Computer company beats Beatles' suit
May 8, 2006

Apple Computer can use its apple logo on the iTunes Music Store without infringing the trademark of Apple Corps Ltd., the Beatles' record company, a British judge ruled Monday... MORE»

murmur categories: logos/branding, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism copyright technology music downloading trademark branding Apple Beatles iTunes

posted by Tessa | 11:10 AM (ET) | Permalink

Toxic technology
May 5, 2006

The computer you're using to read this will one day be nothing more than a pile of garbage, contaminated with heavy metals and toxic plastic... MORE»

murmur categories: home, technology, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism technology computers environment e-waste

posted by Tessa | 8:49 AM (ET) | Permalink

Are companies vying to control your home PC?
May 4, 2006

How much control do you have over your home computer? You bought it, it's sitting on a desk inside your home, you choose what software installed on it, right? Not so fast... MORE»

murmur categories: home, technology, privacy

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism computers PC DRM copyright security Sony technology

posted by Tessa | 13:11 PM (ET) | Permalink

Levis putting RFID chips in clothing tags
May 2, 2006

Levi Strauss & Co. has come under fire from a privacy group for putting radio-frequency identification chips (RFID) into consumers' pants... MORE»

murmur categories: services, technology, privacy

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism shopping RFID Levis privacy technology

posted by Tessa | 11:09 AM (ET) | Permalink

Music consumers aren't the enemy: artists' coalition
May 1, 2006

A coalition of top Canadian musicians and the industry group that oversees the Canadian recording industry sent out opposing messages Monday about the development of new copyright legislation... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DRM copyright technology music downloading research P2P

posted by Tessa | 17:06 PM (ET) | Permalink

RIAA sues computer-less family for downloading music
April 24, 2006

A family in Georgia is being sued for illegally sharing downloaded music - despite the fact that the family doesn't own a computer... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DRM copyright technology music downloading research P2P

posted by Tessa | 10:16 AM (ET) | Permalink

Watch this ad ... or else
April 20, 2006

Just as consumers cozy up to the idea of having near-complete control over when they watch their favourite television programs (like, say, Marketplace), along comes a technology that would force viewers to watch ads and prevent channel-surfing during commercial breaks... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, technology, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism television TV technology pvr dvr Tivo

posted by Tessa | 12:24 PM (ET) | Permalink

New release films to be downloadable in Canada, U.S.
April 4, 2006

Two U.S. movie services plan to begin releasing films online the same day the DVDs go on sale in the stores... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DRM copyright technology downloading movies P2P films Hollywood

posted by Tessa | 9:12 AM (ET) | Permalink

Can I take your my order please?
March 30, 2006

According to Fast Food News, "self serve restaurants" will be all the rage sooner than you can say 'would you like fries with that?' The fast food industry is seriously experimenting with self-serve kiosks where consumers point-and-click their slop from LCD touch screens... MORE»

murmur categories: food, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism McDonald's Burger King Subway KFC Taco Bell fast food food industry business self-serve service

posted by Tessa | 12:45 PM (ET) | Permalink

Dead ringers: Taking your cellphone to the grave?
March 29, 2006

Apparently some of us just can't part with our cellphones. More and more people are being buried or cremated with mobile communications devices like cellphones, PDAs and other gadgets ... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism cellphones technology laptops funerals death

posted by Tessa | 2:04 PM (ET) | Permalink

Apple Corps. aims to take bite out of Apple Computers
March 29, 2006

Apple Corps., the record company that brought you a little band called The Beatles, is taking on the Apple Computers empire in a London court. The two Apples are entangled in a trademark war over the computer giant's shift into the music business with its hugely popular website, iTunes... MORE»

murmur categories: logos/branding, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism copyright technology music downloading trademark branding Apple Beatles iTunes

posted by Tessa | 9:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

Artist takes RFID critique to the road
March 22, 2006

A B.C. artist is planning to hit the road this spring in a commercial transport truck loaded with her worldly possessions, each tagged with Radio Frequency Identification chips... MORE»

murmur categories: activism, technology, privacy

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism shopping RFID privacy technology art

posted by Tessa | 10:43 AM (ET) | Permalink

Downloading doesn't hurt business: Canadian Record Industry Association study
March 20, 2006

