All Latest and Greatest posts

Got the latest deals?

Josh-BBY — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:43:59 GMT

Hey you! Yes, you there in that shirt, looking at your screen right now. I’m writing at you this very second because you need to know something awesome. I know you like getting super deals on stuff that you buy and everyone appreciates a deal around the holidays. So Best Buy® has a solution for our savvy holiday shoppers, the Deal of the Day!

Every day the Deals website, twitter feed and text message options will tell you the featured product for the day. Then you can avoid fighting through the lines on Black Friday or our holiday rushes in our stores and just order online for easy convenience. We put the power in your hands to get the best price from Best Buy®!

For more info check out the sweet deals we’re laying down on our site: Best Buy® Deals as well as our Best Buy® Deals Twitter OR you can just have the daily deal sent right to your portable texting device, (i.e. your cell phone) by texting DAILY to 332211. Standard message and data rates by your provider still apply. Just remember that these offers are only valid the day they are announced and are only available on BestBuy.com!

Time-Sensitive Promotional Codes

Aaron-GS — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:54:57 GMT

Planning on buying the collector’s edition of a video game or movie for a loved one this year? Well, if you are you may want to make sure that they’re not only opening but also using those gifts in a timely fashion. Why you ask? The answer’s simple: in place of tangible bonuses, some collectors’ editions now include time-sensitive promotional codes that are intended to be used within a few months of the product’s release date.

Although this is by no means a new practice, it’s definitely something to keep in mind before letting that copy of Dragon Age: Origins or Watchmen sit in your closet for two months. After all, who wants to lose out on some extra in-game swag or access to a digital copy? Just keep in mind that this doesn’t only apply to in-box promotional materials! Many video game preorder codes also come with expiration dates, including the Sgt. Johnson character code for Halo 3: ODST.

Acer EX5230E-2177

Aaron-GS — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:04:44 GMT

Yesterday Best Buy announced a special limited time offer for its lowest-priced advertised laptop ever, but if you woke up late this morning you probably missed your chance to place an order for it on BestBuy.com. There is good news though! The Acer EX5230E-2177 is still available for $249.99 at many of our retail stores, albeit in limited quantities.

Here are some of the unit’s features:

•    2.2GHz Intel Celeron Processor
•    2GB Memory
•    160GB Hard Drive
•    15.4” Display
•    6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
•    Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

Want more information? Make sure to speak with a sales associate at your local Best Buy store about this offer and other computing specials available now through Saturday, 11/14/2009!

Re: Club Beats

FB — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:22:23 GMT

The music industry is changing, artist create, produce, record, distribute without "THE MAN" and your stores carry all the technology to get it done, show your customers what can be accomplished. Club Beats could be great, how does a local talent get involved? It would be great to have local talent play in your stores/music centers to give customers live exposure to using the products you sell. You need to drive some traffic into your music dept. Gets some live shows bumpin in your stores!!! MPLS

Livescribe Pulse Smartpen

Aaron-GS — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:20:30 GMT

Yesterday evening while browsing the Gadgets & eReaders section of BestBuy.com I came across an odd little device that probably would have been handy when I was a freshman in college: a pen that records audio while you write. Sure, either a tape recorder or laptop would pretty much serve the same purpose, but when you’re a student and don’t have the budget for a new computer – and you’ve never even seen a fully-functional tape recorder – it seems like it would be a feasible alternative.

I think what intrigued me the most though was the pen’s ability to link audio to individual notes. Having the ability to do that certainly would have helped me understand why my lecture notes from History of the British Isles were filled with so many seemingly random comments about Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone the day after the class.

Does anyone have any experience with one of these smartpens?

Netflix-Ready Devices

Aaron-GS — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:42:04 GMT

With the recent addition of the PlayStation 3 to the growing list of Netflix-ready devices it was only a matter of time before rumors of the service coming to the Nintendo Wii started to abound. The ability to stream video on demand is, after all, one of the largest growing trends in consumer electronics, with support being integrated into everything from Blu-ray players to TVs to home theater systems.

