Why Stores Price Items at .99 Cents

I always thought it was so unscrupulous store assistants were forced to ring a $9.99 product through the till for the 1 cent change, instead of pocketing the note for a $10 item. But here are some more ideas:

According to the book Life's Little Mysteries: Answers to Fascinating Questions About the World Around You, the professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and Duncan Simester, the professor of management science at MIT's Sloan School of Management claim this is because "some retailers do reserve prices that end in 9 for their discounted items. Comparisons of prices at major department stores reveal that this is common, particularly for apparel." They argue that while $9.99 makes a product look more attractive than a straight $10, some chains feel that discount-style pricing is tacky, and beneath the higher-quality products they sell.

One opinion I love comes from Scot Morris' Book of Strange Facts & Useless Information from 1979, which purports that back in 1876, a Chicago newspaper was priced at a penny rather than a nickle was largely to get more pennies into circulation.

I think the more-obvious connection between an item costing $1 and .99 cents is why Apple chose their particular pricing for the bottom-tier of paid-for apps on the App Store. It's crazy, but .99 cents just seems like a more throw-away figure than a dollar.

 

 

Kingston HyperX SSDs Now Shipping, SandForce-Equipped for Hyperspeed

Brace yourselves speed freaks -- Kingston Digital is now shipping its latest 2.5-inch HyperX SSD drives, equipped with 6Gb/sec SATA Rev 3.0 and everyone's favoriteSandForce SF-2281 controller. You want fast? You'll get fast, alright. This SSD's read / write speeds top out at 555MB/sec and 510MB/sec, which is surely enough to keep your rig zipping through those intense gaming marathons office workloads. You'll be able to pick up the drive itself with 120GB of storage for $270 or 240GB for $520, while the install kit -- which includes such goodies as a SATA cable, desktop mount, torque screws and more -- tacks on an extra $15 and $20, respectively. 

 

 

Toshiba Unveils MQ01ABD HDD Series, Packs 1TB on a 9.5mm Frame

Unveiled yesterday, the company's new lineup of 2.5-inch HDDs offers up to 1TB of storage capacity, thanks to an architecture that squeezes 500GB out of every platter. Standing at 9.5mm tall, the 5,400RPM drives also boast an areal density of 744Gb per square inch, and are designed to maximize energy efficiency, burning just 0.55 watts in idle mode.

Gamers and entertainment gurus, meanwhile, would benefit from the MQ01ABD's enhanced acoustics, which max out at 19dB in idle, and 24dB while seeking. No word yet on pricing, but the beasts are scheduled to go into mass production by the middle of this month.

PhoneGap 1.0 Lets Devs Write Apps for Seven Platforms

Until now, mobile app developers have followed a pretty predictable MO: develop for iOS first, Android second, and everyone else after that. Since last year, many of you code monkeys out there have been tapping into Nitobi's PhoneGap, a project that makes it easier to churn out apps for almost every OS, all at once. It's been picking up steam, with about 40,000 downloads per month, 600,000 in total, and a steady stream of donations.

That all culminated this weekend with the release of PhoneGap 1.0, which lets devs use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to write and deploy apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry, webOS, Bada, Symbian, and Windows Phone 7.  Get it here

Bedphones Work With Your Android to Lull You to Sleep

There are already plenty of sleep headphones out there, and Bedphones don't pretend to be the most high end out there. They're not supposed to be. It's the app that really sets it apart. It comes with three modes: basic mode; timer mode; and smart mode. 

Basic mode turns your phone into a big play/pause button and timer mode sets a timer for when you want your music to shut off. But smart mode actually shuts the app down by detecting how much you're moving. Pretty cool. Check out the headphones for $30. The Bedphones app is free.

 

 

ViewSonic Reveals 24-inch V3D245 3D Monitor, Ships This Month for $500

Still lookin' for that perfect 3D display, are you? ViewSonic would be absolutely thrilled to make your short list, with the 24-inch V3D245 making its debut this morning. Unsurprisingly, this one's arriving with a 1080p LED-backlit panel, and it'll be joined by an inbuilt NVIDIA 3D Vision wireless emitter and a pair of 3D Vision glasses. 

