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November 30, 2006
Amazon and the delayed item pt 2.
Well I got an e-mail from Amazon today (was too busy getting the car registered to check my e-mail this morning). So I'm seeing it for the first time right now it says in part:
I apologize for any misunderstanding about the delivery estimate for your order. "Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess" has not yet shipped because it has not yet been released. As listed on our site, it is currently scheduled to be released on December 22, 2006.
Here is a screen shot of the page from today you will note the date does not say December 22nd:
There was no mention of the extra $15 paid either, since neither of my concerns were addressed I click the link saying NO to my issue being addressed and typed the following letter to be sent to Amazon:
Hello:
I received your e-mail of the 30th. While I am pleased with the promptness of the response I am disappointed by the content as it has not addressed the content of the issue and in fact contained some information that was factually inaccurate. I quote:
As listed on our site, it is currently scheduled to be released on December 22, 2006.
This is not the case, a screen shot of your site circa today clearly shows the item listed as being released on the 11th. The link to the relevant page on your site is here
(in the e-mail I include the full link)
A link to the screen shot in question is here. (I include the link to this post)
In addition your e-mail didn't mention the additional $15 that I paid to expedite shipping. Since your e-mail has incorrectly addressed one of my issues and has ignored the other it is not a satisfactory solution to my order issue. Here is what would:
If the site is correct then I would like to have your assurance that the item will ship at the time indicated on the site.
If the site is not correct and the release date is the 23rd then I would like to be credited the $15 extra I paid to switch to standard shipping for the express purpose of receiving the item on the date that Amazon stated.
Either of the above solution would produce satisfaction to me. As I have patronized Amazon for a long time and as a top 1000 reviewer (541 as of today). I have had many good things to say and write about my Amazon experiences. I trust that I will continue to be able to do so.
Thanks:
This e-mail will go out shortly, I will let you know what happens.
Posted by Peter at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)
Now Amazon's customer service test....
Well I've written and linked to Amazon.com quite a bit on the blog. I'm a top 1000 reviewer 541 as of today (used to be top 500 but haven't written a review in three months). I wrote about my Amazon Christmas order I placed in October here.
Well I've just been informed by Amazon that an item I ordered for Christmas won't be here till Feb. This wouldn't be such a big deal except for two things:
1. The Amazon page as of today still shows the item offered and avaialble for Christmas (took a screen shot cropped with today's Drudge page). I'll include it in a follow-up post if necessary.2. In November I checked my order, the arrival date was listed as after Christmas, I discovered that if I changed from free shipping to paid shipping the delivery date moved back to before Christmas, so Mr. Cheap himself sprang for the extra shipping.
I sent an e-mail to Amazon yesterday explaining the situation. If the site is still claiming it is available before Christmas and I preorded it in October I should get the item before Christmas, If the item's release date is delayed by the factory then I'm asking for the cost of the shipping ($15) I paid to get it before Christmas.
I've already demonstrated that I'm quite willing to pay a higher price if a business fails the customer service test it's a Sicilian thing.
Amazon has demonstrated that they can do ease of ordering and connivance. Here is there chance to demonstrate that they can do customer service. Glenn calls them old reliable, this is their chance to earn the name. I'll let you know what happens.
Posted by Peter at 06:41 AM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2006
What a difference a net makes
I purchased a used car yesterday a 1999 Buick LeSabre to replace my 1994 Sundance that I picked up new back in 93.
This is the first used car I have purchased in the age of the internet so times have changed. My first search was on the net at eBay moters, but I didn't find anything nearby that I wanted, I then followed up at two local dealers and one private sale. My choices were narrowed down to the Buick LeSabre and a 1995 Dodge Spirit with only 47k miles on it.
Unlike computers I know absolutely nothing about cars, rather than bother my brother I checked the NADA online site. Using the site I was able to discover that the dealer with the Buick was asking over $3000 less than book for the car while the owner of the Spirit was asking just under low book.
Thanks to the Consumer Guide web site I was able to discover that the Spirit is a mediocre car underpowered and not suitable for winter driving in a hilly town like mine (Only San Francisco has more). The LeSabre scored much better.
I then invested $29.95 to do unlimited VIN checks on the cars. It turned out the Buick as the dealer said did have only one owner, while the Spirit didn't show up at all, very odd since I double checked the VIN number with the seller.
That was the clincher to decide on the car. The next step was a used car loan as money is tight around Christmas. Again using the net I was able to check three local banks that I do business with. Much to my shock there was almost a 4% difference in loan rates.
If this was years ago, I would have had to park myself with my Brother or a friend who knows cars or spend money on all kinds of guides, now today with the net the auto neophyte was able to become enough of an auto expert to get the best value in town.
Our children will never get how lucky they are.
Posted by Peter at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)
It will be there
Flat out today, my planned post will likely wait till I'm off duty but I will get it up before the end of the day
Posted by Peter at 02:48 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2006
The coolest of the batch
Longtime readers of this blog know by now that I'm cheap.
Well I must say after checking this out I'm tempted to drop the $140 and pick one up.
If there is something cooler offered out there I'm not aware of it. Will the cheapskate in me win out? Only time will tell.
Posted by Peter at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2006
It's kind of heavy
Well my boss just handed me one of the company Zunes to play with.
I'll post my full impressions in a bit but a couple of things that jump out at me.
1....Feels heavy
2....Looks rather sleek
3....works great as a radio, just turned it to my local fm radio station and it comes in and plays fine.
More when I fiddle with it a bit.
Update: It also lists the name of the radio station and the show that was on. Didn't expect that, pretty good.
Update II: Volume control is click up and down, ok 1 up on the pod.
Update III: Jose sitting next to me shows that volume up/down on video is left/right while up/down is fast forward and back.
Update IV: Kind of slow to charge, grabbed part of my iTunes playlist, and added it, didn't grab purchaed songs. I didn't set it as the default player for anything that wasn't wmp format. Can't find a WinAMP plugin. The program doesn't see it. (no big surprise there.)
Posted by Peter at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
Enough with the Camera's already
Glenn's digital camera carnivals were so popular he added a part 3.
If you want a more direct guide this article at CNET goes over six different digital cameras you can get for $200 or less
Posted by Peter at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2006
Holy Rotation Batman! Disable those hotkeys
One thing that can be particularly embarrassing in a job like mine is when you miss something on your own machine that you might suggest for someone else to do.
