Looking for a Cheat code? Read the TOS!

So you bought your kids that new gaming console and a few games to go with it for Christmas.  They play better than you can, right?  Well you're thinking you need to find a couple of cheats to get ahead of them. 

You know how good Google is so you look for "cheat codes" and a bunch of sites pop up.  You pick one and it asks for your cell phone number.  You say to yourself, "They can't do much with my number except call me".  Wrong! 

There you are with your cheat codes and your kids are wondering how you do it.  All is fine and fun, (I'm beating the kids), until you get your phone bill.  What is this? $19.99 for what?  Cheat codes, that's what.  You forgot to click on that little link that shows you the Terms of Service (TOS).

Several cheat sites have a TOS that reads like this:

This service provides users with access to the latest cheat codes, ..... By signing up for this service and by entering your personal Password which will be sent to the mobile phone number supplied by you on this website, you acknowledge that you are subscribing to our service. ....By opting in, you agree to joining a subscription service for $19.99 per month. You must be the owner of this device and either be at least fourteen years old or have the permission of your parent or guardian and agree to the Terms of Service. Standard/other text messaging rates may apply.

Now you know why you're paying $20 for a game cheat!

By taking the time to read those TOS's and End User Licence Agreements (EULA's), you will (hopefully) know what you are getting into and possibly save some money for a new game.

 

With that info,

Safer Surfing!

FinallyFast - huh?

I am sure you have seen the commercials about FinallyFast.com and the promises they make about speeding up your Internet connection by 375% .  I have tried the program and found it to be a joke.  Now Jeff at besttechie.net has done some very interesting "research" to confirm my feelings about this "software".  Watch his video below.

With this info,

Safer Surfing and a happy holiday!

Internet Explorer security alert

BBC reports a major security flaw in Internet Explorer 7 in an article published this morning.

"The flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer could allow criminals to take control of people's computers and steal their passwords, Internet experts say."

The article also suggests that

"Users of the world's most common web browser have been advised to switch to another browser until a serious security flaw has been fixed."

Time for Firefox, my browser of choice.  Here are others: Safari, Opera, Avant Browser, Konqueror, Lynx, Google Chrome, Flock, Arachne, Epiphany, K-Meleon and AOL Explorer, take your pick but don't use IE until it is patched!

With that info,

Safer Surfing!

Don't be Gullible!

Microsoft does not send security updates per email!  There is a spam mail going around Europe and will probably hit the US today, "Patch Tuesday", supposedly from Microsoft about a "detected security breach".  This is a scam to get you to download malware turning your system into a zombie PC.

Websense® Security Labs™ states,

The fraudulent email message references a real Microsoft Security Advisory 951306 (also known as CVE-2008-1436). The email provides instructions in both French and English.

Here's what the mail looks like.

with that info,

Safer Surfing!

To the spoiled under-30 mob!!!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking Twenty-five miles to school every morning, barefoot, uphill ...BOTH ways no less!

Yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!  But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.

You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a
damn Utopia!  And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something we had to go to the public library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter, with a pen!  Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or iPods! You wanted to steal music, you had to
hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!  Or you had to wait around all day to tape, (cassette type not CD), it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and screw it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!  And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either!  When the phone rang, you had
no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your Bookie,your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!!  You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had (I still have mine) the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your Imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen Forever!  And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called "TV Guide" to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the Channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you Hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rats!

And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove ... Imagine that!

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too
easy.You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back
in 1980!

Regards,
The over 30 Crowd