The Anonymous Widower

Thanks to These People

I have had lots of messages. thanks especially to these people who have sent messages: JMcM,YOKO, J & C; EB; GH; Indie1; Elvin & Sue; GK; PB-T; John & Sue; LizP; PE; KT; AC; RE; AS; JG; LionelS; JimS;

May 18, 2010 Posted by | Computing | , | 3 Comments

Finger Friendly Packaging

If we want to see how a company in a small country can create a very large high-tech niche for themselves, you need look no further than Logitech, who are based in Switzerland.  Their products aren’t very cuckoo clock.

As I’ve bought myself a new laptop for the journey, I felt it would be a good idea to get a new mouse.  I hate those pads on laptops which never seem to work for me!  So as I’ve got several of their products, I looked no further than Logitech.

The mouse works well and has a very small transmitter, so I can leave it in all the time.  And the mouse works on just one battery.  In fact I’m using it now.

But what surprised me was the packaging.

Logitech's Finger Friendly Packaging

Note the red arrow at the top.  It points to a perforated area in the packaging, which you tear along in the age old fashion and hey presto, you get access to the contents.

No broken nails, knives or scissors.

This type of packaging should be compulsory!

10/10 to Logitech.

May 11, 2010 Posted by | Computing, Design | | 1 Comment

Three Come at Once and then Nothing

We have had three declarations from Sunderland and we’re still waiting for another about an hour later.

Coupled with the poor performance of the polling stations in locking people out and not having enough ballot papers, isn’t it about time we used something like the Estonian Method of voting?

In Estonia you vote over the Internet and you can do this as many times as you like, with the last vote counting.

May 6, 2010 Posted by | Computing, News | , , | Leave a comment

Emily Buchanan’s Touch Screen

It’s very big!

I want one.

It would do this idea just fine. Especially if it was a lot bigger!

May 6, 2010 Posted by | Computing, News | , , , , | Leave a comment

ST Microelectronics

Another fraud.  Ignore it.

STMicroelectronics in the United Kingdom is interested in employing a financial payment contractor, capable of performing the duty of receiving payments on behalf of our company from our customers.

In performing this duty, you will be entitled to a commission of 5% for any payment you receive on behalf of our company. If you are interested in this offer, you are expected to send us the following information – Full

Names: / Age: / Sex: / Marital Status: / Contact Address: / Present Employer And Position Held: / 7. Telephone Number (endeavour to include your MOBILE number): / Email Address: / 9. Fax (If Any):

kardec Connery,

(Human Resources, STMicroelectronics)

As Bob Bear is retiring, I shall be posting these in future.  But not as thoroughly as he does.

On a serious point about these scams.  I run a small but sensible UK vompnay, that takes payments from all over the world.  People send me money by direct transfer, credit cards or PayPal. 

Why in my right mind would I ever pay an intermediary five percent to just put the money through their bank account?

April 25, 2010 Posted by | Computing | , | Leave a comment

Bob Bear Retires

The owner and updater of one of the Internet’s biggest any scam resources, Bob Bear, is retiring. 

Thanks for all your work, Bob.

The ability to check the scams all in one place will be missed.

April 23, 2010 Posted by | Computing | , , | Leave a comment

NetTemps Inc

This is a scam. So don’t reply.

Looking for a job? My name is Juliette Barnes, I am a recruiting manager of NetTemps Inc, a recruiting agency for direct-hire, contract, and freelance professionals within various professions.  

Today I would like introduce some part-time and virtual office vacancies in the spheres of Advertising, Education, Engineering, Finance, Health care, Information technology, Media, Real estate and Transportation.         

If you are interested to learn more about the jobs offered, please get back to me, providing your name and contact number.                        

We are eager to help you find a better job and improve your career!    

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail me on:               

c v @ n e t t e m p s i n . c o . u k      [please delete spaces in the email address before sending it to us]          

Yours sincerely,                 

Juliette Barnes                     

NetTemps Inc    

Why is this a scam? 

Look at the e-mail address from where it was sent to you.  Did it have anything to do with Juliette Barnes?  No!

Remember there is one born every minute.  Don’t let it be you!

April 22, 2010 Posted by | Computing | , | 12 Comments

Computers Beat Doctors at Diagnosing Child Illnesses

This was a headline in The Independent.

A computer has proved more accurate in diagnosing severe fever in children than doctors using their clinical judgement, researchers have found.

Is it the way medicine is going, as it looks like the computer system is better in this case? There’s no reason to believe that in certain areas, this may well be possible.

As a coeliac and a computer person, I’ve always felt that the diagnosis of coeliac disease could be done by means of a simple on-line system, that gave an indication that could be confirmed by proper tests.  This is because coeliac disease shows itself in many and diverse ways.  I had chronic dandruff for a start and would you see a gastroenterologist for that?

I think too, you have to look at the statistics of medicine and especially GPs.  My granddaughter was born with a congenital hernia of the diaphragm.  She’s fine now and just like any other eight-year-old.  Now this problem occurs in about one in 3,000 babies. When I told my GP about my granddaughter, she said she’d never come across one in general practice.

So perhaps the computer can be much better with rare complaints.

April 22, 2010 Posted by | Computing, Health | | Leave a comment

Habitat for Humanity: A Despicable Scam

This looks to be a scam despite the fact that Habitat for Humanity is a registered charity.  They have a donation page which allows you to donate direct with added Gift Aid, so why would they need to employ people to do this anonymously?

Hello Prospective Employee,

At HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, we work hard to improve and provide training, technical expertise and support in fund-raising to the national organizations in all the regions of the world. However, the actual work of HABITAT is carried out at the community level by affiliates that have been officially approved by the HFHI Board of Directors. The International Board of Directors (IBOD) are volunteers from around the world who share a deep concern for the problems of poverty housing.

This is demonstrated in our role as a corporate sponsor for the HAITI RELIEF PROGRAM with money raised going towards helping displaced and disabled children and their families.

We are an organization with a remarkable heritage.

You’ve got a chance to be one of our representatives and earn a commission for funds raised.This Could earn you an average of $200 – $500 weekly and as much as $2000 (TAX FREE) in a month depending on how active you are.

You can be rest assured that you WOULD NOT be required to pay any fees upfront and this won’t affect your current job earnings or disability payments in any way and you can conveniently work from your desk at home.

Private donations will be made in your name from our esteemed Voluntary Donors in your region and other parts of the world and you’ll be allowed to deduct 10 percent (10%) of the total amount on these donations. This serves as your remuneration for the great service you would be rendering in support of saving lives in the third-world countries. Balances (after the 10%) shall be required to be forwarded to the Regional Co-ordinators of the various charitable projects we are involved in around the Globe.

Please Note: You won’t have to do any travelling and WILL NOT be required to pay any fees, this position won’t affect your present employment.

To apply, Kindly forward the following info: to our Human Resource Department at the email listed below for further instructions.

  • FULL NAME :
  • FULL ADDRESS :
  • CITY :
  • STATE:
  • ZIP CODE/POSTCODE: ..
  • PHONE NUMBER (S) :(must be valid) would be called to confirm.
  • GENDER : ..
  • AGE : ..
  • EMAIL ADDRESS:…
  • COUNTRY : …

Your prompt response is solicited

Coordinator’s Desk,

Habitat for Humanity International

  • 121 Habitat Street
  • Americus, GA 31709
  • 1-800-800-2190
  • Registered No. MHQLTH1084442
  • REPLY TO BE SENT THROUGH : habitathumanity7@gmail.com

It just breaks all of the rules for a sensible e-mail; bad spelling, undisclosed recipients, GMail e-mail addresses etc.

But remember if you really want to give money to Haiti, would you give it to an intermediary who creamed off a percentage?  No way!  You’d probably do it through someone legitimate, as then they’d get extra tax relief.

It’s a scam.  Ignore it.

April 18, 2010 Posted by | Computing | , | 4 Comments

Facebook

I am a member of Facebook, but I don’t use it that often.

Why?

Am I worried about abuse and don’t hold with their refusal to put an abuse button on every page?

No!  I think that an abuse button would be a mistake, as all and sundry would click it to see what happened.  We actually need to educate everybody and not just children about how to be safe on the Internet.  I also think that kids are the ideal people to teach vulnerable adults how to use the Internet and stay safe.

The reason I don’t use Facebook very often is simple.

I run Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7 and find that Facebook has a strong tendency to crash my machine with annoying regularity.

April 18, 2010 Posted by | Computing | , | Leave a comment