Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Spammers, Phishers Adapt Their Tactics
Now that 2006 is here, expect to see new types of spam and phishing ploys to separate you from your money or your identity. As spam filters get smarter, the spammers have to stay one step ahead in order to ply their trade. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.How the Amazon/ToysRUs Marriage Wound Up in Divorce Court
Here is the fascinating story of two partners in ecommerce -- Amazon.com and ToysRUs -- and how they fell out of love with one another, and wound up in court. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.A Beginner's Guide to Selling on eBay
If you have never sold anything on eBay, the process may seem complex and intimidating. Not to fear, for a price, a host of people and businesses will assist you. This NY Times article explains how to become an eBay seller the easy way. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
How to Eliminate Private Mortgage Insurance
One of those nasty extra expenses buried in your home loan is probably private mortgage insurance. When your loan is paid down to 80% of the property's original value, you can ask the lender to stop the insurance. The rules are a bit more complicated, so read this story to find out how to cut out this unnecessary expense. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.ISPs and Washington Weigh Display Speed Discrimination
Now we have a new kind of potential discrimination: sites that pay your Internet provider a fee may pop up more speedily on your screen than others sites that don't. Consumer advocates want "network neutrality", meaning every site gets delivered with equal speed, and without preference for one site over another. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Anti-RFID Bill Passed by NH House
The New Hampshire house of representatives just passed a bill that would require disclosure on any consumer products that contain an RFID chip (that can transmit identification information about the product via radio waves). The bill also provides other restrictions on RFID. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.10 Tips to Find Bargain Wines
It is hard to know if you will like a particular bottle of wine unless you buy it (and there is no way around that). But here are some tips to spot a bargain that may even taste good. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Cingular Gets Restraining Order Against Cell Record Seller
Cingular has gone to court to stop an Internet company called locatecell.com from selling YOUR telephone calling records. The site charges about $100 to obtain anyone's cell records. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Mutual Funds Change Names to Attract Buyers
If that old stodgy mutual fund isn't attracting buyers anymore, they don't change the fund's philosophy (or performance), they just change the name. That is what is happening through the mutual fund industry. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Broccoli and Tumeric May Prevent Prostate Cancer
According to a new study (of mice), eating some common foods such as broccoli and tumeric (a spice in curry powder) may help prevent prostate cancer in men. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.How to Deduct Depreciation on your Home Office
The NY Times discusses some of the hidden traps and difficulties if you take a home-office deduction. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Pay by Fingerprint Coming to Supermarkets
You will never have the problem of forgetting to bring your credit card or debit card to the supermarket again if they install the same system that Piggly Wiggly is rolling out. The system reads your fingerprint, that has been previously associated with a checking account or credit card. One you touch the reader... your grocery order is paid for. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Benihana Sued Over Tossed Shrimp; Death Resulted
A series of unfortunate events began when a man ducked to avoid being hit by a tossed shrimp at Benihana. He wrenched his neck, had an operation, got an infection, and died. The estate is now seeking $10 million from Benihana. This whole chain of events was foreseeable??? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Some Food with Trans Fats Labeled as "0"
When can a food product with trans fats be labeled as having no trans fats? According to the FDA, when it has less than 0.5 grams, the manufacturer can round the number down to zero. So nothing means nothing when it comes to this type of food labeling. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Get HDTV on Your PC for $129
Why spend $2000 for a new high definition TV set, when you can add a pci card to your computer and experience the same crystal clear (but smaller) picture for a mere $129? The card is a resource hog, but you can see what you are missing (or not missing) for very little. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.College Loan Costs to Increase
Ever try balancing the federal budget on the backs of college students? That seems to be what Congress is doing, because one-third of the total budget cuts being planned will come out of the student loan programs. If possible, the advice is to lock in a loan and rate as soon as possible. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Your Burned CDs May Die Within 5 Years
This is a very disturbing relevation by a storage expert at IBM. He says that many CDs that you burn yourself (with data, music or pictures of your family, for example) may only last five years, and that is if you use the highest quality discs. Cheap discs may only last two years. Huh? What are we to do? He says to use magnetic tape. Huh? Iomega here we come? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.30 Million Cars Have Secret Black Boxes
If you are in an accident, you better not lie about how fast you were going. Your car may be one of 30 million on the road equipped with a little black box that records key facts about your speed, braking, etc. in case of an accident. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Top 10 Products from Electronics Show
For those who did not spend four or five days schlepping around "CES" -- the electronics show in Las Vegas -- here are the highlights according to UPI. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.AOL Reaches Settlement on Billing Charges
AOL has reached a tentative settlement of a class action lawsuit in Illinois over charges it made to consumers' accounts that were not authorized. Certain customers will get between $25 and $80 in credits or cash back. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New Hybrid Cars Previewed at Auto Show
Move over Prius, more carmakers are going to be introducing hybrid vehicles in the coming year. Some prototypes even claim to get 65 miles to the gallon. We'll see. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Web Shoppers Gripe about Site Problems
Is there anything more annoying than going through the whole process of buying an item online, just to get an error message at the end (and you have to start over)? That was one finding in a new study where the most frequently complained about online shopping problem was getting error messages. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Google to Sell a Windows-free PC at Wal-mart
Step aside, Compaq, HP, Dell. Google is getting into the PC business, via a Windows-free machine to be sold at Wal-mart. Will it succeed? Odds are against it. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
As FLYi Folds, Fares to Rise
Independence Air (flyi.com) shuts down this Thursday, and experts say fares to the cities it serves are likely jump sky high. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Tax Law Changes for 2006
The Wall Street Journal offers advice on some of the new tax laws that just went into effect, including a rise in the amount of money you can give as a gift in 2006, as well as an increase in the estate tax exemption. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
How to Fight Medical Overcharges
We often feel helpless when we get medical bills that seem improper. Here are some tips from the WSJ on how to fight overcharges (yourself, or with the assistance of an advocate). For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
