Just in time for this holiday season comes the latest tale of retail negotiation success.
I've been lusting after a new TV for awhile. Since our move, my old big-screen just hasn't been right. Could be the five flights of stairs it traveled in the move. Could be the two years of storage about a year into its life. Could be the massive amount of evening TV I watch. Whatever. In any event, the TV repair folks told me that the cost to repair substantially outweighs the value. Lucky (sorta') for me, the deterioration causes visible problems that are driving Tina batty. Hence my ability to actually look for a new TV.
The actual TV I'm interested in is irrelevant, so rather than bore you with the specifics, let's just call it X. X has been on sale recently, down about 45% from it's suggested retail price. I've been watching it on Amazon and at Best Buy and Amazon has beat BB by about $200. So I was still debating the merits of X with Tina when I looked online this morning and saw it for another $150 off - essentially 50% from its MSRP. Woo hoo! Time to buy!
But I had to get final approval so I couldn't click through quite yet.
A few minutes later and I was ready to go. I clicked 'Add to Cart' and just before I clicked Buy, I noticed that we were back to the pre-Black Friday price. Woah.
So rather than Buy, I called Amazon's customer service line. Invariably, I found "Peggy" (a person of obvious foreign persuasion, pretending to be in the US "for my comfort"). It only took her 10 minutes to verify my account because she couldn't spell, couldn't validate my physical address and for whatever reason, would ask me the same question over and over. But hey, once we got through that, I was confident that I would be able to explain my complicated issue to her and get resolution.
As Wayne Campbell might say "shah - and monkey's might fly outta' my butt!" But hey, I'm nothing if not patient. So I tried.
Twenty-five minutes later, we were no closer to resolution and nearly half that time had been spent with me on hold while Peggy tried to work things out on her end. Her eventual response? That I needed to talk with the folks in the "large items" area. But, of course, they were closed (it was only 8am ET, so I was agreeable). Peggy offered to take my phone number and have them call me back in an hour.
Perfect. No problem.
Five hours later (after we were back in the car, having spent the day at the Zoo), I still hadn't received a call, so I called back. [Now, what I didn't tell you was that I periodically called and after being on hold for 20-30 minutes at a time, decided to simply try later.] This time, I almost immediately got through. This support person was a native English speaker so we quickly got to the large item desk.
They explained that Amazon doesn't guaranty prices until you actually Buy. They also checked and told me that what I saw earlier in the day was "Sold by Amazon" and the one that was now in my cart was "Sold by" someone else, so Amazon had no power to make any changes. If I wanted X, I was going to have to pay the higher price. Grrrrr. No deal (at least not yet).
I finished driving home and checked my e-mail. Waiting for me was a "how'd we do" e-mail from Amazon. Ahhh... revenge. Only, I didn't want revenge, I simply wanted to say how things were for me. And, in my opinion, it wasn't great. So I gave the experience a bad grade. Amazon's automated process then asked me if I would be willing to let them take another chance to make it right - enter my phone number and let them call me. So I did.
A few seconds later, I get a call from Mike at Amazon. I explain the situation and he reiterates the earlier explanation of why they really can't do anything. So while he's considering what he might be able to do, Cameron is yammering in the background. This gives Mike the ability to be friendly... and for me to connect with Mike on a personal level. He's a dad, a grandfather and has been at Amazon for awhile. He was able to see that I've been an Amazon customer for more than a decade (they keep the entire history). We commiserated over the advances in technology and retail.
In between, however, I hear an opportunity - that if there's a TV that *Amazon* sells, Amazon can budge on price. I quickly locate the model of X that Amazon does sell - one model more advanced (this one has 3D, even though I don't need/want it), let's call it X+. Unfortunately, it's also a little more expensive. I give Mike the updated model number and he pulls it up on his end. I ask him if he can "work with me".
While he's checking (as he realizes I've asked for a pretty significant discount), we keep chatting. A few minutes elapses. He tells me that no one has responded to his inquiry, so he's going to go ahead and do it. A few seconds later, I get X+ for the earlier advertised price of X. Schweet.
Effective savings: >$300 off retail. >$1000 off MSRP.
Cost: 3 phone calls and some schmoozing.
Totally worth it.
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Friday, November 25, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Copyright Oddities
Copyright is a weird animal. It's one of the few constitutionally-mandated personal rights and it serves as the basis for the vast majority of the things people do online and in their daily lives (everything from this blog to your tweets and FB status postings to anything you write as a result of your job.... to photos you take while on vacation). Yet it's so fundamentally misunderstood that it's almost a joke.
Which is interesting given that the penalties for violating copyright are pretty severe. Forgetting the civil penalties (those that can be levied against you by the actual person you harmed), the criminal penalties can go up to $250,000/copy + 5 years in Club Fed.
One of the nuances of copyright is that in order to have a copyright in something, you have to have created the work covered by copyright (and it has to be a work that can be granted a copyright) ... or you have to have acquired the copyright rights from the person who created the work.
Which makes the situation around the photographer who had his camera lifted by a monkey ... and who then proceeded to snap a wonderful self-portrait .... so damn interesting, especially to those of us interested in copyrights.
In fact, as soon as I saw this image, I went to make it my Facebook profile photo. Which, of course, I shouldn't do - I don't own the image. And it took Facebook reminding me of this fact for me to actually stop from doing it. But the question is: who holds the copyright to the image?
The ownership of the photograph itself is clear: it's the photographer (and perhaps the wire news service that paid the photographer for the photo). But copyright doesn't automatically transfer with the ownership of the tangible item - again, copyright is a weird creature and unless you're willing to dive down the moral rights rabbit hole with me tonight, just accept what I tell you as fact and look it up later.
Copyright, however, requires an "author" ... and per US law (17 USC), an author can only be a "natural person" or a "juridicial person" (a corporation, etc). A monkey (or other animal) doesn't fit into either category and is thus unable to hold copyright. The result is that there now exists a legal quandary. Who (if anyone) holds copyright?
The law is pretty clear at the moment (and, in fact, is being used as yet another example of how copyright law is outdated and needs to be revised for the 21st century - but really, do picture-taking monkeys only exist in the 21st century?). However, the news agency seems to assert that copying is at least uncool if not illegal. Which is going to prompt someone to eventually sue.
This is one to watch, folks. The outcome could get interesting.
Which is interesting given that the penalties for violating copyright are pretty severe. Forgetting the civil penalties (those that can be levied against you by the actual person you harmed), the criminal penalties can go up to $250,000/copy + 5 years in Club Fed.
One of the nuances of copyright is that in order to have a copyright in something, you have to have created the work covered by copyright (and it has to be a work that can be granted a copyright) ... or you have to have acquired the copyright rights from the person who created the work.
Which makes the situation around the photographer who had his camera lifted by a monkey ... and who then proceeded to snap a wonderful self-portrait .... so damn interesting, especially to those of us interested in copyrights.
In fact, as soon as I saw this image, I went to make it my Facebook profile photo. Which, of course, I shouldn't do - I don't own the image. And it took Facebook reminding me of this fact for me to actually stop from doing it. But the question is: who holds the copyright to the image?
