Apple Store celebrates 10th anniversary with 2.0 experience, iPads locked in Lucite (video)

We already wished the Apple Store a happy 10th anniversary, looking back to see what's changed (and what hasn't) in a decade of retail presence. Now Apple's tweaking things even more, launching the so-called Apple Store 2.0. iPads have been scattered throughout, deployed to run as mini-kiosks and providing information about various products on display. Users can learn more about any particular gadget on the tablets, figure out pricing, and even hit a button to have a sales associate swing by -- for when turning around and saying "excuse me" is just too much work. The new experience has already launched in Australia and we're guessing will hit American stores later today, though we wouldn't be shocked if Apple has a few extras surprises for us in the next day or so as well.

iTechVision

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Microsoft offers free Xbox 360 with back-to-school PC, professors shake their gray, uncool heads

With only the best interests of its younger customers at heart, Microsoft has a new back-to-school promotion: starting May 22, college students buying a new Windows 7 PC can also get a free Xbox 360 4GB console. That's right, free -- as long as your new computer cost at least $699 and came from Redmond or one of its partners, including HP and Dell. Online ordering will require a .edu email address, which even attendees of the School of Life know how to procure; if you'd rather shop at Best Buy or a Microsoft Store, you'll need an actual student ID. This isn't about convincing students they need more than a tablet computer, of course. It's about about giving them the opportunity to be popular. "Get ready to be the coolest kid on your dorm floor with a killer new Windows 7 PC and an Xbox 360 -- all you really need for college," the company says. Yes, being the coolest kid on your dorm floor: pretty much the definition of Higher Education.

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Nintendo 3DS to get free WiFi access in Best Buy stores, Best Buy hopes you'll buy stuff

Man, Best Buy really wants you to step foot in its stores. The company just announced a deal with Nintendo whereby 3DS owners will get free WiFi access in more than 1,000 of the company's stores starting on June 7th -- not quite Sam's Club-style, but it's a start. And with that connection, dubbed SpotPass, people will have access to special, downloadable content such as gaming extras and movie trailers. So come June, get ready to drive down to your local Best Buy -- no pressure to buy anything once you're inside, of course. Don't have a 3DS? You can pick one up for a suggested retail price of $249.99. Don't like purchasing things? Well, you're no fun at all.

Apple offers free repairs for iPhones, other products damaged in Japan quake

Apple customers with Macs, displays, and iOS devices that were directly damaged in the Japan earthquake and tsunami may be eligible for free repairs. The offer, posted on the company's Japanese website, excludes iPod classic, nano, and shuffle, and only applies to customers living in areas covered by the Ministry of Health's Disaster Relief Act. Originally posted in March, Apple's announcement joins Softbank's offer to replace lost iPhones registered to its network, and free calls to Japan from U.S. carriers, among others. Considering water and other accidental damage typically voids a device's warranty, you'll want to give AppleCare a call soon -- the acceptance period only runs through June 30th.

TUAW

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