Why do HMV do this to me!?

May 18th, 2010 David Chung

I don’t know about the reasons why this is so but hear me out. I got presented with a HMV voucher recently; you know the ones where some electornic cash is stored on one of those pretty pictured cards. Well, I would have expected to be able to use this online – just tap in the code and then cash is deducted from it. But apparently the small print says no, plain written, no. You can not use these gift cards for online purchase! Now I find that strange as considering the competition out there for online sales I would expect a company like HMV to scramble for my business. Just imagine this, I don’t hold an account on HMV and never ordered there. They can not only get me ordering there but the nifty bit would be getting my registration details on there system and start sending me product release details on my email address. In other words valuable customer data and retention. Instead, I’m forced to work into a store and pay full price on a title I want. I walk out giving them no information about me and my product choices. In turn I walk out having effectively lost cash I could have saved online. This makes me a dis-satisfied customer and HMV come away with nothing. Lose- lose situation

All I wish is that over-the-counter store gift cards can be spent online.

Quick boot up

Google Maps and UK Street View

March 20th, 2009 David Chung

Loving the new feature on Google as I can see the possibilities of having to explore my home town without getting out of the house and getting mugged. Brilliant. Joking aside, I found a cyclist with no legs!

Meanwhile, the contraversy of privacy will always wage on. Only today, Google had to pull some pictures of people in a less than respectable manner off the service. Full details here on the BBC. Earlier in the year, Mr and Mrs Boring ,an American family, tried to sue Google for invading their privacy for using images of the front of their house. They then subsequently shot themselves in the foot by publishing their full address in the legal notes. The case collapsed. Roll on the mighty Google machine!

Legless Cyclist on Google Street View

Twitter Tools

February 20th, 2009 David Chung

With the surgence of Tweeting going on, Techcrunch offer a great post on some tools to use. I’ve been using Tweetdeck recently having found Twirl impractical. Tweetdeck is very smart and the panel interface works wonders for those who like to follow replies to Tweets as well as scan for mentions on various topics.

I want to claim Twitter back from Stephen Fry! Who nominated him as the poster boy for all things Twitter? He was in Blackadder as well you know!

Lots of info about Twitter filtering through. Here’s the first part of an interview with co founder Jack Doresy

Cadbury’s Eyebrows Advert Makes Its Debut!

January 23rd, 2009 David Chung

Well, another attempt at nonsensical advert took another step to weirdness. Cadbury’s now known for two ads of last year including the drumming monkey which unfortunately allowed Phil Collins to re-issue the track to commit more crimes against decent music. Also, the not too popular airport transport trucks. Well, here’s their latest Cadbury’s eyebrow ad:-

What do I think of it? I don’t like it. I feel its trying to desperately wave its arms in the air trying to attract attention. It seems a little weird for weird sake. In this day in age when advertising spend is likely to decrease would these type of ads survive the current downturn.

The original and best ad. We don’t need no eyebrows: