Stolen laptop recovered with Back To My Mac

Here's a little story for you: An Apple Store employee had a party in her apartment. A couple weeks later her place was cleared out to the tune of about $5,000 worth of electronics, including her new Mac. Days later, a friend sees that she's online and alerts the Mac's rightful owner. Since she was running Leopard with Back to My Mac, owner-girl logged in remotely and activated Photo Booth via the screen-share function. And what do you know, it turned out that the thieves were some "friends" who were at the party a few weeks back. She took the photos to the cops and -- voila -- busted! The thieves, Edmon Shahikian, 23, and Ian Frias, 20, both of the Bronx, have been charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Go go crafty nerdy girl!

[Via TUAW]

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Gateway Budget Gaming Desktop Gets 45nm Quad-Core Refresh

It's been a few months since CES, so Gateway is rightly updating its FX budget gaming desktops with some fresher chips. Most notably, the FX7026 (more budget-y) and FX541 (more performance-y) are picking up Intel's mid-range Q9300 Core 2 Quad processor (which beat down AMD's top of the line Phenom X4 9850 quad in benchmarks). They both start at a little over a grand, so not bad deals—check the release for more details.

• More via Gizmodo »

Yahoo willing to reopen talks, was just kidding around about $37

After the beating the company is taking in the stock market, and with several prominent investors stepping forward to express disatisfaction with how things were handled, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang says he was willing to discuss things further if Microsoft hadn't turned its back on the offer. "We did not say it was a take-it-or-leave-it number in the sense that we would never negotiate any more," he said, referring to the $37 figure. "We were totally willing to do a transaction, and they walked away." Deep down we know he's just miffed to be missing out on sleeping bag to sleeping bag discussions with Ballmer about adding an exclamation mark to Microsoft. Dream on, Yang.

• [Via Silicon Valley Insider]
• Read more @ Engadget
  

Yoto's M300 PMP plays just about everything, won't gossip about you

If you absolutely can't stand life without a widescreen PMP one more moment, Yoto just might have you covered. Sure, the M300 looks like a lot of other "all screen" media players out there, but can those other models handle AVI, DIVX, MPEG4, RM, XVID, RMVB, FLV, MP3, WMA, FLAC, APE, JPEG, GIF, and BMP files? Do they have 400 x 240 WQVGA screens? Are they made by Yoto? If you answered "no" to any of those questions, you're not talking about the Yoto M300 -- and you're hurting our feelings. You might pause at the apparent compatibility issues (Windows 2000 and Windows XP only?), and maybe this doesn't actually have a touchscreen, and sure, it was never really cleared of those murder charges... you know on second thought, maybe this isn't such a good investment.

• more via PMP Today

BlackBerry 9000 Reviewed Early (Verdict: Fantastic)

Crackberry, the BlackBerry fan site, bought a BlackBerry 9000 off of eBay for $828 and reviewed it. Why's this notable? Because the phone doesn't go on sale until July or August. This fact doesn't stop them from throwing lots of praise on the phone now, however, saying that the "9000 will leaves [sic] every other BlackBerry made to date in the dust."

The 9000 still takes a long time to start up—Crackberry says the software should be updated before launch and that might speed it up a bit—but the keyboard is nice and OS 4.6 is also "smooth", "fast" and "pretty." The display is "bright and crisp", and 3G is definitely welcome. If you even have the smallest interest in BlackBerry, this is a phone to consider.

• Full review via Crackberry

HTC Touch Diamond hands-on

by Joshua FruhlingerWe had a little thumb-print orgy with the new HTC Touch Diamond immediately following its launch. Light and small, the Touch Diamond comes off as a unit with promise. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a while to get our hands on this via a US carrier, but Orange users in the UK will no doubt be pretty happy with this new handset, the first of its kind to use Windows Mobile 6.1.

Check out the gallery below, complete with comments and interface walk-through.

