December 2015 Specials

Christmas 2015 Specials:

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are in the rear-view mirror, and December is upon us. These specials will run through the month of December, and only need to be ordered, not necessarily completed, during that time. So, as long as you're in touch by the stroke of midnight at New Year's Day, you'll get the promo. Just go to skylance.us, and fill out our form, or write to sales (at) skylance.us!

#1: We Wish You A Merry Christmas:

Custom address labels for your Christmas, Holiday, or other purpose cards. You supply the information, and you'll get back labels for your cards and letters.

Base price: $15 for three pages of addresses, larger orders will have an upfront quote

Turnaround time: Generally one day – same day available for rush orders

#2: Just Like The Ones We Used To Know:

We'll transfer your old home movies to DVD for you. We can handle VHS to DVD, or Blu-ray, if you prefer, for home movies. This is a great way of preserving your family memories, or making gifts.

Base price: $10 per 2 hour tape conversion

Additional options:

• Content on Blu-Ray Disc: +$5
• Custom Photo On Disc: +$5 first, $3 each addtional
• Additional DVD Copy: +2.50 each
• Additional Blu-Ray Copy: +$5 each
• DVD Case: +$1 each
• DVD Custom Insert/Art: +$5 first, $3 each additional

Turnaround time: Varies by project size. Realistic return times will be discussed upon order. Rush orders (one or same day in some cases) are possible.

#3: Clean Up For Santa

While you're doing all the prepwork for the house, we'll handle the cleanup on the computer. Running slow? Does it take you to pages you didn't ask for? Are things just not responding right anymore? We can fix that!

Base price: $30 per PC, though may increase depending on virus and malware issues.

Turnaround time: Varies by order size, and some complexities – may be as little as one or same-day

BONUS PRIZE!

All orders will result in the customer's name being entered into a drawing for a mystery prize. Drawing will be held on 1/1/2016

Yet another scam....

How It All Began:

So, I'm sitting here, minding my own business, sifting through the mail the other day, and something unusual catches my eye.   The first thing that I notice is that the name is wrong.  It has an incorrect variation of my name, along with an email address which is unassigned on my domain.   The latter got it caught in my catch-all, the former made me a little curious.  In general, the only people who use that incorrect variation of my name are people who make the incorrect assumption that that is my full name.  It's not.   Before I send this into the memory hole, and block the sender's IP and domains as spam, I notice that it's also referencing a client's company by name.   Perhaps I will have to look a little deeper into this.   What could have happened?  Disgruntled former employee?   Possible.  There have been enough of those, and some guesswork instead of seeing my actual business card may have yielded to guessing.   One of the machines got infected/hacked/compromised?  Possible, but would not explain the wrong name and email.   That would involve guessing or assumption.    Combing social media/search engines?   Client thinks so, but I say "very unlikely".  I say that because there are absolutely no professional listings that would use either name or email.      There are a couple other scenarios, but the most likely are some contact of his, along with some guesswork.

What it said:

Basically, I was addressed by (incorrect) name to be a guest of a Shelly Fitzgerald.   The email was written as a follow-up (titled as such) to an invitation to a "Chicago Tech Summit" at the Marriott Medical District/UIC "at no charge".  However, I'm encouraged to "register right away", and I'm given a link.   At this, she signs off as "Planning Director, Chicago Tech Summit".  Conveniently there is no contact information.   From my years in dealing with spam, I'm skeptical of return address validity.   I do a little lookup:

host chicago-summit.com
chicago-summit.com has address 69.94.129.202
chicago-summit.com mail is handled by 10 mail.chicago-summit.com.

