2006 March archive at Ambrand Dot Com

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Archive for March, 2006

Domain Registrar Retention Tactics

Published March 30th, 2006 in locking, registrar and uncategorized. 0 Comments

I’ve previously mentioned the difficulties I encountered when trying to transfer my domains away from Yahoo Domains. In summary they wouldn’t tell me the AUTHorization code. So I couldn’t transfer the .org, .biz and .info domains I had there, and I could transfer the .com because I did have access to the admin-c email.

Fortunately I know about domains and so knew the avenues to explore and eventually extracted the code. However I wonder how many others simply renewed at Yahoo Domains being unable to transfer.

One cannot say for sure whether or not Registrars use the AUTHorzation code as a customer retention technique, even if it is the case the Registrars would never say it publically.

Another technique I have just encountered is an error prone WHOIS server. Every time you transfer a domain the winning registrar does a WHOIS on the losing registrars server in order to find out the losing registrants admin-c email. This is an automated process. I need to transfer a domain from a registrar called NameScout, but their WHOIS won’t talk.

Checking server [whois.crsnic.net]

Checking server [whois.domainsout.ca]

Results:
We are unable to process your request at this time. The whois informationis unavailable for this domain for one of the following reasons:

(1) Too many simulataneous connections from your host;
(2) The domain you requested is not with this Registrar;
(3) You have exceeded your query limit;
(4) Your IP address has been restricted;
(5) Whois data is not available for this domain - check back in 48 hours when our server is updated;
(6) Access has been restricted to ensure operational stability;
(7) A system error has occurred;
(8) The time limit for your request has expired;
(9) The IP address provided is not valid or the host specified by the IP address does not exist;
(10) There is an error in what you have inputed or requested;
(11) An unknown error has occurred;
(12) The domain is not currently registered;
(13) The domain you requested contains invalid characters;
(14) The domain you requested is too long;
(15) The domain you requested begins or ends with a dash;
(16) The domain you requested is a third or fourth level domain;
(17) You did not specify a domain name.

What a poor error message, what is the solution? Well I queried from another IP range just in case mine was dirty, but still got the error. I emailled service@namescout.com, but apart from the autometed rightnow.com reply I heard nothing, interestingly the emil doesn’t appear in the rightnow.com interface when I login, sounds like someone in NameScout pushed it under the carpet, remember the only reason I’d want the WHOIS to be fixed is if I intend transferring away, thus they have no incentive to act. But opinions aside, the net result it I can’t transfer the domain! I won’t use the word ransom because they haven’t asked for a bounty but it stinks. Continue reading ‘Domain Registrar Retention Tactics’

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Commentcasting

Published March 27th, 2006 in podcasting, blog commenting and uncategorized. 1 Comment

Bytesurgery has developed a system whereby blog readers can leave audio comments instead of the usual text comments at the end of blog posts. Most are familiar with the concept of audio feedback from Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code, but that is a podcast, not a blog.

Currently users input their audio comments into the Commentcasting system by calling an Irish number +353 76 6020927 and entering the “extension” of the relevant blog. (the 076 area code is for a VOIP provider)

I would prefer to see a Java Applet with a PTT button instead in the comment section of the blog post. A similar applet allowing realtime half duplex converstions between multiple users exists, and indeed was popular back in the dot com days on many sites. However it seems that the system is aimed priimarily at podcasters, and so the phone input is ideal, as such “consumers” do not have a PC to hand, and do have a mobile phone to hand!

This will allow your listeners to reply with audio comments on a normal phone while listening to your podcast. Pausing your show, they simply dial our number, enter your ID and talk. The comments you approve will be embedded alongside your Podcasts in a subscription feed (RSS) for everyone to hear!

