The Monthly Edition Of The

k-Byte

Newsletter

V. 26, No. 7, July 2009

Users Helping Users

Contents

1 Things That You Can Do With That Flash Drive
2 About k-Byte
4 Keep Children Safe Online
6 Calendar of Events
7 The Two Month Activities Calendar
8 The Ten Net Commandments
8 Where Is That File?
9 Photo Gallery
10 Ask Computer Tutor
11 FRPCUG CONTACTS
12 Directions and Map to the Fort Collins Senior Center

Meeting Previews on Page 6

July: The Annual Hardware/Software Zoo

August: No Meeting

APCUG Logo

Quote of the Month

Yesterday, the greatest question was decided . . . . A resolution was passed . . . "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

John Adams [July 3, 1776]

Things That You Can Do With That Flash Drive

by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio Talk Show Host, Iwilsker(at)apcug.net

WEBSITES:

PortableApps
U3
ReadyBoost

With the demise of the floppy disk, and the approaching demise of the CD disc for data purposes, the USB flash drive has become the defacto method of saving and transporting files between computers. These small USB drives are known by a variety of monikers, such as flash drive, pen drive, pin drive, and thumb drive. Since their introduction a few years ago, their capacity has increased, and their prices have plunged. They are readily available in the big box stores, discount stores, club stores, and online. The most recent ones I purchased for the holidays were 8 gig size (almost the equivalent of the data stored on 2 standard DVD discs, about a dozen CD discs, or about 5700 floppy disks), and cost under $15 each. In the after-Christmas sales, some 8 gig flash drives were advertised for $9 each (after rebate). This amount of non-volatile storage for the price was inconceivable just a few years ago. I thought I was getting a bargain a few years ago when I bought my first flash drive, a 64mb Lexar, for $49, and now a drive with about 64 times that capacity is about one-fourth the price! I have co-workers and students who wear their flash drives on cords around their necks, where they are referred to as "geek beads".

Most of us use the drive simply for portable storage, the ability to carry files around with us, but in reality these flash drives can do much more than to simply be used for storage. Most of the USB flash drives on the market today comply with the USB 2.0 standard for high speed transfer, while there still are a few inexpensive, low capacity drives that are of the slower USB 1.1 speed standard, or only about 3% of the speed of the USB 2.0 drives. From a practical viewpoint, the user will not notice any significant difference in speed if small files are saved and read, but will notice a difference if large files are used.

There are some other standards for USB flash drives that many users may find beneficial, if their flash drives have the capabilities. Users of Microsoft Vista (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate versions) may find it advantageous to purchase flash drives that are labeled as "ReadyBoost". According to Microsoft, "Windows Vista introduces Windows ReadyBoost, a new concept in adding memory to a system. You can use non-volatile flash memory, such as that on a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, to improve performance without having to add additional memory 'under the hood.'" If the drive is compatible with the ReadyBoost standard, some of the flash memory in the drive can effectively and temporarily be added to the RAM (memory) installed in the computer, with an improvement on performance. If the Vista user with a compatible flash drive right clicks on the flash drive letter displayed under "My Computer" or Windows Explorer, and then left clicks on Properties—ReadyBoost, Vista will recommend how much of the available memory on the drive can be effectively and safely utilized by Vista. Other data stored on the ReadyBoost drive is protected from damage, and will not be harmed if the drive is used as a ReadyBoost drive. Because of the higher performance requirements, ReadyBoost compatible flash drives are slightly more expensive than standard drives, but are often the least expensive way to add memory to a Vista computer.

Another useful feature often found on a USB flash drive is known as "U3". Drives that are U3 compatible are labeled as such. A U3 powered flash drive allows the user to carry special versions of hundreds of programs on the flash drive that can be run directly from the flash drive without being installed on the computer. This is an effective way to carry the actual software the user is familiar with, and run it on other computers. When unplugged from the computer, U3 leaves no data or other information left on the computer that was used. Some of the popular programs that come in U3 formats are the Firefox browser, Skype telephone, McAfee Antivirus (about $15), RoboForm Password Manager, OpenOffice (the comprehensive suite of office software including a Microsoft compatible word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, database, and more, free), Thunderbird email client, and dozens of games. Most U3 drives come preinstalled with password protection and a "U3 Launchpad" which is a menu driven directory of the software on the U3 drive.

