Then on to the grand prize winner of the Systemax Quad Core PC valued at $600.. First Bauer lets all those with gmail.com email address… they didn’t win. Then he calls up all the Bellsouth.net email address holders. Four gentlemen clamor to the broadcast area, then when he looks for the winner, Larry Valetutto was standing on the other side of the room. Why - Bauer was reading his info wrong - and Larry had a USA.NET email address! Sorry guys!

S. Jacksonville CompUSA Prize Winner Coverage

Be sure to join the ComputerTV on the road Monday, July 12th for some various events, and then they land at the Tampa CompUSA on Tuesday, July 13th for the next stop with more giveaways, broadcasts, how-tos and prizes! Keep up to date with the Systemax Rock Your Quad tour homepage.

Source: ComputerTV

Stop by the South Jacksonville CompUSA located at 9041 Southside Boulevard. The show will start at 1PM today and run through 5:30PM. Today’s events will include how-to seminars for upgrading your PC, Intel racing simulators powered by the Intel Core 2 Quad processor and free giveaways including Cyclone Energy Shot for everyone - and the daily grand prize - a Systemax Quad Core PC valued at $600, an Intel Core 2 Quad Processor and motherboard valued at $300 - and much more.

If you aren’t local to the South Jacksonville store, be sure to tune in, right here at ComputerTV. There is a player on the right hand side of the page which is live anytime the cameras are on, which is pretty much from 9:00AM until 8:00PM daily so far. As this article is posted, the crew just got done eating breakfast at their hotel and were getting on the road to the store.

Keep tuned in, and keep track of the team at the Systemax Rock Your Quad Tour homepage. There you can also watch archived videos from the tour which are being cross posted from UStream to YouTube and all right there for you on ComputerTV.

Special thanks to tour sponsors: Intel, Cyclone Energy Drink, Trendnet, Simplexity, Patriot, XFX, and Coolermaster.

Crossposted from ComputerTV

Plus, we’ll be giving away a Systemax Core 2 Quad PC at each store during the store, and an Intel Core 2 Quad processor and motherboard - and even more at each stop. We have lots of Intel goodies as well as Cyclone Energy Shots to fuel the day! You can watch it all from the comfort of your home as well, just visit the Rock Your Quad Tour page on ComputerTV. There, you can see not only what’s going on live, but every time they are on the move the launch the QuadCam to give you a glimpse of the action on the road, as well as a great gadget from Google that provides you the exact location of the ComputerTV team.

Be sure to check the schedule so you don’t miss out on the Systemax Rock Your Quad tour when it comes to your town. You can receive EXCLUSIVE coupons for 25% off select brands of components and networking products, plus we have special deals for the whole two weeks! Just another great way the All-New CompUSA is providing you with additional information and excitement when it comes to buying your electronics and computers.

Follow the Bus LIVE!

Venesia was presented with the laptops, some diapers, and a $10,000 Savings Bond courtesy of CA and CompUSA to kick-start a savings fund for the unborn child’s education.

CBS channel 4 reports, “A soldier serving in Afghanistan will be with his wife ‘virtually’ on the day she gives birth to their child.

Vanesia Butler, who is six months pregnant, has been preparing for the birth knowing that her husband Darvin’s military service will keep him overseas. Wednesday the Coral Springs couple received an unexpected gift from CompUSA and Forgotten Soldiers Outreach.

“I was overwhelmed with happiness when I found out that my husband will get to be by my side in the hospital room, at least virtually, to experience the birth of our baby,” said Vanesia. “Now he’ll be able to hear the baby’s first cry, even from thousands of miles away from home.”

CompUSA donated two Hewlett-Packard ProBook 4510s with built-in webcams to Vanesia and showed her how to make video and voice calls using Skype.

“It is so wonderful to see CompUSA take the initiative to join our program in support of America’s troops,” said Lynelle Chauncey Zelnar, Executive Director of FSO in a written statement. “This donation will ensure that a soldier does not have to miss the birth of his child while serving our country overseas. I can’t even imagine delivering without my spouse by my side. This will truly make a lifelong difference in this military family’s life.”

In addition to the laptops CompUSA and IT management software company CA donated a $10,000 savings bond for the Butler family to open a college savings account for their new baby.

“We wish Vanesia and her husband only the best as they embark on their exciting new adventure in parenthood and we are happy to provide technology to bring them together during these special times,” said Gilbert Fiorentino, Chief Executive of Systemax Technology Group which includes CompUSA.”

