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Thursday, February 26, 2004Other Dates

Web sites/phone numbers mentioned:

netzero.com - alternatives to AOL
latimes.com - Investing 101
nfcc.org - when close to bankruptcy
idtheftcenter.org - help with identity theft

Singapore Airlines makes room for recreati

Clark loves to travel, as you may know. But sometimes long flights can wear on his body. He likes to get up and walk around during long flights to keep the blood flow moving. In fact, people have died or been seriously injured because blood clots form when they sit in a seat for too long. It’s referred to as “couch class syndrome.” But one airline – often considered the world’s best airline – is taking great steps to remedy this problem. Singapore Airlines, which flies the longest flight in existence, has created a recreation area on its plane. The flight from Los Angeles to Singapore is 19 hours long. To give passengers a break, the company has taken seats out of the airplane to create this space for this recreation area. They have also created more space in rows for passengers. Giving up space for customers may lose revenue in the short term, but it’s really smart in the long run. American Airlines did not increase revenue when it increased leg room for passengers, so the company went back to its old, more cramped model. And, in general, airlines think it’s not a smart business decision. But Clark commends Singapore Air for thinking of its customers. It will eventually attract more and more passengers for this reason. The airline has also made fruit and snacks available to passengers. So, way to go Singapore Air! In other airline news, Virgin Atlantic is going to offer Internet chat rooms on its planes. British Airways, on the other hand, will soon start an “advanced coach” section with a bit more legroom and better service. As these flights get longer and longer, companies need to think about the fact that we are human beings – not cargo.

How many credit cards do you have?

How many credit cards do you have? Clark carries two personal credit cards and three corporate cards. He’s happy with the number. According to CardWeb, the average person is carrying 4.5 cards. Of those, how many do you use often? Clark does not use the three corporate cards very often because technically they’re not his. Joni, on the other hand, has five cards that she uses often. She’s come a long way, though. She used to have 17 cards. If you have three cards but you only use two, take that third one out of your wallet and leave it at home. Why? If your wallet or purse is stolen, you’ve brought all kinds of problems into your life unnecessarily. Take some time to clear out your wallet or purse and lower your risk.

"Do Not e-Mail" scam and "phishers"

Clark has a consumer warning for you about a spam scam that is tricking people. The scamsters send out something called the “Do Not E-mail” registry that arrives under the address “unsub.us.” People see the “us” in the address and they think it’s legit or somehow from the government. So, people go to the site and register, which leads to incredible amounts of more spam. You are basically confirming your address by registering. The FBI wants you to know that e-mail “phishers” have become so good at tricking us that people are giving up their personal and financial information without batting an eye. More than half of all complaints to the FBI’s Internet crime center are from people who have gotten duped into giving out this information. What you need to know is that your bank, credit card company or ISP will never ask you for account information in an e-mail. So, don’t answer. Anytime you get an e-mail with a Web site that looks similar to your bank or credit card, it’s probably a fake site. About 60 million of these e-mails go out each month, and more than 1,000 a month are giving out their personal information.

Spray-on tans becoming fashion trend

It’s been a long and unusually cold winter in many parts of the country. And people have started going to tanning salons to get a jump on their spring tans. These “fake and bake” booths are very dangerous to your health, and Clark would like to see them banned. The long-term consequences are so bad for you, but people continue to do it. Thankfully, there is an alternative that doesn’t have any of the dangerous side effects of the tanning booths. It’s the spray-on tans you may have heard about, and the FDA says the ingredients in the spray are just fine. The official name is DHA, and the price varies from $15 to $30 a session. It’s kind of like a human car wash because the spray moves up and down your body, and you don’t shower for several hours after to let the color sink in. It’s supposed to be the next big trend in “fashion,” so we’ll see what happens.

Pilot-less cars and affordable private jets

What would you do if you could snap your finger and your car just drove up to you? Or, what if your car is a pilot-less vehicle that parks itself? You could sit back, read a book and relax while your car drove you. That is the idea behind robotic transportation, which is very much a possibility in our future. There will soon be a test of these cars in the Mojave Desert sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a federal outfit. The purpose for the test is to see if these robotic cars and gadgets can be used in war. But the contestants are more interested in changing transportation. Often times, inventions from the space and defense agencies become huge breakthroughs for the general public. The military hopes that about one-third of all vehicles will be unmanned in the near future. Before that happens, though, we are going to see personal jets on the market. Eclipse, the first innovator, has gone back to the drawing board on its private jet design. But there is a new generation of jets that the wealthy will be able to afford for a couple hundred thousand dollars.
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