Be wary of FreeCreditReport.com. If you don’t read the print on the left, you’ll miss that if you don’t call within 7 days, your “free” credit report turns into a monthly subscription.
So in other words, you get what you pay for, and the credit agencies are the ones tricking you.
Great country we live in, eh?
Here is their text, which is plain and clear, but you gotta read it as the page is designed to keep your eyes away from the text:
When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don’t cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period*, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership.
ConsumerInfo.com and Freecreditreport.com are not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. Under a new Federal law, you have the right to receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. To request your free annual report under that law, you must go to www.annualcreditreport.com.
The information was good, if not too much. The instructions on how to use the video patterns was poor - They fire too much information at the user without specific steps.
However, once I watched the same segment several times, I figured out what sort of what I needed to do and adjusted the color on my set.
Brightness was close, but still too high. My set (or the PS3, or the video switch) is dropping blacker-than-black information, so I went with adjusting the left pluge bar.
The colors were really off, and using the color/tint settings were doing nothing useful, so I set those back to default (center values) and used the PerfectColor and PerfectTint controls of my Mitsubishi 57732. This worked much much better.
I didn’t really know how the color values would interact, so I guessed and by trial and error, got things fairly spot on. The only error in color is in the green filter, where magenta and cyan would appear as dark gray, not black. No matter what I did, I could not get them to appear black.
The red and blue filters were spot on, and the green colors (yellow, green) were spot on also.
We’ve noticed much more vibrant colors in both SD and HD content. While watching Jay Leno on the TiVo, Jay looks more red (he appeared grayish before) and the products he was making fun of, blue and green packaging just popped in color. Yellow looks fantastic now, vs washed out before.
I found through the other patterns that my sharpness could be 7 vs 0. My set has a 2.5% overscan and passed all of the resolution tests.
I did not use the set for any audio adjustments as this place only permits us to use 3.1, so I didn’t find it worth it to muck with that.
For $20, this is a very good tool in calibrating your HDTV, just be prepared to be confused by their overly technical explanations and lack of clear directions.
If you write software, you should be using Fogbugz
Not only is the software/service great, when I told them I was going to buy a copy for my personal use, they said “Just switch to the free 2 user account” Whoa.
This site, developed by the infamous “Joel on Software,” allows you to track cases (bugs, features) on a project, track time spent on those cases and predicts how long it will take to meet your goals.
This is not just for software development though. Track all of your tasks in here, use the site to track how long it really took to install that Word on a client’s machine, etc, so in 4 months you can set up a project like “Client Fred” and enter the 5 cases Fred needs completed, then let fogbugz give you a schedule spread as to how likely you’re to finish on time.
It’s really need, but you do need to read the documentation so you understand all that the software has to offer, which like Transformers, has more than meets the eye.
Pretty well, I’d say. Honestly, the best thing about running a roomba every T-Th-Sun is that it forces us to keep the floor clean, which not only allows the roomba to run, but makes it easier to vac with the Electrolux.
So, after a week of cleaning, the roomba was picking up very little top level stuff like hair, but the filter (which is small of course) was still getting clogged with dirt.
So, break out the Electrolux (which I love). Results from a quick pass over the open areas of the living room:
So, now we’ll see how the roomba does this next week. The two in tandem will work very well I think.
Here is a reply I got from WD about my Open Letter.
The formatting is correct (blue and black text) as it came via HTML email, so I guess that means this was some sort of form reply and they are getting a lot of email about this topic.
Update: Yes, my brother received the exact same email from Ms. Scott, formatted exactly the same. heh.
Now clearly Ms. Scott didn’t get my point. I fully understand that the drive itself does not restrict file access. However, for Western Digital to support this kind of “copyright protection” by including the software with its drives is offensive enough. Precedence is precedence. I don’t think the Western Digitals of the world should become police.
My stance remains the same, while this “MioNet” software is included with Western Digital drives, I won’t buy Western Digital drives.
Dear Steven:
Thank you for contacting WD and sharing your concerns. We understand your position, and customer feedback like yours is very valuable to WD.
We think it is important to make clear that:
WD hard drives and WD external drives store user content with no restriction on file types, as they always have.
Two of our external hard drives, My Book World Edition and My Book Office Edition, offer MioNet software as an added value to customers.
The MioNet software offers users remote access to all of their data and content from anywhere with Internet access.
Based on WD’s respect for copyright owners, the MioNet software sold separately and bundled with WD’s My Book World Edition and My Book Office Edition storage appliances currently does not support sharing over the Internet of digital file types normally associated with copyright-protected music and video content.
We want to reiterate our appreciation of your feedback; it will be seriously considered for future product development. We’re studying how legitimate rights of copyright owners may be protected while still allowing our MioNet customers to share their own video and audio files.
I saw a note at MacWorld about the Anywhere Access software that you supply for Windows, which prevents sharing of some 30 file types, such as video files.
I own every piece of content on my computer. I follow copyright laws. I educate others to not steal content. I don’t support companies like Western Digital treating me like a criminal.
Until you cease shipping software that restricts what I can and cannot do with my files, I will cease to buy WD internal drives and My Books. This is a shame, because I like my two My Book drives, but I cannot sit idly by and allow companies to take my rights away.
Either $5 for 10 sends, or $20 for 111 (18 cents each). Never expires. Can send via email too if you needed to (say from an iPhone, can fax a cover email)
The whole site runs on asp and requires some Windows only plugin. Ok so not only am I shut out as an iPod user, I’m shut out as a Macintosh user. Fine, let’s keep looking.
Unfortunately, those running the Apple operating system on their computers will not be able to play preview clips, stream videos, or download songs and videos at SpiralFrog.
We require you to be running Windows XP or Vista at SpiralFrog for the simple reason that Windows Digital Rights Management is the only standard available for independent music stores like us to protect the songs and videos as required by the record labels’ licenses.
