The inevitable slide toward outdated technology is continuing for CDs, with the revenue generated from streaming music topping CD sales for the first time ever. [More]
cd’s
Starbucks To Stop Selling Those CDs Sitting In Front Of The Registers
By 2.20.15
When grabbing your morning cup of joe at the local Starbucks, you’ve probably noticed a small array of CDs delicately displayed in front of the cash register. Well, soak it up next time, because the ‘Bucks says it’s going to stop pushing Dave Matthews Band, Taylor Swift, holiday compilations and other artists on us while we’re looking for a caffeine boost. [More]
Amazon MP3 Dilemma: Spend Less, Get An Extra CD I Don’t Need
By 7.16.13
In previous posts, we’ve discussed the funny Amazon discrepancy where they charge pretty much the same price for an MP3 album and for a physical disc that comes with a free MP3 album. What about when the price difference is great enough that it affects your purchasing decisions, but you get stuck with discs you don’t need or want? [More]
When Buying Music From Amazon, It Can Sometimes Be More Expensive To Only Buy Mp3s
By 3.27.13
In most cases, it will cost you more to purchase a new CD than it would to buy that same music as an mp3 download. Which makes sense, since digital files don’t have the high manufacturing, shipping, or storage charges that physical discs do. But sometimes, you could end up on the short end of the stick if you just assume that the mp3 will be cheaper. [More]
Hey Kids… This Mystery Shopper Report Tells You Which Stores Will Probably Sell You R-Rated Movies & Games
By 3.25.13
When I was an adolescent, my friends and I had to rely on word-of-mouth about which stores would look the other way when it came to movie ratings and parental advisory warnings on music. But kids today, they have the benefit of the Federal Trade Commission, which periodically looks at how strict various businesses are about sticking to these ratings systems. [More]
Ever Bought A CD From Amazon? It Might Be Eligible For Free MP3 Conversion
By 1.10.13
This morning, Amazon.com launched a new service called AutoRip that allows buyers of certain music CDs to automatically receive access to downloadable MP3s of the album via Amazon’s Cloud Player. But the most interesting feature is that it will convert any qualifying CD you’ve purchased on Amazon since 1998. [More]
Sallie Mae Bank Can’t Write You A Check, Despite Being A Bank And All
By 7.24.12
Sure, online-only banking is easy and convenient, but there are strange things that happen while the world gets used to this different way of banking. For example: JB received a call from Sallie Mae Bank that they couldn’t send him the balance of his matured certificate of deposit because they don’t have the capability to send checks to customers. Let me again emphasize that they are a bank. [More]
Wells Fargo Does CD Paperwork For Wrong State; It's Your Problem
By 11.16.11
Earlier this year, Ken’s father passed away. He had been investing in certificates of deposit for decades, and had set up each CD with one of his sons as beneficiary, so that accessing or re-investing the money would be simple…or as simple as any transaction with a megabank ever is. Out of all of the CDs, the only problem was one at Wells Fargo. Since the beneficiary information was missing from their computer systems, they needed the original receipt from when the account was opened. Ken’s dad was originally issued the wrong type of receipt for the state he lived in, so there was no proof that Ken was the beneficiary for the account. Now he needs a court order to get to the account. [More]
Bank CD Opened In 1974, Mysteriously Eaten By Bank Of America
By 3.1.11
Laura (no, not me) is trying to track down a 37-year-old certificate of deposit that belonged to her grandparents. This is more difficult than it sounds, since their original bank was gobbled up by progressively larger and larger banks until it became part of…Bank of America. Laura’s grandmother passed away recently, and it bothers her that this situation isn’t resolved. She’s determined to find this lost CD: even though Bank of America alternately claims that there are no records of it, or that her grandfather cashed it in after he died. [More]
Sony Closes CD Factory In NJ, 300 Lose Jobs
By 1.14.11
Three hundred people in New Jersey are losing their jobs, and it’s all our fault. Enough consumers prefer to buy digital downloads (when we buy music at all) that Sony is closing down their Pitman, NJ CD factory at the end of March. [More]
Best Buy Finally Figures Out People Don't Buy CDs
By 10.1.10
Reacting to fading sales in most types of disc-based entertainment, Best Buy plans to slash shelf space for CDs and DVDs, making room for things that sell better, which encompasses just about everything else at Best Buy. [More]
Downloadable Album Costs More Than CD On Amazon
By 2.8.10
Rob points out a pricing quirk on an album he’s after, noting that the physical CD is considerably cheaper than the digital download. [More]
Bank Of America Took Customer's Name Off CD, Won't Give Her Access Now
By 2.1.10
V. and her parents are having a heck of a time cashing in the certificate of deposit they opened jointly. She says it just matured, but she’s in Canada (she doesn’t say where her parents are) and they gave power of attorney to another party. BofA won’t deal at all with this other person, but what’s worse, V. says they’ve taken her name off the account entirely. [More]
Great Best Buy Deal: Get Free Program Tweetdeck For Free
By 12.27.09
Matthew sent us this page from today’s Best Buy advertising flyer. They’re offering an amazing deal this week–buy a CD from certain Interscope musicians, and you can download Tweetdeck for iPhone absolutely free. Which would be a very nice deal if Tweetdeck weren’t already free. [More]
Bank Offers Gadgets Instead of Interest on CDs
By 12.11.09
Peter spotted this ad while making a deposit at a Central Pacific Bank in Hawaii. The idea of opening a certificate of deposit without getting interest seems fairly sketchy, but if you really dig Sony products and don’t want to pay for them with the massive amount of money you’re depositing, maybe a deal like this would work out for you. [More]
Geek Squad Now Offering CD-Ripping "Service"
By 9.17.09
Sticking to its proud tradition of charging for services that take a couple button clicks to accomplish, i.e. HDTV and video game console “optimization,” Best Buy is now offering to rip music off your CDs and transfer it to an MP3 player or DVD.
Ally Bank Delivers Lower CD Rates Than Promised; Also No Pony
By 6.22.09
A few weeks ago, we posted about the rebranding of and promising new start for Ally Bank, formerly GMAC. But one new customer isn’t very enthusiastic about their services.
Recycle Old CDs Into An iPhone or iPod Dock
By 6.15.09
Do you have a dozen or so unusable CDs or DVDs lying around, some glue and tools, and a burning need for a cool-looking iPod or iPhone dock? Geeky Gadgets can show you how to combine all of these things into a functional, and fashionably recycled, gadget.
