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Burglars break into restaurant, steal HDTV, leave money / food behind

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2008 at 4:02PM

Not that we'd have any expert knowledge in the wide world of theft, but this just doesn't seem like the best way to go about snagging a new HDTV. At any rate, an undisclosed amount of thieves reportedly drove a truck (or large SUV... it was dark outside, okay?) into the front door of Los Tres Amigos restaurant in a small Pennsylvania town, broke the glass, ganked a 47-inch Insignia HDTV and "fled the scene." For starters, you'd risk prison for an Insignia? Really? Second, with LCD prices tanking like never before, don't you think you could've waited until Black Friday to get yourself a steal? Sigh.

[Image courtesy of Hotel Interactive]

FakeTV emulates human watching the tube, supposedly discourages thieves

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2008 at 11:41AM


What else can we say? The concept here is pure genius, and it totally makes those pricey security systems seem way pointless (okay, slightly less critical). The FakeTV is a strobe that sets up in an occupied room at night and flashes up beams of light. From the inside, we can imagine it looks fairly curious, but from the outside, it gives prospective burglars the idea that someone is actually awake and watching a television program. It promises to produce the effects of "scene changes, fades, swells, flicks, on-screen motion and color changes," just like they were generated by a bona fide set. We can't speak for how well (or not) this thing actually works, but at just $49, we'd say it's a solid buy if you're the paranoid type.

[Via BoingBoing]

Resolute Wal-Mart shopper attempts to self-checkout $5 plasma

by Darren Murph posted Jun 30th 2007 at 10:41AM

While we've certainly seen more dramatic heists before, this particular run-in with the law melds cleverness and ignorance in perfect harmony. After conjuring up grandiose thoughts of subversion, a less-than-reasonable fellow managed to snag a 42-inch Sanyo plasma, replace the $984 pricetag with a slightly less burdensome $4.88 sticker, and carry it to the front where he utilized a self-checkout register to all but steal a brand new PDP. Presumably grinning from ear to ear just basking in the glory of his brilliance, we imagine the mood went south quite quickly after store officers approached the man and demanded a receipt. Of course, he attempted to sweet talk his way out of the predicament, but the end result landed him in handcuffs at the Ouachita Correctional Center. Can't blame a guy for tryin', eh?

[Via BoyGeniusReport, image courtesy of NACOP]

RFID / RFA anti-piracy technology could hit optical media

by Darren Murph posted May 10th 2007 at 7:01AM

Utilizing RFID technology to defuse the threat of theft isn't a fresh idea, but NXP Semiconductors and Kestrel Wireless are looking to make good on the premise by cranking out an anti-theft solution that just might appear on the next DVD you buy. By combining NXP's RFID technology with Kestral's RFA (radio frequency activation), manufacturers could install a minuscule chip on the optical media at the beginning of the supply chain which would render it unplayable, but having it scanned at a checkout counter would enable a series of authentication checks to occur and eventually unlock the media for playback. While the scenario may sound convoluted, it could allow manufacturers to skimp on bulky, restrictive packaging, and moreover, it could be applied to other items in the consumer electronics universe in order to deter thieves from trying to swipe expensive handheld gizmos. Of course, we can already envision the complaints that are sure to arise from legitimate buyers bringing home a coaster if the activation process happens to fail, but apparently, both companies are already hard at work persuading studios to write 'em a check and get these things into stores.

[Via Physorg]

London's crime-free PS3 launch results in free HDTVs / cab rides

by Darren Murph posted Mar 23rd 2007 at 1:58AM

If you weren't already aware, there actually is a bright side to Sony jacking up the price of its PlayStation 3 for European gamers, and while folks were still forced to camp out to snag a (somewhat) coveted unit, things went over drastically better during London's launch compared to similar ones here in the US. While we knew the Brits and Aussies were fully prepared to blow a good chunk of savings on the pricey machine, Americans should seriously scrutinize just how easily these other nations pulled off the high-profile launch, reportedly happening sans any reckless drive-bys or random acts of violence. More interesting, however, is the tidbit where "everyone who purchased a PS3 at the London launch event received a free 46-inch HD television and a taxi home." You read right -- over £250,000 ($490,450) worth of HDTVs were handed carted out to over 100 presumably elated gamers, and London officials made sure that cabs were readily available to rush buyers home after completing their transactions. Notably, a 17-year old fan snagged the pole position in line after waiting just 36 paltry hours, which still suggests that we Americans are more devoted (or delusional, depending on perspective) when it comes to camping out, but we don't even want to imagine the mayhem that would've ensued here if the first hundred buyers were eligible for a free display. Good show, England, good show.

[Thanks, Karim M.]




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