Push Articles 2006

APCUG

Association of Personal Computer User Groups

APCUG Editorial Committee Articles

December 2007

10 Commandments for Online Shopping by Robert Spotswood, a Member of HAL-PC, Texas www.hal-pc.org (Approx. 3,839 words). Most of us will probably have to use this article over several issues…. Navigating the online shopping minefield includes these 10 important commandments: Understand the risks, keep your computer clean, shop around, don’t trust that lock, checkout the company, use credit cards not debit cards, zero liability sounds better than it is, protecting your credit card online, close the browser, and use common sense.

A Laptop for the Holidays? By Vinny La Bash, a regular columnist and member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (Approx. 1,005 words). In June 2005, monthly laptop sales exceeded desktop sales for the first time. Since them, the popularity of laptops has continued to gain. Laptops are replacing desktops in homes and corporate offices and they are cheaper than ever, but that doesn’t mean that the cheapest laptop is the one that’s best for you. Examine the specifications, test drive it if you can, then make your choice.

Connected or Discombobulated? By Judy Lococo, Director, Kentucky-Indiana PCUG www.kipcug.org (Approx. 652 words). Everywhere you look today, someone is always talking about “connectivity” and how out new, improved world demands it. The more Judy sees of this phenomenon, the less she thinks we are connected.

Converting to a Portable Office by Brian K. Lewis PhD, a regular columnist and member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (Approx. 1,401 words). Brian is in the process of changing to a completely mobile lifestyle and that means everything he needs has to fit in a very small space in a travel trailer where there is no room for a desktop and a CRT and he needs to add storage to the laptop so that all of his research files, genealogy files, etc. will be able to go along. That’s what this article is all about – fitting everything into as small a space as possible.

FBI Asks “How Aware are you of the Dangers of the ‘Net?” by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont TX; Radio and TV Show Host (Approx. 1,286 words). As regular readers may know, Ira frequently lectures on computer security topics, and has written numerous columns on security topics over the years. While many of us surf the net oblivious to the online threats that face us, many others are aware of the treats, and sadly, many have learned of the threats the hard way.

Free Help for Creating Greeting Cards by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS, www.compukiss.com (Approx. 578 words). A recent trip to the greeting card store left Sandy in sticker shock. While the text with the price of the card was smaller (or is it just my aging eyes?), the price tag was definitely larger than the last time she looked. You can visit the sites in Sandy’s article and create your cards with free clip art and pre-designed cards.

Moving on to Vista – Part 2 by Neil Stahfest, Shareware Librarian, Tacoma Area PC User Group, WA www.tapcug.org (Approx. 731 words). Part 2 of Neil’s saga with Vista.

Need a sticky note? Put it on your computer! By Linda Gonse, Editor & Webmaster, Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group, CA www.orcopug.org (Approx. 531 words). Sticky note programs for your pc, as you might imagine, are a utility that takes the place of paper Post-it notes that we all stick to our monitors! But the sticky note programs Linda research this year discouraged her from even trying them out. Then she found one she likes.

Old to New Computer Files Transfer: Careful! By Charles W. Evans, Reviews Editor, Hal-PC TX www.hal-pc.org (Approx. 960 words). It’s that time of year when many of us will buy a new computer. And one of the biggest chores of getting a new computer is moving all of our stuff from one to the other. This review and the one in January ’08 should be helpful in transferring or moving your “stuff.”

Saitek Optical Photo Mouse by Jan Fagerholm, Mouse Maven, PC Community, CA www.pcc.org (Approx. 609 words). This mouse is for the person who has everything. It’s a desktop optical USB mouse that you can insert your own photos into. The photo area is illuminated. The mouse features 3 buttons and a scroll wheel.

The New, The Best, and The Worst – November 2007 collected by Pim Borman, Webmasters, SW Indiana PC Users Group, Inc. http://swipcug.apcug.org (Approx. 1,039 words). This month, Pim tells us about disruptive Open Source programs and thermal color printing.

The Phenomenon of Facebook – Part III, Love and Dating in the 21st Century by Courtney Jewett, member of Alamo PC, TX and a Senior English major at Baylor University www.alamopc.org (Approx. 508 words). Facebook is one of the most valuable tools in the dating world, and is today’s version of the little black book. Users of the social network can display their relationship status on their profile, along with the name of their significant other. This information is visible to their ‘Facebook friends,’ and is simply a click away.

Tweak Your PC to Keep It Running Fast, Feeling Good and Looking Young! by Lou Torraca, President MOAA Computer User Group, HI www.the-tug.org (Aprox. 2,211 words). Lou was explaining to a friend that he is a quick launch toolbar aficionado {:-) What the heck is that he asked. Lou said he was just referring to the fact he uses it instead of the desktop to keep all his shortcuts, actually, lots of shortcuts, at least on his main PC. As they continued to talk about this Lou found myself explaining a lot of stuff he has done with his PCs and notebook in the past 6 or 8 years! The “things…tweaks” come from dozens and dozens of places including many newsletters, also some regular blogs, newspapers, radio shows, other PC users he talks with and of course, the real biggie, MICROSOFT! Yup, their knowledge base contains millions of tips, solutions and you guessed it…TWEAKS!

