Fake LV Aura eschews its pricey inspiration's circular display for a standard square one and we're guessing its specs aren't even close to the already middling 2-megapixel camera, 2GB internal memory, 400 hour stand by time of the real Aura.

But that one's still $2000 (and you can't resell it), while this one's about $113. And if you're going to have a phone that tells people "I care about looks more than anything!" you might as well drop the illusion that you have any class at all. [shanzhaiji]

They apparently keep its image of exclusivity untainted by appearing in a vulgar virtual auction house. If you want to dump the phone (the horror), you have to sell it back to Moto. Since each phone comes with a unique ID, it's possible Moto could track you down with their legal bloodhounds if you do it anyway—they should be able to afford some pretty decent ones too after selling a couple of these things. [The Reg]

Since the circular-screen is the first of its type in a cellphone, the guys gave its menus and such the most thorough going-over. Apparently Moto's engineers wanted to optimize all the UI to make the most of the roundness, but ended up mainly tweaking the main menu, which has a suite of icons arranged in a circle, while many of the phone's other menus and controls simply end up working in a rectangular, conventional screen area in the middle of the display.

The phone's precision-engineered rotation mechanism was pleasing too, with the viewing window on the back giving you a hint of the gearing involved, though flipping it open will likely take a bit of practice. Plus its all-metal rounded shape means its feel in the hand is pretty good.

From a design/initial grope point of view then, the phone actually looks pretty interesting. Of course it's hard to know how good a gadget like this really is until you've given it a good road-test, trying out its functions as much as possible. So, despite its shiny sleekness, we'll have to wait for a review like that before you'll know if the Aura is worth its hefty $2000 price tag. [Mobile Review via Engadgetc]

The display is the product of fine crafting as well. Just 1.55-inches in diameter, this "word's first" circular cellphone screen features 16 million colors and 300 dpi clarity, plus it's coated with 62-carat sapphire crystal to prevent scratching.

Internally, the phone is quad band with GPRS and EDGE featuring 7.3 hours of talk time, 2GB of internal memory, AGPS and 2MP camera. And when it goes on sale December 4th, it'll carry the hefty pricetag of $2,000 (which, to be fair, is actually far less than a premium watch). See more pretty pictures over at Motorola's site. [Motorola]

First thing in the morning, the user pauses to look into the central component of the Aura, a vessel reminiscent of a Tibetan singing bowl. A camera detects his face; motion-capture systems recognize his expression; and software scans the general color of his skin, his eyeballs, the contraction of the pupils, and the reflectivity of the face. He is prompted to repeat a certain word or hum a particular tune - and as the volume and dynamics of his voice are detected and analyzed for mood, microscopic drops of saliva are captured and examined for bacteria, salinity, and other health indicators.

He then takes the second object in his hands: a semi-soft, sculptural form that gives off gently pulsing lights, colors, sounds, and vibrations as it is touched, encouraging manipulation. The user never needs to be taught what to do with the object, but can interact with it on his own terms. While his skin is in contact with the device, different wavelengths of light and sound pass through his skin: infrared light measures blood flow, ultrasonic rays scan the resistance of his skin tissue, others capture the sound and speed of his heartbeat, the firmness of his grip.

In the end, general health is projected in an "Aura" of color, light and sound that reflects the user's mood an alerts him to any potential health issues. There is also a "Theraputic Mode" that projects positive images, movies, colors, patterns and shapes inside the vessel that the user can control with a white chime mallet. While the concept itself is fanciful, the idea behind it is sound. A proactive approach towards personal health could help diagnose problems before they become serious. Too bad we will all be way too dead to take advantage of this type of technology. [Frog Design via Core77]

Essentially a giant mood ring, the Aura Monitor changes between eight different colors depending on your mood. So yes, it's just as useless. But it does look pretty cool as a cellphone strap. – Jason Chen

Solid Alliance does something crazy [Akiba News via Uber Gizmo]

Don't worry, though. There's a big cellphone conference in Barcelona next week where I wager we'll see plenty of iPhone rip-offs. – Nicholas Deleon

The iPhone killer from ASUS? [My iPhone]

We'd get one for our cars if our phones didn't already have speakerphone already. And if it were a bit less than $149. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Mobile Burn via uber gizmo]