SERVICE: GARMIN — caution warranted

Monday, April 23, 2012

Funny – peculiar.

I’ve reported to the SURVIVAL BLOG http://survivalblog.com, as have many others, of “death by GPS”. Some are funny, like the truck driver in England who followed the GPS into a river when there was no physical bridge where the GPS said there was one. Others are tragic — the German tourists who drove into Death Valley unprepared, unaware they were on a trail, and suffering a mechanical (breakdown). Or the tech fellow who followed the GPS onto a seasonal logging road in California – Oregon area and was trapped by snow.

I picked up Garmin to deal with confusing Virginia roads and poor signage. So far, I have been:

(1) trapped twice in a loop — once in VA and once in NJ;

(2) annoyed at least five times when it for example insists I get off a perfect good (and free) 295 to jump onto the Turnpike and pay to get to exactly the same place (i.e., the DE bridge).

(3) it insists on annoying me when I stop for gas or the WC.

(4) It’s sent me to a non-existent WalMart.

(5) Twice it couldn’t find an American Legion despite being given an address.

(6) And, numerous other little challenges. Like give it an address and, no matter how you enter it, it can find it.

(7) Finally, there’s not way to pick a spot and say take me there. (At least, that I could find.)

So, as self defense, I, if I’m going somewhere “new”, will Google map it and mapquest it BEFORE venturing out. (Prematurely opened my new VA printer, just so I can print those in case GARMIN develops a stubborn streak.

Sometimes it’s wonderful. Like when the corporate apartment’s dryer didn’t. Garmin with the word “laundromat” found me a 24/7 big one two towns over with the most interest Latino Customers. (Several of the Mexican ladies smiled at me as I loaded my wet tidy whiteys into a huge dryer. Not wanting to be in some Country Western tune where the big boyfriend takes exception to me with my high school Spanish saying “leave me alone, señorita”, I just focused on playing with my IPAD.

So, it’s like an idiot friend, who at random, dispenses both good (i.e., don’t drive home) and bad (i.e., buy us all a round) advice.

Caveat emptor applies to its directions.

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SERVICE: File under “dumb useless error messages”

Friday, April 13, 2012

File under “dumb useless error messages”

2012-04-08 Dumb

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SERVICE: LEGACY improves

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=paul-wolkenberg&pid=150386134&eid=lc_dm_gbexpire

*** begin quote ***

This Guest Book has been kept open until 4/16/2012 by Memorial Oaks Funeral Home. After that date, it will remain available for viewing-only, unless sponsored.

*** end quote ***

LEGACY, the obituary site, has new level of “service”.

Before, Guest books disappeared unless sponsored. Now there appears to be a third alternative — probably a deal struck with the funeral homes for free advertising — the guest book remains readable, but not updateable. Big win for LEGACY. Puts a LOT of pressure on folks to eternalize.

Hmmm?

All in all I think it is progress.

Which all “services” would improve their offerings! Are you listening PAYTRUST, YAHOO, MICROSOFT, 1AND1, Verizon, and AT&T? Just a quick top o’ the head list incomplete and in no particular order. Argh!

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SERVICE: FACETIME on Apple platforms is marginally better than a cellphone

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I’ve been playing with FACETIME at the behest of a youngster related to me. Other than LUDDITE, no one I know uses it.

It presents some interesting challenges for parents and guardians.

It opens up a whole new attack surface for predators and peers. While it gives the FACETIME User the undivided attention of the person they call, it does create: (1) an uncontrolled access to the two people FACETIMEing. (2) Creates a level of intimacy that could be used to break down barriers and physical inhibitions when the two people meet. (I’m being intentionally vague so as not to give any one ideas. Adults, parent, and Guardians will know EXACTLY what I mean. (If you don’t, ask.)

Its marginally better than a cell phone because, as far as know, there’s no built-in capture or forwarding. I can think of ways to do it. Hopefully peers won’t; predators will be rigged for it.

Adults, Parents, and Guardians better have a good understanding of the technology and its implications. The children can mae it work with little or no help.

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SERVICE: Yahoo is now forcing a capcha on login

Friday, March 30, 2012

Can it get any more annoying?

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Mar-30 @ 01:29

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SERVICE: Yahoo is enforcing two factor authentication

Monday, March 26, 2012

NewImage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At least Google lets you opt out. This is my fourth annoyance, since Friday.

Are they TRYING to run off their paying Customers??

