Tag Archives: technology

When Your Bag Never Arrives

Word on the street is that airline technology is moving in so that you can track your bag through messaging on your phone. That means that you don’t have to wait for half an hour at a baggage carousel when the airline already knows that your bag is not going to show. A simple alert, and you can head straight to baggage information.

But airlines are moving beyond this and want to eliminate that mess. You know, selecting what your bag looks like on an identity kit picture and filling out a silly form that is filed away (FYI: never lose your bag at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport!). So, this is an improvement. However, airlines get a whopping $4 billion per year in baggage fees. This is another way for them to give you false statistics. If you do not fill out the form and they inform you your bag is missing, you can alert them on where you would like to receive your bag. That means that your bag is not lost or missing but is simply “arriving for your convenience at your home address.” So they look a little more efficient than they are. They still charge you for the baggage fee. All they have done is change the goal post, make our lives a little better, and make themselves look fabulous.

I for one am all for avoiding the dreaded line at baggage services. That’s at least a two-hour killer right there. Frankly, the only reason that you should ever check your bag is if you’re skiing or emigrating.

Apple and Tech21 – My Love (and Hate) Affair with Apple Accessories

I had recently switched my iPhone case from the beloved Tech21 to Apple.  Boy, I loved those Tech21 cases.  You could throw your iPhone in the air and watch it slam down on a piece of concrete and nothing would shatter.  In fact, when I first went to the Apple Store to invest in one, the guy gave me the sales pitch on the Tech21 and told me it was shatter-proof.  So, I took the case, put it on my iPhone, threw it up in the air, and watched his face in horror as the phone landed on the Apple ground.  Guess what?  He was right.

But now Tech21 has broken their promise in providing the case that is perfect in every way.  The new case, for some ungodly reason, has the silent button opening designed for a five-year-old or people with micro fingers.  Seriously, guys, I use that switch all the time!  It’s a shame.  I’m not saying that you should take the designer who designed the new case and march him/her out the door, but maybe you should check the fingers out on this person.  They sure cannot be ordinary fingers.  Or else this person just prefers the “Do Not Disturb” crescent moon symbol.  Living dangerously if you ask me when you are at the theater.

So, Tech21, I abandoned you.  I went looking for an Apple case and invested in their silicon line.  I like it because when you leave your phone on the arm of an airplane seat during landing, it does not slip off.  It stays put easily.  I also like it because I can access the silent switch with ease.  But when I started to use it, I noticed that the silicon began to wear on the corners.  What a drag.  I have an Apple Store near me and I walked in expecting some kind of interrogation on receipt verification, the usual sales obstruction stuff, etc.  But instead, the guy told me to go pick out a new case and we would just do a straight switch.  Or if I wanted the money back, he would just transfer it back to my card.  The whole transaction time was five minutes.  Brilliant service.  Hey Tech21, change your design.  I will still leave the door open for you.  Hey Apple, you’re the best.