eBay ‘Cyber Monday’ Luxury Door Buster Might Include $1 Corvette [Cyber Monday]

Today, Black Friday is a distant, blood-soaked memory, and the tamer online affair known to the marketers who created it as “Cyber Monday” will arrive tomorrow. Look for a Gizmodo roundup of what to expect on tomorrow later this evening. For now, revel in the crazy eBay Door Buster deals we’ve uncovered so far.

The purported list includes one of each of these items, which will be randomly posted to eBay throughout the day. Starting bid for each item is $1. But, you have to find them, like an Easter Egg hunt.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Coupe
2.25 carat Asscher cut diamond engagement ring
Kawasaki Jet Ski
Panasonic 1080p 65” plasma TV
Playskool KOTA the Triceratops Dinosaur
Supoman intelligent robot automatic lawn mower Previously owned
2007 Oscar de la Renta jeweled evening gown2
Men’s Brooks Brothers charcoal wool suit2
Playhouse Kingdom mansion kit
Zorb inflatable ball
LG HDTV titanium refrigerator/freezer unit
1948 Leaf Series 3 Babe Ruth card
Ping G10 golf club set
Green Life Electric Scooter
One-person mini-sauna

The items include free shipping, which definitely helps if you win a frickin’ Corvette.

Official rules, found at eBay, are below:

How to Play the $1.00 Holiday Doorbusters Event: Over the course of each day during the Promotion Period, Sponsor will hide one hundred one (101) item listings on the eBay Site(s) (each, a “Hidden Listing”). Each day, Sponsor will post a clue related to each such Hidden Listing (the point at which the Hidden Listing and corresponding clue are posted during each day of the Entry Period shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole and exclusive discretion) at http://eBay.promotionexpert.com/doorbuster/index.html (the “Promotion Site”). Eligible Participants will be required to think of an answer to the clue to help guide them through a search of the eBay Site(s) for the featured Hidden Listing. The first Eligible Participant to find each Hidden Listing, click “Buy It Now,” follow the instructions provided, and successfully complete the purchase will secure the Hidden Listing item (pending verification of his/her status as an Eligible Participant). All Hidden Listings will be priced at $1.00. Limit of one (1) eBay $1.00 Holiday Doorbusters Event Hidden Listing purchase per person per eBay User ID per household during the Promotion Period. Each Hidden Listing will remain on the eBay Site(s) until it is found or until the Promotion Period has ended, at which point the Hidden Listing will be removed. Since the Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of an “Ultimate Deal” item exceeds $600, a U.S. purchaser will be required to supply his/her social security number for tax purposes and will receive an IRS Form 1099 for the ARV of the “Ultimate Deal” item purchased. Images used in the Promotion may not be actual representations of Hidden Listing items. While the items for sale are new and have not been used for any other purpose, item may not be delivered in its original packaging or with its original documentation. Winners will be required to sign additional documentation, including, but not limited to, affidavit/declaration of eligibility and liability release, and where legal, a publicity release, and for U.S. residents, a federal and state tax release and return same, properly executed, within seven (7) days of issuance. Failure to return documents as specified, or if any notification is returned as undeliverable, will result in disqualification.

[GottaDeal]


Japanese Company Hides CCTV Cameras in Cute Statues, Hopes No One Notices [CCTV]


For some, the all-seeing CCTV camera is a bit off putting. Its uncaring eye records all, making even a simple trip to the ATM an adventure in privacy rights for our more conservative-minded citizens. In Japan, they understand this, and in typical Japanese fashion they’ve started hiding surveillance cameras in “friendly” Daruma wish dolls to lessen the blow.

And yes, it says “this is a surveillance camera” on the side, but it’s still damn cute. Record my every move all you want, Daruma-san! [Japan Probe via Crunch Gear]

Waistband Stretcher Only Delays the Inevitable Mumu Purchase in Your Future [Wardrobe Malfunction]

While many people use the shopping bonanza Black Friday (now deadly, btw) to secure new clothes as gifts for loved ones, I use it as an excuse to buy new pants because my old ones don’t fit after Thanksgiving dinner. Thankfully, I won’t have to do that anymore, because the Waistband Stretcher removes that task and all other vestiges of personal accountability from the equation forever.

The $30 device slips into a pair of jeans or slacks and does as advertised. It stretches them out to a more pleasing and comfortable size 40, or whatever your waistline might be after a full day of gorging on turkey, potatoes and pie.

