Aluminium cans

The thought of aluminium cans being a good way for community groups to raise funds I'm sure enters the mind of many people including myself. I decided to investigate and share what I find in case it helps others.

The average aluminium can weighs 14.7 grams (based on 2005 figures)
It thus takes 68 cans to make a kilogram.
I called a scrap merchant and they will pay 80 cents per kilogram.
Each can is thus worth around 1.18 cents.

A few months ago I decided to start collecting cans rather than throwing them into the recycle bin. I've collected 158, or nearly $2 worth. Over a year I'd probably end up collecting about $10 worth of cans.

I can't help but feel that with 300 houses around me. If everyone collected $10 worth of cans a year, then collectively we could donate around $3,000 a year to local groups. A school for example could start a collect-a-can project. Our local primary school has around 300 students and our local secondary college has over 1200 students. If the families chipped in their cans say quarterly, there would be a nice bonus for the school. The same applies to community groups.

I also asked about collection, as it really isn't worth the time for everyone to drive kilometres and back to drop off cans. We agreed a good size to make it worthwhile would be around 100kg, although smaller amounts would be OK too. But really, to me, we should minimise travel and thus the cost on our environment.

To save room cans should be crushed. I recently saw a can crusher for sale, but given the money you get for each can, it'd probably be best just to donate the money. I stand on my cans wearing sturdy footwear. It could be easy to twist your ankle if you slip so be careful. I've also seen another person crush their cans using a very heavy industrial hammer.

I hope the above information helps others.

- Kelvin Eldridge

PS. I found this neat trick with a can I thought I'd share. If you leave around 20% of the contents of the can in the bottom of the can, you can balance the can on the bottom rim so it sits at about a 45 degree angle. It's a great looking effect.

PPS. Thanks to Boomerang Scrap Metal Pty Ltd for their time answering questions.

Tags: aluminium cans, aluminium can, recycling cans, aluminum cans

Malware alert: Verify your ANZ online Bank statement for the month of march

By now I would have thought most people would simply delete this type of email. But recently on the news I've heard of people responding to emails like this so I thought it best to continue to warn others.

Delete these emails. They are attempting to trick people into revealing their banking details.

I highly recommend people do not provide their email address to a financial institution. There is no reason for them to keep your email address on record. My banks don't have my details so I know every email I receive from a bank or financial institution is fake and thus malicious.

I also use OzEfilter (a product I wrote) to delete emails at the mail server safely away from my computer.

On the news recently I saw people buying cars unseen from fake eBay motor emails. Today I received an interesting post on one of my sites with the following:

6 Hours Ago I received a phone message from (+972) 284-0600 / (+972) 2840600 and was made to believe the the person calling was a scam.

This person then goes on to ask for assistance. I suspect this is a scam that is cleverly designed to trick good natured people. Those who help are most likely more gullible and thus likely to be scammed.

What I suggest is with any unexpected email that looks even slightly unusual, perform a Google search on a section of text and see if you get results. For example do a search on the phone number and enclose it with quotes. You'll see quite a few people questioning whether the same email or perhaps a call. The telephone number may be real because that is what could be used as bait, but the intent of the communication is to trick the person into doing something.

The best thing is to delete the email and not respond.

It appears the volume of undesirable activity designed to fleece people is rapidly rising on the internet. Take care because it only takes a moments lapse to do something with an undesirable outcome.

I hope these experiences help others.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Malware alert: Facebook Password Reset Confirmation NR.94576

Facebook users should be careful with emails with the subject Facebook Password Reset Confirmation NR.94576. The email contains the attachment Facebook_details_538.zip which is malware.

For those using Microsoft Security Essentials this is detected as malware and taken care of. For those using OzEfilter you'll be able to delete this email at the mail server before it reaches your computer. My email originated from Thailand.

The body of the email contains:

Hey sales ,



Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has
been changed.
You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team.
Take care,

- Kelvin Eldridge
 

Malware alert: Best deals on Trading Post !

I received this email and since it is targeting Australians, I felt it was prudent to let others know about this malware. The email pretends to be sent from Telstra Corporation and includes a single graphic image. When you you click on a vehicle you'll go a web site which isn't the trading post site. It is a site with the domain embarqhsd.net. The email was actually sent from America.

My feeling is it is a phishing attempt. You should delete emails like this immediately. If you receive an unexpected email with links, open your browser and type in the web site address rather than using a link in an email. A moment of care can save you time and grief.

