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Why is it that most times a mac mac speaks I feel like I am listening to a cultist.. oh wait... just answered my own question.
http://consumerist.com/2011/05/mri-shows-apple-stimulates-fans-brains-like-religion.html

I really thought when Jobs died they'd start waking up and stumble out into the light, like at the end of Logan's Run.

The chips will be supplied by Kapsch ( http://www.kapsch.net/en/KapschGroup/press/articles/Pages/ktc_120810_pr.aspx ). These chips/devices are similar to the E-Z Pass in the NorthEast U.S. They are notorious for malfunctioning... http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-05-17/toll-poaching-ezpass/55038948/1 http://www.newstribune.com/news/2012/jun/28/e-z-pass-not-always-so-easy/ http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/49044786.html http://consumerist.com/2007/07/e-zpass-charge-you-fee-when-it-malfunctions.html The difference is that these are mandatory. If they do malfunction, how would it affect an innocent individual?

There was just one two years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_plane_crash If that's not enough, here's some more TSA Fail: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/newark-airport-terminal-shut-baby-checkpoint-unscreened-article-1.1068800#ixzz1tHJ5bW5z http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/new_jfk_security_breach_PB8L58gzpwjmyqktLHRssN http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/TSA-Agent-Slips-Through-DFW-Body-Scanner-With-a-Gun-116497568.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357012/TSA-causes-outrage-confiscating-pregnant-womans-insulin-ice-packs.html http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120509/10161518848/congress-tsa-is-wasting-hundreds-millions-taxpayer-dollars.shtml http://consumerist.com/2011/12/tsa-agent-finds-pot-in-rappers-bag-leaves-note-rather-than-confiscating-it.html http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/boarding-pass-arrest-nigerian-slipped-jfk-airport-security/story?id=13963831

Why hate Zynga. They wrote their own code, didn't they? Is the artwork a pixel-for-pixel copy, or a stylistic imitation?

Two words...Mark Pincus

Not totally. If the biometric fingerprint is verified under controlled conditions (i.e. a competent person supervising it).

What about people who don't have fingerprints?

According to Bank of America, the correct procedure is to refuse to cash a check from an armless man because he doesn't have any fingerprints. http://consumerist.com/2009/09/bank-of-america-asks-armless-man-for-thumbprint.html

And even when the people try to do something about it, why, that's when those reps start getting leaned on...

http://consumerist.com/2012/06/newegg-no-well-totally-take-returns-after-you-install-linux.html
Update: It was all a mistake!

Without this step you may as well be using a walmart SPDIF cable, it will be that bad.

HAHAHA they may as well use wire coat hangers XD

It seems to me that it is not only Saverin who is not mindful of and not caring about the health of the nation and the people around him. Judging from the articles linked below, it seems that the entire of Facebook is not healthy:

Facebook's reputation in the mainstream media is rapidly getting worse. Facebook is getting a bad reputation partly because of articles like these:

Worst company: Facebook was a semi-finalist in the April 2012 competition to be voted the worst company in the United States .

Facebook follows its business rules? Not always. The April 7, 2012 Wall Street Journal story, Selling You on Facebook, says:

"Facebook requires apps [mobile phone software applications] to ask permission before accessing a user's personal details. However, a user's friends aren't notified if information about them is used by a friend's app. An examination of the apps' activities also suggests that Facebook occasionally isn't enforcing its own rules on data privacy."

There's more like that in the article.

Facebook tracks every web page you visit that has a Facebook button (using Javascript). For example, if you visit the Oregonian Newspaper web site, Facebook tracks every story you visit, even if you don't click on the "Like" button. There are ways to prevent that (using Firefox with the NoScript add-on), but most people don't know about them.

Companies pay people to click on Facebook "Like" buttons. The number of Facebook "Likes" doesn't give any indication of popularity.

On December 9, 2011 it was necessary to click on a Facebook "Like" button to be allowed to see Fry's Electronics ads.

