FORTHECLUELESS

Ping Servers - If Your Streamyx Connection Is Out

2010-10-31T10:22:00.002+08:00

I learnt a new thing today all because the Streamyx Servers were causing problems again. I realised since the past two days that I could not connect. This has been a recurrent problem which I made several reports earlier on. Each time, I was told that there was a problem with my modem - and duly, I changed every time.

Finally, I ran out of modems to change and I decided to press on for a solution via the 100 number called to Streamyx Tech Assistance. Then only did I find out that the cause was not in the modem but a hang session at Streamyx. You won't want to know how much I have wasted money on modems - at times, I thought "What the heck, just snip off Streamyx Broadband and move on to another service provider instead."

In the recent case, there was yet another hang session, and the Tech girl at Streamyx helped me through and taught me a bit which I will also teach you if you are in Malaysia and using Streamyx.

Do a Command Prompt (Run: cmd)
Then ping anyserver you know, ie. type in ping http://www.streamyx.com and see what the return results are.

According to the girl, you chould receive no more than 85ms return rate for local site and not more than 500ms for a foreign site.

If you see your ping return rates over the figures I just mentioned, called 100 and see what help they can give you. Do not change anything - not your modem or computer - it could be the fault is not even yours but Streamyx.

Streamyx Lines Out Till After Oct 19, 2010

2010-10-15T22:21:00.001+08:00

IF you are reading this and your Streamyx line is going slower than a tortoise, do a ping test.
Go to Run and Type in cmd. Then type in ping(space)www.streamyx.com and see if the return rate is more than 1000ms. If it is, then you are not alone.
I just checked with the TM Helpdesk and was told that there is a problem with all outgoing traffic to the US. Either the return rate is taking too long or there is packet loss.
This situation will be back to normal, he said. And told me that if I don't believe him, I can call 100 and ask another HelpDesk person.
Asked what is wrong, the Tech chaps says "Tak Tau". What do you mean 'Tak Tau?' Where is Customer Service?
In times like these when you need to get a connection fast, maybe you should rethink other alternatives. Like WiMax, for instance? Or Celcom Broadband? Maxis? What do you say?

Now Facebook wants your browser space!

2010-05-05T14:46:00.000+08:00

Everone wants your browser real estate. See what Facebook did today? Yep, a button to make it your homepage. Smart, dont you think?

Tough Not To Like Google

2010-02-14T09:36:00.001+08:00

IT's not difficult to see why people like Google. It's simple, thoughtful things like this Year of the Tiger logo that endears many to the grestest search engine in the world.

In Malay, Adsense May Not Make Any Sense

2010-02-04T08:04:00.005+08:00

Pictures are worth thousands words. Here's one screenshot that will tell you even more.

In plain English, the headline above says if you want to be a Malay, use Adsense. But I am sure the meaning is not that, of course. Some AI is at work here, no doubt. And this is what I am afraid of when my fellow countrymen do not know how to use the English Language properly in many years to come - just like Google's Ad makers' use of Bahasa Malaysia in this case.

I wonder where the NGOs that were rallying against the use of English in the teaching of Maths and Science in Malaysia months ago are now. Are they not concerned that the world is not using Bahasa Malaysia properly?

Free Calls - An Ad Model Here?

2010-02-03T13:33:00.005+08:00

I was not the least surprised to see this story from NYT. I knew it would happen sooner or later - that phone calls can be made free in return for ads, depending on whether the industry is daring enough to venture into it.

The NYT story is different, of course. It's about an iPhone app that gives you free calls if you are willing to listen to ads in exchange. If you want free calls, minus the ad, according to the story, you pay US$10 a month. You can read more here: Free Calls, if You Don’t Mind Ads.

I am wondering free call model of a different kind. The phone user subscribes to the phone service who engages advertisers for mobile ads. For each add displayed (giving the advertisers the eye-balls in terms of return-of-investment (ROI) ), the subscriber gets air time in exchange.

The benefit for the advertiser would be monumental since mobile phone companies have the statistics of all subscribers and can zoom in by any category they have identified in their existing registration system, such as income-level, race, age groups, or even locality. Imagine the reach it would give the advertiser using this mode to target its users. Users may argue that they would not like adverts but if they finance their phone bills, what is there to complaint?

How it will work can be similar to that story in NYT. Well targetted ads wait in queue at the network base. Once the subscriber dials a number, and gets connected, he listens to the ad for say, 20 seconds, before being allowed through. As this was going on, the recipient of the call is also notified by the computer about the caller details and his call so that the recipient does not hang up in frustration.