For those of us who have standard non-U3 drives, there is now an alternative that provides for the same functionality. This alternative to U3 that will run on almost all contemporary flash drives is called "PortableApps", and can be found online at portableapps.com. According to the PortableApp website, "A portable app is a computer program that you can carry around with you on a portable device and use on any Windows computer. When your USB flash drive, portable hard drive, iPod or other portable device is plugged in, you have access to your software and personal data just as you would on your own PC. And when you unplug the device, none of your personal data is left behind." Dozens of portable apps are available, including the Firefox browser, OpenOffice office suite, antivirus software, games, password managers, and many other pieces of software. The PortableApp Suite is totally free, and does not contain any spyware or adware. In addition to the bundled suite, there are many other programs available, almost all free, which will run as portable apps. The PortableApp website keeps a running tally of new software that is available, including new releases and versions, as well as beta (pre-release) software. A simple click will install the selected software on the flash drive.

Now that many of us are routinely carrying flash drives, it is nice to know that they may be capable of doing much more for us than just transport data.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

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About k-Byte

Published monthly, k-Byte is the official newsletter of the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group (FRPCUG): our mailing address is PMB 152, 305 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.

Opinions expressed in k-Byte are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the group or its members. Publication of information in k-Byte constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use of any information found in this publication is at the sole risk of the user. Neither k-Byte, nor its officers, nor its editors or contributors assume any liability for damages resulting from use of information in this publication.

Submissions

Articles, letters and short items of interest on computer-related topics are welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for publication are subject to editing. Send your contribution to the editor via e-mail attachment or submit on disk. If you have questions about a submission, please contact the editor for information.

Copyright and Trademark Information

k-Byte is copyrighted ©2009 by the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group. The k-Byte logo and the Front Range PC Users Group logo are Trademarked by the Front Range PC Users Group. Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit users groups may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in k-Byte without prior permission, provided that: a) proper author and publication credits are given; b) that a copy of the publication in which the article appears is sent at no cost to k-Byte at the above mailing address, or emailed to contact(at)frpcug.org; and c) any additional instructions/restrictions contained in the article are followed. User groups wishing to exchange newsletters with FRPCUG are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request.

Disclaimer

IBM PC, OS/2, Compaq, HP, Dell, UNIX, Windows and other trademarks occasionally mentioned in k-Byte are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Microsoft, Dell Inc., or their owners respectively. Neither FRPCUG nor its newsletter k-Byte are connected in any way with any manufacturer or seller. Acceptance by FRPCUG of donated products or services from suppliers, or inclusion of a supplier in the FRPCUG Partner list does not imply that any continuing financial support is received or expected by FRPCUG. Nor do such activities imply an endorsement of either the supplier or product or service. Such information is made available to members as a service. Use of any product or supplier found in this publication, or any FRPCUG publication, is at the sole risk of the user.

About FRPCUG

FRPCUG is an independent nonprofit computer society, so incorporated with the State of Colorado and open to anyone interested in Windows, or UNIX/LINUX microcomputers. Its purpose is to provide an educational and scientific forum of mutual benefit for members of the micro-computer community. FRPCUG holds a monthly meeting and conducts various special interest groups (SIGs) and seminars. Members have voting privileges, subscription to k-Byte newsletter, and access to SIGs and selected seminars. Annual dues are $25 for individual/family membership ($20 for students) and $50 for corporate/group membership.

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Keep Children Safe Online

by Sharon Housley, marketing manager for FeedForAll software

There was once a time when you only had to worry about children when they were outside or not at home. Those times have changed. Strangers can now enter your home, without a key or coming through a door. How you may ask? These strangers enter your home using a keyboard. These strangers can befriend your children online.

Social networking has become increasingly popular and websites like Myspace have thrived with adolescents and teens. While pedophiles may be the minority on these sites, the threat of having a pedophile enter your home, under the guise of being someone their not, is just too big of a threat to ignore.

It may seem harmless enough, at first glance. I mean, what do other web surfers really know about your child? They might even live half a world away. How could they possibly harm your child? Perhaps you might even see the educational value of your child interacting with individuals from other cultures and understanding the global nature of today's world, but consider this...

Children online don't feel that these "friends" are strangers. They "chat" with them daily. These people, who parents consider strangers, are their friends. They understand what the child is going through and they listen in ways the parents never seem to. The recent riveting testimony of a young boy that was drawn into online pornography at the age of 13, should be a wake up call to all parents. Computers and the Internet can be far more dangerous than most parents ever imagine. The likelihood of a child online will encounter strangers is far higher than a stranger wandering into their backyard.

Parents warn their children about strangers as they grow up, perhaps its time to redefine the term stranger. Consider the following to protect your child, adolescent, or teenager while online.

