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Front Range PC Users Group Newsletter k-Byte |
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| v. 22, n. 7/8 July/August 2005 | Users Helping Users |
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Contents 1 RSS Feeds - Greg Lenihan 2 About k-Byte 4 Windows CD-ROM Tip 5 VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) - Brian K. Lewis 8 The Latest On DVDs - Bob Elgines 10 Credit Card Safety - Jack Lewischuk 11 Getting Started With A New PC - Gabe Goldberg 13 Phishing Scam Warning - Rick Mattingly 14 Calendar of Events 16 August/September Calendars 18 Membership Application 19 Protecting Your Internet Passwords - Gene Barlow 20 Selling On eBay - Dorothy Alexander 23 Bounce It 24 Computer Rage 24 Windows a Virus? - Humor 26 Change File Associations - Kim Komando 28 Configuring A Basic User's PC - Gabe Goldberg 30 Trading Post 31 FRPCUG Contacts NO GENERAL FORUM MEETING IN AUGUST DUE TO MAINTENANCE AT THE FORT COLLINS SENIOR CENTER RSS Feeds by Greg Lenihan, Editor, Pikes Peak Computer Application Society, CO http://ppcompas.apcug.org/ I believe I am an information junkie. I get more e-mail and subscribe to more newsletters than I can read. And yet I'm still searching for more. A few months ago, around the time of the presidential election, I discovered the world of Blogs (or Weblogs). These are online journals where authors post opinions and commentary and often link to the articles they are discussing. These often track back to more Blogs, and more authors worth reading, and before you know it, you can spend a good deal more time than you can afford searching for obscure opinions and facts. After collecting a number of these sites as favorites in my browser, it became difficult to keep up with them every day. There are all kinds of subjects to choose from, but my favorites are news sites, political sites, and especially--technology sites. Most of these sites had or icons, which I knew had something to do with "feeds," so I decided to find out how to obtain the reader software necessary to subscribe to these feeds (or channels"). RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. RSS is a text-based format (XML, actually) that contains various tagged items like a title, summary, and a link to a URL. Instead of you having to continually go from site to site to see if there have been updates posted, these sites are able to feed" their updates to you. All you need is a news reader or what is called an RSS aggregator." This is a program that collects and organizes these feeds periodically so you can read them when you want. Then you can subscribe to these sites and automatically get these new postings. It's like creating favorites or bookmarks, except you don't have to continually go there. They come to you. I started by going to http://reviews. cnet.com/4520-10088_7-5143460.html to read reviews and to gather recommendations. I found more options and more reviews of readers at http://email.about.com/cs/rssfeedreaders/tp/top_rss_windows.htm. There are many different readers; some free, some not, with different goals. Some are standalone, others work with Internet Explorer, and one worked with Outlook. But the one that caught my eye was free and did not require a software installation. Bloglines (http://www.bloglines.com) is Web-based, which means I can access it from any computer with an Internet connection. I could be at home, at work, on the road, and I could still get my info fix. The signup was quick at the Bloglines.com site. I was just asked for a username (e-mail address), password, time zone, and language. A confirmation message is then sent to your e-mail account. You simply click on a link they provide, and you're confirmed. In addition, the site posts the top Blogs people enjoy, and with the click of a button you can subscribe. Of course, you are not limited to their selections. Any Blog or site with an RSS feed can be added to your aggregator. That is how you can use those XLM icons. If you click on one you'll see a lot of tagged text, much like HTML. But it supplies the link that enables you to subscribe by pasting this link into your aggregator. Once you have your aggregator and get it running, all that is left is to find sites or Blogs whose content you are interested in. The site where you obtain your aggregator will probably offer you a number to choose from. To get an idea of what is out there, go to http://www.blogstreet.com/search.html and see the number of topics to pick from. I frequently subscribe to something that looks interesting and if it is not what I expected, it only takes a matter of seconds to unsubscribe. But actually right now, I have more feeds than I have time to read. Published bi-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 k-Byte, 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 k-Byte is copyrighted ©2005 by the Front Range Personal Computer 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 proper author and publication credits are given and that a copy of the publication in which the article appears is sent at no cost to k-Byte at the above mailing address. User groups wishing to exchange newsletters with FRPCUG are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request. IBM PC, OS/2, Compaq, MS-DOS, UNIX, Windows and other trademarks occasionally mentioned in k-Byte are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc., Compaq Corporation, Microsoft, Digital Research, AT&T or their owners respectively. Neither FRPCUG nor its newsletter k-Byte are connected in any way with any manufacturer or seller. We, however, gratefully acknowledge sponsorship of our group by Data Service Center, Jim Becker, owner. Advertising Classified advertising is free to members for non-business ads. See Trading Post" for pricing for camera-ready display ads. Charges for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are available on request. Deadline for camera-ready and classified ads is listed in the Calendar of Upcoming Events. Deadline for ad-makeup is the same as for articles. About FRPCUG FRPCUG is an independent nonprofit computer society, so incorporated with the State of Colorado and open to anyone interested in MS-DOS, 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, SIGs and selected seminars. Annual dues are $25 for individual/family membership and $50 for corporate/group membership. Windows CD-ROM Tip Numerous Microsoft software products are delivered on CD-ROM. It is important to note that many of these products may request access to the installation CD in the future. In the case of operating system products, adding or changing hardware will often result in the need for the operating system to access the installation CD. In the case of the Office products, many useful modules are not installed by default. As the user decides to access a particular feature from Office menus they may find that that feature is not yet installed. In this event Office will request access to the installation CD to complete installation of the requested module. Remember - Keep those original CD's in a safe place but near by! by Brian K. Lewis, Ph.D., Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. http://www.spcug.org Are you using the Internet for your local and/or long distance service? If not, then maybe you need to read this article to find out how some computer users are saving mucho dinero" on their telephone calls. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. There are ways to use the Internet for free phone calls, low cost phone calls (2cents per minute) or a monthly fixed rate for both local and long-distance calls. So how is it possible to transmit your voice over your Internet connection? We'll look at some of the technical aspects first. Then I can discuss some of the services that are available for you to check out further. When you use your telephone your voice is converted into electrical impulses and transmitted over copper wires to another phone. There it is converted back to sound waves. These impulses are transmitted via several switches in the telephone network. This system is referred to as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). As long as you are talking on the phone you have a constant circuit connection between the two phones. In the original PSTN system, all calls required a dedicated wire for each call. For the period of time you were on the phone you owned" a copper wire connection between your phone and the other party. In today's PSTN, all calls are digitized and can be combined with thousands of others running over fiber optic cable between central stations. However, the connection between the two phones must remain open for the length of the call. When computer data is transmitted over phone lines or cable, it is also in digital form. However, the data is sent in packets and does not require a dedicated pathway to reach its destination. In fact, when a computer sends a stream of data packets, they may all arrive at their destination after traveling different routes. There are thousands of possible paths between any origin and any destination. In addition, packets from other origins can use any time spaces between your packets. This is a more efficient system, as a circuit does not need to be kept open. This system is referred to as packet switching. So if your e-mail is being chopped up into small packets, how does the system know what to do with them? Each packet contains an address that tells the router what its final destination is. The sending computer sends the packet off to a router and then goes on to its next operation. The router selects a path to another router and sends the packet off. This process continues to the destination computer. At the destination, the receiving computer assembles the packets based on the information contained in each packet. So what does this have to do with Internet phones? Very simple. VoIP uses the packet switching technology to transmit your call. The digitization of your voice occurs either through your sound card or a device known as an analog telephone adapter (ATA). There are also Internet phones which connect directly to a network router and handle the conversion process. The voice packets that result from these various adapters are routed over the Internet in the same way as data packets. When you make a phone call, there is always dead space when no one is talking. With the packet system, other data packets from other sources are being transmitted over the Internet making maximum use of its capacity. In the early days of VoIP sound quality was poor and the method of operation more like using a walkie-talkie. Today's equipment is vastly improved. Sound quality on many VoIP systems is the equivalent of that found in the PSTN. Depending on the system you are using, you can dial any number and your call will be routed over the Internet. In such a system, you and the party you called won't see any difference in operation or sound from that of the PSTN. So why would you be interested in using an Internet phone instead of your current local/long distance PSTN service? One big factor for many people is cost. The cost of Internet service ranges from free to $25/month (more in some cases) for unlimited calls. In addition, many of the VoIP services offer features that cost you extra through your local phone company. It is not unusual for a VoIP provider to include Caller ID, Call waiting, Call transfer, call forwarding, voicemail and three way calling as part of the basic price. Now let's look at some of the providers and their services. Skype (http://www.skype.com) offers a free service that allows you to connect to other Skype users. The software for this can be downloaded from their website. It took just a few minutes to install it on my computer. Once you have installed it, you need to setup a call list of other users. So you have to contact people that you call frequently and have them install the Skype software. From that point on, it becomes much like instant messaging. If the person you are calling is on-line, you can connect and talk to them. Otherwise, they have no way to know that you are calling. The reverse is also true if they want to call you. The minimum hardware you need for this are speakers connected to your sound card and a microphone. You can also use a headset with a built-in microphone. It is also advisable that you have a broadband connection, either cable or DSL. In my testing of it, once I had a connection, the call was quite clear with no background static or other problems. So what do you do if you have Skype and want to call someone who doesn't have Skype? You can get SkypeOut that allows you to call any phone number anywhere in the world for about 2cents/minute. After you install the SkypeOut software you buy credit on their Internet site which you can then use for your calls. Some reviewers have had sound problems with SkypeOut. I have not tested it. There are other free services available as well. One is Free World Dialup (http://www.freeworldialup.com). This is a quote from their website: FWD allows you to make free phone calls using any broadband connection using devices that follow Internet standards. This can be a 'regular' telephone connected to a packetizer, an IP Phone or any number of free soft-phones (software for your PC or PDA)." In order to use the system you need to download and install the software. Then you obtain a phone number from FWD. The hardware you need is a SIP compatible ATA adapter that you connect to a network router that connects to your modem. You can then connect any telephone to the jack in the ATA adapter. Now you're ready to dial any FWD user anywhere in the world. However, you can not dial a regular PSTN phone from this system without purchasing time from another VoIP provider. The advantage of FWD over Skype is that your computer doesn't have to be on to receive calls. Your phone will ring just as it did when connected to the PSTN phone system. There is another advantage to FWD. This system uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standard. This allows FWD users to call others who are not member of FWD but are connected by a different SIP compatible service. Other free services currently using the SIP standard are IPTEL.org and SIPPhone.com. Skype does not adhere to the SIP standard. Now we get to the services that charge a monthly fee. These providers furnish a SIP compatible ATA adapter and in some instances the router for your telephone connection. This list includes companies like AT&T (CallVantage), Verizon (VoiceWing), Packet8, VoicePulse and Vonage. Of these, AT&T and Verizon are the most expensive. Several of these providers are preparing wireless units that will allow you to connect through any WiFi hotspot. Vonage has announced that they expect to have a wireless unit available by mid-summer 2005. That means you could make and receive call while you are on the road. Also, by taking your ATA adapter with you when you travel, connections can be made through broadband data ports in many hotels and motels. Of these providers, Vonage has been in the game longer than the others and has a strong reputation as to its quality. They have two basic plans: (1) $24.99 for unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada, (2) $14.99 for 500 long-distance minutes. They also offer virtual phone numbers with any