It’s Nothing Personal: Hundreds Of Patch Employees Laid-Off During Conference Call

Conference Call Canning.

If you’re going to fire hundreds of employees, at least have the guts to do so individually. After years of dedicated, time-consuming work, hundreds of online media employees were let go during a series of conference calls last week; taking “it’s nothing personal” to an entirely new level.

On Wednesday, hundreds of Patch editors were laid off during what can only be described as an impersonal rehearsed conference call. The lay-offs leave only a few hundred employees to maintain more than 900 hyper-local sites, the New York Times reports.

With hundreds of employees across the country, maybe it’s safe to assume the higher-ups at Patch just wanted to get the bad news over with so they used a conference call? But still, such an informal “thanks for your work, but you’re no longer needed” message has to sting.

Still, the cold touch and complete disregard to the editors and advertising sales representatives is alarming. Although, maybe not totally unexpected. Remember when CEO Tim Armstrong fired an employee during an all-company call last year?

Media blogger Jim Romenesko posted a transcript and recording of the conference call on his site.

Patch Chief Operations Officer, Leigh Zarelli Lewis provided the straight-forward firing to employees:

“Patch is being restructured in connection with the creation of a joint venture with Hale Global. Hale Global has decided which Patch employees will receive an offer of employment to move forward in accordance with their vision for Patch and which will not. Unfortunately, your role has been eliminated and you will no longer have a role at Patch and today will be your last day of employment with the company.”

The news of lay-offs, billed as a reorganization, came just weeks after the company was sold to Hale Global. It remains to be seen what exactly Hale has in store for the remnants of Patch.

Wednesday’s cuts come after another significant round of lay-offs in August. However, many of those employees were allowed to stay on with the company until October.

The hyper-local news organization was once a shining star for AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Armstrong helped to create Patch and later assisted in its purchase by AOL in 2009.

In December, Armstrong seemed optimistic on the future of Patch, saying the company had more digital traffic than many traditional media players.

Still, after losing hundreds of millions of dollars, Patch’s time was clearly running out this last December. After making a pledge to AOL investors that Patch would be profitable by the end of 2013, Armstrong was forced to go back on this promise and the majority stake of the company was sold to Hale Global.

Listen when Patch lays off hundreds of employees on a conference call [SFGate]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

15 Things You Really Should Buy At The Dollar Store

(diaper)

Dollar stores: they sell almost everything that you might want, and a lot of things that you didn’t know you wanted. There are items available at these cheaporiums that you don’t need, or didn’t even think you needed before you saw them. Then there are items that, if you can find them in a dollar store, you shouldn’t even bother to shop for them anywhere else.

Over at MoneyTalksNews, they rounded up some items that are best purchased in a dollar store. Sometimes. Maybe.

1. Greeting cards

No, the cards available for a dollar or even for fifty cents at your local dollar store don’t have music, buckets of glitter, and probably don’t have recognizable cartoon characters. However, they cost a buck or less.

2. Party supplies

Hats? Streamers? Confetti? Disposable tablecloths? If you need decorations in a common color or for an ordinary event like a birthday or graduation, consider the dollar store. They’re all there, slightly crappier than their more expensive cousins at discount or party stores. If you need licensed decorations for your American Idol finale party, then you’ll need a specialty store.

3. Gift bags, boxes and wrapping paper

I love the dollar store for gift bags, which I then proceed to re-use through as many gift cycles as my friends and family will tolerate. Tissue paper, wrapping paper, bows, and pretty gift boxes are also great deals at the dollar store.

4. Seasonal décor

Get your glittering bunnies and wooden trees here! Some offerings are surprisingly not terrible. Maybe avoid anything with electric components and candle holders, though, for safety’s sake.

5. Reading glasses

If you need the simple kind that just magnify words, the glasses at the dollar store are inexpensive and you won’t feel as bad when you inevitably lose them.

6. Hair accessories

Elastics, barrettes, headbands: they’re not the fanciest at the dollar store, but you get some great deals.

7. Pregnancy tests

MoneyTalks News recommends buying pregnancy tests at the dollar store, but there are even better options if you know where to look: a grand multiparous friend recommends buying in bulk if you plan to go through a lot of these. (Worst-case scenario? You only need to use one, and waste thirty bucks.) If you’re in a hurry and don’t need to buy in bulk, though, the dollar store is a good choice.

8. Vases

Almost as good as thrift stores for these.

9. Mugs and glasses

Not the best quality, but not worse than what you might find at a pricier discount store. With glasses, you don’t need to buy a full set: they’re usually open stock.

10. Dishes and silverware

Okay, it ain’t “silver”ware, but same argument as item #9.

11. Plastic Storage containers

Go elsewhere if you need heavy-duty bins, but for lighter items, the dollar-store version will do.

12. Picture frames

They might be fine as is, or you might have to embellish them with paint or anything else that you think of.

13. Bagged or boxed candy

Sometimes you can even find discontinued or rare candy at the dollar store that isn’t available elsewhere, like Coffee Crisp in the U.S.

