RIM: "Oops"

I don't know about you, but before I put anything into production, I fully and completely test it before doing so. And once testing is complete, I plan on implementation on a weekend, not a Tuesday evening.

I have trouble digesting RIM's explanation of the outage last week. They contend that this was supposed to be routine upgrade, and a service wide interuption was not expected. They also went on to explain, and I beleive to get sypathy from fellow geeks, that with technology, things don't always go as planned.

Beleive what you want, but I think there is no way that their explanation makes sense.

My FiOS is on the way !

I am so excited! I am finally going to get FiOS! Surfing the web at the speed of light. Who could ask for anything more. My next mission, is a new PC.

I ordered the triple play from Verizon. I was one of the first Vonage customers. Now, I feel like I need to drop them. With the ongoing lawsuit with Verizon, and before that, the botched IPO, I feel like the ship is sinking and the Verizon rescue helicopter is there waiting.

So I will have "normal" phone, fiber internet, and Digital TV... Ok, so all my eggs are in one basket, but this basket is not going anywhere, anytime soon. I have not heard anything in regard to the digital tv from verizon. I am hoping it will be fine.. Ordered the DVR to go with it as well. Everything will be installed on the 30th.. I'll post pictures of the install on this blog as well as my experiences.. So keep checking back..

Blackberry Goes Down

Looks like Blackberry users will need to read and send messages the old fasioned way this morning. It seems as though RIMM is experiencing a system wide problem that is effecting all users in the US. RIMM stated that they need to "reset" their system, but are concerned that the backlog of messages will create an even larger problem.

I'm glad I have my Q using ActiveSync. Say what you want about Microsoft, but I can check my mail this morning. :)

Securing a Website

I was recently charged of the task of creating a secure site for clients to log into and retreive archived reports, podcasts etc... Ok, so simple task, right? WRONG? I am by no means a web developer or designer. I had several tasks to complete..

1. The site needs client login. Only clients who pay for the services are allowed access.
2. Since we only want the people who pay for the service to access the material, we need client side certificates.
3. Users name and password must be secure. So the down and dirty .htaccess will not work here.

I am sure that other tasks will arise the more I research this.
I have decided to use MS Access and ASP to do this. Wish me luck... :)

On another note; If you want an easier solution for to accepting credit cards on your secure website, may I suggest that you check out http://www.advantageprocessors.com/.

These guys offer competitive pricing and low credit card transaction rates. http://www.advantageprocessors.com/ has solutions for your brick and mortar and your "click" and motar retail needs. They are also looking for good, experienced sales people.. Here is the careers link: http://www.advantageprocessors.com/careers.php

Samsung M500 Review

I just bought the Samsung M500 and I must say, i am very impressed. With all the features that this little phone has, I have not had any freezing issues that you would get from other phones or PDA's. I also use a Motorola Q for work. I would much rather carry around the M500 over the Q any day. Not that you can compare these phones, the Q works great for email, but that's about it.

The Bluetooth feature is easy to use and set up. I have it set up to use a headset and the hands free in my car. Photos are pretty good for a phone, I just need to learn how to keep my hand steady. The music player is standard, sounds pretty good with the included stereo headphones, but if i want to listen to to decent music, I'll use my iPod.

Sprint TV is pretty cool. Streams nicely with little re-buffering. Watched Comedy Central on the train ride home with a full battery, after an hour of watching Sprint TV, my phone was ready to be recharged.

I thought I would miss the full QWERTY keyboard for text messaging, but the T9 feature has come a long way and is pretty easy to use. This is my first true Mutimedia phone, so I may just be impressed because I don't know any better. I have heard horror stories about the A900, Razr and other multimedia phones, but this one has me really impressed.