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The multiyear deal announced Wednesday allows the St. Louis-based cable company to carry the network's programming throughout Big Ten territory, including systems in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and northern Illinois.

Charter spokesman John Miller says the network will be included in Charter's expanded basic level of service for the upcoming Big Ten sports season. After that, Miller says the company will re-evaluate the best place for the channel.

Charter strikes deal with Big Ten Network [Chicago Tribune]

...the five FCC Commissioners and other Commission staff will fan out to [selected] markets to raise awareness and educate consumers.

Dear FCC, please please please let these commissioners show up with cheezy t-shirts pulled on over their normal button-and-collar shirts. In fact, t-shirts for everyone! This is America, after all.

The FCC says they'll visit every market "in which more than 100,000 households, or at least 15 percent of the households, rely solely on over-the-air signals for television."

At each stop, there will be a public event, such as a town hall meeting, workshop, or roundtable, with an FCC Commissioner to highlight the digital transition, and be available to local press. In coordination with these visits, the FCC will work with local broadcasters and radio stations to increase the broadcasts of radio and TV DTV PSAs. All combined, this outreach is designed to educate consumers in these DMAs and especially those groups that are most vulnerable in the transition: Seniors, People Living in Tribal and Rural Areas, People with Disabilities, Individuals with Low-Incomes, Minorities and Non-English Speakers

It may sound like overkill, but then again the people most likely to be confused about it are probably the ones least likely to be online hitting sites like Consumerist and Gizmodo.

When will a commissioner be coming to your town? The FTC site doesn't have info up yet, but you can probably check back at http://www.dtv.gov/ for more information.

To Enlighten All Regarding The Digital TV Transition" [SatNews]

First, here's the official revised policy that Yahoo announced today, according to the Associated Press:

The company said Wednesday it is offering coupons on request for people to buy songs again through Yahoo's new partner, RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody. Those songs will be in the MP3 format, free of copy protection. Refunds are available for users who "have serious problems with this arrangement," Yahoo said.

John Healey at the Los Angeles Times' blog Bit Player published this additional information, which sounds like a hidden perk of the Yahoo Music Store closing:

Carrie Davis at Yahoo provided these nuggets of detail: if you're looking for a coupon or a refund, contact Yahoo's Customer Care department. There's no need for proof of purchase. The offer expires at the end of the year. By the way, coupons can be redeemed for any track at Rhapsody, not just the ones the customer purchased from Yahoo.

Of course, you'll have to explicitly request the coupons, then take the time to re-download your songs—or download new ones if you didn't like the ones you originally bought (although that's pretty shady, especially if you don't delete the DRM-wrapped ones)—so it's not the smoothest transition to DRM-free music. On the other hand, we're glad to see Yahoo isn't totally abandoning its customers after all.

"Yahoo offers coupons for music that stops working" [Associated Press] (Thanks to Chris!)
"Yahoo rethinks, offers refunds for DRM-wrapped songs" [Bit Player at Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Universal TechTronics calls the converter box the "Miracle ClearView TV," and promises "No Bills: New ClearView TV receives free channels, no need to pay for cable to get the new digital picture quality and sound." These guys really like the word "miracle."

"They’re really targeting the senior citizens who are going to be confused and not up-to-date on the technology,'' said Alison Preszler, a spokeswoman for the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

The ad is designed to look like a news article and features that smiling older gentleman displaying his actual warranty certificates. The Better Business Bureau has seen the ad appear in newspapers in Portland, Ore.; Memphis, Tenn.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Charlotte, N.C.; and the state of Ohio.

"Think twice before buying a digital TV converter box from this man" [Los Angeles Times] (Thanks to Paul!)
RELATED
"BBB warns of DTV converter-box scam" [Consumer Reports]
"A Sucker Is Converted Every Minute"
(Image: Los Angeles Times)

Because retailers will be reimbursed for the cost of the DTV boxes, most states will require the retailer to collect taxes for the full amount of the transaction. Just to make things even more confusing, a few states appear to be making an exception to their tax laws for the DTV program... and... To make a long story short: If you live in Texas, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — check your receipts, because Best Buy was incorrectly charging sales tax on the full amount and is now issuing refunds. If this issue is confusing enough that a large retailer like Best Buy got it wrong, it's likely that other retailers have also made some errors.

Reader and blogger M got a letter from Best Buy apologizing for the error, complete with a check for $3.30.