Do 86,688 people (on April 9, 2012) really like Firestone Complete Auto Care, or did the company offer something to be "liked"?

A few problems with Facebook: Richard Stallman wrote a short list of things wrong with Facebook.

How much information does Facebook keep? Read the December 13, 2011 article, Twenty Something Asks Facebook For His File And Gets It - All 1,200 Pages.

What do people in other countries think? The May 14, 2010 article, Facebook is not your friend gives one idea.

The June 15, 2011 article, The End of Facebook, and the June 14, 2011 article, Is this the beginning of the end for Facebook? give others.

Most people don't understand the problems that may occur. For example, consider the March 28, 2012 article, Teacher's aide says 'no access' to her Facebook; now legal battle with school.

This April 4, 2012 article would be funny if it weren't so sad: Woman arrested for assault based on Facebook photo. Quotes:

"Aston ... was charged ... based solely on a Fac

(Note: YMMV. Certain conservative State legislatures are trying to make it illegal to record police, so as to allow the police to cover up any of their criminal acts; however I am confidant that these laws are destined to eventually be fully overturned by the courts.)

Oh, you mean those notoriously conservative state legislatures in Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts? Only two of the twelve states that require two-party consent for recording are "conservative" and those that specifically make it illegal to record cops are all deeply blue. Sorry to break it to you, but conservatives are not particularly trusting of government, it's your wonderful liberal legislatures that try to empower cops to keep people in line.

Facebook's reputation with the mainstream media is rapidly getting worse. Facebook is getting a bad reputation partly because of articles like these:

Worst company: Facebook was a semi-finalist in the April 2012 competition to be voted the worst company in the United States .

Facebook follows its business rules? Not always. The April 7, 2012 Wall Street Journal story, Selling You on Facebook, says:

"Facebook requires apps [mobile phone software applications] to ask permission before accessing a user's personal details. However, a user's friends aren't notified if information about them is used by a friend's app. An examination of the apps' activities also suggests that Facebook occasionally isn't enforcing its own rules on data privacy."

There's more like that in the article.

Facebook tracks every web page you visit that has a Facebook button (using Javascript). For example, if you visit the Oregonian Newspaper web site, Facebook tracks every story you visit, even if you don't click on the "Like" button. There are ways to prevent that (using Firefox with the NoScript add-on), but most people don't know about them.

Companies pay people to click on Facebook "Like" buttons. The number of Facebook "Likes" doesn't give any indication of popularity.

On December 9, 2011 it was necessary to click on a Facebook "Like" button to be allowed to see Fry's Electronics ads.

Do 86,688 people (on April 9, 2012) really like Firestone Complete Auto Care, or did the company offer something to be "liked"?

A few problems with Facebook: Richard Stallman wrote a short list of things wrong with Facebook.

How much information does Facebook keep? Read the December 13, 2011 article, Twenty Something Asks Facebook For His File And Gets It - All 1,200 Pages.

What do people in other countries think? The May 14, 2010 article, Facebook is not your friend gives one idea.

The June 15, 2011 article, The End of Facebook, and the June 14, 2011 article, Is this the beginning of the end for Facebook? give others.

Most people don't understand the problems that may occur. For example, consider the March 28, 2012 article, Teacher's aide says 'no access' to her Facebook; now legal battle with school.

This April 4, 2012 article would be funny if it weren't so sad: Woman arrested for assault based on Facebook photo. Quotes:

"Aston ... was charged ... based solely on a Facebook photo and a generic description offered to police by the victim's boyfriend."

Defending herself required a "... court appearance and several thousand dollars in legal bills."


Open source will prevail. E

The financial system in the U.S. is corrupt, in my opinion. There are many arrangements that help those in control steal from the average person.

Sooner or later, people will realize that Facebook promotes fake relationships. Unfortunately, that realization will apparently come after investors have lost billions in Facebook's IPO.

