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Inside Goodwill's game-filled tech thrift shop, The Grid
Thrift stores: better known for dusty shirts, potential Halloween costumes and used Jenga sets. Well, Goodwill wants to change that a bit with its recent launch of The Grid, a dedicated electronics and video game specialty shop located in North Carolina. The outfit tells IGN that not only will it sell video game hardware itself, but it's arranged a deal with vendors to supply each console (even retro units) with new power and A/V cables -- stuff that can often be a bear to source. Oh, and there's Raspberry Pi and a selection of flat-screens on offer too. But what if console gaming isn't your bag? The Grid also sells laptops and gaming PCs, and, as the video below shows, even has an Oculus Rift demo station set up.
eBay's Sell it Forward splits auction proceeds with Goodwill
eBay's latest initiative is a little different from its more recent efforts that have focused mostly on re-branding and expanding the reach of PayPal. Sell it Forward encourages users to sell their used clothes and donate half the proceeds to Goodwill. The pilot program is currently only available in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin, though the company is going out of its way to make the process as painless as possible for those in eligible areas. Instead of creating listings for each item, wannabe auctioneers need only fill the pre-paid mailing bag (provided by eBay) with the clothes and accessories they wish to sell. Everything else will be taken care of for them. Employees will decide if your wares are in decent enough condition to sell, create a listing and, if the item is sold within 14 days, split the proceeds between the "seller" and Goodwill. If the item remains unsold for 14 days it becomes a straight donation to the charity. If you're in one of the trial areas and want to give Sell it Forward a go yourself, hit up the source link.
Donate your (Kiwi-only) desktop to charity
Got a high tolerance for advertising? Want to give a little something back to the world without a lot of effort? If you live in New Zealand, check out Donate Your Desktop. Each day, the app will download a new image from a sponsor to your desktop. A portion of your ad impressions (75% of revenues) will be donated to charity. Recipients include Oxfam, the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation, the Starship Foundation, and the World Wildlife Fund. If you're worried about seeing hi-res photos of ill children or animals on your desktop, fear not. The ads appear to be tasteful, and related to businesses such as DineOut and Traff1k. The application supports both Mac and Windows. We were unable to test the software as it is not available at this time outside of New Zealand. If anyone from NZ can give it a go and do some basic assurance with regards to security, etc. please drop us a note at our contact form and we'll update this post with details. If you don't mind transforming your workspace into a daily ad, it seems like a lovely way to passively do a little good in the world. [via Springwise]
Sony update on PSN / Qriocity outage: 'some services up and running within a week' (updated)
As the PlayStation Network / Qriocity outage stretches into its second week, over on the PlayStation Blog rep Patrick Seybold has just posted an updated Q&A based on the inquiries of concerned users. Beyond the security of our personal information, the most important question is when service might be restored and he reiterates Sony expects to have "some services" up and running within a week from yesterday. When it comes to the most important personal information like credit card numbers, there are assurances that the credit card database was encrypted and there is no evidence anything was taken, but that's a possibility that still cannot be ruled out completely. To keep things secure, Gamasutra reports game developers are getting new SDKs with updated security features as well. When the service comes back up, expect a mandatory system update that requires a new password before getting back to your Mortal Kombat or Portal 2-related plans. Update: Sony posted Q&A #2 with a few more details addressing custom compensation. Regarding a "goodwill gesture," Sony says, "We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online." The company is also working on a "make good" plan for gamers with a subscription to the PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms, details of which are coming soon.
Discounted: Brand new Tony Hawk Ride at ... Goodwill?
It may seem at this point that we're kicking an already downed and plenty insulted victim here, but we couldn't help but note the shockingly low price of a Tony Hawk: Ride bundle -- complete with board, unopened -- discovered by Gamertell at an Arlington Heights, Il. Goodwill store. Two Wii versions of the game were on sale for just $74.99 (down from $119.99 MSRP) -- a Goodwill employee said the game's presence could be explained by donations from local retailers, listing Kohls, Sears, Borders, and Target as potential donators. Alright, alright, we'll admit it -- the price drop isn't that steep, but a near $50 difference on a barely four-month-old game sounds pretty decent to us. Presumably, one of the aforementioned retailers was more interested in the shelf space (and the tax write-off) than waiting for the game's fairly cool sales to heat up. Either way, if you're looking to get your ... ahem ... feet on the game, maybe your local Goodwill could offer a better deal than the other brick-and-mortars, eh?
