What VIP Deals did was to take a $60 case for a tablet, reduce the price down to $10 USD, then include in the box in which it was shipped a slip of paper. This slip of paper noted how the person receiving the item might get a $10 refund (the entire list price) if they simply leave a review on the site they purchased it from. The note read thusly:

“In return for writing the review, we will refund your order so you will have received the product for free. … We strive to earn 100 percent perfect ‘FIVE-STAR’ scores from you!”

So 4,945 reviews later and VIP Deals is a powerhouse, able to sell a bridge to you in Brooklyn if you don’t head into their reviews and notice how insane they are. Thats why Bing Liu, also a computer science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is currently in the process of devising a mathematical model (or set of models) that’ll systematically take apart scams such as this in the future.

“More people are depending on reviews for what to buy and where to go, so the incentives for faking are getting bigger. It’s a very cheap way of marketing.” – Liu

Too cheap, we’re thinking, and so thinks Liu and the law. Take them apart Liu, we’d much rather have the reality of good or bad product reviews than a few bucks off a case we do not need in the first place.

[via NYTimes]

Such a move would echo that of microblogging platform tumblr, which prompted almost 90,000 calls to US Representatives last month after intentionally blacking out its service to users. Those visiting their tumblr page, or that of other users, were faced with a message warning of the potential impact of SOPA and offering to connect them with their Representative to discuss their concerns and opposition.

Some of the biggest names online penned an open letter to regulators midway through last month, decrying SOPA as poorly thought through. The Senate will debate the act again on January 24, giving the NetCoalition members plenty of opportunity to stage their blackout and prompt online shoppers, video junkies, bloggers and more to get in touch and be heard.

[via Slashdot and via Fox]

Announced midway through 2011, the Raspberry Pi project aims to put low-cost, open-source “very small computers” in the price range of children and schools, encouraging kids to learn Debian, Fedora, ArchLinux and other platforms. Ports on the basic $25 model include USB, HDMI, RCA video and an SD card slot – as well as 10/100 ethernet on this $35 Model B version up on eBay – and the whole thing is capable of running off a few AA batteries.

All proceeds from these initial ten developer boards will go back into the company, a registered charity, which perhaps explains some of the ambitious bids. The rest of us might be better off waiting until regular sales kick off shortly.

[via Al Sutton]

Specs on the Nikon D4 DSLR camera surfaced this week and they look really good. The camera is rumored to have a 16.2MP sensor and native ISO up to 102,400. Word surfaced that the FBI might be using Carrier IQ software on handsets for low enforcement purposes. The FBI refused a Freedom of Information Act request and accidentally revealed that it might be using the software for investigations.

Modern Warfare 3 has set a record with $1 billion in total sales this week. That massive sales number was hit in only 17 days beating out the flick Avatar to reach the $1 billion mark. MIT has invented camera that is able to shoot photos at a trillion frames per second. The sensor is so fast that it can photograph the propagation of light.

CERN announced that is has found “tantalizing hints” of Higgs boson particles at the LHC. Papers outlining the discovery are expected by the end of January. The NTSB is proposing that all use of mobile phones be banned while driving. That would include the use of hands free devices which the NTSB says are just as dangerous as holding your phone.

American Airlines has received approval to use the iPad in the cockpit of aircraft during all phases of flight. The iPad has the flight manual and digital charts with weight savings compared to paper charts helping to save lots of money for the airline. Microsoft has been tipped to purchase the Nokia smartphone division in 1H 2012. I still don’t see that being a mix for success.

A proposal for redesigning the HP brand has surfaced from a company called Moving Brands. One of the things you can see in the proposal is a new logo that looks like straight lines, but reads HP. We went hands-on with the Prada phone by LG 3.0 this week after the fancy smartphone went official. Chris Davies was a bit “meh” on the smartphone after his time with the device.

We put up our review of the Motorola Droid Xyboard 10.1 this week. The tablet doesn’t seem like much of an upgrade on the Xoom that is already available. The Facebook Timeline went official all around the world this week. The Timeline allows you to set up a chronological outline of your world.

Remember that throwable Panoramic Ball camera from a while back? More details were released and the company is seeking investors to bring the device to market. Astronomers discovered a massive gas cloud that was being sucked into a black hole in the center of our galaxy. The cloud has more mass than Earth and will provide a glimpse into how matter reacts near a black hole.

