Look, it's nice and all that you've got Atlas woofers and CMMD tweeters and DSP equalization, but seriously, Harman Kardon? You're going to charge a thousand dollars for speakers with no subwoofer? To you I say good day, sir! [BusinessWire via Coolest Gadgets]

"
On average, the OECD found that Americans pay $635.85 on cell phone service, compared to $131.44 per year in the Netherlands or $137.94 per year in Sweden."

As you might expect, the wireless industry issued a press release proclaiming the study was based on "flawed assumptions" that "just don't make sense." If you look at the data the way carriers would like, you're getting quite the bargain. The CTIA does have a point that the OECD's usage categories seem low — particularly when it comes to MMS use. Another reason U.S. prices seem high? Carriers charge a hell of a lot of money for service. They also spend millions on lobbyists who tirelessly work to eliminate consumer protections and price controls.

It does appear that OECD's findings are inflated—after all, the three countries mentioned on this list have bigger appetites for wireless technologies and services. Still, I have little doubt that carriers are sticking ti to us in one form or another. [DSLReports via Consumerist]

Specifically, they are referring to the extra space you gain from the wider perspective. Because TV networks employ "center-cut protection" to ensure that all of the action can be viewed on older TV sets, that extra space is generally filled with a whole lot of nothing—like the crowd, empty field and so on. It's common sense really, but something that many of us probably don't think about.

I suppose this could be a turn off to some buyers but I, for one, would prefer to see more of a scene, not less. Besides, isn't the HD resolution really where it's at? But let me ask you—do you care what is in (or not in) the extra space afforded by a widescreen TV? [Blue Donut]

Get them while they last when they arrive in January for about $130. [B4Tech]

Yves Behar, designer of OLPC and Jawbone, and founder of fuseproject design studio in SF
"When a company comes out with an innovative, landmark gadget, many companies incorporate those design features into their own gadgets over time. But at what point does inspiration turn into bootlegging or IP theft?

The last few months, I've experienced a few straight rip-offs of the Jawbone earpiece. Not just copying the design, but copying the language, the packaging, the way we present ourselves. I really don't see it as a form of flattery, I see it as a complete lack of originality. When the #1 in the industry is copying #10, that means something is really lacking in #1. It's unable to establish its own vision and direction. People forget there are 1,000 different ways to deliver, 1,000 different ways to create great design. I'm not sure what there is to be done besides continuing to move forward."

Karen Marie Kitterman, intellectual property lawyer with Fenwick & West LLP, Based in China
"Bootlegging is not a legal term, but there are several legal theories under which innovative companies can stop copycats.

Design patents protect the ornamental design of an object [and] are granted only if the design is novel and not obvious. The patent owner can stop the copycats only if the similarities and differences between the two products create an overall similarity that would deceive the ordinary observer. Often if a copycat copies only enough to call the original to mind, but not enough to confuse consumers that the new product is the real McCoy, then the copycat may pass under the legal nets of design patent and trade dress infringement (assuming the innovative company has design patent and trade dress rights). Copyright protection usually does not cover the design features of products because they usually are not separable from the product itself. If the copycat, however, uses the actual name or logos of the original company, then it can likely be stopped for trademark infringement.

Please note also that the volume of counterfeits, especially out of China, is so large that, even when innovative companies have the legal rights to stop counterfeits, they cannot always stop all of them."

Ravi Chhatpar, Strategy Director for Frog Design, based in Shanghai
"We heard stories of teenagers in third-tier cities in China "adapting" the Nike ID customized shoe concept by acquiring fake Nike shoes, customizing them in Nike ID style with locally created design elements with local fabrics, color patterns from local schools, and selling them. Contrast this to the fake markets in Shanghai and other first-tier cities that sell pure rip-offs of Nike ID shoes. Many at our forum agreed that the former, while in the end involving infringement of Nike's IP and illegal sales of bootleg Nike shoes, could be condoned as it was highly imaginative and locally improvisational in a market that is so unsophisticated. It's reflective of newfound creativity. Meanwhile the latter is clearly an example of ripping off for profit.

Similarly, many innovative consumer electronics are copied (some poorly and/or hilariously) in China (e.g., iPhone knock-offs). It's easy for Westerners to point at these copies as examples of blatant IP infringement, which they are. But some will argue that these cheap knockoffs are bringing high quality design (or more accurately, an attempt at design) to a population that could never afford a real iPhone, thereby building interest in designed products to a market that is currently unsophisticated about it. People in first-tier cities can afford to buy real iPhones and do so. But those in second-tier cities can't, but are intrigued by the iPhone's buzz and buy knock-offs. This is clear bootlegging, but does it serve a larger "good"?

In the end, the main theme that emerged relates to the importance of context. Does the need to build design sensitivity and sophistication in a market that does not yet appreciate it permit what wouldn't be tolerated in more developed markets?"

*Special thanks to Sara Munday from Frog for the story idea.

2.1-inch, 16 million color QVGA screen
FM radio
2 Megapixel camera
Micro SD support
Stereo speakers
110x50x17.6 mm
Weighs 99g

The bit that makes me laugh the most is that it comes with a certificate stating that the gold and crystals are real. Cough. [Just Another Mobile Phone Blog via Slashphone]

From what we can gather, its makers think this is better than the iPhone because it accepts microSD cards, and it says here it runs Windows XP and has a 2-megapixel camera on board. And hey, it has 3D sound! At least they're not claiming it's a smartphone. [Taibao.com]

Their official stance now is to offer refunds to every customer affected, which means if you were forced into buying iPhone accessories you don't want, go ahead and return them to the store where you bought them. AT&T's also said they've "taken significant disciplinary action in this matter", but it's hard for us to gauge what type of disciplinary action that is.