• Gallery: HTC Touch Hands On

Hands-on with SteelSeries Ikari mouse and new 7G gaming keyboard

We've been spending some quality time with the high-end gaming products from SteelSeries, and we have to say we're impressed. The Ikari laser mouse they announced last year is particularly great, with a built-in processor and sensitivity settings to allow for a customized and precise sensitivity setting in a plug-and-play setup particularly suited to professional gamers. Settings are easy to work, and the actual sensitivity and response of the mouse easily outclasses our prior mousing experiences.

New to the market is the SteelSeries 7G keyboard, which is making its debut on Monday the 5th. The keyboard is fully mechanical, with no-click switches that give it a much stronger, smoother tactile feel, while simultaneously catering to gamers by registering half presses. The keyboard weighs a ton thanks to the heavy-duty iron-infused plastic and the gold electronics, and is quite capable of handling abuse. We grew up typing on heavy-duty keyboards, and this is easily the best one we've used this decade -- though the $150 pricetag also makes it the most expensive outside of the Optimus Maximus.

Both of these products are obviously built for pro and casual gamers, but we found a productivity boost in our regular day-to-day blogging operations, which requires large quantities of precise link clicking (how's that for a resume line item?) and rapidly written posts. In addition to these two, SteelSeries is bringing its entire line of Euro-popular gaming peripherals to the States, including headphones and crazily fancy mouse pads.

• Brought to you via Engadget featuring a full gallery just a click away
  

HTC Touch Diamond all gussied up and official

via Engadget:

We've got some hands-on shots and impressions with the newly announced HTC Touch Diamond that we'll be sharing with you shortly, but here are some official press shots to whet your appetite. Tell it to us one more time, HTC. VGA? You really do love us.

And if you'd like more, up next the Gallery: HTC Touch Diamond all gussied up and official

Evolution of Man and Technology

No need for any further comments...

BlackBerry 9000 to come in cheaper, 3G-less version

by Joshua TopolskyApparently, RIM is a bit worried that the rumored high price-point for the forthcoming BlackBerry 9000 might be a bit too steep for some, and plans to offer a budget version -- sans 3G. According to the Boy Genius, an almost identical model of the next-gen phone will be available without high-speed data, and will have a slightly different bezel and back casing (which he's gotten a picture of, seen up above) -- though we're not sure why they'd go to the trouble of making a different body when only the guts will change. Clearly it's one of life's mysteries we weren't meant to understand.

• read more @ EngadgetMobile

Women More Likely than Men to Give Passwords for Chocolate. No Crap.

by Joanna Stern

I have to say as a woman I believe the findings of Infosecurity Europe’s recent survey, which claims that women are more inclined than men to give away passwords for chocolate, to be seriously flawed.

The survey found that women far more likely than males to give away their passwords to total strangers. Forty-five percent of women versus 10 percent of men were prepared to give away their passwords, to strangers masquerading as market researches with the lure of a chocolate bar as an incentive for filling in the survey.

My first issue is that women like chocolate more than men. Do I even need evidence of this? I do know women love chocolate, especially during a certain time of the month. If I were to run into a “market researcher” on the street, sure, I’d give him my “password” for a Milky Way. I’d lie about my password, take the chocolate and run. Men might have done the same if the incentive was, let’s say, bacon.

Read more on this (Via LaptopMag) »

Engadget Mobile, LG, and Stark Industries want you to have a $1,500 Iron Man phone

So... this just in, Engadget Mobile, LG and Stark Industries are just giving away twenty of these gorgeous phones, limited edition LG Shine Slide phones.Unlike the garden-variety Shine, the Iron Man edition trades up to a deep red case with gold plated highlights and a solid 18K gold battery cover to commemorate the launch of the film in style.

And to be eligible to win one of these beauties you just have to send a mail to contests [at] engadget [dawt] com with the subject "I am Iron Man!".