Weird Windows Behavior by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS, www.compukiss.com (Approx. 868 words). Have you ever been completely dismayed by your computer? Does it seem to do unusual things that you can’t trace back to any of your actions? Well, you are not alone. Do your Icons disappear? Have you lost your toolbars or the toolbar moves? Do you have a dramatic slowdown, no sound, or your mouse shutters? Sandy gives you tips on why this happens and how you can fix the problems.

Windows Live Hotmail by Lynn Page, Editor, Crystal River Users Group, FL www.crug.com (Approx. 1,367 words). Lynn has had a Hotmail account for many years and uses it regularly. The latest Windows Live Hotmail is easier to use and includes many impressive features. With a 5 GB Inbox so you don’t have to worry about it filling up while you are away and many safety features to alert you to suspicious email and spam.

October / November 2007

After Retirement, Who Are You? By Gabe Goldberg, Advisor, Region 2; columnist, CompuKISS.com www.compukiss.com (Approx. 599 words). Retirement – even temporary job loss – can trigger discomfort with one’s changed identity. Especially for those who have been strongly career oriented, the simple question, “What do you do?” can lead to fumbling for an answer. And when socializing or doing business or volunteering, it can be awkward not having the usual trappings of the grown-up world such as business cards. Enter VistaPrint.

Buying a New Vista Computer? Read This First! By Sandy Berger, Compukiss.com www.compukiss.com (Approx. 925 words). Windows Vista is finally ready for prime time. Over the last several months, the drivers for many devices like printers and scanners have been updated to accommodate Vista. Most software has also been updated to be Vista compatible. If you are ready for a new computer you may be ready for Vista. However, you might want to do a little homework before you make your purchase.

DUFFERDOM – Tales from the Kingdom of the Ordinary User by David D. Uffer, a Member of the Chicago Computer Society www.ccs.org (Approx. 1,281 words). Of Avery, CDs, Squaring the Circle, Selected Greek Classics and Tantalus – Plus a Resolution.

DVD Insider – DRM by Andy Marken, Marken Communications www.markencom.com (Approx. 1,655 words). We need to note that creative people need to be paid for their work…writers, artists, animators, actors, makeup artists, best boys, post production folks, underwriters and yes even studio execs. No pay…no play! The problem is the world doesn’t want content protection and consumers don’t want content protection.

Fake Check Scams on the Internet Explode by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio & TV Show Host (Approx. 1,253 words). Have you recently received an e-mail where you are a supposed winner of a drawing scam? Spam-scam crackdown nets $2 billion in fake checks and 77 arrests were made in the Netherlands, Nigeria and Canada. Have you heard that the Postal Service has declared war on the Nigerian scam? All this and more in Ira’s fascinating article.

Google Search Bar and Your Telephone Number by Sandy Berger, www.compukiss.com (Approx 668 words). If you know someone’s telephone number, how hard would it be to find that person? Well, with Internet resources, it couldn’t be easier. Type any telephone number into the Google search bar and you will quickly be given the name and address that relates to that number, as well as a detailed map on where they live.

How to Find Podcasts by Mike Lyons, President, ORCOPUG, CA www.orcopug.org (Approx. 504 words). Mike gives us good directions on how to find and download podcasts.

How to use Google Street Views to see…streets, places, routes and faces! By Linda Gonse, Editor and Webmaster, ORCOPUG, CA www.orcopug.org (Approx. 447 words). Beyond the curiosity of the new panoramic on-the-road reality shots, Google’s detailed Street Views give you a feel for really being where you want to go. Although only a handful of large cities are represented in these views, it’s still likely you will want to look for destinations in them occasionally.

Make Vista Work Better by Vinny La Bash, member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (Approx. 940 words). No matter how good an OS may be, someone will complain that it could have been better. Vista is a very good OS that some people find wanting. Some people are never satisfied, but that is not the issue here. Of course, Vista should have been better, but MS has only so much time and resources to develop a system, and Vista was late to market in addition to being less than perfect.

Moving on to Vista – Part 1 by Neil Stahfest, Shareware Librarian, Tacoma Area PCUG, WA www.tapcug.org (Approx. 702 words). I tested a pre-release version of Windows Vista last year. I thought that the eye candy was nice but there really wasn’t a lot about the program to make it worth upgrading my PC to use it. Since then I’ve heard stories about problems with Vista that made me even reluctant to upgrade to it. But, things happen. I “needed” a new laptop to demonstrate programs for the Flight Simulator SIG <wink><wink>. Many of you will be buying new computers in the next year or so, so I’ll share some of my experiences and impressions with you.

The New, the Best, and the Worst – October 2007, collected by Pim Borman, Webmaster, SW Indiana PCUG http://swipcug.apcug.org (Approx. 1,367 words). From Mobile Supercomputers to Super Jigsaws, Amazon, Burj Dubai Babel Baggle, and Google, Pim tells it like it is.

Online Consumer Help from the Federal Government by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX: Radio & TV show host (Approx. 1,161 words). President Bush has requested that all federal agencies make it easier for consumers (the general public) to locate the utilize information on federal websites. In some cases a variety of federal agencies have pooled their resources and information, and compiled the data in easy-to-use websites that represent several agencies in one place. Some of these integrated federal websites are consumer.gov, recalls.gov, and usa.gov. EDITORS – let your program chair know that the information in this article can be used for a program.

