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Hong Kong raid = success
During a court-ordered raid of Supreme Factory Limited facilities, over 10,00 game-copying devices and chips were seized. The whole seizure lasted three days, as Nintendo representatives seized devices used to copy DS titles from the internet and other devices that allow Wii game discs to be copied. On top of the equipment, there was also massive documentation of ties with a French company, explaining the scope of this illegal operation."Piracy affects the entire video game industry, from large companies to independent developers," says Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior director for anti-piracy. She goes on further to say "It can destroy years of hard work by a team of very talented software developers, who strive to create games consumers enjoy playing. Copying the developers' work and spreading the game files globally is blatant stealing."[Via press release]
Unlocked iPhones now available in Hong Kong -- cost arm, leg
Just how bad do ya want an iPhone, punk? Yeah, we're talking to you, Mr. Hong Kong Resident, because they're now available in your neck of the woods -- if the price is right, anyway. Supposedly unlocked examples of Apple's mobile gem (which we're starting to believe is really possible, even if this picture doesn't definitively prove it) are floating around the territory for a stiff $2,000, though that number falls to $750 if you can supply the phone yourself and bring it in just for the unlocking service. Still, though, you'd better really want one.[Via Gearfuse]
Sony sees Blu-ray growth in emerging markets
Although exact sales figures overseas have been hotly contested, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just announced "an increase in total Blu-ray disc sales across six emerging markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Eastern Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East." Notably, Sony's T. Paul Miller mentioned that it was "extremely positive to see an increase in volume of BD software sales in these markets where piracy had previously ravaged the DVD business." Some of the top sellers in these locales included 007: Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, Open Season, Kung Fu Hustle, Black Hawk Down, XXX, and Stealth, and it was also stated that South Africa accounted for the largest share of BD sales (for the aforementioned regions) with "more than 15,000 units shipped to date."[Via MovieWeb]
iPhone's first sketchy battery replacement kit appears
When the time came and your battery died, you were probably thinking you'd have to send your iPhone off to Apple as part of their expensive and complicated battery replacement program -- but now you've got a sketchy DIY option instead. Once again, a mysterious Chinese company has stepped in and "created" a "solution" to your problem with its iPhone battery replacement kit. For just $20, which is cheap enough to elicit genuine concern, you get a 1400mAh, 3.7V iPhone battery, some type of screwdriver-like tool, a strange plastic shiv, and an instruction manual (presumably in English, but you never know). All you have to do is crack open your $600 phone, de-solder your old battery and solder in the new one... and probably some other, more complicated stuff too. At this price, it seems unlikely that this battery won't explode, so buy at your own risk, and definitely try at your own risk.[Via I4U, thanks Luigi]
Motorola's RAZR 2 V8 spotted on sale in Hong Kong
Yeah, it's already on sale in South Korea, we know -- but still, there's something that warms our hearts about seeing an in-the-wild shot of a hot new phone with a sticker price proudly displayed right below it. This example comes from Hong Kong, where the V8 (GSM plus EDGE only, no 3G) rendition of the Motorola RAZR 2 is available for $3,380 HKD (about $432). The travel distance-to-price ratio is too high on this one to justify us flying out to grab it, but with any luck, maybe AT&T can come through for us before too long.
Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway to get outfitted with WiFi
It looks like Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is the latest to hop on the high-speed wireless (in more ways than one) bandwagon. with it now set to offer WiFi in both its trains and train stations. Apparently, the trains will be outfitted with receivers to pull down 3.5G signals from transmitters in the tunnels, which then gets turned around into plain old WiFi for the passengers on board. While that convenience won't come free, it will be fairly reasonable, costing passengers HK$20 (or $2.50) a day for unlimited use.[Via Akihabara News]
Hong Kong retailers label activated iPhone as "80 percent" unlocked
Nice to see the iPhone has finally found its way to Hong Kong and at 80 percent unlocked, you just can't lose -- the missing 20 percent would of course be the cellular features. Prices were sitting around $1300 initially, but have now reached the rock-bottom, bargain price of about $1150. Color us confused here, but why would electronic-savvy shoppers fork out that kind of cake when these doo-dads can be found on eBay for AT&T retail cost? Chinese input anyone?