AND for some reason, I have to do it twice. (When I don’t even want to do it once!)

And, I pay for this disservice.

Argh!

Have to think of getting off this bunch of bozos.

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TO YAHOO:

Your new two factor authentication STINKS. Today I had to double authenticate twice. It’s the same machine that I used last week when you forced me to take an SMS message. And, the email choice are ALL three dead addresses. Argh! I’m a Technology Profession. Call me if you want to discuss the issues. p.s., SMS is not NECESSARILY free.

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SERVICE: YOUTUBE and “free” IPAD software

Saturday, March 10, 2012

What’s wrong with the inet, the iPad, YouTube, and iPad clients?

Playing around with this stuff, I realized that google search is flawed. They drop a load of results. What I want is a curated list.

For example, in fooling around with an Alzheimer’s infatuation with Taylor Swift, did a search for her on the inet, YouTube, and such.

What a mess?

The results are not pretty. No taxonomy. No authenticity. Must drive her lawyers crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOPFMrF7v4Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

“YouTube Presents Taylor Swift”

How useless is that?

They don’t “remember” where you are in a list, drop out and restart, and have User Interface that can be bewildering.

Here’s what I want.

NewImage

 

 

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Mar-04 @ 13:53

 

 

 

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SERVICE: CARBONITE dumps Rush.

Friday, March 9, 2012

http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/rush-i-descended-to-level-of-the-left/

WND EXCLUSIVE
Rush Limbaugh unloads on fleeing advertisers
‘You won’t get apologies from people like Bill Maher
by Joe Kovacs

*** begin quote ***

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Radio giant Rush Limbaugh offered a second apology to a Georgetown University graduate student today after calling her a “slut” and “prostitute” last week, saying he descended to the level of the left, and added he would replace the advertisers who have abandoned his show over the controversy.

“I became like the people we oppose. I ended up descending to their level,” Limbaugh said. “It’s important not to be like them, particularly in fighting them.”

*** end quote ***

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So, since I’ve been watching this train wreck unfold, I found: (1) the gal is NOT a 23 year old with a legitimate gripe; (2) she’s actually a political type; (3) contraception is freely available from Target two blocks from the school for 9$/month; (4) Rush apologized (sort of); (5) President Obama stoked the fire; just like his MO with the “beer summit”; and (6)  she’s enjoying her 15 minutes of fame.

So, just like I wrote in support of Don Imus, I wrote CARBONITE in SUPPORT of Rush. And will write to the others.

I’m not a Rush fan. I have listened him. He’s too “conservative” and supports the “warfare state” while he rails against the “welfare state”. But, he may have been a little dumb too. He should have suspect that this was a trap. But he fell for it. I would have to, but than I’m just a blogger; not a “trained broadcast professional”.

I’m outraged by the media’s selective outrage. The way they treated Sarah Palin. And, the lack of uproar when the “liberal” democratic operatives disguised as media commentators talked about Monica Crowley, Laura Ingram, and Michelle Malkin is biased. Some of those comments were a lot worse!

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EMAIL TO CARBONITE:

In SUPORT of RUSH, I came to sign up another computer. But I found out that you’ve abandoned him. Take a look at the situation again. True, he went over the line, but she was a trap. She’s not what she claims to be, and it’s becoming OBVIOUS that this a Democratic dirty trick. When you go back to him, so to I will come back to you.

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Other emails will be going out to: AOL, ProFlowers, Quicken Loans, mattress retailers Sleep Train and Sleep Number, software maker Citrix Systems, data-backup service provider Carbonite and online legal document services company LegalZoom.

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SERVICE: DNS — ISP, GOOGLE, or OPENDNS; OPENDNS for me

Monday, March 5, 2012

http://www.forbes.com/sites/eliseackerman/2012/02/25/a-closer-look-at-google-public-dns/

Tech|2/25/2012 @ 5:34PM
A Closer Look at Google Public DNS
Elise Ackerman, Contributor

*** begin quote ***

What role has Google played in the DNS ecosystem? Do you see them as a competitor or a partner?

Google has helped raise the importance of DNS above the network engineering community, which has been really good. They’ve also worked with us to advance the state of the art for DNS performance, something we’ve really enjoyed working with them to make happen. It’s not so much competition as it is choice in the market. If they started defaulting Chrome to use Google DNS, I think that’s something we would take issue with, but for now, we like the idea of people using a DNS other than their ISPs, that’s a good idea for a lot of reasons.

