Whats going on in Egypt right now at this moment is going to change the world.
Live coverage is at Al Jazeera’s website here.
A “Why this is happening in Egypt 101” is at Mother Jone’s site here.
I’ve been glued to the Al Jazeera page all day.
Author Archives: admin (Royce)
Still updating…
Still working on the blog backend here.
New posts should be up around tomorrow.
Recall : Spot-2 Satellite GPS Messengers (and a review of Spot Series One Satellite Personal Tracker)
I’m a big fan of SPOT Personal Trackers. I have a series one unit (like the image on the left), and it’s been one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. It’s saved my butt a few times already and also gave me a very solid peace of mind when I’ve loaned it to family members on their trips as well.
You can map in realtime whoever is holding the unit, send measured “pings” from the device to pre-selected people to let them know you’re OK (and to leave a trail of breadcrumbs as to where you’ve been off exploring), directly notify your own private pre-selected list of people that you need help or even summon professional emergency rescue services from the unit in case you’re seriously FUBAR.
Its tough, too. It works just fine in temperatures ranging from -45C to 85C (-40F to 185F), and altitudes of -91m to +6,492m (-300ft to +21,300ft). It works perfeectly in other countries (which I can confirm!), and it gets signal just about everywhere in the world because it’s satellite based.
Check out the coverage map…
Spot Personal Tracker Coverage
Aside from the very northern tip of Russia, some of lower Africa and most of Antarctica, you’re covered!
But recently, SPOT announced a recall on their 2nd series Satellite GPS Messenger devices. The new ones are smaller, have better button placement, and are aesthetically prettier, but they haven’t been out and “field tested” like the first generation devices have.
From the recall website, it says “Spot LLC is dedicated to providing the highest quality and best performance products to our customers, therefore, Spot LLC will be conducting a voluntary return on any new model SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ (SPOT 2) purchased since October 1, 2009. During recent testing, we discovered that some of the new SPOT 2 devices might not meet battery and messaging operating specifications.”
Considering what this gadget is designed for, I think any failure, no matter how small or trivial, is a critical failure. They’re doing the right thing by pulling them back for replacement.
The recall is in full effect now. To find out if your Spot-2 unit is one of the recalled units, login to your account at https://login.findmespot.com and click on the My GPS Locations tab. A message will display indicating if you have an affected SPOT-2 unit.
Replacement units should be available “early 2010”, plus you’ll get 1 extra month of your current SPOT service plan and associated services as part of the recall.
Recall : The entire “Thermoflect” product line used in MR environments
The Encompass Group announced they are voluntarily recalling the entire Thermoflect product line. This product was used in MR (Magnetic Resonance) environments, but is being pulled back for “relabeling”.
Encompass Group Corporate Compliance Officer Jea R. Gackowski said “”We are requesting that the Thermoflect blankets and other products not be used in MR conditional or MR compatible environments. We are in the process of sending labels to our customers to be attached per instructions to remind the hospitals that the product line should not be used in the MR environment.”
Wait… what? Thermoflect blankets and covers were used in MR (Magnetic Resonance) environments before, and now they’re suddenly not?
Gackowski said that in the past they stated their Thermoflect product was indeed OK to use in MR environments, and their product is still great for treating hypothermia, but “…we have been advised by the FDA that a report has been filed of an injury to an (MRI) patient. Several items are under consideration, including all of the blankets used in the MRI environment, of which Thermoflect is one. There is no evidence that the Thermoflect blanket caused the injury but as a precautionary measure we are voluntarily recalling the product line for relabeling.”
Yikes. I smell a lawsuit. A big, nasty one too. And the Encompass Group is implementing plan “CYA”.
200th post!
Just a little personal milestone here… this is the 200th post in this blog!
I remember as a kid that “issue 200” of my favorite comics usually meant something spectacular was about to happen. Some crazy new adventure would begin, some major character would get added or taken out of the storyline, or most thrilling and terrifying of all… a new writer and/or artist would start work on the next issue of the comic.
I’m still messing around with what goes where in this blog, but things are finally settling into a somewhat stable pattern. My sincere thanks to everyone who has been reading along this whole time!
And now, thanks to CoverBroswer.com, some “200th issue!” eye candy from my childhood…
Recall : Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 Count With Ez-Open Cap
Fortunately, this is not a medical-emergency recall.
“McNeil Consumer Healthcare… is expanding its voluntary recall to include all available product lots of TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP.”
Some of the Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 Count With Ez-Open Cap shipments were pulled back earlier because some customers said that when they opened the bottle, they got… “an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.”
