July
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July
THE ICON—Newsletter of the Interactive Computer Owners Network JULY-2011 WHAT’S INSIDE Page 2 Program Schedules Term of the Month Page 3 Interesting Sites to Visit on the Internet ICON Minutes Page 4 Windows Q & A Page 5 Mastering the iPad Page 6-7 How to Remove Rogue Anti-virus Page 8-9 Family Tree Maker Review (Sources) Page 10 Your Mobile Phone is Watching You Page 11 Flat Ears Page 12 Did You Know Editor‘s Note Page 13 Converting DocumEnts to PDF Page 14 Help Line Answers Cards Sent Basis Computer Classes Page 15 ICON Membership Applications ICON Officers New Members & Renewals Page 16 Announcements Mission Statement PREZ SEZ: I’ve been thinking…As many of you know, Mary Phillips and I, along with Shannon Rumley, Margaret Schatz and John Somers, teach the Seniors Computer Class at St. John‘s Hospital. One of the things we‘ve all noticed over time is the difficulty many of our students have in grasping the basic concepts of how to use a Windows computer. What for many younger folks seems to be almost second nature is very difficult for those who have not grown up with it. In a recent class there was a student, I‘ll call her ―Mary Jo.‖ She received a laptop computer as a gift from her family 3 years ago and they encouraged her to learn how to use it so she could write letters, surf the internet, communicate with them by email and keep up with them on Facebook. While she sincerely appreciated the gift she was left with a huge learning curve. Her grandkids did not understand her very real fears of this new (to her) technology. So, the computer sat for 3 years until she took the Basic Computer Class at St. John‘s. I‘d like to say that at the completion of the class she was ready to use her computer to do all those things her family wanted her to do but this was not the case. What she did do was to leave the last class with a bit more confidence and understanding than when she started the class. The concepts that she had been exposed to were pretty overwhelming to someone who has never encountered them before but she knew they could be mastered over time. It‘s impossible to provide a novice user with the skills they need to tackle their computer in just 7 ½ hours of classroom time. What we try to do is to give them enough knowledge so that they can look at their computer and not consider it some sort of monster. Then they can take the next step and try to learn more about what it can do for them. Those of us who use computers, smart phones, iPods and the like day in and day out, whatever our age, sometimes forget that there are many folks out there who are still in the ‗technological dark ages‘ but who get along in their life just fine. Our society is moving in a direction that those who don‘t have even basic skills in computer use are finding it harder and harder to do many things. We‘ve had a couple of people in the Seniors Computer Class comment that as they were looking for work they were asked about their computer skills (which were minimal). And, how many periodicals have moved to web-only versions and eliminated their print versions? We live in times where change is occurring more rapidly than ever and some days it‘s really hard for even a ‗geek‘ to keep up. If you know someone who is like ―Mary Jo,‖ that is someone who wants to learn how to use a computer but is not sure how to get started, bring them to an ICON meeting where they will learn some of the things they can do. That‘s the primary mission of the ICON Users‘ Group; make what seems to be difficult about computing easy. And, have them give the St. John‘s Seniors office a call (417-841-0333) and encourage them to sign up for the Basic Computer Class. Owning a computer is not a prerequisite but it sure helps! Art Irish THE ICON JULY 2011 PAGE 2 Program Preparations for July 2011 Dates, Times, & Topics Saturday, July 9, The Library Station (Frisco Room) 10:00 a.m. Digital Imaging SIG Revisiting Picasa and comparing it to Paint.net and the Gimp. 11:30 a.m. Brown Bag Lunch and 1-on-1 Help Desk 12:30 p.m. Mini-Seminar — Stretching Your Dollar 2:15 p.m. Advanced Technology Forum — Open Group Discussion 4:00 p.m. Using the Linux Operating System Saturday, July 16, The Library Center (Harrison Room) 3:00 p.m. Using the Linux Operating System Saturday, July 23, The Library Center (Meeting rooms A & B) 10:00 a.m. Genealogy SIG — Genealogist’s Toolbox, Part 3 The Process of Advanced Search 11:30 a.m. Brown Bag Lunch and 1-on-1 Help Desk 1:00 p.m. Monthly Meeting — Using PowerPoint and Open Source Slide Show Applications to Share Photos, Videos, and Audio 3:00 p.m. Windows SIG — Windows Live Mail Tuesday, July 26 , The Library Center (Harrison Room) (Mick Topping’s Class) 10:00 a.m Spreadsheets: Excel, Open Office, Libre Office, Google Calc -- Basics, plus a little. Program Preparations for August 2011 Dates, Times, & Topics Saturday, August 13, The Library Station (Frisco Room) 10:00 a.m. Digital Imaging SIG Using a Story Board to Movie Making 11:30 a.m. Brown Bag Lunch and 1-on-1 Help Desk 12:30 p.m. Mini-Seminar — To Be Announced 2:15 p.m. Advanced Technology Forum — Open Group Discussion 4:00 p.m. Using the Linux Operating System Saturday, Aug 20, The Library Center (Harrison Room) 3:00 p.m. Using the Linux Operating System Saturday, Aug 27, Brentwood Library (Auditorium) 10:00 a.m. Genealogy SIG Genealogist’s Toolbox, Part 4 Site Search & Resurrecting Web Sites 11:30 a.m. Brown Bag Lunch and 1-on-1 Help Desk 1:00 p.m. Monthly Meeting — To Be Announced COMPUTER TERMINOLOGY 3:00 p.m. Windows SIG — Term of the Month for July Windows 7 Speech Recognition Tuesday, Aug 30 , The Library Center (Harrison Room) Reload (Mick Topping’s Class) (Find the definition elsewhere in this issue) 10:00 a.m "What do you like? Come and share your favorite tips, tricks, and web-sites." THE ICON JULY 2011 Minutes and Report of the June 25, 2011 ICON General Meeting Today was ICON‘s 21st birthday. Cake and ice cream were served in celebration. President Art Irish opened the meeting and welcomed everyone. Art then reminded everyone that ICON‘s webpage will list any changes to meeting places because it can be quickly updated. The June meeting was actually scheduled for The Library Center, but the newsletter listed Brentwood and several of us went to Brentwood. When we found out, a sign was put up and we went on. It‘s important to check the website to confirm programs and places. Art described our St John‘s Seniors classes (not just for seniors), and stated, ―That‘s why ICON is here...to help people to use current technology.