Don’t think I lost anything. No obvious error message. Send report to Apple.
Argh!
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MACBOOKAIR: Fails to restart from sleep
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
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MACBOOKAIR | 
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Posted by reinkefj
DATA: Open Gooferment data in New Hampshire
Tuesday, February 15, 2011http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/02/08/0112246/New-Hampshire-Begins-Open-Data-Efforts
*** begin quote ***
Now, with over a dozen Free Staters elected to the NH legislature, these geeks are starting to affect government data-sharing policy.
*** end quote ***
http://techpresident.com/blog-entry/new-hampshire-opens-its-states-legislative-data
*** begin quote ***
Chalk up a new one for the open-government-data geeks.
In the past few days, New Hampshire’s General Court, as the state legislature is officially known, started releasing data on legislation and legislators in nerd-friendly, “pipe-separated” files, uploaded daily. In non-geek speak, this means the data is presented in a way that any competent web developer can easily process for use in an application or a researcher can feed into a database system to explore.
*** end quote ***
Seems like the “crazy Free state Project members” are making a change that was completely unexpected.
They are cracking the Gooferment data open like a dropped Chinese porcelain urn.
Imagine that people are actually interested in what the Gooferment is up to.
“Very interested”!
Now we just need to make the Gooferment switch to free Open Source Software and save some money.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECHNOLOGY: Serendipity! I get to watch a red light camera from wife’s ICU room
Monday, February 14, 2011I find the Universe has a sense of humor.
In observing the Red Light Camera by Saint Peter’s University Hospital, I think it’s “unacceptable”.
I don’t have a stop watch to determine the timing.
Some folks obviously enter the intersection on red and it ain’t even close. Other’s not so clear.
If a car is in the intersection to make a left turn, and the light goes red, sometimes it “fires”.
If a car yields to a light’s ‘n’ sirens ambulance while in the intersection, it fires?
If a pedestrian interrupts some poor slob making a legal right or left, and he’s caught in the intersection, it fires.
To do a good study, we need to mark the pavement with what I’d call the 25mph line. If a poor slob is doing 25mphs, how much distance does the yellow give him to stop. I can’t tell with out some tools: radar gun; pavement markings; and a stop watch.
If the Old Lady is stuck in the ICU long, maybe I’ll have time to do a real study.
Make a movie?
Yeah, I have too much time on my hands.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECHNOLOGY: Red light camera as like an ATM to the Gooferment
Monday, February 14, 2011http://reason.com/blog/2011/02/07/more-fights-over-red-light-cam
More Fights Over Red Light Cameras
Radley Balko | February 7, 2011
*** begin quote ***
Actually, the argument is that there’s good evidence showing that lengthening yellow times is a far better way to prevent intersection accidents than red light cameras. It’s more effective, and doesn’t come with the creepy surveillance state vibe. Somehow, that doesn’t seem as appealing a policy to city governments. Another reason we critics have impugned the motives of public officials is that several cities have been caught shortening yellow times at intersections after they’ve been outfitted with cameras. That would seem to be a pretty good indication of a government that values revenue more than safety.
*** end quote ***
Yes, cash-strapped jurisdiction would have a very good motivation to install the camera and then shorten the yellow.
See the Gooferment can’t be both a participant in the game and the game’s referee.
Any illusion that there is a difference between the supposed three branches of Gooferment is just a corrupt illusion.
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Posted by reinkefj
NETWORK: “In the same way”? Not Quite
Sunday, February 13, 2011http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/ipv6-marks-next-chapter-in-history-of.html
IPv6 marks the next chapter in the history of the Internet
2/03/2011 01:39:00 PM
*** begin quote ***
In the same way your phone is associated with a unique number, your computer is assigned a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address when you connect to the Internet. The current protocol, IPv4, allows for approximately 4 billion unique addresses—and that number is about to run out.
*** end quote ***
Unfortunately, not really.
I’ve had the same home phone number for more than three decades. Thru three PSPs (Phone Service Providers).
