07.16.08
Ipod Touch + 2.0 Upgrade + Canadian Laws – Credit Card = :(
So, I know it has been a VERY long time but I have been busy with things outside of computer life such as work and more work.
However! I did acquire a new toy a few months ago which was my new iPod touch! Which I absolutely love its right up there with my Tablet and HDD Camcorder! I originally wanted one so I had something to go for a run/walk with when I am alone to keep me company(really i would have settled for a nano but still) Anywho, a few months after I acquired the touch I come to find out Canada was finally going to offer the iPhone,finally. But after looking at the price plans I wasn’t feeling too down about my acquisition of the regular old ipod(it does most of the same features except for the phone and camera and sms).
Then I came to find out they were going to release the 2.0 firmware upgrade for the touch for a nominal fee. So what do I do? I run out and grab an itunes card and wait patiently…then the big day comes for upgrading and of course there was the typical problems of the server being over run and not being able to get it right away. Which hey I waited until the next day and bam I could get in …then….it asks for a credit card to purchase it….no reason why….I had $50 bucks in itunes cash in there…..so I borrow a credit card to pay the measly 9.95 and get the update.
GREAT! I’M ALL SET
One of the main things I was excited for (and so was about 90% of the people who had ipods that weren’t jailbroken were excited for) was of course the apps store. So of course I go in…browse a few free apps just to get a feel for what the apps were all about which were pretty good for free…..so then i figure well i have $50 bucks to waste lets go buy some premo apps….and what to a find..it asks me for a credit card again…..WHY?!?!?!!?
I’m sorry I do not have a credit card! I learnt my lesson when I was younger and completely and utterly refuse to get one because they just spell trouble for me. So now I only pay for things with cash that I have saved. I mean sure I could borrow someones credit card and pay them with the cash but do I really want to do that EVERY time I want an app?
So I emailed apple……the email was polite and professional(spell checked and grammar checked lol)…basically it stated that I was wondering why it was asking for a credit card when it states I have $50 on my account and if we need a credit card to buy apps as well as if that was the case if they had any other plans of making it easier for us small bunch that don’t have a credit card and can’t borrow it from mommy or daddy!
Today I finally got my response back….and it pissed me off….
This is the response(i blanked names):
Thank you for contacting Apple about the App Store. We’re so glad you’re interested in this new offering. My name is ***** and I am more than happy to work with you until everything has been resolved to your satisfaction *****!
Due to tax laws and commerce restrictions for software in Canada, unfortunately, customers residing in Canada may only purchase games and applications using a credit card.
I’m sorry *****, but you will not be able to purchase games or applications with store credit or an iTunes Gift Card in Canada.
If you have any other concerns surrounding this, feel free to include them in your reply and I’ll do my best to assist you.
Again, I apologize for this disappointment *****, I know it is a bummer!
And no, I did not add in the last part that is what it said! Again I feel as if Canada has once again been cheated out of something good from Apple. First, the OUTRAGEOUS data plans associated with the iPhone’s release and now this. I know it’s not entirely apple’s fault for either one of these issues but there must be a way that Apple can:
a)work with the iPhone provider here and reach a reasonable price plan for their product that is at least SOMEWHAT comparable to the price plans in the USA
b)Find a damn loop hole……speak with some legal people…or hell find a way for us hard working, non plastic carrying people to get some damn decent apps without hassle!
The way I see it credit card, gift card, hell itunes card, and cold hard cash is all the same thing. I paid for the card in cash……its money! ITS ALL MY MONEY!
It made me kind of laugh though because it made me think about Piracy and why so many people do it. Or even about how many people “jailbreak”/”unlock” there iPhones and iPods and have been enjoying free apps for a long time now. Because between the Government making stupid laws and companies being too greedy it’s way to complicated and expensive to abide by the law and actually pay for things now adays!
Anyways, enough about that…I know it was a long rant for my return…….but hey I was pent up lol!
