Month: January 2007

The ICQ Team has finally repaired all Invalid database fields accounts.
If you wonder what an invalid database field account meant, then check this.

Repaired accounts appear as signed up in 1997 and login with MD5 encryption is possible with those accounts too from now on.

Info was supplied by a friend 🙂

Technorati Tags: ICQ, MD5
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Because of the new firmware for the SPH101, I contacted T-Mobile and asked for a statement.

Here is their reply:

“Quoting their firmware changelog, it probably should be possible to connect to our T-Mobile

hotspots.

Anyway, it’s still not totally clear, whether the HTML based authentification is possible or

not. This authentification is required, to leve the so called “wallet garden” after connecting.

To receive specific information from Netgear about this appears to be almost impossible.

Unfortuantely, in the internet, one can find only conflictive statements.

Because we do not distribute the SPH101, it’s unfortunately impossible for us to receive more

detailed information regarding the hotspot compatibility.

I think it’s worth a test but I have doubts because of the above mentioned HTML based authentification.

Sincerely,

T-Mobile ServiceCenter – Multi Media Service“

If anybody out their has tried it: Please let me know!

Thanks! 🙂

Technorati Tags: Skype, firmware, support, , SPH101
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Skype made its earlier statement true; they released today their new calling plan which consists of a connection fee.

Because of this SkypeOut is more expensive now, but not for long! Because coming soon to house is Skype Pro!:

“-€0 per minute calls to national landlines*.
-Free Skype Voicemail.
-€30 off a SkypeIn number.
Also included
-Exclusive discounts on hardware for Skype.
-Up to €15 off the Unyte Desktop Sharing extra.
-Two free avatars from CrazyTalk.
-Two free ringtones from Emotive.

* A connection fee of 3.9 euro cents applies to all SkypeOut calls.

So it will be some kind of nice Skype flatrate! This would mean, for most users, it will probably cheaper than before. (Which would make it a good move then).

Technorati Tags: Skype, 2007
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Voicemails are played again! But this was a long proccess to figure it out. Despite the fact Netgear saying that ““GR and IS are only names thare are given internally from Netgear used for different regions. GR stands for Germany. The products themselves do not differ!“, the firmware updates getting when using the update CD, it would differ the firmware between EU and IS (and probably also GR), so it was not clear for anybody whether the EU firmware can be applied on the IS model.

I just called Netgear a 3rd time and that guy said the EU, GE and IS hardware is the same and I can apply the EU firmware on my IS.
well, okay. Well, after 3 calls and 5 emails to Netgear I have the answer
So it took 18 days till somebody from Netgear knew the answer to my -originally simple- question!
And even that guy didn’t know that there is a new firmware that fixes several voicemail and other bugs!
He insisted on telling me that the latest firmware is 30.35.31 from October 2006 which is of course wrong. The latest one is 1.0.46.11 which cannot be found on server according to the error message if you use the update cd shipped with the IS model (firmware without extension) but it can be found if you use the update CD shipped with the EU!

So, I updated my “IS firmware” with the “EU firmware” and all works fine!

The guy did not even know about voicemail bugs they have fixed in that firmware update!

So, here is the changelog:

Critical Updates
1. Fixes display errors and errors that caused the phone to reset.
Other Updates

1. Improvements and fixes to user functions, including but not limited to the handling of incoming calls, search history, voicemail, SSID connection, authentication, handling of blocked users, and incoming call alerts.

2. Added ability to connect into T-Mobile hotspots.

Thanks to another user, I also now know that firmware updates can be also found at ftp://updates1.netgear.com/sph101/enu/.

Thanks to the 2 users that helped me out and it really solved my problems!

By the way: Emails to Netgear USA and Netgear UK kept being unreplied, at least yet.

And my support case email at Netgear Germany I closed with telling them how much disappointed I am and explaining to them my experiences.

I hope this post will help other Netgear SPH 101 users that expertience the same problems I did!

Technorati Tags: Skype, firmware, support, , SPH101
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Ever heard of false positives? Exactly this happened to me the other day.

I had clicked on ad banners on paypal itself and usually it would lead me to another paypal site. However, instead, it led me to a “Warning, phishing!” page of Opera browser.

I had an email converation with PhishTank about it, and it’s not them having done the mistake.
So I sent the false positive report to TrustWatch and hope for a reply and feedback on this situation!