The ownership of the photograph itself is clear: it's the photographer (and perhaps the wire news service that paid the photographer for the photo). But copyright doesn't automatically transfer with the ownership of the tangible item - again, copyright is a weird creature and unless you're willing to dive down the moral rights rabbit hole with me tonight, just accept what I tell you as fact and look it up later.
Copyright, however, requires an "author" ... and per US law (17 USC), an author can only be a "natural person" or a "juridicial person" (a corporation, etc). A monkey (or other animal) doesn't fit into either category and is thus unable to hold copyright. The result is that there now exists a legal quandary. Who (if anyone) holds copyright?
The law is pretty clear at the moment (and, in fact, is being used as yet another example of how copyright law is outdated and needs to be revised for the 21st century - but really, do picture-taking monkeys only exist in the 21st century?). However, the news agency seems to assert that copying is at least uncool if not illegal. Which is going to prompt someone to eventually sue.
This is one to watch, folks. The outcome could get interesting.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
More on Apple and customer service
About 2 years ago, I wrote a story about getting my PowerBook G4 fixed as a result of a hinge problem. At the time, I was indignant that Apple had a known defect in their product and wouldn't repair it for me. I spent some time in the AppleStore in Durham, NC (this was before the one in Raleigh opened) trying to see if they would assist under warranty... and they didn't. So my post was a result of my frustration at trying to get help for something I thought Apple should've taken care of, yet didn't.
However, I didn't lose my cool at the AppleStore, on the phone with Apple or anywhere else. If anything, I was mostly upset with myself and sad that I was going to have to pay a few hundred dollars for something I knew I was going to replace relatively soon.
Today I saw a post on Gizmodo about another guy who "Lost his S#?!" at the AppleStore in DC. It linked to a comic he wrote about the experience. (The comic is safe, but the comments afterwards are a little NSFW, so view this at home and away from young eyes).
Essentially, the guy had a very similar machine that I used to have... and he wanted to install a wireless card in it after purchase. He was upset that the screws on the machine weren't "standard" (they're TORX, which are, as you'll see from reading the comments, standard) and that he says he had trouble finding them at various stores (which people in the comments refute). He was upset that Apple wouldn't give him a screwdriver in the AppleStore to fix his own machine (for the same reasons that your auto mechanic won't let you use their tools to fix your car).
He ultimately lost his cool at the AppleStore and wrote the comic as a way to vent.
Now, per my other missives above, I do understand venting. I also understand being frustrated by a situation that I believe is somehow unfair.
But I do NOT take it out on others (Tina may disagree, since she hears me at home). So let me clarify... I don't take it out on the customer service person who really doesn't have much control over the situation.
[Update - about 3 seconds after hitting Publish]: OK... so I realize that by posting this little story, I'm probably perpetuating something that should just die. And, as Tina reminds me (man, I really love this girl) arguing with everyone I ever disagreed with isn't productive. Which, in turn, reminded me of one of my favorite comic artists of all time. So I'm converting this post from a semi-rant to a positive suggestion for you all to read XKCD.com on a regular basis. Here's one of Randall's drawings, completely on point.
However, I didn't lose my cool at the AppleStore, on the phone with Apple or anywhere else. If anything, I was mostly upset with myself and sad that I was going to have to pay a few hundred dollars for something I knew I was going to replace relatively soon.
Today I saw a post on Gizmodo about another guy who "Lost his S#?!" at the AppleStore in DC. It linked to a comic he wrote about the experience. (The comic is safe, but the comments afterwards are a little NSFW, so view this at home and away from young eyes).
Essentially, the guy had a very similar machine that I used to have... and he wanted to install a wireless card in it after purchase. He was upset that the screws on the machine weren't "standard" (they're TORX, which are, as you'll see from reading the comments, standard) and that he says he had trouble finding them at various stores (which people in the comments refute). He was upset that Apple wouldn't give him a screwdriver in the AppleStore to fix his own machine (for the same reasons that your auto mechanic won't let you use their tools to fix your car).
He ultimately lost his cool at the AppleStore and wrote the comic as a way to vent.
Now, per my other missives above, I do understand venting. I also understand being frustrated by a situation that I believe is somehow unfair.
But I do NOT take it out on others (Tina may disagree, since she hears me at home). So let me clarify... I don't take it out on the customer service person who really doesn't have much control over the situation.
[Update - about 3 seconds after hitting Publish]: OK... so I realize that by posting this little story, I'm probably perpetuating something that should just die. And, as Tina reminds me (man, I really love this girl) arguing with everyone I ever disagreed with isn't productive. Which, in turn, reminded me of one of my favorite comic artists of all time. So I'm converting this post from a semi-rant to a positive suggestion for you all to read XKCD.com on a regular basis. Here's one of Randall's drawings, completely on point.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Knight Rider GPS
If you were born in the 70s, grew up in the 80s and were male... you LOVED Knight Rider. The Hoff wasn't a dweeb yet (we had no idea he wanted to sing). KITT (the car) was awesome - and so was Bonnie. But I digress.
Mio just released their Knight Rider GPS - which comes STANDARD with William Daniels as the voice of this turn-by-turn speaking device.
Sweet! Hey Tina!!! I want one. My birthday is coming in a few months! :)
Mio just released their Knight Rider GPS - which comes STANDARD with William Daniels as the voice of this turn-by-turn speaking device.
Sweet! Hey Tina!!! I want one. My birthday is coming in a few months! :)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
April's Fools
I monitor/read about 100 blogs. Many are either technology or law-related - and these days, entire blogs consist of posting links to other posts on other interesting blogs. Of course, RSS has made this almost too easy - firing up one application that systematically checks them all for new posts. And, as one would expect, there are several posts that I see on a regular basis that "make" the rounds of a particular type of blog (for example, the Apple iPhone announcements are always seen on a dozen or more blogs, after each individual whisper from Cupertino).
I figured that most, if not all, would include some form of April Fool's joke. Us geeks tend to like creative humor. A silly comment, a made up something-or-other.
What I didn't guess is that several of them would report Google's AF joke as a post on their own site. At least 6 have now commented on TiSP. Why?
Another 2 have commented on Crunchgear. Again, why? Do you think that we only read your blog to the exclusion of all of the others? Were RSS not available, I suppose that might happen. But really.
To Google and Crunchgear, good show. To the others - well, um, ah....
I figured that most, if not all, would include some form of April Fool's joke. Us geeks tend to like creative humor. A silly comment, a made up something-or-other.
What I didn't guess is that several of them would report Google's AF joke as a post on their own site. At least 6 have now commented on TiSP. Why?
Another 2 have commented on Crunchgear. Again, why? Do you think that we only read your blog to the exclusion of all of the others? Were RSS not available, I suppose that might happen. But really.
To Google and Crunchgear, good show. To the others - well, um, ah....
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Volvo's latest ads
So I'm sitting here watching the Duke/Clemson game with Tina. And in the span of two commercial breaks, there are three ads for the new Volvo S80. To summarize the three:
1. Driver of the S80 is rapidly approaching a car in its lane, apparently too fast. The collision detection system goes off, the driver of the S80 swerves around the other car (which appears to have been going the speed limit. The advertising voice says something about how nice it is to have a car that cares about you.
2. Driver of the S80 is rapidly approaching a car in its lane. S80 driver looks away from the road. The collision detection system goes off, the driver of the S80 looks back and sees the rear bumper coming up quickly, so they press on the brake. The advertising voice says something to the effect that "thank god that the S80 has this system to pay attention when you don't".