The Phenomenon of Facebook – Part II by Courtney Jewett, a member of HAL-PC, TX and a senior English major at Baylor University who is pursuing a career in Journalism www.alamaopc.org (Approx. 569 words). Today’s college student is as familiar with Facebook as they are to types of Starbucks coffee, episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, and the rising cost of their university tuition. Courtney’s article lets her readers have a clearer understanding of how students are utilizing the site.

The QWERTY Keyboard and Microsoft Office 2007 by Bob Schneider, Editor, The PC Keyboard, Spring Hill Teaching Computer Club, FL www.shtcc.net (Approx. 625 words). Back in the mid-1800s, when the first practical typewriter was built, inventor C.L.Sholes arranged the keys in the QWERTY layout for a practical reason. He had to separate the most common letters to prevent the hammers from jamming. So many people knew that although it was no longer necessary, it was maintained with the advent of electric typewriters. Since Bob started using Windows 2.0 in 1989, Microsoft advertised the strength and beauty of following the Windows format. Using its standard GUI interface, all programs would have the same look and feel. Learn one program and you could quickly learn to navigate around in any similar software. Enter Office 2007.

ru Xperienced? By Lee Reynolds, a member of the Boca Raton Computer Society, FL www.brcs.org (Approx. 594 words). Ownership and Restrictions. If you have ever had a corrupted user profile and then had to create a new account, when you tried to access the folder or files used by the old account in order to transfer them to the new one, you might have encountered a problem: Windows won’t let you. Lee walks us through the steps on how to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP.

Using a Restore Point by Larry Bothe, an associate member of CAEUG and an honorary member of the Fox Valley PC Association, IL www.caeug.net / www.fvpca.org (Approx. 908 words). Recently, while in a big hurry to get a lot of work done before leaving on vacation, Larry’s computer started up with a blank screen. No mouse, no images, no text, no error message, no nothing. Oops, he decided he should have paid attention to the warning he received from his computer security software that some program was trying to make a change to something it thought was a danger. He was in a hurry and OK’d it without reading it thoroughly. Larry walks us through setting a Restore Point to when everything was working correctly.

Using Imaging Software for Backup by Brian K. Lewis, PhD, a member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (Approx. 1,353 words). There are many HD backup programs on the market that tell you that they can make an “image” of your HD. This allows you to restore your programs and data in case of an HD crash. They will also transfer everything on your HD to a new drive. Brian takes a look at the generic methods they use for these situations.

Vista Backup and Shadow Copy by Lynn Page, Editor, Crystal Riber Users Group, FL www.crug.com (Approx. 954 words). Windows Vista helps easily back up computer settings, files and applications. The new Windows Backup feature provides more choices for storing backed up information. You can choose to back up to CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, an external hard disk, another internal hard disk, or to another computer or server connected to your network.

Windows XP Power Management by Lynn Page, Editor, Crystal River Users Group, FL www.crug.com (Approx. 757 words). If you use a laptop you know the problem of running down the battery before you finish up. But configuring power management can also reduce electrical usage on your desktop computer.

September 2007

10 Steps to Safe Computing by Sandy Berger, www.compukuss.com (approx. 761 words). We must be proactive to protest ourselves from today’s bad guys and Sandy gives us her down and dirty list for PC users.

Attack of the Cone by Mick Topping, ICON (Interactive Computer Owners Network), MO www.iconusersgroup.org (approx. 1,513 words). Mick has been dragging his feet on Vista. He really doesn’t see much in it that he thinks he needs. However, it’s time for a new laptop, the hard drive on his old one is getting a little crowded, a little busy, and slow on startup. When he really needed was a way to distract himself from how much he wanted a new LT, so it’s off to the store to buy a new hard drive.

Hasta la Vista – Gadgets and the Windows Sidebar by Lee Reynolds, member BPCS (Broward Personal Computer Association, Inc.), FL www.bpcs.com (approx. 642 words). Devotees of the Apple Mac have, for some time, had available, in their OS X Tiger operating system, something called Dashboard, which allowed them to have what are called Widgets (mini-applications that provide a very simple, tightly focused interface for common tasks) available for instant use. Enter something similar, Windows Vista Gadgets.

Open Source Software – Mostly Free to Use and Modify by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont TX; radio and TV show host (approx. 1,180 words). Open Source software has been around in its current context since 1998, and hundreds of titles are available for almost any computing need and it should be seriously considered as an alternative to commercial software.

The Phenomenon of Facebook – Redefining Social Networking by Courtney Jewett, member of the Alamo PC Organization, TX www.alamopc.org (approx. 676 words). What do Hillary Clinton, Tony the Tiger, and millions of college students have in common? They all have profiles on the contemporary social network known as Facebook. As a college student, and avid Facebooker, Courtney intends to share her knowledge and experiences with the site in order to uncover the reasons behind Facebook’s widespread success.

Portable Data by Corinne Goeke, a member of the Computer Club of Green Valley, AZ http://gvcc.apcug.org (approx. 487 words). There are many names that refer to UFDs or “USB Flash Drives.” USB, of course, refers to those little rectangular ports you can find (although there never seems to be enough of them) on the back and front of most computers.

Read Before Opening! By Bruce Jacobs, Editor, Phoenix PCUG, AZ http://phoenixpcug.org (approx. 840 words). So you just bought a brand new computer. Before you get all settled in, there are a few steps you should take to help make your new computer safer and more fun.

