Reviews, Reports + Comments

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Report: BEWARE of SCAM where caller offers to help “FIX” your computer!


2013, 01-26:


Report:  BEWARE of SCAM where caller offers to help “FIX” your computer!


This past week, "out-of-the-blue", I got a call from a fast-talking guy with a thick Indian-sounding accent, claiming he was calling from "MICROSOFT"...  As I recall, he knew my NAME (-- but, it & my phone number are on all my e-mails, various "contests" I enter from radio stations, etc.)...

         ...  I had to keep asking him to REPEAT things over & over, as a number of his statements made little "SENSE" to me...  He said, Microsoft's "records" had shown a bunch of "ERRORS" on my computer, & he was calling to "HELP" me get RID of them, because, if that wasn't done, they'd act as "viruses" (I'm "paraphrasing" here!) & start to infect my computer & make it UNUSABLE within like "12 days"!...

              ...  I report certain PROGRAM PROBLEMS (like sudden "disconnects") to Microsoft (as a "pop-up menu" encouraging you to do that is often "built-into" Windows when there are problems that disable normal operations of the program)--  but I do NOT send "identifiable" information "with" such reports, & purposely do NOT regularly send info to Microsoft re WEB-SITES I go to, etc (as I feel it's unnecessary & none of their business)...

                  ...  I specifically asked the caller--  who said his name was "ABEL"(!) -- if he was claiming he worked FOR Microsoft, & he claimed he did.  I asked, what "OFFICE" was he calling from?, & he said, "CALIFORNIA"--  tho he declined to give me a PHONE number there when I asked for it...

                       ...  The guy named "Abel" had some KNOWLEDGE about computers, urging me to go to "Start" / "Run", & type in "eventvwr"...  I tried things, &, under "Applications", I did see some periodic "ERROR" messages he claimed I'd see...  (But, that could be true on ANYONE'S computer, & they usually just said un-vital things like "Application HANG"...)

                           ...  When I asked HOW -- or WHY -- he or Microsoft would get any supposed "REPORTS" of "Error" messages being on my machine, his words were INDEFINITE & made NO real SENSE overall...

                                 ...  Questioning him some more (because I wanted to better understand his "GAME"), I asked, what did he propose be "done" about these supposedly "dangerous" errors on my computer?...  In the midst of his "FAST-TALKING" spiel (which tried to avoid giving "direct" answers), he eventually said, he would DIAL INTO my computer over the internet &, for "a NOMINAL fee", he'd REMOVE the otherwise supposedly "un-removable" harmful "errors" that would otherwise "DISABLE" my machine...

                                        ...  I asked, just what the "nominal fee" was, & he reluctantly mentioned $ 100, with some fast-talk words about how his work would be "GUARANTEED" for a certain period including re any "re-occurrence" of such errors, etc...

                                            ...  I said, I didn't like the idea of some absolute STRANGER who'd called me uninvited suddenly being allowed access to do ANYTHING on my computer [since, tho I didn't say so, he could STEAL PERSONAL INFORMATION off of it!], & best he call back "later", after I'd had time to "discuss" the situation with a computer "PROFESSIONAL" I personally know...

                                                     ...  To my surprise, the guy called BACK in about an hour...  I said, I wasn't able to make any "decision" at this time, & again asked for a PHONE number...  He started rattling one off quickly, starting with an area code of 786...  I said, he was speaking too quickly, please go slower & REPEAT it--  but, he quickly HUNG-UP after that, & NOTHING more was heard from him...

                 ...  Now, I know Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, WASHINGTON...  While they have numerous offices elsewhere, & undoubtedly some in CALIFORNIA where "Abel" had previously claimed he'd been calling from, I checked out the area code of "786" (which I'd written down as he'd spoken), & it's an "overlay" code in the MIAMI, FLORIDA area, clear across the country from where he'd claimed!...

                    …  My "point" is, this appears to be an unusually BRAZEN "DIRECT"-contact scam of a type I haven't personally seen before, & I wanted to "ALERT" you to it…

                             When I informed some friends what had transpired, two of them advised me that they ALSO had been involved in a SIMILAR situation...

                                    Given that fact, I felt it might be helpful to get the “word” out to OTHER people:

                                             I caution you to NEVER allow any stranger who suddenly contacts YOU “out-of-the-blue” to "dial in" to your computer on ANY pretense, or to provide them with ANY PERSONAL information of ANY type, no matter how much they "WARN" you about supposed "problems" of some kind!...

                                                     The odds are, it’s a “SCAM”, they’re likely to CAUSE you problems rather than “solving” any, and nothing truly GOOD is likely to be given you by the caller!...  SAVE yourself a lot of “hassle” &, if need be, just HANG-UP on the caller!...
                          

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Review of film: "WARM BODIES" = Is "ZOMBIE-COM" in the air-- or about to appear ON-SCREEN?!...


