If you're listed, well I guess you have the golden ticket (Willy Wonka, chocolate, see what I did there?) Anyway, you have until tomorrow to let LG know. It all seems quite cryptic and strange. What does LG want with my 5-megapixel DIY porn, anyway? We could find out about a week after the hunt closes. But what do you think? [LG via Klik.tv]

It's missing some of the more advanced features the BL40 boasts, notably an accelerometer, but should be a cheaper and smaller alternative to the BL40 if and when it's eventually released. We've got no info on price or release date, but we'll update when we do. [Engadget]

Here's the thing: It's been clear since the earliest teases that the BL40 is a streeeeeetched phone, to the point that LG had to design a few special interface elements to take advantage of—or to work around—the screen's odd proportions. But in promo videos, the BL40 just looked a little, I don't know, bigger. Here, cradled in a young Englishman's hands, this 21:9 chunk of hardware looks more like a compact remote than a cellphone.

That said, the software still looks impressive and runs very smoothly, aside from a little choppiness during multitouch zooming. It's hard to judge such an unexpectedly different device without laying hands on one—it may look a mite silly, but usability is still a total wildcard. [Mobiles.co.uk—Thanks, Daniel!]

Shock and mystery, I suppose, are at the core of the BL40's appeal, at least until someone actually gets to try one. For everything we do know, and can see reconfirmed here—the featurephone OS, the 5-megapixel camera, the 21:9 screen, the forward-facing videocalling sensor—there's a less observable thing that we don't: How does it feel in your pocket? Your hand? How well does browsing work? How does this phone deal with video that's not encoded for silly-wide displays? And until we find out that LG hasn't discovered clever and/or magical solutions to these potential issues, ogling is the order of the day. [LG]

The alleged specs aren't much to get excited about, but make no mistake: This will be a popular phone. It's a proud grandson of the line's earliest models—with a slightly touchier front panel and (barely) tweaked styling—which sold about 10 million handsets worldwide, and continue to do well, despite being, well, old. Its beanpole brother can take care of the innovating; lil' 42 can take care of the money. No price or availability yet. [AllAboutPhones via Slashgear]

With the photos comes a spec list, which is only new in the sense that it comes from someone who has the device; it confirms more or less everything we already knew:

- UMTS / HSDPA
- 800x345 screen
- Position sensor
- 5-megapixel camera with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens and flash
- Wi-Fi
- FM transmitter
- About 335 MB of internal memory, expandable via SD card.

On top of that, the Dutch tipster says that the interface is a variant on LG's S-Class UI—which was also widely-anticipated—and to show us a second, smaller, and less oblong phone, which looks a bit more like the Chocolate features phones of yore, and less like something any of us will really care about.

Disregarding obvious TBDs like price, release date and carrier options, there isn't a whole lot we don't know about this device now, except how it will be to use. That's be anyone's guess, so here's mine: it will be novel for about three days, after which you'll start to wish your phone wasn't shaped like your DVD remote. That, or it'll be a totally transcendent experience that leaves you unable to pick up a regularly-ratioed handset ever again. Commenters: Speculate! [Telefon via Engadget]

On top of the display, we can see a few more of the rumored specs confirmed: LG's in-house Active Flash UI, Wi-Fi, 7.2mbps HSDPA, a-gps, and a 5mp camera with flash all make appearances, and we get a healthy look at the phone's software, glimpsing the onscreen keyboard, browser, Google Maps app, card-based contact system, scheduler and email app.

In terms of usability, the ultrawide screen is the obvious wildcard, but the OS will be a equally—if not more—important factor. In combination with the promise of a multitouch glass capacitive touchscreen, the simulated screen images in the video inspire confidence, exhibiting smoothness, thoughful navigation and an eye-and-finger-friendly UI in most places, although without a proper smartphone OS, the Chocolate will still be a dumbphone at heart.

As for when we'll actually find out if this thing has the wherewithal to match up with its ostentatious wackiness, all we get is a vague "coming soon," which according to previous reports, means August—though it's not clear if that's the official unveiling—which is pretty much ruined now—or the date of actual availability. [LG Chocolate via Engadget]

Supposedly, the info was gleaned from a UA profile for the phone, technically the BL40, though we couldn't find any reference to any of those specs inside of it. Other info possibly revealed by the UA profile is that it's running LG's own OS and Obigo Q7.3 browser, and maybe a 5-megapixel camera.

It also almost seems too weird, even given the funky specs that the Korean phonemakers often resort to in their blood feud—I mean, hello LG watch phone. But at the same time, I could see an LG exec totally think that this is the best idea ever. Which would be dandy, just don't make it suck to use, okay? [Tweakers.net via Unwired View]

We will have to wait till August to see if the complete cellphone looks as sexy as the teasers. And hopefully, they won't use a dumb cellphone inoperative system. [Electric Pig]

Cranking out 1000 watts, just as most other HTIB systems of this ilk do, it's pumping 155 of those watts to the front right and left speakers, the two rear surrounds and the center channel speaker, with the sub getting the remaining 255 watts. And like many others, the control unit has an HDMI port, handles file types such as JPEG images and DiVx video, and can upscale DVDs to imitation-1080p video rez, impressive if you're one who is fooled by such things.

It's not LG's first foray into Chocolate territory for its home theater products, but this setup is most faithful to the original LG Chocolate phone's dark and shiny style. It'll debut in South Korea, and there's no word about whether it'll ever see U.S. shores. By the way, as is often the case with LG, it seems that we like the model more than the product. [Coolest Gadgets]

Yesterday, I finally sacked up and dropped four big ones + tax onthe iPhone. Yes, Apple's obscenely aggressive advertising campaign got me...Yes, I'm going to pay $175 dollars to get out of my Verizon wireless plan.

