Pump Up The Volume. But Not On The Adverts.

It is one of those irritating & grump inducing things. Just as you are dozing off in front of the box.  ON COME THE ADVERTS AT ONE HUNDRED & PLENTY DECIBELS.     As it assaults your eardrums you vow never ever to buy the product and remember to switch to a non commercial station for your after dinner snooze tomorrow. I have known that they crank up the volume for the ads for a long time now but,  the t.v. companies have always denied it. Now the watchdog has warned them to stop the practice following complaints from viewers.   I happen to think it is counter productive as most people are just annoyed by it. But there is always the mute button to beat the volume increase.  Consumer revenge at the push of a button...sorted.   

Tiger In More Trouble As The Ladies Line Up To Sell Their Stories.

Jamie Jungres herehas broke cover to sell & tell us all the lurid details of her relationship with Tiger Woods. Now I have no sympathy for Tiger, he more than deserves all he gets and if golf needs some one of this level of moral standing to sustain the cash flow well it is a sad day.  Should we question the motives of people like Jamie?  All of a sudden they want to spill the beans make a few pounds and achieve   what?  As always the only person maintaining any dignity in all of this is his wife Elin but,how long can she bear the embarrassment and shame he has brought to her life.  There will be more revelations in the Tiger saga and already there are rumours of hush money being paid in the U.K. and Europe to silence other young ladies.  All of this tells us one thing for sure, Tiger has a major problem only he can solve.  Elin may yet solve it for him.

Is There Life On Mars. There Used To Be.....Maybe..... Say NASA.

 
Life On Mars?  Sometimes it is a let down when science comes up with answers,soon all the big mysteries will be answered. However, the fact that there may have been life on Mars sometime doesn't do it for me.It seems to have the researchers all exited but I want pictures of this "life",I want to see their discarded sweet wrappers and drink cans.What did they wear,what kind of stuff did they eat and where did they go?   No,  what we have here is a few "magnetic fossils" on a meteorite.   My point is, it seems to me these announcements are always hyped up and made way too early. To release this to the media as powerful new evidence of "life" strikes me as a wee bit irresponsible.  Other scientists seem to be of the opinion that the rock picked up the fossils when it smashed into The Earth.  First rule of science (or at least it should be)The obvious and simple answer is often the correct one.

X Box Ban for Pirates will be Permanent As Microsoft get Tough.

I was in two minds about this at first but the fact is if you go to the trouble of modifying your x box to run pirate software it is your own fault if you find yourself banned by Microsoft. What is grumping me is that already the units are flooding onto E Bay and other sites as people try to offload the modified consoles. So if people chose to ignore the warning that came with the machine they clearly have no argument. Legal users of the X Box Live system see it as a victory for them  "pay your way" seems to be the message for the pirates and Microsoft have made more friends than enemies with the move.  Fair?  I think so.  

Windows 7 Launches but Will It Re-start Microsoft Fortunes.

Here we go again guysWindows 7will save the world. Wasn't Vista supposed to do that job? Anyone who has a computer of any kind has used windows in some form, it is the worlds favourite operating system and generally is reliable,stable and user friendly. Then along came Vista and the rest is history. Microsoft are hoping this is a new dawnand will help them achieve the "Uber Cool" status that Apple enjoy with consumers.  

What annoys me and most other users is the fact that over and over and over again we are all paying for windows. I have just done a quick count and if I were to go for 7 it will be the sixth time I have bought a Microsoft operating system. I think that makes me a loyal and valued customer and I do not take kindly to the £60/$100 price tag for an upgrade version.  You would think if you had put a bad product on sale (which Vista certainly was) and realised you needed to recover the disaster the very least you would do would be to offer a discounted/promotional version to your loyal customer base. No evidence of such fairness from Microsoft.  So far the early reviews are good  and it looks like they are onto a winner with sales so far actually better than Vista take up in its first year for one retailer. So I am not sure how long I can resist I am not convinced I need it. I will probably let more folks try it out and report their findings first.   I also may just check out the oposition.

