SquareTrade

Apple bumps the iPod Shuffle to 2GB.

Okay, so maybe we got it backwards yesterday.  Amazon's not giving out free 1GB Apple iPod Shuffles with every iPod Touch to boost Touch sales... they're doing it to make room for the brand-new 2GB Shuffles.

That extra gig runs an extra $20, so you'll have to shell out a whopping $69 for the new Shuffle and $8 to protect it for 3 Years with a SquareTrade iPod warranty.  Or you could give AppleCare $39 for 2 Years.

Oh, and least we forget, we're chopping 20% Off all warranty prices from now through March 2 for everyone who uses Coupon Code: MARCHSALE on the checkout page.

Liked that?  DIGG this post and Subscribe to our feed!

Amazon passes out Free iPod Shuffles with Not-Free iPod Touches.

Bam!  Unlike Palm's stingy swag, Amazon just busted out a nice piece of Free by offering a complementary 1GB Apple iPod Shuffle with every 32GB iPod Touch purchase.  They'll even let you pick the color.  If you think that's still a bit weak, consider that we've never seen a legitimate "Free iPod!" offer before that didn't involve signing up for a bunch of stuff.  And then never getting the iPod.  Curse you, lying internets!

So why are they doing this?  Our guess is to move some iPod Touch stock, which isn't doing as hot as its iPod brethren... though we seriously doubt it's prelude to dropping the SKU entirely, given how much play the 32 GB got in the JobNote a month ago.  But any way you slice it, you'll get 3 Years of protection with a SquareTrade iPod warranty on the Touch over 2 Years with AppleCare, for the same amount of money.  If you're talking the Shuffle, you can get 3 Years from us for $6.  Apple wants $39.  Your choice.

This is Amazon, so the offer's good until they take it down.  Which could be a month from now or sixty seconds ago.  They're a tricky bunch over there.

Liked that?  DIGG this post and Subscribe to our fee

iPod Valentine's Sales Abound.

Ye Gods.  If we're to believe all the Valentine's sales going around, women apparently want crappy movies like Across the Universe and Failure to Launch, and lots of perfectly good electronics that are all painted pink.  If we pulled something like that, we'd end up sleeping on the couch.

However, there's a bunch of normally-colored stuff on sale all over.  Circuit City's fairly lame iPod sale prices from way, way back are still largely in place, though saving five bucks does equal five more songs off iTunes.  The biggest deal to be had at the moment, and it's live at Amazon and Circuit City and Best Buy, is a $25 off deal on the recently released 32 GB Apple iPod Touch.  Amazon's prices on all other iPod tends to be a few bucks better than CC and BB's, too.

We've heard the Apple iPod Touch isn't doing so well, sales-wise, and we're not terribly surprised.  C'mon now, it's basically an iPhone without the phone (or, admittedly, two unending years of constant AT&T hassle), but it still costs the same... or more, depending on how which model you're buying.  It's really just a matter of what you want out of your mobile devices, and if you want a top-end iPod to watch widescreen movies on while calling you buddies over Verison's network on a Nokia, then the iTouch really is your thing. 

And for a limited time, you can get 25% off your SquareTrade iPod warranty, with or without Accidental Damage coverage, just by using Coupon Code IPODLOVE25 on the checkout page.  Not sure it's the best deal for the best service?  Read our reviews and get an instant quote with our Quote Widget in the sidebar.

The coupon expires the Monday after Valentine's, and it's good for any model iPod, but but not iPhones.  Gotta save something for next time, after all.

Liked that?  DIGG this post and Subscribe to our feed!

Valentine's Sale: 25% Off on All iPod Warranties.

Nothing says lovin' like handing your baby an Apple iPod Nano pre-loaded with Barry White's Greatest Hits.  Except maybe saving a few bucks behind her back on the deal.

We found a few iPod Sales going on - generally not big, but enough to cover the cost of You're the First, The Last, My Everything - and they're all really pushing pink this year, but we couldn't just sit back and not contribute to your love life.  From now until 2/17, you can get 25% Off on a SquareTrade iPod warranty for any iPod model, with or without Accidental Damage coverage. 

