Hacker News with Generative AI: Consumerism

I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students (indyweek.com)
I live in an apartment building in downtown Durham that houses more Duke University undergrads than any other category of person—a friend once characterized it as an “adult dorm”—so it wasn’t all that surprising when, last week, I found a cute little table in the trash room on my floor. At the end of the school year, a lot gets thrown away.
Waste Management, College Life, Consumerism
258 points by drvladb 31 days ago | 321 comments
Camera reviews are not only pointless, but are also kind of rigged (om.co)
Camera reviews are not only pointless, but are also kind of rigged. And there is no better testimonial for this camera hype machine than the “review” of Fuji X half camera by PetaPixel.
Camera Reviews, Photography, Consumerism
7 points by gslin 32 days ago | 2 comments
The truth about soft plastic recycling points at supermarkets (everydayplastic.org)
Our new investigation reveals the hard truth about soft plastic recycling points at supermarkets…
Recycling, Consumerism, Environmentalism, Investigation, Supermarkets
127 points by Kaibeezy 32 days ago | 166 comments
Tariff Exemptions Are Terrible News for Electronics Repairability (ifixit.com)
The US trade war is likely to have an unintended casualty: Repairability.
Electronics Repair, Trade Wars, Policy, Consumerism, Sustainability
6 points by gnabgib 36 days ago | 0 comments
A Formal Mathematical Investigation on the Validity of Kellogg's Glaze Claims (reddit.com)
UPDATE: KELLOGG'S HAS RESPONDED!
Mathematics, Food Science, Consumerism, Reddit
71 points by ZeroCool2u 39 days ago | 20 comments
What interesting things low spending people do, that others know nothing about? (ycombinator.com)
A question on the home page is concerned with a similar question but for wealthy people. I’m interested in things low income and low spending folk do that others engaged in ordinary commerce maybe barely do or better yet never think to do of know anything about.
Lifestyle, Consumerism, Financial Behavior, Sociology
16 points by evolve2k 39 days ago | 43 comments
What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015) (reddit.com)
What do insanely wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about?
Wealth, Consumerism, Class, Sociology, Luxury
327 points by Tomte 40 days ago | 796 comments
Rams is a documentary portrait of Dieter Rams (2018) (hustwit.com)
Rams is a documentary portrait of Dieter Rams, one of the most influential designers alive, and a rumination on consumerism, sustainability, and the future of design.
Design, Documentary, Consumerism, Sustainability
71 points by Michelangelo11 56 days ago | 19 comments
De minimis: US small parcels loophole closes pushing up Shein, Temu prices (bbc.com)
A duty-free loophole for low-value packages has been closed by President Donald Trump, pushing up prices for US customers of firms like Shein and Temu.
International Trade, E-commerce, Retail, Consumerism, Pricing
93 points by colinprince 56 days ago | 136 comments
Ask HN: Are there any apps to track grocery prices in local stores? (ycombinator.com)
With tariffs kicking in and imports slowing, I want to track the local impact at my grocery stores.
Consumerism, Grocery Shopping, Price Tracking, Local Businesses, Data
23 points by cantrobot 59 days ago | 19 comments
Home Without China (nytimes.com)
It’s hard to imagine an American home without Chinese products.
China, Consumerism, International Relations, Economics
10 points by reaperducer 61 days ago | 2 comments
Your Home Without China (nytimes.com)
It’s hard to imagine an American home without Chinese products.
Consumerism, China, United States
7 points by gfalcao 61 days ago | 0 comments
Amazon Just Happens to Hold Book Sale During Independent Bookstore Day (gizmodo.com)
April 26 is Independent Bookstore Day, an annual tradition organized by the American Booksellers Association that is entering its 12th year and has taken place on the final Saturday of April since its conception. And, wouldn’t you know it, Amazon just so happens to be hosting its second annual book sale (two being less than 12, if you’re keeping count) from April 23 through the 28th, encompassing the day that has been claimed by local shop across the country.
Amazon, Book Sales, Independent Bookstores, Retail, Consumerism
253 points by pseudolus 62 days ago | 193 comments
Chinese Manufacturers Make Appeals to Americans: Buy Direct (nytimes.com)
Chinese manufacturers are flooding TikTok and other social media apps with direct appeals to American shoppers, urging people to buy luxury items straight from their factories. And amid the threats of sky-high tariffs on Chinese exports, Americans seem to be all in.
China, Manufacturing, Consumerism, Trade, Social Media
11 points by bookofjoe 63 days ago | 1 comments
A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen (theverge.com)
Ask just about anybody, and they’ll tell you that new cars are too expensive. In the wake of tariffs shaking the auto industry and with the Trump administration pledging to kill the federal EV incentive, that situation isn’t looking to get better soon, especially for anyone wanting something battery-powered. Changing that overly spendy status quo is going to take something radical, and it’s hard to get more radical than what Slate Auto has planned.
