counterfeit
Computers
With No Real Apple Netbook on the Horizon, Chinese Create Fake One
5:30PM Elaine Chow | Sure, you could always wait for Apple to release its first netbook (if they actually do). But over here in China, when we want something bad enough, we go and make it ourselves. More »
Phones
Fake Aura Slaps On Fake Louis Vuitton For Ultimate Tackiness
4:30PM Elaine Chow | In case the Aura, Motorola’s 2008 luxury phone, didn’t scream nouveau-riche enough, some Chinese counterfeiters have decked their version out in a Louis Vuitton skin. More »
Entertainment
Sarah Connor Chronicles Fake DVD’s Back Cover is Refreshingly Honest
4:50PM Elaine Chow | I was never interested in the Sarah Connor Chronicles series, but after I saw the back cover for this fake DVD at my local pirated movie shop, I felt like I had to buy it. More »
Random Stuff
Don’t Support Illicit Christmas Light Cartels
5:00AM Sean Fallon | The next time some tough guy on the street tries to pressure you into buying cheap Christmas bulbs JUST SAY NO! Apparently, the market for counterfeit holiday decorations is increasing at an alarming pace—and these lights can pose serious safety hazards. They may try and sucker you in by saying things like “this is the real deal” and “come on man, don’t you want your house to look like the Grizwold’s for only $US5?” But be warned—this lifestyle isn’t “cool” or “glamorous.”
Gadgets
$US60,000 Vacheron Constantin Quai de l’Ile Watch Can’t Be Counterfeited
5:00AM Jack Loftus | Hell, we can barely say the name (or tell time), but we understand the reason for all the security features this puppy boasts as part of a multi-faceted effort to deter counterfeiters. For anywhere between $US12,000 to the aforementioned $US60k, owners can customise their Vacheron Constantin Quai de l’Ile with 400 styles and deterrents, like the embedded invisible ink plastic slips that are placed beneath the watch face (see: the little sun between the 1 and 2 above). If that sounds familiar, it’s because some of the same techniques are used in paper currency.
Gadgets
Numbers Behind the War on Piracy Could Be Completely Bogus
2:30PM Gizmodo US Edition | Ars Technica did an in-depth investigation into the numbers behind the war against piracy and found that Congress might as well be telling people counterfeit goods cost the economy eleventy billion zillion, for all the truth behind its figures. The oft invoked $US250 billion and 750,000 jobs lost because of intellectual property theft have been repeated for over a decade, with virtually no research to back it up. More »
Hardware
Fake Electronic Components Cause Military Malfunctions, Possibly International Espionage
4:00AM Gizmodo US Edition | BusinessWeek reports that counterfeit hardware has been found to be the cause of several malfunctions in high-level military machinery. The phony infiltration has a distinct possibility of leading to espionage or sabotage. In other words, move over, Meizu M8: you’re not the biggest faker in town anymore. More »
Hardware
US Military Wasted Millions on Fake Hardware, Sparking Cyber-Terrorism Fears
5:00AM Gizmodo US Edition | The U.S. Military has spent millions of dollars on counterfeit computer components over the years, according to an FBI report. This not only screws over businesses, but it also makes it easier for cyber-terrorists to hack into our systems by putting trojans and viruses in fake circuitry. An anti-counterfeit initiative by the FBI, led to 15 criminal cases and over US$3.5 million worth of seized products. More »
_
