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Ron K.

6
Level 6 Contributor
Chicago's North Shore.

Contributor Level

Total Points
24,006

About Me

Chicago's North Shore. Psychologist, gym-rat, reading on the beach, tennis, kink-oriented, really good food and fine cinema.

How I Can Help

Consumer rights and truth in advertising. I have gift of savvy intuition. I communicate ideas & concepts pretty well.

Interests

Tennis, gym, music, and film... D/s.

144 Reviews by Ron

  • Loebermotors

11/26/21

Resolve. The problem wasn't Loeber, it was my Smart fortwo. Loeber Motors has been exemplary in resolving an issue that belonged with the car. My car's security now corrected. Best team at any dealer, I'm grateful to Joe Schlauch, Bill Lindahl, and Michael Loeber for making things right. They are people of their word, and hard to find that in any car sales. Whatever you buy, your happiness is only as safe as the dealer you buy from. These guys are good for on a promise. Very Highly recommend Loeber Motors.

  • Tessline

6/3/19

This seems the most reliable/valid accounting of Tessline I could find. There are articles supporting Tessline (sponsored by Tessline?) Many more calling the company a "Scam" and "ponzi scheme". The article I've sampled below seems the most reliable involving court actions against the company.

At the BOTTOM, you'll find the link to the full article.

"Insurer Allianz has obtained High Court injunctions against an Irish-based financial services company that is subject of a warning from the Central Bank of Ireland and a Garda investigation.

Allianz sought the injunctions against Tessline Ltd, with an address at Crescent Building Northwood Crescent, Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9, after the defendant said it was insured by Allianz.

Allianz claimed Tessline had misled customers about its insurance status in posts on social media platforms, including YouTube.

Allianz said it never insured or had an agreement with Tessline, which has held itself out to be an investment and trading firm and an "unquestionable leader in the online investment and asset management markets".

Tessline had displayed falsified signed documents with what appears to be the Allianz company seal on its website, and on social media posts, to support its claim that a contract of insurance existed between the parties, Allianz also claimed.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/allianz-gets-high-court-injunction-against-tessline-1.*******

  • Mailnesia

1/14/16

Next time you need a temporary, disposable, email address in a hurry, perhaps to register for an offer on a web site, give them your mailnesia.com address.

To create a receive-only address at mailnesia.com, just make up any name to put at the start of the domain and hand it over as your email address. I tried *******@mailnesia.com as a test. Went o site. Logged in with anonymous e-mail I created, and test worked flawlessly.

When you want to check ALL/ANY incoming messages, just head over to www.mailnesia.com and enter the name you made up. You can instantly read all the mail in that mailbox. The UI is clean, simple to use, and works flawlessly.

Mail is only kept A COUPLE days. So if you need to archive a response to mailenasia, simply copy/paste for safe keeping.

So next time you need to register for an offer, and don't want to provide your full details to a company that you've never heard of, you know what to do.

  • 7 Cups

11/3/15

7 Cups of Tea is an online emotional support service. Through a secure, anonymous bridging technology, they connect those in need of emotional support with a network of Active Listeners, individuals from all walks of life who want to provide compassionate care. Connections to Listeners are private, one-on-one conversations initiated on demand.

"Listeners" are trained online to do just that... Listen Well. Some have experience, or are degreed in the helping profession, Others just want to help, and do,

And... you can sign-up to be a Listener, if you choose. Take short Listening course online (no cost at all), then you book times, day/night, when you are able to provide your ear and thoughts to somebody who needs a friend to talk to. I'm in the helping profession, and while I truly enjoy helping people and working out issues, I'd become addicted to this. So if you look into this, as Listener, only dedicate a small amount of time to listen and help... at first, until you get a feel for how it goes.

Have issues? Depression, just broke-up with partner, can't sleep, anxious, worried about medical issue, or whatever, you can go to the site, m and find someone willing and happy to hear you out. Awesome service and NO CHARGES AT ALL.
Good luck!
Ron

  • Costco

3/24/15

90 days to have the computer in your home with absolute right to return it (before 90 days) without any questions if displeased.