Forget Big Brother.....Now Anyone Could Be Watching You.

  
     I have always said that CCTV suveilance on the streets and in stores doesn't bother me. In many cases it is a comfort to know that a professional somewhere is watching out for trouble and will take appropriate action should it be required.  Internet Eyes however gives me some concern.  Basically you can win £1000 if you observe and report a crime such as shoplifting or violence and all from the comfort of your own home via your PC. A "snoopers paradise" say some an incentive to report crime  say others. I'm undecided,it always worries me when amatuers get involved in this type of thing.  A recent experience with Aldi and The Parking Eye may have coloured my opinion but I think this is a bit too far and although it is a private company who are launching the scheme it seems to me that it is so open to abuse and set ups it is almost a non-starter. With £1000 a time up for grabs who knows what people may get up to spying on each other.  Starting in November it is just in good time for the SEASON OF GOOD WILL.

Broadband Tax . It was only a matter of time.

Okay they are only talking £6 a year but you know how it is with any tax...they never come down do they. I feel I am being conned again here.As I already pay for my broadband service it sounds like my £6 a year will go to subsidise some one else's broadband. As ever they are telling us it will fund the next generation of super fast internet. What about the thousands of people who cannot get broadband at all,will they be expected to pay the phone line levy too. We will keep our eye on this one.Why don't they take 50p from the TV License(tax) to fund the plan?  Too simple ?   

PASSWORDS, PIN NUMBERS AND SECRET QUESTIONS: WHAT PRICE SECURITY?

We were just talking the other day as yet another item came in the mail demanding  we create a password. It has got to the stage where just to get  through an average day you  need about three different passwords and a similar amount of pin numbers. Is it any wonder people revert to using the same password for multiple accounts? Pin numbers are just as bad, I had a card retained after inputting the pin for another card three times convinced the machine was wrong and my pin was correct: which it was, but for a different card. This report suggests that  almost half of us use the same password/pin for on line shopping banking and credit cards etc.  The other thing we all do is use familiar and easy to remember or obvious passwords. The expert advice is a nightmare: change your pin number regularly, use a different password every time you shop on line or bank on line.   All very good advice, but me?  I am off to the local store with good old fashioned cash.   But to get the cash I need a pin number. To get the pin number I need a password, to create a password ...I give up.  

Lightbulb Ban Will Save The Earth And Cost You More. Its for Your Own Good.

The ban on traditional tungsten lightbulbs is due to come into force on 04/09/09. Generally they cost more,give an inferior light and last much longer.They also cost a lot more to dispose of as they contain harmful chemicals and metals that ordinary lamps do not.  Confused I bet you are, however "it is for your own good" is the advice from the EEC so it must be O.K.  What I object to is the imposition of yet another ruling on the public at large. Whatever happened to democracy, education, consultation and agreement.  Why in turn do they not ban the really harmful stuff like alcohol....tobacco....cars.....etc  etc  etc.  It is hard to argue against the new bulbs if they were the same price but, as always someone is going to become very rich thanks to this bit of legislation wrapped in a "green" folder.  Strangely it has led to big orders for the old bulbs as stocks run down.  Another fine plan works out well then.  

Why do I want a Sat Nav?

I have developed a desire to own a Sat Nav.I am searching on line,looking in stores and reading specs and features. I don't know why because I always get around fine by reading road signs and maps if I am unsure of a place name or location. It has dawned on me that it is not in fact the functionality of it. It's the technology that fascinates me.I suspect it is the same for lots of people I mean T.V. still amazes me ,especially the bit where they say "we now go live to our correspondent in The Back Of Beyond" and here he is instantly telling me the latest from his location........with live pictures.   So Satellite Navigation is going to blow my socks off.  Oddly enough I found this little report saying they are suffering poor sales. So I may even get a bargain who  knows?