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Posted
Sep 28 2009, 11:26 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from James Limbach at partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.
The vast majority of U.S. drivers believes handheld texting while driving is very dangerous and should be banned nationwide, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates on behalf of the Ford Motor Co., found that 86% of U.S. drivers believe handheld texting while driving is "very dangerous" and 93% support a nationwide ban on it.
At the same time, only 42% of those asked think drivers would stop texting behind the wheel if the practice were banned. However, more than 75% say there would be more compliance if hands-free or voice-activated technologies were widely available.
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Posted
Sep 14 2009, 05:04 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Truman Lewis at partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.
For years, health researchers have expressed concerns about the widespread use of cell phones, especially by children. Finally, more than a decade after a test funded by the cell phone industry showed a possible link between cell phones and cancer, the U.S. Senate held hearings on the question.
"I will still use my cell phone after the hearing ends," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said, but added in a more serious moment that he did not want to overlook the nation's experience with cigarettes, which were touted as harmless and even helpful for decades after the first indications that they might cause health problems.
The saving grace for the cell phone industry -- for now anyway -- is that the devices have been in widespread use for only the last 10 years or so, which researchers say may not be long enough to get a complete picture of their health effects.
But with an estimated 270 million Americans using cell phones, National Institutes of Health associate director John Bucher said the nation faces a "potentially significant health problem." Studies so far have been inconclusive, partly because of the time element and partly because they rely on users' memories of when and how often they used their wireless devices.
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Posted
Jul 29 2009, 02:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Sorry, folks, but sometimes lawmakers do need to legislate against stupidity. Is there no better example than DWT -- driving while texting?
We weren't surprised that some of our readers found it difficult to believe that talking on a cell phone -- handheld or hands-free -- is more distracting to a driver than talking to a person who is sitting in the car. But could anyone really think that DWT is safe?
Common sense screams that it's not, and the newest evidence just confirms the obvious. Surely you've read about the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that found that a driver who is texting is 23 times more likely to crash or have a near crash than drivers who are actually paying attention to the road. Also, according to The New York Times:
In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices -- enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.
Equipped with this new information, four U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would require states to ban driving while texting or e-mailing within two years or lose a quarter of their federal highway funds "each year until the money was depleted," The New York Times says.
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Posted
Jul 21 2009, 12:56 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.
Since 2003, the government has known that drivers talking on cell phones experience the same potentially deadly distraction whether they are using a handheld device or hands-free technology, records obtained by consumer advocacy groups Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety show.
By keeping this information secret from the public for the past six years, the government has endangered even more lives, the groups said.
Cities and states across the country have passed laws and ordinances requiring drivers to use hands-free phones, mistakenly believing those devices to be safe and encouraging drivers to use them.
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Posted
Jun 18 2009, 11:14 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Martin H. Bosworth at partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.
When Apple introduced its souped-up iPhone 3GS earlier this month at bargain prices of $199 for the 16-gigabyte model and $299 for the 32 GB, fans flocked to upgrade -- but many found they'd have to pay an extra $200.
Irate customers flooded tech blogs, social networks, and both AT&T and Apple discussion forums demanding the upgrade discounts be readjusted. AT&T, the exclusive carrier for iPhones in the U.S., has relented -- after a fashion.
According to AT&T's official statement, "We're now pleased to offer our iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade-eligible in July, August or September 2009 our best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18."
"We invite you to come to our stores beginning Friday during normal store hours, although please be aware that customer demand may exceed supply in some of our stores. You may also preorder online," the company added.
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Posted
Jun 10 2009, 07:02 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This guest post comes from Jason at Frugal Dad.
My grandfather grew up in a rural setting during the Great Depression, and for much of his young life had no running water or electricity. Actually, he jokes that they did have running water -- he ran to the well with a bucket and ran back. During particularly lean summer months, he didn't even have shoes.
Because my parents divorced when I was a young boy, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents while my mom was busy trying to provide for us as a single mom with no support. My grandfather shared many stories about his youth -- some good ones, and some that made you feel for him and his eight brothers and sisters (and his parents). He often jokes that he doesn't know why people refer to those times as "the good ol' days," because there wasn't much good about them.
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Posted
May 21 2009, 05:34 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
How many ways is your iPhone saving you money? If you've overlooked its personal-finance potential, David at My Two Dollars lists 10 PF applications he's trying out.
David Weliver at Money Under 30 topped My Two Dollars' David with a list of his 16 favorite money-management iPhone apps. Banking, buying stocks and tracking your spending are just the beginning. The only finance activity these apps can't do is make money grow on trees. And many are free or dirt cheap.
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Posted
May 11 2009, 05:08 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from J.D. Roth at partner blog Get Rich Slowly.
Recently, I spoke with personal-finance writer Greg Karp about how young adults can save money. We brainstormed ideas for one of his upcoming newspaper columns. "I'm willing to bet that many young people can save money by cutting back on their cell phone," I said. "It's kind of shocking how these have become a need instead of a want."
"Yeah," Karp said. "And what about prepaid phones?"
"I don't know anything about them," I said.
"They're great," Karp said. "My wife and I are saving hundreds of dollars a year by switching to prepaid phones. I'll send you a link to an article I wrote."
It turns out that Karp is something of a prepaid phone evangelist. But no wonder. In this piece from last December, he describes the benefits of switching two cell phones in his household to prepaid:
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Posted
Apr 09 2009, 08:17 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Julie Rains at partner blog Wise Bread.
I had been thinking about shedding my land line for a while. I was attached to the convenience for a long time and, more recently, unlimited calls for one price in the United States. What I wanted most from a land line, though, was reliability; but, for me, neither the cable company nor the traditional bell company could deliver. So, after more than four decades, I cut the cord.
Here's how I'm getting along without a regular phone:
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Posted
Mar 09 2009, 05:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
You've found an item you want to buy at the store, but is it cheaper somewhere else? Just zap the barcode with your cell phone. It will tell you where to find the best price -- both online and off.
Forget that old yellow pages ad. In this day and age, let your smartphone do the walking.
"Unless you are shopping for your first smartphone, you should probably be shopping with a smartphone," wrote Roy Furchgott at The New York Times' Gadgetwise blog. "Several apps are designed to scour the Web and make price comparisons to help make sure you are getting the best bargain."
How dependable are these shopping assistants?
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