newsletters/march 2006

www.tugnet.org
TUGNET
Price $1.75
A Monthly Publication of The Users’ Group Network
March 2006
Volume 13 No. 3
INSIDE
Check Out These Meetings! ....1
SIG Information/Schedule ......4
Marian’s Memos ....................5
Appreciation ..........................7
300 GB Hard Drive ................8
SIG Roundup .........................9
Highlights ........................... 10
Check Out These Meetings!
MARCH 7
BRUCE FRIES, AUTHOR OF
“DIGITAL AUDIO
ESSENTIALS”
enthusiasts and advanced users will
learn about invaluable tools and tricks
with the in-depth tutorials, reliable
hardware and software recommendations, killer resources, and real-world
With a very busy schedule, we are indeed fortunate to have Mr. Bruce Fries
coming to our meeting. He has much to
talk about and the topics he expects to
cover during this evening are:
Mouse from Hell .................. 12
End Computer Annoyances .. 13
Insecure Internet .................. 14
Internet Safety ..................... 15
Dona’s Computer Capers ...... 16
MEETING
SCHEDULE
March 7
Bruce Fries, Author
March 14
The Family Post
March 21
Kingston Technology
March 28
Computing 101
Meeting Site Map on Back Page
Your PC as the ultimate jukebox.
Your PC as the ultimate audio recorder
Music on the Internet
What You Should Know Before
You Buy a Portable Digital Music
Player
Digitizing Vintage Records
Recording and Editing Digital Audio
Wireless Audio for Your Home
All of these topics will be explored and
explained in detail. There have been
raves from other user groups he has
previously visited.
His book, Digital Audio Essentials, is a
comprehensive, reader-friendly guide
to the world of digital audio on computers and the Internet. The book explains, in everyday, understandable
terms, how digital audio technology
works–and how to make it work for
one's individual needs and goals. Audio
advice. The book balances just enough
history and theory for a solid understanding of digital audio with a wealth
of practical advice, tips, product information, and references for creating the
ultimate digital audio experience.
With illustrations and screen shots
throughout, Digital Audio Essentials is
the comprehensive handbook for creating, recording, editing, and sharing
music and other audio so readers can
[See MEETINGS, Page 3]
Page 2
March 2006
All Meetings Start at 7:00 p.m.
For More Information Call: 818-249-1629 or 818-884-9441
www.tugnet.org
$3.00 non-member fee for the Tuesday meetings.
Everyone welcome at SIG (Special Interest Group) meetings
TUGNET is a non-profit computer users group. TUGNET’s mailing address for
membership information, submissions to the TUGNET Newsletter, or other clubrelated material, is TUGNET, 3926 Community, La Crescenta, CA 91214. We
welcome your submissions, including technical questions or letters to the editor, on
PC disk (in a popular word processing format), or by e-mail, params@verizon.net.
Hardcopy alone will no longer be accepted!! All submissions must be
presented on disk or e-mail as described above!! The number one rule when
writing for us is: Do not attempt to format your article, except for bolding and
italicizing. Instead, focus on writing a clear, organized, grammatically correct
article. We’ll take care of the rest. We reserve the right to edit as necessary for
space considerations. Other non-profit user groups may reprint articles (except for
those copyrighted) without prior permission, provided proper author, title and
publication credits are given. Newsletter produced using Microsoft Publisher.
Membership database is in Microsoft Access.
Neither The Users’ Group Network, its Board of Directors, officers, nor members
make any express or implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a
particular purpose. Opinions provided by newsletter articles, or by speakers,
members or guests who address TUGNET meetings are individual opinions only,
and do not represent the opinions of the organization, its board, officers, or
members. All opinions and information should be carefully considered and neither
The Users’ Group Network, its directors, officers, nor members shall be liable for
any incidental or consequential damages in connection with or arising from the
furnishing or use of any information or opinions. Brands and products referenced
herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
DOOR PRIZE POLICY
Only members are eligible to win a door prize. Members must also attend
the full presentation in order to qualify for that night’s drawing. This is
the arrangement that the vendors who donate the door prizes expect and
that is the policy we will follow for all meetings. To reduce the distraction
of the seated audience and the presenter, registration and the distribution
of name badges will cease at the start of the presentation. Those members
not yet registered, but who are present at the start of the presentation will
be registered and given their badges during the break. Members arriving
more than ten minutes after the presentation began have not met the
attendance requirement and will not be eligible for the drawing.
NEWSLETTER STAFF
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
MarianRad@1stNetUSA.com
President (1 yr)
Programs
Marian Radcliffe
Vice President (2 yr)
SIG Coordinator
A.J. Camou
Secretary (1 yr)
Monthly CD
Susan Kennedy
Treasurer (2 yr)
Deuk Perrin
Director (1 yr)
Larry Nye
Director (2 yr)
Refreshments
Susan Phelps
Director (1 yr)
Special Events
Roger Poverny
rogerp@socal.rr.com
818-888-7564
Director (2 yr)
Computing 101
Dottie Blake
spindot@yahoo.com
Director (2 yr)
Publicity
Nina Van Leeuwen
818-249-1629
AJCamou@aol.com
818-367-9264
flamingfury@BigValley.net
818-503-8973
deuk_perrin@hotmail.com
805-578-9236
larrynye@nyemail.us
sidecarsusie@earthlink.net
818-848-9810
ladynina@socal.rr.com
818-784-6144
COORDINATORS, ETC.
APCUG Rep.
Maury Whitaker
Membership
Chairman
Nancy Cook
Greeters
Lorrie Stelzer
Daisy Kuhn
Nina Van Leeuwen
Equipment
Administrator
Eric Sjolander
Editor
Param Sharma
params@verizon.net
Special Offers
Ed Jameson
Product Review Editor
Ed Smith
edsmith111@juno.com
Tuesday Room
Set-Up
A.J. Camou
Contributing Writers
Marian Radcliffe,
Timothy Everingham
Coffee
Proofreader
Eric Sjolander
Mel Ader
Susan Phelps
Loy Wissmath
Soda Pop
A.J. Camou
Webmaster
Kat Koch
Computer
Magazines
Roger Bilyeu
mlwhit@alumni.caltech.edu
cook8@aol.com
818-349-1542
ets1057@sbcglobal.net
edjameson@earthlink.net
818-892-4074
kat@ask-kat.com
rmbilyeu@earthlink.net
Cover Design: Jeff Marcus Graphic Design
This is a very special meeting indeed.
Even if you are very familiar with the
above-mentioned topics, there’s a very
good chance he’ll give you some useful
ideas.
MARCH 14
THE FAMILY POST
We all know creating websites – family
portals with photographs and video to
share with friends and other family
members – can be an enormously difficult endeavor. The Family Post creates
stunning digital online destinations for
families, collecting precious moments
that families have captured by both photograph and video and supplemented by
contacts administration, family history
areas, kids pages, calendars, eCards, an
RSVP service, message boards, email –
all supported by outstanding, friendly
and professional customer service.
Families yearn to share easily these life
experiences both within their own families as well as with family friends. Their
family portals are designed to delight
visually and be as easy-to-use as a visit
to any website. We’ll have Mr. Christopher Regan, Director of Business Development, as our guest to acquaint us
with this interesting new service. Mr.
Regan is an enthusiastic computer user,
having started as a volunteer instructor
in the Internet back in 1993 and filling
numerous consulting roles since.
Technology, will be discussing Kingston's latest developments in PC Memory Technology and Flash Memory.
