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On-line Pet Peeves

February 11, 2012 in arrgghh | Permalink

Ads with sound that play automatically over my music or podcast. Since many of these seem to be on news sites, I have started email those sites to complain. I don’t know when it will make a difference but complaining about ads might hit them in the wallet. I have learned where my mute button is on my keyboard.

Sites that are hard to use on smart phones. You either have to learn how to zoom in and out, left and right, or you point out to the site how much more useful their site will be when it also can be used on a smartphone. You can also try putting an m and a period before the normal web address to see there is a mobile optimized version of the site.

iTunes store search and iTunes unable to expand text for easier viewing. In iTunes preferences under the “general” options you can change the source text and the song text sizes, but doesn’t affect iTunes Store viewing. The search ability is one of the more old fashion ones around, not to mention slow.

And, Apple’s decision to not support Flash on iPad/iPhone will not change, no matter how much I complain. When Apple decides something is out of date, it never comes back.

Cell network data plans that don’t share minutes or megabytes between devices. Why, when I can get a family plan for my cell phone voice plans, can’t I get a similar family data plan? Verizon says one is coming, but will it work for things like an iPad with 3G? Not clear at all. AT&T has not announced any timeline.

What bothers you?

How much clearer can I be?

August 3, 2009 in arrgghh, hardware | Permalink

In “chatting” with HP support, I thought I asked a simple question, “I can not find instructions for locating both RAM slots in PF087UA#ABA laptop. I have looked through all available support docs on hp.com help site made available for this product. Please let me know where the 2nd RAM slot is.”

And, then we go back and forth about where the RAM is and things likes “So If you want to upgrade the second slot’s memory in that case you need to take this notebook in local store, they will change it. ” and then I ask that simple question of …

bill scobie : So, why, if there is a 2nd RAM slot can I not get instructions for accessing it?
Sandeepkumar : The second memory which is listed under keyboard that will inbuilt with the motheboard okay.
Sandeepkumar : So you can upgrade the first you can upgrade it with the 2GB’s memory..
bill scobie : So, if I take it someplace, they can or can not upgrade the slot under the keyboard, as you said above.
Sandeepkumar : Yes, if you take this notebook to any local store they will surely upgrade the slot under the keyboard.
Sandeepkumar : *upgrade the memory
Sandeepkumar : if you take this notebook to any local store they will surely upgrade the memory under the keyboard.
bill scobie : Any local store? And what instructions will they use?\
bill scobie : It feels like you are hiding instructions from me.
Sandeepkumar : They will open the keyboard and some parts then they will put the new upgraded memory in this slot..
bill scobie : OK, how about this. Are there instructions for safely removing the keyboard and some parts?
Sandeepkumar : Trust me I am not hidding you any instruction.
Sandeepkumar : No, for the user is not possible it will done by only hardware person or hardware technicians.
bill scobie : Let me repeat, I am a hard ware tech. I am trying to find out the safest and least destructive way to do this for a client.
bill scobie : Why am I being stonewalled?
Sandeepkumar : Okay
bill scobie : Most laptops, including many by HP, put both RAM slots in one location, or they make available instructions for access the other.
Sandeepkumar : Please take out the keyboard then you will find the second slot for memory.
bill scobie : I have had the “pleasure” of replacing hard drives in Powerbook G4s, usually at least a half hour process and many screws to remove. This simple information getting is taking almost as long.
Sandeepkumar : I really appreciate your effort you are really doing well.
Sandeepkumar : Please try to take out the keyboard then you will get the slot for memory.
Sandeepkumar : If you have any additional queries please feel free to let me know. I will try to do my best to assist you.

Sandeepkumar : Is there anything else I may help you with?
bill scobie : I would like the instructions for remothing the keyboard.
bill scobie : Screws?
bill scobie : Plastic to break?
Sandeepkumar : Let me check…
Sandeepkumar : If I find it ….
Sandeepkumar : Please give me 2 minutes..
bill scobie : Thank you.
Sandeepkumar : You are most welcome..
Sandeepkumar : I am still researching this issue; please give me two more minutes.
Sandeepkumar : Please take down the steps.
Sandeepkumar : Keyboard removal…
Sandeepkumar : Before you begin: Remove the battery.

And here I gave up, I found the screws myself, on the underside of the laptop, removed them and then the keyboard on the top was easy to remove (without following HP instructions to remove the “expansion memory/wireless LAN Minicard” and related stuff)

I started out this journey with a clear product number and HP could not give me clear instructions for finding the second RAM slot.

At least I can find clear instructions for replacing a hard drive in an Apple PowerBook G4, 1.25 Ghz, and that only takes about 1/2 hour. less than the time of this chat session with HP.

Searching on the web may be dangerous for reasons you won’t think of

July 30, 2009 in arrgghh | Permalink

Searching for “bad” sites may not be as dangerous as we all think. McAfee (antivirus software vendor) recently published a study of common search phrases to find out how frequently malicious software would be found at the resulting sites. Looking for free stuff seems to be more risky than porn, the authors of the study have found. They explain the risk as resulting from a combination of factors that together take advantage of how we seem to use and trust search engines. As the “hackers” or cybercriminals are learning to take advantage of how to optimize web pages and sites for high rankings in search engines like Google, they can focus “attractive” sites for topics of current interest. Then they can trick people into downloading and installing “malware”, software with malicious payloads like keystroke loggers or bogus antivirus software.

McAfee researchers combed through thousands of popular keyword searches to analize the frequency with which they found malicious software at each link. They found that common “bad” searches we associate with getting hit with malicious software, like pirated software or pornography, actually rank fairly low on the risk scale. Things like lyrics to popular songs and free screen savers work better to lure people in.

Just because it comes up high on a Google search, doesn’t mean that it is any more honest, trustworthy or truthful.

The full study, in PDF format, is at:

http://us.mcafee.com/en-us/local/docs/most_dangerous_searchterm_us.pdf

Did I just loose my desktop?

January 6, 2008 in arrgghh, software | Permalink

Intuit Alienates Mac Users With QuickBooks Fiasco

I understand that companies lost data, at an important time of the year. And, I saw Intuit, after their first few days of not turning off the update server on their end, implement pretty good customer support.But, there really wasn’t anything they could do to recover data.

We lost and I still need to use them.

Long live backups.

20+ Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft

July 2, 2007 in arrgghh | Permalink

Isn’t it wonderful that so many things can spy on you. And, we all “have” to believe that moving to Vista is better for us, keeping us safer from those malicious and malevolent malware programs. Does this remind anyone of the same logic being used by certain federales to convince us that gathering more information about everything we do is better for us. And, here I thought that the credit cards companies, banks, and insurance companies already had everything about me that anyone would want?

Keeping up with the Jones “The enemy adapts: the state of spam, malware, and phishing scams”

June 27, 2007 in arrgghh, software, training | Permalink

Just as we are supposed to keep our consumer society healthy and flourishing it seems that computer bad stuff is making plenty of money, for someone. And, thinking that a Mac will keep you safe is only going to cover part of staying safe on the Internet, it seems that phishing schemes, those things that look like you have to reconfirm some financial information, are really taking off. And, how do they make money? Well, the costs are so low that if only 1 in 10,000 were to fall for it, that would be enough.

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