area code you prefer. Dialing other numbers in your area code requires just seven digits. You can add a fax line for $10 per month or toll-free numbers for $5 per month. With Vonage and these other providers, you can call any PSTN number or numbers on the FWD network. For more details on the specific services provided by these companies I would suggest you check their web sites. So what are the drawbacks to VoIP services? First, if your Internet provider has a service outage, then your phone service is also down. Second, if there is a power outage you lose your phone service unless your system has a battery backup to keep it running. Another disadvantage is that most of these services can't connect to 911. In some cases, you can call 911 after you have provided the service with location information for their files. They need this information so the system will know where to direct the call. However, the 911 operator can't see your name or address and you have to provide that information when you make the call. In spite of these disadvantages, VoIP usage is rapidly increasing. If you are interested in testing VoIP, I suggest you start with one of the free services. Try it, you may like it. May, 2005 Sony, the inventor of the 3.5" floppy, has announced it will no longer make them. It's the end of a storage medium era. by Bob Elgines, Colorado River Computer Club Editor, Lake Havasu, AZ The DVD world is going crazy. The price range is from $59 to $130 well within most of our budgets. DVD blanks are down to 50 cents a piece, almost as cheap as CDs. The top four recorder manufacturers are Plextor, Toshiba, Pacific Digital, and Memorex. Speed is up to 16X, which is max on the outer part of the disk, but only 8X blanks are readily available. Dual layer (8.5 GB of data space) is labeled as the latest big deal, but is it really? These disks are hard to manufacture and are very expensive. The most important thing is, what will they play in? Well not much of anything. Most DVD players will not recognize the format and neither will your older recorders. So I don't look for this to do anyone much good even in the future. What is in the future (next year)? The digital world has still been undecided on DVD-R and DVD+R formats, so most of your recorders will do both. Now we come to the future of introducing two new formats named HD-DVD" and Blu-ray". These new formats have been developed to use the new blue-laser, where has, they have been using the red-laser in our present recorders. Red laser single level DVDs have 4.7 GB of capacity where the Blue-laser single layer DVDs will have a capacity of 15 (HD-DVD format) to 25 GB (Blu-ray format) at present. A HD (High Definition) two hour movie uses about 17.4 GB with out max compression. The compression schemes (MPEG-2, MPEG4, etc.) will be the same for both, so there will be no big difference in playback quality. Here we go again, new DVD players will be needed and this reminds us of the old video tape war on formats Beta" and VHS". Remember VHS won out due to more recording time and lower costs. Will this be true of the two blue-laser formats? Only time will tell. These Blue-laser recorders and players will be coming out near the end of this year or the start of next year, but I think we are going to have to wait and see if they can decide on a format for the blue-laser. by S. Jack Lewtschuk, Monterey Bay Users Group - PC, California Columnist & Immediate Past President November 2004 mbug-pc newsletter DO YOU KNOW HOW SAFE YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER IS? How many times have you typed your credit card number or password into your computer? Any idea what happens to it? When you type in a password, it is stored in random access memory (RAM), where it is held temporarily until other data overwrites it or the computer is turned off. But every so often, the computer copies the contents of its RAM onto hard disk, where it is easy prey for a hacker, who can read it directly or design a worm to e-mail it back. The longer sensitive data is in RAM, the more likely it is to be copied onto the disk, where it stays until it is overwritten - which might not happen for years. On the other hand, do you know what happens to your credit card number after you hand your card to a clerk in a store or server in a restaurant? He/she has your number and your signature. Are you paranoid yet? SECURING YOUR CREDIT CARD BEFORE YOU LOSE IT Keep a record of your credit cards and other contents of your wallet. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine or scanner; copy both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call to report the theft and cancel the cards. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. If you do lose your wallet, don't forget to call these numbers to report it: - Equifax 800.525.6285 - Experian (formerly TRW) 888.397.3742 - Trans Union 800.680.7289 - Social Administration Fraud Line 800.269.0271 - Your local police department to file a theft report MYTHS VIII - TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN THE BACK OF YOUR CREDIT CARD By the way, have you heard the idea that it is best not to sign the back of your credit cards? That instead of signing, you can print the words: SEE ID" or ASK FOR PHOTO ID?" Here is what major credit card fraud departments had to say: - MasterCard - To not sign your card is an urban legend that sounds sensible, but is not a good idea. - American Express - We have warned merchants not to accept your credit cards if they aren't signed. - VISA - They agree with the other credit card companies and said that merchants are instructed not to finish the transaction until you sign the back of your card. So, the idea of not signing the back of your credit card is an example of a very popular urban legend that is false. Sign your credit cards immediately when you receive them. by Gabe Goldberg, APCUG Advisor and Columnist, AARP Computers and Technology Website, ggoldberg@apcug.net Most purchases provide instant gratification -- you buy, you bring home (or have delivered), you enjoy. Groceries, clothes, toaster, furniture, etc., don't involve study, burdensome chores, or required add-ons for safe usage. While it's worth reading a new car's owners manual, and installing home electronics sometimes requires assembly and cabling, no other burden matches that of a personal computer. Wait, you might say: Plug it in, turn it on -- simple. But reality isn't so simple. There's a lot to do before a PC can safely be used on the Internet, and still more is required to ensure long-term problem-free operation. This article outlines what to do; more info is available on this site and by Googling for specific terms used. No matter where you buy your PC -- brand-name Web site, electronics store, custom builder -- get all CDs, manuals, registration cards, and warranty material for hardware/software that's installed. You may need this material to purchase discounted upgrade versions or to apply fixes. Similarly, warranty material facilitates getting hardware/software support if you can't get satisfaction from your system's vendor. You may pay a little extra for software installation CDs or an image restore CD (which restores your hard drive's delivery-date contents); this is a worthwhile expense. Assemble and turn on the system, but don't go online. Make sure the system boots properly and that all components operate. There's often a short "no questions asked" period during which dead or defective systems can be returned or exchanged easily. You may have trouble later getting problems resolved, and the vendor may insist on repairing the system instead of replacing it. Note terms of rebates your purchase includes and