If you have any questions about the amount of tax you were charged for your DTV box, we recommend contacting your state's attorney general or your state's Comptroller's office. They should be able to explain the specific laws of your state.

Best Buy Letter [Texas Money Talk]
(Photo: classeamplifiers )

Imagine my dismay when, while playing around with folders on my external hard drive (Western Digital 160GB), I deleted all of my personal pictures. Pictures of myself, my friends, my cats, parties and vacations all deleted in one fell swoop. It is times like these when it's good to have a friend that downloads all of Lifehacker's suggested applications. This friend turned me onto a little program called PhotoRescue (http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/v3/) for Mac, which I used and it worked in restoring nearly everything on my hard drive, including videos.

Though, perhaps this program worked too well.

Upon examining the cornucopia of recovered pictures and videos I stumbled upon a few gems that were not my own. Unfamiliar Asian faces accompanied my pictures of the Philadelphia Flyers playoff game and concerts past. Puzzled, I examined these first few pictures. The list started with a few anime pictures. I must add, I have not once watched an anime movie or even viewed an anime site on my computer — ever. Scrolling down the list I came across some pictures that perplexed me even more. My best guess at the next few pictures was what seemed like some type of Asian CD artwork, an American Express picture, and a picture of Asian Norton Anti-Virus?

And then I got to the good stuff - naked Asian ladies.

I wish I could say that the pictures on the hard drive were mine; however, I am positive they are not. Believe me, I would be the first to admit if they were.

My question now is, how did these pictures get there? No one else had access to the hard drive and I bought it brand new from Best Buy. Was Western Digital selling refurbished hard drives as new? Were the people assembling these hard drives testing them by loading some porn onto them to test them out? That's where The Consumerist comes in.

Have you heard any similar cases as mine or do you have any insight into my mysterious HD of porn?

We're as curious as you are.

Larry writes:

I just attempted to buy, at Circuit City, using my charge card, and one of the $40.00 government-provided coupons, a TV converter box. After swiping both cards, the sales clerk presented me with two printouts to sign. One was for $21.19 and the other was for $40.00. Of course the $21.19 was the one for the difference between the purchase price minus the government coupon (plus the sales tax). Both printouts ended with this statement:

"The cardholder agrees to the credit card amount shown hereon and agrees to perform the obligations set forth in the cardholder agreement with the issuer."

I refused to sign the one for $40.00. I spoke with the manager, Kim, (whose last name is "the only Kim in the store") to cancel the transaction. She said she couldn't and insisted that I sign both printouts. I could see this was going to turn into an issue so I quickly pocketed both unsigned receipts, the government coupon card, and my credit card and left while Kim was threatening to call the police. NOTE: I removed no merchandise from the store.

As I was driving away, Kim was standing outside writing down my license number and talking on her cell.

The government is distributing $40 coupons to subsidize converter boxes that will allow people to watch television over-the-air after February 17, 2009, when all broadcast signals switch from analog to digital.

Retailers are required to accept the coupons, and customers are required to sign a slip so the coupon can be redeemed. For some mindless reason, Circuit City is using a credit card agreement as their signature slip, and making it appear as if the customer is about to pay an extra $40.

Circuit City already called Larry to tell him that his $21 charge would be reversed. As for his $40 coupon, apparently, it will be "refunded to the government."

The main problem with the system, researchers contend, is that enforcement agencies are only looking at IP addresses of those participating on peer-to-peer networks and don't focus on the actual files being transferred. The article says,

In two separate studies in August 2007 and May of this year, the researchers set out to examine who was participating in BitTorrent file-sharing networks and what they were sharing. The researchers introduced software agents into these networks to monitor their traffic. Even though those software agents did not download any files, the researchers say they received more than 400 take-down requests accusing them of participating in the downloads.

The research team, including Michael Piatek a graduate student, says these takedown notices should be viewed with some skepticism. He says, "Because current enforcement techniques are weak, it is possible that anyone, regardless of sharing content or using BitTorrent, could get a D.M.C.A. takedown notice claiming they were committing copyright infringement."

Mr. Kohno, an assistant professor at the university said, "Our study scientifically shows that flaws exists." He adds, "It’s impossible to prove that other flaws don’t exist, especially since current industry practices are so shrouded in mystery. Ultimately, we think that our results should provide a wake-up call for more openness on the parts of content enforcers."