New research says music downloading (or "P2P," peer-to-peer file swapping) might not be the record industry's death knell after all. And while that's an interesting idea, the real surprise is where the new research is coming from: the recording industry itself... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DRM copyright technology music downloading research P2P

posted by Tessa | 1:31 PM (ET) | Permalink

AOL turns on TV, Apple adds film
March 17, 2006

America Online launched its new online TV network this week and Apple followed with its first full-length movie online... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism movies television internet web gadgets technology

posted by Tessa | 8:53 AM (ET) | Permalink

Ipod generation risks permanent hearing loss, U.S. poll suggests
March 15, 2006

More than half of American high school students surveyed reported some signs of hearing loss, a finding audiologists blame on ubiquitous iPod, other MP3 players and portable DVD players... MORE»

murmur categories: health, kids, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism iPod hearing loss science research portable technology health

posted by Tessa | 9:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Microsoft takes wraps off new PC
March 10, 2006

Microsoft Corp. unveiled a new computer yesterday that's about the size of a paperback novel, weighs just over a kilogram and runs a full version of the same operating system used by larger notebook computers... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism products Microsoft origami technology tablet computers PC notebook laptops

posted by Tessa | 9:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

Canadians careful about online health info
March 9, 2006

Canadians appear to be researching medical conditions online more carefully, according to a new survey... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism health online web medicine

posted by Tessa | 12:06 PM (ET) | Permalink

50 per cent of products are returned because consumers can't figure them out: research
March 8, 2006

Consumers have a heck of a time figuring out how to operate products, leading half of them to return items to retailers and claim they're broken, a researcher in the Netherlands has found ... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism design technology customer service

posted by Tessa | 12:06 PM (ET) | Permalink

Toronto set to be wirelessly connected metropolis: report
March 7, 2006

Imagine a beautiful day in Toronto. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. Why not go to a park, sit on a bench ... and explore cyberspace on your laptop computer? ... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, services

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism wireless technology internet mobile telecom

posted by Tessa | 11:41 AM (ET) | Permalink

Are airports putting a cap on laptop power?
February 28, 2006

You're travelling to an important business meeting and during a layover you go to plug in your laptop to juice up the battery. But it seems all the airport's power outlets have been capped... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, technology, services

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airports laptops technology energy business

posted by Tessa | 9:43 AM (ET) | Permalink

New DVD format sparks copy confusion
February 16, 2006

New high-definition DVDs are scheduled to hit the market in the spring, packing glorious imagery, spectacular audio and colossal headaches for consumers looking to play them on computers, laptops and other devices... MORE»

murmur categories: home, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DVD digital media technology high definition piracy copyright DRM

posted by Tessa | 1:56 PM (ET) | Permalink

RFID shopping robots tested in Japan
February 14, 2006

A mall in Japan is testing a new shopping service: a fleet of RFID-enabled robots who can do everything from carry a shopper's bags to lead said shopper to sale items he/she might be interested in... MORE»

murmur categories: services, technology, privacy

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism shopping RFID privacy technology

posted by Tessa | 6:21 PM (ET) | Permalink

New allegations surface in Sony rootkit saga
February 3, 2006

Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, blogs about a new class action lawsuit launched against Sony over its rootkit fiasco... MORE»

murmur categories: home, miscellaneous, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism Sony rootkit DRM music copyright lawsuits

posted by Tessa | 10:10 AM (ET) | Permalink

Travel service lets consumers share experiences via video
February 2, 2006

Once upon a time, there were travel reviews... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel reference iPod video reviews

