Reports by Consumers

Consumers and energy companies need to consider alternatives to petroleum energy over the coming decades. This blogger reports on his exchange with his Congressman on the issue.

As I stated in my letter to Rep. Gilchrest, we do need to explore other avenues of filling our energy needs. I’ve cited a couple that, while they’re not strictly renewable, they are certainly plentiful or very efficient given the amount of material used. There’s merit to continuing research into hydropower, wind, and solar energy, but I believe that research into those avenues are best conducted by private entities. The X Prize is one example - the incentive of $10 million to develop a renewable space vehicle was a very good one, and one that is evolving into other areas.

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Read more from this blogger: The Empire writes back

Christmas: a consumer extravaganza or a religious holiday? Check out this report on Christmas.

But Christmas has become a commercial enterprise. Hell, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was just a marketing ploy for Montgomery Ward. And Santa has been coopted into shilling Coke, Norelco razors and dozens of other products.

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Read more from this blogger: The Real War on Christmas?

This consumer reports that if you found an iPod under the Christmas tree this year, you weren't alone.

Personally, I would get an Ipod as it looks so much better then its competitors and I am not alone. Morgan Stanley polled consumers on their purchase plans during this holiday season. The polled results showed that consumers planned to buy more Ipods then cell phones. On top of that, “Of all the consumers planning to purchase an iPod this holiday season, only 4- percent said they would purchase another brand of MP3 player if a store was out of their desired model. Also interesting, more people plan to buy iTunes gift cards this season than non-iPod branded MP3 players.”

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Read more from this blogger: IPods are hotter then cell phones as christmas gifts

From this consumer's report, it sounds like you might want to do your water heater research before you travel to a retailer.

Part of our day today was spent at Home Depot, looking at water heaters. Nathan’s busted today so he wanted to look into cost and installation for either today or tomorrow. There was a lot of standing around looking at stuff and then looking for help, capped off by an extremely unhelpful conversation with a salesperson. Seriously unhelpful. I can’t even begin to recreate the conversation here because I wouldn’t be able to do it justice as to how insane it was.

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Read more from this blogger: Everybody Needs A Little Time Away

This consumer reports on industry changes that portend even more entertainment distribution on the Internet.

We are also getting away from the PC client. I’m not referring to the usual “mobile phone as a web client”. iPods are connected to the internet nowdays -what’s an iPod without a fast internet connection to download music or audio/video podcasts? TiVo is turning into a web-connected device. And Cisco’s aquisition of KiSS Technologies through Linksys is a good promise we should be expecting more on internet based/enhanced home entertainment…

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Read more from this blogger: I’m so excited!

Do consumers need all the latest electronics. Check this report:

If television seems stale and irrelevant, so are much of the goods on offer in the shops. The Xbox 360 is only the latest of many must-have items which on brief examination has failed to live up to its hype. As for wide screen TV's, how many people have the space in their Noddy-box living-rooms to install such a thing? As for all the other gizmos - the Nano-Ipod with video for example - launched so quickly after the original Ipod, people who had bought the former simply felt cheated - the public at large are now becoming so tired of having to keep up, they are simply turning away. My old radio works okay and has done for years… do I really need to go digital? No one I know ever talks about Radio 6,7, One Extra, and however many other niche stations can be found along the dial. If they're not part of the social vernacular who gives a damn whether you can tune into them or not?

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Read more from this blogger: Yo Ho Ho

This consumer reports on a four-camera computer-based recording system that you might want to use for home or business security.

Looking to add some video surveillance to your home or work environment? Check out the review of the Swann DVR4-Net Four Camera Digital Recording System over at Gear Live. The kit gives you a DVR system which can record from up to four video camera sources. The DVR has a 250 GB capacity which can record up to one year of video at the lowest resolution and at 1 frame per second. The verdict?

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Read more from this blogger: Swann DVR4-Net Four Camera Digital Recording System Review

Against all odds, this consumer bikes to school!

I ride my bike to college everyday. I live in Thunder Bay Ontario Canada. It’s usually one of the best parts of my day. It’s now Monday December, 19 2005. On Friday I was biking to school in a snow storm and everyone driving their cars looked at me and shook their head and I couldn’t help but shake back.

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Read more from this blogger: Ride your Bike.

Could DVR hardware turn into DVR software? According to this consumer's report, yes!

In my view this is a smart move by ReplayTV. For years it has been scrapping with TiVO to be top-dog in the market, and it has also been left punch drunk after numerous fights with the broadcasting industry over various issues such as allowing users to fast-forward through commercials.

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Read more from this blogger: Death of Hardware-Based DVRs?

This consumer reports on the value of the Internet for researching consumer electronics and other products.

However, in other areas, I’ve seen times where the internet can be just as frustrating as Mr. Stoll found it to be. Specifically these occurred when I was trying to find information related to consumer electronics items that I was considering purchasing as well as using the internet to find lodging not covered by the major travel web-sites. In trying searches in both areas this morning, I was able to find relevant information that may influence my plans in a relatively short period of time.

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Read more from this blogger: A wasteland of unfiltered data

This consumer reports on buying tires ... the right way and the wrong way.

Wal-Mart - No. I return and order the tires. Grand total, with coupons and membership discount - just under $900. Consider this a lesson learned. I bought the old tires just over 2 years ago. I bought them at a disount tire place and they are a no-name tire. All four tires, completely shot. This time, I buying Michelens and getting a significant warranty. We knew we had to replace the tires soon and to be honest it was on my list of things to do around Thanksgiving - so it isn’t a total blow. But still, $900 - ouch.

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Read more from this blogger: Stoopid, Stoopid, Stoopid

A good write-up on the question of whether to post about products. Consumers should be aware that, as with other media, sometime bloggers have an agenda when they dicuss a product or service.

An interesting thing happened to me the other day. Someone emailed me asking that I blog about their product. I’m not going to get into what the product is, but it’s something I’m not so comfortable touting here in my blog. Yet it brought up a whole bunch of questions and thoughts that I wanted to share.

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Read more from this blogger: I Blog, You Blog, We All Blog….

This consumer reports on the telemarketing that takes place when ordering new phone service.

Alarm bells didn’t start to ring until we got to the part where he asked if I have a credit card. Hmmm… why, oh why, would the phone company care if I have a credit card? I asked him why he need to know this bit of information and he said that he doesn’t need to know the number. Fine, yes. Mastercard or Visa? I answered, all this time thinking that maybe I should have said no, that I’ve lived all my life on top of a mountain and have no need for a rectangular piece of plastic as a mode of payment. Next, he asked how many people would be living in the house and what sort of work I do. Again, I gave my answer. I have a nasty feeling that I was being profiled for those telemarketers who’d be calling this new phone line soon.

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Read more from this blogger: Precious copper wires

This consumer reports on the HD TiVo coming out.

Apparently, we should find out some more details at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. I may be able to consolidate and get my DVR count down from three! Oh, the dual tuner part lets you record two shows at the same time, or record one and watch one live at the same time. It’s a very good thing. My cable box actually does it, which is a feature I would enjoy more if the interface were better.

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Read more from this blogger: HD TiVo in my future