The New GameStop Rewards Card Isn't Worth Your Time Or Privacy

The New GameStop Rewards Card Isn't Worth Your Time Or Privacy: "

Last week, we learned that at least one Gamestop employee won't even sell to you unless you sign up for a rewards card. Why might that be? Reader Dragonfire81 has mysterious inside knowledge, and warns all good Consumerists to stay far, far away from the new rewards program that Gamestop is pushing.

Firstly, the program rolled out nationally just last week, so every Gamestop employee in the country is under orders to sign up everyone under the sun for the program. The company expects that with the rewards program being available in a free option that they can get 90% of customers signed up for these cards.

If you go into any Gamestop between now and Christmas (and probably beyond) you can expect to be badgered mercilessly about the card and given the stink eye if you don't want one, even a free one.

Secondly, the program is not a very good deal anyway. You get points on every purchase (10 points per new dollar, 20 per used dollar) than can be redeemed on the poweruprewards,com website. That sounds cool, until you realize the breakdown is roughly 1000 points = 1 dollar on most items.

A 3 month Xbox live membership that costs $20 will cost you 20 000 points to get through the rewards program. Do the math on that and you'll realize you have to buy either $2000 worth of new stuff or $1000 of used stuff just to get a 'free' 3 month card. Point being, very few consumers spend enough money at Gamestop to get much out of the card.

Lastly, when you go to activate on-line, you can't do anything until you answer a slew of questions, including your age range, number of people in your household, gaming preferences and a whole section about how often you preorder games, buy used and trade in. You have to cough up a lot of info just to get the 250 bonus points for 'activation.'

The easiest way to avoid being signed up for the program (aside from saying no course) is to NOT give your e-mail address to any Gamestop employee who asks for it. An email address is required to sign up for the program. If you don't give them one, they can't sign you up. If they try to do it anyway (which some managers encourage), make a complaint to a manager or district manager.

Good to know. This situation raises an interesting question, though: with the proliferation of retail rewards programs, are there any that are worthwhile?

"

Read This News Site And They Will Hunt You Down And Sue You

Read This News Site And They Will Hunt You Down And Sue You: "

The North Country Gazette, an online-only publication based in Chestertown, NY, wants you to know that reading their site without a subscription is serious business. How serious? Well, if you read more than one page on the site without a subscription, the site owner claims that she will use your IP address to track you down and sue you.

The site is now entirely password-protected after earning negative attention for the policy. (This probably would have been a better option in the first place.) BoingBoing captured the warnings while they were still up. For emphasis, one was in red Comic Sans.

This isn't the site owner's first experience with creative interpretations of copyright law. The North Country Gazette's fair-use policy also made a cameo appearance in a legal ethics blog in 2006. The site publisher, in turn, sued the blogger for defamation.

Local newspaper boasts ultimate passive-aggressive paywall policy [BoingBoing]

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McDonald's Ordered To Pay $17,500 To Employee Who Got Fat On The Job

McDonald's Ordered To Pay $17,500 To Employee Who Got Fat On The Job: "

A former manager at a McDonald's in Brazil won a lawsuit against the fast food giant, in which he claimed the company was the cause of the 65 pounds he packed on during his 12 years on the job.

From the AP:

The 32-year-old man said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure quality standards remained high, because McDonald's hired 'mystery clients' to randomly visit restaurants and report on the food, service and cleanliness.

The man also said the company offered free lunches to employees, adding to his caloric intake while on the job.

In a statement released after the ruling, McDonald's said that not everything on its menu will make you fat: 'The chain offers a large variety of options and balanced menus to cater (to) the daily dietary needs of its employees.'

The company says it is weighing the decision of whether or not to appeal the court's ruling.

Judge: McDonald's must pay obese employee $17.5K [AP]

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Debt Collection Firm Accused Of Setting Up Phony Courtroom

Debt Collection Firm Accused Of Setting Up Phony Courtroom: "

Call it 'theater of the real.' A debt collection firm is accused of setting up a fake courtroom, complete with a raised 'bench' and judge in black and other decorations and furniture, to trick and holding bogus hearings to extract payment from debtors.

Men dressed like sheriff's deputies also went to clients' homes and delivered paperwork and 'summons' for the phony hearings. The documents implied the recipients would be arrested by the sheriff if they did not comply.

