Canon EOS Utility Cannot Launch This Application Mac Canon DSLR Camera’s
Dec 2nd
If you’re like me, and shoot with your camera tethered to your Mac, then chances are good you’ve got this dreaded “This application cannot launch” error message when shooting with the EOS Utility for Canon DSLR camera’s. Especially if you’re really like me, and don’t install software unless you 100% have to! It’s a frustrating one, and it took me about an hour (since I’m a noob Mac user) and lots of unsolved forum posts reading and people having the same problems before I finally found a solution. The first thing you need to do is setup Image Capture on the Mac. Whenever I’d load a camera, iPhoto would pop-up, and I can’t think of a less useful program for capturing photographs than iPhoto. More >
How to file a DMCA Notice
Dec 1st
Everyone from time to time has stumbled across content that is eerily similar to something they’ve seen before. After a little remembering, they realize its off their own website.
Whenever this happens, there are things you can do to get the content removed from their site. Usually it starts with a friendly letter to the webmaster/owner of the site with the copied content. Since a lot of sites can have user generated content and the owner may not be aware whats happened. It always pay to take the friendly route and notify the owner directly first.
Blank FTC Guidelines Compliance Template (for not receiving endoresements)
Nov 30th
Starting December 1st, 2009 the FTC requires anyone who recieves endorsement to disclose them. However if you don’t recieve endorsements you can always make a single post to prevent any future problems.
FCC/FTC Blogger Guidelines Go In Effect Tomorrow
Nov 30th
The FTC released its final guidelines on October 5th for the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising (download here). Starting December 1st, 2009 anyone who promotes products via a Blog, or other online method, (including forums) needs to either include a disclaimer in their posts/signature or some where easily accessible on their site. You can find mine here: FTC Disclosure Compliance.
Anyone found in violation of this new guideline can face a fine of up to $11,000USD per incident. Thats a huge chunk of change for slapping your endorsement on to something so if you’re located in the USA it’s easier to simply comply with this new guideline, than ignore it. If you’re wondering what constitutes as an endorsement thats outlined on page 10 of the notes:
“[A] blogger could receive merchandise from a marketer with a request to review it, but with no compensation paid other than the value of the product itself. In this situation, whether or not any positive statement the blogger posts would be deemed an “endorsement” within the meaning of the Guides would depend on, among other things, the value of that product, and on whether the blogger routinely receives such requests. If that blogger frequently receives products from manufacturers because he or she is known to have wide readership within a particular demographic group that is the manufacturers’ target market, the blogger’s statements are likely to be deemed to be “endorsements,” as are postings by participants in network marketing programs. Similarly, consumers who join word of mouth marketing programs that periodically provide them products to review publicly (as opposed to simply giving feedback to the advertiser) will also likely be viewed as giving sponsored messages.”
The guide also goes on to describe other situations that basically say whenever you are given an item or service, and post a review (positive or negative) then you are endorsing the product. Not only do you have to disclose this endorsement, but also the company giving it to you. (This could also be affiliate networks, promoters etc etc). Its important to remember however; Favorable reviews are not “endorsements” within the meaning of the Guides unless they have been incentived in some way.
If you don’t recieve endorsements on your site, check out the blank template for FTC blogger compliance
Edit 12/4/2009: After some research, it appears the fine will not be immeadietly $11,000USD for first time offenders. You will get at least 1 warning unless they believe it to be truly a malicious offense of this guideline.
Poor “Price Matching” policy at NewEgg leads to lost sales
Nov 30th
I’ve been an avid TigerDirect customer mostly my whole internet ordering life with no problems, and found the useful for fast shipping running my computer repair business. Recently however, I was in the market for a blu-ray burner to help back up my photography archives in a timely manner, and found that TigerDirect didn’t have any listed on their website. Not a real big problem, so I headed off over to NewEgg where they had a few listed. I decided to go with the LG BluRay burner that was OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136175), at the time it was $179.99 with a free blu-ray disc and free shipping. I ordered it on 11/24/2009 and thought it was a good enough deal.
Today on 11/30/2009 my Blu-Ray burner was scheduled to be delivered, and I logged on to NewEgg to check the status of it, to my surprise the price had dropped $50, to $129.99 at NewEgg. Feeling a little cheated about a $50 price difference, I set out to see if NewEgg offered a price match or price guarantee. To my surprise I couldn’t find much, so I dialed up the Live NewEgg chat on their site and talked with Regina about this dilemma, $50 is a decent chunk of change in todays economic climate and I was simply looking to get a partial refund on the difference.
Regina informed me that NewEgg doesn’t price match at all, and pretty much a standard text book answer. So then I thought to myself that I’d just return the one I bought for $179.99, and order the one for $129.99 and save the $50. Then it struck me that if NewEgg wasn’t willing to help the customer out (not just me, but others in this situation), and save all the time and frustration involved with RMA’s and returns, they weren’t worthy of my business. Now instead of NewEgg loosing out on $50.00 for matching the price, they’re loosing out on $179.99 and I’ll be out like $6 to ship it back to them, which isn’t a big deal, since I’ll save that much at another site offering a similar promotion on the burner.
It makes me wonder, how many other newegg customers have left due to them not price matching, and making this complicated for the customer. Needless to say I won’t recommend NewEgg to any one, or bother ordering from NewEgg any more since they can’t work with the customer.
