Day: February 20, 2015

Java, Lenovo, Crapware and my Annoyance

Carl Setzer

I wrote about Java’s sneaky install of the Ask.com crap before, but this has come up again for me. So, let me go on a little bit more. When installing Java, or Java updates, make sure you uncheck the “Search App by Ask”. Watch for this screen here:

Fortunately, the fix for this is pretty straightforward: go to Control Panel, Remove Programs and then remove it.

I love Java, and Oracle, but this just annoys the heck out of me. This puts them in the same doghouse that Lenovo resides in right now. I find it annoying enough for them to embed this adware at the root level, but then to try and minimize the security risk involved just angers me. I’ve had great success with Lenovo machines and like to recommend them. This, though, greatly impacts that trust.

In case you have one of the possibly infected machines, here are some tools for you:

Departures on Netflix

Carl Setzer

Years ago, I fell in love with a Canadian TV travel show, Departures. It’s one of the shows that made me second guess cord-cutting. Beautiful cinematography and hosts with a very unique viewpoint, I can’t recommend Departures enough. A brief summary of the show: hosts Scott Wilson & Justin Lukach along with cinematographer Andre Dupis drop everything and explore the world for a year. That year ends up extending into 3, each with it’s own season. Other travel hosts tend to have some kind of agenda, whether finding the best travel deals, exploring a certain element of a culture, or such. The guys really don’t. They travel to destinations that intrigue them and, in a rather zen-like manner, allow the location and people they meet to guide them. At least that’s how the show comes across. It’s really about human connection.

So imagine my joy when, recently, I popped into Netflix and beheld this glorious site:

I’m very, very happy to see this. Go forth and stream this one with my highest recommendations.