‖ Upcoming programs were reviewed. The Minutes of May 28 were read and approved; and the Treasurer‘s report was read and approved. Meeting was adjourned to the program presented by Sarah Marshall Roberts, Finding What You Want Wherever You Are (Location Based Services. Respectfully submitted, Mary Phillips, Secretary Interesting Sites to Visit on the Internet Nancy Preffitt Since it‘s too hot to do much that taxes your brain, I‘ve collected some games that you can enjoy without venturing outdoors. (It also didn‘t tax my brain to put them together!) SOLITAIRE LOVER? Big Solitaires 3D is a collection of 40 solitaire games with 3D rendering. Most of these are names you‘ll recognize, but the style and setup are new. It‘s presumably in 3D, but I can‘t see it. Something different from the ones in Windows that you‘ve played a thousand times. Watch out when you win! Linux users can play, too. http://sourceforge.net/projects/big3dsol/ PAGE 3 BOOMSHINE This is a very simple, almost moronic, little game, but it does have a certain fascination. You get only one mouse click per level. This causes a bubble to expand and burst other bubbles. You have a certain goal for each level so you have to determine where to start to burst enough bubbles. When it gets to a goal of fifty percent of the bubbles, it‘s time to quit – at least in my opinion. http://www.kongregate.com/games/k2xl/ boomshine MINATURE GOLF You can play golf without going out in the heat. This is an eighteen hole mini golf course that requires a small degree of skill to play. You don‘t even need a golf bag, just your trusty mouse. http://www.ibogleif.dk/spil/flashspil/minigolf/ minigolf.swf MYSTERYNET All lovers of mystery stories need to check this one. You can help solve mysteries or just read them. They are quick to solve, so you can do one for a coffee break. There are daily and monthly mysteries, and if you‘re so inclined, you can chat with others about these or other stories. There are also classic mysteries to read. www.mysterynet.com JIGSAWS, JIGSAWS, JIGSAWS This site has lots of puzzles from rather abstract to Van Gogh. You‘re bound to find something you enjoy. You can scroll down to make the puzzle pieces small enough to move around. When the page first loads, they‘re so crowded you can‘t even begin. http://www.jigidi.com/ Thank you from Center City Christian Outreach Well of Life Food Pantry to Marion Garrett for fixing their computer. Dear Marion, Thank you for giving new life to the computer used at Well of Life. Computers are an important part of our effort to help people in need and we certainly appreciate your contribution to that cause. Sincerely, Pat McMurtrey CCCO Secretary THE ICON JULY 2011 Windows Q & A Mary Phillips Q1. In Windows 7, how do I get the menu bar back? A1. To bring up the Menu bar: 1. Press the Alt key. 2. On the Menu Bar, click View—Toolbars. Click in the box beside Menu Bar, and it will stay. Q2. How do I customize the Favorites and Links bars to have handy websites I visit often? A2. First let me explain that in Windows 7, the Favorites toolbar is located across the top of the Internet Explorer web browser while the Links toolbar is at the bottom right corner of the Task Bar. The same single-click shortcut links are listed on the Favorites Toolbar and the Links list. To add a website to these shortcuts, navigate to the site, click on Favorites, then click on Add to Favorites toolbar. To remove a link, right click on the tab then click Delete. To rearrange the order of items, right click and drag the tab to the desired position, watch for the black ―I beam‖ and release the mouse button. PAGE 4 back to zoom out. If you need to increase the size of the text or a picture, press and hold the Ctrl key and roll the scroll wheel forward to zoom in. Q4. How do I get Windows Updates? A4. You will need internet access. To get Windows Updates or ―fixes‖ from Microsoft for the operating system: 1. Click on Start—Programs and scroll to Windows Updates and click on it. (There are also updates included for MS Office.) 2. Click on Check for updates 3 If there are updates listed, click on Important updates, then select the one or ones you want. 4 Click on Install updates. Some updates have to be installed along while others can be grouped together. Often the computer will need to be restarted to complete the installation. Q5. What are good places to find Windows 7 Tutorials? The advantage to having both is that you have a choice about whether you want to give up workspace for an extra toolbar or have Links show on the taskbar. To show Links, right click on the Taskbar, click Toolbars, and click Links. Q3. Since I downloaded Internet Explorer 9, the windows are too large for my screen. How do I fix this? A3. To reduce the size of the window, press and hold the Ctrl key and roll the mouse scroll wheel A5. One excellent place is SevenForums.com/ Tutorials/. Another is YouTube.com for video tutorials; simply type in the search box the words Basic Computer and a bunch of suggestions will drop down for your selection. If you want Windows Vista or XP tutorials, just type the words Windows Vista Tutorials or Windows XP Tutorials, etc. However, when you go to YouTube be prepared to ignore some vulgar stuff that will invariably be around. THE ICON JULY 2011 Mastering the iPad Pamela Tabak There is never an end to the tasks that you can