14. Socks

They’re not the fanciest, but they can be the cheapest. Novelty socks printed with animals or holiday designs are an especially good deal at dollar stores. Don’t bother with most other clothing and accessories available in dollar stores, though.

15. Washcloths and dish towels

You don’t need fancy washcloths: having a clean one matters more. Same with dish towels, though you should keep an eye on the quality.

Definitely Buy These 15 Things at a Dollar Store [MoneyTalksNews] (via CRAM)

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Report: iPhone Catches Fire While In Teen’s Back Pocket

(Sudakaran Gnanasegaram)

Having a hot electronic gadget that’s all the rage is one thing, but having it actually be so hot that it burns its owner is an entirely other unfortunate reality. A teenage girl in Maine found that out the painful way when her iPhone reportedly caught fire in her pocket one morning at school.

The eighth-grader was about to start her first class of the day at about 7:40 a.m. when she sat down in the classroom and heard a “pop” in her back pants pocket, reports the SeaCoast Online. That combined with the smoke coming from her clothing prompted her to do what we’ve all been taught — stop, drop and roll.

Teachers covered her in a blanket while she tried to get out of the pants (her pals had already ordered the boys from the room because as any eighth-grader will tell you, having the opposite sex see you in a public state of undress is just the absolute worst.”

The principal said that the phone fell out and appeared to be visibly “burnt.”

“It was something that I don’t think people had ever seen before. I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said.

Local authorities believe that when the student sat down, the phone’s battery “shorted out.” The girl was taken to the hospital and treated for “moderate” burns and released. The state fire marshal is investigating.

Teenage girl burned when iPhone catches fire [SeaCoastOnline.com)

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Credit Union Sues Target Over Credit Card Hack

(me and the sysop)

A credit union in Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit, one that could potentially include 100 other credit unions as plaintiffs, against Target in an attempt to recoup is losses in the wake of the retailer’s recent massive data breach.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that First Choice Federal Credit Union in New Castle, PA, filed the suit in a federal court in Pittsburgh on Friday.

The breach, which occurred during the height of the holiday shopping season, exposed credit and/or personal information for more than 100 million Target shoppers.

Some banks, like JPMorgan Chase and Citi, have proactively replaced debit cards for customers affected by the theft and millions of other consumers have taken it upon themselves to have their debit and credit cards replaced as a precaution.

The First Choice complaint says that it and other financial institutions have been slammed with “significant costs associated with, among other things, notifying its members of issues related to the Target Data Breach, closing out and opening new customer accounts, reissuing members’ cards, and/or refunding members’ losses resulting from the unauthorized use of their accounts.”

Last week, the Consumer Bankers Association estimated that its member institutions have already spent more than $150 million to replace cards, figuring an average replacement cost of $10/card.

The suit seeks compensation for losses, attorney fees and “an order enjoining Defendant from any further improper retention of customer data.”

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Passengers’ Antitrust Suit Against Gogo In-Flight Internet Allowed To Move Forward

(zonaphoto)

A class-action antitrust suit filed by airline travelers against the operators of Gogo in-flight Internet has cleared a huge legal hurdle. A federal court has given the green light for the suit to move forward.

The lawsuit alleges that Gogo maintains an 85% market share on in-flight Internet and that its contracts with the airlines makes it difficult for carriers to drop the service in favor of Gogo’s competition, some of whom only charge a fraction of what Gogo goes for.

Gogo’s system relies on ground-to-air tower transmission, which requires that a plane reaches a certain altitude before Internet access can be turned on. The plaintiffs claim this is inferior to competing satellite-based services that have no altitude requirement.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs also allege that Gogo’s contracts are so restrictive as to be an illegal restraint on trade.

Gogo denies the plaintiffs claims about its market share and its deals with airlines, but the judge ruled the plaintiffs have demonstrated enough of their case that these matters should be determined in a trial.

Passengers win ruling in fight over Gogo’s in-flight Wi-Fi “monopoly” [GigaOm.com]

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

United Airlines Cuts Cleveland As A Hub After Losing Millions There In Recent Years

(afagen)

Cleveland is likely reeling today with the news that United Airlines is ditching the city as a hub, cutting about 60% its departing flights from the city starting in April. The downsizing is a result of United losing tens of millions of dollars in the city in recent years, executives said in a letter to employees today.

According to the letter from United’s board chairman/chief executive officer/president Jeff Smisek, the company couldn’t keep pouring money into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, reports the Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer.

“Our hub in Cleveland hasn’t been profitable for over a decade, and has generated tens of millions of dollars of annual losses in recent years,” Smisek’s letter said. “We simply cannot continue to bear these losses.”

Many of the cuts will be on flights that used to be operated by Continental Airlines before it merged with United — generally regional departures. Cuts will be ongoing into June, until finally there will be about 72-peak-day flights from Cleveland, serving 20 destinations with non-stop flights.

