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Dubious Google Glass eBay auction hammered

It was right next to the auction for advance copies of the new self-help book on modesty co-authored by Anne Hathaway and Kanye West.

Following it was an exclusive right to bid on a pair of Kim Jong-un's basketball shorts.

At least that's what I imagine.

For some no-doubt enterprising being -- handle bla7kcat -- presented baying eBayers with the chance to look extremely silly walking down the street.

Yes, here was an allegedly genuine Google Glass headset up for auction.

Or at least that's what this person would have you believe. As The Atlantic reports, bla7kcat … Read more

Fabric + algorithm: The fit geek's quest for a suit that fits

Buying men's suits online sounds risky, but a few fit geeks think they can get the right fit better than anyone else.

Two cousins with Las Vegas fashion industry ties, Mo Melwani and Vishaal Melwani, have teamed up with former space geek Raj Sareen to launch Sareen's new tech fit algorithm. Their site sells men's business wear and are aiming for the customers who don't like to shop, so a better fit means less returns and more repeat business. The technology, powered by Sareen's startup Styku, helps consumers find their correct clothing size online with … Read more

Tech companies: Gay marriage ban is bad for business

Some big-name tech companies are adding their support for same-sex marriage and making the case that banning these unions deters employee recruitment efforts.

Dozens of companies, including Apple, Facebook, eBay, and Intel, will file an amicus brief -- a court document field by an interested group that is not actually a party to the case -- on Thursday to declare their support, Fortune reported today.

Facebook publicly announced its support through a message on its "LGBTQ@Facebook" page.

"This week, Facebook is proudly joining many other businesses in submitting briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting … Read more

Japan's high-end Fujitsu Arrows X F-02E phone hits the target

BARCELONA, Spain--One of the great things about a trade show like Mobile World Congress is seeing the cool phones and tablets we won't get. Hang on, did I say great? I meant depressing -- I'd love to get my hands on a 4G Android smartphone as powerful as the Fujitsu Arrows X F-02E, or a water-resistant 4G Windows 8 tablet like the Fujitsu Arrows Tab.

Both devices are only available in Japan, and unlikely to go on sale elsewhere. Which is a shame: the Arrows X F-02E, Fujitsu's flagship phone, has specs to die for -- and … Read more

Amazon tops Netflix in customer satisfaction survey

U.S. consumers who shop online continue to enjoy the experience more than going to brick-and-mortar stores, according to customer satisfaction rankings released today, and Amazon continues to lead the industry.

A report produced by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and analytics firm ForeSee gave the general e-commerce industry a ranking of 82 out of 100 in 2012 -- a 1.2 percent increase from the year before. Brick-and-mortar stores, however, ranked 76.6.

Not surprisingly, the companies that have seen the most growth are small online retailers and brick-and-mortar retailers that also have a Web presence. This category … Read more

B&N reportedly to 'move away' from making Nook hardware

The Nook hasn't worked out as Barnes & Noble had hoped, reportedly leading executives at the bookseller to rethink its hardware strategy.

The bookseller, which acknowledged last month that Nook segment sales for the holidays were much lower than expected, will "move away" from building its own hardware to a strategy that focuses on licensing content to third-party developers, sources tell The New York Times.

"They are not completely getting out of the hardware business, but they are going to lean a lot more on the comprehensive digital catalog of content," said an unidentified person … Read more

An affordable Android with fancy audio

BARCELONA, Spain--Acer's new Liquid E1 is proof that an Android Jelly Bean handset doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. At an unsubsidized price of 199 euros (about $260, or £175), this midrange smartphone comes with a respectable list of components to match its modern software.

Powered by 1GHz dual-core MediaTek processor paired with 1GB of RAM, the Liquid E1 offers a pleasantly quick if not blisteringly swift Android experience. And while its 4.5-inch screen has a lower than average qHD resolution (960x540 pixels), it's large, bright, and uses IPS technology for acceptably … Read more

How Microsoft can avoid the pitfalls of Sony's PS4 announcement

Editor's note: It's official. Microsoft has announced the future of Xbox (and the next console) will be revealed at an event in Redmond, Washington on May 21.

Press events are a tricky beast. No one ever said they were easy to pull off. But with Sony casting the first stone in the next-generation console gaming war, Microsoft can learn a lot from what worked and what didn't.

When the lights went up, Sony execs were shaking hands and congratulating each other. But the packed house at the Hammerstein Ballroom wasn't exactly participating in the same adulation. … Read more

Pointers on Microsoft's Hotmail phase-out

Microsoft announced earlier this week that it is closing Hotmail and moving the "hundreds of millions" still using it to Outlook.com by this summer.

The move isn't unexpected, but perhaps more sudden than some anticipated. Hotmail users, once they move (or are moved) will get Outlook.com's clean, Metro-Style interface for their mail -- and ultimately, calendars. (For a walk-through of the user-interface changes Hotmail users will see, check out this Microsoft FAQ.)

Given that many of the new features in Outlook.com -- Microsoft's new Web-mail service that is no longer in "preview,"Read more

Apple may be working on new e-book features for iOS

Apple may be working on some new search and highlight features for reading e-books on iPads, Patently Apple reported today.

The company filed a patent application for "creating and viewing digital note cards," according to the application published today (PDF below). The patent outlines technology for a new floating toolbar that allows users to do quick searches of text and enable highlighting and note-taking.

Users would be able to highlight text with various colors or by applying different fonts -- like strike-through font -- and add notes. In addition to text, these notes could include other media such … Read more