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iPhone 4 trade in price drops

2011-10-18T15:27:00.001-07:00

If you were hoping to get top dollar for your old iPhone before upgrading to the new 4S or perhaps one of the first Android Ice Cream Sandwich phones, it's now safe to say you've missed the boat.

It's not exactly a surprise, but still interesting to see just how quickly the trade-in and resale values of even pristine iPhone 4 models has fallen in just a few weeks. Right after the iPhone 4S was unveiled, I reported on a special offer from eBay's Instant Sale site offering $357 for a 32 GB iPhone 4 in excellent condition. The offer price for a unit fitting the same description has since dropped by over a hundred bucks.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eric Mack / CNET) On the regular eBay auction site, an iPhone 4 might have fetched over $400 that same week--more if it were unlocked. Now a used iPhone 4 isn't getting much more than $275 tops.

Trade-in site NextWorth is trying to do its part to prop up the old-iPhone market a bit--it's offering a guaranteed $200 for any iPhone 4 in at least "good condition." That's down from the $250 it was offering briefly before the iPhone 4S hit stores, but it comes with a 21-day window to send in the used phone after accepting an offer. That's likely enough time to contend with the two-week turnaround time to receive an iPhone 4S, and the $200 is even enough to pay for the upgrade.

And unlike most consumer electronics, the new iPhone could even be an investment. Perhaps it will fetch $400 the week before we see the iPhone 5S...

Passenger jets equipped with anti-missle lasers

2011-10-17T20:34:00.001-07:00

Tens of thousands of airline passengers will soon be flying on jets outfitted with anti-missile systems as part of a new government test aimed at thwarting terrorists armed with shoulder-fired projectiles.

Three American Airlines Boeing 767-200s that fly daily round-trip routes between New York and California will receive the anti-missile laser jammers this spring, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which is spending $29 million on the tests.

Jets will fly with the jammer device mounted on the belly of the plane, between the wheels. The device works with sensors, also mounted on the plane, that detect a heat-seeking missile and shoot a laser at it to send the missile veering harmlessly off course. Damn terrorist! For more info visit USAtoday.com

Flying Cars?

2011-10-17T19:53:00.001-07:00

Chevy made several of there car models fly at the Texas State Fair. Unfortunately it can't accommodate any passengers because the cars were made out of light weight foam filled with helium. A lightweight battery powers a set of electric motors with carbon fiber propellers to propel it through the air. It’s also controlled via a wireless remote. GM has done something similar to this earlier.

Sony Digital Recording Binoculars

2011-10-17T17:59:00.001-07:00

Sony's binoculars are the only pair that can record in 3-D. Dual 10x zoom lenses captures full 1080p in 2-D or 3-D with a seven megapixel camcorder sensors. The live view comes through a pair of 0.45-inch LCD view finders.

Kids and Videogames

2011-10-16T22:07:00.001-07:00

91 percent of kids play Videogames