Louis has been at Kingston Technology
for 11 years and is a Senior Technology
Manager. He is a computer enthusiast
and enjoys over-clocking PCs. His primary role at Kingston is working with
the PC Industry on new technology to
ensure Kingston has a memory solution
upon launch.
Be sure to come – I really think you’ll
enjoy this meeting and Louis.
MARCH 28
COMPUTING 101
We are going to concentrate on a session to help our novices get better acquainted with their computers for this
meeting. Those of you who know all
about this can be a big help by mentoring at this meeting. Dottie Blake will be
at the computer doing her usual fine job.
Hardware Lab
If your computer has developed problems, we’ll try to help find the solution.
You do not need to bring the monitor
but having your own keyboard and
mouse will be helpful. Please e-mail or
call if you expect to bring your computer – it’s very helpful if we know
ahead of time and can plan accordingly.
Check out Klassic Specialties at
make the very most of their expanding
digital music collections.
Page 3
http://www.klassicspecialties.com/tugnet.html
TUGNET members receive a 5% discount and TUGNET receives 5% of
member’s purchases.
[MEETINGS, from Page 1]
www.tugnet.org
Klassic Specialties
March 2006
Things To Bring to the
Meetings
A generous discount will be offered so
you don’t want to miss this new-to-us
service which might be just what you’d
enjoy doing for your family.
Recyclable CDs, Floppy Disks, Cell Phones, Ink Jet Cartridges, and Toner Cartridges.
MARCH 21
KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY
Your checkbook if the label on the back page of this newsletter says “Your Membership has Expired” so you can renew your membership.
Kingston Technology is no doubt a familiar name to most of you. For a long
time we’ve been hoping to have a representative come and give us a presentation regarding their products. Well, I’m
happy to say the time has finally come!
Mr. Louis Kaneshiro, from Kingston
Question for our Computer Q & A Column. Put them in the
box on the Membership Table.
Page 4
March 2006
Special Interest Groups
Specializing in the unique interests of our members
Novices and experts are welcome
Check with SIG leaders or website to confirm SIG
meeting locations
Real Estate SIG
Imaging SIG
First Monday @ 7:00 p.m.
Second Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m.
Mar 6 — Aims and Objectives —
Our goal will be to discuss all things
related to real estate, including purchasing, selling, financing, appraisals,
appreciation, investments, property
management, among others. If you are a seasoned real
estate professional or a novice seeking education for a first
step, turn information into knowledge with your other
members who have an interest in all things real-estate related.
Mar 8 — Open discussion, questions and answers on
Imaging topics.
Meets at Nancy Cook’s home
Co-hosted by Dottie Blake and Connie Green
Contact: Dottie Blake
spindot@yahoo.com
Meets at Granada Pavilion, Upstairs.
Contact Susan Phelps
sidecarsusie@earthlink.net
Web Design SIG
Third Wednesday @ 7:00 p.m.
Mar 15 — All aspects of WEB authoring and design.
Investments SIG
Meets at Marian’s home
gotomierz@peoplepc.com
tugnetwebsig.org
Second Monday @ 7:00 p.m.
Mar 13 — Open Forum Discussion — On the
What, Where, and How of Financial
Investments. Topics range from how to
search the Internet for information on stocks,
bonds, mutual funds to investment strategies,
economic indicators, mergers & spin-offs,
trading, charting, asset allocation, and
whatever subjects are of interest to you.
Meets at Baker’s Square, 17921 Chatsworth at Zelzah.
Seating is limited, so please RSVP your plans to attend.
Marcie Green (818) 594-1272
mercimarcie@hotmail.com
New Members
George, Robert
Knox, Anne
Taylor, Allan
Renewals
Braun, Jim
Friedowitz, Howard
Lahr, Allan
Lawrence, Carolee (NL)
Luczak, Richard
Martin, Mara
Quinn, Rex
Spellman, Arnold
Winkelstein, Robin
March 2006
www.tugnet.org
Page 5
Marian’s Memos
MARIAN’S MEMOS MARIAN’S MEMOS MARIAN’S MEMOS MARIAN’S MEMOS MARIAN’S MEMOS MARIAN’S MEMOS
SOUTHWEST USER GROUP
CONFERENCE
M
any of you are no doubt looking forward to this year’s
conference in San Diego. The
dates are August 11-13, at the Town &
Country Resort. Last year’s conference
at the Town & Country was very successful as we all enjoyed their great
facilities. Everyone was pleased with
the accommodations, food, workshops
and presentations. It’s bound to be at
least that good again this year!
As of this writing the conference website has not been updated to this year’s
information, but I can tell you there are
great plans in the works. When the
schedule goes up, you’ll surely want to
be one of those attending.
Nancy has registration forms available
at every Tuesday meeting so you might
want to pick one up.
PHOTO CONTEST
New this year at the conference! Groups
participating in the conference are eligible to submit photos for the contest so,
of course, I want TUGNET to be represented! All the details have not yet been
worked out, but there will be several
categories and the entries will be judged
by the attendees. I hope our members
will keep their cameras handy so that we
will have many photos to judge among
ourselves, therefore choosing our entries. We’ll talk about this more at our
meetings, but this is a heads up since I
want you all to start taking pictures and
be ready with your submissions. This
should really be fun.
KOW CHIP BINGO
We are once again joining forces with
the Kiwanis Club of Northridge in one
of their fund raising activities which
will help us as well as Kiwanis. This is
Kow Chip Bingo’s 14th year. In the past
anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people
have participated, creating income for
the many charitable activities Kiwanis
sponsors throughout the year.
The event will be Sunday, April 23, in
the agricultural area of Pierce College in
conjunction with the college’s Farm
Walk. Each ticket costs $5 and earns its
holder a short-term deed for a threefoot-by-three-foot square on a field.
Three cows are let out on the field to
“do their thing,” as described by Larry
Nye. On whatever squares the cows
“plop,” the owner of those squares wins
cash awards. It’s the first three that earn
the cash rewards which may be within
the first 15 minutes or, depending on the
cows, as long as an hour and a half.
Larry says Kiwanis members go out into
the field and use string to mark out the
plots, which are then numbered to correspond with the tickets. Kiwanis has invited TUGNET to sell tickets along with
them, and will share the profit with us.
Approximately 2,500 squares are sold
each year.
Tickets will be available at our meetings
soon, maybe by the time you read this.
NTI RIPPER 2.0
Archive your entire CD audio collection
to your hard drive at the touch of a button. NTI Ripper has everything you
need for fast and efficient CD ripping of
your music collection. With the built in
auto-naming of artist, album, song, and
track number feature, organizing and
managing your music collection is a
snap. Convert your entire audio collection from one file format to another in a
quick and easy, one-button process.
Easy and fun to use, NTI Ripper is the
perfect solution for both novice and
experienced music enthusiasts
Key Features :
One-button Audio Ripping (Rip an
entire CD at the touch of a button.)
Automatic File Naming (Customize
your music file names with artist,
song name, album, and track number.)
Rips standard audio file formats onthe-fly (Supports .MP3, .WAV,
.OGG, .WMA.)
Audio File Format Conversion
(Convert your entire audio collection from one file format to another
in a quick and easy, one-button
process.)
Choose the Quality Setting and File
Size (Select your preferred bit rate
for your MP3 and WMA songs
between 64 kb/s and 320 kb/s or set
your OGG quality between 0 and
10.)
Customize Your Ripper (Choose
from 3 different skin types and 10
different color displays.)
Regular price $29.99 – Download Special until March 31, 2006: $9.99.
