HighEndBuzz

I don't have an Iphone yet, so I didn't know this was an issue...

Gregg Keizer

 

          

August 23, 2007 (Computerworld) AT&T Inc. will start sending iPhone customers thinner bills by default starting with their next billing cycle, the wireless carrier has told subscribers by text message.

The change comes a week after blogs and forums lit up with tales of new iPhone owners receiving bills stretching scores, or even hundreds, of pages. Justine Ezarik, a graphic designer and blogger from Pittsburgh, became a temporary YouTube star for the video showing her unwrapping her first bill, a 300-page pile that listed every one of the estimated 30,000 to 35,000 text messages she sends each month.

Yesterday, AT&T sent a text message to every iPhone. "We are simplifying your paper bill, removing itemized detail. To view all detail go to att.com/mywireless. Still need full paper bill? Call 611."

"From now on iPhone customers will get the summary bill, which has very little detail," confirmed AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel today. And as of Sept. 28, new wireless customers, including new iPhone users, will be sent summary bills by default, rather than the detailed accounts. "If customers want the detailed bill, they will be charged $1.99 a month per line," added Siegel. Previously, AT&T had not charged for the longer bills.

Current customers now receiving detailed bills will also be charged the $1.99-per-line monthly fee if they make any change to their account, such as adding a new line.

Siegel denied that the move was directly related to iPhone complaints. "We've been talking about this for months," he said. "With as many customers as AT&T has, you discuss things thoughtfully before you make a change."

But the decision to start with iPhone users was in response to the by-turns hilarious and heated accounts of customers stunned by the heft of their first bills. "They've seen their first bills and expressed their opinions, which is a good thing," said Siegel. "We don't want people to be overburdened with voluminous bills."

Customers can still drop paper billing entirely, Siegel noted. That's what Ezarik has done. "It's extremely simple to change -- it only took 3 seconds!" she wrote on her blog yesterday.

Digging is done

I finally had a chance to dig myself out of my hole at the office. 

Back in action

I'm back after a well needed break in blogging.  We've been pretty busy arount here, but do look forward to another year of blogging. 

Quick update: Many of you know that my company has been using Jotspot since it's creation.  Jotspot has been sold to Google recently and I'm sure Joe Kraus is off to bigger and better things.  I wish them luck.

Microsoft Sets New Patch Record, Fixes 26 Flaws

You gotta love this one courtesy of Information Week

The flaws, more than half of which received a "critical" rating, run the gamut from Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer to Word and Excel and PowerPoint.

By Gregg Keizer,                                   

Microsoft on Tuesday released 10 security updates, one less than anticipated, that patched a record 26 vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, and .Net. More than half of the flaws were pegged "critical" by the Redmond, Wash. developer.

Tuesday's tally was impressive by any count: 6 of the 10 updates were judged critical, with the remaining split among Microsoft's other rankings: "important" (1), "moderate" (2), and "low" (3). Of the 26 disclosed vulnerabilities, 15 were labeled critical, 6 important, 2 moderate, and 3 low. Both the total vulnerabilities and the number of critical vulnerabilities set new records for Microsoft in its monthly patch process.

"This is very rich lot," said Minoo Hamilton, a senior security researcher with patch management vendor nCircle. "There's everything in here from Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer to Word and Excel and PowerPoint."

SAP, Market Lead Under Pressure, Says Oracle `Misleads' Clients

Doesn't look like these guys ever made-up.  Original Article on bloomberg.com

By Benedikt Kammel and Kenneth Wong

                        

      Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) -- SAP AG, under pressure from Oracle Corp. to maintain its top position in the business-management software market, said the U.S. company is ``misleading'' customers with comments about SAP's product strategy and acquisitions.         

      

Remarks from Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison yesterday ``continue to be inconsistent and misleading,'' Walldorf, Germany- based SAP said in a statement on PR Newswire. It's the first time SAP has directly responded to Oracle's comments on earnings.         

      

Redwood City, California-based Oracle spent almost $20 billion in two years to peel away at SAP's dominance. The German company, the biggest producer of software for functions such as billing and human resources, said in July software sales in the second quarter missed expectations and conceded it lost market share to Oracle and Microsoft Corp.         