posted by Tessa | 11:22 AM (ET) | Permalink

Self-parking car in development
February 1, 2006

I have a few family members (who shall remain nameless) who would benefit enormously from this project currently under development in Germany: a car that can parallel park itself... MORE»

murmur categories: cars, technology, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism car research cars auto design automotive technology

posted by Tessa | 10:35 AM (ET) | Permalink

Where do computers go to die?
January 24, 2006

The Ottawa Citizen has an exhaustive feature on the issue of “e-waste,” or, the nasty legacy of toxic waste we’re leaving in the wake of our fickle love of computers, high-tech gadgets and gizmos... MORE»

murmur categories: technology environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism technology computers environment e-waste

posted by Tessa | 9:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

Digital music sales triple in 2005
January 23, 2006

Worldwide sales of music through the internet and mobile telephones hit $1.1 billion US in 2005, tripling the total 2004 amount... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DRM copyright technology music downloading

posted by Tessa | 10:54 AM (ET) | Permalink

In-game advertising makes for clumsy bedfellows
January 19, 2006

There’s a fascinating dustup occurring in the quickly converging world of online gaming and advertising... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, advertising, branding

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising marketing ads business games gaming

posted by Tessa | 1:30 PM (ET) | Permalink

Protect consumers' digital rights, British MPs urged
January 18, 2006

A U.K. consumer rights watchdog has urged new laws to protect consumers' digital rights. The National Consumer Council told a parliamentary inquiry into digital rights management that companies are already eroding consumer rights... MORE»

murmur categories: technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism DRM copyright

posted by Tessa | 1:30 PM (ET) | Permalink

Protect kids from computer injuries, safety council urges
January 6, 2006

Researchers fear the popularity of computers and video games is responsible for an increase inchildren are getting strain injuries injuries among children. The Canada Safety Council says from sitting in front of computers and video games for hours... MORE»

murmur categories: kids, health, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism video games computers ergonomics kids children health parenting technology

posted by Tessa | 5:58 pm (ET) | Permalink

Several lawsuits filed against Sony over rootkit fiasco
January 6, 2006

Lawsuits were launched in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia earlier this week against Sony BMG Music Entertainment over so-called spyware it deliberately included on some of its pre-recorded CDs... MORE»

murmur categories: home, miscellaneous, technology

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism Sony rootkit DRM copyright lawsuits

posted by Tessa | 9:52 am (ET) | Permalink

"Grow your member"… and other top spam of 2005
January 5, 2006

Spammers are getting more sophisticated in the battle to grab your attention in your inbox, according to AOL's 3rd Annual Top Ten Spam List... MORE»

murmur categories: technolgy, scams

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, spam

posted by Tessa | 10:36 AM (ET) | Permalink

Privacy watchdogs decry Walgreens’ RFID plans
December 14, 2005

What may be the largest planned marketing deployment of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking to date is drawing criticism from privacy advocates, AdAge reports (registration req'd)... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, privacy, advertising/marketing

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, RFID, marketing, privacy

posted 10:18 AM (ET) | Permalink

Most Americans can’t spot a phishing scam
December 8, 2005

Despite the attention paid by phishing scams in the media (including Marketplace), a new survey says the majority of Americans still can’t tell the difference between legitimate and scam e-mail... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:09 PM (ET) | Permalink

Two U.S. groups suing Sony over spyware on CDs
November 23, 2005

Two U.S. groups have stepped forward to sue Sony BMG Music Entertainment over spyware it included on its prerecorded CDs... MORE»

murmur categories: home, products, technology

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Sony, rootkit, DRM, copyright

posted by Tessa | 2:32 pm (ET) | Permalink

Sony releases list of infected CDs
November 17, 2005

Sony BMG has released a list of its CDs embedded with copy-retriction software. The CDs, when played on a PC, install an exploit-vulnerable rootkit on consumers' computers... MORE»

murmur categories: home, products, technology

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Sony, rootkit, DRM, copyright

posted by Tessa | 9:37 AM (ET) | Permalink

More than half a million computers infected in Sony CD fiasco: researcher
November 16, 2005