This was the case today in the middle of my shift, I was filling out an internal form when all of a sudden my screen image flipped 90 degrees to the right.
I cursed myself for a fool as I forgot that the graphics card in my laptop had a series of hot keys that allowed such a move. While typing I had inadvertently hit the sequence and suddenly my screen looked like the villain's hideout in the old BATMAN tv show from the 60's.
Once I regained my composure I was able to get into the display properties for my card (display properties in control panel, settings, advanced, the tab for the device and settings) and disable all hotkeys so it wouldn't happen again but I cursed myself for a fool for not doing it the day I purchased the laptop.
So save yourself the grief now and shut those hot keys off, unless you are going to pull a Bill Cosby "now you've got to get somebody".
Posted by Peter at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)
An even worse Zune review
via Slashdot If you think my post of yesterday was hard on the Zune you haven't seen anything yet, listen to what ANDY IHNATKO of the Chicago Sun Times has to say:
Only the Zune software can sync music, video and pictures onto the device; Zune is incompatible with Windows Media Player, the familiar hub of the Windows desktop media experience.The Zune app doesn't even have as many features as WMP. And why (for the love of God) doesn't it support podcasts? That's pure insanity.
It's incompatible with Microsoft's own PlaysForSure standard, too.
You'll have to buy all-new content from the new Zune Marketplace.
He's just getting warmed up this is the clincher:
Take the Zune's one unique and potentially ginchy feature: Wi-Fi. You see this printed on the box and you immediately think "Cool. So I can sync files from my desktop library without having to plug in a USB cable, right? Maybe even download new content directly to the device from the Internet?"...No, the Zune's sole wireless feature is "squirting" -- I know, I know, it's Microsoft's term, not mine -- music and pictures to any other Zune device within direct Wi-Fi range. Even if the track is inherently free (like a podcast) the Zune wraps it in a DRM scheme that causes the track to self-destruct after three days or three plays, whichever comes first.
Read the whole thing and marvel at the whole zune concept.
Posted by Peter at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2006
A practical comparison
There have been quite a few words on this blog concerning the IPOD and the ZUNE. Here is the bottom line to me:
This is the AMAZON.com page for the IPOD. Below are the price details for the 30 gig model:
Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)
Apple Computer
In Stock
Apple Computer
Electronics
List Price: $249.99
Our Price: $237.49
You Save: $12.50 (5%)
Now here is the AMAZON page for the Zune; again we have the price details for the 30 gig model:
Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Brown)
Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Brown) by Zune
Buy new: $249.99 $241.99 - $258.90 Used & new from $245.44
In Stock.
Call me Naive but it would seem to me that if you want to compete with an innovator and the top dog in the pond, you have to attract customers with either better functions or a lower price to start. Once you build brand loyalty then the innovation and price wars can begin. Since the WiFi feature only works with other Zunes and is EXTREMELY limited I don't see it as much of a hook. It won't take long for the pod to catch up.
Can anyone at all explain to me why somebody would buy the Zune over the Ipod? Anyone?
Posted by Peter at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2006
Digital Camera Carnival
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is get a straight answer on a device, what is good and what is bad. It really puts me on the spot when I'm asked these things since I always get the calls when everything is failing. Combine it with my natural tendancy to buy the least expensive stuff and put up with things that other people won't I become the worst source for what to buy. For example my digital camera was purchased from a friend who was buying a better one.
Lucky for us Glenn hosted a Digital Camera Carnival on the 22nd with a lot of info and choices. Click here to check it out.
Update: It was so popular it was continued with new entries today.
Posted by Peter at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2006
A Thanksgiving thought
The very first Thanksgiving feast was 385 years ago in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Two dozen families gathered to give thanks and rejoice. They joined with their Native American friends and held a 3 day feast in celebration and thanks for their achievements.
These families endured a brutal winter the year before, their first winter in New England and unlike any they had ever seen. There was the hardship of building a new community from nothing, of farming unfamiliar lands and unfamiliar crops, of hunting unfamiliar animals. The threat of attack from native tribes was always imminent. Yet they were determined. Fever took the lives of some from many of the families. They feared the native locals to the point that they buried their dead at night so the “Indians” would not know of their dwindling numbers. A monument containing some of the remains sits today overlooking Plymouth Harbor and Plymouth Rock, emblazed with the names of those who were lost. One of those names is Thomas Rogers, who with two of his sons Charles and William, made that first journey, and is my Mayflower ancestor.
To the amazement of friends and relatives across the pond in England, these pioneers built a new town in the wilderness, a new community for them to eventually thrive in. In the following years, many of their friends and relatives would come across the Atlantic to join them. They accomplished what all had said was impossible, what everyone told them would be certain doom.
The Thanksgiving Feast was a celebration of survival and thanks to God for allowing them the strength to do so. It was also a bonding with some of the local tribes, without which America would be a very different place today. Tomorrow as you sit at your family’s table and have your feast, please take a moment to remember the sacrifices these families made to pave the way for a whole New World, not just thanks for the long holiday weekend.
Have a great and happy Thanksgiving feast! Let us all celebrate our achievements and give thanks for the strength we’ve all had to get where we are today, knowing we too are paving the way for a “New World”.
Posted by Bernie at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)
Happy Thanksgiving from Hiwired
Today is Thanksgiving day, a legal Holiday.
HiWired will be open from 9 A.M. - 2 A.M. EST.
We wish all of you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving day.
Posted by Peter at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2006
$100 laptops takes another step forward
We have been following the $100 laptop (One laptop per child project) for some time. You can search the blogs to see some of the other stories. I don't have much time to link those as we normally do.
Looks like the $100 laptop has taken another step forward as the first 10 have been made to show off to interested parties. Another 900 will be made to distribute among companies programmers to start development of application specifically for them. Plans are to get to mass production stage by 2008. At the moment the laptops are estimated at $125 and expected to hit the $100 or less target by 2008.
More HEREPosted by Hector at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
What can you say and what can't you say on the blog
There was an important court ruling in California concerning blogs and speech this week. In Barrett v. Rosenthal the Supreme court said that unless you are the person who was the originator of a particular libel you are not legally responsible for reprinting it.
Blogs in general are happy about the unanimous decision:
I have to say that this outcome seems clearly right to me.
No one should be advocating libelous speech — and, in fact, the libelers should be dealt with according to traditional defamation law. Nor, however, should online sites that simply host conversations be liable for other people’s speech.
