bioneural.net » Rant

The MacBeep Pause

Bruce — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:11:52 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

Potential buyers of Apple's new (June 2009) MacBook Pro should be cautious about specifying a configure-to-order faster and larger hard drive 'upgrade'. The drive supplied by Apple, a Seagate Momentus 7200.4 (model number ST9500420ASG) appears to be operating improperly, with some users experiencing random pauses in disk activity associated with disturbing clicks and beeps. Apple are telling some of us that their top-of-the-line laptop is supposed to lock up frequently, and that the beep is normal too (so I guess my previous Macs were all defective as they lacked such 'features'). Here is the content of my letter of complaint to Apple: 14 July 2009 Customer Relations Apple Operations Europe Hollyhill Industrial Estate, Hollyhill Cork REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Dear Sir/Madam, Re: AppleCare no: supplied MacBook Pro serial: supplied Case reference: supplied Issue: Unacceptable performance of ST9500420ASG (Momentus 7200.4) On 30 June 2009 I reported to AppleCare a loud random beeping that I suspected was related to the hard drive in my MacBook Pro, with a configure-to-order 7200rpm 500GB drive 'upgrade' as above. As advised I took it to my nearest Apple Service Centre, who heard the beep and thought it was possibly related to drive calibration and of no concern so long as it was infrequent. Subsequently the beeping became more frequent (ranging from several times a minute to several times an hour) and more evidently associated with complete system pauses. This is demonstrated in a video posted to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsg84yqzvhs. Multiple users with the same drive are reporting this same issue at http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2049659. Tier 2 Support then sent me an Apple app called Data Capture ...

TomTom latest map guarantee trap

Bruce — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:18:12 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

Just bought a new TomTom with a 30-day latest map guarantee? Don't download any map update as prompted by TomTom HOME on the day you register your device. Why not? Because if TomTom do release a new map in 30 days time, you won't be allowed to download it. You may still be within 30 days, but you will have the map that was current on the day you got your device. If, however, you carefully count to day 30 before downloading any map updates, you will get the latest map as of that time. The ambiguous guarantee is not for the latest map within 30 days—it's for a map within that period. Once again: Don't download any map update as prompted by TomTom HOME on the day you register your device. We ordered a TomTom One v3 with Western Europe maps which we received on 21.04.08. We'd seen it discounted in PC World, but it was an even better bargain online. The maps that came with my TomTom Navigator 5 were very out-of-date, and too costly to upgrade in relation to buying a new device with better software. Since we are driving to the Continent shortly the latest map guarantee we'd seen on the packaging would be very timely, we thought, negating any concerns I had that the unit may have been sitting around for months and the maps already outdated. As a marketing tool it was an effective device. The misleading leaflet that isn't what it seems Inside the packaging was a leaflet ...

Unarranged overdraft bank charges

Bruce — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:56:47 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

When you inadvertently write a cheque from the wrong account putting said account into overdraft, you expect to pay for your mistake. But would you expect to pay four different charges, incurring a total liability in fees nearly four times the size of the overdraft—even though it was rectified within 6 working days? If you bank with Halifax, who always give you extra, you can indeed. A costly mistake We had seven Halifax chequebooks on hand: I grabbed the wrong one, writing a small cheque from an unused (almost empty) account. The account went into overdraft by £23.96 when the cheque was cleared on the day we went abroad. When we returned from holiday the bank had informed me via two online letters of the unarranged overdraft and the fees I had incurred: A £35 charge for going overdrawn without arrangement; A monthly unauthorised overdraft charge for April (covering 3 working days); A monthly unauthorised overdraft charge for May (covering 3 working days); Debit interest, amount undisclosed. When Halifax say they give you extra, they mean it Needless to say I was annoyed at my mistake—but we were outraged at the charges. Specifically we took issue with the fact that: Fees of £91 (excluding interest) were out of proportion to the overdraft amount of £23.96; There was no "grace period" to allow rectification. The bank's response by telephone Immediately after reading the letters online I telephoned the bank; the stub confirmed I had written the cheque from the wrong book. Centralised customer support agreed to waive the £35 charge as a "goodwill" gesture, ...

ATMs should be avoided. The Internet too.

