refurbished

Ask Maggie: On iPhone or Android; the Verizon iPhone; and buying refurbs

A lot has happened since Apple introduced the iconic iPhone in 2007.

Smartphones have become all the rage. No longer are these mobile computers relegated to the corporate road warrior looking to keep up with work e-mail. Now it seems that everyone from high school kids to soccer moms has a smartphone. And if they don't already have one, they're likely lusting for one.

These customers are expecting a lot more out of their phones. They want a full Web-browsing experience, Internet search, location-based services, navigation, access to social networking, high-definition video cameras, and much, much more.

And … Read more

You can still break even on iPhone 3GS upgrade

So it has come to this: My iPhone 3G is a year old and out of warranty. Its battery ain't what it used to be. And, heavens, does it seem slow sometimes.

Needless to say, I've been eyeballing a 3GS for some time, but I still don't qualify for a price break on an upgrade--not until April, 2010, according to AT&T.

So if I want to replace my 16GB 3G with a 32GB 3GS, it'll cost me $499. It'll be a warm January day in Michigan before I spend that kind of money … Read more

Get a refurbished Kindle for $149

As you've probably heard by now, Amazon just cut the price of the Kindle 2 to $259. Definitely a step in the right direction, but still too rich for my blood.

Now, $219 shipped for a refurbished Kindle 2? That's a deal worth considering.

This is the first time I've seen a refurb offer on the famed e-book reader, though, as it turns out, you can also get a 1st-generation Kindle for just $149 (!).

Both models come from Warehouse Deals by Amazon, meaning they're eligible for Amazon customer service and covered by a 30-day return policy. … Read more

Redecorate your home on your Mac

Live Interior 3D Pro is a full-featured interior-design application designed to help you plan and visualize redecorating and remodeling projects, in both 2D and 3D. The most impressive improvement in version 2 (which also splits the application into Standard and Pro versions) is the ability to edit 3D objects directly in Live Interior 3D using Google SketchUp. You can even export entire projects to Google SketchUp format, with import and export support for Google SketchUp 7.

The 3D models that you can create--both as QuickTime movies and QTVR virtual-reality "walkthroughs"--have gotten better, too, with improved lighting and … Read more

Apple drops 8GB iPhone 3G to $99

Well, here's hoping you waited on that $99 refurbished iPhone 3G, because as of Monday you can get a new one for the same price. Apple just announced at WWDC 2009 that the 8GB iPhone 3G will stay on the market for $99.

So what do you think? Now that you can finally get a shiny new iPhone with a full warranty (one year) for less than a hundred bucks, will you pull the trigger?

Based on the comments in last week's aforementioned refurb post, I'm guessing no. For most of you, it's not the price … Read more

A $99 iPhone? It's already here

At next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, we should find out if the rumors of a $99 iPhone are true.

Of course, savvy shoppers know that it's already possible to buy an iPhone for $99: For several months, AT&T has offered refurbished 8GB models for that tempting price.

(More recently, the company dropped the price of refurbished 16GB iPhones to $149, but at the moment those are out of stock.)

Obviously it makes sense to wait a few days and see what develops at the conference. After all, if you can buy a new iPhone 3G for $… Read more

The 404 337: Where Dan Levy makes it rain

Our good friend Dan Levy from OntheDLPodcast joins our show today in our studio and witnesses the first-ever live 404 unboxing! Justin's choice to buy a refurbished Macbook Pro turns out to be the right decision after all.

We then talk with Dan about various stories from around the Internet, including one out of Dublin, in which a student's fake Wikipedia edit actually wound up in newspapers as legitimate! This leads us into a a discussion of proposed legislation that would make it basically illegal to slander someone online. Isn't that what the Internet was created for?

All this and more, plus Calls from the Public on today's show! Also, make sure to check out Blogs With Balls if you're interested in the just-as-nerdy sports blogosphere.

Sorry to those looking for today's video stream--a few technically difficulties prevented us from uploading the video. We've got everything figured out and tomorrow we'll be back up on CNET TV!

Leave us a voicemail 866-404-CNET or e-mail us at the404 [at] cnet [dot] com!

EPISODE 337 Download today's podcast |  Subscribe in iTunes audio |   Subscribe in RSS Audio|   Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 332: Where we're trapped in a glass case of emotion

After yesterday's downer show, we're back and cheerier than ever. Even Jeff is in good spirits after the New Jersey Devils got stomped all over their home ice. We discover today that Wal-Mart really does rock, and not in a good way.

The lesson of today's show is DO NOT BUY ELECTRONICS FROM WAL-MART, unless you're a rock collector, in which case you'll be thrilled, because apparently the company is literally selling Nintendo DS boxes filled with sediment.

We need to get THE BONCH, aka Bonnie Cha back on our show to talk about the Palm Pre. Actually, Palm is offering preproduction review units to Average Joes (and Josephines) in hopes of receiving "true life" feedback on the smartphone. Wilson seems to think that most consumers will frown on the smaller screen size, but we all have high hopes for the brand since this is definitely a last ditch effort in the smartphone market.

In exciting movie news, Jeff is superstoked to hear about a "Drop Dead Fred" remake starring Russel Brand, that quirky English dude that played the hippy beauhunk in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." His brand of piratey humor should do well as a young girl's imaginary friend, right? Oh! We also reveal another popular movie sequel in the works, but you'll have to listen to the show to get the full scoop.

Finally, we touch on the bloated cost of higher education and how NYU students are getting questionable phone calls about their financial aid. Apparently NYU financial advisers are individually calling students receiving significant amounts of financial aid and questioning their decisions to accept the money and attend the university. If I were still in school and someone called me about this, I'd probably just tell them to put the check in the mail and stop telling me what to do all the time.

Today's CFTP is rather heartfelt. Thanks to everyone who called in, and we'd like to personally welcome James Christopher Maximus to the world! You were born today, dude! Hopefully you're reading this in the year 2021, when you're old enough to fully grasp our jokes. We love your dad for breeding future listeners of The 404!

Per usual, don't forget to check out our live VIDEOcast (man it feels good to write that) every morning at 11 a.m. ET. We have a ton of fun in the preshow and you get the inside scoop on how we prepare for the show. And please please please call and leave us a voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638)!

EPISODE 332 Download today's podcast |  Subscribe in iTunes |  Subscribe in RSS… Read more

Get a refurbished 16GB iPhone 3G for $149

If you need proof that new iPhone models are just around the corner, check out the latest refurb deal from AT&T: you can now get a refurbished 16GB iPhone 3G for just $149. Shipped!

That's $50 less than the last time I wrote about iPhone refurbs (when, admittedly, I was more focused on the $99 8GB model, which is still available) and a big fat $150 less than the price of a new unit.

And, hey, if you're gonna get an iPhone, you might as well get as much storage as you can. (Trust me, 8GB … Read more