- Kelvin Eldridge

JustLocal is now trialling local property listings

I've now added to the Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Doncaster, Doncaster East, Eltham and Bulleen postcode pages, a link to a page showing the latest properties listed in the area. Select Real Estate For Sale to go to the page listing the local properties. If a property interest you, click View to go to the selling agents site and the property.

If you're interested in a local property, it makes sense to check out the agent's information. Currently however agent's don't generally have a strong presence on the internet, so agents have to also forward their information on to one or more other advertisers at considerable cost to home sellers. Now if you're looking for a property by searching for the address in Google, you'll often find our page first in the results. A single click will then take you directly to the agent's page for the property and I feel that is the best place to find all the information the agent wishes to share.

If you or someone you know is thinking about selling a property, you're welcome to contact me and take advantage of the free market appraisal and recent property sales report I've organised with a leading independent real estate group. Should you wish to sell your home, I've also organised a no risk advertising approach. Your information will be passed onto the agent and they or an agent from their group will contact you.

However, it doesn't matter who you decide to sell your property with the agents I know or not. I'll still provide a link if the agent you select has a suitable page, so others can easily find your property using Google.

The trial for local real estate listings will run for the next 3-6 months. If you find this service to be of value I welcome your feedback. My aim is to provide services you find of value and I'll only know if you let me know either by using a service I provide, or by writing to me.

May your next home be the home of your dreams.

Kelvin Eldridge

Apple iPhone lost at Bulleen Plaza shopping centre.

A family friend lost their Apple iPhone at Bulleen Plaza shopping centre around lunchtime today. It was left at Charcoal Chicken. Should anyone find the phone please let us know and we'll pass the details on.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Blogs for the areas Eltham, Bulleen, Templestowe Lower, Doncaster and Doncaster East now live.

The blogs for the areas of Eltham, Bulleen, Templestowe Lower, Doncaster and Doncaster East are now live. As I find interesting things happening in my local area, I hope to share the experiences with others.

Time permitting, I'll be posting a list of properties recently listed in each area.

You can access the blog for each area from the relevant JustLocal postcode page.

Blog

Eltham
Bulleen
Templestowe Lower
Doncaster
Doncaster East

JustLocal postcode page

Eltham
Bulleen
Templestowe Lower
Doncaster
Doncaster East

- Kelvin Eldridge

Phishing alert: CUA - Personal Information Not Updated for 6 Months

I've noticed the number of phishing attempts against CUA (Credit Union Australia Limited) has increased significantly recently. A phising attempt aims to trick you into revealing your details, such as your bank account details.

The problem for many people is, often phishing attempts use extremely good psychological tricks to make people take action when they shouldn't. The link in a phishing email is a fake. Often I've found there will be legitimate links to make the email look legitimate, and hidden amongst the legitimate links is the fake link ready to trap the unwary.

The following shows how with Outlook, I can move my mouse over the link and clearly see the underlying web address. This is one of the clues to let me know it is a phishing attack. Many people use free web mail services such as Gmail. The free web mail services often don't allow users to easily see the actual web address they will go to if they click on the link.

Yesterday a client asked me about an email they received for renewal of one of their domains. They asked if the email was legitimate and whether they should pay it. Without looking at the email I said, "it may be legitimate, or it may be fake". Anyone could easily determine the registrar for the domain and issue a fake renewal notice. In fact many people have been tricked in the past to moving their domains to a different register and paying increased fees. Whilst tricking people to move domains is not an appropriate business practice, phishing is much worse as it tricks people out of money and then exposes them to other potential loss.

It is sad statement, but you really do have to be on your guard on the internet. Using a product like Outlook, rather than free web mail services, can help you reduce your risk with the additional information provided. But ultimately, most phishing and malware attacks I've seen rely on the user taking action.

Some things I suggest to others are:

1. Have a healthy distrust of emails.
2. Even if you receive an email from someone you know, keep in mind it may not be from them.
3. Don't click on links in an email. Go to the web site by opening the browser and typing in the site address.
4. Don't forward on those fantastic jokes and free emails you receive. They may have undesirable links in them and you may end up hurting your friend. If you want to send them on, copy and paste the part you want to send on (making sure there are no hidden links) and paste it into a new email. There is a reason people send those jokes out and you should really start to think about why they do it.
5. Always check emails to see if they are a hoax. A quick search on the internet will quickly reveal if something is a hoax.

