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Home / News / Fully Charged: Apple Store’s Watch sales techniques, plus The X-Files returning to TV

Fully Charged: Apple Store’s Watch sales techniques, plus The X-Files returning to TV

Fill your brain for the day ahead with our convenient morning tech news roundup

Apple is training its employees on fashion

Planning to purchase an Apple Watch at an Apple Store next month, or even just pop in to try it out before the 24 April release? Be prepared for the volley of fashion advice and potential upselling techniques reportedly being trained to employees right now.

That’s according to 9to5Mac, whose source shared purported sales techniques being put into place by the retail stores. And indeed, the blue-shirted sales employees are being trained to offer fashion observations to try and help you settle on an Apple Watch, with suggested comments like, “You seem to have a fun style. I think the Pink Sport band would match your style perfectly.” (You know us so well, Apple!)

The report also claims that Apple Store employees will be encouraged to upsell customers on pricier band options, which is a bit disconcerting – upselling has never been the tone at Apple Stores, which is why they’re considered much more welcoming shopping environments than big box retailers. In any case, the tactics seem sure to spawn many an awkward conversation in the weeks ahead, so if you want a deeper look at what to expect, check out 9to5Mac’s breakdown of the retail details.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

The X-Files returning to TV

The X-Files returning to TV

More than a decade after it left the air, fan-favorite television show The X-Files will officially return with a six-episode limited series. Creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are all set to return, with production beginning this summer.

“I think of it as a 13-year commercial break,” said Carter. “The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.” No word yet on when the new, shortened season will air. In addition to the original nine-season run, The X-Files spawned two feature films: 1998’s Fight the Future and 2008’s decidedly weaker I Want to Believe.

[Source: Variety]

Free trial for Ubisoft’s The Crew

The Crew was one of the most anticipated games of the holiday season, what with its open-road romp across the United States, but critical reception was decidedly mixed. So if you avoided it due to hearing some rough things, Ubisoft wants to give you a chance to give it a proper test drive.

The publisher now offers a free downloadable two-hour-long trial on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, giving you a stretch of time to get behind the wheel and do some exploring – and co-op play is available, as well. Might as well take it for a spin, yeah?

[Source: IGN]

Cats aren’t afraid of heights

If you were loitering around London’s Canary Wharf business district yesterday then you might have noticed a rather nice Jaguar XF suspended above the Thames, doing its best impression of a tightrope walker alone two 34mm carbon wires.

We suppose travelling 18 metres up across 240 metres of water is one war to show off the fact that it’s 80kg lighter than the competition, though we’d have stuck to some simple scales ourselves. Not a fan go heights, us.

Profile image of Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

Areas of expertise

Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home