Freedom of speech, how sweet the sound.
The Volokh Conspiracy: doesn't really take a position:
But this case, as well as Batzel and some others, apply this principle even to immunize those who actively repost material, rather than just serve as passive conduits for what others post.
And Michelle Malkin who was a professional journalist long before she was a blogger takes exception:
If Barrett v. Rosenthal is applied to bloggers, as many assume it will be, if I re-publish a defamatory statement on this blog, I am immune from liability for libel.But if I re-publish the exact same statement in my syndicated column published in print, I'm liable.
That absurd result is what the ruling seems to suggest and what many bloggers hope it suggests.
But aren't bloggers the ones arguing that we should be treated like MSM journalists? Isn't that what the Apple vs. bloggers case was all about? Remember? Seems to me that some bloggers want to enjoy the benefits of MSM status (fighting for the same coverage as traditional journalists under shield laws, as in the Apple case), but avoid the consequences (getting sued if they re-publish defamatory material online).
She has a point but as a practical matter it just doesn't work. It will be interesting to see if the case she brings up ends up tweaking bloggers who cross the line into mainstream journalism and punditry.
Posted by Peter at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2006
Another wonder of the internet
Remember last year when I cooed over the recorded voice of Harpo Marx available on the net.
Well via the Corner here is one voice I never expected to hear Teddy Rossevelt.
Apparently the Vincent Voice Library has all kinds of similar goodies dating back to the 1888. Is that cool or what!
Posted by Peter at 07:10 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2006
A market place for Zune but not for others.
Cnet give a pretty solid and complete review of the Zune Marketplace (the Zune's iTunes):
Overall, Zune Marketplace is a solid partner for the Zune--it's definitely not a lemon. It's missing some elements that many users find critical, such as podcast support, radio streaming, and a source for video, but I'd imagine Microsoft will be proactive about releasing updates that will add these features and more. Most of all, the software is easy to use and works hitch free (so far) with Zune devices.
It seems to have a lot in it, but from what I can see unless you have a Zune (or an x-box 360 that you are sharing points with) I see no reason to choose it over the established Ipod/Itunes combo.
Posted by Peter at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
Wii sold out
If you Google the news today looks like the Wii has sold out. Nintendo has already said they will haven another 2Million made by year end and will continue to supply stores weekly.
This means that Nintendo has 5 times more consoles out there already then Sony Playstation 3 consoles and by year end that (im estimating) will probably go up to 10 to 15X more consoles depending on how fast Sony can create them. There is no question in my mind that Sony has enough demand to sell a lot more consoles. So I can not help but wonder why Sony is unable to create more consoles then they have been supplying. Could they be having manufacturing issues or are they having problems getting enough blue-ray drives?
Speaking of which I walked inside of BestBuy about 2 weeks ago and seen a Blue-Ray Writer drive for PC's.. Just $700! buy them while they are hot! I'll pick mine up when prices fall down to sub $100 level probably 2-3 years down the road.
And lastly to answer Peter's question, I don't have any kids. This is why I have a full head of hair! ;)
Posted by Hector at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)
The do's and the don'ts
When you work for the customer service industry there are some things that you want to do and some things you want to avoid. Tech Republic provides both lists:
On the do side this one struck me:
#3: Always listen to the customer's story; the clue to the solution may well be given to you unwittinglyIn my experience, the number of times the customer has unwittingly supplied the answer to their problem is quite remarkable. The clues will be there, even in the most obscure problem. Let them show you the problem rather than describe it. It will give you the opportunity to observe the whole situation, spotting the problem, especially when the request sounds a little strange.
On the don't side this one always annoys me:
#3: Talk down to the customers Probably the best way to damage relationships is to be patronising, condescending, rude, and offensive. Make it clear to customers that there are things you would rather be doing, like resting at home with the TV remote in one hand and a beer in the other. It might surprise you to learn that they probably think the same thing--only they're too polite to say so. Good opening lines might be: "You wouldn't be expected to understand" or "Well, if you must buy cheap, you must expect to have problems." These lines never fail.
The best thing I ever read on the subject comes from page 30 of Tip O'Neil's autobiography Man of the House. It is something that Governor James Michael Curley said to him in 1937:
Over the years, hundreds and hundreds of people will come to your office and ask you for favors. some of these favors may be great, and some of them may be small. some may be important, and some may be trivial. Some will be easy, some will be difficult.But always remember, for that person who comes to you, that favor is the most important thing in the world. If he could take care of it himself, he wouldn't be here. so treat them all alike and try to help everybody--no matter how big or how small the problem is.
That is the best description of customer service I've ever heard.
Posted by Peter at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2006
Backfiring on Sony and a plus for Nintendo
Hector's post concerning the difference between what went on with the Wii and what happened with the Playstation III also raises another issue in terms of marketing.
The shortage doubtless make a lot of publicity for Sony, and of a different type than they've been getting so that is a good thing, it generated even more demand for the product then it might otherwise have had.
This however is cancelled by the much smarter move by Nintendo. The fact that it was available while the playstation was not means a lot of money that might have flowed to the PS3 went in another direction. I can't speak for everyone but if my choice is hours in line or 5x the list price for a PS3 or an almost non-existent line and face value for the Nintendo, there is no question where my money goes.
Thus Nintendo not only generates real revenue but a positive customer experience as opposed to Sony. If I was Nintendo I'd be linking to this post about Sony claiming wii is overpriced and laugh my head off.
As to this post answering my rant about the PS3 news; I'll touch on one point. To the "rewarding time with kids" experience waiting in line stuff, I'll say this, I don't know if Hector has any kids, but he is 20 years younger and with a full head of hair. I might be wrong about the parenthood stuff, but it my experience that people wanting a rewarding experience with their kids have them doing other activities than waiting in line at a department store.
Posted by Peter at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
Wii complete success!
Today Wii launched and there are no reports of any shortages. 2Million Wii's were available on launch in the US and although lines with enough people to buy as many as 3,000 Wiis in New York store everyone who lined up got one.
www.smashmyps3.com must have frustrated quite a few people as these guys smashed up a Playstation 3 in front of a line of people who waited many hours to get on.
This stunt was also pulled with the Wii by the guys at www.smashmywii.com but was pretty pointless since there are no reported shortages today and all the fans got what they came for.
