A quick review of two wildly different on-line shopping experiences I had yesterday and today. As always, use this only as my personal experience and maybe a guide, understanding that Your Millage May Vary.

The Good

Toward the end of last month, I bought a motherboard/CPU combo from Geeks.com, a surplus/closeout dealer I’ve used quite a bit in the past to save money by building things myself. When I was ordering, they had a sale on a VoIP (Voice-over-IP) telephone handset; $40 with a $40 rebate, ends up being free other than shipping. Never one to turn down a good deal (especially after already ordering something else anyway), I added one to my cart. (This explains my question about Skype a few days ago, more replies from folks knowledgable in the area would be appreciated.)
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From Ars Technica: HBO wants its programming to be off-limits for DVRs

HBO wants to use the broadcast flag to make sure you can’t record the service on your TiVO. One of Eric Bangeman’s conclusions may sound familiar to those of you who read this space regularly: “But at its heart, its about finding new ways to monetize the content. And by ‘monetize the content,’ I mean ‘charge you multiple times for the same thing.’ Remember that as the analog hole and future broadcast flag legislation makes its way through Congressional committees, and be sure to let the FCC, your senators, and your congressperson know how you feel about HBO’s proposed changes.”