We hope that these kinds of studies help to bring about changes in the way that DMCA takedown notices are issued. Copyright infringement lawsuits have turned into big business for trade groups but they continually fail to consider the innocent victims which are being snagged in their massive net. To accuse someone of a crime is serious business, it is only fair that the method by which they are accused be just as serious.

The Inexact Science Behind D.M.C.A. Takedown Notices [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Here's her letter:

I am appalled that anyone can speak the word customer service at Comcast. I am so angry with Comcast right now that I am going to compose an email that will be sent to every investor, stock holder, news agency, better business bureau, and consumer protection agency. Allow me to explain why I am so irate; you at least deserve an opportunity to answer why a company that you run is so negligent with it's consumers.

1.)I opened my account via the web with a live web rep via chat back in April. Because I had heard the horror stories, and because I worked for a local telco, I asked very pointed questions such as "will my service have any down time due to number portability?" and "Is there anything I can do to make sure that this is a smooth process?". The chat representative assured me that the transition would not have any down time, and that all I had to do was follow the link provided and then fill out the "Letter of Agency" form. I did that and received confirmation for both numbers.

2.)Comcast Rep did not show up on scheduled date, instead, he showed up almost two weeks later on May 5th, 2008 unannounced. I figured the wait was because of the number and I did not say anything about it. The technician installed the service. The number on the ticket read [redacted]. I was very specific in my original chat that this was the number I needed. I explained that I have advertising on that number. The tech TESTED the line and assured us that everything was installed as ordered. What he didn't tell us was that we were assigned a Comcast Native number. I was able to access the internet and make outbound calls but my inbound calls were just ringing, never actually going through to my home. This was due to the native number being placed on the line.

3.)May 5th, 2008, at 5pm, I contacted 1-800-Comcast. They informed me that it was a simple mistake, gave me the native number and explained that the problem would be corrected within 24 hours.

4.)May 6th, 2008 at 5pm. My services went completely down. No internet, no phone, no dial tone. I contacted 1-800-Comcast again. They explained that the earliest appointment time would be May 7th with an all day appointment (meaning by 8pm). At 8pm, the rep had not showed so I called. The rep on the phone explained that the tech had attempted to call the number on the ticket being reported for no dial tone, did not get an answer, therefore, did not come. They must have dispatched him, because he did show up at 10:00pm. He said he had fixed the problem. I could now use the internet and make outbound calls with the number [redacted] showing up on the other persons caller id, but my inbound calls were still going to never never land, not being received in my home. The tech explained that he could not fix it, that it was a portability issue and said that he would have his boss contact me the following day.

5.) Steve never contacted me. I finally contacted him at 4:00pm. He explained that I was a complete problem and that "corporate emails" had been flying all day and that he or his boss would email me with resolution by the following day which was Friday. No email. I tried to call him all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday yet he never answered his calls, returned my calls or emailed me to this day.

6.) I had three spanish speaking individuals show up to replace wire I assume. They dug a hole THROUGH my patio, buried that wire, then left the entire 1/2 acre of line exposed for the dogs to chew...Brilliant! I tried to ask them to NOT dig through my patio, but they could speak English, No Comprende!

7.) I called back in to 1-800-Comcast on 5/12/08. I spoke to Antonio. He said that a work order had been placed but that it was done incorrectly. He explained that the number had not been ported over correctly either. He said that he was going to correctly enter the work order but that I would have to go through another wound of third party verification. He said that the earliest he could have my new number up and running would be 5/22/08 before 5pm. He further explained that he could not enter a work order at the same time for our 2nd number. He said to call in on the 22nd and that they would then get the second number ported but that it would be at least another 7 days from the time that I call in.

8.) My box was reset, a call came from comcast and my number switched over on the 16th of may. The 2nd number was still incomplete.

9.) On 5/20/08. My phones went down again, no inbound or outbound, no dial tone at all again. I contacted the chat live rep again. The first rep said that I had taken the service off of my account which I had not done. He switched me to sales. The sales chat rep said that he should not have transferred me there and that he would try to resolve. He promised resolution by 9pm. He asked that I log back into this chat and check up prior to 9pm. I did. This time, the rep said that it had nothing to do with that and that this was an inside wiring issue. My questions was then why did rep #1 and #2 say that this was due to an account error and why did I just have my patio dug up to replace wire? She couldn't answer but scheduled an appointment for another tech to come out 5/21/08. This is now ridiculous.