Another 2Million units will be manufactured before the year is over and Wii on ebay is selling for between $300 and $600. Not sure who is bidding so much with shortage not being a problem. Probably all people who didn't want to stand in line and haven't bothered following up with news yet.
Posted by Hector at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2006
The great program smorgasbord
As the computer becomes the tool of the general public rather than the providence of people like me more and more useful tools get more use.
One of the great tools out there is Download.com from Cnet. Here you can find all kinds of shareware, freeware, payware and whateverware for any kind of need you might have.
Some if it is pretty good, some of it is junk but there are user ratings to help you navigate the vast array you will find.
Posted by Peter at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)
PS3/Wii waiting lines
Haven't posted in a while and believe me my hands have been tied up with several different things. Just wanted to take a moment and voice my opinion on Peter's post.
I think this is a prime example of how just a few bad apples will stand out. The people that line up in these lines, I'm sure, weren't planning on bodily harm to others or causing any sort of havoc.
Next point I want to make is that probably 95% of the people in these wait lines have 1 of 2 things in mind. Spending some quality time with there kid and letting the reward be the console which they plan on purchasing anyway or making a huge profit for there time and effort in acquiring the console
I stopped by a Walmart today and there was a line waiting to purchase the Wii console which releases tomorrow. Some of these people had a teen kid with them and playing cards while they wait. Others just had a pal to talk to. They did have a cop car near by watching the site.
The human mind is crafted in such a way that we seem to take note of the bad news and not see all the good around it. So let me incourage some consideration for the few bad cases out of 2,700 Walmart stores, 1,100 Bestbuy stores, and thousands of smaller retailers through out the USA.
Posted by Hector at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2006
Idiotic. It's a Game Console for Crying out loud!
If you look at this link for google news under playstation 3 you see a lot of stuff that I can't wrap my head around:
Man Shot While Waiting for PlayStation 3.
Two arrested after crowd stampeded store to buy PlayStation 3.
Mayhem surrounds a scant PlayStation 3 supply.
ENGLEWOOD — Two armed men wearing black ski masks and sunglasses robbed the EB Games store at 7724 Hoke Road of five Sony PlayStation 3 video game systems about 9 p.m. Thursday, police said.
Myself and Wolfgang Gruener have just sat, with our mouths agape, as a Playstation 3 bidding war on Ebay reached $10,001.00 a few minutes ago. We nearly fell off of our chairs when it went to $15,000 with mere seconds to go; and finally the winner of the hotly contested bidding war, which began at $1, was a user from the UK who bid $15,100 to become to proud new owner of a Playstation 3.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards acknowledged Thursday that amid his criticism of Wal-Mart Stores, a volunteer member of his staff asked the world's largest retailer for help obtaining a hot new Sony Playstation 3 for Edwards' family.
In my opinion there is only one sane reaction to the people who are in such a frenzy to get this game console. I am breaking all the rules of customer service by saying it but here goes:
Are you people out of your minds!!! This is only a game console.
To the people buying it for their kids:
You likely have many other game consoles in the house full of games that your kids equally wanted badly. They don't have to have it the first day, if they wait a week or a month it doesn't matter, the games will still be there and they will get bored with them just as fast. The time for your kids to learn they can't have everything they want the moment they want it is while they are kids. You are the parents ACT LIKE IT!
For the adults wanting it for themselves:
Get a life, everybody has hobbies, if you can't get the game the first day, put it on lay away, put the money it costs in a cd for the couple of months it takes to get it and earn some interest. You have other things you can do for fun until it shows up. You are adults, ACT LIKE IT!
For those blowing thousands of dollars online paying up to 20 times face value for the game:
I hope you have already set aside all the money for college, your car is running fine and your house payments are ahead. For the price you are paying extra for that console I could send my kids to private school for a year and maybe you could too. Your money is your own and you can spend it how you want but remember PRIORITIES. I don't want to hear any person who spends that kind of money on a game system complain about the price of anything from now on.
This is only a game console and in a few years it will be replaced by something newer and cooler, keep this in mind and you will have a much happier life.
Posted by Peter at 05:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2006
YouTube on the other foot.
Very busy today but just time enough to put in this link that I found at Michelle Malkin's site:
I’ve sent the letter to my attorney for review, but I am likely to remove the tool to preserve my relationship with the company. Based on my review of the Terms of Use and the great number of similar services already on the Internet, I honestly believed we were doing nothing to offend YouTube or Google. And I’ve loved YouTube since the first day I discovered it.Of course, the irony of YouTube accusing others of copyright infringement is delicious. But I won’t go into that right now.
The concept is very funny, but note the quick response from youtube to the post with clarification:
We do not permit users to download the videos we host on our site. We believe our Terms of Use are clear on this point, but in light of the confusion which came to our attention today we are considering revisions to our Terms of Use to avoid any further confusion.
Bow before the power of the internet to get a response.
Posted by Peter at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)
5 Reasons for the "B" machine
When a new PC is put into play I have seen many cases where the old PC is consigned to the cellar or the attic. This is usually a bad idea, Keeping the old machine as a "B" machine give certain advantages. Here are some of them.
1...If the New machine ever goes in for service a B machine that isn't in storage can be put into service quickly as an A machine.
2...With the addition of a wireless router (or a wired cable) you can suddenly have a PC network in your house, suddenly that B machine can be a location for storage and backup in addition to an emergency machine.
3...There is always a 2nd machine for the kids and the family in case both people want to surf.
4...You can designate the "B" machine as a kids computer and set up more restrictive blocks on the machine without playing with the security of your own. This way they can surf for their homework but not for undesired things.
5...You can keep that machine offline and do financial items on it. This way you have the power of the PC for the computational tasks without any of the online risks.
So keep that machine and save yourself those trips up and down the stairs.
Posted by Peter at 01:09 PM | Comments (1)
November 15, 2006
The wave of the future for customer service
Yesterday I wrote a very brief piece about online buying (brief because it was my day off) but there is another interesting factor about online buying that is worth a post. Customer service.
Over the years I've seen a lot of companies try to hide their phone number in screen after screen, since you never know when a phone dump campaign is going to start that might or might not be a good idea, but what do you do when you just HAVE to get through to somebody? Well Amazon.com has an interesting solution:
In yesterday's post I mentioned how I ordered so many things in advance, I checked the order and found that since I bundled everything to ship at once that my est arrival date was December 27th. This is a bad thing for Christmas gifts. I went online figuring that I'd just split up the order so the stuff that was in (almost everything) vs the stuff that is to be released in December (2 items) would ship separately I found this wasn't possible, but I also saw an icon for phone support.