Source: CBS 4

If you haven’t purchased your converter box yet, and if you have a coupon better yet - you can pickup a box for only 99 cents at CompUSA right now!

Video Source: WSFL

The CompUSA store in Dadeland is hosting the AMD Overclocking World-Record Breaking Attempt on Tuesday, May 26th at both 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be provided, as well as a great show complete with liquid helium and liquid nitrogen to get it “super cool.”

There will also be door prizes of things like motherboards, processors and much more from AMD, plus exclusive discounts will be available from 4PM to 10PM that day only - on select instock products - fifty percent off exactly - so stop by, check out the overclocking event hosted by ComputerTV - and if you can’t be there, then watch it live: http://com.puter.tv/live-events/

What is the Wheelmobile?
The Wheelmobile is a 39-foot Winnebago that tours nationwide in search of contestants for television’s #1 game show. The Wheelmobile team is coming your way to find contestants in South Florida!

Where and when will the Wheelmobile event take place?
The Wheelmobile event will take place during two special days of contestant searches.
When: Saturday & Sunday, May 16th & 17th from 12 PM – 4 PM
Where: Comp USA World Headquarters
Mall of the Americas*
7795 W. Flagler Street
Miami, FL 33144

* The event will be held outdoors on the South side of the Mall of the Americas. Our Miami events may be modified and/or cancelled due to inclement weather. If poor weather causes the cancellation of an event day, efforts will be made to accept applications at the location during the event hours. Applicants will be randomly-selected for a chance to participate in a final round of auditions.

We will begin handing out applications one hour before each show begins. Shows will begin at 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, and 3:00 PM, with each show lasting about an hour. There is no need to arrive hours in advance of the event. Everyone who attends the event will be able to submit an application. We will select participants to come to the stage and audition via a random draw.

How does it work?
• There are three Wheel of Fortune shows during each day of a Wheelmobile event. Each show lasts approximately one hour.

• Everyone who comes to a Wheelmobile event will receive a color-coded application. The color of the application tells you what time the game you are eligible for will begin.

• Fill out your application and drop it in a nearby receptacle. Just before show time, we will put all the applications in a big golden drum that sits on the stage.

• When the show begins, our Wheelmobile host will pick applications at random from the drum and call participants up to the stage (in groups of five) to play the game.

• On stage, we will do a brief interview with each contestant and play a version of the Wheel of Fortune Speed-Up Round.

• Each person who comes up to the stage will be evaluated as a potential contestant for the show. At the end of the puzzle all contestants on stage will be awarded a prize. (Wheel of Fortune hats, t-shirts and duffle bags are just some of the stuff you might win.)

• Wheel of Fortune is looking for good game players who are energetic, enthusiastic and fun. This is your opportunity to shine. Show us what you’ve got!

• After the Wheelmobile event in your area has been conducted, we will choose the people we believe will be the best candidates for the show (based on their overall performance on stage) to take part in a final round of auditions. These final auditions will take place in the Miami area within a few months after our last event date.

• We will get as many people up to the stage as we can. However, we know there will be many more folks at our Wheelmobile events than we can possibly audition. For this reason, we will reserve some slots in the final auditions for those individuals who attended Wheelmobile events but did not make it up to the stage. After all Wheelmobile events have been conducted, we will draw a number of names at random from all the applications we receive in the Miami area for these slots.

• If you are invited to the final auditions, you will receive a letter or email within a few weeks of our last Wheelmobile event.

What are the contestant eligibility requirements?
• You must be at least 18 years of age.

• You are not eligible to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune if you work for, or are related to, anyone who works for Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Sony Pictures Television Inc., Sony Pictures Television International, Quadra Productions, Inc., CBS Television Distribution Group, game show prize suppliers, WPLG-TV (including its advertisers and affiliated radio stations), or any TV stations or networks broadcasting Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy!.

• You are not eligible to appear on Wheel of Fortune if you have appeared on another game show, dating-relationship show or reality show in the last year or three game shows, dating-relationship shows or reality shows in the last ten years.

• You are not eligible if you have appeared on any version of Wheel of Fortune.

• All expenses incurred while interviewing and (if selected as a contestant) appearing on the show, including airfare, hotel, etc. are the responsibility of the applicant.

• A contestant audition does not guarantee a spot on the show. The applicant understands that Wheel of Fortune is under no obligation to use him/her as a contestant. It is entirely at the producer’s discretion.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS SHALL BE MADE FOR PERSONS WITH PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS AND/OR DISABILITIES.

WATCH WHEEL OF FORTUNE WEEKNIGHTS AT 7:00 PM ON WPLG, LOCAL 10.