In a lawsuit, the Pennsylvania AG accused the firm, Unicredit, of using the courtly trappings to intimidate consumers into giving access to their bank accounts, making payments, and handing over title to cars and other assets.

'This is an unconscionable attempt to use fake court proceedings to deceive, mislead or frighten consumers into making payments or surrendering valuables to Unicredit without following lawful procedures for debt collection,' Attorney General Tom Corbett said in a statement.

The president of Unicredit told the Erie Times-News that he wasn't aware of the lawsuit.

If you're being pursued by debt collectors, make sure to read and understand your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. And scrutinize any paperwork you receive, just because it looks official doesn't mean it is.

Attorney General goes to court to shut down Erie debt collector [GoErie] (Thanks to Double Echo and Jeff!)

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Woman Uses Cell Phone In 1928?

Woman Uses Cell Phone In 1928?: "

In what's either evidence of time travel, an impossibly elaborate hoax or just a clip of an insane woman talking to a shoehorn, an independent filmmaker has sifted through the DVD special features of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 movie The Circus to find footage of what appears to be a woman talking on a cell phone.

The clip defies logic, but is fascinating to stare at and hyper-analyze in a Zapruder film sort of way. A skeptic will say that a cell phone wouldn't have worked in 1928 because there were no cell phone towers or satellite. And a believer would counter that a society capable of time travel would figure out how to make a device that could pick up signals through the space-time continuum.

Take a look and tell us what you think:

Chaplins Time Traveler [via Hollywood-Elsewhere]

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Comcast Political Giving Up 61% Since Announcing NBC Deal

Comcast Political Giving Up 61% Since Announcing NBC Deal: "

Since reaching a deal to buy NBC Universal in Dec. 2009, Comcast has increased its PAC contributions to election campaigns by 61% over the amount it gave in the same period leading up to the 2008 elections.

From BusinessWeek:

From December 2009, when the deal was reached, through August 2010, Comcast's contributions to federal candidates and political parties rose to $1.1 million from $682,450 in the same period two years earlier, Federal Election Commission records show. The money came from the company-run political action committee that funnels donations from employees....

Comcast's political action committee became the sixth biggest-spending contributor for 2010 candidates among corporations, up from ninth place in 2008.

The donations come as the FCC and other regulatory bodies go through the process of reviewing the deal amid concern that the country's largest cable company would be in control of a major broadcast network.

According to the FEC report, Comcast donated funds to 91 of the 99 House members and three of the five senators who wrote the FCC in support of the NBC sale.

A Comcast spokesperson downplays the increased spending, calling it only a 'modest uptick... primarily due to the increased number of House and Senate seats that are competitive this cycle.'

While other cable and satellite providers like Dish Network, DirecTV and the American Cable Association, all increased their political giving over the same time periods, the total increase in contributions was only 3% for a total of $382,550.

Comcast Campaign Giving Jumps by Half as U.S. Weighs NBC Deal [BusinessWeek]

"

McDonald's To Raise Prices, Still Sell Crappy Burgers, In 2011

McDonald's To Raise Prices, Still Sell Crappy Burgers, In 2011: "

While McDonald's may make the worst fast food burger on the market, the company still thinks it isn't charging enough for them.

On Monday, the Golden Arches announced it plans to raise prices in the next calendar year to help pay for the projected increased costs of commodities like wheat and meat (who knew either of those were actually in a McDonald's sandwich?).

If the chain, which didn't give specific on price increases, goes through with its plan, this would be the first time in more than a year that McDonald's jacked up its costs.

From Chicago Breaking News:

For the U.S., the higher prices will come after McDonald's so far this year had refused to raise prices in order to take market share from rivals, such as Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. and Burger King Holdings Inc. McDonald's last raised prices at its U.S. stores in late 2009. Profits since then have been bolstered by the sales of higher-margin items such as the blended-ice smoothie and frappe drinks, allowing McDonald's to withhold raising prices on other items.

We don't know about you, but we'd probably pay a little more for McDonald's if we could get items like the Cordon Bleu Burger or the McArabia stateside.

McDonald's plans to raise prices in 2011 [ChicagoBreakingNews.com]

"

Scammers Sell Plywood Wrapped In Black Tape As 50" Flat Screen

Scammers Sell Plywood Wrapped In Black Tape As 50" Flat Screen: "

They cut a slit in the back of the wrapping and then the guy got nervous and said 'I left something in the car,' and booked. What had appeared to be a 50' flat screen TV was actually plywood wrapped in black tape.