When I clicked on it instead of a phone number I found a popup box saying "enter your number and click here." When I did my phone rang and I was connected to a customer service rep at Amazon. Never saw a phone number but did get a live person who took care of me.
It was a clever solution for the company I suspect we will see a lot more of this in the future.
Posted by Peter at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2006
Countdown to Christmas
It seems odd to have a post by this title in the 2nd week of November but this year the trend toward online shopping is likely to continue to increase.
Believe it or not I did most of my Christmas shopping already this year online. With the exception of my Amazon order everything has already shown up (there was one item pre-ordered).
As items become less unique and online discounts increase this type of thing is likely going to continue.
Posted by Peter at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2006
All the worlds a google (except Moustache)
You know everybody gets writers block at some time or another. Apparently I am behid the times because the rule seems to be when it doubt write about Google:
The Social Customer Manifesto blogs about the keynote speech at the Harvard Cyberwest Conference which featured Google's strategy:
Many of her points tied to the same points that Eric Schmidt made at Web 2.0 earlier this week, and echoed the theme that "although Google's process appears chaotic, our strategy is not." Their strategy ties to four main points:* More Content
* Easier Computing
* Personalization
* Better Search
Meanwhile Wool Sock has a post of Google as the Google the junkie dealer (not so much in those words):
People generally like Google because it gives them things for free. Free internet searches, and good ones at that. Free email, and lots of it. Free calendars, free blogs, free maps, free news, free office software … the list goes on.What many people don't understand is that what Google gives away is only free when considered with a traditional financial sensibility. In the new information economy Google's seeming gifts are more barter items to be exchanged for potentially lucrative booty: your information
Your email. Your documents. Your name, address, phone number, browsing habits, purchasing habits, and travel itineraries. Google stores all of this information in proprietary databases.
Naked law talks about lawsuits and the Google YouTube purchase:
Prior to the Google takeover, YouTube was described by various commentators as an organisation which did not generate profit, and a perceived lack of funds may have discouraged third parties from seeking a remedy against it for copyright infringement. In contrast, Google is clearly a significant financial target, which has resulted in action being initiated in the US following the takeover, to add to action which was underway in Japan.
This is very true, I knew a guy you used to get sued when people would trip down his long staircase to his restaurant, once he dropped his insurance the suits stopped, everybody wanted money but nobody wanted a French Restaurant.
Infothought talks about the Google Subpoena and the content therin concerning explicit web sites:
The number of sexually explicit websites is huge. Search results often include sexually explicit material. A lot of sexually explicit material is not blocked by filters. Of that, a substantial percentage is domestic.
The internet being used for explicit sites? I'm shocked SHOCKED
Moustache bucks the tend and talks about Yahoo, specifically Yahoo Foods:
I am becoming increasingly convinced (thanks mostly to the persuasiveness of a coworker) that most of the time global navigations are a waste of valuable screen real estate and don’t serve much purpose. The Yahoo Foods solution is the best compromise I’ve seen so far between hiding the global navigation and keeping the ability to easily switch sections.
You know if you get sick of political sites or tech sites, food sites are a great compromise, everybody eats.
Posted by Peter at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
Microsoft wises up, or maybe not
Just a simple Online Nerd reports that Microsoft has changed it's mind about the EULA problem that we reported here:
Jeez, just as I’m set to hate Microsoft for limiting the number of times I can transfer a license I purchased, the go and get all humane about it. Damn them!
Well don't worry oh online Nerd, Shellen.com reports that Microsoft can still annoy their customer base in other ways:
..to buy even a single 99-cent song from the Zune store, you have to purchase blocks of 'points' from Microsoft, in increments of at least $5.
I guess they just can't help themselves.
Posted by Peter at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2006
They are serious about leeching internet in Singapore
Leeching internet connections from other people is bad form but not uncommon in the US. Some people even don't know they are doing it as systems are designed to grab onto availble open networks these days. In Singapore this is a crime that they take serious. How serious? This serious:
Tan was released on a bail of 6,000 Singapore dollars (US$3,855; €3,000) and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.If convicted, Tan faces up to three years in jail and fines of up to S$10,000 (US$6,425; €5,000) under the Computer Misuse Act.
Is that Youtube video that important?
Posted by Peter at 05:58 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2006
We remember
Today is Veterans Day, (or Armistice Day the end of the First World War if you are outside of the US). A legal holiday.
HiWired will be open our normal hours from 9 a.m.- 2 a.m. EST.
Today we remember our Vets and our currently serving soldiers all over the world and say thanks.
A great way to say thanks the is Valour-It Campaign for disabled servicemen and women, that we've mentioned before, here are the current totals in their recient fundraising campaign, if you can spare a buck or two please do.
BTW if you want to send your donation by regular mail the address is:
Soldiers' Angels
1150 N Loop 1604 W, Suite 108-493
San Antonio, TX 78248
Posted by Peter at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
Memories of a friend
Yesterday while I was at work I sent an e-mail to a friend of mine relating to the tabletop baseball league that I've mentioned before.
Unfortunately less than an hour later I was visited by two other friends who broke the news that my pal Dan Flynn died suddenly of a heart attack the previous night at work at the much too young age of 40. This was quite a shock as I was going to see him tomorrow.
Why the death of one of the nicest guys I know is relevant to the blog is this: Back when my father died in 87 there was no "public" internet, video cams were for people who had more money than me, so we had nothing more than pictures. Dan however as our league commissioner was constantly on the net and in chat rooms. I have a stockpile of e-mails from him from as recently as this week. He is also in my buddy list in AOL. I suspect I won't be deleting those e-mails anytime soon and I certainly won't be removing him from my buddy list.
I imagine that this is something more common with people older (I'm 43) but it is an odd feeling to have dead friends in your contact list, with e-mails staring out at you. Dan is added to Mary Francis on my departed friends contact list.
I suppose eventually his screen name will be taken over by somebody else, Someday it will suddenly say DODGERDANxxx has signed in and then I'll know some other Dodger fan has taken over the identity. That will be a very spooky day, but it will be an excuse to remember a fine man.
Posted by Peter at 07:34 AM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2006
See and honor them now while they are still here.
