Is that package ticking?

Recently I took delivery of a very annoying hand-held computer. Annoying because it was programmed to trigger an alarm every time I needed to take some medicine. Regular as clockwork, it declared "you're sick, you're sick" when I needed to take the next dose. Ok, so it actually just rang out a couple of notes, but the implied message was there. And after each dose it always tried to connect to this ancient style modem to send off the news that I had indeed recorded taking the medicine. As if this would help. Some drug companies take too much of their own medication and come up with the stupidest ideas... but that's another rant.

So I talked through the problems I was having with the drug company, and they directed me to the people who programed the little WindowsCE device, who said I could stop the alarms but I would still need to send the smidgeon of data through the wireless modem every couple of days to keep the thing going (the connection to the modem kept having to be reset when I left it uplugged for a week or so). They also gave me some incredibly helpful advice: how to return the little blighter to them. Woo Hoo!

So to send this thing back to Texas I just needed to use Federal Express. They gave me an account code and full instructions on what to write where on the forms and voila, annoying thing gone.

Except... it's about this alarm. It's also about this international border. It's also about a device that is continually trying to connect to a modem to send data... em, that's not good.

So I tried to let the power run down completely. You just don't know how many Solitare games I played on that thing trying to run down the batteries. But it was getting in the way and I wanted it gone already.

So I went into the proper menus and turned off all noises it would ever consider making. I think. I hope.

It does still have a little power, but maybe it has given up on trying to find it's modem. I think. I hope.

So I couriered it off yesterday. Hopefully it made it across the border without alarming anyone or anything. The Federal Express person I was getting help from did ask if it might send out signals during shipping and I said yes, maybe. So hopefully I have not set off an international incident. Hopefully they know what to do about this thing.

Hopefully that package is not ticking.

And you thought the world had lost all it's hope.