giants of the Manhattan skyline. That when glass becomes as iconic as the Fifth Avenue Cube, it can also become the fifth most photographed landmark in New York City. And we've learned that if you have to, you can close an entire street in Sydney to bring in three-story panes of glass. And when you create three-story glass, you also have to create a rig that can install three-story glass. We've even figured out how to make the world's largest pieces of curved glass for one of our stores in Shanghai. We've also learned more than a few things about stone. Like how to reveal granite's true color with a blowtorch. And that sometimes granite has veins of color that have to be matched. We've also learned that getting these details perfect can feel like trying to move a mountain. Sometimes two. But in the end, the effort is worth it. Because steel, glass, and stone can combine to create truly unique and inspiring spaces. We also understand that finding the right design for our stores is critical. We even built a full-scale facade of the Regent Street store in a Cupertino parking lot to be sure the design was right. Which taught us the value of seeing things full size. We once had a notion that ministores would offer the ultimate in convenience. Then we built one. Which showed us that bigger can actually be better. And we've learned that even when our stores are big, no detail is too small. This is something we learned all over again when we restored the Paris Opera store down to the last of its more than 500,000 tiles. We've also learned that our customers like open spaces, glass staircases, and handcrafted oak tables. And that those spaces don't need to smell like pine trees or tomatoes to make them inviting. We're constantly working to make our stores more artful, more iconic, and more innovative. And we're awfully proud of every single one. We're proud of our stores not just because they're successful, but because of everything they've taught us. All the ways Apple Stores have made Apple stronger as a company. Over the past 10 years, we've learned that our stores are the embodiment of the Apple brand for our customers. Now, our customers just happen to be the entire reason we're here, so let's dedicate a few words to them. Around the time we opened the store in Tysons Corner, in 2001, everyone else was trying to talk to their customers less. Which made us think that maybe we should talk to them more. Face-to-face if possible. So we've found ways to strike up a conversation at every possible opportunity. We talk while they play with the products on the tables. And when they join us for a workshop. These conversations have taught us that customers love our products, but what they really want is to make a scrapbook out of family photos. They want to make a movie about their kid. Or a website about traveling across the country. Which has taught us that Apple Stores can and should be centers for creativity. And we've figured out through programs like Apple Camp and Youth Workshops that creativity doesn't care about age. The movies and slideshows we've seen kids make are proof that all you need are the right tools and an idea. And we must be doing something right, because the kids' smiles are just as big as ours. We've also learned that musicians can record an album in our stores that goes to the top of the charts. And that award-winning film directors are interested no just in our computers but in our workshops. We've learned a lot about having fun. And we've learned our customers like to use our products for business too. Experience has taught us that having one Pro Day per week dedicated to business customers isn't enough. That we need to be open for business very day. And have space devoted to business training sessions, workshops, and events. We've learned that every staff member should be just as fluent in the needs of a business customer as the needs of any other customer. Our millions of conversations with customers of every stripe have taught us it's not about making people feel like a computer or phone loves them. That's impossible. Instead, it's about giving people the tools to do what they love. And we've learned how to create amazing programs like One to One and Personal Setup to give people those tools. We created programs like these to replace fear with confidence. Because our customers have shown us that the ownership experience is even more important than the sale. We learned all this by asking questions. And genuinely listening to the answers. And to be sure we're hearing everything, we've learned to converse in 36 languages, and a few of the local dialects as well. We've even learned a few cultural things. The proper use of the word y'all, for example. And our Japanese customers one taught us that their superheroes don't wear capes. Which also taught us to see feedback as a gift. We've learned that a visit to the Genius Bar can fix more than just computers. It can also restore a customer's relationship with Apple. And that we don't need a minifridge stocked with free water to get people to talk to a Genius. Knowing they can get exactly the right answer when something isn't working is enough. We even figured out how to shorten the time an in-store repair takes from seven days to one day. Our customers hold us to exceptionally high standards. So we've learned how to raise ours even higher. 