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Crowdfunded case will give your Windows PC that Mac Pro look
Do you like the look of Apple's redesigned Mac Pro, but would rather not drop $5,999 on a workstation just to have that cheese-grater-on-steroids casing? You might not have to. Dune Case is close to crowdfunding the Dune Pro, a standard PC case that unsubtly mimics Apple's airflow-centric design. On the outside, it's basically a Mac Pro without Apple's logo -- you'll need to buy a "Dice Y" sound dampening cover to get the full look, but the stainless steel frame and aluminum enclosure are uncannily similar. The main sacrifice is the use of a more conventional side panel instead of the real Mac Pro's pull-up cover.
For this iPhone clone maker, it's all about survival
A Chinese company called Leagoo made headlines at MWC for showing off its S9, a cheap Android phone that looks like an iPhone X and swiped Samsung's flagship name. These kinds of clones have been a part of the industry forever, clogging up eBay and disappointing whoever buys them. The S9 is indeed the latest in a long line of clones, but as I discovered, the forces that brought it to market are more interesting than the facsimile itself.
This shameless iPhone X clone costs just $160
What? A company has made a phone that borrows heavily from Apple's design? (And LG, Samsung while we're here.) At least the notch is real this time. Oukitel's U18 is up for preorder, priced at $160, making it the cheapest iPhone X that... isn't an iPhone X at all. But, you could get six of them for the price of a real one. The hardware design is all over the place: look at that Samsung chin, or the LG-inspired button on the back. Meaning, for some reason, Oukitel's brought together all the things that I hate. However, it is backed it up with a 4,000mAh battery, at least. (It's the same company that debuted that insane 10,000mAH smartphone a way back.)
Fake iPhone X has a fake notch, obviously
We're only one week away from iPhone X pre-orders, but the counterfeit market is already offering a variety of similar-looking devices to a particular crowd. As I anticipated, I came across one such clone while wandering around Hong Kong's Global Sources electronics fair earlier today, courtesy of a Shenzhen company by the marvelous name of Hotwonder. Its Hotwav Symbol S3 (also not the best name) is essentially an entry-level 4G Android phone shamelessly packaged into an iPhone X-like body, except for one notable difference: the screen "bezel" is white instead of black.
LG wins $168 million lawsuit against knockoff headphone makers
Last year LG filed a $200 million lawsuit against companies producing counterfeit versions of its wraparound Tone headsets. Now, the presiding judge has spoken. While the amount the company was awarded wasn't as high as it asked for, $168 million for damages plus court costs and interest, isn't anything to sneeze at.
Amazon is cracking down on counterfeit goods
Amazon is cracking down on more than just counterfeit reviews -- the e-commerce juggernaut is waging a war against fugazi products, too. In order to sell Adidas, Asics, Hasbro, Nike and Samsung products, Amazon is asking for a $1,000 to $1,500 fee and a surfeit of paperwork according to CNBC. One of the publication's anonymous sources provided a screenshot of the submission process for Samsung. The requirements? An invoice no more than 90 days old showing the purchase of at least 30 items, with at least five different products across the invoices.
Alibaba announces new system to track and remove fake goods
If you've ever shopped at Alibaba, you know to tread carefully: the online marketplace has long had a problem with merchants peddling counterfeit goods. It's given the site a bad reputation, creating tension between Alibaba and major brands. Today, the company announced a new program designed to smooth things out and help companies identify and remove fake products from Alibaba's marketplace.
Alibaba founder: Fake goods can be better than the real deal
If you use a contract factory in China to produce your goods, don't be surprised if high-quality fakes pop up online. That's the feeling of Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma, who stands accused of effectively endorsing counterfeit goods while speaking at an investor event. The Wall Street Journal quotes the executive as saying that "the fake products today are of better quality and better price than the real names." It's a big issue for Alibaba, since its consumer-facing retail portals have something of a reputation for being the place to go when you want a knock-off device.