3. Owner of the S80 is walking towards their car, which is sitting quietly in a dark empty parking lot. The keyfob has a heartbeat sensor which lets the owner know that someone's in the car so that the owner can know an intruder is in the vehicle.
OK... two quick questions. If this car is so friggin' great, why didn't the alarm system go off? And why should the car look out for inattentive drivers? Where's MY warning that someone's driving an S80?
Crazy.
1. Driver of the S80 is rapidly approaching a car in its lane, apparently too fast. The collision detection system goes off, the driver of the S80 swerves around the other car (which appears to have been going the speed limit. The advertising voice says something about how nice it is to have a car that cares about you.
2. Driver of the S80 is rapidly approaching a car in its lane. S80 driver looks away from the road. The collision detection system goes off, the driver of the S80 looks back and sees the rear bumper coming up quickly, so they press on the brake. The advertising voice says something to the effect that "thank god that the S80 has this system to pay attention when you don't".
3. Owner of the S80 is walking towards their car, which is sitting quietly in a dark empty parking lot. The keyfob has a heartbeat sensor which lets the owner know that someone's in the car so that the owner can know an intruder is in the vehicle.
OK... two quick questions. If this car is so friggin' great, why didn't the alarm system go off? And why should the car look out for inattentive drivers? Where's MY warning that someone's driving an S80?
Crazy.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Predictions
I think all of the people who have been saying that they predicted the iPhone are pretty funny. It's one of those things that, if you're a geek like me, can kinda' foresee simply by watching the available technology and wondering aloud "gee, I really think it would be cool for me to have my phone and mp3 player in one converged device". In fact, it's exactly what happened a few years ago right before the Treo and Blackberry devices came out - "It would be so cool to have my calendar and phone on one converged device." Bingo.
So I went looking for anything that *I* had predicted on my blog. On 1/22/05, I predicted that someone was going to make an iPod-based media player for TiVo'd shows. I was right. Happened about six months later with the video iPod.
Ha!
(there are times I really wish I knew how to program so I could self-fulfill some of my ideas)
Anyways... if there's anyone reading this who has a lot of money to burn and wants to make a guy REALLY happy in the middle of the year, I would love an iPhone.
So I went looking for anything that *I* had predicted on my blog. On 1/22/05, I predicted that someone was going to make an iPod-based media player for TiVo'd shows. I was right. Happened about six months later with the video iPod.
Ha!
(there are times I really wish I knew how to program so I could self-fulfill some of my ideas)
Anyways... if there's anyone reading this who has a lot of money to burn and wants to make a guy REALLY happy in the middle of the year, I would love an iPhone.
Tired of Bad Service
In the last 48 hours, I've had two more instances of really bad customer service. I don't know what's going on, but service people must be trained to treat their customers like idiots, or push back just to make the bulk of them go away. I'm not going to tolerate either.
[A quick note: I was a Network Admin in a former life and I'm still very comfortable with technology and poking around to try to make things work.]
First was Vonage. I've had the VoIP service now for almost two years. Generally speaking, I've enjoyed it and it's worked pretty flawlessly. But lately, I've had problems with dropped calls and "missing" dialtone. I've rebooted the Vonage "phone adapter", reconfigured my network, even tried new phones. I'm also not using any interior home phone wiring (which can mess things up if not done correctly). Everything on the network is fairly new, too. At this point, I decided it was time to contact Vonage for assistance.
Their customer service site doesn't include a phone number. You have to fill out a website form and click submit to wait for someone to respond. It's pretty thorough, asking all sorts of questions about configurations, setup, model number, etc. So I was hopeful of a good response.
This wasn't was I was hoping for:
Subject: [vonage.com #9236055] Other
From: service@vonage.com
Dear Jeffrey I. Gordon,
Thank you for contacting Customer Care.
We understand from your email that you are experiencing issue with call drop.
We apologize for any inconvenience may have been caused.
We recommend you to perform the steps given below to resolve your issue:
1. Simplify the configuration (Remove any routers, hubs, switches, or home wiring).
2. Please ensure that your devices are well ventilated and clear of any other devices that could cause interference.
3. If you use a Surge Protector, swap it out. If you aren't using one, we suggest you to purchase one.
4. Make sure that you are using a DOCSIS 1.1 or later modem.
5. We request you to reboot all your devices by following the steps in the web link given below:
http://www.vonage.com/help.php?article=3D425=20
6. Check whether all wires and connections are solid and free of damages.
We hope these troubleshooting steps would assist you in resolving the issue. If you still experience the same issue then please revert to us with the following information so that we will try our extreme effort to resolve the issue soon.
We need you to run following tests on your side and send results to us via attachments.
1) THE BANDWIDTH TEST: Please run these test when the computer is connected directly to the modem and also when it is connected to the Vonage router. Please give both the results.
The bandwidth tests help us to ensure you are getting enough Upstream and Downstream bandwidth to use the Vonage service. Please click on UPLOAD SPEED TEST, then click on SMART TEST.
http://testmy.net
2) TRACE ROUTE (TRACERT): Trace Route is a utility that records the route through the Internet between your computer and a specified destination computer. It also calculates and displays the amount of time each hop took. Trace route is a handy tool both for understanding where problems are in the Internet network and for getting a detailed sense of the Internet itself. To run a trace route,
Click on START --> RUN
Type in CMD (For older windows versions, type in COMMAND)
Type the command tracert yahoo.com
3) Please let us know whether the phones are connected directly to the router or to the home wiring.
4) Please give us the vendor name and model number of all the devices that is connected in your network.
5) Please let us know how have you connected all the devices.
If you have any questions now or in the future Vonage Customer Care is eager to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please visit our help center at http://www.vonage.com/help.php or send us an email from our Contact Us page at http://www.vonage.com/help_contactUs.php. You can also call us Toll Free at: 1-VONAGE-HELP 1-866-243-4357.
Sincerely,
Vonage Customer Care
> [jeff@.net - Wed Jan 03 15:54:49 2007]:
>
> Phone Adapter:
> Linksys RT31P2
>
> ISP:
> Time Warner
>
> Router Make and Model:
> Motorola S85101
>
> Telephone Make and Model:
> Motorola MD7081
>
> Description of Network:
> Wall -> Router -> Phone Adapter -> Computers & Phone
>
> Description of Problem:
> I'm having random issues with the phone adaptor dropping calls.
So, you can first see that while they appeared to have read the subject line of my message, they never read any of the information that they actually already requested I send them.
I responded with a rather curt e-mail to each of their questions, mostly pointing them to where I'd already answered their questions and then repeating my request for more substantial assistance. Their subsequent response was to change the port on the adapter. Still doesn't work. I guess I'm going to use that phone number they provided. Hopefully it'll yield better results, but I'm not full of a lot of hope.
Generally speaking, I have found that technical support assumes that the customer is a complete moron. I mentioned earlier that I was formerly a Network Admin not to sound cool, but to indicate that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to technology. So going down a flowchart of "possible" problems doesn't amuse me when I've already tried them all and I'm looking for some serious help.