Webcams.
Do not allow your children to use a webcam unsupervised. Children will often forget that the webcams are there or even worse, what may seem harmless online flirting might result in unwarranted or undesired attention from an anonymous predator. Additionally, webcams have been tied to home robberies where burglars viewed items of interest through a webcam. A little online digging resulted in the home address, and items were then stolen.
Common Area.
In spite of an adolescents or a teenagers need for privacy, it is best to keep the computer in a family common area. It might be helpful to explain to your child why it is important that computers be out in the open. Children should understand that using a computer is not a right, is a privilege. Parents can and should supervise online activity.
Personal Information.
Personal information is just that, personal, and should not be shared by children. As easy as that is to say, sometimes children are often confused as to what constitutes personal information. Educating children about what personal information is, is just as important as educating them as telling them not to share. Children need to understand that just because someone asks for personal information doesn't mean you have to tell them.

What is personal information? Knowing not to share your location, name, age, address, phone number, town, password, and schedule might seem obvious to children, but what many don't realize is that predators will often piece together various bits of information. A predator will aggregate data to determine a child's location or true identity. Predators are able to use IP tracking and the location of an online web provider that you use might assist them in narrowing down a location. Information related to sports events or scheduled concerts will further allow a predator to ascertain a child's location and personal information.

Provide adolescents and teenagers these tips in determining what information is appropriate or inappropriate to share. Tell them to ask themselves how the predator can use the requested information? Is it necessary for them to have that information? Why?
Crossing the Bounds.
It is easy to explain to a child that a stranger is someone they don't know in the real world, but online the definition becomes blurred. Is a friend of a friend online, a stranger? If you have communicated X number of times with someone, are they still a stranger? Assist your children in drawing lines about who is appropriate to communicate with, and who is not.
Candor.
When talking to children about surfing online, it is important to be honest with them. Children have to understand the dangers, but should not live in fear. Balancing candor and fear might be tricky, but you know your child best and keeping it real will help them navigate and how to stay safe online.
Trust.
Trust online is a funny thing, just because someone says something is true does not mean that it is. Bloggers and online wikis are dealing with credibility issues, yet individuals are often trusted until proven untrustworthy.
Identifying Information.
Instruct your child NEVER to share any identifying information that includes phone numbers and addresses. And finally, consider how non-anonymous the web really is.
Photos.
Children should not swap photos online. Exchanging photos is unnecessary and puts children at a higher level of risk. Additionally digital photographs can easily be edited by a third party. An explicit online photo can haunt a child for a lifetime.
Profiles.
Children should not complete profiles in blogging software or social networks, like MySpace The profiles or hobbies can often raise the interest of unwanted admirers.
Questionnaires/Surveys.
Children should not complete questionnaires or surveys online. The information requested may appear harmless, but you do not know how the information will be used, it is good practice to avoid completing any questionnaires or surveys.
Meeting.
It of course goes without saying that children should not meet any individual that they converse with online.
Chat Rooms.
Chat rooms are playgrounds for sexual predators. The chat room owners have no method to detect a lurking predator from a child. As a result it is just a good practice to restrict access to chat rooms.
Instant Messaging.
Adolescents and teenagers often want to communicate, whether on the phone or via the Internet. Instant messaging is a popular phenomenon for children. If you allow your child to communicate using instant messaging, be sure to block instant messaging from anyone unknown. Additionally, spot check their buddy list to make sure that it has not been altered. Use a tool like AOL where restrictions can be implemented.
Online Games.
Often online games, will contain a chat component. The same rules that apply to instant messaging should apply to the online games and chatting. Rarely are filters available for the online games and many children will encounter strangers who evolve into friends through online play. Be leery and weary.

The Internet is global and not governed by any single entity. There are no limitations. By creating clear boundaries for your children they will be able to take advantage of this amazing vehicle without putting themselves at risk.

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Calendar of Events

July General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on:
Day Tuesday	Date July 7th	Time 7:00 PM

Meeting Agenda
Time	Topic
7:00 to 7:15	Announcements
7:15 to 8:00	Open Forum
8:00 to 8:15	Break
8:15 to 9:00	Hardware/Software ZOO

To check on FRPCUG events in 2009 using a familiar graphical calendar format, connect to the 2009 Graphical Events Calendar

August General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on:
Day Tuesday	Date No Meeting	Time 7:00 PM

Meeting Agenda
Time	Topic
7:00 to 7:15	Announcements
7:15 to 8:00	Open Forum
8:00 to 8:15	Break
8:15 to 9:00

See you at the meetings!

