keepin it real fake

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  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCLVII: iPad meets Windows 7, sparks fly

    by 
    Vlad Savov
    Vlad Savov
    03.01.2010

    It would seem like we've recalled our editor from Shenzhen a little prematurely. The land of Yao has gone and answered all the iPad's critics in resounding style: TESO's 10-inch clone tablet features a full-blown Windows 7 install (check), 1024x600 capacitive touchscreen display (check), HDMI output (check), a 1.66GHz Atom N450 (vroom vroom!), 1GB of DDR2 RAM, GPS, 3G, and a 3,000mAh battery. Yep, it's a netbook sans the keyboard, and it might weigh 1.2kg while stretching to a portly 2cm thickness, but are you really gonna let a few well-rounded edges get in the way of experiencing a grown-up desktop OS on that tablet you so desperately need? Couple more pics await after the break. Update: 9to5Mac has alerted us to the fact that this clone seems to be sporting the same front plate as the one purported to belong to the iPad in the days before its release. Good to know all the engineering that went into inflating the iPhone's bezel up to 10 inches didn't go to waste.

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCLV: ME600 rips Motorola Backflip down to its shivering Blur skin

    by 
    Paul Miller
    Paul Miller
    02.24.2010

    There are many of us simple humans who "just don't get" the Motorola Backflip. Their poor minds can't fathom this oddest of twists on the QWERTY flip, and now here comes the "MOTOROIA" ME600 from Shenzhen to wrap their brain into ever more elaborate pretzel knots. The phone is a pretty faithful reproduction, but it's a bit thicker, has a mere VGA camera, and doesn't run Android -- despite that hint of Blur on the home screen. [Thanks, xleung]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCLIII: Amazon.com gets copied with its Kindle in tow

    by 
    Laura June Dziuban
    Laura June Dziuban
    01.26.2010

    Guys, seriously: you're going to love this one. Indian site Infibeam -- which looks at least somewhat "legit" -- has completely ripped off Amazon.com... as in pretty much copied it exactly. Now, we're no strangers ourselves to a bit of 'fan fictionizing' of our name and likeness (for retail locations), but this is possibly the most blatant (and blatantly hilarious) thing we've ever seen. Oh, and while you're visiting Infibeam.com, don't forget to pick up an Infibeam Pi -- AKA Kindle ripoff. Infibeam's CEO, Geoff Pezos will thank you. [Thanks, Vinod P.]

  • Boeye's OEM E900 reader is the Kindle DX's cheaper twin

    by 
    Laura June Dziuban
    Laura June Dziuban
    01.15.2010

    Ever wondered what an exact replica of the Kindle DX would look like? Well, if you were thinking that it would look like an exact replica of the Kindle DX, you're a winner. You're currently checking out the Boeye E900, a 9.7-inch reader hailing from Guangdong, China. Besides the obvious lack of branding here, we're hard-pressed to spot another difference -- though we do only have the one photo. Both sport WiFi, Bluetooth, and text-to-speech, plus apparently the exact same internals as the DX, including an 825 x 1200 resolution, 3G, 128MB built-in flash memory, and a microSD card slot. We'll tell you this -- the price, at around $311, is way cheaper than Amazon's actual reader. That is however, seemingly a wholesale price as the minimum order accepted is apparently 100 pieces. Anybody need 99 fake Kindles?

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLV: the Nokia iPhone

    by 
    Vlad Savov
    Vlad Savov
    11.30.2009

    Alright, so iPhone and N97 knock-offs probably aren't the rarest of gems around these days, but how many handsets do you know that can lay claim to being both? The Cooli902 takes the iPhone's 3.5-inch touchscreen, spit-shines a pretty realistic iPhone OS clone-job, and then adds the Nokia flavor with a fully fledged QWERTY keypad ripped straight from the heart of the N97. Not only does it open to that familiar angle, it also sports the same layout and what we can only imagine to be the same violent opening mechanism as found on the original Nokia handset. And to think that poor Philippe Starck had to pick between these two phones, when for only $143 we could have had both. More pics after the break, or hit the read link to get your own.

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video)

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    11.16.2009

    An Android and iPhone hybrid isn't exactly new (hello, OPhone), but at least we can say this has a trackball. In fact, you might even mistaken this for iPhone OS at first glance, it's just that kind of doppelganger. The fine details, you say? The GSM (EDGE only, no 3G) device sports a 3.5-inch LCD display with capacitive multitouch, 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and the part that really bests it over Apple's offering, a trackball! Huzzah! Video after the break.

