wal-mart

Yes, Apple should sell a $99 iPhone

It's just a rumor at this point, but the usual anonymous tipsters have told the Boy Genius Report that Apple is planning to sell a $99 iPhone at Wal-Mart. There's been some debate about whether this would be a good idea for Apple. One financial analyst ran the numbers and believes that Apple would double or triple sales while still maintaining very healthy margins of more than 40 percent. Other onlookers have noted that Apple does not typically play the low-cost high-volume game; it certainly made fools of any suckers who believed the $800 laptop rumor.

I'll … Read more

The 404 238: Where our post-Thanksgiving contest totally backfired

No matter how organized, some plans just don't work out the way they're supposed to. And sometimes, they just plain blow up in your face. On today's show, we learn that lesson to its fullest extent. What was supposed to be a funny story-telling contest turned out to be so depressing that we almost can't go on...but we do. We persevere and get through it, but before you listen to today's show be sure to prepare yourself! Get a box of tissues and stay away from sharp objects, we're going to get through this together.

The first half of today's show is hilarious, perverted, and interesting all at the same time. We play a clip from The Simpsons and discuss the show's current state, explore Australia's newest Silver Surfer initiative, segue into how to show your carnal love to a kiosk, and reveal details on the new Nokia N97 smartphone. But after the break, it all plummets downhill, because we reveal some responses to ongoing contest to see who had the most depressing Thanksgiving. Surprise surprise, some of the most humbling stories we've ever heard, and it makes us that much more thankful for the beautiful things we have. Wilson actually tears up a bit, and Jeff can't help but singing a verse from "Kumbaya." I do neither of those things, and instead choose to go to the opposite route and take the show back to its standard level of insensitivity and inappropo. After that, we wrap it up with an even more upsetting story about how Tina Fey wound up with the scar on her face, and we must reiterate that it doesn't make her any less hilarious, talented, or gorgeous. Tee-bear, if you're reading this, hit me up, girl!

Episode 238 Download today's podcast … Read more

Retailers adopting renewable energy

Big-box retailers are increasingly adding solar panels and wind turbines to sprawling stores to offset rising electricity costs and groom a "green" image.

Last week, Wal-Mart Stores announced it will add wind power to 360 Texas outlets. The company aims to power all stores with renewables eventually. So far, the retailer counting the largest amount of photovoltaics is Wisconsin-based Kohl's. Whole Foods is likely the first big name to add solar panels, starting in 2002 in Berkeley, Calif.

In the latest sign of government support for such efforts, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick called last week for all … Read more

eMachines desktop computer takes a nosedive

We normally don't give budget desktop computers less than a three-star rating, mostly because the majority of them contain similar components, so it comes down to a question of pricing and overall value. Unfortunately, the eMachines EL1200-05w just doesn't make the grade and successfully garners one of the lowest ratings we've given to a budget system in a long time.

The problems begin with a subpar collection of internal components. The $298 price tag nets you a single-core 1.6GHz AMD processor, a measly 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP. Chances are, if you're shopping for … Read more

Dear Steve Jobs: Set the music free

To: Apple CEO Steve Jobs From: Greg Sandoval, CNET News Re: Acquiring DRM-free music

The iTunes music library is looking a little shabby these days. Look around, Steve: iTunes is the last great refuge of DRM-laden downloads. Is this the image you want for Apple?

More than 18 months have passed since you signed your one and only deal to acquire music free of copy-protection software with a major recording company. And that was with EMI, which accounts for less than 9 percent of U.S. album sales and is the smallest of the four top music labels. In the … Read more

Wal-Mart to carry iPhone after holidays?

The largest retailer in the world could be getting the iPhone.

Wal-Mart won't have the iPhone at every location come the end of December, if a report from the Boy Genius Report is accurate. But Apple will have iPhones in 2,500 stores in the U.S. and an additional 69 Sam's Club warehouse stores on December 28, according to the report.

It's not clear what price will be charged for the iPhone inside Wal-Mart, but it would be hard to imagine Apple embracing the idea of significant discounts even though CEO Steve Jobs has talked of … Read more

$300 Wal-Mart laptop: For sale online as part of $448 bundle

Because of real (the number of searches on CNET) and perceived (that whoosh sound you hear is trillions of dollars leaving our economy) interest in the cheap $300 Wal-Mart laptop, I set out at the start of the week to see if I could find the Compaq CQ50-139WM. I wondered whether supplies were so limited that the laptop sold out during its one-day sale last Saturday, or how much it'd cost me if there were still units to be had this week. With some help, I found that some Wal-Mart stores had the Compaq CQ50-139WM in stock for a … Read more

About that $300 laptop at Wal-Mart...

Last Friday, Wal-Mart announced a selection of in-store discounts, including a 15-inch Compaq laptop for $298, that would be part of a one-day, in-store sale. That day, November 8, has come and gone, but what about the remaining supplies of the participating laptop, the Compaq CQ50-139WM?

The laptop is listed on Wal-Mart's Web site, but you can't buy it online or even find out the price, which is listed as varying by store. I used Walmart.com's store locator earlier today and plugged in more than a dozen zip codes chosen at random to find out if … Read more

The 404 223: Where Wilson gets serviced for his birthday

Happy birthday Wilson! You're officially the oldest 24-year-old we know! To help celebrate we get a call from The 404 unofficial sound man, voice actor and eBay impulse buyer Jamey Lewis. How's that for getting your AC unit serviced? 404 fans around the world show their love for the Tangster with with tons of calls from the public. In the news, Will Smith and Spielberg team up for an action movie remake and Wal-Mart rewards shoppers for splurging on a PS3.

Dan the Mantern here. Wilson wants me to thank all the fans who left him a voicemail today. Between you and me, he's still a little misty. In case you were wondering, he plans to celebrate karaoke-style. Free ear plugs available upon request.

Remember folks, you still have this weekend to submit original box art for Little Big Planet and MotorStorm and enter to win a copy of the game. And if you don't show up in the chat room for next Friday's show with snowboarding legend Shaun White, I swear, Wilson will come to your house with a karaoke machine filled with Chinese pop songs and a sound system loud enough to shatter every glass window on your block. Friday, November 14th, Shaun White, The 404, Bacardi Cola, do it!

EPISODE 223 Download today's podcast … Read more

Wal-Mart MP3 store relaunches

Correction: AC/DC's 1981 album For Those About to Rock We Salute You peaked at #1 on the U.S. charts, which means Wal-Mart's press release is wrong.

American retail giant Wal-Mart relaunched its online MP3 store Tuesday, and it's a worthy competitor to Amazon in the DRM-free MP3 sweepstakes. (To remind you: unlike many songs from Apple's iTunes, or Microsoft's Zune Marketplace, or Nokia's music store, every song sold on Amazon and Wal-Mart can be played an unlimited number of times on just about any portable device and in any software application out … Read more