Friday Freebies: Windows registry cleaner

Here it is:

Top FTC consumer complaint: identity theft #1

More than 26% of all complaints the agency received in 2008, related to identity theft.  Next was creditor debt collection services at 9%  (Complaints like the sick kid who kept getting collector calls?).  Florida provided a list of its top consumer complaints and had a very different list.  The number one complaint related to the “Do not call” phone registery.

Here is the complete FTC list

Blogs courtesy of your federal government

The Bush administration viewed the Internet as a necessary evil, something that needed to be placated while the Obama adminstration sees the Internet as a key component to its success not only in getting out its message but interacting with citizens, providing accountability, building trust and delivering services.

To this end, I think this page of government blogs will seem antiquated pretty soon but its a start.  Could the government start leading again on Internet innovation now that we have a President who sees the web as a critical and ever-expanding component of our daily lives?

Big northern CA landlord hit with class action

JCM Partners is a landlord owning more than forty apartment complexes and more than five thousand rental units.  They are being sued along with several of its officers and directors under federal RICO class action laws in California Federal Court. 

The main claims made in the suit are that JCM Partners require late fee payments that are illegal under California law, that they withhold security deposits for late fees illegally, that they don’t inspect vacated apartments so that tenant get their deposits back within the 21 day provision required by California law and that they illegally charge for normal wear and tear.  Most interestingly, they are claiming the defendants violated anti-racketeering laws by conspiring through the fraudulent use of the U.S. mail. 

Complaint courtesy Courthousenews

Layoffs update: 2/26/09

Akeena Solar loss widens, 20 jobs cut

Chase to cut 14,000 jobs as it braces for losses

Cisco cuts several hundred jobs

Cirrus Design lays off 52 workers

Macerich cutting 142 jobs

Home Depot to lay off 580 in Florida

Miami University to cut 216 positions

Longaberger cuts another 295 jobs

Another 215 layoffs planned at Kulicke & Soffa

Waukesha Foundry laying off 45 workers

WETA cuts 13% of staff

Eclipse headed toward chapter 7 liquidation, all 800 employees laid off

FCC pushing telecoms to disclose privacy info

FCC looks to impose more than $12 million in fines on 600 telecoms that didn’t file paperwork in 2008 documenting how they protect their customers’ private information.    It seems that many phone companies and Internet providers blew the agency off in 2007.  Now as the March 1st deadline for disclosing this information for 2008 approaches, they might reconsider that strategy.

Article

Laptop stolen to check Facebook

Has the Facebook obsession finally gone too far?  19-year-old Cory Kinney stole  the $4,000 computer from a Starbucks coffee store in the town of Ellenton, near Tampa after being told by the owner he couldn’t use it to view his Facebook account.

The suspect’s quote upon being arrested suggests he had a more noble goal in mind.  ” [He] just wanted to do a crime that did not hurt anyone”.

Article

Chase sued in CA for changing credit card terms

Here is another suit against Chase filed in Central California Federal District Court.  Like the others the plaintiff here claims that late last year the bank announce it would be charging him a $10 service fee as well as requiring a higher monthly fee, changing the amount owed from 2% of outstanding debt to 5%

Complaint courtesy Girard Gibbs

Layoff updates: 02/25/09

Express-News announces job cuts

Elan to cut 115 jobs in South S.F.

Trubion to lay off 25

CSX lays off 57 in Maryland

Stanley Furniture cuts 100 jobs

Nortel to cut another 3,200 jobs

Fox6 WBRC cuts 10 jobs

Dow Corning to cut 800 jobs worldwide

Scientology critic arrested at church compound

Mark Bunker a long-time Scientology critic was at the church’s Hemet compound yesterday to speak at a Riverside County Board of Supervisor’s meeting regarding a restrictive ordinance the County is trying to pass in order to restrict protests at the Scientology compound.  I posted about the ordinance here.   Afterwards, Mr. Bunker was on his way to a protest when he was arrested.   Mr. Bunker also believes there links between Riverside County Board of Supervisor Chairman Jeff Stone and Scientology.

Here is a link to an excellent article with video and other links related to this issue.