When Alex just isn’t enough

Posted 17 Dec 2008

Daily Life, People | 2 Comments 

If any of you know anyone by the name of Alex, you may find this product useful, for those times when Alex just doesn’t cut it, and you need something more.*

*This is asserted without consideration for the particular way in which you find Alex to be falling short.

Extreme Denial of Warranty

Posted 16 Dec 2008

Daily Life, Design, The Little Things | 12 Comments 

I own a SanDisk MP3 player. It is a pretty good little MP3 player. Nothing too fancy. Nothing I have to worry about losing. Functional. I can imagine a few improvements for it, but overall it really answers my needs for music on the go.

One of the few issues I’ve found with the player is that the screws that hold the device together tend to fall out. After normal usage, the tiny screws which attach the back-plate to the faceplate start to come loose. This process is exacerbated by activities that I would still consider normal use for MP3 players, for example, going for a run.

After owning the player for just a month and running with it about five days a week, one of the screws fell out and I wasn’t able to find it. I contacted SanDisk, which still held the player under warranty, and I was a little stunned by their response.

Note: To read a larger, more legible version, please click on the scan of the letter.

They are claiming that the screws are “accessories” to the player!  Really???

But they are an understanding company, so they go ahead and extend me the gracious offer of sending me some of the missing screws. Unfortunately, they then qualify that with the statement that the replacement parts may not come soon, or ever. With a qualifier like that, they can promise just about anything can’t they?

Note: As you can see from the date on the SanDisk response, these emails occurred in mid-July, so it has been about six-months and no replacement screws have arrived. I guess it is high-time I just go buy some from the store myself.

Cycling your way to a tax break

Posted 15 Dec 2008

Commuting, Daily Life | 3 Comments 

In the newpaper today I saw an article about a tax break that will be available to Americans who ride their bikes to work.  Starting January 1st, 2008 there will be some sort of “cash back” given to people who use their bike regularly to get to work.  Now, no details about how this plan is to be implemented were available in this article, but that’s not the point of this post. I just want to know, why won’t people who walk to work get a tax break too?

When scams go good

Posted 12 Dec 2008

Commuting, Daily Life | Leave a Comment 

Today I took my bicycle out to on the icy streets of Chicago. With several inches of snow and some frozen rain over the last few days I was concerned of that I was running the risk of sliding all over the place and wiping out, but it turned out to be not much of an adventure at all.

Perhaps because of the lack of snow-related excitement, my mind got to wandering, and I thought about whether one could put “snow chains” on bike tires, to improve a bike’s wintertime traction.

After thinking about it for a bit I decided that the idea was unfeasible, and unlikely to work well, but I did think it could be a great opportunity to sell these chains online and scam overzealous bikers who thought they’d really help. When I got home I looked up “snow chains for bikes” online and lo-and-behold several companies already sell the product. If we’re to believe the testimonials, they work pretty well too!

So much for my brilliant scam idea.

I am curious how the devices handle spots where the ice has melted. Do the metal spikes get smashed or dulled by riding on concrete? Do they make a terrible sound if you try riding on anything but snow or mud?

Too good for you

Posted 11 Dec 2008

Commuting, Daily Life, Signs | 3 Comments 

An autobody repair shop advertisement in San Francisco, California:

So, what do they mean by it is “too good“?

(1) The repair shop is too good for you and your shoddy car?

(2) The repairs are too good to be true, and although your bumper appears in mint-condition following the repair, it will break into five pieces the instant you leave the shop?

This made me think back to an earlier post about realistic marketing approaches, and I wonder where this falls on the spectrum.