It’s from the folks at www.freecreditreport.com.  They promise you a free credit report.  However, the announcer states you must join “Triple advantage.”  So what is triple advantage?

Triple Advantage is a program you pay for that monitors your credit.  You’re charged an annual fee of $79.95, as far as I can tell.  This figure comes from the BBB (see below).  I couldn’t find any direct mention of a fee on the freecreditreport.com site. 

I decided to visit the better business bureau, or BBB.  These guys are the gold standard in consumer protection.  According to the BBB, over the past 36 months, freecreditreport.com has gotten 2693 complaints from consumers. 

That’s a lot of complaints, in my opinion.  They also got the Federal Trade Comission (FTC) after them back in 2005.  The FTC filed a suit  “alleging that the company deceptively marketed “free credit reports” by not adequately disclosing that consumers automatically would be signed up for a credit monitoring service and charged $79.95 if they didn’t cancel within 30 days, in violation of federal law. ” 

For more information, check out the full article here:   BBB Online

Here is part 2 of my Geekscribe Gift Guide.

6) Digital book reader

What is it?: Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard of Amazon’s new offering. It’s called the Kindle. It has been on the cover of Newsweek recently and Amazon is pushing it like crazy. It holds up to two hundred books and can access 80,000 books, newspapers, blogs, etc. Sony has a version which has been out for some time.

I frankly have mixed thoughts about this item. I like individual books. However, there have been times (long trips) when it would have been easier to have something like this along. Also, it is fun to go to book stores and garage sales and find gems for 50 cents or a quarter. I doubt you’ll be able to have that kind of experience with a digital reader.

Cost: $279.00 to $349.00 for the Sony reader; $399.00 for the Kindle.

Where to find it: www.amazon.com is the only place I have seen to get the Kindle. You can find Sony’s reader on www.sonystyle.com and select brick and mortar stores.

7) A Real Book such as I Am America (And So Can You!)

What is it?: There is nothing better than cuddling up with good, real, book. One possibility is I Am America…. It is just about the funniest book you can buy right now. Stephen Colbert is hysterical. If your geek likes biting but insightful humor, then this is the perfect gift. I read a few pages in the store and almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard. Hopefully I’ll get this one for Christmas!

By the way: that award you can see on the cover picture to the right is a fake. It’s hard to see from this picture, but the inscription is: “The Stephen Colbert Award for Literary Excellence.”

Cost: $16.00 to $29.00 for the hardcover.

Where to find it: This book is everywhere.

8) Gift Cards to Brick and Mortar Stores or Point Cards for XBOX Live or Wii

What is it: Most people hate giving gift cards. My wife says it is so impersonal. She’d rather spend hours picking out the perfect gift and another twenty minutes wrapping it.

However, by the same token, most people love getting gift cards! Try and figure that one out. If you have a gift card to your favorite store, that is. There is nothing worse than getting a gift card to Mervyn’s or Macy’s, if you’re a guy.

Point cards for the Wii store or XBox Live are great gifts for gamers who own such a system. You can get all kinds of great stuff from those sites. If you have a geek in your life who doesn’t game but likes Electronics, I suggest a gift card from places such as Best Buy or Circuit City. You can get a lot of cool stuff there.

Cost: Varies. Point cards come in different denominations.

Where to find it: Retail establishments like Fred Meyers and Best Buy carry XBOX and Wii cards. You can also get them online at places like www.amazon.com. Safeway has a variety of different gift cards near their checkstands.

9) Magazine Subscription to a Great Gaming or Entertainment Magazine

What is it: Only the gift that keeps on giving all year long! My favorites are GamePro (12 issues for $17.97), Game Informer (12 issues for $19.98), and Entertainment Weekly (40 issues, 8 of which are double issues, for $20.00). I linked each name to the respective website. If you are so inclined, you can subscribe at the site.

Cost: Varies. Be wary of those free issue deals. They will charge you for multiple issues or an entire year if you don’t cancel your subscription properly.

Where to find it: Look around for the best deals: some are better than others. Typically, I like picking up a magazine in the store and looking for a subscription card. That way you can check the content as well.