Karmic Cycle of Information?

2010-01-11T06:18:00.001+08:00

Been tracking the death of some newspaper websites and came upon this - an interview conducted by the Sustainable Journalism Org with Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens. Could it be the future-form newspapers should and will be reborn in?

Stepehn says anyone contemplating a journalism start-up should think of getting a mobile presence first and then think of a computer application that plays off the app, not the other way around. Indeed, if he were starting the Geek Squad today, it would not be providing support for computers, it would be all about tablets and mobile devices.

See the full Leonard Witt interview transcript here and the YouTube hosted video interview here

Mainstream media houses under threat of diminishing returns should pay attention to the Four Screens Stephens is talking about.

IE8 Slow To Load Fix

2009-12-23T09:54:00.003+08:00

Do you run IE8 on XP? Chances are that you might come to a point that it takes over 15s to load the application. I found a tech sheet that says you can overcome the problem by going to Command Prompt and insert regsvr32 actxprxy.dll command.

To do this, go to START and click RUN and type in cmd.

After the DOS black dialogue box jumps up, type in this: regsvr32 actxprxy.dll and hit enter. A dialogue box will jump up and say that the operation is successful.

Restart and your IE8 should work like a dream.

Good Job Celcom Marketing Comm Dept!

2009-12-13T11:45:00.004+08:00

Once a while, you come across a good marketing communication strategy to get feedback from customers. Last week, I found this:

It is an interactive terminal's screen in English and Malay allowing customers to key in feedback immediately while waiting for their transactions to be carried out by the customer service personnel. It is not a very lengthy process, only six questions I think, asking you to rate the servioe and helpfullness of the counter staff, among others. I think government agencies should have this installed to collect feedback and improve service. KPI alone is usually insufficient.

TIP FOR JOURNALISTS #1 - Use Google Maps To Check Distances

2009-11-16T08:52:00.004+08:00

If you are a subseditor or a copy editor, not knowing certain localities can be a problem For instance, the other day, one of my colleagues asked me how far is Merang from Marang in the state of Terengganu. I said I dont know but roughly we could check it together and establish the validity of some facts in the story he was clearing. I asked him to go to maps.google.com and search for Marang, Terengganu. Then, within that search results, seek the distance from Marang from Merang. And in less than 2 minutes, he had what he wanted. Using tools such as Google Map can make editing jobs easier. Watch this space as I give you more tips.

View Larger Map

Sony Recalls Vaio Adapters in US

2009-10-29T10:58:00.004+08:00

Found this today:

Sony Recalls Computer AC Adapters Due to Shock Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Sony VAIO Computer AC Adapters

Units: About 69,000

Manufacturer: Sony Electronics Inc. of San Diego, Calif.

Hazard: Insulation inside the AC adapter can fail over time, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Sony has received four reports of adapters short circuiting. No incidents occurred in the United States. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled AC adapter model is the Sony VGP-AC19V17, which was supplied for use with the following Sony products:

BRUNEI ONLINE Site Is In Trouble

2009-10-23T08:47:00.005+08:00

Saw this when Googling for an interesting story about a trainee who was denied entry to a teachers' college because she was fat. Among results returned for the search was Brunei Online's (see pix below) - along with the Google Search warning - This Site May Harm Your Computer.

I hope the webmaster is aware of this and make the checks for any malware that is being identified from their servers. Else, they might lose visits without even knowing why. It could be an innocent heuristic script or it could be some hideous software that is prompting the warning grading.

MAYBANK2U SCAM ALERT!

2009-10-20T13:48:00.005+08:00

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this email from Maybank to say that I needed to unblock my Maybank2U account. I did not have such an account and when I decided to receive the email, I decided to do my own sleuthing (very easy actually) and see where the spammer might be hiding. below is the text in the email:

from Alert Maybank2u
dateTue, Oct 20, 2009 at 8:59 AM
subjectMaybank Unblock Account !
mailed-bybounce.secureserver.net
from - alert-online@maybank.com.my

Unblock Account !
We have been unable to access your login identity in m2u database files.
Maybank has encountered a problem and you need to authenticate.
Please login at maybank2u to restore your account access.

We are sorry for the inconvenience !

The mail allegedly came from Maybank2U hyperlinked here: http://111.red-79-148-110.staticip.rima-tde.net/

I decided to trace the IP to reveal the real culprit. See the report below:

The original sender was from Abu Dhabi,

I am alerting you guys to the possible scam to get your passwords if you have Maybank2U. Do not click on any link. I

f you need to change any personal details, go to the bank and do it from there.