After settled in w/ your computer, Costco offers a "concierge service". If something goes wrong, you contact the Costco concierge service, and an assigned agent will contact the manufacturer for, and with you, to assist in speedy and complete closure. You simply can't beat that!

  • OkCupid

3/24/15

OKCupid is notorious for blocking accounts out of the blue. It's typically males, and likely because several women singled your profile out with red flag. Note: This does not happen often. Of 3-4M users, it happens to perhaps a hundred a month. Be cool and you've likely not much to worry about.

Yes, I have been blocked. My profile is fairly blunt, and even rather salacious. My best guess my "bouncing" was for being overly blunt with my "no thanks remarks". Better to not answer mail from someone you've no interest in. In case you get caught up in this, here's a bit of info which might help? I did some research. OK Cupid, like Match.com, is own by parent company IAC *******300). I called, was connected to a friendly voice (who had nothing to do with consumers or Cupid), and explained my situation briefly and with concern. Turns out Cupid is under umbrella of Match.com, Contact is: *******824 or *******352) and look for help there. Don't expect much.

After those negatives, and all the BS aside, what makes Cupid "work", is the search mechanism of premium package: In premium one can take individual questions Cupid throws at every user, and select about five (which REALLY matter), and key them and those who answer in that fashion. For instance: I may feel strongly about a girl who likes her hair pulled during sex (not joking). I select the question "Do you like your hair pulled during sex?", and select the answer I'm hoping a woman will respond with: options to question: A."Not At All', B."Yes But Lightly', or C. "Grab a fistful and pull with all you've got". Well I select C. Now as I click search... those girls who've answered this question with "C", will be singled out and shown to me. Make sense? You get about five of these in premium, and of Cupid's 1k questions, you can truly begin to address what matters to you in every aspect of a relationship.

Hope that helps.

Update: 11-2-16
Same thing, perfectly good PAID A-member account mysteriously suit down for "Violation Of Terms". No questions, no options, no place to take concern expect what I mentioned above. CAREFUL. I'm going to twitter about this, and get anywhere I'll let you know.
Ron

Tip for consumers:
I have no idea exactly what initiates a "bump" from the site. But it seems another frustrated member's ability to fabricate wrong-doing on your part (perhaps being rebuffed when writing to you), is a very likely genesis for blocking. With all the time you might put into a genuine search for a partner on OK Cupid, your efforts are as fragile as a whimsical blocking, and you have ZERO opportunity for reinstatement to site.

Service
Value
Quality
  • Facebook

2/12/15

I'm one who doesn't care to be "tagged", in every photo which floats across Facebook's visage.
I'm not much a user, and just slightly uncomfortable others can splay my name all over the place. I feel exposed enough out there.

If you're concerned about privacy on Facebook and online in general, you can prevent your name from being suggested when Facebook recognizes you in a photo one of your friends posts.

NOTE: The setting we show you how to change here will only prevent your name from being suggested when your friends post pictures that include you. They will still be able to tag you in photos, they just won't get prompted to do so.

Here's what you do: http://bit.ly/1KQ5jGW.
Hope that helps someone.
Best,
Ron

  • Chintzee

9/18/14

If you shop on Amazon, it's very handy to know when prices of items you've been watching have dropped! Chintzee is an Amazon-based web tool that lets you keep an eye on Amazon price reductions by sending you an alert every time prices drop.

You only need to go to the homepage to try it out. The website shows the top items that have had a price drop on a daily basis. You can also start a specific search by entering product keywords, ASIN, or the Amazon URL.

To monitor the price of a specific product, click the "Watch" button, fill in the necessary details and choose to be alerted either by email or Twitter. You can also view the products' price history illustrated in a graph.

Chintzee helps you save money and time by avoiding the hassle of constantly checking up on item prices. This is especially useful when time-short and shopping to compare prices is more time than you've got.

Features:

* Helps you monitor Amazon price changes.
* Lets you receive alerts when prices go down.
* Allows you to see product price history.
* Alerts through e-mail and Twitter.
* Search for your item using keywords, ASIN, or by URL.
* Watch items.

Similar Tools: Vizzl, Amazon Discount Finder and Amazanian: Better Amazon Search.