10) DVD and Video Movie Guide Books

What is it: Anyone who likes watching movies should have one of these. Movies are rated and given a brief synopsis. My Favorite is by Nick Martin and Marsha Porter; you should be able to see a picture of it to the left. I have been getting this guide for years. Movies are rated from 5 stars all the way down to “Turkey.”

Cost: $8.00. Not bad for a year’s worth of use. The authors also watch movies that are in the theater, so there will be ratings in there for movies that haven’t been released yet, which I appreciate. This extends the life of the book.

Where to find it: Most book stores carry a selection of these guides. Check with the salesperson to make sure you are getting the newest edition.

Do you have a geek in your life and need to find the perfect Christmas present for him or her? Not sure what to buy? You’re in luck! Here are some items that practically any geek would love.

1) Star Trek phaser remote!

What is it?: It makes sounds from the TV show and also acts as a remote control.

According to this website, you can also get this remote in Original or Next Generation format.

Cost : It runs between $70.00 and $90.00, if you can find it.

Where to find it: I did a quick search and all of the places I checked are sold out of this item, however you can do a search on Google.

2) Super Mario Galaxy for the wii gaming system

What is it?: This is a game for the wii system, so if your loved one has that system this might be a good addition to it. I have heard on the radio that this is “THE GAME TO GET” this year. Join Mario as he journeys through space in pursuit of his friend the Princess Peach.

Initial reports are that this is a great game. It has been uniformly highly reviewed.

Cost: $49.99. I think this is as low a price as you’ll be able to find anywhere. wii stuff is so popular right now that they don’t need to put it on sale to get it off the store shelves.

Where to find it: You can find this anywhere games are sold, I’m sure. Places like Gamestop sell used games for slightly cheaper than new which is great. Your loved one probably won’t care that it’s not new, and you’d be helping the environment through recycling!

3) Demotivators 12-Month Build-Your-Own Calendar

What is it?: The folks at despair.com have come up with another great idea: a build-your-own calendar with a twist. You choose your favorite Demotivator for each month. Demotivators are the polar opposite of those posters you probably have at your work. They have a great picture and an “de-inspirational” phrase below. The Doubt poster says “In The Battle Between You And The World, Bet On The World.”

After you choose your favorite 12, then you can add phrases, obscure holidays, notations, you name it on individual days.

Where to find it: Only on www.despair.com, of course. I have purchased stuff from these guys and had no problems at all.

Cost: A base 12-month calendar costs $19.95, with additional entries at 20 cents each.

4) ezVision Video Glasses!

What is it?: Whoa. Talk about cool. These glasses simulate watching a 60″ TV at 8.5 feet. They are a lot cheaper than a 60″ TV, of course (though still expensive). The company says the ezVision x4 glasses have “four times the resolution” of standard ezVision glasses, whatever that means. You can take them pretty much everywhere and are good for the guy or girl who loves watching movies on a huge TV but doesn’t have the space for one. They work with ipods and DVD players, and gaming systems.

Where to find it: There are several different brands of video glasses out there. I’m not sure which one is the best. Here is one site.

Sharper Image has a version of these glasses. I tried them out… and found them to be OK. I wouldn’t mind trying them again in a dark place without a lot of distractions around.

Cost: Between $299.00 and $500.00 depending upon resolution and relative size of the TV.

5) USB Cassette Deck

What is it?: Does your geek still have old tapes in the garage? Now he or she can turn them into MP3 files! Tapes degrade over time. Those old tapes may be falling apart, fast. Now your geek won’t have to worry about rewinding tapes or having them break in the player. However, you might have to listen to those old crappy 80’s songs more often.

There are also some great USB record players out there. You can turn your old records into ipod worthy MP3 files!

Where to find it: Here is one site.

Cost: $150.00 (computer not included!). You can make up some of that money by selling your old tapes on ebay or at a garage sale.

These are the first five suggestions. I’ll post more in the next few days as I have time.

Today, we’ll examine how to purchase a bigger TV (prices range between $2,000.00 and $25,000.00 but prices are decreasing).

