Even though most of the TV I watch is recorded, and I try to fast-forward through the ads, I still wind up watching some commercials now and then. And one of the campaigns I've noticed most this year--possibly a sign of the times--has been for FreeCreditReport.com. Maybe you've seen the ads, too; they all feature a band with members in various oddball costumes and a cute lead singer crooning catchy jingles urging you to look after your credit rating by obtaining reports from the site. Here's one of the FreeCreditReport ads.

I've always liked my laptops small and light, so I didn't take long to jump on the netbook bandwagon: I bought an HP Mini 1000 shortly after it appeared late last year. But a recent ad campaign on PCWorld.com made me wonder if I hadn't jumped too soon.

Radio Shack ads touted an Acer Aspire One netbook with built-in mobile broadband for a mere $100--provided that you committed to a two-year, $60-per-month data plan with the provider of said mobile broadband, AT&T. (Dell had a similar offer for its Inspiron Mini 9 netbook back in January; that one has expired, but the company still gives smaller rebates on the purchase of a Mini with an AT&T data plan.)

The story broke on an obscure blog in mid-January and quickly spread all over the Web: A Belkin employee had been caught posting ads offering payment to people who would write positive user reviews of the company's products, or mark negative reviews by others as "unhelpful."

In what appeared to be a tacit confirmation of the story, Belkin president Mark Reynoso posted a public apology that repudiated the employee's action, described them as an "isolated incident," and said the company was working to identify and eliminate any bogus reviews that may have resulted.

When my three-month-old iPhone 3G nearly died, I suddenly became very interested in phone insurance plans that had previously left me cold. Major carriers typically offer insurance along with umpteen other "up-sells" when you buy a new handset, and I reflexively turn all of them down.

But faced, even temporarily, with the prospect of having to replace my iPhone at its full, unsubsidized price ($500 for the 16GB model), I began to wonder if insurance might not be worthwhile. It turns out that one company--Asurion--manages insurance programs for all the major U.S. carriers. However...

With the long-awaited transition to digital broadcasting just around the corner (February 17), many shoppers will take the HDTV plunge during the holidays and beyond--and stores eagerly await them. Even if you plan to buy online, it's smart to eyeball sets in a local big-box store, but don't take everything you see or hear at face value. Here are some issues to be aware of.

Check the Content

In a recent visit to a Best Buy store, I noticed that the inexpensive sets were playing a recorded HDTV loop (sales reps couldn't say whether it was 720p or 1080i, the two broadcast HD formats), but the pricey units in the store's upscale Magnolia area were playing different content--some of broadcast quality, but some from media. Not surprisingly, the set playing a Blu-ray movie looked best, since Blu-ray is the only source of native 1080p content.

I'm writing this column on the eve of Labor Day, and chances are you've not yet celebrated Halloween as you read it. But if you think it's too early to begin your holiday shopping, think again.

The most important thing I learned last year was that shopping on a timetable (the holidays, in this case) isn't always productive. I bought my HDTV (a 42-inch Panasonic 1080p plasma) during a Veteran's Day sale at Sears.com, and the price went up the next day, never to sink to the same level until well into the new year. So my top holiday shopping tip is, if you see a great deal, pounce on it.

Last fall, I wrote about Assurz, a service that-for a small up-front surcharge-would let you return anything you bought at a participating retailer, on very generous terms: no questions asked, a 90-day window, and no shipping charges or restocking fees. Sadly, Assurz is no more. PC World's Steve Bass has written about the Assurz debacle, but the gist of the story is that Assurz filed for bankruptcy protection in late June after informing its retail partners that it was ending service because of excessively high return rates. What a shock: Whoever came up with the company's business model apparently didn't anticipate that the type of person who'd sign up for the service would be far likelier than the average customer to use it.

Another Type of Guarantee

Other third-party services still seek to assuage the fears of nervous online buyers. I recently looked at BuySafe.com, which rates e-commerce sites for security and privacy features, and offers merchants that it deems to be up to snuff the option of offering BuySafe's bonding service. Basically, the service is a guarantee-good for up to $25,000 and backed by the likes of Liberty Mutual and Travelers Insurance-that the e-tailer will meet all of its obligations on a sale.

Auction sites are among the Web's greatest wonders. Want to know something's value? For tangible goods, there's no better barometer of current worth than eBay. Now a new site called MoneyAisle promises similar benefits to people looking for the best interest rates for their long- or short-term savings.

Sure, you can run a search on Bankrate.com, or check out mortgage offers on LendingTree.com. But MoneyAisle's creators at the online auction technology company NeoSaej say that the site's innovative technology and ad-independent business model help consumers find the best rates on money-market savings accounts or certificates of deposit, while also helping banks find depositors more cost-effectively.