SERVICE: KODAKGALLERY makes itself less valuable

Sunday, October 11, 2009

http://beta.kodakgallery.com/gallery/footerLinksContent.jsp?pageID=600010

*** begin quote ***

3. Availability

Kodak Imaging Network uses reasonable endeavors to ensure that the Service is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. However, there will be occasions when the Service will be interrupted for maintenance, upgrades and emergency repairs or due to failure of telecommunications links and equipment that are beyond the control of Kodak Imaging Network. Every reasonable step will be taken by us to minimize such disruption where it is within the reasonable control of Kodak Imaging Network. You agree that Kodak Imaging Network shall not be liable to you for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of the Service. You are responsible for creating backups of any content you post to the Service.

*** end quote ***

Argh! Why make me responsible for backups. That’s why I subscribe to the service by my purchases!

# # # # #


SERVICE: Google Alerts become more usable

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

By using Google search with the site option, you can get your “favorite author” feed from sites that don’t directly support it.

Steps:

  • Get your Google search string the way you need it. Example: “Stossel site:wnd.com”
  • Get over to Google Alerts and set one up for email.
  • Save it.
  • Change the alert from email to feed.
  • Subscribe to it in Google Reader.
  • Enjoy

Pretty neat.

# # # # #


SERVICE: Google password change forced

Friday, September 18, 2009

Google forced me to change a password based on “suspicious activity”.

It gave me no further information.

Google doesn’t enforce three strikes and your out so what use is a password!

# # # # #

And, next time into GMAIL it asked to verify a secondary email address.

Perhaps, three strikes and you’re out is coming.

# # # # #


SERVICE: Cloud Computing has risks

Sunday, September 13, 2009

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/10/yeah-ok-so-facebook-punkd-us/#comment-2977957

Yeah Ok, So Facebook Punk’d Us by Michael Arrington on September 10, 2009

*** begin quote ***

Today that changed. They punk’d us, and we fell for it. Hard.

*** end quote ***

With all due respect to some good clean fun, it does make a “teachable moment”.

(1) Cloud computing is not without its risks. You can’t run “production quality” “books and records” type applications on services that you don’t control.

(2) Not everything is as it appears on the internet. The bad guys have the ability to hide behind a “web front”, stand in the middle of your conversation, and read all your traffic.

(3) Without end to end encryption, nothing is private. Every packet is a post card.

(4) In the desire for a scoop, confirm that others have seen the phenom you’re scooping about. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it is reported on the internet.

(5) TANSTAFL! Every once in while, someone plays a practical on you. It’s the cost of doing business.

Hmmm!

# # # # #


SERVICE: Amazon updates their sales process

Friday, September 11, 2009

AMAZON changes it’s sales process

*** begin quote ***

Dear Seller,

You recently signed up for Charge When Ship in your Seller Account.

With Charge When Ship:

* When you ship an order, you confirm the shipment, and provide shipping information in Manage Orders. If you have a Pro Merchant Subscription you can also use text-file feeds for this.

* We charge the buyer after you confirm a shipment, rather than when the order was placed, providing a better buyer experience.

* To keep buyers informed about their shipments, we display the shipping information in the buyer’s Amazon account, and we also send the buyer an e-mail notification with all the shipping information.

* You can cancel an order, if necessary, instead of confirming the shipment, and then we will not charge the buyer at all and you will not have to issue a refund.

We think you will find managing your orders is easier and more efficient with Charge When Ship. If you have questions, contact us using the “By e-mail” or “By phone” button in the Seller Support box found on the right side of seller Help pages.

Thank you for selling on Amazon.com

===========================================================

IMPORTANT REMINDER

===========================================================

For each order you ship, you must confirm shipment within 30 days of the date the order was placed. Any order that has not been confirmed as shipped will be automatically cancelled after 30 days. This means we will not charge the customer and you will not be paid for the order.

—————————————-

HOW TO CONFIRM SHIPMENTS

—————————————-

You can confirm shipments easily in Manage Orders:

1. In your Seller Account, under the “Manage Your Orders” heading, click “View your orders” to find the order you want to confirm.

2. Click the “Confirm shipment” button next to the order (or below the order if you are looking at an order detail page).

3. Select the Ship Date and Carrier (such as USPS) from the drop-down lists.

4. Enter the Shipping Service (such as Ground) and the Tracking ID, if any (supplied by the carrier).

5. Click the “Confirm shipment” button.

For information on using a Shipping Confirmation feed to confirm shipment of multiple orders at once, follow this path in Amazon.com Help:

Selling at Amazon.com > Confirming Shipment > How to Confirm Shipment of Multiple Orders at the Same Time

———————————-

HOW TO CANCEL ORDERS

———————————-

If you are unable to ship an order, you can cancel it easily in Manage Orders:

1. In your Seller Account, under the “Manage Your Orders” heading, click “View your orders” to find the order you want to cancel.