Check out Chintzee@ www.chintzee.com
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  • Woot!

9/11/13

Fiverr features semi and full experts in field's from Writing SEO for your website, or drawing an outstanding characterization from your phone. Everything in between. One will edit your paper, another will create a cover for your E-book. Another, will write it for you. A stunning diversity of talent!

The deal is, and agreed upon work... is $5. Five bucks. Well it starts there. Add an extra (gig as they're called) bit of work: extra pages, additional copies, colour vs b&w, etc., the cost goes up - but only in $5 to $10 increments. Want it in 24 hours... add $10 bucks.

But what you're getting for a terribly reasonable price I have found a treasure trove of possibilities. For $5, plud an extra "gig" fee of $15, an A Capella instance of my singing a tune (which I thought sounded great), was sent to a professional sound engineer on Fiverr, and he added the musical track (and had to alter tempo here and there as I was off), and it was amazing. For $20? That's insane!

Check Fiverr out, it's a playground of opportunities, and, of course, you can sign-up to sell YOUR gig there as well.

CAVEAT! You have the opportunity to message with the pro, prior to agreeing on price and go-ahead. Ask ALL your questions at THAT POINT. Make sure you've all bases covered with expectation. You can ask for samples of seller's work. In the end, If what you receive is BELOW YOUR EXPECTATIONS, you can 1. Request the work be improved before you accept, or 2. Cancel the gig because it was just that bad. You can't lose.

Enjoy Fiverr.com, and hope everyone is well and prospering.
Warmly,
Ron

  • ConsumerAffairs

9/2/13

I have followed ConsumerAffairs for several years. They have excellent writers, do intensive research, and in every newsletter I receive, there's some information I have to pass-along to family & friends. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for "serious consumers".

"Who We Are: ConsumerAffairs.com is a private, non-governmental entity that empowers consumers by providing a forum for their complaints and a means for them to be contacted by lawyers if their complaints have legal merit. Your complaints and comments may be published, shared with the news media and reviewed by attorneys at no cost to you. See the FAQ for more information.

HAD A BAD TIME, OR A GOOD ONE?
Report Your Experience!
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.
Share:
* consumer
* shopping
* reviews
* reference
* consumer_affairs
* news
* business
* complaints
* activism
* information
* recalls

Here's an idea of the basics you'll find in the CA's newsletter:
* Does It Really Pay To Go Shopping On Black Friday?
* New Home Sales Rise As Mortgage Rates Fall
* Toyota Announces Recall to Fix Runaway Acceleration
* Consumers May Soon See Fewer Scam Ads
* Recall of Drop-Side Cribs Continues 2009 Pattern
* Microsoft May Face Class Action Over Xbox Live Ban
* FDA Seeks Permanent Injunction Against Sharkco Seafood
* Nearly One In Four Homeowners Under Water
* Deadline For Chinese Drywall Claims Looms
* More News...

SAFETY RECALLS
* Toyota, Lexus Models Recalled to Fix Runaway Acceleration
* Toyota Recalling 110,000 Tundra Pickups
* Electrolux ICON, Kenmore 30 PRO Gas Ranges
* Stork Craft, Fisher-Price Cribs Recalled
* 2010 Volvo XC60
* Evenflo First Choice Car Seats
* Cost Plus World Stainless Steel Cookware
* Bobby Chupete Pacifiers
* Perfect Flame Gas Grills
* Century 21 Hooded Sweats
* Gorilla EXO-Tech Safety Harness
* Three Sisters Baby Hammocks

And so very much more!_____________________________________________

UPDATE: September 2,2013

ConsumerAffairs.com. All the angry (and uninformed) mail I've gotten lately?

Mike g.
New Reviewer
Level: 0 (1 review, 0 helpful)
6/28/13
"This is an absolute scumbag company! As stated by other reviewers a business is prohibited from posting a reply to a review unless they allow consumeraffairs.com to extort money from the business. Clearly this is an unethical outfit operating on the edge of being illegal."

