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Albelli.com has a free 24-page photo book using coupon code momspaceab81 with free shipping.

The deal sounded too good to be true, in proper form, that seemed to be the case. The short version is STAY AWAY. You’re better off using Snapfish or some other photo service.

So here’s what happened….

The first thing you need to realize is that the albelli service uses Adobe AIR, which is like Adobe Flash, but allows you to run applications from the PC.  Similar to Java Webstart.  This is a MAJOR disadvantage as you’ll read….

In order to make the book, you need to of course “import” the photos.

The albelli program stores the photos on the drive, not on the internet, so I started the album at work and then got home to realize that I couldn’t access the “book”. – PROBLEM #1

I started THE WHOLE PROCESS over again at home, that took about 3 hours to do the full and proper layout for the 24 pages.

Finally, I submitted the book.  There was an error, but the application seemed to let me continue. I then was prompted for my coupon code. I entered it, and it didn’t work. – PROBLEM #2

So, as any normal person would do, I emailed support. There is no phone number for albelli. There was no actual person I could call.  – PROBLEM #3.

It took 6 days for a response – PROBLEM #4.

By the time I got my response, the deal was DEAD. I really didn’t care about the money or the deal, I wanted my book. I would have paid whatever, I had spent about 5 hours making it between my time at work and at home.

I was instructed to go back into the albelli application and re-submit the book with yet another coupon code. Well, the “book” that I had spent 5 hours on, wasn’t there any more. The application had crashed. – PROBLEM #5

I emailed them back and asked them to apply the coupon on their end and I’d call or email my credit card.

I just wanted my book. They lacked the ability to handle this type of request. Instead they offered to just cover the shipping. Oh, did I mention that it took 12 days for that response?? – PROBLEM #6

Finally, I thought, REDEMPTION. They will print and mail my book.  Well, I waited and waited and waited. 16 days later I emailed them to see if it shipped. – PROBLEM #7

6 days later – PROBLEM #8,   I got this email:

I did reset the order for you but when I just checked on it, the file was corrupt when it went down to the server. Can you please follow the directions below and we will get you your book. I am sorry for the delay.

^&*%^&#%#$%# UGH!!!!. That’s the whole problem, I can’t use the application to re-send my book. AHHHH!- PROBLEM #9

So, I just emailed them back this simple statement.

I have to say, your service is flawed. If you don’t have it there it’s
gone.

Brilliant. I cannot recommend your service. In fact, likely by the
time you read this I will have posted a rather opinionated take of
this on my blog: http://methodicjon.com/

-Jon

If it wasn’t CRYSTAL CLEAR, albelli application sucks, customer service is SLOWER then molasses (while at times fair and empathetic).

In the end it’s a waste of time, for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE.

Turn out folk with various DirecTV TiVos are seeing the same problem. (via tivocommunity.com) Some people seemed to indicate that upgrading to the latest DirecTV TiVo version 6.4a might help the issue. (check out this great page at dvrpedia.com listing all TiVo Software versions!)

Looks like I just have to manually rebuild my season passes, which is a breeze via the TivoWebPlus web interface vs. using the remote to do it.  I love my Zipper’d & hacked (as in improved, not stealing) unit.

I am considering migrating the various boxes to 6.4a. I found this great post by dvrupgrade giving a script and a rundown on what to do in case the 6.4a software isn’t in the stream (on the box waiting to be installed).

I do love my Multi-Room Viewing (MRV) and 6.4a kills that.  Booo!  Decisions, Decisions.

Thank god for SplashID. This was the first application I purchased when the iPhone App Store when live. It’s a god send!. I have over 300 passwords stored in it.

SplashID can also store other data like account, notes, you name it.

If you have an iPhone or other mobile device, you NEED to get SplashID!

SplashID for the iPhone (App Store Link)

SplashID for the iPhone

I had a Social Calling Card printed back in 2000. I merely had my full name, my mobile and my email.  Looking at these posts, I guess it’s time to update them. I use them sporadically, and they are very helpful when used.

Time for YOU to get your Social Calling Card.

Over time you will learn my love for TiVo is deep, and my need fot DirecTV is absolute, as that’s my only option.