If not, then call up the bank's Online Maybank2U section and ask for clarification - if indeed they had sent the email.

If it turns out to be a scam, just tag the email as Spam so that your system takes care of it even before it reaches you.

The email sender, in this case, used the IP address at: 83.111.123.165 from United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Further check revealed that the server was owned by the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, under its Ministry of Labour. Let's hope if there was anyone from that organisation, he/she is alerted to this scam.

Meanwhile, if you have a Maybank2U account, I suggest you be extra careful when using it to transact.

To check IPs or mail trace, go http://www.ip-adress.com

Use This To Track IPs

2009-10-15T05:44:00.001+08:00

Some fellas try to be funny with you, sending spam mails and doing stuff through the Net? You can get back by going to this site: http://www.ip-adress.com/ip_tracer/ to track that person down.

The site has several useful links for checking remote IPs, tracing emails (good to nab spammers) as well as the occasional speedtest. Of course, as you hit the site, your IP is also tracked. Keep the link in your bookmarks - it could prove useful one day.

Oct, The Day The Bar Code Was Invented

2009-10-07T17:39:00.002+08:00

Today Google came up with a creative front for its Google Search page. Marking the invention of the barcode, it uses this:

Creative, isnt it?

Free FLV Converter

2009-09-16T18:03:00.003+08:00

I used to use RIVA's flv converter to convert flv Youtube movies into other formats playable on handphones and laptops until the software started acting up and would not convert Youtube flvs. I had almost given up hope of finding a truly useful one until today when I googled for "flv converters" and came across http://www.flv-converter.org/ . The file to be downloaded is also very small and the interface quite pleasant to look at. I have so far successfully downloaded flvs and converted them into avi and mpeg formats.

Here is a screenshot of the interface:

If you like, you may download from its site here:

STREAMYX WOES

2009-08-23T06:22:00.003+08:00

Looks like we are never going to be on the internet superhighway fast enough. Every alternate week, Streamyx is getting erratic. This time it is the pits - downloading a 5MB file takes me over 7 minutes. Look at the report - what do you think? Streamyx had better buck up if it wants to stay relevant.

Blogger's FTP Image Publishing Returns To Normal

2009-08-18T08:19:00.003+08:00

Barely having posted 24 hours about the complaints I received on Blogger not publishing to FTP servers, I am please to inform readers of this blog that everything has returned to normal, at least where I am from. If you are facing FTP publishing problems, let me know.

Blogger Not Uploading Images To FTP Servers?

2009-08-17T06:24:00.003+08:00

I received two comments this morning of Blogger not being able to upload images to FTP servers. One came from Scott Johnson and the other from Tony Chai. When I faced the problem, I waited a few days before posting any image. I suggest if you are facing any such problem you wait for Blogger to rectify it. Meanwhile, you should also check with your service provider and see if they have acted any firewall that prevented the remote postings.

My suspicion is that because of the spam of DOS that are going around (read: Twitter), chances are that service providers and hosts are more careful of any remote posts. I would think that they have upgraded their security solutions and this couls play a small part in remote FTP posts.

Solution: Get a helpful host like Pair.Com which I have used without fail. Their link is here: Pair Networks.

Yahoo! Geocities To Close

2009-07-11T11:17:00.004+08:00

Haven't you heard? Geocities will be closed. For over a decade, Geocities has kept millions of sites around the world running, mostly free of charge. Today, Yahoo which acquired Geocities some years ago, has decided to close all the sites down.

Read this:
Important notice: GeoCities is closing.
Dear Yahoo! GeoCities customer,

We're writing to let you know that Yahoo! GeoCities, our free web site building service and community, is closing on October 26, 2009.

On October 26, 2009, your GeoCities site will no longer appear on the Web, and you will no longer be able to access your GeoCities account and files.

What You Need to Do
If you'd like to move your web site, or save the images and other files you've posted online, you need to act now by choosing one of the following options:

Move your site to Yahoo! Web Hosting.
We know your files are important to you, and we want to make moving to Web Hosting as easy and affordable as we can. For a limited time, you can move your files automatically, take advantage of terrific features like a personalized domain name and email, even redirect your GeoCities web address to your new site all for only $4.99 a month for a full year.

For more information and complete terms, please see our special offer now.

Download your files to your own computer.
With your pages and images saved offline, you can re-create your site with any hosting provider.

To quickly download your published files, visit your GeoCities web site, right-click on each page, and choose Save Page As... from the menu that appears. Choose a location on your computer to save your files, then click OK or Save. Learn more about downloading your files.