Facebook's reputation with the mainstream media is rapidly getting worse. Facebook is getting a bad reputation partly because of articles in the mainstream media like these:

Worst company: Facebook was a semi-finalist in the competition to be voted the worst company in the United States.

Facebook follows its business rules? Not always. The April 7, 2012 Wall Street Journal story, Selling You on Facebook, says:

"Facebook requires apps [mobile phone software applications] to ask permission before accessing a user's personal details. However, a user's friends aren't notified if information about them is used by a friend's app. An examination of the apps' activities also suggests that Facebook occasionally isn't enforcing its own rules on data privacy."

There's more like that in the article.

Facebook tracks every web page you visit that has a Facebook button (using Javascript). For example, if you visit the Oregonian Newspaper web site, Facebook tracks every story you visit, even if you don't click on the "Like" button. There are ways to prevent that (using Firefox with the NoScript add-on), but most people don't know about them.

Companies pay people to click on Facebook "Like" buttons. The number of Facebook "Likes" doesn't give any indication of popularity.

On December 9, 2011 it was necessary to click on a Facebook "Like" button to be allowed to see Fry's Electronics ads.

Do 86,688 people (on April 9, 2012) really like Firestone Complete Auto Care, or did the company offer something to be "liked"?

A few problems with Facebook: Richard Stallman wrote a short list of things wrong with Facebook.

How much information does Facebook keep? Read the December 13, 2011 article, Twenty Something Asks Facebook For His File And Gets It - All 1,200 Pages.

What do people in other countries think? The May 14, 2010 article, Facebook is not your friend gives one idea.

The June 15, 2011 article, The End of Facebook, and the June 14, 2011 article, Is this the beginning of the end for Facebook? give others.

Most people don't understand the problems that may occur. For example, consider the March 28, 2012 article, Teacher's aide says 'no access' to her Facebook; now legal battle with school.

This April 4, 2012 article would be funny if it weren't so sad: Woman arrested for assault based on Facebook photo. Quotes:

"Aston ... was charged ... based solely on a Facebook

MUNICIPALITIES in most cases can just string up their neighborhood, and complaints will be limited.

Tell that to the people in Wilson, NC.

Oh, and the people of Monticello, MN., too.

The "limited complaints" you're talking about involved millions of dollars in legal fees and even the involvement of members of congress and other federal agencies.

Not to mention the fact that these companies were given their local monopolies as incentive in order to speed the spread of high-speed internet in the communities (not to mention prevent the nightmare that would be multiple brand-specific network infrastructures), but now that most everyone outside of rural areas are wired, they're abusing their market position by keeping prices artificially high and speeds somewhat lower than most first-world countries, and all this while bringing in record profits year after year and signing up more and more customers than ever before.

This is why, in my opinion, they need to open up the network like the did telephones and have mandated line-sharing regulations in place to ensure that the last-mile is covered. Then we'd have real competition and, I'm betting, end user prices would plummet. The metered internet idea scares a lot of people because they're used to paying an arm and a leg for internet, but if you could sign up with any provider in the U.S., I'm positive the prices would plummet and be more reflective of the actual costs of maintaining the networks themselves. We've seen this before with long distance telephone service, when over the course of a few short years the per minute costs went from over 25cents/minute to 10cents/minute to less than 5cents/minute (when I last had terrestrial telephone I think I was paying 3cents a minute after the free 120 minutes a month they gave me).

I'm ready to join that angry mass of citizens, believe me, but unfortunately 50% of the people in this country still think the internet is a luxury good for people solely to play video games, consume pornography, or worship Satan with, so it's probably going to be a while before that comes to pass. I'm being facetious, but I honestly speak to a surprising number of people that have a real disdain for the internet as a whole.

No it doesn't always work.
http://consumerist.com/2010/02/video-one-toyota-drivers-horror-story.html

yes a minute,in a runaway car you haven't been able to stop, with your family right there.

