August '16
Opinions, suggestions, recommendations or ideas found on our site are applied at your own risk. More.
You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether
what you're doing is work or play.
Warren Beatty
PLEASE - Do not give control of your computer to ANYONE unless you are absolutely certain who they are! For more information see our Self Help > Scams!
In this newsletter
- Windstream vs. Midco
- Windows 7 End of Life
- Windows 10 later
- Webroot
- Quickies (but lots of them)
- Other opinions
Windstream vs. Midco
Midco is requiring a contract if we decide to jump over from Windstream. We understand Midco's desire for a contract, but it makes no sense for a small business like we have to lock in long term.
Granted, Midco is offering a much higher Internet speed, but we really don't need that kind of speed. Long distance calls are a flat 0.05 per minute vs. our current free long distance plan which we never exceed. So decisions, decisions...
| Windstream | Midco (1 year) | Midco (2 year) | Midco (5 year) | |
| $ 105.00 | $ 173.00 | $ 148.00 | $ 115.00 | |
| Taxes/Fees | $ 56.00 | not quoted but assumedly the same | ||
| $ 161.00 | $ 229.00 | $ 204.00 | $ 171.00 | |
| Long Distant Est. | $0.00 _ | $12.00_ | ||
Aside: Recently Midco did a mailing offering residential a bundle to include TV (above does not) for $109...
And an interesting development with Midco's VOIP system, as experienced by a customer that converted. Their dial type credit card terminal did not work as the connection was made but then dropped before the transaction was complete. So it will be interesting to see if (a much longer connection needed) for sending/receiving a fax will work...
Windows 7 End of Life
July 29th is when the Windows 10 free upgrade offer ends. If (like us) you will stick with Windows 7, there are some indications that on January 1st 2020, Windows 7 may suffer the same fate as Windows XP, but that is a long way out. We have always replaced our main computer about every four to five years, but Windows 10 is just too intrusive with all it's social and Internet connected features. So for now, we'll just wait until the electronics die.
Another aspect of 10 that drives us crazy is the automatic updates and reboots that cannot be shut off. We have some older cameras running through a secondary computer on which we have installed 10. A couple days in a row (mid-June), automatic updates occurred and the computer rebooted, consequently no recordings occurred for those periods.
Windows 10 later
If you may want Windows 10 but do not want to install the free version before July 29, you can download and ready the installation using the tool found on this Microsoft page. Agree to the EULA then create the installation media.
Webroot
If you have uninstalled Webroot, you may find after a reboot that it's still running - even though it no longer appears in Programs and Features. During the uninstall it seems to have placed a reinstaller in Startup. Use MSCONFIG to turn off all the Webroot references. Also look in the Task Scheduler, you may find a reinstallation task.
Quickies
Playing Pokemon Go? You may want to read this article.
Microsoft (finally) sued over the Windows 10 push. A lot more to follow? The article.
And speaking of 10 (again), there just may be a "subscription" for your computer's operating system in the future. A major upgrade (for free) from Microsoft never did smell quite right to us.
While this article indicates Microsoft had nothing up their sleeve, it was Microsoft that firmly stated according to many sources, that the forced Windows 10 Upgrade was because a customer, at sometime, agreed to do the upgrade. That however is an out right lie! We have brought many Windows 7 machines back to factory condition and during the updates process, we eventually got the Install now or Schedule for later prompt for Windows 10!
Use your cell phone in bed? First question is why? But beyond that, if you do, look at it with both eyes or risk temporary blindness according to this article.
Have an Android phone? It could (already) be infected. See this article.
Facebook user? You may want to read
this article about Facebook tracking.
And:
Even Mark Zuckerberg covers his laptop's camera
A dirty little application has been found on a few computers we have looked at lately called DNS Unlocker. DNS Unlocker redirects all of your Internet requests through their servers resulting in uncontrollable popups and perhaps monitoring/recording of everything you do. Look in Programs and Features, if there, uninstall it AND run Symantec's Power Eraser AND other cleanup apps found on that page. But even after doing that, this terrible little hijacker may still exist requiring a disk format and factory restore.
* You need to change the email password with the provider first.
Don't be suckered in to a scam - But just how skilled and clever are the phone scam callers? Very! See this article.
Looking for Microsoft support? Be careful! If it's not Microsoft.com, it's not Microsoft! Even though Norton has found nothing wrong with some of these webpages, it knows nothing of their business practice!
Other opinions
Let me see your papers...
We were just made aware of this...
You an employer looking to hire? Does the potential employee have a passport? That's basically what you will need from future employees for the required I-9 Homeland Security form. The form ID number 9 is meaningful too. That's how many pages this thing is! It's so bad they even have an online "handbook" on how to fill in this stupid form.
Very reminiscent of Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany...
Revisionist History: D.O.J. to scrub Islam references from transcripts of Orlando terrorist's calls to police. The article and clip. They did end up releasing everything, but the thought they considered rewriting history is yet another reason we really feel sorry for future generations.
Referring to the Orlando and France
incidents - our
President once again made up his own rule.
Technically, etiquette does not allow flying the flag half staff for
the recent events. From
Usflag.org:
FLYING THE FLAG AT HALF-STAFF: The pertinent section of the Flag Code says, "by order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law.
Other's recognized the same thing - good for Alabama!
Why is it, those on the far left refuse to recognize it is a free/capitalistic society that drives R&D, innovation and true progress? Not sure what we're driving at? Try this: Name all the great innovations of socialist countries...Headline: Climate Change: Antarctica Carbon Dioxide Levels Cross
400 Parts Per Million For First Time In 4 Million Years -
so 4 Million years ago we entered a
"global warming" period? Damn Hominini!
And:
It has happened before, it will happen again!
Interesting articles on:
Leaving you with
"Columbus went around the world in 1492. That isn't a lot of strokes when you consider the course." Lee Trevino
Remember...
Thanks for all the help over these years, Jeff...