The New, the Best, and the Worst for September by Pim Borman, Webmaster, SW Indiana PCUG http://swipcug.apcug.org/ (approx. 1,103 words). E-mail reliability woes with security, changing email addresses, and more.

This and That by Elizabeth B. Wright, a member of the Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (approx. 730 words). Have you accessed the Windows XP “Restore” option to reset your computer to an earlier time? We often need to do this when things go haywire after installing some new software.

Understanding Your Computer’s BIOS by Brian K. Lewis, PhD, a member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (approx. 1,780 words). The computer’s basic input/output system (BIOS) is really a major key to its proper operation. The BIOS differs from one computer to another depending on the make of the motherboard and the make of the computer itself.

Windows Calendar by Lynn Page, editor, Crystal River Users Group, FL www.crug.com (approx. 540 words). Windows Calendar, built into Windows Vista, helps you plan your activities and coordinate your plans with those of others. With WC you can set up multiple calendars and view a single or multiple calendars at a time. This makes it easy to compare the calendars and look for conflicts in scheduling.

Would You Sign This Contract? By Rob Rice, a computer specialist living in Anchorage and a member of the Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (Approx. 1,633 words). OK, here’s the deal; I offer you a big, 56-inch, shiny new Filch Plasma Screen TV and I will sell it to you if you will agree to have a camera installed in your home so I may watch you watching the new TV. Sound fair? Would you sign that contract? Many of us, in a sense, have already agreed to something like the above scenario when we clicked on the End User License Agreement (EULA).

August 2007

Automobile Computers by Bob Elgines, Editor, Colorado River Computer Club (approx. 459 words) www.ccrc.org Is your Engine Check light on? Do you need a smog test? Is your engine running rough? Is your transmission shifting improperly? Did you know you can read your automobile computer results with a simple plug in device?

Data Transfer Rates by Michael Hanst, Director, Lake-Sumter Computer Society, Florida (approx. 524 words) www.lscs.us During one of the meetings at LCSC there was a discussion of Internet, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi transfer speeds. Mike decided to go look for specifications and found references that looked at each area, but found none that put it all in one chart. He did that for his members and other APCUG member group readers.

DUFFERDOM – Tales from the Kingdom of the Ordinary User – Faxing by David D. Uffer, a member of the Chicago Computer Society, IL (approx. 1,194 words) www.ccs.org From mid-August 1984, David starts with the first released original IBM PC through the first Norton products and then using our computers for faxing.

Hard Drives and Partitions by Gene Barlow, User Group Relations (approx. 744 words) www.ugr.com Lots has happened in hard drives in the past 8-10 years that Gene has been giving presentations on partitioning and backing them up. Ten years ago, the largest hard drives were only a few hundred MB. We had not yet seen the 300GB hard drives that are common today. Things have really changed and Gene has new recommendations.

Help! My Vinyl is melting…really! By Lou Torraca, President, MOAA Computer User Group, HI (approx. 1,613 words) www.the-tug.org If you have the same problem that Lou does, you’ll want to read his article. He has hundreds, yup, hundreds of vinyl records, 78s, 33s, and even a few 45s stashed in his garage which is a pretty hot spot (no, not a Wi-Fi hotspot) a really hot spot. He just attended a techie conference and one of the many presentations was on this very subject – moving your Vinyl to DVDs. Lou gives us a step-by-step tutorial with some examples of equipment and software that will make is easy for you to convert your treasured records.

How to Answer the Question? By Mike Kerwin, President, Central Maryland UG (approx. 1,269 words) http://mycmug.org User group members are always being asked What do you recommend as the best _____? (Fill in the blank for PC, notebook, digital camera, etc.). Mike’s president’s column gives us questions we can ask when our recommendations are being requested.

Is there a laptop in your future? By Sandy Berger, CompuKISS (approx. 892 words) www.compukiss.com Want to get a laptop so you can surf the Web from your lawn chair? Or perhaps you just want to be able to share your Internet connection between your computer and your wife’s computer? In either case, a wireless network is essential, but sometimes interference makes wireless problematic. Sandy sheds some light on the subject for us. This article supplements her Router article.

Net Neutrality: It’s Time for us to Speak Out! By Linda Gonse, Editor, Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group, CA (approx. 1,205 words) www.orcopug.org Net Neutrality is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet. It’s an issue because it involves the transmission of data over broadband networks (e.g. DSL or cable internet services). Large providers could establish a tiered system of content delivery in which companies with data-heavy content can pay a fee to the providers in return for “special treatment” in transmission. However, advocates project, this also would allow large telecom companies to block or censor things they don’t like without consequence.

Safe Computing with Consumer Reports by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont TX; Radio and TV Host (approx. 1,208 words) In the several years Ira has been writing his column, it has been very unusual for him to write about a magazine. What makes the September 2007 issue of Consumer Reports so applicable to us and our computing safety and security is the cover story “Stop ID Thieves – 19 ways to protect yourself online.” Note from Judy – perhaps both Ira’s article and the Consumer Reports article can be used for a mini-presentation for cyber security month – last year it was October (http://www.staysafeonline.info/ )

Set up Outlook Express YOUR Way by Dick Maybach, a member of the Brookdale Computer UG, New Jersey (approx. 804 words) www.bcug.com Your can greatly improve your e-mail experience by properly configuring Outlook Express, which is the default Windows e-mail client and Dick shows us exactly what to do. Note: Here’s another article you could use for a step-by-step mini meeting.

