By Linda Gonse, Editor, Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group,
California. Linda has written another article to educate us on how to use
another aspect of our computer software. To some, Smart Tags may be a
valuable tool. To others, they are a pain in the index finger. If you’ve
never seen Smart Tags before, you may not know what they are, or how they work
and they seemingly pop up when you least expect them in a Word 2003 (XP)
document. Check them out to see if you find them a help or a nuisance.
High Tech Resolutions by Sherry Zorzi, Cajun Clickers Computer Club,
Louisiana. We make New Year’s Resolutions about our work life, our personal
life, our health, our spiritual life, our relationships. This year, why not
add a few good resolutions about your cyber-life before Cyber Security Day on
October 31?
Hoaxes, Chain Letters, Sob Stories – Check Them Out, Don’t Forward
Email Hoaxes – Check ‘em Out, Don’t Forward by Gabe Goldberg, APCUG
Advisor, Region 2 and columnist for AARP’s Computer and Technology Web Site.
Many of the subject e-mails come from well-meaning friends, relatives and
colleagues. Before following the instructions, remember that something
isn’t true just because it’s on the Internet! Another timely article for
National Cyber Security Month.
Online Footprints Bring Coincidences and Lasting Trails by Gabe Goldberg,
APCUG Advisor for Region 2, and columnist for the AARP Computers and
Technology Website. Technology and travel have shrunk the world. Have you
experienced coincidences on the Internet? Has an old school friend found you
after 25 years? Amidst the fun of unanticipated connections and reestablished
friendships, there’s a cautionary note: online has a long memory. Gabe
tells us how to check what online trails we’ve left and how to erase the
tracks.
Problems with Windows XP Service Pack 2 by Bettie Cummings Cook, Southwest
Indiana PC Users Group, Inc. Are you a firm believer in keeping your software
updated? Bettie has several sites for us to check out before updating XP with
SP2.
From Muppets to Mayhem. The SIGGRAPH 2004 Conference by Timothy Everingham,
TUGNET, California. Timothy was there and reports on some of what he found at
SIGGRAPH 2004.
Tech News by Sue Crane, Vice President / Editor, Big Bear Computer Club,
California. Another from Sue on several Tech Tidbits from the industry.
The New, the Best, and the Worst, collected by Pim Borman, Editor & APCUG
Representative, Southwest Indiana PC users Group, Inc. Check out this article
for software you can use other than that from Microsoft.
Zip files for October
September 2004
Bits and Bytes and XP SP2 by Siles Bazerman, APCUG Representative, Orange
County IBM PC Users’ Group, CA. Have you installed XP SP2 yet? Microsoft
has decided that it is more important to prevent upgrades to “pirated”
versions than to prevent the spread of viruses, Trojans, and spyware but it
also seems to block out some legitimately purchased CD keys.
Browser Power by Vinny Labash Sarasota PC Monitor, Sarasota FL PC Users
Group
www.spcug.org . The Internet is a gigantic library and the shelves are
filled
with books of various sizes. On the floor of the library are dozens of
independent groups of workers cataloging, indexing, and classifying the
library’s contents. Where does your browser fit? It’s the tool that
allows you to access information stored on web sites.
Gadgets for Geeks by Sherry Zorzi, Cajun Clickers Computer Club, Louisiana.
They say the only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys,
but the toys for gadget-geeks of any age or gender just keep getting better
and, surprisingly, cheaper. USB Flash Drive, Flash Watch, Camera Phone,
Handheld Computer, Digital Phone, Satellite Radio – how many do you have?
GPS Units by Joe Schmitt, Tampa Bay Computer Society. This is the second of
a
three article series on the Global Positioning System. The first discussed
what the system is and how it works. The second and third articles will
delve
into receivers and uses to civilians.
Help! I’ve been hijacked… by Sherry Zorzi, Cajun Clickers Computer Club,
Louisiana.