I looked up the domain, too, and here is the significant Whois information:

Domain Name: CHICAGO-SUMMIT.COM
Registry Domain ID: 1941529691_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.enom.com
Registrar URL: www.enom.com
Updated Date: 2015-06-23T13:38:22.00Z
Creation Date: 2015-06-23T20:38:00.00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-06-23T20:38:00.00Z
Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Registrar IANA ID: 48
Reseller: NAMECHEAP.COM

In bold I've noted that this "Chicago Tech Summit"'s website was just registered on June 23.   I left off the registrant information because they used Privacy Guard, who there's nothing useful other than the registration dates and registrar.  I also don't find any significant references to it on the Internet - at least nothing positive.    Time to check it out.    First thing up, this site screams "cookie cutter".   I'll circle back to this in a bit.   Something that stands out to me is the sheer volume of "corporate sponsors"  

Following up what appears to be a logo-collage, is a schedule of the day's events for this "tech summit". For some reason (maybe because this is my field?) the itinerary looks fishy.  Maybe that it doesn't seem to mesh with the sponsors, maybe there is no advertised or suggested keynote speaker.  Maybe it's some of the vague terminology in the "schedule of events"? 

There's still also the "free" aspect, which seems to ring that bell about a free lunch - since lunch is included too.    

So, as I look on this page, the only thing I see is a phone number (312) 491-1234 (this is the hotel phone number).   By the way, as of the writing of this, the hotel does have an interest reservation, but it's not guaranteed, and the names affiliated do not match.   What they have is "Biz Summits".   I'm even more suspicious now. 

I look a bit deeper...

At this point in time, I have looked at the domain (chicago-summits).  On the surface, this seems a dead end, since I don't have much to go on from.  Ahh, but I also have the email headers.  This indicates to me that the email came from a device called "shelly-mac" on an internal network to the server "columbussummit.com".  Looking at this site, it appears pretty much the same as chicago-summit.   Pictures are the same, the domain was registered the same day, same registrar, and the same privacy guard as the Chicago.   The only differences are that this one is hosted in a hotel in Columbus, OH, and has the hotel's info:  The Westin Columbus - (614) 228-3800.   

host columbussummit.com
columbussummit.com has address 66.118.163.227
columbussummit.com mail is handled by 10 mail.columbussummit.com.

I am noticing something though an email with a techsummits.org domain.   Techsummits.org has a little more info in the whois.   For instance, they list a registratnt of Biz Summits, with an Atlanta, GA postal address.   They also list a human as their point of contact - Shelly Fitzgerald (I've read that name before....).   For the time being, I will refrain from posting the contact number, as the Tennessee phone number listed in Whois is apparently her personal cell phone, and she was very surprised to have a phone call on it regarding  the... anomalies ... in her email.  She did her best to assure me that this is a legitimate "summit" and should prove valuable, and such.   Sorry, but I'm not buying it.   I'm also noticing the "confidentiality notice" in her email.   She would like me to mail her so that she can figure out "how I got contacted, in the manner I was".   

As I'm listening to her try to go into snake-oil mode, I'm also noticing the "confidentiality notice, which again has the wrong name & email address.   However for contact information, it tells me to contact a Thomas [left out] at [Address Withheld] in Kankakee, IL.   A public records search of that man's name shows two people in America with that name.  There is a possible 80+ year old man in Michigan, and a 65+ year man in Indiana.  Neither is close to Kankakee.  In fact, the woman at the Kankakee address has had her postal address used and abused by purveyors of the bogus, and this is just one more thing with which she is not affiliated. 

A little deeper into it... 

Using the phone number and contact name from the "techsummits" whois, I run a search.   It wouldn't be a surprise to see that it's either a fake number, or has a ton of complaints.    The number matches up with some other cookie-cutter "summit" sites.   They also reference Ms Fitzgerald connected to this phone number.   This is the point at which I made my contact.   She did seem genuinely surprised, as she thought her number was sanitized from the websites.   

I mentioned earlier about the "logo collage" on the page.   It's interesting that some of these "sponsors" don't know that they're sponsoring events in at least two cities (per the email referencing Chicago, and coming from Columbus).  Playing around with certain keywords, other cities can be found to be tied to this outfit - more than just two cities.

