How to cancel anything

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Our thrifty brothers over at Consumerist have boiled down the process of canceling any service to four steps that are guaranteed to make the process as painless as possible (let’s be honest – it’ll never be painless).

1. Call outside of normal business hours, when most retention people are asleep. You may get a low-level CSR who doesn’t get paid to retain you.
2. If the rep is rude or unreasonable, hang up and call right back and get a different rep.
3. Tell them you’re moving. Moving outside their service area.
4. The reps are paid to retain you. Threats won’t work. Keep your head cool and dance their little dance, politely.

As most of us know, the customer service quagmire can be maddening (do you see the evil glow behind her eyes?), so anything to make the process a bit smoother is good to know. Do you have any cancellation horror stories? Let’s hear them, along with any other tips you’d add to the list, in the comments or at tips at lifehacker.com.

Originally from Lifehacker

By the Numbers: 2006 FIFA World Cup

worldcup_cameralayout.jpgIt takes a lot of broadcasting gear to put together the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and we like to count it all up for your extreme gadget-porn entertainment. We gave you the 2006 Super Bowl by the numbers, and many of our dearest readers outside the United States didn’t give a rat’s ass. So in the interest of world peace and love, here it is—the World Cup, by the numbers:

5,000,000,000: Viewers expected to watch the games
$100,000,000: Estimated cost of voice and data network deployed by Avaya
3,500,000: RFID embedded tickets
45000: Estimated number of network connections for TV production
2200: Hours of feeds produced
2000: Staff of TV productions
2000: Press, commentators
1300: Kilometers of cable for 12 venues
800: Camera positions
750: kilometers of audio/video cables
736: Players
100: Fujinon HD lenses deployed
70: TV studios
64: Number of matches broadcast in HD for 2006 FIFA World Cup
64: Total number of matches played
48: Matches broadcast in HD for previous World Cup (2002)
25: HD cameras used to cover each match (per stadium)
20: Outside broadcast trucks
14: Panels on current FIFA football
12: Cities hosting matches
9: PanAmSats used to send HD signal worldwide
6: Number of television directors
1: Pool feed for broadcasters

FIFA World Cup by the Numbers [Audio Video Producer]

 
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Originally from Gizmodo

iPod or drinking: students prefer iPod

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We can’t say that we’re really surprised, but it would appear that this year’s hundred-university student survey conducted by Student Monitor showed the iPod to run the show in terms of student desireability, even more so than getting soused. It’s the first time in almost ten years that something besides drinking has reigned atop the survey, but we have to admit though, drinking has the odds stacked against it. We’ll see what happens to the Apple’s sweet spread when we lobby the government to raise the minimum buying age for iPods to 21, now won’t we?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Originally posted by Ryan Block from Engadget

Opt out of credit card offers

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Register to stop getting credit card and insurance offers in the mail at OptOutPrescreen.com.

We mentioned this site in a passing update over a year and a half ago, but it’s worth pointing out again for those of you drowning in junk snail mail. The site’s legit, folks, endorsed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Using OptOutPrescreen’s secure submission form (or their 888-567-8688 number), opt out (or in, ha!) to snail mail credit card offers stuffing your mailbox by entering your name, address, social security number and date of birth. Not only will this save you from the temptation of a new credit card, it’ll save more trees from being chopped down and transported to your mailbox only to go into the trash or recycling bin. Mr. Gore would be proud.

 
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Originally from Lifehacker