Use time spent on airplane for social interaction

Time you spend on airplane, or while you are waiting for your connecting flights, might be so boring! Therefore, meeting a friend or co-worker is usually a pleasant surprise helping to short long hours. Sometimes, new acquaintance “on the road” might bring you even better satisfaction. At least one of my friends met his future wife, suffering with computer battery down at the delayed flight at San Francisco Airport. He still considers these hours as the most significant event and turnaround point in his whole life.

But that is a pure chance. If you want to make it more predictable and better planned, you may find useful free services offered by the new Web 2.0 site, called Planely.

Register on the site, and whenever you’re travelling by plane, enter your flight details. You will get information on any other registered Planely Fliers who are on the same flight, or at the same departure or arrival airports as you are. You can then make arrangements to sit together on the plane, have a coffee on the ground or share a cab home.

Planely has created the opportunity for you to contact passengers with overlapping itineraries ahead of time and make mutual arrangements. The new services are especially useful for those who have difficulties to start communicating with strangers. When your common ground is already established, everything rolls out much easier. Even more beneficiary that will be for people coming for the same conference, sport events, unique travel destination, etc.

Have a flight soon? Give it a try. Check Planely at http://www.planely.com/

Beware: UPS/FedEx/USPS delivery email may bring you unpleasant surprise

I am getting multiple emails with all kind of warnings about ugly devastating viruses and Trojans, which are going to penetrate my computer one or another way. You probably know what I mean, as you probably get this kind of mass-mailing as well. So, most of the warnings are simple spam which is delivered to my mailbox by friends with the best intentions. However, I never accept anything as the truth before I check e warning through the trusted informational sources.

Today I got the following email:

The newest virus circulating is the UPS/Fed Ex Delivery Failure. You will receive an email from UPS/Fed Ex Service along with a packet number… It will say that they were unable to deliver a package sent to you on such-and-such a date. It then asks you to print out the invoice copy attached. DON'T TRY TO PRINT THIS. IT LAUNCHES THE VIRUS! Pass this warning on to all your PC operators at work and home. This virus has caused Millions of dollarsin damage in the past few days.

This time, after thorough investigation, I have to admit that the warning is real. This kind of emails started the circulation from 2008, but it seems that there is a new spike is around this Holiday season.  

The sample of the email you may get is as follows:

Hello!

Unfortunately we failed to deliver the postal package you have sent on the 19th of September in time because the recipient's address is erroneous.

Please print out the shipment label attached and collect the package at our office.

United States Postal Service

If you receive such an email, don't be tempted! Clicking on the attachment, which looks like a harmless Word document, opens an executable file that installs malware on your computer. The USPS is also aware of attempts to collect personal information via the phone:

Customers may be receiving email messages or phone calls that allege to be from the U.S. Postal Service that contains fraudulent information about attempted or intercepted package delivery.

For emails: If opened, the messages instruct customers to click on a link to find out more about when they can expect delivery of their "package." Simply delete the message without taking any further action.

For phone calls: Please do not provide any personal information and let the caller know you're not interested and hang-up the phone.

The Postal Inspection Service is aware of the problems and are working hard to resolve the issues and shut down the malicious programs.

We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers.

UPS, FedEx, and DHL have all issued warnings to immediately delete these emails and to never click on links contained therein. UPS writes that it “may send official notification messages on occasion, but they rarely include attachments.” FedEx says emails it sends with tracking updates for undeliverable packages “do not include attachments.”

If you receive one of these emails, just delete it if you haven't sent a package. If you have sent a package and receive one of these messages, but question its authenticity, contact the customer service department of whichever service you used.

Don't open email attachments until you're certain they're from a legitimate party. In addition, remember to update your antivirus software often, and back up your hard drive regularly.

Note that the message may be a bit different, but still carry the dangerous load:

Mr./Mrs. XXX

I am sorry for this late reply, but we have good news.

We managed to track your package, and we have attached the invoice you asked for to this reply.

The invoice contains the correct tracking# , since the one you gave us was invalid.

You can use it on the ups website to track your shipment.

Thank you

John Henry

UPS Customer Care Department

Some user reported that even the sources of the alleged failure delivery note might not be limited by USPS, FedEx, and UPS. Some users reported similar presents from Western Union.

So, rule number one – be careful opening any attachments.

Rule number two - do not open any attachments with EXE extension. Period!

Rule number three – watch for strange emails similar to those presented in the post and delete them right away.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp

http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2008/07/15/ups-virus-warning.htm

http://www.silverplanet.com/scams/internet-safety/upsfedex-delivery-failure-scam/57315

Transferring Images to your Mobile Phone with Pix2Fone

Pix2Fone is a free service that lets you make custom mobile phone wallpapers, backgrounds and logos in instantly without being a gadget guru. There are two ways of using the service (both are equally free of charge): you can use online version, loading the pictures through the web site, or you can download a small plugin for the most popular browsers MS Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. The browser extension adds "Save Picture to Mobile Phone" and "Upload File to Mobile Phone" options right to your browser.

