Experience with AT&T Wireless

Our voice usage was running high since June. After talking to AT&T reps about what I needed, I made some commitments and some withdrawals without knowing that I'll be charged for commitments in advance. Meanwhile, I still had more questions than answers. When I found out about the A-list service on the AT&T website, I submitted an online request to upgrade the service to 1400-minute plan in July. I was pretty sure I called the customer support and asked them to cancel the 2100-minute commitment for September. Also, the online overview spelled out that I had 1400-minute plan and I did not see any commitment reminder whenever I was online. When the July bill was much higher than normal, I thought it might be related to the upgrade to iPhone. On the commitment date in September, I got a voice mail that 2100-minute plan was already in place. I talked to the rep, he gave me a $20 credit and change the plan to 1400 minutes. When I checked the online statement today, I did not see the credit anywhere. I went over the bill with a customer service rep and found out AT&T charges for services two months in advance. She insisted only to honor the $20 credit for last month but not for the one before that. After talking to her manager a bit, the line dropped. I called back and talked to another rep. I was a good experience. She gave me the $40 credit, which I could verify online right away. Also she asked me to double check with the customer service whenever I change my plan online and cared about what happened with my last call to AT&T. A fair-and-square customer rep like her will keep AT&T ahead of competition.

Inside Out on building iPhone apps

To build a powerful app without using the Interface Builder, make your code modular for unit testing and master the art of when and where to release the memory and prevent crashes.

Beyond the Windows

Replacing a fogged window is no big deal. Doing it right before the tenants moving into our condo requires precise execution. Especially the Boston guy from Wayside Glass alerted me to get home as soon as possible for another window replacement project. Well, I had no choice but to give him the front door key so he could work by himself. But I still needed to caulk some bathroom tiles. Oh no! The caulk refused to come out no matter how hard I tried. My children’s scissors just couldn’t cut it. Luckily the Boston guy came to rescue with a circular cut like a surgeon. I was impressed with his right-to-the-point attitude. He’d be fine working solo.


By the time I got home, the Concord guy already set up the workshop. When the first set of windows went up, the clarity of the nature was so captivating that I firmly believed in the open architecture. With his laser sharpness for details and seamless coordination with my cleaning obsession, 11 sets of windows were completed in less than two days during the sweltering heat wave.

There were a few dramas to make the experience memorable. For instance, I had a hard time taking down the curtain hardware and he pointed out the right tool to use from my pile of amateur gadgets. It was the little things that matter. One of the screen frames was out of shape, leaving enough gaps for insets to come. He offered solutions. When it’s not enough by stretching the frame, he went extra inning to redo it when he should be on his way to the next job. He did not know that it meant a lot for my bug-hating husband, who also immensely enjoyed the clear difference of this investment.

Mr. No Leaks

The skylight and chimney had been leaking for years. The problem got worse since the persistent rain for three weeks in early spring. As I surfed on the net for a reliable roofer, I found the pictures were convincing and the tag line stood out on Wooster Roofing. When the manager came, he was agile with the tall ladder and honest with his solutions. When I check the reference, the lady’s voice trembled with happiness. That was the turning point.


One dog day afternoon, his team showed up with the skylight. Although I tried to tell him where the leaks were, he said it was not necessary to come inside until he needed to know if the new one sat squarely on the opening. He promised that the new one would not leak with sheer confidence. A week later, it rained for four straight days and the walls were bone dry. What a pleasure!

One morning I rushed home from Boston to get more paint for the condo. To my pleasant surprise, the roofers were almost done with re-flashing and water-proofing the chimney. It looked so professional with the roof shingles lined up with the lead flashing. I gave them a check before the project was done. From now on I could sleep with a peace of mind.

The next day was the last day of the heat wave. I sweated like a pig as I painted my decks. If the roofers survived, I could too.

List of Foods to Avoid during Pregnancy

To be healthy, eat a balanced diet.  When you're pregnant, take extra cautions on the following foods to ensure that your baby will be born free of toxicity:

• Carbonated diet beverages with artificial sweeteners
• Soft cheeses not made from pasteurized milk
• Raw or undercooked eggs, meats, and seafoods
• Smoked seafoods
• Foods from contaminated environment
• Unwashed vegetables and fruits
• Caffinated beverages
• Alcohol

Sources: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/foodstoavoid.html
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/foodstoavoid.html

Possible Sampling Problems

One of the results from NY Daily News-Marist poll of 809 adults: only 2% of Republicans had bedbugs, while 12% of Democrats did in NYC.

Among 165 startup founders who received venture capitals in 2010, CB Insight found 92% of them were men.

The Big Picture on Testing an iPhone App

Provision the devices for testers

1. Ask your testers to download the UDID Sender app from iTunes for free. Tap the Send button to add your email address.
2. Log into your Provisional Portal account, create a provision profile for each UDID identifier that you received, which can then be downloaded to your computer. 
3. Copy the provision profile file to the Organizer and email it to every tester with the instructions on installing it on the device.  Ask them to drill down to Settings>General>Profiles to verify the new expiration date.

Provision the iPhone application

1. Log into your Provisional Portal account, create the provision profile under the Ad Hoc tab, and then download it to your computer.
2. Copy the provision profile to the Organizer in the Xcode.

Email the files to your testers

1. Email it to every tester with instructions to sync the .mobileprovision and .app files to his device from iTunes. Ask them to drill down to Settings>General>Profiles to verify the new expiration date and locate the app icon from the home screen.  However, a tester must remove any existing  files before downloading the new ones.
2. Track the progress with your testers.

Links for developers: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/40154/how-do-you-beta-test-an-iphone-app