Video Shows Mysterious Stranger Hiding Out in NYC Apartment Crawlspace

This is a video that's been making the rounds lately, but I've never seen it and it sparked a lot of discussion amongst the staff this morning. That it's fake we could all agree on, but exactly why—that we couldn't decide. A viral video? But for what? What could be the purpose of faking such an odd thing, besides hundreds of thousands of YouTube views? Take a look and see for yourself. [YouTube]

Free LCD TV—Nevermind the Burned-In Gay Porn

This is a pretty great prank. I'll let the Craigslist listing explain it:

My room mate thought it would be "hysterical" to pause gay porn on my TV while my girlfriend and I were on vacation for 2 weeks, thus burning and image into the screen. So...If you dont mind a sillouette of a skinny white guy taking a load in the face from the biggest black penis in recorded history forever adorning your new TV, Its yours.

Childish, yes. Hilarious, also yes. [Craigslist]

Facebook Allows Users to Gift iTunes Giftcards to Other Users

This ends up in Remainders because I am literally snoring right now, as I type this, but Facebook is now allowing users to buy and deliver iTunes giftcards through the site. You can choose which date the gift will be delivered (like, say, a birthday), which is actually a pretty nice feature. This is, unfortunately, US-only for now, because people who hate freedom enough to resist living in the Land of the Free don't deserve iTunes gift cards. [TUAW]

Seppukoo Lets You Kill Your Facebook Self

It sounds kind of interesting in theory: An entire site dedicated to eradicating Facebook profiles. It must be some kind of statement on avoiding association with social networking, right? Well, no; it's actually just another social networking site, trying to get you to cancel your account with the most popular one. It's not going so well, either—apparently only six people "killed" their profiles yesterday. [Techie]

Click on the image for a closer look at the ad.

I'm ashamed to even be in the same country as this guy. Geezus freakin' Christ. [Some Country For Old Men]

At first the idea of using our favorite childhood toy to make a light box may feel slightly silly, but the slim design of the pieces would be beneficial in keeping unwanted shadows or darkness out of your final photograph. Plus, it's a fabulous excuse to bust out the toy box again. Here's what you'll need:

Hit the full post on DIY weblog Spin Hand Spun for all the assembly details, including how to grommet your fabric to encase your structure.

Do you use a light box to give your photographs a professional touch (maybe a simple cardboard one perhaps)? Share your expertise in the comments.

What's especially great is the half-assed trustworthiness of the ad: The creator worked on it for 40 years! He's a scientist! He uses words like "fuselage!"

My secret space craft is the result of my professional experience and imagination while serving the U.S. military in advanced aeronautics as a scientist. The craft harnesses a revolutionary propulsion system and its fuselage is fabricated with the most advanced material. While considerably safe, I am certain you will make it safely to Titan but there will not be enough fuel to get home. This is for someone unique that has always wanted to see the universe first-hand and has perhaps a terminal view on life here at home. Here's your shot at romantic history.

Unfortunately, this is a Laika-style journey: You ain't coming back from this one. That is, if you actually get off the ground. [CNET]

The Craigslist pitch is classic:

Dont bother with those anti glare filters that do not work . Stop those pesky peekers who cant seem to mind their own busniess while your working on your screen…. Trend setters says Laptop Burka is the newest hot ticket on the market today ! Own yours today .Patent Pending…

Real or not, +1 for creepy ingenuity. [Craigslist]

For sale - IBM PC-compatible computer.

486/33MHz custom-build computer running Phoenix BIOS, 80MB hard disk-drive, 640K of base RAM and 384K of extended RAM installed. Comes with DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.11 For Workgroups and a two-button mouse. Turbo feature still working 100% functional. Great for when you need speed boost. Upgraded graphics to a SVGA 800x600 card that is VESA-compliant and can display 16.7 million colors!!! New-ish 14" monitor.

Windows 3.11 has MS Paint, Notepad text editing app, and Norton Desktop. Also, 14.4 modem and a trial subscription to both CompuServe and AOL (2.5 software pre-installed). 5.25"/3.5" dual drive with an open bay in the case if you want to put in a CD-ROM disk drive too. Have plenty of diskettes of shareware including Netscape Navigator, Mosaic browser, and Castle Wolfenstein 3-D! Already has Sim City, SimEarth, Sim Ant, and Sim Tower and Front Page Sports Football.

Canon BubbleJet printer with spare cartridge. Will print all Post-Script and TrueType fonts.

Need to make room in my den for a new Pentium computer that I'm getting.

