LMG Sponsor Complaints

[MagicianMountain1835]

A while ago, I found the the Pulseway Discord and did some scrolling up to see what it was all about. I noticed someone recently say that they noticed the community moderator Jamie was using a stock photo of some guy as his avatar. A moderator in r/MSP also confirmed that the Jamie from Pulseway wasn't real in this comment.

I also reverse image searched the profile photo in my email of my "account manager" (different person than Jamie); and lo and behold it's a stock image of some generic person available for sale!

Someone else found that their LinkedIn is also full of stock photo people. I couldn't get LinkedIn to work so I would like if anyone here does they could dig up more examples for the community.

Here is a thread I've created in r/sysadmin about it, where other people confirm the same.

This feels really weird and unsettling to me. Why would they be creating "fake people" for account management, social media, and possibly more?

I also got banned from their company-run reddit for asking the same question instead of them just addressing the issue, which seems extra shady to me.

Should Pulseway continue to be recommended or a sponsor of LTT in light of this? I don't think so, but I would love to hear what LMG and the community has to say.

If LMG is able to reach out to Pulseway for an explanation that would be great as well.

Edited August 23, 2022 by SansVarnic
Corrected your font for Dark Theme.

[adubpak]

41 minutes ago, MagicianMountain1835 said:

A while ago, I found the the Pulseway Discord and did some scrolling up to see what it was all about. I noticed someone recently say that they noticed the community moderator Jamie was using a stock photo of some guy as his avatar. A moderator in r/MSP also confirmed that the Jamie from Pulseway wasn't real in this comment.

I also reverse image searched the profile photo in my email of my "account manager" (different person than Jamie); and lo and behold it's a stock image of some generic person available for sale!

Someone else found that their LinkedIn is also full of stock photo people. I couldn't get LinkedIn to work so I would like if anyone here does they could dig up more examples for the community.

Here is a thread I've created in r/sysadmin about it, where other people confirm the same.

This feels really weird and unsettling to me. Why would they be creating "fake people" for account management, social media, and possibly more?

I also got banned from their company-run reddit for asking the same question instead of them just addressing the issue, which seems extra shady to me.

Should Pulseway continue to be recommended or a sponsor of LTT in light of this? I don't think so, but I would love to hear what LMG and the community has to say.

If LMG is able to reach out to Pulseway for an explanation that would be great as well.

 

As a follow-up to your post, the only listed address I could find on their website seems to be temporary rented office spaces:
https://www.pulseway.com/privacy

 

6/9 Trinity Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

https://www.completeofficesearch.com/office-space/serviced-offices-69-trinity-street-dublin-2/

 

I would really like to know who is really behind that company, because it seems a bit sketchy at the moment.

 

There might be a really good explanation for that (or not) I just don't have any evidence to point one way or another.

[MagicianMountain1835]

10 minutes ago, adubpak said:

 

As a follow-up to your post, the only listed address I could find on their website seems to be temporary rented office spaces:
https://www.pulseway.com/privacy

 

6/9 Trinity Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

https://www.completeofficesearch.com/office-space/serviced-offices-69-trinity-street-dublin-2/

 

I would really like to know who is really behind that company, because it seems a bit sketchy at the moment.

 

There might be a really good explanation for that (or not) I just don't have any evidence to point one way or another.

Very interesting, thanks for looking that up!

[Kimkash]

I just watched the latest TechLinked ("Google Broke Android.....", Aug 20, 2022) and I think you should look into Wondershare Filmora.

 

I have downloaded it several times in the past, giving it chances in several different times where I needed relatively easy video editing software. Every time I installed it, there were weird 3rd party processes that popped up alongside it. When trying to close them, they were mysteriously popped again- even when Filmora was not running at all.

When uninstalled it the 1st time, a bunch of junk left behind including some of the processes I've seen.

 

The 2nd time, after I did what I had to do, I uninstalled it using Revo Uninstaller Pro (which is a very good software and I'm so happy I bought a long ago) and still some persisting executables were left behind. I only managed to remove them when booting lightweight OS from boot USB so no part of the local OS were running an delete it using the file explorer then cleaning the registry. This is such a nightmare of a process to go through for 'just a video editing software'.

 

Things you should know:

1.) I haven't pirated the software, it was downloaded from the official website of Wondershare (there were two different purchases because it's been long time between the 2 installs and couldn't find proof of purchase or the signed files).

