Tag: FWWTW

Who Won The Week

Who Won the Week (22 November 2020)

I always liked Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, and like to join in with some quirky stories from my own newsfeeds. All from our unique vantage points, the idea is to pick something (a person, organisation, anything) which “won” the week.

Gonna take you back a few years this week. Do you remember “BatteryGate”?

Apple deliberately made its old iPhone models run slower. There’s no “allegedly” about this. Apple claimed it was to ensure that these old phones’ batteries weren’t stressed, consumers claimed it was to force them to buy an upgrade.

The phones affected were the 6, 7 and SE – Apple started throttling them silently, in 2016, and the effect was first confirmed by researchers the next year.

Now, pissed-off users have already brought a class-action lawsuit against Apple, which was settled in March of this year. It is thought that the settlement will cost Apple up to $500 million.

But on top of this, 33 states filed another lawsuit, which argued that Apple had acted deceptively, and that the move was deliberately made to try to force users to upgrade. If there was a problem with ageing batteries, then surely the right thing to do would be to offer replacement batteries?

The reason I bring this up now is because this week, those 33 states settled with Apple. The settlement will cost Apple $113 million, but specifically, Apple did not admit to any wrongdoing, or to breaking any laws.

So, without a shadow of a doubt, this week’s winner is Apple, who get to continue trading without a badge of “cheat” hanging around their neck.

I took two things from this case.

First, in the grand scheme of things, what is $113 million? Chicken feed, a fighter jet with some change to spare, or about 1% of the cost of a single aircraft carrier (the US runs eleven of them). Surely, if you are a state, if your role is to protect the interests of your consumer-residents, the thing which changes Apple’s behaviour most effectively is that reputational hit? That they did, indeed, deceive people? So why not hold out for your day in court?

Second, all you Apple users out there might wish to reconsider whether this is a company you wish to be associated yourselves with. The only reason they are billionaires is because you pay their wages.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54996601

Who Won the Week (15 November 2020)

I always liked Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, and like to join in with some quirky stories from my own newsfeeds. All from our unique vantage points, the idea is to pick something (a person, organisation, anything) which “won” the week.

Health? Wealth? Good fortune? We all want some of that, right?

This is exactly what was promised to Laeek Khan, a doctor, yes DOCTOR, in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India – when fraudsters sold Dr Khan an ALADIN’S LAMP.

Somebody would have to be really dumb to fall for that, I hear you think. Yes, I can hear you think! But to seal the deal, one of the two fraudsters rubbed the lamp, while the other appeared to Dr Khan as a very convincing genie!

The fraudsters eventually sold the lamp to Dr Khan for 15 million rupees, about USD 200,000, but Khan only parted with a downpayment of $40,000 before he got suspicious and called the police. Police arrested two suspects, with a third still at large.

The thing I found most hilarious about the incident is that the police are quoted as believing that several other families have been similarly affected. Presumably they, at least, had the good sense to be too embarrassed to come forward?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-54759863

image copyrightUttar Pradesh police

Who Won the Week (8 November 2020)

I always liked Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, and like to join in with some quirky stories from my own newsfeeds. All from our unique vantage points, the idea is to pick something (a person, organisation, anything) which “won” the week.

My winner of the week, without a shadow of a doubt, is Donald Trump, because at the time of writing, 70,812,514 (Associated Press) other people share his vile vision of the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that Biden won but my concern is that this many Trump-disciples exist.

I fear that the US has a way to go before it leaves its Dark Ages. Yesterday I read one blog post stating that Biden’s victory had “unified” America – their choice of word, I think, could have been better. It is these 70 million people who need to be defeated, not Trump. That work has just begun.

Who Won the Week (1 November 2020)

I always liked Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, and like to join in with some quirky stories from my own newsfeeds. All from our unique vantage points, the idea is to pick something (a person, organisation, anything) which “won” the week.

Fed up hearing about Biden and Trump?

Even in the UK we are fed up with hearing about the US presidential election, so heaven knows how bad it must be in the USA.

But one company has come to the rescue. Hotels.com are giving one lucky person the chance to live under their very ovn rock for the week! In fact this is a man-made cave, fifty feet underground, which has been hewn out of the rock in New Mexico, near the town of San Juan.

As you can see, the cave has electricity throughout. It also boasts running water, wi-fi, TV and a kitchen which includes microwave and refrigerator.

Still not convinced? Well, maybe the price will temp you? The cave was available at the “presidential rate” of a mere $5/night, with a discount of 20% being offered to early-bird bookings.

And, if you feel that life in a cave for a week might get a little… boring, never fear. In addition to the doorstep attraction of… hiking, if you’re prepared to travel that bit farther you can treat yourself to a round of golf (only a few miles away), or you’re only 10 miles away from San Juan’s (pop 592) casino, for that added pizzazz!

Full details, including several more images, here. Looks lovely!

Who Won the Week (18 October 2020)

I always liked Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, and like to join in with some quirky stories from my own newsfeeds. All from our unique vantage points, the idea is to pick something (a person, organisation, anything) which “won” the week.

A real winner this week.

My award goes to a man who decided to break into a garage near his home in Sunderland, UK. While most of us would say “garage? why bother? this intrepid thief not only broke in, but stole £150-worth of… cleaning equipment! For those of you who work in other currencies, $ and € are roughly the same.

Unfortunately, during the burglary, he also managed to leave behind a rucksack. The rucksack held various personal items belonging to Malcolm Pyke, including letters which cpntained both his name and his address, and leading the police straight to him. And to the cleaning equipment, which they saw immediately on entering Pyke’s home.

After what was described by police as a “crime spree” by a “prolific thief”, Pyke admitted this burglary, plus one other, plus an offence of stealing clothes from a washing line! He was sentenced last week to four years in prison.

https://news.sky.com/story/bungling-burglar-who-left-name-and-address-at-crime-scene-jailed-12104077