A Florida man told WJXX that he almost got ripped off when two guys approached him on the street with what sounded like a great deal: a brand new 50' LG flat screen still in its wrapping for only $500. But when he and his friends hauled it inside and cracked it open, it turned out to be a dummy, just wood wrapped in gaffer's tape. It even came with a fake remote control, cardboard in bubble wrap.

The tipster says it was so professionally done it looked like it wasn't the first time the guys had done it, or their last. They may strike again.

Use common sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And if two guys come up to you on the street trying to sell you a piece of electronics at a steep discount.... yeah, on one level or another, it's probably sketchy.

Southside Man Believes He Was the Target of a Flat Screen TV Scam [WJXX] (Thanks to Justin!)

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Pepsi Has The Balls To Say What Coke Won't: HFCS Doesn't Taste Exactly The Same As Sugar

Pepsi Has The Balls To Say What Coke Won't: HFCS Doesn't Taste Exactly The Same As Sugar: "

A few weeks back, Coca-Cola informed us that there is no distinguishable difference in taste between Coke made with High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Coke made with cane sugar. But when we asked the people at Pepsi the same question, they had a very different answer.

Says a rep for Pepsi to Consumerist:

We do believe there is a taste difference between HFCS and sucrose. While some consumers do not taste a difference, others express a preference for one or the other. Millions of consumers love Pepsi the way it is made today -- with HFCS -- and we know that products like Pepsi Throwback, Mountain Dew Throwback and, now Sierra Mist Natural, which are sweetened with sucrose have devoted followings.

Without getting into the hotly debated topic of whether or not HFCS is any worse for consumers than sucrose, the rep did say that people are buying the real-sugar products for a variety of reasons: 'Some consumers prefer sucrose for taste reasons, others for nostalgia reasons or because they think of it as a more natural sweetener option,' she said.

As for the continued and future availability of the Throwback beverages, the rep tells Consumerist, 'Both Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback have traditionally been 'limited time offer' products -- available for only a few weeks at a time. Due to consumer demand we have extended their availability and brought them back a few times. For next year we've already made plans to bring them back, but availability may change due to a variety of factors including regional popularity and retail space.'

We also asked why, in places like New York City, it's often easier to find Throwback drinks in small corner stores than it is at larger, chain groceries. The rep explained that it's likely due to local bottlers and distributors finding these stores more willing to purchase and try out small quantities of the relatively new products.

"

Supermarket Threatens To Fire Slowest Cashier, Destroys Brand Image

Supermarket Threatens To Fire Slowest Cashier, Destroys Brand Image: "

Steve and his wife were checking out at the supermarket when they noticed something odd about the cashier packing his bags. She was ramming all his groceries like she was trying to repair a levy in a flood.

Then he looked at her face. She looked tired, ragged, and distraught. He looked around the rest of the checkout area. All the other cashiers looked similarly haggard, and were stuffing groceries just as fast.

Steve asked her to slow down, worried that she would break his eggs. With grim resolve, she shook her head no. Steve asked again. Again, no. Management had announced that the slowest cashier would be fired.

Both he and his wife were filled with 'nauseating disgust,' said Steve. 'Here I am buying free range eggs,' considered by some to be a more progressive and socio-economically conscious purchasing decision, 'from a company that treats its workers like this.'

Perhaps if the supermarket wants to motivate its employees, they should fire whoever came up with the 'mush! mush!' idea and redistribute their salary evenly amongst the cashiers.

When it comes to buyer perception these days, the ends do not justify the means even in the pursuit of customer service, in this case, faster bagging. If in the name of serving your customers better you treat your employees like garbage, and customers find out, they will punish you for it. How you get there is just as important as where you get to.

Subscribe to Ben's posts by RSS.

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Email ben at consumerist.com

"

Retail Workers Really Hate You For Messing Up That Tee-Shirt Pile

Retail Workers Really Hate You For Messing Up That Tee-Shirt Pile: "

Ever wonder why you get the stink-eye from that girl at The Gap? Or why that dude at American Eagle groans when he sees you approaching a table of clothes? There's a good chance it has something to do with your lack of table manners.