Update to Vista? Maybe! By Jim Sanders, Vice President, North Orange County Computer Club, CA (approx. 670 words) www.noccc.org The old adage never buy version one of any piece of software is beginning to look like it should be applied to Windows Vista as well. Jim has read a number of articles from different sources talking about the problems that people have had trying to implement Vista and he has run into a few himself.

Vista and the Reliability & Performance Monitor by Vinny LaBash, Sarasota PCUG, FL (approx. 797 words) www.spcug.org Anyone who has spent time trying to understand the Windows XP Performance Monitor is going to love Vista’s Reliability & Performance Monitor. No more will you have to figure out what the various performance procedures are really measuring.

What is Net Neutrality? – An Editorial By Bruce Jacobs, Editor, Phoenix PCUG, AZ (approx. 1,378 words) www.phoenixpcug.org So what is Net Neutrality? In simplest terms it is a movement which has as a goal creating legislation or federal regulations which will regulate some plans of some ISPs. The specific plans that are proposed that have people the most upset is the area of charging websites for preferred access to their customers.

Why Update your Computer? By Kathy Jacobs, President, Phoenix PCUG, AZ (approx. 625 words) www.phoenixpcug.org Like many computer users, Kathy’s father views his computer as something that he should just be able to use. He doesn’t think he should have to put any time into maintenance of the computer. Kathy hears this quite frequently, but doesn’t understand it. Would you buy a car and never put gas in it or never change the oil? The first line of maintenance for your computer should be MS Update or Windows Update. The second line of defense is a good anti-virus program.

July 2007

Apple’s New Safari Browser for Windows by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director (approx. 1,206 words). Apple recently released a free version of its Safari 3 browser for Windows. While this is the first public release of an Apple-produced browser for Windows, many already have Apple software on their computers such as Quick Time. This browser might be one that you would like to check out since there is no conflict in having more than one browser on your computer.

A router can help protect your computer by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS www.compukiss.com (approx. 904 words). A few years ago you had probably not heard the term ‘router’ unless you used one in your wood working class in high school. Today, you hear much more about the word ‘router’ when it is used in conjunction with computers and the Internet.

Backing up a computer – Cloning vs Imaging by Al Edmister, a member of the Napa Valley PCUG, California www.nvpcug.org (approx. 1,660 words). Backing up your computer has always been an important and sometimes confusing subject. As most people know by now, backing up on the same HD only helps when the main file gets corrupted which really doesn’t happen very often. It is of no help when an HD fails; Al has had two HDs fail! RAID, Zip drives and more is covered in this article.

Blurbs from Bass by Steve Bass, PC World Columnist and Author (approx 970 words). Steve accumulated several of his blurbs and asked me to send them to you. Wonderful: Microsoft’s free Virtual PC; Gotcha! Geek Squad Caught Stealing Porn and other short blurbs, plus links to time killing videos, useful tools, and free directory assistance.

Building a PC for Vista by Dan Hanson, the Great Lakes Geek (approx. 669 words). The Great Lakes Geek needed to build a new PC for the Computers Assisting People Resource Center. It will be used for CAP operations but also so that the volunteers and others can become familiar with Windows Vista and learn about it the CAP way – hands on. Dan steps us through the process of building that PC.

Configuring Outlook Express by Dick Maybach, Columnist, Brookdale Computer User Group, New Jersey www.bcug.com (approx. 1,104 words). You can greatly improve your e-mail experience by properly configuring Outlook Express, which is the default Windows e-mail client and Dick shows us just how to do this.

Dumb Things to Avoid While Using Your Computer by Vinny La Bash, a member and regular columnist of the Sarasota PCUG, Florida www.spcug.org (approx. 1,042 words). To paraphrase a recent TV commercial, we all do dumb things, but doing them with your computer doesn’t have to be one of them. Check out his Dumb Mistakes to make sure you aren’t doing some of them.

Exploring Windows Explorer – Part 2 by Jim Sanders, Vice President, North Orange County Computer Club, California www.noccc.org (approx. 1,224 words). The first part of this series was in the June PUSH. Jim further explains how to use the ‘real’ Windows Explorer.

Improve Computing Pleasure with Free Widgets for Windows and Mac by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont TX; radio and TV show host (approx. 1,106 words). Many of us are extremely busy and often lack the time to search the Internet for items of frequent interest. Many of us have dull and boring desktops displayed on our monitors, often using the default images of our computer or software maker. Fortunately for us, there is a free service offered by Yahoo!, called “widgets.”

The New, the Best, and the Worst by Pim Borman, Webmaster, SW Indiana PC Users Group, Inc. http://swipcug.apcug.org/ (approx. 1,441 words). This article contains many lessons re Digital Cameras. We’ll all be taking better digital pictures after reading this article.

The Nightmare by Barry F. Phillips, a member of ccOKC and a frequent contributor to the eMonitor, Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (approx. 602 words). Barry’s computer growled like some prehistoric monster rebelling at being awakened from a deep slumber and then checking my financial data online almost by habit. Terror pulsed through his veins as he no longer existed; all his personal data had been deleted! Another Fun, tongue-in-cheek article by Barry.