With tomorrow being Veterans Day I figured I'd link to this HotAir broadcast interviewing the surviving members of the fameous Doolittle Raid during World War II.
These flyers now all very old men did something extrodinary and the country owes them a debt of gratitude. Thanks to the wonders of internet video blogging we can bring them to you.
Every year our WWII vets die off leaving fewer and fewer, the net is a great way to perserve what they did so we don't forget.
Of course WWI vets are even rarer, with (according to wikipedia) 51 left alive world wide. Three live here in Massachusetts.
Posted by Peter at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
Excuse me while I die laughing
Well Microsoft is pretty bullish on the security features on the new Windows Vista. How bullish? this bullish:
Jim Allchin, while touting the new security features of Windows Vista, which was released to manufacturing yesterday, told a reporter that the system's new lockdown features are so capable and thorough that he was comfortable with his own seven-year-old son using Vista without antivirus software installed.Allchin's statement came in response to a question about his relative level of confidence that Vista would be more secure than Windows XP SP2. In response, he noted there were key security features added to Vista which could not be added to Windows XP SP2 even though, he said, his people apparently tried to do so.
It's a very good thing I wasn't drinking when I read this.
Via slashdot.
Posted by Peter at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2006
Good thing they made IE7 a Critical update
You might have noticed that IE version 7 is considered a critical update if you are running windows xp. Of course if you are using HiWired protector instead of windows update it is not forced.
IE 7 isn't a bad browser and I have used it to fix the odd corrupted system but according to Tech Republic it didn't take long for the first security flaw to show up:
This is a major slap in the face, not to Microsoft, but its customers and consumers. Since Internet Explorer 4.0 released with active scripting support (or ActiveX Scripting), there's been a constant and consistent discovery of vulnerabilities—the first one, published by Bugtraq, came in May 1999. Flaws have continued to steadily emerge in the seven years since.And here we are again: If you're running IE7, you're vulnerable. I'm not going to debate whether this flaw comes from IE7 or Outlook Express, because you're still at risk if you're using IE7. (You can test your browser for this vulnerability on the Secunia Web site.)
Not a great way to get started is it?
Posted by Peter at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)
Reboot that modem
We have talked about rebooting a computer on a regular basis, but if you are using a wireless setup it's also a good idea to reboot your wireless network.
The various network providers (Comcast, Charter, Cox etc...) will on occasion make changes to the speed and/or capacity of a network by sending a signal to the modem you are using, however if your modem is in use that signal might not make it through properly. Rebooting that modem will ensure the update will get in.
Remember this is different than resetting the router or modem, rebooting it is done by simply unplugging the power supply from the back and giving it a 30 second count once it is plugged back in. All computers should be off while this is being done. DO NOT hit any button on the router as that will reset it totally and lose important security settings.
Posted by Peter at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2006
Zune accessories from Belkin
If you are looking for IPOD accessories there are a ton of choices out there.
If you want Zune Accessories according to CNET the place to go is Belkin:
According to Belkin, the cases will be available in North America in mid-November, while the TuneBase FM and TunePower will be available in late November.
If the model catches on then expect a range of products to come from many sources.
Posted by Peter at 10:42 AM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2006
The dirty bakers dozen
If you have been reading this blog for a while, (and we hope you have been) you will know we are rather loud on Internet free speech issues.
AFP reports that Reporters without boarders have named their 13 "internet enemies" countries that as they put it "systematically violate online free expression.".
The 13 countries are: Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Myanmar, China, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.
Several names on this list should not surprise our readers.
BTW if you don't know what a bakers dozen is check here or here.
Posted by Peter at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
Let's chase the customers away with a stick
Memo to Microsoft if you have a customer base that has purchased music from you, it's a good idea to have the music compatible with the new Zune player you are launching:
Microsoft has said it will stop selling music from MSN music from 14 November, when Zune goes on sale in the US.But in a move that could alienate some customers, MSN-bought tracks will not be compatible with the new gadget.
The move could also spell problems for the makers of MP3 players which are built to work with the MSN store.
To say this is foolish is just an understatement:
Microsoft's strategy for Zune replicates that of Apple's iPod - to control both the device and music service.From 14 November, customers on the MSN Music store site will now be redirected to Zune Marketplace or, as part of a 2005 legal settlement where Microsoft agreed that no music service would receive greater promotion than RealNetworks, Real Rhapsody.
MSN Music store, the company said, would now be used for hosting live concerts, interviews with bands, and other music related-content.
It just leaves you shaking your head. They might have offered something to the people who actually choose to give them business.
via slashdot
Posted by Peter at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2006
A reminder about a worthy cause
Several blogs are involved in a fundraiser for the Project Valour-IT which buys voice activated laptops for disabled soldiers. The various blogs are divided up into a different team for each branch of the service.
We have talked about this charity before and consider it first rate so we would encourage you to consider a donation to one or more of the four teams (one for each service).
Of course we at HiWired do not have a favorite team as we have vets from different services working for us, but I'm making my donation to team Navy in honor of my father who served in the Pacific during World War II.
BTW if you want to send your donation by regular mail the address is:
Soldiers' Angels
1150 N Loop 1604 W, Suite 108-493
San Antonio, TX 78248
Posted by Peter at 05:21 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2006
Well that's one for Britannica over Wikipedia
Two months ago we linked to an interesting debate betweeen Wikipedia and Britannica Online over which is better. I figured that both have their uses but at least with Britannica you don't have to worry about uploaded virus:
Wikipedia allows anyone to create and modify articles, a policy of openness which has often been abused by mischief-makers in the past. Taking advantage of this fact, an article on the German edition of Wikipedia, de.wikipedia.org, was created by hackers claiming to include a link to a fix for a supposedly new version of the Blaster worm. However, the 'fix' was actually a piece of malicious code, designed to infect visitors' PCs.Hackers then spammed out an email to German computer users, claiming to come from Wikipedia, and directing them to information about the 'new worm'.
The problem with open source is it is open to everyone good and bad. Wikipedia caught this one pretty fast but I suspect we will see much more of this in the future.
Via Glenn.
Posted by Peter at 05:21 PM | Comments (0)
Online File Conversion
Ever need to quickly change a word document to a PDF but aren't are your computer with a software PDF converter? How about that time you received some a document you couldn't open because you didn't have the right software?