Just use Coupon Code IPODLOVE25 on the checkout page. 

Oh, and flowers might help, too.  No warranty available on those, more's the pity.

Liked that?  DIGG this post and Subscribe to our feed!

Apple iPhone now goes to 16GB, still no 3G.

A friend of a friend told us this was ready to go two months ago, so it was a little surprising when the 16GB Apple iPhone didn't get a mention during Steve Job's MacWorld keynote.  But all's forgiven: they're here and available right now for $500.  That's twice the memory for only a hundred bucks more.

However, we still have yet to see the long-rumored 3G network iPhones, which were equally rumored to be hitting the market around March or April.  Isn't it just like Apple to nickel and dime and One More Thing us like this?

Well, here's one more thing for the One More Thing; they've also bumped up the memory on the iTouch to 32GB and kept its price at $500 (if you want the touchscreen fun without the AT&T hassle).  They dropped the 8GB and 16GB iTouch prices down to $299 and $399 instead, which is a nice... well, touch.

But if you want to get an extended warranty on these pricey items, you've got exactly two options: Apple and SquareTrade.  The thing is, SquareTrade's 3-year warranty costs less money than Apple's 2-year plan, doesn't sacrifice a thing in terms of coverage, and is the best reviewed warranty out there.  And if you want Accidental Damage coverage on your iPhone or iTouch (or both), SquareTrade is the only game in town.

You all realize, of course, that they'll spring a 32GB, 3G iPhone on us next week, right?  And a 64GB iPhone the week after?  And a 1.6 terabyte iPhone next year?  Sigh...

Liked that?  DIGG this post and Subscribe to our feed!

Macworld Keynote 2008: the Other Fun Stuff.

 When Steve Jobs took the floor, he said there were four things he wanted to talk about.  We already gushed embarrassingly over the MacBook Air, but we'd be remiss to not talk about his other One More Things.

First, GPS is coming to the Apple iPhone, sorta, as well as the ability to text multiple parties at once (isn't that technically a chatroom?). The GPSish function is being called "Maps with locations" at the moment - hopefully something cooler later on - but it's really just Google Maps with a few bells and whistles, like the ability to automatically center on your location without you typing a thing.  Plus, no GPS subscription fees. It's all a free software download for the iPhone. 

It's also available as an $20 upgrade for the Apple iTouch, but comes built-in on new iTouches.  We have no idea why they're charging for one and not the other.  Let's see how long that lasts, from the company who chopped $100 off the iPhone price one month post-launch.

Hardware-wise (aside from the Air), we like the look of Time Capsule, a server-grade 802.11n wireless backup station for all your Leopard needs.  Wireless is the key word here, as you can back up any Mac in the house without a single cord, and that's a good thing.  It's available now and comes in a Apple White 500 GB model for $300, or if you prefer, an Apple White 1 TB model for $500.  Steve's all about the variety.

The bigger news is that Apple is definitely taking a big swing at delivering entertainment over the internet by revamping their oft-neglected Apple TV set-top box.  Two years later, they're moving even closer to what Vudu is doing with digital delivery, giving you instantly streaming television (still two bucks) and movies to rent (for three bucks) or own (for four) and watch on your big-screen television.  The difference this time, and on the new Apple TV, is in the details.

First, you can get films in HD for a dollar more, and Apple has signed content deals with every major studio - all of them - so the Apple Store is going to become as comprehensive a library for film as it is for music.  Second, you can also use the menu to surf and watch internet content on your TV, anything from YouTube to your buddy's pictures on Flickr, for free.  Third, the new menu system means you don't need a computer to run Apple TV.  Forth, you can still subscribe to podcasts and buy music through the Apple TV box, and listen to them through that boss sound system you've set up, and that's important thing to note.

