Geoff's Computer Blog & other Musings

Facebook – New Privacy Controls

2012-02-13T13:52:00.003+10:00

Many people have been aware (and most haven’t) that Facebook has not done a good job of ensuring your personal information remains private. Recently, Facebook updated its settings to make it easier to control who sees your status updates.

How? When you go to post a status update, click on the drop-down menu next to the Post button and you can choose from a range of options.

The default option is labelled Public rather than Everyone (the earlier version). Check the options out.

Also, Facebook now offers an option to tag individual people mentioned in a post. Additional controls let you control other tagging elements. If a “friend” tags you in an unflattering photo for example, you can remove the tag from your wall. You can ask your “friend” to remove the tag or you can block someone altogether.

The update box also lets you identify your location, that replaces an earlier Places system. Tagging your location should be used with caution. Facebook can be a great way to tell friends and family you’re on holidays, but, if your address is easily discovered online, it is an open invitation to burglars.

Time to revisit your Facebook page to make sure your information is “safe”.

2012 Predictions

2012-02-13T13:44:00.002+10:00

Windows 8 is due in the second half of 2012. This operating system will probably also extend to mobile phones and tablets. But who knows when? Did you know that in October of 2011 Windows XP had been around for 10 years? That is an amazing track record. Apple probably would have sold the punters many differing operating systems and hardware in that time for a tidy profit.

Google’s Android operating system for mobiles was the big winner in 2011. Samsung was propelled to the top of the smart phone market becoming the world’s top-selling smart phone brand. No doubt Apple will come back with a new phone this year, as the iPhone with a 3.5 inch screen is looking very dated, despite all the hype about the new processor in the iPhone 4s. The dark horse will be Nokia who are likely to be releasing Windows phone sets in 2012.

How about a smart phone with a bendable screen? Toshiba demonstrated a prototype bendable display nearly 10 years ago. Samsung has ramped up these Graphene-protected AMOLED displays and they may be available this year. How cool is that? Whether the price will be “cool” is a different story. I am of the school of thought that subscribes to NOT being an early adopter of new technology. Wait for the “bugs” to be ironed out and the price to come down to more realistic levels.

Android tablets will challenge Apple’s highly successful iPads but it is likely that Apple will release another big, new iPad this year with new and improved features to keep them in front, for the near future.

Television! Take the AMOLED screens of smart phones, scale it up to TV size and you’re going to have super bright, stratospheric colours for the next generation TVs. I (and many testers) still consider plasma TV to produce the best pictures, unfortunately at a higher power consumption rate than the LCD variants (do you want to be a “greenie” and forgo quality?).

But this new OLED technology looks like making all these others obsolescent. Samsung, LG and Sony are talking about OLED TVs. Where to for 3D TV without glasses? Maybe it will become a non-event in the short term. Time and the market will tell.

Intel will continue to maintain its dominance on desktop and portable PCs. AMD is not dead, so they may yet come out with a brilliant processor. It is becoming increasingly tougher to attain quantum leaps in processing power but processors are now delivering better performance with less power and heat.

SSDs (solid state drives – similar technology to SD cards and thumb drives) are now being fitted to more and more computer systems. The advantage is quicker boot times. Still pricey but as more and more are used then the prices are likely to drop. Currently some system manufacturers use them, for the operating system, along with a very large hard drive/s to store your data.

And speaking of storage – what about “cloud computing”?
In a previous blog entry I did raise some concerns about using the “cloud”. Let the demise of the website Megaupload, the file hosting service and file sharing site, be a warning as to what can happen. Probably someone like Apple or Microsoft or Google would offer relatively secure cloud hosting but, who else would you trust? Nevertheless, if I was a company having someone else host my files I would want to make sure that such files are strongly encrypted. My mind still says, store your own data safely, do not share/rely on others. If it is "in the cloud" are you going to be able to access the files when you need them?

There, we have some thoughts for 2012, let us see what happens and be prepared for some surprises.

Worm Steals 45,000 Facebook Passwords

2012-01-20T13:45:00.002+10:00

More malware is worming its way onto social networks!

A computer worm has stolen 45,000 login credentials from Facebook, security experts have warned. The data is believed to have been taken largely from Facebook accounts in the UK and France, according to security firm Seculert. It can happen on this side of the world also.

The culprit is a well-known piece of malware - dubbed Ramnit - which has been around since April 2010 and has previously stolen banking details. Facebook told the BBC that it was looking into the issue. The latest iteration of the worm was
discovered in Seculert's labs. "We suspect that the attackers behind Ramnit are using the stolen credentials to login to victims' Facebook accounts and to transmit malicious links to their friends, thereby magnifying the malware's spread even further," said the researchers on the firm's blog. "In addition, cybercriminals are
taking advantage of the fact that users tend to use the same password in various web-based services to gain remote access to corporate networks," it added.

The Best Anti-Virus for 2012

2012-01-20T13:41:00.003+10:00

Click on this link:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372369,00.asp

Make up your own mind - there is no recommendation from me.

Disclaimer: I do not receive anything from PC Mag for this.

Create a System Repair/Recovery Disc

2012-01-20T13:33:00.002+10:00

New in Windows 7 is the ability to create a system repair CD that will help you
recover your computer from serious errors preventing windows from starting up.
The recovery disc is based on Windows PE and includes the standard recovery
options that are found on any Windows 7 installation disc.

If you have a Windows 7 installation disc, that doubles as a repair disc, so you don’t
need another. This article is only useful for users that have Windows 7 pre-installed and you did not receive the installation media with your computer (very common situation with laptops).

Creating the disc is very simple. Just click on the start button and type in (the area that says "Search programs and files") recdisc.exe and press Enter. Once started, put in a CD-R or CD-RW into your burner and click Start Burning. Don't forget to label the disc and whether it is for a 32bit or 64bit system.

Windows 7 Snipping Tool - Very Handy

2012-01-20T13:26:00.002+10:00

What does the Snipping Tool do?
Recipes, news stories, book reviews—you name it. Sometimes the easiest way to save a copy of something is to simply take a snapshot of your screen.
Snipping Tool captures a screen shot of anything on your desktop,
like a picture or a section of webpage.

Snip a whole window, a rectangular section of the screen, or draw a freehand outline with your mouse or tablet pen (or your finger, if you're using a PC with a touch screen). Then you can annotate, save, or e-mail the image using buttons right in the Snipping Tool window. Snipping Tool is available only in the Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows 7.

Click this link for more details: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows7/Use-Snipping-Tool-to-capture-screen-shots

The icon should appear on your Start Menu. If not (or it becomes “lost” at some time) to ensure its return, make sure that “Tablet PC Optional Components " need to be enabled in the "Turn Windows features on or off " dialog box (left column) of the "Programs and Features " in control panel. Even if you DO NOT have a tablet PC, this option must be checked to enable the Snipping Tool. If the check box is already checked/ticked, uncheck it, reboot, go back to Control Panel, “Turn Windows features on or off” of the Program and Features panel, check the box, reboot the computer and the icon should appear again in your Start Menu.

Do Not Do This Online

2012-01-20T13:14:00.003+10:00

If you walk around the City staring open-mouthed at the tall buildings, the low-lifes mark you for a dumb s**t right away. Pickpockets try for your wallet, sidewalk vendors offer great deals on "genuine" Rolexes… you might even get an opportunity to buy the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Even if you're smart enough not to get taken, you're better off keeping a low profile. The same is true in the online world. There are some things you should just never, ever do. For example:

Never Put Your Email Address in a Comment.
Don't put your email address in comments on blog posts. Don't put it in Facebook comments. You may have set Facebook for privacy, but your friends haven't. Don't include the address in plain text on your own Web site; use an image. Spammers send Web crawlers to harvest exposed email addresses and fill your Inbox with ads for drugs and Russian girls.

Never Respond to Spam.
Angry at the spammers? Don't fire off an irate missive. Don't reply with "REMOVE" in the subject. All this does is verify for them that your address is owned by a person who actively uses it. That makes it much more valuable when they sell their list to other spammers.

Never Click Links from Strangers.
Got an unsolicited email promising you a free iPad, a vacation in Belize, or something else tempting? Resist temptation! Clicking that link won't get you the prize, but it might well recruit your computer into the latest botnet army. Sure, your antivirus or security suite will probably keep you safe. So in the best case, you get… nothing.

Never Share Your Password.
OK, this may sound too simple, too obvious, yet I've seen people do it.
"Hey, can I use your [fill in the blank] account?" Sure, it's a good friend asking, but will this person safeguard your security the way you would yourself? Maybe you don't really care about that particular account, but are you sure you haven't used that same password on one, two, or twenty other sites? Sharing is good, in general, but not password sharing.

Never Do Your Banking over Public Wi-Fi.
Banking over the public WiFi at a coffee house or Internet café is a seriously bad idea. These networks can be ridiculously insecure. The guy at the next table could be using Firesheep to capture your online session. The sinister café owner could be
tracking every packet that passes through the network. Save your online
financial transactions for times when you can connect to a secure network.

These tips won't guarantee total online safety, but they're a good
start. Follow them and you won't look like a yokel.

Remember to ALWAYS delete address in emails that you are forwarding and when sending to multiple address use the Bcc!! Your friends deserve having their identity kept secret!

Windows 7 Operating System

2012-01-12T19:43:00.003+10:00

Windows 7 has, finally, become the world’s most popular desktop operating system.

It overtook Windows XP in the first ten days of October 2011 with a 40.18 per cent share of the market, according to statistics gathered by Statcounter.
At the latest measurement, 38.66 per cent of desktop computers in use online are
powered by XP while Vista limps in on 11.21 per cent.

XP became the most popular operating system by quantity in 2003 after being released in 2001.

Windows 7 adoption has been quick since it hit the shelves in 2009.

What's obvious from the Statcounter charts is the fact that Win 7 has grown at
the expense of XP and Vista. Still, with Mac OS X only commanding 7.27 per cent of the market, it’s not surprising that Microsoft is retaining customers rather than luring new ones.

Linux, on the desktop, has all but flatlined.

Gadgets & Recycle Bin

2012-01-12T19:41:00.000+10:00

Windows 7 improves the Gadget feature first found in Windows
Vista by making gadgets easy to position anywhere on the desktop and simple to
resize. If you like to keep your gadgets at the edges of your screen where they
have traditionally resided, they’ll snap right into place as if they were magnets.

Right Click blank part of Desktop then go to Personalize. My own
choice is to have them sitting on the right hand side of my screen; I have a
“widescreen” monitor thereby giving me plenty of space. My own choices for the
Gadgets are Date, Time and Weather. The choice is yours.

And underneath the gadgets, at the bottom of the screen, is where I place my Recycle Bin. If you have a rubbish bin near your workspace area, you would normally have it on the floor wouldn’t you? Then why have it somewhere else on your screen? Your choice, of course.

User Account Control

2012-01-12T19:39:00.000+10:00

The User Account Control (UAC) feature introduced in Windows
Vista (the one Vista feature that drove people nuts to start with) has been
successful at reducing the incidence of malware infection, with Windows Vista
customers experiencing 60 percent fewer malware infections than users of
Windows XP with SP2. However, your call has been heard for better control of
how often a UAC prompt launches a notification window.

In Windows 7, you won’t see as many prompts because fewer operating system
programs and tasks require elevation. And if you have administrative
privileges, you can adjust what you are prompted for. In order to help ensure
your security, the UAC control panel runs in a high integrity process. Any
change to the level of the UAC will prompt for confirmation.

My choice of setting is the second one down from the top. Type UAC into Search
and look at the settings available to you to choose the one that you feel
comfortable with.

Change Icon Views to Extra Large in Windows 7 Explorer

2012-01-12T19:36:00.001+10:00

In Windows 7 Explorer, changing the view of your thumbnails and other files is easy by clicking the Change Your View button in Explorer. What you may not have
noticed is there’s an Extra Large view setting as well.

Change Your View Button in Explorer
When in Windows Explorer you can click the Change your view button to
toggle through different sizes of the icons. In this example we are in Details
view which gives you more data about the files you’re looking at.
After clicking it once we see we have the Tiles View. Clicking it each time
will give you a different view including Details, Tiles, Content, List, Large
Icons, Medium Icons, and Small Icons.

Extra Large View
The one view not available by simply clicking the Change your view button is
Extra Large Icons. To get the Extra Large setting click the arrow button for
More Options. Then at the top of the menu select Extra Large Icons.
Another way to quickly scroll through the views is click an empty area in the
Explorer window, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll your mouse wheel up or down
for different sizes.

Yet another way to change the views is to hit Alt+F to bring up the Menu Bar,
then click on View and select different.

It can be done in Vista as well by clicking the Views button and selecting
Extra Large Icons.

Change your default Region and Language settings

2012-01-12T19:34:00.000+10:00

Don't accept somebody elses settings - they probably just used the
American default setting. Use your "local" settings. Here's how:
1. Open the Control Panel (Category View), then click on Regional and Language.
2. Click the 'Formats' tab (selected by default), then click the Format:
dropdown and select the format you require
3. Next, click the 'Location' tab and select your location from the dropdown
4. Next,click the 'Administrative' tab. You will notice 2 options
5. Next, click the 'Change system locale' button and select your location from
the dropdown then click OK
6. Next, click the 'Copy Settings' button and put a check (tick) in the 2 boxes
at the bottom then click OK

NOTE: You may be prompted for a system restart after the final OK, just
click the Restart Now button and allow the system to restart.

How to Practice Safe Computing

2011-09-05T16:58:00.006+10:00

1) Make sure Windows is configured to show the file extensions for ALL FILE TYPES. This will allow you to recognize potentially dangerous files.

This is how you do it:

Windows XP: Go to Control Panel, Folder Options, click View Tab, under Advanced Settings, Files and Folders, UNCHECK, Hide extensions for known file types.

Windows Vista & Windows 7: From Control Panel, click Appearance and Personalization, Folder Options, View Tab, Advanced Settings, Files and Folders, UNCHECK, Hide extensions for known file types.

Never, never open any files with a double file extension such as "loveletterforyou.txt.vbs". vbs denotes an executable file as does the following file extensions, exe com bat pif and scr (an "executable file" allows a "program" to run on your computer). Only the last three letter file extension is relevant. The fact that (as above) that it shows another innocuous file extension is just done to fool you.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER OPEN ATTACHED EXECUTABLE FILES SENT TO YOU VIA EMAIL!!

BEWARE OF CLICKING ON EMBEDDED LINKS IN EMAILS UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD BEFOREHAND, BY THE SENDER, THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE SENDING YOU.

If you are tech savvy and are using a "sandbox" then no great problem.

Last, but not least, when sending emails to multiple recipients ALWAYS use the BCC facility! This is important.

2) Don't have antivirus software (shame on you)?

The creators of PC-cillin, Trend Micro offer a free web based virus scan for your computer. Free programs are available from AVG, Avast, Microsft Security Essentials, Panda, Evira and others.

Make sure you download from the develops website (or someone like cnet.com) and that you choose the FREE version, if you're not of the mind to pay for a more elaborate version.

3) Windows Tech Support Scam

A "phishing" scam that has appeared lately using the telephone to "trap" you. They claim they have been alerted by Microsoft, your ISP or whomever, that your computer is running slowly because of viruses. The scammer offers to run a free diagnostic test to show the "malware" and infections on your computer.

The scammer then offers to fix the nonexistent problem (using a program in your Windows operating system, that you will allow them to use - you have just given control to an unknown person!), but in reality they are just going to download an infected program to validate their phone call! They will also try to sell you a bogus warranty, which requires you to provide your credit card details. Surprise, surprise!

Microsoft never cold calls anyone about anything!! If someone calls and says there is a problem with your computer they can fix, just hang up or impolitely tell them where to go.

3) "Nuisance" emails.

You know the ones that go around make all sorts of claims about helping people, making medical claims etc., all claiming validation by snopes.com and others. If you think the email has some merit, then check with snopes or hoaxbusters by going directly to their site (DO NOT click on the embedded website in the email). DON'T just blindly send it on, please!

NEVER reply to "spam" emails either. Either mark them as Junk/Spam or use block sender, depending upon what email reader you are using. To answer is merely to let the spammer know that you are a real live address!

Another email doing the rounds at the moment threatens to close down your email account unless you verify all the details (and they ask for your password!) with the Sender. Let them close it down - start up a new account with Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail, no big problem. Your ISP or email provider is not going to send such an email to you!

To those of you who may have watched and remembered Hill St Blues - American cop show - the Sergeant each day would say to his troops "Be careful out there", which now applies to the internet. And I would add "But have fun and learn".

Christmas & New Year Greetings

2010-11-28T12:54:00.002+10:00

TO ALL MY FRIENDS, I WISH FOR YOU KIND BLESSINGS FOR THE YEAR AND MAY 2011 BRING HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.

p.s. no postings for December.

Windows 7 More tips

2010-11-28T12:45:00.003+10:00

Take Control!!
Tired of the kids (or anyone else) installing dubious software or running applications you'd rather they left alone? AppLocker is a new Windows 7 feature that ensures users can only run the programs you specify. Don't worry, that's easier to set up than it sounds: you can create a rule to allow everything signed by a particular publisher, so choose Microsoft, say, and that one rule will let you run all signed Microsoft applications. Launch GPEDIT.MSC and go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker to get a feel for how this works.

Calculate More
At first glance the Windows 7 calculator looks just like Vista's version, but explore the Mode menu and you'll see powerful new Statistics and Programmer views. And if you're clueless about bitwise manipulation, then try the Options menu instead. This offers many different unit conversions (length, weight, volume and more), date calculations (how many days between two dates?), and spreadsheet-type templates to help you calculate vehicle mileage, mortgage rates and more.

Don't take any Windows 7 applet at face value, then - there are some very powerful new features hidden in the background. Be sure to explore every option in all Windows applets to ensure you don't miss anything important.

Troubleshoot Problems
If some part of Windows 7 is behaving strangely, and you don't know why, then click Control Panel > Find and fix problems (or 'Troubleshooting') to access the new troubleshooting packs. These are simple wizards that will resolve common problems, check your settings, clean up your system and more.

Startup Repair
If you've downloaded Windows 7 (and even if you haven't) it's a good idea to create a system repair disc straight away in case you run into problems booting the OS later on. Click Start > Maintenance > Create a System Repair Disc, and let Windows 7 build a bootable emergency disc. If the worst does happen then it could be the only way to get your PC running again.

Burn Images
Windows 7 finally introduces a feature that other operating systems have had for years - the ability to burn ISO images to CDs or DVDs. And it couldn't be much easier to use. Just double-click the ISO image, choose the drive with the blank disc, click Burn and watch as your disc is created.

Right-click Everything
At first glance Windows 7 bears a striking resemblance to Vista, but there's an easy way to begin spotting the differences - just right-click things.
Right-click an empty part of the desktop, for instance, and you'll find a menu entry to set your screen resolution. No need to go browsing through the display settings any more.
Right-click the Explorer icon on the taskbar for speedy access to common system folders: Documents, Pictures, the Windows folder, and more.
And if you don't plan on using Internet Explorer then you probably won't want its icon permanently displayed on the taskbar. Right-click the icon, select 'Unpin this program from the taskbar', then go install Firefox, instead.

