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Who in their right mind would pay $9,000 for an iPod autographed by Steve Jobs?
How much is an old, dirty, used 30GB iPod worth? What about an old, dirty, used 30GB iPod with a somewhat questionable Steve Jobs signature on the back? According to eBay, it's worth about US$9,000. Well, at least that's how much the seller is asking for what appears to be a fifth-generation iPod with a bit of purple Sharpie marker on the back. The seller -- who has a 100 percent feedback rating over 2,836 transactions -- offers no proof that the signature is the real deal, other than writing "AUTHENTIC" in all-caps in the item description. The auction is open for offers as well, though the five prices that have been proposed thus far have been shot down. If you're looking for a gift for the Apple fan who has everything, this might do the trick, though figuring out whether the Apple co-founder ever actually touched the device is probably more trouble than it's worth.
Steve Jobs autographed computer chip
Letters of Note is a wonderful repository of "fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes and memos," and a favorite destination of several members of the TUAW staff. Today's find was actually published on October 6, 2011, the day after Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs passed on. The typewritten letter, dated November 16, 1983, is from Jobs to an Apple fan ("Francis") who had apparently expressed enthusiasm about the company's early products. It's pretty cool that Jobs responded to the fan's letter at all, but even more impressive is the fact that his signature isn't on the letter, but on an Applesoft ROM chip taped to the letter. Any TUAW readers with Jobs-signed memorabilia can let us know about your swag through the "Tip Us" button on the top right of this page.
Authentic NASA artifacts, Buzz Aldrin's dinner set for auction
Your long-held desire to own some authentic, Apollo-era vacuum-sealed, freeze-dried pot roast is about to be fulfilled. That's right: RR Auction is, well, auctioning artifacts from the Golden Age of the space program this upcoming January, including Gordon Cooper's father's gold and diamond 32nd degree Masonic ring and some random part of a Mercury capsule that's been mounted on a commemorative plaque. But that ain't all! To see a complete list of all five hundred items, or to get in on the action yourself, hit the source link.
President Obama signs another iPad
At the NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal, an iPad-toting attendee approached President Obama and asked him to sign his 21st century autograph pad. The President replied, "I've done this once before." Back in October, President Obama signed an iPad at a rally at the University of Washington. As Dave Caolo noted at the time, this was the first presidential autograph captured with an iPad that we know of. Click Read More to watch a video of the autograph. [Comments on this post are closed.]
Swag Saturday: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker & autographed guide
Yep, that's Hideo Kojima, director of the recently-released Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Yep, that's him signing an official strategy guide for the critically-acclaimed PSP game. And yep, it's going to you -- with a free copy of the game on UMD -- provided you enter and win this giveaway! Leave a comment telling us what your favorite Hideo Kojima-directed game is. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 5:00PM ET on Friday, June 18. At that time, we will randomly select one winner to receive a copy of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on UMD and an autographed copy of the Prima Essential Guide (ARV: $55). For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
Hideo Kojima autograph signings scheduled for Los Angeles and New York
Did you miss your chance to meet Hideo Kojima for the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4? You'll have yet another opportunity, this time to coincide with the launch of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Provided you're willing to travel to Los Angeles or New York, you'll be able to say "Hi!" to the man most famously known for his involvement in the Zone of the Enders franchise. Kojima will make his appearance in New York on June 11, at Uniqlo from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and at Best Buy Union Square from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.. West Coasters will want to stop by the Universal Citywalk GameStop in Los Angeles on June 13 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Don't forget to mark your calendars. And, if you want to guarantee a visit with the game designer, you best start waiting in line ... now.
Roger Daltrey-signed guitar periphs auctioned for Teenage Cancer Trust
It's a well-known fact that anything signed by a founding member of The Who is immediately imbued with supernatural properties. Imagine, if you will, the raw, unbridled power a Rock Band guitar would gain if tenderly handled and Hancocked by frontman Roger Daltrey. We're pretty sure it would be incapable of missing notes at that point. Such an artifact is now attainable, if you're willing to dish out enough cash to claim it. Daltrey and peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz have teamed up to auction off a pair of classy Wooden Fender Stratocaster guitar controllers for Xbox 360. The proceeds from the auctions will support the Teenage Cancer Trust, a U.K. charity which funds special oncology units in hospitals which "enable young people to be treated together, by an expert team, in the best possible environment for their age group." These auctions are a great cause -- with some extremely rocking benefits. The auctions are up right now, and will run until next Thursday. Also, we can't think of an appropriate pun to end this post, but if we write about Roger Daltrey and don't link to the "YEEEEEEAAAHHH" button, we're contractually obligated to resign. [Via Shacknews]
Steve Ballmer's shocking autograph of MacBook Pro caught on video
It's likely that if you were told to describe what you think would happen if someone asked Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to autograph a MacBook Pro, it would go something like this: Steve would fly into a blind fury, grabbing the laptop and smashing it against a far wall with the force of ten men, laughing as the computer shattered and sparked out of existence. He would then leap towards the young man who'd made the request and pin him to the floor, pulling out a Bowie knife while whispering that he would like to "Gut [him] like the pathetic animal he is." Next Ballmer would dash out of the room only to return with a canister of gasoline, some hairspray, and one of those long lighters, all while shouting that he would "Show the world what [he's] really made of." Ballmer would escape from this scene of utter destruction in a helicopter, but not before circling the college campus (or wherever this took place) and dumping toxic waste on hundreds of students. But, no. He pretty much just signs the laptop. See it all happen after the break.