Apparently, Verizon Wireless somehow caught wind of my plan. Apple sent me their email confirmation about my iPhone. Not 4 minutes later, an email popped into my inbox from Verizon touting the
multifunction capabilities of the LG Chocolate. Coincidence? Maybe. Fate? Definitely not. Creepy? Hell yes. The only emails I've ever gotten from them are billing notices.

UPDATE:

I haven't actually canceled my verizon service yet, so...that's the creepy part. I don't even have the iPhone yet. I just ordered the phone online. Then the email came.

UPDATE: It's confirmed that non-iPhone customers are getting the email too. Still funny.

Rip-Off Of The office milieu, complete with goofy coworkers, borrows from Sierra Mist's mildly funny "combover" ad, as well as the likes of Dilbert et al. The very literal interpretation of rock-and-roll fandom, meanwhile, is woefully unimaginative, nicked from those "wacky" Entertainment Tonight segments shot at sci-fi conventions. Note to Verizon: The Angus Young costume gag was funny the first 900 times someone used it for Halloween; 901 broke the camel's back.

The Spin Finally getting AC/DC to sell digital music is, granted, something of a coup; the band has long resisted iTunes entreaties, holding out for a sweetheart deal befitting its broad appeal. (As one of my classic-rocker pals once sagely pointed out, AC/DC had produced some of history's most unobjectionable party music.) Getting AC/DC on VCast, then, is a point in the service's favor, as it strives to become a reason for consumers to switch to Verizon. Sure, we're talking about a band whose glory days were 30 years (and one singer) ago, but can't knock those Back in Black sales—440,000 copies of that classic were purchased last year, all in hard media form.

Counterspin So many sins of omission in this ad. Start with the fact, previously noted on Gizmodo, that only one AC/DC song ("You Shook Me All Night Long") will actually be available for over-the-air download. Aside from that, you can only download full albums (rather than single tracks) to your PC, using the VCast store—yeah, I didn't know it existed either. On top of that, this is a limited-time offer, expiring in March of next year. After that, there's a chance that AC/DC could bolt and sell its back catalog to an even higher bidder—while you've still got months to go on your contract, sucker. But the worst part is the walled garden-ness of it all—just as the internet is becoming truly mobile, Verizon wants to pull us back to a controlled yesteryear? How short-sighted.

Takeaway Does Verizon really believe that exclusive deals like this will lure new customers? I'll wager that 98 percent of the consumers who bought Back in Black in '06 were teenagers, a demographic that either lets their folks pick the cell plan, or just go for pre-paid deals. Beyond that, the advantages here are meager—the albums still cost $12, whether you're getting a classic or one of the newer, dreckier ones. (Stiff Upper Lip is every bit as disappointing as it sounds.) Okay, so there will be some exclusive concert clips and the like. But at this point in AC/DC's evolution, I'd like to think that anyone who really cares 'bout such things gets their video fixes from the web; AC/DC is musical comfort food, not a band that folks are just dying to keep tabs on 24/7. Verizon would be well-advised to start thinking about how to partner with existing digimusic services, like AT&T has done with eMusic. I just can't see VCast being the future, no matter how much the online store gets beefed up.

Hype-O-Meter 2 (out of 10). This ad avoids a lower rating simply because, hey, I like AC/DC's early work (i.e. before Bon Scott's untimely demise; High Voltage is particularly awesome). But otherwise, this commercial's a cheap and deceptive stab at propping up a dying approach to technology.

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired and a columnist for both The New York Times and Slate. His Hype Sheet column appears every Thursday on Gizmodo.

Read more Hype Sheet

The festive colors of the Chocolate hit stores today for $99... after $50 mail-in rebate and two-year contract with Verizon Wireless. Spread some Christmas cheer and give the gift of a wildly over-hyped cellphone. – Nicholas Deleon

Cherry [Verizon Wireless]

Mint [Verizon Wireless via SlashPhone.com]

No word on when this new Chocolate will hit stores, but odds are that the "e" in KE800 stands for EDGE (unconfirmed, of course, as the juciest gossip often is). In Europe, the Tri-band GSM/GPRS will initially be availabe in black and silver, while Korea's CDMA version will feature gold trim around its black exterior. Just lose those terrible "buttons" and you'll have a pretty decent cellphone there, LG. – Nicholas Deleon

LG KE800 Chocolate Platinum [GSMArena.com via phoneArena]

According to ads plastered all over New York, the white Chocolate is available in stores now. Now if only the cellphone wasn't a piece of garbage... – Nicholas Deleon

LG White Chocolate Product Page [Verizon Wireless via Slashphone.com]

About the only thing the respected reviewer likes about the phone is that it's "handsome." But he goes on to slam its control wheel, "which isn't a wheel at all, just a common five-way navigation pad made to look like an iPod wheel." He goes on to call its touch sensitivity "poor," where no matter how you adjust it, it's either too sensitive are not sensitive enough. He doesn't like the placement of the "end" button, either, nor does he care for the music application itself, which he writes is "full of unwelcome surprises."

Here at the Giz, we're hearing more complaints lately about how appearance has overtaken functionality in popular industrial design, where form often doesn't follow function at all. Sounds like Mossberg found similar problems with the LG Chocolate phone. He concludes, "I do believe that, someday, the merger of the cellphone and the music player will result in a great device for consumers. But the Chocolate isn't it." Wait a week or two, Mr. Mossberg—help is on the way. – Charlie White

Chocolate Cellphone Only Looks Sweet; Its Design Is Flawed [Wall Street Journal]