So, what does this mean for the average consumer? Well, apart from having yet another entry to compare on product specification pages, it also means that consumers may soon be able to do away with their computer entirely when it comes to watching their favorite movies on demand through web-based services. Want to watch that latest zombie flick on your big screen TV instead of your computer monitor? No problem! Just queue the movie up on your PS3 or DVD player. Want a second peek at that clip you saw at a friend’s house? Why not sign into your Netflix account using their home theater system, reserve the title, and then watch it later using your Xbox 360?

What other kind of services would you want to see incorporated into home theater equipment? For that matter, where else would you want to see Netflix compatibility?

DJ Hero - An Exciting New Rhythm Game

Jacob-BBY — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:37 GMT

Have you heard about the new rhythm game called DJ Hero? You could say it is similar to Guitar Hero in the sense that both are a music video game and use a note highway. It is a highly anticipated release across the world and brings new excitement to the gaming community.

The game has more than 80 remixes that mesh two different songs into each other across numerous genres. Players press buttons in rhyme with the highway scrolling on the screen to activate beats, cross fade between the two songs and use the turntable to scratch along with the song. Performing these tasks well scores points with your in game crowd.

The game has a single player career mode and cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. You can also use a Guitar Hero guitar with select songs alongside the DJ game play.

Many DJ and mix artists have contributed to the game's development, the creation of mixes, and by lending their images for playable avatars in the game; these including David Guetta, DJ Shadow, Z-Trip, DJ AM, Cut Chemist, J.Period, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Daft Punk.

DJ Hero is available for shipping or store pickup on BestBuy.com

Club Beats

Aaron-GS — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:43:24 GMT

In the past if you walked into a Best Buy® store searching for DJ equipment you probably would not have found a very large selection. In fact, chances are that you may have missed the section entirely while browsing through our home theater, portable audio, and (in some cases) car audio departments. Well, all that is about to change!

Over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing our brand-new Club Beats section to our U.S. retail stores, areas dedicated to DJ equipment and everything that consumers might need to get started in this exciting field. Whether it’s a serious artistic endeavor or simply a new hobby you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find everything there from mixers to lighting kits and from speakers to turntables.

Want more information? Make sure to check out the official product category page on BestBuy.com for additional details:

BestBuy.com - DJ & Lighting Equipment

A 40" LCD HDTV for $499.99?!

Aaron-GS — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:50:45 GMT

If you’re in the market for a new HDTV and haven’t had the opportunity to visit BestBuy.com this week, you may want to check out the following link when you get the chance:

BestBuy.com

No, your eyes don’t deceive you - that is a 40” TV available for only $499.99. On top of that, this week you have the opportunity to pick up a Netflix-ready Insignia Blu-ray player for the low price of $99.99. Best Buy® is even offering special 2-year, no interest financing on home theater purchases $499.99 and up, as well as free delivery and recycling with TVs over $999.99.

Want more information? Make sure to check out BestBuy.com for additional details. Just keep in mind that these offers are only valid between 10/25/2009 and 10/26/2009!

Another week, another blog name change?

Aaron-GS — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:05:06 GMT

Back in July the former “Red Ring of Death and Other Gaming Nightmares” blog became the “Games and Gadgets” blog. Then, just last month, the blog underwent another name change to become the “Latest and Greatest.” The name wasn’t the only thing to change though – slight format tweaks also occurred. What originally started out as simple, instructional material slowly turned into staff observations and the occasional announcement of new products and community events.

But why talk about it? The answer’s simple: we want to know what you want to read about. Would you like to see more step-by-step basic use guides, or would you prefer more information on upcoming events? Would you like to hear more about our staff’s experience with technology, or would you rather see more updates on upcoming tech and gaming trends? Heck, do you want more info on our weekly specials and upcoming promotions?

Let us know what you think!

Gadgets & eReaders

Aaron-GS — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:02:39 GMT

If you’ve been following any of our Twitter feeds (@bby_community, @bby_comunidad, @bby_communaute) you’ve probably already seen the announcement that Best Buy now has a gadgets and e-readers section. And if you haven’t, guess what? Best Buy now has a gadgets and e-readers section!