Over at TheGloss.com, they present a list of 5 Reasons You're a Sucky Shopper, and right at the top is this:

An immaculately folded pile of graphic tees should remain immaculately folded. Do you know how long it takes to fold those shirts? A long fucking time. Do you know why? Because there are certain standards we have to adhere to while folding (with a really fun folding board might I add) so the pile can be immaculate enough to lure you to it. You mess it up, you make it worse not only for the people working there who have to stay until 1:30 in the morning cleaning up your mess (yea, happened last night ... feel bad about it), but also for your fellow shopping peers. No one wants to try something on or even look at an item that comes from a pig sty. You ruined another shopper's opportunity to admire a really great and comfortable striped shirt. You're a mean person, that's what you are. So here's what you do. When going through the immaculately folded piles of clothing to find your size, you gracefully search for the tags that are sewn to it by the collar. When you find what you're looking for, carefully remove the shirts on top of it, keeping them folded, take your selection and then return the folded shirts to its pile. You'll annoy me less.

5 Reasons You're a Sucky Shopper [TheGloss.com]

"

Reader Sues Delta Over Bungled Baggage -- And Wins!

Reader Sues Delta Over Bungled Baggage -- And Wins!: "

Even though we're paying oft-ridiculous fees for checked bags on airplanes, none of that ancillary revenue seems to be going toward improving the actual checking in or tracking of said bags. That's why it's refreshing to hear a story where a screwed-over passenger stands up to this general ineptitude and comes out victorious.

Reader John and a friend recently flew to Italy on Delta. When they went to change planes at JFK airport, they were told that the continuing flight was oversold.

According to John, they heeded the airline's suggestion and opted to take guaranteed seats on the same flight the next day. And when they went to get their luggage back, they were told it had already been checked in for that later flight.

This is where the fun starts. Take it away John:

When we arrived at the ticket counter the following day, we were informed the bags had not been checked but they were going to locate them before the flight departed, several hours later.

When we arrived at the gate it was in chaos, it was oversold just like the day prior. After waiting 30 minutes to talk to the same gate agent who assured us the day prior our bags would be checked for today's flight, she again assured us the bags were on the plane and brushed us away.

Not believing her we spoke to the agent scanning tickets who also was aware of our situation. He too quickly typed into the computer, said they were on the plane and brushed us away.

We arrived in Italy and sure enough our bags had not. After speaking with a baggage agent there she showed us the list of bags loaded into the plane and ours were not on it. Our cruise departed the same day and it took Delta 5-and-a-half days to get us our luggage. Our 7-day cruise was ruined as we had to spend the majority of our off ship time searching for basic necessities and clothing.

I wrote several letters to the office of the CEO (Richard Anderson) and they basically told us too bad and would do nothing more than offer us useless $300 flight vouchers. I kept trying to offer solutions and compromises but they told me politely to go away, I stated I would seek legal remedy and they stated:

'We have attempted to show you in our words and actions that we are truly sorry your travel did not go smoothly. Regrettably, we cannot add anything else. As such, I must respectfully inform you that we will not be replying to correspondence concerning this matter again.'

At that point Delta left me no choice. I filed suit for Fraud and Negligent Misrepresentation ( a subsection of fraud ). Delta showed up on the day of trial. Prior to trial we offered to settle if they returned the miles we used to book the flights. They declined. Accordingly, we went into court and I presented our case, Delta argued they owed us nothing. The commissioner disagreed. The court found in our favor, agreeing with my 'basic theory of Negligent Misrepresentation'. Together we won $4,140. $2000 each plus court costs. We received our checks from Delta yesterday.

Congratulations to John, though it sucks that he gave Delta every opportunity to do the right thing and still had to result to legal action.

"

What Will You Do With October's Extra Paycheck?

What Will You Do With October's Extra Paycheck?: "

If your employer pays you every other week, there are 26 pay periods per year. Ten months are boring two-paycheck months, in which every penny of your meager paycheck is most likely accounted for. But two months, including -- for many wage slaves, this one -- are wondrous, three-paycheck extravaganzas, creating the illusion that you've got a whole extra paycheck to blow on whatever you like, unencumbered by the usual bills.

Money Maus notes the nearing of this unofficial holiday at the end of next week, and says she's using her 'extra' dough to save for retirement, prop up her holiday gift fund and treat herself to a little shopping spree.

If you're getting a third paycheck this month, what are you doing with the money?

Three Paycheck Month [Money Maus]

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Unemployed Law Student Will Hand Back Degree For Tuition Refund

Unemployed Law Student Will Hand Back Degree For Tuition Refund: "

An out of work Boston College law student wrote an open letter to his college's dean with an unusual proposition.

