Comcast / Xfinity Captive Portal Loop

Symptom: The browser will continue to display something to the effect of “Oops! You cannot surf yet.” even though you successfully completed the Comcast / Xfinity HSI activation procedure.

Cause: Most probably, you are running windows vista with an old router.

Possible cures:
• Reboot the computer.

• Reboot the modem and router.

• Kindly upgrade your router firmware.
Example:
Goto linksys.com, search for model WRT54G Version 3, click ‘Downloads’, download the firmware file to your desktop, enter 192.168.1.1, enter ‘user’ and ‘user’, click ‘advanced’, click 'Firmware Upgrade', click ‘Browse File’, locate the firmware file on the desktop, click ‘Upgrade’, wait 10 mins for router reboot, hold breath, depending on how long you’ve been waiting; cross legs, then click your homepage browser button.*


*YMMV(**), Please don’t follow the example to the letter unless you actually *have* the Linksys WRT54G Version 3.


**Your Mileage May Vary.

Steve Jobs assumes a lesser role at Apple.

Steve?!?

Apple’s fine.
God Bless Steve.


[From MacWorld]
"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve"

AT&T’s New Text Plan Overcharges You by 10,000,000 Percent. Literally.

From Sam Biddle over at Gizmodo:
AT&T’s New Text Plan Overcharges You by 10,000,000 Percent. Literally.

Free SMS for iPhones? Yes, and No.

Quoting Dan Moren from MacWorld.com, the goldmine that is Short Message Service [a tiny amount of bandwidth with a huge price tag] will be free from iPhone 5 users to other iPhone 5 users through Apple’s servers. Moreover, it will likely cause a shift within the industry.

"Once iMessage rolls out, users of many of Apple’s more than 200 million iOS devices will be able to exchange text, picture, and video messages with each other for free. And, best of all, it’s completely transparent to users; iOS can figure out whether it needs to send an SMS or an iMessage, depending on the intended recipient. Apple’s legendary ease of use may deal the most significant blow yet to the existing text messaging model.”

Link:
at&t texting “streamlining” points to SMS’s slow decline.