At least 500,000 computers may have been infected by Sony CDs CDs embedded with copy-retriction software, according to analysis by a well-respected security researcher... MORE»

murmur categories: home, products, technology

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Sony, rootkit, DRM, copyright

posted by Tessa | 10:31 AM (ET) | Permalink

New surveillance bill would target cellphone and internet communications
November 16, 2005

The federal government has introduced a bill to make it easier for police and CSIS to monitor private cellphone conversations and communication on the internet... MORE»

murmur categories: technology, services, privacy

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, cellphones, e-mail, surveillance, privacy, security

posted by Tessa | 9:39 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sony recalling controversial CDs
November 15, 2005

Sony BMG Music Entertainment is pulling some of its most popular CDs from stores after a firestorm of criticism over its use of copy-protection software on the discs, USA Today reports... MORE»

murmur categories: home, products, technology

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, Sony, rootkit, DRM, copyright

posted by Tessa | 9:31 AM (ET) | Permalink

How safe is your surfing?
November 7, 2005

Consumer Reports has released the results of a survey of American internet users which found that concern about identity theft is substantial, and is changing consumer behaviour in major ways... MORE»

murmur categories: privacy, technology

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, privacy, internet

posted by Tessa | 2:08 PM (ET) | Permalink

RFID helping keep shelves stocked: Wal-Mart study
October 27, 2005

A new study says customers at Wal-Mart have benefited from the retailing giant’s introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on products in its stores. The study, conducted by the University of Arkansas, found that customers have been finding the goods they want on the shelves of Wal-Mart stores up to 16 per cent more often than stores not employing the RFID tagging system... MORE»

murmur categories: privacy, technology

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, RFID, Wal-Mart, products, packaging, privacy

posted by Tessa | 10:22 AM (ET) | Permalink

New twists at the funeral parlour
October 18, 2005

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article about the ways the traditional funeral home is trying to reassert itself as an essential part of the American lifecycle... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:53 PM (ET) | Permalink

Coming soon to a supermarket near you: Products that market themselves
October 17, 2005

Imagine this. You’re meandering down the grocery store aisle, checking your list twice, when something catches your eye… An animated flash of colour and some vaguely familiar logo zip across the front of a box of cereal. You look closer and notice that, yes, the images on the cover of the cereal box are moving... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:44 PM (ET) | Permalink

Behold the new iPod, now with video
October 13, 2005

There’s much blog chatter this morning about Apple’s unveiling of its new iPod yesterday, which has a wee screen to allow users to watch video. It also comes with a video-out jack that you can hook up to your television (so you can watch programs you’ve downloaded on a bigger screen)... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:53 AM (ET) | Permalink

Marketers try high-tech tool to push brain's 'buy button'
June 14, 2005

Marketers are trying to use brain scans to convince consumers to buy their product, although scientists say the approach may not be ready to be applied... MORE»

posted 10:36 AM (ET) | Permalink

Cash, charge or fingerprint?
June 10, 2005

A number of stores in the United States are beginning to rollout a payment process that has you use your fingerprint to pay your bill... MORE»

posted 11:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

Chemists show power of miniaturized computers, electronics
June 2, 2005

By shrinking the size of a key part in electronic devices, researchers in Alberta may have discovered a way to make faster, miniaturized gadgets... MORE»

posted 9:08 AM (ET) | Permalink

Neuromarketing: Tapping into the inner you
June 1, 2005

Scientists have been looking at the human brain, trying to pinpoint the processes that make you reach for Coke instead of Pepsi... MORE»

posted 10:11 AM (ET) | Permalink

RFID tags to measure print audiences
June 1, 2005

Mediamark Research plans to test a new technology that would allow for RFID tags to be printed on the pages of magazines... MORE»

posted 9:34 AM (ET) | Permalink

‘Old West’ tactics of vigilante hackers draw fire
May 26, 2005

AFP has an article on a subject I told you about last week: vigilante hackers taking aim at phishing scams... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:06 AM (ET) | Permalink

