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Technology
Apple Files Patent App To Allow Wireless Ordering At Stores
Apple has applied to patent a wireless ordering system that would allow shoppers to place orders from, for example, their iPhones as they approached, oh, let's say a Starbucks, bypassing an ordering line altogether and going straight to the pick-up counter. The system would also allow stores to keep data on repeat customers to speed up future transactions. More »
Bullying
Video Professor Stops Suing People For Having Opinions It Doesn't Like
The Consumer Law & Policy Blog reports:Colorado infomercial company Video Professor this week dismissed its lawsuit against 100 anonymous defendants who had posted critical comments about its products and billing practices online. Earlier this month, the company withdrew subpoenas that had sought the identity of anonymous posters on the website infomercialscams.com.Yay. The bums will always lose, Lebowski. Get a job, sir. Stop pestering people on the internet. More »
Most Popular Stories
Today's most popular headlines are
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POTENTIALLY EVIL
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TOP 10
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REAL ESTATE
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Will Car Loans Be The Next Credit Meltdown? (79 comments), Bank Of America Can't Afford Soap For Employee's Break Room (54) and Has Walmart Finally Beaten Target? (21).
Nostalgia
Looking Back: The Subprime Meltdown Explained By The NYT... In 2002
The end of the year is a time for looking back and reflecting on the past. Perhaps learning from it. With that in mind we poked around the NYT archive and found a great article on the subprime mortgage market and predatory lending from 2002. More »
Theft
Thieves Steal 42" Plasma TV From Mall During Shopping Hours
Those post-holiday TV sales just aren't enough for some people, because somehow, a 42" plasma set used for display in a retail store in Albany, Georgia, was stolen from the counter during business hours. The employee who was working at the time had possibly the least helpful eyewitness testimony ever:More »
seasonal
Buy Your 2008 Holiday Crap Now While It's Practically Free
If you're one of those people who has more storage space than money (not us, sadly) go out right now and buy your 2008 holiday crap, while it's 75% off. More »
Travel
Stressed? Grab A Last Minute Cruise Deal
Here's a tip for those who refuse to let their boviscopophobia rule them: Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity recommends looking for last minute cruise deals. He recently snagged a 4 night Western Caribbean holiday for $300.More »
Last minute deals are so great because they represent revenue that would otherwise be lost to the company offering it. The cruise ship will set sail with a full complement of crew and supplies regardless of the actual passenger count and an empty cabin represents a lot of lost revenue so selling it at a discount to the rack price is something they're very much willing to do. It's why hotels and airlines sometimes have last minute fares and discounts, an empty room or seat is lost revenue.
tax tip
Last Chance To Donate Money In 2007
Today represents your final opportunity to donate money to charity for tax year 2007! CharityNavigator has some tips for holiday giving, and of course, you'll want to brush up on the tax implications of your generosity. More »
Retail
Has Walmart Finally Beaten Target?
Though the final numbers are not yet in, the analysts are predicting an unusual win this holiday season for Walmart:So what has turned the tide for Wal-Mart?More »
Car Rentals
No Rentals Left? Pricematch With A Rival
During my break I made a reservation to rent a car from Enterprise. My flight was delayed and when I got to my destination, all Enterprise's cars were gone. However, they did tell me that AVIS was price-matching Enterprise's rates and so I was able to go over to the AVIS desk and get a car for roughly the same price. This was a good thing too as it was holiday time and otherwise I would be paying roughly triple. So, something to remember if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, call up one of the rental places "co-optetitors" and see if they'll give you a similar car for similar price. As for the logic behind them taking your reservation only to sell it out from under you, well, that's a story for another day.(Photo: Marike79)
Smart Money has some new scams to watch out for, in particular, con artists trying to take advantage of people in foreclosure. [Smart Money]
Don't bring $3000 worth of wine to Melbourne's Tullmarine airport packed in your carry-on luggage, because they are hardcore. [News.com.au via Fark]
cancel the account
Canceling Napster Takes 30 Minutes On The Phone
Eliot Van Buskirk over at Wired found that he was no longer in need of his Rhapsody, Napster and Yahoo! Music subscriptions now that the RIAA is starting to warm up to the idea of DRM-free music. More »
ominous
Will Car Loans Be The Next Credit Meltdown?
The LA Times has an article about car loans that caused our jaw to drop. As someone who bought both the cars she has owned with cash, (from friendly human beings who had cars but didn't want them anymore), the staggering amount of debt that people are willing to sign up for just to drive a slightly newer car made us feel sort of ill.More »
Gone are the days of the three-year car loan. The length of the average automobile loan hit five years, four months in October, up more than six months from 2002, according to the Federal Reserve. And nearly 45% of loans written today are for longer than six years. Even some staid lenders owned by the carmakers, such as Toyota Financial Services and Ford Credit, are offering seven-year financing. And a few credit unions, particularly in the West, are tinkering with the eight-year note.
Updates
Time Warner Cable Promises To Credit You For The Random Bill
Hey Consumerists, you helped Chris with his "random" Time Warner Bill:I wanted to follow up about the 'Time Warner Cable Sends You A Random Bill, Can't Explain Why' tip I sent in. A Consumerist reader suggested I contact the N. Dallas Time Warner president and provided his email. I did on Sunday (yesterday) and received a call today (Monday) from Barbara at his office.More »
Sales of existing homes rose slightly for the first time in 9 months, but prices fell. Analysts do not think the bottom has yet been reached: "Given stress in the mortgage market and depressed buyer sentiment, we judge this to be a brief respite and look for sales to fall further," Lehman Brothers economist Michelle Meyer said. [Wall Street Journal]
Fraud