So panic probably set in. Also, it wouldn't be the first Toyota that would go into neutral:
http://consumerist.com/2010/02/video-one-toyota-drivers-horror-story.html

"(which can be easily fixed by your damnedable foot pulling the mat backwards when you realize your gas pedal is stuck depressed...)."

wrong.

IT's wedge under the accelerate pedal but pushing on the bar behind it.

This same car was in an unintended acceleration even with a different driver, and that driver couldn't get the floor pad up with his heels. It was wedged. He put it into neutral and costed to the side of the road.

Or maybe he did put it into neutral.

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/video-one-toyota-drivers-horror-story.html

Screw those who ruin things for everyone else.

Yeah, well I argued with the clerk for two minutes then with the supervisor for five and the manager refused to talk to me.

Their claim was that I entered a contract with them because they had terms posted in a 9-point font 10 feet over the cash register and on their website.

Meanwhile, I've got a $40 RCA cable in a cable box instead of $40 in my pocket (I bought extra not knowing which ones I'd use), so I'm the one getting screwed by their different-than-everybody-else-in-the-world return policy. Having Best Buy's unscrupulous IT people holding my drivers license data is likely to cost me more than $40 in the long run, so it's my least-bad option, but also I'm never shopping there again (btw, chasing customers away is a great way to lose money).

Not necessarily, you can buy XBL time cards for cash, also...that's what I do, I refuse to give them my CC#. Ditto with PSN (you've got to be insane to trust them with your CC#, after all that bullshit last year.

As long as there is an alternative to using my CC#, I'm going to choose that. When they get rid of that ability, I stop spending money with them. It wouldn't really bother me much, anyway, to be honest; 99% of my gaming is on PC these days.

That would be nobody, as they were in different brackets. Bank of America is the one that "defeated" Walmart and was in turn defeated by EA... which I guess still validates your point. I mean, EA is bad, but worse than BOA? Please...

I have it on good authority (No, I can't reveal my source) that this is EA responding to being voted the worst company of 2012 by Consumerist.com. The higher-ups are worried about the bad press right before the stock holders meeting, so they are deliberately trying to spin the negative press as being tied to their support of LGBT. However it's pretty obvious that the voters at the Consumerist were much more focused on EA's price gouging and charging extra for downloadable content just to get the basic content, anti-competitive measures and a host of other issues.

So when you hear EA saying "They hate us because we're taking a stand for human rights", you know the truth is "They hate you because you mercilessly squeeze every dollar out of your customers, you provide horrid customer service and because you deliberately hold back game content as DLC, making the customers feel like they're being blackmailed instead of being consumers."

You are Verizon AICMFP.

http://consumerist.com/2006/12/verizon-doesnt-know-difference-between-dollars-and-cents.html

No they're not. It is just the classic Google Maps "get directions" feature, but with realtime traffic estimates. Suppose your comment was just a way to bash Google.

Actually, what I think the parent is worried about is how Android navigation might provide information to Google, and from a programming point of view it seems entirely possible (and even sensible) to correlate map tile request frequency with traffic flow (I assume Android navigation fetches new map tiles as needed). So, conceivably Google could collect and archive information like 'john.doe@gmail.com's mobile phone is travelling at 90 mph along the Interstate' if you use Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.

On the other hand, it's my understanding that traffic data is purchased from companies like transport companies who fit their trucks with GPS for realtime logistics purposes (I've sometimes seen alerts for traffic queues on empty roads where there are transport lorries parked by the roadside). These days traffic data is also reported by modern Sat Nav units (e.g. http://consumerist.com/2011/04/tomtom-sold-speeding-data-to-police-cops-used-it-to-bust-drivers.html ) and as said maybe Google can harvest a bit of traffic data from their Android sets as well.

Whether we like it or not, companies like Google buy and harvest traffic data from misc existing sources, and use this data to propagate their results. Those drivers who knowingly or unknowingly share their traffic data will help those of us who just want to avoid being stuck in traffic.