This and That by Elizabeth B. Wright, a member of ccOKC and a frequent contributor to the eMonitor, Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (approx. 782 words). How much time are you spending upgrading both hardware and software? Elizabeth has found that much time and money are invested in trying to keep up with the times. Are you in the same boat or are you happy using the operating system and programs that you currently have on your computer.

DustKleen^TM by Neil Longmuir, Winnipeg PCUG, www.wpcusrgrp.org (approx. 1,304 words). DustKleen is an innovative stand-alone application from Image Trends Inc. It will automatically remove most dirt and dust from any scanned images regardless of the source. Neil’s rating is 5 Stars +

Freshly Squeezed Review: I Move Me by Frank Petrie (approx. 737 words). Remember when you were a kid and dinosaurs roamed the Earth. What was on TV? Mainly cartoons and claymation. And with the advent of YouTube, et al., they’re both making a comeback. I Can Animate lets you create stunning movies using a variety of animation techniques.

Network Warrior by David Boyes (approx. 1,373 words). This book is a collection of notes and process recipes to solve common problems found in commercial networks. Overall, the book provides a large number of useful bits and the last three chapters on how to work the system ought to be required reading for just about anyone in the IT world who actually has to deal directly with customers or other technicians (i.e., everyone).

Photoshop CS3 by Ton Ekvall, newsletter editor for Northeast Wisconsin PCUG www.webpages.charter.net/newpcug (approx. 1,391 words). Some things just keep getting better. And the latest release of Photoshop CS3 is no exception. The new release offers major enhancements that will appeal to present Photoshop users as well as to those interested in transitioning to Photoshop CS3 from Photoshop Elements or other similar products.

OpenOffice by Ronnie Ugulano, Fresno PCUG, California, newsletter editor http://fresnocomputerusers.org (approx. 836 words). I didn’t have time to monkey around, it had to work out of the box. Ronnie got an email from the FPCUG Board saying that they would like to be able to offer the newsletter in PDF for easy printing. The dilemma was what to use that would easily turn into a PDF. Ronnie remembered that OpenOffice, the available-free office suite program, has a PDF converted built into it’s word processing program, and there’s a Windows version and the rest was history.

WildForm WildPresenter Pro by Gregory West, Editor, SCUG Report, Sarnia CUG, Canada (approx. 648 words). Flash is one of the most widely utilized and viewed multimedia formats on the Internet today. There are a lot of video copying and video presentation programs boasting to be the best. However, the question one must ask is “Do they do what they claim to, and do they actually accomplish these processes with ease and professionalism?” The answer to t his I will leave alone for you to decide. However, I personally can speak for WildPresenter Pro, version 3.204: It accomplishes both with a relative ease and simplicity requiring little computer knowledge to create professional Flash media.

Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper’s Collection by Rhonda and James Winterhalter, ICON Computer Users Group, Missouri www.icon.org (approx. 1,728 words). This game could easily capture the interest of all age levels. Grandparents looking for a great item to have around for the grandchildren should be sure to read this review!

June 2007

Back-Ups Made Easy by Carey Holzman, Co-host: www.computeramerica.com / www.careyholzman.com (approx. 1,690 words). By now you are probably well aware of the importance of making copies of your valuable data (referred to as “backing-up). You’ve read numerous articles about ways to back-up your data and prevent disaster. The problem is, most advice offered on this subject is not truly complete and many of the ‘solutions’ offered are expensive and time consuming. How you back-up, what you back-up, when you back-up and where you store your back-up are just a few important variables that come into play on that miserable day that you require it and your back-up isn’t there.

Can’t Play Online Videos – Here’s What to Do by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS www.compukiss.com (approx. 706 words). Generally, each video you find on the Web will play only using the software that it was formatted for. If you try to play a video and you don’t have the proper software, you won’t be able to view the video. Sandy walks readers through how to get many of the popular video viewing software.

Exploring Windows Explorer by Jim Sanders, North Orange County Computer Club, California www.noccc.org (approx. 1,309 words). Everyone using WinXP uses Windows Explorer all the time. Some use it in what Jim considers the true form. Some, of you use it as My Computer and all of us use it when we are using Internet Explorer, because Windows Explorer is an integral part of Internel Explorer. Jim continues to be surprised at how many people do not know that they can right click on the Start button and go directly to Windows Explorer. This tip and more will make is easy for your readers to start using Windows Explorer in its true form.

Checkmate by Berry T. Phillips, Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (approx. 554 words). Man-vs-machine has been a theme that has intrigued the public for many years. Berry writes about some the chess machines from the early-1700s through early 2003.

Fix That Fan by Jim Sanders, North Orange County Computer Club, California www.noccc.org (approx. 599 words). Cheap (sleeve bearing) fans die young. Bet on it. The cheaper the system, power supply, cooler, etc., the cheaper the fan. When you hear that sleeve bearing fan (or a ball bearing fan, for that matter) rattle, notice a fan is barely turning, or not turning at all, fix it!

Free Online Mapping and Driving Directions by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director (approx. 999 words). Many of us like to use maps when we travel. Maps can be used to display driving directions and points of interest. Fortunately, there are several excellent and free mapping utilities available on the Internet, such as those provided by Microsoft’s “Live” service, Google, Yahoo! And AOL’s Mapquest.