Display the old taskbar button context menu
Right-click a taskbar button, though, and you'll now see its jumplist menu. That's a useful new feature, but not much help if you want to access the minimize, maximize, or move options that used to be available. Fortunately there's an easy way to get the old context menu back - just hold down Ctrl and Shift as you right-click the taskbar button.

Recover Screen Space
The new Windows 7 taskbar acts as one big quick launch toolbar that can hold whatever program shortcuts you like (just right-click one and select Pin To Taskbar). And that's fine, except it does consume a little more screen real estate than we'd like. Shrink it to a more manageable size by right-clicking the Start orb, then Properties > Taskbar > Use small icons > OK.

See More Detail
The new and improved Windows 7 magnifier offers a much easier way to zoom in on any area of the screen. Launch it and you can now define a scale factor and docking position, and once activated it can track your keyboard focus around the screen. Press Tab as you move around a dialog box, say, and it'll automatically zoom in on the currently active control.

Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

2010-11-28T12:39:00.001+10:00

The Windows key now performs a wide variety of functions. Here are a handful of the most useful ones:

Win+h - Move current window to full screen
Win+i - Restore current full screen window to normal size or minimise current window if not full screen
Win+Shift+arrow - Move current window to alternate screen
Win+D - Minimise all windows and show the desktop
Win+E - Launch Explorer with Computer as the focus
Win+F - Launch a search window
Win+G - Cycle through gadgets
Win+L - Lock the desktop
Win+M - Minimise the current window
Win+R - Open the Run window
Win+T - Cycle through task bar opening Aero Peek for each running item
Win+U - Open the Ease of Use center
Win+Space - Aero Peek the desktop
Ctrl+Win+Tab - Open persistent task selection window, roll mouse over each icon to preview item and minimise others.

Customise Your Windows Desktop

2010-09-11T12:10:00.002+10:00

Learn how to reposition the taskbar, resize your icons, and save your desktop layout.

Widescreen monitors are great for watching movies and organizing windows side-by-side, but a lot of time the space goes to waste. I've got a great tip that's particularly applicable to laptop and netbook users: Move the Windows taskbar to the side of the screen. Also, do you spend time and effort getting your Windows desktop to look just the way you want it, only to have some annoying program rearrange your icons? Read on for a cool little program that gets your desktop back to the way you want it--plus a quick way to resize your icons.

Move the Taskbar to the Side of the Screen
If you've been a Windows user as long as I have, I promise you'll hate this--at first. But think about it: Web pages, Word documents, and the like run top-to-bottom, so the more vertical space you can give them, the better.

By relocating the taskbar to the left side of the screen (or the right, if you prefer), you're freeing up vertical space for stuff you use every day while making smarter use of wasted horizontal space.

Ready to give it a try? The steps are the same in both Windows Vista and Windows 7:

Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and clear the check mark next to Lock the taskbar. Left-click and hold an empty area of the taskbar, then drag it to the left side of the screen. Once you get close, you'll see it lock in, at which point you can release the mouse button.

That's all there is to it! Vista users may want to extend the width of the taskbar to better see the labels for programs that are running. But Windows 7 can keep the taskbar its naturally narrow self, as that OS doesn't have running-program labels anyway. Indeed, I think the "side taskbar" works better in Windows 7 than in any previous version of the OS. But regardless, if you have a system with a widescreen monitor, give this a try for a couple days and see if you don't really like the change. (If you don't, you can always drag the taskbar back to the bottom.)

Change the Size of Vista's Desktop Icons
Ever wish you could change the size of Vista's desktop icons? For example, recent migrants from Windows XP may prefer its smaller icons to Vista's larger ones. On the flipside, if you're running Vista on a TV or ultra-high-resolution monitor, you may want to make the icons larger still.

The option to change icon size is hiding in plain sight. Before I tell you where to find it, a note of caution: If you have your icons organized a particular way, resizing them will probably mess up that order. Obviously you can re-organize them when you're done; I just wanted to spare you the shock and sadness of seeing your icons suddenly messy.

Here's how to resize them:
Right-click in any open area of the desktop (meaning not on a program icon).
In the pop-up menu that appears, mouse over View to see your three icon-size choices. Vista's default is Medium. If you want XP-style icons, choose Classic Icons. For super-big icons, choose Large Icons.

Save Your Desktop Icon Layout
You know the routine: Some game or application changes your screen resolution, and when it changes back again, your carefully crafted icon layout is totally messed up. Not cool, Windows. Not cool.

Fortunately, there's a little gem of a utility: DesktopOK. This nifty bit of freeware lets you save and restore icon layouts. Set your icons the way you like them, save the layout, then just restore it later when the need arises.

And you're not limited to one layout: You can save as many as you want, which is great if you want different layouts for use with, say, your laptop with and without an external monitor.

SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS

2010-09-11T12:05:00.002+10:00

Can be very handy at times if you're looking for a file or folder.

1. Start Button or Start Orb
2. Control Panel
3. Folder Options
4. View tab
5. Check “Hidden files and folders: Show all files and folders”
6. Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)”
7. Click “apply” and then “OK”

And now you can see more than what Microsoft (aka "Big Brother"?) felt you should see!

PUSH/PULL EMAIL - WHAT IS THAT?

2010-09-11T12:00:00.002+10:00

Push email utilises a mail delivery system with real-time capability to “push” email through to the client as soon as it arrives, rather than requiring the client to poll and collect or pull mail manually. With a push email smartphone, for example, the client’s mailbox is constantly updated with arriving email without user intervention. Smartphones announce new mail arrival with an alert.

Push email differs from conventional email systems that are “pull” oriented. Usually, when email is sent, it arrives at the recipient’s Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) mail server, where it is held for collection. It might instead arrive at a website server, if the email is Web-based. Either way, email remains on the mail server until the recipient uses an email program to poll the mail server. If new mail is present, the email client “pulls” the mail to the client’s computer. The difference between this scheme and push email is that, with push email, the mail is pushed through to the client without waiting for polling.
Push email can be somewhat simulated using an email client set to frequently poll for new mail. However, this requires the email client to be open and running and is less efficient. Polling involves “handshaking” between the client software and the mail server. If the server is busy, the delay in completing the handshake can lengthen, causing the client to time out.

Therefore, polling should not be set so frequently as to cause premature time out errors. To prevent this, one must increase the delay between polling times. In many cases, a minute or two delay between “pull email” and push email schemes may not matter, but in some cases, a minute can make all the difference. Push email can be especially crucial to field reporters, stock market businessmen and other professionals for whom time is of the essence. A one-minute delay can make all the difference in breaking a story, losing money, or making a crucial sale.

BlackBerry was the first personal digital assistant (PDA) to offer push email and gained near-instant success as a result. Today, many devices have incorporated push email, and its popularity continues to grow.

IDENTITY THEFT - CELL/MOBILE PHONES

2010-09-11T11:58:00.001+10:00

KEEPING SMART PHONES SAFE:-
Take advantage of your phone’s built-in security features, such as setting a PIN or password to unlock the device.
-Pay attention to system updates from your wireless carrier and be sure to install required upgrades.
-Back up data such as contacts and documents and sync regularly to keep the information current.
-Don’t click on links in text messages from unfamiliar senders.
-Stick with trusted sources and well-known brand names when downloading third-party applications.

"If you look like your passport/drivers licence picture, you probably need the trip."

Terrific General Tip - Undo Function

2010-06-05T12:09:00.002+10:00

Undo function, which can be lifesaver when you need to reverse whatever unintended (and/or unwanted) action you just took.

Most often, that's something like an accidental paragraph deletion in Word, or clicking the wrong option in a pull-down menu.

Undo (keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+Z) can do more than just fix typos and reverse errant clicks.

For example, let's say you just deleted a file you didn't mean to delete. Instead of opening up the Recycle Bin and poking around until you find the file, a simple press of Ctrl+Z should restore it to the folder window from which you deleted it. The same applies to batches of deleted files.

Also, a very common boo-boo is when you inadvertently rename a file. Can't remember the old filename? No problem: Just press Ctrl+Z (before you close the folder containing the file) and presto, it reverts to the original name.

Needless to say, Undo is your go-to function for undoing unwanted actions and changes. Once you start using Ctrl+Z on a regular basis, you'll wonder how you got along without it.

In a nutshell, Undo undoes whatever action you just took, whether it was erasing a paragraph, deleting an e-mail, editing a snippet of video, or adding numbers to a spreadsheet cell.

Just about every application known to man has an Undo feature--usually in the Edit menu, and almost always a Ctrl+Z-press away. What's more, many programs support multiple levels of undo, meaning you can reverse not only the most recent action, but also the one before that, the one before that, and so on.

Need to undo an undo? Some apps offer a "redo" option: Tap Ctrl+Y to un-reverse whatever action you just reversed. Or, if you're more of a menu person, look for Redo in the Edit menu. It won't be far from Undo.

Windows 7 Tips

2010-06-05T12:04:00.004+10:00

Screen Calibration
Fortunately, Windows 7 comes with a display calibration wizard that lets you set up the screen brightness properly, so you won’t have any problems viewing photos or text. The problem was that on one PC a photo could look sharp and bright and on another it looks awful. Now the problem can be fixed by pressing the Windows logo key and then typing “DCCW” (without the quotes). DCCW is Display Color Calibration Wizard.

Dock The Current Windows To The Left Side Of The Screen
This new feature seems useful because sometimes it’s disturbing that windows seems to float like crazy on the screen and it’s hard to attach them to one side of it. Now this can easily be done using a keyboard shortcut. Press the Windows key + Left key (arrow) to dock it to the left side of the screen.

Dock The Current Windows To The Right Side Of The Screen
Press the Windows key + Right key to dock it to the right side of the screen.

Background Photo Slideshow
If you are like me, lazy and bored, then you will want to change the background from time to time, wasting a lot of time. Now you don’t have to do this anymore, because you can set up a slideshow.
Right click on the desktop then go to Personalize -> Desktop Background and hold the CTRL key while choosing the images. Then you can choose the time intervals between images and opt to display them randomly or in a row.

Powerful new calculator
The Windows 7 calculator might initially seem nothing special, but it has hidden depths. It includes plenty of unit conversions such as length and weight, while you can also do date-related calculations such as working out the number of days before a certain date.
In addition, there are ready-to-go Worksheets for vehicle economy, leasing costs and mortgage calculations. The main menu also gives you powerful new Statistics and Programmer modes.
The treatment of the calculator is typical of how many standard Windows applications have been given new life.

Bring fonts to life
Ever been frustrated by not being able to see what fonts look like? Now you can banish that irritation forever.
In Windows 7 previewing Fonts is easy. The new Fonts applet in Control Panel gives you a preview for each font on your system, so you'll be to see all your fonts at a glance. Handily, Windows 7 also groups together font families, so when you can still see the different fonts within a family, the window makes things simple with just a single entry for each family.
In case you didn't know, Windows 7 also introduces a new open type script font called Gabriola.

3D TV

2010-06-05T12:01:00.002+10:00

These things are sent to try us - no sooner than I mention that SBS is going to broadcast World Cup Football in 3D, along comes Channel Nine and Harvey Norman who broadcast Rugby league's State of Origin in 3D.

Mobile Phone System

2010-06-05T11:59:00.002+10:00

Research firm NPD Group reported that Google Android edged out Apple iPhone for the number two spot in the smart phone market in the United States in Q1, with both of them running behind BlackBerry by Research in Motion; the Android surge spurred talk of the Google system quickly overcoming Apple and, in the words of more than one columnist, becoming "the Windows of smart phone" operating systems; like Windows, Android is available on a wide range of phones, and like niche Mac computers, the iPhone system is available only on Apple products.

The No 1 US yuppie phone company Verizon announced it will soon be selling a tablet computer with an Android operating system.

"My friend has a lifesaving tool in her car which is designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the car boot - they walk among us!"

3D Television

2010-04-18T09:56:00.001+10:00

Yes, they are here. Apparently to be released, in Australia, during April by Samsung. They will be LCD screens with plasma ones rumoured to be following soon after.

Despite Blu-ray movies being the only thing to watch on the new sets at the moment, SBS could be broadcasting the FIFAWorld Cup in June in the 3D format.

Prices will be $2500 - $4800 starting with a 101cm wide screen.

Other manufacturers are likely to introduced sets during the year.

However, there are some “dangers” that users should be aware of.

Children under the age of 6 should not view 3D TV
Consult your Doctor should you suffer or have a family history of epilepsy or strokes.
Even those without a family history may have an undiagnosed condition that can caused seizures when viewing 3D TV.
Pregnant women, the elderly, those who are sleep deprived, or under the influence of alcohol should avoid the 3D function. (Source: Samsung)

iPod

2010-04-18T09:55:00.000+10:00

Have thoughts about buying Apple’s iPad?

WePad is expected to go on sale in Germany this year at about $A660. It scores over Apple’s device with having a bigger screen, webcam, USB ports, memory card reader, audio output, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, stereo speakers, Flash and Adobe AIR support. There is an option of a Wi-Fi only model with 16GB storage or 3G equipped model with GPS and 32GB of internal storage.

Social Online Networking - be Careful

2010-04-18T09:46:00.002+10:00

What undergoes more inspection and certification under real-world scenarios, that fridge or the network infrastructure holding up your favorite social network? It’s the fridge! The result of course is that Twitter or Facebook or My Space (or name your fave social site) not only has difficulty performing, but continues to be a harbinger of nasty malware and viruses.

This is not to pick on Twitter et al. I’ve been using these services and I realise that we get what we pay for when it comes to any of these services. My concern is that as these networks become more ubiquitous in our lives that users never stop to question these problems and that we never institute a set of standards to measure and certify the performance and security of the devices that run these services.

I’m get many direct messages from folks offering me ways to make millions from the comfort of my own home or to check out their webcam, and these are people I know well. Unfortunately their “social networking” accounts have been compromised and it is happening all the time on every social network.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. It is predicted that in 2010 social networks will be the number one source of malware. It is also a safe haven for botnets to do their bidding, whether that is spamming campaigns or stealing information.
In the months that have passed it has only gotten worse.

Resiliency is Key
Social networks rely on network and data center infrastructure to reach us all, in some instances this may be a cloud computing scenario or something they have built themselves. Most likely it is a mix. As already mentioned above, the equipment that makes up this infrastructure has not been assessed as thoroughly as your microwave. All of this equipment must be certified to be resilient to handle the complexity and chaos that is today’s network traffic. Network resiliency is the ability to remain high performing while remaining stable and secure.

Companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Amazon EC2, Google and others, have to make a commitment to validating and certifying that their network infrastructure (or their cloud computing partner) is resilient to everything, from maximum user load to a major cyber attack. For too long these companies have collected our information while taking little responsibility for properly securing our experience. When do you think these companies will move in the direction of resiliency certification? Perhaps after an immense attack, such as Google looking for help from the NSA after the cyber attacks in China. Or when users start to become appalled and demand their services provide a promise of resiliency.
Well I don’t wish the former upon anyone, therefore let us focus as users of these services on the latter. Each time you see another spam message or wall post I want you think about doing two things:
1. Change your password…you should do this each week anyhow
2. Be outraged that the service you are using has not properly certified the resiliency of the infrastructure that houses your information and in some cases your reputation.

It is time to get outraged and perhaps only then we will start to see change, less stealing of personal information and malware attacks.
Thanks to: Jennifer & Kyle

Research - Use the Internet

2010-04-18T09:40:00.002+10:00

I recently became involved in a science fair project in which people were asked to support a ban of a product/substance. Emails were sent to a large number of people (anonymously from each other) asking for support for a ban.

Surprisingly, a larger number than I thought, supported the ban (although the Aussies and Kiwis did far better than the Yanks!). Some knew the “answer”, others searched the internet to arrive at a correct conclusion. With my email I gave the numbers from the first American project test. By the way, the numbers did not add up thereby giving another clue as to the real answer.

The point of the exercise was to get people who did not know the answer to use the internet to research for something you were going to support based on a set of circumstances given by an unknown proponent. It would seem that certain words or phrases/comments gives rise to a conditioned response thereby clouding ones judgement.

Try using the internet to arrive at a reasonable conclusion and always try and ascertain who is “behind” the internet site. Obviously some proponents of a particular cause/product will push only their line of thought. Research a number of sites and retain an open mind. This is one way that we can move forward and learn.

And the answer was that “dihydrogen monoxide” is H2O (water)!

"Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places"

Analogue TV shutdown in Australia

2010-03-04T13:21:00.002+10:00

Begins this year in Mildura, Victoria and will be coming to your place soon. When will that be?

Download the details from here http://tinyurl.com/yaoyxe8 Click on this link or cut and past into your browser.

Sorry Kiwis - doesn't seem to be any definitive information for you folks. Although I understand that a decision may be considered in 2012.

Emailing an .exe file

2010-03-04T13:19:00.000+10:00

So you want to send a trusted exe file to a friend (who trusts you)?

At one time they could be hidden in .zip files but now most email accounts will go looking for any application you send.

What to do? Rename the extension of the file from .zip to .jpg and send. You will of course need to let your email recipient know that they need to change the file extension back to .zip when they have downloaded the attachment. Everything then should just work fine.

Some tips for Windows 7 Users

2010-03-04T13:05:00.003+10:00

As more and more of you update or purchase a new computer you are likely to be using one of the versions of Windows 7 (and there are many of them).

Windows 7 comes with a number of genuinely new features and a multitude of new ways to efficiently perform long standing tasks. If you are a long term XP user then you may need to change your thinking of how to perform some ingrained ways of performing computer tasks. If you have been using Vista then you will have a head start for this new version of Windows.

Display File Extensions:
For some unfathomable reason, Microsoft continues to hide file extensions from us.
This does not allow the user to identify files and programs that may bear viruses, malware etc.!

To turn those file extensions on:
1. Click ‘Start’, type ‘folder options’ and press ‘Enter’
2. Click the ‘View’ tab
3. Remove the tick beside ‘Hide extensions for known file types’
4. And while you’re at it, activate the ‘Show hidden files and folders’ option
directly above
5. Click ’OK’

Display Explorer Menus:
Windows 7 hides the menus that used to be displayed in Windows Explorer – those menus can provide useful shortcuts. You can display them at any time by tapping ‘Alt’ in any Explorer window or you can make them permanently visible

1. Open an Explorer windows and tap Alt to display the menus
2. Go to ‘Tools’ -> ‘Folder Options’
3. Click the ‘View’ tab, tick ‘Always show menus’ and click OK

Resize your Icons:
If you are like me and do not have 20/20 vision and sometimes find yourself squinting at the icons on your desktop, resize them ‘on the fly’. Click in a vacant spot on the desktop or on any of the icons, hold down the ‘Ctrl’ key and scroll your mouse wheel up (or down) to resize the icon/s.

Resize the Desktop Text:
Here is an easy way to bump up the text size too:

1. Right click an empty spot on the desktop, select ‘Screen Resolution’
2. Click ‘Make text and other items larger or smaller’
3. Choose the medium or larger settings, or click ‘Custom text size (DPI)’, drag
the ruler to select a setting and click ‘Ok”
4. Click ‘Apply’
5. Click ‘Log Off’
6. Log back on to see the new settings

One thing you must seriously consider (if you have not already done so) is to create a system repair disc. This is a tool of last resort if your system wont start at all. It includes a bootable disk with a set of system tools to help diagnose and (hopefully) fix what ever ails your system. Just type ‘system repair’ in the ‘Start Search’ box and click ‘Create a system repair disc’. You’ll need a blank writeable DVD or CD on hand.