UPDATE: Shortly after posting this, someone via Twitter told me to post on the EggXpert forums to get help. After posting a EggXpert Admin contacted me, and got everything straightened around, and has refunded the $50 price difference to my account. We’ll see if it goes thru, and if it does thats “eggscelent” customer service.
UPDATE 2: The $50 refund has appeared to my credit card. ALSO, if you email NewEgg asking to price match, you’ll get denied. I received an email from their customer service department stating that they do not price match. I suggest heading over to the NewEgg forums, and posting a thread asking who to contact about the problem.
Weekly Digest for November 30th
Nov 30th
This is a summary of my e-Adventures for the week. Some weeks will be pretty boring, and others full of activity.
|
|
|
We’ve been added to the http://IPBHelp.me network [ipbsetup]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is thinking about changing the URL to our forum to ipbsetup.com [ipbsetup]
|
DirecTV Scamming Credit Card Leeches who Over charge!
Nov 28th
So recently my girflriend and I decided to go with DirecTV over Comcast due to the NFL Sunday ticket we would have got for free for ordering the “Premium Package” of DirecTV. So we call and order it, and was told the only charge was a $21.35 installation charge, that would get refunded the second month of service. So no problem we thought, we ordered the package that got us free NFL Sunday ticket, 2HD recievers, and set the installation for a week later.
The installation went great, the installer company they used were very polite and fast as well as prompt. This is about the only good thing we’ve experienced with DirecTV. Once it was hooked up and we had time to sit down and watch it we noticed we only had the basic package and no NFL Sunday Ticket. We called and was told we’d have to upgrade since we were now customers, and couldn’t get the discount and couldn’t get the free NFL sunday ticket. This had me irrate of course as I love my football, so we just took the Premium package, and figured whatever was on football wise, I’d watch. Sure it was total shit, and horrible customer service, but I like watching TV so whatever I thought. This was the least of our problems though…
Shortly after this we examined our credit card statement, and found that DirecTV charged us $21.35 for the install as discussed, but then charged an additional $220.95! WTFBBQ Our heads about exploded, a completely random $220.95 charge for DirecTV, so we called them and asked that the problem was that we were charged that amount of money. The representative we talked to basically told us to get lost because they didn’t charge $220.95 to our card, but there it is on our statement, we were sitting there staring at it. They said they couldn’t give a refund, because they have no record of the $220.95. Absolutely irate at this point, I told them to just cancel the service and I’ll let my credit card company deal with the over charges. (See screenshots at end of post)
So once we told them to cancel our service, they wanted $430+ as an early termination fee, even though we were inside our 30 day period, so we told them to pound salt, and refund our $220.95 promptly. After a few more calls, and one to our credit card company we finally got the transaction reversed.
The next problem was the numerous random charges for $21 to $22 for no apparent reason! Once again we called to see what this was about, and once again DirecTV said they had no clue. Once again over $180 in random charges were on the card, and no one had any idea what they were for. Yet another call to the credit card company to get them all reversed. See next screen shot. For sure we thought this would be the last of the problems from DirecTV and their scamming crap service. (See next screenshot at end of post)
See all those garbage charges? Yet again DirecTV has claimed they didn’t do this.
Oh but thats not the last joy we’d have in dealing with DirecTV, a couple days later we noticed a 2 charges from Domino’s pizza, and naturally not having any domino’s pizza locations here by us, we called Domino’s. Our phone call didn’t go far, so we sent an email to them and talked to a representative who was more than helpful in our request for information. Low and behold, we bought DirecTV’s their weekly pizza party, as the Domino’s pizza location was in California. We’ve tried to reach to upper management at DirecTV and we’re never transferred there. (You can see the domino’s charges in the above screen shot).
In closing, it’s needless to say we’ll never suggest anyone use the scamming, leeching, credit card stealing DirecTV service for anything. No wonder AT&T and DirecTV are partners, they’re about the same in terms of customer service, and that my friends is complete and utter shit.
Weekly Digest for November 26th
Nov 26th
This is a summary of my e-Adventures for the week. Some weeks will be pretty boring, and others full of activity.
|
Jamie Silva just hit you with a Snowball!! What are you going to do about it?
____________________________ Hide | |
|
|
Dan Deshler accepted your friend request.
|
|
|
Cora Suppa commented on Karla Skeens’s status.
|
|
|
Cora Suppa commented on Karla Skeens’s status.
|
|
|
Published How to legally fight a DMCA notice.
|
How to legally fight a DMCA notice
Nov 26th
A DMCA notice is basically a copyright notice that either gets sent to you or your host. Personally I’ve only ever had one of these letters sent to me, and oddly it was sent directly to my registered address on file with the domain registrar via certified mail about pictures someone posted on a website of mine.
At first it can be over whelming, especially if its a large corporation who you know has a legal team that gets paid for it, or celebrities, athletes etc etc. But there are things you can do to fight back against DMCA notices legally.
More >
Weekly Digest for November 19th
Nov 19th
This is a summary of my e-Adventures for the week. Some weeks will be pretty boring, and others full of activity.
|
|
Published Updating cPanel/WHM hangs at FTP or MySQL.
|
|
|
Kristina Bryan commented on her photo.
|
