Suburban Exploration: Foreclosed House in Chandler, Arizona

We all know there is a housing crisis in U.S., but how exactly is a typical foreclosed house look like?

Today I visited a foreclosed property priced by the bank for US$136,000 near Jupiter & Rush in Chandler, Arizona.


Closet door took a heavy beating.


Bedrooms are covered with trash and there are smell of feces & urine.


More trash.


and more...


It is sad to say this bathroom door with only one fist hole is the least damaged of all doors.


ID tag of what I assume is the former owner.


Backyard with trash.










Busted window.

MS Outlook Hyperlink Annoyance

If you ever have to work with Microsoft Outlook, you would know how annoying some of its features are or lack of.

For a while, my Outlook would not open any hyperlinks sent through emails.



The error message popped up does not provide any specific information regarding the reason or how to rectify the situation. All it does is to add more frustration on the user.



"This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator."

It turns out there were no restrictions that prevented hyperlinks from opening, rather a registry issue.

After upgraded Internet Explorer 6 to IE7, one little registry setting is either corrupted or missing.

HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\htmlfile\shell\open\command

To fix this, IE must be set as the default web browser first,



Open IE>Tools>Internet Options>Programs tab>Default web browser>Make default button

I then quickly set Mozilla Firefox as my default web browser after that.

By the way, the link I was trying to open in China Success Stories was very interesting read. I would highly recommend it.

Canon Powershot S1 IS Recalled Due to Image Sensor Failure

Recently, a Canon Powershot S1 IS I have purchased three years ago started to have some image issues.

Instead of photos, purple streaks have appeared:





I first checked Canon's website for repair estimate,



Then I did a search for "Canon Powershot S1 IS recall", found it has been recalled by Canon regardless of warranty status.

From Canon's site:

Service Notice: CCD Image Sensor Advisory (Updated 10/31/2006)

PowerShot S1 IS

This Service Notice will update Canon U.S.A., Inc.'s previous CCD Image Sensor Advisory, dated October 6, 2005.

It has come to our attention that the vendor-supplied CCD image sensor used in certain Canon digital cameras and digital video camcorders may cause the following malfunction: When the product is used in recording or playback mode, the LCD screen and/or electronic viewfinder may exhibit either a distorted image or no image at all. While reports of this malfunction have been rare in the United States, we have determined that it may occur if the product is exposed to hot and humid environments.

Notice of Additional Affected Products:
As a result of our continuing investigation of this malfunction, we have determined that the 11 models listed below, in addition to the 16 models listed in our Service Notice concerning this malfunction, dated October 6, 2005, may be affected.

Affected products:
- Camcorders: ZR60, ZR65 MC, ZR70 MC, ZR80, ZR85, ZR90, ELURA 40 MC, ELURA 50
- Digital Cameras A60, A70, A75, A300, A310, S230, SD100, SD110, A40(*), A80(*), A85(*), A95(*), S1 IS(*), S60(*), S200(*), S330(*), S400(*), S410(*), S500(*)
*Models added as of Oct.31, 2006

Malfunction:
It has been confirmed that the connecting parts of the internal wiring of the CCD used in affected products may become disconnected, especially if the affected products are stored or used in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. If this occurs, the signal is not output from the CCD normally in Shooting Mode, which may cause a distorted image or the absence of an image. This malfunction can be confirmed on the LCD monitor screen during shooting. The same malfunction also appears on the recorded image.

Canon's Response:
Effective immediately, and regardless of warranty status, Canon will repair, free of charge, the products listed above exhibiting the above-mentioned malfunction if Canon determines that the malfunction is caused by the CCD image sensor. Canon will also cover the cost of shipping and handling in connection with this repair.

U.S. residents are kindly directed to contact the Canon Customer Support Center for further assistance at 1-800-828-4040. Support hours are Monday thru Friday - 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight; and Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (all times EST). Alternatively, if electronic support is preferred, please send your email to carecenter@cits.canon.com This information is for residents of the United States of America and Puerto Rico only.

If you do not reside in the USA or Puerto Rico, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue, and appreciate your understanding in this matter. Thank you for your support and patronage of Canon products.

I called the number & my camera will be repaired free of charge, even shipping will be covered by Canon.


Update: Since Canon Powershot S1 IS has been discontinued, Canon sent me a Powershot S5 IS as replacement!