Electric Vehicles, Automotive Industry, Design, Consumerism
1457 points by kwindla 63 days ago | 1297 comments
The Pour-igin of Species (pudding.cool)
You’re in a rush and you need to grab a bottle of wine for a special occasion. You’ve got $40 and no preference for red or white, but you like wines with animal labels. Which wine are you buying?
Wine, Humor, Consumerism, Lifestyle
10 points by surprisetalk 71 days ago | 1 comments
Ask HN: Why do people buy Nvidia RTX 5090 at x2 the MSRP? (ycombinator.com)
Ask HN: Why do people buy Nvidia RTX 5090 at x2 the MSRP?
Hardware, Consumerism, Graphics Cards, Nvidia, Gaming
11 points by behnamoh 71 days ago | 10 comments
$3 Trader Joe's tote bags resell for more than $1,500 (qz.com)
Eggs aren’t the only things people will be hunting for at Trader Joe’s this Easter. Shoppers will also be flooding the aisles to track down the pastel-hued miniature tote bags the grocer released earlier this month.
Consumerism, Retail, Trader Joe's, Reselling, Easter
25 points by geox 75 days ago | 24 comments
Fuck Run Club, Join Sit Club (rawandferal.substack.com)
Nobody actually likes running. This is just a lie that Big Run (Nike) tells us, to sell us products we don’t need, for problems we don’t have.
Running, Lifestyle, Satire, Consumerism
76 points by striking 81 days ago | 56 comments
Buy Your Tech Now Before You Can't Possibly Afford It (gizmodo.com)
If the Switch 2 delay proves anything, it’s that Trump tariffs mean your tech will be more scarce and cost a lot more.
Technology, Consumerism, Economics
10 points by rntn 83 days ago | 10 comments
Are Levi's from Amazon different from Levi's from Levi's? (nymag.com)
E-commerce, Fashion, Retail, Consumerism
162 points by randycupertino 91 days ago | 152 comments
The Blood on the Keyboard (historynewsnetwork.org)
The history of ivory-topped piano keys and the invisible human suffering caused by our cultural commodities.
History, Culture, Consumerism, Ethics
6 points by Thevet 94 days ago | 0 comments
DoorDash Offering Payment Plans for Food Delivery Sparks Backlash (newsweek.com)
DoorDash is teaming up with Klarna to introduce a "buy now, pay later" option for food delivery, allowing customers to split their purchases into four interest-free payments.
Fintech, Food Delivery, Consumerism, Business
44 points by ferguess_k 99 days ago | 102 comments
'Danish Viking blood is boiling.' Danes and other Europeans boycott US goods (apnews.com)
Ivan Hansen, a retired Danish police officer, loaded up his basket at the supermarket, carefully checking each product to avoid buying anything made in the United States. No more Coca-Cola, no more California Zinfandel wine or almonds.
Boycotts, International Relations, Consumerism, Denmark, Europe
15 points by KnuthIsGod 101 days ago | 23 comments
Ultra-processed babies: are toddler snacks one of the food scandals of our time? (theguardian.com)
For time-poor parents, straws, sticks, pouches and powders can seem like a quick, convenient and even healthy option. But these oversweetened, mushy foods are creating a generation of choosy consumers whose teeth are already rotting
Food Industry, Health, Children, Nutrition, Consumerism
7 points by pseudolus 104 days ago | 1 comments
Tesla Owners Are Desperately Trying to Disguise Their Cars (rollingstone.com)
As oligarch Elon Musk continues to bulldoze entire sectors of the federal government via his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the backlash has taken a toll on automaker Tesla, which counts him as both CEO and de facto head of marketing.
Tesla, Elon Musk, Automotive Industry, Politics, Consumerism
10 points by borissk 106 days ago | 3 comments
Tesco trials giant trolley scales in Gateshead (bbc.co.uk)
Giant trolley scales are being trialled at a Tesco store in Gateshead sparking a mixed reaction from shoppers.
Retail, Technology, Consumerism, United Kingdom
19 points by asimpleusecase 112 days ago | 51 comments
Is REI turning into a corporate retailer? (seattletimes.com)
The union representing hundreds of REI workers has a simple ask for the Issaquah-based co-op’s members: Vote no on board candidates.
Retail, Unions, Companies, Consumerism
9 points by petethomas 112 days ago | 7 comments
Brother turns heel and becomes anti-consumer printer company [video] (youtube.com)
Brother, Printers, Consumerism, Video
22 points by CharlesW 115 days ago | 1 comments
Our Changing Relationship with Apple (mjtsai.com)
Apple’s positive effect on my life should not be underestimated. […] But I need to remember, now and again, that Apple is a corporation, and corporations aren’t people, and they can’t love you back. You wouldn’t love GE or Exxon or Comcast — and you shouldn’t love Apple. It’s not an exception to the rule: there are no exceptions.
Apple, Technology, Consumerism, Relationships
19 points by ksec 118 days ago | 21 comments