This gps features speech recognition, widescreen display, preloaded maps, FM transmitter and more. Just speak the menu option and nuvi obeys your comand! Now, a GPS you can talk back to!!!

Get it now at the All-New CompUSA!

Yep, you got it - based upon the information provided, Asus will enable you to kill your PC remotely in the event of loss or theft. This will allow you to ensure prying eyes don’t get to your private data.

In the commercial world where businesses operate with the strictest level of confidentiality, and where notebooks belonging to highly mobile business professionals are likely to contain confidential company or personal information, the theft of vital information may be costly. ASUS addresses this concern with its new P Series notebooks, which are equipped with Intel® Anti-theft PC Protection Technology. This new technology provides users with the ability to send a “poison pill” remotely, rendering the notebook inoperable by comprehensively shutting it down. As such, the risk resulting from a stolen or lost notebook is eliminated. Once the notebook has been recovered, a local passphrase or recovery token can be used to reactivate the notebook.

“With the incorporation of Intel® Anti-Theft PC Protection technology in ASUS P30 and P80 notebooks, professionals can now conduct their businesses with greater assurance and without the fear of dire ramifications in the event of theft or loss,” said Mr. Henry Yeh, General Manager of ASUS’ Notebook Business Unit. “This added security capability in our P Series commercial notebooks makes it the definitive mobile companion for the professionals of today’s fast-paced market.”

The ASUS P30 and P80, with innovative built-in security capabilities based on Intel® Anti-Theft Technology, are available immediately.

“With the growth of laptop sales increasing, theft management has become an important requirement for our customers,” said George Thangadurai, director of Strategic Planning and general manager, Intel Anti-theft Services, Intel Mobile Platforms Group. “Our collaboration with ASUS will bring to customers new worldwide scalable hardware-based security solutions using Intel® Anti-Theft Technology that will deter theft.”

CompUSA carries a wide array of Asus laptops, check them out at the All-New CompUSA.com here.

Just click on the banner above to be transported to the registration page - all you need is complete the basics - and you are eligible to win one every single week!

Enter now!

Yes, CompUSA. The once-bankrupt electronics retailer is making a comeback, with about 30 new CompUSA stores nationwide and a new strategy that includes aggressive prices, remodeled stores, improved lighting and in-store web access for comparison shopping.

“We have invented this idea of retail 2.0,” says Gilbert Fiorentino, chief executive of the Technology Products Group at Systemax, now parent company of CompUSA. Fiorentino is also the founder of Tiger Direct, a web only electronics retailer and another subsidiary of Systemax. “Every screen in every CompUSA store is now connected to the internet and making buying a richer experience for customers,” he says.

It was price that brought Alkalay the store. She wound up buying a 32-inch flat panel TV for $200 — a real steal, she says.

“I had never heard of the brand. But given the price and size, I thought this is a great bargain,” says Alkalay.

Once part of the big three electronics retail stores in the country, CompUSA filed for bankruptcy two years ago. It was not alone: High overheads and the inability to compete with low online prices forced companies such as Circuit City and Ritz Camera into bankruptcy, too. Meanwhile, online players such as Amazon, Buy.com and NewEgg have been growing.

But after a reorganization and a buyout in January last year by Systemax, a major electronics retailer, CompUSA is back in business.

The in-store web access may be the biggest gamble, since it raises the possibility that you might use a CompUSA floor model to find a better deal on Amazon.com for the very computer you’re using to get that information.

Say you are in a CompUSA store trying to decide if that big plasma TV is the one you want. Just tap the keyboard in front of the screen and go online to check out the specs and reviews an even the recommended mounting brackets. There’s also custom information for that particular store, such as how many are in stock.

“We do the same thing with laptops, desktops and monitors,” says Fiorentino. “We are using tech to change the retail experience for the customer and giving them access to all the information on the internet anytime they want during the buying process.” And there are no restrictions. Users can surf the internet, check their Facebook or even Twitter if they want, says Fiorentino.

It may sound like a small change but it is quite different from how Best Buy, Office Depot or other brick-and-mortar stores display information to their customers, says Doug Fleener, president of retail consulting firm Dynamic Experiences and former director of retail for Bose.

“It’s an untested concept,” says Fleener. “We will have to see if customers like to spend their time gathering information while shopping rather than doing it at home.”

Systemax’s TigerDirect online shopping site has benefited first hand from the online shopping trend. But Fiorentino says customers still want to go stores to buy electronics.