Control UAC!
The bane of many Vista users. User Account Control was designed as a security measure to prevent malware installations. Many Vista users switched it off altogether.

In Windows 7 you can tone down the UAC security without switching it off.
1. Type ‘UAC’ in the ‘Start search’ box
2. Click ‘Change user account control settings’
3. Use the slider to select a UAC level you are comfortable with (for experienced
users, the second setting from the top will work well).
4. Ok your way out.

More tips another time.

"Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Computers are from hell."

Darkside Of The Internet?

2010-02-04T18:58:00.002+10:00

In an online world of millions of people, there are bad guys and dishonest individuals. They can deceive you just by knowing a little more technology than you. So how do you defend against Internet bad guys?

If you subscribe to Cable or DSL broadband at home, then you are likely to be casually "attacked" by hackers up to three dozen times a day. Especially if you use Windows XP or other Windows operating systems, you are a prime target for savvy hackers who will exploit your fulltime Internet connection.

As good as Microsoft products are, they are also obsessively targeted by hackers around the world. Small Microsoft "holes" perforate your computer, including: your administrator account, your ICF firewall service, your guest logon, your shared folders, your messaging services, your Identifier Broadcasts, your port openings, and your Encrypted File Services... all of these obscure points are absolute candy for hackers!

Yes, this is frightening. But all is not lost... most of these security holes in Microsoft are easily patched by an hour of reading and an hour of configuring your PC.

Good home security is about vigilance, knowledge, and meticulous attention to detail.

Welcome to the exciting and challenging world of anti-hacker and anti-virus defense! What follows next are explanations of firewalls, packet filter routers, toggling Windows services to prevent external access, configuring WiFi networks for privacy, and overall blocking of hackers on Cable and DSL networks.

1) What is “Spyware”?Forget viruses, spam and hacker attacks..."spyware" is now the single largest problem facing internet users today. These nasty little rogue programs have become so widespread and so infectious, their volume far outstrips spam and regular viruses. The spyware problem has grown to such an immense breadth and depth, we cannot even agree on what to call it.

2) Spyware = 'Malware'Most people historically call these rogue programs "spyware". That name comes from the 1990's where nasty little programs secretly observed and logged your web surfing habits. The spyware problem, however, has now grown into dozens of other malicious formats, including sneakware, adware, keyloggers, browser hijackers, porn servers, trojans and worms Because the spyware problem has mutated so much, we now describe spyware as part of a much larger category of rogue software called "malware" (malicious software programs). At its most basic definition, malware is when insidious little software programs covertly install themselves on your computer, and then perform secret operations without your permission. Once in place, malware programs may do hundreds of nasty things to your computer. Malware will log your keystrokes, steal your passwords, observe your browsing choices, spawn pop-up windows, send you targeted email, redirect your web browser to phishing pages, report your personal information to distant servers, and serve up pornography. This malware will operate invisibly, often without displaying itself in your Task Manager. To top it off, malware usually refuses to be uninstalled through your control panel, and requires special tools to delete them from your drive. Yes, this is a direct cousin to viruses, but with a broader portfolio of wicked intentions.

3) What does Spyware/Malware specifically do to my computer?Malware will perform a variety of nasty activities, ranging from simple email advertising all the way to complex identity-theft and password-stealing. New nasty functions are created every week by malware programmers, but the most common malware functions are:
1. Malware steals your personal information and address book (identity
theft and keystroke-logging).
2. Malware floods your browser with pop-up advertising.
3. Malware spams your inbox with advertising email.
4. Malware slows down your connection.
5. Malware hijacks your browser and redirects you to an advertising or
a phishing-con web page.
6. Malware uses your computer as a secret server to broadcast
pornography files.
7. Malware slows down or crashes your computer.

4) Where does Spyware/Malware come from?Spyware/malware programs are authored by clever programmers, and then delivered to your computer through covert Internet installs. Usually, malware will piggyback on innocent-looking web page components and otherwise-benign software such as game demos, MP3 players, search toolbars, software, free subscriptions, and other things you download from the web. Subscribing to online services is especially bad for getting malware. In particular, whenever you sign up for a so-called "free" service or install new software, you must accept an "end user license agreement" (EULA). The fine print of the EULA will often include the phrase "the vendor is allowed to install third-party software on your computer". Since most users don't bother to read this EULA fine print, they naively click "accept", and install malware out of sheer ignorance.

5) What kind of personal information does Spyware/Malware steal?This varies from the non-confidential to the extremely-personal. The malware may simply steal a listing of your MP3s or recent website visits. Malware may also harvest your email address book. At its very worst, malware will steal your banking PIN, your eBay login, and your Paypal information (aka "keystroke logging" identity theft). Yes, spyware/malware is a very serious Internet problem that threatens everyone's personal privacy, and network administrators everywhere are deeply concerned.

How Do I Protect Myself from this Epidemic of Spyware/Malware?

Answer: Avoiding and destroying spyware is not instant, and it is not a one-time event like an inoculation. Instead, stopping spyware/malware is a long-term game that is exactly like cleaning dirt out of your home. You need constant vigilance, and a regular habit of cleaning malware out of your computer every week.

Note: Additionally, as an educated user, you must also adopt a "buyer beware" attitude whenever you install new software from the Net or even from CD...you need to read every end user license agreement on your screen before you click "accept".

Here is the checklist for detecting and destroying malware
1. Install two or three different anti-spyware programs ("spyware
cleaners") on your computer, and update their definition lists
regularly. Because every anti-spyware cleaner is imperfect, it is
necessary to use combinations of these programs to catch the greatest
breadth of malware. Also, the anti-spyware manufacturers regularly
add new entries to their "definition" lists, just like anti-virus software.
Make sure to keep your spyware cleaners updated with these lists!
Build a weekly habit of "scan and detect". Like cleaning house, this
should be done every few days. At the very least, this should be done
whenever you install new software. Many anti-spyware programs can
be set to automatically perform scan-and-detect nightly.
2. Carefully read every EULA (end user license agreement) before
clicking "accept". If you see the phrase "3rd-party software may be
installed", make sure to follow the software install with a spyware
cleaning.
3. Educate yourself on the latest strains of malware. In particular, start
visiting these recommended anti-spyware sites, and update yourself
on the latest malicious programs.
· Antivirus/Antispyware at About
· Network Security at About
· PestPatrol.com database
· Spywareguide.com
· SpywareWarrior.com
· SurferBeware.com
· Cexx.org
4. Save your data, and backup often! As much as it sounds like broken-
record preaching, backing-up is how an intelligent user prepares for
the worst. Backing up means: keep your original software CDs in a
safe accessible place, constantly save copies of your important work
files on CD or separate drives, and presume you will actually need
them one day. This way, if you ever experience the extreme spyware
circumstance of having to reformat your hard drive, you can at least
recover your important work.

There you go, your lives now have an extra complexity as you add one more cleaning habit to your weekly routine. The good news is: once you build a regular scan-and-detect habit, then spyware and malware will be reduced to a mere annoyance, and you can get back to business of enjoying the internet!

Personally, I think of it as having one more room in my house to dust and vacuum.

Keep the faith, the internet is too important to let these malware programmers win!

SPAM

2010-02-02T23:34:00.002+10:00

Recently I have advised on a number “spam (junk)” emails going around.

Reproduced here (in part) is an article from the Australian Competion & Consumer Commission scam watch website, that offers some very valuable advice.

What is a spam (junk mail) offer?
Spam is unsolicited (or junk) electronic messages sent by email, SMS, MMS or instant message. Spam messages can offer free goods or ‘prizes’, very cheap products (including pharmaceuticals), promises of wealth or other offers that could result in you taking part in a scam. You might be asked to pay a joining fee, to buy something to 'win' a prize or some other benefit or to call or text a 190 telephone or fax number (calls made to these numbers are charged at premium rates). Spam messages can offer you anything and everything—from fake college degrees to pirated software and counterfeit designer watches—so it pays to be suspicious and delete unsolicited emails.

Spam messages differ from regular printed junk mail in one major way—responding to a spam message can cause you many problems. You may find that malicious software like spyware or key-loggers has been downloaded onto your computer. You may find you are bombarded with more spam messages. Your credit card numbers or other personal details may be stolen. You may send away money for something that never arrives or is not what you thought it would be.

Warning signs
You receive an unsolicited email that contains:
an invitation to participate in any type of lottery or sweepstake
an offer of uninvited gifts or goods from any source
an offer from overseas
a request to pay a fee to receive more 'benefits' from the same provider
an offer from an unregistered lottery
an offer of special benefits (e.g. wealth, love, health) from someone claiming psychic powers
an offer of a gambling system that guarantees winners.

Protect yourself against spam (junk mail) offers:
Speak to your internet service provider about spam filtering or purchase a spam filter for your email account. (But they are not always 100% successful and in some instance may stop you receiving genuine emails)- my comments, Geoff
Do not open suspicious or unsolicited emails (spam): delete them.
Do not click on any links in a spam email, or open any files attached to them.
Never call a telephone number that you see in a spam email or text message.
NEVER reply to a spam email (even to unsubscribe).
Never enter your personal, credit card or online account information on a website that you are not certain is genuine.
Never email your personal, credit card or online account details.
Use your commonsense: the offer may be a scam.
Read all the terms and conditions of any offer very carefully: claims of free or very cheap offers often have hidden costs.
Do not send any money or pay any fee to claim a prize or lottery winnings.
As well as following these specific tips, find out how to protect yourself from all sorts of other scams.

Do your homework
Remember that letters, electronic messages and other approaches offering you something that looks too good to be true are almost always scams.

If you are interested in an offer, use a search engine to locate the firm’s website address. Web-based forums may provide some insight into the activities of the firm. You should be wary if you cannot find information on the firm. If you are still unsure, contact your local office of fair trading to see whether it can tell you more about the offer.
Be sure that you know what the offer is actually for, what the total cost will be and what to do if something goes wrong (e.g. the product is not delivered or does not work).
Seek independent advice from an accountant or solicitor if a significant amount of money is involved. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account details to ANYBODY you are not completely sure about. Even if you receive an electronic message from a friend or relative asking for these details, check with them first with a phone call or alternate contact before you respond.
For more information on spam offers and how they can be scams, check out the ACCC leaflet, If it sounds too good to be true…

Decide
If you receive a spam offer, the best thing to do is delete it. DO NOT respond. Do not reply or attempt to unsubscribe, do not call any telephone number listed in the email and do not send any money, credit card details or other personal details to the scammers. Responding to email spam only indicates that your email address is active and you could end up with lots more fake offers in the future.
If you are interested in what the electronic message is offering, it is still best not to follow any link contained in the email. Internet links do not always lead where their name says they do. Sometimes, clicking on a link will download a malicious program to your computer. Make sure you have done your homework before doing anything to take up an offer from an electronic message.

Report them
If you have received a spam offer that you think may be a scam, you can report a scam through the SCAMwatch website. You should also tell your friends and family about the scam.

Anti-spam legislation (the Spam Act 2003) deals with spam with Australian links and the techniques that spammers use to send Australian consumers unsolicited electronic messages by email, SMS, MMS or instant message. The Australian Communications and Media Authority regulates spam in Australia. If you would like to report or complain about spam, or obtain more information on spam laws, spam reduction and internet security, visit Spam & e–Security on the ACMA website.

Have you been scammed?
What to do if you've been scammed; Scams & the law; Report a scam.

Similar scams:

Auction & shopping scams
Online auctions can be rigged by scammers or used to target you for a scam outside of the auction site. You could end up with a dud product or nothing at all for your money.

Domain name renewal scams
Scams that send you a fake renewal notice for your actual domain name, or a misleading invoice for a domain name that is very similar to your own.

'Free' offers on the internet
Offers of ‘free’ website access, downloads, holidays, shares or product trials – but you have to supply your credit card or other personal details.

Modem jacking
Modem-jacking scams secretly change the phone number dial-up modems use to access the internet to an overseas or premium rate phone number. You could pay hundreds of dollars extra.

Spyware & key-loggers
Spyware is a type of software that spies on what you do on your computer. Key-loggers record what keys you press on your keyboard. Scammers can use them to steal your online banking passwords or other personal information.

'Nigerian' scams
You are promised huge rewards if you help someone transfer money out of their country by paying fees or giving them your bank account details.

Work from home scams
Employment opportunities that promise huge incomes with little work – usually by asking you to transfer money for someone else or recruit new victims.

Fake online pharmacies
Fake online pharmacies offer drugs and medicines at very cheap prices or without a prescription. They can cause you major health and money problems.

Miracle cures
Miracle cure scams prey on the sick or desperate by selling drugs or treatments that don’t work or are even dangerous.

Weight loss scams
False claims are made to mislead you into buying ‘revolutionary’ pills, creams, diet advice or machines.

Great advice – take note folks! Hope this helps.

And on a similar subject – viruses:

Virus avoidance can be summed up with what I learned in kindergarten: don't talk to, get in a car with, or take candy from strangers!

“A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.”

Coming in 2010

2009-12-28T11:53:00.001+10:00

I trust that the past year has been good to you all and I hope that 2010 will bring good health and happiness to my readers. Now that Windows 7 is with us I will increasingly write tips about it, Vista will have the odd tips written (while Vista was a "quantum leap" over earlier Windows systems, history may consign it to the same bin as Windows ME) and most operating system tips will remain with XP as I suspect that is the o/s most are still using.

Plus there will be other tips of interest and I am only too happy to hear from anyone wanting an article of interest written that will suit the average computer user (if there is such a person) or learner.

Scanner and scanning

2009-12-28T11:43:00.002+10:00

In computing, a scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image.

Scanner resolutions are key to scanning a document. While most of us just scan a document on default settings, by adjusting the settings and resolution, we can actually increase or decrease the quality of copies we are making. The sharper the image content, the better quality copy will be produced.

Flatbed scanner specifications are stated with two numbers, like 1200x2400 dpi. Flatbeds also usually specify a maximum resolution, like perhaps 9600 dpi. So what does all of this mean?

Resolution
Athough the concept can be confusing, resolution is just a measurement of how many pixels a scanner can sample in a given image. With a higher resolution, you get more readings; with a lower resolution, fewer readings. Generally, higher resolution scanners cost more and produce better results.
Unfortunately, things aren't that straightforward in the real world. There are actually two ways of measuring resolution, and manufacturers occasionally confuse them in the hope of selling more product.

Here's what you need to know about both:

Optical Resolution
A scanner's optical resolution is determined by how many pixels it can actually see. For example, a typical flatbed scanner will use a scanning head with 300 sensors per inch, so it can sample 300 dots per inch (dpi) in one direction. To scan in the other direction, it will move the scanning head along the page, stopping 300 times per inch, so it can scan 300 dpi in the other direction as well. This scanner would have an optical resolution of 300 x 300 dpi. Some manufacturers stop the scanning head more frequently as it moves down the page, so their machines have resolutions of 300 x 600 dpi or 300x1200 dpi. Don't be fooled; what really counts is the smallest number in the grid. You can't get more detail by scanning more frequently in only one direction.

Interpolated Resolution
The other thing to watch out for is claims about interpolated (or enhanced) resolution. Unlike optical resolution, which measures how many pixels the scanner can see, interpolated resolution measures how many pixels the scanner can guess at. Through a process called interpolation, the scanner turns a 300 x 300 dpi scan into a 600 x 600 dpi scan by inserting new pixels in between the old ones, and guessing at what light reading it would have sampled in that spot had it been there. This process almost always diminishes the quality of the scan, and should therefore be avoided. It can also be accomplished by almost any image editing software, so it doesn't really add to the value of the scanner. Unless you plan to scan line art at very high resolutions, ignore claims of interpolated resolution.

What do I buy?
If you will be printing on a desktop laser or colour printer, decide whether you will need to enlarge items frequently. Usually a 400 dpi or 600 dpi scanner is the right choice, though a 300 dpi scanner will do well without breaking the bank.
If you will be displaying images primarily on screen, chances are a 300 dpi scanner will give you all the resolution you require.

Or, then again you could use your digital camera or mobile phone camera (if the quality of the phone camera is good enough)!

"If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip."

The media player

2009-11-24T18:25:00.002+10:00

It's a rare treat when a program does exactly what it says it will, it simply works - and on any major OS.

Sometimes, way too much time and effort describing how to protect these blasted computers, and how to maintain them, and how to tweak them, and how to upgrade them.

VLC is an all-purpose media and multimedia player that does everything from playing or streaming music to showing movies in the provided format, including subtitles.

The personal computer is a machine designed to make life easier, or maybe better, or maybe just more fun. And when it does that, sometimes we just don't celebrate it nearly enough.

Example: Try to get a list of computer programs you need. Well, you need anti-virus and anti-malware software. You need a good explorer program to copy and move and delete. You need an excellent clean-up to get rid of the dross. And don't forget backup. And also.... well, see what I mean?

And then sometimes you get a program you need, that makes life better. And it works. It works every time. It never complains you don't have a driver, or it's incompatible. Let's hear it for one of the best programs along these lines.

This program is by far the best "multimedia" player on the planet. Give it some music, and it plays it. Hand it a video, and it shows it. Point it to a DVD, and VLC plays it, with or without subtitles, just like you expect.

It doesn't need extra software. It doesn't need a compressor-decompressor (codec), because unlike certain media players (no name, hmmm Microsoft engineers) it comes with all the codecs it needs built in.

The installation procedure will delete your older version automatically if you tell it to, which you should, so look for this choice. But apart from that, note your choices very carefully as VLC goes through its installation paces.

For example - particularly if you are installing VLC for the first time - don't associate every media file with it; you can choose later. For example, - particularly if you are not installing VLC for the first time - don't wipe your cache and preferences from the previous version.

The program can be run with menus in pretty well all popular languages worldwide, including Thai. The localisation is done individually, and a geek from Datawiz who prefers to be known as "devleop5" (sic) gets the credit (or blame if you find an error) for the Thai version.

When I updated my VLC recently, the download page informed me what more than 69.5 million people now had this program. I have no problem believing that.

That is what open source is, and Videolan is currently one of the world's leading open-source projects and examples on making software through sharing.

When you start up VLC, if you have never tried it, prepare to be extremely unimpressed. It's a teensy-weensy window, about 1/32nd, maybe 1/64th of your screen, just big enough to show the main menu bar and not much more. You can resize the screen manually when the video is playing.

You can drag one or 100 files onto that small interface to play them, or you can click on Media and one of the "open" options to point the program at the media you want to play. Beautiful, intelligence choice: Open Disk. That is, just point the program at your DVD drive and it will play it as perfectly as if you had a video player and high-definition TV.

This program comes with a huge number of choices, but not skins. If you absolutely must change the look of the program, you can download an add-on. Otherwise, your choices are all about how your music, movies, videos, photo shows, CDs and DVDs play.

One feature I have to highlight is the Snapshot. Many people over the past couple or three years have asked how to capture screenshots of video and movies as they play, and I always have given the choices in terms of standalone software.