US Customs seized $35,000 worth of counterfeit Fitbits
Being one of the most identifiable names in a technology sector means that people will always want in on your turf. It's a problem that Fitbit knows all too well, since it's now dealing not just with generic clones of its devices, but counterfeit models as well. US Customs and Border Protection has revealed that it seized $35,000 worth of fake Fitbits as they arrived into Philadelphia on a shipment from Hong Kong. The devices were nabbed on January 4th, putting the stops on at least 350 people's new year's resolutions to slim down.
This knock-off console puts the PS4 and Xbox together at last
Have you ever had a dream where you were in a place, but it looked or felt like another place? As in, you were in San Francisco, but really it was your friend Paul's basement in Delaware? That's what I imagine playing this knock-off console from a Chinese Kickstarter-style crowdfunding site is like. The main console looks remarkably like a PlayStation 4, with a controller that has more than a hint of Xbox about it. Even its "Ouye" name is eerily familiar. This three-way console mash-up appears to be running Android (4.4.2), and the modest octa-core A80 processor is definitely more Sonic Dash than Destiny. The campaign page also claims the Ouye supports 4K, because buyers of this box deserve the best. We're not sure anyone's going to confuse this with a real-deal next gen console, but you have to admire the cheek. Despite all the obvious reasons not to, if you were inclined to buy one, you can snap one up for about $70/£45. Perfect for Paul's basement.
Land Rover fails in its bid to block Chinese copycats
China is famous for many things, but a deeply-held respect for the concept of intellectual property isn't one of them. It's a problem that Land Rover has just run into head-first after its claims that the Land Wind X7 was a shameless copy of its Range Rover Evoque fell upon deaf ears. Autocar is reporting that, not only did authorities dismiss the complaint, but the Chinese company has been given permission to start manufacturing the vehicle.
Relive your NES glory days with a gamepad that feels like the real thing
We've ripped apart knock-off gadgets more than a few times, but there are moments where a company's urge to mimic others will pay dividends. Take 8Bitdo's recently released NES30, for example: the Bluetooth gamepad recreates as much of the NES controller's design as possible while still keeping its feet planted in the modern era. The four extra buttons aren't exactly true to the 1985 original, but the overall look and button presses are reportedly faithful to what you remember. Even if it's not quite true to life, you might not mind given the very broad device support. The NES30 can talk to Android, iOS, OS X and Windows, and it can even double as a (fairly awkward-looking) Wii remote in a pinch.
Someone (finally) made a Galaxy Gear clone
At first glance this beauty might look like the Galaxy Gear, but it's actually the PW305. Apparently the guys at Podoor didn't get the memo from CNN that people weren't counterfeiting smartwatches, and made this stylish number. The company tells us that the watch is based on Linux and "performs stably and practically," two features we're definitely looking for in a wearable. Check out a demo video of the PW305 in all its KIRF glory after the break.
Goophone copies the all new (still-unannounced) HTC One
If you're going to clone one of 2014's hottest Android flagships, you might as well clone others, right? Goophone certainly thinks so. It just launched the Goophone M8, a smartphone that bears an uncanny resemblance to the all new (and still-unannounced) HTC One. Not that the similarities are much more than skin deep, mind you. Goophone's attempt at keepin' it real fake uses capacitive keys instead of the new One's on-screen buttons, and we doubt that the middling (if octa-core) processor, 1GB of RAM and 3G data speeds will have HTC breaking a sweat. It only costs $230 to get Goophone's knock-off, though. And hey, it comes in gold -- if you're only looking for an ostentatious design, you might as well save some cash.
Goophone took just two days to rip off the Galaxy S5
Goophone's a bit like a covers band that just happens to make knock-off smartphones. Not content with just plundering better artists' catalogs, the company has apparently managed to copy the Galaxy S5 in under two days. The Goophone S5, yep, has a 5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display, paired with a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek chip and 2GB RAM. Keep looking, and you'll find 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, dual-SIM slots, 32GB storage and a 2,800mAh battery, in addition to 13-and-5-megapixel rear and front cameras. It's available in white, black, gold or blue and is priced at $300, making it the ideal companion for your Lucci bag, Tammy Hilfinger shirt and Seanheiser headphones.
