Motorola Devour: MOTOBLUR Enhances Social Networking

Rumors are circulating that the DEVOUR will be sold via indirect channels on February 25, and at all Verizon Wireless retail channels no later than March 15.

However, the official announcement from Verizon Wireless and Motorola Inc., made earlier this month, stated that the Motorola DEVOUR will be available at retail in March.

These rumors follow a very interesting Super Bowl 2010 commercial featuring actress Megan Fox bathing with a DEVOUR handset. Interestingly enough, the commercial never makes clear what handset the actress is actually holding as Fox refers to the DEVOUR as, “this little guy.” Instead, the commercial highlights a key feature of the phone, MOTOBLUR.

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Money Saving Tips: Valentine’s Day Doesn’t Mean Break the Bank

Save money, and impress your valentine with this simple tip.

So, you want to impress your valentine with your new car but didn’t factor in the cost of gas when you signed by the ‘x’. You have been running on empty for the past week, and its likely that your next paycheck will go straight into your gas tank.

Not to worry! There is a simple way to get the most gas for your hard earned money.

As we all know, the cost of retail gas fluctuates as the cost of crude oil fluctuates on the mercantile exchange (NYMEX). That being said, since your local gas station owner relies on this market to set his daily price, you my friend can rely on this pseudoscience to get the most gallons per dollar.

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Time to Borrow: Consumer Credit Rebounds from 11-Month Decline

Confidence in the credit markets may be gaining momentum, as the numbers show that American consumers are borrowing again.

According to the Federal Reserve, the 11 month decrease in consumer borrowing has come to a halt this month. While analysts projected total consumer borrowing to drop by $9 billion dollars, actual borrowing on credit cards fell by $8.5 billion and other forms of borrowing, including loans, increased by $6.8 billion.

Students and small businesses are primarily causing this shift in borrowing trends. For these groups now is the time to borrow and take advantage of financial resources available to them.

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Can You Buy Your Way to Better Spiritual Health?

While you may not be able to take money into the afterlife, these religions let you put it to good work while you’re still around. Always conscious of your bottom line, BillShrink has put together a list of the world’s most expensive religions, in rough order of what it would cost a truly devout believer to attain salvation, enlightenment, heaven, inner peace, etc. Remember, just like your cell phone bill, your religious health can come with hidden fees. (Disclaimer: No offense to adherents is intended; we merely hope to point out for those undecided spiritual seekers that not all religions come with equal price tags.)
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The History of Tipping

Although the addition of a gratuity or tip to a bill is now largely perceived as a gift for good service, the origin of the practice may be traced back to 18th Century English pubs when tipping was considered an essential incentive for better service. These days, many workers rely on tips as a substantial and necessary part of their income. In 2003, tips from U.S. restaurants alone were estimated at a whopping $26 billion. There are many emotional reasons people tip, such as to avoid embarrassment or to feel better about themselves because they know a tip is expected. Employees who provide services may also use tricks of the trade to manipulate these emotions to receive a larger gratuity. Have a look at the history of tipping below.
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President Obama to Boost Funding in Clean Energy Research and Development

President Obama plans to boost Federal support for private sector clean energy research and development.

On Wednesday, the President met with state Governors to make clear that Energy Policy is at the forefront of the Administration’s agenda and the Fiscal Year 2011 Federal Budget.

Mr. Obama said in a statement, “As I said at the State of the Union last week, I am convinced that whoever builds a clean energy economy, whoever is at the forefront of that, is going to own the 21st century global economy.”

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How Visa Corners The Debit Card Market With Fees

Debit cards are such an routine part of commerce these days that we seldom reflect on them. For most consumers, the 2-3 seconds it takes to swipe is about the only time they pay their debit card any mind at all. However, a recent New York Times article reveals that Visa spends more time thinking about debit transactions than anyone — and for good reason. Depending on how we swipe, Visa stands to gain or lose a astronomical amount of money in fees. So much, in fact, that retailers like Costco to Walmart restrict how you use your debit card whenever you buy something. Because so much of this happens behind closed doors, Billshrink decided it was important to sum up the Times’ findings for our readers.

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FCC questions early termination fees by wireless carriers and Google

On Tuesday, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) sent inquiries to AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile, the four main wireless carriers, along with Google regarding Early Termination Fees (ETFs) and questioning their necessity.

The FCC remarks that there is no standard framework throughout the wireless industry for applying ETFs to customers. Because of this, the FCC has sent a set of standard questions asking about their “approach” and “implementation” to ETFs by the wireless carriers.

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