discounts

commentary Don't let the new price fool you -- even at half off, the Lumia 900 isn't a worthy purchase.

The Lumia 900, which now costs $49.99, down from its original $99.99 price tag, is the victim of bad timing. That's because it, alongside all other Windows Phone devices, are unable to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 when it comes out later this year. Unfortunately, if you're a Windows fan or want to try something new, Windows Phone 8 is the mobile operating system to wait for.

That's because there will finally bring … Read more

Best Buy was quick to discount the newest MacBooks, offering savings up to $140 over the weekend.

The biggest discount is on the $2,799.99 Retina Pro with 8GB of memory and a 512GB solid-state drive (Model: MC976LL/A). That is off $140 to $2,659.99.

The least expensive Retina Pro dropped to $2,089.99 (Model: MC975LL/A), shaving $110 off the regular price (see image below).

New MacBook Airs got cut too. The $999.99 Air (Model: MD223LL/A) fell to $949.99, off $50.

The latest MacBooks feature Intel's new "Ivy Bridge" … Read more

So, Orbitz has spilled the beans, well some of them, and says it in essence up-sells to people based on which browser they use.

The site told The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that it discovered that Mac users tend to pay as much as 30 percent more for hotel rooms. (Well, they are paying a premium for the computer too so it's not that surprising, although $20 to $30 more is significant.) Leveraging that information, Orbitz decided to experiment with displaying pricier hotels in search results to Mac users than to Windows users. Before you get too miffed, … Read more

Those of you who work for Apple can now enjoy a $500 discount off the purchase of a Mac and $250 off an iPad.

The new employee discounts kicked off yesterday, says 9to5Mac, and make good on a promise made by CEO Tim Cook back in January.

As usual, there's both good and bad news. The new benefits are on top of the normal 25 percent discount that Apple employees receive. But Mac minis and the new Retina MacBook Pro model are both excluded from the $500 cut in price. Other conditions apply, as detailed by Electronista.

Employees can … Read more

With the Groupon app for Android, you can not only sift through local daily deals, but you can also manage your profile, keep track of Groupons you've already purchased, and sift through rewards from some of your favorite retailers.

If you've used Groupon.com at all, the Android app should feel familiar. The look is the same, the deal categories are all there, and purchasing Groupons is just as simple. The difference, of course, is in the swiping and the ease with which you can zip around.

The app starts you off with a list of featured deals … Read more

As it did in the days leading up to Mother's Day, Barnes & Noble is chopping $20 off its Nook Simple Touch e-ink e-reader and the Nook Color tablet for Father's Day. The only catch is that you have to use a MasterCard credit card to get the discount.

Barnes & Noble has run a similar promotion with MasterCard in the past. You can now pick up the Nook Simple Touch for $79 and the Nook Color for $149. The sale runs until June 17 and is available in stores and online at BN.com. … Read more

In today's show, we're buying status updates, finding a new route and building a new game addiction:

Would you pay $2 to get your Facebook status message seen by more people? It's something Facebook is testing in New Zealand. (And tell me your two-cents on the issue via Tout!)

The Foxconn factory for Apple products is preparing to build the much anticipated Apple television set. The chief at the Foxconn spilled the beans in a news conference.

According to 9to5Mac, the next version of iOS will not include Google Maps. Rather, it will have Apple's own mapping software. … Read more

A day after getting a $300 investment from Microsoft, Barnes & Noble is on the offensive again, chopping $20 off its Nook Simple Touch e-ink e-reader and the Nook Color tablet for Mother's Day.

You can now pick up the Nook Simple Touch for $79 and the Nook Color for $149. The sale runs until May 12 and Barnes & Noble will also throw in a free Nook gift bag with purchases of those devices (while supplies last). The bag doesn't look all that exciting, but hey, it's better than a plastic bag. … Read more

Best Buy hopes the Super Bowl will bring super-sized crowds of smartphone buyers to its stores.

The retailer plans to run its second-ever Super Bowl spot, this year placing the spotlight solely on mobile and creating a short-term deal that will dole out $50 gift cards to customers who buy smartphones this year.

The push is part of Best Buy's increased focus on mobile, which remains one of the stronger revenue drivers for the retail chain. While the company is seeing slowing sales and price cuts in other areas, smartphones are lucrative.

Most consumers still tend to go to … Read more