Justin Callaway’s Cingular cellphone sent radio interference that destroyed one of his prized speakers, so he made an awesome music video about it.
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Court Transcript Of "Peek Squad" Agent's No-Contest Plea
By 4.23.07
We just received the court transcript detailing former Geek Squad Agent Hao Kuo Chi “no-contest” plea in the case of his alleged setting up a cameraphone while on call in a customer’s house and recording a young woman taking a shower.
The Kind Of Cellphone Geek Squad Might've Taped Showering Customer With
By 4.13.07
If Hao Kuo Chi really did tape the 22-year-old daughter of a customer taking a shower, the phone propped up in the bathroom might have been a PPC-6700. These PocketPC phones are standard-issue to the Geek Squad techs who perform in-home repairs — known as “DA’s” or “Double Agents” in Geek Squad parlance.
LEAKED: 6 More Geek Squad Manuals
By 4.5.07
Here’s 6 more Geek Squad manuals. Combine this with the 6 we’ve already posted and soon we’ll have enough info to open our own franchise.
LEAKED: 5 More Geek Squad Manuals
By 3.30.07
Here’s 5 more Geek Squad manuals. They’re not a fascinating as the troubleshooting manual, but perhaps if you use the Geek Squad you can use them to make sure they’re doing their job right. Or you could learn how to open up your own Geek Squad store. Sort of like a lemonade stand, except instead of turning lemons into a tasty beverage, you turn laptops into lemons.
RIAA VP Laughs At Consumerist's "Worst Company In America" Contest
By 3.28.07
Four people, likely students, walked into the back of the room, all holding cardboard signs. One sign had a scythe attached and said, “Don’t fear the RIAAper.” Another guy had no pants on and had a sign that said, “The RIAA sued the pants off me.” Another girl had a sign that said, “Download like it’s 1999.” And the last girl had some spare change in her hand that was to go to “Metallica’s retirement fund.”
—MEGHANN MARCO
Fast Food Deep Fryer Using Live Goldfish Tank
By 3.28.07
Someone should make a “green” fast-food joint where every machine fed back to the environment in a cool way like this; a “Zero Impact” McDonald’s of sorts. — BEN POPKEN
Best Buy Gobbles Up Speakeasy
By 3.27.07
Best Buy today agreed to purchase leading independent DSL provider Speakeasy, starting Q1 2008.
Attention: You Cut Your Electric Bill By Almost Half!
By 3.22.07
Reader Melissa writes in to tell us that using tips from Consumerist and other sites, she cut her (admittedly outrageous) electric bill down to size. Melissa writes: I cut my electric bill nearly in half.
NPR Bites Back: Files Motion Against RIAA Internet Rate Increase
By 3.21.07
Today, on behalf of the public radio system, NPR filed a motion for rehearing with the Copyright Royalty Board in response to its March 2, 2007 decision on rates for streaming internet music. This action is the first step in NPR’s efforts to reverse the decision, and it will be followed by an appeal of the Board’s decision to be filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
Yeah! They’re bringing the fight! According to Andi Sporkin, Vice President for Communications, NPR: “The Board’s decision to dramatically raise public radio stations’ rates was based on inaccurate assumptions and lack of understanding of the issues. The new rates inexplicably break with the longstanding tradition of recognizing public radio’s non-commercial, non-profit role, while the procedures we’re being asked to now undertake for measurement are non-existent, arbitrary and costly.” Read the filing inside.
The RIAA P2PLawsuit Letter Sent To College Students
By 3.2.07
Unfortunately for the students who have been targeted (a group that apparently includes both downloaders and sharers), minimum damages that the RIAA can request under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is $750 per infringement. For students who have hundreds of songs on their computer, that could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
TiVO Tells You How To Defeat Their DRM To Keep You From Canceling
By 3.1.07
I explain to her that I know I can move the files over but raw TiVo files are encrypted and useless. She said you can just download an application to convert them yourself. I explained this would be illegal under the DMCA and TiVo somewhat agressevly tries to enforce the encryption. She said so there is no way you can get an application to convert the files. I told her that I could get such an application but that it is quite illegal and Tivo could sue me or worse. The total times she tryed to get me to do something illega so I would keep the TiVo service, about 4. If I wanted to be illegal I could just dump the cable too and friggin download everything DRM and commercial free, DUH.
TiVo2Go’s Terms and Conditions say:
The TiVoToGo feature includes security measures designed to prevent infringement of copyrighted works. You agree not to take any steps to defeat any TiVo security measures or to use any third party applications that may bypass any TiVo security measures.
It’s sad when your retention people have to talk customers into doing something against your Terms and Conditions in a desperate attempt to keep them. DRM gives The Consumerist a headache. DRM should be sponsored by Excedrin Migraine.—MEGHANN MARCO
Sprint CEO’s Phone Number, And 25 Other Sprint Execs’
By 2.27.07 — Updated: 12.9.16
UPDATE 5/29/07: Call 703-433-4401, a special number just for Consumerist readers that goes straight to the office of the CEO:
Costco Leak: Electronic Returns Limited To 90-Days Starting Today
By 2.26.07
Costco’s return policy for certain electronics downgrades to 90-days starting today at some locations, according to an internal memo send to Costco managers, a salesman at the company, store employees, FatWallet members and a document on Costco’s website.
14 Verizon Executives’ Phone Numbers
By 2.23.07 — Updated: 10.24.16
[protected-iframe id="8c8ea805951e6291431c13aafec3f18b-40783744-40309798" info="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.php?u=http://digg.com/business_finance/14_Verizon_Executives_Phone_Numbers_Call_and_Complain" width="55" height="82" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"]We’ve got a directory of contact info for the offices of 14 top Verizon executives, with full name, position, address, email address, phone number and fax number
9 More Hewlett-Packard Company Secrets From A Former Employee
By 2.15.07
A former Hewlett-Packard worker who could barely wait for their non-disclosure-agreement to end so they could spill company secrets to The Consumerist has more, along with clarifications about what was posted yesterday.