For more details on entering the competitions and other rules and facts visit EngadgetMobile

p.s. US only

Beijing's Gigantic LED Wall Is Fully Solar Powered

Say what you will about the fiascoes leading up to the Beijing Olympics, but the event has brought along with it some amazing new architecture. Greeting visitors attending the Xicui entertainment complex near the site of the games is a 20,000 square foot wall of computer-controlled LEDs, the largest of its kind ever built. Better yet, the wall manages to power itself completely using only the sun.

• More via Gizmodo »

Build Your Own Multitouch Table With The Cubit

Engineers at Eyebeam, a New York arts and technology center, are drastically reducing the cost of ownership for multitouch tables by taking them open-source. Schematics for the Cubit, a multitouch tabletop display, are available online for people who want to make a scaled-down Microsoft Surface for one tenth the Surface's price.

• More via Gizmodo»

DViCO launches PCIe-based FusionHDTV7 dual HDTV tuner card

Heads-up, OTA lovers. DViCO has just announced the formal launch of its FusionHDTV7 PCI-Express card, which claims to be the "world's first dual HD (digital or QAM) tuner PCIe card." The device is designed to pick up digital (ATSC) / analog (NTSC) terrestrial signals, and the twin silicon tuners also provide picture-in-picture support as well as the ability to watch and / or record two high-definition broadcasts simultaneously. And at just $140 (available now), we have a feeling this one's going to be a fan favorite.

[Via TVSquad]

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 unboxing and hands-on

Though our pals over at Switched managed to snag some hands-on video with a red pre-production unit, we figured we'd grab hold of the classic black edition of the IdeaPad U110 and give you a closer look. Made available for order just this week, Lenovo's latest ultraportable is high on style (and way high on gloss) and possesses the price tag to prove it. Meander on into the gallery below for a veritable plethora of unboxing and hands-on shots -- and rest assured, impressions are on the way.

Click for a full gallery.

My 15-Monitor Setup Sure Makes Up for My Lousy Childhood!

Oh, look at you with your three monitors. I bet you think you're king nerd of computer mountain, don't you? Well you know what? You suck. That's right. That's because I have fifteen monitors strung together making my screen bigger than all of yours. Did you hear me?! I HAVE THE BIGGEST SCREEN! Finally, I win at something!

• More via Gizmodo»

Next-Gen Sidekick Prototype Details

A prototype of the next Sidekick (mobile-cum-internet device). It's thinner and less wide but has a bigger keyboard. Now I no longer keep it on a belt, I'm always losing it. I was known as the "absent-minded professor" as a student.

• More @ Gizmodo
  

The Alphagrip Handheld PC is Ergonomically Insane

You may recognize Alphagrip from their bizarre line of handheld keyboard trackball mouse hybrid controllers—but by the looks of their entry into Microsoft's Next Gen PC design competition, it appears that they are planning on taking things a step further by integrating a computer screen. The controller itself is basically a beefed-up version of their previous product—a design intended to maximize typing speed, conveniences and comfort.

• More @ Gizmodo»
  

Acer's 18.4-inch Aspire 8920G laptop gets reviewed

First things first: just in case that headline didn't really sink in, this is an 18.4-inch laptop. In other words, those of you with even the slightest of back problems should probably just pass this one right on by. If you're still with us, however, you'll likely be totally engrossed by Laptop Mag's review of the Acer Aspire 8920G. The larger of the two second-gen Gemstones was said to feature a "gorgeous" Full HD display, impressive audio output, a respectable webcam and plenty of power under the hood. They also found the unique CineDash Media Console to be quite effective, save for accidentally activating the multimedia hub on occasion. Overall, critics deemed the lappie a "stellar" machine, but we'd certainly recommend browsing through the review just to make sure you're really interested in picking up a slab this gigantic.

• Up next, Read the full Review!
  

