Webcams already have all sorts of practical purposes, from chatting with your friends, to business teleconferencing, to the growing number of people who make money baring their all on cam. But now, some clever folks have figured out a way to use your cam to monitor your heart rate, just by looking at your forehead. [More]
Is This Comped Olive Garden Receipt The Real Deal Or Just Viral Marketing?
By March 27, 2013
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When a restaurant receipt story gets wildly popular online, it’s usually because a horrible customer leaves a rude message or because a restaurant staffer insults a diner, but occasionally it’s a happy story about an eatery doing something nice. Question is, are restaurants beginning to fake these stories for positive PR? [More]
Razor Blade Companies Could Make A Longer-Lasting Product, But Why Would They?
By February 1, 2013
Every day, there’s another development in shaving technology, but it usually involves adding more blades or making yet another part of the razor vibrate. No matter how high-tech the devices get, the blades just don’t last very long. In the words of every hack comedian from 1990: What’s up with that? [More]
Is It Rude To Take Photos Of Your Food In A Restaurant?
By January 24, 2013
Since the earliest days of photo sharing, shutterbugs have been posting images of their restaurant meals online for all to see. That behavior has only become more common through the use of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatever other service was launched yesterday. Now some chefs say it’s gone too far. [More]
Do You Still Tip Your Cab Driver When He Gets Lost?
By January 18, 2013
If your waiter accidentally brings you someone else’s food, you’re probably still going to tip him, provided that he takes it back and eventually gives you the correct dish. But when your cabbie gets lost, that meter can keep running while he tries to correct his course. So does he get a tip? [More]
Is It Ever Acceptable For Waiters To Be Unpleasant?
By November 13, 2012
The “snooty waiter” who looks down his nose with disdain at his customers is a character that has been trotted out on film and TV too many times to count. But while we may not blink when we see this well-known caricature on screen, it’s a different story when that same snob is taking your lunch order. [More]
Should Your Landlord Be Able To Decide If Your Significant Other Can Stay The Night?
By September 10, 2012
Remember the days of Three’s Company, when the only way a man could convince the landlord to let him stay in an apartment with two single women was by pretending to be gay? Even when I first moved to New York in the mid-’90s, more than a few landlords told me I could only have male roommates and that female overnight guests were frowned upon. But times are changing and most people just expect their landlord to butt out, so long as they aren’t knocking down walls or installing hot tubs in the bathroom. But there are still some people out there that don’t want any unwed hanky-panky going on under their roof. [More]
Americans Increasingly Reach For Smartphones In Emergencies
By September 5, 2012
A few decades ago, it was unimaginable for most of us. Would you have believed that even regular old middle-class people would have a device like the smartphone? It’s about the size of a pack of cards, with hours of battery life, and you can use it in a time of natural disaster to get the latest news, learn about road closings and emergency services, send mass updates to friends and loved ones, and maybe watch TV or play some games. In a pinch, it even makes phone calls. Yes, as long as cell towers are still up and you can charge the battery, a phone is an ideal companion in a natural disaster. The Red Cross confirmed that this week, releasing a survey of American adults that shows more of us are getting our emergency information in app form: then, presumably, playing Angry Birds. [More]
How Early Should You Be Able To Put Out Your Garbage Without Getting Fined?
By August 28, 2012
Though most people think of “Trash Day” as the day of the week on which their garbage is collected, many of us place our refuse on the curb the night before. But how early is too early to put out the trash? [More]
Would You Give Your Dealership A Positive Rating In Exchange For A Free Oil Change?
By February 1, 2012
Where do you draw the line between a business offering an incentive for you to fill out a survey and an attempt to buy your opinion outright? And just what would a business need to offer you for you to part with whatever principles you might have? [More]
This Receipt-Handling Dog Is Adorable, But Is It Icky?
By January 31, 2012
By now, there’s a chance you are one of the million or so people who have already watched the viral-buzzworthy-internetty-whatever YouTube clip of the dog that apparently works at a veterinarian, where it takes a printout from the printer, takes it to the assistant, who staples a receipt to the page, and then brings the whole thing to the customer. [More]
Is "No Problem" A Suitable Substitute For "You're Welcome"?
By December 16, 2011
People often complain that customer service reps sound like — and sometimes are — reading from a script. So while many of us appreciate it when we speak to someone who treats us in a less-stilted fashion, is there a point where a CSR’s tone and diction can become too informal? [More]
Would You Do Your Holiday Shopping At A Pawn Shop?
By December 9, 2011
Smart shoppers look everywhere they can think of for a good deal. But does that include heading to the local pawn shop to see if they can scrounge up a good bargain when looking for holiday gifts? [More]
Is Wireless Data Still "Unlimited" If It's Throttled After A Certain Point?
By July 20, 2011
As we noted in April, when T-Mobile proudly announced that it was offering “unlimited” data plans for smartphones, there should be a pretty sizable asterisk next to “unlimited,” because, after the user consumes 2GB of data in a month, T-Mobile throttles back on the speed at which any further data is delivered. Some would call that a “limit,” but T-Mobile continues to disagree and has rolled out a handful of additional unlimited-with-throttling plans. [More]
Should We Put Cameras On Cops?
By May 19, 2011
Following allegations police had stolen a laptop and a digital camera from a suspect’s house, San Francisco PD is considering equipping officers with a head-mounted video camera to document searches and arrests and make sure they’re being conducted appropriately. Is this a good idea? Take our poll and sound off. [More]
Have 342 People Died From Storms Lately? Sears Can Help You Clean Up!
By May 2, 2011
Devastating storms have ripped across the country in the past few weeks, leaving at least 342 dead and entire blocks and houses demolished. As a home appliance retailer, what’s your first thought? That’s right, targeted upsell. Several of our readers have sent in this email they got from Sears which says “Affected by the storm? Sears can help you clean up,” and then displays the wet vacs, chainsaws and generators you can buy. The 10% off Sears water extraction service could come in handy, but the email struck some of our readers as being in poor taste. [More]
Comcast's CEO Pay Valued At $31.1 M. Did He Earn It?
By April 7, 2011
$31.1 million is what you get for being the CEO of Comcast, reports the AP in their breakdown of Brian Robert’s compensation package. Do you feel this pay is deserving and accurately reflects your experience as a Comcast customer? Our handy poll has buttons that you can push to tell the world your opinion. Just don’t push the red button with the lips on it. That orders more naughty movies and makes a silver bell in Brian Robert’s office go ting-a-ling. [More]