But with VLC, you click on Video and then Snapshot to make your screenshot. It doesn't get any easier.

This is one of the very top programs that everyone should have. It's a pretty nerdy person who doesn't ever want to play some music or look at video shorts or even a movie on her computer.

VLC is a fairly considerable download of 17-plus megabytes for Windows, but it's important to remember that once you have it, you won't need Winamp or even (especially) the infamous WiMP, Windows Media Player.

If you've never heard of VLC, or if you looked at it but thought it was not well enough developed, the program now has passed the Ver 1.0 stage. It's well explained at http://www.videolan.org. Don’t delay – download today, if you haven’t already got it installed.

More mobile stuff

2009-11-24T16:41:00.003+10:00

Don't Be Dumb About Smart Phones

Would you want hackers to have all the information on your device? Here's how to protect yourself.
Given how much information can be found in people's smart phones—contact lists, emails littered with details about their personal lives and their work, company documents and data, personal financial information and passwords—it's startling how little most users feel the need to protect the devices.
"People have a false sense of security" about their phones, says Daniel Hoffman, chief technology officer of SMobile Systems Inc., a provider of security software for mobile devices.
Security experts have long warned of the vulnerability of smart phones to hackers. And in the past year the threat has been highlighted by an attack on the Symbian operating system, used mainly by Nokia Corp. phones, and a demonstration at a conference of a flaw that was found in the iPhone's security.
As the software for smart phones becomes more sophisticated and open, they become better breeding grounds for a new generation of spyware and viruses. Hackers can work their way into your phone through text messages, steal your information and use your contact list to find more victims. Scammers can now dupe you into revealing your Social Security number or credit-card account number on your phone, just like they've been doing for years on PCs.
There are low-tech ways to get into trouble, too. Theft or loss of your phone can be much more than an inconvenience if the person who ends up with it chooses to explore its contents. And you can even give away sensitive information by using your phone without regard to who might be watching or listening to you.
To some extent, you need to rely on your phone's maker to keep you safe. But there are several simple ways you can help protect yourself.
Here's a look at some of the dangers and how you can minimise them.

Message Minefields
Text messaging is a favorite service for many mobile-phone users. It's also becoming a favorite line of attack for scammers. For instance, text messages carrying insidious coding were the weapon in an attack late last year on phones using the Symbian operating system and were later identified as a threat to the iPhone.
For owners of the Symbian phones that were targeted, the attack was a major annoyance. Phones that received the malicious text messages shut down and lost their ability to receive any further text messages—damage that could only be repaired by sending them back to the factory. Then, in July, hackers at a conference on digital security demonstrated the ability to send text messages to iPhones that would allow the senders to gain access to data stored in the devices.
Apple Inc. and the Symbian Foundation patched up the holes in their security. For attacks like these, users have no defenses of their own—the messages do their damage without any action on the part of the user. But these incidents should alert smart-phone users to the vulnerability of their devices, and encourage them to guard against other kinds of attacks.
That includes phishing scams, which attempt to acquire personal data such as passwords or credit-card account information through fraudulent messages. These scams have spread from email to text messaging. Here the best protection should be familiar: Be skeptical of any messages that ask for passwords, account numbers or any other personal information. When in doubt, check directly with the company that claims to be asking for the information.
Multimedia messages—photo attachments sent like text messages—also pose a threat. A message could contain a virus that not only can tap into any information stored on your phone but also dig into your phone's address book to spread itself to all of your contacts. Other versions might spread by using the phone's Bluetooth connection to attack nearby devices. Attacks like these will drain your phone's battery and leave you with a large messaging bill, not to mention the embarrassment of contaminating the phones of your friends and colleagues, or even perfect strangers.
Again, caution is the best protection. If you don't know the origin of the message or don't recognize the number it's sent from, it's best to delete it before opening. Even if you do recognize the number, be wary of messages you weren't expecting, since viruses spread through contact lists look like they're coming from a trusted source.

Denying Applications
Applications could be another avenue for hackers, security experts warn, though it appears to be one that hasn't been explored yet to any great extent.
One way to head off potential problems is to limit the access applications have to your phone's functions. For example, some games require access to your Internet connection so that they can compare your scores to those of other players. But many applications don't need this capability, and if you find that one of those apps does have access to your connection, it could be a sign that something is amiss.
Smart phones running on the Android operating system or the BlackBerry system allow you to limit the amount of access an application has. You simply head to your Settings menu and choose Application. You can then look at each application to see which phone functions it has access to, and deny it access to any that don't seem necessary.

Losing It
One sure way to give strangers access to your phone is to lose it. And of course theft is another concern. If you have sensitive data on the device, make sure you have a way to remotely erase the contents—and that you know how to do it. Most corporate phones have the ability, as do iPhones, BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile phones.
If your phone doesn't have the capability, SMobile offers a program that allows you to remotely back up data and wipe the device clean. The company charges $20 a year for the software, which works with most smart phones.
A password is another simple measure that can go a long way toward deterring common thieves from gleaning anything from your phone. All smart phones have the ability to create a password built in. For BlackBerrys, simply go to the Security Options under Settings to turn on the password. Similarly, iPhones have the option in the Settings menu.
For extra security, you can set up additional passwords for other actions, such as accessing email or downloading a program. That can also be done in the Settings menu. BlackBerrys have the option to encrypt data on the media storage card so it can only be read on that phone. Simply go to the Media Card menu under Settings to activate the encryption.
Another easy way to lessen your vulnerability is to limit the amount of personal information on your phone. Don't list your home address, or the personal relationships with your contacts. Also, never place your credit-card or bank account numbers on your phone. There are programs designed to track down the 16-digit credit sequence in electronic devices.
If your phone is lost or stolen and you get it back, be wary of any new applications that have been loaded. If your cellphone is sluggish, take it to the carrier; it might be compromised.

Keep It Down
It's also important, and easy, to shield your phone from prying eyes and ears.
3M Co. makes a thin film called the Mobile Privacy Filter that goes over your screen, making it tough to see what's displayed unless you're directly in front of the phone. It can be found at any office-supply store or online for roughly $10.
Also, try not to discuss sensitive topics in public. It sounds obvious, but people sometimes appear oblivious to those around them as they discuss work or rattle off their name, Social Security number or credit-card account numbers while making purchases or taking care of personal business on the phone.

iPhone stuff

2009-11-24T16:37:00.002+10:00

Tapping Tricks for Your iPhone

 Tap the Status bar at the top of the screen (where the clock usually is) to return instantly to the top of long pages.
 Hold a finger on a link in Safari to get a pop-up saying where the link goes.
 Tap the bottom left or right corner to scroll left or right.
 Tap with two fingers to zoom out in Maps.
 Drag inside text boxes with two fingers to scroll without scrolling the whole page.
 Double-click the Power/Lock button to send incoming calls to your voice mail.

 Double-click the Home button in any app to bring up the iPod controls.

iPhone users not quite as in-touch as you might imagine

Let's talk about mobile phones and more specifically the ones without any buttons.
Many people say that they want a nice touchscreen. They have seen the iPhone ads and they want one like that. It all looks so easy, a swipe here and a touch there and everything's magically done for you by the intelligent interfaces.
But when you ask those who already have one, the results start to change. The Apple product may look slick but some of the competitors still have a way to go to keep their customer base happy. Buttons are a bit small for larger fingers and wrong digits are easy to hit. But over half of those surveyed would not buy another touch screen model - they wanted their buttons back. Hmmmm.......

"A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good"

Update - Windows XP Support

2009-09-07T15:19:00.002+10:00

I should have "fleshed" out my last entry on this one. My apologies.

Microsoft Will End Support For Windows XP Service Pack 2 as of 13th July 2010

Windows XP is not being retired, but support for Service Pack 2 is. From then on, you may have to have Service Pack 3 in order get support, including patches to subsequently disclosed vulnerabilities.

You can no longer get updates for XP with no service packs or with SP1. You must have SP2 in order to get updates. After Patch Tuesday, July 13, 2010 you will have to have SP3 installed in order to get updates for Windows XP. And in fact, if a vulnerability is found in SP2 that is not in SP3, it will not be patched.

And we have reached the end of the line for Windows XP service packs: After SP3 no new service packs are planned. Microsoft will not end support for Windows XP itself for almost 4 years more. That is scheduled for Patch Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

Typically, after support is ended for a service pack Microsoft leaves the individual updates in their Download Center, but the automated update systems: Windows Update, Microsoft Update and Windows Software Update Services, no longer will provide updates.

Windows XP was released in October 2001 and has had a very long lifecycle for an operating system. SP2 was released in August 2004 and thus will have a 6 year life, far longer than the typical support life cycle from most vendors.

Golden Rules of E-Mail

2009-08-31T18:09:00.002+10:00

Electronic mail is older than tweets, blogs, SMS texts—older even than the entire Internet. Why is it so many people still don't get it right? They don’t understand netiquette - that loose set of guidelines that hopefully will create order out of chaos!

New users of all ages and experience levels hit the Net every day. How best to get their missives to you in a way that won't annoy you, won't break the Internet, yet will get a timely, satisfactory response?

1. Beware of hoaxes
People have the best intentions when forwarding dire warnings about the latest computer virus, telemarketer con jobs, extreme gas prices, and whatever chicanery the current government is supposedly trying to pull. The problem: The vast majority of e-mail about such topics is crap or to put it nicely, utter fiction. First visit www.snopes.com This is the Internet's master repository of what is a hoax and what isn't. Bookmark the site. Visit it and do a search. Don’t be told that someone else has already checked it! Whatever outrageous message you just received may, in fact, be only an urban legend. Another site to check: http://urbanlegends.about.com/

2. Don't perpetuate pointlessness
Here's news you may not believe: Most people don't believe in chain letters that can cause bad luck involving your reproductive organs or money. Why pass them on?

3. Do not use "Reply All" blindly
We've all seen those messages come in: Some stray person who got the same company-wide e-mail you received hits Reply All, and now everyone in the company has to see his gripes. Don't be that person.
When sending a new message, don't go to an old message and hit Reply All (or even Reply). Start from scratch and use your own address book. Otherwise someone you don't intend may slip into the list.

4. BCC is your friend
CC once stood for "carbon copy." Some say today it stands for "courtesy copy." Either way, that's how you send a message to someone else along with your intended recipient. However you interpret CC, the "B" stands for "blind," and the BCC field is where you put in the names of those people you want to read your message without the other recipients in BCC seeing each other.
It also serves another purpose. When sending a message to a very large list, always put all the addresses in BCC. That way recipients don't have to wade through a gigantic list of names at the top of the message—and you're not abusing everyone's privacy by revealing their e-mail addresses.

5. One topic per message
Tracking multiple topics in a message—and responding to them—is difficult at best. Even if you can electronically chew bubble gum and walk at the same time, sticking to a single subject makes it much easier to search and refer to past messages when necessary.

6. Brevity is the soul of wit
How often do you read e-mail messages that are over three paragraphs long?
Neither does anyone else. 'Nuff said.

7. Send plain text if in doubt
Most e-mail programs can display messages in rich text—with all the formatting and special characters and images you desire. Messages can be as complicated as any Web page, but not everyone appreciates that. In fact, since spammers can use images embedded in messages as Web bugs, many people turn off the ability for a message to display any HTML or rich text. That's the default in some e-mail software.
Unless you know for sure that a recipient wants to get formatted e-mail, the better choice is to send all messages as plain text.

8. Avoid huge attachments
Once, sending digital files to people was done only by e-mail. It was the only direct conduit available. Now, you have a wealth of options for sharing. As files get bigger and bigger, it's best to take advantage of these options rather than clog up an inbox.
First and best option: Share a link rather than the actual file. That video of your stealthy ninja kitten is huge coming from your DV camcorder; but if you put it on YouTube, you can simply send friends the link to view it online. Maybe it will go viral and make you an Internet superstar.
If you absolutely must get the original file or media to someone, use drop.io, which lets you upload a file up to 100MB in size. The address to download it from is yours to distribute as you see fit (but eventually it will expire).
At the very least, compress extra-large files before attaching them. That's no longer as important in this age of broadband, but recipients with limited space for e-mail storage (even Gmail isn't unlimited) or a restriction on attachment size (10MB is typical) will thank you.

9. Attach what you promised
We've all been there: "Attached you'll find a copy of the most important proposal of my lifetime." Off goes that message—and there's nothing with it (ooops, I did once recently). You send a sheepish follow-up message and feel like a fool. Best not to put the recipients addresses in until you have completed your message and you are ready to send.

10. Don't open attachments or click links you aren't expecting
The number one way to get malware: Trust that an attachment sent to you is what the message claims. Even if it does look okay, it could be dangerous, since malware likes to play pretend. If anything looks even remotely incorrect, contact the "sender" first to be sure you know who actually sent it. Save the attachment, virus check it before opening it.

Likewise, phishing scams that send you to Web pages you should not visit often look legit. That's the whole point of them, after all. You have to think very carefully when you get a message from a bank, or PayPal, or any number of services. First, do you have an account there? Second, does the message actually refer to something you could have done?

12. Trim excess in replies
When you reply to a message, usually the original is appended below what you said. That way the recipient(s) can refer back to what was sent originally. While handy, this can be a pain when you're searching through e-mails later (your query will yield multiple hits because the same words are in so many messages). Worse, eventually a long conversation will have a thread that goes on for pages and pages.
At some point, take the time to cut some of the messages below. Better yet, just copy the most relevant part and paste it in above what you're typing. Use >>> in front of that section to indicate that it's from a previous message. Your succinctness will be appreciated.

13. NO ALL CAPS
This might be the oldest bit of netiquette around, but it's still important to point out to total newbies who shun the Shift key in favour of Caps Lock: TYPING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS THE INTERNET EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING.
If you truly can't handle mixed case, then go all lowercase. Call that a "style choice."

14. Know your audience
Multiple personalities are part of communication. You don't talk to your parents the same way you talk to your best friend, right? Don't believe you can write an e-mail the same way you talk, or text. Its 1 thng 2 typ ungrmmtclly whn thrs a 140-160 chrctr lmt. Let alone without vowels. It's quite another when you have all the space you need. It helps to look smart when making a point.

Windows 7 - the successor to Vista

2009-08-31T18:02:00.003+10:00

It would seem that Windows 7 will make its official appearance on October 22 (in Australia – cannot locate definitive information for NZ).

Microsoft said a Home Premium Upgrade of an existing PC to Windows 7 would cost $199 in Australia while the Professional Upgrade would cost $399 and the Ultimate Upgrade $429.

The Home Premium version of Windows 7 would retail for $299 in Australia. The Professional version will sell for $449 and the Ultimate version for $469.
These pricing could, of course, change. Not sure what the pricings will be in NZ – sorry.

For XP users, whilst you may be able to purchase an upgrade copy of Windows 7, you WONT be able to do an in-place upgrade that maintains your existing settings and documents. Your only option is to do a full back up because the upgrade is a clean install and will wipe out all your current applications and personal data.

At the moment I have XP and Vista running but will shortly install Windows 7 Release Candidate to see what it is like. I normally use XP because it is like a pair of old slippers – comfortable and familiar. And I haven’t had any instability problems which some people say they have had.

Windows XP support will provide critical security fixes via Windows Update for all editions of XP until 2014. But that may also depend on having their Service Packs up to date.

From what I read it would appear that Windows 7 will be what Vista could never be. Vista had a “troubled birth” – but grew up ok afterwards. It is expected that Windows 7 will not have the “troubled birth”. Only time will tell and certainly the anti-MS folks out there will be only too willing to stir up trouble.

More on Windows 7 as it comes to hand.

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

Netbook and Laptop Performance

2009-06-22T20:15:00.000+10:00

It's safe to say that netbooks are here to stay, and they could even come to dominate the laptop landscape in a couple of years. Since their humble beginnings as cheap laptops that could be used to surf the Web, compose e-mails, do light office tasks, and play music or videos but not much more, they are evolving into more substantial machines. Set against their low price and portability are limitations such as screen and keyboard size, and lack of a built-in optical drive.

But perhaps the biggest differentiator between netbooks and other laptops is performance. We know netbooks can easily handle the sort of basic tasks I mention above, but how do they do at more rigorous tasks such as resizing photos, transcoding videos, or ripping an audio CD? And how do they stack up against mainstream laptops?First, I'll say a few words about netbook limitations other than performance. We know that the small screens (most less than 12 inches), lack of optical drive, and constricted keyboard influence price (and buying decisions), but we'll keep our focus here on performance, which for many users is paramount.

Key to the performance of any PC, netbook or otherwise, are its processing parts. The vast majority of netbooks run on an Intel Atom processor, a small percentage use VIA processors, and a scant few with processors from Texas Instruments and ARM have trickled out. Netbooks typically ship with 1GB of memory, while bigger laptops are standardizing at 3GB and 4GB now. And let's not forget that graphics components and hard drives can influence the performance of a netbook.

Performance-wise, netbooks are configured with very few differentiating features between them. But how do they fare against other laptops that cost a little more, run faster processors, and pile on memory? Is improved performance commensurate with the increase in price? You decide. As with buying any type of computer, first sort out what you want to use the computer for, then puchase – don’t buy a computer and then have to tailor your use to what the computer is capable of.

REMEMBER - use technology, don’t let technology use you!

"Live your life and forget your age."

Identity Theft - Out of Your Hands!

2009-06-22T19:59:00.001+10:00

If Acmex.com (my apologies should such a site/business exist) doesn't value you enough to keep you safe, then does that company really deserve your business? The most important thing you have is you and your identity!

Along with numerous stories about the state of the economy, you're seeing more and more reports of crimes large and small? I'm talking about everything from shoplifting to Ponzi schemes, bank identity theft etc. Is it any wonder that identity theft is thriving? According to Gartner, 15 million identities per year are stolen, a new victim once every 2 seconds.

The incidence of identity theft increased by 50 percent in 2008 from 2007, and it continues to be one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, and no doubt elsewhere. There is a thriving online international black market in stolen identities that law enforcement seem powerless to stop. In fact, it has gotten so easy to steal and sell identities that prices have come down dramatically over the past two years. Why does it seem like it is getting easier for the bad guys and harder for the good guys like you and me? Because your identity is spread far and wide around the Internet, and its protection is out of your hands.

Protecting yourself is only part of the problem. How many entities on the Web and in the real world have you entrusted with some aspect of your identity?

How many online retailers have your credit card info?

Corporate data breaches are on the rise. If a company can't even password-protect access to our identities, does it really deserve our business?
Despite well-publicised thefts, business at companies that have been hit continues to thrive. What concrete actions are companies taking to prevent it from happening again. Have they told you? If not, doesn't that indicate how valuable they consider the safety of your identity!

Mugged by Merchants?
The point is that you can do everything to protect your valuable identity—and you will, because it's yours and you care—but after your info enters the ether, there are gaping holes in the protection of your identity. The holes are called online retailers, banks, mortgage providers, ski resorts, hospitals, and even the government. And guess what? They care a hell of a lot less about protecting your identity than you do. It's time for that to change, and it will happen only when we hit them where it hurts, in the bottom line. The next time an entity allows your identity to be stolen, cancel or transfer your account. Don't shop there again. If you got mugged in a physical store, would you keep shopping there?