My first startup

Funny how things come full circle.  The first "startup" I went to was a little payment processing company called Litle & Co.  We sold the company to First USA Bank in 95 and I joined Tim and Tom at LitleNet (which didn't work out as well as the first).  But now they're back and back on top, #1 in Inc 500.  I hope they continue to succeed.

Full Story

Arrived in Newport

So we're here in Newport RI to bring the Kattack program to the Farr40, Melges 32 and Beneteau 36.7 fleets at the New York Yacht Club Regatta.  We got into town at 5pm and headed to Newport Boat Works where the majority of the Farr40 boats are sitting for the one-design regatta starting on Thursday.  Our next stop was the New York Yacht Club and then Fort Adams to take a count of the Melges 32 fleet and the Beneteaus.

After dinner at the Black Pearl we headed back to the hotel.  The highlight of the evening was when we opened the 150lb box with our video equipment.  The 6000 Lumen's projector we rented from a local company is the size of a small car.
WTF???

Well it should be a good show anyway.  We'll check in the boats tomorrow and may even get in a sail...

Regatta starts on Thursday.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to cancel an AOL account

Funny (or not), I had this exact same experience last year when I canceled (about 30 times) my AOL account.  Tragic thing is you can't hang up; if you do your account will still be active.

            Original article is at http://la.indymedia.org/news/2006/07/167001.php

It is IMPOSSIBLE to cancel an AOL account
by Hal Mayforth Sunday, Jul. 02, 2006 at 4:50 PM
   

It is IMPOSSIBLE to cancel an AOL account! This is standard opperating procedure for AOL. They are crooks!!!! Almost 10 years ago I worked for American Express in Phoenix as a contract computer programmer writting software that allowed AOL subscribers to get information about their American Express Credit cards. As a part of my job I was required to get an AOL account which I billed AMEX every month, and which AMEX promptly paid for. I never used AOL in my private life. When I left American Express for another job it took at least 6 months of letter writting by me before I got AOL to cancel my account and stop billing me. I am sure it was a very intentional that AOL continued to bill me after I told them I did not want to use their services any more. Other people I have talked to have had the same experience when trying to cancel their AOL accounts - ie: AOL bills them for months after they want to cancel the account.

AOL Said, 'If You Leave Me I'll Do Something Crazy' 

Thoughts on Home

Growing up as an Air Force brat means that you don't really have a home.  I was born in Germany, but the home I most relate to is Del City, Oklahoma.  I lived there when I was 12 until I left college in 91'(I went to OU in Norman).  I was just there for a vacation (strong word for what it really was) and must say I now remember why I left that place in the rear-view mirror.

Oklahoma (although I do love growing up there) is a complete shit-hole these days.  I don't remember it being like that, but as a kid you just don't see it the way it really is.  Now there are parts of OK that are really nice, Norman is one of them.  But visiting Del City was unusually disturbing.  There is trash everywhere and almost every other business is a pawn shop, liquor store, gun shop or express check-cashing operation. 

My father lives in Seattle now, but still has a house in that area.  I didn't expect him to have wifi since the house is never occupied, but usually you'd expect someone in the neighborhood to have some type of high speed I could "hack" into.  Nope, we're talking 3rd world.  Additionally, the closest Starbucks was miles and miles away.

I know that living in Minnesota warps my perspective on most other places, with our clean streets, nice neighborhoods, low crime and moderate summer weather, but even my friends that still live there think it's a complete shit-hole these days.  What's happening to that part of the country?

Did I mention it was "hotter than hell"?

Nokia and Siemans

Talk is cheaper for merger partners

By Andrew Parker in London

Published: June 19 2006 19:27 | Last updated: June 19 2006 19:27

Nokia and Siemens hailed their planned joint venture as creating the world’s third-biggest supplier of network equipment to telecoms companies, while analysts predicted more consolidation.

The move follows the merger agreement in April between Alcatel, France’s telecoms equipment maker, and Lucent, its US counterpart, to create the world’s biggest network infrastructure supplier. Last October, Ericsson, Sweden’s telecoms equipment maker, bought most of Marconi of the UK.

“Consolidation is the name of the game, therefore we believe it is the right move for us,” said Klaus Kleinfeld, chief executive of Siemens.

The telecoms carriers that are the network equipment manufacturers’ most important customers have been leading the consolidation charge. In March, AT&T, the US telephone company, announced plans to create the world’s biggest telecoms group by buying BellSouth, its smaller rival.