325 store openings have taught us that a grand opening creates blocks and blocks of excitement. That people will stand in line for hours, even days, just to be among the first to walk through the front door. And to get a free T-shirt. Speaking of T-shirts, we've learned more than you can imagine about our own. We've found that when we wear black T-shirts, we blend in. And when we wear too many colors it's confusing. But blue shirts are just right. We've also learned that it takes precisely 4,253 stitches to embroider the Apple logo on those blue shirts. And we even figured out which direction the stitches should go in. When it comes to product launches, we've learned we have to work hard to ensure supply meets demand. If not on the first day, then soon thereafter. And we've learned how to put our own products to use in innovative ways in our stores. We've created entirely new systems like EasyPay to help our customers as efficiently as possible. We've replaced the red phone behind the Genius Bar with more expertise right in our stores. All of these experiences have made us smarter. And at the very center of all we've accomplished, all we've learned over the past 10 years, are our people. People who understand how important art is to technology. People who match, and often exceed, the excitement of our customers on days we release new products. The more than 30,000 smart, dedicated employees who work so hard to create lasting relationships with the millions who walk through our doors. Whether the task at hand is fixing computers, teaching workshops, organizing inventory, designing iconic structures, inventing proprietary technology, negotiating deals, sweating the details of signage, or doing countless other things, we've learned to hire the best in every discipline. We now see that it's our job to train our people and then learn from them. And we recruit employees with such different backgrounds–teachers, musicians, artists, engineers–that there's a lot they can teach us. We've learned how to value a magnetic personality just as much as proficiency. How to look for intelligence but give just as much weight to kindness. How to find people who want a career, not a job. And we've found that when we hire the right people, we can lead rather than manage. We can give each person their own piece of the garden to transform. We've learned our best people often provide the best training for the next generation. And that it's important for every member of our staff to not only feel a connection to their store, but to the teams in Cupertino and to the stores around the world. Because the best ways of doing things usually translate, regardless of language or country. We've also learned that due tot he exceptional quality of our applicants, it can be harder to be hired at the Apple Store than in Cupertino. It can sometimes take two to three years to bring someone in. Not because they aren't right for Apple. But because we want to be sure the opportunity we have to offer is right for them. Why have we learned to be so selective? So careful? Because our people are the soul of the Apple Stores. And together, our team is the strongest ever seen in retail. As beautiful and iconic as our stores may be, the people who create and staff those stores are what matters most. So on this 3,652nd day, we say thank you to every single one of you. We say thank you to those who were there on the first day, and to those whose first day is today. The past 10 years of the Apple Store have changed Apple as a company. Our experiences, our successes, even our occasional missteps, have made us better. They've made Apple better. And it's because of those experiences, and the ways they've changed us, that we can't wait to see what we'll learn next. It's been 10 years. What an amazing first step.
Read [Cult of Mac] and [ifoAppleStore]
Image from [MacRumors] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  While many are focusing on the new and improved Droid X2 at this point, we cannot say that the previously existing Droid X is really bad in any way. It launched as a solid handset and remains fairly solid to this day. That being the case, we have some good news for the customers of Cellular South—the Motorola Milestone X has officially come available. The handset is priced at $149.99, which comes AFTER a $50 reward card rebate. In other words, those looking to make the purchase should be prepared to shell out $199.99 on the day of purchase. Otherwise, it may be branded as the Milestone X as opposed to the Droid X, however it still offers the same features including a 4.3 inch (480 x 854) touchscreen display, 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus, dual LED flash, a 1GHz processor, HDMI, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, the Milestone X comes running Android 2.2 Froyo and has a microSD card slot with a pre-installed 2GB memory card. Via [Cellular South] and [AndroidCentral] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
Good ol’ magenta is reaching out to potential business customers with a new promotion. T-Mobile is willing to apply a $200 bill credit for any business that leaves its current mobile provider for T-Mobile. This is a limited time offer and requires a two-year agreement in addition to a device purchase is to obtain the credit. T-Mobile isn’t putting any limits on the number of lines a company can switch over. A company can theoretically switch 100 lines and receive a total credit of $20,000. Every line that is switched over will begin to get $200 knocked off its bill after the line has been active for three months. The $200 does not cover a single monthly bill. T-Mobile will apply a credit of $10 a month over the course of 20 months. Once a company switches over, it doesn’t matter what device it buys. It can be a smartphone, tablet, mobile broadband device or a feature phone. Via [T-Mobile Blog] Full Story » | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile RIM officially announced the BlackBerry 9930 back at the beginning of last month and at that time we were told that it was going to be available from “carriers around the world beginning this summer.” Well, as it turns out, one of those carriers is going to be Verizon Wireless here in the US. Of course, we should point out that at present this news has not come by way of an official announcement, but instead by way of a Google ad. That said, according to the advertisement (which comes up by searching for bold touch 9930), you will see the following; “Bold Touchscreen - Verizon BlackBerry Bold is Ready to Run.
