Next time you try to f*** me, at least kiss me first.

aka My Review of “My Computer Mate” computer repair service.
I'm not a spiteful person, but when someone claims to provide a service, then does a piss poor job of it, and has the gall to say if you want it done right way, pay up again.
The Monitor on my Acer All in one Z5761 was intermittently failing. Called around and did some research, and was told that the 'inverter board' was failing and needed to be replaced. Off I went in search of part, and located it, bought it.
Then shopped around for a repair tech. Called a few of them before Wing found My Computer Mate, and suggested to call.
I did, and spoke at length with David, who appears to be the sole proprietor of the place. He said he was well versed in All in Ones, and swapping out the inverter board would take about an hour. He sounded so knowledgeable, a time was arranged for him to come and swap out the part.
I set up a work area, and when he arrived, I asked him repeatedly if there was anything he needed (you know, keyboard, mouse, speakers, or other computer items). He kept assuring me that no,nothing needed, and he proceeded to dismantle the computer. After an hour, he couldn't locate where the inverter board should go. So, he took a few more things apart, still no joy.
What set my spidey sense a-tingling was when I saw him looking at an online parts list for my computer right there and then. I thought he knew about them, and what went into them. Turns out, there is no inverter board for my computer. That the seller of the part had juxtaposed two digits in the model number. If David was so well versed in All in Ones, why didn't he know this ahead of time? Or why didn't he at least look this up prior to the attempt to fix mine?
I admit, he worked for three hours and only charged me for two. That isn't the issue.
The issue is this: he put my computer back together incorrectly. The monitor no longer had touch screen abilities (which it did even if the monitor was off), the webcam is now angled up and has a great view of the ac vent, and the audio for my blu-ray drive wasn't working.
When I informed him of these things, he told me he asked if I was satisfied with his reassembling of my computer and that I said I was satisfied.
I called the ACCC and gave them the whole story. According to them, someone who provides a service must do so with due care and skill. Seeing as I went from having an intermittently working screen, to having it, the webcam and the audio from the bluray not working, he didn't not do so with "due care and skill".
So yes, he said he will give me a full refund, but will NOT fix his f***ups unless I am willing to pay him more.
Sorry, but I never give a dog a 2nd chance to bite.

Say what? You're joking.. right?

After I sent and email, text messages, and then a contact request via their own website, the repair tech guy, finally called me back. 
I told him that no only wasn't the touch screen working, that the monitor doesn't even flick on then go off, but as I posted yesterday, the webcam is pointing at the ceiling now.
His response was (and this is almost verbatim) "I was there for 3 hours and only charged you for two. And you said you were satisfied with the results."
"How could I be satisfied when I didn't have the computer set up and tested. Yes, you worked for three hours, charged me for only two, but you made my computer problem worse."
His reply "Well, I could come out there and fix it, but I would have to charge you for that time, too."
Ok, I admit, I got pissed off... but I didn't swear.
"You didn't fix my computer, you made more problems (the touch screen not working, the webcam not seated), and you want me to pay for you to come back and fix YOUR mistakes? " (he started muttering something about having customers, and this is where I my temper got the better of me) I'm sure in you're in a big hurry to screw other people over."  and I hung up.
Then I called the ACCC and got some information to file a formal letter of complaint to him about charging me for services that were not performed with due care and skill.
It seems that my sending him email about the touch screen not working and the webcam not working right the very next day was one of the best things I could do. It started a 'paper trail'.
Will wait for Wing to get home to get the legalese terms correct.

Ok, now I'm annoyed

Yesterday, I hired someone to come to the house to install/replace inverter board for my all in one computer monitor.  He spoke as if he knew both where the board was, and how to fix it, and that it would only take one hour.

After dismantling the back of the computer, he couldn't find the inverter board. He checked online, and yes, the part I had was supposed to be the part for the Acer Aspire Z5761. but it wasn't anywhere to be found.  So, he took my computer down to its component parts.  No inverter board to be found anywhere.  Only then does he look at a list of parts for the computer, a list that only professionals or tech stores can access.  No inverter board for my Acer Aspire all in one, but there is in others.

He put my computer back together (I thought) but now, the monitor doesn't even 'try' to come on, and touch screen functions don't work, and the webcam is staring at the ceiling. 

He made my computer worse than it was, and I paid for the fucking privilege.

According to their website, they guarantee the computer gets fixed, or you don't pay.  I want a refund.

Wasn't quite the results I was hoping for.