And Fiorentino says CompUSA can keep its prices low despite the additional overhead costs associated with a physical store. CompUSA’s inventory now ties into Tiger Direct and the company offers the same prices whether consumers buy a product online or in a store.

Customers such as Robert Oschler, a New York resident who runs a site for robotics enthusiasts, are seeing the difference.

About a month ago Oschler found a CompUSA store near him running offering 48-hour special deals. “They seem to be doing a lot of that,” he says. Oschler bought a Novint Falcon gaming mouse for $99 that otherwise retails for $180.

He says he’s also noticed the changes in the store’s layout, “They seem more organized,” says Oschler. “Earlier, their aisles used to cluttered, almost supermarket-like, where they wanted to shove as much stuff as possible in your face as you walked by. But now there are more categories and better displays.”

Still, the revived CompUSA is a shadow of its former self. At its peak about three years ago, CompUSA posted about $5 billion a year in sales and had more than 216 stores nationwide. Now it posts a fraction of that in sales and has just about a tenth of its former reach.

If CompUSA can survive through the recession and manage its costs—rent, salaries, inventory–the chain can hope for a future, says Fleener. As other big box retailers disappear, consumers are looking for alternative places to go to and the thrill of walking into a store and looking at products is not easily replaceable for shoppers.

“Stores like Circuit City going out does leave an opportunity in the market,” says Fleener. “With less brick and mortar competition around, people will give CompUSA a chance.”

Source: Wired

• Lenovo Notebook PC - fully featured - only $399.99
• Digital TV Converter Boxes - Just 1¢ with Federal Coupon
• 8GB SDHC/Micro SDHC Card - only $19.99!

See all the deals for a store near you: click here for CompUSA In-Store Deals for 3/22/09

Without letting the cat out of the bag - first, be sure to follow us on Twitter - that way you can be sure you will get every message from CompUSA - including special opportunities that are exclusive ONLY to Twitter subscribers.

Watch for more news from CompUSA in the coming week (and if I didn’t mention it already, be sure to follow us on Twitter.) - and thanks for visiting your friends at the All-New CompUSA.

With the widespread proliferation of Wi-Fi, you can get online quick and fast with this great computer. Update your MySpace and Facebook pages, and tweet your new location -quick and easy.

While you can, get the Vivienne Tam HP Mini-Note from CompUSA, it’s a great computer - and an incredible fashion statement!

If you routinely shop at the same stores, sign up for their e-mail newsletters. Borders, CompUSA, and eReader are among the e-tailers that offer exclusive discounts to subscribers.

Source: Washington Post: Eight Web Sites that Will Save your Cash

One grand prize winner will receive a complete makeover with nearly $2500 in gear to make your life a lot easier - and wireless - including a new PC from Acer and a wireless All-In-One Printer from HP.

All you have to do is make a video showing off why you need this office makeover - upload it to YouTube, be sure you are following ComputerTV on Twitter, and send out a tweet announcing your entry - and you are good to go. If you aren’t in the mood to make a video, don’t think we left you out - you can enter our Second Chance drawing just by following us on Twitter and sending out a Tweet.

Get all the details then enter - the D-Link and ComputerTV Home Office Network Makeover. There is even a sample video that Bauer made to show you what it’s all about (and he needs some help!).

Be sure to check out all the D-Link Gear at TigerDirect.com and CompUSA.

ComputerTV’s Bauer gives you a look at all the various Bluetooth devices and how they can all work together - you might even learn a trick how to turn any USB printer into a Bluetooth ready device!

Be sure to check out all the great Bluetooth Products at the All-New CompUSA.com or at a local CompUSA Retail Store.

CompUSA has stores in Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas - and soon in North Carolina and Illinois - so keep watching for a CompUSA near you!

To check out the ad for the store nearest you, visit the CompUSA Local Ad site and punch in your zip code. Remember, these deals are available only in our retail stores - and are not available at these prices online!

Windows mobile has always gotten a bad rap in the past, and primarily for lack of ease of operation.  In this new ‘iPhone’ era, manufacturers must work really hard to be the next big thing - and Palm is banking on the the Pre to be it!

To enter, visit the Rachel Ray website.

EDN has published a great article about the differences between these DTV boxes and includes two units from CompUSA as the basis for his story. Check it out:

From CompUSA, I first acquired Access HD’s DTA-1080D and Apex Digital’s DT502, each for 1 cent after rebate. The two boxes exemplify radically different product strategies; the DTA-1080D includes scant extras: a remote control and two batteries, a wall-wart external ac/dc converter, a slender sheath of paper documentation, and a short coaxial cable. The embedded-power-supply DT502 also comes with a composite video-plus-two-channel-analog-audio cable bundle. And, whereas the DTA-1080D is small, plastic, and conjoined by plastic clips, the larger DT502 offers sturdier metal sheets held together with screws (Table 1).

