Category: Consumer Advice

Insurance pricing to change soon, warns AA

Posted by Nexus – 26/02/2011

[via bbc.co.uk]

Car insurance prices may fall for men but rise for women

The European Court of Justice is considering banning insurance companies from using gender to decide how much of a risk customers are.

If it does happen, it would mean young men would eventually see their premiums go down, and young women would end up paying extra.

But the AA is warning that, at least in the short-term, the confusion could lead to higher prices all round. At the minute, young women pay less because they are seen as safer drivers. Statistics show men in their late teens and early 20s are more likely to speed, to be involved in drink driving accidents, and to claim on their policies.

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Wikileaks cable reveals U.S. conspired to retaliate against European nations if they resisted GMOs

Posted by Nexus – 24/12/2010

[via naturalnews.com]

Wikileaks continues to rock the political world by shedding light on conspiracies, corruption and cover-ups. The latest batch of diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks reveals what can only be characterized as a U.S.-led conspiracy to force GMOs onto European countries by making those countries pay a steep price if they resist.

The cable reveals the words of Craig Stapleton, the US ambassador to France, who was pushing the commercial interests of the biotech industry by attempting to force GMOs into France. In his own words (below), he expresses his frustration with the idea that France might pass environmental laws that would hamper the expansion of GMOs:

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UK School Wants To Fingerprint Kids Who Take Out Library Books

Posted by Nexus – 31/05/2010

[via consumerist.com]

What’s your children’s privacy worth? Should they be subjected to fingerprinting just to take out a library book? That’s the question parents at a school in the UK are grappling with.

From the Telegraph:

Under the scheme, pupils swipe a bar code inside the book they want borrow then press their thumb on to a scanner to authorise the loan. Books are returned in the same way.The scheme is being trialled on junior classes at Higher Lane Primary in Whitefield, Bury, Greater Manchester.

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The People vs Murdoch

Posted by Nexus – 02/05/2010

In just a few days, Britain could elect an unprecedented coalition with a mandate for urgently-needed reform and the support of most voters – it’s democracy in action!

But a few partisan hacks want to hang onto politics as usual — and some of them own powerful tabloids. Hacks like billionaire Rupert Murdoch, whose Sun is pushing nasty hysteria about coalition government threatening Biblical disasters — working to ensure that Murdoch, not we voters, is the “kingmaker” in our country.

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Join The Class Action Against AT&T’s Slothly DSL Speeds

Posted by Nexus – 11/03/2010

[via consumerist.com]

A class action has been filed against AT&T DSL for being too slow. Specifically, the suit alleges that AT&T set the maximum rate customers could get at a level that was lower than the advertised rate. The company denies these claims but has opted to settle instead of going to court. You’re eligible to join if…

…you got AT&T DSL after March 31st 1994, and are either a current or former member. You have until July 1st to get on board.

To join and get more info, check out dslspeedsettlement.com.

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Why new hard disks might not be much fun for XP users

Posted by Nexus – 11/03/2010

[arstechnica.com]

A rather surprising article hit the front page of the BBC on Tuesday: the next generation of hard disks could cause slowdowns for XP users. Not normally the kind of thing you’d expect to be placed so prominently, but the warning it gives is a worthy one, if timed a bit oddly. The world of hard disks is set to change, and the impact could be severe. In the remarkably conservative world of PC hardware, it’s not often that a 30-year-old convention gets discarded. Even this change has been almost a decade in the making.

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ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan

Posted by Nexus – 10/03/2010

[via wsj.com]

Customs and Border Protection agent Jesus Gomez checks a passport at the vehicle crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California.

Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.

Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.

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100+ Google Tricks That Will Save You Time in School

Posted by Nexus – 01/03/2010

[via onlinecolleges.net]

With classes, homework, and projects–not to mention your social life–time is truly at a premium for you, so why not latch onto the wide world that Google has to offer? From super-effective search tricks to Google hacks specifically for education to tricks and tips for using Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, these tricks will surely save you some precious time.

Search Tricks

These search tricks can save you time when researching online for your next project or just to find out what time it is across the world, so start using these right away.

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Top 10 Free Ways To Discover New Music Online

Posted by Nexus – 28/02/2010

[via makeuseof.com]

Bored with your music and want to discover some new bands or singers? There are two main ways you can do that online. You can use services which create music maps, allowing you to explore artists similar in genre to the artists you already listen to. Or you can use music blogs and websites that showcase independent or up-and-coming artists, whether the music is being reviewed, or posted by the musicians themselves.

Some of these websites have a community built around them, which gives fans the opportunity to interact directly with these new talents.

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Top 5 Ways Not to Be Annoying on Twitter

Posted by Nexus – 27/02/2010

[via openforum.com]

Twitter is a perfect democratic forum: If people don’t like what you have to say, they can vote with their fingers. With a quick click, choosing the unfollow or block features, your feed is forever removed from their life.

However, for businesses small and large, the goal of Twitter and other social media tools is to build relationships, not tear them down. To master the fine art of friending followers, here are five ways to not be annoying.

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