Leo G.
New Reviewer
Level: 0 (9 reviews, 1 helpful)
"are you promoting ConsumerAffairs.com or are you working for them?
My advise is read the comment from raven g. About ConsumerAffairs.com his story is the right one. They are charging money to companies and they are living from fake reviews. If your really are interested in consumer affairs you let companies respond throughout there webcare teams on your own website FOR FREE. But ConsumerAffairs.com is not like that.
Most review website like Consumeraffairs are showing a lot of negative issues just to put pressure on companies to pay them money for a better ranking.
Don't use them, just listen to family and friends to make a decision about a website you want to use or You were using."

Janna C. "Thanks for the review, Ron. Can you tell us about a specific example of excellent information you've passed on to friends and family about something you read in the Consumer Affairs newsletter?"

Yeah, believe I can Jenna, hows this:

"What is a college degree worth in today's job market?"
http://tinyurl.com/n6hnj6q
I think this report is terribly relevant today Jenna, how about you?

Same-sex marriages to get equal federal tax treatment
http://tinyurl.com/jwm47pb

Taxpayer reminder: Report 2010 Roth conversions this year
You may need to report half of the resulting taxable income on your 2012 return.
http://tinyurl.com/m7zgb95

Build-A-Bear recalls stuffed animal toy
The stuffed animal's eye can detach, posing a choking hazard.
http://tinyurl.com/kc4gcz6

Fat & fit? Study says it's not impossible
Inflammatory markers may more precisely identify those prone to disease
http://tinyurl.com/l22mrlp

I personally think these reports/reviews are worthwhile. No, I don't work for CA. Given the plethora of other reviews I've left while active here - thought you guys would have figured out I don't own them all?

As for all the mail (almost ten pieces recently) about Consumer Affairs, why not be good little reporters and go to the source?

Jim Hood
Founder and Editor - ConsumerAffairs.com
"Most people are way too trusting, way too polite and not nearly inquisitive enough. If everyone spent a little time reading worthwhile history, science and journalism instead of listening to blowhards and con artists, the American middle class wouldn't be imploding quite so quickly."

A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Jim occasionally studied English literature but spent most of his time as a radio reporter and free lance correspondent covering the social meltdowns of the 1960s.

A serial entrepreneur, Jim founded ConsumerAffairs.com in 1998. A former Associated Press executive, editor and reporter, he has covered just about everything imaginable and a few things that seemed unimaginable until they happened. He is unduly proud of his many enemies.

He lives in the Washington, D. C., area and Sayville, N. Y., with his long-suffering spouse and two dogs, his children having grown up and moved far away.

Email: *******@consumeraffairs.com
Phone: *******221

Note Jim offers E-mail address and phone, in case anyone has issue with ANYTHING he publishes. That's rather rare.

Site Jabber was originally about sites to make our lives easier, help avoid scams, and help save money... obviously. I've followed James R. Hood's CA site for a long time. They are some of the first with some very erudite reporting.

I don't review here very much currently. Simply too busy. The climate here has changed as well. Not so much community spirited, rather new reviewers solely (it seems) interested in discrediting anyone else. Try and focus on reporting something worthwhile... rather than tear another reviewer down?

So there's the long on James Hood & Consumer Affairs. Before anyone thinks of writing to me (Jenna, Mike, & Leo) about my owning CA, or how it's in league with the devil, do your homework. Call Jim and ask some questions. If you find something dark, then tell me and I'll retract my original review of some two years ago. Smile.

New reviewers need to grow-up a bit me-thinks.

Hope everyone is well & Happy,
Ron Kolman

  • Ghostery

6/18/13

Here's how Ghostery (a consumer Ad Blocking system) describes how they work:

"Be a web detective.

Ghostery is your window into the invisible web tags, web bugs, pixels and beacons that are included on web pages in order to get an idea of your online behavior. Ghostery tracks over 1,400 trackers and gives you a roll-call of the ad networks, behavioral data providers, web publishers, and other companies interested in your activity."

Millions of consumers use ad-blockers hoping to get away from all that flash marketing which can be such an annoyance.
A report today (06-18-13) says that one of the most popular ad-blocking services, Ghostery, is collecting data about your browsing habits all the time it's blocking ads, allowing its parent company, Evidon, to sell that data to advertisers!