I built this computer for over $700 so it's a great deal.

Wow, $700...really? Did he build it in 1990 or are we talking pesos here? [Craigslist / Thanks Ponies!]

UPDATE: One of our readers claims to have contacted the seller and received the following response:

Sorry for delay. My Eudora setting was messed up.

No. Is real sale. I need money to buy new Pentium computer that will run the new Windows 95 program. Is supposed to be better than Windows 3 but I don't know. Am too used to finding things in Program Manager. The modem is real fast (by US Robotics) and is much faster than 9600 baud. Even though is 14.4, I got it to run at 28.8 with a program i downloaded.

Am willing to lower ask to $300 for if you have a Apple Mackintosh Quadra (850 preferable).

Also, don't worry if you don't like Eudora. I have Netscape Communicator Gold although I just use the browser on it because it reads GIF images and JPG images.

Yeah, this has got to be a lame joke. Ether that, or we are talking to a time traveler from 20 years ago. [Thanks Rob!]

Kari Heath learned this the best way you can learn something: by doing. She appears in court March 19.

How did the boyfriend figure out it was her? Because the Craigslist ad had photos that nobody except her would have. Oops. The maximum sentence is three years. For a Craigslist prank. [Leader Telegram.]

Most hardware doesn't age well. PCs can quickly become too old to salvage, entire cellphone generations pass in about three years and the country is moving on from outdated CRT display tech en masse. Newly idle gadgetry is the dark side of every upgrade, but there are responsible, beneficial ways to get rid of it.

Sell It
You know, one man's garbage, et cetera. There are a few ways to sell you stuff, and although most old hardware won't net you big bucks, finding a decommissioned gadget a new home is particularly satisfying.

If you think you've got something with niche appeal, eBay is your savior. Your Razr V3? On the right carrier, or unlocked, it could be worth an easy $75, while fetishized first-gen iMacs can rake in well over $100. Shipping as selling on the site can be a hassle and it's one of the most obvious options, but don't ignore the possibility—you never be sure what junk people are willing to pay for, and eBay is the easiest way to find out.

You're not bound to make as much money on Craigslist as on eBay, but it's easier and at least you'll know that whoever adopts your stuff will appreciate it. It's local, so you can usually convince your chumps to come pick you stuff up. Lifehacker as a great guide for getting the most out of Craigslist, but as long as you don't list your Zen Xtra in the Casual Encounters section it should be able to sell itself, or at least give itself away.

Selling gear to a faceless conglomerate might not yield the returns of an eBay success or have the dignity of a loving local transaction, but it'll get your gadgets off your hands and put a bit of money in your pocket. Last year, we investigated Costco's cash-for-gadget program, and it worked, though not always to our liking. Lifehacker wrote up Gazelle, who appraises and buys electronics, even covering the shipping. HP has a similar buyback program. Your gadget might end up as scrap and you won't be getting the best price, but these guys will take an awfully wide range of stuff and the process is pretty convenient.

Recycle It
Despite suffering from a recent bad rep on account of widespread, cost-cutting dumping in China, the recycling option is still a good one, as long as you do it through the right channels. Why not take care of your e-waste and middle-class enviroguilt all at once? The small cost is offset by the fact that your doing a good thing by not dumping some of the more toxic electronic component in landfills or, you know, poor countries, assuming your chosen company is legit.

Apple will waive the fee at recycling firm Metech for anyone who buys a new Mac. If you don't feel like spending $1999 to save $30, you can still use the company.

Your best option is to track down a local recycling company. Many towns have good e-waste facilities—some free, though most are not—and private companies often picks up the slack when the local government can't make it happen. E-Cycling Central has a fantastic utility for finding your local e-waste facilities, municipal and private, but the onus will be on you in either case to ensure that they're not just throwing your stuff into a landfill. Just be sure to ask where the stuff goes and if it gets recycled. If they won't or can't answer, move on.

For residents of D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego areas, as well as a few others, the USPS will help you recycle small gadgetry for free. They basically serve as a middleman between individual citizens and a corporate bulk recycling/repurposing outfit, and offer free shipping for inkjet cartridges, cellphones, PDAs, digital cameras, and MP3 players to be recycled, torn down or sold. Call you local P/O to see if you've got this option. If you do, prepaid packages are available at your branch for easy sending. The best part about this service is that it isn't vetted, so even the dumpiest old Motorola gets a free ride.

