November 17, 2008
China Domain Scam
I’ve received these e-mail in the company inbox.
=========================Scam Mail 1=========================
Dear comcorde:
We are Shanghai Chooke Network Information Technology Co., Ltd, which is the domain name register center in China.I have something need to confirm with you.
We have received an application formally,one company named “Shengteng (China) Investment Co.,Ltd” applies for the domain names(www.comcorde.com.cn www.comcorde.cn etc.) ,and the Internet keyword(comcorde) on the internet November 17, 2008. We need to know the opinion of your company because the domain names and keyword may relate to the copyright of brand name on internet.
we would like to get the affirmation of your company,please contact us by telephone or email as soon as possible.
Hairry Zhu
Tel: +86-21-62416070
Fax: +86-21-62597835
Email: Hairry.zhu@chooke.com.cn
Shanghai Chooke Network Information Technology Co., Ltd
website: www.chooke.com.cn
=========================Scam Mail 2=========================
Dear CEO,
We are ASIATON Network Service Co., Ltd in China, which is responsible for the registration of internet trademark and domain name of global enterprises overseas. Today we received an formal application that an international company named “Rob GmbH” wants to apply to register “comcorde” as its own Internet Trademark and CN domain name in China. According to registration process, we will do a check to their application, and during the process, our computer database displays that the name is being used by you.
Because the final registration relates to the copyright of the name, to avoid unnecessary disputes of intellectual property rights, so we want to confirm your opinion. Looking forward to your quick reply. If you have any questions, please contact us by telephone or email as soon as possible!
Best Regards,
Jenson Wang
Principal of Checking Department
Overseas Registration Organization
Tel:+(86)731-8187 729
Fax:+(86)731-8187 739
Skype:internetbrand
WebSite : www.asiaton.asia
===========================================================
Scam mail 2 was received two week earlier with another exact copy a week after the first one with different signatories. I was going to post about this then, but then I procrastinated.
Anyways, back to the topic. Getting 3 e-mails of the similar nature is already enough to label it as SPAM, delete it off server, update SPAM signature/word filter, then carry on with life. But I took a step further and google (using content of the e-mail) to double confirm.
And true enough, I’m not the only one
http://trusted.md/feed/items/system/2008/01/29/asia_domain_name_registration_scam
I particularly like the link above since the potential victim responded to the e-mail. Then he published the replies form the would-be scammers.
http://blog.anta.net/2007/12/11/chinese-domain-name-warnings-still-making-the-rounds/
more example e-mails of the similar scam
This quote shed some light regarding internet domain registration
There is no such a thing as a registrar contacting a company because a third party was trying to register a similar domain name. Chinese domain name can be registered both in China and overseas and immediately, provided that they are available at the very moment the search is conducted. On the other hand a domain name doesn’t automatically make a trademark owner unless related to a brand which has been properly registered with the country’s relevant organizations, and in which case the trademark would apply solely to that specific country.
Quoted from HERE
Is it down for everyone or just me?
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ is a great website to check status of the site you intended to visit. The previous day, friendster was down which I thought was my ISP problem. That is until i checked with http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ to realize that friendster was indeed down. Though I would really appreciate a public service announcement of some sort regarding friendster downtime.
I was pretty paranoid when friendster server was inaccessible. Imagine 250 blog post gone just like that. Speaking of which, it’s time i backup my blog post.
November 14, 2008
Finally, 9300 retired
Finally got my 9300 replaced. And no, it’s NOT the Samsung U900.
Picture taken using the phone itself.
November 11, 2008
Awesomeness of China Phone
Three things that I liked about Mines shopping center mobile phone outlets. Firstly its situated in a large, open air environment, brightly lit, with a high celling, a very comfortable experience compared to the cluster phobic feel of sungi wang and some corners in lowyat plaza.
The other thing I liked is the sellers there are willing to let the user try the phones, unlike snobbish snobs in sungai wang and lowyat where the customer have to look interested in a purchase to convince the phone shop/counter owner or the ah beng who runs the shop/counter to let the you try the phone.
Lastly, the variety of phones available there is astonishing. Other then major brands, there are also least famous brands like the year old malaysian AP distributor CSL which also sells phone in their own branding.
My first experience with China phones was by brother’s D600 knockoff. It looked like the real deal, except for the primitive user interface, lousy camera sensor, lack of upgradeable software and exceptionally loud speakers. The phone was still good when he upgraded to a W810i the following year.
The phones sold under the CSL branding can only be described as a mobile phone Frankenstein. Bits and pieces of sell able features were included in the phone feature. Most mid range CSL phones comes with 262k color 2″-3″ touch screen TFT screen. Almost all of them comes with dual sim support, either single sim standby or for both sims to activate simultaneously. And they even package a TV tuner modulator with it and it also comes with a retractable foot long antenna. Camera, radio, MP3 and video playback is a standard feature for the entire CSL line. All these for less then RM700 (midrange). In fact, some of the low end phones also have most of these features, it’s hard to differentiate high end phone from the mid to the low end, unlike big players who have clearly drawn the lines between models, except for K750i the first phone to blur the lines in the SE series.
My only gripe about the CSL phones is the limitations of the software and poor camera sensor. Funny why I complain about software when I hardly install new application in my 9300. probably because “having and not needing” is better then “needing and not have it”. The sellers claimed that there are many downloadable software for the phones in the official website, but after checking, I only found one. The camera sensors used varies from 1.3mp (low end phones) to 8mp autofocus + 3X optical zoom (supposedly a high end phone, more like a crossbreed from a normal camera and a phone). Even with the high end 8mp autofocus + 3X optical zoom, it failed to capture bright, sharp images. CSL K800 even comes with xenon flash, and yet images captured 6 feet away is dark. Using the zoom will only make darker images with allot of noise. That’s one feature China phones did not get right, dubious quality control.
November 9, 2008
Quantum of Solace
Blond, James Blond. I know the joke is old, and I still find it funny the new Bond is blond. Despite the breakaway from Bond tradition of going blond, the new Bond was a fresh welcome in Casino Royale.
With high expectations, I was seated in Hall 6, seat number D9 (near center view, offset by 2 seats to the left) for the 12 O clock show. It started off with a car chase, and ended with a banged up Aston Martin DB8 unloading a bounded Mr White from the trunk. Then the intro starts.
Not long into the starting, another chase scene through streets and rooftop of Spain follows, where a Quantum/MI6 double agent tries to escape after a shootout with Bond and setting Mr White free. The double agent was killed in a building undergoing renovation. That particular scene got me disoriented more then I would allow myself. There are way too many close up action shots, scene changing from Bond to the double agent and again within seconds. Bond hanging upside down hovering above the floor with shattered glass rotating around the room trying to reach his gun was the only thing I manage to make out of that fight scene. Even action filled war movies like Saving Private Rayan and Black Hawk Down didn’t get me disoriented.
The first half of the movie was draggy as it try to conceal the identity of Quantum, making it more mysterious and keeps the audience guessing. Then the second half of the movie was played in fast forward because they realize that there’s not enough time to explain about the Quantum.
Like the previous Daniel Craig Bond movie, there has been a great big absence in Bond gadgets. Other then an Sony Ericsson’s C902 super phone, there’s not much gadgets on Bond. Even the DB8 is not bullet proof. But there are some Bond tradition left, like when Strawberry Fields was murdered by symbolically drowning her in oil, ala Goldfinger.
Final verdict, it’s good, but not great. Some action scenes can get really confusing. And isn’t it time Bond get his gadgets?
