Filed under: World wide web, Security, Utilities, Web services

If you’ve spent more than a few minutes on the internet, you probably know that it’s not usually a good idea to click on a link if you don’t know where it takes you. The last thing you need is to visit a site that wants to install malware on your PC. Or nearly as bad, a link that takes you to a site with explicit contact while you’re at work, or perhaps using your mother’s personal.

But popular URL-shortening services like TinyURL ask you to do exactly that: click on a link without really knowing where it will take you. Fortunately, TinyURL also offers a way to preview links before visiting them. All you’ve to do is visit TinyURL’s preview page and click “enable previews.” The service will add a cookie to your browser so that each time you click on a TinyURL link you’ll first be taken to a page showing the complete URL. You can click “disable previews” to remove the cookie if you don’t feel like going through a two step process each time you click on an abbreviated link in the future.

If you want to share a shortened link with others but make sure they always see the preview page, just add preview to the URL. For example, http://tinyurl.com/by8fm will take you to the Download Squad home page, while http://preview.tinyurl.com/by8fm will take you to a page letting you know that you’re about to visit the Download Squad home page.

[via the How-To Geek]

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Filed under: Industry, Consumer experience, Competitive strategy, Microsoft (MSFT), Sony Corp ADR (SNE)

Nintendo has done extraordinarily well with its Wii game console. The Wii regularly outsells Sony (NYSE: SNE)’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)’s Xbox 360. But, the most successful Nintendo product is the older DS which, according to The New York Times, outsold the Wii, 1.53 million units to 981,000, in November, based on sales figures compiled by NPD Group.

What makes the figure more interesting is that the Nintendo DS is three years old. The DS is compatible with older Nintendo games, but does not have the “hot” new features of current devices like HD TV playback.

The success of the DS may point to a “rotation” in the video game sector, and that is a movement away from pricey and complex machines that have multiple functions, high prices, and harder to understand features. Keep it easy, stupid.

It would make some sense that the market for big, complicated machines would be limited. Playing video games appears to be of interest to a broad section of the population, but reading 300-page instruction manuals probably isn’t.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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By Nora Dunn

So you bought an awesome thing-a-ma-jiggy or service with your credit card. But when you got it home you discovered the item doesn't work, the service was a heist, or the mail-order loot never arrived or it was the wrong item entirely. And now the merchant is not co-operating. Are you still required to pay off the item charged to your credit card?

The easy answer to this question is “no”. However there are some hoops to jump through before you can ignore paying off that item and anticipate not to deal with ensuing interest charges, fees, and ultimately credit score problems.

Federal law actually gives you the right to withhold credit card payment for defective products and services. Here are the rules:

• You must have a legitimate complaint about the item or service.
• You must make a good-faith effort to resolve the problem with the merchant directly. They must have refused to replace, repair, or otherwise resolve your problem (and keeping documented records of these attempts is highly recommended).
• You must explain to the credit card company in writing what the situation is and your intentions of withholding payment on the item. Keep copies of all correspondence.
• You can only withhold payment on the cost of the item (you can't get off the entire month's charges scott-free).
• The item or service must be worth more than $50.
• You must have purchased the loot in your home state or within 100 miles of your mailing address. (This gets sticky for mail ordered-goods, since the warehouse address might be within your state or 100-mile limit, but the merchant's processing office may not be).

Word to the Wise: Double Check Your Credit File

Although you are federally given the right to withhold payment under the above circumstances, the credit card issuer may still (negligently) file a report to the credit bureau regarding the outstanding balance, or fail to report that you disputed the charge or that the dispute was eventually resolved.

So check your credit report to ensure this information is correct and up to date once you have resolved a dispute.

Despite the red tape to sift through, this is yet another reason why using credit cards for buys can actually be a good thing when done responsibly and diligently. Hopefully you will never have to last the process above, but at least it is good to have options.

Permalink | Comments | Nora Dunn“>Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Credit Cards, Shopping

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