So here are “The top queries driving traffic to digg.com from search engines.”

Edit: In the interest of fairness here is the same report for reddit.com:

Here is the catch: 500,000 people must download the software for the serial numbers to be mailed out.

Spread the word because I want to be able to play the free game and take advantage of Writeroom for undistracted writing.

They have regularly given out discounted bundles, but this is the first time they have gone completely free.

The bundles are usually hit or miss. But you can never miss with free.

This announcement brought to you by digg, Safari RSS, and Sarah Palin.

Persistence Pays Off!

It took me three different calls and talking to four different service representatives to get my service changed.

Call 1: Spoke to someone that said they were not authorized to cancel my account do to a FUSE increase. Transferred me to a supervisor that said “Nobody has ever been let out of a contract due to an chance in FUSE.” (LIE!) After 45 minuts of explaining that this increase violated a clause in THEIR OWN contract with me. He kept trying to credit me the difference. I explained their was no provision for this in their contract and that a credit was not my desired resolution.  I gave up.

Call 2: I was basically given the run around. Transferred etc. due to a call center closing for the night. Gave up.

Call 3: Spoke to a very nice guy. Succeeded!

Notes from call 3 to help you. The rep I spoke too had not read the contract and was genuinely not familiar with with the service agreement. However, he was patient while I pointed out the relevant clauses. It took some time for him to read over it and consult with someone, but he agreed that Verizon was in the wrong. He gave me three options: Credit the difference of FUSE (I turned down, he was polite and only offered this once instead of harping on it), immediately terminate my contract (lose number), or have my number ported to another company  before my next billing cycle (effictively terminating the contract).

I took option three because this would allow me to keep my number. I tried to go month to month (iPhone 3GS was still a month or so away), but he informed me that they are not allowed cancel contracts early to go month to month. He even volunteered that this made no sense because “Even if we cannot keep you committed for a contract obviously we should want to keep you another month.”

Make sure you get the persons name and extension becuase there in a chance that the charge may still appear and you have to call back to get it removed. He explained that they make notes on the account but the process is automated so sometimes it does not get automatically reversed.

The end result: a six cent increase in FUSE got be out of my contract penalty free. The same tactic can also work for an increase in text message fees. Watch you bill, fuse is adjusted quarterly so there is a strong chance you might have seen an increase.

I shot this on my iphone (converted to flash for size reasons):
[See post to watch Flash video]

Some stills.

Hope the driver made it out in time.

Source: nexgenwars.com

However, the Wii’s motion controller advantage may have just evaporated. Microsoft will be releasing an add on for its popular Xbox360 that removes the need for a controller entirely. That’s right, your body is now the controller. When this is released you may be able to shoot lightning out of your hand, use you hand as a gun, and do full body dodges and punches.

See this video of what they hope to do:

Microsoft also says that the Natal add-on will have facial recognition ability to sign you into Xbox Live as well as the ability to distinguish motion from multiple people for multiplayer support. You can see how this had the ability to change everything about playing a game and offer a whole new level of immersion (if it is accurate!).

There is currently no price or release date, but I want use this as soon as possible.

So I have been too busy/lazy to write a post in a while. Something today made me so angry that I had to write something to try to get some support.

Verizon Wireless is changing their Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC). This amounts to a 4 cent increase per line per month for me. Not to much right? However, their contract states that if they change their fees, you have a right to withdrawal from the contract. This would allow you to go month-to-month (I was mistaken, you cannot go month to month), sign a new contract to get a new free phone, or leave to get that iPhone you want.

I used the instructions provided at Crastinate and in Ely Rosenstock in his YouTube video below.

I will reprint two passages of the Customer Agreement you will need to use this technique:

Your service is subject to our business policies, practices and procedures, which we can change without notice. UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE CAN ALSO CHANGE PRICES AND ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME BY SENDING YOU WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO THE BILLING PERIOD IN WHICH THE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR SERVICE AFTER THAT POINT, YOU’RE ACCEPTING THE CHANGES. IF THE CHANGES HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON YOU, HOWEVER, YOU CAN END THE AFFECTED SERVICE, WITHOUT ANY EARLY TERMINATION FEE, JUST BY CALLING US WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER WE SEND NOTICE OF THE CHANGE.

also:

You agree to pay all access, usage and other charges and fees we bill you or that the user of your wireless phone accepted, even if you weren’t the user of your wireless phone and didn’t authorize its use. These include Federal Universal Service, Regulatory and Administrative Charges, and may also include other charges related to our governmental costs. We set these charges. They aren’t taxes, aren’t required by law, are kept by us in whole or in part, and the amounts and what’s included are subject to change.

In the second passage they acknowledge that they set the Universal Service Charge. (Even though they lied to me until I quoted them this). In the first passage they say that if they change the fee and it has a “material adverse effect” you may cancel the contract if it is within 60 days that you received notice of the change.

So this is the situation I am in. They re offering to credit me the difference of the FUSC. However they are in breach of their contract. Nowhere in the contract does it say they may simply credit the difference. It says you may opt out of the contract.

So I have spent one hour on the phone arguing this point. I will call back tomorrow and the day after until I find someone. Might even take my case in their store. They need to honor their contract or will likely find themselves on the receiving end of another class action lawsuit pertaining to their early termination fee.

Anyone want to help me drum up some support?

Obviously it is not a beefy computer. The included minimal linux operating system is really just a glorified PDA. However, you can install whatever distro you like. I have Backtrack3 on an SD card that I can boot up for security testing.

The built-in wireless has much better range than our iMac. It also includes 3 USB ports, SD Reader, VGA video out, ethernet and headphone/microphone jacks.

The keyboard is small. Very small. After about 30 minuts playing with it I was able to get pretty good at typing. That is the price you have to pay to fit a laptop in a (small) women’s purse. Oh, and the computer is ready to go in like 25 seconds from boot. Impressive.

This post was typed from my new eee PC.

Ok it seems harmless, not something I would use, but some might find it useful. It is essentially an oversized blanket. 

However, the commercial soon gets more disturbing.

Ok, this all seems kinda familier. This thing comforts me and makes me fit in. Where have I seen this?

So that is what it reminds me of. It looks like it was something modified from the Heaven’s Gate cult.