Sep 16, 2010

ZeuS.Zbot.aoaq Zonealarm Marketing Trick


I turned on my computer today to find this Zonealarm pop up on my desktop. Real or fake? Turns out it's fake, and a dirty marketing ploy by Zonealarm. I never thought they'd stoop to this level where they'd try and send SCAREWARE to users of their Zonealarm Free in order to push us into buying their Antivirus products. Common Zonealarm, you guys are better than that!

*Note* although this is a sketchy marketing trick, your computer may actually be infected with other viruses. If you don't have an Antivirus software, please take the opportunity to check out AVG Free, alternatively, for an Antivirus + Firewall solution to purchase, AVG Internet Security 9.0 is what I'd recommend.

Additional info in the comments section.

Chat with their customer support:
http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/support/zonealarm-customer-service.htm

At the end of the chat session, you'll be given a link to send a message to their developers.

Use this message if you'd like:
"Your new Zeus spam message is very disappointing to me as a consumer and a user. I have been a loyal user of your software, and I am surprised that you'd try and scare me into purchasing your software. Could you please let the quality of your software stand for itself and leave the purchasing decision up to the consumer? Please don't send these messages. It degrades the integrity of your company and software."

Best wishes,
-Tri

Sep 9, 2010

Ooma Hub :: Orange Light of Death :: Hardware Failure


Symptom: When turning on your Ooma Hub, an orange light immediately appears on the clear Ooma tab. No other lights display on the buttons nor on the network connections in the back.

Problem: You've experienced an Ooma Hub hardware failure. (Don’t bother with reading the manual as the constant orange light is not mentioned in there. I checked.)

Solution: Your options are to either return the device to the store or call Ooma and have them replace the unit under the warranty.

Tips for replacement under warranty: If you already tried troubleshooting, hard reset, turning off the device, checking the lights and cable, then here’s a tip to get you through the call faster. Skip their attempts at troubleshooting over the phone because their tech support will get you to the same conclusion which you already know: your Ooma Hub is toast. The Orange Light of Death, or OLD, is 100% guaranteed that your Ooma Hub is no longer working. Insist that you’ve already tried troubleshooting, and you want to have the unit replaced. Also, double check the information they have on hand to ensure a speedy replacement.

*Update 9/13/10*
From Ooma Support:
Subject: Hardware Failure
Try slow power cycle first by unplugging the power from the back of the device, wait for at least 2 minutes before plugging it back in.
You can also try doing a factory reset to check if your device will recover:
1. Hold down the Tab button, unplug the power cord.
2. After 10 sec plug it back in, continue holding the tab until the 3 rows of buttons light up row by row at a fast pace (i.e. each row lights up for 300 msec.).
3. Release the Tab button.
4. The ooma Hub will then go back to factory default settings and reboot itself.
If the factory reset did not work, we can recommend the replacement of the defective unit under your current warranty coverage.

Currently going through the exchange process.



Update: 10/10/10
I'm happy to update that the exchange went smoothly. Ooma sent a new device that worked just fine.