First Pizza Hut rebranded themselves as “The Hut” and now Radio Shack wants to name themselves “The Shack.”  Here’s a note to corporations, adding the word The to the front of your name when it wasn’t there in the first place doesn’t make you sound cool.  It makes you sound like you’re trying too hard.

The image above was taken from a terminal within a store, captured by Engadget.  The in store signs will be changed later this week and the signs at the storefronts will be changed later this year.  Radio Shack’s Wikipedia page has already been updated to reflect the changes.  The launch of the new brand is expected to take place in San Francisco and New York and will feature 14 foot tall laptops streaming video of the webcams from one store to the other.  There will also be live music at both locations.

I would try and ask a Radio Shack manager myself, but I sincerely do not want to get clocked for asking.

Good news for those of you that want the Palm Pre but don’t want to get locked into a 2 year Sprint contract.  The phone without a contract costs about $549.  The phone will be arriving on June 6 for $199 with a two year contract with a $100 mail-in rebate if you buy it from a Sprint store.

However representatives at Best Buy and Radio Shack have confirmed that buying the phone from their stores will allow you to avoid mailing in that pesky $100 rebate yourself.  At those stores the rebates will be instant.

In conclusion, I recommend that if you are going to buy a Pre, get it from Best Buy or Radio Shack.  But if you return it to Radio Shack later on, make sure not to get punched.

In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a Radio Shack employee is being charged for punching a customer because he was trying to return an item.  The employee said no so the customer asked to speak with the manager.  That is when the 52 year old employee flipped out and began punching the customer.  A bystander called 911 immediately after the incident took place.  The employee is expected to report to court on May 19.

[via AP]