Reviews

There are 143 posts filed in Reviews (this is page 3 of 15).

Time Warner Cable raising Internet rates 40%

Time-Warner-Cable
As a customer of Earthlink’s cable modem service, I’ve been happy being relatively immune to the frequent and outrageous price hikes imposed by Time Warner Cable on its customers. I’ve heard grumblings recently from my friends unfortunate enough to still be Time Warner Cable customers that their Internet rates were going up. Thinking I was once again free from this nonsense, I chirped at how my rates weren’t rising.

Then a friend pointed out the insert in this month’s bill, clearly stating that, yes, my rates would be going up. How much, you say? By thirty-eight percent!

That’s right: Internet service that has been $41.95 per month would now be $57.99, an almost 40% jump in one month.
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Facebook echo chamber

I’ve written before about the Facebook echo chamber where, like karma, like-minded Facebook friends are drawn towards you. This becomes an echo chamber as one only hears from those who share your views.

Yesterday I was shown again just how much filtering Facebook does, when my friend Tanner Lovelace commented on an update Kelly made to Facebook.

“Wait, are you and Tanner Facebook friends?” I asked Kelly.

“I am,” she answered.

“How come I’m not Tanner’s friend?”

“Well, the only way I know Tanner is through you,” she said, “so you must be his friend.”

I checked my list of Facebook friends and, sure enough, there was Tanner. Then I checked Tanner’s page and saw how many of his updates I haven’t been getting because for some reason Facebook never thought to show them to me.

Without me knowing it, Facebook was steering me towards some friends and away from others. I never knew what I had been missing.

This is what I find really frustrating about Facebook: the view it gives you of your world is highly distorted. And you might not ever realize it.

RALEIGH: Raleigh Housing Authority: Where the streets have magicians’ names

A prominent local journalist commented that this “story” smacks of “piling on.” I have to agree. Naming streets? The nerve!

There might be a lot of things to take issue with regarding Steve Beam but to jump on him for naming streets is not one of them. This is weak and petty, N&O. It’s your credibility that’s in a disappearing act.

RALEIGH — When the Walnut Terrace public housing complex reopens next year, its residents will find that their new addresses bear the names of obscure magicians.

Steve Beam, Raleigh Housing Authority director and card-trick expert, has named the new development’s streets after historical figures in magic, most of whom – like Beam – were known for masterful illusions with a deck of playing cards.

via RALEIGH: Raleigh Housing Authority: Where the streets have magicians' names | Wake County | NewsObserver.com.

Opinion: What ‘House of Cards’ gets wrong – Joshua Braver – POLITICO.com

Kelly got me hooked on the Netflix series “House of Cards.” I spent the post-Christmas days going through all 13 episodes from Season 1. While I’m anxiously awaiting next month’s release of Season 2, I found this gem explaining what House of Cards. It’s good to keep this in mind after watching (though it does have some plot spoilers – be warned!)

I pity the writers of House of Cards.Sure, the lurid political drama, which debuted on Netflix earlier this year, has become an Internet sensation, with a dream lineup of actor Kevin Spacey and director David Fincher. Plus it’s now nominated for nine awards at the Emmys this Sunday, including outstanding drama series.

But the show’s writers have an impossible task — which makes for some far-fetched plot twists.

via Opinion: What 'House of Cards' gets wrong – Joshua Braver – POLITICO.com.

Facebook Tests Silent Auto-Play For User Videos In Mobile Feed

I’m not too keen about Facebook automatically starting videos in my Timeline. I love all of my friends but self-starting videos is a bit like coming over to my home uninvited.

In a test that could make News Feed more engaging and pave the way for video ads, Facebook’s mobile feed will start auto-playing user-uploaded videos in-line when they’re scrolled over for a small subset of US iOS and Android users. Videos play silently until tapped to full-screen, which feels slick. Facebook is expected to soon launch a new video ad unit, which might draw on this test’s feedback.

via Facebook Tests Silent Auto-Play For User Videos In Mobile Feed, Foreshadowing Video Ads | TechCrunch.