Has this ever happened to you?

So, you’re sitting there on the couch, cuddled up to your wife watching a movie that you purchased after using our handy “The Geekscribe Guide to Getting Wifely Approval to Buy DVDs” and you’re enjoying the movie. Then you start to wonder… what would my new movie look like on, say, a larger TV? What about a much larger TV? What about a TV so large that they have to break down a wall just to get it into your living room? What about a TV so large that–

Sometime later, you wake up on the floor with a bruise the general size and shape of your delicate and gentle wife’s fist on your forehead. When that happens, you probably have several questions. The first of course, is:

How does my wife know I want a new TV?

Wives know these things. They have a sixth, or maybe even a seventh sense about your inner thoughts and desires. They are practically psychic. That’s why when you and your buddies are just talking about that hot chick on TV last night, your wife will always call you on your cell phone. They just know. So what do you do? After pulling yourself off the floor, and carefully asking your wife what year it is (this is always a good thing to do after being k.o.’d by your wife), you have to start planning. And that leads us to your next question:

How can I make my plans without getting caught?

Excuse yourself and go into the bathroom. That’s a great place to plot, and she won’t suspect anything even if you’re in there for an hour or two. To throw her off completely, make farting noises and groan theatrically. This works every time.

What you want:

At least a 60″ 1080P Widescreen TV. Be careful that you don’t get too big of a TV. No, I have not completely lost my mind. You really should buy a TV that will fit your living room. Otherwise, if it is too big, you won’t be able to enjoy the great picture.

Degree of Difficulty: 8.0 (out of 10). You’ll need a lot of planning, and equal amounts of luck and divine intervention to pull this purchase off. But it can be accomplished.

(more…

Today, we’ll examine how to purchase a HDDVD Player (between $200.00 to $500.00 but prices are decreasing).

What you want:

This depends upon your TV, really. There are different models to choose from. Mainly I look at what they output: 1080i or 1080p. I have a Toshiba HDA20. I like it a lot.

Degree of Difficulty Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
You’ll need some prior planning to pull this one off.

First, some notes:

• If you would like to get a HDDVD player, I would advise against the add-on to the XBOX360. If (I should say when) your 360 goes Red Ring on you, you won’t be able to watch your HDDVD’s either. Bummer! It’s best to get a standalone model.
• If you employ the following methods, it just might make you a bad husband / parent / human. I advise always to communicate, and be honest and forthright. That’s the way to true spousal harmony.

How you approach your wife with this purchase:

1) Buy It and Hope for the Best Method:

Once again, I would have to advise against this method. You might get away with it with some spousal consternation when purchasing smaller items. With big ticket items like this one, you are asking for trouble.

Wifely Approval Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
When you make the purchase, be sure to inquire as to what the store’s return policy is. You’re going to need it!

(more…

Part 1: DVD’s

You: “Well, would you look at that. They finally released the HDDVD version of Death Kill 3: Final Death.”
Your wife: “But we already have the Betamax version of that movie, and you never watch it.”
You: “But….. but….”
Your wife: “Hmp.”
You: “Never mind.”

Has the above conversation ever happened in your household?

Have you ever paused in your perusal of the local big box retailer’s Sunday ad to wipe drool off your chin and happened to catch your wife glaring at you suspiciously, arms crossed?

If yes, then this guide is for you!

Getting wifely approval for purchasing electronic items is mandatory for full and lasting marital bliss. It can be tricky however, especially if your wife is not amazed or intrigued by the latest gadgets and hottest movies. I’m sure that nuclear treaties come with less intense or delicate negotiations. In all fairness, there is a lot at stake here. You do things right and you get to buy electronic items, pretty much carte blanche. One wrong move, however and… well, we don’t want to think about that.

Today, we’ll examine how to purchase DVD’s ($15.00 to $22.00 usually).

What you want:

That summer blockbuster that just came out yesterday.

Degree of Difficulty Rating: 0.5 out of 5 stars
You can probably get away with this purchase without too much prior planning and a bit of luck.

(more…