ISPs play all sorts of games with “my” IP address. Not to mention that I have wifi router that automagically “counterfeits” the mac addresses to allow me to “fool” the ISPs network.
Argh!
It’s more imprecise language that encourages fuzzy thinking.
We really have two different kinds of internet. An internet of things controlled by the manufacturers with mac addresses and the internet of people controlled by the ISPs.
We can say that the IPV4 problem is an ISP problem; not a User problem.
Certainly, not MY problem. I get nothing out of it.
I’m more interested in mesh networks and P2PDNS.
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: GOOGLE starts to make two factor authentication available
Friday, February 11, 2011Advanced sign-in security for your Google account
Posted: 10 Feb 2011 08:30 AM PST
*** begin quote ***
Most of us are used to entrusting our information to a password, but we know that some of you are looking for something stronger. As we announced to our Google Apps customers a few months ago, we’ve developed an advanced opt-in security feature called 2-step verification that makes your Google Account significantly more secure by helping to verify that you’re the real owner of your account. Now it’s time to offer the same advanced protection to all of our users.
2-step verification requires two independent factors for authentication, much like you might see on your banking website: your password, plus a code obtained using your phone. Over the next few days, you’ll see a new link on your Account Settings page that looks like this: …
*** end quote ***
Now maybe this will embarrass the financial institutions into real security. As opposed to “password theater”.
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Extended Opt Out Time is unacceptable
Friday, February 11, 2011*** begin quote ***
Opt out
You have successfully opted out of Clearance Jobs Communications. It may take up to 10 days to fully process your opt-out request.
*** end quote ***
TEN DAYS!
Ya gotta be kidding?
CONSTANTCONTACT does it INSTANTLY!
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Posted by reinkefj
NETWORK: Carriers Hold the Cards
Wednesday, February 9, 2011http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/iphone-verizon-sucks/
Verizon iPhone Shows You Can’t Win: Carriers Hold the Cards
By Brian X. Chen February 7, 2011 | 4:45 pm
*** begin quote ***
On the day that iPhone preorders began last week, Verizon quietly revised its policy on data management: Any smartphone customer who uses an “extraordinary amount of data” will see a slowdown in their data-transfer speeds for the remainder of the month and the next billing cycle. It’s a bit of a bait-and-switch. One of Verizon’s selling points for its version of the iPhone is that it would come with an unlimited data plan — a marked contrast to AT&T, which eliminated its unlimited data plans last year.
*** end quote ***
“A BIT”!
Are you kidding me?
Where’s the FTC on false advertising, the FCC on “telecom regulation”, and DOJ on “restraint of trade”? (… or do you think APPLE’s IPAD just isn’t welcome on the T-MOBILE network.)
How come they (DOJ) took AT&T apart at the seams and ruined a “national treasure” (Universal cheap local phone service and Bell Labs)? But they leave the cesspool of cable and telcos “unregulated”. Talk about “regulatory capture”!
I think it’s “real simple”. Reintroduce the idea that you can make hardware, software, or the network. But never the twain shall meet. If you open an “app store” then you can’t be in the business of making software.
How about the doctrine of “first sale” and all this “licensing” nonsense? You have to be kidding me!
The crippled DVRs of the cable and telcos is unfair competition with TIVO.
And, billing? Sorry but you can’t mislabel “fees” as “taxes”. And, you can’t pre-bill, post-bill, or change it as you go along.
Finally, “agreements” that are “agreed to” after the purchase, or have legalese, or that are 37 pages of small print designed to be “read” in real time on a computer screen should be presumed to be fraudulent and thus null and void.
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Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: OPERA1101 can’t send a link?
Sunday, February 6, 2011In my quest to find a browser that fulfills my needs (whatever they are), I’ve been using OPERA (version 11.01).
I just noticed a blunder in the User Interface.
There’s no menu option under “file” to forward a link.
Curious oversight.
Otherwise, the browser is quite good.
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Google can’t verify a Google Site?
Sunday, February 6, 2011Verify ownership
Verification status
Not Verified – Last attempt Less than a minute ago – Hide history
Attempted Method Outcome
2/6/11 10:06:00 PM UTC Meta tag Verification failed. Your meta tag is not in the <head> section of your home page.