CD package same price ($9.99), plus
$6.95 for shipping & handling.
http://snipurl.com/ntioffer
ACRNONYM FINDER
There are often questions at our meetings about what this or that acronym
means. Keep this in mind next time you
[See MEMOS, Page 6]
Page 6
[MEMOS, from Page 5]
hear a mixture of letters that mean nothing to you. An acronym is a pronounceable word formed from each of the first
letters of a descriptive phrase or by
combining the initial letters or parts of
words from the phrase. Here is an example of an acronym:
MODulator/DEModulator = MODEM. I
know you’ve heard that word at least a
million times.
Did you know that “acronym” is actually an acronym itself? I guess you can
take your pick of the 21 variations of
what it stands for:
March 2006
Acronym Finder is the world's largest
and most accurate dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms,
searching over 3 million definitions!
Just enter the letters you heard in the
search box and you’ll then know what it
stands for. Except they don’t know
about TUGNET!
www.acronymfinder.com
Winners
Alphanumeric Code for Remembering Odd Names You Make up
A Concise Reduction Obliquely
Naming Your Meaning
American Committee Research on
New York Mayors
A Clever Re-Organisation Nudges
Your Memory
Annoyingly Cryptic References or
Names You Make
American Committee Really Out
To Numb Your Mind
Academy's Choice Reading, One
Newspaper for You and Me
(Newspaper of IMSA)
January 24
Outlook XP “Quick Reference Software
Guide:”
Beth Ochoa
Glen Buckler
John Gieb
LG Electronics Notebook
Wendell Greenlee
Pen/Highlighter/Laser Pointer/Stylus
Combo
Michael Gudlow
January 31
Intel CD Album
Elden Rice
Abbreviation Code Rendering One
Name Yielding Mnemonic
Alphabetically Condensed Representation of Neologically Yclept
Magniloquence
PC World Canvas Bag
Bill Geist
Alphabetically Coded Reminder of
Names You Misremember
IRS Code Book
Ed Jameson
I know that’s way more than you ever
wanted to know, but now you can quiz
your friends!
February 14
ZipMagic
Eric Sjolander
RoadWired PDA/Phone Organizer
Conrad Lalicker
XM Satellite Radio Bag
Bill Geist
Roboform CD
Howard Friedowitz
Chris Christopher
David Hirschfield
Alphabetical Character Rendition
Of a Name Yielding a Meaning
Paint Shop Pro X
Sonia Diaz
WordPerfect Suite Quick Reference
Guide
Anne Knox
A Completely Random Order
Never Yields Meaning
Abbreviation By Cropping Names
That Yield Meaning
Corel’s WordPerfect Office X3 Suite
Professional
Judy Himmel
Borland Notebook
A.J. Camou
Alphabetic Collocation Reducing
Or Numbing Your Memory
Abbreviated Code Rarely Or Never
Yielding Meaning
February 7
IRS Publication 17
Arnold Giesbret
Ed Lax, Winston
Garth and Marvin Hirsch
March 2006
www.tugnet.org
Page 7
Appreciation
Getting to Know
Dottie Blake
By Marian Radcliffe, TUGNET
APPRECIATION APPRECIATION APPRECIATION APPRECIATION APPRECIATION APPRECIATION
M
ost of you recognize Dottie
from the great presentations
she has been making at our
Computing 101 meetings. She is our
newest Director, as well as co-chairman
of our new Real Estate SIG. She has
been a member of TUGNET since 1997,
back when we met at Glendale Federal
in Canoga Park. She found us as a result
of our booth at one of the Glendale
computer shows.
computers that you could fit on a desk,
her first personal computer was an Apple 2e which she thought was the greatest thing since sliced bread! In 1983 one
of the companies that she was repping
asked her to come to California to serve
as office manager while the owner traveled to Korea on a buying trip. She
planned to be here for only three
months, but soon discovered California
Dottie was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, the eldest of six with two
sisters and three brothers. When she
married in 1968 she joined her husband serving in the Army in Ethopia.
Living there she gained a great appreciation for being an American and
living in the United States. After the
military service ended, the couple
came back to the U.S. and settled in
Minnesota. Working for the City of
Minnetonka as Purchasing Agent/
Risk Manager was her first job. Six
years later she changed careers to
become a manufacturer’s rep for 20
gift lines and called on customers in
five states.
Her interest in computers started
right after high school when she attended Wards School of Business in
Worcester, MA. She became an IBM
console operator, doing keypunch for
Digital Equipment Corporation. She
soon discovered that sitting at a keypunch machine going clack, clack,
clack, all day was not her cup of tea.
Since there didn’t seem to be any opportunity to actually run the “big machines,” she transferred to a secretarial
position.
Keeping an eye on the development of
had captured her – no bugs, low humidity, no snow, so good-bye Minnesota!
When she decided to stay at Apple
Trading Company, an importer of gift
items, she recognized the need for computers to introduce efficiency to the organization. She got the company computerized and set up a customer database, inventory system, and accounts
receivable and payable. The owner later
closed the company to manage his parents business in Korea. After a four year
position in investment banking, she
started a new career in development/
fund raising for a private school in Los
Angeles.
For the last six years she has been Associate Director of Annual Fund for the
John Tracy Clinic, a non-profit organization for deaf and hearing impaired
children. You might be interested to
know that the John Tracy Clinic was
started more than 60 years ago by
Spencer Tracy’s wife, Louise, to help
other parents of deaf children. JTC
differs from other organizations for the
deaf, in that they teach verbal communication skills to preschool aged children, serving families all over the
world. John Tracy Clinic has a recycling program for hearing aids where
used hearing aids donated are tax deductible and help pay for new hearing
aids for children.
Continually fascinated and constantly
exploring computers led to her discovery of eBay. The thought of being able
to sell some of her extra stuff online
was really exciting. When she sold the
first item she was hooked. Getting
caught up in the excitement of selling
and buying led to her participation in
the eBay convention in San Jose last
year. Wearing an eBay t-shirt and the
many badges and pins she had collected,
she gave a presentation about eBay to
TUGNET members.
Her membership in TUGNET has continually educated and kept her updated
in everything “computer.” Her current
computer projects are in the area of affiliate marketing and developing websites for profit.
Page 8
March 2006
Article
How Big Is a 300 GB
Hard Disk?
By Jim Sanders, Editor, Orange Bytes
North Orange County Computer Club
ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE
I
recently acquired a 300 GB hard
disk for $110 after rebates. When I
look at that 3.5 inch hard drive that
is one inch high and easily held in my
hand, trying to put those 300 Giga bytes
of storage in perspective is a little tough.
I thought about the first Z80 CPM system I built in 1977 from a Cromemco
kit that I had to solder together. It used 8
inch floppy disks that held 128,000
Bytes.
The diskettes were easy to damage and
it was a good idea to keep them in storage boxes. I made some good money
selling the SRW Computer Products
plastic storage boxes at a great ACP
Swap Meet discounted price of $2.00
each. They were designed to hold 10,
but you could get 2 or 3 more in if you
were careful! I wondered how many
floppies that would be, so I punched the
numbers into the calculator.
300,000,000,000B/128,000B =
2,343,750 diskettes. I don’t know how
to visualize that, but I did calculate that
it would take $468,750.00 worth of
those boxes to store them all. I then remembered that the average price at that
time was about $3.50 a diskette. Again
the calculator, 2,343,750 diskettes x
$3.50 = $8,203,125.00. Wow! That is a
number that I don’t want to think about
if I am talking about a hobby.
