Geo-aware, real-time data and social networking have been big buzz words this year, so it's nice to see an app throwing all of those features together into one mix. The
Postabon app is a location-aware shopping service that allows its network of users to post hot deals in real-time.

Available both to PC and smartphone users, Postabon can pick up on where you are currently located, or where you are headed, and direct you to local deals in shopping categories that you have showed an interest in.

It's mostly powered by user input, with Postabon's network of shoppers adding real-time deal-updates as they move from shop to shop. There is even an incentive "karma" scheme, rewarding users who regularly post popular deals.

Postabon is currently available only to residents of New York City, but with plans to expand to other spots around the globe, no doubt there is at least a London-centric version waiting in the wings.

If you missed out on the thrilling, frenzied, staff-assaulting, dignity-sapping, blatant and aggressive looting of the once-proud Woolworths brand over Christmas and the New Year, there's still time to get yourself a bit of Woolies history.

Enterprising store manager Ed Adams, of the Petts Wood branch in Orpington, London, decided to nick/liberate the last remaining scraps from his branch's Pic 'N' Mix display counter - an 800g selection of "delicious nostalgia" he's now put up for sale on eBay.

The auction has a charitable edge to it, so we can't accuse people of polishing up the truth or glamourising the sequence of events to make money - proceeds from the auction go to the Retail Trust, a group which helps out-of-work Woolies staff, among other people.

The bidding is currently at £28 and your bag of carefully refined sugar will come with a certificate of authenticity from Woolworths administrator Deloitte. If you feel guilty about all the stuff you shoplifted from your local Woolies as a child therefore slightly hastening the retail giant's demise, this is your chance to make amends.

(Via TP&J)

Spurred on by the sorry tale of that American slapper who auctioned her alleged virginity for several million dollars, long-term Potters Bar singleton Jon Ward decided to sell an all-expenses-paid night out with himself "in London" on eBay.

The listing's ended now, sadly, ladies, but you can read Jon's excellent self-oriented sales speak here.

The result? A lady called "sexysarah2009" bought an evening with Jon for £46. Jon hasn't had a date for eight or nine years, mind, so sexysarah2009 might have to do most of the work. And the talking. And the foreplay, if she wants any afters.

Jon had better take her somewhere cheap, otherwise he'll lose out on the deal.

(Via The Welwyn & Hatfield Times)

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Anyone looking for a little temporary work over Christmas might want to steer well clear of online retail leviathan Amazon. An undercover journalist from the Sunday Times reported that staff in the warehouse in Bedfordshire are required to work five days a week with an obligatory night shift on Saturdays, effectively meaning they're labouring all week long.

The plus side is that it does mean there's a good chance all our Christmas presents will make it in time but it does give me nasty flashbacks of all the awful jobs I've had in the past. Check this, workers are not allowed sick leave even if they have a note from their doctor. Harsh but reminiscent of a certain telesales company I had the misfortune to work for once.

Before I go any further, I'd probably best point out that the picture above is not of Amazon workers, well, not as far as I know. Those ones at least have the luxury of a seat whereas Amazon drones are required to pack 140 Xboxes every hour to hit their target.

Even if you've been trying to ignore the bleak economic news of recent months, instead choosing to count the £10.54 worth of pennies you have hidden in a large jar under your bed, you'll likely be aware that retail institution Woolworths is about to die.

To go out with a bang, the administrator has announced that Woolworths will begin an up-to-50% sale this weekend in all its UK stores.

The biggest discounts will be on toys and greetings cards, but apparently entertainment goods will also be discounted, so perhaps Woolies is the place to go if you've got any cash and want to buy a cheaper telly or games console.

A reader who calls himself "Stretchy" has just alerted us to this awesome bit of history-making eBay activity - Alton Towers is flogging off the front car of its long-running Corkscrew rollercoaster.

The description over at Alton Towers' site says you're getting "The most unique Christmas present EVER!" if, by some incredible longshot, you happen to have a friend or family member who's just asked for a bit of a closed rollercoaster as one of their Christmas presents this year.

Delivery's included in the price (currently a reasonable-sounding £1750, although, having never purchased a rollercoaster car before, that might be a rip-off) although you'll have to spend the same again on wrapping paper if you're planning on giving it to someone as a present.

All of the money raised from the sale is going to charity, mind, so you're not allowed to be mean about it. Don't even raise a cynical eyebrow.

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Doctor Who, a show which chronicles the increasingly camp adventures of a time travelling man who gets his clothes from a Help The Aged sale rack and solves everything from interplanetary war to tooth decay by shouting while pointing a screwdriver at a broken numeric keypad, is coming to iTunes.

BBC worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC that's allowed to sell things for money, is dumping every episode of the new Who on Apple's shopping system. Episodes from the first series of the modern Who should be ready for buying and downloading today, with one arriving each week between now and Christmas. Series four will appear on December 23, making it an ideal Christmas present for yourself.

We don't have any information regarding episode/series cost or file size or picture resolution just yet. But we have asked for clarification of these points. We've also asked for some photos of Billie Piper, because the weather's cold and Billie makes us feel warm inside.

UPDATE:
A hi-res Billie Piper photo has arrived and Doctor Who Series One is yours for £19.99 - with each of the 13 episodes available separately for £1.89.

(Via BBC Worldwide)

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We really haven't been paying enough attention to the part of science that deals with multiple universes.

Because, from next month, you will be able to buy one of these - a make-your-own-universe kit. It's based around some fancy science that states there are an infinite number of possible alternate universes, and more are created each time any kind of measurement is taken that defines one particular place. Or something along those lines. Hopefully someone who understands these things and has a degree will be along shortly to explain it properly in a comment.

But it is obviously not real. The multiverse-maker is the work of conceptual artist Jonathon Keats, who's used some fancy uranium-fused glass to create something to do with measuring streams of alpha particles. It's all a bit complex, to be honest. But will make a superb Christmas present for any of you who have scientifically-minded dads.

(Via New Scientist)

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No, that is not an error. We didn't mean $1.75m. We really do mean $1.75, as in about 90p at today's rapidly-plummeting exchange rate. Less eBay fees and PayPal commission, of course, but they won't be that crippling considering the buyer's getting an entire house.

The woman in question is mature student Joanne Smith. She was browsing eBay for "PlayStations," when she noticed an alert for a house on sale with no starting price. So she placed a bid of $20 - eventually winning the auction for $1.75 and proudly getting on Rung Z of the property ladder.

HMV is serious about upping its game when it comes to games. In the past nine months it has launched new Gaming Zones and LAN sections in its flagship stores. Now it's taking another big step and introducing a pre-owned game service.

It's a pretty daring move because publishers tend to frown on the idea of retailers peddling soiled second hand copies of their titles instead of the shiny new plastic-wrapped version. Presumably publishers don't get any money from second had sales either. Furthermore, the competing GAME and Gamestation group has been operating a trade-in service for a very long time.

Following a 'radical' review, DSGi retail group which operates Curry, Currys.digital and PC World stores here in the UK, is set to close 77 of its high street Currys.Digital (formerly known as Dixons) stores. The 100 remaining shops will be trialling new formats later in the year and rethinking the product lines they have in stock.

The results of chief executive John Browett's review have been a hot topic, especially in wake of revelations that US retailer Best Buy is preparing a huge assault on the UK following a deal with The Carphone Warehouse.

Frankly, all this comes as little surprise and I'm not even remotely upset at the prospect of a big US corporation thundering in to grab the reigns of the UK's high street electrical retailing. Good on them.