BestBuy.com Gadgets & eReaders

Out of all the gizmos on the site the one that amused/confused/transfixed me the most was the electronic, touch-sensor Rubik’s Cube. I have a hard enough time dealing with the old-fashioned “manual” versions as it is, so needless to say this little wonder got quickly added to my “I love the idea, but do I really want to punish myself by purchasing it?” list.

Perhaps the reason I was initially drawn to it was the fact that it’s a new twist on a relatively old product. Then again, maybe it was the “Smart Coach” function that helps you solve the puzzle step-by-step. Who would I be kidding though? It’s because this Rubik’s Cube will scramble and solve itself while charging in its stand…

Curious? Check it out here:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9492863&type=product&id=1218123789980

Re: What upcoming games do YOU want to learn more about?

Dorothy-BBY — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:58:23 GMT

WTB chat with Blizzard before Cataclysm!! KKTHX!

As Seen in Best Buy?

Aaron-GS — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:11:26 GMT

Chances are that if you’ve ever visited one of our retail stores you’ve probably seen one of the end-cap displays near the store’s registers. They usually have an assortment of goodies on them, ranging from last-chance DVDs and CDs to gift cards and candy. Well, I recently discovered that some of our stores have introduced a new element to these familiar sights: an “As Seen on TV” section.

That’s right. Now you can find all sorts of gadgets and last-minute gift ideas that you could previously only see on TV at your local Best Buy store. Granted, you don’t get the full infomercial experience, but you can still catch a first-hand glimpse of Snuggies (“the blanket that has sleeves”) and Bumpits (“volumizing hair inserts”) before you decide to buy. BestBuy.com even has its own selection of “As Seen on TV” products that changes on a regular basis:

http://www.bestbuy.com/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat78300050007&type=category

Surprised? I know I was when I found out.

What’s your favorite “As Seen on TV” product?

What upcoming games do YOU want to learn more about?

Aaron-GS — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:27:42 GMT

If you haven’t already heard the news, today we announced an upcoming live chat with some of the fine folks over at Infinity Ward about their upcoming title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This comes along hot on the heels of last week’s announcement of a live chat session with Naughty Dog about UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. Needless to say, it’s starting to sound like it’s going to be a busy month here on the forums!

My question for you though, defenders of teh internets, is what other games would you like to see showcased like this? More FPS games? More Action-Adventure games? Is there a certain RTS, RPG or Simulation game you’re just dying to learn more about? Leave a comment here and let us know!

Live chats galore

Aaron-GS — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:47:07 GMT

It's certainly been a busy week here on the forums! Last Friday we held a live chat session with some of the developers behind Riot Games' League of Legends, on Tuesday we did the same with some of the guys from Bungie about Halo 3: ODST, and just a few minutes ago we announced an up-coming chat session with the minds behing Naughty Dog's UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. While all these going-ons mean that there wasn't a regular entry here this week, I'm pleased to say that we have provided transcripts for the chats that have taken place so far and that we're planning serveral more chat sessions for the near future.

Want more information? Make sure to check out the links I've provided below:

League of Legends Live Chat Transcript

http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Gaming/League-of-Legends-Live-Chat-Session/m-p/55548#M2237

Halo 3: ODST Live Chat Transcript

http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Gaming/Halo-3-ODST-Live-Chat-Session-Transcript/td-p/57614

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Live Chat Announcement

http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Gaming/Uncharted-2-Among-Thieves-Live-Chat-Session/td-p/57632

Music/Band Games

Aaron-GS — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:21:37 GMT

Yesterday was a big day for the world of music and video games. The entire remastered Beatles collection and The Beatles: Rock Band were released, Apple announced the next generation of iPod models, and Kathy Lee Gifford retorted to critics of her Rock Band skills by asking, “You have a problem with a couple of middle-aged women having a little fun?”