"This is not a scheme," MIT quotes Scott Meyer, Evidon's CEO, as saying. It's helpful to give advertisers Ghostery's data because advertisers don't generally want to target people who have opted out of advertising, he says.

B. S. If a company is in bed with advertisers, almost certainly selling results of your browsing habits. Better to not be in bed with Ghostery on the consumer side.

Someone related to Evidon or Ghostery is bound to squeal in response to serious allegations.
Best
Ron
**************
UPDATE 05-13-15: Web Security is a serious thing. I've gotten two questions recently about the app "Ghostery", my review of which appears above. I'm not an IT/networking guru. I rely on research I've done, and use common sense. I have LifeHackers spin on Ghostery, AND, a response to LH's thoughts by the company which owns Ghostery. All in all, a fairly comprehensive look at the product, from both sides. I'm going to paste Lifehacker's thoughts, along with Ghostery's response below.

While lengthy, it's all the info you'll need to made a good decision about using the app. Hope this helps. If you disagree with what I've leave, that's fine. No need to write and argue about it. Do as you please:_____________________________

LIFEHACKER'S SPIN:
Ghostery is owned by Evidon, a company that collects and provides data to advertising companies. It has a feature called GhostRank that you can check to "support" them. The problem is, Ghostery blocks sites from gathering personal information on youbut Ghostrank will take note the ads you encounter and which ones you block, and sends that information back to advertisers so they can better formulate their ads to avoid being blocked. The data is anonymous, and Ghostery still does everything it promises to do to protect your privacy.

You could argue this is a good thing, and that it'll help advertisers create better, less intrusive ads. The other argument is that GhostRank is a tool to build a better mousetrap, as it wereunblockable ads and better tracking cookies. That's not lost on privacy advocates:

A major source of business for Evidon is selling data that helps ad companies ensure their compliance with AdChoices, a self-regulatory program supposed to help people opt out of targeted ads. Some experts say AdChoices is confusing to consumers, and it has been criticized by U.S. and EU policymakers. "Evidon has a financial incentive to encourage the program's adoption and discourage alternatives like Do Not Track and cookie blocking as well as to maintain positive relationships with intrusive advertising companies," says Jonathan Mayer, a Stanford grad student and privacy advocate active in efforts to develop a standard "Do Not Track" feature for web browsers.

EVIDON'S REPLY:: Adam DeMartino, of Ghostery, reached out to offer his side of the story. He says: The data we collect in GhostRank doesn't contain any information about the actual ads that were seen by panel members. Rather, we simply report on the technologies that are used to deliver those ads, the performance characteristics of the URLs those technologies were seen on, and if the user blocked that particular technology company. GhostRank can't see the actual ads or anything about the criteria that were used to target them.

Hit the link below to read the full story at Mashable, and then check out our favorite privacy protection tools if you need more options. Popular Ad Blocker Also Helps the Ad Industry | Mashable

Alan Henry
6/19/13 3:10pm
Well that's irritating. I guess I'll be sure Ghostrank is off.

Alan
6/19/13 3:16pm
I always found Ghostery rather bothersome when I tried it some years ago. Always found it easier to use Trueblock, and to tell Mozilla/Firefox/SeaMonkey to prevent 3rd party cookies & to let me choose which cookies to allow.

Frank
6/19/13 3:15pm
Yeah, this definitely cuts both ways (and I've been tweaking the piece because I don't want it to come off sensational) - it's opt-in, and when we were talking about it, we were both "this is great! The data they get will help them build less crappy ads that everyone doesn't just want to block" and "yeah, but having your privacy extension owned by an ad company is kinda scummy" at the same time. Ultimately, we just wanted to throw up the warning - both about the feature and the company - so people can make an educated decision.

* I still use Ghostery, and have changed my previous rating from ONE star, to FOUR, I feel the app works. There will always be a security risk, even marginally so, when you use security apps like these. Idea is to get significant benefit, while giving the least away.
"Disconnect" is an alternative to Ghostery. Check out a comparison in this forum: http://bit.ly/1bQCS0D

  • Netify.me

4/16/13

Hi Site jabber. Been awhile, hope everyone is doing great.