First it was viruses, worms, and spam. Then came Trojans spyware, and
pop-ups. The newest scourge plaguing Internet surfers is browser hijackers,
and one very nasty one is making the rounds in the Baton Rouge area causing
all manner of grief for local folks, including some Clickers members.
Keep Your Cool – Your PC Cool That Is … by Ira Wilsker, APCUG BOD. Heat
is one of the primary causes of premature computer and component failure.
Today’s microprocessors, video cards, hard drives, CD and DVD burners,
memory, and other components produce much more heat than their earlier
brethren. How big is your fan? How many do you need? Do you have a
temperature monitoring utility? Ira tells all.
Tech News by Sue Crane, Vice President / Editor, Big Bear Computer Club, CA.
Keep up-to-date with what is happening in our industry. The Check Clearing
Act, Intel, The Mayo Foundation, Sony and more…
Which Office Suite Should You Be Using? By George McGinnis, Chaurauqua Cyber
Club, Inc. Is it PC Write, Rite Writer, Volkswriter, Word Star, Peachtree
Text, and Perfect Writer? Two are well known, Word Perfect Office and
Microsoft Office. The third is hardly known at all, but it is out there and
it should become known. George presents the reasons why you should try Open
Office.org, V. 1.1.1.
Zip files for September
August 2004
Can you really buy popular “software at rock bottom prices” online? By
Linda Gonse, Editor of Nibbles & Bits, Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group,
California. We’ve all received those e-mails --- Unbeatable software deals
– Get software at rock bottom prices!!. These amazing prices are not
legitimate. They represent the work of software pirates who are trolling for
customers, or illegal sales. Let this be your guiding mantra: If it sounds
too good to be true—on this you can rely—just walk away and say no, you
can’t buy!
Computers Expanding the Use of Robots by Jim Hinwood, Columnist and Program
Chair, Monterey Bay Users Group – PC, California. Robotics – it’s the
newest hot topic. As computers become more powerful, who knows what
timesaving devices may be invented? The real problem is not the artificial
intelligence but the human intelligence behind it, directing robots to do good
or evil. Hopefully, robots will become powerful tools for the benefit of all
mankind.
Get Rid of Spyware and Popups by Ira Wilsker, APCUG BOD; Columnist for The
Examiner, Beaumont, Texas; Radio Show Host and Police Officer. Next to spam
mail and viruses, one of the most irritating facets of web surfing is the
annoying popup ads that so many of us receive. About 80% of the popups that
we get while online, and many that may also appear if we are offline, are
generated by spyware that is unknowingly installed on our computers. Ira says
that it is generally easy to detect and kill spyware or otherwise render it
inert, and tells us how to do it.
Global Positioning System – Where Exactly Are You? By Joe Schmitt, Tampa Bay
Computer Society, Florida. This is the first of a three article series on
GPS. This article discusses what the system is and how it works. The two
subsequent articles will delve into receivers and uses to civilians.
The Internet by Aubrey Stewart, President of the Tri-City Computer Club,
California. This is an article for all of your newbies. From ISPs to the
World Wide Web to Network Security, this article covers it all.
How Does One Track the Origin of Spam? By John Brewer, Oklahoma City PC Users
Group, Oklahoma. As we know, spammers are ingenuous people. They hide the
origin of the spam and are masters of obfuscation. Recently, litigation has
been filed under federal law. It is interesting to investigate how the
spammers were identified, and it looks like some spammers may be headed for
the slammer.
July 2004
American the Beautiful - Online, by Sherry Zorzi, Cajun Clickers Computer
Club, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is a great article for July. Sherry has
listed many government websites we can tour to find out about this great
United States of America, as well as the upcoming political process. If you
don’t live in Louisiana, you might want to change those specific paragraphs
to reflect your own state’s website.
COMDEX is History, by Steve Bass, PC World Columnist and author of PC
Annoyances. COMDEX was inflated, owners were arrogant, and since 1998, it was
clear the show was destined to fall into the bit bucket and it has. COMDEX is
finally kaput. By digging in his files, Steve takes us through a little of
his history with COMDEX from December 1998 to December 2003.
