Archive for November, 2007

Looks like you won’t find a fair review any more

// November 30th, 2007 // No Comments » // Gaming

Looks like Gamespot.com has gone the way of the Sunday Sport in the fact you can’t believe anything you read.

Kotaku is reporting the rumor that the reviewer who gave Kane and Lynch a bad review, is no longer with the company at the same time as Kane and Lynch are running an advertising campaign on the gamespot.com site. The informer used the phrase

Allegedly, publisher Eidos “took issue with the review and threatened to pull its ad campaign.”

Now I use the site ign.com. I’m sure they are just as bad (I think Rupert Murdock owns it, eww) but I’m yet to see this type of thing happening.

If anyone actually knows an unbiased site that hasn’t been bought out by a billionaire; let me know.

[Edit] Penny arcade’s take on this

Penny Arcade Gamespot Comic

More Be

// November 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Computing

When Be say that they fiddle with your line for 2 weeks to try and improve stability I worry. Stability normally means slower. But this is making me happy.

Saturday

Monday

Be

// November 24th, 2007 // No Comments » // Computing

Well BT killed our entire phone system for a day but now we are back up

Before

After

Be Unlimited on Friday!

// November 20th, 2007 // No Comments » // Computing

Here is the ‘before’ and I look forward to seeing the after

Pipex

// November 12th, 2007 // No Comments » // Computing

I’ve always been happy with Pipex but we’re going to switch away from them; and we’re still happy.

The trouble is this thing called LLU. LLU is where an internet company buys the ‘last mile’ to your landline by putting some equipment into BT’s local exchange. With it our internet can go from 2Mb/s down and 0.25 Mb/s up to 24Mb/s down and 1.25Mb/s up (theoretically). The trouble is that Pipex can’t give us a speed increase without cancelling us and rejoining. They know that, I know that and the guy on the phone was very understanding and quick to help me get everything I needed to leave.

After emailing them to see what I needed to do I received this

A request for a migration code can only be initiated over the telephone. This enables us to perform the necessary security checks to ensure all requests originate from the account holder. It also gives us the opportunity to discuss your reasons for migrating.

After a short wait you will be asked several security questions to confirm your identity. You will then be transferred to a further Pipex agent who will process your migration request. The agent will question you on your decision to migrate away from Pipex and possibly remedy any problems you have with the service we provide.

Please be open and honest with our agents as to why you are leaving. This will provide Pipex with a greater opportunity to resolve the contributing problems that have caused you to migrate and hopefully retain your valued custom.

To me that sounds like AOL, the don’t-let-you-hang-up-until-you-agree-not-to-quit attitude. But nothing like that here. Superb.

We should be moving onto Be internet, owned by O2, which have some excellent reviews from people in the know. But mainly it’s the fact that they have invested equipment into our local exchange so for 1p more we get a static IP and more speed.  I have a few things here that really work well with a better upload speed, I’m looking forward to trying them out. All we need now is to see how many dark internet-free nights we have during the switch.