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The First Microsoft Retail Store Finally Opens

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:44:52 -0700

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced their plan to open a retail store, and yesterday was the day! The Scottsdale, AZ store drew an initial crowd of around 500 people who waited in line for the opening, including some die-hard fans who spent the night. Just before opening, employees handed out gift bags to the first customers in line, including a $25 gift certificate and tickets to an Ashley Tisdale concert at the store later in the day. The store opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m.

The new store is outfitted with Microsoft's high-tech Surface Tables to help customers find what they're looking for. Giant screens decorate the walls in "gaming zones" where customers can test out their favorite video games, including Rock Band and Halo. The store sells several brands of Windows-compatible laptop in addition to Microsoft software (including the just-released Windows 7 operating system), and Xbox consoles and games.

The next store is scheduled to open on Oct. 29 in Southern California.

To see more store photos, just read more.

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You Can Now Buy Computers From Microsoft's Online Store

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:27:44 -0700

Microsoft has had quite the week to say the least! The company not only launched its latest operating system - Windows 7 - but it also opened a new retail store in Arizona. And starting today, you can now go to Microsoft's website and buy a Windows PC directly from its website.

According to USA Today, Microsoft's addition of computers to its online store was bound to happen, as the company hopes the site will get people excited about using Windows - something that Best Buy and Wal-Mart don't really do.

Personally, I like the way that the site is set up. It's easy to navigate your way around, and you can quickly check off fields to narrow your results. What do you think? Would you now go to Microsoft's site to purchase a Windows PC, or are you going to stick to the other online retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Wal-Mart?

How Do You Prefer to Holiday Shop?

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:15:25 -0800

While perusing the news, I noticed two seemingly conflicting stories right beside each other on the same site. The headlines: "Online Retail Thriving This Holiday Season" and "A Site to Help People Shop Online Attracts Investors."

The two articles aren't actually contradictory, the first is a welcome optimistic look at the future of e-commerce with Forrester Research reporting that most online retailers turned a profit in 2008 as business continues to grow. The second article profiles a new site called Milo, which allows you to enter your location and the name of a product you're looking for, and it delivers a list of nearby retail stores where you can find the item. Milo's business model operates on the "instant gratification" theory - you don't want to wait for an item you order, you want to find it right away.

I tend to prefer a mix of online and retail store shopping, depending on the item and what's convenient. What about you?

Gap's Style Mixer iPhone App Hooks You Up With Discounts

GeekSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:25:18 -0700

Why do you need another free app from a retailer?

Because Gap's Style Mixer app for the iPhone does more than just let you peruse and mix Gap pieces - the cool feature is that when you open the app near a Gap store, you unlock a special discount.

So, sure, you can mix and match styles and then add them to Facebook, but what you really want is the discount, right?

And if you can't find a Gap store? There's an app for that.

Access Store Coupons on Your iPhone With the Yowza App

GeekSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:05:29 -0800

With the holidays right around the corner, I'm not only starting to think about shopping, but I'm also thinking of creative ways to save. Yesterday, I told you about ten websites that will help you save some money on gifts, and today it's all about Yowza!!, an iPhone and iPod Touch app that will show you all of the store coupons within a mile or as far as 15 miles from where you are shopping (which makes sense why it has two exclamations after its name!).

Once you download this free app, open it and you will see all of the coupons applicable to your location, or you can type in a store name to see what's available. And if an offer includes a bar code, just have the cashier scan the barcode, right from your phone. No coupon clipping, no paper, no hassles - I die!

Stork Craft Recalls 2.1 Million Cribs in Largest Crib Recall Ever

babysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:37:40 -0800

A couple of years ago, it seemed like toy recalls were being announced daily for choking or lead poisoning hazards. This holiday season, parents are being hit with major baby gear recalls. First Maclaren issued a voluntary notification that its hinges could hurt small fingers if a child's hands were holding on to the sides of a stroller during the opening or closing of it. Today, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) is issuing another statement regarding faulty baby equipment.

Canadian crib maker Stork Craft is set to recall more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs. If the drop-side becomes broken or detaches, it can cause children to fall out of the crib or suffocate. In a statement issued by CPSC and Health Canada:

The CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

Major retailers in the United States and Canada sold the recalled cribs including BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

For more information on the recall, visit the CPSC site.

Start Your Shopping Engines: ShopStyle Mobile App Launches

GeekSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:03:26 -0700

Tech-savvy fashionistas have known for a while that the destination to search for new clothes and home accessories is ShopStyle. Well now the incredible search functions and tools have gone mobile - say hello to the new (totally free) ShopStyle Mobile app!

You can hunt and browse from your iPhone on the go - making it your best comparison shopping tool.

Out trying on jeans and have a hunch they're cheaper at another store or online? One place out of a size in a shoe you like? Just look it up on ShopStyle.

I've checked out the app and put it to my shopping and iPhone app test, so to see what I found, just read more.

My favorite thing about the app is what happens post search. Tap to flip the image and see all the details of the item, including the retailer and price. Once you've found the product you're looking for, it's one easy click to email it to a friend or yourself.

From a tech perspective, the greatest thing is that once you've located an item and want to buy it from your iPhone - instead of shooting you off to Safari and removing you from the app - the app actually frames your browser, so you're still in the ShopStyle app.

A little birdie told me that a favorites feature is coming in the next update, and after that, you'll also be able to sync your favorites with your ShopStyle profile, so you won't have to email items to yourself to remember them.

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I'm Asking: What's the Best Thing You've Bought This Month?

SavvySugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:34 -0800

There's just one week left until Black Friday, the day most major retail and electronic stores slip into official holiday mode and host big sales. I plan on keeping my Black Friday budget pretty tight (that is if I spend anything), and considering the fact that most of us aren't sure the economy is getting better, I suspect most of you are planning the same.

That being said, 'tis the season of shopping, and spending a little on everyday purchases can actually help you save up for the big stuff. What's the best - or smartest - thing you've purchased so far this month?

Blake Lively Gets Some One-on-One Help at the Apple Store

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:33:00 -0800

Celebs like Kristen Stewart and Paris Hilton like to hit up the Apple store for all of their tech needs, but which famous females have been caught asking for some Apple assistance in the pristine retail store?

Well we've already spotted Rachel McAdams and Elle Macpherson utilizing the Apple stores' staff and services and now we can add the star of Gossip Girl - Blake Lively - to the list! This pic was taken last Saturday when Blake attended the grand opening of Apple's Upper West Side store. Maybe she was doing some early holiday shopping?

Photo courtesy of Roy Zipstein

Costco No Longer Carrying Coca-Cola Products

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:15:25 -0800

If you weren't able to locate a case of Coke on your last trip to Costco, don't worry - you aren't going crazy. Yesterday, the wholesale club confirmed that it is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in stores nationwide.

The Washington-based wholesaler is currently in the middle of a dispute with the Coca-Cola Co. Although neither would comment on the matter further, the world's largest soft drink maker said that it was involved in "ongoing negotiations" with the store.

Considering Costco is the fifth largest general retailer in the United States, I'm predicting a resolution soon. But in the meantime, customers will simply have to shop elsewhere to get their Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani, VitaminWater, Fresca, Minute Maid, and Odwalla fills (among others). Will you be forced to stock up on soft drinks elsewhere?