Every few months or so, I receive a similar letter from a different sender regarding copyrighting/trademarking my domain name in Asia. The letter claims to be from someone working at the "Asian Domain Registration Service." It claims a company in China wants to register my company's name as its "Brand Name" along with "some domain names through our firm." It then requests some information from me to stop this from happening; it claims it will continue processing this unnamed firm's request if they do not hear from me within like 7-10 days (it varies).
Again, I have received these e-mails off and on for years now but, just recently, I've received several of them. In doing some very minor research, I found that others have been receiving them lately, meaning this scam is on the rise. This scam appears to have originated in or around 2007 and its purpose is to scare the domain registrar into purchasing additional, unneeded and unnecessary, domains. Even the BBB is aware of it and warned webmasters about it in 2009.
If you should receive this e-mail, or one similar to it (as the content is frequently changed to avoid spam filters and sound more professional), please post a comment here to let us know. Do not reply to it, just flag it as spam then delete or archive it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
World of Warcraft Patch 5.3 Now Online
It had been rumored that 5.3 was set to debut today but due to the months of rumors related to 5.2, no one knew whether or not it was true. However, I logged in today to find it updating and the notes for patch 5.3 in the window.
There are four new scenarios and two of the old scenarios have been somehow "upgraded." There is also an option for Heroic Scenarios which grant Valor (VP). You can do one regular or one Heroic per day for bonus VP but not both. There is also a new questline. Magical minions have been upgraded somewhat but apparently, Warlock pets had already been upgraded so players won't notice a difference on their toons. I haven't noticed a difference at all but the notes say this has been active for 'lock pets since 5.0.
It appears that all of the classes have new Talents and Glyphs and several abilities' nature have changed. I just cheered when I read that Hunters' stables now have 50 slots instead of 20!
The Battle Pets system app[ears to have gone through many changes. There are also new pets to be found and PVP Pet Battles are now available in dungeons and raids. Burning Crusades raid bosses now drop pets and there is an achievement for getting them all.
There is also something called Loot Specialization. There are more changes but I am about to play. I may let you know what I think of it in a week or so.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
There are four new scenarios and two of the old scenarios have been somehow "upgraded." There is also an option for Heroic Scenarios which grant Valor (VP). You can do one regular or one Heroic per day for bonus VP but not both. There is also a new questline. Magical minions have been upgraded somewhat but apparently, Warlock pets had already been upgraded so players won't notice a difference on their toons. I haven't noticed a difference at all but the notes say this has been active for 'lock pets since 5.0.
It appears that all of the classes have new Talents and Glyphs and several abilities' nature have changed. I just cheered when I read that Hunters' stables now have 50 slots instead of 20!
The Battle Pets system app[ears to have gone through many changes. There are also new pets to be found and PVP Pet Battles are now available in dungeons and raids. Burning Crusades raid bosses now drop pets and there is an achievement for getting them all.
There is also something called Loot Specialization. There are more changes but I am about to play. I may let you know what I think of it in a week or so.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
EMG Pickups
There is far more to an electric guitar than just the instrument itself. I am not going to pretend to know much about guitars and guitarists. I know that you can get great emg pickups from musicians friend everyday at great prices. You can also get pedals, speakers, amplifiers, cords, and everything else you need for your job. Luckily, drums require basically nothing more than the trapkit and a set of sticks.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
iTunes Podcasts on Roku
Years ago, when iTunes first premiered, I opted out; I decided not to download it because I use PCs and already have about a half-dozen media players, most of which I do not use. Once iTunes became the standard and many podcasts dropped LibSyn and became exclusive to the iTunes network, I decided I would give it a shot. It was a fair-sized download that took a few minutes and it took a bit of room on the old hard drive, but this wasn't what turned me off.
What got me is that, once I had it installed, it wanted my credit card information. Now, I purchase music from time to time - made three purchases just last month, in fact - but I prefer Amazon, namely because I'm an affiliate, so even my own purchases generate some revenue. Furthermore, I understand that iTunes basically rips off the artists. All that aside, I decided to enter my credit card information only to learn that it wasn't good enough; iTunes wants TWO credit cards and doesn't accept PayPal (or didn't then, anyway)!
