Jul 11
Jul 07
James Bond’s Lotus Esprit Submarine Car to Be Auctioned off: More Than Meets the Spy
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe tenth James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me will forever stand out as the movie that had the submarine car in it. Now you can own part of pop culture history: RM Auctions will be putting the bizarre underwater vehicle up for grabs this September. If you’re more of a Transformers fan, think of it as an Autobot that only has alternate modes. Eh? Eh? Sold you with that bit didn’t I?
The submarine was based on the 1976 Lotus Esprit, which was Bond’s signature ride in The Spy Who Loved Me. Apparently the prop makers built different models for the famous transformation scene, which you’ll see in the video below courtesy of YouTuber Maccastreisfan.
RM Auctions will be selling the fully transformed submarine model. According to Lotus Esprit World, the submarine has four fixed fins and four propellers with steering vanes. Apparently it even shoots projectiles. So yeah, it’s a real working sub. The downside? It barely works. It has no brakes and has horrible visibility because its windows are sealed. Obviously it doesn’t transform into a car, much less a Lotus Esprit.
Of course moviegoers didn’t care that the sub was actually a lemon. The movie did very well and Lotus made bank off of the publicity. According to BBC, RM Auctions estimates that the car will fetch around $760,000 (USD). Expensive. Too expensive. Especially when you can get an Esprit that actually drives for about 8% of that.
[via Werd, Lotus Esprit World & BBC]
Jun 27
The FCC may be most concerned with portioning out lower frequencies to bandwidth-hungry carriers, but it’s devoting some attention to higher bands today. The agency has voted in favor of auctioning off two slices of 1,900MHz spectrum, the lower H block (1,915MHz to 1,920MHz) and upper H block (1,995MHz to 2,000MHz), for the sake of mobile broadband. Both are relatively close to Sprint’s PCS airwaves, but the provider reportedly has nothing to fear when rules are in place to minimize interference. If all goes well, an auction could take place in late 2013 or early 2014 — just soon enough to deliver a quick capacity boost ahead of larger spectrum wars.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint
Via: PCWorld
Source: FCC
Jun 23
If you weren’t able to scrounge up enough coin to snap up the last few Apple I computers to be auctioned off, another chance to score one — and empty your bank account — is headed your way. Starting today, Christie’s will be auctioning a functional Apple I until July 9, with a starting bid of $300,000. If last month’s record-breaking $671,400 sale of a similar rig is anything to go by, this machine may rake in more than its estimated $500,000 value. The owner of the Apple I, who picked it up over three decades ago in a swap, modified it with a keyboard, monitor and a tape deck for storage – in other words, just the motherboard is original. Those more interested in window shopping can ogle the classic hardware at Mountain View’s Computer History Museum beginning tomorrow.
[Image credit: Christie’s Auction House]
Via: TUAW
Source: AP
Jun 21
Another Apple I computer is heading to auction next week, and unsurprisingly, it could sell for a lot of money. The computer will open at $300,000 and it’s estimated that it’ll sell for around $500,000, but if there end up being some avid Apple I enthusiasts bidding on the artifact, the selling price could go
Jun 21
Jun 17
Competition in the Canadian cellphone space is on shaky ground when Wind Mobile faces an uncertain future. If The Globe and Mail‘s sources are accurate, however, Wind may get a lifeline from an unexpected source: Verizon. The US carrier has reportedly held “exploratory” talks for a possible takeover of Wind that would help the Canadian firm bid in the upcoming 700MHz auction, improving its chances against local giants Bell, Rogers and Telus. Mobilicity is also a potential acquisition target following Telus’ failed buyout, according to the tipsters. None of the involved parties are commenting at this stage, although Verizon couldn’t just walk into the Canadian market. The provider would have to deal with foreign ownership rules as well as the investment limits of its Vodafone partnership — and neither obstacle is likely to disappear overnight.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon
Via: MobileSyrup
Source: The Globe and Mail
Jun 04
Canada’s 700MHz auction pushed to January 2014, Telus denied Mobilicity spectrum transfer
Posted in: Today's Chili
Oh, Canada. Just one day after we received word of the CRTC’s new wireless code, Industry Canada — its government’s equivalent of the FCC — announced further postponements of the country’s pending 700MHz spectrum auction. Already delayed from the first half of this year to November, IC is pushing the auction back yet another two months to January 14th, 2014, while the application deadline has been reset for September 17th of this year. The main reason for the setback? This morning, the government denied Telus’ request to transfer AWS spectrum from Mobilicity — one of the most important factors in the potential merger of the two networks. As a result, IC decided to allow more time for the affected companies to figure out what to do next; more than likely, Telus will need the extra two months to pull an AT&T and rethink its acquisition strategy. Read the release below for a few more details behind the rationale.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Via: MobileSyrup (1), (2)
Source: Marketwire
May 25
With $671,400, you could buy roughly 2,040.7 base-model iPad minis before taxes. One unnamed buyer, however, just laid that amount out for a single Apple 1 from 1976. Auctioned through Cologne, Germany-based Auction Team Breker Sotheby’s, the price beats out its $640K record from another unit last November. Interestingly, the seller refurbished this latest Apple 1 to working condition, after paying only $40K for it privately. While it doesn’t seem to have the original enclosure, we’d be remiss not to mention that the seller also had Steve Wozniak grace the motherboard with his signature. You’ll find more info at the source, while we wrap our heads around how this makes last summer’s Sotheby’s auction price of $374.5K look like a relative steal.
Update: We initially reported that the auction was held through Sotheby’s, when it was actually done by Auction Team Breker. We’ve corrected this in this post.
Filed under: Desktops, Misc, Apple
Via: MacRumors
Source: NYT Bits
May 25
When we think of computers the thought of a 37 year old handmade system from 1976 doesn’t sound too exciting. However, today that’s exactly what was just auctioned off for charity and hit a record breaking price. One of the very first Apple 1 computers, which still works by the way, was sold this morning for $671,400.
A functioning 1976 Apple 1 computer was sold in a German auction house to one lucky individual that will own a piece of history forever. This computer is a landmark and staple in the industry, and according to what we’re hearing this particular model was handmade by the late Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in their family garage.
According to the NYT this record breaking sale of $671,400 USD is the first of many recent old PC sales, and breaks the previous record of $640,000 for another Apple 1 that sold in the same German auction house. Not to mention a third sold last year at a Breker auction.
These extremely rare, unique, and apparently still working computers offer up so many ‘tech firsts’ and ground-breaking features for their time, that they are getting a lot of attention. These old computers go down to Apple’s roots from back in 1976. It’s said to be one of only 6 left in the world that are still functioning. And that piece of history is worth a lot.
With roughly 200 being build in the garage by the duo, 50 are said said to still be around, and only 6 working we all can see why they’re getting so much attention. The winner of the record-breaking PC wished to remain anonymous, but sources say she’s “a wealthy entrepreneur from the Far East.” Along with the sale of the Apple 1 the purchase also contained an old business transaction letter from the late Jobs, as well as Wozniak’s signature on the computer.
Handmade and first Apple 1 computer sold for nearly $700k is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
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