Tech 2.0 for Friday, January 13
People tend not to buy pricey accessories for an old car. And apparently the same principle holds for those with aging video game systems. U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories were all off last month. NPD Group says sales in those categories dropped 21 percent, compared to a year ago. An NPD analyst says the drop-off in sales is no surprise, given that all three of the major game consoles are getting a bit long in the tooth. Microsoft's Xbox 360 turns 7 in November. By contrast, the Xbox was just four years old when it was phased out. The Sony PlayStation 3 turns 6 in November -- the same age the PS2 got before it got an upgrade. And the Nintendo Wii also turns six this year. By comparison, the company's GameCube reached 5 before being put out to pasture.
Not only does Apple have egg on its face over the launch of its iPhone 4S in China -- it also some egg on the front of its flagship store in Beijing, China. An angry crowd shouted and egged the Apple's Beijing store after it failed to open on time to sell the new phone. Hundreds waited overnight in freezing weather for the sale at the Apple store in the Chinese capital. Some said they were paid to wait by merchants who planned to resell the popular phones. When the store failed to open on time at 7:00 AM, the crowd got angry and some threw eggs. Police cleared the area and employees posted a sign in the window saying the iPhone 4S was out of stock. iPhones are huge in China and stores are mobbed for the release of new models, which can be resold for large markups.
Mobile shoppers were on the move over the holidays. A survey for Motricity, a marketing and advertising firm, finds that 93 percent of smartphone and tablet users report a "positive" experience with mobile shopping. And nearly two-thirds will use their mobile device to shop more often throughout the year. The biggest motivator was convenience. The survey questioned more than 660 Americans age 18 or older who own a smartphone or tablet.