Senator Al Franken grilled the FBI director on the use of Carrier IQ software this week. This came after hints early in the week that the FBI might be using it for law enforcement. An Iranian scientist bragged this week that Iran bagged a NATO drone using a GPS spoof. The Iranians tricked the drone into simply landing where they wanted it.

Davies noted this week that you had better be sure you like Timeline before you activate it. Once you have Timeline if you don’t like it there is no going back. Thanks for reading and have a Merry Christmas!

The TouchPad demand could well have been fueled by the news that HP is making the webOS platform open-source, allowing developers and other manufacturers to step in, adopt and modify it for their own use. However, the simple lure of a sub-$100 brand-name tablet when an iPad runs to four times that amount is more likely the motivation, just as we saw earlier in the year when HP swiftly sold out of its first TouchPad fire sale.

Unfortunately for international would-be buyers, HP has still not released any new TouchPad units outside of the US in recent sales promotions. The market for a second-hand TouchPad is likely to be flooded with supplies, however, as while HP and eBay chose to limit customer orders to two units, that only applied on a per-listing basis. With several listings for each model, those with fast mouse fingers found they could grab a handful of webOS tablets.

Those looking to do more with their TouchPad than simply browse and check email in webOS could do worse than exploring an unofficial build of Android on the slate. Instructions can be found here.

The TouchPad Go never came to market after the normal version of the HP tablet failed so miserably so quickly. The fact that the Go showed up online a few times and crossed the FCC meant that at least a few of the tablets had been made and were floating around. One of those landed on eBay recently with a starting price at $1500.

The tablet didn’t last long before someone had the auction pulled due to a trademark or copyright claim. It’s not clear who did that, but HP is a likely candidate. The folks at the-digital-reader also say that the seller contacted them and said he was trying to sell the tablet outside of eBay. I wonder who might buy it, more importantly I wonder if the product is real. It has a 7-inch screen, 32GB of storage, WiFi, CDMA, and that is all the specs listed.

[via the-digital-reader]

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard such news, we mentioned this briefly back in July as a response to other mobile payment systems such as Google Wallet and more. Along with the retail store in Manhattan coming November 1st, Paypal plans to have plenty QR codes out front and nearby for people walking and passing by to scan that will give them more details and reveal all the information right from Paypal.

Paypal isn’t stopping at QR codes and mobile payments either, the new system is expected to allow consumers to check inventory in real-time, and provide location stats and in-store offers from local stores. Just as Paypal mentioned in September, they plan to offer a complete and comprehensive solution for store merchants and owners to support payments from customers whether they are in-store, online, or using a mobile payment solution.

Paypal’s big brother eBay recently purchased the mobile payment company Zong, to give eBay users similar options too. Paypal told TechCrunch they will continue to debut this technology as they can, and have plans to announce a number of partnerships with many retail stores soon. This is a wise move by Paypal as more and more things are moving towards mobile, for now we’ll just have to wait and see what all they have in store.

The first episode has the host, former racer Justin Bell, hooning the 2012 Ford Boss 302 down Mulholland Drive in LA. The segment of the show is about the hidden racetracks that most cities have. Granted it’s not legal to race down this track at speed.

The show will get a new episode each week and they will be viewable on eBay here or via YouTube. At the end of the Boss 302 segment Bell dubs the car the best Mustang ever. I’d agree too, I own one just like Bell is driving. The car is a blast and a huge amount of fun to race.

That’s despite it being possible to load the Windows 8 Developer Preview onto an existing tablet you might already have. Samsung’s hardware isn’t particularly special: it’s the same Series 7 tablet we played with at IFA 2011, only there running Windows 7. Inside is a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 64GB SDD, while Microsoft bundled the accompanying dock, Bluetooth keyboard, stylus, carry-case and a 12 month AT&T SIM with 2GB of mobile data each month (though not every seller is including the SIM).

We got our own chance to play with the Samsung Windows 8 tablet in the run-up to BUILD, and found both it and the OS to be surprisingly good. Most of the common criticisms of Windows on touchscreen hardware have been addressed, and the Metro UI carried over from Windows Phone 7 makes a lot of sense, even stretched across a bigger display.

If you can’t quite bring yourself to splash out $2,500 or thereabouts, never fear. The Samsung Series 7 Slate is expected to go on sale in October, priced at $1,099.

Samsung Windows 8 tablet developer unit:

[via GottaBeMobile]

The prototype machine never made the end of the auction though since Apple found out about it and had the auction pulled before it finished. The seller had purchased the notebook on Craigslist earlier this year according to CNET. The machine was originally purchased for parts to use in a repair business. The bidding had apparently hit $70,000 before it was pulled; the odds of that winning bidder actually paying were probably slim.