2.) Wondershare is a Chinese company based in Shenzhen. Chinese companies aren't known for their impeccable businesses practices.

[Nautch]

Using the Mac Address supplied link I signed up for Mine (saymine.com).  I have had my own email domain and email address for nearly 20 years.  I have thousands of emails in nearly one hundred folders.  Most of these dealing with accounts, services, and online subscriptions.  The personal side of my LastPass has close to 500 account/password entries.

 

After giving Mine access to my email it returned a total of 18 companies that "have my data", one of them being Mine itself. It did not return anything for Google or Apple.  It found only 2 of my dozen streaming accounts. Only two of the dozens of online shopping accounts that have emails about setting up the account and orders.  

 

Even though Mine was free, I feel like I overpaid.

[coffeeuser]

10 hours ago, Kimkash said:

I just watched the latest TechLinked ("Google Broke Android.....", Aug 20, 2022) and I think you should look into Wondershare Filmora.

 

I have downloaded it several times in the past, giving it chances in several different times where I needed relatively easy video editing software. Every time I installed it, there were weird 3rd party processes that popped up alongside it. When trying to close them, they were mysteriously popped again- even when Filmora was not running at all.

When uninstalled it the 1st time, a bunch of junk left behind including some of the processes I've seen.

 

The 2nd time, after I did what I had to do, I uninstalled it using Revo Uninstaller Pro (which is a very good software and I'm so happy I bought a long ago) and still some persisting executables were left behind. I only managed to remove them when booting lightweight OS from boot USB so no part of the local OS were running an delete it using the file explorer then cleaning the registry. This is such a nightmare of a process to go through for 'just a video editing software'.

 

Things you should know:

1.) I haven't pirated the software, it was downloaded from the official website of Wondershare (there were two different purchases because it's been long time between the 2 installs and couldn't find proof of purchase or the signed files).

2.) Wondershare is a Chinese company based in Shenzhen. Chinese companies aren't known for their impeccable businesses practices.

I think it's a pretty widespread opinion that you just avoid Wondershare products for exactly this reason. I'm surprised to see them pushing Wondershare at all. They bundle all kinds of PUP and similar, and use a ton of dirty grey hat SEO tricks etc. They're pretty sketchy all around.

[fUnDaMeNtAl_knobhead]

On 8/19/2022 at 6:06 AM, NastyFlytrap said:

Getting sponsored by a company who has a dubious history of operating a VPN service, to promote a CYBER SECURITY APPLICATION sounds like a terrible fucking idea....
 

 Nordsecurity in this video

i guess linus needs the money

[silentdragon95]

On 8/18/2022 at 11:06 PM, NastyFlytrap said:

Getting sponsored by a company who has a dubious history of operating a VPN service, to promote a CYBER SECURITY APPLICATION sounds like a terrible fucking idea....

Since when is a VPN service considered to be dubious? I use NordVPN all the time and it's great. After all, how else am I supposed to watch my BBC or US-Only shows?

[Quackers101]

2 hours ago, silentdragon95 said:

Since when is a VPN service considered to be dubious? I use NordVPN all the time and it's great. After all, how else am I supposed to watch my BBC or US-Only shows?

most dubious is claims about security and privacy, then using scripts to say that one "use it personally"... which can be awful for trust. How many that has been punished by this kind of marketing and "fake growth" by influence.

[CubesTheGamer]

On 5/3/2022 at 9:31 AM, CPotter said:

Hey everybody!

 

Let us know if you have any issues with sponsors we're currently running across any of LMG's channels. The business is active here and will chime in and respond as necessary. 

 

Thanks for watching our content, and for the feedback, we really do appreciate it.  

Hey Colton, 

 

I know in the past I believe the WAN show was sponsored by MechanicalKeyboards.com. I wanted to bring a recent Reddit post to light: 

 It appears there is still a code for them on their website https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/c/linustechtips 

 

Didn't see it in the master sponsor list either but just wanted to share my concern here with the team. 

[SeanLMG]

On 8/18/2022 at 2:06 PM, NastyFlytrap said:

Getting sponsored by a company who has a dubious history of operating a VPN service, to promote a CYBER SECURITY APPLICATION sounds like a terrible fucking idea....
 

