Remember when Napster was an upstart controversial music sharing business that was raging across college campuses until it got shut down? Not only has Napster gone legit, it has become Big Business.
While all the talk is about Blu-ray, Best Buy is looking at red. Russia, that is. News reports from Reuters and Russia-InfoCentre are reporting that Best Buy has registered trademark rights for the Future Shop name. Future Shop is the name of the Canadian consumer electronics giant purchased by Best Buy back in 2001.
Watch out Geek Squad. Wal-Mart's coming after you. During a media tour, one of Wal-Mart's senior vice presidents told the reporters that Wal-Mart is looking at different options. Installation and repair services are one of the options. Should Best Buy be worried?
All the major retailers want you to buy new stuff, but what about your old stuff? You know, those old VHS players, Betamax decks, CD players and HD DVD players that are of no use to you. Where do obsolete electronics go to die?
Just last week, we reported about the somewhat dismal adoption of Blu-ray among consumers. We said it seemed that $300 was the magic number that would entice more folks to whip out the credit card and go Blu. Seems like Wal-Mart was taking notes.
Circuit City can't catch a break. The FCC just slapped the struggling retailer with a whopping $712,000 fine for violating an FCC rule. In order to forewarn consumers about the February blackout of analog TV, the FCC is requiring retailers to put up signs in stores that sell analog TVs.
Claiming to share consumers' frustrations that they were asked to make a choice in a format war, Best Buy is placating HD DVD player customers who bought players or before Feb. 23 fire sale prices with a $50 gift certificate.
If you've said it once, you've said it a thousand times: An HDTV without an HD signal is like sugarless cake, non-alcoholic beer, or a Lamborghini running 87-octane gasoline. It works, but it isn't right, and its definitely no fun.
Also: The National, Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, Audra McDonald, “Women of Brazil,” and more. Plus: notable historical items from the Rolling Stones, Primus, and Captain Beyond.
Also, Side Effects, Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics: The Public Enemy, The Petrified Forest, Little Caesar, White Heat, True Bloods: Season 5, Beautiful Creatures, Parker, The Last Stand, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle.
