spyware

Seriously, what is wrong with Comcast???

October 10, 2007 By Bryan Coe Leave a Comment

I just wasted almost 2 hours trying to get my computer to work!!
For some reason this morning when went to start working this morning, my computer was at the log in screen. Strange, because I didn’t turn it off last night. Then I realized my server was at the log in screen too. So, I chalked it up to good old MS Update Tuesdays. So, then I couldn’t connect to the internet with a browser. IM worked, but no browser. Did every scan I know, thinking maybe I had a virus. Still nothing… checked the server… same issues. Ok maybe something is wrong with my router… rebooted… more of the same. Updated the firmware, which meant reconfiguring all my old settings. Still no better! Only thing left is it has to be my provider.. Comcast. So, I fooled around with rebooting the cable modem etc. Still nothing.

Then after getting sick of it and wanting to throw it everything out the window. (I controlled myself though) Boom! Everything works again?!?!?

Grrrr… should have just let it go and done nothing… OK, now time to actually get some work done.

I’m Back!

May 16, 2007 By Bryan Coe Leave a Comment

Well, there is a lot to write about, but most of it will have to wait. I got back from Mexico on Saturday, just in time to head to Dawn’s graduation party. Turns out I was sick. I thought I was just cold cause it was cooler here than in Mex, but I pretty sure I was running a fever. I’ve been sick ever since. I just had to make friends and bring one back with me. The Mexican Flu! Well actually just a sinus infection. Could have to do with all the sea water I snorted the last time we went snorkeling. 😉
I spent the past 2 days rebuilding my computer since my hard drive died on me when I was away. Does it have anything to do with my posting about spyware and ManiaTV on e-Life, hmmm….
Anyway, both my computer and I are healthy again, so I’ll be posting some updates again soon.

Oh, I did forget that I found a great quote from Mark Twain(I think it may become my mantra):

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.
– Innocents Abroad

Yahoo! Video — Mania_t_v A Warning

March 14, 2007 By Bryan Coe 1 Comment

Along with my own business. I do some work on the side as a rater for Google. What I do in a nutshell is rate the validity search strings for sites, images, etc…

Today I had a particular search, actually I don’t remember exactly what the search term was, but it landed me on a page from Yahoo! Video. The page was a directory of videos from a user called Mania_t_v. Frankly the videos were pretty useless, as they all seemed to be advertisements for the site called mania.tv. Now before you go checking out the site… don’t! After checking out some of the videos, although I’m not really into the topic (Hollywood gossip), I thought I would check out the site. The first time i tried, my browser Firefox crashed. Ok, odd… So, I started Firefox again and chose restore the session. It tried to access the site again, and BOOM! Not only did my browser crash, my computer crashed and restarted with a whole bunch of errors! I am currently running AVG Anti-Virus and Ad-Aware (I recommend both) to see what they infected the computer with. So far all I’ve found is some cookies that seem to be a bit dangerous, but I’m sure I’ll find something else considering none of my audio drivers work now…

So in short: Stay away from maniatv.com. I’m not sure if it is one of their that is malicious or those running the site. Hopefully Yahoo! Video will investigate this as well, because if someone is using there service to lure people to their site and then dumping Spy/Malware onto their machines. It could tarnish the image of Yahoo! And this only shortly after I was so happy with their service…