Zamzar is here to save you from installing multiple applications or conversion utilities. To see the full list of formats it can convert from or to visit http://www.zamzar.com/conversionTypes.php
Posted by Jonathan at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2006
Meanwhile elsewhere on the net pt 2.
Continuing our look at blogs we've linked to before:
Lishux Favorites wants a free laptop:
I don't want to hear any comments about how I could spend about $500 on a decent one -- those ones you still have to at least upgrade the RAM which can be very expensive! The type of work I need to be able to do on the laptop requires Flash and Photoshop and another application that uses a lot of resources.
My experience is something for nothing isn't real, but on a more practical matter, in my opinion it's better to have something that can do 2/3 of what you need than nothing that can do 0/3 of what you need.
Lifehackers list of the top ten posts of the week is a good read, to wit:
"There are bunch of unnecessary buttons, menus and doodads in the Firefox control area (the "chrome") that you don't need, taking up space you could be using to see and do more with your web pages and tabs."
In the gaming world that is called Chrome.
Chizumatic's most interesting post actually ends up at the Chicago Boys blog and makes a point I've made over and over:
think about the process: a handful of smartass soldiers currently serving in Iraq (from the Minnesota National Guard) created that poster, and someone used a digital camera to take a picture of 8 others holding it up with (deservedly) big grins on their faces.Then the picture was downloaded into a computer and, I assume, emailed to someone in the US. I haven't got the slightest idea where it first appeared, but it spread like wildfire and at this point I've seen various versions of it on at least five sites, and many others have linked to one or more of those. Within just a few hours of when that photograph was taken in Iraq, at least a million people in the US, halfway around the world, had seen the picture and laughed at it. Probably by now it's many millions. And that's without any participation by TV or magazines or the newspapers
His closing point back on his own blog gives an important history lesson:
The Battle of New Orleans is one of the more important battles in American history...the American force was led by Major General Andrew Jackson, who later became President of the US in part because he won that battle, which made him famous.Part of why it's interesting is that it shouldn't have happened at all. Two weeks earlier ambassadors representing the US and UK signed the Treaty of Ghent. But long distance communication then wasn't very rapid, and word of it didn't reach Louisiana until many weeks after the battle. (It had to cross the Atlantic ocean by sailing ship.)
These days the announcement of such a treaty would be all over the world within minutes.
The world has changed and we are lucky or not.
Bob's blog has a good step by step on adding page numbers to a word document.
Numbering pages in Microsoft Word might seem simple, but you can control it in ways that aren't obvious. (The tips in this blog post will work in any version of Word from 97 to 2003.) There are a few things to understand, first:
It's a month old but it's very useful.
NetDimensions has an interesting link on Wikis:
U.S intelligence community in now using collaborative knowledge building features of wikis to brainstorm on sensitive topics.
There are wikies for everything it seems.
Posted by Peter at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
Meanwhile elsewhere on the net (pt 1)
It's been a while since I've checked on some of the blogs in our blogroll posts so I figured I'd do this today. I think I'll make this a series of post today since I normally don't work on Saturdays.
Personally, I think TiVo is doing about the same as it always was, but I'm definitely seeing them become a software provider for cable company DVRs, in addition to their own products. I suppose they could always use their patents to bash competitors and stay afloat, though I hope they don't go too far down that path.
WiFi networking news gives some info on a ruling against Massport's attempt to control wifi at Boston's Logan airport:
We’re very disappointed in the ruling, but reviewing it carefully and weighing our options moving forward,’ said spokeswoman Danny Levy.”Yes, the options include throwing oneself on the floor, bursting into tears, pounding the ground, and shouting, “No! No! No! No! No!”; or sucking it up, guys, rather than spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money and potentially several years appealing a foregone conclusion.
Apparently Moore's Lore hasn't been updated in 9 months but his last article is an interesting one for who remembers the Hays modem:
Dennis Hayes made modems. His company, Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc., dominated the market for PC modems in the 1980s. A modem, short for modulator-demodulator, would turn data into tones, then send those tones along the phone line, so an analog system could mimic a digital one.
Read the whole thing, it's a sad story.
Engadget mentions some new items, the coolest being an attachment for the ipod shuffle this new item...:
...is designed to jack into the 2G iPod shuffle to create a standard USB 2.0 plug -- allowing you to "sync, charge, and transfer data like any standard USB drive."
After all cool is only cool for a while, useful is much better.
Spoken has a rather provocative statement about tech obsessed people:
Folks are addicted to their Blackberries, iPods, phones, etc. Many, if not most, have serious issues with their lives, and yet they shuffle through not dressing, acting, or doing things they love, or even like, or possibly hate.
And for the record he is a tech guy.
Posted by Peter at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)
November 03, 2006
Vista for Business Dec 1st, for everyone else Jan
Tech Republic reports that Vista will be launching for Business customers on December 1st along with the new version of Office:
Microsoft also plans to tout the launch of Exchange 2007 at the "New Day for Business" event, to be held at the Nasdaq stock exchange and starring CEO Steve Ballmer. "This event will mark the business availability of three major releases from Microsoft," the software maker said in an invitation e-mailed to a set of journalists on Wednesday.
This has not been without problems:
Microsoft had said the business launch of Vista would take place this month. Until June, Office had been slated to be finalized by October, but Microsoft said then that it was being pushed back until some time before the end of the year.
The good thing about this is that people who use the OS and the product in the office will be able to tell us how good/bad things are before we start shelling out bucks next year.
Posted by Peter at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2006
Utube vs YouTube
Popular Mechanics reports (via Glenn) that the rise of YouTube has caused annoyance for more than just media companies:
Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment (utube.com) is suing YouTube (youtube.com), alleging that the similarity between the companies' Web addresses is wreaking havoc on the tube, pipe and rollform machinery supplier's business. Universal Tube says its average Web traffic of about 1500 users a month has swollen to more than 2 million--paralyzing the site and possibly hindering sales.
Since you can find site after site that feeds off of similar names, (we have quite a problem with people leaving off the "d" in "hiwired" or spelling it "highwired" ) I don't think the company can do a thing except try to promote themselves or take advantage of it somehow.
Posted by Peter at 03:23 PM | Comments (0)
Microsoft vs China?
Microsoft apparently is having second thoughts on China repressive internet policies:
Fred Tipson, senior policy counsel for the computer giant, said concerns over the repressive regime might force it to reconsider its business in China."Things are getting bad... and perhaps we have to look again at our presence there," he told a conference in Athens.