Yeah, no thanks.
Not only would I rather use PayPal and do not care to have my credit cards on-file with 234,234,535 different websites, I have absolutely no plans to purchase, or subscribe to, anything - I was only downloading iTunes to have access to free podcasts that weren't available through RSS/Libsyn. And, again, I already have too many media players; I do not need another one!
This kind of sucked because a lot of podcasters prefer iTunes for the ratings. You need to subscribe or listen to their shows through iTunes for it to "count" in the ratings. Not to mention that LibSyn costs around $130.00 per year for the broadcaster. Two podcasts I have not listened to in a long time because they dropped LibSyn and went iTunes only are Jay Mohr's and Greg Fitzsimmons' and I missed them both. But, again, I wasn't about to DL yet another media player I already knew I would only be using for podcasts, especially when it requires not one but two credit cards to use.
So I was elated to discover the iTunes Podcasts channel on Roku. You do not need a credit card, nor do you have to create an iTunes account; you simply add the channel and start listening and/or subscribing to podcasts! You can search by provider, genre, or browse the top podcasts; you can also use the search function to find titles and artists. Once you find what you are looking for, click on any episode for the option to "Add to Favorites." It also has an autoplay feature that allows you to start playing from that episode to the last one.
I hate that iTunes only counts listeners who use the iTunes service because that's proprietary turf war shit; podcasters should realize and appreciate the listeners that use the embedded players on their websites, subscribe through RSS/LibSyn, watch their videos on YouTube, Unation, uStream, Yowie, et. al. - but none of these count toward Apple iTunes' ratings and those determine which podcasts are the "top." Obviously, podcasters want their shows to get the best ratings for numerous reasons (not all selfish), most importantly because it helps get them noticed and that helps them attract more listeners which means they can charge higher advertising rates from more advertisers, which means more ROI (return on investment) - and I honestly have zero problem with that! I'd much rather they got paid by advertisers so I can continue listening for free, I just don't want to jump through Apple's hoops to help make that happen.
All that said, I am definitely switching from WinAmp and RSS/LibSyn to iTune Podcasts on my Roku.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
What got me is that, once I had it installed, it wanted my credit card information. Now, I purchase music from time to time - made three purchases just last month, in fact - but I prefer Amazon, namely because I'm an affiliate, so even my own purchases generate some revenue. Furthermore, I understand that iTunes basically rips off the artists. All that aside, I decided to enter my credit card information only to learn that it wasn't good enough; iTunes wants TWO credit cards and doesn't accept PayPal (or didn't then, anyway)!
Yeah, no thanks.
Not only would I rather use PayPal and do not care to have my credit cards on-file with 234,234,535 different websites, I have absolutely no plans to purchase, or subscribe to, anything - I was only downloading iTunes to have access to free podcasts that weren't available through RSS/Libsyn. And, again, I already have too many media players; I do not need another one!
This kind of sucked because a lot of podcasters prefer iTunes for the ratings. You need to subscribe or listen to their shows through iTunes for it to "count" in the ratings. Not to mention that LibSyn costs around $130.00 per year for the broadcaster. Two podcasts I have not listened to in a long time because they dropped LibSyn and went iTunes only are Jay Mohr's and Greg Fitzsimmons' and I missed them both. But, again, I wasn't about to DL yet another media player I already knew I would only be using for podcasts, especially when it requires not one but two credit cards to use.
So I was elated to discover the iTunes Podcasts channel on Roku. You do not need a credit card, nor do you have to create an iTunes account; you simply add the channel and start listening and/or subscribing to podcasts! You can search by provider, genre, or browse the top podcasts; you can also use the search function to find titles and artists. Once you find what you are looking for, click on any episode for the option to "Add to Favorites." It also has an autoplay feature that allows you to start playing from that episode to the last one.