submit them promptly. Many vendors won't pay rebate claims submitted even one day late. Record hardware model and serial numbers for your PC and components. My PC builder provided all boxes and packing material, since it often contains useful information. Submit product registration material; though it may generate junk mail, it lets vendors notify you of problems or new updates/versions available. At this point you may feel the need to get organized. Good idea! Just as you've likely organized files for auto repairs, health records, and such, your PC deserves a filing system. You can pick the structure -- file cabinet folders, PC-specific storage containers, whatever - filing everything makes things much pleasanter later. Part of my system -- optional but valuable -- is recording changes I make to my PC, software I install, upgrades I download, problems I have, configuration settings, and communications with vendors. So I can later refer to the log and be sure what happened. Some people print screen shots -- image captures -- of important configuration settings, for reference in case they must be recreated. Plan how to separate data from software, to simplify backing up and restoring what's most valuable and hardest to recreate. This can be as simple as establishing a directory or folder in which you store all applications' data, or it may involve dividing your hard drive into data and software partitions. If you're replacing a PC, copy data you're migrating onto the hard drive and ensure that it's complete and readable. Don't discard the old PC until you're sure you copied everything you need. Plan and implement a backup scheme and test it occasionally by restoring files. A standard PC likely included a "software bundle". If you're lucky, this includes applications you want. In most cases, bundles are apps you'll never use. To remove clutter, consider deleting what you're sure you won't need, using application-specific uninstall tools or Windows' built-in Add/Remove Software tool. If hard drive partitions have meaningless labels (e.g., "IBM Preload") you can set them to useful values ("Dad's PC", "C:", etc.). Run scandisk and disk defragmentation tools to ensure you're getting a clean start. If you're working on a Windows XP system, install Service Pack 2 before going online. You can order this on CD from Microsoft or borrow a copy. This large set of fixes will protect you against many -- but not all! -- online risks by (among other things) upgrading and enabling Microsoft's software firewall. If you're on a broadband (cable or DSL) connection, install a router between your ISP connection and your PC and configure it to be secure. Now install/update/run anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Run Windows Update (click Start, then All Programs) to download and install recent fixes. This may require repetitions and reboots until no additional fixes are available. Run this periodically -- at least monthly. You can ensure that device drivers (software links for hardware components) are current by visiting Web sites for your PC manufacturer and hardware components. Install your applications one at a time with a "cooling off" period in between. This ensures that each works properly and helps identify problems. A good rule when working on PCs is to change one thing at a time, else you can't pinpoint what effects changes cause. After each installation, run any "check for updates" functions. Consider downloading a Web browser to use instead of the built-in but insecure Internet Explorer. Many alternatives such as Mozilla Firefox improve security and provide better browsing functions. If you use IE, set options to be more secure than default values. I'm not sure whether it's good or bad news that Windows is infinitely customizable. As you use different Windows functions and applications, browse their Options/Tools/Settings/Customization menus. You'll likely find simple changes that accommodate your preferences. Finally -- and in spite of warnings about risks -- don't be afraid: enjoy your PC and the Internet it brings to you. But be careful and sensible. Don't open unexpected attachments; don't answer e-mailed requests for personal information; be cautious about installing software from unknown vendors. This article appeared originally on AARP's Computers and Technology Web site: http://www.aarp.org/computers. (c) AARP 2005. Permission is granted for reprinting and distribution by non-profit organizations with text reproduced unchanged and this paragraph included. from Rick Mattingly If you have an email account (who doesn't?) you have undoubtedly been notified via email message that every business account in the world has suddenly developed a problem, requiring you to click a link and resolve the problem with your account online. If you have not yet figured this out (good grief!) it is all a scam. The tip-off should have been when you received notices of problem accounts which you do not even have! This scam is a rather low-tech but clever method to get the unsuspecting recipient to click on the provided link, taking you to a look-alike site for the supposed business. Here you are requested to provide pertinent information pertaining to your account to resolve a "problem." Of course the site is nothing more than a shell and the information which you provided will shortly be used to access your real account to steal your identity, bank account or credit card account. This scam is know as "Phishing," as in fishing for gullible people rather than fish. Be aware that NO legitimate business will ever contact customers in this fashion -- no matter how dire the warnings contained in the message content! If still in doubt, never, ever respond to the email itself but rather contact the business involved directly by telephone to inquire of the supposed issue. Do not get yourself hooked in the lip and fall for this stupid scam! PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) - AKA Credit Card Slot (People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms) - jl - IMPORTANT NOTICE - FRPCUG meetings are held at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Check this page for directions to the Senior Center. August General Forum Meeting No General Forum meeting in August due to maintenance at the Fort Collins Senior Center September General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, September 6 at 7:00 pm. Meeting Agenda 7:00 - 7:15 Announcements 7:15 - 8:00 Wireless Networking-A presentation on the basics of wireless networking and making your wireless network secure. 8:00 - 8:15 Break 8:15 - 9:00 Open Forum See you at the meetings! Directions The Fort Collins Senior Center is located at 1200 Raintree Drive. This site is situated at the northwest corner of the Shields and West Drake intersection, on the north side of the Raintree Shopping Center. Check the marquee at the main entrance for directions to the specific meeting room. Up-Coming SIG's, Seminars and Meetings Board Meeting FRPCUG's executive board meets on Wednesday of the week following the General Forum Meeting at 7:00 p.m. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held in the Staff Board Room of the Fort Collins Senior Center. New Technology SIG The LINUX SIG and the Telecommunications SIG have been combined to form the new Advanced Systems Support SIG. This SIG provides advanced 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 the offices of JYM Information Systems: 1630 S College Avenue in Fort Collins. For more information contact Chuck McJilton at 493-2987 or email telecomsig@jymis.com. Rocky Mountain Internet Users Group Meets on the second Tuesday of 'odd' months at NCAR in Boulder. Meetings start at 7:00 pm, but members are encouraged to arrive at 6:30 pm for informal networking and refreshments. NCAR is located in Boulder at 1850 Table Mesa Drive. For more information see the RMIUG Web site at: http://www.rmiug.org/. Upcoming FRPCUG Meetings Along with presentations of new hardware and software, we will certainly continue to present tips, hints, solutions, as well as what is new with Public Domain and Shareware offerings. If you have ideas for presentations which you would like to see at future General Forum meetings or seminars, please let us know. We would appreciate the input and opportunity to improve your meetings. Know of a another computer-related meeting in our area? Please let us know so we can post it here. 2 NO FRPCUG GENERAL FORUM MEETING THIS MONTH! 10 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM 18 New Technology SIG 7:00PM September 2005 5 Labor Day 6 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00PM 14 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM 15 New Technology SIG 7:00PM by Gene Barlow User Group Relations Copyrighted April 2005 The internet plays an important role in our lives today. Almost everything we do has an internet possibility to it. We can access our bank accounts over the internet. We can pay our bills and loans using the internet. Every business that we have an account with lets us access our account and update our records over the internet. We can purchase airline tickets, reserve hotels, and rent cars over the internet. Each of these offers us personalized accounts to make these tasks easier to do. We can even buy groceries, tickets for movies, and order our prescriptions over the internet. How much easier it is today to do all of these things with our internet access. Of course, having access to these internet accounts requires that we set up a private ID and password for each of them. A typical user may have 20 or 30 of these account IDs and passwords to keep track of. So, while the internet has made our life easier in many ways, keeping track of these security codes has gotten harder to do. Some users will try to bypass these methods set up to protect their privacy and personal information. To avoid keeping track of many codes, some individuals will use the same ID and password on all of their accounts. This is certainly not very secure. Once these common codes are discovered, they open up the hacker to all of your personal accounts. Others will write their codes down on yellow sticky notes and paste them to their computer display. This is also not very secure. Anyone that walks by your computer will see these codes and be able to get into your private accounts without any problem. The real solution is to set up difficult and different passwords for each of your accounts and keep these in a very secure place. That is exactly what WhiteCanyon's MyPasswordVault helps you do. MyPasswordVault is a database program that stores its information on your computer in an encrypted format so that nobody can find this file and see all of your codes. You still need to remember a password to gain access to MyPasswordVault, but all of the rest of your codes are guarded safely inside the vault. So, when you need to access an account on the internet, you simply open up MyPasswordVault , find the ID and Password for that account, and copy and paste it into your account access fields. You will be able to safely and quickly access the many accounts that you have set up on the internet. This is a great software utility that will let you safely and quickly enjoy all of the advantage of using the internet for your financial transactions. MyPasswordVault is offered by WhiteCanyon software at the list price of $25. You can purchase this valuable product at the user group discount price of just $17. Look for it in our User Group Store at http://www.usergroupstore.com and click on any of the yellow "Buy Now" buttons to get to our secure web order form. Complete the form including the special user group code of UGNL0405 and submit it. You may share this discount offer with your immediate family and close friends. These prices are not available to others not involved with a user group. Gene Barlow is the president of User Group Relations, a consulting firm specializing in promoting computer products to the user group community. He has over 40 years of experience with computer systems. He worked for IBM for 34 years in various technical and marketing positions. He managed IBM's user group support organization when IBM introduced the IBM PC till he retired 14 years later. In this role, he helped hundreds of user groups get started and is sometimes called the Father of User Groups for his involvement. He was the first sponsor of the Association of PC User Groups and was a guiding influence on this organization for many years and funded many special projects for them. When he left IBM, he set up his own consulting firm and has represented many software clients to the user group community the past 9 years. He currently represents Optimal Access, Acronis, WhiteCanyon, and Spearit software companies and their exciting products. Gene Barlow gene@ugr.com http://www.ugr.com by Dorothy Alexander, Executive Member Sarnia Computer User's Group, Canada http://www.scug.ca The first thing you should do is to look at the eBay site http://www.ebay.com (American site) or http://www.ebay.ca (Canadian site) and register with them. When you start selling on eBay they credit you with $10.00 to your eBay account to get you started. You then need to reimburse them using any of the following; credit card, money order, cheque or direct bank withdrawal from your account. You will need to decide on a user name and password with the auction house. If you are planning to use BidPay.com (Western Union) it is advisable to register with them. If you are going to use PayPal you need to register with them also. You should look to see what your type of item is selling for and see if there is an interest in it. Make a note of the category that the other items were listed under that were similar to your item you wish to sell. For additional fees you can list in more than one area. Take a picture of the item. It is a known fact that it sells better with a photo. You are allowed one photo (not be over 250 kb) of each item with Ebay. Each additional photo costs five cents. After you take your photo you should scan it, remove unwanted backgrounds and size it. Make sure to save the photo. Save to an appropriate folder for easy access. I have a digital photo folder and a sub folder called Ebay photos". You are now ready to log onto Ebay. You need both your user name and password to do so. Location prompt is next. You can enter Sarnia or simply say Ontario or name of choice. The next prompt asks if you want it listed regionally. The reply is DO NOT LIST REGIONALLY". The reason is that this is for U.S.A. not Canada. Then the next thing you type in is Canada in the appropriate box. Now you indicate how many days the sale will be. You can choose 3, 5 or 7days. There is an extra 0.10 charge for a 10-day advertisement. Mark if you want a RESERVE price on item and enter the amount. There is a charge for this (see below). Sometimes this is a good idea for an expensive item that you definitely have a certain price in mind that you want to get. If there is a reserve price put on it you can start it low to get the bidding going. If you do not want to put on a reserve price start it just around the amount of money you would be willing to sell the item for: e.g. $49.99 if you wanted at least $50.00 for item. The rates to list on eBay are: Listing Price Cost to list 01 to $0.99 0.30 $1.00 to $9.99 0.35 $10.00 to 24.99 0.60 $25.00 to $49.99 1.20 $50.00 to $199.99 2.40 $200.00 to $499.00 3.60 $500.00 and up 4.80 Cost to put on Reserve $1.00 to $49.99 1.00 $50.00 to $199.99 2.00 $200.00 & up 1% of reserve Commissions are charged on the selling price and are as follows: $25.00 or less 5.25% $25.00 to $1000.00 5.25% on 1st $25.00 then 2.75% on balance $1000.00 plus 5.25% on 1st $25.00, 2.75% on balance up to $1000.00 then l.5% on balance above $1000.00 Give your item a title. The aim here is to make it so attractive that everyone will read it! Decide how you want to word your advertisement. Your description should be quite detailed as to what you have to offer. Next choose the category best suited for the item you wish to sell. Make sure to totally describe the item (including flaws, tears, cuts (in other words everything). If it is a garment it is a good idea to measure it, even if you know the size. Give details as to how you want payment for the goods and instructions in regard to shipping and handling. State if you will accept checks or what kind of payment you wish. All items are paid for in U.S.A. dollars unless you go on Canada or specify otherwise. Make this as descriptive as possible to avoid the goods being returned for misrepresentation. You can choose font size, colour, etc. when you are doing this. This is all loaded into your ad with a prompt to see if you wish to check it for spelling or errors BEFORE completing the ad. These are the additional charges for special services Home Page featured $99.95 Feature Plus in category 19.95 Highlight 5.00 Bold 2.00 Gallery 19.95 Buy It Now 0.05 The next question you need to answer would be if you want a counter on your ad. There is no charge for this and it lets you know how many people have actually looked at your item. Then you will be asked if you will accept escrow. I do not personally. I indicate that I will ship worldwide as I have a lot of my sales go abroad. After you have filled out all the areas necessary you can get a preview of what you have filed in to confirm that you are happy with it. After all is OK click continue. They will tell you how much money you have left in your account before you click that you do in fact want your ad to be activated. Now a screen will come up telling you were your ad is located and announcing that the sale has begun. You will get an e-mail, almost immediately, giving you the status of your account and listing cost of the ad that you just placed. When your sale has been completed the buyer can put in a FEEDBACK for you, either Positive or Negative. You will see a star following your name. The colour changes at different levels and the number shows that there has been that many feedbacks entered for you. Most of the customers do this, but occasionally some do not. Of course you strive to get a positive feedback and not a negative one. New sellers have sunglasses after their name alerting the public that they are new to Ebay. You can revise your ad but it has to be done prior to anyone making a bid on it. You can add additional information that you may have forgotten, at any time. It will be posted beneath your description in the ad. If you do not sell an item you can re-list it for the sale again. If it sells the second time you get this listing fee returned to you. GOOD LUCK! Have fun. Daily Content for Smart Computing: April 12, 2005 Google Stats Google receives more than 200 million search queries per day. More than half of these come from outside the US. At peak traffic hours, more than 2,000 search queries are answered per second. And all this time you have been putting Bounce in the dryer! It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It will also repel mice. Spread Bounce sheets around foundation areas or in trailers or cars that are sitting and it will keep mice from entering. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often. Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season. Eliminates static electricity from your television or computer screen. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television or computer screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling. Dissolves soap scum from glass shower doors. Clean the shower doors with a sheet of Bounce. Freshen the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet. Put a sheet of Bounce in the vacuum cleaner bag to freshen the air while vacuuming. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing. Freshen the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet of Bounce in a pan and fill with water. Let the pan sit overnight and sponge clean. The antistatic agent apparently weakens the bond between the pan and baked-on food. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket. Collect cat or dog hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magically attract all the loose hair. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from settling. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth. Eliminate odors in the dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight. Golfers place a sheet of Bounce in their back pocket to keep the bees away. Place a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing. Keeps them smelling fresh for the next outing. by Elise M. Edgell and Jim Sanders, North Orange County Computer Club, California I have heard about road rage for years and have even seen instances of it. For some people just putting them behind a steering wheel gives them an angry feeling toward all other drivers on the road. I am seeing a similar reaction with some people as soon as they are in front of a computer keyboard. Suddenly they are no longer reasonable, rational people using the computer to make their life better. They react as put-upon individuals that are using a tool, which they would rather not use, can't really see the benefit in using it, would rather be doing anything else other than sitting there in front of their computer, and they do not want to learn anything about their computer other than how to use the applications that they have been forced to use because of outside pressure. They act as if it is an imposition to have to learn anything more about their computer than how to turn it on. They see no useful value in understanding any of the workings of the computer. They have much more valuable use for their time than to spend any of it learning useless (in their estimation) information. Unfortunately, not only do we have the Computer Rage" group that think it is chic to hide behind their rage with an I would rather work harder, than smarter" attitude, there are others. Some groups that come to mind are the I am too old to learn this computer stuff" the I am too dumb to learn this computer stuff," the I am so computer illiterate that I don't even know how to turn one on, and proud of it," and the I would probably do something wrong and break it" group. What could be some of the reasons for these attitudes, reactions or myths to using a computer? One reason is that computer software and hardware companies have fostered the idea that in today's world computers are so sophisticated that they can be run without any necessity for the user to learn the basics. As an example, the Windows operating system installs with many of its defaults set to protect" the user from much of the really useful information that is needed for intelligent operation of the computer. The problem with that is, if the information is hidden, the user may he unaware of needed information. So why should you make the effort to learn more about your computer? Even if you are using a computer under duress (real or perceived). once a computer is an integral part of your personal or business life it is very