I also find interesting the low quality that went into putting this together.   I would expect a company that is claiming to be on the cutting edge with "tech summits" to inform guests of the latest and greatest; would have such mediocre presentation, images lifted from other sites, and very poor SEO.   In order to actually find a first-page result with Google, I need to to provide more search terms.   This doesn't do well for their visibility.

Also interesting is that when I plug in some other terms (like "BizSummits") I find a lot of people that take issue with the parent/other aspect of this "company".   For instance this site breaks down some similar *summit emails over a few year period of time.  This one  from 2012 describes how one individual questioned the legitimacy, with her follow-up detailing an attempted (empty) threat by a representative of the company for daring to question legitimacy.    Getting a bit more direct, this link calls them out as the scam they appear to be.   Not only are the "advertising tactics" called into question, but the photos used for the web sites are shown to be pilfered from other web sites.   hrm, I wonder, if they get their pictures and templates from others,... do they actually buy their software, or .... (Not accusing, just wondering....).  

That last page also includes a conversation thread where the "executives" are attempting to bribe their way into having the post removed/amended with "free membership".  They're also attempting to shout-down criticism.  Riddle me this, Batman:   If this *summits outfit is so big, and busy and whatnot, how doe their executives have the time to get into spats with bloggers?   

I found another interesting thing about them.  Their signup page?   Well, that's not secure, either.   So, they have a web submission form, where you can put in all your personals - including CC, expiration, CVN.   It looks an awful lot like most of the bank scam sites I've reported over the years.  But, even if they are "legitimate business people", the payment site is not secure, and subject to malicious behavior.

My conclusion: 

I see a lot of scams cross my inbox and catchall.   This feels like another one.  Frankly, I don't care if Shelly Fitzgerald, Michael Price, or Kristin Mathis get their knickers in a twist over this.   My opinion is my opinion.  It is not for sale in exchange for snake oil, and I do not intend to retract this.   My conclusion is based on the following facts:

1. The "summit" domains were mostly registered with privacy guard just over two months ago as of the time of this posting. If legit, I would expect them to proudly attach their name.
2. Basic Internet searches for the events (which if truly sponsored by the claimed corporations should be highly ranked) reveal second or lower page results - This indicates poor SEO,  Why would major corporations (or professionals) invest trust or money?
3. The advertising is deceptive, and shady (sending to a non-person and unassigned email address, and writing as if they had a pre-existing relationship with this non-entity?)
4. The email contains intentionally false contact information.
5. There clearly was no "opt-in" to this.  There clearly was no pre-existing relationship in any fashion.  Nor will there be, moving forward.
6. There also was no real "opt out" (not like those usually work with spammers and scammers) either.  
7. The "summit hosting company" made it intentionally difficult to find contact information beyond hotel phone numbers and addresses.   
8. The agenda looks to be rushed and vague.   No "keynote speakers" are listed.   Also, some of the topics seem vague to the point that they appear worth less than a basic Internet search
9. If the quality of the program is questionable, the quality of the signup page looks worse.   How is it that a "tech summit" is accepting credit cards through a non-secure page?
10. Regarding their pages, they seem to copy a lot from others.    or just use stock.   Professionally, I see this as somewhere between a no-no, and a lazy/incompetent web designer.  This doesn't inspire confidence in their leadership ability.

From a bit deeper of a web search, I find they have their fingers in all sorts of pies, with regard to "summits".   They also have  a share of criticism.   Other than self-promotion, I'm not finding much in terms of praise or kudos.  I'd be more inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt as a startup (from the 2-month old domain registries), but the 3-year old  negative reviews on the same folks tell a different tale.  I'd recommend letting a dog guard your steak, before signing up for one of these "summits". 