perform on your Apple iPad and I have found so many that you will be reading about them in many future issues of this newsletter. Copying text is as easy as double tapping a word. But when you want to copy a whole paragraph you can stretch the little blue knobs or tap any editable text four times. This will highlight the whole paragraph. Did you know that you can set your mail to preview more than two lines? The iPhone has this option as well and it‘s easy to delete the unwanted emails without opening them; same applies to the iPad. To make this feature work, click on Settings, Mail, Contacts and Calendars and select "5 lines" under Preview. Did you know that every time you open an APP it stays running in the background? While it is running it is using your battery power so tap twice on the Home Button, located in the center of the bottom of the screen and a extra line of icons will appear at the bottom of your screen. These are the APPs that you have recently opened. They will stay open until you close them but hidden from view until you tap twice on the Home Button. Press down on one on the icons and all the icons will begin to shake. Then click on the minus sign that appears on the top left top corner of each icon and it will close. Press the Home Button again to return to your desktop. If you are working on several APPs at the same time, you can jump from one to the other using the same method above. This time you will just access the open APPs and tap each one that you wish to work on. (You will notice that the Mail Icon shows how many emails are waiting to be opened.) Don't forget to close them, using the method above, after you have completed your work. PAGE 5 Make sure that you activate MobileMe on your iPad as well as your computer. If you ever forget where you left your iPad, iPhone or iPod you can locate it, disable it, wipe it, leave a message on it or make it sound for two minutes. Of course the device needs to be on for this to work. Never lose your device again with this very handy APP. I have tried it and it works perfectly on both my iPad and iPhone. If you need more information or a tutorial for this feature contact me at: http:// computertutorinc.net/pge/ computer_questions.htm and I will send you a FREE tutorial. Want to know how to create "speech marks" without having to change keypad views? Just press on the Key and it will appear. To create an just press on the apostrophe with speed and it will appear. For CAP LOCK Key and it will lock the caps. CAP LOCK tap once. tap twice on the Shift turn bright blue. This will To turn off the Don't worry about adding a period to the end of a sentence. Just tap the Space Bar twice and a period will be inserted and automatically a capital letter will be formed at the beginning of the next sentence. How easy is this? It's easier than working on a computer! Portable and light to carry anywhere and it even corrects your spelling or typos and suggests frequently used words as you type! I wrote this article on the Notes App while flying home to Toronto. Then I copied and pasted it from this App into an email on my iPad and sent it to myself so that I could forward it to your editor for publication. Of course I took the pictures with my camera to add later so that it makes it easier for you to understand. Let me know what you think about these tips and if you have any tips to share with other users. I look forward to hearing from you. TO GET HANDS ON HELP NOW WITH A COMPUTER PROBLEM visit: http://tinyurl.com/help-now Get Pamela‘s New Book: Computer Tips for SENI ORS – First Edition Visit: www.computertutorinc.net/order THE ICON JULY 2011 How to Remove "Rogue Anti-Virus" by Ira Wilsker This has been a very busy week for me; not just the final exams I am typing and the papers that I am grading for the end of the semester, but I have been inundated with requests for help in removing what is known generically as "rogue anti-virus". These recent frantic requests for assistance have been from a prominent local attorney, a local politician, a small business owner, fellow faculty members, students, neighbors, and a panoply of other people, all of whom had inadvertently downloaded one (or two!) of the hundreds of variations of the same malware under a variety of names. While I have been removing this malware from a handful of computers every week for the past few years, last week may have set some type of record for me. According to Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Rogue_antivirus), "Rogue security software (or rogueware) is a form of computer malware that deceives or misleads users into paying for the fake or simulated removal of malware, or that installs other malware. Rogue security software, in recent years (2008–2011), has become a growing and serious security threat in desktop computing. ―Once installed, the rogue security software may then attempt to entice the user into purchasing a service or additional software." The current crop of rogue software is explicitly designed to bypass or defeat most installed anti-virus and other software, and will often disable or destroy the installed security software, allowing for additional follow-on attacks. Almost all of the computers I cleaned recently had major name-brand security software installed which had been recently updated prior to the infection, but which had been neutralized by the rogue software. The original security software will often still appear in the toolbar near the clock, and even appear to function and update, but it is likely deactivated. While there are several hundred official sounding titles of this rogue software (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_rogue_security_software), they tend to be somewhat similar in that they mostly popup a window indicating that the computer is badly infected with a large number of viruses and Trojans, or that there is pornography stored on the hard drive. The appearance and name of the pseudo secu- PAGE 6 rity software may