Revenge of the movie industry: Authorities shut down file-swapping site
May 26, 2005

U.S. law enforcement agencies moved to close down the Elite Torrents file-sharing network yesterday, CBC Arts and Entertainment reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Vigilantes hack phishing scam sites
May 20, 2005

They may be the superheroes of the web. A group of unidentified hackers have begun taking phishing scam operators on in their own game, Information Week reports... MORE»

posted 12:07 PM (ET) | Permalink

Gadget promises to decipher baby’s babbles
May 10, 2005

The Japanese toy maker behind the “Bowlingual,” which claims to decipher a dog’s bow-wows, is developing a new device that will translate a baby’s babbling... MORE»

posted 10:56 AM (ET) | Permalink

Debit card shopping coming to the web
May 5, 2005

Canadian consumers who don’t have a credit card have been out of luck when it comes to online shopping, but that will change soon. The country’s major banks are finalizing details for a service that will allow consumers to use their debit cards to make purchases on the web, the Toronto Star reports... MORE»

posted 12:54 PM (ET) | Permalink

RFID could make your toothpaste sing
May 3, 2005

A German computer science student has figured out a way to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to play product jingles, the New Scientist reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:06 AM (ET) | Permalink

Washing machine aims to mollify battle of the sexes
May 2, 2005

A designer in Spain has developed a new washing machine that he hopes will bring equality to the sexes when it comes to the dirty laundry... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:43 AM (ET) | Permalink

Supermarkets bank on futuristic shopping gadgets to keep Wal-Mart at bay
May 2, 2005

Here’s an interesting article from CNN/Money about how American supermarket chains are beefing up the gadgets, gizmos and –wowee– service in an attempt to keep compete with Wal-Mart.

posted by Tessa | 10:08 AM (ET) | Permalink

TV makes us smarter; e-mail makes us stupid
April 26, 2005

This weekend, the New York Times Magazine told us that television can make us smarter. Across the pond, the folks at The Guardian report that e-mail makes us stupid – or at least gnaws away at our IQs and makes us less able to concentrate than if we were to smoke a joint of cannabis... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:07 AM (ET) | Permalink

EU stalks genetically modified corn
April 21, 2005

Here's an interesting (if not downright spooky) article from Spiegel Online about the EU’s efforts to ban genetically modified corn feed... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:53 AM (ET) | Permalink

Labels to appeal file-swapping decision
April 20, 2005

The Canadian recording industry is set to appeal a court ruling this week in the hopes of initiating lawsuits against alleged file swappers, CBC Arts reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:38 AM (ET) | Permalink

Beware of ‘pharming’ scams
April 19, 2005

A new internet scam is making the rounds online, and it’s so sophisticated it can fool even experienced web users, the Tuscon Citizen reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:38 AM (ET) | Permalink

Keeping track of the kids, GPS style
April 14, 2005

Japanese parents have a new way of keeping track of their children’s whereabouts, thanks to school uniform maker Ogo-Sangyo... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sony devising sense-able technology?
April 7, 2005

Sony Corp. is reportedly developing a technology that will allow television viewers to smell, taste and perhaps even feel what appears on their screen... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:54 AM (ET) | Permalink

Music copyright case heads to Supreme Court
March 30, 2005

The entertainment and high-tech industries are waging battle over music again, in a case that pits the freedom to innovate against the battle to control digital piracy, the Times Online reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

New computer monitor will help people with colour blindness
March 17, 2005

Samsung says it is developing a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor that will help people with dyschromatopsia, or colour blindness... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