They initially did try to make the caps really low:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc20090331_726397.htm

Traffic from Netflix has surpassed traffic from piracy:
http://consumerist.com/2011/05/study-shows-netflix-surpasses-piracy-in-online-traffic.html

After initial public reaction to really low caps, the cable companies did raise the caps to what are currently reasonable rates. But they've also shown no sign of changing those caps. As the quality of the video improves in coming years, it's also going to take up more and more bandwidth. So the higher caps got the public off their back for now, and isn't hurting Netflix at the moment, but it's pretty obvious how this will play out in a few years time.

Which is why after the whole Richard Reid incident we had to start taking our shoes off. Then there was the "suspected" plans using mixed chemicals so then no more tubes of toothpaste or taking your Starbucks through security.

The fact is that the government has always been on the back foot and now we have the backscatter devices because some dumbass tried to blow himself up using his underwear and even experts say the amount of explosives he had wouldn't have severely damaged the aircraft. Because of this the flying public is now subjected to a defective system that has had no independent validation on it's safety and that for some strange reason the TSA says they won't test.

Other than the chemical incident all of the onboard episodes occurred and if it weren't for faulty planning or chemicals or circumstances something would have happened despite all of the in-place security. That's pretty poor considering how much we've spent on all of this security theater.

Sorry, I prefer not to be one of the sheep.

I remember this consumer group did this thing for the first iPhone after a rash of complaints where Apple rejected warranty claims, citing water damage. In an attempt to prove that rejecting claims based on faulty sensors, they bought a new iPhone from an Apple store on a day with near 100% humidity. When they cracked it open, the moisture-sensitive tabs were already triggered.

I can't find the exact same story, but here's something that covered pretty much the same thing. http://consumerist.com/2010/08/can-high-humidity-void-your-iphones-warranty.html

Oh hell, if you're going to cheap out on audio performance, you might as well just use coat hangers twisted into wires. Bah! A true audiophile would never compromise on price.

A lawyer once told me there is a big difference between "getting a judgment" and "getting the money". Can you figure out the difference?

Yes. There's also a big difference between being locked into 2 year contract even after you win the judgment and being terminated without a collectable penalty. Can you figure out the difference? From my prior post:

"Settle with us or we'll kick you out of our lousy service and appeal (without being able to introduce new evidence or arugment)" isn't much of a threat. The internet is rife with people looking for "material changes" in their contract in order to escape without paying an ETF, and he's only risking an $850 'paper' loss of his original award.

BTW: You go on to describe defending a judgment, which is not the point of the lawyer's quote. "Getting the money" is collections. "Getting the money" is trivial when the judgment debtor has readily identifiable assets. Really trivial.

Pity that the snarky comment had to come from an AC that won't bother to read the response.

Why are there more U.S. Soldiers dying from suicide than have been killed in Iraq?
Why does not the military train its soldiers how to heal from the damage war does psychologically?

As to the topic considering someone is facing potentially life in prison for providing internet access to others vs. insane charges for texting over ...well.... http://consumerist.com/2008/12/nyt-text-messaging-virtually-no-cost-to-carriers.html

I really don't think the punishment fits the crime, only if they would apply the same crime/punishment ratio to persons called corporations.

Is that a better "putting into perspective" example (maybe not as extreme on a spectrum?

Article 1: Is The Philly Cellphone Jammer A Hero Or A Jerk?
Article 2: FCC Wants To Know If It Sometimes Might Be Okay To Jam Cellphones In Interest Of Public Safety
Article 3: FDA Adds Diabetes & Memory Loss Warnings To Statins
Article 4: Chase Plans On Caring Even Less About Customers With Less Than $100K In The Bank
----
Oops, did I intend to post this link?:
* http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/

The world may never know...

Article 1: Is The Philly Cellphone Jammer A Hero Or A Jerk?
By Chris Morran on March 1, 2012 12:15 PM

# http://consumerist.com/2012/03/is-the-philly-cellphone-jammer-a-hero-or-a-jerk.html

"A man in Philadelphia decided he'd had enough with listening to his fellow bus passengers blab away on their cellphones. But instead of buying himself some noise-cancelling headphones or politely asking people to pipe down, he chose to fight back with a handheld device that jams their signals.