My experience in the last day with eBay is a prime example. I've been an eBay user, according to my profile page, since March 3, 1999 and I have a feedback rating of 195. So I'm not exactly a newbie with respects to the ins and outs of eBay. I noticed the other day, however, that I wasn't seeing all of my auctions won on the "My eBay" page. Regardless of the setting (whether I looked for those completed last week, last month, etc, I would always be missing at least two of the auctions. So, being the geek that I am, I tried different configurations (as stated before), different browsers (Safari and Firefox), even different computers and underlying operating systems (Macs and PCs). Heck, I even tried once from the Apple Store to see if somehow some old setting was blocking things. Alas, I finally sucumbed to sending a request for help to eBay.
Again, like Vonage, there's not an immediate way to call... you have to use their form.
Subject: My eBay isn't working correctly
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 19:23:55 PST
My Account, Registration, and Password > My eBay for bidding, billing, or selling > My eBay isn't working correctly
Message: Hi! In the last few days, I've noticed that My eBay seems to not be working correctly. It's not listing all of the items I've won (for example, items 190066036927 and 300066082398 are missing from the list, as well as several others).
Additionally, I received an e-mail notice today about a relisted item that I had neither bid on nor watched. I get the feeling that somehow "My eBay" isn't quite tracking things properly.
Please help. (Oh, FYI, I'm on a Mac, using both Safari and Firefox and I've had this problem with both... and it shows up while using a PC and Internet Explorer, too).
Thank you!
~Jeff
I have to admit, eBay was quick to respond:
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 20:48:34 -0800
Subject: Re: GS=C00315 My eBay isn't working correctly [#US ?01 ] (KMM66898596V45289L0KM)
From: eBay Customer Support
Dear Jeffrey,
Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the items you won not appearing
in your My eBay.
In this case, please make sure that you are viewing the correct time
period for items sold in the "Won" section. I see that the viewing time
period for items is currently set to "Last week (Dec 24)". This means
that the "Won" section will only display your transactions for the last
week. This can be easily corrected.
1. Click the "My eBay" tab located at the top of most eBay pages. You
may be asked to sign in.
2. Click the "Won" link on the left side of the page.
3. In the "Period" drop-down list to the right, click the down arrow and
select the period of time that covers the items that you're looking for.
***Note***
Make sure you're viewing the correct time period for the item in
question. For example, if you sold an item 35 days ago, it won't appear
if you are only viewing items that you sold in the last 31 days.
Currently, the longest period of time you can search is 60 days.
It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay.
Sincerely,
Vincent K.
eBay Customer Support
But again, the response was essentially "you're an idiot... change the settings and all will be hunky-dory".
I'm tired of this kind of crappy, Tier 0 response. I wish there was a way to indicate to the customer support agent that you've got some level of technical training. A password or secret handshake that would let them know that you've got things setup correctly, tried all of the standard technical support procedures, and that you're only calling because you've really hit a dead end. This password would bump you automatically to a second or third tier of support... heck, even Disney does this in a way that's not offensive to everyone else [their call processing system simply asks whether you've visited recently, and if so, more than x number of times in the last specific time period - based on that, they route you to an agent ready to treat you with a commensurate level of care. People who are newbies get a LOT of suggestions and help in terms of planning and explanation. People who are experienced get great service, but it's not tempered at all, and they make suggestions with the understanding that you've probably already "been there and done that".]
Anyone wanna' let me know the password?
[A quick note: I was a Network Admin in a former life and I'm still very comfortable with technology and poking around to try to make things work.]
First was Vonage. I've had the VoIP service now for almost two years. Generally speaking, I've enjoyed it and it's worked pretty flawlessly. But lately, I've had problems with dropped calls and "missing" dialtone. I've rebooted the Vonage "phone adapter", reconfigured my network, even tried new phones. I'm also not using any interior home phone wiring (which can mess things up if not done correctly). Everything on the network is fairly new, too. At this point, I decided it was time to contact Vonage for assistance.
Their customer service site doesn't include a phone number. You have to fill out a website form and click submit to wait for someone to respond. It's pretty thorough, asking all sorts of questions about configurations, setup, model number, etc. So I was hopeful of a good response.
This wasn't was I was hoping for:
Subject: [vonage.com #9236055] Other
From: service@vonage.com
Dear Jeffrey I. Gordon,
Thank you for contacting Customer Care.
We understand from your email that you are experiencing issue with call drop.
We apologize for any inconvenience may have been caused.
We recommend you to perform the steps given below to resolve your issue:
1. Simplify the configuration (Remove any routers, hubs, switches, or home wiring).
2. Please ensure that your devices are well ventilated and clear of any other devices that could cause interference.
3. If you use a Surge Protector, swap it out. If you aren't using one, we suggest you to purchase one.
4. Make sure that you are using a DOCSIS 1.1 or later modem.
5. We request you to reboot all your devices by following the steps in the web link given below:
http://www.vonage.com/help.php?article=3D425=20
6. Check whether all wires and connections are solid and free of damages.
We hope these troubleshooting steps would assist you in resolving the issue. If you still experience the same issue then please revert to us with the following information so that we will try our extreme effort to resolve the issue soon.
We need you to run following tests on your side and send results to us via attachments.
1) THE BANDWIDTH TEST: Please run these test when the computer is connected directly to the modem and also when it is connected to the Vonage router. Please give both the results.
The bandwidth tests help us to ensure you are getting enough Upstream and Downstream bandwidth to use the Vonage service. Please click on UPLOAD SPEED TEST, then click on SMART TEST.
http://testmy.net
2) TRACE ROUTE (TRACERT): Trace Route is a utility that records the route through the Internet between your computer and a specified destination computer. It also calculates and displays the amount of time each hop took. Trace route is a handy tool both for understanding where problems are in the Internet network and for getting a detailed sense of the Internet itself. To run a trace route,
Click on START --> RUN
Type in CMD (For older windows versions, type in COMMAND)
Type the command tracert yahoo.com
3) Please let us know whether the phones are connected directly to the router or to the home wiring.
4) Please give us the vendor name and model number of all the devices that is connected in your network.
5) Please let us know how have you connected all the devices.
If you have any questions now or in the future Vonage Customer Care is eager to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please visit our help center at http://www.vonage.com/help.php or send us an email from our Contact Us page at http://www.vonage.com/help_contactUs.php. You can also call us Toll Free at: 1-VONAGE-HELP 1-866-243-4357.
Sincerely,
Vonage Customer Care
> [jeff@.net - Wed Jan 03 15:54:49 2007]:
>
> Phone Adapter:
> Linksys RT31P2
>
> ISP:
> Time Warner
>
> Router Make and Model:
> Motorola S85101
>
> Telephone Make and Model:
> Motorola MD7081
>
> Description of Network:
> Wall -> Router -> Phone Adapter -> Computers & Phone
>
> Description of Problem:
> I'm having random issues with the phone adaptor dropping calls.
So, you can first see that while they appeared to have read the subject line of my message, they never read any of the information that they actually already requested I send them.
I responded with a rather curt e-mail to each of their questions, mostly pointing them to where I'd already answered their questions and then repeating my request for more substantial assistance. Their subsequent response was to change the port on the adapter. Still doesn't work. I guess I'm going to use that phone number they provided. Hopefully it'll yield better results, but I'm not full of a lot of hope.