Data: 

"Columbus Summit" (from source of email)

host columbussummit.com
columbussummit.com has address 66.118.163.227
columbussummit.com mail is handled by 10 mail.columbussummit.com.

whois 66.118.163.227

[trimmed a bit for relevance]

NetRange:       66.118.128.0 - 66.118.191.255
<>
OrgName:        Sago Networks
OrgId:          SAGO
Address:        4465 W. Gandy Blvd
Address:        STE 800
City:           Tampa
StateProv:      FL
PostalCode:     33611
Country:        US

<>
OrgAbuseHandle: ABUSE32-ARIN
OrgAbuseName:   Abuse Team
OrgAbusePhone:  +1-866-366-3640
OrgAbuseEmail:  abuse@sagonet.com

 whois columbussummit.com

Domain Name: COLUMBUSSUMMIT.COM
Registry Domain ID: 1941527913_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.enom.com
Registrar URL: www.enom.com
Updated Date: 2015-06-23T13:16:53.00Z
Creation Date: 2015-06-23T20:16:00.00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-06-23T20:16:00.00Z
Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Registrar IANA ID: 48
Reseller: NAMECHEAP.COM
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited https://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: WHOISGUARD PROTECTED

"Chicago Summit" (from body)

host chicago-summit.com
chicago-summit.com has address 69.94.129.202
chicago-summit.com mail is handled by 10 mail.chicago-summit.com.

whois 69.94.129.202

NetRange:       69.94.129.192 - 69.94.129.203
CIDR:           69.94.129.192/29, 69.94.129.200/30
NetName:        DATANOC
NetHandle:      NET-69-94-129-192-1
Parent:         DATANOC (NET-69-94-128-0-1)
NetType:        Reassigned
OriginAS:       AS16578
Customer:       MICHAEL PRICE (C01244624)
RegDate:        2005-12-15
Updated:        2010-04-28
Ref:            http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-69-94-129-192-1


CustName:       MICHAEL PRICE
Address:        801 Kellerman Kreek
Address:        BIZSUMMITS
City:           Marietta
StateProv:      GA
PostalCode:     30068
Country:        US
RegDate:        2005-12-15
Updated:        2011-03-19
Ref:            http://whois.arin.net/rest/customer/C01244624

OrgTechHandle: IPTEC7-ARIN
OrgTechName:   Ip Technician
OrgTechPhone:  +1-916-366-0170
OrgTechEmail:  iptech@lanset.com
OrgTechRef:    http://whois.arin.net/rest/poc/IPTEC7-ARIN

OrgAbuseHandle: ABUSE1152-ARIN
OrgAbuseName:   Abuse Department
OrgAbusePhone:  +1-916-366-0170
OrgAbuseEmail:  abuse@lanset.com

whois chicago-summit.com

Domain Name: CHICAGO-SUMMIT.COM
Registry Domain ID: 1941529691_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.enom.com
Registrar URL: www.enom.com
Updated Date: 2015-06-23T13:38:22.00Z
Creation Date: 2015-06-23T20:38:00.00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-06-23T20:38:00.00Z
Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Registrar IANA ID: 48
Reseller: NAMECHEAP.COM
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited https://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: WHOISGUARD PROTECTED

"Techsummits.org" (referenced in the website)

As a courtesy, I will not post the whois information, as it appears to contain Ms Fitzgerald's personal cell phone as the number.  

host techsummits.org
techsummits.org has address 72.9.103.219
techsummits.org mail is handled by 10 mail.techsummits.org.

Tiger Direct & Ink

Caveat Emptor Tiger?

When I began my third phone call in two days with Tiger Direct's call center, today, I was prepared for what I received.   Unfortunately, my negative expectations have been systemic of Systemax's former retail store in recent months.  Recent calls have met the diminished expectations.

To set the stage, in March I found that my local Tiger store was closing.   Further, that all (but the flagship in Miami, and ones in Puerto Rico) were closing, nationwide.   With this, I took advantage of the "Store Closing Sale".   Included in my purchase were several packs of inkjet cartridges.

