gold

WASHINGTON--A federal judge decided on Thursday not to impose a prison sentence on the senior directors of E-Gold, an Internet-based digital currency firm, who had previously pleaded guilty to violations of money laundering and running an unlicensed money transmitting business.

The three directors of E-Gold, in addition to its Gold & Silver Reserve parent company, were indicted in April 2007 after federal prosecutors accused the online payment site of being a haven for criminal activity like processing investment scams and payments for child pornography. They said its loose verification standards for users' identity attracted criminals.

The three men and the … Read more

The Yubz telephone makes the argument that even iPhones can't escape irony's tacky, far-reaching arm. For $50 and the cost of shipping from France, you can own this ridiculous handset that plugs into your iPhone and lets you pretend you're Donald Trump in the early 1970s.

It'll be out in mid-November on the Yubz Web site, but if you simply can't wait until they inevitably show up in your local mall's Spencer Gifts, they're also available for preorder.

Finally, if a solid gold telephone triggers your gag reflexes as much as it does … Read more

Given the current economic climate, this may be the only USB drive that actually gets more valuable as time goes by. It's an 18-carat solid gold USB drive that screams, "Stock market dive, what stock market dive?"

The limited-edition drive from Super Talent Technology is a member of the Pico-C line, which is water-resistant and supports data transfer speeds up to 30MBps. The $599 bit of storage swankness comes with an 18-carat solid gold keychain and a serialized certificate of authenticity. It's wrapped in a black velvet jewelry box, and text or a logo can be … Read more

BURLINGAME, Calif.--In the 50 years since Burt Blumert founded Camino Coin Company, a precious metals dealer in this quiet San Francisco suburb, he's never witnessed such a frenzy of interest in gold and silver coins.

"There are no gold coins available," said Blumert, who is now mostly retired after giving the business to a longtime employee last year. "This is just as true of silver, even more so."

Call it the Great Gold Rush of 2008. Or, more accurately, the Great Gold Shortage of 2008. Like many dealers with physical storefronts, the Internet accounts … Read more

We first heard about this bamboo-covered laptop from Asus several months ago, and with that company's history of leather wrist rests and automotive-branded lids, it certainly fits right in with the creative Asus designs we're used to seeing. Now, at long last, we've finally gotten a chance to get a look in person, as Asus was in New York last week, showing off a handful of new systems (including the N10 "high-end" Netbook).

The bamboo laptops are built around two existing Asus models, the 12-inch U6S (which we reviewed very positively earlier in the year), and the 11-inch U2E. … Read more

On today's show: Heroic and controversial news from the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps dominates the competition, Chinese gymnasts gettin' shady wit it, child abuse in the form of gymnastics training, the great bigfoot unveiling, Favre team traitor trading, Hawaii Five-0 remake, and submission from our 404 GoAnimate competition!

I know that we've talked almost nonstop about the Olympics this week, but we have to considering all the crazy controversy going on this year. I actually can't remember the last time I've heard so much news about the Olympics that didn't have to do directly … Read more

If you see people sporting a fancy gold Kyocera watch or mobile phone in the near future, don't assume they necessarily laid down a bundle on it. The Japanese company has come up with a new ceramic that closely resembles the texture and color of 18-karat gold. Kinda cheapens the Dolce and Gabbana Razr, now, doesn't it?

In developing the new gold ceramic material, Kyocera says it raised the brightness level approximately 5 percent over previous gold ceramic products while retaining the material's hardness.

The company says the new material is 5 to 10 times sturdier than … Read more

All laptop makers have joined the fashion bandwagon--some later than others--so it's no surprise that Fujitsu is continuing to experiment with its runway persona. The Japanese company has gone through some interesting evolutionary phases of its designer laptops, from finishes in ubiquitous pink to an odd cedar and now precious metals, at least in name.

The Fujitsu LifeBook P8010E has already gotten a good review from CNET (7.5), but its new "Limited Pink Gold Edition" is trying to sell beauty as well as brain and brawn with such aesthetic features as a high-gloss finish and chrome … Read more

Samsung may have had some trouble figuring out which phones it wanted to produce for this summer's Beijing Olympic, but apparently it's decided that it will settle for nothing less than the gold. In addition to the 18k P318+ it gilded last year, the Korean company now plans to another gold-plated handset.

The special-edition version of its triband SGH-D780 DuoS has a 2.1-inch display, 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio, and a microSD card slot. And, if you look closely, you can see the Olympic rings.

It's a little surprising that the logo isn't more prominent, … Read more