“… “This holiday season, shoppers are expected to spend over a billion dollars on extended warranties for laptops, flat-screen TVs, other electronics, and appliances,” the Consumers Reports team wrote in its blog this week. “And almost all of it will be money down the drain.”

The magazine believes extended warranties are “notoriously bad deals” for consumers because repairs are often covered by the standard manufacturer warranty. Its research also found that products rarely break within the extended-warranty window, typically within two or three years after the purchase is made.”

link: Skip the extended warranty this season

additional link: Why you don’t need an extended warranty

For some items, the cost of the extended warranty will contribute significantly, in a few years, to buying a new replacement. And it will save on the time waiting for the item to be fixed or for the repair person to say that there is no stock available for the necessary repairs [yes, Logitech, I still remember that feeble excuse].

Catherine Forsythe

“… Lighting up near your computer is heresy enough that Apple says it voids your warranty should you need to bring a smoke-exposed computer in for repair.

Specifically, in at least two instances in different parts of the country, Apple has voided the warranty and refused to provide repair service on Macintosh computers exposed to environments where cigarette smoke has been present. Calling cigarette smoke residue (tar and whatnot) inside a computer a health risk and a “biohazard,” in both cases Apple customers have been denied service despite having time left on a valid warranty.”

link: PSA: Smoking is so bad it voids your computer warranty

Imagine the warranty savings that companies would have if they claim exposure to hazardous environments. Warranties would be essentially useless.

Catherine Forsythe

In the midst of this change in the news media, the BBC has stated its intention to remain free:

“The BBC has today said it has “no intention” of charging for online news, in a declaration that is unlikely to please James Murdoch and his father Rupert as they prepare to start charging for News Corporation content on the internet.

Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC Trust chairman, said the corporation has “no intention of diluting BBC commitment to universal access to free news online” as he outlined the areas director general Mark Thompson’s ongoing strategic review will cover.”

link: BBC: We won’t charge for online news

link: BBC website

Perhaps with the high volume of traffic, the BBC can maintain this approach. The advertising on the site remains discrete and the BBC maintains its standard for excellent news service. It is a difficult model for other sites to emulate.

Catherine Forsythe

“The 2,074-page Senate bill seeks to reduce the long-term costs of health care for the government, businesses and individuals, while reforming how services are delivered to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

The bill would prohibit illegal immigrants from participating in a health insurance exchange created for those unable to afford health coverage and would prohibit the use of federal funds for abortion coverage in the exchange, according to a briefing for journalists arranged by the Senate Democratic leadership.”

link: At 2,074 pages and $849 billion, Senate health bill arrives

How many of the elected representatives will take the time to read and digest over two thousand pages of documentation? And how long would it take to read and comprehend that amount of material?

Certainly the politicians will delegate the reading to aides and assistants. There will be synopses and briefings. Nevertheless, it seems ironic that the bulk of the actual legislation might never be read by the elected representatives… ironic and somewhat frightening.

Catherine Forsythe

It is difficult to watch a former all-star and franchise player drift from team to team. He has gone from Philadelphia, to Denver, to Detroit, to Memphis and now to the waiver list. It seems a sad way for a former Most Valuable Player to approach the end of a career.

Is there a NBA team for Allen Iverson? There is speculation that the Orlando Magic might be interested. Their point guard, Jameer Nelson, is injured. Perhaps the New York Knicks, who have won once in ten games, need help.

Allen Iverson always has been able to overcome incredible odds and surprise his critics. He was exemplary at the Athens Olympics. He represented his country well. Now there are two formidable foes: age and injuries. Can Allen Iverson still play basketball at the highest level? The Memphis Grizzlies, one of the struggling teams in the NBA, do not thinks so. There are twenty nine other NBA teams. Allen Iverson needs one of those teams to take a risk and sign him. Without a team to take that risk, Allen Iverson’s NBA career may have come to a close.

Catherine Forsythe

“… Perhaps in a sign of how the plague of social media has numbed us all to the value of legitimate human connections, the New Oxford American Dictionary has picked the verb “unfriend,” or “to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook,” as its 2009 Word of the Year.”

link: Oxford’s word of the year? ‘Unfriend’

Perhaps the next new word meaning added will be ‘tweet‘…

Catherine Forsythe

The New Orleans Hornets have attempted to resolve the problem by firing Coach Byron Scott and replacing him with the General Manager, Jeff Bower. This was the last year of his contract for Bryon Scott and his recent “NBA Coach of the Year” honours did not save him.

In these early season games, the Hornet’s defense has been lacking and some veteran players have been missing shots. Offensive production has been disappointing. One has to wonder what a season like this does to a player as competitive as Chris Paul.

It is unlikely that Chris Paul will do what Kobe Bryant did when the Lakers were struggling. Kobe Bryant is remembered for some very public tirades and suggesting that some team mates be traded. Nevertheless, being on a team that soon may not have any post season hopes may impact Chris Paul as much as any of the Hornets. He will be an elite athlete, one of the best point guards in professional basketball, just trying to keep the game close. There will be some nights when it will embarrassing.

Chris Paul seems to be one of those athletes who really cares about winning. The thirteen and a half million dollars annual salary will not ease the distress of constant losing. How Chris Paul handles this season may determine the next years of the New Orleans franchise.

Catherine Forsythe

There is a downside, however. Not all Wi-Fi systems are the same. The Wi-Fi at airports is a dangerous combination. When you are at the airport, there are many things demanding your attention. One of the things that might not be foremost in your thoughts is Wi-Fi security. Hackers are counting on that.

Jeff Bertolucci, for PC World, gives five basic tips for Wi-Fi security:

“… Firewalls come with a range of configurations. “You can configure a firewall that is somewhat impermeable, and then there are times you can have it pretty open,” Figueroa says. “At a minimum, you’ll want to know when an incoming connection is attempting to gain access to your system.“”

link: Google’s Free Airport Wi-Fi: Five Ways to Protect Yourself

You may not want to do things like log into your bank to check your account balance. That can wait until you are on a connection that you know is absolutely secure. Jeff Bertolucci’s suggestions are only the beginning. Hackers may set up spoofing on a Wi-Fi system, for example. Just know that as happy as you were to see a Wi-Fi gift from Google, some hackers were looking at the announcement as a wonderful opportunity.

Catherine Forsythe

“… According to the Kansas City Star, Johnson posted demeaning comments, directed at Chiefs coach Haley, on his Twitter feed hours after the 37-7 loss to the San Diego Chargers on October 25.

The newspaper reported Johnson also used derogatory language in a reply to a follower on Twitter and to a reporter.”

link: Chiefs release controversial running back Johnson

Larry Johnson now knows that it is very difficult to retract what goes on the internet, even in 140 character statements on Twitter.

Catherine Forsythe

It is just good fortune that there were not serious injuries. How could the coach allow such tactics? Perhaps Coach Kit Vela did not know what was happening. Then she should not be coaching at this level. If she knew what was happening and allowed this conduct to continue, she should not be coaching.

Catherine Forsythe