The MadBid.com news site is going to be changing over the next few weeks!! As well as the usual batch of latest tech news, we will also be posting product reviews, Q&A sessions with MadBid staff and users, our latest great offers and updates on innovations and site updates on MadBid.com….

So keep your eyes peeled and keep checking back.

The MadBid Team

The HTC HD3 will sport a big 1280×800-resolution, multi-touch, 4.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, driven by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor. Although the screen is bigger the actual handset will be smaller than the HD2’s measuring in at 115mm x 65mm x 10mm.

The phone is likely to be one of the first to run Windows Phone 7 Series and will boast 4G connectivity as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’ll have 1GB of onboard RAM, with 32GB microSD storage.

The latest release from HTC should be hitting UK shelves before Xmas.

With a 4.5″ screen and only 0.37″ deep the iPhone is a lot squarer than the 3GS. Available in both 16 and 32 GB, it is much similar to the 3GS in features. The updates see a better camera with 5MP aswell as an LED flash.

The iPhone 4 also facilitates video calling a lot better than the iPhone 3GS.

What do you do for work?

I am a Social Services Manager

How did you first find out about MadBid.com?

I think I was browsing the web for cheap deals on i-phones, when I came across MadBid and it seemed to offer the opportunity to get hold of luxury items at a fraction of the price and it looked like it could be fun.

What do you think about MadBid.com and how it works?

I think it is to MadBid’s credit that they make a clear statement on the website about responsible bidding.  In my case they also got in touch with me to check that my bids were ‘above board’ when I was bidding heavily, which was actually reassuring in the age of identity theft etc.  The terms and conditions are clearly laid out in relatively plain English, which is good.  And, providing you approach it sensibly, MadBid really can help you get luxury items for a bargain price.  Personally I would like to see more sporting goods available to bid for; specifically top end mountain bikes (i.e. those with a rrp over £2000).

What first made you bid on the Audi A3?

Honestly, the fact that it was an Audi and the value of the car. I studied previous auctions for cars on MadBid an subsequently thought up a strategy that I believed was relatively foolproof. I wasn’t looking for a car in particular, but the chance to win a high value item proved irresistible to me.

How did you feel when you had found out that you had won?

If I am being honest, the main feeling was one of relieft. The auction had gone on for a long time, and I was beginning to doubt my strategy. I was of course pleased as I have never won a major prize before, so to win a car is fantastic, but it did take a while to sink in,it all seemed a bit surreal. I think I was in shock and I do remember being flooded with adrenalin when the text came through to say I was the winner. The experience of MadBid overall has been mixed for me; I have felt excited, stressed, disappointed and triumphant – a real emotional rollercoaster!

What advice would you give to new users on MadBid.com?

Make sure you have read all of the Terms and Conditions before you decide to bid.  Bid on one item at a time.  Bid often enough that other bidders realise you are a serious contender and that you won’t be giving up easily.  Know your own limits; decide beforehand how many bids you can afford to use, and do not allow yourself to go beyond that limit.  Have a clear strategy in mind and stick with it; do not be tempted to begin bidding wildly, stay in control.  And try to use other bidders’ behaviour to understand their psychology, i.e. do they want to win more than you do?  You have to be prepared to lose as well; not everyone can be a winner.  Finally, if you see that I am bidding on something, think very carefully before taking me on; I am tenacious and I rarely concede defeat!

What was your strategy when bidding on the car?

First of all I kept a close eye on the other bidders, noting their habits and identifying those who seemed most serious about trying to win the car.  It was important to me to know who were my most serious opponents.  I used Autobid a lot, mainly to ensure that I was always visible to other bidders, that I had a presence.  My strategy was relatively risky, as it meant being prepared to use a lot of bids and to stay in the game right to the end.  But I know I am a determined person, and I was determined to win, so I went all out with a kind of ‘blanket bombing’ campaign, bidding heavily and trying to convey to other bidders that I was essentially unbeatable.  I can look back on my approach and say that it led to me winning, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a working model for others!

Note from MadBid:

As you probably know the Audi is being made to order and as such there is quite a long lead time. We will be filming the handover and will publish it as soon as it is ready!! Once again congratulations Steve!!

The Kinect motion system relies on body motions and gestures picked up from a webcam-style device which looks like it should belong with the Wii. The system which was previously known as Project Natal was launched yesterday and Microsoft showcased a number of games including a Star Wars game, a driving simulation game and an Olympic game.

The Kinect controller senses your body movement and translates it into onscreen actions. This revolutionary new piece of kit will extent the lifespan of the Xbox 360 by another 3-4 years, which will make it the longest running games console in production.

It is widely believed that the addition will be available in the 4th Quarter so just before Christmas.

In other news, Sony have also just released their new Wave controller for the PS3 which will be in direct competition, this will soon be available.

There will be two Sony 3D TVs available from this Friday in total (although there is still the higher end HX903 range to come): the Sony KDL-40HX803 and Sony KDL-40HX803. These are full 1080p models with local dimming edge LED backlighting, Motionflow 200Hz Pro-motion enhancement tech, Freeview HD tuners, Bravia Internet Video, DLNA and four HDMIs.

All of which looks mighty impressive on paper. Of course the headlining feature of these TVs is their 3D active shutter technology, which works with special glasses to deliver 3D images.

There will be two Sony 3D TVs available from this Friday in total (although there is still the higherlu-Reay player called the Sony BDV-E370, and it appers that there will be a lot of 3D content on the way from major TV providers including Sky and Virgin.

The latest release from Sony includes an integrated social networking feature along with plenty of exclusive apps. The Xperia comes in a choice of 3 colours including Black, Silver and Pink.

The phone offers access to both Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow portal and Google’s Android Market. This latest release from Sony is aimed at the younger teen market with as demonstrated by its features and colour options. Sony will hope that they will capture the market of first time phone users as well as young teens priced out of rivals such as BlackBerry and the Apple iPhone.

Apple traditionally uses its annual Worldwide developers conference, to update its iPhone range. Steve Jobs, will take ths stage at 6pm UK time for a highly anticipated speech, where he is expected to show of the latest addition the the iPhone line-up and reveal more details about the iPhone 4.0.

The software update will bring several long-awaited features to the iPhone, including multitasking, which means iPhone users will be able to run multiple apps simultaneously, allowing them to send an instant message while listening to music streamed over th internet.

It is anticipated that the new iPhone will hold few surprises and as one analysist commented “We’ll see the evolution of an established and hugely successful product rather than a revolutionary new device”.

Aimed at the younger crowd the smartphone sports various colours including Licorice, Raspberry Crush and Brilliant Blue. It also features a new version of Motoblur which allows the user to filer the happenings and messages widgets in various forms as well as offering re-tweet capabilities.

The Flipout boasts The Android 2.1v as well as a 3-mega-pixel camera with Kodak Perfect Touch Technology which allows labeling and tagging which filters back into Motoblur which makes social networking that bit easier.

It looks as though this smartphone is aimed at the younger market and has varied itself from both the iPhone and Blackberry in order to differentiate itself, instead of focusing on apps to download it has focused on clever built-in features and looks to pride itself on its social networking features.