Apple has now reached out to the owner of the prototype, one Carl Fregna, and wants to send someone to pick the machine up and return it to Cupertino. It’s not clear if the man will get the money he paid for the device back from Apple. I would bet that there would be some sort of compensation for returning the machine since the man purchased it legitimately even if it was never meant to have left Apple.

[via CNET]

The current owner of this seemingly rather rare prototype machine describes it as a pre-production 2007 15-inch MacBook Pro Santa Rose laptop “with red circuit boards and integrated cellular data functionality.” There’s a rather giant antenna which slides up the side of the device’s display and reads “Tyco Proto / #006″, and under the memory cover on the bottom of the laptop is a standard size SIM card slot. And this is only the beginning – oddities described by the owner of this device are best noted by he himself:

The SIM card board is connected to the logic board via a connector not found on production machines. The solder footprint for it is still present on the production boards and not populated, which is interesting. This would seem to suggest that it was a last minute decision to remove the cellular functionality before going into mass production. The optical drive is marked as a “Sample for Evaluation”. Rather than a normal EMC Number the specifications lapel simply says “XXXX”, and the serial number does not show up in Apple’s online database. Rather than use the machine for parts I of course had to put the time into repairing it to its original condition and see what happened! … Please note that the hard drive, battery, ram, and Magsafe adapter are not the original ones that came with the machine, as I received it without them present. …

The biggest question of course is the cell network data functionality. I have unfortunately been unable to get it working with my SIM card, though it is seen by the operating system and recognized as a modem device usable to connect to the internet with various configuration options. It is entirely possible it can be made to work by someone with more software and driver experience than myself but I can make no guarantees. It could be that there was an additional board originally that was not included with this machine, or that Apple could not work out a contract with a carrier for data service (Perhaps AT&T did not want something sure to be a bandwidth hog on its network), or simply that no driver exists. There are too many unknowns . . . . it is entirely possible it never worked, and there is no way to know without finding someone directly involved in the development of the hardware and not under an NDA. According to the seller (whom I contacted again after realizing what the machine was) he used to work as an engineer at Apple and received the machine for software development work. He was allowed to keep it when he left, and since had used it as a personal machine until it stopped functioning and he sold it to me. He says that he never personally saw the cellular data functionality working and does not know any more about it, as it was not related to his work. All my conclusions are solely speculation based on the hardware present and OS response and should not be taken as fact.

The owner also notes that the antenna’s “#006″ marking likely means that this is the 6th in a line of similar prototypes. He also notes that the Logic Board shows hand-soldered reworking of wires.

What do you think? Does this mean there’s a possibility of a carrier-specific MacBook Pro in the future? Perhaps Apple could be preparing a laptop with multiple carrier bands so that it can be sold without a carrier plan attached? Maybe Apple had this awesome idea back in 2007 but has since decided to put it on the back burner?

[via MacRumors]

PayPal’s system will kick off with a “major” retailer in the US before the year is out, eBay CEO John Donahoe revealed in the company’s financial results call this week. The identity of that retailer isn’t known, but PayPal is targeting up to 20 others across the US to jump on board through 2012.

“We’re in a strong position in online payments to expand to point of sale [and] we intend to help retailers grow offline in the same way we helped merchants grow online” Donahoe said. “In this new retail world, consumers expect a seamless experience across physical stores, mobile, laptops or any Internet-connected device … physical stores become just another point of access. Location alone is not enough. It’s not an advantage.”

However, despite unveiling an NFC-based Android payments system earlier this month, PayPal’s retail system won’t use the short-range wireless technology. Instead, existing card and mobile systems will be implemented, with retailers still cautious about NFC.

Google, meanwhile, is readying the AdWords Business credit card, targeted at small and medium businesses who lack the upfront funds to support a major advertising campaign. Powered by MasterCard and issued through the World Financial Capital Bank, it will offer an 8.99-percent APR and credit limits that vary by advertiser.

“Obviously we have a robust balance sheet, so this is a way for us to use that balance sheet to help our customers” Google Treasurer Brent Callinicos explained. “Even though [availability] will skew toward the smaller businesses, obviously we want to cast a wide enough net so we can see what resonates depending on your historical monthly spend.”

