Best Buy posted on their website last night that they were now selling the HTC Flyer for $99.  They sold out online and this morning there was a line outside of the Best Buy near me, everyone trying to get one of course.  There was nothing posted outside and they let us all in knowing what we were looking for.

Once inside the Best Buy located at 14125 River Gate Pkwy Charlotte, NC 28273, the store Manager Christopher waited for everyone to get in the back of the store where the tablets were located to tell us that the price was wrong.  On top of this the image you see above was not posted on the outside window, it was in the store on the second window after your in.

I have a real issue with Best Buy waiting to try and up sell before letting anyone know the error.  Mistakes are made but this was a blatant attempt to get people into the store.  Also keep in mind that Best Buy has stated that they would have it fixed online at 12:00 Central time meaning they are waiting until all stores are open.  Does anyone else see that the lines will be outside the last opening store at 10:00 West Coast time before they fix it?

I have no problem with mistakes but I do have a problem with flat out waiting to tell people so that they can up sell.  They did end up selling the HTC Flyer to some people in the store at the $299 price that were waiting to get it for $99.  I did however talk a few people into walking out and avoiding Best Buy’s little scam to get people in the store.

We contacted Best Buy in regards to the mistake they made and this is the response we received:

We appreciate you contacting Best Buy and allowing us the opportunity to
respond.

We recognize that the temporary HTC flyer mispricing was a problem for
you and other customers. While we corrected it online as quickly as
possible, our communications to our 1,100+ stores were delayed. That’s
certinaly our fault and we’re looking at ways that we can get to our
stores even faster when good – and not so good – developments occur. We
really appreciate your loyalty to Best Buy and hope we don’t disappoint
you in the future.

Thank you again for contacting us and making us aware of your
experience. I regret and apologize for any inconvenience we may have
caused. We hope you return in the future for a much more enjoyable
experience.

My best,

Jill Nezworski
Senior Executive Resolution Specialist/

Parrot has an Asteroid in car media hub based on the Android OS. This media hub will be released in late October or early November according to Parrot. We have seen Parrot trying to get into the Android game but nothing has taken off up to this point. Hopefully this will catch on because it seems to be an innovative idea that as long as priced right could see a lot of attention.

The media hub will have a 3.2 inch in dash display that will use a custom version of Android. Also it was stated that there will be apps available for the device although it seems they will be basic and no you won’t be able to play Angry Birds from your car’s dash. The system will be advertised as a hands-free in-car phone through your devices bluetooth connection with voice recognition and GPS.

As we get more information we will keep you posted and who knows it the price is right we may pick one up and test it out to get a good review to you all.

Norton is a leader in security applications for almost every device there is on the market today. Their new “Norton Everywhere” has released a new service that will locate, lock, and secure your lost of stolen Android device. You can get this service now through Norton with price ranges based on the number of devices you are looking to protect from $39.99 – $89.99 for one year of protection.

“Laptops, smartphones and tablets have become more personal than ever because consumers can take them wherever they go,” said Dave Cole, vice president of mobile products at Norton. “However, the convenience of mobility also brings the risk of theft or accidental loss, so safeguards need to be in place. Norton Anti-Theft allows consumers to take defensive measures in preparing for the worst case scenario and proactive measures when an unfortunate incident occurs.”

Norton Anti-theft Features:

• Locate: Tracks and maps the location of your device when anyone uses it to go online.
• Remote Lock: Securely locks your device to prevent others from using it or seeing your information.
• Lost Notification: Displays a customizable message to anyone who finds your missing device so you can make arrangements to get it back.
• Web Control: Works securely over the Internet, so you can easily track, locate, and lock your devices anytime, anywhere.
• Sneak Peek: Snaps photos of anyone or anything in front of your device then saves the images to the Norton Anti-Theft website to help you get back your device. (Webcam devices only)
• Free support: Get help and answers by phone, email, live chat, or online whenever you need it.

Sprint has been falling behind AT&T and Verizon and hopes to get back into the game as a leader by purchasing $20 billion in the next generation of iPhones. With the release of the iPhone 5 tomorrow Sprint hopes to close the gap between itself and the two major competitors.

Sprint is actually purchasing $30 billion worth of devices with a $500 subsidy of each device. This is Sprint’s last hurrah if they don’t get some of their 52 million subscribers who are majority pre-paid accounts to convert to contracts. We have seen Sprint’s stock taking a hit over the last few months but this could be a game changer for them.

We hope sincerely being stock holders ourselves that this turns things around for sprint. Being the last major carrier with unlimited plans still in tact we see no reason that this will not be a sound decision by the powers that be at Sprint.

“If Sprint has bet right, the iPhone will be the device that finally breaks the company’s half-decade long slide and keeps much larger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. from running off with the bulk of the wireless industry’s subscribers and profits. If it’s wrong, the iPhone deal will saddle the company with a costly albatross at a time when it is already stretching to manage an expensive network upgrade and cover debt payments.”
via http://online.wsj.com

Google will be introducing home automation through Android devices. Google says it would like to control your entire home from your Android powered device. At Google I/O 2011, Google demonstrated controlling lights, speakers, and music players from an Android device. Google has even designed their own inexpensive, low power wireless communication protocol for things like your dishwasher that normally would not be connected. They have mentioned this protocol being used for lights, alarm clocks, thermostats, switches and more.

Basically what this will be able to do it things like when your alarm clock on your phone goes off starting the coffee maker. A company by the name of “Lighting Science” will be providing the first Android@Home devices being a lightbulb and a switch at the end of this year.

While this is something I think every lazy American including myself would love to do the price point is a bit high.  Many of the switches and jacks will set you back $49-$55 as opposed to the standard $1.99 for a normal switch from a hardware store.  Of course those of you that will be looking into these features are likely doing so because of the novelty factor and not so much the cost/benefit ration associated with it.

If you plan on or have already automated part of your home using these or anything like these features let us know we would be interested to hear how you use it and the benefits you see from doing so.  While we have knocked the price and total benefits of Android@Home we like the technology and I personally will probably start automating my house slowly for the simple fact that I think its fun and novel.