Online Orders Ship Free.
www.verizonwireless.com”
Needless to say, we are not able to get past that point and we are certainly not able to place an order, but at the same time this would lead one to believe that a release is coming a little sooner than expected. Via [BBRocks] and [CrackBerry] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware Archos is getting ready to announce it’s next generation of Android tablets later this month. The announcement will come on June 23 in Paris, but not just anywhere in Paris. The press conference to announce the new tablets will be help in the Ritz Hotel, Place Vendome in Paris. Seems like quite an extravagant place to hold a tablet announcement. Perhaps Archos has something special planned for it’s next set of tablets, something that demands such a fancy location. Or perhaps Archos just has a bit of money to burn on a big announcement. No matter what the announcement, we’ll let you know what Archos has planned next as soon as we know. This will be the company’s third series of Android tablets, surely it will be able to do something special by now. Read [Archos Loung (Google Translate)] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers Just as we mentioned yesterday, Sprint will begin selling the Wi-Fi only version of the BlackBerry PlayBook on June 5th. They will be offering the 16GB model and selling it for $499.99. Basically, nothing surprising in that respect. In addition, as to the PlayBook 4G, according to the details from RIM, they are “working together on the Blackberry 4G PlayBook tablet.” In other words, no solid information yet. Keep reading to check out the full press release… Via [Sprint Community Forums] BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi Available from Sprint on June 5 The much anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet with Wi-Fi® connectivity and 16 GB of storage will go on sale in all Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Business Sales, www.sprint.com and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) on Sunday, June 5, for $499.99 (plus tax). BlackBerry PlayBook delivers a professional-grade, consumer-friendly experience that redefines the possibilities of mobile computing. This ultra-portable tablet, measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, looks and feels great. It features a vivid 7-inch high-resolution display that is highly-responsive with a fluid touch screen experience. It also offers industry-leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with full Adobe Flash support, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support. Customers that have a BlackBerry smartphone can also benefit from BlackBerry® Bridge™, a unique feature that allows the user to wirelessly and securely connect their BlackBerry smartphone, running OS 5.0 or higher, to the BlackBerry PlayBook over Bluetooth®. The secure connection allows the user to access their BlackBerry smartphone’s email, address book, calendar, memo pad, task list, BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger™) and browsing functionality using the large display on the tablet. BlackBerry Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World™ and will be supported on BlackBerry smartphone data plans from Sprint for no additional charge. BlackBerry PlayBook features include: 7-inch 1024x600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1” x 7.6” x 0.4” (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)
1GHz dual-core processor
BlackBerry® Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
1080p HDMI output
Two 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture – 3 megapixel front-facing and 5 megapixel rear-facing
1 GB RAM memory
16 GB internal storage
GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
Wi-Fi® (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support
In addition to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with Wi-Fi, Sprint and RIM are working together on the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablet. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the latest and greatest BlackBerry it looks lik you’ll have to wait just a bit longer. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 has been delayed until September of this year. The RIM BlackBerry Bold 9900 was first announced as coming sometime this Summer. Well, technically it might still come out in Summer, but only in the tail end of the season. BGR is reporting that the 9900 will be coming in September, instead or the July or August that “Summer” would usually infer. So, it’s just a short while, but it still means more time without the touch-enable Bold that some BlackBerry fans have been waiting for. Read [BGR]
Image from [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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