Donate It
There are plenty of charitable organizations trade hardware for karma by placing your old hardware in needy hands, but they can be somewhat picky about what they take. The National Cristina Foundation will put your computers in the hands of those who need them, but they won't take garbage. If you have a Pentium 3 equivalent computer with a software license, you're good to go. They'll also take peripherals, which would be a great way to pass on old printers, monitors, mice, keyboards, speakers and so on. The charity has been around for years, and is very good at what it does.

CollectiveGood normally deals with corporate bulk donations, but also runs a buyback program not unlike Gazelle's. The difference is that CollectiveGood will donate your payment directly to the charity of your choice. Face it—it's far more satisfying to feel like you've done something good than to just walk away with a disappointing $31.43 for your once-beloved Optiplex.

Recycling for Charities is a lot like the National Cristina Foundation, but with a focus on reselling cellphones for charity. As with CollectiveGood, you can choose your cause.

Due to shipping constraints, many donation opportunities won't be national—no worries though, as local options abound. Our brilliant intern Erica found plenty of options for New Yorkers in just a few minutes, so a little localized Google-fu will likely turn up something in your area too.

Hat tip to Lifehacker, and thanks to Erico Ho for additional research.

Dealzmodo Hacks are intended to help you sustain your crippling gadget addiction through tighter times. If you come across any on your own that are particularly useful, send it to our tips line (Subject: Dealzmodo Hack). Check back every other Thursday for free DIY tricks to breathe new life into hardware that you already own.

Manufacturers typically set a minimum advertised price, or MAP, that they require authorized sellers to maintain. But online retailers, including Buy.com and even poor, beleaguered CircuitCity.com, often sell products at a discount, and manufacturers believe that steep discounting hurts their brand integrity. These upset gadgetmakers have begun hiring enforcement agencies, like Phoenix's NetEnforcers, to scour the internet for cheap deals and tattle on authorized dealers. Retribution is usually just a warning letter in this case, asking the seller to bring the prices up to the MAP with the veiled threat that lifting the price is important to maintaining a good relationship. Occasionally, an authorized seller in violation of an MAP will have their contract yanked, stopping them from selling that manufacturer's goods.

Where this story gets dirty is in the unauthorized resellers. I'm not talking about a dude selling Panaphonics car stereos out of his car's trunk on that shady corner in West Philly four years ago (I'm not falling for that again!), I'm talking about eBay and Craigslist. Sellers on these sites are under no legal or business obligation to match any price at all, so NetEnforcers and their ilk are attacking them in the time-honored method favored by such baddies as the RIAA: threaten the sellers with frivolous lawsuits in the hopes that the victims will just give up in the face of legal might.

NetEnforcers favors threats of copyright and trademark infringement for eBay and Craigslist users, but as eBay's Tod Cohen says, this is incredibly transparent: "They take down the Web sites only of the unauthorized resellers that are selling at discounts, but don't bother other unauthorized sellers if they're selling at MAP. This suggests manufacturers are mainly interested in keeping prices up, not preventing trademark violations."

A recent court ruling declared MAPs legal, and not in violation of antitrust laws, but representatives from both eBay and Craigslist note that this aggressive policy is effectively price-fixing, which means more expensive products for consumers. As a lifelong bargain hunter, I'm a bit upset that these internet mercenaries are taking away my deals, and their strong-arm muscling really rubs me the wrong way. [WSJ]

Tired of yuppy scum and their fruitphones, a bunch of scammers posted bulk cases of iPhones at deep discounts on Craigslist, luring hip grandfathers and yupsters alike to "desolate locations in Flatbush, East Flatbush and Flatlands" in NY. Upon arrival, they were mugged at gunpoint by the gang of four, who stole thousands of dollars from as many as 12 suckers victims before getting busted June 4 by undercover cops. Remember kids, the only legit discounts come from Apple, real iPhones from real people cost real scratch (for now, anyway). [NY Post]

It's hard to say. Looking through completed auctions on eBay, you see lots of phones selling for around $650 with free shipping, which means you're getting a phone for just about retail. There are a few that went for crazier amounts ($700+), but those are pretty rare. So it looks like a buyer's market on eBay. If you live in a state without an Apple store, you can definitely score one here for close to retail.

Our guess is that on Craigslist, where you can't see completed listings, has a similar story. Especially here, in San Francisco, where there ought to be tons of Apple stores and tons of stock. Why would someone meet up with a stranger just to get a phone that you can hop down the street and get one from an Apple store?

This is of course moot if you have the patience to wait 2-4 weeks to get one from the online Apple store. Those seem to still be in stock as of right now, but ships in 2-4 weeks, which is way too long for most geeks to wait.

Apple Store