Nikon takes first blood against Polaroid's knock-off J1
Remember when Nikon noticed that Polaroid's iM1836 looked a little too much like the J1 and lawyered-up? The case has arrived at the Southern District Court of New York, where a judge probably took 30 seconds to nod their head and say "Yeah, that's the same device." As such, Nikon has won a preliminary injunction preventing the sale and manufacture of the suspiciously-similar shooter. If you were in the hunt for a J1 knock-off, it looks as if you'll have to take your business elsewhere -- at least for now.
Lumia 1020 KIRF swaps PureView camera for '41-megaplxel' audio
You'd think that the Lumia 1020's 41-megapixel camera and unibody design would deter clone makers -- how do you even get close to the real thing? That hasn't stopped an anonymous Shenzhen company from giving it a shot, however. As you'd expect, this attempt at keepin' it real fake is nowhere near as well-designed as the Nokia original. It's housed in a crude two-piece shell and carries just a 2MP camera at the back. Most of the rear hump is occupied by "41-megaplxel" speakers and an attempted revival of Nokia's XpressMusic badge. At least the Windows Phone-like Android launcher is more convincing. We'd advise against spending $69 on this knockoff for serious uses, although you may want one for the novelty; now that Microsoft is buying Nokia's device business, it may the closest we get to an Android-based Nokia phone. Check out a second image of the clone after the break.
Goophone to launch $100 iPhone 5C clone, still KIRFing it
Goophone's shaping up to be an enduring passenger aboard the iPhone clone train. Hence, it comes as absolutely no surprise that it's conjuring up an iPhone 5C copy months after it released an iPhone 5S of its own. Despite popular belief that the 5C will be more affordable than the typical iPhone, the KIRFer has confirmed to us that it's making a copy known as the i5C. Goophone has yet to spill the details (and the above image is just a mockup), but leaked specs suggest it'll contain a 4-inch 960 x 540 screen, a 1.2GHz dual-core MTK6572 processor and an 8-megapixel rear / 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It reportedly supports quad-band GSM, has 3G connectivity and runs Android 4.2. It's claimed that the Goophone i5C will ring in at $100, but anyone who'd like to get their hands on the cloner's latest masterpiece will have to wait -- Goophone tells us it's waiting for the real one to make first arrival.
Keepin' it real fake: China's Codoon SmartBand pays homage to Jawbone Up
Viewing it from afar, you could easily mistake this gadget for Jawbone's Up fitness band. What we have here is actually the SmartBand from Chinese fitness accessories maker Codoon, and it's almost a carbon copy of the Up in terms appearance and functionality. Bend this strip around your wrist to track your movement and sleeping patterns (with the ability to wake you up with vibration at the optimal sleeping cycle; just like the Up), and afterwards, plug the hidden 3.5mm headphone jack into either an iPhone or an Android device for analysis and sharing through Codoon's website. After we reached out to Baidu regarding the Baidu Cloud logo on the SmartBand, a spokesperson told us that it's the first wearable developed on top of Baidu's PCS (Personal Cloud Service) to sync and share data, and Codoon's upcoming Bluetooth fitness products will work on the same platform (likewise for the Baidu Eye project). Still, it's a real shame that the startup couldn't come up with its very own design for its first hero product. Expect this rip-off to hit the market in early June for an unknown price -- but you can already get an Up in China, anyway.
Keepin' it real fake: the Star S5 Butterfly clones its HTC namesake, skips the good part
If you're going to engage in KIRF-ology, you could certainly do worse than HTC's lovely 5-inch slab of unibody plastic, the Butterfly. But if you want to sell it for $222.00, certain niceties have to go out the window -- like the signature 1080p screen, for instance. Star's slipped a 720p unit in there instead, while also downgrading the RAM to 1GB and swapping out Qualcomm's 1.5GHz quad-core CPU for a cheaper MediaTek model. The Chinese cloner's at least kept the other specs real, matching the kosher model's 8-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front cameras, dual-sim option, SD card expansion slot and Android 4.2 software. Of course, nothing keeps costs down like not having to pay a designer -- and knowing that most of that pesky marketing's already been done for you.