When you make a mess, you’ve got to clean up your toys. It’s a lesson many of us learned as kids, and one that a Los Angeles Airport law enforcement officials says police slipped up on after a stick of live dynamite used in a training exercise was left behind near the airport museum for four days. [More]
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AT&T On The Hook For $40M Because It Didn’t Read Legal Documents Closely
By 3.19.15
One might think that a company making upwards of $134 billion in a year would pay its lawyers to read everything that comes their way very closely. And yet somehow, AT&T’s legal counsel missed information in legal documents that could put the company on the hook for $40 million in a patent-infringement case. [More]
Check Before You Send: Gmail Is Screwing Up Auto-Complete E-Mail Addresses
By 2.23.15
When I go into Gmail to start an e-mail and type “D” in the address line, I know without even looking that it autocompletes to “Donny Donaldson,” my fictional best friend from summer camp. But if I typed in “D” today, it might autocomplete to “Debbie Debrason,” a fictional ex-girlfriend who I try to avoid. [More]
Krispy Kreme Rethinks ‘KKK’ Promotion In The UK
By 2.17.15
The corporate office for Krispy Kreme in the UK drew up a calendar of fun activities for the chain to offer to kids during their midterm break from school. Activities include coloring, face painting, board games, and KKK Wednesday. Wait, what? That stands for “Krispy Kreme Klub,” not “Ku Klux Klan,” but the promotion has been pulled anyway. [More]
Today In Social Media Hacks: Delta, Newsweek, And CFO Of Twitter Really Need To Change Their Passwords
By 2.10.15
Social media tools are an effective way for businesses and bigwigs to communicate with their customers… that is, as long as those companies or people are in charge of their own accounts. When hackers “borrow” their social presences, much less good things can happen. And today at least three high-profile accounts found that out the hard way. [More]
At Target, Fifty Shades Of Grey Brand Sex Toys Belong Next To Kids’ Toothbrushes
By 1.19.15
No one should be surprised that there’s merchandise based on the inexplicably popular Fifty Shades of Grey book trilogy. We’ve already featured officially licensed wine and unofficial yet disturbing baby clothing. Yet one shopper in Oklahoma was a little surprised to find a rack of officially licensed “Fifty Shades” merchandise next to dental care products for children. [More]
Ford Recalls 13,500 Cars Because Drivers Keep Accidentally Shutting Them Off While Driving
By 1.6.15
The future of cars is very high tech: they’re computers on wheels, full of touch-screen and push-button systems. So many push-button systems, in fact, that for one line of Lincoln SUVs, owners can have trouble telling them all apart. And that’s how drivers have been turning off their ignitions while trying to hit other functions. Like the radio. [More]
Please Do Not Donate Your Cremated Loved Ones To Goodwill
By 12.16.14
After someone dies, it’s normal to box up all of their stuff and take it to the nearest thrift store. However, it’s probably a good idea to give some of that stuff a cursory check first. Not just because you might be inadvertently giving away some serious valuables, but because the earthly remains of your relatives have a poor resale value at Goodwill. [More]
Singapore Airlines Accidentally Sells 900 Business Class Fares At Economy Price
By 12.5.14
Travelers who thought they’d lucked into some magically low fares on Singapore Airlines are in for a disappointment — the airline says that after a computer glitch allowed Australian travel agents to sell 900 business class fares at economy prices, the agents will either have to provide the difference in fare, or passengers will have the option of flying economy or getting a full refund. [More]
Comcast Forgets To Delete Revealing Note From Blog Post
By 12.3.14
Earlier today, Comcast published a blog post to criticize the newly announced coalition opposing its merger with Time Warner Cable and to cheer about the FCC’s decision to restart the “shot clock” on that deal. But someone at Kabletown is probably getting a stern talking-to right now, after an accidental nugget of honesty made its way into that post. [More]
Best Buy Website Goes Down On One Day Of Year It Shouldn’t
By 11.28.14
We’re hearing lots of complaints about the website for electronics retailer Best Buy being down, and multiple news outlets are confirming that BestBuy.com is unresponsive nationwide. [More]
Restaurant Accidentally Overcharges Customers Anywhere From $8K To $99K
By 11.12.14
Some Knoxville, TN, residents are fuming mad at a local chain restaurant after seeing that their debit and credit cards have been charged 1,000 times what they should have been for their meals, leaving people in the red for anywhere from $8,000 to $99,000. [More]
“Technology & Stuff” Chevy Rep Gives Recently Recalled Truck To World Series MVP
By 10.30.14
Forget Madison Bumgarner’s historic heroics in last night’s Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, the true Most Valuable Player of this postseason is Rikk Wilde, a regional Chevy executive who was thrust into the spotlight after Wednesday’s game and unwittingly turned himself into an Internet icon, while also handing out a recently recalled truck. [More]
Walmart Finally Removes “Fat Girl Costumes” Section Of Website
By 10.27.14
Almost a week after it was first called out for having a section on its website dedicated to “Fat Girl Costumes,” Walmart has finally removed the category and replaced it with “Women’s Plus Size Halloween Costumes.” [More]
AT&T U-Verse Freaks Customers Out With Bogus Emergency Alert Message
By 10.24.14
This morning, some AT&T U-Verse subscribers woke to an alarming message displayed on their TV screens declaring a vague emergency, without any mention of it being a test. [More]
Enormous Beach Vacation Home Built On Wrong Lot
By 10.14.14
How do you accidentally build a beach house in the wrong place? We wondered that back in June, when sharing the story of a $1.8 million home in Rhode Island that was accidentally built on public park land. Meanwhile, in Florida, a couple spent $680,000 building a custom beach house…on the lot next door to the one that they actually own. [More]
This Supermarket Poster Was Not Meant To Be Seen By The Public
By 9.30.14
We all know that businesses have motivational signs and slogans that managers use out of sight of the public. But someone at this supermarket is probably going to get the boot after posting a sign on the front window encouraging employees to wring more cash out of customers. [More]
Urban Outfitters Sorry You Were Offended By “Blood-Spattered” Kent State Sweatshirt
By 9.15.14
Last night, Urban Outfitters took a lot of heat for selling a “Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt” on its website that looked like it was splattered in blood. To some, this seemed like a disturbing, reference to the infamous 1970 incident at the Ohio school in which National Guard members fired on unarmed protesters, killing four. But according to the retailer this is all a big misunderstanding. [More]
