Tag: Apple store »

Gaming peripheral company SteelSeries has announced that its full-sized controller for iOS, the Stratus XL, is now available for sale in Apple's brick and mortar Stores.

Introduced earlier this year, its little brother the Stratus was one of the first wireless iOS controller to come to market, with the Stratus XL brought in to give players the option to use a controller more similar to the size and layout of console controllers. The Stratus XL features a pressure-sensitive D-pad, four pressure-sensitive buttons, and four shoulder buttons.

The SteelSeries Stratus XL controller is available at Apple stores and on Apple.com now for $69.99.

So let's say you're planning on buying an iPhone for a loved one for the holiday season, where are you going to buy it? AT&T, Best Buy and the Apple Store already offer the devices, but starting November 7 you can also pick up the machine at your local Target. The company has confirmed that it will carry both the iPhone 4 as well as the iPhone 3GS just in time for your holiday shopping needs.

Those wishing to grab the phone will have to head to one of Target's 846 stores which have a mobile center tucked inside, but the good news is your phone can be bought and activated all in one stop. “At Target we continue to offer our guests the best in electronics so we’re happy to add iPhone to our Target Mobile offerings,” said Mark Schindele, senior vice president or merchandising. “With expert support from Target Mobile specialists and in-store activation, our guests will be able to leave the store with a new, working iPhone3GS or iPhone4 in-hand.”

Now the only question is when people think of the iPhone, will they think of Target? There are no shortages of places to buy Apple's device, as in addition to the retailers listed above it's also pretty easy to find the phone online and have it shipped right to your doorstep rather than venturing out to the store. Could it be that the mega-retailer is too late to the game to make a difference?

Actually, we doubt that very much, as we expect the chain to see a pretty considerable sales bump from the iPhone. Considering the fact that Target is a major outlet for holiday shopping anyway, the idea that consumers can also buy their smartphone there makes the big red stores even more appealing. You can also expect to see a major marketing blitz telling consumers all about how the store is now carrying the machine, prompting even more excitement. And if nothing else, the addition of Target as an outlet gives consumers even more choice, and choice is always a good thing.

[via MacStories]

In an effort to automate check-ins at Apple Stores and provide customers with yet another reason to pull out their iDevices and wave them around, Apple is developing a new Concierge app. According to reports, the app will allow customers to wirelessly report in when they enter the store and direct them to available associates. On the flip side, Concierge will also send push notifications to store staff, letting them know when customers with appointments are in-store and awaiting assistance.

For customers, Concierge will activate when they enter the store and ask if they have an appointment. If so, the user may check in, see approximate waiting time and even be sent a photo of the store associate they'll be meeting with that day. Apple is also releasing a companion app called Scout which store managers can use to keep track of room-by-room locations so they know exactly where checked-in customers are browsing.

While the app seems very useful it's kind of funny that even when you're in a position to talk to someone face-to-face Apple would prefer you communicate via your iDevice. How hard is it to walk into an Apple Store and check-in for an appointment? Apparently too hard, as now you'll be able to do it digitally rather than walking 20 feet and taking care of it in person. How long before all Genius Bar requests are handled via text message even as you sit across the desk from the associate? Maybe they're right and modern tools such as text messages, emails and IMs are eroding our communication skills.

There's no specific timeline for when Concierge will roll out but it will likely be soon. The service went live yesterday for Apple Store employees so it should be available in at least a select number of stores over the coming weeks. We fully expect the service to be nationwide in time for the holiday rush, so if you're heading to an Apple Store to do some shopping don't worry, you won't have to talk to an actual person unless you want to.

[via Mac Stories]

The Apple Store is down, I've got coffee in hand, anxiously reloading Engadget, Gizmodo, and Ars Technica for the news today from the Apple press event. We'll tweet the big highlights on our twitter stream -- follow us for those highlights. And we'll post a news story here with all the gritty details after it's done.