be very similar to a legitimate product, even illicitly using the logo and trademarks of legitimate security software. Almost all have a "click here" button to remove the allegedly detected malware or pornography, and then open another window that requires that the user enter a credit card number in order to activate the rogue software and remove the listed malware. This is all a scam, and there have been media reports that the software to write these illicit programs are "licensed" similar to a multi-level marketed product, with the proceeds divided up among the levels of the criminal bureaucracy. One recent published report told of a 14 year old Russian boy who makes over $100,000 a month from this activity. A report listed in Wikipedia says, "An investigation by security researchers into the Antivirus XP 2008 rogue security software found just such an affiliate network, in which members were grossing commissions upwards of $150,000 over 10 days, from tens of thousands of successful installations." As an added insult, if the victim does provide his credit card information to the scammer to pay for this useless product (often $30 to $50), not just will the alleged infections not be removed, but now his credit card information may be posted for sale or rent on other criminal websites. Sadly, this may only be the beginning of the problems that the user will likely encounter unless the rogue software is totally annihilated, as the rogue antivirus may also install keyloggers (records key strokes to steal user names, passwords, account numbers), zombies (turns the computer into a spam sending machine under the control of a "bot" master), and other types of malware. The instant the computer is infected, often from clicking on an email link, link on a major search engine, opening up a compromised PDF file, or other vector, the initial takeover of the victim computer has been accomplished. One of my faculty members, whose computer was protected by an up-to-date major security product, was searching for images using Google to incorporate in a PowerPoint presentation, and clicked on a listed image; rather than the image opening, he instantly infected his computer. A window opened with a knock-off name similar to another major security product, informing him that his computer had over 300 viruses and Trojans infecting it, and that they had to be removed immediately. Every time he tried to close the pop-up window telling him that his computer was infected, it re-opened. Continued on Page 7 THE ICON JULY 2011 Continued from page 6 Rogue Anti-Virus An icon appeared in the toolbar adjacent to his clock that had a balloon that said that his computer was infected. He rebooted his computer, and at boot it warned that it was infected, and would not run any programs after the boot, only displaying the warning window. He was unable to connect to any website using either Internet Explorer or Firefox, and a secondary security program installed on his computer would not execute when he clicked on its icon. His computer had been effectively disabled except that clicking on the rogue antivirus window opened another window where he could enter his credit card information that would immediately activate the program, removing all of the infections. From up the hall I heard a terse, "Ira can you come here? My computer says that it has a virus!" On the flash drive always attached to my car keychain I carry several anti-malware products, knowing that I will likely be called on to clean an infected computer. I try to keep these updated, frequently downloading updated files. The three programs on my USB flash drive that I use most often to clean computers infected with a rogue antivirus or other malware are the portable version of SuperAntispyware, MalwareBytes, and the Emsisoft Emergency Kit. The first program that I use to clean an infected computer is the portable version (free) of SuperAntispyware (superantispyware.com). This program is continuously updated throughout the day, and is usually fairly up to date when downloaded. I download the portable version to my USB flash drive (or to the computer's hard drive and then copy it to the flash drive). The filename will typically begin with "SAS" followed by a numerical segment, and then a ".com", and is run directly from the flash drive without any installation. The reason for the random ―SASxxxxxx.com‖ filename is that it would be difficult for malware to specifically block its execution, and being a ".com" rather than a ".exe" makes it easier to load without interference. To use the SuperAntispyware portable version, I reboot the computer into "Safe Mode" by pressing the F8 key every few seconds, tapping F8 immediately after restarting the computer. When given the choice, I prefer "Safe Mode with Networking", although just "Safe Mode" would be adequate; do not select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt". Boot into Safe Mode (do not choose to restore the computer if offered the PAGE 7 choice), insert the flash drive, and run "SASxxxxx.com" (xxxxx are the random numbers in the file name). SuperAntispyware will load and offer the user the choice to update the SuperAntispyware signature files (usually OK if Safe Mode with Networking was selected), perform a quick scan, or perform a full scan. A quick scan will search for the most likely infections in the most common locations, and may only take a few minutes; a full scan may take much longer, sometimes over an hour, but is much more comprehensive and thorough. I quarantine or remove whatever it finds, sometimes requiring a reboot in order to complete the cleaning process. SuperAntispyware has proven to be an effective and reliable utility to remove the rogue antivirus, and for most users is totally adequate to clean a computer of the malware. I recommend to the user that he download and install the free standard version of SuperAntispyware on his computer, and periodically rescan his computer to verify its lack of malware. To