Really it boils down to reps pushing the blame, passing the buck and taking no responsibility. It seems that there is so much corporate tape to go through that Comcast can't get out of it's own way. I want a working phone and I want it now. I was told that it would be installed and by a Comcast rep, I was told that there would not be any down time. Promise after Promise has been broken and contractually speaking, comcast has defaulted. What is going to happen with my advertising bill of 800.00 this month? Am I expected to pay it when obviously no customer could get through to my line? And what about all the business I lost?? And what about the property damage? This situation is a lot larger than simply not having a phone for a few hours. It has now been 16 days (and counting).

Much more transpired through calls and what not but it would simply be too much to write. I am now begging to have this resolved...pleading. My business depends on it. Would you be okay without a phone in your office for 16 days? With all the complaints I am sure that you would rather have it that way!

I have chat logs, copies of all correspondence, recordings, you name it. Ignoring me will not make me go away. I want resolution. This is an opportunity to fix the problem now, before I take this matter for review before the consumer protection agency, the FCC, the better business bureau and all the local news agencies. I hope that you take customer service and promises seriously; any business relies on it!

Shannon

After Comcast dug up our property without permission and left us without a phone for 16 days, we'd port our number to another company, have the damage repaired and file a small claims lawsuit for the amount of the repair bill... but that's just us. Here's some information on how to do that if Comcast doesn't come through with phone service and a little patio repair.

(Photo: u2acro )

Best Buy, Circuit City, and Sears are all contesting the FCC's recent fines against them for not properly following analog transition rules in their stores, reports Ars Technica. Last week, Best Buy submitted a 41-page response (PDF) that claimed among other things that the FCC has no authority to fine them.

Best Buy's boldest claim is that the FCC "has not claimed any express authorization from Congress to enact the Labeling Rule, and none exist." In other words, they claim the FCC doesn't have the authority to force retailers to label all analog TVs with warnings that they will need a digital converter after to receive over-the-air broadcasts after February 17th, 2009.

Additionally, the company claims that its violations were accidents and not "willful" as described by the FCC, and that the FCC's report contained errors, such as listing a model that doesn't exist.

"Best Buy: FCC has no power to fine us over analog TVs" [Ars Technica] (Thanks to forgottenpassword!)

RELATED
"Sears, Best Buy, Wal-Mart And Others Fined For Not Warning Consumers About Analog Obsolescence"
Best Buy's Response [Ars Technica]
(Photo: Getty Images)

Cablevision writes:

"There is no direct connection between the digital transition of broadcast television stations that will occur across the nation in early 2009 and Cablevision's decision to transition away from the duplicate analog feeds of a certain number of channels that we already carry in digital format.

Unfortunately, Cablevision goes on to say:

Neither our customer service training, nor our customer communications, link the two in any way."

As for Cablevision's training, we spoke with four customer service representatives and each one said the same thing. These weren't rogue agents conjuring up their own unsupportable explanations. Two CSRS put us on hold to consult their materials, came back, and repeated their assertions.

When we asked the agents to tell us who instructed them to mention the FCC, they expressly stated that they were following Cablevision's training. We strongly suspect that if we (or you) called back, we would again receive the exact same answer. Could all the agents have made the same mistake, and lied about their training? Absolutely, but Occam's Razor seems to shred any suggestion of a coincidence.

Cablevision admits that their agents repeatedly provided incorrect information. Two questions remain: Are they now lying about their training; and, how will the FCC admonish Cablevision for their deceptive and predatory behavior?

PREVIOUSLY: Cablevision Blatantly Lies To Subscribers As The FCC Twiddles Its Thumbs
Cablevision Uses Digital TV Transition To Upsell Basic Cable

Cablevision is lying to customers by claiming that the FCC will require all subscribers to upgrade to digital cable boxes in 2009. Digital cable boxes cost $6.50 per month, plus an extra $10.95 for digital service. Cablevision recently sent a letter to all boxless subscribers threatening to cut several channels unless they forked out a bundle of extra cash for digital service. When one of our family member called for an explanation, Cablevision shirked responsibility and placed the blame squarely on some crazy new FCC mandate. We called shenanigans and decided to call back and record our chats with several customer service representatives. Inside, the recordings of Cablevision lies and the FCC's flaccid response.

Before we get to the recordings, let's look at Cablevision's fairly innocuous letter:

40 million American families don't use a digital cable box. Assuming all cable companies use Cablevision's rates, operators stand to pick up an extra $698,000,000 per month by convincing all 40 million families to shell out an extra $17.45 for digital service. That small piece of change is worth more than the yearly GDP of several small nations.