Another way to wrap your mind around
huge numbers is to start small, with
something that you can relate to, and
work your way up. Now we know that
one byte equals one character of the
alphabet. The common 10 point type
has 10 characters per inch. So, if we
have 120 characters/bytes in a row, we
have one foot. There are 5,280 feet in a
mile. So 5,280 x 120 gives the number
of character or bytes that would be on a
mile long ticket tape that was being
printed with 10 point type, an answer of
633,000 bytes. Compared to the 300
Giga bytes on the hard disk, 633,600
bytes is not much. To find out how
much, we need to take the
300,000,000,000 byte capacity of the
hard disk and divide it by 633,600 bytes
in a mile. The answer to that math problem is the equivalent of 473,485 miles
of ticker tape.
To put that into perspective, let’s take
the circumference of the earth
(nominally 25,000 miles) and divide
that into our answer. So, 473,485 /
25,000 = 18.93. If we could find a big
enough roll of ticker tape, printing all
the information on that hard disk would
wrap around the equator of the earth
18.93 times. That sounds impressive,
but how many people can really visualize that. Besides, I don’t know anyone
who has a big enough ticker tape
printer. Another thought, that ticker tape
would be 3,000 miles short of stretching
from the Earth to the Moon and back.
But let’s try it with regular 8.5 inch x 11
inch paper. Again, standard printing
would be 10 point type, 10 bytes per
inch, and 6 lines per inch. Most people
leave at least a half inch margin all the
way around the page. So that means
each line will be 7.5 inches, or 75 bytes,
and there will be 60 lines per page. So
each page will use 75 bytes x 60 lines,
or 4,500 bytes.
First, let’s take 1 of the 300,000 megabytes on the disk and see how many
pages that represents. 1,000,000 / 4,500
= 222.2 pages. We still have 299,999
megabytes left and, using them, the total
number of pages comes out to
66,660,000 pages.
That is also a little hard to imagine, so
let’s see how many reams of paper that
is. Take 66,660,000 pages, divided by
500 sheets per ream = 133,320 reams of
paper. Again, a little hard to visualize.
A lot of things have their volume given
in cubic feet. That’s 12 inches x 12
inches x 12 inches or 1,728 cubic
inches, or 1 cubic foot. I measured one
case of paper at 11.25x9x17.5 inches, or
1,771 cubic inches. Let’s be generous
and round that off to one cubic foot. So
at 5,000 sheets, or ten reams per case,
we divide the 133,320 reams that we
came up with by 10 to get 13,332 cases,
or that many cubic feet of space.
Stipulating that an average house is
1,400 square feet with eight foot high
ceilings, then the average house has
11,200 cubic feet of space, ignoring the
walls. If you filled up your house, wallto-wall, floor-to-ceiling, with cases of
printed paper, you would still have
2,132 cases left over. If you are in better
shape than I am, there is still room to
get one car in that two car garage.
That’s 10’x20’x9’ = 1,800 cubic feet, so
that still leaves us with 332 cases of
paper. We could take all of the junk out
of the other half of the garage, lay down
a two foot thick layer of paper and put
all the junk back in on top of it. That’s
how much the 300 Giga byte disk holds!
So, unless you are planning on taking
out a home improvement loan, don’t
buy that 400 Giga byte disk.
[See HARD DISK, Page 11]
March 2006
www.tugnet.org
Page 9
SIG
SIG Roundup
Summary of TUGNET SIG Meetings
SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG
REAL ESTATE SIG
(February 6)
Dottie Blake drew attention to the logo
on the name tags given out. The logo
was recently created for the SIG and
will be featured on the upcoming website. She also invited members to submit
ideas for the content of the web site and
said they were also welcome to place on
the table any real estate related materials
they may have. Thereafter, Connie
Green introduced the guest speaker
Joffrey Long, President of Southwestern
Mortgage. Many questions were asked –
and answered – during the presentation.
particular area, property types, taxes,
income stream, family commitments
and obligations, input from attorney and
accountant, etc.
He defined and explained trust deed
investments and illustrated how they are
safer than directly-owned property investments. Suggestions were given on
how to find investment opportunities.
Things to check for include: the property itself, since the loan is based on
equity; a review appraisal of the loan
appraisal; permits; the borrower, to
know whether he/she is a “compulsive
inflation surfer”; title records; borrower’s current address; etc.
The group was warned, however,
against going it alone if they are new to
the business as there are many pitfalls
and the need for regulatory compliance
is paramount.
IMAGING SIG
(February 8)
This meeting, despite a computer glitch
that delayed the presentation, turned out
to be quite productive.
Susan Phelps showed a DVD she put
together using NTS program, and Carol
Lambbert demonstrated painting with
light techniques.
Joffrey Long
President, Southwestern Mortgage
To begin with, Mr. Long emphasized
the fundamental importance of having a
defined investment strategy before you
get started. That plan will be influenced
by a number of considerations, including, interest rates, demographics for the
Topics covered in these two presentations included:
Inserting music to go with slides
Lettering techniques
Fusing multiple pictures into one
slide
Photo-filling letters for title pages
Trying out all the options to see
how the lettering changed (bevel,
emboss, drop shadows, fill, etc.)
INVESTMENT SIG
(February 13)
Setting the tone for the evening, the
SIG’s chairwoman Marcie Green opinioned that the current market is playing
with our emotions in that no clear cut
trend can be deduced. With that in mind,
the following talking points were aired:
How much of your U.S. Mutual
Funds are now invested abroad –
and is this good or not?
Another quick lesson on what those
squiggly lines on stock charts are
all about.
More on Roth IRAs – Contribution
limits for 2006, Conversions and
Distributions.
Selling Your Home?.“It’s All In
The “Presentation”
Where To Go To... SAY NO to
Junk Mail, Junk Credit Card Offers, and Junk E-mail? The websites
and the mail addresses to do so
were given out.
WEB DESIGN SIG
(February 15)
The session turned out to be a hands-on
experience for everyone present as each
member took turns at the keyboard.
[See WEB SIG, Page 11]
Page 10
March 2006
Highlights
Summary of last presentations (January / February, 2006)
COMPUTING 101
LATEST IRS NEWS WITH
TED MEYER
(January 24)
D
ottie Blake had another lesson
for us with the Video Professor:
Outlook. This was very popular
since many use the e-mail program that
comes with Windows, Outlook Express.
Outlook is included with Microsoft Office. While we all think of it primarily as
an e-mail program, Microsoft actually
(January 31)
Mr. Meyer generously asked for specific
topics we’d like discussed and covered
each request in some detail. After discussing the advantages of E-Filing over
paper filing, he showed us the redesigned www.irs.gov web site. It is
much easier to find forms and/or information now.
The one thing many people think about
when filing their returns, if they are expecting a refund, is, “When will I get
available, just a click away, for state and
local governments as well as federal.
This site makes it very easy to replace a
birth or death certificate, for example. If
you’re interested in the state lotteries,
you can even get those results. Be sure
to take a look at it.
Did you know there’s a LUST tax? You
didn’t? Well, those who attended now
know what that means. You might want
to look it up – you can find it in the
search engine on the IRS site. It may be
something other than what you think!
Thanks to Ted Meyer we had an enjoyable and informative evening. We’ll
look forward to another visit from him
next year.
WORDPERFECT OFFICE X3
(February 7)
Dottie Blake
calls it their “Personal Information Manager.” Dottie showed us that Outlook
provides an integrated solution for managing e-mail messages, schedules, tasks,
notes, contacts, and other information.
Outlook delivers innovations you can
use to stay organized.