Windows Digital Rights Management is not supported by Apple Macintosh computers. Macintosh supports the AAC Digital Rights Management, but it is closed to Apple’s own use only.
At this time, we’re sorry to say that all you can do is browse our site, but it’s a very good site, and you’ll lots of information about all your favorite artists. So, please… enjoy!
Yeah ok.
Oh look at their FAQ:
How come there’s no cost – what’s the catch?
SpiralFrog is an ad-supported Web site. We sell ads on our pages to advertisers who want to talk to you. And we give the majority of that advertising revenue to the music publishers and labels who own the music you’re downloading.
Bleh!
What happens if I don’t renew my membership?
A couple of things happen if you don’t return to the SpiralFrog Web site and renew your membership every 30 days.
On Day 31, you will no longer be able to download songs or videos from our site, but the music you have already downloaded will continue to play on your computer and portable player for another 30 days.
However, if you choose not to renew your membership after 60 days, on Day 61 all the songs and videos you have downloaded from SpiralFrog will no longer play on your computer or portable player.
Alright, so I have to keep coming to your site and look at ads. That sounds like fun. Not.
You’re not compatible with Apple’s iPod, or the new Microsoft Zune player, right?
We’re not compatible with these devices. However, the songs and videos you download from SpiralFrog will play on any computer platform capable of running Windows XP or Windows Vista, as well as all portable devices or cell phones that play WMA music files and have implemented the Windows DRM support.
Nice! So they use the Windows DRM, and use the Apple-doesn’t-license-fairplay excuse to not play on iPods, but they don’t even work on Zunes! And if Spiral Frog is indeed backed by UMG, UMG is getting a buck from every Zune sold! ROFL.
It appears they only work with Plays For Sure, which as many of you know, is not Zune compatible.
If you’re in for a laugh, check out their board of directors One of them is even in the House of Representatives from Texas. Wow, if any Texans needed a reason not to re-elect this guy. Man he is even involved in voting online. This is starting to get scary.
All I can say is, I’m sticking with my nice, clean, easy to use iTunes Music Store.
“Universal is now offering music through Spiral Frog as free downloads supported by advertising revenue. But according to Daily Tech, the files being offered won’t work on iPods. ‘The move to not allow its content to be played on iPod’s appears to be a clear snub by the Universal Music Group, similar to NBC’s recent move of its television content from iTunes to Amazon.com. Apple has not commented on this development. For many, though, SpiralFrog.com presents an intriguing new business model that may present a legal alternative to file sharing or spending large amounts of money on CDs or paid download services, such as iTunes.’”
So I guess they don’t want to see me DRM free music, they don’t want to sell me Blu Ray movies, they don’t want to sell me NBC content, and now they don’t want to sell me music in general.
I didn’t realize my cash was so unwanted in Universal land. I guess someone else will step up to take it.
I called Verizon to find out why my email system is suspended (I don’t use their email, am just curious why). I am having this discussion with the computer, and it goes like this:
Verizon Computer: “Aside from the email issue, can you browse the web?”
Me: “Yes”
Verizon Computer: “Ok, just so you know, if you decided to talk to a representative, it could take up to 10 minutes on hold, so let’s try and solve your issue first. ok, I have something I would like to try, how about holding for a representative?’
Jott rocks. I left this jott to myself via a bluetooth headset.
I used jott to say this from my jabra headset. Amazing how well it translates.
Jott To Self
Hey man, I am now headed to the AppleStore in Washington Square. I am driving in my car along Baseline highway and I am going to use this as a comparison to see how the job one[1] sound compared to the job row(?)[2] later today after the job owner starts[3].
Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com
I bought this awesome Simple Human trash can last year that uses grocery bags. It is an all in one unit meant to be screwed to the back of a cupboard door, but the cupboards below the sink are too narrow and the bag holder would hit.
So the unit has been sitting next to the refrigerator but loosely, which meant it would fall over when you used it, etc.
So I ordered 4 12lb rare earth bar magnets from these guys and they work perfectly. $10 and I put two on the top frame, two on the bottom frame and the trash unit is firmly attached to the refrigerator.
Awhile ago the key to decode HD-DVD and Blu-Ray content was cracked and passed around. Recently it was blogged, there was a take-down notice (which also contained the key hehe) and then more sites started pointing to the original story.
People were then digging these blog entries with the key code in them. Digg started removing these dugg stories citing DMCA laws and better yet, their own Terms of Service that said they will check out and pull stories containing intellectual property rights violations.
Well the kids of Digg.com got upset and started spamming the site with stories containing the key code, claiming “free speech is dead,” and essentially using a script kiddie technique of denial of service to piss digg off.
Well in this blog post Kevin Rose, accused of selling out to the HD-DVD consortium, sold out to the digg users and posted the key and said:
But now, after seeing hundreds of stories and reading thousands of comments, you’ve made it clear. You’d rather see Digg go down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and effective immediately we won’t delete stories or comments containing the code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be.
If we lose, then what the hell, at least we died trying.
Yeah whatever, Kevin. I respected you more when you supported IP. This society we live in feels entitled to content just because it exists and to crack/copy it all we want because its easy to do and really doesn’t cost the IP owner anything.
Actually this is about respect. Respecting IP and content and the owners of the content. OK so HD-DVD and Blu-Ray is encrypted. So what? Oh noes, I can’t see the latest Will Ferrel movie unless I pay for it? What will I do with my life?
It is time for us all to grow up. If you don’t like the terms the IP holder puts forth, don’t buy their content. Communicate with them about why you are displeased, but certainly don’t copy it just because you can. Show a little more self control and self respect.
In the process, show the original owners of the content some respect for them to do whatever the hell they want with their content.