The stretcher promises to breath new life into your old wardrobe by adding one to five inches of extra girth. All you have to do is moisten the waistband of your pants, shorts or skirts and insert the stretcher. It’s “easier and more economical than taking tight-waisted clothes to the tailor for alterations,” says the marketing spiel, and who are we to argue?! The sad thing for the heftiest amongst us is the Waistband Stretcher only “rescues” garments with waistbands ranging from 21″ to 45″. But look on the bright side, you 46-inchers—there’s always the mumu! [Skymall via Random Good Stuff]


Memorex SingStand iPod karaoke mic critiqued and in the wild

Sadly (very, very sadly, in fact), this isn’t the first device we’ve seen that poorly attempts to mix your iPod into a karaoke-type device, which probably means you’ll be glancing right over it. Memorex’s recently released SingStand MKS-SS1 Microphone and Speaker System was apprehended and photographed by the iPod fanatics at iLounge, and while the powered speaker base, auxiliary input for an additional microphone / instrument and the audio controls were swell, the lackluster iPod integration sort of left the critic wondering why Cupertino’s darling was even associated. And seriously, are you really considering spending $70 on this with Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2 widely available and able to satisfy your off-key singing desires? No, no you are not.

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Memorex SingStand iPod karaoke mic critiqued and in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calling All Wannabe Dr. Evil’s: Super Secret London Tunnel Lair For Sale [Tunnels]

Last Sunday we were writing about amazing underground diving rigs in the heart of New York City. It seems only fair that we jump across the pond this Sunday and write about a mile-long super secret tunnel lair below London that’s currently for sale, don’t you think? Asking price: A cool $7.4 million. It sounds a bit much for an empty stretch of nothingness deep below the British streets, but wait until you hear about the history. Oh, the history!

This tunnel is actually one of eight built by the British government during World War 2 as a network of bomb shelters to protect citizens from the German blitz. They could hold 8,000 people and were designed to function for five weeks without any assistance from the outside world. This “protection” even included “a bar and two canteens, not in use, and a billiard room, not to mention functioning water and electricity supplies,” reports the New York Times.

However, after their completion, the tunnels were held aside to serve as secret bases of operations for soldiers. They were never used as shelters. Instead, they served as a temporary base for D-Day troops; one even became the European HQ for U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Later, in 1944, the tunnels became bastions of counterintelligence, as members of the secret service used them to coordinate resistance movements in Nazi-controlled countries. The tunnels, once filled with Normandy invaders, were decked out with spy gear, telephones and teleprinters.

Today, though, the tunnels are empty, and waiting for some rich playboy real estate tycoon to swoop in and buy them up. Won’t you take up that standard, and invite us poor gadget-loving folk to a few parties below the busy London streets? Please? [New york Times]


Nokia N85 Pops Up On Amazon But Won’t Arrive in Time for Christmas [Nokia]

The Nokia N85, with all its OLED goodness (and steep asking price), is now available at Amazon for preorder, unlocked and on sale. Unfortunately for you Xmas lovers, this item will arrive after December 24, so those of you wishing to take advantage of the $100 or so off ordering from Amazon will get you will just have to wait until after the holidays (list price says $1,200, but we had it at about $660 in the link above). [AmazonThanks, Ron!]


Refurbished Amazon Kindles Surface for $360 [Kindle]

Amazon Kindles are back-ordered until February, but an interesting development popped up over there today if you’re still holding out hope: Refurbished Kindles for $360. Our tipster says these Kindles are factory refurbs, and come with a 30 day return policy and one year warranty. They apparently have new packaging, cover, a charger and USB cable too. [Amazon via KindleboardsThanks, Harvey!]


Mr. Woo, the Chinese Robot Farmer Guy, Hits Hard Times [Robots]

Not even wacky Chinese farmers are immune to the unstable economic climate, it seems, as our old friend Mr. Woo was recently forced to sell off some of his robot creations to make some extra scratch. This news is especially sad when we consider the fact that Woo, who has built 26 robots over the past 30 years, considers each of them his sons. “They are all my sons, so they must bear my surname,” he said. There was no word on which of his sons went on the auction block, so we hope it is not Wu No. 25 (pictured), the son Wu loves best.

Here’s the cheeky Paul Merton visiting Mr. Woo in 2007. Back in the good ol’ days. Back when robots were free and weren’t forced into slavery by their poor, destitute masters.

[Anonova]


Refurb Kindles now available for $329; please, try to contain yourselves

With Black Friday a thing of the past and the holiday season rapidly approaching, you want to hook up everyone you know with something nice. Amazon’s trying to make that a bit easier on the wallet by offering up refurbished Kindles for $329 straight up — a first for the funky little ebook reader. While it’s not as much of a price reduction as we would have liked, it is a start, but with new devices and pricing rumored for early 2009, to us it just seems like too little, too late.

[Via KindleBoards]

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Refurb Kindles now available for $329; please, try to contain yourselves originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SURVEY: Will You Be Having A Blu-Ray Christmas?

blu-ray players.jpgWe’ve heard a lot about Blu-ray in the past couple of years but is the technology any closer to making it into your home this Christmas?

This time last year the high-defintion (HD) war was in full swing between Blu-ray and HD DVD but dedicated players [excluding the PS3] were not cheap. Now, a year on, Blu-ray stands alone and the path to HD immortality and becoming the ‘next DVD’ stands clear but are players cheap enough to tempt you to stick one in your stocking this Silly Season?