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Exposing scams isn't stupid, but ignoring them is truly dumb.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

D r .   G i z m o
The cellphone 'Do Not Call List' hoax; maximizing iPod battery life; why the doc covers OS X Macs


Jan. 18, 2006


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, The Post-Standard

   Doc, I got this message from a friend. It's a hoax, right? Here's some of what it says:
   "JUST A REMINDER: 27 days from today, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE CALLS. To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone : 1-888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years." Thanks. -- S.M., via a local university.
   The doc checks the accuracy of reports like this one using Google. A Google search for "national do not call list" followed by the word "hoax" turned up facts about this hoax on About.com. Here's the address: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/business/a/cell_directory.htm.
   
   Doc, I I bought an iPod a few months ago, and have heard that the batteries don't hold up well. I've taken to keeping it plugged into the charger when not in use, sometimes for days at a time. Will this hurt it at all? I just don't use it every day. What's the best way to max out the battery life? -- Pete, via Road Runner.
   The batteries in iPods will last longer if they are used routinely. There are four possible scenarios for battery usage in a portable device such as the iPod music player:
   1. The device is used many hours a day. It is charged overnight every day.
   2. The device is used every few days, for only a few hours at a time. It's charged every week.
   3. The device is seldom used. It's left on the charger nearly all the time.
   4. The device is seldom used. It's charged only when the user remembers to do it.
   You might imagine that Scenario No. 3 would produce the longest battery life, but in actual practice the longest life comes from Scenario No. 1, then No. 2. In the third scenario, batteries lose their effectiveness because they're never exercised, and this is the case for Scenario No. 4 as well. ("Excercised" seems like a non-technical term for some sort of technical explanation, but it's actually a valid technical way of explaining the way rechargeable batteries work.)
   So the doc recommends charging iPods after each multi-hour use. Don't leave one on a charger after it's charged up. If you don't use your iPod much, charge it and leave it in a drawer, then recharge it the night before you will be using it again.
   
   Doc, I look forward to reading your column in the Technology section page every Wednesday. You usually have some useful and practical information that helps us novice Windows users. Unfortunately for the past year or two years you are devoting half the column to preaching the benifits of Macintosh OS X, which most of us cannot afford or stupid spam mail that if people reply to they deserve what they receive. How about going back to giving out useful Windows information for us Windows users. Otherwise maybe its time for the Post-Standard to seach for a useful replacement. -- K.V.H., via zhighway.
   Apple's OS X computers are rapidly becoming an ideal alternative to Windows PCs, largely because of their virus- and spyware-free performance and their eye-catching design. The doc notes that Apple is now ahead of Dell as the industry leader in overall market share per manufacturer.
   The doc sees his coverage of Apple as a way of keeping up with the times. As for the electrophysician's tendency to quote scams in his column, he feels the stupid thing to do is to ignore them. Scams like that succeed because good people fall for them. The doc will continue to expose scams as long as he has a voice that can be heard.
   
   Dr. Gizmo leaves Al Fasoldt's Spam breakfast meat alone. You can send a Hormel label or just a letter to the doctor or his pal at Technology, Box 4915, Syracuse, NY 13221. Or send e-mail to afasoldt@twcny.rr.com.