Why you may need this service?

1. You may just want to replace the preset background images on your phone with a fresh set.
2. Need to use your friend’s photo as a picture caller ID, while you are on the go.
3. Need to save the picture on your phone from the Internet or your home computer without cables.

How it works?

If you chose to install the plugin approach, following the installation, right-click with your mouse on a desired photo in your browser and select "Save Picture to Mobile Phone" from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, you may select "Upload File to Mobile Phone" from browser's "Tools" menu to upload a picture or MP3 file from your computer. In a few seconds Pix2Fone web service will process your request and format selected image for your specific phone's display settings (note that the first time you use the service to send image, the service will ask you about your phone model).

Then you will be given a unique download code and may save the picture optimized for your phone via phone's WAPWireless Access Protocol, also known as "wireless internet", "mobile web" or "data service", allows Web access on mobile phones. browser.

All you need to get pictures to mobile phone is a wireless service plan that includes WAPWireless Access Protocol, also known as "wireless internet", "mobile web" or "data service", allows Web access on mobile phones. access. Open wap.pix2fone.com page in the phone's browser and enter the download code to start loading picture to the phone. Optionally you may avoid typing by sending the direct download link as SMSShort Messaging Service, also known as "text messaging". right to your phone. To download image, highlight the internet link in the text message you received and select "Go to" from the phone's menu. This free option is available for users in the U.S. and Canada.

The phone starts downloading picture automatically once you enter the download code (or click the direct link you received as SMSShort Messaging Service, also known as "text messaging".). A message will appear on the phone's display referring to the incoming file size.  Press "Yes" key and wait a few seconds until your phone displays a message like "Item saved in My Pictures". Now you can set this picture as phone wallpaper, background or even picture caller IDLink pictures to the contacts in your phonebook to display a photo of the person calling you..

Developers’ website: http://www.pix2fone.com/

Rhyming Assistance with Poem Creation

Wikipedia defines rhyme as a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. Rhymes might be useful not just for professional poets. They can be quite handy, when you try to create a nice greeting, party invitation, or love song. That is cool, and you will see how your rating goes up, when you produce such piece of art. But that is not easy to make it. Words are running away, and you may find it hard to use the proper rhymes during composition. Get some assistance from the Web.

Free online version of Rhymer service offers five types of rhymes:

1. End Rhymes (blue/shoe)
   Words with ending rhyme have the same final vowel sound and following consonant sound(s). For example, if you enter the word laughter under this option, Rhymer retrieves a list of words with the ending sound er (e.g., admirer, doctor, pleasure, scholar, watercolor, and were). Other examples of ending rhyme include:
• hat/cat
• plate/eight
• marigold/buttonholed

This option lets you easily find exact rhymes (words in which the final vowel and consonant sounds are the same) and masculine rhymes (rhyming words with a stressed final syllable).

2. Last Syllable Rhymes (timber/harbor)
   Words with last syllable rhyme have the same sounds following the last syllable boundary (commonly a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant). For example, if you enter the word explain using this option, Rhymer retrieves a list of words with the last syllable sound plain (e.g., aquaplane, biplane, plane, and plain). Other examples of last syllable rhyme include:
• humanity/zesty
• threw/breakthrough
• pleat/complete

This option lets you find masculine rhymes and all other words with final syllables (stressed or unstressed) that rhyme with the word you entered.

3. Double Rhymes (conviction/prediction)
   Words with double rhyme have the same vowel sound in the second-to-last syllable and all following sounds. For example, if you enter the word soaring using this option, Rhymer retrieves a list of words with the sound oring (e.g., adoring, exploring, pouring, scoring, touring, and restoring). Other examples of double rhyme include:
• walking/talking
• humming/coming
• navigator/waiter

This option lets you find feminine rhymes (rhyming words with an unstressed final syllable). Words entered using this option must have at least two syllables.

4. Beginning Rhymes (physics/fizzle)
   Words with beginning rhyme have the same initial consonant sound(s) and the same first vowel sound. For example, if you enter the word plantation using this option, Rhymer retrieves a list of words with the sound pla (e.g., plan, plaque, plaster, and plateau). Other examples of beginning rhyme include:
• scenery/cedar
• cat/kangaroo
• table/tailor

This option lets you find words with initial alliteration (the repetition of initial consonant sounds), initial assonance (the repetition of initial vowel sounds), and front rhyme (the succession of beginning sounds of words).

5. First Syllable Rhymes (carrot/caring)
   Words with first syllable rhyme have the same sounds preceding the first syllable break. For example, if you enter the word explanation using this option, Rhymer retrieves a list of words with the sound ex (e.g., excavate, exhale, expert, and extra). Other examples of first syllable rhyme include:
• pantaloons/pantomimes
• highlight/hydrant
• tulip/twosome

Web site: http://www.rhymer.com/