A black and white cat ran across my path on the way to my car this morning. I wonder if I’ll get half bad luck. Or half good luck? Is the cat half full?
Archive for April, 2010
I changed internet and telephone providers seven months ago. Today, just seven short months later, everything is up and running. My internet works. My telephone works. In just seven short months…
Transferring to a new provider in the past has taken me less than one month and usually only one day without Internet connectivity.
But this provider is special.
First, there should have been a nice month overlap between my old provider and the new one, so the line wouldn’t be “lost” during transfer.
But my new provider dropped the ball and forgot to transfer the line. So it was lost.
After a month of calling and sending email, finally a technician came along to point out that I didn’t have a physical connection, because the line had been disconnected. Great. Then, I got a new line. This cost a month or so of delay and about 500 euros extra cost, in the end. Once this was transferred, we should be finished.
But my new provider had archived the request as “completed” so after a month, I called again and they asked: “Who are you?”
So, I started the procedure over again. I filled in the forms and requested transfer as soon as possible. Just one short month later and I had Internet!
But no telephone.
So, I called again. My original telephone number was no longer available, so they gave me a new one.
But they didn’t completely erase my old number from the system, so some things were still configured with my old number.
I waited another month, while they did… something… after which my Internet stopped working, again. So, I called up and after a few hours, some different settings on the modem and being transferred to a dozen different help desk operators, my Internet was back online.
But still no telephone.
So, they sent someone along. He found that a physical line in the local switching box had been changed. He changed it back. Telephone works.
But now it has a completely DIFFERENT number!
Another month, phone calls, emails, filled in a new form. “Okay, sir, we’ll transfer your new phone number on Thursday”
But Thursday came and went and Friday morning greeted us with… no Internet connection!
Called back. “Sorry, we’ll send you the new modem.” After two weeks, got the modem, installed it.
But surprise, surprise! Still no Internet or telephone.
Called back. The aren’t responding to emails anymore. No physical connection. Flashing light. We’ll look in to it. No signal. Maybe the line was cut? Wait another month (without Internet) for the technician. He snaps his fingers and the line starts working again, no explanation.
But now if I call out, I see one number and if I call that number, the operator tells me it has been disconnected. Interesting.
So, I called back and asked when they would fix the numbers. “Right, I see here that you haven’t signed this form.” Yes, I have… twice! “No, sir, can’t find it.” Okay, signed and resent. Wait a week.
But there is no response from them.
So, I call again. Form still laying in the fax machine… brilliant. Yes, transfer? Now? “Wait one week, please.“ But I waited two, just for good measure.
But no change.
So, I call again. “Oh, yes, I see there’s an error message here, sir.” Yes… and? “Well, I don’t know, sir. I’ll have someone call you back that knows what to do.” Wait a week.
But no one calls me.
And yet again, I call back. By this time they all know me. The person I need is sick. No one else can help. Wait a week. Call back. “Can you disconnect your modem, sir?” But I’m at the office. “Okay, disconnect it tonight and call back tomorrow.” You’re open on Saturday? “No sir, call back on Monday then.” So, I call back and the promise me they will try to transfer the number again next week.
But next week comes and goes, still no telephone.
By this time, I have them on speed dial. “Sir, did you already change the settings on your modem?” He asked in a tone suggesting it to be the most obvious action in the world. No, I didn’t change the settings on my modem. No one told me to do that. How can I do that? “Oh, you can’t sir, you need to the password.” Okay, what’s the password. “Oh, we can’t give out the password, sir.” Fine. Can you change the settings on the modem. “Of course, sir, but we’re really busy. I’ll try to do it within the hour.” Then everything will work and everything will be correct? “Of course, sir. We’re a professional company, sir.” So, I wait an hour…
And much to my surprise, they did it. Everything works. Internet and telephone. Done… in just seven short months.
Behold! I present to you… the future!
According to Engadget, Intel has a new sensor on the market that will make it easier than ever to measure your energy usage in the home. What makes this different from other power monitoring sensors? Evidently, you only need one. Just one plug, somewhere in your house, and you get detailed information about all your energy consuming appliances. This can give you instant feedback on spikes (microwave, printer, etc) and encourage you to turn off those lights when you leave the room.
From the article:
“A team of researchers at MIT has just announced that they have successfully modified a virus to split apart molecules of water, paving the way for an efficient and non-energy intensive method of producing hydrogen fuel. The team engineered a common, harmless bacterial virus to assemble the components needed to crack apart a molecule of water, yielding a fourfold boost in efficiency over similar processes.”
So, we’re closer to a cheap source of hydrogen. Instead of passing lots and lots of electricity through water… we let an icky virus do all the work. Brilliant! This means those silly, zero emissions hydrogen cells maybe aren’t so silly after all.