 Nordsecurity in this video

Hey @NastyFlytrap thanks for flagging this, our team will look into it. Any information you could provide on Nord's VPN issues in the past would be helpful. While we don't promote the VPN service and a few of our team members use their services, we'd love to hear more as it's been a while since our initial due diligence with them.

[SeanLMG]

19 hours ago, CubesTheGamer said:

Hey Colton, 

 

I know in the past I believe the WAN show was sponsored by MechanicalKeyboards.com. I wanted to bring a recent Reddit post to light: 

 It appears there is still a code for them on their website https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/c/linustechtips 

 

Didn't see it in the master sponsor list either but just wanted to share my concern here with the team. 

Our team caught this, thanks for sending as well! We've put all spots with Mechanicalkeyboards.com until we see how this is resolved. 

[SeanLMG]

On 8/21/2022 at 9:41 AM, NastyFlytrap said:

1: They had a major hack/leak cant recall off the top of my head, and they tried to shove it under the rug and not handle it responsibly, which is immoral and i like beating immoral companies over the head.
2: its not a VPN, its a cyber security suite. In the video they were advertising an anti malware app.

This is a very vile thing to do on their part, and very insidious too. People have no clue what trust means until it is betrayed, and they never see it coming because of people like him excusing this shit

Scripts asking for a personal endorsement with a product is a pretty big issue in our industry. Our team makes sure to address that in any sponsor scripts we do. We won't say that we use it if we don't, it's important we're transparent on that. I will say that I know a few of our team members do use the Nord Security suite, as well as NordPass, personally. We're following up on this spot getting attached to this video (with our systems, sometimes mistakes happen like this one), and putting stuff into place so there's less conflicts like this in the future. Thanks for flagging this, guys, we're doing our best and happy we can have a place to address concerns like this and improve for our future!

As mentioned, anything you guys can send on issues with Nord would be appreciated as we do another audit on them. Thanks!

[mMontana]

On 8/21/2022 at 3:55 PM, silentdragon95 said:

Since when is a VPN service considered to be dubious?

Personally... since the beginning. A VPN provider might provide you service, neverthless is a company that you're paying that knows every site you and your software visiting and every search you make.

Therefore, call VPN a "security feature" one for all for me is uncorrect. A VPN might be useful when you're on a public Wifi Network with no encryption or in some other specific contest. Therefore, VPN is not "more security", but a service.

On 8/21/2022 at 3:55 PM, silentdragon95 said:

I use NordVPN all the time and it's great.

Glad that you enjoy how you spend your money.

On 8/21/2022 at 3:55 PM, silentdragon95 said:

After all, how else am I supposed to watch my BBC or US-Only shows?

I don't know and personally I don't care about that. Please, don't get me wrong: your VPN provider gives you something that you cannot achieve via ISP, but please also consider that using this VPN provider you're circumventing National Intelletual Properties licensing that the broadcaster has/wants to comply. It's fine for you? Ok, but please don't forget that is quite a grey area...

[pstrick2]

Complaint:

 

There's a sponsor that gets plugged multiple times per video that doesn't offer a warranty on the majority of their products.

Not sure of the company's name, but it looks like they sell rebranded water bottles and the CEO has a super anti-worker stance re: unions.

 

I feel like LMG shouldn't be advertising products from such an anti-consumer company.

[LogicalDrm]

11 hours ago, pstrick2 said:

Complaint:

 

There's a sponsor that gets plugged multiple times per video that doesn't offer a warranty on the majority of their products.

Not sure of the company's name, but it looks like they sell rebranded water bottles and the CEO has a super anti-worker stance re: unions.

 

I feel like LMG shouldn't be advertising products from such an anti-consumer company.

You can just say it straight, there's no need to be dick about it.

[Arika]

On 8/26/2022 at 3:38 AM, mMontana said:

A VPN provider might provide you service, neverthless is a company that you're paying that knows every site you and your software visiting and every search you make.

would rather a VPN provider ""know"" this information, which is a verified and audited no-logs provider, rather than my ISP which is absolutely logging everything.

[Ultraforce]

On 8/25/2022 at 1:38 PM, mMontana said:

I don't know and personally I don't care about that. Please, don't get me wrong: your VPN provider gives you something that you cannot achieve via ISP, but please also consider that using this VPN provider you're circumventing National Intelletual Properties licensing that the broadcaster has/wants to comply. It's fine for you? Ok, but please don't forget that is quite a grey area...