Cablevision is well within its bounds to charge whatever it wants for service. They can tell us we need a cable box, and that service will now cost $300 per month. That's a freedom afforded by the market. What they can't do is cowardly hide behind the FCC and blame their money-grubbing on the government. Let's listen as they try to do just that:

We spoke with four representatives, each of whom blamed the FCC for forcing us to upgrade to digital cable. We asked one representative how this information was conveyed to the CSRs, and she explained that Cablevision had specifically trained them to point to the FCC.

Let's be perfectly clear: the FCC decision has absolutely nothing to do with the channels Cablevision is taking away, nor does it require anyone to upgrade to a digital cable box.

Don't believe us? Let's see if we can find someone to refute Cablevision.... Maybe Cablevision is up to the task?

We spoke with two representative at the FCC who claim that several cable companies have engaged in similar deceitful and fraudulent actions. According to the representatives, the Commission is powerless to take action. One even defended the cable companies, saying:

"Most of [the cable companies] are blaming it on the FCC. It's easier for us to take it. We have broad shoulders, you know? We're the ones who have to explain it to all the consumers anyway when they find the 800 number and then they start calling and asking us: "why is my cable company doing this to me? I want to file a complaint."

Unfortunately, there are no mandates for good customer service. I wish there was! I would really like there for to be a mandate that says: "I'm sorry, but people on the phone at my cable company have to be nice to me and they have to tell me the truth." I wish there was, but there's not.

A mandate for good customer service couldn't be enforced by the 82nd-airborne, but lying? Regulated companies should not be allowed to lie to their customers.

Thankfully, the bespectacled bossman helming the FCC takes a different view. Chairman Kevin Martin recently slammed retailers for lying about the digital transition, dishing out several million dollars worth of fines to Sears, Best Buy and Walmart. Why can cable companies lie, but not retailers?

We know that Chairman Martin is a good guy who likes consumers. Let's go back and listen to the sweet consumer-protecting swan song he sung so graciously in our defense last year:

If the cable companies had their way, you, your mother and father, or your next door neighbor could go to sleep one night after watching their favorite channel and wake up the next morning to a dark fuzzy screen. This is because the cable operators believe that it is appropriate for them to choose which stations analog cable customers should be able watch. It is not acceptable as a policy matter or as a legal matter.

Kevvy was announcing that cable companies would be required to carry broadcast channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, etc...) until 2012, and not Travel Planet or RAI, which Cablevision is preparing to yank. The Chairman did, however, explicitly endorse our right to enjoy cable service without a box, and Cablevision's right to require us to rent one:

...the Commission is not forcing consumers to purchase or lease a set top box to continue watching their favorite channels. This decision lies in the hands of the cable company. They can avoid the need for new boxes bychoosing to downconvert the digital signal into analog at their headend. This downconversion would permit analog cable subscribers to continue watching broadcast television just as they do today without disruption.

This isn't the first time Cablevision has used the DTV transition to beat customers like cash-spewing pinatas. The cable giant was previously caught sending letters to prospective customers telling them that TV would disappear in 2009 unless they started paying $240 per year, despite the availability of $20 converter boxes that will keep the Price Is Right up and running.

Cablevision is clearly engaged in a pattern of deception and fraud. The FCC has a responsibility to investigate and admonish Cablevision for their abusive conduct. Predatory upseling simply cannot be tolerated in a responsibly regulated marketplace.

PREVIOUSLY: Cablevision Uses Digital TV Transition To Upsell Basic Cable
Sears, Best Buy, Wal-Mart And Others Fined For Not Warning Consumers About Analog Obsolescence
FCC Takes Action To Prevent Cable Companies From Dropping Digital Broadcast Networks From Analog Cable

Best Buy told the Chicago Tribune that they were "extremely disappointed" by the fine because they'd made a good faith effort to pull all analog-only tuners off the sales floor last October. As for some of the other companies, "Wal-Mart did not immediately comment, while a message to Sears was not returned." That's probably because Sears' phone has been disconnected for failure to pay its bill.

"Sears, Wal-Mart, others fined for analog TV labeling" [Chicago Tribune] (Thanks to Tim!)
(Photo: Getty)

So what can you expect from the book? Here's the meat of Publishers Weekly's review on Amazon:

Though her explanation of the "8 qualities of a wealthy woman" (harmony, balance, courage, etc.) is more inspirational than practical, she also presents a concrete five-month "save yourself plan" for financial repair, starting with setting aside checking and savings accounts, fixing one's credit rating, saving for retirement, setting up a will and purchasing home insurance. This encouraging guide will not intimidate women who are foundering financially.

