Am I tempted? I'll admit to being tempted. Am I stupid enough to pay $240 over a year in order to get a $99 Nook for free? Sure, I'm that stupid.

I think this is a clever promotion. The truth is, I'd love to sit down with the New York Times on Sunday mornings and look things over; I might even check it out on other mornings with my coffee if it were this convenient.

Will I get that experience from the Times on a Nook? I don't know. Perhaps I'll regret it a month into the subscription.

And if I didn't already own books in the Kindle eco-system (what is this world coming to?) it might be a double-no-brainer.

But, still... I'm tempted.

It couldn't let this pass without remarking on it -- it's amazing that it was only the beginning of this year that the announcement was made that Verizon would also carry the iPhone -- and it was suddenly offered by *two* different carriers, after years of just plain-ol' AT&T.

Less than a year? That feels like forever ago.

Since that date (Jan 11, 2011), the iPad 2 has been announced, the iPhone 4s is out and available with three major carriers and C Spire in Mississippi, Steve Jobs has died, Siri lives on... a crazy year. Apple disappointed investors with only $28 billion in revenue in fiscal Q4 and remains, I think, the world's largest company by market-cap.

Weird year.

Looks interesting... a little like Siri for poor people (like me). As I continue to contemplate Google for Business, things like this look more and more appealing.

Samsung (005930.KS) only entered the smartphone market in earnest last year, but its sales have skyrocketed thanks to a sleek production system that rapidly brings new products to market. Apple (AAPL.O) introduced its first iPhone in 2007.

"In the handset division, Samsung has no real rival models to challenge its products except for the iPhone 4S. Apple and Samsung will continue to dominate the market in the fourth quarter," said Kim Hyun-joong, a fund manager at Midas Asset Management, which owns Samsung shares.

I'm always fascinated to face yet another example that I'm utterly average. The competition has come down to a Samsung Galaxy S or an iPhone 4s for me now, particularly since CSpire claims the iPhone 4s is coming.

Why would I *not* get an iPhone? Me? Such an Apple dude?

The only reasons I'm coming up with are (a.) price and (b.) screen size.

I'm probably getting the iPhone, although I don't yet know the dates, data plans, etc. for rollout. But if I can keep my cheap smartphone plan and get an iPhone for $200 at the most (maybe even less with a phone trade-in credit?) then I'm there.

But the Galaxy S remains tempting... it does seem to be a well designed phone, good screen size, maybe more comfortable for typing...

We'll see.

Worth Ave. Touts iPhone Insurance

TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 2011-10-18 10:06:00 EDT

Stillwater, Okla. - Worth Avenue Group is encouraging new iPhone 4S users to consider insuring their devices rather than purchasing an extended-warranty plan.

The full-service CE insurance provider, based here, claimed some iPhone warranties can leave consumers unprotected and potentially responsible for hundreds of dollars in replacement costs should something happen to their devices.

 "Most iPhone owners are unaware of just how much it will cost them each time they have some sort of accident," said Aaron Cooper, marketing director of the 40-year-old firm. "Unfortunately, a warranty only protects you the first time. If it happens again, you either purchase a new warranty and pay the deductible or spend the money buying a new phone."

Approximately 37 percent of iPhones are damaged annually, the company said, with many owners experiencing at least two or more incidents related to human error. Cracked screens, theft and water damage are among the iPhone's top claims categories.

Unlike an extended warranty, insurance can be purchased at any time and there is no limit on the number of claims that can be filed in one year. Coverage for the iPhone 4S through Worth Avenue is $89 per year with a $50 deductible, compared, for example, with AT&T's extended warranty program through Asurion that sells for $84 a year with a $199 deductible.

Worth Avenue Group also provides accidental damage and theft coverage for iPads, laptop and desktop computers, TVs, digital cameras, PDAs and other CE devices. Licensed in all 50 states, the company is underwritten by A-rated Hanover Insurance and has serviced thousands of customers and more than 2,000 schools nationwide. For more information, visit www.worthavegroup.com.

 

Might be looking into this when Ms. D. finally gets her iPhone 4s.

This proved handy; didn't know it didn't work otherwise until I was filling out an entry and the Post button failed.

This group checked out 10 different Groupon and LivingSocial deals and found that in eight of the cases, the "original" price of the deal was overinflated compared to what you would pay by calling in.

In other words, even for consumers the value of these things is starting to wear down a little bit.

What's interesting about this story to me is not the idea that serialized shows do well on Netflix -- I already know that, since I watch tons of serialized shows and would only do so on Netflix or Amazon so I can avoid the commercials.

What's interesting is that the networks (and Netflix) are actually figuring out the business model that might make sense for those shows, much as "basic" cable is figuring our how to do more character-driven (and, in some cases, lower-cost CGI) storylines in order to hook smaller audiences on smarter shows. In a sense it's the long-tail at work, even if this is still a pretty fat part of that tail.

As Spock might have said (on a show that couldn't hold the network's attention for more than 3 years, despite a vocal audience), "Fascinating."

Steve Jobs was, of course, an inspiration, a leader, perhaps a hero, even if I didn't necessarily want to be *completely* like him -- sure, it would be nice to lay into an employee every once in a while, but it probably won't ever be my style. And what he "invented" vs. what he "innovated" may be in dispute.

But the dude had taste, and he could sell. As in ice to Eskimos.

And he had a ton of money and still died young, and that's food for thought for any among us who isn't busy doing the stuff we've put on our bucket lists.

RIP, Mr. Jobs. Thanks for bringing back Apple from those dark days and making it possible for me to still be working on a platform I love, the Mac. Thanks also for re-innovating the phone, the music industry and putting your touch on the world of movies, TV, content creation and so much more.

Here's to the crazy ones.

The increasingly competitive group discount and daily deal marketplace may be approaching saturation, judging by new data from Experian Hitwise which shows that market-leader Groupon saw total traffic tumble 50% between the second week in June and the third week in August. The question is whether this indicates growing group discount fatigue among consumers.

Sounds like the perfect time for Gannett to enter the market with "Deal Chicken."

It seems to me there are two real problems here:

(1.) People might, eventually, get sick of these deal programs, or at least hone in only on the tight niches that really excite them. (For instance, if someone offered a "Mac accessory of the day at half price" e-blast I might sign up for that one.)

(2.) The business model for Groupon is to get some other business to accept 25% of their regular price for a meal, product or service rendered. I don't think that's sustainable, and it's particularly disconcerting because the better it is as a marketing solution, the worse it is for the small business.

Echoing my sentiments back in 2007, I'd suggest small businesses avoid these crazy deal sites in the same essential way that I tried to warn people off of the mortgage-backed securities crazy just five years ago. *

*Note: I didn't actually do that. Had no idea, really.