8 posts and columns on Mary Pilon

Voices

Cellphone Industry Sparks the Most Complaints

in News on March 8, 2010 at 11:30 am PT

When times get tough, complain. If the newest numbers from the Better Business Bureau for company complaints are any indication, that’s exactly what consumers are doing–particularly about cellphones.

Voices

Q&A With the Texts From Last Night Founders

in News on February 5, 2010 at 3:03 pm PT

A year ago, Lauren Leto and Ben Bator started anonymously publishing their friends’ text messages. Since then, their site, Texts From Last Night has received over 3 million texts messages. The Michigan-based friends from college just released a new TFLN book.

Voices

Mobile-Payment Services Grow

in News on December 17, 2009 at 7:52 am PT

A handful of mobile-payment start-ups are gaining support from major finance players. Square, started by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, goes live next year and allows merchants to swipe credit and debit cards through an iPhone attachment called a “square.”

Voices

An Update on Mint, Formerly the Anti-Quicken

in News on October 16, 2009 at 12:58 pm PT

It’s been just over a month since news broke that Intuit, makers of Quicken budgeting software and Turbo Tax, would buy Mint.com for $170 million. Some of Mint’s 1.5 million customers took to blogs and Twitter to complain about the deal and threaten to close their accounts. About 1,500 to 2,000 customers did jump ship, said Aaron Patzer, Mint’s CEO, most within two days of the acquisition announcement.

Voices

FCC Considers Ways to Simplify Cellphone Bills

in News on October 13, 2009 at 9:47 am PT

If consumer advocates get their way, deconstructing that monthly cellphone bill could become a lot easier. Comments are filing in to the Federal Communications Commission’s request for input on simplifying wireless bills. The deadline comes amid a thicket of consumer-focused fee news, from credit cards to overdraft fees. Consumer advocates are arguing for more transparency in billing, both when shopping around for plans and for existing mobile subscribers.

Voices

Return of Day Traders Drives Rise in Volume

in News on September 17, 2009 at 8:40 am PT

Even as mom-and-pop investors sit out the rally, short-term players–including some classic individual day traders–appear to be making a comeback. Trading volume surged 14 percent or more last month from July at online brokerage firms Charles Schwab Corp., TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. and E*Trade Financial Corp. Electronic trader Knight Capital Group Inc. also posted a 7.7 percent increase.

Voices

YouTube Tax Tips From the IRS

in News on August 27, 2009 at 10:15 am PT

Taxpayers looking for advice might be only a YouTube clip away. The Internal Revenue Service recently unveiled their YouTube channel, irsvideos. The 12 videos have information about claiming recovery rebate credits and other tax tips. “It’s another way for us to get information out to taxpayers,” says Terry Lemons, a spokesperson for the IRS.

Voices

CES: Introducing the Obama iPod Dock

in News on January 12, 2009 at 10:10 am PT

When the popularity of Barack Obama meets the popularity of iPod speaker docks, you get…an Obama iPod speaker dock. But Taiwan-based Ozaki, the company behind the dancing President-elect, didn’t stop there. The Obama dock is part of its iMini line, which fuses the technology of an iPod dock, radio, alarm and speakers–and fuzzy fabric.