2/6/11 10:04:01 PM UTC HTML file Verification failed. Your verification file was not found.
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Ok, Google, how should it be done. Sigh!
# # # # # posted 2011-02-06 17:10
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Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: APPLE’s APPSTORE has no way to roll back
Sunday, February 6, 2011http://www.tuaw.com/2011/01/28/ipad-101-reverting-to-an-older-version-of-an-application/
iPad 101: Reverting to an older version of an application
by Michael Rose (RSS feed) on Jan 28th 2011 at 2:15PM
*** begin quote ***
It happens to us all: an application update for the iPhone or iPad goes awry, and the new app doesn’t do things the way we want (or, unfortunately, work at all on one of our devices). We ourselves are in that boat at the moment, since the new version 2.0 of the TUAW iPhone app is not working as expected on the iPad — our development team is digging into the problem right now and we hope to be fast-tracking a fixed version right away. Our apologies for the issues.
This sort of thing is particularly sticky because there’s no Apple-supported way to roll back to a previous version of an iOS application once you’ve updated. There is a workaround, however, if you haven’t yet emptied your Trash in the Finder. Read on for the steps.
*** end quote ***
Here’s the chief objection to cloud-based version control.
You don’t have the old software to fall back on.
And, that’s the objection to “application stores”.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECHNOLOGY: No “kill switches”
Saturday, February 5, 2011
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Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: POSTBOX2 NOTRECOMMENDED
Thursday, February 3, 2011POSTBOX2, a OSX mail application, is in my doghouse.
- Smearing in message preview screen when paging down in a message.
- Support told me that I’m unique and they can’t reproduce it.
- Don’t have the accounts open.
- Unable to “next” thru an mail folder from message to message.
- It’s “involved” in several high CPU usage incidents.
- It’s “involved” in several disk space exhaustion incidents.
- It has “performance issues” especially when switching mailboxes.
I’ve fallen back to APPLE MAIL.
# # # # # posted 2011-01-26 17:03
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Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: POSTBOX2 “SMEARING” appears to be related to “account” display
Wednesday, February 2, 2011RE: POSTBOX2 has a serious value-impacting problem — “SMEARING” in message preview pane
*** begin quote ***
“SMEARING” in message preview pane POSTBOX2 Version 2.1.0 (PAID) While the workaround — “click on the message” and read it in a new tab — works, it destroys the usability of it.
*** end quote ***
The support folks have tumbled to a key fact. “SMEARING” only appears to occur when (1) the ACCOUNT has many accounts; and (2) the ACCOUNT folder is open to show individual accounts. Close it, no “SMEARING”.
This is now a acceptable temporary (I hope) workaround.
Support was good in terms of responsiveness and follow thru.
Assuming this will get a fix, I’m downgrading my “NOTRECOMMENDED” recommendation to “WARNING”. (Like anyone cares.)
The implication is that it is NOT well tested if within a week of buying and using the product, I can hit a CLASS #2 bug which should have been obvious to find.
# # # # # posted 2011-02-02 09:04
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Posted by reinkefj
TECHNOLOGY: Talking cars
Wednesday, February 2, 2011http://www.impactlab.net/2011/01/26/talking-cars-someday-may-save-lives/
‘Talking Cars’ Someday May Save Lives
*** begin quote ***
“This technology is an opportunity to help create a future where millions of vehicles communicate with each other by sharing anonymous real-time information about traffic speeds and conditions. This new world of wireless communication will make transportation safer,” said Peter Appel, administrator of the Transportation Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration.
*** end quote ***
I wonder if the regional dialects will be preserved.
As they say in Brooklyn, Fuggedaboudit!
Another boondoggle.
Think runaway Toyotas are “fun”?
How about cars that “know better” than the driver!
Still a autobahn with 200 mph cars and no driver would be an interesting experience. Like the Disney attraction Mister Toad’s Wild Ride!