Fast-forward to yesterday:  I opened another of the packs of inkjet cartridges, and discovered that the color cartridge was "counterfeit" (per two printer displays).   More than likely, this was just defective, though.  

I was told to contact the point of sale - Tiger.  However, as Tiger has not had a retail store - let alone the retail store used - in months, I had to contact their customer service line.   After 57 minutes of hold time, I got "Alex" on the phone.   We had a communication problem, it seemed, because he kept suggesting that I contact the store.   Eventually, we got onto, what I thought, was the same page.   He saw my receipt from the transactions, and placed me on hold.   Over one hour of hold music later, my call was terminated - after "Alex" told me that he was going to be "just 1 to 2 minutes". I did not have time to stay on hold for a followup call at the time, and when I did call back, I learned that their call center hours have also been reduced.

Today, I called back, and after a comparable hold time, I received another agent - "Jason", I believe his name was.  While he "was terribly sorry" an awful lot, he was no help, whatsoever.  Per him, I should have discovered this problem sooner.   When pressed, this meant that yes, I should have opened and tested each ink cartridge at the time.  Also, per him they only handle issues relating to online orders, and that I would have to take it up with the store.   Impossible now, as it would have been 2-3 weeks after point of sale. For the record, ink cartridges begin to dry out upon opening the package.  Further, their cartridges have a one-year warranty.

Instead of a company that was looking to help a long-time customer, I was met with a representative attempting to lay fault on the customer.   There was no deviation from the script.   It was "my fault" (in summation) for the problems experienced, and the company line was that there would be no deviation from this script.   The representative, in fact, would not escalate my call.  While I was told that he was notating it, I am not holding faith in any type of actual resolution within - or after - the next few days.

Previously, I was more than happy to use - and refer Tiger.  Unfortunately, I have a more difficult time now.    "Customer service" requires patience.  "Good customer service", on the other hand, is absent.    When call center reps divert and disconnect an inquiry - or take hide behind a script to excuse defective or counterfeit products carried - they do a disservice to the company.

Will I "never" do business with Tiger Direct, again?   This is hard to say.  I may  use them in the future.   However, I have a number of comparable - or better - vendors I can use for clients or the office.   Their value has dropped. The recent experiences have only hurt their reputation - and chances of future business/referrals.

Product Review - "From The Heart" CD

Not too long ago, I got a message from a friend.  The short form is "We put together a CD, with proceeds going to charity.  Would you mind having a listen?". 

There's quite a bit more to it, though, so, I'll borrow from my initial message, and the website.   Brian, who let me know about this project, was influenced by Steven Cooper, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA),  He wanted to do something to help:

Our first thought was to put together a benefit gig to raise money and awareness. I know a lot of really talented musicians. Musicians often get together and play fund raising events (Bless them all).

In our case it just didn’t make sense. The artists I know are spread out amongst the state too far and wide to make it happen. We decided to write original music and came up with a mixed genre CD. Instead of asking our talented friends to appear at a benefit gig….we would ask them to donate a solo or performance to the CD.

 As time went on, 14 original tracks were written, and guest musicians contacted.   The result being From The Heart.  This link gives details about all of the musicians who graciously donated their time and talent toward this project.

"100% of the proceeds will be donated to Steven’s Walk and SMA"

 Now, Voger's been a friend of the family since long before I was around.   So, I've already got two good reasons to check out this album.  Further, though, as a amateur player, myself, with several musician friends, I like being able to directly support artists when I can (picking up albums or merch, hitting some concerts, plugging projects, etc).   I ordered my copy, probably within 10 minutes of reading his message.  It showed up in my mailbox faster than I anticipated.

Now comes time for my review.   What did I think about this?   The short answer is "I liked it".   But, I'd much rather give an answer that doesn't fit within the parameters of a Twitter post.    

