[Blu-Ray 1, HD-DVD 0] Seems like VHS vs. Beta Max

Blu-Ray DVD’s are the winner in the High Def. DVD war. “To the victor goes the spoils” The old adage goes. This may be the case for Blu-Ray but what about the consumers that shelled out the money for the HD-DVD players? Well, as most people already know or will soon find out, your out of luck…Maybe not completely though. After the announcement HD prices fell across the board.  

My advice, if you have an HD player, I would stock up on the available titles and take advantage of the price break. This is not uncommon for early adopters to end up with the short end of the stick. Like anything in life there is risk associated and many of the people who have bought into HD-DVD should have enough money to ride out the aftermath.

It is though rather foolish for Toshiba to treat their customers in this manner. This quote comes from Toshiba, “”There is nothing wrong with the products so we aren’t accepting returns from customers … [Customers] understood that there were two competing formats and understood that one of them would probably prevail …”

I guess there is truth in the statement but you would think that since they were the biggest backer for HD-DVD they would throw the consumer an bone.

Are you addicted to Google?

I for one may be…

When I get on-line to conduct an Internet search, my fingers almost instinctively now type GOOGLE on the qwerty. I had never really contemplated the idea but after reading an article I received in my inbox I began to think about my unconscious desire to type in the most well known 4 letters on the web.

In marketing terms, when you switch from one product to another it is aptly known as “cost of switching”. This theory is also true for search engines. It may seem that simply typing a new search engine into your browser would seem simple enough, but for many learning a new interface is much more difficult than switching from Coke to Pepsi. We all know that people are creatures of habit, because with habit comes routine and with routine comes a sense of security which all leads back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

There is a term for the behavior associated with humans and their foundness for a specific product. Cognitive Lock-In

ScienceDaily.com has an interesting article on Cog Lock

So next time when you are online and searching for something I am sure you will realize what I am talking about.

I am glad I live in Tampa? 30daysexchallenge.com

I heard about this last week on tbt.com but now it seems like the national media has sunk their teeth into this juicy little marketing ploy by who? A church, no way, it has to be some kind of misprint, right? Be a resident of Tampa, at least for now, I have seen these signs and the billboard throughout the city. At first you think that it has to be a joke, but then you realize that it is a church that is obvisouly trying to get more people to attend.

Here’s the rub, if your married you can have sex with your partner for 30 days, everyday! But if your single or not married but in a relationship you cannot. Try the site if you can but when I checked it was overloaded with this message.

Bandwidth Limit Exceeded

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.

---

Apache/1.3.37 Server at 30daysexchallenge.com Port 80

www.30daysexchallenge.com

Here is a video that explains in more detail.

The Dangers of E-bills

For some who have experienced E-bills it is a double-edge sword. Yes, it is extremely convenient, until you forget to make your monthly payment. This seems to be a great tactic for credit card companies, for several reasons.

1. It makes the consumer feel like they are helping reduce waste (you are)
2. You save the company a small fortune in paper, ink, manpower, mailing fees, etc.
3. The chances of you forgeting to make a payment since the email may get lost in your inbox increase exponentially
4. You forget to make a payment because the old paper bill doesn’t come around here anymore
5. You miss a payment and they can nail you with a late fee that may be more than your minimum due and/or raise your APR

The list could go on, but I have to stop myself.

WAMU, Washington Mutual & Telemarketing Calls to my cell

I wanted to post an addendum to my previous post regarding WAMU. Since I have cancelled my card I received numerous calls from annoying telemarketers trying to reinstate my account. The numbers are: (817) 524-0906 and (817) 524-0903, I did a google search and found similar postings regarding these numbers. I would like to just make a formal post that may help someone else that is receiving strange phone calls from seemingly phantom numbers. This backs up my claim that WAMU is a unprofessional operation and I hope that people will read this an realize what I wish I had known before I had signed up for their account.

Going green is easier than you may think.

Think about this small change in your home and you will be surprised with the results.

If every home in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), the energy saved would prevent greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road, says Arthur Rosenfeld, a physicist and member of the California Energy Commission.

He also says that if Americans achieved a 2 percent reduction in energy use each year for the next 30 to 40 years – a feasible rate – we would be halfway to stabilizing our greenhouse-gas emissions. “What many people don’t realize is how easy conservation is,” says Rosenfeld.

Unplug all electronics and devices when not in use, even it is off it may be draining electricity.

Recycle, Recycle, and Recycle.