"Suicide, Lies, Debt: A Suburban Nightmare" [Oprah.com]

And don't just print out our certificate. We earned that through hard work. Brush up on your DTV transition facts and win the respect of friends and neighbors alike with a certificate of your own.

DTV Deputy Quiz [dtv.gov]

Adobe has been promising a Leopard-friendly version since at least November 13th of last year, but as of today they've still released nothing. In the meantime, students who've spent considerable amounts on e-textbooks are out of luck and money.

The forum notes that there are a couple of potential workarounds that have seen some success, but the truly astounding aspect to this is that Adobe hasn't stepped up to help ensure refunds for those who weren't told their purchases would be useless—and that e-book sellers aren't making it clear at check-out that Leopard won't work.

(Thanks to Tyler!)

"Digital Editions in Mac OS X Leopard" [Adobe Forums]

UPDATE: Comcast PR says this information is incorrect. Their statement, inside...

...it has come to my attention that Comcast does not run any checks to see if their e911 service is working on your Comcast Digital Voice (CDV) service this means that if your house is on fire and you call 911 with a Comcast phone it might not work. Problems can occur on a account basis so your neighbors service might be fine but you may not be able to connect to your local 911 service or it may route you to the local 911 administrator's line. The only way you will know if there is a problem is if you call 911. This scared me as well as my co-workers when we were informed.

Comcast PR rebuts:

The information that was provided for this posting is false. Comcast does check to see if our E911 service is working and tests our 911/E911 capabilities regularly. We take 911/E911 very seriously, as any phone provider should, and we comply with the FCC's E911 requirements and follow accepted industry procedures and practices on 911/E911.

What is the Digital TV Conversion?

Free over-the-air broadcasting will switch to a digital format on Feb 17, 2009. If you have an older (analog) television, and use an antenna, you may need to purchase a converter box in order to continue watching All My Children. Coupons for converter boxes are available from the FCC's digital conversion website.

Consumer Reports says that this imfornation is proving incredibly difficult to convey:

Even among those who are aware of the switch to digital broadcasts, there is rampant confusion about what it will require of consumers. Among those consumers who are aware of the transition, over half (58%) believe all TVs will need a digital converter box to function, 48 percent believe that only digital televisions will work after 2009 and nearly one quarter (24%) believe they will need to throw away all of their analog television sets; none of which is true.

• One-third (33%) of consumers completely unaffected by the transition also plan to buy a converter box and 31 percent plan to purchase a new digital television set with a built in digital tuner.
• Although purchasing a converter box is by far the most popular action planned by those aware of the transition, a staggering 73 percent are unaware of the government coupon created to offset the cost of purchasing one of these boxes.

How to survive the digital TV transition [Consumer Reports]

Consumers can request the $40 coupons now, but they expire after 90 days even though converter boxes are still not widely available. Mouse Print broke down all the known caveats:

1. You cannot combine the coupons toward the purchase of a single box (each will cost between $50 and $70 approximately).

2. The coupons expire 90 days from their mailing to you, and expired coupons will not be replaced.

3. There are only 22.5 million coupons unless Congress authorizes 11.25 million more.

4. While some boxes have already been approved, more are expected.

5. Many if not most retailers do not have the boxes in stock yet.

Mouseprint rightly argues that the coupons should not expire. The federal government shouldn't worry that throngs of coupon-wielding seniors will bankrupt the treasury by simultaneously redeeming their DTV coupons. This is the sort of problem the government might be able to tackle if a single official was overseeing the DTV transition.

DTV Coupons: The Consumer Catch-22 [Mouse Print]
(Photo: anomalous4)

Target and Circuit City, on the other hand, were acting almost as if they're in the business of consumer electronics and looking forward to the transition as a selling opportunity. Weird.

Executives with Circuit City and Target agreed the digital TV transition is fraught with challenges.

But the transition presents opportunities as well, says Steve Eastman, vice president and general merchandising manager for consumer electronics at Target. The analog-to-digital switch will get people thinking about high definition and what technology is in their homes, he says.

Target plans to have converter boxes in stores by April.

We'd love to tell you more about the website, but we can't get most of it to load, and neither could the reader who told us about it.