Turns out the seller of the Inverter Board listed wrong model compatibility.  In home tech spent hours taking my computer down to its parts and there is no, I repeat, no inverter or inverter board located anywhere in the machine.

I have informed the seller of inverter board of this, and the out of pocket cost for having a tech work in my home ($110 ph labor. Luckily for me he didn't charge me for all 4 hours, just 2. )

The goodish news is it. Everything is set up again as it was, using two external monitors.  Also, whoever designed this computer had oatmeal for brains. There is an hdmi out cable that goes no where.  So, after bank account recovers from this expense, since the computer itself is in great condition, I am going to get an HDMI out compatible monitor, and an HDMI extension and just rock two monitors. 

Problems solved!

Mega kudos to Alan for helping me get everything set up again.  Worth his weight in gold, he is.

1, 2, 3, 4, get the laundry off the floor

Would be great if Loki would stop deciding to make himself a 'nest'.

Still feeling "Con Hangover", mostly because Wing unwisely planned for activities the day after. My plans were get laundry washed, hung on the line, folded, put away, do some reading, some photo processing and general vegging out.

*sigh*

SwanCon #39, "Conjuration"

Opening ceremonies were rousing, as usual. Coman is a great emCee.

Sat in on panel about using social media to keep a strong web presence. The pros and cons, and how we (collective we) each have a different way to handle the faceless trolls whose only claims to 'fame' are being able to type FIRST on a blog post or seem to enjoy just being nasty.  Jim Butcher said it wonderfully: The first person who gets mad loses. 

That's pretty much what I live by.

This is why I will be giving "Canon Shine" a miss

Deadly Boring Photographs: How to select a Genuine Photography Competition: There are some well organised, genuine and ethical photography competitions in the world setting the highest artistic and technical standard...

Whoever thinks housework isn't work

I invite them to the 3 hour workout I just had.  And I'm still not done. Problem is, I'm wincing when I take a deep breath, or try to sit up or pull my posture up straight.

Bonus: I still have more to do; and it needs to be done. Can't put it off.

Now this is very disappointing

"Canon Photo 5" is no more. It's been superseded by "Canon Shine".

It's turned into an internet popularity contest. If you have a large Twitter, FB, or other blog/media site friends list, no one who doesn't have one stands a snow balls chance in hell. Those with huge friends lists will get 'voting swarms'.  The 'winner' becomes their free of charge spokesperson for Canon ads, getting little else than a bit of international viewing.

This is a damned shame, and really makes me sad. It does. I was really looking forward to this years Canon Photo 5. Sorry, Canon Australia. You've dropped the ball on this one. No more inspiration in a little brown box.

Dear Magical Computer Elves/Sprites/Sidhe;

After I go through all the trouble of making system image (which for odd reasons failed twice before succeeding. Once because although it says it can work in background, you really need to leave the machine alone, and twice because one of our furry godlings managed to unplug the external drive), the setting up the 2nd external monitor so I can use the desk space, you decided to 'allow' the desk top monitor to start working again.



Thanks ever so much. 
Yes, I know that the inverter board failure is an intermittent failure before complete failure, but I do find it funny that after jumping through all the hoops of creating system image, finding where I put the USB to DVI cable, get it set up, that the All in one Desktop monitor 'decided' to start working again.

For the time being...

I set up an old external monitor to my laptop, giving me a semblance of normal operating procedures here.  I ordered the part, and found a local computer repair person who will then come out to the house to pop open the computer and replace the faulty inverter board.  I will be watching how the all in one is dismantled, so I can do it next time.  I've never worked on an all in one before, and although I did find the online manual as to how to do it, I want to see it done before I attempt a repair myself.

Still have 2 hours waiting for the full system image back up on the desktop to finish.

Alan's computer is in the shop for diagnostics.  Not certain if it's the motherboard or the hd. No use trying to fix one thing when it's something else.

Almost makes me want to set up time lapse photography

The past few weeks, Sam (the gardener) has been doing a great job taming the wild growth.  The past two weeks he's been working in the back yard, on the right side of the house.  He did a great job (see below)

Problem is this: because the last person we hired to clear the yard didn't take the debris away, or even bag it for us to dispose of, but left it hidden in piles under trees or shrubs, which allowed the seeds to fall off and it just started the whole thing all over again.  So, although Sam has thoroughly weeded, every morning I go outside, and I see grass sprouts at least 2 inches tall.   I get the rake out, dig them up and expose their roots, and they do dry out.  Later on the same day, I go outside, and I'll be damned if there isn't more of them, same height.