Bruce — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:59:22 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

Some cretin recently cloned our debit card, in reflection of rising UK and international rates of card fraud despite technological countermeasures like "chip and pin". Of course it makes us angry, and think of doing all sorts of unsavoury things to the perpetrators if we could confront the cowardly faecoliths. But the good news is we will get a 100% refund from the bank because they acknowledge we were victims of a security lapse; our credit rating is unaffected; and new cards were issued promptly with new numbers. Of course we wanted to know if there was anything we could to reduce the risk of this happening again. We asked the bank if it was safer to use the ATM inside the branch rather than the hole-in-the-wall outside. They said probably so, since it would be harder to attach a device to the machine inside without being noticed. But we would be better still to make over-the-counter cash withdrawals and avoid using ATMs altogether, they said. That's reassuring—not. ATM without (top)/ with (below) "skimmer" attached (© APACS) There are still lots of people out there that won't go near online commerce, because they perceive it to be unsafe. I'd always thought someone was more likely to double-swipe or copy my card out the back of a restaurant than commit fraud online, but actually the risk is around 1:2. Figures from 2007 for UK-issued cards show that phone, Internet and mail order fraud (card-not-present fraud) amounted to £290.5 million, while counterfeit (skimmed/ cloned) card fraud ...

GP College confused over qualifications

Bruce — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 06:32:25 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) remains confused over whether its Membership examination (MRCGP) is a qualification or merely an indication of "club membership". Non-Members are told not to refer to "MRCGP" and "qualification" in the same breath—although it would appear that the College can. Back in 1998 it cost me in the order of £500 to sit all four modules for Membership of the Royal College of General practitioners by examination. To continue using the designation "MRCGP" I am asked to pay £417 per annum (2007–2008 rates). I wrote to the RCGP last month as follows: I passed the MRCGP examination in 1998, and am currently applying (from NZ) to work as a locum in the UK. On the Performers List application I am asked for "medical qualifications", including qualification, institution, and date. Is the following acceptable, given that I am not a paid-up college member? Qualification: MRCGP Institution: RCGP, UK Date: 15.07.98 In other words, does the MRCGP "count" as a medical qualification? The RCGP replied as follows: Use of the designation "MRCGP" is restricted to those doctors who are currently in good standing as Members (good standing in this context is taken to mean those who have paid their annual membership subscription fee). As you are not currently a paid-up Member, I confirm that you are not eligible to use the designation "MRCGP", nor can you state that "MRCGP" is a qualification—the letters mean "Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners" and do not of themselves denote success in the College's exam (the ...

American Engrish

Bruce — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:11:04 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

Do they no longer teach English in American schools? I am aware that "American" English has its nuances, but was not aware that it had diverged so far from international English as to become an entirely separate dialect. To illustrate my point, I'd like to share the text of an e-mail I recently received from a certain company's U.S. Networking Tech Support. Having recently bought a new ADSL modem, I noted that the same model on the company website looked completely different from my own. Model on the web (left), mine (right) I asked the company to explain the difference. Here's what they had to say: Thank you for contacting Xxx Technical Support. We understand that you are facing an issue with the ADSL 2+ Modem , as it does not looks alike the one which is there in the Website. We request you to, please check for the desire feature and try installing it. As some time the new product may be released with new look. If you face any difficulty in installing it, please revert to us, we will be glad to assist you. Bruce, if you need further assistance please feel free to write back to us and we will be happy to assist you. If you have any other questions or problems you may also call us toll free at xxx-xxx-xxxx (Extn. xxxx). Alternatively, call us on xxx xxx xxxx Ext. xxxx Regards, Tess Smith Xxx Technical Support I have removed the company name to protect the barely literate. I suspect the last two lines of the ...

Xtra requires extra patience

Bruce — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 04:24:26 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

If you're thinking of signing up for broadband from Xtra.co.nz, here's a little rant so that as an informed consumer you can properly consider your alternatives. We have the Go Large plan, which advertises a downstream connection speed "as fast as your phone line allows" and a monthly allowance of "unlimited data". To be frank, this advertising is misleading. Maxinimal I am situated in Wellington's CBD, and I just can't believe that my phone line "allows" up to just 1.5 Mbps during typical usage. I've seen the speed test go up to 3.5 Mbps on rare occasions. When I complained, Xtra sent me the following automated explanation: There are several factors that can affect the maximum speed you can receive: Where you live or work - The distance you are from your local phone exchange will affect your maximum connection speed. For example, if your home or office is within 1km of the phone exchange it is more likely you will get a faster maximum speed than someone who is, say, 4km away. The wiring in your house or office - Both the length and quality of any wiring in your house or office can affect maximum connection speeds. Your computer - Your computer and modem or router will also affect the maximum speed of your broadband connection. Your modem setup - How you connect your modem to your computer will affect your connection speed. For example, an Ethernet or Wireless connection is generally faster than a USB connection. As is the case with most broadband connections worldwide, ...