But it’s not the capsules that are causing the cookie-tossing side effects.
“The uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The source of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole is believed to be the breakdown of a chemical used to treat wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials. The health effects of this compound have not been well studied, and to date all of the observed events reported to McNeil were temporary and non-serious.”
But still, the last thing you want when you have a headache or body ache is to add nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea to the mix.
Only Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the red ez-open cap are affected.
UPC # : 0045-0838-21
NDC Code: 8382100
Lot # : 07CMC011, 07DMC022, 07DMC024, 07FMC032, 07FMC033, 07GMC038, 07GMC039, 07HMC045, 07HMC051, 07HMC053, 07JMC064, 07JMC069, 07JMC070, 07JMC071, 07XMC055, 07XMC058, 07XMC062, 08AMC002, 08AMC005, 08CMC026, 08DMC029, 08EMC037, 08EMC039, 08FMC044, 08FMC045, 08GMC050, 08GMC053, 08GMC063, 08GMC065, 08JMC103, 08JMC109, 08JMC110, 08JMC111, 08KMC124, 08KMC127, 08KMC131, 08KMC132, 08XMC093, 08XMC094, 08XMC095, 09AMC010, 09CMC041, 09EMC075, 09EMC079, 09EMC076, 09GMC096, 09GMC097, 09GMC099, 09JMC118, 09JMC126, 09KMC133, 09KMC134, 09XMC114, 09XMC116
AT&T says “you don’t have enough towers”
This was too good not to immediately post this morning.
According to an article on the consumerist, AT&T is no longer selling iPhones in New York City. You know… the New York City? One of the greatest cities in the United States?
When the Consumerist went online with AT&T customer service to find out why, they were told by a rep named Daphne… “I am happy to be helping you today. Yes, this is correct the phone is not offered to you because New York is not ready for the iPhone. You don’t have enough towers to handle the phone.”
AT&T is not even trying anymore. They actually have the unmitigated balls to tell a customer that it’s their fault there aren’t enough towers in their city. Instead of getting off their duff and fixing their network, they’re restricting sales to new, paying customers… customers who want to buy their product… because their busted-ass network is past their capacity to manage.
“You don’t have enough towers to handle the phone.”
I think AT&Ts solution to the problem will be to fire Daphne, then issue a press release to say “we’re striving to be the best and will continue to do everything we can to be the best because we are the best at talking about what’s the best… blah blah blah.”
AT&T’s pinhead managers apparently decided not to let anyone else into their network because they’re past the maximum threshold their ancient system can handle, so they’re done with that city. And by proxy, so is the iPhone.
Hey Apple / Steve Jobs. You might want to review your contract with these idiots to see if there’s something in there you can hammer them with. Because, quite frankly, if you don’t do something about this, every other cellular carrier is going to notice you don’t mind when someone walks all over you and smacks you around a bit. And think of it this way, too… do you think Microsoft (under Gates or Ballmer) would stand for a fraction of this treatment from their partners? Ask yourself, What Would Microsoft Do if this was happening to them?
Time to unleash the hounds and get some respect back.
Monday Morning Music : 12/28/09
Every Monday I’m going to start posting some music to start the week off on the right foot.
The last Monday Morning Music post for 2009? A little surreal jam… The Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist. (Think Oingo Boingo and Primus getting together after a four day weekend bender.)
Christmas Break!
I’m going to take the rest of the week off, so there will be no new posts until Monday. (Well, unless it’s really really necessary.)
Hope everyone has a very happy, safe and very Merry Christmas!
Price Check : Sams Coca Colas
Here’s another example of some quick math saving a little money.
I was at Sam’s getting some tasty beverages for the weekend. I got to the Coca Cola section and was about to grab a tray of cokes. There was a “4/8 pack” and a “24” pack selection.
I have no idea why Sam’s has one set of coca colas listed as a “4/8” pack. 8*4=32. So really it’s a 32 pack or a 24 pack. They’re the same 12oz cans, just in different packaging and different quantities.
Sams Coca Colas A
The 32 pack was for $9.84. That works out to about .31 cents each.
Sams Coca Colas B
The 24 pack was for $5.98. That works out to about .25 cents each! A .06 cent difference per can!
Even though you get fewer 12oz colas in the 24 pack, you get a lot more for your money if you buy the 24 pack. Especially in multiples. If you needed 96 coca colas for a big birthday party, 3 of the 32 packs would cost you $29.52. While 4 of the 24 packs would cost $23.92. That would be a $5.60 difference for the same number of colas in different packaging.