Google Play gift cards are now available in Canada, in increments of $15, $25 and $50.
They are available at select Shopper’s Drug Mart/Pharmaprix, Future Shop, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Mac’s, Couche Tard and 7-11 stores.
Bell’s Fibe TV – Wait !
I’ve been on this service for two months now and when it comes to the television side of the service I’m quite happy.
It’s slightly cheaper than cable, the reception is pretty consistent and though time shifting is no included in the basic package, there is pretty much no need for it because of the video recorder.
Well, of course you’ve read the title of this article and know what word is coming up…. BUT !
BUT when it comes to internet I have been subjected to an issue that I think everyone should be made aware of.
During the month of August I had been noticing that my internet transfers would just stop.
I couldn’t load a page or random item so I assumed from what I had read online that my D-Link Powerline devices were failing. And I decided to go wireless until I got a wired network up to my second floor.
Then the wireless started failing.
The connection rate was high but the transfer rates started dropping erratically. And when I decided to stream an HD video from a USB stick I have connected to the back of the Bell branded Segamcom modem it worked fine.
I had never had this issue on the Fibe 12 service so I was perplexed. How could I be connecting to my local devices, including an NAS, and getting such miserable service from the internet ?
“Sync No Surf”
Apparently this issue has plagued some Segamcom modem users for years, on Bell, Teksavvy and other internet providers.
Also known as “ping no browse”, this issue causes users to be unable to surf even when they are able to use their connection to ping hosts to see if they’re active.
It can cause most users to be unable to surf for a minute to fifteen minutes and can cause modems to reboot themselves. But it also doesn’t happen to every user of a particular model of modem, which has puzzled technicians for years.
A firmware upgrade is scheduled from October to January at Bell so if you’re thinking about joining Bell Fibe ask if their modems have had their firmware upgraded before joining. And state that you are concerned about “sync no surf”.
I’ve had to inform myself of this issue independently from their tech service, who have had me reboot my modem repetitively and have had numerous technicians over to check my line, to no avail.
Save yourself the hassle and shop around.
More Information Added
I’ve decided to add a Security/Online Storage listing because I think it’s quite important for people to secure their computers and backup their most important files.
Many malicious programs are handled by Microsoft and Apple but there are a multitude of software packages that help protect computers from malware, spyware and viruses. And if your computer fails because of these programs or a hardware issue, it’s always great to have backups of your content.
I’ve backed up documents, photographs and videos online on Google Drive and Microsoft SkyDrive, both of which offer free storage. And I’m currently considering getting more space for my future needs from a paid service.
By the way, you may already have access to the aforementioned free services if you have email accounts on either gmail, hotmail or yahoo. And Google currently offers 15 gigs storage for free whilst Microsoft offers 7 gigs and Yahoo offers 2 gigs storage for free.
Vimeo Not Exempt
U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams has denied Vimeo’s request to be exempt from prosecution under the safe harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and will now be subject to litigation by the major record companies.
This user generated content web site features lip dub videos, on which recordings can be heard playing whilst individuals lip sync to the lyrics found in these recordings. But the judge also claimed that 144 of the 199 videos should not be included in the legal action.
Of the 199 videos only 55 were confirmed that have been known about by Vimeo staff, who commented, liked or uploaded these videos. And Vimeo argues that this staff may not have realized that the content infringed copyright, also arguing that they should not be held responsible for the actions of their employees.
I’m also assuming that “fair use” will come into play if the videos are satirical or comical. But I guess we’ll be hearing more about this case as those 55 videos are slowly reviewed.
DVD To Digital
I’ve just noticed a neat feature at Cinemanow Canada. A Disc to Digital conversion service that allows people to add their DVDs to their Ultraviolet accounts, either in standard definition or high definition.
The Disc to Digital menu option can now be found on their new player software, which is compatible with the latest Windows and Mac operating systems.
To add a title to their online collection all a person needs to do is to insert a DVD into their computer’s CD-Rom or Blu-ray player and click on a button to receive an option to purchase a standard definition version for $2 or high definition version for $5.
Individuals who have unlimited internet and stream HD movies now have a relatively cheap way to up-convert their DVDs. But it should be noted that this program is relatively new so the titles are limited and I’ve encountered a glitch that I’ve just emailed Cinemanow Canada about.
I don’t know if this happens to any other DVD or if it’s a glitch limited to my Windows 7 machine. But my Spider-Man DVD registers as being “burned” when it is actually an authentic DVD. I purchased it new from a major retailer.
Blu-ray discs are not yet supported. But I’m assuming they’re working on this. And many titles already have free Ultraviolet codes on them, though I recommend you redeem them as soon as possible because some of them have expiry dates.
Empire Theaters Conversion Delayed
Cineplex had planned to convert some of the Empire Theaters they purchased across Canada by labor day this year. But I have been informed by a customer service representative that it has been delayed because of a regulatory issue.
I will post updates to this blog on this a.s.a.p.