Computer Power Protection, by Ira Wilsker, Golden Triable PC Club, Texas;
APCUG BOD member; and columnist, The Examiner, Texas. Now that summer is
upon us, and our air conditioners seem to cycle on and off endlessly, we may
have noticed our computer screens flicker or shrink ever-so-slightly for a
moment when the AC compressor powers on. This may be an indication that we
may need to protect our computers from unseen electrical damage. After
reading this article, some of us may need to make a trip to a local store to
buy some protection for our computers.
How and When to Enable Windows XP’s Firewall by Linda Gonse, Editor, Nibbles
& Bits, Newsletter of the Orange County IBM Users’ Group, California. What
some user may not know is that XP has a built-in firewall. It might lack all
the bells and whistles of a full-version firewall, but it is still useful and
Linda shows us how to use it.
Online and in Person, Billy Mabray, Oklahoma City PC Users Group. Has the Web
enhanced your social life? The proliferation of e-mail, instant messaging,
and chat rooms are evidence that people are connecting more now than ever
before. People still like to meet in person, and there are many Web-based
services to help people do just that. Billy’s article contains many sources
to meet people via the web, as well as PC user groups – a common example of
virtual communities creating real-life friendships.
Tech News by Sue Crane, Editor, Bearly Bytes, Newsletter of the Big Bear
Computer Club, California. From buying your DDR SDRAM before the prices go up
to information about HP replacing memory modules in up to 900,000 HP notebooks
and the new Xbox game titled “Yourself! Fitness,” Sue has compiled some
interesting information for us about our computer world.
Viruses, Worms & Other Security Issues by Sue Crane, Editor, Bearly Bytes,
Newsletter of the Big Bear Computer Club, California. Computer viruses
overall are on the rise. According to Sophos, “The number of new viruses
released on the Internet in May hit a 2-1/2 year high,” and Bill Gates
claims MS is responding to viruses and other online threats faster. June
wasn’t a good month for Internet Explorer with the virus designed to steal
valuable information like passwords spread through a new technique that
converted popular Web sites into virus transmitters.
Thanks to Don Singleton for providing links to these articles.
Zip file for July
June 2004
Anniversary of Computer Virus No Cause for Celebration, by Beverly Rosenbaum,
Member, HAL-PC (Houston Area League of PC Users), Texas. Did you know that
viruses date back at least 20 years and maybe even 30 years? The term
“worm” was first used in a 1982 paper by researchers at the Xerox Palo
Alto Research Center to describe the automated program they used to update an
Ethernet performance-measuring application. And, over several decades,
viruses and worms have grown from academic exercises to online threats,
wreaking havoc on millions of computers worldwide. We can always learn more
information about viruses & worms and Beverly’s article makes interesting
reading in this time of more and more outbreaks.
Digital Photography and Printing, by Charlotte Semple, President & Editor and
Charles Mahan, Wi-Fi SIG Leader, Los Angeles Computer Society, California. In
southern California we have been having wonderful presentations by The Digital
Guy, Lee Otsubo. This article is an overview of what he talks about at his
presentations. From newbie to expert, it has information that will enhance
your members’ digital experience. It’s 2,250 words so I’m going to
break it up into two parts for my group’s newsletter.
Don’t Be a Victim of Health Scare Stories, by Alicia King Padgett,
Alicia-apcug@comcast.net, APCUG Advisor for Region 9. This article was
originally in the April Reports but I thought you might want to put it in your
newsletters. It has important information about healthcare scams on the
Internet and should be of interest to all of your members.
Internet Annoyances, by Sherry Zorzi, Secretary Cajun Clickers Computer Club,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Advisor for Region 8. The Internet is full of
creepy-crawly beasties. Spam, popups, hoaxes, cookies, spyware – what are
these critters and how do you tame them? Sherry’s article contains timely
tips & tricks for conquering the critters.
