Revolutionary New Apple Service Bills Your AMEX Card For Nearly $50,000 In Music
I think we can all agree that Jobs and his crew at Apple are a bunch of visionaries when it comes to gadgets, online stores, and now getting really, really screwed by an iTunes purchase. Joel writes, "I just got a call from American Express stating that my recent purchase for iTunes plus for my entire library (cost $146) has been charged to my account over 300 times and is currently still being charged. I have called Apple to have them stop charging me and they told me the only thing I can do is cancel my card. There is no number for iTunes and I have sent multiple messages to them without response via email." More »
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Too Much TV Can Kill You
It might seem obvious that spending extended amounts of time sprawled on the couch in a semi-vegetative state, chomping on an endless bowl of Cheesy Poofs and expending only the minimal energy required to occasionally flick a button on a remote can't be healthy. But scientific research has confirmed what your mother told you: spend too much time watching TV, and it'll make you sick -- and maybe even kill you. More »
Family Heirloom Wedding Bands Enter Kay Jeweler, Are Never Seen Again
Mistakes happen, and apparently there was a hole in the UPS box and all the rings fell out. No really, that's what this customer's wife was told when she asked for an explanation of where their rings were. Now the customer says Kay Jewelers won't give him any other information, or even show him photos of the rings after they were sent to the warehouse. They'll replace them with jewelry up to $500, but nothing higher, and if he wants to find out anything else he'll have to lawyer up. Here's his story. More »
Ohio Strip Club Raises Money For Haiti
(velkr0)
If you visited the strip club Marilyn's on Monroe in Toledo, Ohio, last weekend and paid the cover charge for their "Lap dances for Haiti" evening, congratulations, you helped the club raise nearly $1,000 for a local charity that's trying to send a container of relief supplies to Haiti. Oddly--as you already know if you attended--there were no actual lap dances because they're illegal in Ohio. The local charity says they need $5,000 to send the supplies, but luckily two other area strip clubs are staging their own fundraisers later this month. More »
Generation 2 Cribs Recalled After 3 Deaths
The Generation 2 crib, which was sold by ChildDESIGNS until the company folded in 2005, is being recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after reports of three infant deaths and 28 other safety incidents. Usually in a recall like this, the manufacturer offers to send out repair kits or replacement parts, but as the manufacturer no longer exists the CPSC is urging consumers to stop using the crib for good, effective immediately. But that doesn't necessarily mean you're out the $60-160 dollars that it cost. More »
Why I Won't Be Buying Another Vizio
Jeremy won't be buying any more Vizio TVs. He bought an HD one for $650 , then after 18 months of use, it began flickering on and off and then wouldn't turn it on. The CSR told him it would cost him ~$300 to send it in to repair the power supply, nearly half the purchase price, as the warranty expired. Jeremy thinks a TV should last longer than a year and a half, and so he wrote an open letter on his blog to William Wang, CEO of Vizio TV. More »
Receipt Checker Avoidance Tactic: Confuse Them With Extreme Politeness
Reader Matt wants to share his technique for waltzing past the Walmart receipt checkers with a minimum of hassle. The secret? Be super nice, but don't stop walking. More »
Most-Viewed Super Bowl Ever Also Breaks Ad Records
Sunday night's thrilling thrashing of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at the hands of the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV wasn't just the most-viewed show in TV history, with over 150 million people tuning into the CBS broadcast, it was also the most advertising-heavy Super Bowl in the history of the football season's grand finale. More »
Netflix To Stream In 1080p And 5.1... Someday
For those of us who really enjoy streaming Netflix movies through our Xbox 360 or PS3, it seemed like wonderful news yesterday when it was reported that some Watch It Now flicks would be made available in both 1080p and 5.1 surround in the near future. Alas, after some clarification, it looks like only part of this is true. More »
Leno Explains How He Ended Up Shilling For Letterman
Just about the only commercial from Sunday night's Super Bowl ad blitz that still had anyone talking the next day was CBS' spot for The Late Show with David Letterman, which featured Dave watching the big game on his couch with Oprah Winfrey and his once-again time-slot competitor Jay Leno. So how did this all happen? Jay went on his own show last night to explain... well, sort of. More »
Very Special Episode Of 'House' Tackles Health Insurance, Prescription Breast Milk
Anyone familiar with the Fox medical hit House knows that the show's cranky, mad-genius protagonist often makes an end-run around hospital protocol, red tape and common sense. Which means the writers are often forced to omit any pesky "there's no way that's covered by their insurance" scenes. But Monday night's episode got its hands on the hot-button issue of health insurance in an almost realistic way. There was also a guy trying to get a prescription for breast milk. More »
Huge Nexus One ETF Magically Shrinks As FCC Investigates
The Washington Post is reporting that the ridiculously huge ETFs for the Nexus One are magically shrinking as the FCC continues to investigate the fees. Google has shaved $200 of the "equipment recovery fee" it charges if a customer breaks their contract with T-Mobile after a 14-day trial period. More »
Twilight Producers Get Into Documentary, Lawsuit Business Simultaneously
Apparently, the most dangerous creatures stalking the lush woodlands of Forks, Washington — the real-life town that's also the setting for the insanely popular Twilight series of books and movies — aren't the hunky teen vampires with sparkly skin or shirtless Native American werewolves, but documentary filmmakers that dare to tread on the feet of the films' producers. More »
Why People Stop Using Credit Cards
In yesterday's Money section, USA Today talked to some consumers who refuse to carry credit cards, and looked at the hidden costs. One 24-year-old says they make her uncomfortable; a guy working at a gas station to pay for college says he doesn't want to get accosted by endless junk mailings once his name enters the pool of potential customers. Then there's the bankruptcy lawyer who canceled his cards on principle 8 years ago, after seeing how lenders behaved when their customers suffered financial setbacks: More »
Mass Effect 2 Shopkeeper Makes Fun Of People Who Buy Expensive Cables
Mass Effect 2 is an awesome game that you should buy immediately. In addition, it also offers solid electronics buying advice in the form of an alien shopkeeper. More »
FBI Wants To Follow You Around The Internet
FBI chief Robert Mueller wants ISPs to track everything their customers do on the Internet, and keep those records for two years. The government plan would give the FBI access to "origin and destination information" for all users. Hey, at least they're not doing it in secret and lying about it. More »
American Airlines To Charge $8 For Blanket And Pillow, If You're Lucky
Starting in May, American Airlines will sell blanket-and-inflatable-pillow packs for $8 each on domestic flights longer than 2 hours. If your flight is under 2 hours and you tend to get cold on a plane, relax: you can't shiver to death in under 2 hours, and by then you'll be at your destination. Or, okay, still on the runway at your departure spot, raiding your carry-on for snacks. You might want to bring a light jacket. More »
How I Maneuvered Through The Walmart Receipt Check Gauntlet
(oamg823)
Jeff says he did what many dream about but few accomplish -- he kept his receipt hidden from Walmart snoops at the expense despite stiff resistance. More »