Bytesurgery could monetise their system by charging podcasters to use the service, and could indeed go one step further and get a premium number (not 1550 because techies are not idiots ordering ringtones, so maybe the more resonable 0818 instead). Congratulations Bytesurgery. Continue reading ‘Commentcasting’

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Barry’s Tea Book Club on the Tubridy Show

Published March 27th, 2006 in free, cork and uncategorized. 0 Comments

Today I received an envelope from Barry’s Tea containing a free EUR 5 Book Token and a “taster” pack of about a dozen teabags.

Coming from Cork I’ve always used Barry’s Tea, but for those from Dublin used to Lion’s Tea this might attract a few new customers for the brand. This promotion must have cost Barry’s alot; the postage, the envelope, the book token, but it is admirable. All marketers know that no matter how good a product is people will only buy it if it solves some problem for them. I think that most people don’t have a “tea problem”; there is no one losing sleep over deciding which brand to buy.

Most have inherited the preference from their parents, or make an adhoc selection based solely on daily price. It is easier to appeal to the latter with a free kitkat or 20% extra free label. But the former are more entrenched, they must be convinced that a brand is superior to their current, assuming this is the case then the way to communicate the fact is with a free “taster” pack. Continue reading ‘Barry’s Tea Book Club on the Tubridy Show’

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IP owners

Published March 27th, 2006 in uncategorized. 1 Comment

Wow, Ford Motor Company has an actual Class A of own IPv4! (ie. 19.0.0.0 - 19.255.255.255)

Look at who has the rest:

1 0.0.0.0 - 2.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
2 3.0.0.0 - 3.255.255.255 US NJ Princeton General Electric Company
3 4.0.0.0 - 4.255.255.255 US CO Broomfield Level 3 Communications, Inc.
4 5.0.0.0 - 5.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
5 6.0.0.0 - 7.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
6 8.0.0.0 - 8.255.255.255 US CO Broomfield Level 3 Communications, Inc.
7 9.0.0.0 - 9.255.255.255 US NY White Plains IBM Corporation
8 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
9 11.0.0.0 - 11.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
10 12.0.0.0 - 12.255.255.255 US - - AT&T WorldNet Services ATT
11 13.0.0.0 - 13.255.255.255 US CA Palo Alto Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
12 14.0.0.0 - 14.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
13 15.0.0.0 - 16.255.255.255 US CA Palo Alto Hewlett-Packard Company
14 17.0.0.0 - 17.255.255.255 US CA Cupertino Apple Computer Inc.
15 18.0.0.0 - 18.255.255.255 US MA Cambridge Massachusetts Institute of Technology
16 19.0.0.0 - 19.255.255.255 US MI Dearborn Ford Motor Company
17 20.0.0.0 - 20.255.255.255 US VA Falls Church Computer Sciences Corporation
18 21.0.0.0 - 22.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
19 23.0.0.0 - 23.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
20 24.0.0.0 - 24.255.255.255 - - - American Registry for Internet Numbers
21 25.0.0.0 - 25.255.255.255 GB Wiltshire Corsham DINSA, Ministry of Defence
22 26.0.0.0 - 26.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
23 27.0.0.0 - 27.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
24 28.0.0.0 - 30.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
25 31.0.0.0 - 31.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
26 32.0.0.0 - 32.255.255.255 US FL Lake Mary AT&T Global Network Services
27 33.0.0.0 - 33.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
28 34.0.0.0 - 34.255.255.255 US TX Houston Halliburton Company
29 35.0.0.0 - 35.255.255.255 US MI Ann Arbor Merit Network Inc.
30 36.0.0.0 - 37.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
31 38.0.0.0 - 38.255.255.255 US DC Washington Performance Systems International Inc.
32 39.0.0.0 - 39.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
33 40.0.0.0 - 40.255.255.255 US IN Indianapolis Eli Lilly and Company
34 41.0.0.0 - 41.255.255.255 ZA Gauteng Pretoria African Network Information Center
35 42.0.0.0 - 42.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
36 43.0.0.0 - 43.255.255.255 JP - Tokyo Japan Inet
37 44.0.0.0 - 44.255.255.255 US - - Amateur Radio Digital Communications
38 45.0.0.0 - 45.255.255.255 US CA San Francisco Interop Show Network
39 46.0.0.0 - 46.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
40 47.0.0.0 - 47.255.255.255 CA ON Ottawa Bell-Northern Research
41 48.0.0.0 - 48.255.255.255 US NY New York Prudential Securities Inc.
42 49.0.0.0 - 50.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
43 51.0.0.0 - 51.255.255.255 GB - - Department of Social Security of UK
44 52.0.0.0 - 52.255.255.255 US DE Wilmington E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Inc.
45 53.0.0.0 - 53.255.255.255 DE - - cap debis ccs
46 54.0.0.0 - 54.255.255.255 US NJ Rahway Merck and Co., Inc.
47 55.0.0.0 - 55.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
48 56.0.0.0 - 56.255.255.255 US NC Raleigh U.S. Postal Service
49 57.0.0.0 - 57.255.255.255 FR - - SITA-Societe Internationale de
Telecommunications Aeronautiques
50 58.0.0.0 - 61.255.255.255 AU QLD Milton Asia Pacific Network Information Centre
51 62.0.0.0 - 62.255.255.255 NL - Amsterdam RIPE Network Coordination Centre
52 63.0.0.0 - 76.255.255.255 - - - American Registry for Internet Numbers
53 77.0.0.0 - 79.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
54 80.0.0.0 - 91.255.255.255 NL - Amsterdam RIPE Network Coordination Centre
55 92.0.0.0 - 123.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
56 124.0.0.0 - 126.255.255.255 AU QLD Milton Asia Pacific Network Information Centre
57 127.0.0.0 - 127.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
58 128.0.0.0 - 172.255.255.255 - - - Various Registries
59 173.0.0.0 - 187.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
60 188.0.0.0 - 188.255.255.255 NL - Amsterdam RIPE Network Coordination Centre
61 189.0.0.0 - 190.255.255.255 UY - Montevideo Latin American and Caribbean
IP address Regional Registry
62 191.0.0.0 - 192.255.255.255 - - - Various Registries
63 193.0.0.0 - 195.255.255.255 NL - Amsterdam RIPE Network Coordination Centre
64 196.0.0.0 - 196.255.255.255 - - - Various Registries
65 197.0.0.0 - 197.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
66 198.0.0.0 - 198.255.255.255 - - - Various Registries
67 199.0.0.0 - 199.255.255.255 - - - American Registry for Internet Numbers
68 200.0.0.0 - 201.255.255.255 UY - Montevideo Latin American and Caribbean
IP address Regional Registry
69 202.0.0.0 - 203.255.255.255 AU QLD Milton Asia Pacific Network Information Centre
70 204.0.0.0 - 209.255.255.255 - - - American Registry for Internet Numbers
71 210.0.0.0 - 211.255.255.255 AU QLD Milton Asia Pacific Network Information Centre
72 212.0.0.0 - 213.255.255.255 NL - Amsterdam RIPE Network Coordination Centre
73 214.0.0.0 - 215.255.255.255 US OH Columbus DoD Network Information Center
74 216.0.0.0 - 217.255.255.255 NL - Amsterdam RIPE Network Coordination Centre
75 218.0.0.0 - 222.255.255.255 AU QLD Milton Asia Pacific Network Information Centre
76 223.0.0.0 - 255.255.255.255 US CA Marina del Rey Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Continue reading ‘IP owners’

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Driving test waiting list

Published March 22nd, 2006 in driving, government and uncategorized. 0 Comments

A reason given for the lenght of the list is the high number of no-shows. Why would someone fail to turn up? and more importanty if they did actually know they couldn’t make it why didn’t they cancel?

Well today I learned that the driving test fee is non-refundable regardless of the notice given
to cancel! A candidate who cancels 10 days in advance will be allowed to reschedule without payment of an additional fee, however this means going to the end of the list as if he just applied.