users of the free version, SuperAntispyware often offers a very reasonably priced deal for a "lifetime" upgrade to the Pro version, which offers real time protection and frequent automatic updates, and works in addition to whatever security software that is already installed on the computer. This added layer of security, on top of the other security software, provides substantial additional protection from future malware infections. I like redundancy, just to make darn sure that the computer is clean and free of malware, so I use a second utility to verify that the computer is safe to use. On my flash drive I have the installer for the free version of MalwareBytes (malwarebytes.org), which I use to install Malwarebytes on the computer; I choose to do this even if Malwarebytes is already installed on the computer, as some rogue antivirus explicitly targets the Malwarebytes files, rendering them inert. This installation can be done either in Safe Mode (with networking), or on a normally booted computer. After the install, Malwarebytes will ask to update its database (yes!) before doing its scan. Clicking on the "Scanner" tab will offer the user the choice of a quick scan or a full scan; as with other products the quick scan may only take a few minutes, while the full scan will take much longer, but is more capable of detecting deeply hidden malware. It is extremely rare that the dynamic duo of SuperAntispyware Continued on page 8 THE ICON JULY 2011 Continued from page 7 Rogue Anti-Virus and Malwarebytes does not perform a 100% cleanup of the malware that was on the computer, as they are both individually extremely effective and reliable at detecting and killing malware. For those almost unheard times that something undesirable may still inhabit the computer, I use a third program that I have installed on my flash drive, Emsisoft Emergency Kit (www.emsisoft.com/en/ software/eek/). This program is large and extremely powerful, and is run from the flash drive on which it has been installed. The malware database used by Emsisoft is one of the largest in the industry (over 5 million digital signatures) which is very frequently updated, and due to its size, may take several minutes just to perform the update. Emsisoft Emergency Kit may be run from the flash drive in Safe Mode with Networking, or from a fully booted computer; I prefer the Safe Mode with Networking, but always attempt an update before scanning. Since the file on the flash drive is an exe file with a known name, some malware products may block its execution. This is precisely why I tend to use the portable version of SuperAntispyware first to clear the path, which may then enable the Emsisoft Emergency Kit to run. Due to the massive database which it uses, which makes it one of the most capable anti-malware products on the market, Emsisoft Emergency Kit is also among the slowest taking the longest to scan, as it very thoroughly detects and cleans even tiny fragments of malware from the infected computer. Because it is so sensitive, this software may also detect some "false positives", which is legitimate software that has been detected as malware; for this reason, I explicitly choose to quarantine whatever it detects, rather than delete it. If I later find that an item is in quarantine in error, it is a simple process to restore that item. Since many of the rogue antivirus products kill the legitimate security software that was originally installed on the computer, it will likely be necessary to install or reinstall a comprehensive security suite after the computer had been cleaned of malware. It would be a good idea to install these three malware scanners to a flash drive, and keep them up to date, as you may likely need them in the future when least expected. To quote an old proverb, "It is better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it." PAGE 8 Family Tree Maker 2011 (Part 4) Review by Mary Phillips Tab 4 Source — Documenting our sources — recording where we get our facts about our families is one of the most important parts of our research because it proves to others which records our facts are based upon. If the documentation is detailed and correct, others will be able to follow our steps. Each time information is added to your tree, a source and a source citation should be created. Example: In the Media section for J D Weaver, I have a scanned image of a lace shirt collar belonging to my great grandfather in a scrapbook created by a first cousin and in the possession of her son. Now I need to document where I found it. A source contains unchanging facts about an item; for example, the author, title, and publication information for a book. In this case, it‘s: J D Weaver’s Lace Collar. Source Citations are individual details that explain where a fact is found, such as the page number of a book. In this case, Citation Detail is: Vivian G DeGraffenreid Sheffer’s scrapbook in the possession of James Talbert Sheffer, (and includes his address, phone number, and email address). A third section is Citation text: The collar was in the scrapbook in an envelope with the writing "Letter from Grandpa Weaver" and "Grandpa Weaver's Collar". Jasper Dasher Weaver was Vivan's great grandfather. It was scanned 12 July 2004 by Mary Paula Jones Phillips. Another example: Source — 1880 United States Federal Census. Citation text — James Jones household, Kaufman, Kaufman County, Texas. Page 27, Enumeration District 39. The same Source can be used with different Citation Texts, for example — Addison Weaver Continued on page 9 THE ICON JULY 2011 Continued from page 8 FTM Sources family, Kaufman, Kaufman County, Texas, Page 27, Enumeration District 39. Citation text if found through Ancestry.com and merged with FTM: Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1850 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010), www.ancestry.com, Database online. Year: 1880; Census Place: Kaufman, Texas; Roll: 1315; Family History Film: 1255315; Page: 