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Bono, Oprah introducing iPod nano Red tomorrow?
If there's anyone better than U2 frontman Bono at playing both sides of the fence in the OS wars, we haven't met them yet. One day this guy is hanging out with Bill Gates and sleeping over at his cushy pad, and the next day he's convincing Steve Jobs to release a special (non-U2) iPod and donate 5% of the proceeds to his HIV / AIDS charity. Well, at least that's the word from AppleInsider, who's claiming that the rocker was at the Apple Store in Chicago today filming a promo spot with Oprah Winfrey to prepare for the device's debut on her show tomorrow. This iPod nano Red (artist's rendition pictured above), as it's being called, will supposedly be yet another addition to the rainbow of 4GB 'Pods first unveiled at last month's "Showtime" event, but unlike the U2 models, this one will cost the same $200 as its multi-colored brethren. Each DAP sold will reportedly net PROJECT RED $10, which will then be re-donated to The Global Fund to help African women and children afflicted with the deadly disease. Get a Mac? Get a PC? An iPod? A Zune? When you're Bono, you don't have to decide.[Thanks, Tom]
Introducing Nike+ Group Goals: donate your miles, run for a cause
Boy, this Nike+ thing just keeps getting cooler and cooler. I just received an email from Nike introducing a new Nike+ Group Goals program through which Nike will donate $1 to a cause for every mile participants run (using the Nike+iPod kit, of course). It appears that causes will rotate periodically, as this month they're featuring three: the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as well as Cubs and White Sox charities.This is a stellar idea, and call me what you have to, but I'm genuinely inspired to finish this post and lace up my shoes; this is such a great way to get people even more motivated. I'm excited to see what other charities and groups hop on board with one of the most arguably unique and active iPod accessories to date.
Get-Well Gamers Foundation Expands
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation announced today that they've had a 25% increase in the number of hospitals participating in their program. The California-based charity brings video game systems to kids in hospitals because games are "an effective and proven pain management tool and provide needed entertainment during long hospital stays." The Get-Well Gamers Foundation currently has 41 participating hospitals in 26 states.As GayGamer points out the expanded network increases the need for more games and systems. Moved on to better systems and your old consoles are just collecting dust? Donate it and make a sick little gamer happy. Oh, and it's tax-deductible.The only real request by Get-Well Gamers is that the games please be age-appropriate. We think that's a perfectly reasonable request and let's make another suggestion -- get these kids newer systems than the N64 pictured. They need next-gen STAT!See also: Child's Play CharityAfter the break: Dave Chappelle visits a sick kid. Laugh once and you must donate.
Sprint to announce red BONORAZR on Friday?
It's no secret that Sprint will be going all Moto on us in the next few weeks, but we didn't realize how soon -- or how red -- their initial offering would be. Sources are telling us that Sprint will be announcing a red RAZR (the V3m, we're guessing, like the mockup above) to benefit AIDS charities, presumably in cooperation with Bono's Red organization, much like the red SLVR before it. Normally, we'd lash out at Sprint for being so late to the RAZR game with this one, but since it's for a good cause, we're going to bite our tongues just this once.
Canon to auction 10 diamond-clad Digital ELPHs for the Red Cross
If you thought Minox's gold-plated DC1011 added some much needed bling to your life, Canon's celebratory IXUS cameras exemplify unnecessary luxury by sporting 380 diamonds apiece, and a hefty pricetag to prove it. As the Digital ELPH moniker turns 10 years old, Canon is auctioning up a diamond-crusted IXUS 65 (better known as the SD630 here in the States) per year of the brand's success, and all proceeds are being channeled to the Red Cross. Antwerp-based Eddie Elzas -- owner of the world's largest collection of colored diamonds -- happily provided the elegant coating found on the €40,000 ($50,788) "diamond IXUS," and also had a hand in hooking up nine "his and her" models, which will be sold through an undisclosed venue for €3,500 ($4,493.95) each. If you're feeling mighty charitable, and haven't already purchased your one fifty grand diamond-clad item for the year, feel free to place your wager on eBay -- otherwise, you should probably keep your sights on the less glamorous versions.[Via Far East Gizmos]
Apple to ink deal with Bono for RED iPods, MacBooks and iMacs?