So imagine you have received a letter, after 10 months of waiting you have your test date, unfortunately because tests are only run on weekdays, during office hours, you have to be at work on that particular day, you knew you would get a date and take time off, but due to a rush job you can’t do it on that day. Well, you’re not going to cancel because that would mean another 10 month wait for sure, so you say nothing and hope, just hope, to get off work for the crucial hour, ultimately you can’t.

You lose your fee, the Department of Transport is happy as it doesn’t have to process refunds and employ more staff, the tester is happy as he still gets paid. Only the candidate loses.

What always surprises me is the governments short sightedness. Most candidates are aged 17-22, and were born in Ireland. On reaching this age they want to drive, this is not a surprise, it is predictable, years in advance. Schools know about predicting and look at birthrate in their catchment areas and think ahead, but alas…
Continue reading ‘Driving test waiting list’

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Player Piano

Published March 22nd, 2006 in piano and uncategorized. 0 Comments

Is it possible for a human to play a piano this fast?

The tune is the Old Piano Rolls Blues.

I wanna hear it again, I wanna hear it again,
The Old Piano Roll Blues.
We’re sittin’ at an upright, my sweetie and me,
Pushin’ on the pedals makin’ sweet harmony.
When we hear rinkety-tink, and we hear Plinkety-plink
We cuddle closer it seems.
And while we kiss kiss, kiss, kiss, away all our cares,
The player piano’s playing razz-a-ma-tazz.
I wanna hear it again, I wanna hear it again,
The Old Piano Roll Blues.

But We, Played the Piano Roll Blues
We sat there and began to play
My sweetie and me
We sat there pushing on the pedals making sweet harmony
But we, cuddle closer it seems
It seems just like a dreamin’
While we kiss, kiss, kiss, our cares all away
The player piano’s playing razz-a-ma-tazz.
But we, wanna hear it again
Those Piano Roll Blues

I wanna hear it again, I wanna hear it again,
The Old Piano Roll Blues.
The Old Piano Roll Blues.
We sat there and began to play
We’re sittin’ at an upright, my sweetie and me,
We sat there pushin’ on the pedals makin’ sweet harmony.
When we hear rinkety-tink, and we hear Plinkety-plink
We cuddle closer it seems.
Cuddle closer it seems
Its like a dreamin while we kiss kiss kiss away all our cares.
The player piano’s playing razz-a-ma-tazz.

I wanna hear it again, just hear it again
The Old Piano Roll Blues
The Old Piano Roll blues
The Old Piano Roll blues

Continue reading ‘Player Piano’

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Free Petrol?

Published March 19th, 2006 in petroleum distillate, police and uncategorized. 2 Comments

I read in the local rag a letter from a person who was accused of driving away from a service station without paying for petrol. He claims he filled up, walked into the shop, and payed, this being the textbook self-service model.

He gave the cashier the EUR 20 note, and got correct change of EUR 2.xx, and drove away. Later that day the Gardai called to his house. They had been talking to the service station manager who had accused the driver of not paying and had provided a CCTV still image of the cars number plate at it was leaving the forecourt.

Now, lets assume the driver is honest and his story is true, lets examine the situation… The cashier didn’t give the driver a receipt, and this is definately the norm in Ireland in service stations. Further, because the didn’t pay by credit card he had no proof of payment documentation to show the Gardai.

It is interesting that the service station manager only gave the Gardai a still image, it would heva been much more interesting to see the realtime video which would show the driver entering the shop and interacting with the cashier.

The drivers letter didn’t address this issue, rather he took the usual, and understandable, line about the Gardai chasing innocent people and not catching murderers etc.

In conclusion how can you avoid this situation?