Because fifth, everything you store on the Apple TV box, whether it's rented or owned, can be synched and copied to your iPod, your iTouch, or your iPhone.  That gives the new Apple TV on huge edge over Vudu, Netflix, and everybody else in the streamed content space: mobility.  And that makes all the difference these days.

They have two models up at the Apple Store: 40GB for $229 (that's $70 less than their first generation box) and $329 for a 160GB.  If you've already got an Apple TV box, you can upgrade to the new software for free.

Of course, if history's any judge, there will only be two places you can get an extended warranty for this sucker when it hits shelves: Apple and us.  The difference being we'll give you a lower price, a 5-Day service guarantee, and an option to add Accidental Damage coverage or extra years of coverage.  A lot of people on Amazon seem real happy with us, but it's up to you, really.

Liked that?  DIGG this post and Subscribe to our feed!
Apple warranty

Amazon's Top Sellers of 2007 include some surprises.

We love you, Amazon.  You make holiday shopping so easy that we buy way too much, and yet always feel surprised when yet another smiley-face box shows up on our doorstep.  And then we lie to our spouses and say "Yes, honey, that one's for you, too." 

We know we're not alone in our unnatural love.  As if to hammer the point home, Amazon has just released its Best Of 2007 lists, and it wasn't all the obvious choices this year.

2007 Top Selling Electronics
Out of all the gadgets, trinkets, and assorted cool stuff available in the entire universe, the top selling piece of consumer electronics on Amazon was the Canon PowerShot A570 IS 7.1MP digital camera.  We're honestly not sure why, aside from the fact that it's the cheapest camera in the PowerShot line, and only by about twenty bucks at that.  The all-around best camera is arguably the PowerShot SD850 IS, but the SD750 and SD1000 are both better options to the A570 for not a lot more money.  You confuse us, Amazon.

The popular but elusive Nintendo Wii was the top seller in Video Games, despite the fact that you can't order (or even pre-order) a Wii from Amazon.  You can, however, buy them for about $150 over list price through Amazon Merchants.  It still blew away the competition, and our Amazon is only getting table scraps out of it.  Sigh.

And for your third head-scratcher in a row, the top-selling computer was the Nokia Internet tablet PC.  Really?  It's not clear whether this is the tally for the N800, the N810, the N770, or all of the above (unfair, but it would explain much).  Sure, it's a neat little device and all, but it just feels strange that the #1 computer is essentially a slider smartphone by another name.  Maybe that's just a sign of Things To Come.

2007 Most Popular Electronics
What's getting the highest ranks (aside from us) by Amazon users?  Well, it 's the Wii.  But besides the Wii, people are really digging their Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-inch portable GPS navigator, and so they should.  It's a nifty little device, even though it doesn't have a built-in radar detector.  Yet.  Whereas on the computer front, the MacAddicts are universally praising the Apple MacBook Pro (also the most gifted computer for 2007), and then voted up Apple Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard for good measure.  What, Vista didn't make the list?

2007 Most Wanted Electronics
Wii.  Duh. 

But for those of you who still haven't seen a Wii in the wild, the gadget everybody wanted most was the Apple 4GB iPod Nano.  They got it, too, as the 4GB Nano topped the "bought as gift" list.  And while the masses may've liked the Macbook Pro and given the Macbook Pro, what they really wanted all along was the under-$400 Asus Eee 4G-Galaxy 7-inch PC.  Again, we're not sure which model (or if they're lumped in together), but we don't care.  Let's here it for the Budget Notebook!

Like we said, interesting list, and if you got one, gave one, or are getting one before January 6, you can put a SquareTrade Warranty on it for 20% Off our already low price.  Just use coupon code WARRANTYSANTA on the checkout page.

Amazon Best Electronics of 2007, Apple iPod Nano  warrant, insurancey

Free Gift Cards with iPod or Zune Purchase.

IPOD PRICE WAR!  It's ON!

Last Friday, we were wondering how long it would take Best Buy to counter Circuit City's two-buck undercutting of their Apple iPod sale.  Answer: not long, but they've gone a different direction on it. 