A reader emailed us over the weekend and outlined exactly why this was happening. From the previous post:

A reader tells us if an AT&T rep doesn't sell between $60-$65 worth of accessories for each phone sale and $20-$30 worth of features, he can be written up and terminated if sales don't improve within 45 days. If customers came and bought iPhones without accessories, this would have caused a big downwards drag on their record. Each accessory sold will count toward a rep's sales goals, even if it's returned the next day, plus he gets six cents on the dollar.

Even weirder: regional managers had side bets on Friday with stores and had perks for reps that sold an X amount of accessories. The reader says they basically acted like used car salesmen.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in about their difficulties! Here are some more reports:

Greg says the store at 3711 eS Bristol, in Santa Ana, forced each person who bought an iPhone to buy a case and a car charger. They also ran out of iPhones, but promised that if customers pay now they would ship more directly to them. When Greg showed up the next day, he found the store selling phones to people at the door instead of delivering them as promised.

James says the Cathedral City, CA store forced them to buy $75 worth of accessories. The manager claimed it was "corporate policy", pointing to a laser printer printout when challenged.

HardD99 says he was forced to buy three accessories at the Everett, WA AT&T store, with the employees telling him he'd be charged a 10% restocking fee on the accessories, not just the phone.

Sean says the Bellevue Square, Bellevue Washington store was forcing 1 accessory per iPhone.

Vince says the bundle he was forced to buy in San Pedro, CA, on Western & Park Western, added up to an extra $100 over the normal 8GB price. "Rules" were on a dry erase board next to the iPhone banner.

Bruce says his local (no address) AT&T store claimed the local Apple store was sold out of iPhones at 6:45 PM (they were not) in order to entice line-campers to use the voucher system. The voucher let them pay now and get the phones in 3-5 days.

Bryan from Manhattan Beach, CA says he was also forced to either buy two accessories or leave.

The first comes from the University Village AT&T store at
4626 25th Ave NE, Seattle, WA (Phone 206-729-7184). When buying the iPhone yesterday, the store said all customers must by two accessories with an iPhone, but the accessories could be returned, opened, without a restocking fee. Add to that the fact that the salesman didn't even know a charger was included and tried to upsell a different charger to the reader.

The second, at the Hawthorne California AT&T Store at 5249 W. Rosecrans in Hawthorne California (Phone 310-725-9902), the store manager said customers were required to buy a "bundle" of accessories. The bundle, written up with magic marker on an unofficial sign, listed the 4GB bundle at $650 and the 8GB bundle at $750. The manager told the customer that they couldn't buy the phones without the bundle and that they could leave the store if they didn't want it. When asked if he could return the items, they said yes, but only tomorrow (today).

The third store, at Pike Street in Seattle, forced people to buy $60 worth of accessories (a case and car charger), and if you didn't, you'd get a voucher and the iPhone would be mailed to you some time next week. The reader eventually went to the Apple Store nearby, and eventually his friend (who stayed at the AT&T store) told him they stopped pushing the accessories.

One is a fluke, two is a coincidence, but three? And possibly more? That, my friends, is ridiculous.

If this happened to you, send a tip to us at tips@gizmodo.com.

Update: Joel says the AT&T store on broadway near city hall in NY was doing the same until some guy told them it was "illegal".

Scott says the 4th Street store in Santa Ana had 20 phones, and after 10 people went in they announced everything was sold out. They then told the remaining customers that throgh a "special deal", they could order an iPhone and receive it within 2 business days. The special deal? To buy 3 accessories that night.

Update 2: A reader tells us if an AT&T rep doesn't sell between $60-$65 worth of accessories for each phone sale and $20-$30 worth of features, he can be written up and terminated if sales don't improve within 45 days. If customers came and bought iPhones without accessories, this would have caused a big downwards drag on their record. Each accessory sold will count toward a rep's sales goals, even if it's returned the next day, plus he gets six cents on the dollar.

Even weirder: regional managers had side bets on Friday with stores and had perks for reps that sold an X amount of accessories. The reader says they basically acted like used car salesmen.

Update 3:Not forcing the accessories on people, but the store on Bridford Parkway in Greensboro, NC sealed the phones in with the accessories anyone purchased so they could charge the 10% restocking fee even if the iPhone box was unopened.

First, there's the obvious "Amycoll" instead of Samsung's Anycall. Then there's the even more obvious "PS3." They didn't even try with that one. Add to that the PSP-like buttons on the top, which can be used in landscape mode with the D-pad on the left for gaming. Oh, there's more.

Once you start the thing up you see it's "running" Windows Mobile with Direct Push, except it's not. You wouldn't know that from the startup theme and sound effects though.

If you pop open the battery cover, you'll see that it's "Made in Koera," which truly cements the fact that Korean manufacturers like Samsung and LG have made it into the big leagues—who would have thought that only 15 or 20 years ago?

And speaking of software, there's a Bejewelled clone, plus Gameboy and Nintendo emulators. We suppose there's a Super Nintendo emulator in there too, but we're not entirely sure.

In any case, the Amycoll PS3 is a classy addition to anyone's phone library. And by classy, we think you know what we mean. – Jason Chen

Amycoll PS3 [Phonedaily via Newlaunches]