What to do when you are victimised by a data breach:

1. Close your account. Send an e-mail explaining why and demand confirmation that your confidential information has been deleted from their system. If you can't simply close your account, as in the case of a bank or mortgage, transfer it to another provider. Make your original provider waive all cancellation fees and pay for the transfer. Unwilling to close the account? At the very least, have all related account numbers changed.

2. Cancel all affected credit and debit cards.

3. If the breached entity is the government, write to your elected officials to make them aware of your displeasure.

4. Immediately call credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your accounts and request free credit reports to review carefully.

5. Demand identity protection services from the breached entity.

6. Inspect all account statements on arrival.

7. Inform all friends, relatives, and acquaintances of the breach and encourage them to avoid the breaching entity.

Tapping Tricks for Your iPhone

2009-06-22T19:54:00.001+10:00

Should you be lucky (?) enough to own a iPhone, here are some tips for you:

· Tap the Status bar at the top of the screen (where the clock usually is) to return instantly to the top of long pages.
· Hold a finger on a link in Safari to get a pop-up saying where the link goes.
· Tap the bottom left or right corner to scroll left or right.
· Tap with two fingers to zoom out in Maps.
· Drag inside text boxes with two fingers to scroll without scrolling the whole page.
· Double-click the Power/Lock button to send incoming calls to your voice mail.
· Double-click the Home button in any app to bring up the iPod controls.

Save Screen Shots

2009-05-02T20:39:00.000+10:00

Pressing the PrintScreen/PrtSc key (usually found on the top row of keys on the keyboard – next to the F keys) puts an image of the entire desktop into the clipboard, and pressing Alt along with that key takes a screenshot of the active application (when you have two or more applications running at once, the “active” application is the one where the header bar is the darker colour). What to do next? Using Windows XP or earlier versions.

Don't paste your screenshots into Word! This file is way bigger than it needs to be.

Instead, launch the Paint applet from the Accessories menu and paste the image into Paint. Now save it in a compressed image format to save space. The Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format is a great choice because it compresses the image without losing any detail. Next best is JPG, which loses some detail during the compression process. Just don't save as a BMP file. A BMP screenshot of a 1,280 by 1,024 desktop always takes 3.75MB of disk space. The file size of that same screenshot as a PNG image will vary, but it can be closer to 100KB.

In Vista and above, the print screen function is made effortless with the Snipping Tool. (You can keep the Snipping Tool in your Quick Launch bar).

How to buy a GPS Device

2009-05-02T20:36:00.001+10:00

Sometimes getting from point A to point B isn't as simple as you'd think: Aside from navigating the streets, there are lots of factors that can affect your route. Thankfully, today's GPS devices have plenty of built-in smarts to guide you along the way. Depending on the unit you choose, you can get help with sidestepping traffic, finding a great new restaurant, making hands-free cell-phone calls, and more.

The nuts and bolts of picking the right GPS are fairly straightforward: Start by selecting your screen size and onboard maps, and tack on the additional features that you need (or want) from there.

The Basics
As far as screens go, you can find devices with big displays or small, but most these days feature 4.3-inch displays which are perfect for most people. Some manufacturers offer lifetime map updates with their devices, while others require you to pay a small fee to re-up or expand maps. It's a good idea to double-check before you commit to a system.

There are a few features that have become standard issue on GPS devices over the last year or so. Text-to-speech conversion, which allows the unit to speak specific street names.It’s much safer than having to take your eyes off the road to read street names on the screen, and there's really no reason to settle for a device without it these days. Also, the ability to plot routes that involve more than one location (aka multisegment routing) is pretty much omnipresent.

Every GPS will also have a points-of-interest (POI) database to help locate landmarks, hotels, restaurants, and other attractions along your route, in a particular city, or at your destination. On average, you can expect a GPS to pack a few million POIs.

Traffic and Data
A vital part of getting where you're going is avoiding obstacles—like traffic jams and tickets along the way. Some systems have speed limit alerts and traffic-camera detectors in addition to live traffic updates, which can help you sidestep congestion. High-end products may subscription-free live traffic updates, other lower-end models may have the service, but at a yearly cost.
Cellular connectivity for up-to-the-minute map and traffic updates is a bonus that has been seen recently, and only on a handful of devices.

Voice Control
If you've got the money to spend, you might want to opt for a device with voice control (keeping both hands on the wheel is a good thing).

Media and Extras
Aside from navigation tools and other extras, you can find a host of multimedia features in many GPS units. Most devices have a media player that supports most common music, photo, and video formats. A few other, typically higher-end devices can also connect to your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone so you can make hands-free calls through the GPS.

Also, be sure to compare prices. Most models can be snagged for much less than list if you do some savvy online shopping before you buy.

USB Flash Drives

2009-05-02T20:34:00.002+10:00

If you copy lots of small files to a USB drive, you may unexpectedly get a "Disk full" message even if plenty of space is left. This is especially likely if the small files have long names. No, really! USB drives are formatted using the FAT file system, and their root directory has a fixed number of directory entries. Every file has to have a directory entry, and those with long filenames take more than one. If you fill up the root directory you can't add any more files.
The solution is simple. Move at least one file off the drive, so the root directory is no longer full. Create a subdirectory and give it any name you like. Now copy all the rest of your files into the subdirectory. Unlike the root directory it will expand as needed, so you won't get a "Disk full" error until the USB drive is really, truly full.

The other simple solution is to reformat as a NTFS!

"Only lawyers and painters can turn white to black."
Japanese Proverb

Consumer Advice

2009-03-25T09:29:00.002+10:00

Q. I bought a PC accessory from a retailer. It was faulty and I went straight back to the seller and requested a new one or a refund. I was told that I had to deal with the manufacturer to claim warranty and was pointed to the "small print" on the sales docket. Is this right?

A. This appears to be in contravention of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission laws on refunds (www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/8818) and you are entitled to lodge a complaint. If the goods are faulty, called dead on arrival (DOA out of the box, usually within 30 days), you can demand a replacement with new goods or a refund. Too many retailers are in the "sell and forget" mode and seem to get away with avoiding their part in the warranty process simply because they are ignorant of their obligations.

Be aware also when buying software, usually you have to open the packaging, run the software to see what the Terms and Conditions of Use are. If you decide not to use the software then the seller must accept it back. They cannot disclaim their way out of it on the basis that you have opened the packaging therefore you cannot return it. How would you know what the terms and conditions are if you could not open the packaging?

I believe there has been a court case in Australia that found against a retailer who refused a refund because the software had been opened.

"If anything can go wrong, it will" Thanks Murphy.

How To Make Your PC Last Longer

2009-03-25T09:22:00.002+10:00

It costs from mere hundreds to thousands of dollars, but your PC may have a surprisingly short life.

Fresh out of the box, it runs like a dream, but after only months of use, it can become frustratingly slow.

It takes ages to start up, browsing online becomes tortuous and running multiple programs at once is impossible. Plus, it could begin crashing with alarming regularity.

In more financially stable times, we might have simply bought a new computer, but this has become less attractive as household budgets tighten. There is an alternative though; perform some simple tasks and install a few upgrades and you could get your PC firing on all cylinders again.

"One simple task is to tidy the hard disk," There are two Windows utilities, the first is the Disk Cleanup program, which prompts you through a series of steps to get rid of computer clutter, such as desktop icons for programs that you don't use. The next is the Disk Defragmenter – this organises the data on your hard-drive so the computer doesn't have to work hard to access it. Both can be accessed through StartAll ProgramsAccessories.

Another easy task is to fully delete any installed programs that you don't need. These eat up hard disk space and slow down the speed at which Windows starts. Check the list of installed programs in Windows XP by clicking the 'Start' button, opening the Control Panel and selecting 'Add or Remove Programs'." In Vista, open the Start menu and type "programs" into the search bar, then select "Programs and Features". Go through the list and select the programs you no longer need for removal."

Just don't be too gung-ho. If you don't recognise a program, leave it be. Windows and security applications store updates here and these shouldn't be removed.

Smarten up your security
If you feel your computer slowing down, this could be a sign that it has been breached by malevolent forces. Running a virus scan regularly should pick up any nasties, but run the updates program so it has the best chance of detecting every virus.

Anyone using a Windows PC online should have an anti-virus tool, firewall and anti-spyware utility. You can get all three for nothing. The recommendations are AVG Free or Avast for anti-virus; the ZoneAlarm Free Firewall (you'll need to disable the Windows firewall); and, for an anti-spyware program, Ad-Aware Free.

Boost your memory
The amount of memory your computer has isn't only about the number of photos or songs you can store on your hard disk. Alongside that you also have RAM (random access memory), which is used by your computer temporarily while it is running programs.

The more RAM you have, the more programs your computer can cope with running. Adding more memory is one of the best ways to boost a PC's performance. The more memory, the better, although the standard versions of Windows XP and Vista have an upper limit of 3GB. Crucial.com and Kingston.com can tell you how much memory your PC can handle and what type to get.

Prices vary, but you could pay as little as $AUD17 for 1GB of RAM – in terms of a minimum to aim for, Microsoft say Windows Vista can run on as little as 512 MB (!?), while 2GB would provide optimum performance.

As well as being good value, extra memory is also easy to install yourself, though any computer store can do it for you.

Let a program do it for you
There are a huge number of commercial programs that claim to clean your machine at the touch of a button. One area where they can help is the registry – where settings for everything in your computer are kept. It is so important to the running of your computer that you should never attempt to edit it yourself unless you're 110 per cent sure of what you're doing.

But some of the tasks that these programs do, you may find you don't need. Not all of them have to be paid for – I recommend CCleaner, which includes a registry cleaner.

Before you buy or use any program, do your research – with so many available you need to be confident that what you use won't damage your PC, so go for a big brand or something recommended by a reviews site you trust. Make sure your registry is backed-up before editing it, even if you're confident about the program you're using – Microsoft's Help and Support website gives a step-by-step guide.

Call in the experts
If you don't have the time or confidence to mess with the inner workings of your computer, call in the experts.

Online Social Networking Safety Tips

2009-03-25T09:08:00.002+10:00

Online Safety Tips for Facebook Fogeys (and for users of other social networking sites)

Grownups, take note! Here is what you need to know before "friending" your first Facebook connection.

Recent news stories have reported a litany of Facebook horror stories from geriatrics—you know, people over age 30—who dented their dignities, if not their careers, through careless social networking. Some people think that the post-collegiate crowd is simply too fuddy-duddy for Facebook. Others insist that the site is now as essential as e-mail and phone service, if not air and water, and nobody of any age should be discouraged from squandering time on Facebook.

A typical Facebook humiliation scenario involves having someone post something questionable to your "wall," the public Facebook page, and then having that item inadvertently and automatically blasted to everyone you know via Facebook. That group often includes business associates and other people with whom you've cultivated an illusion of respectability. Horrors!

Because the Internet offers so many paths to public humiliation, it's not entirely fair to single out Facebook. In the site's defense, you have to be a Facebook member to see all of the truly embarrassing items on another member's page. Besides, Google can reveal more dirt about a person than Facebook does, and that includes material over which an individual has little control.

But if you have a professional reputation to protect, a Facebook account creates a risk. Facebook and many other social networking sites are simply not designed as a tool for business. If you feel that you have no choice but to dilly-dally on Facebook, consider these facts:

• Facebook was designed by adolescents, for adolescents with adolescent goals in mind. Only a few years ago, a .edu e-mail address was a prerequisite to a Facebook account, a requirement that effectively limited membership to college students. That sensibility remains part of Facebook's DNA. A site designed to help you publish photos of yourself barfing over a beer keg is unlikely to help burnish your reputation in business.

• Facebook's opaque user interface, the result of its fundamentally collegiate, video gamer sensibility, is not designed to be an effective business tool. Mistakes are far easier to make and harder to correct than you'd expect in an application designed for actual work.

• You can't predict or control who will ask to "friend" you on Facebook. What do you do when your boss or an important client asks to become your Facebook friend? If your Facebook page includes the names of everyone in your witches' coven or your entire trailer park, do you want important potential clients to see that? Or will you insult some bigwig by refusing a friend request? It's not exactly the dilemma of the ages, but it's certainly a potential social headache that adults need to consider when joining Facebook.

• Facebook developers often spring new features on users without warning. Not long ago a new "beacon" feature tracked members' online shopping transactions and broadcast details to the world. The feature was dialed back after a firestorm of protest as well as some huge lawsuits over privacy violations, but the impulsive sensibility of Facebook developers augurs similar surprises in the future. And it raises the creepy question of why Facebook is collecting that information in the first place

Facebook phishing is beginning to surface. In one scenario, scammers hijack the Facebook log-in of a friend of yours and then pretend to be that friend with an urgent need for money. They contact you via chat and start the scam from there. To you, it looks like a request from a person you actually know, often embellished with personal information gleaned from your own Facebook entries. If anyone asks you for money on Facebook, use your head—don't do it. At the very least, insist on direct contact in person or by a phone call that you originate. You need to be sure that you're dealing with a moocher you actually know, not some unknown scammer.

In some other cases, a phony Facebook friend invites you to view a video that requires you to download a player. Naturally, that player is infected with malware. Obviously, this same scam could be delivered by e-mail or ordinary Web surfing, but the familiarity of relationships on Facebook induces people to lower their guard.

Don't despair. You can maintain a reasonable level of safety on Facebook. A few commonsense precautions can reduce your risk of problems. For starters, look over your privacy settings by selecting Privacy Settings from the Settings drop-down menu in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen. You can adjust every detail of your privacy settings, including who can see pictures, postings, personal information, and work information. You can also adjust what individual members see, so your boss or ex-spouse might not see things that the rest of the world does. There's some wisdom in allowing only the people you actually know to view your profile.

One part of the "Find Friends" feature is a service that asks for the log-in and password of an online e-mail account such as Gmail or Yahoo; it pulls the account's address book information into Facebook. Good sense says that you shouldn't pull a list of business contacts into Facebook if you think there's a risk of embarrassment.

You might also consider who's allowed to see photos that other people have tagged with your name. You may not want certain photos to be seen by certain people. It's also possible for people to tag photos with your name that aren't actually you, so it's probably best to set your privacy level to limit tagged photo viewing to your friends, not the whole network.

Let's face it, Facebook is a time sink. Be prepared to spend an hour or so setting up your account when you first join. It doesn't take that long to get an account established, but it does take some time to configure your account to make it suitable for use by a grownup.

A bit of social engineering can also help you distinguish business contacts from social friends. If an important business client wants to "friend" you, suggest that you connect on one of the business networking services instead. That way you don't have to insult someone by refusing to be a friend, and you can position your relationship as something more important than a casual encounter on Facebook.

This is not a Facebook "bash" - many of these comments apply to other social networking sites also.

Windows 7 - the successor to Vista

2009-02-20T19:47:00.001+10:00

Windows 7, is officially expected at the end of January 2010. All told, there will be at least six different versions! And I thought that four different versions for Vista was confusing.

Microsoft said the primary version for consumers will be called Windows 7 Home Premium, and the one for businesses will be called Windows 7 Professional.

In addition, it will sell two lower-end versions, Home Basic and Starter edition, to PC makers. The Starter edition is intended for sale in developing countries, while computer makers can install Home Basic on PCs intended for sale anywhere in the world.

There will also be a top-end Enterprise version for big corporate customers and a similar Ultimate version for consumers.

Microsoft also said all versions of Windows 7 will run well on netbooks, small, low-powered laptops meant mostly for surfing the web and checking email.

I would suggest that if you are contemplating an upgrade/update to your computers operating system then don’t purchase Windows Vista when it is likely that a new operating system is due out in the next 12 months (more or less).

Just a thought.

Image file formats – a short explanation

2009-02-20T19:43:00.002+10:00

JPEG:
JPEG/JPG files are (in most cases) a lossy format. Nearly every digital camera can save images in the JPEG format, which supports 8 bits per colour (red, green, blue) for a 24-bit total, producing relatively small files. When not too great, the compression does not noticeably detract from the image's quality, but JPEG files suffer generational degradation when repeatedly edited and saved. Photographic images may be better stored in a lossless non-JPEG format if they will be re-edited, or if small "artifacts" (blemishes caused by the JPEG's compression algorithm) are unacceptable.

TIFF:
The TIFF is a flexible format that normally saves 8 bits or 16 bits per colour (red, green, blue) for 24-bit and 48-bit totals, respectively, using either the TIFF or the TIF filenames. The TIFF's flexibility is both blessing and curse, because no single reader reads every type of TIFF file. TIFFs are lossy and lossless; some offer relatively good lossless compression for bi-level (black & white) images. Some digital cameras can save in TIFF format, using the LZW compression algorithm for lossless storage. The TIFF image format is not widely supported by web browsers. TIFF remains widely accepted as a photograph file standard in the printing business. The TIFF can handle device-specific colour spaces, such as the CMYK defined by a particular set of printing press inks.

RAW:
RAW refers to a family of raw image formats that are options available on some digital cameras. These formats usually use a lossless or nearly-lossless compression, and produce file sizes much smaller than the TIFF formats of full-size processed images from the same cameras. The raw formats are not standardised or documented, and differ among camera manufacturers. Many graphic programs and image editors may not accept some or all of them, and some older ones have been effectively orphaned already.

PNG:
The PNG file format was created as the free, open-source successor to the GIF. The PNG file format supports truecolor (16 million colours) while the GIF supports only 256 colours. The PNG file excels when the image has large, uniformly coloured areas. The lossless PNG format is best suited for editing pictures, and the lossy formats, like JPG, are best for the final distribution of photographic images, because JPG files are smaller than PNG files.

GIF:
GIF is limited to an 8-bit palette, or 256 colors. This makes the GIF format suitable for storing graphics with relatively few colors such as simple diagrams, shapes, logos and cartoon style images. The GIF format supports animation and is still widely used to provide image animation effects. It also uses a lossless compression that is more effective when large areas have a single color, but ineffective for detailed images or dithered images.

BMP:
The BMP file format (Windows bitmap) handles graphics files within the Microsoft Windows OS. Typically, BMP files are uncompressed, hence they are large; the advantage is their simplicity, wide acceptance, and use in Windows programs.

How to Clean a Computer's Insides Safely

2009-02-20T19:36:00.002+10:00

Don’t buy a new computer, physically clean out the “gunk”!

Dog hair, cat fur, dust, spiders (and if you live in Australia – lizards and small snakes!) and everything else that accumulates on and in your keyboard, monitor, printer, fans, and CPU case. This is a pretty simple fix that can lead to dramatically improved performance—and it's not too time-consuming. Although if you haven't ever physically cleaned out your system, you may be appalled at the accrued filth and if the task looks too daunting get your computer technician to do it for you.

Computer fans pull a lot of dust inside the chassis. If undisturbed, the dust can interfere with ventilation, eventually causing parts to fail. Cleaning your computer and your computer components and peripherals helps keep the components and computer in good working condition and helps keep the computers from spreading germs.

Do not use a mains powered vacuum for the inside of your computer, as it generates a lot of static electricity that can damage the internal components of your computer. If you need to use a vacuum to suck up the loose dust inside your computer, use a portable battery powered vacuum designed to do this job.

Depending on the environment that your computer operates in, determines how often you should clean your computer. The list below are recommendations and may change depending upon your computer's environment.