What I heard though these songs echoed the "Music" page.  I had the privilege of growing up with a father who introduced me to what would now be referred to as "Classic Rock" - Kansas, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and such were part of my formative years - and would be reinforced as I got older.   What I heard through the tracks on From The Heart was an assortment of new songs that touched on the rock, R&B, and a bit of folk/country that still are a staple of my entertainment.   The guest artists gave each track a unique feel to it.  The songs were well written.   I've listened through the album several times. 

The bottom line:   I've enjoyed this album (several times).  Not only is it good music, but the proceeds are going to a good cause.   For the quality, and the cause, I recommend picking up a copy of From The Heart!  


Thanks to the artists who donated their time and talent, and thanks Voger for letting me know about this!

Product Review: Sony Walkman NWZ-E385 16GB MP3 Player

Sony's Walkman line was iconic during the cassette tape era.  In fact, the product name became synonymous with portable cassette players, regardless of manufacturer.   Cassettes are pretty much a thing of the past, today; and the Sony Walkman product line has been present in the portable media market still (though a different manufacturer's media player has become a generic term).

My first experience with the Sony Walkman player was in 2007, as a gift.   I found the tactile interface preferable, for my needs, and the 4GB was adequate at the time.   With time, I would upgrade my device, a couple times.   I stayed within the Sony family.  This had more to do with re-evaluation at each purchase time for features and cost. My most recent model was the NWZ-E465 (16 GB).

The NWZ-E385 was purchased through Best Buy on 5/29/2015, with a sale price of $78.99.   My reason for upgrading was the beginning of a short in the headphones, though no issue when playing through USB.  

My first observation on the recent version of this mp3 player were some subtle changes.   This player now uses a standard miniUSB cable, vs the proprietary Sony cable used by previous models.   This makes replacement a less challenging project, when needed.   I also noticed that the volume and hold switches were now in the face of the device, vs on the side.   These may take some getting used to, though the hold seems to be a bit more awkward than on previous versions.

The "pro" side of the NWZ-E385:

• Compact & lightweight (similar or lighter than previous)
• Tactile interface (very useful for non-visual operation)
• Clear screen for videos or easy reading of screens
• Several options on the "home" screen (FM radio, music, videos, photos)
• Good sound quality on playback
• MiniUSB port 
• Drag 'n' Drop convenience from Windows and Linux

Unfortunately, Sony, I found quite the list of "cons" on this model.   Specifically, in comparison to the NWZ-465 (several years old), I have observed the following:

• Device enters "hold" mode automatically, even when not selected by user
• Device no longer has microphone or voice recording
• Hold button on face is somewhat awkward when not looking at device
• "Bookmarks" feature no longer available
• "Play-through" feature no longer available
• Alphabetic selection now goes through groups vs individual letters (ie N-P vs N, O, P)
• Does not recognize all tag information. Some genuine albums show as "unknown" artist/song/album.

The features I find most disappointing in this model are the removal of the bookmarks and play-through.   Play-through was nice in that it allowed continuous play from one album/artist to the next (if the mode was properly set).  The bookmarks feature had been extremely useful.   On the 465, this allowed for five separate bookmark lists of up to 100 tracks each, permitting on-the-fly playlist creation and editing.   While the E385 allows playlists, these files are not as convenient for on-the-fly use.    Given my normal usage, this makes the device rather inconvenient.


Conclusion:
While Sony has had excellent products in this product line before, it appears that they have taken a drastic step backwards.   Gone are the features that I previously found useful, and at present, the device seems to have been a half-hearted attempt to put something on the market.   I have been in touch with Sony's product support, inquiring if there was a firmware or operating system update which would fix some of the device shortcomings.   Unfortunately, the responses I received were "I don't know", and "there is a Sony file transfer software download".   The latter is merely an alternative to Drag 'n' Drop, which does nothing for the device functionality.  