Even as someone who doesn't pirate games and thinks that if an able bodied person wants to play Wii U or 3DS games on the PC rather then the original console is just objectively wrong, I think no one would say that current Intellectual property laws and licensing set-ups are reasonable for the theoretical goal of intellectual property of having people or businesses have exclusive rights for a limited time to prevent copying and encourage the ideas to be innovated on. Not being able to watch Infinity Train because Warner Brothers Discovery hates their artists is a pretty clear indicator of the fact.

[Chiyawa]

I don't watch every single piece of shit these big companies like Disney or WB throw up, whether it be a show or movies. It's a waste of time in my opinion. They no longer has that movie magic sparks. All is CGI bull shits these days.

[Rikere]

I know you guys are sick to death about the complaints with Volta.. Just wanted to update on the prior complaint I posted:

My units finally arrived, and unfortunately it looks like the whole thing's been a big scam. I ordered 2 of the 200 watt units. My test has been to plug in my phone and a laptop, each runs on 65 watt chargers. The phone doesn't charge at 65 watts from the Volta, it appears to max out at 30 watts. The port is marked 100 watt. The laptop doesn't appear to charge from the Volta Giga either. It looks like it may slowly drain its battery while drawing a little power from the outlet to help it along. Cables are tested and known good/known to work with other power sources without issue. I have tried multiple permutations of ports on the chargers and no difference.

While charging the phone and laptop, the Giga gets very hot. I have no means to measure it, but I would guess it's a little over 110F while in *principal* operating at half capacity max (and very likely quite a bit less).

Volta heavily implies the chargers can do 200 watts of output, but they only ever list 20 watt and 30 watt charging standards (Samsung quickcharge and 20 watt apple charging). I'm not sure how this 200 watt charger was ever supposed to output 200 watts. My phone can get a full charge in 30 minutes at 65 watts. It's been charging for 1.5 hours (from 8% to 85% now) using the Volta Giga. I think this charger might be giving it 20 to 30 watts.

If you guys still have your volta chargers from when they did the sponsor spot, I think it'd make a great video to put one on one of the new testing machines you have and see what you can pull out of it. Or get answers out of Volta about why the charger doesn't work as they advertised.

--

They had previously told LTT we'd get our orders by end of April I believe. It currently looks like Volta never had the capacity to meet that order. They're managing to send out 150 orders/week or so according to the numbers they're giving us on IGG.

[mMontana]

On 8/27/2022 at 4:53 PM, NastyFlytrap said:

With all due respect, the last thing im going to care about in 2022 are the feelings of 'too big to fail' corporations and governments that border on corrupt.

Which currently does not mean anything for the "using VPN service is more security" claim that I'm arguing against?

On 8/28/2022 at 11:59 AM, Arika S said:

would rather a VPN provider ""know"" this information, which is a verified and audited no-logs provider, rather than my ISP which is absolutely logging everything.

Fair enough, but for internet access you must be an ISP or pay an ISP, which by law have to log the traffic. 

But you think that't's better and smarter pay another company (on top) to know what traffic is being made by you and your devices, and believe being sure that no one wil access to that logs.

Frankly, I cannot see any company use their lawyers (aka money) to defend the customer in spite of the company.

On 8/28/2022 at 5:28 PM, Ultraforce said:

Even as someone who doesn't pirate games and thinks that if an able bodied person wants to play Wii U or 3DS games on the PC rather then the original console is just objectively wrong, I think no one would say that current Intellectual property laws and licensing set-ups are reasonable for the theoretical goal of intellectual property of having people or businesses have exclusive rights for a limited time to prevent copying and encourage the ideas to be innovated on. Not being able to watch Infinity Train because Warner Brothers Discovery hates their artists is a pretty clear indicator of the fact.

Intellectual property laws are roses with a humongous quantity of thorns, that change from the side you're looking or you're stainding. As developer, content creator, part of the media or intellectual prorperty creation business, costs become profits and payrolls. 

However, "reasonable" is another wording for "what I consider is right" multiplied for the audience you're speaking to. Laws are not reasonable, only laws. If anyone wants "better" (for his/her/its/whatever point of view), please step up and start the path for that in own country. Believe me, you'll gonna have a tough road.

 

However, all the concerns about ISPs and IPs owner don't change the basic assumption: the VPN provider knows data about the customer. It's one more organization that has data, so define this "more security" is still without proof to me.