BlackBerry Kickstart flip gets more details, T-Mobile branding included

by Chris Ziegler
If it weren't for RIM's "help, we're stuck in 2006 and can't get out!" approach of topping this thing out with EDGE data, we'd be all over its warm embrace of an all-new form factor -- but yeah, seriously RIM, what's up with that? Boy Genius Report has outed a few more alleged specs of Waterloo's first foray into the clamshell market, the Kickstart -- and it looks like we can expect a 2 megapixel cam, SureType (as though we couldn't have figured that out ourselves), internal QVGA and external 160 x 128 displays, WiFi, and a true 3.5mm headphone jack. We're also seeing some new shots with T-Mobile branding, which makes sense considering the carrier's longstanding efforts to be on RIM's bleeding edge. Oh, and just for the humor factor, RIM appears to be drawing parallels between the Kickstart and a few... uh, "objects," such as the "anodized color" similar to that found on an "urban nomad tool." So this is how product development goes down -- explains a lot!

[Via phoneArena]

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• via Engadget
  

8GB Nokia N95 lands on Rogers, sticks tongue out at AT&T

Get this: the first North American carrier to offer up Nokia's 8GB N95 isn't AT&T. Heck, it's not even a US-based operator. No friends, it's Canada's own Rogers Wireless. Just as we had heard late last month, the N95 8GB has officially landed in the Great North, and starting on May 6th, consumers up that way will be able to secure one for a hefty $399.99 with a three-year activation on the Rogers Vision Unlimited On-Device Mobile Browsing Plan. Don't weep too heavily, AT&T users -- your time should be coming soon.

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First Look: Asus m70 1TB Laptop

By Danny Dumas

Well looky looky what we have here. Some say storage = snore-age. Know what? Those people are mostly right. Except when you get in the world's first notebook that contains a grand freaking total of one terabyte (!) of hard disk space .

First impressions? The m70 comes with Vista Home Premium (Meh.) and weighs a bone crushing 9-pounds. Seriously, it's pushing the limits of portability. Asus still hasn't gotten back to us yet about how much the unit's price. Our IT guru said it'll probably cost about $2500-$3000 considering the specs.

To give you an idea of what it would take to fill up the hard drive, hit the jump to see the breakdown on how much porn, MP3s, DVDs, games, and pictures would be needed to fill the roomy storage.

read more @ WiredBlogs

Dell's XPS 730 H2C Tower Can Run Crysis at Full Specs Starting at a Mere $4,000

Dell just announced its new high-end XPS 730 H2C gaming desktop, and get this — they claim it can run Crysis at 1920 x 1200 resolution at 30fps. Now that is a figure more impressive than any stats about the guts of the tower, right? OK, OK, those are interesting too.

This monster of a tower weighs nearly 50 pounds, stuffed as it is with goodies. It's based on Nvidia's nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset, and you can choose to load it with chips ranging from the Intel Core 2 Duo up to the 45nm Core 2 Extreme. You can also put in up to four 1TB hard drives for some ridiculous reason, a whopping 8GB of RAM and Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music.

• Dell
• more via Gizmodo
  

Home of the Year 2008 winners

by Darren MurphHere it is: the hotly anticipated list of best homes as selected by Electronic House. Interestingly enough, this year's winners are quite different than the champs of 2007, and we suspect all that talk of green these days has something to do with it. Yep, for the first time ever, an "energy-efficient, sustainable" home snagged the highly-coveted gold, but make no mistake, this domicile is packed to the gills with electronic goodness (some of which actually helps keep energy waste down). Even if that doesn't pique your interest, EH has selected a plethora of other swank abodes to highlight, including the best home theater, a pimped out yacht and cribs with hidden treasures. Go on, get lost in the pages upon pages of snapshots and descriptions below -- and feel free to brag in comments if your pad wound up a winner.

• Read @ ElectronicHouse
  
• via Engadget
  

Dell launches the Vostro 1510 and 1310 laptops

by Joshua Topolsky

Just like we warned, Dell's new cheapo business laptops, the Vostro 1510 and Vostro 1310 have hit virtual shelves. The 15.4- and 13.3-inch models both feature Intel CPUs (up to Core 2 Duos), a maximum of 4GB of RAM, 80GB to 250GB hard drives, and a bunch of other features that should be totally adequate for your business affairs. The 1510 starts at $599, and the 1310 at $749; both are available now.