I hate that iTunes only counts listeners who use the iTunes service because that's proprietary turf war shit; podcasters should realize and appreciate the listeners that use the embedded players on their websites, subscribe through RSS/LibSyn, watch their videos on YouTube, Unation, uStream, Yowie, et. al. - but none of these count toward Apple iTunes' ratings and those determine which podcasts are the "top." Obviously, podcasters want their shows to get the best ratings for numerous reasons (not all selfish), most importantly because it helps get them noticed and that helps them attract more listeners which means they can charge higher advertising rates from more advertisers, which means more ROI (return on investment) - and I honestly have zero problem with that! I'd much rather they got paid by advertisers so I can continue listening for free, I just don't want to jump through Apple's hoops to help make that happen.
All that said, I am definitely switching from WinAmp and RSS/LibSyn to iTune Podcasts on my Roku.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Public Internet 20-Years-Old Today
Twenty years ago today, the Internet as we know it debuted. To commemorate the event, CERN restored the first URL. That URL being http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html. CERN blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) by releasing the project into the public domain.
For better and worse, the World Wide Web has dramatically changed the world and affected everyone's life. Even if one is not online, they have been affected by the collapse of the print industry, the slow death of the rigid music industry, and now the implosion of the TV industry. You do not even need to be on a computer to access the Internet anymore; most cellphones allow you to browse the net in the palm of your hand.
Happy 20th, WWW!
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
For better and worse, the World Wide Web has dramatically changed the world and affected everyone's life. Even if one is not online, they have been affected by the collapse of the print industry, the slow death of the rigid music industry, and now the implosion of the TV industry. You do not even need to be on a computer to access the Internet anymore; most cellphones allow you to browse the net in the palm of your hand.
Happy 20th, WWW!
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
Streaming Wars: AOL CFO Joins Time-Warner Cable
After announcing the layoff of some 500 workers, former deputy chief financial officer and AOL CFO, Arthur Minson, is returning to the cable giant. According to reports, Time-Warner is ending the push for landline services as part of its bundle package. Time-Warner has an estimated 12 million subscribers.
You may have noticed several cable stations holding their content more tightly recently. Happily Divorced is now available only on the TVLand website but at the time of this writing, offers no method for removing it from your queue in Hulu+. SyFy has likewise made all of its Hulu programming Web-Only and is offering far fewer episodes of those shows. SyFy has a Roku channel but it offers nothing of any value; only clips and "web exclusive" (crap) content which serve as nothing more than ads to promote the network. These are feeble attempts at forcing fans to subscribe to cable/satellite plans in order to see their favorite shows.
It appears the cable giants are starting to realize what a tenuous grasp they have on the emerging streaming market and are gearing up for a big push against it. It is certainly premature to call this its "last gasp" but its moves are starting to look ever more heavy-handed and desperate. A spokesperson for HBO even admitted publicly that the network is considering opening up HBO Go to the streaming pay market (only existing cable customers with an HBO subscription can view it currently).
The whole thing is silly since the cable and satellite companies are also the ISPs in many cases and have been pressed by customers to develop plans which allow subscribers to pay only for the channels they wish to subscribe to - which they have steadfastly refused to do so far (although one cable giant recently hinted that such a package may be offered in the future). It's the classic tale of greed run amok and several predict massive hikes in broadband access in the near future - the cable/satellite companies' way to recoup lost profits from faltering subscriptions.
While most streaming channels use either a straight pay or advertising model, Hulu+ forces you to watch commercials despite the fact that you pay for it. Many channels present a third approach: Offering a rental option that eliminates ads. The Powers That Be seem intent on forcing the traditional ratings and advertising game on streaming media - the very model which pushed so many away from traditional TV in the first place! In fact, Nielsen announced plans to include online viewing in its ratings reports starting as soon as this fall.