upsetting for the computer to be unavailable to perform the tasks that you've come to depend on. When a problem occurs with your program or with your hardware, instead of just feeling abused, put upon, frustrated, helpless, or mad, you will have some options if you learn some of the basics. You will be able to take care of some of the simple and common problems yourself. When you get the Disk A: is write-protected" error message while trying to save a file to the floppy disk, you will know that all you have to do is take the floppy out of the drive, slide over the write-protect tab to cover the hole, and re-insert it in the drive. The problem was solved in ten seconds, no rage, no anger, no anxiety, actually, no real problem. It was just one of those things that happen and have to be dealt with. Even if you can't solve the situation on your own, you will be able to communicate the problem in understandable terms. This makes it possible for you to ask for help over the telephone, or even on the Internet. You'll also need to know when you really need help and to know if the ''help'' you are getting is valid. Last, and far from least, most windows have a 'Help" menu, and there is always the START' button and general HELP" option. But once again, if, for whatever reason, you have not bothered to learn some of the basic concepts and terminology, you won't be able to ask the right question, or understand the answer if you stumble across it. I have also heard people say. I watch TV but I don't have to learn how it works, why should I have to learn how to use my computer?" My response is that today's computers place an unbelievable amount of access to information, knowledge, and creative programs at your fingertips. For chump change (don't know what that means-- look it up on Google.com) you can buy a nice computer and access to the Internet. As soon as you buy that combination you have an almost unimaginable power sitting on your desk. Power that just a few years ago only governments and large corporations could afford. Once you are on the Internet, most of the information, a lot of the knowledge, and quite a few of the applications are free! You may have seen the TV ad showing a one man garage shop company that looks like a large company because of what the computer can do. This is a true story, not an advertiser's pipe dream. Information is power and the Internet makes information available on about any subject. Aside from the chump change" what does all this power cost? The willingness to spend the time to learn how to use it! I am no longer envious of people who live near a large library. I use the Internet to answer many of the questions which I think about but forget before I get to a dictionary, encyclopedia, or other paper research material. Now I can get an almost instantaneous answer and can ask to be notified by e-mail when a certain topic comes up in the news. For example I used this recently after I read a murder mystery based on a deadly chemical named sodium azide. I had never heard of it before. I searched the Internet using Google and found many articles about it and its deadly properties. This chemical is readily available and widely used. I was concerned enough to use a feature of Google to send me an e-mail when sodium azide is in a news story. Wouldn't you be willing to invest some of your time to be able to really use this type of power? What about really learning some of the abilities of the software that is probably sitting on your computer? Have you ever really looked at the features of WordPad in Windows XP? Have you ever clicked on help in WordPad? Did you know that the Help Menu" in WordPad contains a Help on how to use Help" section? Are you taking digital photos? Are you in sales? Do you have a disability? Of course you can find use for some of the more advanced features of your software. The problem is you won't ever know what these may be, unless you expend some effort to learn what is possible. Once you decide that learning more about the potential of your computer is a benefit to you, it makes it a lot easier to find the time and energy to accomplish this. Understanding goes a long way toward the feeling of being in control. When you feel in control of your computing experience, the irrational feelings of rage will probably go away or at least be minimized. This doesn't mean that you will no longer get mad or upset with your computer, far from it, just that you will be more likely do it for a real cause. How do you acquire the information and skills you need to feel in control of your computer? One good way is to go to a computer user's group. Unfortunately, if you are the person this article is about you are probably not getting this newsletter. My suggestion is that those of you who are getting this newsletter give a copy of this article to your friends that have computer rage. CatScratch asks: Is Windows a Virus? No, Windows is not a virus. Here's what viruses do: 1. They replicate quickly - okay, Windows does that. 2 Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so - okay, Windows does that. 3 Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk - okay, Windows does that too. 4 Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. Sigh... Windows does that, too. 5 Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. Yup, Windows does that, too. Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences: Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature. So Windows is not a virus. It's a bug. LangaList Newsletter http://www.langalist.com/plus/newsletters/ Q. I got RealPlayer so I could listen to old radio interviews. Now all of my music opens in RealPlayer. Is there a way to change them back, or do I have to uninstall it? A. This is a pretty common problem, and not just with music files. Often, when you install a photo-editing program, it takes over the job of opening your images. Luckily, it's an easy fix so long as you know the steps. And to that end, let me show you the way. The problem is in Windows file association. File associations tell Windows what program to use when a file needs to be opened. So you need to change the association. First, open Windows Explorer. Click Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>>Windows Explorer. Find a music file. Right-click it. Click Open With. If you don't see the program you want, click Choose Program. This will give you a more extensive list of programs. If your preferred program is still not listed, click Browse. Navigate to the program and file you're seeking. Click Open. Back at the Open With window, select "Always use the selected program" Click OK. That will change the association permanently. RealPlayer probably changed the file association when it was installed. When you install new programs, pay attention to each prompt. As I mentioned, this goes double for music players and image programs. There's usually a checkbox labeled something like "Use this as my default player," or "Always use this program to open images." Sometimes the checkbox is already marked for you. This used to happen with almost every program. The more these programs pop up to open files, the more useful they seem. The latest versions tend to be better about this. Regardless, be careful with every program that you install. Kim Komando http://www.komando.com/newsletter.asp "Last night I dreamed I ate a ten-pound marshmallow, and when I woke up the pillow was gone." - Tommy Cooper by Gabe Goldberg, APCUG Advisor & Columnist, AARP Computers and Technology Website Don't be alarmed by the high-falutin word "configuring". It just means deciding what components -- otherwise called "parts" -- will perform various PC functions. It's