And of course one big concern whenever there’s a massive cutback like this? Job losses. Employees are saying that ticket agents and ground crews will be hit hardest by the cuts, while Smisek’s letter notes that 430 airport operations positions and 40 catering jobs will be no more.

While Cleveland has been supportive thus far, Smisek says “the demand for hub-level connecting flying through Cleveland simply isn’t there. We must make the right business decisions, even when those decisions are painful.”

“I know that these changes will be difficult for many of you, and this outcome is not what any of us wanted,” he wrote.

This fear has been looming on the horizon for many in the city since United merged with Continental — which had a base in Cleveland — in 2010. United already has hubs in nearby-ish cities Chicago and Newark, N.J., rendering Cleveland somewhat unnecessary as a hub.

United Airlines says it will drastically cut flights from its unprofitable Cleveland hub [The Plain Dealer]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Kansas Cable Lobbyists Deny Hatred Of Google Fiber, Will “Tweak” Restrictive Bill Language

(Discrete_Photography)

Cable lobbyists seem to be buckling under the pressure of consumer unrest in Kansas. Last week, the Kansas Cable Telecommunications Association announced a protectionist bill that would all but squash some city’s hopes of getting improved broadband service.

On Monday, the KCTA, whose members include Cox, Time Warner Cable, and Eagle Communications, said they would “tweak” the bill’s language to make it less restrictive, Ars Technia reports.

While it wasn’t specified how the language would be tweaked, officials with the board maintain the bill was created with the protection of consumers in mind.

KCTA president John Federico told Ars Technica the board stands firm on their belief that municipalities should not use taxpayer dollars to directly compete with private telecom providers.

Under the bill’s (PDF) current language, cities and towns may not provide to one or more subscribers, video, telecommunications, or broadband service, with the exception of unserved areas. The bill goes on to define unserved as an area where 90% of the households lack access to broadband service.

The bill also garnered attention for its restrictions on public-private partnerships, that could prevent future broadband programs, similar to Google Fiber, from operating in the state. Kansas City is home to the country’s first Google Fiber municipal network, which is in direct competition with Time Warner Cable in the area.

Federico denied the bill had anything to do with Google entering the telecommunications fray in Kansas City.

Kansas City laid out significant incentives for Google to come hook up their city to a speedy, reliable network. Existing broadband providers like Time Warner Cable did not particularly appreciate Google’s receiving those incentives. Cable companies in general are not exactly fans of municipal networks. And yet the added competition among broadband carriers, or even the specter of it, works out well for consumers.

The bill was scheduled for discussion Tuesday, but KCTA members said they would ask for a postponement.

Other states have attempted similar legislation in recent years; a bill barring municipal broadband in Georgia failed to pass in 2013.

Cable lobby will “tweak” bill banning municipal broadband in Kansas [Ars Technica]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Today In Major Credit Card Breaches: Hotels, Hotel Restaurants

(afagen)

Major credit card hacks: they’re not just for big box retailers or upscale department stores anymore. The newest place your credit card info is being stolen from? Hotels.

You’ve probably never heard of the White Lodging Services Corporation, but you very well may have stayed in one of their hotels. Hotel chains have franchises, just like fast food restaurants, and White Lodging operates approximately 170 various hotels all over the country, including some Sheraton, Hyatt, Hilton, Westin, and Marriott locations.

The data breach appears to have taken place over the vast majority of 2013, as security expert Brian Krebs reports. Investigators working through a pattern of credit card fraud found that what the cards all had in common was a stay at a White Lodging hotel between March 23, 2013 and the end of the year.

The affected cards seem mostly to have been used not for room reservations, but for other uses–particularly restaurants and gift shops–inside the affected hotel locations, Krebs reports:

Sources say the breach appears to have affected mainly restaurants, gift shops and other establishments within hotels managed by White Lodging — not the property management systems that run the hotel front desk computers which handle guests checking in and out. In the case of Marriott, for example, all Marriott establishments operated as a franchise must use Marriott’s property management system. As a result, the breach impacted only those Marriott guests who used their cards at White Lodging-managed gift shops and restaurants.

Marriott told Krebs that White Lodging is, “in the midst of the investigation and are in close contact with the banks and credit cards companies. We are working closely with the franchisee as they investigate the matter.”

If you stayed in a hotel in 2013, or ate at a restaurant in one, it’s worth checking to see if it was a White Lodging property, just in case.

And as we keep seeing again and again, if you’ve used a credit or debit card pretty much anywhere, you should be aware of breaches and take steps to protect yourself. A need for vigilance is the downside of convenience, these days.

Hotel Franchise Firm White Lodging Investigates Breach [Krebs On Security]

by Kate Cox via Consumerist

Time Warner Cable Customers Lose Signal During Super Bowl

(satinpeter)

“Whatever you are passionate about, Time Warner Cable invents ways for you to enjoy it even better,” Time Warner Cable declares in commercials that run for its subscribers. Unless you’re passionate about professional football, live near Los Angeles and you’re a Time Warner customer still using a standard-definition TV. Then you had to scramble for an antenna during the second quarter of the game. [LA Times]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

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