Need a smart "note-taking" application on your Android phone? I've got what you've been looking for!

NetMemo on Android allows you to click its app ONCE... and it begins to record audio (clearly/loudly as well - great for conversations/meetings!).

Since you can set NetMemo to STOP recording AUTOMATICALLY (at a predetermined length - 30 to 120 seconds, or endless), then ON ITS OWN send that recording to your PRE-SET E-mail address, which makes the entire dynamic virtually - "one click".

Your can select mp3 or wav file for your recording. I generally receive the NetMemo mailing in 2 - 10 minutes, depending on traffic. You can choose different colored short-cuts which function differently: Red might self-stop & auto send after 20 seconds to record quick ideas. Blue icon might be set to endless recording, with a different e-mail address. Green recording with typical start/stop functionality.

Had to pass this one along. Fantastic app! Amazing tool on your phone. (NetMemo on iOS is in development, perhaps out already? Have to look into that if you have an iPhone)

  • Zscaler

2/15/13

Whew, long, long time. I simply had to offer this up. Want to know which iOS and Android apps are problematic, have a history of causing issues, even capturing and disseminating your personal information? Here's the "about", right from the site:

Zscaler Application Profiler (ZAP) is web based tool designed to streamline the capture and analysis of HTTP(S) traffic from mobile applications. ZAP is capable of analyzing traffic from both iOS and Android applications and includes the following functionality:

Search: View summarized historical results for past scans.
Scan: Proxy traffic from a mobile device through the ZAP proxy and the mobile
App traffic will be automatically captured and analyzed
IPCU: Upload your iOS device configuration file(. Deviceinfo) to check risk score
Of installed application. It will give you overall risk score of your device.
The information provided is based on out knowledge base.

ZAP classifies traffic into the following buckets and calculates an overall risk score for the application:

Authentication: Username/password sent in clear text or using weak encoding methods.

Device Metadata Leakage: Data that can identify an individual device, such as the Unique Device Identifier (UDID). Personally Identifiable Information Leakage: Data that can identify an individual user, such as an email address, phone number or mailing address.

Exposed content: Communication with third parties such as advertising or analytics sites.

I've found several problems with apps using this web-based application tracker, and consider it a very useful tool.
Hope you're all doing well!
Ron

  • WakeupDialer

5/17/12

I've tried it and it works like a charm.
Web site takes your information then calls your phone, at predetermined time you select, with a selection of things you might like to hear on the phone at wake-up.

Simple as that!
Enjoy. Ron

  • Oneshar.es

4/12/12

Hello All. Been a while. Hope everyone is good. I really like this application:

Sending confidential information such as passwords, account information and other sensitive data in emails and IM is not necessarily safe. That data is stored with bits and pieces all over the place.

OneShare has a solution: Click the blue button on the main web page (there is NO need to sign-in or provide ANY information), paste something private into the main field, it's ENCRYPTED and you're provided with a URL which can be told, mailed, or communicated however, to whomever you wish. Once your "partner" has the URL, they navigate easily to your message.

You can select how long the data should hang around - 30 mins. Or 3 days, then - it's gone.

How secure? Here's what OneShare says:
"How Secure Is It?
No service is 100% secure. However, we do take security extremely seriously.
We use HTTPS (SSL; Port 443) to encrypt the data from your web browser to our servers. All data is stored encrypted. When someone views the unique URL that you send them; your encrypted message is deleted from our system.

Our data-center maintains the latest security updates and patches on our server.
Google Analytics is used on our site for web analytics. We, unfortunately, do not know who you are although we bet our users are rather great people.

We believe in openness and full transparency. If there's a security issue, we'd like to know. Feel free to drop us an email at *******@oneshar.es."

There you go. There's an Android and iOS version of OneShare app.

I've been using OneShare for several months, in some tantalizing ways, trying to facilitate a leak from the website. Nothing so far whatsoever. Friends, family, and colleagues have loved getting "one-time" bits of info that expires on it's own.