Generally speaking, I have found that technical support assumes that the customer is a complete moron. I mentioned earlier that I was formerly a Network Admin not to sound cool, but to indicate that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to technology. So going down a flowchart of "possible" problems doesn't amuse me when I've already tried them all and I'm looking for some serious help.
My experience in the last day with eBay is a prime example. I've been an eBay user, according to my profile page, since March 3, 1999 and I have a feedback rating of 195. So I'm not exactly a newbie with respects to the ins and outs of eBay. I noticed the other day, however, that I wasn't seeing all of my auctions won on the "My eBay" page. Regardless of the setting (whether I looked for those completed last week, last month, etc, I would always be missing at least two of the auctions. So, being the geek that I am, I tried different configurations (as stated before), different browsers (Safari and Firefox), even different computers and underlying operating systems (Macs and PCs). Heck, I even tried once from the Apple Store to see if somehow some old setting was blocking things. Alas, I finally sucumbed to sending a request for help to eBay.
Again, like Vonage, there's not an immediate way to call... you have to use their form.
Subject: My eBay isn't working correctly
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 19:23:55 PST
My Account, Registration, and Password > My eBay for bidding, billing, or selling > My eBay isn't working correctly
Message: Hi! In the last few days, I've noticed that My eBay seems to not be working correctly. It's not listing all of the items I've won (for example, items 190066036927 and 300066082398 are missing from the list, as well as several others).
Additionally, I received an e-mail notice today about a relisted item that I had neither bid on nor watched. I get the feeling that somehow "My eBay" isn't quite tracking things properly.
Please help. (Oh, FYI, I'm on a Mac, using both Safari and Firefox and I've had this problem with both... and it shows up while using a PC and Internet Explorer, too).
Thank you!
~Jeff
I have to admit, eBay was quick to respond:
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 20:48:34 -0800
Subject: Re: GS=C00315 My eBay isn't working correctly [#US ?01 ] (KMM66898596V45289L0KM)
From: eBay Customer Support
Dear Jeffrey,
Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the items you won not appearing
in your My eBay.
In this case, please make sure that you are viewing the correct time
period for items sold in the "Won" section. I see that the viewing time
period for items is currently set to "Last week (Dec 24)". This means
that the "Won" section will only display your transactions for the last
week. This can be easily corrected.
1. Click the "My eBay" tab located at the top of most eBay pages. You
may be asked to sign in.
2. Click the "Won" link on the left side of the page.
3. In the "Period" drop-down list to the right, click the down arrow and
select the period of time that covers the items that you're looking for.
***Note***
Make sure you're viewing the correct time period for the item in
question. For example, if you sold an item 35 days ago, it won't appear
if you are only viewing items that you sold in the last 31 days.
Currently, the longest period of time you can search is 60 days.
It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay.
Sincerely,
Vincent K.
eBay Customer Support
But again, the response was essentially "you're an idiot... change the settings and all will be hunky-dory".
I'm tired of this kind of crappy, Tier 0 response. I wish there was a way to indicate to the customer support agent that you've got some level of technical training. A password or secret handshake that would let them know that you've got things setup correctly, tried all of the standard technical support procedures, and that you're only calling because you've really hit a dead end. This password would bump you automatically to a second or third tier of support... heck, even Disney does this in a way that's not offensive to everyone else [their call processing system simply asks whether you've visited recently, and if so, more than x number of times in the last specific time period - based on that, they route you to an agent ready to treat you with a commensurate level of care. People who are newbies get a LOT of suggestions and help in terms of planning and explanation. People who are experienced get great service, but it's not tempered at all, and they make suggestions with the understanding that you've probably already "been there and done that".]
Anyone wanna' let me know the password?
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wireless Devices
I've been using a Palm-powered device for years. I started with a Palm III.
It's predecessor was a Sharp Wizard that I'd been using all throughout law school.
It was filled with calendar and contact information. I thus taught myself Graffiti by manually entering the data into the Palm III in the hotel room and while riding in the car.
The III lasted from about 1998 until almost 2000, when I got a Palm V.
When I saw the Palm TungstenT in 2002, though, all bets were off.
The T was so cool, with a sliding mechanism that allowed the screen to become larger when needed.
I finally upgraded to the Tungsten T3, a slimmer, more powerful version of the same concept.
But I've been lusting after the Handspring (now Palm again) Treo for a long time. The Treo was one of the first "converged" devices, one that combined the Palm organizer with the benefits of a cell phone. EVERYTHING was finally on one device. But the original Treo was a bit bulky. I had the chance to play with one early on in their release, so I knew that this would eventually be great... it just wasn't quite what I wanted (besides, it had a monochrome screen again).
The Treo kept a pretty brisk release schedule.
First the 180,
then the 270
(and in keeping with a "degrees" theme, they released a 90 that didn't have the phone capabilities).
And when they released the 600, I KNEW it was ready. By the time of that release, however, the Blackberry had taken the world by storm, and I had already owned two Blackberries by the time Nextel and Cingular both combined the Blackberry wireless e-mail system with phone features. Now there's the 650.
So now anyone that wants a converged device has a dilemma... Treo or Blackberry. Of course, in the last 2 years, Microsoft has added their $.02 worth, too - with a slew of Windows Mobile (remember its predecessor, WindowsCE?) powered devices by Sanyo, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, etc. So the dilemma is compounded by these Windows-based devices, too.
But I've been using the Palm for a long time and like that OS. It's been completely designed as an organizer - which is exactly what I use it for. Easy to use, cleanly defined... almost simplistic. Perfect for me. Thus, even the addition of all these extra players really didn't cloud my judgement.
What IS a problem, though, is the wireless CARRIER differences. And all of this has been setup to talk about these differences. THIS is where the real decisions need to be made - THIS is where you can make a deal or go broke - THIS is where you need to pay attention. So let's look at the carriers for the Treo devices (there are 2, almost 3, now available: the 650, the 700 and now the 680 - not yet quite released). Know in advance that the 700 has about 4x the memory of the 650, a faster data transmission capability (EVDO rather than 1XRTT) and a little bit better camera. Everything else is about the same, but you can read a lot of reviews elsewhere. The 680 will be out soon, but it's not yet available, so we'll not really talk about it here.
There are 4 carriers in my market that supply the Treo. In alpha order: Alltel, Cingular, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon. First, forget who your current carrier is (mine's Alltel) and look just at device costs and wireless plans.
Alltel is selling the 650 for $249 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan. You then can pick any of their national freedom plans for voice, and you pay $29.99/mo for unlimited data. The limiting factor here is slower data speed (the 1XRTT standard rather than EVDO), but as a CDMA phone, it's good almost everywhere.
Cingular is selling the 650 for $299 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan. You then can pick any of their voice plans and you pay $39.99/mo for unlimited data. Cingular offers XPress Mail (similar to the Good Technology product) to connect you with your office e-mail system. Cingular has a decent network, but their data network isn't as robust as others.
Sprint/Nextel has the 700 for $399 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan. You pick any of their voice plans and pay $39.99/mo for unlimited data. The trouble here is that you're limited to Sprint/Nextel's network. If you walk off their network, you lose connection.
Verizon also has the 700 for $399 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan and you pick a voice and data bundle. Verizon's data network isn't super, either... and they aren't able to do anything with data separately from voice (although the bundles are a good idea).