“Commerce is changing. With mobile phones, we walk around with a mall in our pockets” PayPal president Scott Thompson said of the deal. ”PayPal helps to make money work better for customers in this new commerce reality – no matter how they want to pay or what device they’re using. We believe that Zong will strengthen this value by helping us reach the more than 4 billion people who have mobile phones, giving them more choice and security when they pay.”

eBay does already offer mobile payments, with apps for iOS and Android, but the Zong technology would enable a second payment method for those uncomfortable with registering their credit or debit card, or their current account, with PayPal. There’s also the possibility of using carrier-billing in other ways, with the Zong service enabling payments to be made not on the handset itself, but by punching in the user’s cellphone number into a site. Zong already offers users the ability to buy Facebook Credits, for instance.

That obviously requires some sort of tie-in between Zong and online retailers, and it’s that which eBay already has through PayPal. No word on when the functionality will merge, though eBay says it expects the deal to be final by the end of Q3 2011.

[via Mobile Entertainment]

According to the seller, who claims to be a cellphone repair engineer, the iPhone was bought from a dissatisfied owner “who really didn’t know who [sic] he had” and was frustrated because there was no way to activate it via iTunes. According to a check through Apple’s database, it is indeed listed as a prototype, and it has the tester code DF1692 etched onto the front panel.

Other differences between the prototype and shipping iPhone 4 units include an absence of volume key labels and various X’s where the FCC ID and model number would normally be found on the rear. The screen is fully functional, but since it’s locked in activation mode there’s not a huge amount you could do with it.

There are seven and a half days left for the auction still to run, though we can’t quite believe that anyone is willing to pay $100,000 for even this particular prototype; we’re guessing it’ll be re-listed sometime soon after. Whether that will give Apple the opportunity to hunt down tester DF1692 and ask some difficult questions about what happened to his prototype remains to be seen.

[via This is my next]

It’s not clear whether this is someone trying to sell a lost iPhone 4 prototype or trying to make some money on a device they were trusted with. Unfortunately, thanks to the fact that the employee ID is clearly visible on the handset (we’ve blanked it out, along with the handset’s serial number), we imagine Apple will be moving swiftly to get to the bottom of it.

Bidding is up to $2,838 at time of writing, with half a day left to run, but we’d be wary of throwing your hat into this particular ring. If you really have to have a white iPhone 4, wait until later on in the week when there’ll likely be cheap, legitimate versions to pick up instead.

[via @chronic]

The auction is now over and when listed it had a buy it now price of $999. No one wanted the smartphone enough to end the auction early and pony up nearly a grand for the G2x. The final price the smartphone got up to was $799.

I can’t image wanting a new phone so bad that you were willing to pay so much more than the retail price just to get it a few weeks early. I wonder if the smartphone was purchased by someone that wants to tear it down online.

[via PhoneArena]

According to the French State Council, ecommerce sites, along with video, music and email providers, must now maintain a record of their users’ full names, postal and email addresses, any pseudonyms used, telephone numbers and passwords, along with any data the sites have gathered in the process of checking those facts. The records must be kept for at least twelve months, and must be handed over should the police, fraud office, customs, tax or social security authorities demand it as part of an enquiry.

The French Association of Internet Community Services (ASIC) will appeal the decree on Wednesday. Among their complaints is that “no consultation with the European Commission was made” according to an ASIC spokesperson. “This is a shocking measure,” he continued, “this obligation to keep passwords and hand them over to police services.”

eBay has been much stricter with iPad 2 selling rules, only allowing Apple authorized resellers to list 50 items per week, and top-rated sellers four items per week. With the iPad, there were no limits for resellers, and eBay top sellers could list 8 items per week.

Apple has improved estimated shipping times, however, with new orders shipping in three to four weeks. They have also begun selling the iPad 2 at RadioShack.

[via Apple Insider]

The $4k listing is a bit on the high end. But the guy markets it well, targeting international bidders with a message to Europe, Japan, and UAE customers saying “Help an American who lost his job.” Tugging at the heart strings may give him an edge over the almost 200 other listings.

Other listings include a 16GB model, which retails for $500, going for $2000 on eBay and up to $1000 on Craigslist in major metropolitan areas such as New York City. But what wouldn’t they pay for in NYC? Have you gotten your iPad 2 yet? Got $4,000 to burn?

[via TUAW]

It’s not so much the raw specs that’s driving the appeal – the X100 has a mere 12.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, with a non-interchangeable Fujinon 23mm fixed focal length lens – but the combination of the classic looks and strong image quality appear to be buoying the Fuji above potentially more capable Micro Four Thirds models. Fujifilm is yet to confirm when new X100 supplies will be coming through; they’re too busy supplying a generous relief package worth 770m yen to Japan, including diagnostic ultrasound systems.