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Posted by reinkefj
MACBOOKAIR: Disk space disappears until reboot
Tuesday, February 1, 2011*** begin quote ***
Case Information
Case ID: 202017437
Case: Application or system is unresponsive
Status: Opened Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Contact Option:
An Advisor will call you Tuesday, February 1, 2011, between 4:00 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. Eastern
*** end quote ***
I’ve gotten annoyed with the continual temporary disk space exhaustion issue.
I left windoze because of all the issues. And, on MACOSX, I seem to be having as many.
ARGH!
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Amazon Simple Email
Tuesday, February 1, 2011http://aws.amazon.com/ses/pricing/
*** begin quote ***
Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) (beta)
Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) is a highly scalable and cost-effective bulk and transactional email-sending service for businesses and developers. Amazon SES eliminates the complexity and expense of building an in-house email solution or licensing, installing, and operating a third-party email service. The service integrates with other AWS services, making it easy to send emails from applications being hosted on services such as Amazon EC2. With Amazon SES there is no long-term commitment, minimum spend or negotiation required – businesses can utilize a free usage tier and after that enjoy low fees for the number of emails sent plus data transfer fees.
*** end quote ***
10¢ per thousand emails?
Wow!
That’s going to change the dynamics of the marketplace.
Not as simple as a Yahoo Group. Haven’t played with Google Groups. It requires coding and the use of APIs. I’m sure someone will write an smtp front end that makes it trivial to use.
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Why does MOBILEME sync not work
Friday, January 28, 2011Last good sync was 1/9/11. It’s been on lots of different networks. Hooked, litterally, for days to the inet.
Yet, their “sync” can’t sync. CARBONITE, DROPBOX, POGOPLUG — all seem to work just fine.
Maybe they need some “help”?
Sadly, NOTRECOMMENDED!
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Google Cloud Print “real soon now”
Thursday, January 27, 2011http://www.google.com/support/cloudprint/?hl=en
*** begin quote ***
Troubleshooting Google Cloud Print
Why is my document not printing?
Why can’t I print to my cloud printer from Chrome?
For now Google Cloud Print is only available in mobile devices such as smart phones and Chrome notebooks.
*** end quote ***
Argh!
So after much ado about a FUTURE service!
I find out about it’ll work “real soon now”.
Great idea.
Just not useful … yet
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: FACEBOOK as the arbiter of identity
Tuesday, January 25, 2011I’m not a fake Kate! Facebook bans royal bride’s namesake for being an imposter (but boyfriend Jonathan Ross can keep using his account)
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 5:52 PM on 24th January 2011
*** begin quote ***
Banned: Kate Middleton has had her Facebook account suspended after being accused of impersonating Prince William’s fiancée
Facebook has accused a woman of being an impostor and suspended her account – because she shares her name with Prince William’s future bride.
Healthcare assistant Kate Middleton, 29, has been locked out since last Thursday after the social network site claimed she had registered under a fake name.
Ironically, Miss Middleton’s partner Jonathan Ross has not been accused of being a fake, despite sharing his name with the television presenter.
*** end quote ***
This is going to get interesting. Especially since FACEBOOK is being touted as the arbiter of identity.
Any competent Information Security practicioner could have predicted that “NAME” would not be a unique identifier. Or, any combination of LNAME, FNAME, LNAME||FNAME, or even if you throw in SUFFIX, TITLE, MI, or NICKNAME.
Sigh!
I learned this lesson in High School — too many moon ago — when the Good Christian Brothers had to revamp their “information systems” — manual on clay tablets — to accommodate identical twins Peter and Paul. It was a hoot. They were the first twins I remember meeting. (You really count Playboy twins as having been “met”. Yeah, I know TMI!)
So you can establish “identity” with any combination of name, email, phone number, or even address.
How does the internet establish identity?
I have, always, thought that the ISPs were absolutely best suited to provide “identification”.
Of course, they never agreed. But when there is a credit card transaction, you actually have something that you can hang your hat on.
It doesn’t assure that you can say it is a “unitary id”. I can, and do have, multiple ISP accounts paid for separately on different credit cards for what would be “multiple identities”.
