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:: Those out there who are familiar with Apple's movements around this time of year will know that we're just a few days out from Apple's annual one-day only Black Friday shopping event. Set to kick-off this Friday, November 29, the day will mark one of the only times in the year that Apple offers significant discounts on its many hardware products - both online and through its physical retail stores.
Last year for example, we saw the firm drop its iPad with Retina Display by a cool $41. Meanwhile, the iPod touch 4th Generation was slashed by $21, the iPad 2 saw an average drop of $31, and the MacBook Pro with Retina Display was available for $101 less than its usual retail price.
As significant as some of the above discounts may sound though, Apple is almost always beaten in its online holiday discounts by third-party vendors. One of those third-party vendors is Target, who will be offering shoppers a free $75 gift card with any purchase of Apple's iPad mini ($279), and the chance to bag themselves a free $100 gift card with the purchase of any iPad, (including the iPad 2 - which starts at $399), when doors finally open this Thursday. The retailer will also be offering $30 gift cards for those who purchase the iPhone 5S (staring at $180) with a 2 year contract.
The last of the biggest retailers - Best Buy - will be offering Apple's iPhone 5C for the lowest upfront cost we've been able to find at just $48 (a $51.99 savings). The firm will also be slashing the cost of Apple's just-launched 16 GB iPad Air to $450, providing a super-neat saving of $50.
Other smaller retailers, such as RadioShack, will open their doors at 8AM. The purchase of Apple's iPhone 5S, (starting at $200 with a 2 year contract), will see you receive a free $50 gift card, while opting for the iPhone 5C - (starting at $50 with a 2 year contract) - will also see you receive a free $50 gift card. Pick up an Apple TV for $100 on your way and you'll get a free $20 gift card. Plus, those looking for some extra in-store credit to spend on even more Black Friday deals will probably appreciate the chance to bag a $10 RadioShack gift card with the purchase of any $50 iTunes Card. Those looking for some added protection to add to their iOS devices might also be pleased to hear that RadioShack will be offering 30% off all Zagg Screen Protectors, and a further 10% off all Otterbox cases.
The lowest prices for iOS devices available for Black Friday 2013 are listed below.
:: MOGA's new MFi controller, the MOGA Ace Power, is set to offer full console-style controls for your iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, and iPod 5th generation. It comes with dual analog sticks, a d-pad, action buttons, and L1/R1 L2/R2 shoulder buttons. It also features MOGA Boost: an internal battery which helps power your phone while you play, extending the battery life so you can enjoy all your favorite games for a longer period of time. Pretty nifty, yes?
The early reviews are good, but not great. CNET mentions that it "feels more like a $50 device than a $100 one." Don't be too excited yet, even the developers that have added support for controllers haven't had time to test their games with an actual controller. Pocket Gamer reports "Judging by games like Trouserheart and Into the Dead, which are supposed to have controller support but barely even work in practice, it's clear that developers need more time with the actual hardware to get their games feeling good."
The MOGA Power Ace should be available for pre-order this week at mogaanywhere.com and will reportedly cost $99.
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:: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant is now available in over 250 Apple retail stores for $99.95. It's a device that attaches to your car and teams up with your iPhone to help with all of your driving habits. This means it can help you save gas, decode and clear the check engine light, and remember where you parked. It can also detect a crash and automatically call for help and alert loved ones. The best part, it's all subscription free.
"Apple sets a high bar for the quality of products they carry in their stores. We're thrilled to make Automatic available to the millions of people who trust Apple to curate beautiful and easy to use products," said Thejo Kote, CEO and co-founder of Automatic, in a press release.
Anki Drive is set to release next week, October 23rd, bringing artificial intelligence and robotics to your living room. It's a video game in the real world, and can be purchased in Apple stores for $199. Players can use their iOS device to control their character's position, speed, weapons, and more as they compete against other players or against an AI car.
"Anki Drive in its current form would never have been possible five years ago. We’ve been able to take advantage of a unique ecosystem of components that are more capable and affordable than ever before, and benefit from the prevalence of powerful mobile devices. Even with this, it required a great deal of exploration and creativity to combine such diverse technologies to enable a truly intelligent product, at a tiny fraction of the cost typically seen in robotics." said Boris Sofman, co-founder and CEO of Anki, in a press release.
Check out the video below to see just what is possible with Anki Drive!