[Via Laptoping]

Robometer concept device promises to help you feel happy

by Donald Melanson

Detecting emotional cues is hardly a new endeavor, but this so-called Robometer concept device takes a slightly different (but not entirely unique) approach to things, with it actually promising to help you feel happy by prompting you when you stray too far into tediousness. To do that, the rig makes use of a GSR lead to detect your galvanic skin response, along with accelerometers that detect repetitive movement, and a voice sensor that promises to detect repetitive phrases. Those then get translated into various warning levels, with the device ultimately letting out a voice prompt when you're perilously close to becoming too tense or unhappy. Not surprisingly, there's no indication that the project will ever move beyond the concept stage, but you can get a glimpse at what we could be missing out on in the video available at the link below.

[Via Gizmo Watch]

• Read
• @ Engadget
  

BlackBerry 9000 internal docs show off new UI

Someone, or something, has leaked a BlackBerry’s 9000 internal spec sheet to BGR . (These controlled “leaks” are part of how RIM does business, you know.) It’s more or less a complete overview of the newly designed user interface. Pictured here, a few shots of some of the new themes. Church.

The BlackBerry 9000 is supposed to be RIM’s “answer” to the iPhone, hence the new UI, much improved Web browser (consumers love the Web!), built-in Wi-Fi and camera, improved multimedia capabilities, etc. No touchscreen, but the keyboard is partly what makes a BlackBerry a BlackBerry.

via CrunchGear

Spammer sentenced to 21 years

Where there is crime, there is a victim, or so the adage goes, and in this case, you’re likely one of the victims yourself. Eddie Davidson was the spam king of Louisville until he was caught in 2007, and he was sentenced today to 21 months in a federal PMITA prison.

Davidson sent out millions of spams, from fake rolexes to junk stocks. He was convicted on tax charges and for falsifying header information in emails. Oh, and fined almost three-quarters of a million bucks.

via CrunchGear

Sharp AQUOS X TVs to Come With Wireless WHDI Connection

When we showed you those Sharp X-series ultra-thin LCD TVs recently, we mentioned how Sharp had achieved the slimming down: by putting most of the electronics in a separate box, connected by a single cable. Well, now there's news that Sharp has teamed up with AMIMON to do away with that cable and transmit the HDTV signal wirelessly to the display from the tuner box. The "WHDI" technology has a range of 100 feet, a latency of less than a millisecond and can transmit through multiple walls. So while the 37-, 42- and 46-inch TVs will now have an optional wireless video transmitter with AMIMON's tech inside, there's no info on the price yet. Read on for the full press release.
More @ Gizmodo»

SlingPlayer Mobile Gets Updated For Windows Mobile and Symbian

Sling's just rolled out new versions of their SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile (both versions) and Symbian S60. It's a free upgrade for current users and adds support for new handsets (Nokia N95, Samsung i760, Treo 500v, etc.) and improves streaming quality (Sprint Mogul) on others. We went to a car wash this weekend and had 10 minutes of downtime. TEN MINUTES! This should ensure that never happens again. [Sling]

via Gizmodo

How Big is Your Monitor?

We already asked about the size of your TV, so it is only fitting that we do a follow-up focusing on computer monitors. The choices after the break offer a basic range that should accommodate owners of most laptops, LCDs and CRTs. Just pick the number that is closest to the measurement of your viewable area (rounding up if necessary). That having been said, if you own a CRT, keep in mind that the two types of monitors are measured differently. Make sure your figure does not include the screen frame. UPDATE: TV monitor option added.

More »

Alienware "Fastest Ever" 17-Inch Area-51 m17x Gaming Notebook

Alienware's latest community effort is AlienNetwork, a "digital channel" which debuted today. To kick off the show with a bang, they revealed that their "fastest ever" 17-inch Area-51 m17x gaming notebook shown back in November is launching today at 5PM (right now, give or take). Versus the m15x, it's got a higher res 1920x1200 screen, NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX SLI graphic cards, up to a Core 2 Extreme CPU and the option for two hard drives set up in RAID. It's in all black and if we might say so, just a bit sexier than the m15x.

via Gizmodo
Update: Here's the product page.