Miserable about his job prospects and weighed down by debt, he offered to give up his law degree if he could get his tuition money back.

'With fatherhood impending, I go to bed every night terrified of the thought of trying to provide for my child AND paying off my J.D, and resentful at the thought that I was convinced to go to law school by empty promises of a fulfilling and remunerative career,' the student wrote on the EagleiOnline blog, an independent student-run site for BC law students.

He lobbed criticism at the career services department for doing little to help him and other fellow students find work.

'I'd like to propose a solution to this problem: I am willing to leave law school, without a degree, at the end of this semester,' he wrote. 'In return, I would like a full refund of the tuition I've paid over the last two and a half years.'

In their official response to the post, the school said 'no institution of higher education can make a guarantee of a job after graduation' and recommended that anyone worried about their job prospects should contact the Career Services office.

They did not specify on whether they would be taking the student up on his offer.

Open Letter to Interim Dean Brown [EagleiOnline]

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If You Want To Be A McMillionaire, You'd Better Start Eating

If You Want To Be A McMillionaire, You'd Better Start Eating: "

If you've become addicted to McDonald's Monopoly promotion, you may wonder roughly how many Big Macs you'll have to eat until you can realistically hope to win a major prize

The number crunchers at Eat With A Spork has some comforting news for you, though. Using the site's calculator, reader Mike determined you'll only need to eat 476,991 Big Macs in order to expect to win $500 whopping dollars in prize money.

Mike writes:

Congratulations! On your road to glory you:

Ingested 257,575,140 calories.

Consumed 13,832,739 grams of fat.

Inhaled 496,070,640 milligrams of sodium.

Took in 21,464,595 grams of carbohydrates.

Packed on 73,592.90 pounds.

You spent $1,779,176.43 trying to win a $500 prize.

McDonald's may not be generous with prizes in the contest, but it sure doesn't shortchange you on of sodium, carbs or calories.

I'm Feelin' It [Eat With A Spork]

Thanks, Michael!

Previoiusly: How Have You Fared At McNopoly?

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Kmart Warns Spanish Speakers Not To Open Stuff Before They Buy

Kmart Warns Spanish Speakers Not To Open Stuff Before They Buy: "

Kmart scientists have discovered that everyone who opens products and leaves them on shelves can read Spanish, so a Maryland store has cleverly posted this sign to warn stuff-openers to ceasendesisto. Silly Patrick, who spotted the appropriate and in-no-way-insensitive signage, takes issue with its posting:

I'm not quite for sure why the local K-Mart needed to write a sign in misspelled Spanish to not open the products. Is it okay for speakers of other languages to open the products but not those who can understand the sign and are Spanish speakers? I'm thinking not.

This was the only sticker I found in the store and it just so happened to be on the cleaning product aisle. According to census data the Hispanic/Latino is only 6.5% As a Caucasian male, I find this to be offensive toward the Latino community.

Again, it's tough to see why Patrick considers this racist. Kmart is probably just implying that those who know Spanish take their home cleaning seriously. It's a compliment, if anything. I'm sure Kmart has all sorts of friends who speak Spanish. Not friends they'd invite to dinner or anything, but great pals whom they totally respect and think of as really hard workers.

"

Pepsi Throwback Is Here To Stay... For Now

Pepsi Throwback Is Here To Stay... For Now: "

While Coke swears there is no difference in taste between Coke made with High Fructose Corn Syrup and Coke made with cane sugar, Pepsi continues to give credence to the opposite side of that argument. The beverage company has announced that plans to sell its sugar-sweetened Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback sodas as long as people buy them.

'We've put it back in the market and we'll see where it goes,' the PepsiCo CFO told reporters last week about Pepsi Throwback.

It is not clear if this means PepsiCo will attempt to expand the number of outlets currently selling the Throwbacks. Many readers have said they are unable to find the drinks in their areas.

The Throwback news comes at the same time as PepsiCo threw its weight behind promoting its new sugar-sweetened Sierra Mist Natural by giving out 10 million cans of the soda at Walmart stores.

Pepsi, Mountain Dew Throwback return to shelves [Motley Fool]

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Suss Out Fakers At Farmers Markets

Suss Out Fakers At Farmers Markets: "

As an undercover hidden camera investigation recently revealed, not every bearded and overall-wearing guy behind the stand at farmers markets is selling food he grew himself. Some of them just load up a local produce warehouses and sell it to you at a feel-good-about-saving-the-earth premium. So how do you tell who's real and who's shoveling you fertilizer?