[via 43 Rumors]

The device is being offered with an eBay coupon that gives you a $50 discount, dropping the price down to $199. Barnes & Noble’s own website still offers the original pricing of $249. The deal seems to be good only on eBay and may have been launched to counter the competition from eBay sellers peddling the device.

We’ve done an extensive review of the NOOKcolor late last year. Its only true competitors are its e-ink cousins as the main decision really is between whether you prefer e-ink or not. For a device devoted to reading e-books along with the ability to consume other media such as full color magazines, photos, music, movies, and even for playing games, this price point can’t be beat. On top of this, the firmware is built on Android 2.1 with the ability to be rooted for accessing Android Market and even e-books from Kindle via Wi-Fi connection.

[via Electronista]

A few hours ago, the cards were up to a mere £28. That price didn’t last. With 5 days and 22 hours left on the bid, these cards are currently up to £225. Somewhere out there is a geek who will spend more on this pack of playing cards than he did on his iPad. Which, by the way, has a pretty damn good solitaire app.

[Via Mac Stories]

We also went hands on with the Nokia E7 smartphone Monday. We will give the full run down on the device in the review, but so far, Chris was disappointed. The eLocity 10-inch Android tablet is set to hit pre-order on February 15. The tablet is much like the 7-inch offering with a larger screen and a 4GB version will sell for $399 with the most expensive 64GB version at $699.99.

The price for the Motorola Xoom tablet surfaced early in the week and it’s very far from cheap. The tablet will sell for about $800 and may well put the first Honeycomb tablet out of contention in the tablet market. The coolest commercial during the Super bowl last weekend was the VW one with the little Darth Vader. The kid behind the mask was unveiled early in the week as a 6-year old heart patient.

The first successful Jailbreak for the Verizon iPhone 4 was announced Monday. The jailbreak was done with Cydia on iOS 4.2.6 on the Verizon smartphone. HTC unveiled that it has purchased a $40 million stake in the streaming game service OnLive. HTC wants to stream games to smartphones, which sounds good to me.

Intel has resumed shipments of flawed 6 series chipset mainboards this week. The shipments are said to be at the request of vendors and the stipulation is that the machines be configured so that the affected SATA ports aren’t used. We went hands-on with the cool dual-screen Kyocera Echo Tuesday at the official unveil. We though the phone felt well built even if aside from the dual screens it is a bit plain and some gestures aren’t supported.

The new Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has told workers bluntly that it is “standing on a burning platform” with MeeGo. Elop’s statements make it clear he doesn’t believe in MeeGo. Smartphones outsold PCs for the first time according to IDC for Q4 2010. Smartphone sales jumped 87.2% to 53.9 million shipped.

An awesome Sony DSLR camera surfaced this week with a clear housing. The camera will never see production; it’s just to show off the inner beauty of the DSLR. I would buy a clear camera like that though. AT&T announced a new change to its mobile plans that allows free unlimited calling to any mobile number in America. The plan is available for any user with a qualifying voice plan and unlimited messaging.

HP went official with the TouchPad tablet sporting webOS 3.0 mid-week. The tablet has a 9.7-inch screen, 1.2GHz processor, and more. Is it enough to battle the iPad though? We unboxed the Motorola Atrix 4G smartphone and spent some hands-on time with it. Initial impressions are that the phone is fast and we expect it to be a standout phone for the year.

Android finally beat Apple in smartphone share in the US according to IDC. In Q4 2010 Android had 28.7% of the US market and iOS had 25%. A twitter user tweeted the infamous PS3 hacking code to Sony’s Kevin Butler and he had no clue what it was. Butler replied, “Lemme guess…you sank my Battleship?”

We spent a bit more time with the HP touchpad and caught our fondling on video. Are any of you really excited about this tablet? Another swell of Apple iPad 3 rumors surfaced Thursday with calls that the new tablet would hit this Fall. The rumors started from idle musings from Daring Fireball’s John Gruber.

The Verizon iPhone 4 is in stores now and so far the response isn’t what was expected. I figured there would be shortages, but it seems not that many folks were waiting to get the iPhone 4 on Verizon. Nokia is reportedly eyeing the purchase of boutique developers for its halo apps. Nokia is also said to be in talks with Adobe to co-create dev tools.

