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Banksy painting uses hidden shredder to destroy itself after auction
Banksy just delivered a masterclass in using technology to both create and comment on art. The mysterious artist hid a shredder in the frame for his 2006 painting Girl With Red Balloon, and when it was sold at auction for £1,042,000 (about $1.4 million)... you can probably guess what happened next. The moment the gavel came down to close bidding, the painting largely destroyed itself. Banksy didn't say much about the tech involved in a brief clip, but he clearly had a remote trigger to cut his work into ribbons.
Sotheby's wants AI to find your next art purchase
Most folks don't know much about art, but do know what they like. Auction firm Sotheby's has embraced that idea with its acquisition of Thread Genius, a company that uses AI to find art based on images of paintings, watches, furniture and other items. Sotheby's said it will marry the tech with data it already stores to help clients find objects that match their taste and budgets (terms of the sale weren't disclosed).
Sotheby's is auctioning off artifacts from the US space program
Nothing celebrates an anniversary like getting people to cough up extraordinary amounts of money, which is why Sotheby's has something special planned for the 48th anniversary of the first moon landing. On July 20, the auction house will be holding a space exploration-themed auction with one-of-a-kind items up for sale.
Rare Enigma machine sells for $233,000
An unnamed buyer has purchased an ultra-rare three-rotor German Enigma machine for the better part of $233,000. It was sold by an equally-secretive "European museum foundation" by the auctioneers Sotheby's in London for almost twice the expected price. During the Second World War, German troops were instructed to destroy their Enigma machines to prevent them falling into enemy hands, with only a handful surviving. While tainted as a piece of Nazi memorabilia, the item is also a valuable artifact in the history of modern computing. The Allied effort to break the code and Alan Turing's involvement would pave the way for the devices we use today and interest has been renewed since the release of The Imitation Game.
You can buy your own 'Tron' lightcycle (if you've got 40 grand)
If you've ever watched Tron: Legacy and wished that you could own your own lightcycle, then May 2nd could be your only chance. Car collectors the Andrews Family is selling the bulk of its vehicle haul that includes a custom replica of the two-wheeler from the film. According to the blurb, the ride was made especially for the Andrews and has a 96 Volt direct-drive electric motor with lithium batteries and a computer controlled throttle. The bike, which has a seat height of 28.5 inches, has only been ridden around the Andrews museum a few times, making it essentially brand new. Now it's going up for auction at Sotheby's on May 2nd, with it expected to fetch a price between $25,000 and $40,000, although we suspect it might go for more. All we're hoping is that Jay "Tron Guy" Maynard is now a millionaire, because that would be a match made in heaven.
eBay and Sotheby's high-end auctions will launch next month
You wouldn't expect to be let in to a fine art auction wearing nothing but tighty whities, but starting April 1st, no one's going to be able to stop you. Sotheby's has teamed up with its digital counterpart, eBay, to launch its long-promised digital sales channel. Now, online collectors flush with Beanie Baby sales cash can fight as equals against entitled Manhattan socialites for Ansel Adams' photography and Andy Warhol watches.
Sotheby's teams up with eBay to stream luxury auctions worldwide
Sotheby's auctions can be prohibitively expensive, but part of the problem is getting there in the first place; not everyone can send people to bid on their behalf. Distance shouldn't be an issue in the near future, though. The company has struck a deal that will have eBay launch a special section for "rare, unique and premium" (i.e. costly) goods where Sotheby's will stream live auctions worldwide, complete with real-time bidding. The section will be limited to New York auctions when it launches in the fall, and it won't include the biggest sales. In short, you won't be scoring a Monet from the comfort of your couch. Sotheby's will eventually expand to other locations, however, so you might not be stuck if some valuable antique goes up for grabs in Hong Kong.
Jony Ive and Marc Newson-curated Project (RED) auction a huge success; Mac Pro fetches $977,000 while Leica M camera nets $1.8 million bid
This past Saturday, Sotheby's held its long-anticipated auction that saw folks with extremely deep pockets bid on a selection of items curated, and in some cases designed, by famed designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson. The auction was held to benefit Bono's Project (RED) charity and all proceeds will be donated to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. By the time the auction ended on Saturday, the winning bids were leaps and bounds higher than what anybody could have anticipated. For instance, one of the items up on the auction block was a one-of-a-kind red Mac Pro. It was initially expected to fetch upwards of $60,000. The actual winning bid checked in at a whopping US$977,000. Another Apple-centric item that was put up for bid was a pair of solid gold 18k EarPods designed by Ive. Initial estimates pegged the winning bid to come in somewhere around the $25,000 range. The real winning bid? $461,000. Also up for bid was a one-off production of a Leica M camera designed by both Ive and Newson. The winning bid? An astronomical $1.8 million. Initially, the auction house was expecting the winning bid to come in somewhere between $500,000 and $750,000. Meanwhile, a uniquely designed aluminum desk, also designed by Ive and Newson, fetched a winning bid of $1.68 million, while a customized Steinway & Sons grand piano fetched $1.93 million. Incredibly, the auction house was anticipating bidding to come in between $150,000 and $200,000. Also worth mentioning is that a custom-made pair of leather shoes went for $12,500. Only in America! You can check out the full listing of all the products that were part of the Project (RED) auction over here on the Sotheby's website.
