In a heated dispute over how to handle a woman’s estate, the son secretly set his iPhone to record a conversation that happened between him and the other members of his family days before she passed. The stepfather tried to get it tossed out by saying it violated the Wiretap act, but the case was dismissed and also lost on appeal. This has important implications for people who are interested in recording their customer service calls. [More]
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Can High Humidity Void Your iPhone's Warranty?
By 8.23.10
It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that can kill your iPhone, reports the South China Morning Post. Apple says their phones are built so that humidity doesn’t accidentally trigger the device’s water sensors, but users in Hong Kong, where humidity can reach 95%, say their devices’ warranty claims are unfairly getting rejected for water damage, even when not a drop has touched them. Humidity test results tell an unflattering tale: [More]
Barcode Scan Items To Your Shareable Grocery List With GroceryIQ
By 8.23.10
The GroceryIQ app for iOS and Android lets you scan product barcodes to add them to your grocery list, and even share them with roommates or family members. [More]
Research Shows The Ideal Sports Bra Has Not Been Invented
By 8.20.10
You know sports bras stink, and now there’s science to support it. [More]
Disable Facebook Places From Letting Others Tag Your Location
By 8.19.10
“Facebook Places” is a new Facebook feature with Foursquare check-in-like functionality, but by default it lets other people tag you as being at a location without requiring your consent even if you’re not there. This could lead to friends tagging you as being inside a peepshow, or an ex-girlfriend tagging you as being with another girl so your new girlfriend gets pissed off. The sitcom storyline possibilities are endless! Here’s how to turn it off: [More]
Gunslinging Cell Phone Store Employee Foils Armed Robbers
By 8.18.10
A gun-packing cell phone store employee in Cali thwarted an attempted armed robbery last weekend, firing multiple rounds as the suspects fled. I guess Dirty Harry had to pick up some part-time work. Would you like to add unlimited messaging to your plan, punk? Well, would ya? [More]
Wetzel's Pretzels Definition Of "Forever" Spawns Wormhole
By 8.18.10
Reader Ben snapped this pic of a sign at Wetzel’s Pretzels. It reads, “Strawberry Lemonade FOREVER.” Below that, it says, “For A Limited Time”. Apparently trying to resolve this paradox is what originally put Stephen Hawking in the wheelchair. [More]
Couple Buys Dream Home For $300k, Get $900k Bill For Dam Maintenance
By 8.18.10
That’s “dam maintenance” not “damn maintenance. A Kansas couple scored what they thought was their dream home for $300,000: 20 acres with a beautiful view of the lush foilage-surrounded lake, bound in by a dam. A dam that has tree roots digging into it and could cost $900,000 to repair. And, under an agreement with the city from the 70’s that never turned up in the title search, is their responsibility to repair. And, title insurance will only cover the first $330,000. [More]
Woot-Off Is Go!
By 8.18.10
Woot is holding a Woot-Off today. Instead of their normal one deal a day format, when one deal is gone, they put up another one. It is very exciting and to help communicate the excitement the deals are accompanied by flashing siren lights. Don’t forget the $5 off coupon code: SERENDIPITY. [More]
Record Customer Service Calls On Your Landline With The "Digital Loggers Personal Logger Call Recorder"
By 8.18.10
Sometimes you might want to record your customer service calls for your own personal “quality assurance purposes.” Commenter Dopaz points out that the “Digital Loggers Personal Logger Call Recorder” for $54.21 is one option for landlines. [More]
Can I Make Companies Give Me A Copy Of My Customer Service Call?
By 8.17.10
“This call may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes.” Yes, but can I get a copy of it? Not unless you made one yourself. [More]
The Secret Life Of The Majestic Plastic Bag
By 8.17.10
Have you ever wished the plastic bag from American Beauty got its own spinoff? Your dream has come true. This is a mock nature documentary narrated by Jeremy Irons that follows “one of the most clever and illustrious creatures: the plastic bag” from its first birthing into the wild all the way to its ultimate home, the Pacific gyre. [More]
Chase Foreclosing On 90-Year-Old Even Though Son Is Willing To Pay
By 8.17.10
Chase is proceeding full steam ahead with foreclosing on a 90-year-old woman’s condo even though her son has offered to pay it off. Rather than get the full amount of the mortgage paid in full, they prefer to incur the expenses of a foreclosure and sell it at a loss. [More]
Self-Styled Robin Hood Banker Pleads Guilty
By 8.16.10
An ex-vp at a bank plead guilty last week to modifying over 100 loans to make it look like the customers were still current on their loans instead of overdue. This was not a money-making scheme, he was trying to help them. Nevertheless, it was fraud, and he could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. [More]
Schools Asking Kids To Bring Basic Cleaning Supplies
By 8.16.10
New items on the back-to-school lists this year include cleaning spray, baby wipes, and cotton balls. It’s not for making a diorama or some kind of cheap puppet. Rather, with budgets slashed all over, schools have had to resort to asking the kids to pick up basic cleaning supplies for the school along with their usual TrapperKeepers and notebooks. [More]
Got Refund After Comcast Charged Me $28 To Fix Their Mistake
By 8.13.10
Roger got Comcast to refund a $28 fee they charged him after they came out and fixed his lines that were not connected to his house properly. Even after they reversed the charge, they wanted to charge him a $1.99 monthly fee for a “protection plan” which would protect him from being charged $28 fees. Here’s how he defeated them: [More]
Turns Out Walmart Is Quietly Raising Prices
By 8.12.10
Everyday low prices just got a little higher. A JPMorgan Chase study of a Virginia Walmart (hey, it’s a big store, you gotta just pick one to do a decent survey of its inventory) found that in the past six weeks the retailer raised prices on overage of 6%, but on some products, as high as 60%. [More]
Free Smoothies At Boston Market This Saturday
By 8.12.10
This Saturday Boston Market is giving away free smoothies at participating stores in a few states. [More]