A 7-year-old boy tried to buy a real Harrier from an eBay auction. His dad found out about the $113,000 buy and cancelled the order, crushing childhood dreams. Don posted up a column Thursday that said Google TV is dying and Apple TV running apps will finish it. I think Google TV was done for when Hulu and other networks blocked the device from accessing their shows.

Nokia has announced that it will be using the Windows Phone 7 OS on some of its smartphones. Exactly when the Nokia devices with the WinPo 7 OS will show up is unknown. Rumors have surfaced that Apple is getting a smaller iPhone ready for the market. The device is said to be about a third smaller than the current iPhone and lack a home button with a target price of $200 sans contact.

Courts have ordered GeoHot to turn over the HDD of his computer to Sony. Sony is searching for evidence of the hacking of the PS3 on the HDD. I think most of us were hoping that Nokia would turn to Android and instead it went Windows Phone 7. Stephen Elop said that there were “too many players” in the Android market for Nokia.

Nokia is shedding works in hoards right now as it tries to shore things up for the long haul. Google is reaching out to the fired engineers and offering some of them jobs. Google’s Aidan Biggins tweeted, “Any Nokia software engineers need a job?” Thanks for reading this week’s edition, see you next time!

The kid happened on a Harrier up for auction on eBay that lacks weapon systems or the ability to fly. Those little details didn’t keep the kid from bidding and winning the auction for the fighter jet. The kid bid about $113,000 on the aircraft at a fixed price.

The kid’s dad notified the seller that his son had hit the buy now button and lacked the money in his piggy bank to cover the jet. The sellers weren’t mad and removed the bid and say the boy did them a favor with the press the attempted purchase received more interest was generated when the jet was relisted. The jet would apparently cost millions of pounds to return to the air and is one of six left in the world.

Via MyFoxChicago

Brody worked at Apple for seven years where she participated in the design of the original iPhone and the original iPod Nano. Most recently you can find her efforts on the homepages of Final Cut Studio, Logic Pro, and Pro.

[Via All Things Digital]

According to the seller, it was quite a bit of work to figure out who Banksy really is. “I have uncovered [Banksy's] identity by matching up the prices of his sold pieces to corresponding tax records. I will reveal no more details… I give you 100 percent assurance that it is most certainly the full name of the street artist known as ‘Banksy.’” This actually isn’t the first time that Banksy’s true identity has been offered up on eBay, but that original auction was pulled because eBay said the seller wasn’t offering up a tangible item.

This time around, though, the seller was offering up a piece of paper with a name on it. That’s a tangible item, so there’s still a question swirling around why eBay would pull this latest bid. The seller started the sale at $3,000, and it was pulled after 36 bids, with a whopping $999,999 as the final bid. You can see The Simpson’s opening Banksy created below, if you’re unfamiliar with the creation, or just want to see it again.

[via GearLog]

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice
Netflix eyes international push in 2011 [WATCH OUT WORLD]
Nokia Android Honeycomb tablet is latest odd OS rumor [COULD BE NEATO]
PSP2 renders stoke next-gen Sony gaming rumor fire [PSP2PS2PSP]
McAfee: Apple, Google TV, Facebook and iPads all key 2011 cybercrime targets [CRIME!]

Android Community
Verizon to focus on Android not a new iPhone at CES
New details on PlayStation app for Android surface
SBN Tech bringing new Android videophone to CES
Nokia name-checked as Android Honeycomb tablet producer
Sony Ericsson’s 1GHz XPERIA mini pro replacement leaks
Fans of Angry Birds Blocking Ads on Android Version VS Ads Not as Prevalent as at Launch
Motorola Cliq 2 for T-Mobile Images Leak
HTC EVO Shift 4G Releasing January 9th for $150, According to RadioShack
HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon TWELVE PHOTOS