Tech News, by Sue Crane, Vice President and Editor, Bearly Bytes, Newsletter
of the Big Bear Computer Club, California. Sue has compiled some interesting
information for us about our computer world. From Entertainment PCs and
Lifestyle PCs to Internet2 and IBM’s new Web-based desktop software,
you’ll have some of the latest computer news at your fingertips to amuse &
amaze your friends & relatives.
Use Run commands for fast access to almost everything, by Linda Gonse, Editor,
Orange County PC Users’ Group, California. Did you know that the Run
command is the Swiss Army knife of Windows’ built-in apps and using it can
make your computing time move along more quickly and smoothly? Techies use
the Run command frequently and after reading this article, we’ll all be able
to use it to access various systems diagnostics and information.
Zip file for June
May 2004
Charlie’s Tidbits, Charlie Paschal, Editor/Publisher, Palmetto Personal
Computer Club, Columbia, SC Columnist, The (Columbia) State newspaper, SC.
As an editor, Charlie says he is always looking for short articles to fill a
little bit of white space on a page. Charlie’s Tidbits features four
articles from 159 to 210 words that you can use as fillers.
For beginners only – Using Internet to increase buying power, by Charlie
Paschal, Editor/Publisher, Palmetto Personal Computer Club, Columbia, SC
Columnist, The (Columbia) State newspaper, SC. Buying on the Internet may
intimidate some but the Internet can serve other purposes, such as a way to
check prices against what you can find locally or in nearby stores. Another
way to use the Internet is to check the features of different models or the
features of a model you’re thinking about buying. This can reap dividends
because while doing this research, you may find that the model you’re buying
might not have the features you really need.
Getting to Know Google, by Billy Mabray, Oklahoma City PC Users Group. Google
rose to the top of the search engines because its formula provided more
relevant search results than any other. After reading Billy’s article, your
readers will find out some new information about Google and also learn how to
refine their searches.
The Intel PC User Group Website, by Steve Peyrot, APCUG Treasurer, APCUG Board
of Advisors – Region 13, Vendor Relations Director, East Tennessee Computer
Society. The Intel PC User Group website has been developed by our partners
at Intel to assist us in tackling our everyday challenges through a vast
portal of information and knowledge. They have always realized the importance
of user groups and are providing us with this repository of information and
support. Follow Steve through the article as he takes us on a tour of the
Intel PC User Group landing page.
The Music Wars, by Wayne Steen, Q-Bits Contributing Editor, Quad-Cities
Computer Society, Bettendorf, Iowa. What do Apple, Microsoft and Wal-Mart
have in common with the music industry? They have already introduced, or are
introducing their own online music services. Of course, not all famous
artists are available for download with one of the online services. Will we
need to subscribe to several services or still pay $18.99 to buy the CD at the
store?
Virus Attacks Continue at Record Rate, by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Board of
Directors, APCUG Representative & Bylaws Chair for the Golden Triangle PC
Club, a columnist for The Examiner in Beaumont, Texas, and has two radio
shows. The number of attempted computer attacks from viruses, worms, and
Trojans has increased to a record level. According to Panda Software, the
average daily number of new viruses and variants appearing for the week ending
April 16 was 122 a day, a rate that has been steadily increasing over the
preceding few weeks. Ira’s article also covers the security threat at all
levels from our own computers to the national infrastructure. A must read for
all computer users.
Whither the Yellow Box?, by Moe Norris, Topeka PC Users Club, Kansas.
Kodak’s landmark shift in focus from film and film-based products to digital
equipment and processes is a huge gamble. If fortune does not smile on Kodak,
then not only may the Yellow Film Box disappear, but the company itself may go
down the same path – and it won’t be the Yellow Brick Road!
Zip file for May
April 2004
Computer Rage, Elise M. Edgell and Jim Sanders, North Orange County Computer
Club, California. Do you know someone who reacts as a put-upon individual
when using their computer, which they would rather not use, can’t really see
the benefit in using it, would rather be doing anything else other than
sitting there in front of it? Share this article with them and let them know
they can acquire the information and skills they need to feel in control of
their computer by visiting and joining your user group.
