Google’s not the only company that wants to put ads on everything you read. HP’s new web-connected printers will let you send pages or photos directly from websites or phones and schedule recurring printouts from content partners–and the company is pilot testing a program with Yahoo’s advertising network to deliver targeted ads on those scheduled printouts. [More]
54,000 More HP Batteries Recalled
By May 24, 2010
Hewlett-Packard doesn’t just make props for cringeworthy feature length commercials; the company also sells batteries that sometimes catch fire. A year ago HP recalled about 70,000 bad batteries, and now it’s added another 54,000 to the list. [More]
Sex And The City Sequel Is Just A Really Long Commercial
By May 20, 2010
Wonder why Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in Sex And The City 2 is using a HP laptop? HP paid for it. Why are they drinking Skyy vodka? Well, that’s the films “official vodka.” According to the NYP, “every aspect of Carrie’s life is reduced to a vignette that can be monetized.” [More]
Hewlett-Packard To Buy Palm For $1.2 Billion
By April 28, 2010
After months of rumor and speculation, Hewlett-Packard announced today that it will indeed purchase Palm Inc. for a grand total of $1.2 billion. [More]
Walmart Regains Top Spot On Fortune 500 List
By April 15, 2010
With over $408 billion in revenue, Walmart has regained the coveted top spot on the annual Fortune 500 list. The mega retailer had slipped to #2 behind Exxon Mobil on last year’s list after two consecutive #1 years in 2007 and 2008. [More]
Worst Company In America 2010 Sweet 16: Time Warner Cable VS HP
By April 6, 2010
Oh no, the computer doesn’t work! Again! Is the internet out? Or is the laptop on fire? It’s a battle of service vs hardware…. to the death! [More]
Worst Company In America 2010: HP VS Dell
By March 25, 2010
Computer showdown. The black hole that is HP’s warranty repair operation vs Dell’s inability to actually ship stuff a reasonable time after you order it.
Which one makes you want to burn down your own house? Oh wait, they both do! [More]
Best Buy & HP Make Both Worst Company & Most Ethical Company Lists
By March 25, 2010
This week, Ethisphere issued its annual list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, and while there are several recognizable names (Starbucks, Gap, Ford, Nike, American Express), two of the 100 companies listed — Best Buy and Hewlett Packard — also got enough nominations from Consumerist readers to make it into the 2010 Worst Company In America tournament. [More]
Laptop Sets Off Smoke Alarm, HP Just Keeps Putting New Defective Parts In
By March 13, 2010
Ryan tells Consumerist that his HP dv2700se laptop has been problematic, losing wireless connectivity, and overheating a bit. And when I say “a bit,” I mean “tried to set his desk on fire.” HP’s solution? Keep replacing the graphics processing unit (GPU) with the same flawed part until his warranty runs out. Ryan does not find this solution acceptable. Here is his story, with pictures. [More]
HP EECB Leads To Complete Refund For Defective 2-Year-Old Laptop
By February 7, 2010
When Rick’s 2-year-old laptop failed for the second time due, he did not roll over and buy a new laptop or pay $400 for the repairs. This particular model of laptop had been recalled due to this very flaw, and that was not acceptable to Rick. He fought back, and shares his tale of triumph. [More]
HP Replaces Battery Problem-Plagued Laptop
By January 12, 2010
We posted Nathan’s story about his inability to get HP to help him with his laptop battery problem yesterday. Now the company quickly diagnosed the issue and offered to do a warranty exchange with the computer. [More]
HP Won't Fix My Laptop Battery Problem
By January 11, 2010
UPDATE: HP has offered to replace Nathan’s laptop via warranty. [More]
How David Got A New Laptop From HP
By December 30, 2009
David and his wife got stuck with one of HP’s lemon laptops, and since the repairs just kept involving more faulty parts, they weren’t solving the real problem. Here’s how he eventually got a brand new laptop–different model–from HP. [More]
Consumer Reports Tests "Racist" HP Webcam
By December 22, 2009
Consumer Reports decided to test the now famous “racist” HP webcam for themselves, being product testers and all, to see if they could replicate the problem or even find a solution to it. The solution: the webcam needs foreground light to function, and the more pigment in your skin, the closer you seem to have to sit. [More]
HP Face Tracking Camera Doesn't Track Black Faces?
By December 21, 2009
If you want to take advantage of this HP web cam’s face tracking feature and you’ve got dark skin, you’d better, I dunno, sprinkle glitter on your cheeks first or something. The software doesn’t seem to be able to recognize you otherwise. [More]
FTC Sues Intel For Decade Of Illegal Sales Tactics
By December 17, 2009
The FTC sued microprocessor giant Intel yesterday, alleging the company had engaged in illegal sales tactics for the past 10 years, relying on backroom strongarming instead of over technical innovation to maintain market dominance. [More]
HP Returns Computer With Faulty Repair, Bonus Dust Bunnies
By November 12, 2009
Marc thought he was being practical when be purchased a four-year warranty to go along with his HP desktop. After about a year, the computer failed. No problem. Just send the tower in for some of that stellar HP repair service. Except there’s probably a reason why you rarely hear the words “stellar,” “HP,” and “repair” in the same sentence.
NY AG: Intel Is An Illegal Monopoly That Uses "Bribery And Coercion"
By November 4, 2009
Andrew Cuomo, the Attorney General of New York, has filed a lawsuit against Intel, claiming that the company is an illegal monopoly that engages “in a worldwide, systematic campaign of illegal conduct – revealed in e-mails – in order to maintain its monopoly power and prices in the market for microprocessors.”