Get full membership benefits. If you are not a current member, download and complete a Membership Application. Mail the completed application and your payment to the address listed, or better yet, bring the application to the next meeting.

Future General Forum Meeting Notes

The Annual Hardware/Software ZOO is scheduled for the July meeting. The ZOO is an opportunity for members to demonstrate a favorite piece of hardware or a favorite software application. This is an informal arrangement—no presentation required. If you would like to participate, just bring your computer (and any other hardware/software you would like to demonstrate). Tables will be provided. Members and visitors are invited to roam around the meeting room to watch the demos and talk to those providing them. If you want to set up a demo, please contact Rick Mattingly (rickmatt(at)q.com) so that enough tables can be set up in advance.

There is no meeting in August. The Senior Center is closed for maintenance that week.

Future SIG's, Seminars, and Other Meetings

Digital Imaging SIG

The Digital Imaging SIG is a forum for discussion of digital imaging hardware and software. The meetings are held every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Senior Center Lobby. The meeting format is informal, using the Shop Talk sessions as a basis. For more information, contact Mike Morris at twriterext(at)gmail.com.

New Technology SIG

The New Technology SIG provides advance support for all PC related operating system and telecommunication issues. The meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month at Bluebird Manufacturing Inc., 1421 Webster Avenue, in Fort Collins. For more information, contact Chuck McJilton at 970-493-2987.

Shop Talk

One-on-one assistance. Drop in to the Senior Center lobby on any Saturday (holidays excepted) from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Board Meeting

FRPCUG's executive board meets on Wednesday of the week following the General Forum meeting. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held at 7:00 PM in the Staff Board Room of the Fort Collins Senior Center.

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The Two Month Activities Calendar

For a view of FRPCUG activities in 2009, in a traditional graphical calendar format, connect to the Graphical Events Calendar

Here is a summary of FRPCUG activities and other important dates for the next two months:

July 2009

  3 Holiday - Independence Day
  4 Senior Center Closed
  7 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00 PM
11 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
14 Digital Imaging SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
15 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00 PM
16 Technology SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
18 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
25 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

August

  1 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
  4 No Meeting—Senior Center Closed
  8 No Shop Talk—Senior Center Closed
11 Digital Imaging SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
12 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00 PM
15 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
20 Technology SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
22 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
29 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

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The Ten Net Commandments

by Mike Healan, of SpywareInfo.com. Originally published in the December 10, 2005 issue of the SpywareInfo Newsletter

Thou shalt not buy merchandise found in pop up ads or spam.
Thou shalt not post thy e-mail address, phone number, address or social security number on the Internet, nor shalt thou post anyone else's.
Thou shalt not forget to update thy Windows every second Tuesday.
Thou shalt not connect to the Internet without installing an antivirus, nor shalt thou begin a scan without checking for updates.
Thou shalt not connect to the Internet without installing a firewall.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's credit card number, nor his bank routing number, nor his social security number.
Thou shalt not enter thy credit card number without seeing the tiny padlock icon on thy status bar.
Thou shalt not reply to the e-mail from the Nigerian banker.
Thou shalt not forward chain letters to thy friends and family.
Thou shalt not use "password" as thy password, nor thy birthday, nor thy children's' names.

[Editor's note: thanks to member Rick Mattingly for finding these commandments]

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Where Is That File?

How many files are stored on your computer's hard drive? You probably haven't tried counting them. Have you tried to find one file in that huge collection that is stored on your hard drive?

True, Windows based computers have a search function, which works reasonbly well if you can remember at least part of a file or folder name. An application that will catalog all the files on a hard drive would be very nice.

There is an application that will perform that function, and it is free. It is called Everything Search Engine, from a company called VoidTools (http://www.voidtools.com/). This application was identified to FRPCUG members at the June General Forum meeting.

"Everything" is described on the VoidTools web site as " . . . an administrative tool that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows. Unlike Windows search, 'Everything' initially displays every file and folder on your computer (hence the name 'Everything'). You type in a search filter to limit what files and folders are displayed.

'Everything' only uses file and folder names and generally takes a few seconds to build it's database. A fresh install of Windows XP SP2 (about 20,000 files) will take about 1 second to index. 1,000,000 files will take about 1 minute.

Also, Everything Search is available in a Portable version for Flash drive use.

Lightning fast and highly recommended to locate all those files on today's huge hard drives!"