We're also not sure how people without internet access are supposed to apply. If any of you manage to get the website to work, you can post your thoughts about it in the comments. We're going to stop clicking and go make some coffee.

DTV2009

On February 19, 2009, stations will stop broadcasting analog signals. Consumers will be unable to receive signals over the air unless they shell out $60 for a digital converter box. Few people know about the transition, or the $40 coupons the government has made available to subsidize the cost of the converter boxes. Where we see a problem, The Singing Regulators see a song.

Bloomberg reprinted the lyrics to Away in a Farm House, sung to the tune of Away in a Manger:

Away in a farm house, no show can I see. I lost all my coupons to get DTV. My friends in the city, they all said, "Relax!'' That's easy to say when you're wired with co-ax. Looking for help, I went down to the store, I asked for more coupons, they just said "what for?'' They sold me a monster, takes up my whole wall. I yearn for the days of my old analog. In Two-Thousand Nine after Super Bowl Week, My analog set will become an antique. I hope that the public will know what to do, For most of my neighbors do not have a clue...

Oh BlackBerry! FCC Carolers Poke Fun at Issues: Cindy Skrzycki [Bloomberg]
PREVIOUSLY: $40 Coupons For Digital TV Converter Boxes
The Conversion to Digital Television Is Going To Be Unpleasant

(Photo: clofresh)

The ads from the cable giant read:

Dear Neighbor,

We recently contacted you about the federal requirement to convert all broadcast television stations to digital-only broadcasting. If you currently use an antenna or apartment building equipment to receive your TV signal, you may experience a disruption of your TV service.

The Optimum Network has the new digital format already in place, which means Optimum customers will continue to receive all of their television channels in brilliant digital picture and sound.

To make this transition easy and ensure you continue receiving uninterrupted TV service, we have a special low cost offer for you:

Get our Digital Basic Package for just $19.95 a month for a year including FREE installation.

Starting on January 1, 2008, the federal government will offer $40 coupons to help subsidize the cost of a converter box. The government has also committed $5 million to educate the public about the switch. Of course, England spent $400 million on public education ahead of their transition, but they didn't have good-natured private companies like Cablevision to help spread the word.

Swindled consumers would pay $240 (plus tax) for the first year of Cablevision's service, instead of $20 for a converter box. Warn your grandparents that this is not a good deal.

People are your partners [House of Naked] (Thanks to Joe!)
Digital Television (DTV) Tomorrow's TV Today! [DTV.gov]

The entire DG catalog isn't available, but one of their vice presidents says they're continuing to go through it "to mine the archives for the best gems," and that DG is making many out of print albums available:

The out of print albums now available on the DG Web Shop are from all across the wide spectrum of the DG catalog, including everything from one of the best ever Beethoven 5th Symphony interpretations from Carlo Maria Giulini and the LA Philharmonic; to wonderful Josquin Des Prez motet recordings, performed by the Orlando Concert; to Mozart Symphonies by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; to tango albums by the latest generation of Buenos Aires musicians.

RELATED: Deutsche Grammophon Online Store

Not surprisingly, analysts aren't exactly bowled over by Fox's take on the future of digital commerce.

"If it doesn't work on the iPod, then it doesn't exist," said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at New York-based analyst firm Jupiter Research. "It's the right idea and they're taking steps, but it's just not enough," he said. "Consumers want to do the right thing, but they are dealing with a plethora of devices."

RELATED
"Die Hard DVD Will Ship With Ripped Movie File Included"

CONSUMER ALERT: This television receiver has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after February 17, 2009, to receive over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna because of the Nation's transition to digital broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products. For more information, call the Federal CommunicationsCommission at 1-888-225-5322 (TTY: 1-888-835-5322) or visit the Commission's digital television website at: www.dtv.gov.

Retailers vs. FCC: fines for warning-free analog TVs as ban draws near [Ars Technica]
(Photo:cmorran123)

Although novel, we're not sure how much of an added value this really is since special edition sets are more expensive than regular DVDs anyway. (Amazon reports the list price for the Special Edition "Live Free or Die Hard" DVD is $34.98, discounted to $23.99. By comparison, they list the regular old ugly DVD release at $29.99, discounted to $15.99.) And yes, the semi-tech-savvy can rip DVDs and compress them for playback without the studio's help. Still, they win points for convenience, and we're impressed and surprised that a studio isn't running screaming from a movie file for once.