"I guess I'm taking the law into my own hands," he told NBC10, which caught him red-handed with the illegal jammer, "and quite frankly, I'm proud of it."

Those who ride the bus with the man say he should be ashamed, not proud.

"How dare you decide that I can't speak to somebody or I can't use my cellphone?" asks one passenger who spotted the man using the jammer on her way to work. "He's blatantly holding this device that looks like a walkie-talkie with four very thick antennae. I started to watch him and any time somebody started talking on the phone, he would start pressing the button on the side of the device."

Experts tell NBC10 that there is a good reason the FCC has made it illegal to jam cellphone signals: "With cellphone jammers you are limiting all types of communication tools that use the radio frequencies. You have the potential to cause a public safety disaster. Cutting off communication by not only our public officials to their dispatch centers but also cutting off the public's communication to 911 can be a dangerous thing."

When confronted by a reporter about the illegality of the device, the jamming gent said he believed it was "more of a gray area," but hours later contacted NBC10 to say that after further research he would get rid of the jammer." (Article includes video not linked here)

* View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com/
* http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Rider-Annoyed-by-Calls-Jams-Phones-on-Septa-Bus-140966733.html

© 2005-2010 Consumer Media LLC except where noted.
--
Article 2: FCC Wants To Know If It Sometimes Might Be Okay To
Jam Cellphones In Interest Of Public Safety
By Chris Morran on March 2, 2012 3:30 PM

"Chief among the reasons given by the Federal Communications Commission for outlawing the practice of using signal-jamming devices for cellphones is public safety. With 70% of 911 calls now made on wireless devices, the FCC has argued that deliberately blocking cell signals could put people at risk. That being said, the agency is now willing to hear from people who think it might occasionally be in the public interest to jam wireless signals.

"While the important function that wireless service plays in protecting public safety is undisputed, some commentators, including some law enforcement personnel, have raised concerns that wireless networks can be used in way that put the public's safety at risk," writes the FCC in its notice to seek public comment on the matter.

Those in favor of the selectiv

As Monster Ethernet cables correct transmission errors, and Monster USB cables correct USB driver connectivity issues, and Monster Gold Plated fiber optic cables can exceed the speed of light. And Monster will sue anybody that says otherwise. Although according to The Consumerist

In one experiment, audiophile listeners could not distinguish between short Monster cables and ordinary coat hangers.

Scam 10 people out of $1000 each and you'll get a court case and jail time. Scam 1,000,000 people out of a cent each and nobody in law enforcement will care, even though the damage to society is the same.

Not to nitpick, but more than half of those ten may be in trouble if they lost that kind of money. Is the impact proportional for losing a cent (pretty much anywhere in the world)? The gain is the same to the scammer, but how do you calculate 'damage' on a one-cent scale?

Can lead to very bad things hipping

http://consumerist.com/2011/12/fda-warns-doctors-pharmacists-not-to-mix-up-similarly-named-eye-drops-wart-remover.html

iMessage is the wrong thing at the wrong time. I already have an unlimited texting plan (and there's pretty much no other choice anymore ) and I have a limited data plan to save money... and guess what? When I'm out and about, iMessage wants to send "texts" over my data connection. That's exactly the OPPOSITE of what I want. Pretty fantastic, eh?

(And before anyone says "but texts are tiny!", my unlimited texting plan included pictures too. And yes, I know I can disable it, and I do sometimes, but I like the '...' chat-like interface of iMessage at times.)

I'm actually feeling uncomfortable thinking about what she said.

