forsale
Latest
Facebook is being used to sell weapons in the Middle East
Facebook's social network reaches billions of people around the world, but its tools aren't always used with the best intentions. The New York Times reports that Facebook Groups are being used to sell weapons in the Middle East. The sales violate Facebook's policy for selling goods on the site of course, but that's not stopping folks in Libya, Syria, Iraq and other countries from posting weapons commonly used by terrorists and militants for sale.
Facebook's group-based selling is now a quick post away
Facebook is clearly extra-serious about its efforts to beat internet sale sites at their own game through groups. As part of an update rolling out over the months ahead, the social network's For Sale Groups will let you tap a simple Sell button to hawk your wares -- from there, you'll just have to write a description and set basic details like the pick-up location and price. You'll also have an easy way to mark items as sold, or to sift through your history if you don't remember whether or not you sold that table lamp. Are these enough to make you ditch Craigslist? Not necessarily, but you'll at least have more reasons to stick with Facebook's For Sale Groups if you're an early user.
For sale by owner: 1954 flying Taylor AEROCAR, yours now for only $1.25 million (video)
For anyone raised on the retro-futurist notion of flying cars, this literal-minded, nuts-and-bolts incarnation should make for some incredulous swooning. Looking much like a 1950's interpretation of a subcompact that wandered into the wrong alleyway and wound up in a Wright Brothers-sponsored chopshop, the Taylor AEROCAR -- one of five made -- is a very real vestige of American auto engineering's past and, more importantly, it's up for grabs. At $1.25 million, this relic of a bygone era's mainly an exorbitant lure for the deep-pocketed collector, but as a rare curiosity, it's free for all to gawk. It's a hybrid in the truest sense, melding a cozy two-seater with front wheel drive, a Lycoming O-320 4-cylinder engine and a wingspan of 30 feet, all conspiring to get it off the ground at 55mph and up to a cruising speed of 100mph. Should you want to merely take it for a test spin out on the open road and not accidentally take flight, rest assured, those mighty wings can be folded out of the way with relative ease. But that's not why you'd want to part ways with a cool chunk of cash, if you're so inclined. This bit of memorabilia's a make-good for all those broken, scifi promises from once upon a TV time. This was the future -- as ridiculous as it may seem.
World's only turbine-powered Batmobile up for sale on eBay, recession hits Bruce Wayne, too
Remember that Boeing-powered Batmobile we ran across last month? Well friends, it could be yours via eBay auction in about a week. Currently, the highest bid is you can buy it now for $620,000 -- which would be enough to cover the cost of several cars not fit for the Caped Crusader. However, none of those come equipped with a helicopter turbine, now do they? Putsch Racing reminds interested parties that the mean machine is street registered in the US, so you can roll like the Dark Knight without fear of the police pursuing you. An iPad loaded with digital avionics helps you monitor the jet engine, and you can use your choice of three fuel sources to power the thing: Jet A, kerosene, or diesel. Hey now, we never said it was environmentally friendly. If you, like Jay-Z, are "planking on a million," check out the detailed auction shots below and bid on Batman's ride yourself. %Gallery-131955%
Logitech officially drops Revue price to $99 today, clarifies 'more returns than sales' remark
Google TV not worth 300 bones to ya? How's about a cool Benjamin? As promised, Logitech has slashed the price of its Revue set-top box from $299 to $99 on its own site and at retailers like Best Buy, giving prospective customers something awfully tempting to consider alongside the prospect of running Honeycomb on their TV right away. Oh, and the much-reported nugget from its earnings about "returns exceeding sales"? It should probably be noted that wasn't about returns from end users, which the company claims "have averaged at levels comparable to other Logitech products", but from the distributors and retailers it sells most of its hardware to. So, you in, or are you still holding out for the 90 percent off sale that may or may not ever materialize?