User who does not smoke and has no pets - Clean the computer every five months.
User who smokes and has pets - Clean the computer every two months.

If you have a service contract that covers maintenance, have your computer taken apart and professionally cleaned. Otherwise, follow these steps:

Step1
Check your owner's manual. If the manufacturer has provided specific instructions, follow them.
Step2
Get any supplies you might need: a can of compressed air (available from Dick Smith or any electronics/computer store), any household plastic or metal cleaning fluid, a soft brush (such as a paintbrush) and an anti-static rag, plus a dust mask if you're allergic to dust.
Step3
Shut down the computer.
Step4
Leave the computer plugged into the surge suppressor with the mains power turned off.
Step5
Disconnect all peripherals from the computer.
Step6
Remove the computer cover (see your owner's manual for instructions).
Step7
Ground yourself to the computer with any professional grounding equipment you have. Otherwise, ground yourself by touching a metal part of the chassis.
Step8
Spray compressed air (follow the instructions on the can – you do not need to be spraying liquid) on the fan blades, power supply chassis, drive chassis and circuit boards.
Step9
Gently brush off dust that the forced air didn't dislodge. GENTLY is the operative word here!
Step10
Brush any remaining dust out from the bottom of the chassis.
Step11
Spray cleaning fluid onto an anti-static rag.
Step12
Wipe the inside and outside of the cover thoroughly.
Step13
Replace the cover and reconnect the peripherals.

Completing PDF Forms

2008-12-21T14:17:00.001+10:00

Sometimes you may receive a PDF to complete and send back to the originator (an employer, etc).

You can, of course, print it out and complete in your own handwriting then scan to email or post back to the originator.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just open the form and complete the details by typing (and tidier too if your handwriting is anything like mine) then return the form to the originator.

Hopefully the designer of the form has allowed the ability to type into the various fields. If this is so (some are switched on enough to allow this) how do you do it?

Providing you are using Adobe Reader 7.0.5 or later then click on the Typewriter icon on the toolbar, type into the form, save it and print it.

If there is no icon, then you need to enable it or the form designer has not allowed this facility.

To enable the Typewriter icon if you cannot see it – right click on the tool bar (when you have a PDF document opened), go to More Tools, tick the box for Typewriter Toolbar. If the icon doesn’t appear then it is likely that the form designer has not allowed for this to be used.

What version of Adobe Reader do you have? Open Adobe Reader, go to Help, click on About Adobe Reader and look for the version number.

Extend Your Laptop Battery Life

2008-12-21T14:13:00.001+10:00

There's still plenty to learn when it comes to getting more from a charge and extending your battery's overall life.

Here are some tips that most of us know:

Dim your screen.
Minimise background processes.
Don't use the CD/DVD drive.
Disable your wireless antenna when not in use.
Configure your display to turn off when not in use. This is different from just using a screensaver, because in many cases a screensaver still requires the display's backlight to be on. You can set the interval to turn the display off in Windows' Power Options—found in the Control Panel.

Extending the Overall Life
The easiest way to give your battery an early death is to damage it. And the two most common causes of damage are from overheating and overloading. Here's how you prevent overheating:
Use a cooling pad when using a notebook computer on your lap.
Avoid propping your laptop on a pillow, blanket, or other soft surface that can heat up.
Clean your desk. It sounds strange, but if you have a dusty, dirty desk, that dust will get into the vents and clog the cooling fan. Once the dust is inside your laptop, it is much harder to remove. You can try blasting it out with canned air, but you run the risk of damaging internal components. You can also remove the vent and clean out the grit, but remember that taking apart your laptop can void the warranty. So clean your desk at least once a week, if not daily.
Never store your laptop in a place where the air temperature exceeds 27 degrees Centigrade, such as a hot car or an outdoor patio.
Consider taking your battery out when using your laptop plugged into AC power. Just make sure to keep the contacts clean. If you need to clean them, use rubbing alcohol.
For lithium ion batteries, you do not need to discharge them fully and recharge constantly. Since they don't have the same "memory" as older nickel-metal hydride batteries, it is actually better to discharge a lithium ion only partially before recharging. You need to do a full discharge only about every 30 charges.

Overloading a battery occurs when you use an AC adapter that has a higher wattage than that specified on the laptop (and battery), or if the circuitry of the laptop consistently overcharges the battery. If you're using a replacement or spare adapter, make sure the wattage matches your laptop's within the specified voltage range. In the worst-case scenario, overloading can also damage your motherboard.

Battery purchase -stick to a couple of key guidelines.
Don't skimp on your battery. If you choose the lowest-cost battery you'll probably get a battery that degrades quickly, and you'll end up buying a replacement too soon anyway. So spend the money now to save expense and frustration down the road.
Don't buy an expired battery. A good indicator of a battery's performance is how far into its product life it is, whether it's used or new. If possible, look at the bottom of the battery and find the manufacture date.

A Quick Fix for Slow Internet Access

2008-12-21T14:10:00.000+10:00

To those who complain about connectivity problems: power-cycle your modem and router.

In other words, disconnect the power cords from both, wait about 30 seconds, and then plug them back in. In a minute or two, your network will be up and running again, and your Internet access might be its good old speedy self. I say "might be" because there are loads of other possible culprits for pokey Internet connections.

For example, you might have a spyware problem. Windows' Internet settings might be FUBAR (or at least less than optimal). If you're connecting via a wireless router, there could be range issues.

In most cases, however, it's probably just a router and/or modem in need of rebooting.

You Tube

2008-11-05T13:25:00.002+10:00

Another short guide.

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips - created in February 2005.

It displays a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging short original videos. Unregistered users can watch most videos on the site, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Some videos are available only to users of age 18 or older (e.g. videos containing potentially offensive content). The uploading of videos containing defamation, harassment, commercial advertisements and material encouraging criminal conduct is strictly prohibited.

Before the launch of YouTube in 2005, there were few simple methods available for ordinary computer users who wanted to post videos online. With its easy to use interface, YouTube made it possible for anyone who could use a computer to post a video that millions of people could watch within a few minutes. The wide range of topics covered by YouTube has turned video sharing into one of the most important parts of Internet culture.

YouTube has been criticized frequently for failing to ensure that its online content adheres to the law of copyright. At the time of uploading a video, YouTube users are shown a screen with the following message:
Do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts or commercials without permission unless they consist entirely of content you created yourself.

The Copyright Tips page and the Community Guidelines can help you determine whether your video infringes someone else's copyright.

Despite this advice, there are still many unauthorized clips from television shows, films and music videos on YouTube.

YouTube has also faced criticism over the offensive content in some of its videos. Although YouTube's terms of service forbid the uploading of material likely to be considered inappropriate or defamatory, the inability to check all videos before they go online means that occasional lapses are inevitable.

A form of social engineering has allowed hackers to duplicate a YouTube page and trick users into believing they are looking at the legitimate YouTube site, however the links on the page lead to a computer virus being installed on their computer. Some obvious signs of a fake YouTube page are website addresses that do not show the real url (http://www.youtube.com/); (hold the mouse over the URL and see what it shows) these pages are usually sent by e-mail. The fake videos will apparently not play unless the user installs software which may actually be a virus!

YouTube videos are designed to be viewed while connected to the Internet, and no official feature allows for them to be downloaded and viewed offline. However, a number of third-party web sites, applications, including Free Download Manager and browser extensions, such as Firefox extensions, exist for this purpose. Alternatively, when using Internet Explorer, .flv files can be copied from the 'Temporary Internet Files' folder in Windows to a permanent folder. The .flv files can then be viewed and edited directly or converted to other formats using various applications such as VLC media player.

References: Wikipedia

Social Networking – Facebook, MySpace, Bebo et al

2008-11-05T11:40:00.002+10:00

Some of my readers have been asking about sites such as Facebook etc. Many of us, not in the tweeny age group, have not been exposed to such sites. Here is a short discourse - some original content and some gathered from various websites. (yes plagarism is alive and well - I don't think I need to re-invent the wheel to get you up to speed on this phenomen).

Social networking sites build upon the concept of traditional social networks where you are connected to new people through people you already know. The purpose of networking sites may be purely social, allowing users to establish friendships or romantic relationships, while some others may focus on establishing business connections.

They are online communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail, instant messaging services, forums and chatrooms.

These websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and it now seems that social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life.

Although the features of social networking sites differ, they all allow you to provide information about yourself and offer some type of communication mechanism that enables you to connect with other users. On some sites, you can browse for people based on certain criteria, while other sites require that you be "introduced" to new people through a connection you share. Many of the sites have communities or subgroups that may be based on a particular interest.

Privacy Concerns
On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators. Users of these services need to be aware of data theft or viruses. However, large services, such as MySpace, often work with law enforcement to try to prevent such incidents.

In addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information in the hands of large corporations or governmental bodies, allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behaviour on which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken.

Potential for misuse
The relative freedom afforded by social networking services has caused concern regarding the potential of its misuse by individual patrons.

In October 2006, a fake MySpace profile created in the name of Josh Evans by Lori Janine Drew led to the suicide of Megan Meier. The event incited global concern regarding the use of social networking services for bullying purposes.

In July 2008, a Briton, Grant Raphael, was ordered to pay a total of £22,000 for libel and breach of privacy. Raphael had posted a fake page on Facebook purporting to be that of a former school friend Matthew Firsht, with whom Raphael had fallen out in 2000. The page falsely claimed that Firsht was homosexual and that he was dishonest.

Social networking sites have morphed into a mainstream medium for teens and adults. These sites encourage and enable people to exchange information about themselves, share pictures and videos, and use blogs and private messaging to communicate with friends, others who share interests, and sometimes even the world-at-large. And that's why it's important to be aware of the possible pitfalls.

What security implications do these sites present?
Social networking sites rely on connections and communication, so they encourage you to provide a certain amount of personal information. When deciding how much information to reveal, people may not exercise the same amount of caution as they would when meeting someone in person because,

the internet provides a sense of anonymity
the lack of physical interaction provides a false sense of security
they tailor the information for their friends to read, forgetting that others may see it
they want to offer insights to impress potential friends or associates

While the majority of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the accessibility and amount of personal information available on them. The more information malicious people have about you, the easier it is for them to take advantage of you. Predators may form relationships online and then convince unsuspecting individuals to meet them in person. That could lead to a dangerous situation. The personal information can also be used to conduct a social engineering attack. Using information that you provide about your location, hobbies, interests, and friends, a malicious person could impersonate a trusted friend or convince you that they have the authority to access other personal or financial data.

How can you protect yourself?
· Limit the amount of personal information you post
· Remember that the internet is a public resource
· Be wary of strangers
· Be sceptical
· Check privacy policies

Email - a plea!

2008-10-20T21:27:00.001+10:00

Unfortunately the 'spammers' have not gone away.

One of the ways that we can reduce the chances of being spammed is to be careful with other peoples email addresses and, not unreasonably, we might expect others to be careful of our email address also.

How can we do this?

1. When sending an email to multiple addresses put them in BCC.

2. When forwarding emails, strip out (remove) all the email addresses that you see.

3. If you receive a 'spam' email DON'T open or reply to it! Just delete it and/or block the Sender.

Please have another look at my blog entry dated June 2006 for some more tips.

Thanks

Calender Systems

2008-10-20T11:44:00.000+10:00

And on a lighter side:

September 2, 1752, was a great day in the history of sleep.

That Wednesday evening, millions of British subjects in England and the colonies went peacefully to sleep and did not wake up until twelve days later.
Behind this feat of narcoleptic prowess was not some revolutionary hypnotic technique or miraculous pharmaceutical discovered in the West Indies. It was, rather, the British Calendar Act of 1751, which declared the day after Wednesday the second to be Thursday the fourteenth.

Prior to that cataleptic September evening, the official British calendar differed from that of continental Europe by eleven days—that is, September 2 in London was September 13 in Paris, Lisbon, and Berlin. The discrepancy had sprung from Britain's continued use of the Julian calendar, which had been the official calendar of Europe since its invention by Julius Caesar (after whom it was named) in 45 B.C.

Caesar's calendar, which consisted of eleven months of 30 or 31 days and a 28-day February (extended to 29 days every fourth year), was actually quite accurate: it erred from the real solar calendar by only 11½ minutes a year. After centuries, though, even a small inaccuracy like this adds up. By the sixteenth century, it had put the Julian calendar behind the solar one by 10 days.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered the advancement of the calendar by 10 days and introduced a new corrective device to curb further error: century years such as 1700 or 1800 would no longer be counted as leap years, unless they were (like 1600 or 2000) divisible by 400.

If somewhat inelegant, this system is undeniably effective, and is still in official use in the United States. The Gregorian calendar year differs from the solar year by only 26 seconds—accurate enough for most mortals, since this only adds up to one day's difference every 3,323 years.

Despite the prudence of Pope Gregory's correction, many Protestant countries, including England, ignored the papal bull. Germany and the Netherlands agreed to adopt the Gregorian calendar in 1698; Russia only accepted it after the revolution of 1918, and Greece waited until 1923 to follow suit. And currently many Orthodox churches still follow the Julian calendar, which now lags 13 days behind the Gregorian.

Why So Difficult?

Since their invention, calendars have been used to reckon time in advance, and to fix the occurrence of events like harvests or religious festivals. Ancient peoples tied their calendars to whatever recurring natural phenomena they could most easily observe. In areas with pronounced seasons, annual weather changes usually fixed the calendar; in warmer climates such as Southern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, the moon was used to mark time.

Unfortunately, the cycles of the sun and moon do not synchronize well. A lunar year (consisting of 12 lunar cycles, or lunations, each 29½ days long) is only 354 days, 8 hours long; a solar year lasts about 365¼ days. After three years, a strict lunar calendar would have diverged from the solar calendar by 33 days, or more than one lunation.

The Muslim calendar is hence the only purely lunar calendar in widespread use today. Its months have no permanent connection to the seasons— Muslim religious celebrations, such as Ramadan, may thus occur at any date of the Gregorian calendar.

The phases of the moon have nonetheless remained a popular way to divide the solar year, if only because a 365¼-day year doesn't exactly lend itself to equal subdivision (the 71¼-day month has yet to find favor among menologists). To compensate for the difference in the solar and lunar year, calendar makers introduced the practice of intercalation—the addition of extra days or months to the calendar to make it more accurate. The semilunar Hebrew calendar, consisting of twelve 29- and 30-day months, adds an intercalary month seven times every 19 years (which explains the sometimes confusing drift of Passover—and consequently Easter— through April and March).

Best of All Possible Calendars?

Despite its widespread use, the Gregorian calendar has a number of weaknesses. It cannot be divided into equal halves or quarters; the number of days per month is haphazard; and months or even years may begin on any day of the week. Holidays pegged to specific dates may also fall on any day of the week, and vanishingly few Americans can predict when Thanksgiving will occur next year.

Since Gregory XIII, many other proposals for calendar reform have been made. In the 1840s, philosopher Auguste Comte suggested that the 365th day of each year be a holiday not assigned a day of the week. The generic "Year Day" would allow January 1 to fall on a Sunday every year. Needless to say, this clever solution was not widely embraced.

The French Revolution also saw an attempt at the introduction of a new calendar. On October 5, 1793, the revolutionary convention decreed that the year (starting on September 22, 1792—the autumnal equinox, and the day after the proclamation of the new republic) would be divided into 12 months of 30 days, named after corresponding seasonal phenomena (e.g. seed, blossom, harvest).

The remaining five days of the year, called sans-culottides, were feast days. In leap years, the extra day, Revolution Day, was to be added to the end of the year. The Revolutionary calendar had no week; each month was divided into three decades, with every tenth day to be a day of rest. This straightforward calendar, however, perished with the Republic.

There you have it!

What to do when Windows really gets messed up.

2008-10-20T11:32:00.000+10:00

Sometimes the operating system needs to be fixed. But before that happens you may need to:

Recover Data

You should never write to a disk on which you're recovering data!

Virtually all commercially-sold PCs come with some sort of recovery tool--an alternate way to boot your system (either a CD, a DVD, or a special key combination to press shortly after turning on your PC) that can return your hard drive to its factory condition. Thus, with just a few keystrokes, you can once again have a working copy of Windows, along with all the bundled junk you studiously removed, and none of your own files.

And speaking of mistakes, never ever run your PC's recovery tool without first backing up your data. In fact, you should never go to sleep without first backing up your data. In this day of cheap external hard drives and automated online backup services, there's just no excuse.

Okay, enough lectures. You've made your mistake. Can you get your data back?

It's hard to say. There's a slim chance you can get everything back, a good chance you'll get some of it, and a real possibility you'll get none. The problem isn't that the recovery tool erased everything on C: but that once it finished erasing, it started laying down files. It's the overwriting, not the erasing, that destroys your precious bits.

Your chance of recovering files decreases every time something writes to that hard drive. Letting the recovery tool complete its job lowers your chances. So does booting into Windows and using the computer.

How do you recover the data if you can't boot the hard drive? There are two options: Physically remove the hard drive and attach it as a secondary drive to another computer, or use recovery software that comes on a bootable CD or flash drive.

If you're comfortable with removing a hard drive, this is the best solution. You can then install it as an internal slave drive in another PC and copy your data to a DVD/CD or an external hard drive. Make sure that you can read the burned DVD/CD and that all the data is on it.

Make a note also of your email addresses, email settings and internet connection settings

Having done that, you can now go about “fixing” the operating system problem by recovery, re-installing or taking it to your local competent professional technician to fix for you. A competent technician will quite often be able to fix the operating system problem without being lazy and resorting to just re-installing the o/s.

"To err is human," the old joke goes. "But to really mess things up requires a computer."

SETTING YOUR REGION

2008-10-20T11:28:00.001+10:00

We often hear complaints about Office being 'too American' with measurements in inches instead of metric or the default country as the USA. In reality the fault is with whoever setup your computer and it seems not to be unusual.

Too many times I've seen copies of Windows installed with the default values - which are usually for USA English. That oversight can lead to frustration later.

The fix is easy and is in Windows - not Office. Office gets its settings or install defaults for many region specific things from Windows.
If you get it right in Windows during installation then you'll be in good shape later.

In Windows XP go to Control Panel Regional and Language Settings Regional Options to choose your preferred language and region combination. There are 13 choices for English alone.

Also change the 'Location' setting at the bottom of the dialog box.

If you don't like the default settings for formatting of numbers, currency, date or time click on the Customize button after choosing the closest applicable standard.

These settings are separate from the Windows time zone configuration (Control Panel Date & Time Time Zone).

Cloud Computing - What is it and how may it affect you.

2008-10-02T20:52:00.000+10:00

You're probably familiar with online email services such as Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and GMail. These are a form of cloud computing as they're essentially a way of storing and accessing data through a web browser.

Cloud computing refers to services and applications that are hosted on and accessed through the internet - or 'the cloud'.

What's so great about it?
Cloud computing means data and applications don't need to be held on servers (within businesses) or on home PCs where they will actually be used. This does away with the need for software to be installed and fewer servers are needed, all of which significantly cuts down on maintenance and purchase costs.

For example, Google Apps provides common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, e.g. Google Word, where the software and data are stored on the servers.