Computers – From the Very Beginning for New Users, Charlie Paschal, Palmetto
Personal Computer Club, Columbia, South Carolina. Just about anything can
break Windows – such as installing a new program or getting rid of an old
one. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do both – but even if you do
things the right way, you still can have problems. Windows 2000 and XP have
better ways to recover than 98 but it’s still not a perfect world! That’s
where the knowledge of one keystroke might be able to save your skin.
Suspense!!!! Your members will learn from his article about that keystroke
and more to ‘fix’ their Windows.
Do you use one space or two spaces at the end of a sentence? June Hall,
Editor, Windows on the Rockies User Group, Colorado. This article will let
your members know how to save time and be up-to-date -- one or two spaces at
the end of a sentence – when writing articles and reviews for your
newsletter.
E-mail is 32 years old, Jim Smith, President, Business and Professional
Microcomputer Users Group, Inc., Connecticut. The very first basic e-mail
program was written and the “@” sign was chosen for its “at” meaning
in March of 1972. Jim’s article talks about scams, hoaxes, jokes, Phishing,
plus the wonderful things that e-mail has brought us over these 32 years.
How to safely troubleshoot your system, Siles Bazerman, User Group Columnist,
Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group, California. This article isn’t written
to show how clever Siles is at problem solving, but to show an example of how
to problem solve. Do you know what the most important utility to use when
troubleshooting? The one behind your eyes and between your ears.
Reflections on the Mac at 20, Lowell J. Erickson, Mountain View Users Group,
Arizona. Another birthday! Twenty years ago, in January 1984, two momentous
events occurred. The first was an ad that appeared during the TV broadcast of
the Super Bowl (LA Raiders v. Washington Redskins; LA won 38-9). The other,
two days later, was the introduction of a new kind of personal computer. The
ad is one of the most renowned in advertising history – announcing the
Macintosh computer. Your members will enjoy remembering that they saw the ad
during the broadcast of the game and learn about the Macs’ history during
those 20 years.
Zip file for April
March 2004
Accessibility for Everyone by Billy Mabray, Oklahoma City PC Users Group.
There is a wide range of physical conditions that can make using the Web
difficult. 100% of Internet users are growing older. At some point, we will
all need help navigating the Web. Billy shows us many ways we can make the
Web more accessible.
Computer Memory by Brian K. Lewis, PhD, Sarasota Personal Computer Users
Group, Inc., Florida. Just how much memory can be put in a computer? The
answer is “it depends.” It depends on just what you mean by memory (RAM
or hard disk), what OS you are using and the capabilities of your computer’s
motherboard and its chipset. Brian’s article is about RAM – the volatile,
or temporary, memory where everything disappears when you turn off your
computer.
Ergonomic Gizmos by John R. Chait, D.C., Sarasota Personal Computer Users
Group, Inc., Florida. Are you an occasional user who works on your laptop for
short periods of time, or are you a full-time user with the laptop as your
main computer? Check out Dr. Chait’s hints on how to use your laptop more
comfortably (or can you?).
Hi, I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Help Your Computer by Ira
Wilsker. How much should the government be involved in our personal
computing? Did you know that there is an increasing amount of influence
government agencies are having in our routine computer utilization? Ira tells
us about several alerts’ we can subscribe to such as Cyber Security Tips,
alerts from Homeland Security, and more.
IRS Again Offers Free Online Filing Services by Ira Wilsker. It’s that time
again, and our friendly IRS is coordinating a variety of free online filing
services. Free is always a good thing.
PCI Express – Say Goodbye to AGP and PCI Slots by Tim Everingham, TUGNET,
Granada Hills, CA. Remember when card slots were referred to as ISA, EISA,
Microchannel, and VESA Local Bus. ISA, EISA and Microchannel were replaced by
PCI, then AGP slots --- who can keep up! PCI Express uses serial networking
at high speeds and allows concurrent transfer of data. Tim leads us through
the ins and outs of this new architecture.