You can start here:
http://consumerist.com/2010/08/tsas-enhanced-pat-down-procedure-lets-their-fingers-do-the-searching.html
Then check this:
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/10/for-the-first-time-the-tsa-meets-resistance/65390/
http://pncminnesota.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/rape-survivor-devasted-by-tsa-enhanced-pat-down/
http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/tsa-admits-to-punishing-travelers/

Your argument is flawed in that you're applying your own rural area's poor level of service to infrastructure that is not designed for the sticks.

The average car driver commutes alone. The average bus holds 50 to 100 commuters. Rush hour headways in many major American cities are 8 to 15 min, with buses running at full capacity.

This is why they deserve their own lanes, and signal priority. That bus waiting to cross an intersection is likely moving more people than all of the cars waiting at the light combined.

This post in picture form: http://consumerist.com/2010/06/how-much-street-space-car-vs-bus-vs-bicycle.html

Considering that manually entering a URL is classified by some as "hacking..."

http://consumerist.com/2011/06/how-hackers-stole-200000-citi-accounts-by-exploiting-basic-browser-vulnerability.html

That's true, although they probably already spent up all their lobbying money making sure gays aren't allowed to get married.

Plus you can't forget the anti-union videos they need to produce to intimidate new hires, they're not cheap. Refuse to sign and keep Target union free!!

They're no better than Walmart. Everything they sell is foreign made crap, too. The clothes are more stylish than what Walmart carries, but they fall apart just as fast. Couple this with their piss-poor way of treating employees (speaking as someone that worked there and saw the discrimination first hand) and their support of those hypocritical "family values" groups, I won't put a fucking dime into that corporation's pocket.

(oh... i guess it shows that i'm european here... haven't visited US since 1995 and actively avoided it since the TSA craziness started.)

however, "privatized" doesn't mean the same thing as "elimination".

this is what i see when "privatization" comes up, and such a "privatized" TSA is no different than the current one IMHO

http://consumerist.com/2010/11/armed-walmart-guard-swipes-my-property-because-i-wouldnt-show-receipt.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/lawsuit-walmart-falsely-arrested-me-made-me-lose-my-job-had-husband-deported-over-290-worth-of-chick.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/10/child-seized-after-fainting-mother-forgot-to-pay-for-sandwich.html

and many others...

(oh... i guess it shows that i'm european here... haven't visited US since 1995 and actively avoided it since the TSA craziness started.)

however, "privatized" doesn't mean the same thing as "elimination".

this is what i see when "privatization" comes up, and such a "privatized" TSA is no different than the current one IMHO

http://consumerist.com/2010/11/armed-walmart-guard-swipes-my-property-because-i-wouldnt-show-receipt.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/lawsuit-walmart-falsely-arrested-me-made-me-lose-my-job-had-husband-deported-over-290-worth-of-chick.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/10/child-seized-after-fainting-mother-forgot-to-pay-for-sandwich.html

and many others...

(oh... i guess it shows that i'm european here... haven't visited US since 1995 and actively avoided it since the TSA craziness started.)

however, "privatized" doesn't mean the same thing as "elimination".

this is what i see when "privatization" comes up, and such a "privatized" TSA is no different than the current one IMHO

http://consumerist.com/2010/11/armed-walmart-guard-swipes-my-property-because-i-wouldnt-show-receipt.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/lawsuit-walmart-falsely-arrested-me-made-me-lose-my-job-had-husband-deported-over-290-worth-of-chick.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/10/child-seized-after-fainting-mother-forgot-to-pay-for-sandwich.html

and many others...

You don't even need to go down to the Firmware level to have companies claim that modifying the software on your device voids the hardware warranty.
Just install Linux on a netbook and see what happens:
http://consumerist.com/2009/12/geek-squad-wouldnt-honor-my-netbooks-protection-plan.html
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/69073.html
http://consumerist.com/2011/02/hp-pretends-linux-voids-netbook-hardware-warranty.html

You don't even need to go down to the Firmware level to have companies claim that modifying the software on your device voids the hardware warranty.
Just install Linux on a netbook and see what happens:
http://consumerist.com/2009/12/geek-squad-wouldnt-honor-my-netbooks-protection-plan.html
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/69073.html
http://consumerist.com/2011/02/hp-pretends-linux-voids-netbook-hardware-warranty.html

Without paying the ETF? I realize it's probably a better question for The Consumerist, but I figured I would ask.

http://consumerist.com/2008/03/do-coat-hangers-sound-as-good-monster-cables.html

And not have the techs be techs like how geek squad used to be.