Shoppers pay with fingerprints in Germany
March 15, 2005

A supermarket chain in Germany is introducing a new method of payment in which customers use their fingerprints to pay for their purchases... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:48 AM (ET) | Permalink

RFID technology won’t be regulated in U.S.
March 11, 2005

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says it is going to let stores and suppliers self-regulate their use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags – and it will leave it to retailers and the RFID industry to educate consumers about use of the tags and data collected using the technology... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:00 AM (ET) | Permalink

Movies, technology and the future of viewing
March 11, 2005

From the good people at NPR’s Talk of the Nation, here's an interesting discussion about the future of movies with Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired Magazine, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, and Dean Garfield, legal affairs director for the Motion Picture Association of America... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:27 AM (ET) | Permalink

Every step you take, this mannequin’s watching you
February 28, 2005

The Independent Online reports that “a Japanese firm has developed a mannequin robot that can strike a pose for customers - and spy on who they are and what they're buying.”... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:32 AM (ET) | Permalink

Pizza, privacy and our neighbours to the south
February 24, 2005

The American Civil Liberties Union charges that the “United States is at risk of turning into a full-fledged surveillance society.” The group argues that the prevalence of surveillance-enabling technologies, combined with Bush administration’s “weakening in legal restraints that protect our privacy,” threaten consumer privacy... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:13 AM (ET) | Permalink

Project: Turn an obsolete computer hard drive into wind chimes
February 23, 2005

Is that old computer of yours doing little more than collecting dust and hosting the odd game of solitaire?... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:02 AM (ET) | Permalink

Teen arrested for bombarding desktops with “spim”
February 22, 2005

Silicon.com reports that a U.S. teenager has become the first person to be arrested for the sending of unsolicited instant messages – or “spim”... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

Virtual mini-me goes shopping
February 21, 2005

I have met my virtual self and I’m jealous of her hair – and the fact that she has really good posture... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 1:23 PM (ET) | Permalink

Consumer gadgets under threat of extinction
February 21, 2005

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has compiled a list of gadgets under threat of extinction, the BBC reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:47 AM (ET) | Permalink

European consumers worry about use of RFID
February 15, 2005

Shoppers in Europe say they’re concerned about the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in stores, the BBC reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:38 AM (ET) | Permalink

Online love faces mid-life crisis
February 14, 2005

This Valentine's Day, fewer Canadians will be trying to meet someone special through the internet, CBC News Online reports... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 4:14 PM (ET) | Permalink

British seniors pilot new shopping device
February 10, 2005

The BBC reports on a new barcode reader system that’s being tested by elderly and housebound residents of Bristol. Seniors scan grocery items from a supermarket catalogue and then submit their orders via the telephone. Their order is then delivered to the seniors home by police-vetted drivers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:04 AM (ET) | Permalink

“Computer” virus moves into fast lane by infecting cars
February 7, 2005

The Independent Online reports that high-tech criminals are causing havoc for some drivers who have vehicles with onboard computers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:04 AM (ET) | Permalink

Identity theft tops FTC’s list of consumer complaints
February 1, 2005

Americans lost more than $548 million to identity theft and consumer fraud last year, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 12:58 PM (ET) | Permalink

Romanian villagers walk eight kilometres for their cellphones (uphill ... in the snow)
January 28, 2005

Ananova reports that residents of Ciosa, Romania, are buying up cellphones, even though they have never had electricity in their village... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 11:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

Snap-happy in-laws be damned
January 27, 2005

Camera shy? Computing giant Hewlett-Packard is working on something to make life easier for you... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:40 AM (ET) | Permalink

“Smart car” system reads driver’s emotions
January 21, 2005

A Scottish company has developed “emotion sensor” software that monitors a driver’s mood for road rage or drowsiness – and takes action if that mood is deemed to be a problem... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:50 AM (ET) | Permalink