What is APCUG? By Charlotte Semple, President / Editor, Los Angeles Computer
Society, CA. Are your members clueless as to why your group belongs to APCUG?
Are your BOD members not too sure, either? Charlotte’s article is full of
information about APCUG and reminds us why we belong.
Zip file for March
February 2004
Choosing a Surge Suppressor, Vinny La Bash, Sarasota PCUG, Florida. Very
informative article on spikes and surges and why we need a surge suppressor,
surge station or uninterruptible power supply.
Computer Viruses and Spam Rules in 2003 – Be Prepared!, Ira Wilsker. As the
gruff sergeant on “Hill Street Blues” said at the end of every roll call,
“Be careful out there!” We may be better prepared to deal with spam in
2004, but there are indications it is still increasing at a rapid rate.
Is that a PC in Your Pocket/Purse?, Lee Schwab, Napa PCUG, California. For
some, the Pocket PC is an incredibly useful tool while some people confuse it
with a Palm. The Pocket PC uses a scaled down version of the MS Windows
operating system called MS Windows Mobile 2003. This article will give you
the information to decide if you want to put one in your pocket or purse.
Picture and Video Files: Size Matters, Timothy Everingham, TUGNET, Granada
Hills, CA. Hmmmm, size does matter in regards to the size of picture,
graphics, and video files. Pixels, color bit depth, small file sizes,
lossless compession – all in this article that helps you through the endless
maze of the ways you can save picture and video files.
Still Annoyed with Your PC? Keep Fighting Back!, Steve Bass. Steve tackles
another handful of his most (and quite possibly your) irritating annoyances.
What is Your Resolution?, George McGinnis, Computer Society of West Florida
– Pensacola. Don’t worry, George isn’t talking about New Year’s
Resolutions. Instead it is about the resolution of your monitor and how
correctly the monitor will portray the textual and graphical material that is
sent to it by the graphics board in your computer.
Zip file for February
January 2004
Accessories for that New Digital Camera, Ira Wilsker. The national media predicted that digital cameras sales will soar this holiday season and Ira
lets us know about some items we should buy to enhance our digital camera
experience: cases (don’t practice the fine art of “buying cheap” and
trusting a several-hundred dollar camera to a five dollar case), additional
memory, photo editing software, printers and more.
Essentials for that New Computer, Ira Wilsker. Didn’t get a digital camera?
Well, according to preliminary sales figures, computers were among the most
popular items purchased this holiday season. Almost all of the new computers
straight from the box were most likely manufactured prior to the release of
the latest security patches and will require the downloading and installation
of all critical updates. Ira has a lot of tips & tricks for people who bought
those new computers.
Inhuman Computers, Elizabeth R. Wright, Oklahoma City PCUG. Cars often take
on the personality of the owner, much like pets do. Computers, on the other
hand, have no soul, no compassion, and certainly no desire to please and
cannot be humiliated by ridicule or strengthened by praise and most certainly
don’t respond to human reasoning. But your computer can be tricked ----
find out how in Elizabeth’s article.
New Year’s Computing Resolutions, Ira Wilsker. Important resolutions to
make & keep regarding your computer --- whether you have a new one, an older
model, or are getting ready to upgrade.
Online Information for the Elderly & the Disabled, Steve Rosenthal, Space
Coast PC Users Group, Cocoa, Florida. Steve gives seniors, or those
approaching senior-hood, a wealth of information that will enable them to find
out important information about their benefits.
Take Rest Breaks, Exercise to Prevent Computer Ailments, Ken Fermoyle. First
published in 2000, Ken’s article is full of suggestions on how to stay
healthy while using your computer.
To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade!, Timothy Everingham, TUGNET. OK, you didn’t
get that new computer as a holiday present. Timothy asks whether it is nobler
to upgrade the computer you have or to put aside the invested fortune of your
current computer and get a new one.
Zip file for January