How I Find My ‘Deleted’ Emails by Tom Thiel, Lake-Sumter Computer Society www.lscs.us (approx. 826 words). Old emails are one of my most frequent retrievals from my back-up files. How does Tom retrieve an email after he’s deleted it from his Inbox or Sent items? This article shows you the way.

Internet Services – E-mail and the Web by Hilton Kaufman, Chicago Computer Society www.ccs.org (approx. 1,109 words). The Internet is a network of networks used to transmit messages. Somehow things arrive at where they are supposed to go. It is the services that go over these networks that make the Internet useful! The two best known services today are e-mail and the World Wide Web.

The Inside Security Recovery Toolkit (INSERT) by Dick Maybach, Brookdale Computer User Group, New Jersey www.bcug.com (approx. 890 words). Most of us use an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) version of Windows supplied by the vendor who built our PC. Although we often receive a Windows CD-ROM, it is not the same as the disk included with the retail version of Windows. Sometimes without a good recent back-up or good recovery software, all of our data can be lost. A particularly powerful recovery tool is INSERT, a version of Linux designed to correct problems in Windows, Linux, and the latest Macintosh PCs. Dick sent me his tutorial on INSERT. It’s far too large for a newsletter article, but if you would like a copy for your members, please let me know and I’ll send it to you (Judy).

Windows Vista Power Management by Vinny LaBash, Sarasota PCUG, Florida www.spcug.org (approx. 618 words). Those of us who drive laptops are usually more aware of power management than the desktop jockeys. In Vista, you can optimize settings to conserve energy, go for flat out performance or achieve some kind of sensible balance between the two.

What is PCI Express? By Brian K. Lewis, PhD, Sarasota PCUG, Florida www.spcug.org (approx. 1,560 words). PCIs (Peripheral Component Interconnect) are the slots in the motherboard of your computer used for connecting peripheral devices directly to the computer bus. The original PCI bus was released in 1992. Your knowledge will certainly be expanded re PCIs after you read this article.

REVIEWS

Actiontec MegaPlug by Terry Currier, WINNERS- WINdows usERS, California www. www.windowsusers.org/ (approx. 779 words). Terry likes the idea of networking through power lines especially if you can not run a cable to where you may want to connect, or you get no wireless signal. You might want to try this method after reading Terry’s review.

Fisheye-Hemi Plug-In by Neil Longmuir, Winnipeg PCUG, Canada www.wpcusrgrp.org (approx. 703 words). The Fisheye-Hemi Photoshop plug-in from Image Trends corrects distortions present in fisheye lens images. This is a terrific plug-in filter that retains more of the original image resolutioin allowing the end user to display the original composition as seen through the viewfinder when the iamge was taken.

Professor Franklin’s Instant Photo Artist 2.0 by Tom Ekvall, Northeast Wisconsin PCUG www.webpages.charter.net/newpcug (approx. 1,043 words). Can someone create a photo art masterpiece from a snapshot within a matter of minutes without going through a lot of training and reading manuals? Yes, if you use this program. Thanks again to Tom for getting us the discount.

The AntiSpyware Revolution Starts Here by Tou Torraca, The TUG, Hawaii www.the-tug.org (approx. 1,807 words). CounterSpy V2 was completely rebuilt with a revolutionary new design -- more powerful and effective than ever. Lou takes us through all the ins and outs of CounterSpy – your members might want to buy a copy when they read the review.

VOIP Made Easy with Skype by Sharon Walbran, Twin Cities PCUG, Minnesota www.tcpc.com (approx. 456 words). VOIP, Voice Over Internet Protocal, using your Internet connection to make phone calls, has become very popular. Skype (rhymes with “type”), is a free VOIP program that offers free computer-to-computer calls anywhere in the world if both computers have Skype installed. For calls from a computer with Skype to standard phones and cell phones in the U.S. and Canada, Skype offers unlimited free calling with an annual charge of $29.95 a year. Other VOIP vendors charge $30+ per month.

Zune – A Player for the Rest of Us by Ash Nallawalla, Melbourne PCUG, Australia www.melbpc.org.au (approx. 1,014 words). Are your readers older than 50? Have they tried to use an MP3 or video player but found their thumbs and fingers were all mixed up? Was the text too hard to read? Then, Zune is for them.

May 2007

A Slightly Faster and Safer Interent FREE! A small step for your PC, a giant leap for you by Carey Holzman, Co-host talk radio show www.computermaria.com (approx. 1,235 words). You may have never heard of DNS before, but if you use the Internet you use DNS all the time. DNS is short for Domain Name Server and Carey is going to teach you what it does and why you should care.

Build It Yourself, by Brian K. Lewsis, PhD, Columnist, Sarasota PCUG, Florida www.spcug.org (approx. 2,030 words). You may never have considered buidling your own computer, but it is really just an assembly job. When you are familiar with the components of your system, you will find it is easier to understand and possibly diagnose problems.

File Extensions by Fran Damratowski, Refurishing SIG Chair, Chesapeake PCUG, MD www.chesapeakepcusersgroup.org (approx. 452 words). Fran’s File Extension article gives us a sampling of the B list of some of the extensions and the file types they represent.