We'll reserve final opinion until after we hear more about how easy the process is, and just what "DRM-free" really means to a movie studio, but here's how Hollywood Reporter describes the process:

To utilize the Digital Copy feature, consumers can insert Disc 2 of the "Live Free" DVD into their computer. A menu will pop up, giving users the choice of either executing the Digital Copy application or launching the DVD special features. If the Digital Copy application is selected, the computer will verify the proper requirements and ask the user to enter a 16-digit serial code, found inside the DVD case. After selecting a destination — either the computer's hard drive or a connected PlaysForSure video player — the transfer will begin, and the program will be ready for playback after about five minutes.

""Die Hard" DVD will include computer file" [Reuters]

For example, the revamped SanDisk Sansa View has double the memory and a slightly bigger screen than the new iPod Nano, plus an FM tuner, microphone, and expansion slot, and it costs the same amount. Is it as nice looking? Meh, it's getting hard to tell at this point, if you value functionality over form. Even the Zune—with a capacity and price equal to the iPod—is starting to look decent, with its well-designed interface, strong styling, and broader format support.

The one thing you'll miss out on is the ease-of-use of being locked into the iTunes/iPod symbiotic relationship. Depending on how comfortable you are with figuring out a new syncing set-up, this may or may not be an issue for you.

The article brings up another potential drawback, depending on how you look at it: you won't find anywhere near the same aftermarket support when it comes to accessories and cases. But then again, if the product is made properly, it doesn't really need a case, whereas digital audio players that are designed to wear when working out usually come with straps or attachments.

(Disclaimer: we rely on a screenless Shuffle, which has its own obvious drawbacks, and our Nokia phone, which would be perfect if not for the battery drain.)

"Don't want an iPod? Lots of choices available" [Reuters]
(Photo: Getty)

I called tonight due to 2 harddrives I purchased 26 days ago. Both drives have completely failed. One is knocking and the other won't power on at all. I called Dell and have been transferred to 11 people and 3 different calls:

1st Call - 48 Minutes (Disconnected during transfer)
2nd Call - 91 Minutes (Disconnected trying to transfer me)
3rd Call: 138 Minutes - Disconnected during transfer.

I am fed up and it is absolutely ridiculous. They have no idea what department to send me to. So far I have talked to:
"Customer Care"
"Dell Care"
"Business Sales"
"Hardware support"
"Desktop Support"
"Technical Support"

I have 4 different case numbers they have assigned me and still nothing to show for it. They can't even tell me who I need to talk to or what I need to do to get the parts replaced. I have spent close to $240.00 and wasted hours of my time away from my family trying to repair this issue.

The original hard drive I ordered is an external drive that I was able to connect and move all of my data to... Then it just wouldn't power on. Tried multiple power outlets, will not power up. I have lost all of my data there.

Then I purchased an internal drive, I have had it less than a month and it is knocking and won't boot. I am very dissatisfied and the award winning customer care has to be the farthest from the truth.

Case #: 1734xxx82
Order Numbers:
718xxx24 - 160GB
710xxx785 - 320GB

BUT!!!! 30 minutes into the call as she is taking my address info and giving her apologetic speech...Oh wait! I'm sorry Mr. Hatfield but we can't replace these. Have a nice day.

Dell....RUN! Yet another horrible experience with service and products! [Kevin Hatfield's Blog]
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

1. Keep backups at multiple locations. Use more than one computer, and don't rely on your work PC (we're amazed at how many family members and friends do this). Also, use external drives or storage media. For the best preservation security (but least privacy), look at online storage services that will let you store original files for a yearly fee.
2. Manage your CDs and DVDs. Don't burn a backup once and forget it. Migrate your backups to new discs every few years so that you never worry about a scratched surface or outdated technology trapping your data.
3. Don't place blind faith in online storage. Yes, we know we just said online storage is the best, but it's not the only thing you should be relying on, since you can't control when or if the business will disappear overnight and take your photos with it. Also, if you use an online photo printing service, check whether or not you have to pay to get access to your source files—Shutterfly, for instance, charges a premium fee to get back those photos you store for free on their servers.
4. Migrate your data and verify that you can access it. Don't put off moving your photos from your old computer to a new one. Do it immediately and verify that the files can be opened, so that if your old computer breaks or is wiped clean, you'll have no regrets.

"Preservation Tips for Digital Memories" [Associated Press via Reuters]
(Photo: Getty)