Is Sony getting out of the portable media player industry?   After seeing the NWZ-E385, my guess would be "yes".   This device is a neutered version of previous models - of which I've owned and given glowing past reviews.  Sony lists a 128GB and 64GB device, but with a $1,200 and $300 price tag, respectively, they are not comparable products.

There is a strong likelihood that this player will be returned within the return period.  While I dislike doing this, I may find a better alternative in either an older Sony player or a different manufacturer's product.

Product Review - Cooler Master Seidon 120V Liquid Cooler

Some time ago, I reviewed the Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid Cooler.   This was just one of Corsair's offerings in liquid cooling.  Other manufacturers have released similar self-contained CPU liquid coolers, as well.  

Component manufacturer Cooler Master got into this game in mid-2013 with the Seidon liquid cooler.  Comparable to the Corsair models, there are a couple versions.   Cooler Master has also released a Nepton line.    This will be limited in scope to the Seidon 120V.

I took an interest in this product when it was new, but never moved on it until fairly recently.   25% off during a Tiger Direct  store closing helped make up my mind on it. 

From the package, it claimed to work with (pretty much) every socket processor (CPU) out there.   Since I needed something good to cool down a Xeon, I figured this would be good.   Previously with my other Xeons, I've used H60's, which have  worked straight out of the box.   Well, you know, they say something about "assuming"....


As I had everything ready for my assembly, I found that the Seidon will work with a socket 1366 CPU, but only with the Cooler Master mounting hardware.   This includes a special back plate.   Unfortunately, my Supermicro board has a connected backplate for mounting a cooler.   While some boards have removable backplates, the Supermicro do not.  Removal of this plate will damage the board. 

No worries, though, as my editing machine has an H60, though in an AMD configuration.   Easy enough, with a Phillips head screwdriver, I've switched the Corsair to Intel, and mounted it in the Xeon's case, and it's assembled and ready to go.    On to the editing machine, though, I find that the radiator does not fit properly in one mounting position, the power cords do not reach the headers from another, and a few other headaches.   This starts me on a game of Musical Components for a couple hours over two days.   Eventually, I get it tweaked up and running. 

Observations on the Seidon 120V:
My first observation was that with the backplate screwed down tightly, it still feels "loose".   With slight force, it's got a rotational "wiggle".   At first I thought this may settle down after the thermal compound has had a chance to heat up and whatnot.   Unfortunately, even with that, it's still been wobbly. On the plus side, though, it's only when rotational force is applied, which is not going to be happening while it's running.

My second observation, is that the Seidon is not nearly as quiet as the H60 was (and still is).The machine I am presently using to type this has two H60's, Three Cooler Master 120mm fans, and one 200mm Cooler Master fan.  It runs fairly silent, but for occasional fan spikes and beeps.  Sound decreases when the PC cabinet door is closed, though it's still audible in the room.

Frostytech measured the Seidon 120V at 54.3dBA noise with stock fan/speed.  The temperature, after sitting idle for some time, is, at present, 59°C/ 134°F for an AMD FX 4100.   For comparison the Corsair keeps this unit generally between 26-40°C, depending on load, and had the AMD running at about 30-32°C.   I will follow up on this after checking the thermal compound.




Conclusion:
I wanted to like this product.   I have had several Cooler Master components over the years - cases, power supplies, etc.  I generally trust the brand.   I wasn't as impressed in the end with the Seidon 120V.   It's a good cooler, but it does not seem to live up to the claims on the website:

Seidon

Cooler Master’s compact all-in-one water cooling kit that aims to bring water cooling to the masses. It fits in virtually every case, is compatible with every available Intel and AMD platform, and is as easy to install as a standard heat sink.

