AOL threatens former users with mystery bills
Boing Boing Gadgets Jul 04 09The Wall Street Journal reports that AOL is secretly "upgrading" old customers, then sending the "debt" to collection agencies. About a month ago, we started getting bizarre phone calls from a collections agency ... "concerning unpaid charges of $103.60." When I asked what I was being charged for, I was told it was four months' worth of something called "upgraded service" for AOL in late 2008. I pointed out that we had never requested or agreed to any upgrade, nor used any AOL service other than email. Please send a printed bill to my home address so I can formally dispute it, I requested. "I am sorry, sir, but we cannot do that. Full story...
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All-in-one ectoplasm measurement device
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 17 09"Designed exclusively for paranormal investigators, this incredible tool has everything you need to track and detect the presence of ghosts.
How to destroy the market for used gadgets
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 17 09Microsoft permanently banned about a million hacked Xbox 360s from its online gaming network. Amid uncertainty--you can still play offline--the price of a used 360 collapses.
100-word fiction competition — win an HP MediaSmart EX495
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 17 09The prize is a $700 HP MediaSmart EX495 PC, set up as a Windows home server, with 1.5TB of storage and Mac/Time Machine support.
Leopard seal teaches photographer how to catch penguins
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 16 09Brian Lam showed me this amazing short video yesterday. It chronicles an encounter that National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen had with a giant leopard seal in Antarctica who, over the course of four days, fed penguins to his camera and tried to teach him how to catch prey.
MAKERS US launch at Harvard Bookstore tonight, 7PM
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 16 09Hey, Bostonites! I'll see you tonight at the Harvard Bookstore (1256 Mass Ave) at 7PM for the US launch of my new novel, Makers! (New Yorkers, and Philadelphians -- see you later this week!) US/Canada tour.
Sound-copying technology and countermeasures, 1890-1978
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 16 09Ed sez, "Here's an article from 1985 in the Association for Recorded Sound Collections Journal about record piracy in the 19th century.
Apple patents anti-user attention-complianceware
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 15 09Apple's filed a patent on a design for a device that won't let its owner use it unless that person demonstrates that she has complied with an advertiser's demands by paying attention to an ad and taking some action indicating her dutiful attention.
Cellphone contracts getting even better!
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 15 09Saul Hansell suggests that hated U.S. cellular carrier practices such as text message markups and fee-packed contracts ultimately give American consumers what they really want: predictable bills.
Hacklab.to's laser-cutter really *does* play the Mario Bros theme!
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 15 09I owe the Hacklab.to people an apology. Last spring I ran this post about how they'd tuned the motor on their laser cutter to play the Super Mario Theme as it repositioned itself, and I mentioned that it was too perfect, and wondered "if it's not just some video of a laser cutter with a flanged-out version of the theme cut into the soundtrack.
Homemade globe
Boing Boing Gadgets Nov 14 09Davesbit made his own globe using maps from the Generic Mapping Tools project; he used a beachball for a mold and cast the sphere with fiberglass and foam.
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