My next entry will probably be an overview and review of what I can access with the new 2.0 firmware.
Until next time,
~DA~
08.09.07
Invention Round Up 1
Ok, so we all know there are some dumb,crazy, or out there inventions(sometimes a combination of all 3). I’ve been stumbling across a few of these lately and thought I would take the time to share two them with you. I might start posting 2 a week or every few days, depending on how ridiculous, or ridiculously cool it is I may post more or less.
So lets begin shall we!
Yanko Design – The Carpet Alarm Clock
Now this invention here is a great concept! You know how it is first thing in the morning you mindlessly slam your hand down on the alarm and roll over and go back to sleep. Then you wake up 2 hours late for work and all you can do is scream fuck the whole time your falling out of bed as you have one leg in your pants hopping around think your panic mode will make you get ready faster…Yeah I’m talking about the alarm.
According to the company who makes these:
“In order to turn it off, you have to get up and step on it. If you really want to make it a challenge, place it far away from your bed. Of course it wouldn’t be a clock if it didn’t have and LCD screen to indicate time too.”
Which yes its a great idea! But, if your as lazy as i am you will find a way to throw something heavy enough down there to shut it off and be late 2 hours for the third day in a row. Plus I wonder if pets can turn it off?? Might be a new excuse sweeping offices I can see it now.
Boss:“Your LATE again!!! What happened this time??”
You:“Its not my fault my cat finds my alarm clock comfy to sleep on and turned off my alarm”
The Multimedia Remote Control Wrangler
Ok someone please tell me that this is a joke! I mean honestly who would be ridiculous enough to wear this!
And if you think the picture is ridiculous here are some highlights from the website:
“The Multimedia Remote Control Wrangler (aka Remote Wrangler) has taken a novel approach to remote control storage that will be sure to take the world by storm, head first. It will certainly win the hearts (and heads) of those frustrated consumers who have had enough and are ready to regain control over their lives and remote controls.” – YES it will win hearts and take the world by storm if we all decide its fashionable to look like an utter retard!
“Keeping comfort and accessibility as the main focus, remote controls (and practically any small handheld device) can easily be attached (and detached) with a Velcro-like material. Made from a stretchable fabric, the headpiece comfortably conforms to the face and feels like a second skin, minus the acne. As an added benefit, a surprisingly quiet and effective battery powered and remote controlled temporal massager is built into the headpiece.”- Yes because you have to feel comfortable looking like a moron all day while you wear it! Plus the temporal massager is good for those who hit their head that would usually be covered by their “special ed” helmet if they weren’t wearing this contraption!
And sadly, it also states there is only 2 styles availble. Which they describe as:
“For the sports enthusiast, there is the red white and blue “Retro Sportsman” model, which has proven to be very popular in the Asian market. The demure “Antique Olive ” caters to the conservative crowd who may prefer a more discreet and formal appearance.” – Yes that looks very discreet and formal!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK!
So that’s it today for my invention round up. Mind you if I see something else I may be posting invention round up 2 soon!
~Yeah I’m a ranting, opinionated lunatic so what?!~
08.07.07
A touch of nostalgia or just marketing vomit?
Remember the 90’s when Simpsons’ mania was all over the place…. Well with the release of the long awaited full length movie it has hit again! This time it seems to be bigger than ever! It’s actually a little sickening this time around with all the marketing schemes they have had in place even before the movie was released to promote it. Grant it yes all movies are like that, any major or anticipated movie anyways.
Let’s see the big BK took on homer as the new spoke person for their new “ULTIMATE” whopper (which really isn’t that big of a deal since its just a whopper with more cheese and bacon added!). With that campaign they had the pint sized toy figures available for purchase. You know the ones I’m talking about, when your standing in line waiting to order your nice juicy burger and the little bastard in front of you can’t decide which one he wants or hes SCREAMING because the one he wants is not in stock! Yeah those figures! Also, as an added bonus BK teamed up with the simpson franchise to promote their simpsionizeme website. Which I fully admit I did try out with some ok results:
But, I’m noticing that maybe they are going a little overboard with the marketing on this movie. I mean grant it yes the simpsons are HUGE. I enjoy them and they have come a long way from when they first started, the animation is better, voices improved, story lines got a little more better but seemed to die off while they were making this movie…but still they have come a LONG way and have made a HUGE success of the idea they had!