Think Secret is reporting that Apple might be working on a deal with Bono to produce some red products to help promote and support the U2 philanthropist's RED, an AIDS awareness charity. The idea is that RED cuts deals to produce exclusively red items from which a portion of the sale is donated to The Global Fund, an org that helps women and children in Africa who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Keep in mind, however, that nothing has been signed yet, and while I personally think it would be really cool to see something like this happen, I'm skeptical as to whether a red Mac would fly in a store next to predominantly white and black brethren.But don't call me a hater; I'm as interested to see what happens with this as the next guy, and I think it would be a great gesture on Apple's part for the cause.
Jon Bon Jovi bejewels D807s for a good cause
We're for charity auctions just as much as the next guy, but Jon Bon Jovi and Cingular have made it hard to throw our support behind this one -- the duo are offering a limited run of ten SGH-D807s afflicted with the proverbial double-whammy of unfortunate modifications: jewels and American Idol propaganda. The eBay auction stands to benefit Jon Bon's own 2nd Floor Youth Helpline, a hotline kiddies can call to talk to a "trained listener about day-to-day issues of concern." Besides the defaced D807, a winning bid will net you a "special-edition collectors' box" signed by Ryan Seacrest and Jon himself. Whether Chris Daughtry's departure from the show counts as an "issue of concern" for the hotline, we're not sure.[Via Slashphone]
911 Cell Phone Bank takes old phones, postage paid
If you go through cellphones as rapidly as we do, odds are you have a few laying around that are never going to find their way into your pocket again. If you're looking for a way to make those "classics" useful again, we've caught wind of a program called 911 Cell Phone Bank that collects used phones, and either sells them or adds them to a bank of phones available for use in emergencies, depending on their value. Proceeds generated from the sale of phones are forwarded to local law enforcement agencies. The best part is, you can print out a free postage-paid shipping label from the organization's website, so the whole process won't cost you one red cent. Now where did we put that StarTAC?[Thanks, James]
Motorola's SLVR goes Red for Africa
It wasn't too long ago we were hearing rumblings about Bono's humanitarian organization Red getting together with Apple to do an iPod. That obviously didn't (yet) materialize, but you can get another vaguely Apple-co-conspired device through Red if you were thinking of a SLVR. For each phone sold, Red's delivering to The Global Fund for African AIDS programs a £10 ($18 US), then 5% of call charges will also trickle through to the charity. We can only hope that with overhead on retail, Moto, Red, and the charity, a decent amount makes it through to the actual cause, but hey, if you're buying a phone anyway it's better than not buying Red at all, right? Unfortunately it's UK only for the time being (go fig), so if you're really concerned with the health and welfare of the Dark Continent, perhaps you should consider some more direct methods of donation.[Via textually]
Help the kids, buy an HDTV
Because we're all such huge philanthropists, I'm sure we will be lining up to purchase the 26, 32 and 37 inch LCD HDTV's NuVision is putting up for auction in conjunction with The Light Foundation. Besides their 1366x768 resolutions and 1000:1 contrast ratios, the 2 larger TV's will also be signed by members of the Patriots football team that charity founder Matt Light plays for. To make it even better, any winning bidders with 100 miles of the Patriots home stadium will have the sets installed and set up for free by Home Smart Home.The Light Foundation helps support youth oriented non-profit organizations in Ohio and Boston.The TV specs: 10ms response time 500cd/M2 brightness 16:9 widescreen 1366x768 Native resolution DVI w/HDCP Discrete IR control with IR direct input jack Giving back to the community, football and HDTV's. That's a win-win-win. Auctions end December 29th.[Via Hometoys]