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32756139#32756139

No, Kathy Lee, I don’t think that anyone’s opposed to you having a little fun. In fact, it’s probably a good thing that you (or your producers) decided to play the game on the air. Ten to fifteen years ago video games were generally considered to be a child’s past-time – they weren’t an activity that many adults willingly engaged in unless they had children of their own. Since then, the world has become a more accepting place for those who enjoy this particular hobby.

Music games in particular seem to have capitalized on this wide-spread acceptance the most, partially due to their cross-platform, multiple-medium approach. Players don’t necessarily need to own a computer to play them, they don’t need to own an MP3 player to appreciate the music itself, and the short nature of most songs (3-5 minutes) allows even the most casual of gamers to enjoy them. Combine these things with the fact that companies like Apple aren’t just in the hardware market – they’re selling music and software too – and you’ve got the potential for greater media exposure than any other video game genre.

Now, while I’m in no rush to pick up a copy of The Beatles: Rock Band myself, I do know at least one person that was in line yesterday morning to buy one. Whether this was due to the media coverage on the game for the past few months or Best Buy’s Abbey Road vacation give-away I’m not too sure, but one thing’s certain: he wouldn’t have taken a day off to buy the game if it were tied to any other band. He’s a Beatles fan, not a gamer.

The Beatles Remastered

Aaron-GS — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:58:36 GMT

Ten years ago if you had asked me if I liked The Beatles my answer would have been an emphatic “no.” Nearly everyone around me – my family included – seemed to rave about how they were the best thing to happen since sliced bread. Not only did it get old fast, but I grew tired of being told why I “had to” like certain songs and albums. In fact, I often found myself not liking certain artists because someone else I knew liked them…and because they somehow felt the need lecture me on why I should too.

The usual arguments presented to me often included “so-and-so is one of the greatest [insert instrument here] players ever” and “they inspired [insert another band name here],” but I could not have cared less. There’s always someone out there that’s “better” than “the best” and just because one musical group influenced another that doesn’t necessarily mean that they sound anything alike. It wasn’t until I actually made the conscious decision to ignore such “recommendations” though that my musical tastes were allowed to broaden beyond the saccharin 80’s pop that I seemed to listen to exclusively during the first couple years of high school.

So, what do I listen for? Three things: complex harmonies, dissonance, and groups that understand that music isn’t just blaring vocals or heavy instrumentals. Although not all the groups I listen to are capable of all three, these factors mean that there will always be a place on my iPod for Ozzy Osbourne, Parliament and Wilson Philips.

As far as The Beatles are concerned, I hadn’t really considered giving them a second chance until I first heard “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” on the radio. It’s not a very complex song, but it does have a hint of the dissonance I typically look for. After all, it’s not very often that you hear a sitar and acoustic guitar playing the same melody. Eventually I decided to invest the $15 and purchase Rubber Soul.

Now, I realize that Rubber Soul was the start of the group’s transformation from a Merseybeat sound to one that’s more pop/rock, but it still served as a springboard for me into their back catalogue. While I tended to avoid the songs that always received radio airtime, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that perhaps there was something to my family and friends’ ramblings – many of the Beatles’ songs are kind of catchy and have singable multi-part harmonies.

I may not be die-hard Beatles’ fan (quite yet), but I can still safely say that I’m looking forward to the release of their remastered albums on 09/09/2009. Perhaps now I’ll finally be able to find a copy of Revolver that doesn’t have the annoying “left ear instrumentals, right ear vocals” mono recording effect that always seems to be present in most versions of “Eleanor Rigby.”

Re: "Before using the product, carefully read this document first"

Dorothy-BBY — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:43:39 GMT

I bet Aaron got the Hannah Montana version! :)

Re: The GameDr is IN

RealGeorgeW — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:18:27 GMT

Does it prevent you from using a different power cable though? :D

Re: PSPgo!

hockeycanuckjc — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:13:26 GMT

This unit is going to fail like Game.com ultimately did. Not every kid has a credit card to use on the Playstation Network, and with PSN prepaid cards being hard to find, its a matter of time before this unit is a stinker.