Now days way to be come a tech or keep the job at a store is to get your numbers of Extended Warranties (some times even having to lie about what it covers), high cost cables , other ad ons, rip off software and more.

http://consumerist.com/2011/06/staples-canada-accused-of-selling-computers-with-old-user-data-on-hard-drive.html

http://iworkatpencils.blogspot.com/

http://consumerist.com/2008/12/staples-give-us-80-weve-already-set-up-all-the-laptops-in-stock.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/03/confessions-of-a-staples-employee.html.

And not have the techs be techs like how geek squad used to be.

Now days way to be come a tech or keep the job at a store is to get your numbers of Extended Warranties (some times even having to lie about what it covers), high cost cables , other ad ons, rip off software and more.

http://consumerist.com/2011/06/staples-canada-accused-of-selling-computers-with-old-user-data-on-hard-drive.html

http://iworkatpencils.blogspot.com/

http://consumerist.com/2008/12/staples-give-us-80-weve-already-set-up-all-the-laptops-in-stock.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/03/confessions-of-a-staples-employee.html.

And not have the techs be techs like how geek squad used to be.

Now days way to be come a tech or keep the job at a store is to get your numbers of Extended Warranties (some times even having to lie about what it covers), high cost cables , other ad ons, rip off software and more.

http://consumerist.com/2011/06/staples-canada-accused-of-selling-computers-with-old-user-data-on-hard-drive.html

http://iworkatpencils.blogspot.com/

http://consumerist.com/2008/12/staples-give-us-80-weve-already-set-up-all-the-laptops-in-stock.html

http://consumerist.com/2011/03/confessions-of-a-staples-employee.html.

Is that really that much better? It's visual spam. And typically the response rate is pretty poor. Also it's harder to localized ads (specially with people on mobile devices, verizon for example has my location set as kansas city despite the fact that I live in CA).

Also you can always opt out http://consumerist.com/2008/03/8-ways-to-opt-out-of-junk-mail-lists.html

In terms of advertising, I feel like direct mail is some of the most intrusive in my life. It doesn't pop over the article I am trying to read, it doesn't make noise, it's not actively trying to get my attention, it's not flashing.

...kind of the same reasoning they use to justify high ETF's that still cost over $100 one month before the contract ends.

T-Mobile pro-rates ETFs. My wife and I are changing plans with them in a couple of weeks to save $50/mo, but it'll be costing us $50 per line in ETFs on the current plan (presumably because the new plan is unsubsidized and the existing one isn't). The reason we're waiting two weeks is because we're right on the cut from when their ETF goes from $100/line to $50/line.

I believe there was a class-action lawsuit against some other carriers (Verizon I think?) about ETFs that basically forced them to pro-rate ETFs as well, so I don't think this is exclusive to our carrier.

Verizon prorates the ETF as well, but unless they've changed their proration amount lately, their $350 smartphone ETF only gets prorated down to $120 by month 23 of a two year contract.

http://consumerist.com/2009/12/washington-to-verizon-wireless-can.html

actually, it is a scam imho because you do not get 1.50 in cash but you get it as a discount voucher for the next ticket you buy. Ticketmaster doesn't pay you a single cent in CASH and if you stopped using them you're SOL, you're not going to get anything back. Their lawyers are laughing all the way to the bank.

Think of this settlement as just a small mandatory promotion for them since you'll be paying them anyway MUCH more than that for a ticket. The $1.50 discount is insignifiant.

http://consumerist.com/2011/11/you-could-score-150-as-part-of-class-action-suit-against-ticketmaster.html