Review of the Q-See QT4760-8H4 camera set

After a recent break-in in the neighborhood, I bought a security camera system from Costco. It’s not that we necessarily need it for security but I’m a wanna-be James Bond and have long wanted a camera system. Last weekend I spent many knuckle-busting hours stringing cable through our attic and hanging cameras.

I took a few moments tonight to write up a review of the system we bought, a Q-See 16 Channel Full D1 Security System with 1TB HDD and 8 650TVL Cameras, or known by Q-See as model number QT4760-8H4. Bottom line: it’s a good system but not a great system. Costco has it for $200 off until the end of December and for that reason it’s worth checking out.

Below is the review I posted on the Costco website, which hopefully should be public in the next day or two. You read it here first!

I’ve had my Q-See system running for a few days and have some thoughts.

This system provides surprisingly good video for the price. It is a good overall value. The cameras seem sturdy, provide good resolution, and the LEDs illuminate better than I anticipated. The documentation is superior to that of most products I’ve bought. Hardware-wise, this is a solid system.
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LED bulbs are the best, hands down

The best lightbulb ever?

The best lightbulb ever?

Last week we had one of our CFL bulbs burn out in our recessed ceiling fixtures over the stairwell. It was less than five years old and due to its location is the hardest bulb in the whole house to replace. I managed to dislodge the bulb from its socket using a long light-bulb-changing pole (catching it in mid-air before it crashed to the ground), but the whole process made me determined to replace it with a longer-lasting LED bulb.

I’ve been thrilled to find LED bulbs at Costco lately. I purchased a fleet of them, with a couple of them being focused-light bulbs for my recessed fixtures rather than the diffused bulbs we’ve been using. Bad move! The spotlight-like light reminded Kelly of a sterile hotel room’s light. She would break out into show tunes while standing below them to make a point. It didn’t take more than a few songs before I realized this was not the kind of lighting we needed. Back to Costco it went.
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Nextdoor getting mixed results

Earlier this week I saw someone forward a notice to a neighborhood listserve which had first gone out over Nextdoor. The forward was prefaced with this comment:

This was on nextdoor. I hate nextdoor, I need another social network like I need a hole in my head.

I responded to the poster, asking her to elaborate. She was happy to do so:

I don’t really want my neighborhood communications shunted off into a stand-alone platform, I thought email worked well for [Belvidere Park – Woodcrest.] When I do get email notifications from nextdoor, I have to click through to see the whole thread, which I don’t want to do on my smartphone. If Nextdoor were integrated into FB, which I’m already resigned to, that would be one thing. I have zero interest in ramping up conversations in a new platform. I felt like I had to join it to stay looped into Oakwood/Mordecai events, where my office is located, because they opted into Nextdoor entirely.

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N&O unfairly portrays Russ Stephenson

Speaking of the N&O, I’m perplexed at the N&O’s portrayal of Russ Stephenson in recent stories, all written by municipal reporter Colin Campbell.

I like Colin. He and I both volunteer for Little Raleigh Radio, bringing an LPFM station to downtown Raleigh. He’s also interviewed me on occasion on Parks board matters and does a good job in his reporting. Still, his reporting on Russ has raised some questions.
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Criticism and praise for the N&O

The News and Observer has gotten me talking about it, which in my view of the media is usually a good thing.

The criticism

Earlier this week, N&O Executive Editor John Drescher defended T. Keung Hui’s reporting on the Wake school superintendent search, a story on which he extensively quoted former board member Ron Margiotta. Margiotta must have been in on confidential board discussions, and some allege boardmember John Tedesco was the source. Says John:

Margiotta’s comments angered some board members, including chairman Keith Sutton. The board members didn’t dispute the accuracy of Margiotta’s comments. But they were upset because they believed a board member must have told Margiotta, who left the board at the end of 2011, about the vote for Merrill.

I am a staunch supporter of our “Sunshine laws” and the First Amendment. Anyone doing public business need to answer to the public for their actions. That said, the most important decision a public board can make is the hire of the administrator who will actually carry out its decisions. The law provides an exception to the Open Meetings law for these personnel decisions and rightfully so. Job candidates take a huge risk in interviewing for these positions because the likelihood is high that word will get back to their current employer.
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