 | | Your Daily Posterous subscriptions | June 3rd, 2011 | | | | | | Posted about 21 hours ago by  joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous | |  A new study says that really lifelike commercials are really good at tricking our brains into thinking that not only did they actually happen, but that they are scenes from our lives. In the study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, researchers showed two groups of students an ad for a made-up popcorn. One group saw an ad that was mainly text, the other saw one full of bright images. Later, both groups were again mixed up and split into two rooms. One got to eat the popcorn, while the other did not. A week later, all the students were asked whether they remembered sampling the popcorn and how good it was. Here's the twist: most of the students who were shown the highly image-filled ad reported that they had eaten the popcorn, and that it was delicious, even if they were were in the group that did not eat the popcorn. Those who saw the text ad and did not eat the popcorn didn't report remembering eating the popcorn. "Viewing the vivid advertisement created a false memory of eating the popcorn, despite the fact that eating the non-existent product would have been impossible," write the researchers. I always did wonder what ever happened to my brother Mikey with his fondness for Life cereal... I Imagine I Experience, I Like: The False Experience Effect [Journal of Consumer Research (Thanks to Deborah!) | | | Posted about 19 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous | |  A 17-year-old boy in Shanghai is experiencing extreme buyer's remorse after his health has begun to falter after selling his kidney to buy an iPad 2, reports the Global Times. The high school freshman got hooked up with a organ broker online who promised to pay 20,000 yuan, equivalent to $3,085, to buy one of his kidneys. The boy traveled north to another city to undergo the operation. His mother got suspicious when he returned home with an armful of Apple gadgets and a scar on his side and he was forced to fess up. Sick. Talk about literally being consumed by that which you consume. Teenager sells kidney for ipad2 [Global Times] (Thanks to GitEmSteveDave!) | | | Posted about 18 hours ago by  clementine to ReflectionOf.Me | | Inspired by the poem of Xu Zhimo. Designed by Zhao Liping. I love this lamp!. | | | | | | | | | | | Posted about 18 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous | |  A study finds that the closer your last name is to the end of the alphabet, the faster you make purchasing decisions. And yes, the behavior is ingrained in us based on how we all used to line up in school. Researchers tested groups response times four different ways, and in each of them, the R-Z set responded faster than the A-Q set. The study's authors theorize that people at the front of the alphabetic line are used to going first, taking their time, and getting their prime choice. Those towards the back are used to always being last and having to pick through the remainders. Dubbed the "last name effect," the Zucks of the world are habituated to having to act fast and are much more susceptible to "buy it now" and limited time offers than, say, the Abrams and Adams. So what does this mean for you? "Any time you can better understand yourself and the factors that affect behavior, you can override them," said one of the study's authors. If your name is towards the back, take an extra moment when making purchasing decisions if time is short. And those with names towards the front should be more on the ready to pounce when time is pressed. Tyranny of the Alphabet [Slate] The Last Name Effect: How Last Name Influences Acquisition Timing [The Journal of Consumer Research] | | | Posted about 18 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous | | bazzalunatic writes "It turns out great white sharks can be lured underwater to cages by playing hits from AC/DC — specifically 'Shook me all night long'. Matt Waller, a shark diving tour operator in Australia, has found this curious fact. But it's not just any song, as the sharks weren't attracted by other tunes. Matt suspects the sharks are attracted to the low frequencies found in AC/DC's music. One wonders if they'll be turned off by Celine Dion music — a new type of shark repellent perhaps?"  http://bit.ly/kfeYAJ" title="Share on Twitter" target="_blank">  Read more of this story at Slashdot. | | | Posted about 18 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous | |  Want to download the latest Engadget Show from the iTunes Store on your Mac or PC? Well, you probably can't -- right now, at least. That section appears to be down for most of us at the moment, with the Podcasts tab presenting a "not enough memory available" error message on each click. We've confirmed the error on iTunes 10.2.1 and 10.2.2.12 -- the latest version -- and aren't able to get past the home page. We're sure Cupertino is working on a fix, but you may need to put your podcast obsession on hold, or jump on your iOS device for all that tech talk in the meantime. [Thanks, Jeff] Update: We're also unable to download apps from both the Mac and iOS App Stores. After clicking to download an app in iOS, it appears on the home screen briefly, then disappears. We're also prompted to re-enter passwords with each attempt, so this may be related to an authentication issue. Jump past the break for the App Store error. Continue reading Podcasts down in iTunes desktop store (update: App Store too!)
Podcasts down in iTunes desktop store (update: App Store too!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | Posted about 15 hours ago by  MI Auto Times to MI Auto Times | | The Federal government has officially decided what information will be included on the new fuel economy stickers. Fuel mileage will be joined by a number rating for greenhouse gas and smog ratings. DETROIT, M.I. - Fuel mileage has always been a key figure consumers look for when browsing new vehicles at dealerships, and now there will be other numbers shoppers may want to pay attention to when shopping for new vehicles. In August 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed changes to the motor vehicle fuel economy label. The changes would add more efficiency information to fall in line with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which requires new vehicles to include information about fuel economy, greenhouse gases and smog-forming pollutants. [Rewind: New Fuel Economy Label: Open for public comment 60 days] Although the original proposal was opting to grade the vehicles on a scale from A+ to D, the final decision will base the comparisons off of numbers. According to statement by National Automobile Dealers Association spokesman Bailey Wood in a press release, “Nothing’s more accurate than a number in comparing vehicles. The letter grade was more subjective.” The new fuel mileage label will include: - Estimates on amount consumers will save or spend on fuel over the next five years compared to the average new vehicle
- Ratings comparing models to others for smog emissions and emissions of pollution
- An estimate of how much fuel or electricity it takes to drive 100 miles
- Driving ranges and charging time of an electric vehicle (if applicable)
- A QR Code that allows users to access online comparisons on fuel economy and other environmental and energy factors on various models on smartphones
All 2013 models will require the new fuel economy label to be displayed, although automakers are able to voluntarily adopt them for 2012 vehicles. At this point, the new changes are receiving good reviews from consumer focus groups as well as environmental groups, dealers and automakers. Some believe it will put pressure on car companies “to make changes,” said Consumer Federation of America spokesman Jack Gillis in a press release. “Those vehicles that get ratings of just `1’ or `2’ will be stigmatized.” | | |
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