You created data stored on servers! That should raise some privacy and accessibility concerns. And what sort of guarantee will you get that the provider of that storage is not going to “lose” your data? If you lose data off your own computer that is an issue you have to deal with (you can make various backups to ensure this does not happen) but you’re going to be very unhappy if a third party fails to provide you access to your data. It would be a lot worse if your spreadsheets or presentations were inaccessible because of problems in the cloud, or because of problems with the physical computers or network connections that make cloud computing possible.

There is still an issue around business continuity and uptime - namely if your cloud provider's service goes offline, for whatever reason, it can leave you unable to access vital applications, email or information, which could have an impact on your business.

And storing large amounts of data about users' identity and preferences is likely to raise new concerns about privacy protection.
What are your rights? Who will you call? Ghost Busters!

The technical standards for connecting the various computer systems and pieces of software needed to make cloud computing work still aren't completely defined. That could slow progress on new products. Australian broadband penetration still lags that of many countries in Europe and Asia, and without high-speed connections - especially wireless ones - cloud computing services won't be widely accessible. There are some in Australia who would have us believe that 256k is a decent broadband speed!

If you're dependent on someone else for your technology, that can limit your flexibility and even your creativity. In fact, the personal computer itself arose because the old model of business computing, in which companies had big mainframes (“clouds”) and everyone connected to them via "dumb" terminals, was enormously frustrating for the people sitting at those dumb terminals. They could only do what they were authorized to do. They were dependent on the computer administrators to give them permission or fix problems. They had no way of staying up on the latest innovations. The personal computer was a rebellion against the tyranny of centralized computing operations – and of the IBM mainframe world in particular.

With cloud computing, we have come full circle: the efficiencies of a centralized computing infrastructure that can be easily accessed via the internet are just too compelling to ignore.

For a growing business it means that new storage and processing capacity can be added, incrementally, instead of having to buy a whole new server or software at a time.

For a company, where the people all work from their own homes or offices, it does makes coordination, document sharing and collaboration a lot easier.

But, a centralized computing infrastructure run by Google and IBM or anyone else, is anything but a best case scenario for most companies and individuals. On the one hand, such a cloud would likely have even more killer services at very low prices, Google has certainly proven its ability to deliver value in that regard.
On the other hand, over the long run, the lack of flexibility inherent in someone else running your tech will become a problem again. You'll be able to get any kind of software or service you like for a very low price – as long as it's a piece of software or service that Google and IBM think is appropriate. (Since economies of scale are at the heart of the cloud computing advantage, there is every reason to believe that Google and IBM together could achieve a very dominant position).

When Google or another talks up the benefits of cloud computing, what the company is really saying is, use our cloud rather than the various ones you're using now. Let us host your applications, let us host your website, and let us take all those different services you use and simplify them and make them cheaper and better. It's not a bad argument.

Unfortunately cloud computing could simply be a trap aimed at forcing more people to buy into locked, proprietary systems that are likely to cost them more and more over time.

Indeed, what's best for the customer in the end is having plenty of choices.

Cloud computing can be a great thing, but there needs to be plenty of clouds to choose from - not all of them run by Google.

Don’t become an “early adopter” of this technology, in the short term it may not suit.

Whilst I have mentioned Google many times, I am not against Google or IBM, just against monopolies!

“To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act"
Anatole France

More on Google Searching

2008-06-23T19:28:00.009+10:00

A preliminary guide to making Google searching easier.

Query Input
The more you know about how Google works, its features, its capabilities, and how it displays results, the better it can serve your needs. A query is the ‘request’ you send to Google. This part explains how to write a query/request that will help you find just what you want.

Entering a Query
If your browser isn’t pointing to Google, visit Googles’ home page by entering one of the following web addresses into your browser:
http://www.google.com/ (the full web address for Google)

www.google.com (a common abbreviation for Google’s web address)google.com

I use www.google.com/webhp as my Home page whenever I open my internet browser. Two reasons:
1. It opens quickly
2. I use the search features regularly

By using special characters and operators, such as +, –, ~, .., *, OR, and quotation marks, you can fine-tune your search query and increase the accuracy of its results.

Force Google to include a term by precedeing the term with a “+” sign.
To force Google to search for a particular term, put a + sign operator in front of the word in the query. Note that you should not put a space between the + and the word.

Precede each term you do not want to appear in any result with a “–” sign.
To find pages without a particular term, put a – sign operator in front of the word in the query. The – sign indicates that you want to subtract or exclude pages that contain a specific term. Do not put a space between the – and the word.

Find synonyms by precedeing the term with a ~, which is known as the tilde or synonym operator.
The tilde (~) operator takes the word immediately following it and searches both for that specific word and for the word’s synonyms. It also searches for the term with alternative endings. The tilde operator works best when applied to general terms and terms with many synonyms. As with the + and – operators, put the ~ (tilde) next to the word, with no spaces between the ~ and its associated word, i.e., [ ~lightweight laptop ] NOT [ ~ lightweight laptop ].
Why did Google use tilde? In math, the “~” symbol means “is similar to.” The tilde tells Google to search for pages that are synonyms or similar to the term that follows.

Specify synonyms or alternative forms with an uppercase OR or (vertical bar).
The OR operator, for which you may also use (vertical bar), applies to the search terms immediately adjacent to it. The first and second examples will find pages that include either “Tahiti” or “Hawaii” or both terms, but not pages that contain neither “Tahiti” nor “Hawaii.” The third and fourth examples will find pages that contain any one, two, or all three of the terms “blouse,” “shirt,” and “chemise.”
[ Tahiti OR Hawaii ]
[ Tahiti Hawaii ]
[ blouse OR shirt OR chemise ]
[ blouse shirt chemise ]
Note: If you write OR with a lowercase “o” or a lowercase “r” Google interprets the word as a search term instead of an operator.
Note: Unlike OR, a (vertical bar) need not be surrounded by spaces.
[ bycyclecycle ]

Use quotes (“ ”) to group compound words and phrases together.
Specify that results contain numbers in a range by specifying two numbers, separated by two periods, with no spaces.
For example, specify that you are searching in the price range $250 to $1000 using the number range specification $250..$1000.
[ recumbent bicycle $250..$1000 ]
Find the year the Russian Revolution took place.
[ Russian Revolution 1800..2000 ]

Use *, an asterisk character, known as a wildcard, to match one or more words in a phrase (enclosed in quotes).
Each * represents just one or more words. Google treats the * as a placeholder for a word or more than one word. For example, [ “Google * my life“ ] tells Google to find pages containing a phrase that starts with “Google” followed by one or more words, followed by “my life.” Phrases that fit the bill include: “Google changed my life,” “Google runs my life,” and “Google is my life.”
[ “Google * my life“ ]

If you know there’s a date on the page you’re seeking but you don’t know its format, specify several common formats using the OR operator. For example:
[ California election “Oct * 2003“ OR “10/*/03“ OR “October * 2003“ ]

When you know only part of the phrase you wish to find, consider using the * operator. Find the title of Sherry Russell’s book that can help you deal with the tragedies of 9/11 or losing a loved one.
[ “Conquering the * and * of Grief“ ]

Proximity searching can be useful when you want to find pages that include someone’s name in any of the following orders: first middle last, last first middle, first last, last first. To search for “Francis” adjacent or separated one word from “Coppola,” requires four queries:
[ “Francis Coppola“ ][ “Francis * Coppola“ ][ “Coppola Francis“ ][ “Coppola * Francis“ ]
Note: You can get around Google’s 32-word limit on the number of words in your query by substituting an * in place of each stop word or common word in your query. Wildcards are not counted.

Queries that use this special notation may also be entered by using Google’s Advanced Search.

These extracts are taken from Google Guide by Nancy Blachman, by rights given under a Creative Commons License.

If you wish to further advance your knowledge in this area, may I suggest going to this website; http://www.googleguide.com/

"Love truth, but pardon error.- Voltaire"

Free Program Problems

2008-06-21T11:17:00.000+10:00

With many using free programs such as AVG, Ad-Aware, Zone Alarm, Spy Bot, et al, some are being "nagged" to pay to continue downloading updates/upgrades.

You cannot blame the program developers wanting to be paid for their work but generally for the paid versions you do get some extra features. Some users are happy to just run the basic free version, others may want the extra features. If you are in the first category then you must be aware that when you first download, what you expect to be the free version, read the screens and small print thoroughly to make sure you are indeed downloading the freebie.

Sometimes a person could be confused by a "free download" (a term increasingly being used now, that can mean - free to download but pay to use) when doing a search for such programs.

When installing the selected program, some programs cover the whole field of free and paid versions and you are invited to check a box or boxes to designate which program you want to install. Read carefully.

During the use of the program/s you may be prompted to upgrade to a paid version. Always read the message.

When bringing up-to-date the various program definition files or signature files, once again just make sure you are updating and not "upgrading" to a paid version.

By all means support the developer if you wish, this can be done by purchasing the paid version or sometimes by making a donation (usually via PayPal).

TIPS: Google & MS Word

2008-06-19T09:12:00.001+10:00

Searching the Internet - improve your search experience using Google.

Google gives you access to billions of web pages. Click on this link that has many special features, to see how you can enhance your web searching.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html#calculator

Some of these special features may be American biased but careful wording can get your search extended.

In my next blog entry I will attempt to ‘flesh out’ more details of how to obtain more and better results from Google.

Yes, Google is the search engine of my choice but not the only one I use.

Did you know that MS Word has its own built in calculator?

You haven’t heard about it? Don’t worry!

You've probably heard the 80/20 rule (the rule applies to many things)? In this instance it is 80% of Microsoft Word users make use of only 20% of its features. But probably very few use or have heard of Word calculator. I'm talking about a simple, straightforward calculator which lets you perform any basic arithmetical operations anywhere within Word.

It's true, Windows comes with a more advanced calculator built in, but if you spend your days working in Word, nothing beats having a calculator right there in front of your nose at all times.

How to find THE CALCULATOR
Because Microsoft has buried the calculator so thoroughly, you'll need to resurrect it before putting it to use. That means sticking it on a toolbar.

In Word 2007, you'll have to put it on the Quick Access toolbar:
Right-click the Quick Access toolbar and select Customize Quick Access Toolbar from the pop-up menu.
Make sure For All Documents is selected in the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop-down box.
In the Choose Commands From drop-down box, select Commands Not In The Ribbon. (Side note: Perusing this list is highly educational for old-time Word users pining for lost commands.)
Locate Calculate in the list and double-click it to add it to the list of Quick Access commands, then click OK.

In Word XP/2003, do this:
Right-click any of your toolbars and choose Customize from the pop-up menu.
Click the Commands tab in the Customize dialog.
In the Categories list click Tools and in the Commands list scroll to Tools Calculate.
Click and drag the Tools Calculate command onto any of your toolbars.
To display a more compact icon, right-click the Tools Calculate button on the toolbar, select Change Button Image and pick the calculator icon. Right-click the Tools Calculate button once more and select Default Style. Then click Close.

USING THE CALCULATOR
With the Calculator now safely on a toolbar, you're ready to give it a go.
Just enter a simple formula, select the entire text and click your new Calculator button. Word will work out the result, display it on the status bar and copy the number into the clipboard for you to paste.

Calculating a cube root 1728^(1/3) The result of the calculation is 12 and will be shown on the toolbar.

The formulas can be similar to those you learnt at school but the feature also works in blocks of text you don't normally think of as formulas.

WHAT THE CALCULATOR DOES
The calculator handles addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, exponentiation and roots. It takes six operators:
Addition: +
Subtraction: - or place the number to be subtracted in parentheses, ( )
Multiplication: *
Division: /
Percentages: %
Exponentiation and roots: ^
If you omit the operator, the calculator assumes you want to add the numbers. So you can write:
235 79 9412 17.95 432.82
then select the numbers and click the Calculator button. The result (10176.77) is displayed, briefly, in Word's status bar. The result is also stored on the clipboard, so you can press Ctrl+V to paste it into your Word document, or copy it to another program.

Things that don't look like formulas
Unlike formula fields, the calculator works anywhere, including in paragraphs containing intervening text. This turns the in-line calculator from a nerdy trick into something you really can use.

Thus if you use the calculator on the following sentence:
At the dinner there were 13 doctors, 25 cosmologists, 53 seismologists and 219 assorted hangers on. The total number at the dinner will be calculated.
The result of the calculation is 310.

Only digits are recognised, which is something to watch if you use words for small numbers and digits for larger ones. A sentence like "Regrets were received from four maids a milking and 12 drummers drumming." will add up to 12 - not 16!

You can also use the Calculator in tables to tot up numbers in columns, in rows or in the whole table. As in ordinary text, use parentheses around a number or a minus sign before it to denote a negative number in the table.

Take care: although it's possible to select numbers in non-adjacent cells in a table by holding down the Ctrl key while you select each cell, the calculator will not give you a correct total if you try to add these numbers. Your selection must contain contiguous cells, rows or columns.

"It's like magic. When you live by yourself, all your annoying habits are gone!"

The Internet and the World Wide Web - the difference

2008-05-30T11:15:00.001+10:00

People use the terms Internet and World Wide Web interchangeably, but in fact the two terms are not synonymous. The Internet and the Web are two separate but related things.

What Is The Internet?
The Internet is at its most basic definition an electronic communications network. It is the structure on which the World Wide Web is based. Think of the Internet as a bus and the Web as the people within the bus.

What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web is a part of the Internet "designed to allow easier navigation through the use of graphical user interfaces and hypertext links between different addresses"

Language
The prevalent language for communication on the Internet is English. This may be a result of the Internet's origins. After English (31% of Web visitors) the most requested languages on the World Wide Web are Chinese (16%), Spanish (9%), Japanese (7%), German (5%) and French (5%).

Internet and the workplace
The Internet allows greater flexibility in working hours and location.

The Internet viewed on mobile devices
The Internet can now be accessed virtually anywhere by numerous means. Mobile phones, data cards, handheld game consoles and cellular routers allow users to connect to the Internet from anywhere there is a cellular network supporting that device's technology.

Common uses of the Internet

E-mail
The concept of sending electronic text messages between parties in a way analogous to mailing letters or memos, predates the creation of the Internet. Even today it can be important to distinguish between Internet and internal e-mail systems. Internet e-mail may travel and be stored unencrypted on many other networks and machines out of both the sender's and the recipient's control. During this time it is quite possible for the content to be read and even tampered with by third parties, if anyone considers it important enough. Purely internal or “intranet” mail systems, where the information never leaves the corporate or organisation's network, are much more secure.

The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a huge set of interlinked documents, images and other resources, linked by hyperlinks (a clickable link, often underlined in blue) and URLs (Universal Resource Locator - An Internet World Wide Web Address.) These hyperlinks and URLs allow the web servers and other machines that store originals, and cached copies, of these resources to deliver them as required.

Software products that can access the resources of the Web are correctly termed user agents. In normal use, web browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Firefox, access web pages and allow users to navigate from one to another via hyperlinks. Web documents may contain almost any combination of computer data including graphics, sounds, text, video, multimedia and interactive content including games, office applications and scientific demonstrations.

Through keyword-driven Internet research using search engines like Google, Yahoo! and others, millions of people worldwide have easy, instant access to a vast and diverse amount of online information. Compared to encyclopedias and traditional libraries, the World Wide Web has enabled a sudden and extreme de-centralisation of information and data.

Using the Web, it is also easier than ever before for individuals and organisations to publish ideas and information to an extremely large audience. Anyone can find ways to publish a web page or build a website for very little initial cost. Publishing and maintaining large, professional websites full of attractive, diverse and up-to-date information is still a difficult and expensive proposition, however.

It is estimated that World Wide Web search engines such as Google touch less than 25% of what is available on the internet. There are other specialist search engines but of course much information is not readily available to the public.
Many individuals and some companies and groups use "web logs" or blogs, (e.g. http://geoffs-computer-blog.blogspot.com/ - my own) which are largely used as easily updatable online diaries, information or forum pages.

Collections of personal web pages published by large service providers remain popular, and have become increasingly sophisticated. Whereas operations such as AngelFire and GeoCities have existed since the early days of the Web, newer offerings from, for example, Facebook and MySpace currently have large followings. These operations often brand themselves as social network services rather than simply as web page hosts.

Advertising on popular web pages can be lucrative, and e-commerce or the sale of products and services directly via the Web continues to grow. E-bay and Amazon are two well known ones.

Remote access
The Internet allows computer users to connect to other computers and information stores easily, wherever they may be across the world. They may do this with or without the use of security, authentication and encryption technologies, depending on the requirements.

This is encouraging new ways of working from home, collaboration and information sharing in many industries.

Collaboration
The low cost and nearly instantaneous sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills has made collaborative work dramatically easier. Not only can a group cheaply communicate and test, but the wide reach of the Internet allows such groups to easily form in the first place, even among niche interests.

Internet "chat", whether in the form of IRC (Internet Relay Chat) "chat rooms" or channels, or via instant messaging systems (MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger etc) allow colleagues to stay in touch in a very convenient way when working at their computers during the day. Messages can be sent and viewed even more quickly and conveniently than via e-mail. Extension to these systems may allow files to be exchanged, "whiteboard" drawings to be shared as well as voice and video contact between team members.

File sharing
A computer file can be e-mailed to customers, colleagues and friends as an attachment. It can be put into a "shared location" or onto a file server for instant use by colleagues.

These simple features of the Internet, over a worldwide basis, are changing the basis for the production, sale, and distribution of anything that can be reduced to a computer file for transmission. This includes all manner of print publications, software products, news, music, film, video, photography, graphics and the other arts. This in turn has caused seismic shifts in each of the existing industries that previously controlled the production and distribution of these products.

Internet collaboration technology enables business and project teams to share documents, calendars and other information. Such collaboration occurs in a wide variety of areas including scientific research, software development, conference planning, political activism and creative writing.

Streaming media
Many existing radio and television broadcasters provide Internet "feeds" of their live audio and video streams (for example, the BBC).

Web cams can be seen as an even lower-budget extension of this phenomenon. While some web cams can give full-frame-rate video, the picture is usually either small or updates slowly. Internet users can watch animals around an African waterhole, ships in the Panama Canal, the traffic at a local roundabout or their own premises, live and in real time. Video chat rooms, video conferencing, and remote controllable web cams are also popular. Many uses can be found for personal web cams in and around the home, with and without two-way sound.

YouTube, sometimes described as an Internet phenomenon because of the vast amount of users and how rapidly the site's popularity has grown, was founded on February 15, 2005. It is now the leading website for free streaming video. It uses a flash-based web player which streams video files in the format FLV. Users are able to watch videos without signing up; however, if users do sign up they are able to upload an unlimited amount of videos and they are given their own personal profile. It is currently estimated that there are 64,000,000 videos on YouTube, and it is also currently estimated that 825,000 new videos are uploaded every day.

Voice telephony (VoIP)
VoIP stands for Voice over IP, where IP refers to the Internet Protocol that underlies all Internet communication. This phenomenon began as an optional two-way voice extension to some of the instant messaging systems that took off around the year 2000. In recent years many VoIP systems have become as easy to use and as convenient as a normal telephone. The benefit is that, as the Internet carries the actual voice traffic, VoIP can be free or cost much less than a normal telephone call, especially over long distances and especially for those with always-on Internet connections such as cable or ADSL.

