Daily Dose of Common Sense

Technology can be overwhelming, no doubt about it. But if anything, that should make you more eager to do your homework before buying, not less. Otherwise, you will get ripped off.

So, why is it that so many otherwise wary consumers, who would smack down a car dealer trying to sell them “serial number glass etching”, get duped into buying expensive computer and A/V cables they don’t need? Because we fear what we don’t understand.

Cables are one of the highest margin items any electronics or office retailer sells. That 10 foot Ethernet patch cord at the office superstore that costs $18? Well, it works no better than one you can buy on-line for $3 (or less), and both are quite likely to have been made in the same factory in China. Likewise for USB.

Cables for your new flat screen TV can be even more overpriced, because now you are contending with marketing-driven brands. There’s no doubt these high-priced cables are engineered superbly, but there’s also no doubt they are overkill when compared to a no-name cable that meets the same specifications but doesn’t have to cover the cost for throwing expensive parties in Hollywood.

Even the moderately overpriced cables are a rip-off. When I recently received a flat-screen TV as a gift, I only had the cables to hook it up like my old TV, low-def analog. The local electronics shops had 6-foot HDMI (combined digital video & audio) cables for no less than $50, with the cool brands costing over $100.

By resisting the (admittedly HUGE) temptation to buy them on the spot, I was able to get very nice, good spec, gold-plated cables from a well-known web retailer (whose 2-day free-shipping plan I’m on) for $6. That is not a typo. For three cables my decision to wait saved me at least $150.

The key, of course, is being able to wait. Like the convenience store that charges double or triple for a bottle of soda, retailers count on you needing the cable right now.

So, when you are researching your next computer or electronics purchase, don’t forget to look into the cables you’ll need as well. With the money you save, you can order a spare (I didn’t need that 3rd HDMI cable) AND pay for dinner. Nothing goes with a new flat-screen TV like free take-out.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Mathieu Ramage

Wouldn’t it be nice not have to lunge for the remote when the commercial break starts? Television ads are loud and can be jarring, especially if you aren’t expecting the jump in volume. Well, we aren’t the only ones who have noticed.

There is currently legislation moving through Congress that would limit the volume of TV ads. If it passes, the law would stipulate that commercials be no louder than the average decibels of the program in which they appear. (The current rule allows ads to broadcast at the highest volume peak of the program.)

Broadcasters say they are aware of the problem and are working on their own plan to limit ad volume. But, this isn’t exactly a new gripe from viewers. The industry has had years and years to implement their own solution. And yet, commercials are still louder than they should be, which forces people to find ways around seeing them. Services like DVR, Hulu, and TiVo are gaining in popularity because they allow consumers to minimize–or skip altogether–the annoyingly loud commercials that interrupt television shows. If the ads were tolerable, perhaps more viewers would stick with broadcast television.

Regular watchers of Oprah turn to the host for advice on what to buy, eat, read, and watch. And, while it’s harmless fun to see clips from the latest Will Smith movie, it’s a different story when some of her advice might cause serious injury.

Newsweek just published an excellent article called Why Health Advice on ‘Oprah’ Could Make You Sick. The writer questions some of the advice given out on Oprah’s show, such as Suzanne Somers’ homegrown hormone regimen and Jenny McCarthy’s “vaccines cause autism” campaign, because no science has been able to back these theories up. Then, there’s the “lunch time” facelift and Thermage, a procedure claiming tighter skin through radio waves. Both fell out of favor after it was revealed they had major downsides and questionable results. These are just a few examples of misinformation covered in the article.

Some of the many experts who cross her stage offer interesting and useful information (props to you, Dr. Oz). Others gush nonsense. Oprah, who holds up her guests as prophets, can’t seem to tell the difference. She has the power to summon the most learned authorities on any subject; who would refuse her? Instead, all too often Oprah winds up putting herself and her trusting audience in the hands of celebrity authors and pop-science artists pitching wonder cures and miracle treatments that are questionable or flat-out wrong, and sometimes dangerous.

Television can blur the lines between entertainment and science. Viewers should remember that Oprah is more concerned with the first than the second. So, don’t take health advice from talk shows. Do the research yourself and talk to your own doctors.