Tag: RECESSION

Ponder, for a moment, this photo of a field in Manor, Texas. Outside Jennie Lane SmartPark, which is also the home to the town's farmers' market, hangs a large QR code that directs both residents and curious passersby to this website, which gives a brief history of the land and its re-dedication from "park" to "SmartPark." The SmartPark now boasts free Wi-Fi and "technology training classes," all ...

In celebration of 'A New Hope,' whose 35th birthday is next year, the always anniversary-conscious George Lucas will unveil all six of his beloved 'Star Wars' films on Blu-ray. Lucas, who personally announced the 2011 release plans at the recent Celebration V event, promised that the new editions would be formatted with the "highest picture and audio quality," along with extended special features. ...

Remember when, not too long ago, "guru" was one of those corporate words du jour? We had "Web gurus" and "customer service gurus" and inspiration-gurus-at-large. These self-styled titles were hot like UGGs, and fell out of vogue almost as quickly. [Ed. Note: Yes. Out of vogue. Dead. Kaput.] Well, now people have taken to "ninja" as the cool new nom de whatever, and it's a broad enough trend that ...

In case you forgot, much of the world is mired in an economic recession. Believe it or not, a lot of folks aren't thrilled with the prospect of civilization as we know it crumbling into chaos, and they're starting to let the big banks know it. According to BBC News, over a three-month period, a hacker known as "Neo" stole documents that detailed the confidential financial records of about 1,000 ...

Share The Great Recession may be showing signs of recovery, but with unemployment rates still exorbitantly high and people continuing to face foreclosures, lots of us are still taking a financial beating. So, if you count yourself among the many still suffering from the Recession Blues, you might want to take a page out of Jason Paul's book -- and live on Craigslist. As Jason Kottke writes, ...

With Christmas fast approaching, we recently compiled a list of 70 Geeky Gifts Under $70, and unbelievably, we recently found a laptop that narrowly missed the cut. According to Techland, Cherrypal has released what might be the cheapest laptop on the planet. The 7-inch Cherrypal Africa costs a very frugal $99. But be aware, you're not getting the biggest, fastest, or most efficient machine ...

Faced with a prolonged business slump, the airline industry has been cutting corners for the better part of a decade now -- much to the disgruntlement of passengers. Perhaps the most frustrating penny-pinching measure has been the reduction in seat size, a move aimed at squeezing more people on-board and thus marginally boosting revenue. Though it makes the average traveler feel more like a ...

Warren Buffett was smart enough to become one of the richest, most powerful men on Earth, but the septuagenarian just can't seem to work his cell phone. As Time magazine reporter Karen Tumulty tells the story, Buffett's inability to check his voice mail had some serious economic consequences. In September of last year, Buffett received a phone call from Bob Diamond, head of Barclays Capital, ...

A mere 15 years ago, job hunting required serious work. The unemployed and the discontent were forced to endure extensive letter writing, cold calling, and frequent trips to the copy store to create professional resumes. Don't even get us started on job fairs. The Internet age has completely altered that job-hunting dynamic; faxing a resume to everyone in the yellow pages, scouring paper ...

Providing further evidence that nothing is, in fact, sacred, Lavonne Drummond, a single mother of six in Arkansas, has decided to auction off the right to name her forthcoming baby on eBay. "You can name him annything [sic] like after a loved one, a departed one, or any great boy name!" reads the auction listing. "I have no job or any source of income so my sister pays for my rent, my phone ...

Coffee shops, typically welcoming refuges for lonely bloggers, Web entrepreneurs, and monetarily-challenged job hunters, are turning away laptop users and implementing restrictions on computer time during prime business hours. According to the Wall Street Journal, an increasing number of New York coffee shops are covering their electrical outlets, requiring customers to actually eat something or ...

Question: I need a new digital camera. But since money is tight these days, I can't spend much over $100. Is there a camera around that price that's worth any money at all? Our Advice: Yes. These days, most camera makers sell surprisingly capable point-and-shoots for just over $100. At that price, you won't get the latest and greatest photo technology. But you will get an inexpensive ...

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2009/07/27/revenue-drop-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-microsoft-say-some-pu/'; After years of pulling in money hand-over-fist, Microsoft last week announced that its revenue declined 17-percent over the last year. The software giant blamed the decline in sales of PCs, but many Internet pundits think the pioneering company may actually be on the decline. The ...

It's no secret that folks are trying to pinch every penny they can these days -- even bigwigs like Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, who incidentally is no stranger to cutting costs in unique ways. (Remember, this is the guy who wanted to charge overweight passengers extra and make folks pay to use the airplane toilet.) O'Leary is about to add one more idea to his 'cost-cutting greatest hits.' ...

Gamers might be a little lighter in their wallets these days, but that's not stopping them from playing till their fingers fall off. Not only are gamers spending more time in front of the television, they're getting more bang for their buck, too. A recent Nielsen study, called 'The Value Gamer: Play and Purchase Behavior in a Recession,' found that the number of hours people have spent playing ...