The Navigation Pane gives one the ability to quickly navigate between the Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, and other information. This is certainly very handy.
With the customization possible within
the program, each individual can set up
the various functions to be most suitable
to themselves and definitely save time
otherwise hunting for specific information or messages.
Thank you Dottie. A very helpful presentation.
Ted Meyer
my refund?” There is now a link on the
first page titled “Where’s My Refund?”
Clicking on that a week or so after efiling, longer if paper filing, will take
you to a page where, with minimal information input, you can find out approximately when your refund will be
deposited or mailed. He invites us to try
it after filing this year’s return.
One of the web sites Mr. Meyer shared
with us was: www.firstgov.gov. There is
an amazing amount of information
We welcomed Shawn Kardell, from
Corel, to acquaint us with the newly
released version of WordPerfect Office
X3. Using the “X” in their product numbers is, I think, a clever way of avoiding
the “13” which seems to be a dreaded
number by many. There is a new interface, but since the menu bar has not
changed and is still as customizable as
ever, it will not make for a difficult transition for those of us used to the current
and previous versions. With a click, the
interface and menu can be changed to
that which is familiar to Word users,
which may tempt many to take advantage of all the features offered in this
product. Also, for those diehards who
still love the blue desktop, the 5.1 look
is available as well.
The “Name of the Game,” in Corel’s
mind, is two-fold: Ease of Use and
Compatibility. As has been the case in
the past, WordPerfect has more file
[See HIGHLIGHTS, Page 11]
www.tugnet.org
March 2006
[HIGHLIGHTS] from Page 10]
types which may be opened than its
competitor and has not changed its own
so that all documents, back to version 6,
can be opened with all formatting, etc.,
intact. However, with all the new features be assured that our favorites have
not been altered – I’m referring specifically to Reveal Codes and RealTime
Preview.
A new feature in this version is having
the ability to search directly from your
document, using
online resources featuring Yahoo!
Search. Enjoy enhanced web integration
with the new ability to access online
resources, both from Corel and Yahoo!,
and quickly conduct web searches directly from within WordPerfect X3.
ity is a concern. WordPerfect X3 makes
it easy to quickly remove private or sensitive data that can be hidden in, but
easily extracted from, office productivity documents. This also results in considerably smaller files.
There is more, of course, such as WordPerfect Mail, which is included on the
CD. This is a full-featured and easy to
use email application providing email,
calendar, contact management and RSS
capabilities – along with lightning-fast
search.
WordPerfect Office X3 comes in several
flavors with appropriate pricing.
See www.corel.com/specialusergroups –
for the generous discounts Corel gives
user group members.
www.corel.com
Page 11
[FEDERAL, from Page 15]
This site explains a series of safe
shopping tips, including “Know who
you’re dealing with; Know exactly
what you’re buying; Know what it
will cost (including shipping, taxes,
and other charges); Pay by credit or
charge card; Check out the terms of
the deal; and Print and save records
of your online transactions.”
“Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing allows users to share files online
through an informal network of computers running the same software.”
People, especially children and college students, use these P2P networks
to exchange software, music, videos,
and other files. While there is much
material that can legitimately be exchanged, P2P is also often a source of
spyware, viruses, and illicit and illegal copies of pirated software, music,
and other intellectual property. This
site lists many of the risks common
with these P2P services, and how to
safely utilize such services.
[HARD DISK, from Page 8]
There is no restriction against any nonprofit group using this article as long as
it is kept in context with proper credit
given the author. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group
is a member, brings this article to you.
Shawn Kardell
Another new feature: Help is available
in a panel on the side of the screen
which automatically changes with the
task being worked on, i.e., if you are
working on a table in your document,
the help will be focused on tables. In
other words, it’s context sensitive.
Something that will be appreciated by
many is a powerful solution that enables
users to create, edit, and re-use their
content, particularly through its new
ability to natively import PDF documents, making it easy to reuse text and
graphics stored in this format and edit
without additional PDF software, making sharing content via the open PDF
format simple and cost-effective.
Save without Metadata – An absolute
must-have feature any time confidential-
[WEB SIG, from Page 9]
Tasks tried included linking the Image
Sig, the Web Sig, and the Real Estate
Sig to the main TUGNET web page.
Some HTML codes were explained and
used.
One lesson learned – and never to be
forgotten – is that what you see is not
necessarily what you get. Even though
a preview of the web page developed
looked like what was wanted, it did not
look the say way when uploaded to the
Web site.
You have likely seen the ads on TV,
as well as displays at the electronics
and mass merchandising stores for
“VoIP”, services that allow the
broadband internet user to make local
and long distance phone calls over
the internet for a flat monthly fee.
While expanding on popularity, the
path has been bumpy, as some subscribers have been dissatisfied with
the service. Issues and service such
as “911” calls, while addressed in
regulations, are still not universally
implemented on many VoIP systems.
The OnGuard Online website also
explains what many local VoIP users
painfully found out during the recent
spate of hurricanes and other storms,
that if there is no power, or internet
service is otherwise inaccessible, the
VoIP services generally do not function, leaving the user without phone
service.
The OnGuard Online site “Stop –
Think – Click: 7 Practices for Safer
Computing” (onguardonline.gov/
stopthinkclick.html) reiterates the oft
stated common sense warnings that
[See FEDERAL, Page 17]
Page 12
March 2006
Article
The Mouse from Hell
Hardware Review … or Sort of
By Ann Moore, Topeka PC Users Club
Personal Computer Newsletter
Website: www.topekapcusersclub.org
ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE
S
everal months ago, I sent the
following e-mail to
“Answerperson” concerning a
tragedy in my life:
“Dear Answerperson,
When I started my computer this
morning, my mouse showed no sign of
life. Its heart (red light) did not flicker
nor did it feel warm to my touch. It
was stone cold dead. I tried to revive it
by performing an uninstall-reinstall, to
no avail. A check of outlets and wiring
found them intact. How do I determine
the cause of death? There were no
early signs of malfunction. If it were
an animal, I could have a necropsy
performed. Must I disassemble it to
determine the cause of death? I cringe
at the thought of disemboweling my
friend. My mouse was not extraordinary in any way – it was not wireless
nor was it ergonomic, just a simple
mouse that I loved and cherished.
Every day for four years, I held this
inanimate object in my hand, caressed
it, and knew every curve and indentation intimately. We were as one.
I have accepted the fact that I must
now lay it to rest, but where? Is there a
cemetery for computer mice? Should I
have it cremated or do I put it in a box
and bury it in my backyard under the
lilac bush? What will become of my
dear friend? Is there a computer mouse
heaven? This has never happened to
me before and I am devastated. Please
no cards or flowers. There will be a
memorial fund set up in the name of
“Ann’s Mouse” and donations may be
sent to commuter(at)cox.net”
Answerperson offered his deepest
sympathy and suggested that I put my
sorrow behind me, go on with my
computing and find a new mouse. I
visited Best buy in search of a replacement and found no sympathy there.
Their only concern was to sell me a
very expensive replacement. In my
vulnerable state, if the clerk had shown
a little compassion, I might have purchased a more expensive model but
because his attitude was cold and unfeeling, I left the store with one of
their cheapest models. There is an old
adage: “You get what you pay for,”
and that is exactly what I got – in
spades.
I doted on my new mouse, showering
it with an abundance of TLC. I never
mistreated it by applying any unnecessary pressure, jerking or pulling. In
spite of all my efforts to maintain a
close personal relationship, it soon
became apparent that we were not
compatible. The erratic behavior of the
mouse became noticeable following
surgery on my right shoulder. I was
forced to change the mouse settings to
accommodate my left hand and the
mouse began to balk at every command. Although I moved it around
very slowly, it would take off and race
around the screen leaving me breathless in my attempt to keep up with it.