Looking into either burying the area in mulch, or find a pet safe weed killer. The only one I found the weeds need to be in the sun.  Not happening back there. The fence casts shadows right to the bricks.

Oh FFS!

Why is it when you say you're keeping Windows XP on specific computers, you get inundated with unhelpful suggestions about Linux or Macs?

1: I don't want LINUX. It's great you love LINUX, but I have certain programs and hardware that will not, and cannot run in LINUX, even using a simulated Windows Environment.

2: I wouldn't be going through all the effort of making sure I was getting the last Windows XP updates available if I wanted to run a different OS.  I don't know why that is do difficult to see.

3: Also, I don't want a Mac. Again, you like Macs, fine by me! But It's not for me.  (yes, I've used them, and no I don't want to again!)

Haven't tasted the likes of that in 30+ years

When I was a kid, I loved "delicious" apples. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious. But when I was an adult, because of long cold storage, and other reasons (farming, growing of certain varieties only) "Delicious Apples" just weren't. No fragrance, no flavor, with the taste and texture of wax.

Today, Wing and I were out pillaging. I went into the local growers veggie store.

I, to my delight, found some October Sun Plums, a favorite of mine. Meandered through, picking up some sugarsnap peas, a few avocados. I turned down the aisle, and smelled something I hadn't smelled in decades, but remembered.

The honeyed apple fragrance of Golden Delicious apples. Thinking I was mistaken, I looked around, and there I saw them. Golden in color, some with a slight blush of red. I picked one up, held is close to my face, and inhaled. Mana must smell like this.

Bought some, and brought them home.

Unpacked the groceries, and took one apple from the bag. Washed it off, and then took a bite.

You know how scientists say our sense of smell is the one sense that can bring memories flooding back like no other sense can? That one bite of a Golden Delicious apple brought back good memories of my Grandmother, baking pies, catching fireflies then letting them go before we went in for the night, and a slew of others. A feeling that all is well with the world.

Such a small thing, one Golden Delicious Apple. Pardon me while I put the other ones in the crisper.

I guess they're his now

 Yet another reason why my lemongrass doesn't survive long. Not only does Loki eat it, he sleeps on it.
 

Olympus TCON 17X for Stylus 1 Review

Let me say right off the bat, I have used tele-converter lenses before, on my Lumix DMCFZ50. So I do know they have some quirks and limitations. Onto the review. The Tele-Converter attaches to the Stylus 1 with the CLA13 adapter. The Tele Converter lens has a handy rubber grip on it, as putting this on your camera will make it a bit front heavy.

Went into Stylus 1 menu settings and set up one of the buttons to turn Tele converter on or off.  The tele-converter allows you to maintain a constant f/2.8, meaning you can keep the aperture wide open, or stop it down to the camera's max of f/8.0.
Two things that I really have a problem with: Tele-Converter has no lens hood available, nor is there a way for you to protect the front element with a filter. No thread. What I ended up doing was using a 77mm Hoya UV filter, and a silicon wrist band to hold the filter in place.



The images are below, are the same ORF file, processed with different software, then resized to 50%. Photo was deliberately taken in the worst possible lighting, back lit, bright sky. Full zoom, at the top of a tall tree. I felt if the lens could manage this with a reasonable quality as a result, it augers well for 'ideal' conditions.
Processed with Adobe Camera Raw, then opened in Photoshop. Purple fringe removal action, adjusted levels.

ORF processed with Olympus Viewer 3, then opened in Photoshop. Purple Fringe removal action, adjusted levels.

I found that the Olympus Viewer 3 handled the raw file colors somewhat better, but both could really use some more color adjustment. The OV3 one is a bit too cyan, and the ACR has a bit too much magenta. Details on the birds, considering the distance, and lighting, impressed me. Does this equal having a telephoto lens on a camera body? No, but it does allow for a wider use of the Stylus 1.

Now for an image of something rather mundane, but under more 'ideal' lighting. Part of the walk way. ORF Processed in Adobe Camera Raw, opened in Photoshop, levels adjust only. No purple fringing issues, and details are amazing. If you wanted you could count the grains of sand, and how many ants are walking across the brick.

100% Crop of Lorikeet in top of a gum tree. Straight from camera, no processing at all done.


Adjusted with Purple Fringing removed.

Will the tele-converter take as clear sharp photos as body mounted lenses? Seeing as it's being used on a camera that starts out by having a small sensor, no, probably not, but it does take good ones. Is it worth getting? Oh hell yeah, but I would really like to see Olympus come out with some sort of lens hood or 'clip on UV filter for this nice piece of glass.