Viewsonic ships 7-inch ViewBook VB730 tablet for $230, sticks with Android 2.2
Looking for something a bit different to replace your Galaxy Tab with? Can't say for sure why such a yearning would be reasonable, but if we just rang your bell, Viewsonic's got a newcomer that's on sale now. Just a few months after passing through the FCC's database, the ViewBook VB730 is now in stock over at Amazon, with $229.99 netting you a 7-inch slate with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot and an 800 x 480 screen resolution. Unfortunately, there's no Android 3.2 to be found here; instead, Froyo's listed as the OS of choice, but it's fair to expect a bit of corner-cutting given that shockingly low price point. Hit the source if you're sold.
iPhone 4 prototype surfaces on eBay: A+++ condition, would buy again
And with that, the tradition continues. Every year or so, it seems that an iPhone prototype of some description manages to find its way onto eBay, and just over a year after the first iPhone 4 prototype made its way into public view, the precious item you see above is now available on a public auction site. To our knowledge, this is the first iPhone 4 prototype to be offered for sale on eBay -- at least from someone who actually appears to be legitimate and in possession of the device he / she claims to own -- boasting an etched 'DF1692' label in the lower right, omitted volume button markers and a mysterious 'XXGB' label around back. Unfortunately, we're told that it can't be activated through iTunes, and popping in an AT&T SIM did the seller little good. 'Course, at $810 and rising, we highly doubt such trivial matters will deter collectors from ponying up. Hit the source link to get your bid in -- you know, before Apple's henchmen convince Mr. Donahoe to pull the plug. Update: As of 12:58am ET on July 4, 2011, this phone now sits at $70,100. Let freedom ring. Update 2: As of 1:11am ET on July 4, 2011, this phone now sits at over $100,000. We highly doubt the buyer's coming through on this one. Update 3: As of 8:44am ET on July 4, 2011, this phone now sits at just over $2,000. The seller has apparently cancelled numerous false bids.
Facebook, Hulu partnership accidentally clicks 'security breach' instead of 'Like'
Even though there's a For Sale sign in the window Hulu isn't taking a break and today it unveiled a new partnership with Facebook to make its library of TV shows and movies more social. Adding Facebook Connect (competitor Netflix may be on the board, but it's still working on adding the button) should let the social network log you in, customize things based on preferences from you and your friends, and share time-coded likes and comments. Unfortunately what actually happened for some users was that they were suddenly given access to someone else's Hulu account, a problem documented by both AVRev and NewTeeVee. According to a second blog post, due to approximately 50 users being affected Hulu has shut down the program, required everyone to log in again and cranked privacy settings to the highest for anyone who logged in while it was on. Of course, with rumors from the LA Times that Google (along with Microsoft and Yahoo) is interested in purchasing the service, maybe they can get an invite to the Google+ party and forget the whole thing ever happened
Ion iCade Arcade Cabinet review
The iCade Arcade Cabinet began as an April Fool's joke in 2010, but this golden unicorn of iPad accessories has actually made it to production, showing up at our door last week. iCade creator ThinkGeek partnered with Ion to make this former imaginary gadget a reality, and so far it appears to be a hit, backordered for weeks soon after hitting the online store in April. The $100 cabinet pairs with your iPad or iPad 2 over bluetooth, bringing familiar hardware arcade controls to the Atari's Greatest Hits app, which includes classics like Missile Command (free), and Pong, which you can download from within the free Atari app for $1. The iCade is an awesome addition to your gaming collection, but it won't replace the hours of coin-dropping at your local arcade. Read on to find out why this accessory may become a permanent fixture on our desk. %Gallery-124649%
iCade arcade cabinet for iPad starts selling at $100, already on backorder
Humans, they just love mixing the old with the new. To wit, the iCade gaming cabinet for the iPad, an April Fools' joke that was just a fun idea this time last year, has gone and turned very real, replete with FCC certification and now a pre-order page. The Bluetooth-communicating iPad enclosure seems to have originally been on sale for immediate delivery, but ThinkGeek has burned through its first shipment of units faster than you can say "Atari's Greatest Hits." The second batch of $100 iCades is expected by May 20th at the very latest, although orders are being taken only from the US for now. The rest of the world needn't despair, however -- we hear building one of your own is a pleasurable and rewarding experience.