Do the dishes in the dishwasher not your sink. It may seem like it is better to wash your dishes by hand but if you think about it we don’t wash our clothes by hand.

Good news: Using the dishwasher is actually better for the planet than washing dishes by hand. The average energy-efficient dishwasher uses just 4 gallons per cycle, saving as much as 5,000 gallons of water per year compared with hand washing, as well as $40 in energy costs and 230 hours of washing time, according to the EPA.

Make your own energy, with solar power. This may not be as easy as the other options but in some states you can receive a credit from the utility company if you generate more power than you use. So is expensive, but it may pay off down the road.

WATCH YOUR THERMOSTAT

According to the US Department of Energy, heating and cooling are the number one source of energy use in office buildings. Ideally, individuals could control the climate of their personal work spaces, but if that’s not an option, suggest that your employer keep temperatures set to an energy-efficient 70 degrees in winter, 75 degrees in summer. Programming thermostats to automatically reset temperatures at appropriate times – after the workday ends, for example – can also help increase efficiency.

Try to use less paper. Think twice about what you print out, make double-sided copies, send internal memos via e-mail, use scrap paper to take notes or print drafts, send faxes digitally, and so on. Recycling the paper you do use means saving forests and water, reducing toxic pollution, and keeping waste out of landfills. The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper a year, yikes.

Think about e-waste, you know your old cell phone, computer, mp3 player, etc. If you are upgrading think about downgrading it to someone less fortunate then yourself.

Avoid styrofoam at all costs…like the plague.

Think about the small things you can do to help the planet and your bank account. If  more people begin thinking this way who knows what may happen?

Recession? Stagflation? Consumer confidence down…

What should we do to avoid a recession? I think it may be a little late for that, since B.B (BEN BERNANKE) , Mr Bernanke painted a sombre picture of the risks facing the economy. He said the Fed would lower its projections for US growth in forecasts to be released next week, bringing them closer into line with views in the private sector.

However, the latest comments from Mr Bernanke reflected a slightly softer tone than remarks a month ago, when he said the Fed stood ready to take “substantive additional action” – a signal of the sharp rate cuts that followed late in the month.

It seems as if the Fed in’t even capable of preventing a recession, but considering the government has been spending money like a drunked sailor for the past 8 years it really is no surprise too me. I think we all need to revaluate our voting habits and all make sure to vote in November. Given the current job market it seems like a recession is in full swing already, companines aren’t hiring and consumers aren’t buying, so until something changes this will continue.

Recession Worries?

Mike Keefe of the Denver Post back in 2002

Mike Keefe again in 2007

Seems like things never change…

Washington Mutual, No Whooo Hooo! Avoid WAMU at all costs…

I say this as a warning to consumers. I have had a Platinum Credit Card through Washington Mutual for 3 years, and never was I once late for a credit card payment. It turns out that even with a flawless payment history they are unwilling to reverse any late payments. WAMU acquired Providian Financial, I wish that I had realized that before I had signed up for a 1 year of 0% interest.

This is a brief synopsis of the events that transpired:

Signed up for e-pay with Bank of America and my payment was not made on the due date since they also like to change their due dates occasionally . My payment was not made on the due date and I called to explain the situation to the customer service representative (bit of irony) because she was far from friendly or helpful. She was extremely rude and unaccommodating. I decided to cancel my account since I hardly had enough on the card to worry about the monthly hassle of making payments. In the sales world, which I guess their CSR, who lack any real world training are unaware of this fact. It is much easier to accommodate a customer by voiding a late fee of $35 then allowing them to walk away. Apparently they do mind losing customers. This may be why their shares are trading at such a dismal price compared to the other big banks in the US. I have even written an email to Kerry K. Killinger Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, not that I am expecting any response.

I am positing this simply as a caveat to potential customers of WAMU. Here is a funny video of WAMU and their beauracracy , something they state in their commercial that they are not supposed to be. Although this is a parody, employee comments seem to justify the video.

Steven Colbert 08′

Steven Colbert, I assume he needs no introduction will be stepping into the political spotlight soon. Colbert wants to run for president and why not this is a great marketing strategy. He is already popular but this political stunt will increase his popularity and should cost less than a 30 second spot on primetime television. He will, I am guessing make guest appearances on the late shows and talk shows, all free PR. All the other politicians that are running are making a fortune so why should Colbert be restricted. Colbert and Jon Stewart are more popular with the younger generations than any of the nightly news anchors.

Steve Colbert, a man with a vision. From Comedy Central to the White House, hey if Fred Thompson can do it why not?