SlashGear
2011: The Year of Pentaband? [COLUMN]
Palm hiring spree highlights push for developers & new form-factors
Vodafone Huawei EC W820 video call home tablet hits FCC
Olympus XZ-1, Sony 1080p60 super-autofocus and Panasonic S-Series tipped for CES 2011 compact avalanche
ELP energy-monitoring system allows remote appliance control [Video]
Skype blames Windows app bug for supernode outage
Thermaltake unveils Max 5G external HDD enclosure
First Intel Sandy Bridge notebook is from Santech
Livio Radio system brings internet radio into the car
Ford MyKey feature upgraded to block explicit satellite radio content
LG and Samsung iPad screen shipment numbers are big
Netflix eyes international push in 2011
More details on PlayStation App for Android and iPhone revealed
SBN Tech Android videophone is more like a tablet
Nokia Android Honeycomb tablet is latest odd OS rumor
Moshi Reflection clock lands as a Brookstone exclusive
Fatheadz Eyewear is perfect for people with cranius enormous
Colorful offers special edition NVIDIA GTX460 dubbed iGame460 Commemorative Edition
Tiny Sony Ericsson XPERIA leaks with 1GHz processor punch
PSP2 renders stoke next-gen Sony gaming rumor fire
MSI WindPad U100W Win7 tablet gets video preview: underwhelms
DIY Nintendo Wii laptop scraps DVD drive for ripped game library [Video]
McAfee: Apple, Google TV, Facebook and iPads all key 2011 cybercrime targets
Paul Allen patent suit refiled: App Store, iTunes, Gmail & more all cited
France wants tablet-tax for iPad and Android slates while Windows exempt
NOOK design theft suit with Spring Design to continue
LG LW6500 promises flicker-free CINEMA 3D TV video
Nintendo 3DS Might Ruin Kid’s Eyeballs, if They’re Six Years Old or Younger

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

Google’s supposed infringements are even more comprehensive, with Allen suggesting that Google search, Gmail, Google Finance, Google Videos, Google Maps, Orkut, Google Books and the Adsense system all fall foul. In the previous version of the filing, Allen and his team had not sufficiently specified which technology was being contested, Apple and Google had argued, and the judge gave until December 28 2010 for a revised suit to be filed.

According to the auction, the prototype comes with the original soft-shell case, a system-update disc, power adapter and some internal Apple documentation. Unfortunately, since the Macintosh Portable won’t turn on without a working battery, the dead lead acid battery means the machine won’t actually work, though it’s believed to be in functioning order.

Bidding in this post-holiday atmosphere is scarce, however, and the $1,750 opening price is understandably putting people off. With four days of the auction to go at time of writing, it remains to be seen if anybody bites this early Apple.

[via 9to5Mac]

Interestingly enough, the person behind the auction listed the device, which is obviously the updated hardware of the Pre 2, as the Palm Pre Plus (Verizon). While that device is already available on Verizon, it’s probably a good indication as to why the device had such a low bid at the time of its removal from eBay. At just $46 after two bids, and two days remaining on the auction. Of course, it could be that it was also listed as having a bad ESN, too. However, the auction holder was throwing in a free car charger. The Pre 2 was being auctioned off for parts, but actually finding a device to make use of those parts would probably have been pretty tough for anyone out here in the real world.

The whole story gets more interesting after the seller actually realized that he had a Pre 2 on his hands, and not just another Palm Pre Plus. When the realization hit him, he pulled the auction of his own accord, and now there’s no way to get that Pre 2 for yourself. So now we’re back to the waiting game, wondering when the Verizon-branded Pre 2 will actually hit retail shelves.

[via PreCentral.net]

The proceeds will go to Child’s Play, as well as the Brian Wood Memorial Trust, so you can safely say that the winning sum will be used for a good purpose. The helmet itself was sculpted by Daniel Yuan of the 405th Infantry Division, but it’s probably not one helmet that you’ll want to wear if you want to actually see what you’re doing. The replica is also signed by over 20 Bungie employees, so it’s obviously a collector’s item.

If you’re interested, you’ll need to hurry up and start bidding. As of the time of this writing, the eBay auction was at $475, and is scheduled to run its cource by 9:30PM Eastern time. So, get to bidding!

[via Joystiq]

The QR Codes can be scanned and then info like videos, product reviews, and official websites for more information can be opened by the app. This will allow the user to scan these codes for things on auction on eBay or in other places and then get information on the product to help make buying decisions.

The eBay app is available for download on the App Store right now. Along with the app, eBay is also offering a SDK that will allow RedLaser developers to make their own mobile experiences for scanning codes and more.

The thing was built by NASA contract by Mark Rosheim in the 1990′s. Apparently, only two prototype hands were ever made and this one on eBay is complete and functioning and has its own custom-made NASA space glove.

The hand has ball and socket joints for maximum mobility. The auction includes the base, glove, power box, motion controller, extra power box, hand control software for PC and a copy of a book called Robot Evolution: The Development of Anthrobotics that has details about the hand. You can buy it for $18,750.