Blockbuster going up for sale, hoping to live up to its name
Don't think of this as the end of the road for Blockbuster, think of it as a new beginning. After filing for Bankruptcy back in September, big blue and yellow has been working to get its affairs in order -- and trying desperately to fend off both Netflix and Redbox with offerings like Blockbuster on Demand and Blockbuster Express. Things apparently haven't gone entirely to plan. The next stop is For Salesville, with bids for the company starting at $290 million. CEO Jim Keys put a positive spin on the news, saying that this will "allow for the consolidation of ownership of the company to those with a clear and focused vision for Blockbuster's future." It might also finally let that guy take a vacation -- a potentially very long one.
HP TouchPad on sale in April?
The official TouchPad launch date isn't even a date per se, but a season: summer. So we're surprised to see DigiTimes reporting that HP will take delivery of shipments in March with the TouchPad going on sale in April with plans to ship 4 - 5 million units from the TouchPad "series" in 2011. Based on what we know, both from using the software-incomplete pre-production tablet and from our detailed discussions with Jon Rubinstein, an April retail date would be extremely aggressive to say the least. And DigiTimes' accuracy with regard to rumors for companies located outside of its home country of Taiwan is spotty at best. Nevertheless, HP's new CEO Leo Apotheker did say originally, that products announced at the February 9th event would be on sale just a few weeks later. Unfortunately, only the wee Veer handset got an early spring promise with the Pre 3 joining the TouchPad for a summer launch. Perhaps this will be a case of HP under promising and over delivering? We can't say for sure. But with any luck, HP could bring some clarity to the matter on March 14th -- a day Apotheker had promised a big reveal regarding a "secret answer" and "vision of what HP is capable of in the future... the starting point." Why so mysterious, Leo?
KDDI's biblio Leaf SP02 priced, due out Christmas Day in Japan (update)
E-readers are flooding the market these days, and KDDI has delivered its most recent offering just in time for the holiday season. Since the biblio Leaf SP02's specs were first released, battery life seems to have grown to 13,000 pages, with presumably a few extra thrown in courtesy of its solar array. The device utilizes KDDI's LISMO Book Store and its 20,000 titles to obtain content, and if that isn't enough reading material for you, the company claims that five times as many titles will be available by 2012. All this can be had on Christmas day -- if you're lucky enough to hail from the land of the rising sun, that is. Update: Details on the e-reader, much like the device itself, seem to have gotten lost in translation. As a few readers have pointed out -- and our own Engadget Japanese editor Ittousai confirms -- the SP02 has an "open" price of around ¥15,000 (about $180 in US currency), with 3G prices ranging from ¥525 per month for data on a two-year contract, or ¥1,575 without ($6.28 vs. $19, respectively).
Prototype Pleo motion capture exoskeleton up for grabs: $2,400 OBO
Still haven't nailed down the perfect Christmas gift for that special someone in your life? Shame on you. Just kidding. But on the real, if you've got $2,397.99 and a lust for robotics, there's hardly a better buy available right now than this. The concoction you're peering at above isn't apt to go on sale to the general public again anytime soon, as it's a rare prototype motion capture exoskeleton that was used by (the now-defunct) Ugobe in the creation of Pleo. Word has it that this suit was vital to the R&D efforts surrounding the first edition of the outfit's robotic dinosaur, with one Caleb Chung fitting in and hulking about as computers analyzed and recorded movements. So far as we can tell, all of the circuits and wires are still here, meaning that you actually could use this for R&D of your own provided you had the right equipment to read it. Unfortunately, it'll cost a small fortune to ship a 350 pound crate anywhere outside of the continental US, but for those of you currently living overseas... well, here's your excuse to relocate. [Thanks, Colin]
Portal gun to be auctioned off for Child's Play charity
The Portal gun. If you've been alive over the past year and change, you know exactly what we're talking about. We can safely say our lives were changed after spending a few good minutes with Harrison Krix's handmade replica in 2009, and soon you'll have the golden opportunity to know exactly what we mean. Krix has constructed a new Portal gun, one that's arguably more bodacious than ever, and there's only one way to get it: outbid the Bro Montana next to you on December 7th. A Child's Play Charity event auction will be held on that fateful day in Seattle, and it'll be the one and only opportunity to have the pink slip transferred to you. Of course, monies received from the auction will benefit Child's Play (a gaming industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in a network of over 60 hospitals worldwide), and the bragging rights afforded to the winner will be fairly epic in scope. Head on past the break for a video of what's up for grabs.
