apple store

Having now added tech entrepreneur to her accomplishments with the lifestyle website goop and its accompanying travel guide apps, Gwyneth Paltrow was right at home during an Apple Store Meet the Developer panel in New York City last night. We had a chance to talk with the Iron Man 3 star about the gadgets in her carry-on, her favorite iPad games to play with the kids, and the eternal question: text or call?

POPSUGAR: Why did you want to get into this travel app business?

Gwyneth Paltrow: It was a natural extension of what we do at goop anyway, which is curation basically. I love food; I love to travel; I’m a very curious person. I was always the person my friends call and say, "I’m going to New York, where should I do this? I’m going to Paris" . . . whatever. I was always that person. I had books everywhere of things that I loved in various cities and I just thought, "I would love to have it for myself." I started working on the content and I love having a place to go to where it’s places that I love and doctors that are amazing, just all that useful information. When I moved to England, for example, I didn’t know that if you have an emergency, you don’t dial 911. All that stuff. Anything you would need as a traveler.

PS: We’re in the Apple store — are you a texter or a good old-fashioned phone call?

GP: I’ve become a texter. I find it so quick. It’s also made phone calls a lot more special. I do text more than I call, for sure. Now a phone call is a real thing — it’s like, "Are you available to talk?" It’s not like it used to be.

PS: When you travel, what are your must-take travel gadgets?

GP: iPhone and iPad, for sure. I love my iPad mini: I’ve got all my books on there, TV shows — I think that thing is a genius. And my Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

Discover the iPad games Gwyneth plays with her kids and the "girl porn" social network after the jump.

You might think the biggest draw for Apple fans camping out for the latest company store opening is the privilege of being among the elite first people to set foot in the store, fresh with the smell of clean MacBooks and new employees so eager to help. But the major bragging right associated with an Apple opening is snagging the limited edition t-shirt handed out to the first thousand or so customers to enter the store.

Last week's unveiling of the New York City Grand Central terminal store also showcased the free t-shirts with the store's location spelled out in graphic letters resembling the train station's arrivals board. Four thousand shirts were distributed to the Grand Central store's first customers. Just like their tech products, the shirts are carefully packaged into a white box fitting of the Apple logo despite its free contents.

As expected, those who scored the rare t-shirts after camping out in Grand Central are looking to cash in on the cult of Apple, listing the shirts on eBay, with current bids varying from $25-$385. Have you ever stood in line for an Apple store's grand opening? If so, tell us about your experience in the comments!

Photo Source: eBay user spictacular002

You might not be able to tour every Apple Store on the planet yourself, but with Apple Storefronts Project you can feel like you've been there yourself. This website collects images of every Apple Store ever opened, starting with store numero uno in McLean, VA, which opened on May 19, 2001.

It's amazing to see the stores grow from mall residences to full-on architectural wonders all on their own.

Let the iPad 2 madness begin! Apple's second-generation tablet goes on sale next Friday, and if you think you'll have to queue up in long lines at the Apple store, think again — there are a number of locations that will be selling the iPad 2 on launch day. Get the entire list below!

• Sam's Club and Walmart — According to a tip, 9 to 5 Mac has learned that the iPad 2 will be sold both at Sam's Club and Walmart locations on March 11.
• Best Buy — Already advertising on its website, you can pick up an iPad 2 at Best Buy on launch day.
• Apple Stores — If you want the full Apple experience on iPad 2 day, you should head to an Apple store, where there's sure to be a lot of pomp and circumstance.

No word yet on if AT&T and Verizon Wireless stores will be carrying the iPad 2 at launch, but we'll update this post as we learn more!

The Verizon iPhone 4 launch is just a day away! You've already traded in your current phone (either on eBay or through Verizon), ordered a case, and are pumped to get your hands on the newest iPhone model to hit the market.

So where are you getting yours? Good news is, you have more than a few options, which will help spread out the crowds that are so prevalent with iPhone launches. Check out the list of places you can pick up a Verizon iPhone when you read more.

Generally, I'm not a gift card fan. Charitable donations aside, purchasing one always seems like a cop out, and when I receive one, I have to remind myself to use it before the value starts depreciating. (Seriously, how fair is that?) But, in the spirit of the holiday season, Apple is offering gift cards for the iPad. The cards themselves look the same; it's just the envelope they come in that calls out its intended use.

While unwrapping an iPad gift card may not carry the same amount of excitement as unwrapping an actual iPad, it's a great alternative for people who are traveling with gifts, or simply don't want the responsibility that comes with toting an expensive and sought-after piece of tech. (Remember that time one iPad buyer lost his finger in an iPad theft?) Find out more about the cards when you read more.

Apple released an update to its Official Apple Store app this morning, adding a few more bits of awesome to the handy app. For example, you can now add gift wrapping and engraving when you purchase inside the app and reserve products from your local retail location, but you can also check in for reservations, request help while you're shopping with the new concierge feature, and add Apple Store appointments right to your iCal.

Find out more about the last three features, and what the deal is with the white iPhone 4, after the break.