All in all, given the fact that I'm with Alltel, I decided to take the slower device and stay with Alltel. Got one for Tina, too.
God I love my Treo. The lust was worth the wait.
It's predecessor was a Sharp Wizard that I'd been using all throughout law school.
It was filled with calendar and contact information. I thus taught myself Graffiti by manually entering the data into the Palm III in the hotel room and while riding in the car.
The III lasted from about 1998 until almost 2000, when I got a Palm V.
When I saw the Palm TungstenT in 2002, though, all bets were off.
The T was so cool, with a sliding mechanism that allowed the screen to become larger when needed.I finally upgraded to the Tungsten T3, a slimmer, more powerful version of the same concept.
But I've been lusting after the Handspring (now Palm again) Treo for a long time. The Treo was one of the first "converged" devices, one that combined the Palm organizer with the benefits of a cell phone. EVERYTHING was finally on one device. But the original Treo was a bit bulky. I had the chance to play with one early on in their release, so I knew that this would eventually be great... it just wasn't quite what I wanted (besides, it had a monochrome screen again).
The Treo kept a pretty brisk release schedule.
First the 180,
then the 270
(and in keeping with a "degrees" theme, they released a 90 that didn't have the phone capabilities).
And when they released the 600, I KNEW it was ready. By the time of that release, however, the Blackberry had taken the world by storm, and I had already owned two Blackberries by the time Nextel and Cingular both combined the Blackberry wireless e-mail system with phone features. Now there's the 650.
So now anyone that wants a converged device has a dilemma... Treo or Blackberry. Of course, in the last 2 years, Microsoft has added their $.02 worth, too - with a slew of Windows Mobile (remember its predecessor, WindowsCE?) powered devices by Sanyo, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, etc. So the dilemma is compounded by these Windows-based devices, too.
But I've been using the Palm for a long time and like that OS. It's been completely designed as an organizer - which is exactly what I use it for. Easy to use, cleanly defined... almost simplistic. Perfect for me. Thus, even the addition of all these extra players really didn't cloud my judgement.
What IS a problem, though, is the wireless CARRIER differences. And all of this has been setup to talk about these differences. THIS is where the real decisions need to be made - THIS is where you can make a deal or go broke - THIS is where you need to pay attention. So let's look at the carriers for the Treo devices (there are 2, almost 3, now available: the 650, the 700 and now the 680 - not yet quite released). Know in advance that the 700 has about 4x the memory of the 650, a faster data transmission capability (EVDO rather than 1XRTT) and a little bit better camera. Everything else is about the same, but you can read a lot of reviews elsewhere. The 680 will be out soon, but it's not yet available, so we'll not really talk about it here.
There are 4 carriers in my market that supply the Treo. In alpha order: Alltel, Cingular, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon. First, forget who your current carrier is (mine's Alltel) and look just at device costs and wireless plans.
Alltel is selling the 650 for $249 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan. You then can pick any of their national freedom plans for voice, and you pay $29.99/mo for unlimited data. The limiting factor here is slower data speed (the 1XRTT standard rather than EVDO), but as a CDMA phone, it's good almost everywhere.
Cingular is selling the 650 for $299 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan. You then can pick any of their voice plans and you pay $39.99/mo for unlimited data. Cingular offers XPress Mail (similar to the Good Technology product) to connect you with your office e-mail system. Cingular has a decent network, but their data network isn't as robust as others.
Sprint/Nextel has the 700 for $399 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan. You pick any of their voice plans and pay $39.99/mo for unlimited data. The trouble here is that you're limited to Sprint/Nextel's network. If you walk off their network, you lose connection.
Verizon also has the 700 for $399 (after all discounts) with a 2-year service plan and you pick a voice and data bundle. Verizon's data network isn't super, either... and they aren't able to do anything with data separately from voice (although the bundles are a good idea).
All in all, given the fact that I'm with Alltel, I decided to take the slower device and stay with Alltel. Got one for Tina, too.
God I love my Treo. The lust was worth the wait.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Book 1, Email 0
Well, I finally get the book completed, uploaded... ready to print and start to send messages to folks letting them know about it. And my e-mail host decides to throw a rod.
[OK... everything's better now. Sorry for the inconvenience!]
In any event, however, go check out the book! ;)
Friday, July 21, 2006
While I love Apple...
... I'm really kinda' sad about a recent experience I had with getting a repair on my PowerBook.
I own a Titanium G4 PowerBook - initially released in 2000/2001 and I purchased it brand new, directly from Apple.
I've used it every day since then and have had virtually no problems with it. In fact, I like to boast that I've very rarely even had to reboot the machine (which is a credit to the stability of the operating system) except when new software so demanded. I even frequently don't even close the lid, preferring to just leave it open overnight so that e-mail is waiting for me when I get up in the morning.
But just the other day, I needed to close the lid. And as I did, using an even amount of pressure (not forcing anything or feeling any feedback that anything wasn't 100% "right"), the right-side hinge simply snapped. It looked like this:
Holy crap! I almost started crying. Tina just looked at me and started to comfort me. But then I got pissed. Why did the hinge snap? How did this happen? Why didn't I feel any feedback or resistance? The portion of the hinge that was still attached to the base was frozen in place. It's like the hinge seized up mid-close, and I simply pulled it beyond it's means.
OK. I took a deep breath. The machine still worked... the screen still worked... it was just a broken hinge. Apple, I was SURE, would cover this even though the machine was out of warranty. You could tell, just by looking at the machine, that it was in pristine condition - well maintained by someone who took VERY good care of their equipment. I knew, based on past history with AppleCare that I would need to send the laptop into their facility for support. I figured, however, that I could start at our local Apple Retail Store to see if they could at least handle many of the details.
I scheduled time at the store using the online scheduler - really slick, actually. And after only waiting for a few minutes after I got there, a Mac Genius was ready to listen to my problem. It didn't take much listening, however, for him to understand the problem. But after a conference or two outside of my earshot, he "regrets to inform me that there was nothing that Apple could do as this was out of warranty."
WHAT? I've got a GREAT machine... in almost PERFECT condition. It wasn't dropped, hit, mistreated or otherwise abused to cause the hinge to snap. For what other reason than a manufacturing or design defect could this have happened? The Mac Genius wasn't sure about that, only that he couldn't actually help me.
What he offered to do was to type my problem into their system so that when/if I called AppleCare's 800#, they would have a case number and would be able to read about the problem from someone who actually saw the machine firsthand. He was actually kind enough to include a comment that the machine WAS in perfect condition. But again, there was nothing they could do because there was no longer a valid warranty.
OK. I figured I could call the 800# and get to someone who had the power to make an exception. I called. No luck. I called again and asked for someone a bit higher. Still no luck. In fact, they told me that they had NO RECORD of these types of problems with this model PowerBook but that the repair would run me about $700!
At this point, I went online. It didn't take me long to find www.powerbookresq.com. And in about 30 seconds, my eyes settled on the link that led me here. (Yes, that's where I got the picture used above.)
I couldn't believe it! Not only was this a KNOWN problem, Apple would also have to know about it because they, at some point, MAKE THE FRIGGIN' HINGE used by powerbookresq to fix other Powerbooks! Not to mention the fact that PBresQ fixes this problem for $269, including shipping. WAY less than what Apple would charge to fix a problem that should NEVER have happened!
