by Paul Miller,
There was a bit of a false alarm at the flagship stores yesterday -- Nokia's New York and Chicago stores got inventory, but didn't start selling the 5800 right away, causing much anguish in the hearts of American plectrum lovers and our very own Chris Ziegler. Well, all has been rectified, and now you can pick up Nokia's touchscreen pioneer, the 5800 XpressMusic, for $399, unlocked and unsubsidized. If you aren't so much into retail stores you can head to Nokia's online store, though the phone is still inexplicably listed as "pre-order" there -- we're sure things will be rectified soon enough.

engadget.com

by Tim Stevens,
Ever wonder why retail boxes for videogame consoles have windows in them? It's so that retailers can scan the serial numbers when you buy them and then do so again should you decide to make a return, in theory preventing you from pulling a switcheroo. They're also supposed to take a peek inside and make sure that you're not trying to return a plastic shell and two turquoise weights, or a hunk of wood with a bar code sticker slapped on the back. Joystiq has acquired photos of what happens when they don't, submitted by a worker at a Sony distribution center, also showing an empty PS2 case full of towels and another with a flip-top cover still installed that (with a boot disc) enabled its former owner to circumvent that console's lackluster copy protection. All were returned by customers to retailers who then passed them right on to Sony, asking for credit. Surely the above craftsmanship is worth something, right?

engadget.com

by Darren Murph,
Even Circuit City's CEO admitted that liquidation was a very real possibility if a sale of the company didn't occur by January 16th, and needless to say, time's up. According to a breaking report from the AP, the once colossal electronics retailer will indeed be forced to liquidate, which should bring happy times for bargain hunters and sad times for employees. Now that details are starting to flow in, we're told that it will liquidate 567 of its US stores after failing to secure a buyer or refinancing deal. For those who care, Great American Group LLC, Hudson Capital Partners LLC, SB Capital Group LLC and Tiger Capital Group LLC have been chosen as liquidators.

[Thanks, Doug]

engadget.com