Finding Ghosts in Your Computer by Mike Morris, Editor, Front Range PC Users Group, CO http://www.frpcug.org (approx. 682 words). Do you have ghosts in your computer? The Microsoft Knowledgebase article on this subject refers to “…”ghosted” devices…” and “Phantom devices…”

Going 100% Digital with Genealogy – or Any – Records by Tom J. Thiel, President, Lake-Sumter Computer Society, Florida www.lscs.us (approx. 1,439 words). Tom bought a Xerox DocuMate 510 flatbed scanner with an automatic document feeder and is in the process of becoming paperless!

Internet Addressing by Hilton Kaufman, a member of the Chicago Computer Society www.ccs.org (approx. 911 words). Each individual or computer on the Internet has an individual and unique address in the system and there is a regular hierarchy to how the names work and are assigned.

Thoughts on Upgrading PC Hardware and Software by Dick Maybach, Columnist, Brookdale Computer User Group (BCUG) Brookdale, NJ www.bcug.org (approx. 1,005 words). Dick thinks there are three valid reasons for upgrding a PC: (1) to try something new, (2) to improve performance, and (3) to solve a problem. Upgrading your hardware will often provide no disceernable speed-up, because the speed is really limited by your typing speed or Internet connection. Upgrading your software may actually slow things down, because newer software has more features and requires more computer resources. This leaves problem solving…..

Review: “TUT” – The Ultimate Troubleshooter by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX: Radio & TV show host (approx. 1,085 words). According to a British website, Answers That Work” (www.answersthatwork.com), 65% of problems on PCs, such as lockups, crashes, blue screens of death, and poor performance are due to causes other than the commonly suspected culprits. Ira has found a product that he has used for the past four years to diagnose his computers, and has been able to tweak them and maximize performance based on the recommendations made possible by the software.

April 2007

Buying an HDTV a Recap of the SWIPCUG February 2007 Meeting by Pim Borman, Webmaster, SWIPCUG http://swipcug.apcug.org (Approx. 1,229 words). Another great article on HDTV. Bob Covington, their presenter, explained how TV broadcasters are in the process of changing from analog to digital technology. The change will result in more efficient use of the available transmission frequencies and improved image quality. The US Government also had a $14 billion windfall from auctioning off the available frequency bands to interested parties.

File Extensions by Fran Damratowski, Refurbishing SIG Chair, Chesapeake PC Users Group, www.chesapeakepcusersgroup.org (Approx. 591 words). Have you ever wondered what the three alphanumeric extensions at the end of a file name mean? You might find just what you are looking for in Frans list of A extensions.

Guilty! By Berry F. Phillips, a member of the Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (Approx. 658 words). Guilty, the strange judge shouted as he banged the gavel. The defendant will rise and receive his sentence. You have been found guilty of dirty deeds done to your computer you havent cleaned it!

Internet Connections by Hilton Kaufman, a member of the Chicago Computer Society www.ccs.org (Approx, 1.103 words). The method of connection into the Internet varies somewhat among users. At various points, telephone lines, coaxial cables, UHF relays, satellite shots, and a few other methods might be utilized to make the actual connections.

Live CD-ROMs by Dick Maybach, a member of the Brookdale Computer User Group, New Jersey www.bcug.com (Approx. 795 words). A live CD-ROM contains an operating system and applications and can be run without using the hard disk at all. When you remove the CD-ROM, your old operating system (probably Windows) takes over.

McAfee SiteAdvisor by Sandy Berger, www.compukiss.com (Approx. 612 words). Anyone who has been on the Internet for a while realizes that even websites that look benign can generate viruses, adware, spyware, spam, and scams. Until now, it was difficult to determine which websites to avoid. Now, however, safe surfing just got easier. Now there is a wonderful free program that warns you about dangerous websites McAfees SiteAdvisor.

Memorials and Memories by Charlie Sickels, Managing Editor, Hard-Copy, Chicago Computer Society www.ccs.org (Approx. 780 words). In the US, the end of May is a national time for remembering people and events, a time to recall and to honor. Some of it is public; some is personal; it is all profound and deeply felt. No less profound, but with less emotional context, is the march of technological progress.

Photoshop Workflow Setups, a review by John Donan, a member of the North Orange County Computer Club, CA www.noccc.org (Approx. 1,269 words). The book starts with efficient organization of the workspace. Anyone using Photoshop knows how quickly palettes hog the visible area (Tools and Options are palettes by the way). I cleaned up my work space by his example most of which is ignored in teachings elsewhere. All palettes are covered and should one want to get a quick handle on a palette you don't use, such as Layer Comps, the information is there. I will continue using this book as a handy reference as can others whose PS skills may vary anywhere from beginner on.

Recovering Files from a Hard Drive by Vinny La Bash, a member of the Sarasota PCUG, Florida www.spcug.org (Approx. 641 words). Have you deleted a file that you need and you dont know how to get it back? Vinny tells us the process for recovering that file.

Renew the Artist in You: ArtRage 2, a review by Rob Rice, a computer specialist living in Anchorage Alaska and a member of the Computer Club of Oklahoma City www.ccokc.org (Approx. 996 words). Since its initial release by former MetaCreations Corporation employees Andy Bearsley and Matt Fox-Wilson in 2004 as a free product, ArtRage has been steadily polished and improved. A recipient of many awards, ArtRage comes with a good users manual and several helpful tutorials are available on the Ambient Design website. It is a nice blend of a simple user interface with the power to create high quality work.

Secure Your Flash Drive Cap by Fran Damratowski, Refurbishing SIG Leader, Chesapeake