You'll also get a 120Hz refresh rate, two millisecond response time, HDMI 1.4 socket and 300 nits of brightness, and the three-year limited warranty should help quell any fears about longevity. Of course, NVIDIA would prefer that focused on the 550 (and growing) 3D titles available on its Vision Live website, but at least you've got until "mid-to-late August" to determine if the whole shebang is worth your $499.

 

 

How to Enable NFC Payments On Your Current iPhone 4

Nexus S users think they're so cool with their built-in NFC chips, but now there's an easy hack that anyone can do to enable NFC Payments on an iPhone 4 (among others).

Most of you have probably encountered an NFC-enabled credit card. Most major US banks employ this tech in their credit/debit cards. There may even be one in your pocket without you knowing it! (Just look for the little sideways Wi-Fi signal sign in the corner). The hack involves taking one of these cards and cutting it to fit into an iPhone between the rear casing and the battery.  

As more companies adopt the PayWave technology, this hack will get more and more useful. For now, you can impress 7-Eleven and McDonald's employees across the country with your fancy phone's newfound ability.

 

 

New York Hospital Trades Insurance Cards for Vein Scanners

Langone Medical Center in New York is streamlining the hospital check-in process with specialized scanners from Fujitsu that recognize the unique vein pattern of your palm.With these scanners, there's no need to flash your insurance card or fill out long forms when you enter the hospital. You don't even have to be conscious.

Each scan is saved as a numeric code and tied to your medical record, but it's not stored with the record. So relax, voyeuristic hospital personnel can't ogle your beautiful blood vein patterns.Besides efficiency, the hospital hopes these scanners will reduce medical errors which is a good thing. These mistakes cause almost 100,000 deaths and cost the medical profession almost $20 billion each year.

 

 

Looks Like Batman Hired Puma to Make Him Some Sneakers

Apparently Bruce Wayne needed some shoes to go with his business-casual wardrobe. But when your business is being Batman, even "casual" has to be intense.

Okay, so these aren't actually a prop fromThe Dark Knight Rises or anything like that. They're actually a part of Puma Creative Director Hussein Chalayan's upcoming "Urban Swift" fall collection. Which makes sense if you think about it. From the looks of it, these kicks have been slightly melted and put in a wind tunnel at mach 3. Swift indeed. Check them out here.

Who’s Spying on You Through Your Browser?

Wall Street Journal has amassed a sizeable infographic containing all the ways top websites track your data. While nearly all websites send your data to third-party trackers, some are worse than others. Luckily the main offenders are websites that suck.

The worst website of them all is Dictionary.com, who send your browsing data to 234 different trackers. Other particularly invasive sites include Comcast.net, Photobucket.com and MSN.com.

What do these trackers do, exactly? Some just store your preferences or files or history so that things are easier to use or quicker to load. Others, however, send your information to marketers which they can use to spam your phone, email inbox or IRL mailbox with DEALS AND OFFERS.

 

 

RZA Unveils Branded Headphone Line, Hopes You Don't Leave Shaolin Without Them

The other rappers probably spend a lot of time making fun of you when you don't have your own line of headphones. The Wu Tang's RZA can thankfully breathe a sigh of relief as he becomes a member of the not so inclusive club that already contains the likes of Dr. Dre, Ludacris, and 50 Cent. 

The Gravedigga sometimes known as Bobby Digital is teaming up with WESC to bring the world Chambers, a line of over-ear headphones with flashing LEDs that light up in time with your music. Chambers will come in two versions -- one targeted at consumers and another aimed at pros. The line is set to launch on August 26th. It's not quite as awesome as that $500 Ghostface Killah doll from a few years back, but it's a start.

 

 

Facebook Will Pay You to Break its Website

Starting today, Facebook will pay $500+ to anyone who exposes a vulnerability that could compromise user data. To qualify, you must be the first to report it and give them time to fix it before going public.

 

 

Travis Pastrana Practiced Trick-Gone-Bad for 5 Years

Travis Pastrana's devastating bone-breaking crash at the X Games last night was a COMPLETE shock to us -- because just hours before the wreck, Travis told TMZ he had been practicing the trick for 5 years!

