These are exciting times for online retailer Totobay. If there’s one company that understands a recession it’s this valiant retailer from China who is now offering their “Gucci” G800 subprime special dual-SIM phone. It’s got Bluetooth and support for NES games as well as the usual MP4/ MP3 playback. Too bad that for such a high-roller’s gadget 3G is conspicuously absent, but a Mahjong game comes pre-loaded for the Macau set.

[via totobay]

TCL has announced the iOpen, a Windows CE 5.0 Internet device with full PMP functionality and GPS added. For $336 it’s about one of the priciest China-made Windows CE do-everything device we’ve come across in a while. Heck, our gadget of the year, the Newman VX1000, cost $80 less. It is powered by an ARM926 CPU, plays AVI on 480 x 272 screen as well as MP3, MP4, WMA, AVI and boasts a 2GB onboard storage with SD and MMC support. Pricing and storage is not that great but who knows, maybe someone will like the iOpen.

[via engadget]

We can’t help but think that Motorola has inspired the design of the new Bmorn BM212. It adopts the RIZR form factor very well albeit lacking the sliding action. There’s no calling on this device, of course, but it does have Microsoft PlayFX audio enhancement. Besides this, we know next to nothing about the BM212 except that Bmorn will market this to ladies.

[via zol]

Everyone probably knows by now the potential of the iPhone/iPod Touch to become a very formidable gaming device, but one thing that’s holding it back from reaching new heights is the lack of dedicated gaming controls. Well, this where the iControlPad will come in handy. It seeks to address that specific problem by coming up with a case that’s equipped with a d-pad and four standard buttons mimicking a typical game console configuration. While there already a handful of emulator apps supporting this new gizmo in the jailbroken world, it is yet to be recognized and adapted by apps available in the App Store.

Despite its primitive appearance, it does look like a promising innovation which can be used to tap a whole new segment of the market the iPhone/iPod Touch has yet to reach. Unfortunately, while I do wish that legal apps will support this in the future, something tells me that the big honchos in Apple don’t share the same sentiment.

[product via appletell]

China.org brought us updates of the cutie iPhone factory girl who accidentally forgot to delete the “test photos” she made on the new iPhone 3G camera. I don’t like how the English-language Chinese site described iPhone girl, though: The photos show a round-faced Chinese girl dressed in pink, striped uniform, smiling and making a “V for Victory” gesture in what seems like an assembly line. She is still nameless to the world, however, and I almost feel bad that she is likely to remain nameless if only to prevent potential stalkers from causing needless her needless anxiety.

[source via macrumors]

I just love looking at this Yellow Phone. It has 3 inches of touch screen triband GSM connectivity and with3GP,MP4,AVI support with 30fps playing. It’s $192 in American money.

Full specs after the break.

[link]

Frequency     Tri-band 900 / 1800 / 1900
SIM card     one SIM
Display     3.0″ TFT-LCD, 160′000 colors, 240 x 320 px resolution
Languages     English/ some other languages according to the quantity
Ringtone     Ringtone format: mp3, mp4, mmf
Music     support to download and play mp3; support equalizer and WMA music playing
Video     3GP,MP4,AVI,play 3GP,MP4 very fluently and be compatible with AVI format
Memory     support to extend SD card to 2GB
Data transfer     USB data wire / U disc / WAP / GPRS
Internet     WAP, GPRS
Phonebook     500 groups of contacts of carte de visit, support incoming call with big head sticker, grouping ring
Messaging     200 pieces, support SMS, MMS
Power switch     support auto start/close, can set user-defined photo of starting/closing
Alarm     5 groups; can set from Monday to Sunday at random, can set sleeping time and alarm type
Games     2 common games
Talk time     200–280 minutes
Standby time     200–320 hours
Dimensions     105*55*21 mm
Weight     120 g
Color     Yellow
Miscellaneous     MP3/MP4/Handsfree/SMS group sending/Voice recorder/WAP/Handwritten input/GPRS download/MMS/Coming call firewall/sliding unlock/ graphic editor/ calculator/ unit conversion/ rates exchange/ calendar/ memos etc
Comes with     Two batteries, charger, phone, manual, box, headset, USB cable

Well, someone in China is jumping the gun on the rumored iPod Nano 4G. Merely two days after Kevin Rose dug his Apple leakage, Beelan Enterprise of China already has a protective silicone skin available on Alibaba. We have no idea how Beelan got the correct dimensions to base its Nano 4G on but I’m pretty sure it fits perfectly over the unannounced Apple PMP.

The Beelan iPod Nano 4G silicone protector is “100% silicon” and offers coverage front and back and even over the clickwheel. It comes with a lanyard or sporty armband.

[product]

Those who are looking into getting an iPod Touch, but are on a limited budget we’ll be happy to know that price of refurbished 8GB unit has gone down to a very tempting price of just $199. The 16GB version likewise has gotten trimmed down to an affordable $299. This is definitely good news for the stingy gadget junky, but I can’t help but wonder why the sudden price-cuts?

Two scenarios come to mind. The first being that the number of refurbished units Apple has at their disposal has become so overwhelming that they’re forced to put them on sale; or that a brand new Touch is on the way, and they need to clear their inventory. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that it’s the latter.

Regardless of the reason, this is still an awesome deal for such a sweet device.

[gizmodo via apple refurb store]

Street Fighter aficionados who are also fans of Apple’s iPod Nano have this little treat they can pick up. It’s an iPod Nano with an engraved Street Fighter character complete with dedication at the back. Gizmodo suggests to imagine getting a personal message from Chun Li saying:

“From Chun Li, thanks for being there through a difficult time.”

That’s a good idea but I’m a Blanka fan myself and would love a warm postcard greeting from the green monster man from Brazil. If you’re a hardcore fan of the Street Fighter game, it doesn’t get any better than this. Actually, the game itself on the iPhone/iPod Touch comes to mind as a possible candidate to top this off; but that remains to be seen at the moment.

[gizmodo via etchstar and capcom via kotaku]

Chinavasion’s idea of dampening the nostalgia for the relatively innocent 80s is this 22-dollar ($22.45) MP3 player that looks like your old cassette tape. It even measures up to the original so the illusion is pretty much sustainable. Porblem is, it does not have an internal memory so you’ll have to get used to jamming in 2GB SD or MMC cards. It comes with a 3.5mm jack, a USB 2.0 slot and a car cigarette power adapter. This baby actually fits into a cassette player and probably plays like a real tape though we don’t see how.

[via Chinavasion]