gadgets

Personal Finance Roundup

Personal Finance Roundup

Four Ways to Improve Your Resume [Yahoo Hotjobs] “Here are four tips on how you can power up your resume for today’s more competitive job search arena.”

You’re dead: Where’s your 401(k)? [MSN Money] “If you should die before spending all your hard-earned retirement savings, any number of things could happen to the remaining money. Don’t let it fall into the wrong pockets.”

7 Secrets to Picking Great Funds [Kiplinger] “These methods will help you choose wisely and give your portfolio a boost. Some may surprise you.”

When Should You Downgrade Your Car Insurance? [The Simple Dollar] “How do you know when the time is right to downgrade your car insurance?”

4 Ways to Reduce a Gadget’s Power Drain [Smart Money] “Here are four ways to cut your gadgets’ energy consumption.”

FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: PaulBarwick)

Teddy Bear Cellphone

Teddy Bear Cellphone

I am secretly coveting this stuffed teddy bear that is also a cellphone. It’s called Kuma Phone. Price: $500. Conspicuous consumption has never been cuter. [Cscout Japan]

Morning Deals

  • Lenovo: Employee Pricing on ThinkPad and IdeaPad Notebooks, up to 42% off (login with passcode 536686)
  • Woot: Sandisk Clip 2GB MP3 Player for $19.99
  • Newegg: ESET NOD32 Antivirus Home Edition v3 for $14.99 (Best antivirus around, won’t slow down your computer)

Highlights From Dealhack

  • Buy.com: Kingston 4GB USB 2.0 Portable Flash Drive $14 Shipped
  • Hanes.com: Save 15% off Complete Order on All Clothing
  • Vann’s: Sony FX820 Portable 8-inch DVD Player $150 Shipped

Highlights From Bargainist

Update: EEEPC Return A Recursive Hellhole

Update: EEEPC Return A Recursive Hellhole

Mike writes in with an update on what he’s doing to get his Asus EEPC fixed. We think his number one way to solve the problem is to activate the extended warranty protection on his credit card. His reply to that is, “My credit card has an extended warranty but since it is still in warranty with Asus, that can’t help.” Not that we want to embarrass Mike, but since this can help other people, I need to point out that this isn’t true.

Former Best Buy Manager Arrested For Stealing Identities From Mailboxes

Former Best Buy Manager Arrested For Stealing Identities From Mailboxes

It’s always fun when you spot people you know in the paper. Like when one reader saw an article about his former Best Buy manager, charged with seventeen counts of third-degree identity thief. Mariusz Paliwoda of Conneticut was arrested recently for stealing over 100 pieces of mail from rural folks’, then using the information to create credit card accounts. Only the cream of the crop, or former Domino’s managers, make it to the top of Best Buy!

Milford man charged in ID theft operation [New Haven Register] (Photo: Getty)

How Newegg Stopped Collecting New York State Tax

How Newegg Stopped Collecting New York State Tax

Reader Chris Schiffner pinged Newegg to see why and how they stopped collecting New York State tax. They sent him an answer, posted after the jump, but here’s the short story: A new New York law would have required internet retailers using affiliate marketing to collect sales tax, so Newegg “restructured its affiliate marketing program.” The new structure somehow avoids having to collect New York sales tax. Shrug. Whatever, New York geeks, rejoice!

Reach A Nice Best Buy Customer Service Supervisor

Reach A Nice Best Buy Customer Service Supervisor

Only use this contact info if you can’t get help from the store and the regular customer service line isn’t doing it for ya.

Eforcity Bribes User To Remove Negative Amazon Feedback

Eforcity Bribes User To Remove Negative Amazon Feedback

Sarah bought some car chargers from Eforcity through Amazon, and was disappointed to find that the charger plug doesn’t stay in the phone unless you hold it in. She said as much in her Amazon feedback. In response, Eforcity said they would be happy to give her a refund, as long as she deleted her negative feedback. In other words, a bribe for self-censorship. Eforcity’s email, inside…

Want Safe Skies? Strap This Remote-Controlled Stun Device To Yourself!

Want Safe Skies? Strap This Remote-Controlled Stun Device To Yourself!

Make of this what you will, as the story comes from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s church-owned Washington Times and may be more fiction than fact, but “a senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser.” Yes, the EMD Safety Bracelet from Lamperd Less Lethal is designed to make flying a fun experience once again. Just check out everything it can do:

  • Take the place of an airline boarding pass.
  • Contain personal information about the traveler.
  • Be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage.
  • Shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes.
It's Official: Early Adopters Are Jackasses

It's Official: Early Adopters Are Jackasses

A new study by Mindset Media and Nielsen Online has created a better profile of gadget lovers who tend to buy new technology early and often—and it’s no longer believed that they’re just “wealthy young males.” Instead, the early adopter type tends to score high in leadership and assertiveness, but low in modesty.

Sharper Image Liquidating All Stores

Sharper Image Liquidating All Stores

Calculate The "Emissions Cost" Of Your Next Flight

Calculate The "Emissions Cost" Of Your Next Flight

Enpalo is an online calculator that lets you estimate the flight emissions of your next airplane jaunt—you choose an airline, enter your origin and destination, then sit back and light up a cigar while you laugh about how many baby polar bears you’re drowning.

HP Announces Big Fat Tech Support Investment

HP Announces Big Fat Tech Support Investment

HP customer service has a bad rep and it seems they finally got around to noticing it. Here’s a press release announcing the completion of what they call, “the most substantial investment in consumer technical support in its history.” Highlights:

Best Buy Overlaps Their Product Service Plans With Manufacturer's Warranty

Best Buy Overlaps Their Product Service Plans With Manufacturer's Warranty

Wiliam writes in to point out something he noticed in the fine print of Best Buy’s Product Service Plan: it begins as soon as you purchase the item, and doesn’t cover anything covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

OLPC Spotted In Wild

OLPC Spotted In Wild

Spotted a real OLPC user on the subway this weekend. An OLPC is that funky device that is supposed to be given to poor children in developing countries but the foundation did a “give one, get one” program which explains why this guy has one. Some people on the R train from Manhattan to Brooklyn gave him and his green and white contraption an odd look out the corner of their eye.

Call Center Call Customer "Little Girl" For Not Buying Computer

In this supposedly real call leaked from a Panamanian call center, a call center rep mocks a customer when he decides not to buy a new computer because it doesn’t come with speakers, calling him a “little girl” and a “little pussy girl.” Whether it’s real or not, it doesn’t really matter, it’s funny. Transcript inside…

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RIM is blaming yesterday’s Blackberry outage on a routine upgrade gone wrong. [Gizmodo]

Tiger Direct Sales Contest Thinks Pimps Are Funny

Tiger Direct Sales Contest Thinks Pimps Are Funny

It’s really funny to rape women, beat them, force them to have sex with other men for money, and then take all their money. Which is why this internal sales promotion for gadget seller TigerDirect is so awesome! Start by selling a customer a notebook computer, then PIMP it up with all sorts of accessories. In turn, the more you sell, the more you get entered into a raffle to win some PIMP prizes so you can PIMP out your crib with pimpin’ a new computer and a pimp 50″ plasma TV with surround sound and a Logitech Harmony 1000 Universal Pimp Remote Control! The promotional flyer proclaims, “Now you have a controller in one hand and a cup full of Gin & Juice in the other. You got the nice gifts and the greens $$$$$$ in your pocket. Now you’re OFFICIALLY PIMPING!” Pimps are a hilarious American icon of entrepreneurship! PIMP PIMP PIMP! Full promotional flyer and contest rules, inside…