Israeli Blitzkrieg: pure madness

Bruce — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 06:57:49 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

Last night the TV news showed pictures of a Red Cross team in Lebanon that had come under Israeli fire. This morning the BBC News reports that UN observers have been killed in an air strike targeting their observation post. More examples of how Israel is exercising "restraint" in this conflict. America says Syria has the power to stop the war, citing its support for Hezbollah. I say America has the power to stop the war by revoking its support for Israel, and by halting the supply of bombs it delivers with one hand while the other hand makes aid deliveries in Lebanon. How ironic is that? How shameful? Those who blow up innocent civilians to make a political statement are terrorists. By taking this disproportionate action or "sending a clear message" Israel has become what it professes to detest. This is state-sponsored terrorism which ever way you cut it. There is no moral right to destroy the infrastructure and fragile political stability of a neighbouring country in order to punish a minority behaving badly. Nor is there any legal right. Israel is in the wrong, yet it is unlikely to see prosecution for War Crimes. Is Israel going to pay reparations to Lebanon for the destruction wreaked on that country and its population? Not bloody likely. Hezbollah's rocket attacks against Israeli civilians are no less despicable. They're as bad as each other, and the leaders of Hezbollah and Israel have both failed their peoples. I don't claim enlightened understanding of the background to this ...

The medicalisation of (anti-)social behaviour

Bruce — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:28:00 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

I'm overdue for a rant, damn it—I've got intermittent explosive disorder (IED) don't you know? Oh, and while we're on the subject of your knowledge, you do realize it's your fault, doctor, that since you won't give me codeine I have to steal to do drugs? I know I smoke doc, but what are you going to do about my chest? But I don't eat too much. I hit her because I was having some sort of seizure—can you give me something for it? Well, it's like this: I can't afford to keep my house tidy. I've had a bad day; can I have Prozac? Familiar? When are people going to wake up and take responsibility for their own actions (or lack thereof)? The BBC is reporting a study suggesting that the entity formerly known as "bad behaviour" be re-classified as a mental illness called "intermittent explosive disorder". This is the latest effort to transmogrify something traditionally considered "non-disease" into something for which you can receive absolution from your doctor. The suggestion is hot on the heels of the rise to stardom of CKD (chronic kidney disease) which, although measuring eGFR is undoubtedly useful, also seems to be about attaching a new medical term to "getting on a bit" (think of eGFR as a percentage measure of kidney function; the percentage naturally gets less as you get older). What is medicalisation? I discovered a useful presentation by Richard Smith, a former Editor of the BMJ, given in September 2003 asking "Where are the limits ...

Alas Babylon

Bruce — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:03:27 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net doi:tSglPpAB7a8nfM :

All wars by their nature likely involve illegal invasion and the abuse and torture of prisoners, modern wars being no exception. One would hope that although people can't respect each other, they could at least avoid the wanton destruction of historic sites so far as humanly possible. Alas Babylon, which the BBC reports was damaged by occupying US armed forces. The ruins were once a wonder of the ancient world famous for their Hanging Gardens. I've seen the Ishtar Gate and it is stunning. For those who (apparently) don't know, Babylon represents Culture. Detail on the Ishtar Gate (Pergamon Museum, Berlin) Landing helicopters amidst buildings prone to vibration damage, or filling sand bags with archeological material hardly constitutes respect for the past. They say it was to keep looters out—doesn't Hollywood suggest the thing to do in such situations is "establish a perimeter"? Perhaps it was more a case of establishing an "Archeological Shield" for similar self-protective reasons the "Human Shield" supposedly used by Iraqi forces? It seems the Iraqi people, who will need tourism to help their economic recovery, must sadly ask for an apology before one is given: Col Coleman told the BBC that if the Iraqis wanted an apology for the destruction caused by his men he was willing to give one. Words are cheap; they should go further and make good the damage. I may not be fully informed about military tactics or necessity, but feel obligated to stand up and protest the destruction of world heritage.