Friday 30 November 2012

Sumvision Cyclone Astro+ Android 7" Tablet Review

This is a review of the Cyclone Astro+ by Sumvision which is a 7" Android Tablet running Android 4.0.1 ICS that connects via WiFi.

The tablet is well constructed and allows access to the Google Play store. It has a slot to enable additional storage to be added using micro SD cards.

Sumvision Cyclone Astro+ Android 7" Tablet Review
Sumvision Cyclone Astro+ Android 7" Tablet Review

The main downside that I have found with the Cyclone Astro+ Android 7" Tablet is the Wifi connection doesn't automatically restore when in range of a previously used network. There may be a software update to resolve this but it is frustrating to need to reset the WiFi every time you move back into range of a hotspot or the tablet wakes from sleep mode

Microsoft Money 2005 Crashes on Startup Windows Vista XP

Are you having problems with Microsoft Money where it crashes on startup ? The error given is APPCRASH and identifies NTDLL.DLL as being the cause.

I recently had a MS Money file that crashes everytime that it was opened, leaving an LRD file behind of the same name as the MNY file. MS Money closed as soon as the program loaded and it wasn't possible to update any settings in the file.

On further investigation it appears that there was an error with the reports that were being shown on the home screen. A different MS Money file could be opened successfully and data viewed. In addition the repair option within Money was tried and this didn't detect any errors in the file.

In order to resolve the problem I tried a number of different solutions suggested in various forums including changing DEP settings to exclude MS Money from being checked but none of these worked.

As I thought the problem was due to the home screen configuration trying to display some invalid data and other files opened ok, I thought that being able to change the home screen configuration may resolve the problem of MS Money crashing on startup if the settings applied to any MS Money file not just the one open at the time.

The solution I found was as below:

Step 1:
Run MS Money with a new or blank file

Microsoft Money 2005 Crashes on Startup Windows Vista XP
Microsoft Money 2005 Crashes on Startup Windows Vista XP
Step2:
Go to the Tools menu and select Settings.

Step 3:
In MS Money settings, choose the Homepage Display options

Step 4:
Remove all the items in the list so the homepage will be blank.

Microsoft Money 2005 Crashes on Startup Windows Vista XP
Microsoft Money 2005 Crashes on Startup Windows Vista XP

Step 5:
Close MS Money and re-open the file that was generating the error.

Hopefully your MS Money file will now open successfully.

This experience has reminded me of the benefits of having multiple version backups of your MS Money files so that you can restore back to a recent timepoint rather than needing to input masses of  data again.

Friday 16 November 2012

Canon Pixma MG6150 Scanner Error 214550 WiFi

I've recently started getting Error Code 2,145,50 on my Canon Pixma MG6150 Printer/Scanner when scanning multi page documents back to my PC using WiFi. This has never happened before but is now happening routinely whenever scanning. The PC is running Windows Vista 64 bit.

The last scan I successfully did was at the start of Oct so I am wondering if one of the Microsoft updates in mid October has affected security or some internal settings.


Canon Pixma MG6150 Scanner Error 214550 WiFi
Canon Pixma MG6150 Scanner Error 214550 WiFi
As soon as I find a solution I will post it here but if anyone has a fix please post a reply below.

Thursday 15 November 2012

Newsnight PPI Scam Claim Company Ripoffs

Rather appropriately after I posted on the blog earlier today about the PPI Text message scams that are annoying mobile users across the country BBC Newsnight ran a report this evening about the PPI Claims industry and their methods for gaining customers.

PPI Claims Spam Text SMS message companies
Entitlement Agency PPI Claim ripoff


Newsnight PPI Scam Claim Company Ripoffs
Newsnight PPI Scam Claim Company Ripoffs
 

Is The Entitlement Agency Legitimate or a Fake Scam?