Amazon recently announced its own set top device, certain to highlight and promote its own pay services above the rest, and Netflix now has more US subscribers than HBO (though HBO still has more subscribers worldwide by an incredible margin). Netflix capitalized on this by releasing original programming in the form of Lilyhammer and House of Cards. Following Netflix' lead, Amazon released 14 pilot episodes for free, inviting viewers to vote for those they believe should be given full season runs. Next month, cult favorite Arrested Development returns with an all new season on Netflix.
Lastly, a startup company that offers rebroadcasts of network TV to a very limited area (New York City only until May 30th, when it branches out into Boston), Aereo, came under legal fire from the industry and won two small victories. Aereo allows subscribers to watch live TV online as well as DVR it for later viewing. What this means for streaming delivery is anyone's guess at this point but it does appear as though cutting the cord is finding some traction - and that makes traditionalists very nervous.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
You may have noticed several cable stations holding their content more tightly recently. Happily Divorced is now available only on the TVLand website but at the time of this writing, offers no method for removing it from your queue in Hulu+. SyFy has likewise made all of its Hulu programming Web-Only and is offering far fewer episodes of those shows. SyFy has a Roku channel but it offers nothing of any value; only clips and "web exclusive" (crap) content which serve as nothing more than ads to promote the network. These are feeble attempts at forcing fans to subscribe to cable/satellite plans in order to see their favorite shows.
It appears the cable giants are starting to realize what a tenuous grasp they have on the emerging streaming market and are gearing up for a big push against it. It is certainly premature to call this its "last gasp" but its moves are starting to look ever more heavy-handed and desperate. A spokesperson for HBO even admitted publicly that the network is considering opening up HBO Go to the streaming pay market (only existing cable customers with an HBO subscription can view it currently).
The whole thing is silly since the cable and satellite companies are also the ISPs in many cases and have been pressed by customers to develop plans which allow subscribers to pay only for the channels they wish to subscribe to - which they have steadfastly refused to do so far (although one cable giant recently hinted that such a package may be offered in the future). It's the classic tale of greed run amok and several predict massive hikes in broadband access in the near future - the cable/satellite companies' way to recoup lost profits from faltering subscriptions.
While most streaming channels use either a straight pay or advertising model, Hulu+ forces you to watch commercials despite the fact that you pay for it. Many channels present a third approach: Offering a rental option that eliminates ads. The Powers That Be seem intent on forcing the traditional ratings and advertising game on streaming media - the very model which pushed so many away from traditional TV in the first place! In fact, Nielsen announced plans to include online viewing in its ratings reports starting as soon as this fall.
Amazon recently announced its own set top device, certain to highlight and promote its own pay services above the rest, and Netflix now has more US subscribers than HBO (though HBO still has more subscribers worldwide by an incredible margin). Netflix capitalized on this by releasing original programming in the form of Lilyhammer and House of Cards. Following Netflix' lead, Amazon released 14 pilot episodes for free, inviting viewers to vote for those they believe should be given full season runs. Next month, cult favorite Arrested Development returns with an all new season on Netflix.
Lastly, a startup company that offers rebroadcasts of network TV to a very limited area (New York City only until May 30th, when it branches out into Boston), Aereo, came under legal fire from the industry and won two small victories. Aereo allows subscribers to watch live TV online as well as DVR it for later viewing. What this means for streaming delivery is anyone's guess at this point but it does appear as though cutting the cord is finding some traction - and that makes traditionalists very nervous.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Guardian Claims Syrian Group Hacked Twitter Account
Following the hacking of several of the Guardian UK's Twitter accounts, the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility and spokespersons for the tabloid now say the offending IP address was traced back to Syria. The Syrian Electronic Army supports the Syrian President's regime which is currently fighting an uprising of the populace. Recently, news reports suggest that the regime has used chemical weapons against its own people.
The Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked last week. A tweet claiming that the White House had been bombed and the President harmed in the attack was issued, sending the stock market into a brief freefall. The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for this as well but no one has confirmed it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
The Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked last week. A tweet claiming that the White House had been bombed and the President harmed in the attack was issued, sending the stock market into a brief freefall. The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for this as well but no one has confirmed it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2013
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