But, it’s better than depending upon FACEBOOK.
FACEBOOK has even abandoned requiring College email accounts, so even they have realized the flaws in their original design.
What to do? What will they do?
Bottom line: Nobody does nothing! And, the problem goes on.
This is important because IF the ISPs stepped up, we could have a good age differentiator on the internet. But no one cares much! Unless you’re a parent.
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Decode QR codes
Sunday, January 23, 2011
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Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: After a fellow blogger lost a post …
Thursday, January 20, 2011… I suggested:
*** begin quote ***
May I suggest that you, or your tech support — whomever you’ve stuck with that job — look at “Lazarus plugin”. http://lazarus.interclue.com/ It allows you to recapture data that you’ve put in a form and lost.
I try to write all my stuff in a text editor and cut’n’paste it where needed. Lost too much. Too often. But, I try to discipline myself to do it that way. The losses are too painful.
*** end quote ***
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Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: Google SITES is tough to use
Thursday, January 20, 2011I use a Google Site as an overflow area for my alumni ezine.
But it’s frustrating.
Take for instance, tables.
A basic concept.
SITES requires you to use HTML to get it working.
Not User friendly.
APPLE’s MOBILEME and IWEB isn’t much better.
Argh!
And, I hate the thought of investing a lot of time, effort, and attention on something that may go away of change.
Argh!
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2 Comments | SERVICE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: SAFARI is getting demerits
Wednesday, January 19, 2011Had another occurrence of “all space disappears”.
The SAFARI browser and POSTBOX2 mail were active. (I didn’t do an autopsy.)
Reboot and restart.
Free space is in the 6’s.
Argh!
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And, I don’t like how it has fixes with tabs and shoves the overflow tabs off the screen.
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Posted by reinkefj
TECHNOLOGY: Always encrypt your phone
Monday, January 17, 2011http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2011/01/why-you-should-always-encrypt-your-smartphone.ars
Why you should always encrypt your smartphone
By Ryan Radia
*** begin quote ***
As such, if you are arrested or detained by a law enforcement officer, you cannot lawfully be compelled to tell the officer anything other than your basic identifying information—even if the officer has not read you the Miranda warning. Exercising your right to remain silent cannot be held against you in a court of law, nor can it be used to establish probable cause for a search warrant.
However, if you voluntarily disclose or enter your mobile phone password in response to police interrogation, any evidence of illegal activity found on (or by way of) your phone is admissible in court, regardless of whether or not you’ve been Mirandized.
What if you’re not a criminal and think you have nothing to hide? Why not simply cooperate with the police and hand over your password so that you can get on with your life?
For one thing, many Americans are criminals and they don’t even know it. Due to the disturbing phenomenon known as “overcriminalization,” it’s very easy to break the law nowadays without realizing it. A May 2010 study from the conservative Heritage Foundation and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers found that three out of every five new nonviolent criminal offenses don’t require criminal intent. The Congressional Research Service can’t even count the number of criminal offenses currently on the books in the United States, estimating the number to be in the “tens of thousands.”
*** end quote ***
Secure your phone with a passcode, put it away when you’re driving (Good idea so you’re not tempted, and, if stopped by a cop, keep your mouth shut under any and all circumstances.
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Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Rights | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
SERVICE: STUFFBAK “not recommended”
Monday, January 17, 2011
I signed up for this a while ago. And, for a variety of reasons, forgot about it. Found some of my left over labels. Hey, let’s see if the service is still up.
Yup! I was. Yay!
So, I “registered” one. And, found out it forgot me. (?)
“call 1-800-yeah-right”
I don’t do phone in “customer non-service”. My blood pressure can’t stand it. It has to be really really important for me to endure that particular hell.
From what I remember, it only had one level of service. And, there was zero charge for recovery. (I know I had one.) Now before you “tag” any thing, make sure you’re willing to pay 50$ for it’s return. Argh!
I don’t like folks that suck you in and then change the game after you’ve bought in. I had to buy the labels. If they had presented this value equation, then I’d have passed.
NOTRECOMMENDED!
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Posted by reinkefj
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