*Off-Topic
*Off-Topic
This page has been moved to CodeBetter.Com. Please update your links accordingly. The new post URL is: http://codebetter.com/blogs/mark.digiovanni/archive/2004/08/20/22721.aspx
“Can you hear me now? Good.”
Do you want to ride along with “the test man”?
http://news.vzw.com/news/2004/05/pr2004-05-17c.html
A snippet from the above article:
‘Test Man’ Isn’t Just a Commercial Character
Continued investment in its wireless network is also part of Verizon Wireless’ commitment to offer customers the most reliable service available on the nation’s largest wireless network. The company’s ‘most reliable network’ claim is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women who inspired the company’s national advertising campaign. The engineers conduct more than 300,000 call attempts monthly on Verizon Wireless’ and other national wireless carriers’ networks while traveling over 100,000 miles of the most frequently traveled roadways nationwide in specially equipped, company-owned quality test vehicles.*
“Customers choose Verizon Wireless because they want wireless service they can depend on,” said Charles Hand, president of Verizon Wireless’ New York Metro area. “We continue to add new cell sites to serve the increasing number of customers who rely on our service for wireless calls, text messages, e-mail and other data services.”
During the first quarter, the company added 1.4 million net new customers, more than any other wireless provider, and now serves 39 million customers nationwide. In addition, first quarter results showed Verizon Wireless retained more customers than every other carrier, posting the lowest churn rate in the industry.
Hand said Verizon Wireless’ continued investment in its premier wireless network is the driver behind the company’s industry-leading customer growth.
*Test Man Ride-Along Program
Specially-equipped Verizon Wireless test vehicles simultaneously test the networks of six wireless providers, using a mobile laptop computer to generate phonically diverse “conversations.” If you are interested in setting up an interview or ride-along test drive with your local Verizon Wireless test man or woman, please contact David Samberg at 845-365-7212.
--Mark
Buy your very own!
Ebay
I'll wait until I'm invited or Gmail goes live.
--Mark
Yes, I'm on the bandwagon too! Thanks to the U.S. Navy, I've been around the world.
ASIA, USA:
States:
create your own personalized map of the USA or write about it on the open travel guide
--Mark
Some pranksters have hacked a Burger King drive-through telling customers, "You don't need a couple of Whoppers. You are too fat. Pull ahead."
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_853744.html?menu=news.latestheadlines
Known as Brooklynbacon, this police officer posts about his transgressions while on duty. Here is the article.
Excerpt:
"So I have come up with a better way of writing tickets. I just write down the plates of the cars that cut me off the the (sic) parkways and I send them a bogus parking ticket in the mail. The person will then have to deal with the Parking Violations Bureau and not me. Problem quickly resolved. So, in other words, be careful who you cut off on the road. They might be an off duty cop and they could write your plates down and write you a $150 parking ticket. Have a nice day."
Googled...
This is funny. I could not resist the urge to post this on my blog.
Click Here.
It's about time.
http://www.wtop.com/?sid=150989&nid=25
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5120673.html?tag=zdfd.newsfeed
Excerpts from Derrill Holly's article, WTOP:
Two North Carolina men were the first people charged under Virginia's anti-spam law, authorities said Thursday.
The two allegedly sent e-mails promoting investment schemes, computer software and other products. Both men are expected to be extradited to face charges in Loudoun County, Va., because many of the e-mail servers which handled the spam messages are located there.
Kilgore said although these are the first indictments, it is likely his computer crimes unit will be busy for an extended period to come.
Quote taken from Microsoft, EU square off behind closed doors , Reuters.
Michael Hausfeld, who has brought U.S. class actions against Microsoft on behalf of consumers, said he will show a videotaped deposition of Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to illustrate the company's culture.
"We asked him (Ballmer)--this is after Microsoft has undergone four investigations and one trial (on) two continents--if he has any understanding of the word monopoly," Hausfeld, who practices in Washington, D.C., told reporters as he entered the building.
"He actually laughed and said, 'Yes, I play it with my children'," Hausfeld said. "I don't think that's an indication of someone who takes his obligations seriously."
-----
Do you ever think the day will come when governments stop harassing Microsoft?
Comments?
This is interesting; in Crime gangs extort money with hacking threat , Chris Nuttall writes:
“Evidence of a new type of international extortion racket emerged on Tuesday with revelations that blackmailers have been exploiting computer hacking techniques to threaten the ability of companies to conduct business online.”
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5102485.html?tag=zdfd.newsfeed
Will this really work?
Law enforcement has had success with programs like Crime Stoppers and Fox's TV show America's Most Wanted... I think this program could have an impact on the “teenage hacker” or the programmer who writes this stuff for kicks. I do not think this program will be yield any results if it is a government responsible for releasing viruses.
After reading and thinking about the questions posed in this article by Declan McCullagh, I offer the following thoughts:
It is inevitable that the government will find a way to tax the internet. Whether it is a tax on our connection, purchases, etc., the government will find a way. Collecting taxes on purchases made from a company that currently does business in the state where the purchase is being made is reasonable, considering you would pay taxes on the item if you walked into the store to make the purchase.
The internet is still in its youth, at least the internet as we know it today. It has revolutionized the way we do business, travel, educate, and entertain and has the potential to continue to do so. The list of benefits could go on and on. My bread and butter is web development and has been for the last five years.
Anything that will stifle innovation is a bad thing, such as a tax on the Internet right now. Here is an example. Recently I signed up for Verizon's DSL combo package. I get DSL service for $35 and unlimited local/long distance for $49.99 per month. My average bill is far higher than the expected $84.99 + disclosed taxes. There are hidden taxes and fees that were lumped together that totaled more than $23 dollars (I do not have the exact figure in front of me). When I called Verizon and asked them why this information was not disclosed, they could not give me an answer other than it was additional government imposed taxes and fees. Had I known about these additional taxes and fees, I would have rethought the combo package and might have stuck with the service I had.
Tacking another tax (probably will join the non-disclosed group) on to the above example could influence a consumers decision when selecting dial-up or high speed service. Web applications are continuously increasing connection requirements. What if consumers decide to stick with a slow internet connection to avoid the additional taxes? The bandwidth craving web applications would be slow and would ultimately affect the user’s web experience and possibly online purchases.
You might say that consumers should just suck it up and get a fast connection if they wish to enjoy the internet. I think technology will eventually force people in that direction, but taxes will surely slow things down.
What do you think? I'm sure I opened up a can of worms here...
I must say that the hardest part about leaving a company is leaving the people you enjoy working with. It is something that I have had to do over and over again especially while serving in the US Navy several years ago. When the company that employs you is downsizing and you know the local market for software development has almost dried up, then you know its time to move on.
Today marks the end of my first week working for Captech Ventures in Richmond, Virginia. I have not been this excited about going to work for a long time. Darrell Norton and I share an office and we have a door... something I have not had in years. I'm not going too excited about having a door and a quiet development environment. This assignment is only for two months and is more of the exception than the norm. Paul Laudeman is just down the hall (he doesn't have a door). It's good to be working with these guys again.
The future here looks bright and exciting. Captech is hosting "Tomorrow, Today”, a technology summit on November 5th, at the The Science Museum of Virginia.
The only thing left to do is to move closer to Richmond. I just have to decide how long I am willing to drive an hour each way to work. Between my wife's eagerness to move and the commute, I think we will be moving much sooner than later.