The magazine rack

More News

Cheap talk

MetroPCS is the No. 5 cell phone network in the U.S. — “a distant fifth behind the giants that dominate the business: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile,” says Forbes (Nov. 16). But its CEO, Roger Linquist, says he’s ready to “remake the industry … help turn cell phone calls into just another cheap digital commodity.” He figures that the fourth-generation wireless technology that’s rapidly becoming available will improve call quality and — what he’s counting on — cut “the cost of providing each minute, from just under a penny today to closer to a tenth of a cent.” Lindquist charges 2.1 cents a minute, less than half the industry’s average revenue — and is committed to keep cutting.

Gadget time

Consumer Reports (December) has released its annual electronics issue, just in time to help with holiday shopping. Whether you’re after a desktop or laptop computer, printer, big-screen TV, camera, headphones, Blu-ray player or home theater system, this issue will give you ratings to go by when you go buy. Besides all the details, the magazine offers standard reminders such as checking for early sales, buying online or trying to bargain if you shop in person, and avoiding most extended warranties.

| Greg Hack, ghack@kcstar.com

Posted on Mon, Nov. 09, 2009 10:15 PM

Buzz Up

Comment (0)

Join the discussion

Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open, civil debate is the goal. Please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as abuse" link.