Now, I need to fully disclose that I absolutely love the company and love the products. This experience, while frustrating and possibly not very cool, won't change any of that. And I'm guessing that Apple knows this, too, if by no other means than my purchase history. But I would have hoped that this would increase the probability of a little rule bending to fix a problem with a product that they made and wasn't caused by me.
About two weeks ago, I found this little blog, After Apple. As you can see from this article, Adam clearly details Apple's intimate knowledge of the problem I had: "The PowerBook Titanium was the king of the road, until you opened it the 333rd time and the hinge decided it was time to move on in life."
So now I am doubly sad... first that my PB sputtered and second that its creator knew it would and didn't care.
Sigh.
But I forked over the money to PBResQ. They fixed my baby up and I was back using it in no time. According to them, the glue used by Apple during the manufacturing process isn't that great. So they use an epoxy that should outlast the rest of machine. So far, so good. Thanks, PowerbookResQ!
I own a Titanium G4 PowerBook - initially released in 2000/2001 and I purchased it brand new, directly from Apple.
I've used it every day since then and have had virtually no problems with it. In fact, I like to boast that I've very rarely even had to reboot the machine (which is a credit to the stability of the operating system) except when new software so demanded. I even frequently don't even close the lid, preferring to just leave it open overnight so that e-mail is waiting for me when I get up in the morning.
But just the other day, I needed to close the lid. And as I did, using an even amount of pressure (not forcing anything or feeling any feedback that anything wasn't 100% "right"), the right-side hinge simply snapped. It looked like this:
Holy crap! I almost started crying. Tina just looked at me and started to comfort me. But then I got pissed. Why did the hinge snap? How did this happen? Why didn't I feel any feedback or resistance? The portion of the hinge that was still attached to the base was frozen in place. It's like the hinge seized up mid-close, and I simply pulled it beyond it's means.
OK. I took a deep breath. The machine still worked... the screen still worked... it was just a broken hinge. Apple, I was SURE, would cover this even though the machine was out of warranty. You could tell, just by looking at the machine, that it was in pristine condition - well maintained by someone who took VERY good care of their equipment. I knew, based on past history with AppleCare that I would need to send the laptop into their facility for support. I figured, however, that I could start at our local Apple Retail Store to see if they could at least handle many of the details.
I scheduled time at the store using the online scheduler - really slick, actually. And after only waiting for a few minutes after I got there, a Mac Genius was ready to listen to my problem. It didn't take much listening, however, for him to understand the problem. But after a conference or two outside of my earshot, he "regrets to inform me that there was nothing that Apple could do as this was out of warranty."
WHAT? I've got a GREAT machine... in almost PERFECT condition. It wasn't dropped, hit, mistreated or otherwise abused to cause the hinge to snap. For what other reason than a manufacturing or design defect could this have happened? The Mac Genius wasn't sure about that, only that he couldn't actually help me.
What he offered to do was to type my problem into their system so that when/if I called AppleCare's 800#, they would have a case number and would be able to read about the problem from someone who actually saw the machine firsthand. He was actually kind enough to include a comment that the machine WAS in perfect condition. But again, there was nothing they could do because there was no longer a valid warranty.
OK. I figured I could call the 800# and get to someone who had the power to make an exception. I called. No luck. I called again and asked for someone a bit higher. Still no luck. In fact, they told me that they had NO RECORD of these types of problems with this model PowerBook but that the repair would run me about $700!
At this point, I went online. It didn't take me long to find www.powerbookresq.com. And in about 30 seconds, my eyes settled on the link that led me here. (Yes, that's where I got the picture used above.)
I couldn't believe it! Not only was this a KNOWN problem, Apple would also have to know about it because they, at some point, MAKE THE FRIGGIN' HINGE used by powerbookresq to fix other Powerbooks! Not to mention the fact that PBresQ fixes this problem for $269, including shipping. WAY less than what Apple would charge to fix a problem that should NEVER have happened!
Now, I need to fully disclose that I absolutely love the company and love the products. This experience, while frustrating and possibly not very cool, won't change any of that. And I'm guessing that Apple knows this, too, if by no other means than my purchase history. But I would have hoped that this would increase the probability of a little rule bending to fix a problem with a product that they made and wasn't caused by me.
About two weeks ago, I found this little blog, After Apple. As you can see from this article, Adam clearly details Apple's intimate knowledge of the problem I had: "The PowerBook Titanium was the king of the road, until you opened it the 333rd time and the hinge decided it was time to move on in life."
So now I am doubly sad... first that my PB sputtered and second that its creator knew it would and didn't care.
Sigh.
But I forked over the money to PBResQ. They fixed my baby up and I was back using it in no time. According to them, the glue used by Apple during the manufacturing process isn't that great. So they use an epoxy that should outlast the rest of machine. So far, so good. Thanks, PowerbookResQ!
Monday, April 24, 2006
boxes
In general I love a good box. Well constructed, made of a sturdy material, designed to hold my crap. Simple. Elegant. Cardboard, plastic, metal. Big, small, other. Doesn't really matter. Add a cool lid (like the ones that have the interlocking tops to make them stackable) and it's even better.
Maybe I just love the organization factor. It's my anal-retentive nature, I suppose.
But then there are other boxes. Like Pandora's.
And www.pandora.com as a place to store your "music preferences" is about as cool as it gets. Now, I'm not one to just link to tell you where to visit (especially since I have a readership of like, um, nothing). But this is WAY too cool!
Put in your favorite artist... hear a song by them to start... then move onto simliar things recommended by the music genome project. I could be here for days.
I probably will.
Maybe I just love the organization factor. It's my anal-retentive nature, I suppose.
But then there are other boxes. Like Pandora's.
And www.pandora.com as a place to store your "music preferences" is about as cool as it gets. Now, I'm not one to just link to tell you where to visit (especially since I have a readership of like, um, nothing). But this is WAY too cool!
Put in your favorite artist... hear a song by them to start... then move onto simliar things recommended by the music genome project. I could be here for days.
I probably will.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Tracking me...
More and more people are worried that governments and private corporations will soon have the ability to electronically track you for every moment you're breathing. Satellites already have the ability to read newspapers from space... all it takes now is the ability to quickly locate a specific person.
Are you going to knowingly agree, then, to have something on you that will make that location possible?
No?
Are you sure?
Well... let's check, shall we?
Do you have credit cards? Do you use them? I'm guessing that folks do so at least once per day on average. That card can give an exact street address the moment you use it. (Whether you're talking about a generic Visa or MC, or whether you are using store-specific cards like a JCPenny card or a Sears card, it's all the same.)
No credit cards you say? OK, how about an ATM card? Same situation there.
OK, so somehow you live "off the grid" (as was most recently stated on the TV show "Committed") and pay for everything in cash? You think you're clean then?
Hmmm... what about loyalty cards? You know what I'm talking about. The Kroger Plus Card, the Food Lion MVP card, the Suncoast Replay card, the Eddie Bauer "explorer" card... again, every time you use it, someone, somewhere, knows where you are and what you're up to.
Alright... so let's just assume you don't have any credit cards or loyalty cards at all...