"We have to decide if the persecuting of bloggers reaches a point that it's unacceptable to do business there."
As illustrated by yesterday's post with the tech market in Asia and China's part in it, I can't see Microsoft pulling out, but speaking up is a really good start.
Posted by Peter at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)
Your favorite video pulled from YouTube? Don't blame Google
We linked a while back about copyright and YouTube, Andrew Sullivan says that there is more than meets the eye:
it appears that in light of Google's purchase of YouTube, Viacom, who views Google as a competitor, decided not to look the other way any more, and demanded that its copyrighted content be removed from YouTube. So, if you are going to blame anyone, blame Viacom.
This is actually a quote from one of his readers but he concurs later in the post.
It might be good short term to annoy Google with such suits, but the amount of traffic YouTube postings generate for a TV show when people see clips more than makes up for it. Viacom might be cutting its own throat here.
Posted by Peter at 06:37 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2006
Nintendo Wii preps up!
Nintendo is stocking up on Wii Consoles big time for launch. They have the factories running around the clock and expect to have 4 million consoles made by the end of this year. Even with them huge numbers they have mentioned the possibility of demand being high enough that they may have issues keeping up.
More HERE
Posted by Hector at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)
The US is not the whole internet
With the political firestorm being reported on Drudge today I was interested in seeing how this is playing on Technorati.
Imagine my surprise when the #1 search item is Wee Shu Min a member of Parliament of Singapore who I don't know from Adam.
Apparently his daughter made remarks on a blog that were considered insensitive, this apparently caused a major scandal both concerning her and concerning his comments on her statements. If you want more details you can find them in blog posts here.
What seems to be amazing is this has been top of Technorati for quite some time.
Consider, the US is a country of 300 million people, Singapore has a million people and is basically one city. The US political firestorm involves a former and potentially future presidential candidate; the Singapore scandal involves the remarks on a blog by the teenage daughter of a member of Parliament. Yet blog post and search engines show that this is the big news out there. This shows without a doubt that the Asian internet is something to be reckoned with and explains the worries of states like China & North Korea.
The US may be the worlds superpower, but Asians are an internet force to be reckoned with.
Since in 6 months nobody might know what I'm talking about I'll link to the Pajamas Media roundup here.
Posted by Peter at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)
The language of the future
With PDA's and Cell phones and instant messaging the communication of the future maybe this story doesn't seem so odd:
Exam chiefs in Scotland were branded "ridiculous" today after admitting that answers written in text message language will be acceptable in English tests as long as they are correct.The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) said the use of phrases like "2b r nt 2b" or "i luv u" in exam papers would be allowed as long as candidates showed that they understood the subject.
Some are not so pleased:
Mr Fraser said: "No wonder employers are complaining about the lack of skills in school leavers, when students are allowed to pass their exams using text language. It's ridiculous."You wonder what future there is for grammar and high standards of English usage when this kind of thing is allowed to go on."
It will be interesting to see where this goes.
Posted by Peter at 01:48 PM | Comments (0)
ZD Net's Vista price debate
There seems to be an interesting debate at ZDNet concerning the price of Windows Vista:
George Ou says this:
For all those people saying Vista will cost $300 or more, here is a dose of reality. You can now buy Windows Media Center Edition 2005 for $110 and get a free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium edition. Note that this is NOT a recommendation to buy or to not buy. It is simply a reality check on what Windows Vista will cost.
Meanwhile Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says this:
Here's a scary Halloween thought - Upgrading to Windows Vista could see upgrade enthusiasts having to purchase additional licenses...
He includes some details about the End User License Agreement.
Off the record, a number of senior Microsoft employees have expressed severe doubts about the restrictive nature of the Windows Vista EULA, believing that damaging confidence among the small, but influential, enthusiast market could have a negative effect on overall Vista take-up.
What do I think? I don't really care. I've never purchased an OS disk in my life. I don't like to upgrade existing systems since usually new OS's and their upgrades need more oomph pretty fast, much better to just wait and get a new machine with the program already install and keep your old XP system as your B machine.
Posted by Peter at 01:30 PM | Comments (1)
How clean is too clean?
We Advise customers to run a regular Disk Cleanup on their system at least weekly.
When you run the disk cleanup you are given a list of items that you can choose to clean. There are two important choices that you should avoid selecting particularly in xp:
Office setup files
If you have Microsoft office on your computer these office setup files are retained on your system from the time of install. If you have a problem with an office product you can use these files to uninstall or reinstall the product. Now if you have your CD's handy and it is not damaged you can do without it. Unfortunately over and over again I find that users don't have their cd's. Maybe they have lost them, maybe it is a business install and somebody else has them, maybe it is an illegal copy, but for whatever reason, there is no cd available. It is much easier to just keep the files and save yourself the headache. If not then you will have to find those cd's and start all over again. It's just not worth the time.
Old operating system files:
This will only show up if your system was upgraded from another operating system. Windows xp will retain the old OS files allowing you to totally uninstall the OS. If you delete these files you may no longer do this. Granted that the odds you will need this is pretty small, but the amount of HD space by deleting it is trifling compared to the headaches you will get if you ever need it.
Posted by Peter at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)
Right on Time
Whenever I work in the office it drives me a little crazy since the PC clocks do not match my own. When working from home this can be a problem if the gap is large (3 min is the gap I see now) since it is very embarrassing to be late for work when working from home (too much traffic on the stairs?).
So in the interest of all of us with different times on their computer you can get the official US time here.
Posted by Peter at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
High Tech Witchcraft
I've always been under the belief that people are basically the same they've always been. Technology just allows us to address our appetites in a more efficient way I've used the Pope's e-mail address as one example but this one is even better:
The introduction of the Click Wheel alphabet-search system in the new iPod range has opened the floodgates to a new breed of occultist. Not only can the Click Wheel emulate the traditional Ouija board and planchette, but it does so in a small, portable format. Leading Ouija boardists have discovered that the iPod can not only provide the traditional letters and numbers of the board, but spirits are now able to pick songs, or playlists, to convey their messages.
A friend of mine always insisted there was a ghost in his house that used to warp his Queen albums. I wonder if we will get calls for songs corrupted by ghosts who don't like the music? I think we can safely say that the Pope's Ipod isn't used this way.
via slashdot
Posted by Peter at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)