Here is a few items they have come out with to promote the movie …now remember this is just a small fraction of what I found:
My problem is how much promotional marketing is too much? When are you over doing it? Yes I know this isn’t the only movie to have done this…Look at Transformers, LOTR, any big name movie and they all have done it. But, in all honesty, there has to be a limit to how much promotional stuff they can do. It’s ridiculous when everywhere you go your are only seeing one thing and for me at the moment its The Simpsons Movie!
What do you think? Do you think that sometimes these promoters go overboard?
~Yeah I’m a ranting, opinionated lunatic so what?!~
08.06.07
Male/Female friendship woes!
So, as many of you know I am addicted to watching vids on YouTube. While browsing around today I found a video a guy I am subscribed to made. It was about how he felt awkward talking to a girl at a bar because the conversation seemed tense versus him talking to the guy on the other side of him where they talked for hours tension free. He raised a good point/question….What is the deal with female/male friendships? Why is it that if a guy talks to a girl people automatically think they want to boink her?
One word for you! JEALOUSY! Pure jealousy. Thats the only reason why men and women cant JUST be friends. Society sees a male/female friendship as the start of something else because they want to boink one of the parties(or both in special cases) and are JEALOUS.
Take it from me, all my life I have found it easier to be friends with males versus females because I click better with males. I have always felt awkward speaking with girls or even hanging out with girls because of the fact I have little in common with them. And before you all jump on the bandwagon about this, I am purely straight just not your typical girl who does her nails and hair and tee hees about boys in the locker room*shudders at the thought*
Essentially, since I was always the one girl in a group of guys the rumors were always there. I have gone to blows with girlfriends, wives, sisters, boyfriends, mothers, and fathers because of this. It was never clear, especially to other females, why I had so many friends that were guys. They all thought it was because I wanted this guy or that guy or vice versa. When in reality I knew and MOST of the guys knew it was just because we had lots in common. Unfortunately, most people (especially significant others) had seen this as me or the guy in question living in sin and having a secret affair in the works.
This to me was fully laughable! Most of the guys I was friends with(yes Ill admit there was one or two that were the exception) I had NO, ZERO,ZILCH, interest in and they had NO interest(at least no admitted interest) in me! But, it happened over and over again…..Joe blow would get a new girlfriend and the fights started because she thought we were an item. I would get a new boyfriend and the same thing would happen. It is just because jealousy is the biggest BITCH in the world when it comes to this foolish assumption that guys and girls can’t JUST be friends.
People like drama, and what better to cause drama than to stir the pot and try to make your significant other lose their best friend of the opposite sex! *shakes her head at society* What is wrong with people? Can’t they open their eyes and see that sometimes what they think just isn’t true and move on? No because humans are animals, animals who are beasts, GREEN EYED MONSTERS who cannot accept things at face value. But, we also have to remember we are all the same just some cannot control this.
Ill admit I’ve been on the other side of the fence too. I let my green eyed monster show it’s face. But, like I just said we are all the same just some of us not to the extreme as others. I can control my jealousy and set it aside. Or if it does get that bad I will ask questions and try to find out the truth and remind myself that what I am seeing and thinking might just be that monster distorting my views on things.
I know I’ve gone on a huge rant about this but this is one of those things that kinda hits home. I’ve lost many friends and been in many arguments because society can’t except that a female and a male can JUST be friends.
And if this didn’t make sense to you….just stick it out my next blog will be more thought out and not so spur of the moment. Therefore, BETTER 
)
~Yeah I’m a ranting, opinionated lunatic so what?!~
