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Palm connection settings for Wireless Web

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Having spent a frustrating time working out how to connect a Palm handheld device to 3’s Wireless Web service, I am sharing below the settings which make this happen. This configuration has been tested with LG handsets.

Applications -> Prefs -> Connection

Name: 3G
Connect to: Local Network
Via: Bluetooth
Device: your_handset_name

Network Settings

Service: 3 Internet
User Name: 3
Password: 3
Connection: 3G

Select “Details…” and ensure that the settings are as follows:

Connection type: PPP
Idle timeout: Never
Query DNS: Yes
IP Address: Automatic

Tap “Script…” and input the following dial script commands:

Send: AT+CGATT=0 ; AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”three.co.uk”
Send CR:
Send: ATDT*98#
Send CR:
End:

Tap “Connect” and cross your fingers 🙂

False Greetings

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Another dangerous email to report. This one masquerades as an online greetings card:

Greeting

The link actually downloads a harmful executable file from a server in Romania. It contains a trojan which creates secret backdoor entry to your system, downloads more harmful software and gives the author remote virtual control over your PC. They can use this to spy on your activities or make you an unwitting participant in illegal activities.

  • Install decent anti-virus software and keep it up date
  • Never respond to unsolicitied emails, no matter how authentic they look

Hachette Job

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Has anyone else seen the badly dubbed television advert for the Radio Control BMW M3 GTR?

“Chrome wheels… cool rear spoiler… check out its speed and power! Radio control BMW M3 GTR. High performance nitro engine, up to 50 miles per hour. Every week assemble, style and tune your radio control BMW M3 GTR and customise it to the max. Issue one, model components and DVD all for 50p”

Wow – I’m impressed! 😉 But then we get to the small print… “Radio control kit sold separately. Complete in 95 issues.”

Their promotional web site at the rather confusing www.rc-bmw-m3gtr.co.uk has the following additional subscription information:

  • Issue 1 comes for the special price of £0.50, issue 2 at £3.99 and issue 3 onwards is at £5.99 per issue (free postage and packing).
  • Thereafter, I will receive 4 issues packed together every 4 weeks at a price of £5.99 per issue (postage and packing free).

So the total cost is £561.56, it will take nearly two years to complete and you still have to purchase the expensive RC kit separately. Bargain! 😯 This is also assuming that Hachette Partworks Ltd (a subsidiary of the French owned Hachette Livre) are still in business and can be bothered to fulfil the entire set of publications.

Please don’t be tempted by this ridiculous scheme. If you want help with building a decent RC vehicle, I recommend that you visit Apex Models in Crowthorne (Berkshire), or use their mail order service.

Phishing

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You may have heard of a social engineering technique called “phishing” in which hackers attempt to trick you into revealing personal login information, which they then use to defraud you in some way. These phishing attacks usually take the form of an email which purports to be from a known and trusted organisation such as your bank or an online retailer.

I received one such email this morning and I wanted to share it with you to demonstrate just how realistic they can seem:

This email may look legitimate enough, but the embedded link actually takes you to a fake site which is intended to steal your login information and credit card details. In this case the rogue server is hosted at the NongMin Daily Newspaper Office in China, which presumably has been compromised.

Please follow this advise to stay safe:

  • Do not trust “From” addresses as these can easily be faked.
  • Never divulge personal or banking details in response to an email.
  • Do not click on links or attachments that you receive in unsolicited emails.

inspirononly

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This post is mainly a placeholder to provide information about the eBay seller inspirononly who uses the email address pchelp@hotmail.co.uk.

I had the misfortune to encounter ‘Hector Smithers’ after I won an eBay auction on 29th October 2005. Despite the postage details specifying “Royal Mail 1st Class Standard” delivery at a cost of £10, I eventually received the item on 16th November – 16 days after payment.

I initially posted neutral feedback for this individual, but reluctantly had to withdraw it as I received negative feedback in return and I wanted to maintain my 100% feedback record.

Other recent negative feedback comments for inspirononly:

giannis11127 – “Never received the mobile, tryed numerus times to contact, no tracking number…”
stephen333fox – “Poor correspondence. When items finally arrived they were in pieces. Bad show!”
morva666 – “BEWARE paid for item 5/11 recd 1/12,chargd £4.50 post sent it for 47p bad ebayr”
wrinkledone – “Goods were sold in E Bay catogory Royal Doulton but were not – poor quality”

I commend these fine people for sticking to their guns and incurring the inevitable “NEGATIVE FEEDBACK FOR A NEGATIVE PERSON” reciprocal negative feedback.

What we know about ‘inspirononly’:

  • The contact telephone number given to eBay for this person is 01237 477794 and the address is ? Benson Drive, Northam, BIDEFORD, EX39 1UY – although both are unconfirmed and there are no ‘Smithers’ listed on the Electoral Register in that street.
  • He or she uses an AOL Internet connection.
  • This person is a compulsive liar.
  • Although emails come from Hector Smithers, the eBay account is registered in the name of Faye Smithers.
  • ‘Hector’ uses the account of Michael Kavanagh <up4it1970@hotmail.com> for PayPal transactions.

If you are reading this page as a result of a web search then my advise to you is not to bid on any item inspirononly is attempting to sell. If you have been stung yourself then please add a comment.

UPDATE: inspirononly is no longer registered with eBay. I suppose the low positive feedback score (91.5%) devalued the ID history and perhaps his past finally caught up with him. This is good news if it means that Hector Smithers will refrain from any further auctions, but alas I fear that he/she will just continue with a new ID 😡