Final Specs for Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Notebooks, On Sale Tomorrow

Get ready, ultraportable fans -- here's the dirty details you've been demanding. Lenovo's IdeaPad U110, which becomes available in the US tomorrow in black and red -- is all set to start at $1,899 directly from Lenovo. Wondering what that'll net you? Here goes:

• Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 CPU (1.6GHz, 4MB, 800MHz)
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• 11.1-inch widescreen WXGA (1,366 x 768) LED-backlit panel
• Intel's GMA X3100 graphics set
• 120GB 4,200RPM hard drive
• 2GB of RAM
  
• dual-layer DVD writer (external)
• 1.3-megapixel camera
• 10/100 Ethernet, WiFi and optional Bluetooth
• 2.4-pounds with 4-cell battery
• Dimensions: 10.8- x 7.7- x 0.72- through 0.88-inches

You'll also get a 1-year warranty, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, FireWire / VGA sockets, a 6-in-1 multicard reader, Mini-PCIe / ExpressCard slots, audio in / out and a pair of stereo speakers. It should be noted that the 4-cell battery is only rated for 2-hours of use, while the rig can withstand up to 8-hours if the 7-cell Li-ion expansion pack is utilized, too. You may also notice a slew of retailers carrying a $1,999 model starting in mid-May -- those come stocked with 3GB of RAM versus the standard 2GB on the $1,899 model.

via Engadget

Unlocked Blackberry 9000 spotted

This unlocked Blackberry 9000 was spotted on eBay just before the auction mysteriously ended. The seller says the phone is unlocked and will "Not be released until August 2007" -- we'll guess he / she is a little unclear as to what year it is. However, said seller promises that this particular unlocked phone is actually in stock now and ready to ship for the lucky winner. Listed features (according to this auction) include: 3G, Edge, WiFi, and Bluetooth, as we've seen elsewhere. There's no telling how legit this is, and the seller clearly pulled the auction for some unknown reason, but there do seem to be at least a few of these floating around. Peep the pictures in the gallery below for some photographic evidence.

via Engadget

Hans Tan's LED clock spells out time in text

Those tried-and-true hands definitely get the job done, but glancing over to find out what time of the day it is should be an adventure. Singaporean Hans Tan has crafted quite the atypical timepiece with his Idea of a Clock (revision 2), which utilizes a LED bulletin board to spell out the time in text rather than using symbols, numbers or long sticks. Best of all, those interested in making the act of watching time go by somewhat enjoyable can order one from the artist himself, but considering the limited edition nature of the piece, we wouldn't waste too much time waffling over pulling the trigger.

[Via technabob]

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• via Engadget
  

Netgear offers up 6-bay ReadyNAS Pro

Four months is just too long to go without an all new ReadyNAS, so we suppose that's why Netgear is kicking out an all new 6-bay unit (6TB RNDP6610; 3TB RNDP6310; 1.5TB RNDP6350) for those obsessed with storage. The box can handle up to 6TB of HDD space and features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM (up to 4GB supported), 128MB of embedded flash for the OS, a pair of gigabit Ethernet ports, three USB 2.0 sockets and support for RAID 0/1/5/6 and Auto-Expandable X-RAID2. As expected, Windows / Mac / Linux clients can all tap in, and the unit streams all sorts of media on the side. Of course, acquiring the industry's first 6-bay small-form-factor NAS drive won't come cheap, with the ReadyNAS Pro starting at around two large.

via Engadget

Acer Aspire 8920G preview

Reviewed by: Rory Reid

Approximately six months ago, Acer debuted its Gemstone series -- a range of laptops that was co-designed by BMW. They were excellent products, spoiled only -- we believe -- by the questionable styling. Today, Acer has unveiled the latest evolution of the series, known as the Gemstone Blue. Not only are these more stylish than the previous models, but they're the first laptops to feature either 16-inch or 18.4-inch displays that offer true 16:9 aspect ratios. Starting at £899, the Aspire 8920G isn't available until later this week, but we've had the pleasure of testing a pre-production sample of this 18.4-inch desktop replacement.