Is The Entitlement Agency Legitimate or Fake? Is Entitlement Agency a Scam? PPI Text message Spam

Despite its official sounding name The Entitlement Agency is nothing to do with government and all to do with spamming people about PPI claims. Rather misleading of them to try to use a name like that to give the appearance of helping people claim - but they have a history in this field having previously claimed Childrens Tax Credits for people as this BC news story explains http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7785813.stm

The Entitlement Agency are buying up lists of contacts harvested by spammers sending out thousands of nuisance text SMS messages to mobile phones. They may be able to legitimately claim that they are not sending out these spam text messages but by buying the lists from spammers they are creating a demand that causes more spam to be sent.

The Entitlement Agency seemed to have no interest in checking if a PPI claim was genuine but only that they wanted details to send off to their investigations team. I was very clear that no PPI was ever taken out yet they still insisted they wanted to submit a claim.

Is The Entitlement Agency Legitimate or Fake? Is Entitlement Agency a Scam?
Is The Entitlement Agency Legitimate or Fake? Is Entitlement Agency a Scam?

As a company that generates spam text messages even indirectly I would avoid any contact with them and do not give them any of your contact details. Having used methods such as spam text messaging you have no idea what will happen to your personal data once they have it.

Frozen Pension SMS Text Spam - Cash Payment Scam

Following on from the PPI compensation spam text messages the spammers have now moved on to frozen pensions. The following message was received - the receiver has no pension and there are no contact details or reason for being sent such a message.

Hi, As you have a frozen pension, you can get a large cash payment within 4 weeks. to get it started reply CASH to this text.

Message sent from 07901-277329

Frozen Pension SMS Text Spam - Cash Payment Scam
Frozen Pension SMS Text Spam - Cash Payment Scam

Hoax PPI Claim Scams SMS - PPI Insurance Claim Spam Text Messages

The hoax PPI claim scam text messages are still alive and kicking - this is one received this week. I replied to find out how much I was owed - bearing in mind I have never taken out PPI insurance.

The SMS text message reads:
We have been trying to contact you about your PPI claim, we still have £2308.34 in your name waiting to be sent to you. To get it sent out today reply PPI.

hoax ppi scam text PPI Insurance Claim Spam Text is 07747124749
The number sending PPI Insurance Claim Spam Text is 07747124749
The number sending PPI Insurance Claim Spam Text is 07747124749

It appears from the replies that any replies to this number are then sold on to various other PPI claim companies, a very dubious practice if they are obtaining leads gathered through deception like this.

Numbers used by the PPI claim companies to follow up on fake PPI claims are:

01625-665147
01902-371547
01902-371544
01902-440156
Companies operating in this way appear to be Ucall, Flame Communications

Flame Communications even placed a presentation online showing how great their spamming service was for generating leads that could produce £250,000 income from commission on PPI claims.

http://www.slideshare.net/walsh3017/ppi-hot-key-presentation-13553892

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Microsoft Money 2005 Free Download

After ending support for Microsoft Money they produced a final version that removed some of the issues with security and tie in with MSN accounts as well as fixing problems with downloading share prices from the internet.

This version is completely free and is available to download directly from Microsoft so you know it is a genuine, non-virus programme. Support for MS Money may have ceased but it is still a great piece of personal finance software and this version is a UK specific one.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/5/8/858EDC2F-1806-4D2D-85E3-0FBB08CB720A/Money2005-UK-QFE2.exe.exe

New downloads of Microsoft Stock quote prices - price updates stopped working some time ago but a developer has produced a programme to allow MS Money stock prices to update agaihttp://photo3-tech.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ms-money-quotes-working-again.htmln. Details here

Thursday 1 November 2012

Jimmy Savile on Have I Got News for You "Confession"?

Paul Merton recently stated that it had been suggested that Jimmy Savile had been exposed on Have I Got News for You but that the episode had been suppressed. Apparently it wasn't true and no such rumours are true.

However Jimmy Savile did appear on Have I Got News for You. When he was asked "Jimmy, what do you do in your caravan?" His answer was "Anyone I can lay my hands on." 

Rather shocking with the benefit of hindsight.

Watch the video at 45seconds in for the clip from  Have I Got News for You

Jimmy Savile on Have I Got News for You "admission"?
Jimmy Savile on Have I Got News for You. Is this a "Confession"?