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It's about damn time. Some say the only reason we haven't gone to hydrogen cars already is because it would cost more than gas so maybe the recent gas prices will be the trigger that tips us into a better technology.

RIAA

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Some people have been sent letters to pay up or go to court that have ignored them with no consequences. I'm not actually suggesting that you simply ignore any letter you see, but perhaps be cautious about who is actually sending it, what they're suggesting, and whether or not they can prove it.

Most importantly, if the letter sounds like a scam (threatening things they can't do like taking your house and only giving you a week or two to respond), there's a good chance it is.

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Download a copy of Firefox 3 this Tuesday the 17th. Send a message that we're tired of big-company products that aren't stable, aren't standard, aren't secure, and can't be customized.

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While some always did this, more and more gas stations are beginning to put "holds" on your debit or credit card which could cause you to incur massive fees or bounced checks.

The point is to pre-charge you for all the gas you could possibly have so the station doesn't get ripped off, but can cause you a world of hurt. Make sure you use credit cards (rather than debit) or cash at the station or pay the clerk inside (where holds don't apply).

RIAA

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The RIAA likes to send people settlement letters whether they've done anything wrong or not which leads many people to pay up just to end the issue (much like traffic tickets which, even if you're right, it's often cheaper to just pay). Now, if someone tries to defend themselves in court, the fee will more than double thus providing stiff motivation to avoid using our own justice system.

eBay

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If you buy an item that typically is involved with a contract like cell phones or, in this case, a TiVO unit, you may end up getting screwed.

University of Washington

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The University of Washington has proven how ineffective the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) bully corporations have been identifying suspected infringers on their copyrighted works.

The paper finds that there is a serious flaw in how these trade groups finger reported file-sharers. It also suggests that some people might be getting improperly accused of sharing copyrighted content, and could even be purposely framed by other users. An inanimate object could also get the blame. The researchers rigged the software agents to implicate three laserjet printers, which were then accused in takedown letters by the M.P.A.A. of downloading copies of “Iron Man ? and the latest Indiana Jones film.

So they've show that it's possible to frame others for the download of materials. I wonder what that will do to the lawsuits.

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Child gets foot stuck in escalator due to the Croc brand shoes she was wearing. Most disturbing is this:

CPSC is aware of 77 entrapment incidents since January 2006, with about half resulting in injury. All but two of the incidents involved popular soft-sided flexible clogs and slides.

What the hell is the Consumer Product and Safety Commission doing if they know about this problem and aren't doing anything about it? Of course, if the current head of the CPSC is as bad as the one Bush nominated last time, this is hardly a shock.

AT&T

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AT&T has an exclusive contract with the Department of Defense and is therefore the "cheapest" provider military families can use to contact loved ones in the Middle East. But using the phone cards is more than just a hassle. Though AT&T advertises a very low rate, the actual charges are far more than nearly any other option available since the calls rarely go through and minutes are charged whether they do or not.

At least one military wife found that spending $3 per minute with her cell-phone was cheaper in the long run.

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A great report has just been released by Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering - CASPIAN. It's 47 pages of frequently asked questions along with detailed, well researched responses to each.

From their press release:

The report reveals how news outlets like Time Magazine, Business Week, and the RFID Journal were used as unwitting pawns in a VeriChip scheme to spread misinformation about the cancer studies. Since research linking the product to cancer first surfaced last year, each of these publications has repeated misstatements from VeriChip company executives, in many cases printing the inaccurate statements verbatim and unchallenged.

Good thing non-profit companies are watching or else this sort of skulduggery would go unnoticed.