135C; Enumeration District: 39; Image. The Source tab above has four panels: 1) The Source Groups Panel can be sorted by Titles, People, or Repositories from the drop down menu. 2) The Source Citation Information Panel includes the Source Title, Repository, Citation text, and a Reference Note. 3) The Source Citation Panel shows what citations have been entered for a specific source; and 4) the tabs at the bottom show the individuals linked to the source, a notes tab, and a media tab. Family Tree Maker lets you create sources in two ways: 1) Using one of the 170 templates based on Elizabeth Shown Mills‘ book Evidence Explained (a preferred reference format for citing genealogy sources) or 2) a basic format. The templates make it relatively easy because you just have to fill in the fields with the information. Adding a source for a fact can be done on the Family tab in the People Workspace. Do this: 1. In the right-side editing panel, click the New source citation button next to the fact to which you want to add a source. Then choose PAGE 9 Add New Source Citation from the dropdown list. 2. The Add Source Citation window opens. Click either ―Create a Source from a Template‖ or ―Create a Source Using the Basic Format.” Sources and source citations can be created for both Facts and Media. Sources can also be added on the Person tab by: 1. Click on a fact in either the Fact view or the Timeline view. 2. In the Information Pane, click Add a source citation. 3. If the source already exists, click the drop– down list and select the correct title, OR if not click New and enter the source informa tion, citation detail, and citation text. A Repository stores a group of sources. The most common repositories are libraries and courthouses or other buildings that house legal documents. Ancestry.com is a newer type of repository that houses electronic documents. Knowing the repository helps you to find the source more easily. Family Tree Maker makes it easy to record a repository and link several sources to it. I strongly suggest you click on Help on the Menu bar and print out all the instructions for Source. The Companion Guide that is installed in PDF format with the program has some graphics. The following websites have helpful information about creating source citations. http://www.geneabloggers.com/ Citations_Quick_Reference.pdf http://www.tmgtips.com/srcetmpm.htm http://cyndislist.com/citing/citations-ingenealogy/ THE ICON JULY 2011 Your Mobile Phone is Watching You (Contributed with permission) Dick Eastman This article has nothing to do with genealogy. However, a newsletter reader sent a message today asking a question about technology, and I thought others might be interested in the answer: “Have you heard of some type of computerized system or tool that works with a cell phone? A friend told me that when she received a cell phone call, the caller claimed that he could use this complimentary tool to tell her exact location. She lives on a farm down South. Her caller friend claimed that he could tell exactly where she was standing on the farm, while her friend was on a cell to cell call with her. Have you ever heard anything like this?” Most cell phones today include GPS (Global Positioning System) hardware although there are a few exceptions. If your cell phone does include the GPS hardware, the cell phone company can determine the location of that cell phone, often within ten feet or so. If you have one of the cell phones without GPS hardware, the cell phone company can still determine which cell phone towers are within range of your location. If three or more cell towers are picking up your signals at the same time, the cell phone company can use "triangulation" to determine your location, plus or minus a mile or so, and sometimes even more precisely. All cell phone companies share this information with law enforcement agencies on request. The law enforcement agencies and cell phone companies are the only ones who can legally see the information without the customer's permission. Of course, it is always possible that some dishonest person bribed a police officer or a cell phone company employee to gain access to the information. Likewise, a dishonest police or cell phone company employee might use the information for illegal purposes. Police departments use this information frequently to solve crimes, to find kidnappers, to find stolen cars (once they find the thief's cell phone number), and to find Alzheimer's victims who have wandered off (assuming the Alzheimer's victim PAGE 10 So, yes, it is possible for your cell phone company or a law enforcement agency to determine where you are, sometimes plus or minus a very few feet. Next, there is VOLUNTARY sharing of that information. For instance, my daughter and I share permis sion to see each other's location at all times. I can see where she is at any time, plus or minus about ten feet or so, and she can see my location as well. That as sumes that we have our cell phones with us. Of course, I don't keep many secrets from my daughter. We use Google Latitude to share our locations. You can see a typical screen shot from Google Latitude to the left. You can learn more about Google Latitude at http://www.google.com/latitude Google Latitude is one such service, but there are others. One service that I love is Apple's "Find Your iPhone or iPad." If the iPhone or GPS-equipped iPad is ever lost or stolen, you can determine its exact location. The service does require configuration of the iPhone or iPad BEFORE it is lost or stolen, however. More information can be found at http://www.apple.com/mobileme/features/find-myiphone.html If you don't want your cell phone to tattle about your movements, turn it off! Definition for Word of the Month “Reload” To obtain a fresh copy of information that is already in the computer; an example is reloading a web page that may have changed recently rather than viewing a copy stored in a Cache on your computer. QUOTE OF THE MONTH: ―The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer.‖ U.S. Army slogan THE ICON JULY 2011 Flat-Ears E.M.Hazell Before we knew what he looked like we knew him by the sound of his call. We knew it was a cat and we thought that perhaps he was calling for a friend. It was unmistakably loud and clear. He was my alarm clock waking me up at sunrise. Months passed by before we saw him. He was black. Getting a photo-op was almost impossible, but we did manage to capture his image. He also had a set of ears like no other cat we‘d known. His ears were permanently sticking out like a set of horns. We observed him having lunch with the other feral felines in the backyard. He usually waited until they finished eating before he helped himself to the leftovers. And he was the untouchable. That all changed a couple of weeks ago when he went to the backyard fountain to get a drink. I saw that big, bright-red, vertical gash, extending from the top to the bottom of his left cheek. He was injured and still unapproachable. It took a few more days to coax him to enter the studio. The door was open and he followed the smell of food and walked in. Kalem was quick to close the studio door behind him. It took another day to coax him out from under the couch. In the end the tuna won. Kalem tempted him with a little tuna on a small plate placed deep inside the cat-carrier. Flat -ears went in and the door closed behind him. Flat -ears was not amused, but he was also hurting from the gash on the side of his face and that made handling easier. We called our veterinarian and told her that we had a feral feline that was injured. They would need gloves. We had a few hours before he had his appointment with the doctor. I‘ve rescued many felines but never one with ears in a permanent horizontal position. Thanks to Google, information can be quickly accessed. I started with ―cats‖, went to ―breeds of cats‖ and finally to ―rare breeds‖. And there he was and he had a name. He was a Scottish Fold. I had never heard of a Scottish Fold before and neither did my vet when I told her. Helping an injured animal is never easy and never cheap. But it is usually interesting. The medical staff at the Sunshine Clinic was ready with gloved hands. Flat-Ears was not accommo- PAGE 11 dating. He briefly complied to holding still. While we were trying to figure out what had to be done and how he came to be injured in this way, FlatEars had had enough of all that poking and got off the examination table. He roamed the vet‘s office for awhile while we figured out what the next step was going to be. Kalem has a way with animals. Speaking softly and moving gently he picked up the surprised feline and placed him in the carrier. He locked the door and placed the towel over the whole thing. Silence ruled supreme. With Flat-Ears secured in the carrier we agreed on all the essential procedures. He would have to be anesthetized. There was no guarantee that the animal would survive the procedure but the bill would have to be paid just the same. Without medical care, survival was nil. I put aside all negative thoughts, left the cat in the vet‘s capable hands and Kalem and I went home to wait for a call to come get him. I returned to my computer and googled some more. The Scottish Fold, I found out, is a relatively new breed of cats. While other cats wear their ears in a vertical position the Scottish Fold has the ears permanently in a horizontal position. Black Scottish Folds have golden eyes -- round eyes to be exact. The unusual position of the ears only occurs if male and female are of the same breed. There is no half-breed Scottish Fold. Their disposition is more like a dog. They form close relationships with their owners and they do carry on conversations. I can vouch for that. Google certainly provided me with all the information I needed in order to help this injured animal. I have always rescued whatever came my way. If it was alive and breathing and needed help I was there. Information needed to succeed in the rescue attempt came from the library and from others who were in the habit of offering a helping hand. But most of that was a little like flying solo. Now, with the computer there is all that marvelous information readily available at my fingertips. I may not always agree with my computer but I don‘t mind thanking the good Lord for Google. Waiting for a phone call has got to be the slowest measure of time, but the vet finally called. Flat-ears was going to be fine. I made arrangements for his homecoming. I had a large kennel carrier ready and waiting for him in the studio. All the studio cats would be dining in the green house temporarily. Continued on page 12 THE ICON JULY 2011 Continued from page 11 Flat Ears We brought flat-ears home and I placed him in the kennel carrier. That didn‘t work out so well. I don‘t know how he did it but in a few minutes he had managed to disengage all locking mechanisms. He now was Lord of the Studio and he remained out of sight for several hours. By nightfall a tiny tidbit of tuna persuaded him to come out from under the couch. Now it was a matter of medicating three times a day and making sure that all the systems are GO. It will take weeks before a full recovery can be accomplished, not to mention changing the ways of a feline wanderer to that of being a member of the household. It will take lots of patience and lots of love. But then, love is what we‘re all about. We give love to each other; sometimes the other we give to is human and sometimes its just one of God‘s creatures. Love, I understand, is a means of regaining paradise, of regaining Eden on the planet, one little bit of loving at a time. PAGE 12 DID YOU KNOW: The Fourth of July 2011 Mary Stewart On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country. POPULATION FACTS: 2.5 million In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation. Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 <http://www.census.gov/ prod/www/abs/statab.html> 311.7 million The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth. Source: Population clock <http://www.census.gov/ main/www/popclock.html> OTHER FACTS: Thirty-one places have “liberty” in their names. The most populous one as of April 1, 2010, is Liberty, Mo. (29,149) Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty. Thirty-five places have “eagle” in their names. The most populous one is Eagle Pass, Texas (26,248). EDITOR’s NOTE: I apologize to anyone who was misdirected to the wrong meeting location due to an error in the newsletter. Hopefully, that won‘t happen again but it is always a good idea to double check the website. Also, if you have not been attending Mick Topping‘s class at the Library Center, you are missing out on a very valuable resource. You get oneon- one help plus Mick‘s valuable information that he shares. Attendance has been low lately and if we do not take advantage of his expertise, I am afraid we will lose this valuable resource. Please plan to attend on Tuesday, July 25, and in the following months. Check newsletter for dates. Eleven places have “independence” in their names. The most populous one is Independence, Mo. (116,830). Nine places have “freedom” in their names. The most populous one is New Freedom, Pa. (4,464). One place with “patriot” in the name. Patriot, Ind. (209). Five places have “America” in their names. The most populous is American Fork, Utah (26,263). Source: American FactFinder <www.census.gov> THE ICON JULY 2011 Converting Documents to PDF Wayne Comstock South Walton Computer & Technology Club (SWCTC), FL http://southwalton.apcug.org/ Walaco@gmail.com One technique I frequently use to save an online article or publication is to convert and save it as a PDF file. Once converted, Adobe Reader software then becomes an excellent way to open, view and read any converted document off of your computer screen. PDF documents can also be easily emailed to others as an attachment. PAGE 13 allows any software with print functionality to output files to PrimoPDF for quick and easy PDF conversion. To convert a document to PDF: 1. Open a document in any printable program (e.g. Microsoft Word, Works etc.), and select File >Print. 2. In the printer dialog, select PrimoPDF from the dropdown menu and click OK to complete the print, and launch the PrimoPDF interface. 3. Select one of the Creation Profiles for the document Quality you need to achieve. A detailed explanation can be found in the PDF Creation profiles section of this guide. Point your cursor at each button to define. You can convert to PDF from any file you can print, including Microsoft Word, Works, Excel, PowerPoint and digital pictures. Rather than being printed ink to paper the file becomes a PDF file. If the document is already a paged PDF file you can convert the file to just the pages you select and select your PrimoPDF printer to convert. You will need PDF conversion software to accomplish this. I recommend the Free PrimoPDF program. It's free, easily installed and available at: www.primopdf.com/index.aspx. 1. Browse Primo web site and download one of the two installers available for 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows. Ensure that the version you download corresponds to your operatingsystem. 2. When prompted, select a download location which you can find easily, such as your ‗Desktop‘ or ‗My Documents‘ folder, and click OK. 3. When the download is complete, double-click the file named FreewarePrimoPDFXX.exe (XX being a 2-digit number) which would have appeared in the location you selected in the previous step. 4. Follow the simple instructions to complete the installation. A system-restart is NOT required. PrimoPDF installs itself as a virtual printer in the Windows Printers and Faxes device group. This 4. Select the Save As dropdown menu to set a name and location for the created PD. Ask when creating PDF – Allows you to re name the PDF and select a save-location. Specific Folder – Allows you to select a savelocation while using the name of the docu ment which is being converted. This option returns you to the PrimoPDF interface should you wish to change other settings for the same conversion, 5. Click the Create PDF button to convert your document. 6. Alternatively, if you wish to save the PDF un der a different name of directory, just click Cancel and you will be returned to the Save As dialog. There are many more options and features available. (Appending a PDF) Go to the web site below and download the PDF PDF Primo detailed User Guide. http://www.primopdf.com/pdfs/ PrimoPDF_V5_User_Guide.pdf THE ICON JULY 2011 PAGE 14 For help, you can also log onto ICON‘s Forum at www.iconusersgroup.org and post your questions. Free registration is required in order to post questions and then you need to wait a day or so for an email confirmation to complete the registration. However, while you‘re there, click on Search and enter the topic about which you‘d like information and see if someone has already started a ‗thread‘ — a series of question and responses. All questions and responses can be read without having to register. BASIC COMPUTER CLASSES Basic computer classes are taught at St John‘s Whiteside Clinic lab by ICON members Mary Phillips and Art Irish with ICON helpers for five sessions each month plus three sessions on Internet & email. Sign up by calling St John‘s Seniors 841-0333. Need a refresher course or want to be a helper, now‘s your chance. We guarantee you‘ll learn something you didn‘t know! PLEASE! Please Notify us of Change of Address. Each time the newsletter goes to the WRONG ADDRESS, the Post Office charges ICON a fee to notify ICON of a change of address. So when you move or go out of town, e-mail: sarah@iconusersgroup.org THE CONTENTS AND OPINIONS OF THE ARTICLES IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE THE OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS . NOT THOSE OF THE ICON USERS GROUP
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