Ask for a receipt? (but no one else does so the till mighn’t have paper, if you go to a largely diesel station then you’ll have no problem getting a receipt as its assumed you’ll need it for you expense account)
Pay by cheque? (nice idea, but hardly any station accepts cheques these days, even with a cheque guarantee card which covers up to EUR 130)
Get a fuel card? (nice idea, but unless you are a sales rep its too much effort)
Pay by coin? (possible, but keep under 50 to comply with the Staturoty Instrument, you could pay in EUR 1/2 and use the personal remberance angle, but too much effort)
Pay by credit card?, then you’ll get a receipt (independent merchants have trouble absorbing the credit card fees and so empirically try to discourage credit card use by enabling slow universal authorisationsm, or maybe they are in a “bad” area)
Pay by debit card?, like Laser or Maestro, then you’ll get a receipt (yes this is the best option, merchants aren’t charged a percentage fee on transactions just a fixed fee of about 25c, so this is their favourite payment form, indeed better then cash as the banks charge about 0.5 percent on notes lodged, and 2 percent on coins lodged!, unfortunately the issuing of a debit card is a considered a lending decision by the banks so not everyone can get one, also their is government stamp duty of EUR 20 per annum)

American readers might be asking themselves “Why can’t I pay at the pump with my AMEX?”. Well things are different here, credit card readers aren’t in the pumps. American readers might now be asking themselves “So then surely you pay before you pump”. Well again things are different here you pay afterwards.
Continue reading ‘Free Petrol?’

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One Night in Bangkok

Published March 18th, 2006 in music and uncategorized. 1 Comment

I recently heard the 1984 hit “Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok”, also known as the number from the musical Chess. It is so… 80s, a textbook example, all the elements are there, the chinsy synthesizer (sharper then Mike Posts whimsical Rockford Files theme), the “telephone” vocals (sharper then the Bee Gees New York Mining Disaster), the accented chorus (british male regional).

The song is unusually sharp, so unashamedly 80s, the synthesizer hadn’t yet become cliche and the song had no baggage. It is important to remember that today, before dismissing it as trash.

I’m referring to the song only here, I don’t think I could endure the two hours of chinsy 80s synthesizers of the actual musical Chess.

Here’s the video, poor sound quality

You can now rush over to amazon and pick up a copy of the CD!

Here are the lyrics

One night in Bangkok

THE AMERICAN:

Scene from the music video
Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don’t know what the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world in a
Show with everything but Yul Brynner

Time flies — doesn’t seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
All change — don’t you know that when you
Play at this level there’s no ordinary venue

It’s Iceland — or the Philippines — or Hastings — or –
or this place!

COMPANY:

One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

THE AMERICAN:

One town’s very like another
When your head’s down over your pieces, brother

COMPANY:

It’s a drag, it’s a bore, it’s really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city

THE AMERICAN:

I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
Whaddya mean? Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town –

COMPANY:

Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite

THE AMERICAN:

Get Thai’d! You’re talking to a tourist
Whose every move’s among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine

COMPANY:

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can’t be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

THE AMERICAN:

Siam’s gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a
Muddy old river or reclining Buddha

Scene from the music video
And thank God I’m only watching the game — controlling it –

I don’t see you guys rating
The kind of mate I’m contemplating
I’d let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you

So you better go back to your bars, your temples, your massage
parlours –

COMPANY:

One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister
A little flesh, a little history
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can’t be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

Continue reading ‘One Night in Bangkok’

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Register365.ie gains ICANN accreditation

Published March 15th, 2006 in domains and uncategorized. 5 Comments

The domain registration arm of Hosting365, which is called Register365, has recently gained ICANN accreditation according to the ICANN shortlist and ICANN longlist

Register365, Inc. (Ireland)
http://www.register365.ie

Tel: +353-146-73600
Email: hostmaster@register365.ie

The company name suffix of Inc sounds wrong, it should be Ltd unless they established a corporation in a US state, nevertheless congratulations to Hosting365. Continue reading ‘Register365.ie gains ICANN accreditation’

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