Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

I honked at guy yesterday that had a bumper sticker reading: “If you are not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”  That pretty much sums out the last week.  I dedicate this Who’s on Crack to everyone fighting the man!  “The Man” has been hard at work this week, here’s what caught my eye:

• Best Buy = Best FAIL
• China hates Chad Vader?
• April Fools’ Worm is hungry
• Facebook just messes with us
• Surveys - Hate ‘em

Best Buy trying to stick it to us.  Again.

Perhaps we know why Best Buy’s last quarter was so rosy (by comparison): they are trying to deceive us out of money.  Our Natesh Sood posted that Best Buy in New York would stand for trial in a class action suit that says the company did not follow its price matching policy.  More than that, employees that denied these price matching requests received bonuses for doing so.

Let’s face it, for those of us addicted to gadgets, Best Buy is like a Crack*Mart.  Aisle upon aisle of shiny new gadgets, most out for you to geek-handle.  Playing games with supporters of your business is not a good move.  Don’t make us march on you.  Don’t make us chain ourselves to your store.  Cut this stuff out or we’ll turn on you.  Look what we did to Office Depot.  Geeks will unite (you know, when we get over our social issues.  OK, perhaps at best we’ll Tweet bad things about you).

Resistance is futile, silly China

I am not a YouTube junkie but I enjoy Chad Vader.  How could you not?  Take some guy who believes he is Darth Vader from Star Wars that works at Empire Grocery.  Fantastic!  Now add drama and laughs and you’ve got Chad Vader.  Sue Walsh posted on China’s banning of the Internet’s favorite user generated video site YouTube.

Perhaps China believes that Chad ought to be running the store, since he is most powerful?  Maybe it has nothing to do with Chad, but countries banning things is bad in my book.  Today’s equivalent of book-banning, is just plain wrong.  Keeping your people from seeing Obama Girl or Dinosaurs: Before they were Fuel is criminal.

Let the people speak.  Let them (try to) act.  Let them create odd, funky dances and video it.  Let them dress up as a Star Wars character trying to create a new laser scan system.  Don’t make us Twitter about you too.

Conficker Worm set to strike?

And if government intrusion isn’t enough to make you made, how about a few of our geek-brethren creating an awesome worm that will wreak havoc on us on April Fools’ Day?  We don’t even know what havoc we are talking about but you should “probably” be OK if your patches are up to date.  Awesome.

Our Jodie Andrefski posts a nerve-rattling look at the prospects of what this thing could do and the ease it can move about in your system.  Sweet.

Seriously, I am calling Jodie up when I want to hear a ghost stories, because I am a bit freaked out now.  Thanks.

Facebook changes it up/screws it up depending on where you stand.

Facebook redesigned its users homepage much to the outcry of users prompting 1.7 million of them to sign a petition to get the old page back.  Facebook made this move to compete with the buzz around Twitter as of late and to help keep the site relevant and cutting edge.

As a response to the outcry, Facebook blogged that they are going to add some controls for users to control more of what they see.  This slight giveback didn’t appease the people, as they just want to go back to the old days.  Unfortunately, Facebook’s growth curve and the 1.7 million, while a lofty figure is only a small fraction of users.  Looks like the new appearance is here to stay.

Stupid Surveys

I hate being bested by a give-a-way.  Apparently I am somewhat competitive and hate having my posts shamed by the response you all have given to our survey that offers to enter you to win a cavalcade of amazing prizes (an Xbox 360).  Sure, sure everyone loves free stuff but more than say a “Who’s on Crack” post?  I don’t want to believe it.

Plus parting with valuable info for a 5,000 to 1 long shot seems well.  Wouldn’t you rather call me a name (even if just in your head) than part with revealing your ethnicity or household income?  Seriously, are we not put into enough boxes by advertisers???

I get that times are tough and we need to supply advertisers reasons to give Gadgetell their money so they can sell you readers stuff.  But, here’s another way: leave a comment to this post with what agitates you in tech.  Is it blue-screens of death?  Is it the Apple-Tax?  Is it the fast pace that your stuff gets obsoleted? 

Let us know and we’ll go knock on some doors and present the solutions.  No revealing and quite possibly embarrassing answers needed.