2013, 01-11:

Review of film:  WARM BODIES   =  Is there “ZOMBIE COM  in the air—
or about to be seen ON-SCREEN?!...




 ...  As stated a number of times on my web-site, overall, my LEAST-favorite genre of movies are "HORROR" films...




...  I straight-out AVOID going to "SLASHER" films (like "SAW 3D"), & generally tend to bypass ones about "VAMPIRES" & "ZOMBIES" & the like because most of them strike me as patently STUPID in concept & execution, & are usually poorly acted (and / or downright BORING to me)...
 

           ...  But, trying to remain at least partially "OPEN-MINDED", I nevertheless decided to go out in a drizzling rain to see an advance screening of a 97-minute "ZOMBIE-COM" film called "WARM BODIES" (which uses a number of funny tag lines, one of which is "He's still DEAD--  but he's getting WARMER...")... 



                      ...  I did it in part because a writer friend of mine named Brian said it was apparently surprisingly WELL-done...  And, I was intrigued when I learned it was written & directed by JONATHAN LEVINE, who did 2011's excellent "50 / 50" which I'd enjoyed very much;  see the review at  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-of-film-50-50.html ...)...





                           ...  I was NOT especially impressed when I viewed its TRAILER on-line--  but I did like the film's concept I read about on the internet--  namely, that it concerned a "zombie" working to find a way to become ALIVE again... 

                 ...  In the lobby, the waiting line for it (mostly consisting of people in their 20's & 30's) was considerably smaller than the seemingly way-OVER-booked line which had congregated for the advance screening of the Marlon Wayans film "A HAUNTED HOUSE" in another part of the lobby...


        




        ...  The "WARM BODIES" film I saw was a quite pleasant SURPRISE

                      ...  It was CLEVERLY done, filmed in the Montreal area, with British star NICHOLAS HOULT giving a "tongue-in-cheek" performance as a "DIS-SATISFIED" Zombie named "R" (as in "Romeo"?)...  (Nic played "Hank McCoy / Beast" in "X-MEN: FIRST CLASS";  our Review can be seen at:  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-of-film-x-men-first-class.html ) ...

                            ...  We hear him complain (in off-screen commentaries) about how hard & unpleasant his life is-- always walking so miserably SLOWLY...




                                    ...  And about constantly "bumping-into" other zombies as he has to search for food (usually of "organic" living HUMANS), etc...

                                 
   
                    ...  He has a zombie "friend" named "M" (played by ROB CORDDRY), &, such as they can, they try to "help" each other & "commiserate" & "communicate" (which tends to be difficult when you can do little more than GRUNT!)....




                          ...  By chance, as "R" is on a "food"-slog search, he comes upon live HUMANS who are trying to find medications & the like in the zombie area beyond their walled city... 

                                  ...  A fight ensues between him & a "decent" guy named Perry Kelvin (played by DAVE FRANCO), who tries to protect his girlfriend Julie (played by TERESA PALMER)-- who's the daughter of the man who controls the barricaded group of remaining humans, General Grigio (JOHN MALKOVICH, shown below)...




                                ...  The story continues with "R" trying to keep Julie safe from the other (not-so-"friendly") ZOMBIES & from the "lower"-class even-"deader" SKELETON - BONES who are chasing after the ZOMBIES...   


                                        ...  Quasi-akin to "Romeo & Juliet", a "RELATIONSHIP" starts to develop between "R" & Julie...





     ...  Will "R" be able to KEEP Julie safe?... 


     ...  Will Julie be "content" to STAY with "R"?... 


     ...  Will his efforts start to "CHANGE" him & possibly others in some way, either "inside" or "outside"?... If so, will it be for the "BETTER"?... 


    ...  WHO will "catch-up" with who, & what will "HAPPEN" from that?...   



                 ...  I found the little film quite FUNNY in an "underlying" & pleasurably understated way...  It's not written to provide big "laugh" lines as jokes (tho there ARE some hearty laughs):  it's played generally "straight", with the humor & cleverness arising out of the "SITUATIONS" set-up by the plot & its "twists" on the "usual" story in "zombie" flicks... 

                               ...  It's not a "great" film;  but, because of the unusually fine work inherent in it (especially by the creative writing, & the acting by Nic & Teresa), I would rate it like 7.75* out of 10 stars, because of the way it accomplishes something unexpectedly GOOD & EFFECTIVE with an often-hackneyed genre (in how it in-effect makes FUN of many of the stereotypes of its genre, & "explodes" certain "preconceptions")... 

                                       ...  And, I particularly like trying to "encourage" the making of well-done "INDIE"-type projects like this...

                                    ...  The movie is being shown in a number of other advance screenings in the next few weeks, before its scheduled general release on February 1st (perhaps as a "back-handed" --  or "short-handed" --  sort of "commentary" on VALENTINE'S DAY?!...) ... 

 

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