I use OzEfilter, a product I wrote, to enable me to delete nearly all of the unwanted emails before they reach my computer. I also recommend everyone should install an anti-virus program and the one I recommend to my clients and friends you can find information about on this blog. With around 80-90% of all emails now unwanted email, a moment of caution practising safe computing, can save you a lot of grief.

Kelvin

iPhone weather icon

Having the weather readily available on the iPhone has been a really neat feature. But recently I noticed the weather on the iPhone differs significantly from the forecast provided by the Bureau Of Meteorology. I decided to investigate.

The following is the weather forecast for the next few days on the iPhone for Melbourne:

TUE - 31, 23
WED - 30, 21
THU - 25, 19
FRI - 22, 16
SAT - 26, 14
SUN - 26, 17

The following is the weather forecast for the next few days from the Bureau Of Meteorology for Melbourne

TUE - 35

WED - 30, 22
THU - 30, 23
FRI - 22, 20
SAT - 24, 17
SUN - 25, 18

Today is Tuesday, so I understand why the minimum is no longer displayed for the Bureau Of Meteorology.

As you can see there are some differences. This became quite apparent recently with the higher temperatures. The iPhone was showing high twenties which is quite a nice day, and the weather bureau was showing around mid thirties, which is quite different weather.

I've now decided to stop using the iPhone for weather and use the weather link I've made available on the main page of JustLocal. Whilst I've found the weather bureau isn't as accurate as I'd like on many occasions, I do appreciate the service they provide and offer them my thanks for their efforts.

- Kelvin

PS. You can also find the link for the weather on the NEWS page which is available from most JustLocal pages.

Apple iPad Tablet presentation by Steve Jobs

For those interested in Apple's latest iPad Tablet product, visit their web site at http://www.apple.com/. Apple have made the Steve Jobs presentation available as the entire focus of their main page. I don't know how long they'll keep it as their only focus, but I'm sure they'll have a link to the presentation for some time.

What I found interesting is initially I couldn't work out how big the iPad was. Based on rumours I thought the device was going to be smaller, which goes to show you shouldn't listen to rumours. Once you see the video you get a good idea of the size.

A number of areas with the iPhone, which to me are limitations, have been improved with the iPad. The larger on screen keypad and the external keyboard docking station looked very good. The price of the iPad at $499USD (with WiFi, but without 3G) locks like a great price. Even paying $130USD extra for the 3G model offers value.

The smaller screen on the iPhone is often an issue (as a result of the browser and email applications) which causes me to reach for a netbook and this now looks like it should be less of an issue with the iPad.

With the iPhone and now the iPad, I couldn't help feel Apple are losing their reputation for selling expensive products. The iPhone and iPad pack a lot of features for a very good price.

I currently use my iPhone only for internet usage for my own reasons and I would be one of the target market for the iPad. When I was looking at the iPhone I was actually seriously considering the iTouch. But I wanted the GPS, faster processor of the 3GS series and 3G data, so I felt the iPhone for me was a better bundle than the iTouch. Now the iPad would be a very serious option.

A couple of thoughts do cross my mind.

In the presentation Steve Jobs points out they believe they are creating a third market. The iPhone, the notebook and now the iPad. Due to the size of the iPad, I can't help think, would I be bothered with carrying the unit around. I have a netbook which to me is a great product, but I don't carry that around with me on a day to day basis, but I do carry around the iPhone because of its size. The netbook has been fantastic when travelling in Australia and overseas. It has also been a great help when I've needed to carry my Windows applications with me. But I rarely take the netbook with me on a daily basis and I wonder if the same would be true of the iPad.

The next feeling I get is the Apple product is for those who just want to use the technology. As an IT person I want to more than use the technology. I want to tailor it to my needs and my clients' needs. The closed shop approach of Apple doesn't appeal to me. I can however get around that by doing everything on the internet. With cloud computing options improving, that approach isn't a bad option. For those who just want to be a consumer of the product, it looks like an excellent product. I get the feeling that perhaps the IT market of old is slowly going and even I will soon largely be a user of the technology. That may even be a good thing as it shows the market has matured.

I'm not usually an Apple fan, but with the iPhone and now the iPad, I have to say I feel Apple are producing products which package together many features I want at an affordable price.

There are still things I would like to see in the iPhone and iPad, but since I don't have the technical skills, as a consumer I have to accept if I use the products, I have to accept the limitations.

Overall, full credit to Apple for what looks like an excellent product. I'll be very interested to check out the  iPad when it comes to the local Apple store.

