Some companies (not just Apple) do really great things. Here's what has impressed me this week:

DirecTV: First of all, I have always been a HUGE fan of directv. It's cheaper than cable, more selection, better quality, much better customer service. I think I read somewhere they have a 80% customer satisfaction rating, vs 30% for cable.

You can do cool things like subscribe to a channel for just one day (to see some cool movie, or whatever) and you only pay for 1 day ($0.50 for HBO). You can subscribe/unsubscribe to stuff online, and it's instant.

I called them a couple days ago because Chris wants a TiVo. They are offering a TiVo for only $100 including installation! Just the installation (with the cables and other tools) is worth $100. A TiVo for normal cable is $200-300. They are LOSING MONEY on this. There isn't even an additional monthly fee since we already have 1 tivo. It's pretty awesome.

Aki also ordered a DirecTiVo system. I think the whole world should use DirecTiVo.

T-Mobile: They just reduced the price of their GPRS data service to only $5/month for unlimited access. I somehow got grandfathered in at $3/month.

Also, my parents just went to Cancun and they called up T-Mobile before they left. In just a few minutes their phone was unlocked to roam in Mexico and call anywhere in the world. AND T-Mobile unlocked their phone and TOLD THEM they could get a SIM card from other countries that would be cheaper. So nice.

Crutchfield: They have always been the place to go for car audio and home theater. They have great customer service (they actually KNOW THINGS ABOUT PRODUCTS) and awesome return policies.

Now they are selling iPods. Regular price, no sales tax and free 3 day shipping. If you use my referral code (p5ev7-767pe-fi4ki) you get $20 off, I get a $20 credit, and it becomes the cheapest place to buy an iPod.