I have stayed a Standard Definition TV (SDTV), for years despite the taunting and mocking of my friends, family and peers.  I refuse to leave my TiVo behind.  Better start a ‘collection cup’ for both.

There are several ways to implement a filter to prevent any ‘topics of concern’ from being loaded in FireFox and web browsers in general. One FireFox add-on I found which could do that was Fox Filter. I tried this out on my primary computer’s FireFox install, but found it very efficient, but lacked the ability to remotely administer new rules and polices.

Since this machine is for someone outside my physical household, I can’t touch the machine for updates often.

Step forward Glaxstar’s Glubble. The Glubble Family Edition 1.0.1.5 add-on allows ‘parents’ to administer content, children to request access to new websites, which might have been blocked by the hammer of Fox Filter. If I approve, it becomes allowed and the child view the website without making modifications to any rules or filters. The approval or rejection of website requests can occur if a parent is surfing with FireFox and logged in as a Glubble parent, on a different machine. Many homes likely have at least one PC.

Following the paradigm from my post on restricting OS X Tiger,

1. log into the restricted user account
2. Launch FireFox
3. Visit glubble.com, and install the Glubble Add-on
4. FireFox will prompt you to allow the installation of the add-on, accept and allow.
5. Once Glubble is installed, restart FireFox by either closing it, or clicking on the ‘Restart FireFox’ button.
6. FireFox will load. Accept the terms and conditions of Glubble, and click on “Create a new account” at the top of FireFox. You will be guided through the Glubble setup process.

Note: If computer is for children only, then you may not want to install the parent Glubble profile on this machine. A password is required to log into the parent account, but if you don’t plan to log into the parent account, just don’t add it. If it’s added, click on the small x next to the name of that tab and it will allow you to remove that user tab.

Glubble stores the various account settings in the cloud. This allows easy remote administration and control. There are many features worth looking at in Glubble such as: their default safe websites called ‘Glubbles, the ‘family wall’, the ‘Last surfed’ information for the children accounts.

Glubble seems to fit the bill for child proofing the internet, IMO.

Since I’ve arrived at Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) for the iMac G3 I salvaged for free from Craigslist, I need to lock down the UI.  Sure, in Tiger, there are plenty of ‘Parental Controls’ but selecting the most restrictive setting of: ‘This user can only use these applications’, adds several Folders to the Dock such as Documents, Applications. Given this particular user, I felt it would confuse more then it would help.

So, I decided I’d select ‘Simple Finder’, but restrict the UI and the Dock. I did consider removing the Dock, and found buried online a good reference on removing the Dock from OS X.

So, here are the steps I took.

1. Create a new user in System Preferences, leaving it as a ’standard user’ (for the time being)
2. Log in as that user and trim down the Dock (click and drag Dock icons into the trashcan). I only left  FireFox (see my post on child proofing FireFox) and an AppleScript to Shutdown the Mac.
3. Disable the OS X Dashboard [In Terminal run: defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES] (activates at next login, test by pressing F12 key)
4. Locking the OS X Dock [In Terminal run: defaults write com.apple.dock contents-immutable -bool true] [Then also run in terminal: osascript -e 'tell application "Dock" to quit'] (this applies the change by killing the Dock)
5. Last step is to change the user type to 'Simple Finder' [In Terminal run:defaults write com.apple.finder InterfaceLevel simple
6. Now, log off and back in. Time to lock down FireFox.

Note: This method does not prevent other applications from running. An example would be iTunes. If an audio CD is inserted, iTunes runs. I felt 'helper applications' running would be pleasant, but at the same time, I'm not advertising that they exist or can be run.

Clearly, this leaves the system open and exposed at several levels. If you follow my approach, I recommend that you put in an audio disc, run and configure iTunes with defaults, and adjust the Parental Controls in the Preferences section.

A major benefit of selecting the 'Simple Finder' lockdown approach is that a menu option exists in Finder (Finder -> Run Full Finder), which when authenticated as a System Administrator, will let you run Terminal or any other application in this profile to further tweak the OS or perform some other administative tasks without logging out.