PMP / console emulator breaks a whole bunch of laws
Have you been searching for a device which will unify all of your complicated technological needs into one hideously ugly, totally generic package? Well, your search is over, because some completely unknown team working for an anonymous company which is definitely located in the heart of China has created the "Portable Media Player". While you're gestating on that name, get a load of what this "system" can do: NES, SNES, Sega MD and SMC support, AVI, MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, MP3, WMA, and FLAC playback, built-in 1.3 megapixel MPEG-4 video camera, MP3 voice recorder, E-Book reader, SD card support up to 4GB, and holographic multi-phasic projection mode (okay, we made that one up). Sure, you could carry around 12 or 13 separate devices to do all of the above, but why go to the trouble when one of these confused little puppies can be yours for just $109.68?[Thanks, Craig]
Researchers devise thermally-activated flexible display
The race to create bigger smaller and better flexible displays now has yet another participant, but Weijia Wen and colleagues at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology are putting a toasty twist on their iteration. The team has reportedly developed a "flexible, thermally-activated electronic display made from a mixture of metal nanoparticles and plastic," which costs far less than most similar alternatives to create and measures just 150-microns in thickness. Moreover, these units are able to change hues based on the surrounding temperatures, and while only fixed patterns are available for viewing at the moment, the crew hopes to implement an array of "thermal pixels" in the future for more dynamic opportunities. A display that warns you of an overheating machine / battery / toy -- who woulda thunk it?[Thanks, Alan]
HTC Touch spotted on sale in Hong Kong
Book your flights and whip your checkbooks out, folks -- especially if an iPhone isn't in the cards for you next Friday. HTC's lovely Touch has been spotted (in Dopod trim) on the streets of Hong Kong for $478, which seems like a reasonable sum for a latest-gen Windows Mobile 6 Professional device, does it not?
UTStarcom's DV007 camcorder phone
'Round these parts, UTStarcom's best known for its hodgepodge of low-end offerings and its on-again, off-again relationship with HTC. In Hong Kong, though, well... check this out. You're looking at the UTStarcom DV007, a twist flip with a penchant for video recording. It rocks out with some flavor of Linux, a 2 megapixel camera, 40MB of onboard storage, and microSD expansion. The best part though? It's in your pocket for the equivalent of $140, if you can stomach the triband GSM radio.[Via Slashphone]
LG Prada sees Asian debut
After what was apparently a tremendously successful launch in Europe, LG's KE850 Prada phone is heading east to grace some Asian territories with its pricey, high-fashion wiles. Specifically, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan were tapped as KE850 destinations at a launch event at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong hotel last week, with LG confidently spouting that it "would be as popular" there as it was in Europe. The phone and its nifty touch interface are about as trick as anything on the market right now, but with a frightening price point -- not to mention Prada's retail police making the rounds -- we're stopping short of sharing LG's optimism for the moment. [Warning: subscription required]
Mysterious smartphone offers up integrated 7.1 surround sound
Believe us, we've seen "surround sound" get put in places it was never meant to be, and while the likes of headphones, laptops, and even PDAs have yet to be spared as companies try anything to attract attention to their presumably lackluster offerings, the mobile phone doesn't typically see such desperate measures -- until now, of course. While minor gimmicks are fairly commonplace on humdrum overseas handsets, a mysterious Hong Kong-derived smartphone (another snap after the jump) purports to rock 7.1 audio right on the device itself, and by the looks of things, it's not lying. Of course, there will be absolutely no separation of channels with this thing, and we've got to believe that there's a few wires crossed within giving off a more matrixed wall of sound in reality. The rest of the specs (if they're to be trusted) include a 3.5-inch QVGA touchscreen, Bluetooth, two-megapixel camera, a microSD slot, and a transparent protective lid, and please, shut off that little voice that's urging you to ponder about where to find and purchase this hunk, alright?[Via JustAMP, thanks Wigald]
Porsche Cayenne cellphone speeds right by the trademark police
We've seen automakers galore slap their logos and color schemes onto modern day handsets, but what would the world of exotic mobiles be without a Porsche in the mix? Apparently, a Hong Kong manufacturer has taken the duty upon itself, as the presumably unlicensed Porsche Cayenne cellphone is now showing up on overseas streets with a full automotive makeover. Externally, you'll find smooth lines and Porsche-brandings, while a two-megapixel camera graces the hood and a color screen (shown after the jump) sits atop the guages. Although actual specs can't be confirmed, we're hearing that it purs along on dualband GSM, supports microSD flash cards, and plays nice with MP3 / MP4 files. Of course, we aren't expecting the quality of this sub-$200 handset to even come close to that found on your average Porsche, but we'd suggest snapping one up on the double before impending legal action dries up the supply. [Via Textually]