The King of Kong DVD signed and delivered, the cheap and easy way [update]
Update: Sorry, gang. Looks like they ran out of supplies. The offer's no longer available. How would you like to own a copy of the critically-acclaimed documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters signed by the film's underdog protagonist Steve Wiebe? Well, you can have it -- in fact, the act of acquiring such a rare gem is actually pretty easy. All you have to do is pay $9.95 (that includes shipping!) andorderstevewiebe'schristianmusicalbum. What? Yes, fine -- if you buy Steve Wiebe's Christian music album, cleverly titled "The King of Song," you get a signed copy of the similarly-titled film. We can't speak for the quality of any music that's not hardcore funk, but in terms of raw value, a signed copy of a great film and any CD for just $9.95 is a pretty spectacular deal. The offer's only available until January 1, so you'll need to act quickly, should you decide to act at all.
Have a MacBook running Snow Leopard? Give someone your Autograph
Up to this point in time, if you wanted to "sign" an electronic document (other than a secure PDF), you either had to scan your signature with a scanner and import the resulting graphic into your document, or purchase a digitizing tablet. Ten One Design, the same folks who brought us the Pogo Sketch stylus, have come up with a way for anyone with Snow Leopard and a MacBook that supports multi-touch gestures to sign documents. Autograph (US$6.95) is a signature capture application that works with your MacBook and a finger or stylus to make signing your name a snap. If you don't know if your MacBook will work with Autograph, you can download a trial copy that adds a watermark to the signature just to try it out. To add your John Hancock to an email or document when Autograph is running (I have it set up to launch at startup), you can either select the menu bar icon or press control-option-A, and then a semi-transparent gray window appears. Using your finger or a stylus on your trackpad like a pen, you can write your name or draw a little picture. Pressing return embeds the signature or sketch into your document. Autograph works great! I was able to use it in Mail, Word, Keynote, and Pages, and I'm assuming that it will work fine in any Mac application that lets you paste in a graphic. I know I'll be using this handy little program to add a personal touch to my documents. The short silent video below demonstrates Autograph in action.
Touching is (not) good: a Miyamoto-signed Phat
When Swedish eBayer Mikael was lucky enough to win a Shigeru Miyamoto-autographed DS at E3 2005, he did the only sensible thing: he sealed it away from the harmful effects of light and dust forever. Or at least, until now.This pristine, fingerprint-free Pearl White model is currently on eBay, where it lies at the $760 mark with over a week to go. Is it worth that? For something you're likely not going to use, probably not, but this is easily one of the nicest autographed DSes we've seen. The combination of gold on white reeks of class, and Miyamoto's famous signature is, as usual, fun and playful. The fact that it's a Phat only increases its appeal to us.See also: A very special deal on a Miyamoto-signed DS. %Gallery-25220% [Via Kotaku]
X3F @ Too Human hometown launch signing
In the beautiful, quiet town of St. Catharines, Ontario, members of Silicon Knights -- including company president Denis Dyack -- held a launch signing event at their local EB Games to promote the release of Too Human. While attendees quickly entered and left with copies in hand never a dull moment was found as gaming enthusiasts of all ages trickled in one after the other for a glimpse and signatures from their hometown gaming heroes.X3F was on hand for the event and had the opportunity to speak with Denis Dyack regarding the community they support, Too Human itself and pre-orders. Stay tuned for the interview later today.%Gallery-29998%
A very special deal on a Miyamoto-signed DS [update]
More than most autographed DS systems, this one has, uh, personality. Character. It looks like it's got a few stories to tell. Like the story of what that orange stuff is, and the story of how its top screen got that awful crack. And in case you're distracted by those two issues, this DS has in fact not been autographed by Shigeru Miyamoto, and it's selling for (a current bid of) just $18.35.It's unlikely that you'd buy an autographed DS to play anyway. Items like that are strictly for display or bragging rights. So why not save yourself a little money and buy one that is less than perfectly functional? We were being sarcastic when we first started typing that, but now we think it's actually a pretty smart idea.(Update:) Here's why: it's not really signed. As pointed out by commenter GCN Sean, it's a sticker. But hey, broken DS with a sticker on it for like $18, right? That's actually ... a terrible deal. Well, at least we think we've found the Worst DS on eBay. Really, we think the thing's a lot more entertaining now that we know it's a hilarious scam. [Via GameSniped]
It's-a-me, Martinet! Signing your DS!
