Hacker News with Generative AI: Consumerism

Illegally logged wood from Cambodia likely ending up in U.S. homes (mongabay.com)
U.S. consumers risk using flooring products made of wood illegally logged from Cambodia’s rainforests, a recent Mongabay investigation suggests.

Illegal Logging, Cambodia, Environmental Issues, Consumerism, Rainforest

132 points by PaulHoule 3 days ago | 86 comments

Why computers are ridiculous now (write.as)
There's nothing fundamental that most of us are doing on a computer in the year 2024 that requires 16GB of RAM or a brand new processor. Why has it become the new default? Why does your computer that runs fine today require a replacement to run Windows 11? There's not one answer but several.

Technology, Operating Systems, Consumerism, Hardware

12 points by billybuckwheat 4 days ago | 1 comments

UK shrinkflation hits an absurd milestone (ycombinator.com)
Shrinkflation e.g. your favourite chocolate bar price is unchanged but weight sneakily reduced by 10%.<p>Now... underpants. H&M Cotton-rich short trunks Large were 33in at waist and are now (on the sample I bought today) 30in.<p>And unlike the chocolate bar which is marked e.g. "25g", the shorts' packaging lacks any figure to reveal the reduction in the number of inches you are getting.<p>What next? 11-inch rulers? :)

Consumerism, Marketing, United Kingdom, Economics

6 points by chrisjj 6 days ago | 7 comments

Airlines Hate 'Skiplagging.' Meet the Man Who Helps Travelers Pull It Off (nytimes.com)
Aktarer Zaman is the founder of a controversial website that unearths airfare hacks, most notably skipping the last leg of a flight for a cheaper price.

Travel, Airlines, Hacking, Consumerism

15 points by sebastian_z 8 days ago | 9 comments

Oddly-Specific Cleaning Products (aftermath.site)
When it comes to cleaning, I don’t like to overpay for watered-down chemicals. That’s why I tend to prefer cleaning products that I can buy in as concentrated a form as possible, preferably in bulk.

Cleaning Products, Consumerism, DIY

11 points by mkmk 11 days ago | 1 comments

Stores don't sell your favorite product anymore. That's on purpose (cnn.com)

Consumerism, Business Strategy, Supply Chain

5 points by elsewhen 13 days ago | 0 comments

Car sharing and second-hand phones not as green as they seem, research shows (phys.org)
Not all sustainable business models have the impact they claim, Leiden researcher Levon Amatuni revealed. Car sharing and phone reuse, for example, have a smaller positive effect than previously thought. Amatuni advises people to "pay attention to actual changes in their consumption behavior rather than green perceptions or labels."

Sustainability, Research, Environment, Technology, Consumerism

3 points by PaulHoule 24 days ago | 1 comments

Experts say a proposed revamp to the recycling symbol is still deceptive (grist.org)
Experts say a proposed revamp to the recycling symbol is still deceptive — and probably illegal

Recycling, Environmentalism, Consumerism, Sustainability

19 points by everybodyknows 24 days ago | 6 comments

We're in the Golden Age of Garbage Clothing (thewalrus.ca)
Pilling sweaters, stretched-out socks, flimsy denim. What happened to good garments?

Fashion, Consumerism, Sustainability

31 points by pseudolus 28 days ago | 15 comments

The history of the barcode (bbc.com)
Few people think twice about the barcodes on their shopping, but in the 75 years since they were first dreamed up, they have helped save lives, gone into space and stoked fears of the Antichrist.

History, Technology, Consumerism

91 points by belter 32 days ago | 25 comments

Bike Manufacturers Are Making Bikes Less Repairable (ifixit.com)
The bicycle is probably the canonical example of something that anyone can fix. Spares from all brands are mostly interchangeable, and you can do most repairs with wrenches, screwdrivers, and Allen keys, or some fairly standard tools for bottom brackets and chainrings. But that’s all changing.

Sustainability, Consumerism, Design, Repair, Cycling

207 points by LorenDB 38 days ago | 206 comments

Ask HN: When was the last time you bought something you were excited to get it? (ycombinator.com)
Ask HN: When was the last time you bought something you were excited to get it?

Consumerism, Shopping, Personal Experiences

8 points by michelsedgh 40 days ago | 21 comments

California first state to ban 'sell by' 'best before' label to reduce food waste (fortune.com)
California wants to help end the everyday household debate over whether the food in the fridge is still good to eat.

Food Waste, California, Legislation, Sustainability, Consumerism

42 points by paulpauper 44 days ago | 62 comments

Why I Never Buy Cutting-Edge Smartphones or PCs (howtogeek.com)

Technology, Personal Finance, Consumerism, Reviews

22 points by bentocorp 44 days ago | 13 comments

Diderot Effect (wikipedia.org)
The Diderot effect is a phenomenon that occurs when acquiring a new possession leads to a spiral of consumption that results in the acquisition of even more possessions.

Consumerism, Psychology, Economics

6 points by saikatsg 51 days ago | 0 comments

Small Products that Improved my Life (wordpress.com)
One of the vertiginous features of modernity is that most manufactured products don’t cost much more than a few meals.

Life Hacks, Product Reviews, Consumerism

19 points by moultano 54 days ago | 3 comments

Death of the Department Store (lrb.co.uk)
The department store is dying.

Retail, Business, Economics, Consumerism

113 points by samclemens 58 days ago | 192 comments

You'll own nothing and be happy- Jaguar Land Rover now offer a car subscription (drivepivotal.com)

Car Subscriptions, Ownership, Technology, Consumerism

14 points by microsoftedging 58 days ago | 12 comments

Every time the planes pass, my eyes burn: the hidden cost of Costa Rican bananas (theguardian.com)
Pesticides banned in the EU are still used in the Central American country, affecting workers and ecosystems, all to meet the demand for ‘perfect’ fruit in the west

Agriculture, Environmental Issues, Health, Costa Rica, Consumerism

17 points by aguaviva 65 days ago | 3 comments

Mitsubishi is an example of anti-consumer, poor design decisions (ycombinator.com)

Consumerism, Design, Business, Japan

12 points by bbarnett 74 days ago | 6 comments

Shaving is too expensive (johnwhiles.com)
Shaving is too expensive and is a demonstrative example of how most consumer products are designed to extract more money from you rather than to improve your life, or the world, or to be in any way remotely good.

Consumerism, Economics, Personal Care

86 points by fanf2 78 days ago | 168 comments

Shrinkwrap 'contract' found at Costco on collagen peptides (slashdot.org)

Consumerism, Legal Issues

9 points by geox 80 days ago | 2 comments

CEO on keeping your mouse forever: it's like Rolex, you’re going to love that (fortune.com)

Consumerism, Technology, Business, Luxury

6 points by type0 81 days ago | 10 comments

Amazon Makes You Pay More for Everything (2023) (youtube.com)

Amazon, Pricing, Consumerism, Business, 2023

31 points by ijidak 93 days ago | 17 comments

TV set has become a digital billboard. And it's only getting worse (arstechnica.com)