I decided that wasn’t good enough, and that I wanted to let other potential customers know what kind of merchant they were dealing with, especially since DigitalFramez have no physical presence, so I started a blog and wrote a short series of entries about the things I had a problem with…

• The way they’d treated other unsatisfied customers;
• Their frantic efforts to discredit me without asking what the problem was (classic ‘bad customer service’);
• Repeatedly placing their own interests before their customers’;
• Numerous documented examples of their bad customer service and poor quality control;
• Using ‘Sponsored Blogging’ to create the false impression that they had lots of happy customers;

After a month of blogging, and posting my own comments on some of their ‘paid for’ blog entries I had a couple of unusual comments placed on my site, followed by further comments (all from the same IP address) with the URL of this website. I believe it was intended to show me they ‘knew how to find me’ and that I couldn’t hide from them. Especially when the same IP address also posted a link to a fake blog created in my name on Blogger.

So I did what any blogger does – wrote a new post about it immediately. And reminded them that (still) no-one had asked me what the problem was. And this, finally, got an email from DigitalFramez asking me why I was so angry, and why I was ‘attacking our company’. After detailing the five specific customer service failures in their ‘off the shelf’ e-commerce enterprise I received an email from ‘Brian’ who promptly blamed his staff and offered a refund (provided I first started a PayPal account).

I guess I’m happy that I was listened to eventually, but I’m still unhappy that it only happened to stop me bad-mouthing DigitalFramez in a public forum, and not because they’ve changed anything about the way they do business. I’m concerned for the unhappy customers who can’t do what I’ve done. I suggest you ask your friends and family if they’ve had a good experience with an online digital frame vendor and follow your instincts.

While the Beeb offers may of its shows for download before broadcast and leaves them available for some weeks/months afterwards, the folks at hulu are still making up their minds. At the bottom of the equation is dollars, and how to suck ‘em out of us viewers. Or, as our American friends might say, ‘monetizing’. And it looks to me like the hulu crowd are sitting on the fence. Sure, there are ‘some’ favourite episodes, and there are limited choices to be made from a wide range of shows, but at the end of it all I still can’t browse for my favourite ep’ from my favourite series and know that I’ll see it.

Make your own call, but I’m still watching tv-links.

hulu: Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.

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My friend and colleague, Cat Le-Huy, was detained on drug charges (of which he is completely innocent) in Dubai on January 26th this year. He remains in prison awaiting trial. Please read about Cat’s plight below (provided by his close friend Radha Stirling) and spread the word. Please also donate whatever you feel you can to help Cat regain his freedom.

Cat Le-Huy, Endemol’s Head of Technology, as of the 27th of February remains in Al Wathba Prison, Dubai. We are exploring all possible avenues for his release. Currently the decision rests with the DPP as to whether to charge him or drop the case entirely. Cat’s Advocate has been presenting arguments to the Prosecution in an attempt to persuade them to drop the case.We are hoping for a speedy, positive resolution & expect to have more solid news very shortly. There are rumours being generated within the prison that people who plead guilty are deported, though as you would expect, there are no guarantees and this is often an attempt to scare prisoners into pleading guilty, to make the DPP’s job easier. Cat was told if he signed the Arabic confession, he would be deported immediately. They didn’t keep their word then & we very much doubt they would now. As such, Cat agrees it’s better to tell the truth and maintain his innocent plea. Unfortunately, the legal system in the UAE is not designed with fair trials in mind & with very few practising (drug) criminal lawyers, senior advocates & associated law firms charge a high amount for their services. In this case, we are confident that Cat’s advocate will be able to secure his release in the very near future as he has done for many others in similar situations in the past. We have been advised, there is a 90% chance this case will be closed if we can raise the financial assistance in a timely manner.

Check out this amazing Flash promotional piece for Motorola… Highlighting Government and Safety solutions it combines high bandwidth video, excellent 3D modelling and a little Flash 3D as well.

My experience was constantly interrupted by pauses for video downloading, but on a decent broadband connection (I reckon at least 2Mbit) this would perform pleasingly.

I love seeing the combination of good art, story and development – this is a great example!