Don't Wait
Please be aware that after October 26, your GeoCities files will be deleted from our servers, and will not be recoverable. If you'd like to save your files, you must download them now or move to Yahoo! Web Hosting. If you need assistance, please visit the help center.

We want to thank you for being a GeoCities customer, and hope you continue to enjoy our other Yahoo! services.

Best regards,

The Yahoo! GeoCities team

If you have a site under Yahoo Geocities, do as they advise or you may not be able to retrieve anything like this writer did many years ago when Geocities was sold to Yahoo.

Microsoft, Mac, here comes trouble

2009-07-08T22:35:00.005+08:00

In 2007, I blogged that Google might be working on some operating system. At the time, speculation had it that Google might be working on something for use in computer operating systems - the domain traditionally held by Microsoft, Mac and to some extent, Linux.

Today, this speculation has materialised. Google was indeed working on an extension of its Chrome and is planning to use it for netbooks. Will it stop there? Who knows...?

Excerpt:

Google's blog announces a natural extension of the Chrome project: an operating system for netbooks. "Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. (...) Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on
top of a Linux kernel."
Read more here:

New Face Of Journalism?

2009-05-11T06:03:00.002+08:00

In the old days, if you can write, have a nose for news, chances are you will land a job at a newspaper office. Later, when the demand exceeded supply, media houses put up the bar - you need to be able to write, have a nose for news, and a degree in journalism or mass media/communication.

With the development in new media over the years, as web now dominate and even killed a few traditional print media for good measure and will continue to do so, a new skill is required from journalists. As can be seen here, journalists who are not computer savvy, are on their way out.

Adsense Going Interest-Based, So Update Your Privacy Policy!

2009-03-23T05:56:00.003+08:00

Adsense is getting more intelligent, and if you have not received your notification from Google, here it is:

We're writing to let you know about the upcoming launch of interest-based advertising, which will require you to review and make any necessary changes to your site's privacy policies. You'll also see some new options on your Account Settings page.

Interest-based advertising will allow advertisers to show ads based on a user's previous interactions with them, such as visits to advertiser website and also to reach users based on their interests (e.g. "sports enthusiast"). To develop interest categories, we will recognize the types of web pages users visit throughout the Google content network. As an example, if they visit a number of sports pages, we will add them to the "sports enthusiast" interest category. To learn more about your associated account settings, please visit the AdSense Help Center at http://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=20310.

As a result of this announcement, your privacy policy will now need to reflect the use of interest-based advertising. Please review the information at https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=100557 to ensure that your site's privacy policies are up-to-date, and make any necessary changes by April 8, 2009. Because publisher sites and laws vary across countries, we're unfortunately unable to suggest specific privacy policy language.

For more information about interest-based advertising, you can also visit the Inside AdSense Blog at http://adsense.blogspot.com/2009/03/driving-monetization-with-ads-that.html.

What do you do if you display Adsense on your site? Easy - just get your Privacy Policy Updated. Don't have one? Well, you can get one here

New Media - Dont Get Carried Away

2009-03-15T08:34:00.004+08:00

Malaysian newspapers are embracing new media like crazy, especially after the dismal performance of traditionally preferred political parties during the March 8, 2008 elections. Many blogs have had a field day, beating traditional online news left and right.

With a revenue model yet to be seen - even Facebook which is into is 6th year is struggling - one wonders how Malaysian papers are making ends meet where Online news is concerned. How much do we invest in preparation of something like new media which has yet to consolidate and show exactly where the dough is coming from? Is it manpower? Facilities? Both? How do we provide the balance sheet to show the investors at the end of the day that we should rightly be in the black than red?

Journalists, too, should pay heed to what they do best - seeking out and writing news. Sure, there are plenty of things to use right now to get your news online. Throw a stone into the internet abyss and you will hit an upcoming, potentially going-to-be-the-hottest social media tool with ease.

Do you start learning every software and using every single bit of stuff out there - perhaps even at the detriment of your own skills as a conveyor or analyst of news? Give me some views.

Google Glitch - THIS SITE MAY HARM YOUR COMPUTER!

2009-01-31T22:58:00.004+08:00

If you have been searching Google, you will notice that the results of ALL sites have been marked as harmful. I am perplexed by the results which led me to think that there might be a glitch somewhere in GOOGLE's Search Engine.

See the attached image below:

Even Google has earmarked Google Search as harmful! How Embarrassing!

Other Search Engines seem to be performing OK.

If you insist on clicking on the site links, Google redirects you to this page:

Conclusion: Even Google Can Make Mistakes!