Seattle Archive

Even though AT&T is working on acquiring T-Mobile, if you live in Seattle you will want to continue reading this post. This weekend, T-Mobile stores in the Seattle area are going to hold a speed contest. If you own an Apple iPhone on either Verizon or AT&T, you can win a quick $1,000. It’s a brilliant marketing strategy because it gets customers of competing carriers to open the door to T-Mobile and to have a look at the latest Android 4G phones. It will be interesting to see if T-Mobile can convert anyone who owns an iPhone over to an Android device since we know that speed isn’t the only reason consumers select one device over another.

To win the cash, your Apple iPhone needs to beat the T-Mobile Galaxy S smartphone on the T-Mobile 4G network. The rules clearly state you can’t use the WiFi option on the iPhone, it must be on the 3G network. Additionally, the rules state, “Speed challenge consists of three tests of the Galaxy S 4G versus the iPhone based solely on download speeds as measured by the Application; participants will be eligible to receive $1,000 if their iPhones are faster in two out of the three tests.”

I am sure some of the gadget blogs will create some good 3G routines which you can use to get your iPhone ready for the competition!

I wonder what odds Vegas gives to a 3G phone beating a 4G phone in terms of download speed.

Continue reading “Grab $1000 if Your 3G Apple iPhone is Faster Than T-Mobile’s 4G Network” »

In Seattle, Amazon has been offering groceries for delivery since late 2007. They have apparently been slowing expanding the reach within Seattle over the past few months.  The service, AmazonFresh, reminds me of FreshDirect in NYC. I used FreshDirect a few times while in NYC and the service was good but you trade a higher price for convenience. The buildings I lived in had “FreshDirect freezers” so you could get your deliveries while at work and the food would be kept at a safe temperature until you arrived home. It’s hard for me to provide feedback on pricing on AmazonFresh since I don’t live in Seattle. A quick search shows a 2-liter Coke for $1.99 and a bottle of All detergent for $6.99. These prices are significantly higher than purchasing at the supermarkets in Texas and New York.

What makes AmazonFresh really special is that you can also purchase a very large selection of amazon.com products which can be delivered with your food order for no extra charge. Amazon refers to this product lineup as AmazonNow! The AmazonFresh site notes, “Although Amazon.com founded AmazonFresh, AmazonFresh operates as an independent grocery delivery business.”

Below is the special deal AmazonFresh is running for Seattle residents. What I find very interesting about this deal is that they didn’t use LivingSocial (or Groupon) to manage this deal. I’ve been thinking a lot recently (and will write up a post this week) around whether large merchants like Amazon need to use the new crop of group buying services or if they can go at it alone. From what I can tell by looking at the deal boards, Amazon can push a deal without the group buying services.

For new AmazonFresh customers, Amazon is offering 50% off your first order up to a $50 discount. The catch is that the deal is only valid until tomorrow at 4pm PST and only valid for new customers. The coupon code is sunshine.

You know what I really miss…Kozmo! It was great to get a box of donuts and a movie delivered at midnight.