What are some of those reasons?

I like the idea of separation of services. ISPs provide a pipe. Other vendors provide security. Other vendors provide email. When one party controls all the services, it’s a “synergy” for the company, but rarely for the consumer. With DNS in particular, there are performance and security benefits that third party DNS providers offer that ISPs aren’t incentivized to do since DNS is a cost-center for them, and a profit-center for us.

*** and ***

I think anything which promotes heterogeneity on the Internet promotes stability. Diversity in services, service providers, and separating the layers of the networking stack are all important. Your ISP no longer provides you email because everyone either uses their own or has an account with Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo mail. The same way people unbundled their email from their ISP, I think they should do with their DNS. Separation of services has been a long-standing best practice in the security community, and it applies now more than ever. In that vein, I’ll reiterate my view that I think Google controlling search, the browser, and the network or DNS layer is a dangerous trifecta that the consumer will probably be best served avoiding.  I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.

*** end quote ***

I’ve been a fan of separation of duties.

ISP EMAIL has always been a trap for their Customers. That “customer@isp.net” is the property of the ISP; not the Customer. Once you give that out to enough people you’re locked in.

Why not use a DNS service that has an incentive to be loyal to you?

Since finding OPENDNS, I have not had an DNS outages. I know that VERIZON, COMCAST, and GOOGLE have had outages.

Easy decision fmpov.

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SERVICE: CARDSCAN bait and switch

Saturday, February 25, 2012

DO I get a refund for the overpriced scanner I bought with the promise of an eternal free webservice?

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DYMO Labeling <email@dymo.messages4.com>
Date: Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 6:03 AM
Subject: CardScan At Your Service Update
To: reinkefj

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CardScan @ Your Service Discontinuance Update

Dear DYMO Customer,

We emailed you a few weeks ago that we were finalizing a solution to replace CardScan At Your ServiceTM. We selected a powerful comprehensive solution provided by ScanBiz Mobile Solutions and consists of two parts: the ScanBizCards Web Sync web-based card management application and the ScanBizCards mobile app.

How Does It Work?

Step 1: Sign up for a Web Sync account at www.scanbizcards.com/dymo.
Step 2: Access your new account at www.scanbizcards.com/websync from the desktop where you are running the CardScan application.
Step 3: Look under the Account tab for an “Upload CardScan File” link. Use this link to upload your latest CardScan Database (.CDB) file.
Step 4: Your CDB will be processed to create all required cards in your Web Sync account. Note: the process will start soon but may take several hours to complete. During that time you may access cards already uploaded.
Step 5: (optional) Download the ScanBizCards mobile app and sign in with your Web Sync account (more info below).

 

Web-Based Features (Web Sync)

• Full migration of all CardScan contact information including card images (both front and back), categories, notes and all data fields.
• Ability to continue using the CardScan desktop application to scan cards-just periodically re-upload the .CDB file to synchronize your Web Sync account with the latest changes. Note:  faster and more integrated solutions will be provided in the future.
• Edit on the web: no matter where you are, you will have easy access to your entire library of contacts but also efficiently edit, organize, share, export to Outlook®-and much more-right from your web browser!
• Export cards to Microsoft® Excel, request human transcription of difficult-to-scan cards and view contacts organized geographically on a map.
• A demo Web Sync account is available at www.scanbizcards.com/webdemo.

Mobile Apps
You can choose to install the companion ScanBizCards mobile app for the iPhone®/iPad® or AndroidTM phones or tablets, or Windows® Phone. As soon as you sign into the mobile app with your Web Sync account, all cards will be downloaded into your mobile phone. The mobile app also provides a long list of features not yet available in the web interface such as:

• Sending quick intro emails to new contacts
• Sending LinkedIn invites
• Setting follow-up reminders in the Calendar
• Exporting directly to Salesforce.com and Daylite CRM
• Export to Data.com (Jigsaw) and Evernote

To learn more about the mobile app’s 27+ features visit www.scanbizcards.com or watch videos at www.scanbizcards.com/videos

Cost
The Web Sync service is offered at $20 for the first year and includes the ability to upload any number of CDB files + access to desktop synchronization solutions as they become available. 2nd year renewal and later are only $10/year.

Please email ScanBiz Mobile Solutions with any questions 24/7 at info@scanbizcards.com.

Sincerely,

The DYMO team

 

 

DYMO, a member of the Newell Rubbermaid family of brands.

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