2 tech notes

When I use my preferred Firefox browser (1.07) to view certain websites, like timetales.com, I get extra pop-under(?) windows that go to ilead.itrack.it and sometimes wind up at redorbit.com. Some video starts playing in the background and I hear sound bites about cancer or diabetes or some other medical condition. I don’t keep a detailed track of what websites I’m surfing, but I do know when a video starts playing in a background tab window.

Rumor has it that a web statistics tracker at webstats4u.com, formerly NedStats Basic, triggers this. One other blogger at j-walkblog.com mentioned this unwanted behavior too.

Supposedly, AdBlock extension can help, but I’ve had problems with that extension in the past. Setting tighter Javascript controls (i.e. Tools > Options > Web Features > Enable Javascript > Advanced, click off most of those options) helps. But what really gives you (obsessive) control over Javascript is the NoScript extension. This extension keeps Javascripts from going bonkers, or from doing anything at all, until you grant permission, whether temporarily or permanently on a site by site basis. No more popup windows gone wild!

2ndly, NYT offers a hot lead: A Novel Repair Concept: Replace Battery, Not iPod. Go directly to the vendor’s page, get yourself an iPod battery that lasts longer than the original. Note: warranty will be voided. Use at your own risk. Not for the risk averse or faint of heart.