MaxRedline

Google Maps

YOU can search for a house in Argleton, find out what the local weather is like, and even plan your route to it on the internet.

Amusingly, what you can't do is actually visit the place, because it doesn't exist.  Go figure.

Don't "Upgrade' Just Yet

Windoze 7 "upgrades" have been trashing a lot of systems.  You may want to wait a bit.

So You Think You Can Herd?

Now for something entirely different: extreme shepherding:

How Dare You Receive This Message?

An employee at Rocky Mountain Bank accidentally e-mailed the personal data of 1,325 customers to a random, unknown Gmail user, and then filed suit to force Google to disclose the account holder's identity.  The judge agreed with the bank, and Google disabled account access for the user and will be providing the court with identity data.

All in all, it seems as though the user is being punished for the bank's mistake - without all the muss and fuss of demonstrating that the user somehow precipitated damage to the bank or to the customers that the bank so cavalierly treated.

Best Buy Seems Poorly-Named

I've never liked Best Buy.  First, I don't like the name of the place, and second, I don't like the whole "geek Squad" thing.  It's all just too creepy.  I build my own systems and networking, and I'm not inclined to go to Best Buy for anything.  The format may work for them; it doesn't work for me.  Anyplace that sells refrigerators and stoves along with computer gear is automatically suspect, in my view.

If I have an issue, like wanting to pick up more chips, I go to a local "mom and pop" shop that does nothing but computers.

This horror tale simply confirms my long-held view when it comes to places like Best Buy: run away!

2 Free Months Of Stamps.com

Just a public service announcement that fell into the inbox this morning:

Coburn v. Stamps.com
Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC353721
A settlement (the "Settlement") has been reached in the class action lawsuit entitled Coburn v. Stamps.com, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC353721.
According to Stamps.com's records, you are a member of the class. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO ANYTHING. However if you wish to take advantage of the Settlement, Stamps.com will provide you two free months of standard Stamps.com service, with no obligation after the two-month period.
TO CLAIM THE BENEFITS OF THE SETTLEMENT:
You will have one year from July 29, to take advantage of the two month free service benefit. Once you respond to settlementaccept@stamps.com, you will be provided instructions to open your account and to start your 2 months of free service. Please note that, other than the free service, you remain responsible for all actual U.S. Postage costs and other charges incurred by you through your account. Therefore, a valid credit card will be required at sign-up to use the Stamps.com service. Also, this settlement benefit is only available to the actual individual that is part of the settlement class and is not transferable.
At the completion of the two month free period, your account will be automatically closed and all unused postage purchased by you will be returned to you pursuant to United States Postal Service regulations. You will not be charged anything more. If you wish to continue with a Stamps.com account, at the conclusion of the two month free period you will be provided an opportunity to continue your account with Stamps.com, although you will be under no obligation to do so.

Old And Busted: Internet Virii

New Hotness: iPhone virii, spread using SMS signals.  Every iPhone in the world can be hijacked.

Safari 4: Interesting

I just pushed it out of the sandbox and into my system's main environment.  It's ready for prime-time.  The marquee-style of preview panes is almost like surround-vision.  Click on a pane, and it's right there, front and center.  It's got integrated Google search (hmm...wonder if their next iteration will include Bing?).

Easy access to settings and a really non-intrusive interface make an excellent combination, and popup blocking is enabled by default. Settings can be quickly altered, so if you like a cluttered interface, you can generate one pretty easily.

This browser performed well in a virtual computer, and continues to do well in a standard Windows XP environment.  I do suggest a minimum of 2 Gb RAM, though it can do a great job with less.

Transformers: Megan Fox Is All CGI

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen opens in a couple of weeks, and the production team has "revealed" that the gorgeous love-interest costar is actually a CGI-enhanced version.  Amusing!

Downtime

No posts, I'm tuning the server.  You really need to keep things clean, and I do that on an asymmetrical basis.  Apologies; it's taking a bit longer than expected.  I didn't anticipate that the new SATA would cause a problem.  There seems to be a digestive issue.  Things should be fine in the morning.