Do you have a car? Have you taken it for service recently? Did you notice that JiffyLube knows your car and you... and the last time you came around for an oil change?
You didn't? OK, what about calling for pizza? Didn't Dominos or Pizza Hut call you by name when you spoke with them? Didn't they already know where you lived?
No? Really? Wow... I'm impressed.
Alrighty. What about a phone? Do you have a cell phone? You DO? Game over. And here we reach what I really wanted to talk about... my new PHONE! :)
Yeah, I finally got the v710. It's cooler than I thought. But it has a pretty scary feature. It allows you to enable its own internal GPS system. If it's so enabled, and you call 911, they can remotely flip on the system and instantly know where you are (even if they didn't have the time to triangulate your signal - which is already a possibility for non GPS phones).
But hey... I already have credit cards, loyalty cards, my car, and I order enough pizza to support a small country. So this feature shouldn't scare me too much.
Are you going to knowingly agree, then, to have something on you that will make that location possible?
No?
Are you sure?
Well... let's check, shall we?
Do you have credit cards? Do you use them? I'm guessing that folks do so at least once per day on average. That card can give an exact street address the moment you use it. (Whether you're talking about a generic Visa or MC, or whether you are using store-specific cards like a JCPenny card or a Sears card, it's all the same.)
No credit cards you say? OK, how about an ATM card? Same situation there.
OK, so somehow you live "off the grid" (as was most recently stated on the TV show "Committed") and pay for everything in cash? You think you're clean then?
Hmmm... what about loyalty cards? You know what I'm talking about. The Kroger Plus Card, the Food Lion MVP card, the Suncoast Replay card, the Eddie Bauer "explorer" card... again, every time you use it, someone, somewhere, knows where you are and what you're up to.
Alright... so let's just assume you don't have any credit cards or loyalty cards at all...
Do you have a car? Have you taken it for service recently? Did you notice that JiffyLube knows your car and you... and the last time you came around for an oil change?
You didn't? OK, what about calling for pizza? Didn't Dominos or Pizza Hut call you by name when you spoke with them? Didn't they already know where you lived?
No? Really? Wow... I'm impressed.
Alrighty. What about a phone? Do you have a cell phone? You DO? Game over. And here we reach what I really wanted to talk about... my new PHONE! :)
Yeah, I finally got the v710. It's cooler than I thought. But it has a pretty scary feature. It allows you to enable its own internal GPS system. If it's so enabled, and you call 911, they can remotely flip on the system and instantly know where you are (even if they didn't have the time to triangulate your signal - which is already a possibility for non GPS phones).
But hey... I already have credit cards, loyalty cards, my car, and I order enough pizza to support a small country. So this feature shouldn't scare me too much.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Promises, Promises isn't just the name of a Naked Eyes tune
Man I really hate when someone tells me that they're going to do something and then fails to live up to their promise. I hate it even more when it's something that's created excitement and a bit of longing.
Ok, so I was at the mall on Saturday. I talked with this manager of a cellphone store who told me that he could get me a new cell phone that I wanted... but that he had to work his connections with the distributor to get it. I was supposed to call him on Monday to make it happen.
I called on Monday... and he told me that the phone would be there on Wednesday. I am now excited and I work on convincing Tina that I really need the phone (not that there was much convincing to do as my current phone has been on a Peruvian Death March for several months now). But all in all, I'm excited that I'm going to get this new phone.
So I call on Wednesday. Phone's not there (I had asked for 2 of them so that Tina could get one, too, so when the distributor told the manager that he only had one, the manager didn't get the one). But the manager tells me that he'll get in touch with the distributor and call me back in an hour.
Three hours later, no calls. I call the store. Manager's gone home for the day. Store personnel have no clue what I'm talking about, but they give me the manager's cell number. I call it. He's not there and I leave a message.
But by this point, it's now 3.5 hours after I was supposed to get a call back, I'm probably not going to get the phone today... and since I'm going out of town for the weekend, I won't see it until Monday.
Bummer.
But I really hate it when people lie to me.
Ok, so I was at the mall on Saturday. I talked with this manager of a cellphone store who told me that he could get me a new cell phone that I wanted... but that he had to work his connections with the distributor to get it. I was supposed to call him on Monday to make it happen.
I called on Monday... and he told me that the phone would be there on Wednesday. I am now excited and I work on convincing Tina that I really need the phone (not that there was much convincing to do as my current phone has been on a Peruvian Death March for several months now). But all in all, I'm excited that I'm going to get this new phone.
So I call on Wednesday. Phone's not there (I had asked for 2 of them so that Tina could get one, too, so when the distributor told the manager that he only had one, the manager didn't get the one). But the manager tells me that he'll get in touch with the distributor and call me back in an hour.
Three hours later, no calls. I call the store. Manager's gone home for the day. Store personnel have no clue what I'm talking about, but they give me the manager's cell number. I call it. He's not there and I leave a message.
But by this point, it's now 3.5 hours after I was supposed to get a call back, I'm probably not going to get the phone today... and since I'm going out of town for the weekend, I won't see it until Monday.
Bummer.
But I really hate it when people lie to me.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Convincing someone that I'm going to write...
So I told you that I was going to write. But I didn't. If you know me, you can harp at me.
But such is life.
My life is consumed with work... and TiVo. Someone should've invented this YEARS ago. I've wasted a lot of time over the years trying to record shows that were of interest. Now, I just say whether I like certain types of shows and BAM, it automatically records them.
OK, so anyone remember that "as seen on TV" remote control with the dials that would supposedly work with any VCR? You just dialed in the time to turn on and off the recorder and wow... no more manuals and blinking 12's. Sayonara, suckers!
Hehe... god, I love this device. You can ignore all of the crap you never wanted to watch anyways and simply focus on the stuff you did. And my god, if you need to walk the dog, tinkle, or even get some work done in the middle of your show, all ya' gotta' do is hit the big yellow pause button.
But hey, if that wasn't good enough, now there's TiVoToGo. Simply transfer what you've recorded on your TiVo to your computer and play it whenever. The only limitation is the size of the harddrive on your laptop.
Now all we need to do is wait another few months until someone develops an iPod-based media player. Then you can transfer your shows to your iPod and watch them there. If I could develop software, I'd be rich. :)
But such is life.
My life is consumed with work... and TiVo. Someone should've invented this YEARS ago. I've wasted a lot of time over the years trying to record shows that were of interest. Now, I just say whether I like certain types of shows and BAM, it automatically records them.
OK, so anyone remember that "as seen on TV" remote control with the dials that would supposedly work with any VCR? You just dialed in the time to turn on and off the recorder and wow... no more manuals and blinking 12's. Sayonara, suckers!
Hehe... god, I love this device. You can ignore all of the crap you never wanted to watch anyways and simply focus on the stuff you did. And my god, if you need to walk the dog, tinkle, or even get some work done in the middle of your show, all ya' gotta' do is hit the big yellow pause button.
But hey, if that wasn't good enough, now there's TiVoToGo. Simply transfer what you've recorded on your TiVo to your computer and play it whenever. The only limitation is the size of the harddrive on your laptop.
Now all we need to do is wait another few months until someone develops an iPod-based media player. Then you can transfer your shows to your iPod and watch them there. If I could develop software, I'd be rich. :)
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