As always, let me know thoughts, comments, and questions. Take good care, hope to be back w/ another soon.
Ron

  • NeverLikedItAnyway

12/29/11

Purge the "leftovers" of your relationship that died.
[http://www.neverlikeditanyway.com/]

Aside from the actual breaking up part... what to do with leftovers is arguably the smarmy part of ending a relationship. The tangible remnants of being together are everywhere, sweatshirts, an earring, iPods, video games - you name it. Those odds and ends you're 'stuck' with hang there…and while others see them as interesting booty, you don't quite share the sentiment._Interesting start-up may be e-commerce way to rid yourself of those ghostly items. Never liked it anyway is an eBay for break-ups, where you can purge yourself of these items with a little catharsis on the side. Reselling jewelry from these sort of disasters has become a popular business (like Out of your life, which will actually send you a "break-up box" for the process), but what about all the other things that get left behind?_Buyers also benefit: a Mac case is half-priced on the site, with a note explaining that the seller's boyfriend "was never a good listener. Which probably explains why he bought me a Mac Air case… not only did I not have a Mac, I didn't even have a computer yet."_The site relies on humor and heartstrings more than ease of use. The buying process is less technical than Amazon and eBay addicts will like, as it begins by merely messaging the seller to set up the deal via PayPal. And the inventory is lacking at the moment. But the stories of failed relationships are where the intrigue lies, and also what leads to some serious under-pricing._Still, Never liked it anyway is skewed in favor of the lovelorn. In addition to clearing out some space, you get to gripe about your ex—something that won't help your sale over at Craigslist, but definitely will here. You even rate your recovery since the breakup, which include a bevy of emotions like "What break up?" and "Getting drunk too often."

Hope you never have the heart-ache, but interesting place to get rid of quirky stuff.
Happy&Healthy 2012/Ron

  • PrintWhatYouLike

11/28/11

Print Only The Parts Of A Web Page That You Wish
This is a "bread&butter" tool. I love it. I can now move stuff around, eliminate what's unneeded, and re-size to print exactly what I need

Most web sites now carrying loads of ads, pictures, banners, and other assorted content in addition to the actual text. Printing a web page can be difficult. Photos and banners wastes ink.

Some sites, of course, offer a "print this page" option which strips out much of the unnecessary content. But still, there are often adverts left in the printout.

What I've become accustomed to is a copy/paste of text into Word, or into my Gmail (or any other E-mail client), and print from there. No longer necessary, a MUCH more sophisticated option.

Browse to www.printwhatyoulike.com and, on the home page, enter the address of the page that you want to print. The service is completely free, and you DON'T have to register or log in. Once you've entered the URL, your chosen web page will appear on screen, with the PWYL menu to the left. You can now click around the loaded web page and highlight, or delete individual components on the page. If you know HTML, refers to any "div" area.

Once you've got exactly what you want to print, just hit the Print button and you're done.

PrintWhatYouLike is a great idea and can save you time and ink. It's free, and there's nothing to download or install either. A winner, I believe.

As always, share thoughts and opinions. If this comes in handy... rate it high!
Best/Ron

  • Gizmo.com

11/10/11

NOTE: http://bit.ly/uVvKsZ = [shorted URL] and...

[FULL URL]: http :// www.techsupportalert. Com/best-free-windows-driver-backup. Htm? Utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gizmosbest+%28Gizmo%27s+Best-ever+Freeware%29

Sorry to bog the review down with lengthy URLs, but I don't believe SJ handles path info well at all, and I don't want you to get lost!

Drivers are the files that communicate between your SOFTWARE and HARDWARE. Backing-up drivers, is a smart and incredibly useful idea. If your software CD is lost, or the web site you would go to for drivers & upgrades stops supporting your hardware/software, or simply disappears, a Driver back-up & restore suite can save your butt.

These are FREEWARE (no cost at all!) Top driver BACK-UP & RESTORE suites. Be CAREFUL in reading about the different offerings, the pluses and minuses, even do extra research online in making your selections.

Consider passing along to people who "get" this concept, and you'd like to help out. Can be a life-saver.