Ask them a lot of questions, NBC LA reports:

Ask him the exact location of his farm. Ask him if you can visit the farm. Ask what produce he's harvesting this week. If he can't give you specific answers, or acts too busy to talk to you, that's a big red flag. During our NBCLA investigation, one of our 'undercover shoppers' asked a farmer the exact location and address of his farm. He said he didn't know. What? A farmer doesn't know where his farm is located? We later discovered that farmer was selling mostly items he'd bought from large commercial farms; not stuff he's actually grown himself.

More tips at Top 5 Ways to Find Honest Vendors at Farmers Markets [NBC Los Angeles]

PREVIOUSLY

Los Angeles Farmers Markets Full Of Lies, Warehouse Produce

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Verizon To Charge You $3.50 To Pay Your Bill

Verizon To Charge You $3.50 To Pay Your Bill: "

Starting October 16, all Verizon Communications landline, FiOS, and DSL customers will have to pay a $3.50 fee if they pay their bills by credit or debit card. (Currently there are no plans to apply to same to wireless customers). The only way to get around it is to sign up for auto-billing. Verizon says the new fee is because they have a new vendor for processing credit and debit transactions, and they're passing on the lack of savings to you.

A fee to pay your bill? Yep [LAT] (Hat tip to Kody!)

"

Walmart Removes Lead-Tainted Toys From Shelves, But Only In California

Walmart Removes Lead-Tainted Toys From Shelves, But Only In California: "

Recent tests by the Center for Environmental Health found lead levels in excess of allowable amounts in toys and baby products sold at Walmart and Target. But while Target has agreed to stop selling the items at all its stores, Walmart has only agreed to pull the products in question from stores in California.

Target has told CEH that it will remove the two high chairs -- the 'Broadway' and the 'VIP' -- found to contain more than the legal limit for lead. One chair was found to contain 70 times the legal limit.

The CEH's test of products sold at WalMart found high lead levels in a toddlers' bean bag chairs, youth boxing gloves and toy foam beads sold for children's jewelry (all pictured above). The items ranged from more than 3 times to more than 45 times the legal limit.

A rep for Walmart tells the AP that the retail giant is putting a halt to sales of these products in California and from Walmart.com.

Says CEH's Research Director:

We cannot understand how WalMart can continue to sell these lead-tainted products to children in any state, or any country... It's been more than two years since federal law established strict limits to protect children from these kinds of lead threats. Clearly WalMart needs to do better for our families.

Additionally, the study found high levels of lead in three adult jewelry items -- two plastic necklace cords and a plastic choker.

The California Attorney General's office, which provided a grant to CEH for the study, has contacted the retailers to demand an end to all sales of lead-tainted items.

As always, Walmart says it is taking the matter seriously:

The safety of customers and their children is a top priority of Walmart, and we have established testing standards with our suppliers to ensure the quality and safety of our products.

CEH has also submitted its finding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the hope of having a recall issued.

Group finds lead in Walmart, Target children's products [Delmarvanow.com]

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Netflix Agrees To Delay Rentals Of New Sony Releases By 28 Days

Netflix Agrees To Delay Rentals Of New Sony Releases By 28 Days: "

Yesterday, Netflix continued to demonstrate its focus on expanding the company's online streaming library -- at the risk of losing business on new release DVD rentals -- by announcing a deal with Sony that would delay rentals of the studio's new titles by 28 days. In exchange, Netflix receives access to streaming licenses for more Sony titles.

Last spring, Sony made the opposite deal with foundering rental chain Blockbuster. In that arrangement, Blockbuster was allowed to rent out and stream all new Sony titles on the day of release.

Speaking of Blockbuster... NCR, the company that owns and operates the Blockbuster Express kiosks and really wants customers to know they have not filed for bankruptcy, has made a deal with Universal Home Video to delay rentals of that studio's new titles for 28 days.

Netflix and NCR reach DVD distribution deals [Reuters]

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Coca Cola: We Don't Need To Make A Cane Sugar Version Because You Already Have Mexican Coke

Coca Cola: We Don't Need To Make A Cane Sugar Version Because You Already Have Mexican Coke: "

A few weeks back, we asked readers if they would buy a cane sugar version of Coca Cola and an overwhelming 89% of you said 'yes.' So Consumerist asked Coke if the company had any plans to introduce non-HFCS version -- a la Pepsi Throwback -- on a national scale. The answer -- no, because we already have Mexican Coke.