- Kelvin

invitations@hi5.com, e-cards@123greatings.com, noreply@coca-cola.com, e-cards@hallmark.com, e-cards@americangreetings.com, svc@ppal.com

I'm sure most people receive fake emails from invitations@hi5.com, e-cards@123greatings.com, noreply@coca-cola.com, e-cards@hallmark.com, e-cards@americangreetings.com, svc@ppal.com and many others. I also receive them, but they never reach my computer. I use a program I wrote called OzEfilter which deletes the emails at the mail server before they ever reach my computer.

Today for example I received 41 emails. Of those 35 were spam or malware. All 35 were disposed of at the mail server and never came close to my computer. As a result of using OzEfilter I save time and minimise the chances of a costly and time consuming infection, or worse, a successful phishing attempt.

OzEfilter is built on a very simple idea. I want to receive emails from people I know, but I want to first check emails from people I don't know before receiving them into my computer. I then delete all the unwanted emails from strangers (spam, malware, phishing attempts) and only receive the emails I want.

The following is the view screen which shows me the emails on the mail server for me to review before receiving.

The email address and subject are enough to let me know whether I want to receive an email from a stranger. The country of origin at the left is a further clue about whether the email is bona fide or not.

OzEfilter also saves me time. On a normal day I receive 50-100 emails a day. Around 80-90% of those are not wanted and potentially dangerous. A quick review and a click on the delete button purges the unwanted emails. Much faster than receiving and then deleting each email and much safer too. Just think about it. If you receive just 10 unwanted emails a day, that's a lot of wasted time deleting unwanted emails, but more worrying is that's 3,650 potential threats to you or your computer a year.

If unwanted emails is a problem to you, if you've been tricked by malware and want minimise the chances of that happening again, then consider OzEfilter. No anti-virus program can protect you against the latest malware threat. It takes time for the software companies to identify and release new signature files. Often up to a couple of days. That is the time you are most vulnerable. Every anti-virus program I've tested has let malware into the computer undetected resulting in infected computers. Why take the risk.

OzEfilter comes with a peace of mind money back guarantee. Give it a go and see what you think. You have nothing to lose except unwanted emails.

- Kelvin

Melbounre, Melborne, Melboune, Melbourne. Victoria, Australia.

For many spelling Melbourne can be a bit tricky, but if you want to find out about the real Melbourne, then follow the experiences of Renée Barber in her JustLocal blog as she explores Melbourne. See and experience Melbourne as you've never seen her before.

Renée has already shared her experiences of the Queen Victoria Market, the Fitzroy Gardens and a fantastic balloon ride over Melbourne. What is really interesting is we never know where Renée will visit next.

Thanks Renée for sharing Melbourne as you see her.

- Kelvin

ATM skimming

Recent articles in the press about ATM skimming and Card skimming had me wondering about the exposure and how the skimming was being carried out. My concern is I've heard of thousands of people's accounts being potentially compromised. None of the articles I read in the press provided any information which would help me determine how skimming works.

As it turns out, when your card is being scanned, a second scanner attached to the ATM also scans the card. In addition the pin needs to be captured. To most people the skimmer just looks like part of the device.

This article from the Commonwealth Bank provides some excellent information including pictures of the equipment being used.

Recently it has been reported in the press that skimmers have managed to steal millions. What concerned me is recent skimming was being done at McDonald's. I don't know how they could be doing that as every McDonald's I've been to, use handheld scanners and not ATM machines. One article I read alleged the keypad was being replaced. If true, and the keypad unit was identical, there would be almost no way for a consumer to know their account details and pin had been skimmed.

Thanks to the Commonwealth Bank for the article as it helps on what to watch out for.

Kelvin

Tags: ATM card, ATM machine, ATM machines, card skimming, ATM skimming

Balloon rides over Melbourne

For those considering a balloon ride over Melbourne, Renée shares her latest adventure and some great shots on the JustLocal postcode 3000 blog. Thanks Renée.

- Kelvin

Fitzroy Gardens and Queen Vic Market

Having lived in Melbourne all my life, it is very refreshing to see Melbourne through the eyes of another. Renée Barber has recently moved into the centre of Melbourne and is generously sharing articles on the places and things she sees and experiences.

Renée's first article on Queen Victoria Market and her photograph shares the vibrancy of Melbourne's night life. Her second article on Fitzroy Gardens and Captain Cook's Cottage takes me back to the fun times I've had at the beautiful park.