Jony Ive and Marc Newson discuss their upcoming (RED) auction
On November 23, the famed auction house Sotheby's will be holding an auction to benefit Bono's Project (RED) charity. While Sotheby's holds notable auctions quite regularly, the Project (RED) charity is unique insofar as all of the products up for grabs have been curated by two of today's most distinguished designters: Apple's own Jony Ive and eclectic industrial designer Marc Newson. In addition to picking which items will be up for grabs, both Ive and Newson worked together to design some unique items that you won't be able to find anywhere else. Some Apple-centric items include golden EarPods and an all-red version of Apple's highly anticipated Mac Pro. One of the more intriguing items is a one-of-a-kind Ive and Newson-designed Leica M camera. With the auction less than two weeks away, Ive and Newson sat down to discuss some of the themes that run across many of the objects which will be on the auction block. Also making an appearance in the video is Bono, who is as engaging as ever. The auction, naturally, is titled "Jony and Marc's (RED) Auction" and you can peruse all of the 44 items available over at the Sotheby's website. Some other notable items include a Stormtrooper helmet from Star Wars, a Soviet space suit and a Product (RED) inspired Steinway & Sons Grand Piano. As a point of interest, Sotheby's anticipates that the aforementioned Leica camera will fetch the most money, with bids expected to fall in the range of US$500,000 to $750,000. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to The Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. While we're on the topic of auctions, I wonder what ever happened to the person who won the auction to have coffee with Tim Cook at Apple headquarters. If you recall, the winning bid came in at $610,000. So many questions to ponder: Did this meeting already go down? Has the meeting been delayed until Apple's new mothership campus is finally up and running? Was Carl Icahn the lucky winner?! Questions for the ages.
Jony Ive turns Mac Pro RED for charity
Suddenly, the 20th Anniversary Mac seems downright commonplace. Apple's Jony Ive is teaming up with recent design partner Marc Newson to auction a one-of-a-kind red Mac Pro as part of a Product RED charity fundraiser. It's not clear what's different on the inside versus the regular black model, but look at that outside -- it's guaranteed that this workstation will be the centerpiece of the office. Be prepared to pony up if you like the idea of an ultra-exclusive system, though. Sotheby's estimates that the red Mac Pro will sell for $40,000 to $60,000; while that's a steal next to an Apple I, it's not exactly chump change. Check out both the Mac and some (slightly) more affordable rose gold EarPods at the source links.
Sotheby's auctioning off special Jony Ive designed Product (RED) Mac Pro
The entry level Mac Pro will set you back about $2,999, but If you've got much deeper pockets you might want to take a look at this one-of-a-kind Product (RED) Mac Pro that was custom designed by both Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson. The candy red and super sleek Mac Pro will be up for auction at Sotheby's and is expected to fetch any where between $40,000 and $60,000. The auction is set to kick off on November 23 at 7 PM. Recall that the uniquely colored Mac Pro won't be the only special Apple product up for auction come November. A pair of 18k gold EarPods, also designed by Ive and Newson, will also be up on the auction block.
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The Jony Ive-designed limited edition Leica M for (RED) camera
Last month we told you that Jony Ive was working on a limited edition Leica M camera to be auctioned off for The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Well, that very limited edition camera -- there is only one -- has been unveiled. According to Leica's Google+ post, the camera took 85 days to create and required a total of 561 models and nearly 1,000 prototype parts. Ive was assisted by his good friend and fellow designer Marc Newson on the project. The camera "features a laser-machined aluminum body and an anodized aluminum outer shell," and has "a full-format CMOS sensor, high performance processor and new Leica APO-Summicron -M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens." Provided you have very deep pockets, you can participate in the auction at Sotheby's on November 23, 2013 and the one-of-a-kind camera could be yours.