2. Click the “Cancel order” button next to the order (or below the order if you are looking at an order detail page).

3. Select the appropriate reason, and then click Submit.

For information on cancelling orders using an Order Cancellation feed, follow this path in Amazon.com Help:

Selling at Amazon.com > Confirming Shipment > How to Cancel Orders

# # # # #


SERVICE: BLUEHOST problem; but whose?

Saturday, September 5, 2009

#DEN-45763-514


*** begin quote ***

Unfortunately, your server is still under a DDoS attack and will move extremely slowly (if at all). As soon as the attack discontinues or is otherwise resolved, the server will function normally again. A DDoS attack is essentially a terrorist attack on the server, usually done by a hacker getting viruses in thousands of computers and having them send as many connections as possible, as quickly as possible, to the box.

We are working to reduce the effect of the attack and find out which account is being targeted. At that point we will have to ask that account to find a new host. Unfortunately, we can’t know which account is being attacked without extensive steps, as the IP Address on the server is Shared.

DDoS attacks can last anywhere from hours to days.

Your data is safe. Just currently inaccessible.

If you’d like to learn more about this kind of terrorist attack, check

*** end quote ***


SERVICE: Voice out from text

Thursday, August 6, 2009

http://tts.imtranslator.net/566L

Free Text to Speech software online for English

# – # – #

Entertaining?

# # # # #


SERVICE: Warranty Elephant; sounds like a good idea

Monday, July 27, 2009

https://www.warrantyelephant.com/html/howitworks.aspx

Welcome to Warranty Elephant .com, a unique website designed to organize your warranty information on all purchased goods. Your warranty information will be stored for free on our secure server and will be listed by date of warranty expiration. An easy click on the item will allow you to obtain all valid warranty information on that product, including handy telephone numbers and your product’s serial number.

In addition, you can even upload a copy of your warranty itself and your invoice, so that you don’t have to search through stacks of paper to try and find the documents needed to exercise your warranty rights.

We will send you reminder emails at 3 months, 1 month and 1 week before your warranty expires. This will remind you to check your item and ensure it is in good working order. If it is not, you will have all the information needed, right in front you, to arrange for warranty service. You will never again spend money to purchase a warranty on an item only to have it break down and not be able to remember whether the warranty has expired or if you had even purchased the warranty in the first place.

# – # – #

Seems like a good idea to me.
Warranties, especially extended ones, seem worthless.
Maybe an organized approach would change that opinion.
I view stuff I buy as a “used car”. Caveat emptor.
Maybe saving this information might make it easier to return stuff.
# # # # #


SERVICE: BUG HUNT! WORDPRESSDOTCOM prime suspect; ECTO secondary suspect

Friday, July 10, 2009

I lost content on my Jasper Jottings blog. The the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom is the prime suspect. But, it might be ECTO, my secondary suspect.

Only on Jasper Jottings. Happened once last week. Didn’t have time or attention to chase.

Now I do!

*** begin quote ***

Using ECTO, I posted a story on 7/10. “JBlogger: Stagnaro, Melissa [MC1997?] Cancer runner. Donate?”

*** and ***

When I looked at my FEEDBLITZ daily email collection of stories, one was blank. So I recreated and reposted it with today’s date. It was blank on the site as well (so it wasn’t feedblitz).

*** and ***

It happened last week, but I didn’t think to much of it. I thought maybe I screwed it up. Today, I’m positive, I didn’t.

I’m not sure it’s the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom that has a bug. It could be ecto. But, why all of a sudden, starting last week do I suddenly have a problem? I’ve been using ecto for a while and no updates. Whereas, WP being outside of my control, might have had a change last week. So I suspect, WP. No proof.

But, I’m on a “bug hunt”

*** end quote ***

# # # # #

UPDATE: The the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom responded that the items were store blank. This makes ECTO prime.

UPDATE: Certain posts, prepositioned, are blank. That content is lost. Argh!

# # # # #


SERVICE: ALUMTWEET doesn’t support adding schools?

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

# jasperjottingsIcon_lockhttp://alumtweet.com – Doesn’t have Manhattan Prepless than 5 seconds ago from web

# jasperjottings Just added myself to http://alumtweet.com – Manhattan Prep ’64 and Manhattan College ’68

# # # # #