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It’s a SIMple problem, isn’t it?

May 25, 2005

INQ7 reports a strange phenomenon in the telecoms policy landscape — something in the order of the sun rising in the West.  A consumer group, TXT Power,  the telcos, and even some Congressmen, actually agree on something.  That thing is mandatory SIM registration. 

Apparently, Congress is considering legislation that will require all pre-paid cellphone users to register their contact information as a condition for providing service.  The consumer group, TXT Power, says this is a violation of the consumer’s right to privacy.  The telcos say, this is a costly process that will eat up into their meager resources and translate into higher costs for consumers.  Some congressment say, this is an administrative nightmare that shouldn’t be imposed on the NTC.

Despite this strange phenomenon, I have to say that I disagree with all of them. (more…)

Posted by JJ Disini at 6:58 am | permalink | comments[2]

A Laptop Warranty that Actually Works?

As a lawyer, I’ve always looked at warranties with a bit of skepticism.  Everything’s in the fine print and oftentimes, the exclusions to the warranties make them useless.  For example, many times you’ll hear a salesperson say, “It’s covered by a 3 year warranty.”  What they mean is:  if the thing breaks within three (3) years and you’re wiling to take the machine to our service center (a minimum of 2 hours’ drive from wherever you are), prove the date of purchase, bring your original receipt, and wait while we diagnose the problem, we’ll fix it for free —  in thirty (30) days and by the way,  you have to pay for the parts (if we have them, otherwise you’ll have to wait while re-order the spare and pay extra if you want us to hold this thing for you in the meantime).  Also, if you bought the machine outside our authorized dealer network, the warranty’s no good. 

When something breaks and you do the cost-benefit analysis, you’ll probably end up ahead if you just buy a new one.

So, I was a little concerned when the AC adapter to my IBM Thinkpad started sparking yesterday morning even after I pulled the plug from the wall outlet. Uh-oh, there goes my day. (more…)

Posted by JJ Disini at 6:30 am | permalink | comments[15]