In October, I purchased a new LDS
19-inch monitor and the mouse went
ballistic. It refused to leave the confines of its colorful, soft pad. Trying to
reach the far corners of my monitor
with my cursor became almost impossible. The mouse resisted my every
effort to control its actions. Every day
was a tug-of-war and I was losing my
patience. I had serious work to do and
no time to play games. I needed a good
reliable mouse. I decided that this obnoxious, malevolent, detestable little
rodent had to be eradicated. It was
time to go cordless.
Completing a jubilant trip to Best Buy,
I came home with a Logitech cordless
mouse. I could hardly wait to start
using it. What a different a cord
makes! This Logitech moves like a
dream and is a pleasure to work with.
It takes me everywhere I want to go.
Truly, a match made in heaven. I am
certain that I have found a new reliable
friend.
What do I do with this evil, malicious,
wicked little devil that made my life a
living hell? No sad songs or mourning
for this monster. I had visions of snipping off its tail to make it impotent,
then dropping it on the floor and
stomping it to death. I even considered
calling “The Terminator.” What I will
do is wrap it up in colorful paper and
donate it to the club for a prize at the
next Christmas party. I am hoping it
will fall into a strong masculine hand
that will teach this contemptible, spiteful, despicable creature how to behave
in the presence of a lady.
There is no restriction against any
non-profit group using this article as
long as it is kept in context with proper
credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups
(APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member,
brings this article to you.
March 2006
www.tugnet.org
Page 13
Article
An End to Computer Annoyances
By Gabe Goldberg
APCUG Advisor, Columnist, AARP Computer & Technology
Website: www.aarp.org
ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE
M
any of us have mixed relationships with computers and
technology. They enrich our
lives but can be maddening at times.
Books and magazines often tell us how
great they are, but an O'Reilly book series addresses the dark side of the story
by describing their annoyances and offers "help for newbies and powerusers
alike."
The format of the books is similar to
Q&A dialogues or lists of FAQs
(frequently asked questions). They're
not meant to be read from cover to
cover but explored based on a particular
need or curiosity. This search is assisted
by good tables of contents and full indexes. The books are written in conversational English, pairing annoyances
with their fixes, and include an abundant
amount of clear and helpful screen
shots.
While flipping through these books, the
handy tips boxes lead to many "aha"
moments and I was able to identify
many solutions to current and future
problems. Some of the content overlaps
between books, such as Internet topics
being addressed in its own book, Internet Annoyances, also being mentioned
in both PC Annoyances and Home Networking Annoyances. You may want to
read a general book along with those
specific titles that address your main
interests. Some books are in their second edition, making it worthwhile to
check print dates and edition numbers
before purchasing them.
Steve Bass, author of PC Annoyances,
provides a good introduction, stating
that "Many people are now realizing
that they've been putting up with pro-
grams that have downright annoying
features and yes, bugs. It's high time
they learned they aren't alone, it's not
their fault, and, most important, there
are solutions and workarounds."
Bass' book isn't overly technical. It addresses topics such as e-mail, Windows,
the Internet, Microsoft Office, Windows
Explorer, music, video, CDs, and hardware. Many all-too-common problems
are identified and solved, but it's not allinclusive. For example, it doesn't mention Thunderbird e-mail or Firefox
browser, both of which I like a lot, but
they can be annoying too! Coverage of
Windows XP SP2 is localized and not
mentioned places where it would be
appropriate. Varied software is recommended, free and purchased,
downloaded and store-bought, and advice is provided on configuring Windows and applications. And nonannoyance bonus material, such as "IM
Netiquette rules," which was both entertaining and valuable. I was happy to
learn how adding a work menu to MS
Word gives instant access to frequentlyused documents.
Another book in this series, PC Hardware Annoyances, covers diverse topics
including computer setup, keyboard,
mouse, startup, BIOS/CMOS, memory,
processor, maintenance, and battery.
Some annoyances are offered up as
questions, such as "Do I need specialized PC cleaning supplies?" The helpful
and short answer is "no", since common
materials, used appropriately, work just
fine. Because everyone has unique interests and concerns, even the book's specialized items are useful and thought
provoking.
Other Annoyances titles address computer privacy, home networking, the
Internet, the Mac, Windows XP for
geeks, and some Microsoft applications
(Access, Excel, and Word), all of which
are listed on the O'Reilly Annoyances
Central Web site. This site also offers
additional resources to combat computer-related annoyances with it's Experts' Blogs (a good way to get your
unique questions answered before they
appear in a book), the Daily Fix (a
stream of individual items from the
books), and Robert's Rant (the slowpaced blog of Robert Luhn, the Annoyances series Executive Editor, who addresses topics such as whether Wikis
can be trusted and the origin of his book
series).
Title: PC Annoyances
Author: Steve Bass
Pub: O'Reilly Media, Paper 252 pages
ISBN: 0596008821(Price: $19.95)
Title: PC Hardware Annoyances
Author: Stephen J. Bigelow
Pub: O'Reilly Media, Paper, 266 pages
ISBN: 0596007159 (Price: $24.95)
This article originated on AARP's Computers and Technology Web site,
www.aarp.org/computers, and is copyrighted by AARP. All rights are reserved; it may be reproduced,
downloaded, disseminated, or transferred, for single use, or by nonprofit
organizations for educational purposes,
with attribution to AARP. It should be
unchanged and this paragraph included.
Please e-mail Gabe Goldberg at
gabe(at)gabegold.com when you use it,
or for permission to excerpt or condense.
Page 14
March 2006
Article
Is the Internet Insecure Because of You?
By Dave Gerber
APCUG Advisor, Radio Show Host,
Vice President, Sarasota PCUG, Florida
dgerber@apcug.net
ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE
L
ong gone are the days that we
could feel secure and know for
certain that we had privacy. With
the digital age upon us we can no longer
be so sure that our privacy is secure.
Recently Google has admitted their organization holds user data indefinitely.
This causes concerns as now we know
Google has information on us that we do
not want anyone to know about.
too integrated with the windows operating system. Have you ever wondered
how a dialer or online casino got onto
your desktop?
I personally recommend Opera; they
have a nice clean browser. The usability
is easy and best of all, it uses tabbed
browsing.
2) Protect your Connection.
We can simply blame this all on the big
corporate companies; they seem to be a
very good escape goat however, this is
not the case; your privacy is totally up
to you. Certificates ensure that all the
data that is transferred between you and
the internet is secure and encrypted.
Recently in New Zealand there was a
short certificate outage on a bank’s website. During this outage only one out of
300 users took this security warning
seriously.
This is a rather large concern, as many
users on the internet have the same belief that their data is safe and secure. By
the end of 2005 it is estimated identity
fraud will cause up to 5 trillion dollars
world wide. We, the users of the internet
must keep ourselves safe, secure and
pay attention to those security warnings.
I have compiled some good tools and
tricks that will help keep you much
more anonymous and secure.
Make sure you have an active firewall
operating; Firewalls stop intruders from
entering your connection and causing
havoc. Hackers can easily gain access to
an unprotected network and steal private
information.
With the release of SP2 for Windows
XP, Microsoft has incorporated a free
personal Firewall. If you have broadband your router should have an inbuilt
Firewall, and make sure this is enabled.
Zone Alarm also offers a free Firewall.