Functional Apple 1 auctioned off for $671.4K, sets new record (updated)
With $671,400, you could buy roughly 2,040.7 base-model iPad minis before taxes. One unnamed buyer, however, just laid that amount out for a single Apple 1 from 1976. Auctioned through Cologne, Germany-based Auction Team Breker Sotheby's, the price beats out its $640K record from another unit last November. Interestingly, the seller refurbished this latest Apple 1 to working condition, after paying only $40K for it privately. While it doesn't seem to have the original enclosure, we'd be remiss not to mention that the seller also had Steve Wozniak grace the motherboard with his signature. You'll find more info at the source, while we wrap our heads around how this makes last summer's Sotheby's auction price of $374.5K look like a relative steal. Update: We initially reported that the auction was held through Sotheby's, when it was actually done by Auction Team Breker. We've corrected this in the post.
Vintage Apple I sells for $375,000
A rare piece of Apple history is no longer on the market. Last Friday, Auction house Sotheby's sold a working Apple I computer for US$374,500. The vintage computer sold for more than twice its estimated value after a bidding war broke out between two bidders, according to a CNN Money report. The lucky winner was an anonymous telephone bidder who will walk away with one of only six known units. Apple originally produced 50 Apple I's and the other 44 are missing. Also on the auction block was a letter Steve Jobs sent to Atari. The letter sold for $27,500, which like the Apple I was significantly more than it was valued.
Daily Update for June 18, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple I fetches $374.5K at Sotheby's auction, Steve Jobs Atari note goes for $27.5K
Here's an update for all the collectors of vintage Apple Computer-wares out there. If you'll recall, it was a few weeks back when Sotheby's announced it would auction off an Apple 1 motherboard, cassette interface and its BASIC programming manual, originally set to fetch upwards of $180,000. Just this week, the hand-built piece of computing history from 1976 was sold to one lucky phone bidder for an even more massive $374,500. As Apple Insider notes, the computer is one of six that's accounted for out of 50 that are likely still out there -- ensuring these will only remain for folks with deep pockets indeed. Past that, a hand-written note from Steve Jobs during his time at Atari was also on the auction block, garnering $27,500 even though it was only estimated to sell for less than half that price. Knowing the cost of collecting a premiere piece (arguably) from the fruits of Woz and Jobs, it certainly makes that new MacBook Pro with Retina display seem like a grand bargain in comparison. Details at the links below.
Apple I up for auction: buy a bit of Apple history for the bulk of your net worth
Attention Apple lovers: here's your chance to get your hands on an original piece of company history, but the past has proven that you better have a lot of extra cash lying around. Sotheby's auction house is offering a working Apple I computer, which is the original design that was built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak back in 1976 -- by hand. It's expected to fetch between $140,000 - 180,000, and those dollars buy you a mobo, cassette interface and the original BASIC manual to get you programming partying like it's 1979. This isn't the first Apple I to hit the auction block, but with only 200 of the things in existence, the winning bidder will join the upper echelon of Apple enthusiasts. So, if you've got cash to burn and fancy yourself the ultimate fanboy, head on down to the source link for the full details. [Thanks, Deepa]
Sotheby's to auction off working Apple-1
Earlier today, we mentioned that Sotheby's is selling a memo that Steve Jobs sent to Atari. While that hand-written note will be interesting to history buffs, another Sotheby's item will garner the attention of Apple hardware enthusiasts. According to Macworld, Sotheby's is also auctioning off a working Apple-1 computer. The Apple-1 is one of 50 remaining units and one of only six working units in existence. It includes a cassette interface and several manuals. The Apple-1 was sold as a logic board and originally retailed for $666. Buyers had to supply their own cases, power supply, keyboard and monitor. The working unit is expected to fetch between US$120,000 and $180,000 when it's auctioned off next month. [Via Macworld]
Sotheby's selling original Steve Jobs note to Atari
Sotheby's is selling another a piece of Apple history that'll appeal to collectors. The auction house is offering a memo Steve Jobs sent to Atari in 1974. The memo contains changes Atari could make to its World Cup Soccer arcade game that'll add variety to the game. The memo has pencil-drawn circuit diagrams and paddle information for the engineers. It's written on Atari letterhead and signed by Jobs under All-One Farm Design, a company name inspired by an Oregon apple orchard/hippy commune frequented by Jobs. The auction begins at US$15,000, but it could fetch a lot more than that. Last year, Sotheby's sold the original Apple contract signed by Steve Jobs for $1.6 million. [Via TechCrunch]
Daily Update for December 14, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
