T-Mobile Germany issue: Stop calls from their marketing departments May 24, 2013
Posted by Steven in In-Media, mobile.Tags: Deutschland, Hints, mobile, service
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Deutsche Telekom GmbH and their various brands in Germany reach out to many households. From TV service provider to the popular mobile phone services, chances our you came in contact with “the Telekom” in one or the other way.
If you even have a contract for one of their products, chances are even higher that you automatically opted-in to be contacted for marketing and product-offer purposes.
With this post I would like to give a bit of background how annoying that can be and how you can opt-out.
First of all what is Telekom trying to do? Well in my case the used the toll free numbers 08007238102 /103 to contact me and try to persuade me to buy additional SIM cards “for my family”. The calls were very frequent and spread out through the whole day (from early mornings to almost bed-time).
I contacted Telekom support and I received the shallow answer: I need to go into my customer center to deactivate the information service.
So after several tries for me as a mobile phone customer this helped:
- go to https://mein.t-mobile.de/
- on the left hand side navigation pane – select: “InfoCenter”
- on that page (“Information und Betreuung”) uncheck all the contact measures you see
- you need to confirm the request and after an unspecified amount of time the Telekom should stop bugging you
Background:
In my personal opinion that so called service of the Telekom is more than questionable. Why is every online client automatically opted-in?
Furthermore European and German regulations have clearly moved towards explicit confirmations by the clients before a company can call us and talk to us about any offers.
German court (LG Bonn) even clearly set up a fine for companies contacting fellow citizens without permission.
See:
and:
http://openjur.de/u/452885.html
Google’s new inactive Account Manager April 13, 2013
Posted by Steven in In-Media, The-Web.Tags: Tipps
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Google launched a new ‘inactive account’ manager. So in case you can’t use your account for a certain amount of time…. You can delete your content or hand control to someone else.
Issues on Android: Gallery App and Google+ Instant Upload March 21, 2013
Posted by Steven in MobileGadgets, Technology, The-Web.Tags: Hints, Issue, Tweaks
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Google seems to tweak their photo services. If you are a Google+ user and you go to the address: http://picasaweb.google.com/ you are taken to your Google+ photos.
Now If you snap a few pictures with your Android or iOS device (where your Google+ app is installed and instant upload is activated) you may notice since Monday the Instant Upload images are stored differently. Before they were pushed into a section / Picasa Web album simply called “Instant Upload” -and in Picasa Web you could see that as a standard album called “Instant Upload”. Then if that one reaches 500 pictures old ones were moved to “Instant Upload XXXXXXXX Date” and you see the pictures rolling over.
Now since Monday you see kind of sub folders in the “Instant Upload” Picasa album. So if you snapped pictures since Monday you can check that by going to http://picasaweb.google.com/ and clicking the yellow banner taking you back to regular Picasa. Go into “Instant Upload” and you see i.e. 2013/03/19 and there are multiple pictures behind that sub album.
Now where are the issues?
For me the issue is: That once again something got changed in the way Google structures their image services without notifying users. And much worse:
On your Android device since Monday the Instant Upload Images do not show up in your Gallery app. They do show up in Google+ but not like two weeks ago – in your Gallery App as well.
Head over to Google Groups for a full description of the issue…
Now I find this very annoying. Google changing stuff and a feature which was nice and potentially many users of their flagship Android OS users were enjoying gets destroyed on the way.
Compare UK Pay-as-you-Go Tariffs March 18, 2013
Posted by Steven in MobileGadgets, Technology.Tags: Links, service, travel
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I just stumbled across a nice website comparing the conditions and prices of UK pay as you go services. The website is simple, you can put in how much voice minutes, texts and data you need. The site can also take you directly to the deals it has found. Give it a try if you need a UK SIM.
http://www.mobilephonechecker.co.uk/payg-sims/
[Update 1] And I found a very nice review of the GiffGaff in terms of service quality and pricing one could absolutely recommend GiffGaff.
Facebook / Twitter: Perfect Profile Images with Social Media Image Maker March 17, 2013
Posted by Steven in In-Media, The-Web.Tags: Hints, service, social
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I stumbled across this handy little tool. It’s amazing and beautifully designed and it lets you crop / create perfect images for social networks like Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
The tool itself is a website optimised both for mobile or regular use. It’s dead simple to use just pick what kind of service / image you want to create for and the tool guides you through the steps.
http://www.autreplanete.com/ap-social-media-image-maker/
LG Nexus 4 Production Information February 18, 2013
Posted by Steven in Technology.Tags: Hints
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There are quite some information available on Google’s new Nexus smartphone (manufactured by LG). Recently the android community discovered how you can find out details about your own Nexus 4′s production. My brief summary here is largely based on details given in this forum thread.
So let’s get started.
How to find the hardware revision of your device:
- If you know the Serial Number from the box of your Nexus device – remember it.
- If you do not know it:
- Find the IMEI of your device (i.e. by going to the dialer and entering *#06#)
- Go to the following website (while inserting your own IMEI at the appropriate position)
http://csmg.lgmobile.com:9002/csmg/b2c/client/auth_model_check2.jsp?esn=<your imei without hyphen here> - The resulting String shows interesting details and the serial number of your model in the 4th block – so at some point after A?????
Now you can either look at the serial from the box or at the above mentioned string:
Production date is encoded in the first 3 positions (reading from left to right):
1st position defines YEAR: 0 – 2010, 1 – 2011, 2 – 2012, 3 – 2013 and so on
2rd and 3rd define MONTH: 01 – January, 02 – February, 03 – March, 04 – April, 05 – May, 06 – June, 07 – July, 08 – August, 09 – September, 10 – October, 11 – November, 12 – December
4th position defines production country:
K – Korea, C – China.
In the 3rd block (A????? Block) of the aforementioned LG website output there are also some production details encoded. First letters after A seem to specify destination country / country of sale (more on that below). 4th digit in that block specifies internal storage size (8 – 8GB and G – 16GB).
Examples:
AHKGBK – Hongkong, some retailer
ADEUBK – Germany retail 16G (probably Mediamarkt)
ADEGBK – Germany Play store 16G (Google_Open_16G)
AHASBK – Hutchinson “Three” Austria
ATMOBK – T-Mobile USA
AESGBK – Spain Play store 16G (Google_Open_16G)
AFRGBK – France Play store 16G (Google_Open_16G)
AUKGBK – UK Play store 16G (Google_Open_16G)
ADE8BK – German Play store 8GB (Google_Open_8G)
AAUGBK – Australia, Google Play store 16G (Google_Open_16G)
Now additionally: If you want to find out which “hardware revision” your device has:
- boot into bootloader = switch the device off, then switch it back on while pressing volume down and power
- common know Nexus 4 hardware revisions are 10 and 11.
Amazing Google HTML 5 Santa Tracker December 24, 2012
Posted by Steven in The-Web.Tags: Hints, Html5
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Google set up an amazing HTML5 animated site showcasing where Santa is currently dropping off presents. Additionally there are a couple of games
https://www.google.com/santatracker
January 2013 Reminder: Windows 8 Upgrade Offer Ends November 22, 2012
Posted by Steven in In-Media, Saving.Tags: gadgets, shopping, software
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Just as a reminder.. just until 31.January.2013 you can buy and download a cheap 29,99 € upgrade for your Windows Vista or Windows 7 from Microsoft. All the details are summarized in Microsoft’s document:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/terms-conditions
FileSharing: Zeugen werden hoch bewertet! November 12, 2012
Posted by Steven in In-Media.Tags: Abmahnung, connectivity, justice
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Nach einem aktuellen Beitrag bei Heise Online sind Zeugenaussagen auch wichtig bei Prozessen rund um vorgeblich rechtswidrigen FileSharing.
Skyfall Fever / Royal Doulton Bulldog November 6, 2012
Posted by Steven in Freetime, In-Media, Wishlist.Tags: art, favourite, movies
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Spoiler Alert! Nowadays everyone is talking about “Skyfall” the Sam Mendes incarnation of the 23rd James Bond mission. After some hardships I was able to check out this movie. It is well made and very entertaining. It is not groundbreaking but it is a very nice firework of images and good old cool James Bond wit and action. Whether you expect the shaken Martini, beautiful women or magnificent action scenes.. you will not be disappointed.
With the gifting season upcoming – I would like to focus on a neat little Bond prop that you may want to check out. The vintage Royal Doulton Bulldog.
But first let’s explore how this collectible comes to fame during the movie.
–
After returning from an important meeting M (played by Judy Dench) and her aide Bill Tanner (played by Rory Kinnear) must stop due to some police action on the Vauxhall Bridge shortly before the MI6 headquarter. In the meantime MI6 is under some sort of cyber-attack and just when M gets out of the car an explosion occurs in the headquarter. The explosion’s focal point is right where M’s office is.
Later in the movie M talks to James in new underground offices of MI6.
During the talk James makes a joke.
J: How come your office gets hit by an explosion and all that survives is that ugly piece. (he points to the bulldog which decorated her desk before and is now present on her new replacement desk as well)
M: I have always appreciated your decorating advise.
Much later during the movie Bond meets Eve somewhere downtown London. Eve mentions that M’s will was read and she hands him a box which M wanted him to have.
Bond opens the box and finds the bulldog inside. He smiles and notes that this does not mean he should work behind a desk. In fact, he supposes it means the opposite.
–
Now I find that symbolism surrounding the bulldog quite intriguing. And the best part is: It is quite a cute little object and you can order it directly at the Doulton website. So here you find the perfect Christmas present for Bond lovers.
Bulldog at the Royal Doulton Website…
Wishlist: Bouvet-Ladubay Trésor Brut October 27, 2012
Posted by Steven in Wishlist.Tags: art, cooking, nutrition, Preferences
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This is fantastic french sparkling wine. Supposedly better and more pleasurable than some of the champagne brands. I do want a box of these babies.
Even large German retaile “Jaque’s Wein Depot” seems to have that in stock.
http://www.jacques.de/product_info.php/info/p1790_2009-bouvet-ladubay-tresor-brut.html
Update: You can also find it in a Rosé version – which I am desperate to try.
http://www.galeria-kaufhof.de/store/p/Bouvet-Ladubay-Sekt-Tresor-Brut-Rose/1000024141
Apple iOS 6.0 main features per device draw down.. October 25, 2012
Posted by Steven in Apple, In-Media.Tags: Apple, iOS, Tipps
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Follow this link (German) to understand which main iOS 6 features work on which device.
http://www.ifun.de/ios-6-kompatibel-mit-welche-funktionen-29639/