Outlook
The Aspire 8920G is a very promising machine, and one which may set standards in years to come. The 18.4-inch display in particular is a marvel -- mainly because it has a true 16:9, 1080p resolution. We'll reserve judgement until we see a final sample, but early indications are that Acer is on to a winner.

For more: Upsides and Downsides
Video: Here
via: Crave@Cnet

PS3 Laptop charity auction EBay BIDDING!

It's time to pull out your pocketbooks because the charity auction you've been waiting for is going down right now. Up for grabs: the absurdly rare, one of a kind, hand-made PS3 Laptop, built by Ben Heckendorn for Engadget. 100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to National Cancer Coalition, most or all of which should be tax-deductible by the winner. And to sweeten the deal that much more, we'll even pay shipping, and have Ben Heck himself autograph the thing (if you want). The rules are below, read them carefully.

• Real bids only people, this is for charity!
• Let us repeat that: only leave a bid if you're prepared to pony up that amount of money. Especially because we might come a knocking if for some reason we can't get in touch with the top bidder.
• Auction is over Friday, April 25th. We'll contact the winner by email.
• Payment will go directly to National Cancer Coalition, and will be expected to be made within one day of the auction's close. We will confirm with the charity that the payment has been made.
• A US winner will get free FedEx air shipping.
• We will also ship internationally, but auction winner will likely have to pay customs.
• Product is sold as-is, with no warranty by Ben Heck, Engadget, and certainly not by Sony.

Just in case you need a refresher, here are pics and video of what you're bidding on. Good luck -- and for those that don't win, please don't let that stop you from donating to the NCC or another charity of your choice!

Update: We're postponing the auction. A few people can't be mature enough to bid properly on something for charity; others believe we should be posting the auction to eBay (despite the fact that the last time we did a charity eBay auction we got scammed). We'll get back to you, thanks.

By popular request we posted it to eBay. If we get fake bids again, though, we're likely not to do anything like this again in the future -- so be good.

Bid!

via Engadget

Motorola's 2008 Cellphones Leaked

If you were hoping Motorola's 2008 cellphone lineup was going to turn around their "slump", we've got good news and bad news for you. The bad news is most of their phones are pretty much retreads of old devices, and there aren't any great new form factors—not even an iPhone clone—to speak of. The good news is that the upcoming ZN5 actually does look halfway decent with its 5-megapixel camera, Xenon flash, 2.4-inch display, 500MHz Freescale processor and Montavista Linux. It's somewhat sad when the best of your lineup is a Linux phone, but we weren't really expecting much from Motorola at this point anyway. [IT168 via JAMPB via Uber Phones]

Apple TV is Not a Hit

The analysts are finally confirming what we've known all along. Apple TV isn't a big deal. Market research firm Forrester reports that they estimate Apple will be lucky to sell 800,000 units by the end of this year, or 200,000 short of Forrester's 1 million unit estimation. So do they blame the marketing? No, plenty of internet-using adults know about the product (around 50%), but only 5% of those people know what it does.

What's the problem? Forrester actually blames iTunes video for failing the hardware. A software platform that hasn't taken over at the level of music, Forrester thinks that you have to get the consumers watching iTunes movies before Apple can sell the hardware intended to streamline their playback.

I think that the device is just too niche in a consumer's entertainment workflow to swallow. "So wait, I have to buy this just to watch my movie on my TV? Why don't I just watch a DVD then? Or you know, the non-Apple variety of television." If everyone has heard of your product but no one knows what it does, you have to wonder how important its function is to consumers.

But as Jobs himself said, Apple TV is just a "hobby." [pcworld]