As for why the price was so low, we can only assume few people found the N8 listing – according to Nokia, the handset has been setting records for the number of preorders placed.  We’re not sure where it came from, either; it’s not one of the 1,000 Nokia gave out to developers on day one of Nokia World 2010, since the auction started earlier than that.

[via Twitter]

While none of the companies named in the suit were able to be reached for comment, it seems that Allen is going for some unknown amount in damages. As far as the patents go, it looks like four are primarily named. They are integral to the way e-commerce works, and even more specifically, search tools. Primarily, one patent focus on the way that sites suggest new and updated items to a search result. While another, one that we see used every day on sites all around the Internet, focuses on the way that “related stories” are found, based on a particular story being search, or read at any given time.

A spokesperson for Allen says that this is not only important to him, personally, but to the technology involved, and to the researchers who created the technology being used. As for the other companies being named in the suit? You may have heard of a few of them: eBay, Facebook, YouTube (a subsidiary of Google), AOL, and Netflix. There’s no telling where this will go from here, but we’re sure this will get even more interesting soon enough.

[via TUAW]

The prototype for sale doesn’t match up with the design the case mockup uses: it has the camera lens in the middle, whereas the more recent renders show the lens pushed all the way to the left-hand side.  Rumors late last year – when we expected to see a camera-toting iPod touch launch at Apple’s traditional yearly iPod event – suggested that the company had encountered some sort of hardware issue that sent them back to the drawing board with their design.

Bidding is up to $305 at time of writing, with just over a day and a half left to run.  Bear in mind that, since this particular prototype doesn’t have the necessary software for the camera to be functional, you’ll only be able to admire the tiny lens, not actually take photos.

[via CrunchGear]

The Foleo comes preinstalled with just about every app Ixle could find for it which, considering it never actually saw a commercial release, adds up to quite a list.  Not only is there a web browser but Office document editors and viewers, games, financial apps and more.

Right now – with around two and a half days left to run – the Foleo is up to $52 but hasn’t met its reserve.  Considering their rarity this could be quite an interesting conversation starter, as long as you only really start conversations with fellow geeks; you also don’t have to be using a Palm smartphone with it, since the browser will work happily over WiFi.

Update: And it’s sold, for the Buy It Now price of $750!

This Xbox 360 just happens to be the one millionth Xbox 360 to be sold in New Zealand and Australia. It’s a pretty noteworthy achievement, so it’s obvious that they wanted to make sure that the Xbox 360 itself was noteworthy. And more so than those “normal” limited edition models that get released every once in awhile. The only difference here is, it’s going to be auctioned off for charity. The design comes from Richard Taylor and a team at Weta Workshop.

As you can see in glorious detail, the system features a miniature Master Chief firing an Assault Rifle into the side of the console. And then there’s the guts of the system falling out on the other side. The console is going to make its way to eBay, where it will start its auctioning days there. It’s all meant to raise money for the David Peachey Foundation (which helps kids from rural areas find their ways to sports), and Microsoft has said that they will match whatever the console goes for, and then add an additional $10,000 to Cure Kids. We can imagine this will go for a hefty sum, but it’s well worth it. Especially for the charities involved.

[via TechnaBob]

If you still have your Atari 2600 stash, you could be sitting on enough loot for a new car. A gamer in Austin, Texas named Tanner Sandlin read a story on CNN about rare video games and realized that he owned one of the games in the story called Air Raid for the Atari 2600.

He tossed the game on eBay and the thing sold for a whopping $31,600. The reason that the game bought so much money was that it was only the 13 known copy of the game and the first complete copy that had the original packaging.

[via Mental Flossa]

As the story goes, the guy listing it was an Apple Store employee at the time and a lady dropped a Snapple bottle coming down the stairs and cracked the step. The company who made the steps (said to be worth $10,000 each) came out and replaced it. The dude who listed the stair says he asked the workers replacing the step if he could have it and they said sure and even helped him load the 250 pounds stair into his car.

After a few moves, the guy says he decided to sell the stair on eBay at one point hoping to get $2,500 out of it. After the auction made news, the guy says he was contacted by Apple and a company called Seele who made the stair and was threatened with “thousands of dollars in legal fees” if he didn’t pull the auction and return the stair. The guy says he pulled the auction to start with and now he plans on relisting it because he doesn’t think he did anything wrong. The Seele VP who contacted him allegedly told him since he was an Apple Store employee asking the workers for the stair was basically a direct order to give it to him, which sounds shady. We shall see if the auction plays out this time around, I am betting Apple releases the ninja’s on eBay and the auction is pulled.

[via Gizmodo]