Instead of further iPod price drops or discounts, Best Buy is selling them at regular price and giving you a graduating scale of Best Buy gift cards along with purchase.  It's $10 for the 1GB Shuffle, $15 for the 4GB Nano, $20 for the 8GB Nano, $25 for the 80GB Classic, and $30 for the 160GB Classic.  They're offering $10 off the 4GB Microsoft Zune, and $20 off the 8GB or 30GB Zunes.

Circuit City's counter-counter offer is "a free $10 eGift Card" flat rate on iPods only (no Zune sale, no Zune gift card), with their sale prices all still intact from what we reported last Friday.

Well played, big box stores.  Their free gift card strategy essentially keep your money coming into their stores instead of being spent elsewhere, but the current result is that, iPod price-wise, they're both now in a statistical dead heat, plus or minus a few quarters.  How long can this detente last?  Not long, we hope.  We're waiting for someone to drop the Big One. 

War is truly hell.

Cheap Apple iPod Coupon, Microsoft Zune, cheap mp3 player, iPod vs. Zune, iPod warranty, iPod insurance

Special MP3 Player Warranty Sale for your iPod and Zune!

If there's an MP3 Player on your list to give (or to receive) his holiday season, whether it's an Apple iPod, a Microsoft Zune, or any other MP3 Player on the market, now you can protect it with the best warranty around (according to our reviews, anyway).  And you can do it for a lot less if you use our special 3-Day discount.

You can get an instant warranty quote using our widget in the sidebar, but then use coupon code: MP3MADNESS on our checkout page and you'll get 33% off your MP3 Player's warranty.  This offer is only good from today through Sunday, 12/16/07.

Keep in mind, this is on a warranty that's already 40% less than retail warranties, and it comes with a 5-Day Service Guarantee most retailers wouldn't offer to save their lives.  We fix it or pay you’re the item's purchase price in five business days, or your warranty and the service are free.

If you bought an MP3 Player for yourself or a friend in the last month, you can still put a SquareTrade warranty on it at 2/3rds the normal price, even if you add Accidental Damage coverage.  And if you still need to buy an iPod, by purest chance, Best Buy and Circuit City both have sales going on.

It's never too late to Christmas shop.  There's almost ten days left!  Plenty of time!

Cheap Apple iPod Coupon, Microsoft Zune, cheap mp3 player, iPod vs. Zune

Best Buy iPod Sale vs. Circuit City iPod Sale.

Want to knock a couple of bucks off the price of your next Apple iPod? Head right on over to either (or both) Best Buy and Circuit City to see what they're going to give up.  Or we can save you the trouble; a quick survey pretty much confirms that Circuit City went all up and down Best Buy's site and added two bucks to every iPod discount Best Buy offered.  The numbers shake out thusly;

iPod Shuffle 1GB
BB:  $4 Off
CC:  $5 Off

iPod Nano 8GB
BB:  $10 Off
CC:  $12 Off

iPod Touch 8GB:
BB:  $15 Off
CC:  $17 Off

iPod Touch 16GB;
BB:  $20 Off
CC:  $22 Off

iPod Classic 80GB
BB:  $12.50 Off
CC:  $14.50 Off

iPod Classic 160GB
BB:  $17.50 Off
CC:  $19.50 Off

Let's see how long it takes Best Buy to retaliate.  In the meantime, it's worth noting that Circuit City threw something extra up as well: refurbished iPods sold at discount.  All your old favorites, from the 60GB Classic to the iPod Color to the iPod Mini are available, along with older-generation Nano and Shuffle models. 

And not only can you get a SquareTrade iPod warranty on any of these (or all of them, if you want), new or refurbished, but if you take advantage of our 3-Day MP3 Player Warranty Sale by using the special coupon code, you'll get 33% off your warranty's price.  That includes any extras like Accidental Damage coverage, too.

Cheap Apple iPod Coupon, Microsoft Zune, cheap mp3 player