Technorati Tags: Phishing, Opera
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Did I win a prize? I hope I did. As guessed their reply to my email regarding “drivers” they removed and Windows Vista support was not helpful at all:

Dear Customer,

Per your email, it appears that you need further assistance. Please give us a call at 1-800-688-6688, and so that we can better assist you.

Thank you for choosing ViewSonic

So they want me to call because of what reason? Being too lazy to answer me 2 simple “driver” questions in a quick email?.

Did they even read my question?

Technorati Tags: Support, viewSonic
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I am the “biggest” fan of ViewSonic’s support, based to my past experience.

I recently found out that they have made another bummer.

My monitor, the VX924 – just being 1 1/2 years old has been completely put to unsupported, even the refered drivers download site on the German View Sonic site indicated for this model, no longer offers the drivers for my monitor!
The English pages say the same drivers are for all monitors, while on the German site, the same are excplecitely not for VX924. This is pretty confusing.

Of course, the monitor also works without monitor INF files and colour schemes, but I like devices to work the best possible way!

I have been writing to ViewSonic USA support and I am interested to experienced whether their reply or if their reply will be useful!

Technorati Tags: Support, ViewSonic
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Now and then I like to add new features and functions to my blog.
This time I saw it on the BlogDumps Blog. It’s Snap shot previews for all links that open external sites.

Just mouseover over a link and a screenshot of that site will appear so you can see what you would visit if you clicked that link.

I think it’s quite nifty and nice and hopefully useful for you – the readers! 🙂

Technorati Tags: Blog, snap
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Since it was Christmas and stuff, and my old digicam from 2002 (The Rollei d330 motion) starts to take totally red pictures (probably colour sensor getting damaged?), I decided to get a new one but only had a limited amount of money and wanted to get one that has more mega pixels than 3.3. The best I found and which had good reviews on Amazon and other sources for the price I aimed at, was the Maginon DC-8300 which is also known as Traveler DC-8300 but originally, it’s a Minox DC 8111.

It takes very good pictures I think. Examples can be found here (my fave) and here.

But not only this, also the Maginon support is very nice and fast! Those among us who check this blog regularly know that I constantly report about my experience from a customer’s point of view when it comes to service and support.

I had a view questions, one of them was asked and replied to the next day and the other one was on the phone. The waiting loop was short and the support agent was knowledgeable, and very friendly.

Also they made a firmware update for this digicam recently, so this camera from 2005 can be updated to be more up-to-date.

The flashing was quick and easy. Just extract an archive, but a .bin file on an emtpy SD card, press 3 buttons and power and then it first checks file size, then ereases the flash memory, then write it and then verify it.

A thing that only took half a minute and now my camera is fresher.

Also, despite of the fact stating everywhere that the camera comes with a 64 MB SD card, my came infact perfectly sealed with a 128 MB one. Probably they have noticed that 64 MB was too few or they were no longer available for them.

Thanks for the sweet camera, and all the stuff around being perfect, too! 🙂

It also comes with 3 graphic processing applications. Heh.

Technorati Tags: hardware, software, firmware, Minox, Maginon, Traveler, digicam, support
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ICQ 6 Preview – more invitations! – A relaxing moment for my ICQ and my soul. Because in the past month, 107 people asked me by ICQ and AllExperts to invite them to ICQ 6 Preview. So many people didn’t read the ICQ 6 Preview Questions & Answers page, which clearly states what’s up with the invitations!

Today, they wrote about this in their ICQ 6 Preview Blog:

“Posted by: ICQ Team
07.01.07

We know many of you have been wondering what’s going on with the registration. After many weeks of users testing the ICQ 6 Preview Version successfully, we’re eager to open the gates to even more users. In that, we’ve now opened more slots for registration. Also, anyone registered for the ICQ 6 Preview Version has the opportunity to invite two friends instead of one.

We would like to express our thanks to all of our users who are testing out the ICQ Preview Version and giving us valuable feedback. Keep the feedback coming! Spread the news that the ICQ Preview Version is out, and we will keep you updated on our future plans!

Thanks again,
ICQ Team“

So if you yet are not invited, get an invitation here! 🙂

Technorati Tags: ICQ, ICQ6
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