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXVIII: Palm Pre knockoff doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up

    by 
    Laura June Dziuban
    Laura June Dziuban
    10.09.2009

    Yes, this was only a matter of time, and we're a little surprised we didn't see one earlier. Regardless, this is the Palm Pre knockoff we've been waiting for. Seemingly called just iPhone +QWERTY -- this KIRF is being marketed as just that -- a real business phone with a hybrid identity blending the BlackBerry and the iPhone. And really, that's not too bad of a description for this little dude, we guess. Boasting analog TV, Bluetooth, and an FM radio, it runs the much-loved OPhone operating system, and can be had for 600 RMP (about $88). There are two more shots after the break. Hit the read link for a full peek.[Via PMP Today]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXII: Nokla strikes again with E81 rehash

    by 
    Paul Miller
    Paul Miller
    08.16.2009

    Due to Nokia's continued dismissal of the ripe-for-the-picking E81 model number, the diligent folks at "Nokla" (fresh off their E97 design win) have seen it fit to issue a second handset under that fake moniker. Surprisingly, this one actually boasts a rather unique swivel design -- even beating Nokia's own effort in this regard -- a QWERTY keyboard and some decent specs. There's even a mirror on the swivel-up back (we hear that women love mirrors), along with a hole at the swivel hinge for working a lanyard through. We'd venture to say it's the best E81 Nokia never made. [Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXX: Inkia 500 is a mutated, hamstrung N810

    by 
    Vlad Savov
    Vlad Savov
    08.14.2009

    How do you cook up the perfect KIRF product? Well, you take a well-loved device, say the Nokia N810, and start chopping off the things that made it a winner, like that oh-so-bulky QWERTY keyboard, until you get a device cheap enough to be sold as "the world's first MID under $300." The painfully unoriginal Inkia 500 -- which isn't even the first to rip off Nokia's internet tablet -- isn't entirely without merit, as it comes with a 5-inch touchscreen plus a ULV Atom processor, and once you pony up for 3G and GPS options it might even be useful. All that's holding it back now is the tiny issue that you can get a real N810 for the same price. [Via Shanzai]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXVI: Soniphone C908 takes a little o' this, a little o' that

    by 
    Laura June Dziuban
    Laura June Dziuban
    07.16.2009

    Well, what do we have here? The Soniphone C908 is just a confused mishmash of branded signals -- Sony Ericsson is plainly visible across the top of the LCD, but a little Walkman branding was thrown in under it just for added fun. And, just in case you needed another, completely different reason to have your interest piqued, they threw in a wheel that is suspiciously iPod-like. This classy baby is undoubtedly worth every penny (it'll run you about $117 to grab one), if you decide you can't live without one. One more shot after the break.[Via PMP Today]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXIII: VAIO W netbook clone handily beats Sony to market

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    07.12.2009

    Turns out by the time Sony went official with its inaugural VAIO W netbook, it was already old news to the Chinese KIRF market. The "VAIO" pictured above apparently came out some time in mid-June and does a laudable job of honoring the actual one's chassis, although the keyboard is more traditional than Sony's isolated / chiclet stylings. Throw in a 10.2-inch LED display, 1.6GHz Atom processor, integrated graphics, a 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, and decently convincing packaging and you'd be liable to think you went through a time warp spotting this in Shenzhen. It's got a pretty sizable head start on the legit version, but something tells us this particular model won't be trying its luck elsewhere in the world.[Via PMP Today and Cloned in China]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXII: Looks like "WeFound" a total Kindle ripoff

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    07.11.2009

    Kindle doppelganger? The gang at Tech-On stumbled upon this little number at this week's Tokyo's Digital Publishing Fair, and unless our eyes deceive us, this snowflake's the spitting image of Amazon's e-book reader. It comes from Founder International, Inc., the Japanese unit of Chinese Peking University Founder Group Corp., and aesthetics aside, the screen comes from the same manufacturer (E Ink Corporation) and even lets you insert a SIM card and download directly to the device. And yet, despite the evidence, the company claims its gadget was "independently developed" and has nothing to do with the Kindle. Sure, whatever you say, wink wink, nod nod. The so-labeled WeFound is heading to China at the end of 2009 for around $209, with a possible release in Japan sometime after.[Thanks, Alex]

  • Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXX: "Sony" T77 phone isn't a Cybershot... it's so much more

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    07.07.2009

    If you find the ten megapixels of (legit) Sony's DSC-T77 absolutely decadent, why not settle for (illegit) Sony's two megapixel-wielding T77 smartphone? The tradeoff for lower resolution pics is a dual SIM solution with Bluetooth A2DP support, FM radio, MP3/4 player, microSD slot, e-book reader capabilities, WAP connectivity, and a 3.2-inch WQVGA LCD display that's a tad smaller than its doppelganger. It's even got its own plectrum for rocking out with your, erm, KIRF out. Think this is everything you could possibly want and more? Decidedly Chinese vendor solomobi's selling it at $116.[Thanks, facelessloser]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXVIII: iPhome 3G for the wim!