Microsoft tones down tough talk on spam
January 19, 2005

Back in January 2004, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates predicted that “spam will be solved” by 2006. But as Salon reports, we’re 346 past that bold forecast, and “spam still comprises over 60 per cent of e-mail traffic.” ... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:35 AM (ET) | Permalink

Pub-crawling with Big Brother
January 18, 2005

A nightclub in Glasgow is set to offer patrons the option of having a microchip implanted in their arm that will obviate the need to carry their wallet or queue for entry... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:30 AM (ET) | Permalink

Rethinking globalization ... one ink cartridge at a time
January 18, 2005

The Wall Street Journal reports that some consumer-electronics companies are designing products so they will work only in specific geographic regions ... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 9:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Taking the manufacturing of pop music to a whole new level
January 17, 2005

The Guardian reports that the record biz, “once that bastion of wayward creative flair, is succumbing to the plain old-fashioned science of statistical analysis.” ... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 10:24 AM (ET) | Permalink

U.S. cracks down on porn spam
January 12, 2005

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has charged a network of six adult entertainment companies and an affiliate marketer with violating a federal law. The companies and the affiliate allegedly sent unsolicited, sexually explicit e-mail to consumers... MORE»

posted by Tessa | 2:38 PM (ET) | Permalink

Device aims to detect corporate transgressions
December 16, 2004

For the conscious shoppers among us, a Ph.D. candidate at MIT's Media Lab has created a device that could help you navigate the maze of corporate ownership and the daunting task of translating personal convictions into good buying decisions.

James Patten's Corporate Fallout Detector looks and sounds like a Geiger counter. It scans the barcodes of consumer products and makes a clicking noise based on the environmental or ethical record of the manufacturer. The more clicks you hear, the worse the ethics of the company behind the product.

For more on the Corporate Fallout Detector: http://web.media.mit.edu/~jpatten/cfd/

Caveat: Of course, after you've sifted through the material at the above site (and watched the "infomercial" for the device: http://web.media.mit.edu/~jpatten/cfd/vid2.php), you'll know the Corporate Fallout Detector doesn't exist at all, but is a fictional product.

That said, it could exist - and it seems to me that Patten's poking at the tricky trouble that can arise when consumer activism itself becomes ... well, a consumer product. Now my head is spinning.

posted by Tessa (Online Producer, Marketplace) | 03:37 PM (ET)

Cats are already weird enough, aren't they?
December 13, 2004

You might remember a story Marketplace brought you last season about a company that was producing "GloFish" -- genetically modified pet fish that glow.

Recently, a Los Angeles company announced that it will create its own genetically modified pet - a critter it claims will be "the world's first hypoallergenic cat."

Allerca Inc. says by 2007 it will begin selling cats that are genetically engineered to be nearly free from the allergy-causing proteins that plague millions of people.

While some wonder if the plan will run up against federal regulators in the U.S., Allerca's president, Simon Brodie, says he doesn't expect there will be any problems. Brodie figures a precedent was set in the GloFish case (neither the Department of Agriculture nor the Food and Drug Administration stepped into regulate GloFish because the fish weren't meant for human consumption).

"Obviously, things can change," Brodie told the Associated Press. "But as long as people don't start eating cats and they don't enter the food chain, then we should be handled like the GloFish."

posted by Tessa (Online Producer, Marketplace) | 10:19 AM (ET)

Keeping track of the kids ... with RFID
December 13, 2004

'Gotcha!' is a 'child monitoring system' based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Basically, a palm-sized unit is clipped on the child and a second on the parent. If the curious kid wanders "beyond the adjustable, predetermined safety perimeter," the system alerts the parent with a shrill alarm.

It all sounds fairly innocuous, but if you do a web search under "RFID" and "privacy" you'll see RFID technology -and the ubiquitous applications being developed for it- is piquing the concern of privacy watchers and putting its advocates on the defensive.

posted by Tessa (Online Producer, Marketplace) | 12:40 PM (ET)

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