•  While it does fit a 1366 board, it would not work with the board I intended to use.  I give it a pass, because it's an unusual board.
• This wasn't the most difficult component to mount, but it got to cycle between several ATX cases - including a Cooler Master - before finally fitting in one.
• "As easy to install as a standard heat sink"is not exactly accurate.   At present it is mounted in an Asus board on an AMD FX 4100 CPU.   Mounting required the board to be removed, Asus bracket removed, backplate fed through, backplate held into place for mounting, and board to be re-installed in case.   This may be a little different on initial assembly vs modification

Ultimately, it seems to be a decent cooler.  While the temperatures and sounds are higher than before, it still falls within tolerance, and the PC operating sound is far from that of a bearing going bad in a fan.   While the fan can be lowered (reducing the sound), it will also increase the operating temperatures. "Decent", however, is just that.  I kept comparing it to the H60; and it kept coming in second place.   Were it not for the No Refund policy during the store-closing event, I may have considered returning this, and grabbing an alternative. 

This doesn't put me off Cooler Master products in any way.   I'm still curious as to the new Nepton coolers' capabilities.   I'm very content with my other CM products.   While I'll probably "get used to"the sound here, I don't see myself replacing it, as yet.  

Mozilla Matchstick: Kickstarter Update on Febrary Release

I have to admit, I was excited  to see the Kickstarter campaign for Mozilla's Matchstick.   Their new streaming device was funded a few months back, with the promise of developer units shipping in November, as well as the first-run production units.  Following this, backers were told that their units should ship in February 2015.   I had hoped to bring a product review on this at some point this month.

Unfortunately, since the early units shipped, communication has been light from Mozilla.  Upon checking my email yesterday, I found a message from Kickstarter "Project Update #16: Matchstick - The Streaming Stick Built On Firefox OS by Matchstick.tv".   My first thought?  "Great, it's February, I should be getting my shipping confirmation soon!"  My hopes were immediately dashed upon opening this email, as the subject inside was "February Update:  Product Delay, Hardware, DRM, Content, and more!"

This is the start of their update:

Hello Matchstick Fans!

We’ll cut to the chase; Matchstick is not going to ship in February. 

It’s been a very busy couple of months and we’ve had to make some hard decisions about how to move forward. We’ve decided to release the product when it is ready, and anticipate that to be in August 2015. Let us explain more.

There is more to it, and I'll touch on what the "delays" hope to accomplish.   To read the rest of this, along with some backer comments, please go here. Some of the user comments may run a little blue. 

There were a few points made in the rest of the message.   They hope to be able to add more content providers to the device.   They have to work in some DRM (Digital Rights Management) in order to appease some of the content providers.  They are looking to release devices with a quad core, vs dual core processor.   They want to update the software to go with the updated hardware.

I was a backer to this project.   This is not my first crowd-funding project for which I have supported.  It won't be my last,.   I understand that delays can happen.  At the point in time when I actually receive my devices, I intend to give a fair and thorough evaluation on the product, itself.   It will now have a new category in the eval: "Worth the wait?"

The thing that stands out the most to me here, though is the timing.   Days to weeks before the items were supposed to ship, they release this notice?  In the afternoon on a Friday?   Bad form, there Mozilla.  During the funding period communication was great.  Unfortunately it died off following completion.   However, the update from CES 2015 indicated no problems. In fact, the product was demonstrated at CES last month with talk of weeks to delivery. 

I find it hard to believe that the inability to deliver on time was truly a last-minute surprise.   This should have been known for some time.   It should also have been communicated with project backers.   Development for newer hardware should have been on the drawing board, but should have waited until an evaluation of the success (or failure) of this project.   It appears that instead of going into production, as promised, production is being delayed, with a tentative release point 6-7 months after initially projected.   If the devices were not in production, this could very easily have been communicated.  Slight delays are understandable


This project had a goal of $100,000.   In the time it was open, it raised over $470,000.    This was, according to early communications, enough to fund the project and add two bonus features that were slated as a later update. Things were all going good until February 6. 


I'm disappointed on several levels here.   I've worked with Mozilla's products for many years, and I expected better from them than what appears to be a last-minute decision to skip Matchstick v1, and use the funds raised for a future Matchstick v2.  This could have been handled so much better.