like old-days car buying: reviewing a dealer checklist to pick dozens of individual features, from radio to power steering to disc brakes and more. The good news is that almost any current PC with a printer and Internet connectivity will handle mainstream requirements. That means that a generic Windows PC is usually adequate -- but you should upgrade if you'll do anything challenging or exotic. Just as when buying a car, the first step in buying a computer is deciding what you'll do with it: e-mail, Web searching/viewing, word processing? Financial work with Quicken? Digital photography? Simple games? Ultra-demanding tasks like high-end games and digital video editing? Just as when making any major purchase, a small investment in learning pays off for years. Before buying a PC, learn the basics: -- take a class, buy a book, attend local computer user group meetings, consult Web sites, read technology magazines at the library. As you look at applications' system requirements (processor speed, RAM size, hard drive storage capacity, video card speed and memory, etc.) note differences between minimum and recommended specifications. Vendors are often too optimistic -- and that's being charitable -- about what's needed for their software to run productively. It's much safer, and not much more expensive, to buy at least the recommended choices. In fact, I usually buy a little more power than I need. This bumps cost just a little and it avoids future problems and upgrades. Purchasing this way greatly extends a PC's life and makes it more compatible with future innovations, at least for a while. Remember that as PCs evolve, a range of choices is always available, from bleeding-edge new to borderline obsolete. An equally valid - and more economical -- approach to configuring is finding the current technology "sweet spot" the point where cost, performance, compatibility, and useful life are in balance. A key decision is whether to buy a brand-name system or an unknown-brand machine, have a PC built to order, or build it yourself. Choices for laptop computers are much more limited: brand-name systems dominate, trailed by a few off-brand manufacturers. There are no build-it-yourself options, though manufactured systems can be customized extensively. Each purchasing choice has advantages and advocates. Brand-name systems can be evaluated and compared by consulting references such as Consumer Reports magazine, are available everywhere via catalog or online shopping, and may have better standard or optional warranties (often worthwhile for quick service and peace of mind). But brand-name systems sometimes suffer from using commodity parts vs. best-quality components. Unknown-brand machines can be reliable money savers or risky acquisitions. I'd only buy such a system from a trusted store with a flexible return policy. I favor having PCs built to order by small local shops with established reputations, offering maximum flexibility and consultation during design. And I've enjoyed watching my PCs take shape as they're assembled from a tableful of parts! Some people build their own PCs, often with training and mentoring from computer user group volunteers. This demystifies system innards, greatly facilitating diagnosing and repairing problems and upgrading components. Build-to-order and build-yourself allow specifying brand-name parts for improved performance and reliability. No matter where you purchase, look carefully at monitor choices. Traditional CRT monitors prices have declined, allowing buying larger devices with better resolution. And newer/thinner/lighter LCD panels offer a powerful -- though sometimes less flexible -- alternative. Visit stores to compare brands and models and explore settings to match your preferences. Decide how you'll back up your software and data. Choices include a second -- perhaps external or removeable -- hard drive, writable optical media such as DVD, and tape. The first two are most often used, with each having unique advantages. Follow your backup plan regularly; nothing ruins a day like losing months or years of can't-be-replaced data, not to mention having to reconstruct all your software. Small choices can make large differences in productivity and comfort. For example, mouse technology has advanced far beyond the traditional two-button wired device. Mouse alternatives include trackball and wireless devices, gadgets with many extra programmable buttons, wheel mouses allowing horizontal/vertical scrolling, etc. Considering how much time you'll use your pointing device, it's worth spending a little extra money to have the device that suits you best! Windows offers many choices for easing use -- enlarging type, making keyboarding easier, providing special audible and visual cues, etc. Accessibility options are found in different places -- usually via Control Panel or the Start menu. It's worth exploring these to tailor your PC to your individual preferences. Similarly, small add-on programs can greatly improve a PC's comfort factor. Remember that Windows is highly configurable: you can change how it looks and operates. As you become familiar with your new PC, explore options/settings/preferences. Just as you wouldn't insist on driving a car with seats and mirrors exactly as they came from the dealer, don't be captive of Microsoft's initial settings! Name-brand computers usually include software bundles. Vendors shout about how valuable they are and how much money you're saving on them -- but that's only true if you'll use the software provided. As soon as you have your machine, examine pre-installed software and remove anything you know you won't use. Then defrag your disk and then install the programs you'll use. These simple steps will make your machine run better by decluttering it. Finally, If you understand how to do this, use built-in tools such as MSCONFIG to chop out unneeded services started by default when your system boots. Software bundles often include junior-grade versions or limited-time trial copies of critical tools such as anti-virus and anti-spyware software. For system reliability and security, upgrade these to full versions and subscribe to update services. Not much else in modern life besides computers keeps getting faster/better/cheaper. And it's not hard to find or build a computer that meets needs for several years, runs reliably, and doesn't break the bank. FOR SALE: Dell Inspiron laptop computer. Windows 2000 Pro. Celeron 300 MHz processor. 10 gig hard drive. 128 megs RAM. 14.1 inch screen. Modular CD and floppy drives. $1000 worth of software. Optical mouse. Used very little. $200. Contact Paul Ostrof, postrof@comcast.net or (970) 484-7680. FOR SALE: Viewsonic 17GA 17" monitor with speakers in bezel. Must see/hear this monitor to appreciate how wonderful it is. $100 or best offer. Paul, (970) 484-7680 FOR SALE: Gateway 800C Desktop w/Monitor, 20GB Hard Drive plus Epson Stylus Color 777 printer. Less than one year old. Only $600 complete. Contact Frances in Fort Collins at (970) 224-0776. About Trading Post k-Byte runs classified ads in Trading Post for three consecutive issues. Trading Post ads up to 10 lines (or 70 words) long are free to FRPCUG members: $5 for non-members. To place an ad in Trading Post contact Rick Mattingly at 970-613-8968 or email rmatt@jymis.com. Commercial Advertising Specifications (Monthly rate) Full Page (8 1/2" X 7") $30 Half Page (3 1/4" X 7") $20 One Third Page (3" X 4") $15 Business Card (2 3/4" X 1 1/2") $ 5 We offer a substantial discount for repeat ads and continuing contracts. For additional charge, we will design your ad for you. Contact Rick Mattingly for information on this service at 970-613-8968 or email rmatt@jymis.com. |
