Z Trek: The Alan Zeichick Weblog
A gift diop by any other name would still be a scam
This one is just charming. Don't respond, don't be fooled into providing any bank information to scammers.From: Gift DiopSubject: GOOD DAY MY LOVEGood day,How are you doing today? my name is Miss gift diop a citizen of Kenya living in Dakar…
Another bank wants to give me money
Another spam scam! If I ask for the debit card, there will be either a large fee, or they'll say that there's a problem (due to the large sum) and thus they'll need to do the wire transfer. Hmm. Should I send them my bank info? I don't think…
And the winners are…
It’s June 15, the day when SD Times announces the 2009 SD Times 100. Well, this year we did something different and “leaked” the winners last Thursday using Twitter. (Look for the hashtag #sdtimes100.) But today’s the official announcement.The…
The G20 Spam Scam Relief Bill?
Oh, yes, I'm really going to believe that the G20's "Office of the Management and Payment Bureau" in London wants to happily send me £500,000.And what are the odds that if you opt for the cheque, you'll be told that there's a problem and they'll…
What’s that beep-beep-beep sound?
"Dad, what's this sound?"My teenager has been using the telephone for most of his life. A few days ago, he went to call some family friends, who had left us a message offering to let us use their S.F. Giants tickets. (They're really good friends.)After…
Google keeps redefining everything
Earlier this morning, I was cleaning up someone’s blog post. Not because they wrote something bad, but because they committed the ultimate faux pas: They pasted directly from Microsoft Word into the blog engine. The bizarre HTML tags output…
Lambo doors for the Miata? What do you think?
A friend referred me a company that sells a vertical Lamborghini-style door hinge kit for Skippy, our little Miata. I dunno. The kit is expensive ($1,800), might void the warranty, and although lambo doors look cool, they're not very practical.…
Point, click and drink
This press release speaks for itself. Are you thirsty yet? The machines cost from $2,495 and up.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Contact: DamonCompany: American Soda MachinesPhone: 303-478-6193Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required: www.americansodamachines.comCustomized…
Send us your password, says idiotic phishing attempt
I don't know who would be stupider: the people who sent out this incredibly poor attempt at phishing, or anyone who responds with a username and password. Needless to say, don't respond.The message was sent from a server in Papua New Guinea.From:…
Do more by carrying less
Oh, my aching back! That’s what I was thinking while walking around Microsoft’s TechEd conference a couple of week ago. Perhaps I’m getting old, but a briefcase full of papers, plus a 5.5-lb Apple MacBook Pro, got old really fast.I’d…
Celebrating Tandy laptop computing with Portable 100
Don't forget the TRS-80 Model 100 and Tandy 102! In today's world of ubiquitous notebooks, netbooks and smartphones, one device was there first. Introduced in 1983, the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100 was an incredible platform.While it was very…
From discounted Fords to printing Chevy checks
A friend forwarded this puzzling scam spam to me. The "from" domain is chevy.com, and it claims to be from the fictitious "Chevy Financial Company" in London. Don't respond and don't be fooled!From: John Lazone Subject: Job OpportunityChevy…
A Ford Fusion Hybrid half-price offer too good to be true
Do you think that this half-price automobile offer comes from Ford Motor Company? Of course not, it's a spam scammer. While I admire this scammer's creativity (there's even a fake dealer sticker included with the message), you should not respond.…
Microsoft TechEd 2009 lacked drama, excitement
At this week's TechEd conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft did not present a vision. But that's okay. That's not what the conference attendees were looking for.This may have been the least interesting TechEd that I've attended. Granted, I haven't…
Going to Tunisia? Need a car?
Sometimes the spam that I receive boggles the mind. However, when the cost to send out the spam is $0.00 per message, why not?Z Trek Copyright (c) Alan Zeichick
Alan orders an HP netbook for trade shows and meetings
I've ordered a new HP netbook. Why? Because my Apple MacBook Pro is too big and heavy for working a trade show, and a MacBook Air is far too pricey.When I'm at a conference, meeting or trade show, I need a notebook with a good keyboard that…
This scam is safe, assures FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III
Puppy scammers? Puppy scammers?Oooh, this is a good one! My friend Mac forwarded this delightful spam scam. Do you really think that the FBI Director would send out an email like this? Sadly, some people might.Don't reply to messages like this,…
Start a magazine for $1,999, says Mister Magazine Man
Z Trek Copyright (c) Alan Zeichick
Should I get rid of voicemail?
Should I just whack it?I've had a couple of reports today that my voicemail isn't working right. Two callers wrote to me and said that they just got a fast busy signal.I asked some folks to call me to test voicemail, and for them, it worked.…
MSDN Magazine – still here, or a goner?
In the wake of Microsoft's large-scale layoff of 3,600 employees yesterday, we wonder: What's the fate of MSDN Magazine?According to one of my sources, "MSDN is a goner."But another source said that while there were significant layoffs within…
Micro Focus acquisition is end of the line for Borland
When a company promotes its CFO to acting CEO, instead of advancing a sales or product executive, that’s a good sign that the company’s going to be sold soon.That’s what I wrote on Jan. 8, in “Borland back in the frying pan,” after…
Tangible suggestions for Vocus PR
I just had a pleasant chat with Robin Lane, Director of Public Relations for Vocus. She called to do damage control after my blog and twitter postings.To make a long story short:1. At the present time, Vocus does not provide any way for journalists…
It pays to tweet, and questions for Vocus PR
It sure does pay to tweet when you've got a complaint, because it can get someone's attention in a hurry.On Wednesday, I posted a blog entry about the unwanted spam that I receive from the Vocus PR service, "Can we vaporize Vocus with a medical…
Party like it’s 2005
This just in, literally: I received an "out-of-office" reply, dated today, May 1, 2009. It was in response to an email that I sent someone on June 16, 2005. That's a four-year delay.The original email was about booking a meeting at JavaOne 2005.…
Happy BZ Media Day! It’s been ten years!
Ten years ago, Ted Bahr and I decided to launch a company together. That company, of course, is BZ Media. Today is one of our two key anniversary dates.April 30, 1999: We decide to start a publishing company. We didn't know the name of the company.…
Social media and you
Are you all a-twitter about Twitter? Is your face on Facebook? Are you linked into LinkedIn? Is there space on your MySpace? Are you a-gog about blogs?I’ve just come back from a publishing conference where a major topic of discussion was the…
Can we vaporize Vocus with a medical laser? Please?
The press-release spam service, Vocus, pelts me with unwanted and irrelevant press releases nearly every day. There appears to be no way to get them to stop. Here's their latest time-wasting message:Subj: Dr. Khanna featured in highly respected…
Watch out for those gorilla fighters!
This scam spam — sent to one of our info@ mailboxes — was too precious not to share. Enjoy! (And as always, don't respond, don't be fooled, if you receive such messages.)From: Anahita MailboxSubject: TRUSTAttention: Dearest BelovedSir/MadamI…
Domain scammer says, have a nice working day!
Our friends at Hkitos are back with yet another domain spam scam. (See my post, "Domain scam pirates strike again.") The spammer will make sure that bad guys don't seize our domain names and Internet keywords. And golly gosh, they offer professional…
The little boy at the airport
I hope the little boy is okay.While I was sitting at the gate for my San Francisco -> Denver flight yesterday, a woman comes over and sits, a few rows away, pushing a stroller and carrying a crying boy. She's a young woman, pretty, Asian, in…