DSes with signatures of Nintendo luminaries come up now and then, but a system with a moustachioed smiley face on it signed by a secondary figure like the voice of Mario is a rarity. eBay seller mus_ne is auctioning off this white DS Lite autographed and WooHoo!!!-graphed by Charles Martinet, for, well, rather a lot of money. It does come with screen protectors and a "DS Lite Cotton Sock," which ... still doesn't make the thing worth $400.Just think: with this DS, you can be reminded of how Martinet totally ruined the Super Mario Advance games even when you're not playing the Super Mario Advance games.[Via GameSniped]
Orcs & Elves & a John Carmack autograph
As if having the words "Orcs & Elves" emblazoned on your DS isn't enough to get you made fun of at school/the office by fantasy-hating jocks/co-workers, id Software went the extra mile and slapped on some dragon artwork onto this customized system to multiply its dorkiness rating tenfold. Oh, and the John Carmack autograph on the lid is sure to bring in a few putdowns, too: "Who is this John guy supposed to be? Your boyfriend?" So what if he is?Thankfully, we won't ever have to worry about Alisha heckling us for carrying one of these around, as only two were made, and they've both already been given away as part of a recent GamePro contest. We just might end up printing out a similar decal for our own DS, however -- the idea of designing our handheld to match the dragon posters we've put up in our cubicle is too tempting.
Confirmed: all high-level Nintendo employees are required to have big circles in signatures
Not only has Eiji Aonuma followed Shigeru Miyamoto as producer of the Zelda games, but he's followed Miyamoto in autograph style as well. Compare Miyamoto's autograph (left) with the thing Aonuma scribbled on this crimson-and-black DS, given to a Link costume contest winner at the Phantom Hourglass launch. Both Nintendo luminaries feature two big circle things in their autographs, even though Miyamoto signs his name using the Roman alphabet and Aonuma signs in kanji.Congratulations go out, of course, to the winner, a GoNintendo reader named JulianK, one of the few people for whom Link cosplay had positive consequences.
Get equipped with autographed DS Lite
One lucky fan got his black DS Lite signed by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune at the recent New York City event, and thanks to him, another "lucky" fan will be able to buy it. Not only did Inafune scribble on the device incomprehensibly, he drew an adorable rendition of one of the series' signature enemies, the Metool/Mettaur/Hard Hat/whatever they're calling the little guy these days.The current bid is only $50, which is a steal for any DS Lite, much less one bearing the mark of one of the most influential figures in game history. The price will no doubt change as people like us publicize this.[Via GameSniped]
Meet Keiji Inafune, Mega Man creator, in NYC today
Chances are, you've played one of Keiji Inafune's games. He created and designed the Mega Man character, produced the Onimusha games, and most recently worked on everybody's favorite zombies-attack-mall action game, Dead Rising. If you happen to be in the NYC area, you, a mere gaming mortal, will be able to meet this esteemed game producer.The signing will happen at the GameStop across the street from the Manhattan Mall. Joystiq will be sending one photo journalist to the event, camera (and chainsaw) in hand.
Chicago signing for Uematsu, Aki, & Roth tonight
Are you in Chicago tonight for the big PLAY! concert tomorrow, but weren't willing to shell out $125 for the VIP meet-and-greet at the event? Well, you might be in luck (even if you're not attending), as a few famous folks from the concert will be on hand to sign autographs in Chicago proper for free tonight.From 7 to 9 PM (presumably Central time) at the Tower Records store on 2301 N. Clark St., Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, bilingual songstress Angela Aki (who wrote and sang the theme song for FFXII), and Principal Conductor and Music Director of PLAY! Arnie Roth will be signing autographs to promote the world-tour premiere of 'PLAY! A Video Game Symphony' and the CD for More Friends - Music from FINAL FANTASY.While this blogger is sadly occupied with prior engagements tonight, gamers in the area are more than welcome to mob that Tower Records and cause the store's employees much consternation and bewilderment. If you don't have any imported CDs to sign, however, don't fret: the store's web site claims to have "some awesome Japanese imports available for you to purchase and have autographed at the event." Not only that, Angela Aki will be performing live as well. Score! Anybody wanna tell us how this evening turns out when it's all sung and done?[Via The Daily Northwestern; image culled from Angela Aki's blog, Nobuo Uematsu's Squenix profile, and Arnie Roth's 2005 interview with IGN]See also: Official page for Tower Clark Street (with details on the signing) Ticketmaster site for the PLAY! concert debut tomorrow Sonic and Chrono composers to join PLAY! in Chicago