ALWAYS ASK SOMEONE if you are not absolutely certain what you're doing, understanding, at least check online!
Ron
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is explanation from Gizmo's site. It'; s not always written well (no clue why, they are HIGHLY regarded), but this explanation may help as well:

"Drivers are an important part of the system. They act as intermediaries between the system, and the hardware devices. They interpret the signals, and facilitate communication between the system and the devices. Without drivers, the devices won't work at all, or won't work properly.

Generally, the drivers come on a CD/DVD, with the hardware devices. As an alternative, they can also be downloaded from the manufacturer's site, and that's the best place to download the drivers, or their newer versions.

But, sometimes, the CDs can get misplaced, or lost, or the drivers might not be available from even the manufacturer's site, because they might have stopped providing support for the hardware. In such cases, the driver backup software are like a boon. These software back up the installed drivers for different devices, and even the drivers that come with Windows.

If you have an old system, and do not have a CD, or cannot get drivers from anywhere, it would be a good idea to backup all the installed drivers on the system, including the Windows drivers. Or, even if you have the CD, or the drivers, I will still recommend backing up the drivers, and storing them at a safe place, just in case. Its always better to be on the safe side.

I will also suggest backing up drivers using more than one software, so that if one program is not successful in restoring them, or misses some drivers, the other ones may still be able to do the job.

In this review, I have tried to cover programs which have the ability to backup drivers, and restore them. Some of them do not have the ability to restore, but still do a good job with the backup, and therefore, have been included. Restoring drivers manually, can be a bit tricky, so I have given preference to the programs which apart from backing up, can also restore the drivers from that backup.

Some of these software also have the ability to update the drivers, but I have not covered that in the review. This review is purely based on the abilities of the programs to backup and restore the drivers, and not updating them. As said earlier, the best place to download new versions of the drivers is from the manufacturer's site."

  • Readability

11/6/11

TFree Browser Add-In Hides Ads And Page Clutter!
[www.readability.com/addons]

Have you noticed how modern web pages have become horribly cluttered. Banner headlines, adverts, snippets of other content that the page author wants you to read, and so on? **Readability** is a browser add-on that makes a stunning difference. Once installed (I run Firefox), it appears as an icon atop your browser. With one click, the web page will seem to implode on itself and reappear with adverts and "junk" removed. This is one of the most startlingly effective tools I've seen lately in managing webpages, and how you experience them.

NOTE: When Readability is clicked, and the page is "cleaned" the data will be changed a bit. The text might be a touch larger, or have all been condensed into one font, or colour. Despite these SUBTLE changes, the page, to me, is a better read. Likely some pages won't require the 'shift' Readability creates. Others will go from nearly unusable (for all the clutter and crap), to wide-open and ad free.

You can get Readability for Safari, Firefox and Chrome. It's a free download from *www.readability.com/addons*. NOTE: The browser add-ons are free to download and use. For a fee of $5 a month you can also get additional features, such as saving pages to read later. You'll even be able to send pages to your Kindle. I have use for neither, so FREE should be good for the many.

While installing, in Firefox for instance, a safety window will pop and point-out Firefox is asking for permission to install. Select "YES", or "ALLOW", and move on. Readability will NOT hurt your system and can be easily uninstalled as any other add-on would be.

I find this fascinating. It may cause some controversy. Web pages LIKE those ads and marketing links in place for you to purposefully, or accidentally click-on, How will the "business side" feels about Readability remains to be seen.

Like to hear thoughts, and comments,
Ron

  • Simple Help.net

11/1/11

Here's the description from the site that nicely sums up what it does:

"The main purpose of Simplehelp.net is to help beginner-to-intermediate computer users learn how to do various things with their computers. Simplehelp.net teaches a wide variety of topics to all levels, such as troubleshooting email, preventing spam and removing spyware."

Using tips, tutorials and articles the site answers questions in an easy to understand format. Beginning computer users will feel comfortable here since the site is geared towards folks who are starting out and have questions but don't know where to go to get answers that are compatible with their level of knowledge.

That said, I often find interesting and useful information here, and the format of the site rates high on my usable and looks great scale. Advanced users might want to read the "About" section for some interesting tips on how the site can be useful to you.

Hope this helps someone,
Ron

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