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Photo Gallery

This month's featured photographer:

Mike Loughlin, using a Nikon D40 Camera

Accent Bird

Camera Settings:

Mode = Auto, F number = 5.60, Exposure Time = 1/60 seconds, Focal Length = 55.00 mm
ISO = 1600, White Balance = Manual, Scene Capture Type = Standard

Copyright © 2009 by Mike Loughlin. All rights reserved. Send requests for copies/reprint permissions to kbyte(at)frpcug.org

accent_bird

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Ask Computer Tutor

Pamela Tabak receives numerous computer-related questions via e-mail and during classroom presentations. She selects those she feels are of common interest to most members and forwards them to us for publication.

Pamela invites members to ask their questions at http://tinyurl.com/ask-pamela. More often than not you will receive and answer within 24 hours.

QUESTION: I was deleting many documents that I did not require. At the end I got into trouble with a file called 'Word Viewer.' I now have 3 files called 'Word Viewer' and each icon is somewhat different. Would you please advise me what this program is and how I can delete it if not required?

ANSWER: WORD VIEWER is a program that allows you to read MICROSOFT WORD documents if you do not have Microsoft Word installed on your computer. If you have the program installed it is not necessary to keep WORD VIEWER so you can delete it. If you don't have Microsoft Office or the Word program installed I would keep WORD VIEWER so that you can view Word documents that may be sent to you by email.

QUESTION: I use often WordPad but now when I open the program the WordPad toolbar seems to be missing. Bold, underline, align left, center and so on are no longer there. How do I recover these features?

ANSWER: The toolbar can easily be replaced by following the steps below:

Open WordPad
Click on VIEW
Put a checkmark next to each box, TOOLBAR, FORMAT BAR, RULER AND STATUS BAR.
Your "formatting" should be restored.

QUESTION: When I type a product in the "search box" the list comes up and I select one of the sites to view by clicking on the link. When I try to go "back" to the search list by clicking on the back arrow the website refuses to allow me to do so. Why is this happening and how can I remedy this?

ANSWER: This happens when webmasters use a special code to stop you leaving their webpage and moving to another site. In order to overcome this annoying occurrence just go back to your "search box" and click again to search for the product that still remains written in the search engine box. It will bring you to the same list that you began with.

QUESTION: I had an icon on my desktop for WORD but it has disappeared. How can I put it back on the desktop so that I can access my WORD program quickly?

ANSWER: My advice is to keep the icon on either the "Quick Launch Bar" or on the "Start Menu" to prevent the loss of this or any other icon that is used to access programs quickly but if you really want to keep it on the desktop follow the steps below to reinstate the icon:

Click on START
Click on ALL PROGRAMS
Locate the program you wish to use from the program list and RIGHT click
Choose SEND TO and then choose DESKTOP (create shortcut)
The icon will appear on your desktop

IMPORTANT NOTE: NEVER drag a program out onto the desktop from the program list. If you do and the icon disappears it will be very difficult to find it again.

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FRPCUG CONTACTS
Telephone Area Code 970
Title	Name	Work Phone	Home Phone	E-mail
FRPCUG Officers
President	Rick Mattingly		613-8968	rickmatt(at)q.com
Vice President	Don Anderson	498-3534	482-0943	doande(at)gmail.com
Treasurer	Virginia Febinger		498-2127	gingercln(at)comcast.net
Secretary	Jim Bragonier	221-5500	484-9061	james.bragonier(at)comcast.net
k-Byte Staff
Editor-in-Chief	Mike Morris		461-2002	twriterext(at)gmail.com
Features Editor	Mike Morris		461-2002	twriterext(at)gmail.com
Other Contacts
Membership Coordinator	Jack Linder		663-2151	jack(at)frpcug.org
Technology SIG Leader	Chuck McJilton	416-9286	493-2987	cdmcjs(at)gmail.com
Digital Imaging SIG Leader	Mike Morris		461-2002	twriterext(at)gmail.com
Publicity	Mike Morris		461-2002	twriterext(at)gmail.com
FRPCUG Fax Line		493-1408
FRPCUG Home Page w/ E-Mail				http://www.frpcug.org
FRPCUG Officer E-Mail				board(at)frpcug.org
Library Request E-Mail				library(at)frpcug.org

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Directions and Map to the Fort Collins Senior Center

The Fort Collins Senior Center is located at 1200 Raintree Drive. This site is situated at the northwest corner of the Shields and Raintree Drive intersection, on the north side of the Raintree Shopping Center, and just west of the bank building on the corner of Shields and Raintree (see map at right).

Check the marquee at the main entrance for directions to the specific meeting room.

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