You must always do what you can to
protect yourself.
Click Uninstall.
When you are asked if you are sure you
want to Uninstall File and Printer Sharing Click Yes.
You may now close the Local Area
Connection Properties window.
You must restart your computer for the
effects to work.
3) Hide your IP address:
Your IP address is just like your phone
number, it links directly back to you.
There are many reasons you may wish
to hide your IP address. Preferably you
do not want to be tracked around the
web, it’s just as bad as having a GPS in
your mobile phone.
3) Don’t share those files:
4) Check those certificates:
One of the most common security flaws
besides running Windows XP, is having
File sharing enabled. To disable File
Sharing please do the following:
Click Start Menu, select settings.
1) Get rid of the internet explorer:
Click on Network Connections.
First and foremost Microsoft Internet
Explorer is the highest risk to your internet experience. Not only is the most
popular internet browser, but is also the
most popular for attacks from Viruses
and Spyware. Internet explorer is also
tion uses the following items”, highlight
“File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft
Networks”. (If File and Printer Sharing
is not listed, then file sharing has not
been setup). You may skip the rest of
these instructions.
Right-click on the Local Area Connection icon and on the menu that appears,
choose Properties.
In the General tab under “This connec-
Your internet connection is not secure,
the data that travels between you and the
site you may be browsing may pass
through over 25 other computers. If you
are sending very confidential information such as credit card payments, make
sure the address starts with an https.
Also check that the padlock on your
browser is locked, and is valid for the
specific site. This will ensure that you
have a 128 bit encrypted connection
with the website.
[See INTERNET, Page 17]
March 2006
www.tugnet.org
Page 15
Article
New Federal Web Site Provides Users
with Internet Safety and Security Info
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director,
Columnist, The Examiner, TX, Radio & TV Show Host
ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE
WEBSITES:
http://www.onguardonline.gov
http://www.onguardonline.gov/quiz
http://www.onguardonline.gov/
stopthinkclick.html
http://onguardonline.gov/
filecomplaint.html
http://onguardonline.gov/tutorials
T
he media has recently been rife
with stories about internet
scams, frauds, identity theft,
pedophiles, and other malevolent occurrences that have happened on the internet. While there are many online resources providing informational websites to help prevent us from falling prey
to internet victimization, a consortium
of federal agencies has created
“OnGuard Online” at
www.onguardonline.gov. This consortium consists of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), United
States Postal Inspection Service, the
Department of Commerce (DOC), and
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Materials are provided on this website
to inform and educate the computer user
about several of the most nefarious
threats that commonly assail us as we
enjoy the abundance of the internet.
Topics currently covered are spyware,
identity theft, phishing, spam scams,
online shopping, P2P (Peer-to-Peer) file
sharing, and VoIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol – internet telephony). There are
also a series of online quizzes
(www.onguardonline.gov/quiz) where
the user can test his knowledge on the
security risks associated with these topics. A series of videos and tutorials on
related topics, such as “Viruses and
Worms”, and “Protect Your Privacy,
Family, and PC” are also available at
this site (onguardonline.gov/tutorials).
For those who have been victimized by
internet miscreants, a resource is available to show the user where and how to
file complaints with the appropriate
federal and other agencies at onguardonline.gov/filecomplaint.html.
Spyware is defined at this site as “…
software installed on your computer
without your consent to monitor or control your computer use.” Spyware can
be used to steal your identity or capture
your usernames, passwords, and account
numbers (keyloggers); compile personal
surfing profiles for directed advertising
or other purpose (some forms of tracking cookies); display unwanted pop-up
ads, which may be pornographic (adware), redirect the browser to other sites
(browser hijacking); install unwanted
links on the desktop or in the “favorites”
or bookmarks; and a variety of other
unwanted and possibly dangerous web
related items. OnGuard Online provides
links and information on removing spyware, and protecting your computer
from spyware.
Identity theft is a scourge that may impact as many as 10 million Americans
each year, according to some sources.
The incidence of identity theft through
internet tricks, such as
“Phishing” (typically emails directing
the user to an authentic looking but
counterfeit website soliciting credit card
information, PIN numbers, etc.);
“Pharming” (changing data files or
“hosts” on the computer to redirect intentional visits to financial or commercial sites to counterfeit sites where valuable personal information is illicitly
obtained) accounts for an increasingly
significant portion of identity theft.
OnGuard Online provides information
on how to protect yourself from Phishing scams, and how to protect your
identity while online, as well as instructions on dealing with identity theft if
victimized.
Some internet security companies report
that the amount of spam, or unsolicited
commercial email, can easily amount to
60 to 80 percent of all emails sent. According to this website, details are provided on the major spam scams currently in circulation. The top 10 spam
scams are: The “Nigerian” Email Scam
(may also appear to be from Russia,
Columbia, England, or other sources);
Phishing; Work-at-Home Scams;
Weight Loss Claims; Foreign Lotteries
(Congratulations, you are a winner in
the Spanish / British / Canadian Lottery!); Cure-All Products; Check Overpayment Scams (I have a large cashier’s
check – cash it, keep some, and wire me
the difference); Pay-in-Advance Credit
Offers; Debt Relief; and Investment
Schemes (buy this penny stock – it will
quintuple in a few days). Sadly, many
gullible internet users still fall for these
scams enriching the crooks, and typically receiving nothing worthwhile in
return.
Millions of internet users shopped
online during the holiday season, and
still continue to do so at online retailers,
or popular auction sites such as Ebay.
While most online shoppers have been
successful, and had few problems, there
are also thousands who have been victimized to some degree by internet
crooks.
[See FEDERAL, Page 11]
Page 16
March 2006
Article
Dona’s Computer Capers
©
Maps, Presentations Batteries
By Dona Z. Meilach
ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE ARTICLE
Web, for diagnosing and reving up your
MORE MAPPING
DIAGNOSE AND REV
speaker rating. Begin with
OPTIONS
UP YOUR PRESENTAwww.presentationexcellence.com.
I
've always been intrigued by mapping software so when Google came
out with their mapping features,
complete with a bird's eye view of areas,
I was hooked. Not to be outdone by
Google, Microsoft developed a competitive feature that you can access by going
to http://local.live.com. Type in an address, a business, a restaurant, or another address and the map will instantly
give you the location, or locations, of
the places.
It's actually a road map that you can
print out for driving directions, or copy
to put on a sheet so people can find your
address easily. You can move the map
about with your cursor so you can see
wider areas, and you can zoom in and
out.
What's really fun is the "Bird's Eye
View" that yields an aerial map of any
section of the city. Currently, there is
aerial map capability for only twelve
major cities with a promise of more
forthcoming. But enter the name of one
of the cities and watch what happens.
Move about…see the golf course, the
parks, the water areas. If you're house
hunting, these bird's eye view maps,
either from Microsoft or Goggle, will let
you locate facilities you're looking for
such as schools, proximity to freeways,
public transportation, and so forth.
The only problem with these programs
is that they are addictive.
Go and enjoy.
TIONS
I cringed last week as I sat through a
presentation by the public relations officer of a major cruise line trying to inform the press and travel agents about
the line's facilities. With her laptop on
the table before her, she constantly
turned to see what was on the projection
screen and talked to the screen and not
the audience. She could have, and
should have, watched her computer
screen and faced the audience as she
spoke.