    by 
    Laura June Dziuban
    Laura June Dziuban
    06.20.2009

    Sure, we've seen plenty of iPhone clones in our day, but we'll say this: this is the clome to beat all clomes. It really takes the KIRF standard up a notch, running the best fake OS X we've seen to date. This one's identity is less confused than many of the knockoffs we usually see, and if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one of these 4GB having-babies... well, you just might be able to convince your grandma that it's the iPhone 3G S. Video is after the break.[Via PMP Today]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXVI: HiPhone F06-Slim is brewing up a Storm

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    06.17.2009

    Oh hi, HiPhone. Not much of a surprise to see you here, again. The latest masterpiece, the HiPhone F06-Slim, is a Frankenstein amalgamation of KIRF favorite iPhone and RIM's first foray into the world of touchscreen phones, albeit with a slightly smaller, 3.2-inch display. We're also looking at a 1.3 megapixel camera, FM radio, microSD support, GPRS, Bluetooth, dual SIM card slots, and "TV phone" capabilities, which we're taking to mean a mobile receiver of some sort. Looks like it forgot the refresh button on the bottom of the device, but with any luck, it left out SurePress as well. If you hang out with the kind of friends who respect a good knockoff, the price of raising your street cred is just a penny under $190 before shipping.[Via PMP Today]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCXIV: Fake iPod shuffle offers most of the minimalism, none of the perks

    by 
    Paul Miller
    Paul Miller
    05.28.2009

    The current generation iPod shuffle is a funny beast in its own right, but the "Clip-On Mp3 Shuffler Player" from Digital Rise really takes the form factor to new comic heights. There appear to be two physical buttons, a presumptive hold switch, and no headphone controls to speak of. At the same time, the player packs in FM radio, audio recording, an equalizer, a bevy of playback modes and even tempo adjustment. We're sure Digital Rise has solved the usability problems here with unwavering elegance.[Via PMP Today]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCX: "iPozh" DVD player lacks Apple's style, but does the lack of Blu-ray support right

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    05.17.2009

    Copying Apple's style and fruit logo (this time it's a pear) is nothing new, but other than the packaging and no Blu-ray support, this Russian-born "iPozh" multi-region DVD player, found at reportedly one of the biggest electronic retail chains in Moscow, seems fit to look as generic and "un-Apple" as aesthetically possible. Still, if you're wandering through a store and you get caught in the vicious stare of that poster, you might fork over the 4,490 rubles (US $139) for fear of the gentleman on the right otherwise emerging from the poster and following you with his gaze for months to come. Look for this to hit outside of Russia sometime in... ah, who are we kidding? Enjoy the pics from afar, and in case you're wondering, that phrase on the blue poster translates to "time for you to play!" [Thanks, Michael and Mitch]

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCVII: NOKLA Batman Mobile phone gets all its signals crossed

    by 
    Laura June Dziuban
    Laura June Dziuban
    05.16.2009

    Look, in real life, we all know that Batman's car is called the Batmobile, NOT the Batman Mobile, and to be perfectly honest, we don't know why it ever seemed like a good idea to name a phone after an auto anyway, but then again: it does look rather... awesome. No, it doesn't look like the most comfortable phone, but as the Dark Knight himself would surely tell you, life is full of pain. This GSM bad mother's boasting a whole host of whack features, including an FM radio, and a "pixel high definition camera," plus "basic functions," but we all know this one's purely about style -- which it's got to spare. This bad boy seems to be currently available in China, and while we doubt we'll ever see it on shores of the U.S., we can tell you this: we'd be willing to pay at least twenty-five dollars to add this to our NOKLA collection. There are a few more stunners after the break.

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCV: Sonia F2 doesn't do Idou justice

    by 
    Ross Miller
    Ross Miller
    05.05.2009

    Sony Ericsson's Idou is still a ways off -- possibly October according to some reports -- but if you're jonesing for the form factor now, or if you find the 12.1 megapixel camera somehow intimidating, Sonia's KIRF-tacular F2 might be right up your alley. The doppelganger eschews a Symbian-powered OS in favor of Android, shrinks the screen by about half an inch diagonally, and even though its camera only shoots at 1.3 megapixels, it still says 12.1 on the back, which should be just enough to convince your friends before you quickly hide it back in your pocket and slyly change the subject. Read - SpecsRead - Hands-on pics

  • Keepin' it real fake, part CCIV: Nokla beats Nokia to the touchscreen N98 punch

    by 
    Paul Miller
    Paul Miller
    04.30.2009

    Good ol' Nokla, with its punny branding and utter shameless, has taken upon itself to build the touchscreen N98, based on a sketchy Nokia concept that was making the rounds last year and never materialized. There's a 3-inch QVGA screen and dual-sim support, but things lean into the realm of Nokia parody with the complete lack of 3G or EDGE data. The worst part is that this phone actually looks kind of nice. All this unintentional humor can be yours for a mere $78.[Via SlashGear]