'We already provide a Coca-Cola with sugar in the U.S. - is Coca-Cola from Mexico and it's available year round,' Greg Galvez, vice president and general manager of Importation and Commercialization, Coca-Cola North America, told Consumerist.

Galvez appears to contradict himself on the topic of cane sugar vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup.

First he tells us that the reason for going national -- though only 'in select grocery stores and bodegas that appeal to a high percentage of Hispanic consumers' -- with the cane sugar Mexican Coke was that: 'For some Hispanics, the familiarity of Coca-Cola with cane sugar and in a tall glass bottle they recognize is a reassuring 'piece of home.''

But then, when asked if there is any difference in taste between Coca Cola sweetened with cane sugar and Coke with HFCS, he replied that 'our research shows that there is no perceptible taste difference between the products. Whether sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or sugar, a Coke is a Coke and both are 'the real thing.''

If one of the reasons Hispanic immigrants drink the Mexican Coke is the cane sugar, doesn't that imply that there is a difference in taste? And if there's no taste difference between the two, then the only reason to import or drink Mexican Coke is because it's in a glass bottle?

Do You Think You Could Taste The Difference Between Coke Sweetened With HFCS vs. Cane Sugar?online surveys

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Best Buy Wants To Be Your Consumer Electronics Advocate

Best Buy Wants To Be Your Consumer Electronics Advocate: "

Best Buy has rolled out its plans for the holiday season with a new study on 'consumer behavior and the emergence of new social connections.' The upshot: Best Buy has discovered social networking, and has declared that it is 'the consumer advocate in consumer electronics' because it helps people 'find solutions for their needs and help them better understand the possibilities of all that we offer.' Gee, thanks, Best Buy!

How will Best Buy actually fulfill this new and important role? Based on the study, 'Our World, Connected,' we're not entirely sure. In the report, Best Buy refers to its Geek Squad agents as a 'human social network.'

...a virtual human search engine with 160,000 uniquely trained Blue Shirts and 20,000 Geek Squad Agents who help consumers address their needs and better understand the possibilities of devices, content, connections and services.

Our Blue Shirts are trained to help customers zero in on the experience they want, allow them to test and try things, and advise them on how to best connect the various devices, content and people to enhance their lives. Our Geek Squad Agents provide resources for technical support anytime and anywhere it's needed - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We offer the most convenient technology-support service available, with agents available in every Best Buy store, via house calls and online remote service.

How does Megglefish® translate this?

Margins on hardware suck. So, we're gonna keep pumping out 'services' like a $30 charge for updating your PS3's firmware to help pay the rent. Geek Squad says 'soon we won't even need any devices,' so we'd better get busy finding something else to sell.

Oh, actually that part about not needing any devices wasn't Megglefish. It really was Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens, opining in the Our World, Connected report. Yeah, get busy, boys.

Document - Best Buy Forecasts a Connected Christmas [Press Release/Study]

"

Comcast Can Read Your E-mails, But Swears They Aren't

Comcast Can Read Your E-mails, But Swears They Aren't: "

Somewhere on page 4 of Comcast's Acceptable Use Policy [PDF], the company states that while it's not obligated to monitor customers' e-mails, 'Comcast and its affiliates, suppliers, and agents have the right to monitor these transmissions.' But, the cable giant tells Ars Technica, they don't really want to read your messages to your Aunt Lolly in Wisconsin.

When asked by the site if active monitoring of e-mails is something that occurs, they replied:

Comcast told Ars that it almost never monitors user content unless asked to collect information for law enforcement. But it wants the broad grant of authority so that it can do things like look at e-mails which appear to be spam without getting sued. It can also engage in targeted monitoring when users complain about other abusive or hateful users.

On their own FAQ, Comcast lists reasons why they might monitor a customer's e-mails:

* A user contacts us about threats, and we reasonably believe there may be immediate danger to someone.

* Law enforcement officials present Comcast with a valid subpoena, court order, or search warrant. Comcast receives evidence of proper legal process in connection with a civil legal claim (a subpoena, court order, or injunction).

* We become aware of activities that violate the Acceptable Use Policy and are potentially harmful or illegal. In such a case, where there is no imminent danger, Comcast notifies the Subscriber, and works with the Subscriber to understand and resolve the situation.