The other two set-top boxes are equally diverse in both design and decor. The free-after-rebate TR-40 CRA—a CECB you can get from Dish Network (as I did), EchoStar, or Sling Media—is reminiscent of the DTA-1080D in assembly—that is, plastic, albeit this time held together with metal screws—external power supply, and scant accessory apportionment. Although the metal-fabricated Sansonic FT-300A, which I obtained free after rebate from Meritline, doesn’t include a DT502-reminiscent analog audio/video cable, the company instead thoughtfully includes a flat Artec AN2 antenna. Like the Access HD and Dish Network units, Sansonic’s CECB also employs an external ac/dc converter, easing its use in vehicles, for example.

Source: EDN: The ATSC coupon-eligible converter box: a consumer-electronics case study

With the NETGEAR Internet TV Player Internet video has never been so fun, because now you can enjoy it on your television. Just plug it into your TV and connect it to the Internet, and the world of Internet video is at your fingertips. And since you watch it on your TV, not your PC, you can share the fun with your family and friends.

Watch for the ITV 2000 from Netgear in April 2009!

Paired with a 120hz monitor like the beautiful bundle offered by CompUSA you can find yourself gaming in 3D in minutes. I’m not talking about the polarized blue and red outlines that give thesimulation of 3D, this setup takes the whole graphics power of your video card and expands it beyond the walls of your monitor with the special NVIDIA 3D Vision Stereoscopic Glasses. Now this is no ordinary monitor either, to achieve fantastic 3D effects with no software upgrade required, you need the best of the best. With Motionflow 120hz technology, 20000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 1680×1050 resolution and a maximum pixel clock of 245 MHz you can expect high end gaming like you have never felt before.

Check out this video where Albert of ComputerTV tells you about this amazing 3D experience. No software is required with this technology and all of your regular games become more realistic with the added depth provided by the 3D imagery.

Tigerdirect.com and the all-new CompUSA teamed up with AMD and Systemax last week at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada for the 12th annual Build Your Own PC Race For Charity. The race was held at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort, one of the most luxurious spots in the entire town! This year, the race was determined by who could assemble a PC based on the AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core Dragon processor in the least amount of time.

There were over 580 guests to cheer racers on which included members of traditional and online media outlets. After a blazing fast time of 5:58 seconds, racer Al Hernandez, Technology & Consumer reporter at Fox Morning News, won the event. His charity, Challenged Athletes Foundation, benefited from $10,000 cash from his 1st place win and $3,500 worth of electronics, including the computer that was built along with a few added peripherals and tweaks that will be made The Challenged Athletes Foundation assists individuals with physical disabilities pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and competitive athletics.

The second place prize of $2,500 and the third place prize of $1,000 went to Chris Ramseyer of Tweak Town and Greg Morgan of The Tech Zone respectively.

“What an exciting event!,” said Gilbert Fiorentino, Chief Executive of the Systemax Technology Products Division, including TigerDirect and CompUSA. “Charities nationwide will receive over $118,000 from this event. With the continued support of our vendor partners, we anticipate helping many other charities in the coming years.”

For 12 years the annual Build Your Own PC Race for Charity has helped communities and charities nationwide with over $2 million dollars donated. For many of the people who attend CES every year it has become a tradition they look forward to attending, and this year was made even easier as viewers from across the country tuned in via ComputerTV to enjoy the race.

Event sponsors included: AMD, Averatec, Bankers Warranty Group, CA, Creative Labs, Crucial Technology, Diamond Multimedia, HP, I-Inc, Konica Minolta, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, MSI, OCZ Technology, Pay Pal, Seagate, Sony, Systemax, Targus, Thermaltake, Transcend, Zalman and many others.

CompUSA News will feature a banner to lead to you all the latest CES news there is - the latest in computers, electronics, gadgets and gizmos anywhere on the planet! Albert and Bauer take on 1.7 million square feet of space in the Las Vegas, Nevada convention centers including the Sands, Hilton and the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Nightly live broadcasts at 6:30PM PST on January 7 - 10 will provide you a nightly update to all the latest goings on at CES 2009. Pre-coverage starts on January 6th, so keep watching for the latest updates brought to you by ComputerTV and the all new Intel Core i7 processor.