KDDI tacks solar panel onto biblio Leaf SP02 e-reader
Haven't seen enough of KDDI's fall 2010 product line? Good. The company has just outed a new e-reader, and shockingly enough, it actually manages to differentiate itself quite well in the sea of me-too alternatives. The biblio Leaf SP02 (a followup to last year's model) is right around the size of Amazon's newest Kindle, packing a 6-inch E Ink display (800 x 600 resolution), 2GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, included stylus, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, inbuilt 3G and a battery good for around 7,500 page turns. Curiously, there's also a small solar panel adorning the bottom right, and we're guessing that you can (slowly) rejuvenate the internal cell while reading under the sun -- just make sure you keep your right palm out of the way. Unfortunately, there's no direct mention of an expected price, but those stationed in Japan should see it on sale this December for somewhere between free and Yenfinity.
PlayStation Move on sale now at Amazon
While the PlayStation Move isn't supposed to go on sale until September 19th, that hasn't stopped a few local brick-n-mortar shops from breaking the street date. Now Amazon's jumped the gun and put the PlayStation Move $99.99 Starter Bundle up for sale a few days early. And with local express delivery, you can even get it shipped today if you qualify. Worse case, use one-day shipping and you'll still get it before the Joneses. Update: Oh, and we just found the $399.99 PlayStation 3 320GB with Move Bundle, $49.99 Move Controller, and $29.96 Move Navigation Controller ready for purchase too. Full press release detailing all the items after the break.
Nokia N8 officially for sale last week of September, UK shops October 1st
At last, an official date for Nokia's N8 flagship Symbian^3 handset. This one's been a long time coming, featuring the first of two major Symbian updates meant to bring Nokia's smartphone division in line with the competition. Look for it in the "last week of September" at Nokia's on-line shops for £429 SIM free, or free with £35 per month contract. Otherwise, it'll hit the UK high street shops on October 1st. See the full announcement after the break.
Samsung Epic 4G now on sale at Sprint (update: save $50 at Amazon)
We told you it was coming, now the Samsung Epic 4G is on sale at Sprint for a cool $249.99 plus two year life commitment. In other words, it's time to let Sprint know whether this Galaxy S variant (with -- gasp -- working GPS) is worth the $50 premium over HTC's EVO 4G. Well, is it? Update: As usual, Amazon's offering a discount showing a $199.99 listing for new contracts. It still shows a pre-order status (with 2-3 weeks ship time) but that's likely to change any minute now. [Thanks, Jonathan P. and Jason J.]
Iron Man Xbox 360 escapes Stark Industries, heads right to eBay
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Iron_Man_Xbox_360_escapes_Stark_Industries_heads_right_to_e'; Halo-inspired Xbox 360? Check. Xbox 360 laptop? Seen it. Xbox 360 fused with a PS3? Yep. A Tony Stark-approved Xbox 360? Thanks to one Zachariah Perry Cruse, we can now add this beaut to the list. This here design student managed to use his summer vacation for a little more than weekend jaunts to Gary, putting an awful lot of blood, sweat and fear into his very own Iron Man Xbox 360. Naturally, it's the older, less slimmer 360 console, complete with a 120GB hard drive and an HDMI socket. There's a video of the LEDs doing their thing after the break, and that eBay link will get you where you need to be if you're a prospective buyer. And let's be honest here -- you are a prospective buyer.