Additionally, she peppered her comments with "you knows" and spoke too
rapidly. Having trained speakers for
years, written scores of articles about
presentation techniques, and no-nos, I
naively thought that most people would
have learned what to do and what to not
do. But there are always young, new
executives coming up the ladder who
have no idea that presentations are essential to business success. If you, or
someone in your office, is responsible
for giving presentations, some training
in preparing visuals and working with
them is essential. Analyzing other people's presentations is a first step to diagnosing what may be right and what may
be wrong and how that knowledge can
be applied to one's own presentations.
Though my presentations are no longer
business oriented, straight lecturing to
art groups and aboard ships requires the
same skills learned in a business environment. For those of you smart enough
to question your own speaker rating
check out books, articles, Web sites, and
seminars, both in person and on the
NEW DURACELL
POWERPIX BATTERIES
FOR DIGITAL
CAMERAS
If your digital camera uses normal alkaline batteries that die just as you want to
shoot your best picture, you'll welcome
the promise of Duracell's new PowerPix
battery. Allegedly, it delivers up to
twice as many pictures as an ordinary
alkaline battery because it is powered by
advanced NiOx™ technology, specifically formulated to meet the needs of
today’s digital camera users.
Available in AA and AAA sizes, this
new disposable battery provides an
“always ready” disposable source of
power and combines convenience and
value. It is recommended for those who
use their digital cameras with moderate
frequency - such as two or three times a
month.
Duracell studies show that approximately three out of four consumers currently power their digital cameras with
ordinary alkaline batteries. PowerPix
packs will be available in mass market,
drug, grocery and electronics stores
throughout North America. Find them in
four- and eight-cell packs in AA size
and four-cell packs in AAA size. The
suggested retail price for a four-cell
pack is $5.99.
In conjunction with the PowerPix
launch, Duracell is also introducing an
educational digital imaging guide to
[See DONNA’S, Page 17]
March 2006
[DONNA’S, From Page 16]
help digital camera owners find the best
battery power solution based on their
typical photography habits. A survey
showed that about one-third of digital
camera owners need help determining
which battery to choose for their digital
cameras. Duracell’s new digital imaging
guide will appear on product packaging
and at select retail outlets.
While the PowerPix is disposable and
aimed at occasional digital camera users, there are other batteries in the company's repertoire for the frequent digital
camera user and those who use rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. See them at www.duracell.com.
Duracell also claims that their batteries
may be disposed of as normal household
waste because they have eliminated
components that are environmentally
detrimental.
RESPONSE TO PACKING UP IS HARD TO DO
Last month, the necessity of packing up
a batch of recharging cables for one's
various electronic gadgets brought a
heated response from those who empathized with this modern plight. The most
thought provoking was from a reader
who travels to France regularly and
learned the hard way that it's easy to
burn out a unit when the different voltages are present.
So, I am asking those of you who travel
abroad how you deal with the problem
of keeping everything charged
up….what do you use and how? I will
be going to Europe to present another
series of lectures on a Princess Cruise in
August. The ship has 110-volt sockets
but who knows when and why you need
to plug something in somewhere. Any
help would be appreciated. Send notes
to dmeilach@msn.com.
Dona Meilach is the author of over 85
books with 10 on computers. Her latest
books, just out, is IRONWORK TODAY; INSIDE & OUT from Schiffer
books. www.schifferbooks.com. Other
computer organizations interested in
running this column should contact the
author. dmeilach@msn.com.
www.tugnet.org
[INTERNET, from Page 14]
Page 17
[FEDERAL, from Page 11]
If you want secure email you may also
have your emails encrypted too. A
good free vendor is Hushmail. Your
email security is more at risk than your
web browsing; you must ensure your
emails are safe.
all computer users should be aware of,
and implement:
5) Kill the spyware
Spyware are little programs that can
easily be picked up by surfing any website or downloading files. Spyware can
pickup information from where you
surf to your credit card details, this
information then can be sold.
Microsoft has released a beta version of
their upcoming anti spyware removal
tool. This too works well, and I highly
recommend this tool. Zone Alarm also
offers a free online spyware detector.
The information I have passed to you
should be seriously considered. The
internet is a very unsecure environment; you must ensure your data is safe
from outside prying eyes. Make sure
you are careful with any transaction
you make. Never fall for any kind of
email promotion, anyone who tries to
sell to you through spam advertising is
not trustworthy. Also make sure to
check the links from anything you click
on; I have found numerous fake Paypal
sites that try to steal your login and
password.
Remember... it is up to you
There is no restriction against any nonprofit group using this article as long
as it is kept in context with proper
credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups
(APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member,
brings this article to you.
1.
Protect your personal information.
It's valuable.
2.
Know who you're dealing with.
3.
Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and update both regularly.
4.
Make sure your operating system
and Web browser are set up properly and update them regularly.
5.
Protect your passwords.
6.
Back up important files.
7.
Learn who to contact if something
goes wrong online.
If the information on the OnGuard
Online websites is utilized, we will all
have a safer and more enjoyable internet experience.
There is no restriction against any nonprofit group using this article as long
as it is kept in context with proper
credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups
(APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member,
brings this article to you.
Page 18
March 2006
Are You Experiencing Technical Difficulties?
HELPCONTACT is a FREE service to members
of TUGNET only. The following volunteers have offered to
field questions with software and hardware listed below. Please be considerate of the volunteer you are contacting.
If you’d like to have your name added to the list, call or e-mail the editor. Need help on a subject and there’s
no name listed for it? Try calling one of the SIG leaders or post a message on the Bulletin Board on our Web page.
DOS
Jim Burton
jimbo1928@pacbell.net
818-344-5300
Eudora
Roger Poverny
rogerp@socal.rr.com
Hardware Installation
Ethan Albert
e_albert@bigfoot.com
818-886-7561
Jay Cunnington
jay@jayscomputershop.com
Jayscomputershop.com
818-362-8015
Visit us on the Internet
http://www.tugnet.org
Word
Marcie Green
818-594-1272
Internet Explorer
Jay Cunnington
818-362-8015
Outlook Express
Windows thru 95
Ethan Albert (see under “Hardware …”
Jay Cunnington
818-362-8015
Windows 98
Jim Burton jimbo1928@pacbell.net
818-344-5300
Windows ME
Jim Burton (See under “Windows 98”)
Jay Cunnington
818-362-8015
Jay Cunnington
818-362-8015
Windows XP
Roger Poverny
rogerp@socal.rr.com
Pagemaker
Roger Poverny (See “Internet General”)
Jay Cunnington
818-362-8015
Microsoft Publisher
Print Artist
WordPerfect
Internet—General
Kay Winnert
lazydazy@winnert.com
818-884-9441
Jim Burton
jimbo1928@pacbell.net
818-344-5300
Tech Notes
Quickbooks Pro5
Roger Radcliffe
rajahd@bigfoot.com
818-249-1629
Why Join TUGNET?
There are many reasons why you will
benefit from a TUGNET membership.
Here are a few of the most obvious:
Weekly Meetings where you’ll see the
latest and greatest computer products
presented by well-known, as well as
lesser-known, industry representatives.
Special Pricing often offered only to
TUGNET members.
Rich Kimmell
rkimmell@ix.netcom.com
Door Prizes at the weekly meetings.
Other Special Offers that regularly
come to us .
Monthly Newsletter, Keywords, delivered to your mail box.
Special Interest Groups on a variety of
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Help with computer-related problems,
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Contacts.”
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818-594-1272
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Volunteer to help with the many activities that keep TUGNET a viable organization.
Is that enough? Okay, you’ll find a
membership application on Page 19 in
this newsletter!
March 2006
www.tugnet.org
Page 19
TUGNET Membership Application
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March 2006
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