[Knightsword]

I don't know if Cloudflare is still an active sponsor or not, but they are currently in the news for defending the notorious web forum Kiwi Farms, which they host. Yesterday on their twitter they posted their rules and guidelines, several of which Kiwi Farms has either break or is continuing to break. https://blog.cloudflare.com/cloudflares-abuse-policies-and-approach/  The Guardian has published an news article on subject which shows the great lengths Cloudflare is going to defend their stance on the matter.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/01/cloudflare-defends-providing-security-services-to-trans-trolling-website-kiwi-farms

[djenson]

2 hours ago, Knightsword said:

I don't know if Cloudflare is still an active sponsor or not, but they are currently in the news for defending the notorious web forum Kiwi Farms, which they host. Yesterday on their twitter they posted their rules and guidelines, several of which Kiwi Farms has either break or is continuing to break. https://blog.cloudflare.com/cloudflares-abuse-policies-and-approach/  The Guardian has published an news article on subject which shows the great lengths Cloudflare is going to defend their stance on the matter.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/01/cloudflare-defends-providing-security-services-to-trans-trolling-website-kiwi-farms

 

Before I start this, let me be clear I am not defending Kiwi Farms and think what they are doing is vile

 

That being said;

 

Cloudflare is a tool that almost every website that gets a decent amount of traffic will use. The effect of banning certain websites can and will have a large fallout that could lead to large negative effects for other innocent websites. 

 

I also don't think it would work. Take Andrew Tate for instance. Was deplatformed of nearly every major site, But if anything, it just made him even more popular despite his outdated and misogynistic views on women and viled up his army even more.

 

See for example the "Daily Stormer" website, was using cloudflare. Cloudflare removed access to their services, and they just used one of Cloudflare's competitors and still exists to this day. 

 

If cloudflare does ban further sites, where's the line drawn. What is to be banned, what's the threshold for removing someone (or trying to) off the internet. 

 

Dangerous path to go down and is too political for the LTT forums so I will not comment further.

 

 

[suredoood]

dbrand seriously messed up with the Killswitch. First they say that it will include the cover and screen protector, then they say that they are also doing thumbsticks but anybody that preordered will get them free. Then, surprise surprise, they separate the screen protector and make the thumbsticks and travel cover an extra fee, while already charging 3x most other cases for the base version.

 

Comparing the “Killswitch Update #3” email with the “Killswitch Update #4” email highlights the discrepancy. It literally says it’s going to include the protector and cover in the kit. And what I find most strange is that they never revealed pricing before, so they could’ve very easily not gone against their word by selling it all as a bundle for like $90…

 

Poor behavior on the part of dbrand, and judging by the comments on r/SteamDeck they just lost a lot of their hype and preorders.

[Marhfg]

9 hours ago, suredoood said:

dbrand seriously messed up with the Killswitch. First they say that it will include the cover and screen protector, then they say that they are also doing thumbsticks but anybody that preordered will get them free. Then, surprise surprise, they separate the screen protector and make the thumbsticks and travel cover an extra fee, while already charging 3x most other cases for the base version.

 

Comparing the “Killswitch Update #3” email with the “Killswitch Update #4” email highlights the discrepancy. It literally says it’s going to include the protector and cover in the kit. And what I find most strange is that they never revealed pricing before, so they could’ve very easily not gone against their word by selling it all as a bundle for like $90…

 

Poor behavior on the part of dbrand, and judging by the comments on r/SteamDeck they just lost a lot of their hype and preorders.

I'd like to chime in and mention that their product page to reserve shows that it should come with the items in this screenshot attached.

 

 

However upon hearing of the updates to Dbrands Project Killswitch update #4 

They have changed up what the components entail. That and made it into a tiered system from what it looks like.

 

R/SteamDeck is reasonably upset about what is a potential bait and switch as some point out.
Link to outrage post #1 - Reddit Link
Missing the tempered glass as part of the components for the product. Which is not listed in their official thread here: Official Reddit Link to the project update #4 thread

And you can currently still see the components listed in their official website. 
Link to Dbrands website.


My general thoughts. I already downvoted as you can see in screenshot too. So i'm displeased with how Dbrand is taking this as of the current time and might not be a good idea to sponsor them until they can sort this out. Especially as LTT Heavily favors the Steamdeck, and Linus personally loving the upgrades they've made to the deck. This wouldn't be a good image to continue working with them especially around the steamdeck at this time.