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TWITTER    Week of May 25, 2020 (see last week)   

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Mouse Print* -- Get an Extra Year Warranty on Refurbished Items Free

mouse print Savvy shoppers know they can often get great deals on refurbished electronics items like TVs or cellphones, but the warranty that comes with these reconditioned products is often skimpy, typically only 90 days. And if you think your credit card will double that, think again because most card issuers exclude refurbished items from their extended warranty benefit... except this one. That is our Mouse Print* story this week.

Many Antibody Tests Can Be Dead Wrong

doctor According to doctors from the Mayo Clinic, many of the antibody tests they checked failed to meet their quality standards. As an experiment, the doctors substituted a saline solution for a drop of blood normally used on one of the 15-minute rapid tests. It came back positive! The hospital checked 19 different brands of tests, nine of the them were the rapid tests. Four of the nine failed. Of the 10 tests where a vial of blood is sent off to a laboratory for analysis, only four rated A+.

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MoneyTalksNews
Updated daily

Beware Contact Tracing Phone Scam

FTC You've probably been hearing a lot about contact tracing. It's the process of identifying people who have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and instructing them to quarantine and monitor their symptoms daily. Now scammers are sending fake text messages saying someone you came in contact with tested positive for the virus. Don't click the link in the message...it contains malware.

CORRECTED LINK
Have You Been Cleaning Surfaces All Wrong?

Covid-19 The New York Times suggests that you may not have been properly disinfecting the surfaces in your home because of varying instructions on different products and not leaving the sprays on long enough. And there are different rules for wipes versus sprays. Here's what you need to know. [Some readers' browsers blocked the old link.]


This Week's Smile

We Are The World - 2020 Version


New York musicians and singers recently faithfully reproduced the sound of the original "We Are The World" from their Long Island homes while in quarantine. This rendition is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

NOTE: We only feature free stories that are fully readable. If you are blocked, try a different browser and clear NYT cookies from it. Other newspapers may block you based on your repeated use of their site, or convert previously free stories to pay stories without notice.

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Bargain of the Week

Sling Now Offers a Free Tier of Streaming TV

If you are into streaming of TV programs on your computer, Roku, or similar devices, Sling is now offering a completely free tier of service (no credit card needed). Here is how to access Sling Free on your computer.

No Memorial Day Garden Sale Circular at Home Depot or Lowe's

For the first time in decades, don't expect to find a big Memorial Day sale on mulch (historically $2 a bag) or plants and garden items at Home Depot or Lowe's. It is yet another casualty of the pandemic.

See also: Hot Deals

Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports Evaluates Restaurant Delivery Services

Rather than go to restaurants, many people have been using delivery services like Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc. Consumer Reports investigated how easy their apps were to use, whether the order was right, delivered on time, and if the driver followed instructions for contactless delivery. Here's what they found.

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