* If Comcast receives a claim that a Subscriber is posting or transmitting material that may infringe someone else's intellectual property, Comcast follows the process established under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that requires an Internet Service provider to take down such material (generally by requesting that the Subscriber do so), and provides a means for disputing infringement claims.

Comcast explained to Ars Technica that 'it simply doesn't have either the interest or the manpower to engage in any sort of routine surveillance or to listen in on some list of enemies.'

Why Comcast can (but probably won't) read your e-mails, IMs [ArsTechnica.com]

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Didn't Pay $75 Fee? Firefighters Watch Your Home Burn To Ground

Didn't Pay $75 Fee? Firefighters Watch Your Home Burn To Ground: "

A Tennessee man watched in horror last week as flames consumed his house. Also watching? The local subscription-based fire department. The man had not paid his $75 firefighting fee, so the firemen would not lift a finger or a hose.

Only after the fire spread to his neighbor's field would the firemen even respond to his 911 calls. Once there, they only put out the field fire as his house continued to burn to a crisp. His neighbor had paid his firefighting fee.

'I thought they'd come out and put it out, even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong,' the hapless homeowner told reporters.

The man offered to pay them the fee right then and there, or however much it took to get them to put out the fire, but was refused. The man lives in a county that has no fire protection. The nearby town offers fire protection to non-residents on a per-contract basis.

'Anybody that's not in the city of South Fulton, it's a service we offer, either they accept it or they don't,' the mayor told WPSD.

Later someone went to the fire station and assaulted one of the fire fighters.

Firefighters watch as home burns to the ground [WPSD] (Thanks to Justin!)

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What Mechanically Separated Chicken Looks Like

What Mechanically Separated Chicken Looks Like: "

Mmm yummers, here's a picture of some mechanically separated poultry. If you're craving some, go buy a hot dog. It's likely to be in there. To make it, they take chicken carcasses with bits of meat still on them and run it through a high pressure sieve, extruding a cake batter-like paste filled with a rich slurry of ground bone. But is it in chicken nuggets, as some blogs hyping up this picture have said?

Well, if it's in a food, it has to be disclosed in the ingredients. According to McDonald's, their McNuggets are made with white boneless chicken. Nuggets you get in the supermarket might have MSC, as do many chicken dogs, chicken patties, chicken sausages, and just cheap food, but if so, it will say it plainly on the label, as required by the Agriculture Department for years.

[via Early Onset of Night]

RELATED

Agency Proposes Labels on Poultry Products Containing Bone [NYT]

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Amex Slapped With Antitrust Suit, Visa & Mastercard Settle

Amex Slapped With Antitrust Suit, Visa & Mastercard Settle: "

The Justice Department sued Amex today, saying that the restrictions it places on merchants were anti-competitive. According to the complaint, the rules 'impede merchants from promoting or encouraging the use of a competing credit or charge card with lower card acceptance fees.'

Visa and Mastercard, who were part of the discussions leading up to the announcement, decided to settle. Amex said they wouldn't settle because it doesn't dominate commerce in such a way that merchants would have to accept its rules. Sure.

MasterCard, Visa Settle Antitrust Case as Amex Fights Lawsuit [Bloomberg]

PREVIOUSLY

Fee For Paying With Plastic? Decision Nears

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Best Buy charges $30 for PS3 firmware update, laughs all the way to the bank

Best Buy charges $30 for PS3 firmware update, laughs all the way to the bank: "

In case you hadn't noticed by now, Best Buy's Geek Squad isn't always the most scrupulous sort, but their latest attempt to upsell consumers is truly off the charts. We've confirmed for ourselves that the Staten Island, NY store is offering 120GB PS3 Slims for $329.98, explaining away the surcharge as their fee for a firmware upgrade. In case you've never booted up a PS3 yourself, let us explain the sheer ridiculousness at work here: a system update requires about three button presses, and some discs prompt you automatically. Hell, if you want to play online or access the PlayStation Store, you don't even have a choice -- ever since Other OS got Sony's goat, firmware updates have been mandatory across the board. Still, it's hard to say no when Best Buy employees are this polite -- when we explained to a rep that we already had a PS3, he graciously offered us an update anyhow... for just $29.98.

Best Buy charges $30 for PS3 firmware update, laughs all the way to the bank originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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