Hatchback GD06 GPS touts integrated camera
While there's a myriad of all-in-one devices out there that can manage a turn or two of directional guidance, Group Sense PDA's forthcoming navigator makes routing its number one priority, but dons something that most standalone GPS units lack: a camera. The Hatchback GD06, as shown off in an elusive set of FCC documents, will boast a touchscreen LCD, RDS-TMS support, headphone output, a calculator function, an integrated digital camera (pictured after the break), and utilize TurboDog navigational software. Additionally, users will find MP3 playback and photo viewing functions built-in, and the SD card slot will allow your excess files to come on board. The camera can purportedly be used to "take photos and save them as a geographical location," which should perk the ears of the geo-tagging faithful at least. No word just yet on future pricing or availability, but it shouldn't be too long before this passes right on through the FCC and onto overseas shelves.[Via NaviGadget]
Earth Trek's USB Tape Dispenser
Ours is not to question why, only to accept the inevitable convergence of USB and pretty much everything else within the vicinity of our PCs. Meet the newly announced 4-port USB 2.0 hub and tape dispenser from Hong Kong's Earth Trek. It comes in large and small versions and can naturally be affixed with your very own logo for some good ol' corporate schwag. Sorry, these devices are not USB powered -- but if you're the type who finds it overly taxing to dispense tape, then maybe you should be looking into a bionic suit. "Coming soon" in several color options for an undisclosed price. [Via Akihabara News]
Microsoft asks what's wrong with Asian gamers [update 1]
Marketing rule #1: If you want people to want your product, imply that not wanting it is somehow abnormal. That seems to be the idea behind WhatsWrongWithU.com, a site promoting the Xbox 360 in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. The English version (for Singapore) starts things off by posting a a big, "What's Wrong With U" on your screen and drives the point home by showing a snazzy picture of the system with a hand scrawled "You don't want this?" next to it. And what if we don't, huh? You won't be our friend? You won't share your lunch with us? What? If the rhetorical question didn't convince you, how about a list of six totally gnarly features for the system, like "awesome gaming experiences" and "looks cool." The Xbox 360 has it all, and if you enter your e-mail address, you can have some awesomely rad Xbox 360 icons, emoticons and wallpapers, as well as more advertisements in your e-mail box. We can't really picture the type of person who is going to be swayed by the petty schoolyard logic behind this site. In fact, because of this site, we'll now always associate the Xbox 360 with Eddie Murphy's ill-advised single WazUpWitU. Marketing rule #2: Being associated with Eddie Murphy's singing is not a good idea. [Update: Fixed typos in the headline and 2nd parapgraph. Thanks commenters.]
Wii Fanboy Review: Brando Wii Sports Pack
When we first learned of Brando's Wii Sports accessories, we knew it was our civic duty to get our hands on a set in the name of you, the readers. Because we're here for you. We're BFF. And, well ... they just looked like fun. So we pleaded and cried, and Brando hooked us up. The Sports Pack arrived quickly, more quickly than we expected, in fact. They were then put through a rigorous testing process, and now that we're the world's foremost experts* on these new accessories, we're gonna let you in on everything we learned. Check out the full review, along with loads of pictures, after the jump. *This is a shameless lie.
ZELOX unveils DAP-equipped RC Skate-Botz
Here's another one from the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2007, and as was the case on Marsilli's cellphone-controlled car, ZELOX's Skate-Botz are entirely more novel than useful, but we've got no gripes with that. Rather than strapping on the blades and hitting the pavement yourself, ZELOX figures you'll have a lot more fun (and conserve a lot more calories energy) dictating your own skate-equipped bot around the kitchen floor. The remote-controlled Skate-Botz seem to feature a bit more than inline fun, however, as each device is equipped with a flash-based MP3 player strapped on its leg, which can kick out tunes from the chest-mounted speaker or be detached for your own personal usage. Per usual, there's no word on future pricing or availability, but we wouldn't count on seeing these fellows on American soil for awhile anyway.[Via SlashGear]
Brando's 2GB SOAP MP4 Player reeks of iPod
There's iPod knockoffs, and then there's the SOAP MP4 Player. This little gem unsurprisingly comes in black and glossy white flavors, boasts an unmistakable scroll wheel and stark white earbuds, and throws a few curves around the edges in a futile attempt to disclose its true inspiration. Furthermore, this device even rips a chunk of its name from another knockoff, providing two times the unoriginal fun, but sadly, we can't find a direct link to Samuel L. Jackson. Nevertheless, this 2GB PMP plays nice with MP3, MP4, WMA, WMV, ASF, and WAV, and features a built-in FM tuner / voice recorder, seven pre-set equalizer modes, USB 2.0 connectivity, 1.8-inch OLED display, rechargeable Li-ion battery, and support for a plethora of languages. So if you're looking to impress your clueless friends, or you just want a curvaceous 1G nano with a fancy screen a few extra niceties, you can pick this unit up now for $99.