Travis busted out the move -- which he dubbed the "TP Roll" -- during the "Best Trick" competition at X Games 17 in L.A. when he lost control on the landing and broke his right foot and ankle in the crash.

Even worse -- Travis was supposed to make his debut as a NASCAR driver this weekend -- but now those plans have been put on hold. Sucks.

 

 

A Canoe That Can Fit Inside a Backpack

Ori Levin designed a full sized canoe that's completely collapsable and can be stored in a bag that's only 5 x 9 x 28 inches big. Basically, you can have a boat in your backpack.

Called the Adhoc Canoe, it only weighs 9 pounds and takes 5 minutes to assemble. The frame of the canoe is made with carbon fiber and the hull is made of aramid (a synthetic fabric used in racing sails). The boat comes together in a "double wishbone-like structure" formed using telescopic poles. Probably not comfy but certainly clever. Sadly, Levin has no plans to bring the Adhoc Canoe to the mass market.

Apple Now Has More Cash Than the U.S. Government

Apple reported last week that it had $76 billion in cash, that might be enough to buy Goldman Sachs or Facebook. Today, Steve Jobs' reserves match up with the world's largest sovereign entity.

That's right. Apple is currently more liquid than the U.S. government:

As Republicans and Democrats continue to work towards a compromise to the country's debt ceiling crisis, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday that Washington now has a total operating balance of only US$73.768-billion.

Meanwhile, Apple currently boasts a cash reserve of US$75.876-billion, as of its most recent quarterly earnings report at the end of June.

 

 

Official-looking' Pic of White Galaxy S II Leaks, Unicorns Right Around the Corner

Albino Nexus S, meet your better specced, bleached out, dual-core nemesis -- the mythical white Samsung Galaxy S II. The leaked snap is certainly timely, coming in only one day after a UK retailer promised the colorless beast would go on sale August 15th. 

US peeps can now sign-up for "more info" on Sammy's website, so stateside GSII fans should be hearing more from the company soon. Will word come of the LTE-toting, ivory dream phone we've been lusting after? Probably not, but getting the baddest black Android on the planet is still pretty darn good.

 

 

Ikelite Waterproof Case

Made for Nikon cameras, this waterproof case is created from polycarbonate so will keep your precious snapper bone-dry and corrosion-free, to depths of 200ft. There's just one small problem—it costs $1,400.

As you can see from the picture, it has two side-handles with buttons, for easy control, and an eye-magnifier so you don't have to compromise your favorite view just because you're underwater. Get it here.

 

 

Travel Pillows With Inbuilt MP3 Player Pockets Will De-Tangle and Chill You Out

Travel pillows are one of those objects that always pisses you off when your partner packs it for a trip, but then 10 hours and a stiff neck later you end up being really jealous of.

Cabeau's $35 pillows have little pockets for MP3 players, which shoul avoid those mid-slumber accidents when you get tangled amongst the wires. You can get them here.

 

 

Ion Piano Apprentice Plays Nice With Your iPad

It's not enough anymore to simply cram a single-octave keyboard into the bottom of a Nintendo DS, effective piano instruction requires at least twice as many keys -- and an iPad. The Ion Piano Apprentice (when coupled with a compatible iDevice and companion app) offers aspiring Tchaikovskys octave-selectable free play, lessons on reading sheet music, and even a view of award-winning piano instructor Scott Houston's handsome hands.

 If those mitts are too distracting for you, just follow along with the light-up keys, you'll be fine. This mini keyboard / iPad dock will land this fall to the tune of $100 -- -- it's either that, a real instructor, or a pair of haptic robot gloves. Your choice, really.

 

 

Translating Ancient Egyptian Texts Just Went Social

You know you wanna be like Indiana Jones, unlocking the secrets of ancient manuscripts. Well, that is hard. But the Egypt Exploration Society and Oxford University are giving you the chance by uploading their ancient papyrus to the web.

By visiting Oxford's Ancient Lives website, you and your fellow archaeologists can sit down and attempt to decipher the cataloged papyri from Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, discovered in the late 19th century. The find includes accounts of everyday life, an apocryphal gospel, and literature. You may want to go through the tutorial first, though. Or learn some Greek.