Thank you Renée for sharing your experiences with us.

You can find Renée's articles on the blog for JustLocal postcode 3000 page. If there are places you'd like to see Renée visit let Renée know. You never know, your favourite place in Melbourne may be something Renée might be interested in seeing and sharing with others.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Virus Alert: You have received a Christmas Greeting Card!

Tonight I've received dozens of emails with the subject You have received a Christmas Greeting Card! and felt is was appropriate to advise everyone.

These emails are fake and carry malware. Norton Internet Security (the current anti-virus software I'm testing) didn't pick up the malware. Microsoft's Security Essentials identified and deleted the malware once it was saved to the computer.

The email purports to be sent from e-cards@123greetings.com and has an attachment with the file name Christmas Card.zip. Inside the zip file is an executable program with the name Christmas Card.doc.exe. The number of spaces is used so the extension exe is not easily visible and tricks people into believing they are receiving a Word document.

Using Microsoft Security Essentials and OzEfilter is an excellent way to identify these malware emails and to delete them safely at the mail server before they reach your computer.

You should immediately delete these emails if you receive them.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Update: It's now 8:10am and dozens more of these emails were received overnight. OzEfilter shows the infected emails coming from Korea, South Africa, Netherlands, France, United States and India, so this infection is worldwide. Norton Internet Security is now identifying and removing removing the malware.

Alert: eBay Motors - don't miss today's private deals !

Most of the time I report emails which have malware attached that is not picked up by the anti-virus software. However, since I've seen a number of emails with the subject eBay Motors - don't miss today's private deals !, I decided to investigate. This email looks like a scam.

The email consists of a single image file which if downloaded, contains mapped areas to make people feel there are email addresses they can click on. The link to www.ebay.com.au in particular is not an actual link and another very good indicator the email is a fake.

Checking the origin of the email showed it came from the United Arab Emirates. Other similar emails have been received from Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia. Again very good clues these emails are fakes.

My guess is the aim of the email is to trick people into responding to one of the yahoo.com.au email addresses provided, and if they can trick someone, they will.

You should immediately delete these emails, or have a product like OzEfilter delete the emails safely at the mail server and never receive them into your computer.

Clicking on the image potentially provides the sender with your IP address and if your computer/internet connection is not secure, may be a further exposure. Experienced users won't even bother to look at the picture before deleting the email. The sender may take looking at a picture as a clue to you being a less experienced user. I don't know how these people think and I suspect most people don't either. It is best to minimise your exposure where possible.

Kelvin Eldridge

Welcome Ms Rising Star

I'd like to welcome Ms Rising Star (aka Renée Barber) to JustLocal. Ms Rising Star is passionate about the stars.

With Christmas just around the corner, you may wish to give a gift either to yourself, or someone you know, of an in-depth reading by Ms Rising Star. When I say in-depth, the report is 39 pages. You can find Ms Rising Star at JustLocal.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Dictonary. Oops. I meant dictionary.

As I mistyped the word dictionary today, I wondered about the many ways people may mistype the word dictionary.

The following are the misspellings I found.

dictonary
dictionery
dicitonary
dictinary
dictioanry
dicionary
dictioary
dictionay
dictoinary
diconary
dictornary
dictonery

If you’re not sure of the correct or preferred spelling of a word in Australia, you can now use Word Check to verify the spelling. You can find Word Check on the main page of JustLocal.

- Kelvin Eldridge

Hoax: Mobile Phone Numbers Go Public this month.

I received an email saying Mobile Phone Numbers Go Public this month and stating PASS THIS ON TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN.

This is a hoax. Do not send it on.

Before sending any emails on that suggest you send them on, do a quick check. It took a couple of seconds to check the Do Not Call site to see this was a hoax.

Take the time to check. Your friends will thank you for it. I've seen a number of people completely embarrassed when they realised they've be suckered with a hoax virus. A hoax virus often does no harm except it tricks people into taking action. One hoax virus we did see, tricked a person into deleting an important file off their computer, so they can be harmful.

OzEfilter is great way to catch these emails before they reach your computer. The email is from someone I don't know and is also from America. Both good indications the email is suspicious.

From what I read the Do Not Call register records your details for three years. Those who registered three years ago will need to re-register, or their telephone numbers will be available to telemarketers. I hadn't read anything about mobile numbers and felt this email was likely to be a viral hoax.

- Kelvin Eldridge

TAGS: donotcall, do not call registry, do not disturb, telemarketer, telemarketers