Thus, VoIP is maturing into a viable alternative to traditional telephones. Interoperability between different providers has improved and the ability to call or receive a call from a traditional telephone is available. Simple, inexpensive VoIP modems are now available that eliminate the need for a PC.
Voice quality can still vary from call to call but is often equal to and can even exceed that of traditional calls.

VoIP has also become increasingly popular within the gaming world, as a form of communication between players. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 also offer VoIP chat features.

I hope this gives a clearer picture (without much "tech speak") about the Internet and the World Wide Web. My thanks to About.com and others for input into this explanation.

"Think wrongly, if you please, but in all cases think for yourself."
--Doris Lessing

Thumb Drives

2008-05-28T18:28:00.001+10:00

There are different names for thumb drives. They’re sometimes called jump drives, pen drives or flash drives. They store information on Flash memory. They hold up to 32GB of data and more capacious drives are coming.

Thumb drives are now inexpensive. You can find 2GB thumb drives for about $AUD10. Prices rise with memory capacity. For example, a 16GB model will run $150 or more. My very first thumb drive, 64MB, cost me $59 back in the late nineties!

Thumb drives are rewritable and durable. They’ll last longer than a hard drive if treated correctly. Everybody should have a thumb drive or two. You just don’t know how handy they are until you use them.

How long will your thumb drive last?

The sad truth is that these handy little gadgets won't last forever. So, be diligent about backing up data stored on them. The good news is, they could have a longer lifespan than other types of media.

Manufacturers say that flash cells are good for anywhere between 100,000 and a million write cycles. That's an awful lot of writing and re-writing.

Some manufacturers claim these will last up to 10 years. To be safe, I'd give the drive five to seven years. This is still better than hard drives (two to five years) and recordable CDs/DVDs, which simply aren't very reliable. I have actually put one of my thumb drives through a washing machine and after giving it a couple of days to dry out, have been using it successfully for the past twelve months. No way of measuring of course what effect, if any, on the longevity of the drive.

And speaking of thumb drives, did you know you can run programs from them?

You can load the thumb drive with programs such as Firefox Portable or Open Office Portable (or similar), plug the drive into a computer, and run the programs from it! No need to use another person’s computer software at all, all you are doing is using their hardware.

Before removing from a USB port, make sure the ‘writing’ light is off and use the ‘Safely Remove Hardware’ program by clicking the Remove Hardware icon in the taskbar. Otherwise you may well either corrupt or lose data on the thumb drive.

Flash Drive Defrag – DON’T

Should I ever defragment them? I know we have to do it for our hard drives, but are flash drives the same?

The simple answer to today's question is: you should NEVER defrag a flash drive.

Let me explain! Let's first talk a little about hard drives. The files you have stored on your hard drive are usually saved in several little pieces, often in groups of 512 bytes. Now, those chunks of data are usually never placed next to each other or even remotely close to each other. Therefore, your files are generally spread out all over your hard drive (which is why defragging is so important).

The whole defrag process is done through a read/write head that rearranges your files and places them back together for you. Defragging simply helps speed up your system when you need to open a certain file. Yep, that's why it's so vital that you defrag on a regular basis (at least once a month or so).

On the other hand, flash drives do not have a read/write head, so if you were to defrag one, you wouldn't get any extra performance benefits from it whatsoever. Basically, without a read/write head, flash drives don't have to work any harder to find your files. Your files can be laid out in any order and your flash drive will still be just as fast when finding them for you.

Another reason why you should never defrag a flash drive is because flash memory wears out over time. Basically, the more you write (saving files, etc.) to your flash drive, the shorter its lifespan will be. And since defragging is a huge write process, every time you do it, you're adding thousands of extra writes to your device that just aren't necessary. So, if you've been continuously defragging your flash drives, you should stop. If you want your flash drive to last you a long while, simply stop the defrags. You won't get any benefit from it and you could just end up with a broken down flash drive for no reason at all.

Using a thumb drive on PC and Mac

How do I use the same thumb drive on both a PC and a Mac? I've read somewhere I could format the thumb drive to FAT or FAT32.

Well, you're right. You can format the drive in FAT32. Both PC and Mac will be able to read it. Furthermore, most files you use will be readable in both systems.
To format the drive in a PC, plug it in to a USB port. Click Start>> Computer in Windows Vista, or Start>>My Computer in XP. The drive will show up in either. It may be marked as a drive, as removable storage or by its name.
Right-click the drive. Click Format. Under File System, select FAT32. Do a full format.

You can also format the drive in a Mac. Again, insert it in a USB port. Go to Go>>Applications>>Utilities. Open Disc Utility.
On the left, select the thumb drive. Click Erase at the top of the right panel. In the Volume Format box, select MS-DOS File System. Also, choose a name. Click the Erase button at the bottom right.

To use the drive on a PC, insert it in a USB slot. To find the drive, click Start>>Computer in Vista, or Start>>My Computer in XP. You can also find it in Windows Explorer. To load files, drag and drop them on the drive.

Using the drive on a Mac is even easier. Insert it in a USB slot. A white thumb drive icon will appear on the desktop. Find the files or folders you want to put on the drive. Drag and drop the files or folders on the icon.

You will also want to move files from the drive.

In the PC, go to Computer or My Computer. Double-click the drive. The list of files and folders will be shown. Drag and drop them in their new home.
For the Mac, find and open the folder where you will put the files. Double-click the white icon on the desktop. Drag and drop the files on the target folder.
It is important that thumb drives be removed properly. On the PC, right-click the icon in the notification area. If necessary, mouse over the icons. The correct icon will say Safely Remove Hardware. Follow the instructions to remove the drive.

On the Apple, drag the icon to the trash can. It is then safe to remove.

"The best computer is a man, and it's the only one that can be mass-produced by unskilled labour."
Wernher von Braun

Decide what data to back up and how to do it

2008-04-07T09:52:00.001+10:00

There are many ways you can unintentionally lose information on a computer. A child playing the keyboard like a piano, a power surge, lightning, floods. And sometimes equipment just fails.

If you regularly make backup copies of your files and keep them in a separate place, you can get some, if not all, of your information back in the event something happens to the originals on your computer.

Deciding what to back up is highly personal. Anything you cannot replace easily should be at the top of your list. Before you get started, make a checklist of files to back up. This will help you determine what to back up, and also give you a reference list in the event you need to retrieve a backed-up file. Here are some file suggestions to get you started:
My Documents files
My Picture files
Bank records and other financial information
Digital photographs
Software you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
Music you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
Personal projects
Your e-mail address book
Your Microsoft Outlook calendar
Your Internet Explorer bookmarks
Or any other “data” on your computer

After you've decided what you want to back up and where you're going to back up, you're ready. Decide where you want to store your backup copies—external hard disk drive, CDs, DVDs, USB drives or some other storage format.

When you make backup copies of your information, a simple copy and paste will do the trick. Or if you use Windows Vista or Windows XP, a backup tool is just a few clicks away.

Windows XP Professional: Use the built-in Backup utility
If you use Windows XP Professional, you can use the built-in Backup utility to help you make copies of files, settings, or everything on your computer. You can even use the utility to back up certain files on a schedule that you specify. Here's how to start using the Backup utility:
1. Click Start, and point to All Programs.
2. Point to Accessories, and then point to System Tools.
3. Click Backup.

If you've never used the Backup utility, the first screen you will see is the Backup or Restore Wizard welcome window. Click Next and follow the instructions on the wizard.

Windows XP Home Edition: Add the Backup utility
If you're using Windows XP Home Edition and you want to install the Backup utility, you must locate your original Windows XP CD first. Add the Backup utility manually to your computer from the CD by following these steps:
1. Insert your Windows XP CD into the drive and, if necessary, in My Computer, double-click the CD icon to display the Welcome screen.
2. On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen, click Perform Additional Tasks.
3. Click Browse this CD.
4. In Windows Explorer, double-click the ValueAdd folder, then Msft, and then Ntbackup.
5. Double-click Ntbackup.msi to install the Backup utility.

If you don’t have an original Home Edition disk, borrow one or direct download of ntbackup.msi. from http://home.comcast.net/~cerelli/ntbackup.msi

On a side note, Ntbackup is a handy program to backup selected data files. If you're looking to backup your entire system you should consider an imaging program such as Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost.

Windows Vista: Backup and Restore Center
Depending on the version of Windows Vista you have, there are two approaches you can take to back up files: Automatic Backup, which backs up just your files and data; or Complete PC Backup, which backs up everything on your computer, including the operating system and applications. You can choose the method in the Backup and Restore Center.

To access the Backup and Restore Center:
1. Click Start, and point to Control Panel.
2. Click System and Maintenance and then click Back up your computer.

Making backup copies manually
Regardless of what version of Windows you use, you can manually make a backup copy of any file or folder by following these steps:
1. Right-click the file or folder that you want to back up, and then click Copy from the menu.
2. Now, in My Computer, you can right-click the disk or external hard drive where you want to store the backup copy, and then click Paste from the menu.
That's it.

It is not always necessary to purchase a back-up program (unless you are convinced it offers some obvious advantages) because you can use Microsoft’s operating system’s software. Hope this is of some help to you.

"It's like magic. When you live by yourself, all your annoying habits are gone!"

Blu-ray - the new DVD?

2008-03-31T13:21:00.000+10:00

Blu-ray was one of the two major High Definition disc formats vying to replace the current DVD standard in the U.S. market. HD-DVD is now officially dead.

Blu-ray is supported on the hardware side by Hitachi, LG, Matsushita (Panasonic), Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, HP, Dell, Apple, TDK, and Thomson (Note: Thomson also supports HD-DVD). On the software side, Blu-ray is supported by Sony/Columbia, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, MGM, Paramount (also supported HD-DVD) and Warner (also supported HD-DVD). Apple Computer has also announced support for Blu-ray. Those studios that only supported HD-DVD will now no doubt support Blu-ray.

Is Blu-ray Compatible with Standard DVDs and CDs?
So far, Blu-ray player manufacturers have included the ability for their units to playback standard DVDs, this is expected to continue. Also, when you play a standard DVD in a Blu-ray player, you can view it at standard DVD resolution or have the player upscale the DVD playback signal to match 720p/1080i and, in some cases, 1080p mode that will be a better match for viewing on an HDTV.
With respect to standard CDs, most Blu-ray Disc players will play standard CDs/CD-R/RW discs.
However, there are some exceptions to this, most notably on first generation models from Sony and Pioneer, as well as the Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo player from LG. If you desire CD compatibility, make sure you read the specs or features brochure of the unit you are considering to confirm this.

What is Available to Play on a Blu-ray Player?
There are a growing number of films and other video content now available in Blu-ray Disc. Currently, Several hundred titles are available. Prices for the titles are higher than current DVDs. Prices for movies, just as for players, are expected to go down over time as competition heats up and more disc quantities of each film are produced.

Don’t give up on DVD!

Lastly, remember that Blu-ray can play standard DVDs as well. In fact, you can play your standard DVDs in an upscaled mode that will approach the quality of high definition resolution. Also, most Blu-ray are, and will be, compatible with standard CDs, however, there may be some exceptions. If you require this compatibility, check to see if the official Compact Disc logo is on the front panel of the player, or that you at least ask the salesperson. To make sure, you can sometimes download the user manual from the manufacturer's website ahead of time, or, better yet, bring a CD with you to the dealer and make sure it plays

Are Blu-ray Discs Region Coded, Like DVDs?
Blu-ray has instituted a Region Coding scheme, however, it is more logical than current DVD Region Codes.

For Blu-ray Discs, there are three regions, designated as follows:

Region A: U.S., Japan, Latin America, East Asia (except China).
Region B: Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand
Region C: China, Russia, Remaining countries

Regardless of the Region Coding question, the consumer also needs to take into consideration the technical differences between various television and video systems. While North America, Japan, and Latin America employ an NTSC-based 30 Frames-per-second video system, most of the rest of the world is employs a PAL-based system with 25 frames-per-second. In addition, some of the other technical standards in use for audio processing and video processing could vary. This means that an Blu-ray disc, even though not region coded, from another part of the World may not necessarily play on an Australian/New Zealand Blu-ray player or vice versa.

What Types of Connections Do Blu-ray Players Have?
Blu-ray players have the same connections as a standard DVD player, such as Composite, S-Video, and Component video outputs as well as Analog Stereo and Digital Optical and Digital Coaxial Audio outputs. However, two additional outputs include:

An HDMI output, which is used to transfer both high definition video and digital audio to a Television or AV receiver that is equipped with an HDMI or DVI-HDCP input via an adapter.

A set of 5.1 channel analog outputs that transfers a decoded surround sound signal to AV receivers that have 5.1 direct analog inputs.

Can I Play a Blu-ray Disc on an HD-DVD player or Vice-Versa?
Since the Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD formats are incompatible, due to differences in actual physical disc structure, you cannot play a Blu-ray Disc in an HD-DVD format player, nor can you play an HD-DVD in a Blu-ray Disc format player.

Other alternatives that have been proposed to solve this problem include a dual Blu-ray/HD-DVD disc. This would be a disc that would have the Blu-ray version of the film or program on one side and the HD-DVD content on the other side. A similar solution is already being provided on some HD-DVD titles, in which the HD-DVD content is on one side of the disc and standard DVD content is offered on the other side.

Are There Blu-ray Recorders?
Blu-ray does support high definition video recording, and you will likely see recorders appearing on store shelves. However, if you desire high definition video recording on disc now, you can buy Blu-ray Writers to install in your PC, and Sony has also begun to introduce a Laptop and Desktop PC with Blu-ray recording capability.

The two types of Blu-ray Recording formats are:

BD-R: A record-once only format disc, similar in concept as a DVD-R, DVD+R, or CD-R disc.
BD-RE: A re-writable format disc that can be erased, edited, and re-used multiple times, similar in concept to DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, or CD-RW disc.
It is also anticipated that most, if not all, Blu-ray recorders will be able to also record in one or more of the current standard DVD recording formats, such as DVD-R/-RW or DVD+R/+RW.

What Can I Record on a Blu-ray Recorder?
You can (or will be able to, as things stand currently), record anything on a Blu-ray recorder that you can on a DVD recorder or VCR, only at much higher quality than current technology allows, provided your source material is of good quality (VHS will still look like VHS!). Blu-ray recorders will have both analog and digital video input capability for recording from any type of VCR or Camcorder, and will most likely include both an analog and digital TV tuner, so you can record both standard and high definition Television shows.

However, keep in mind, copy-protection issues.

What Type of TV Do I Need To Use With a Blu-ray Player or Recorder?
Although Blu-ray players can be connected and used with any Television that has at least, Composite video inputs, the only way to access high definition content and resolution is through either the HDMI connection, or Component Video connections. In other words, you need an HD-Compatible television to see the benefits of either Blu-ray.

NOTE: Although, currently, high definition resolution can be accessed using the Component Video connections of an Blu-ray or HD-DVD player, this is at the movie studios' discretion. In the future, discs may be encoded to allow access to high definition resolution only via the HDMI connection.
The reason for this is that although the Component Video connections allow owners of older, pre-HDMI, or DVI-HDTV-equipped, HDTVs to enjoy the benefits of Blu-ray and HD-DVD, video signals travelling through component connections are more easily pirated that than those the travel through the digitally copy-protected signal travelling through an HDMI connection.

Lingering Questions About Blu-ray and HD-DVD
Questions, such as software availability and format viability over the long term, could be a concern at this point. On the positive side, Blu-ray players are totally compatible with the standard DVD format, as well as CDs.

New tech toys are hard to resist, and if you are willing to take the plunge into high definition DVD, despite future uncertainty, then consider Blu-ray as a possible choice. One way to look at it is, instead of waiting, you can be enjoying true hi-definition DVD right how with a Blu-ray Disc player, especially if you have a large screen HDTV or HD-Compatible video projector. On the other hand, if you are on a limited budget or do not wish to take a format risk at this time, for less than $200 there are a variety good DVD players with 720p/1080i/1080p up-scaling capability that can narrow the gap between standard DVD and Blu-ray or HD-DVD, and you don't have worry about your current DVD library becoming obsolete - standard DVDs, and players to play them, will be around for some time.

Screen Shot - Windows

2008-03-26T10:27:00.002+10:00

Q. What is a screen shot?
A. "Screen shot" is the phrase used to describe the action of capturing your computer desktop or anything shown on your computer screen to a static image file. In other words, it is a way of taking a snapshot, or picture, of your computer screen. Some people also call it a screen grab.

Screen shots can be very helpful when you need to demonstrate something that would be difficult to explain in words. Or to add a picture, to illustrate the written words.

Screen shots are also useful to save snippets of anything you have on your screen, particularly when it can not be easily printed.

You do not need special software to take a picture of your screen because screen shot functionality is built into all current Windows operating systems.

In addition, many graphics programs also have screen capture capabilities built in. However, if you take screen shots often, using special screen capture software can come in handy. Dedicated screen capture software offers many benefits, such as:

the ability to automatically name and save your screen shots to a specific folder, auto-scroll functions to capture long documents like Web pages that don't fit on the screen,
timed captures to allow you prepare the workspace before capturing,
markup tools for adding callouts, arrows, shapes, and text annotations to your screen shots,
options to include or exclude the mouse cursor.
There is even screen recording software that will capture all the activity on your computer monitor and turn it into a video file.

How do we do it? Have you ever pressed the PrtScn (print screen) key on your Windows keyboard (usually in the upper row of keys after the F12) and wondered why it was there since it never seemed to do anything? Well, it does do something! It copies an image of your screen onto the "clipboard," ready to paste into any graphics program. These steps show you how to use it along with Windows' standard image editor, Microsoft Paint (or another picture editor of your choice), to save an image of your screen.

Here's How:
1. Press the Print Screen key on your keyboard. It may be labeled [PrtScn].
2. Open an image editing program, such as Microsoft Paint.
3. Go to the Edit menu and choose Paste.
4. If prompted to enlarge the image, choose Yes.
5. Optional: Use your image editor's crop tool to crop out unnecessary portions of the screen shot.
6. Go to the File Menu and choose “Save As”.
7. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the image.
8. Type a file name for the image.
9. Select a file type. Preferably .gif
10. Click the Save button.

Tips:
1. Hold the Alt key down while pressing Print Screen to capture only the active window (the active window is indicated by having a different coloured or brightly lit title bar, if the window is inactive then the colour tends to be not as bright or greyed out).
2. Generally the GIF format works best when saving screen shots of application windows. The JPEG format usually makes screen shots (especially those with text) blurry, blotchy and discoloured.
3. The Windows " clipboard" is a term used to describe the temporary storage space in memory where an item is placed when you copy or cut. When you paste, the item is transferred to the program you're working in. If you copy something else, the old item is replaced with the new. You can't navigate to or manipulate the clipboard directly; it's only used for copy and paste operations.
4. If you have windows Vista, you can capture screen shots much more easily using the “Snipping Tool” included with Vista.

"Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them."

Web browsing using Internet Explorer

2008-03-06T18:12:00.000+10:00

Ever been frustrated by only being able to download two files at a time?

If you are like me and wish to download more (call it 'impatience' if you will) then here is the answer.

Increase IE downloads to 10 by clicking on this site:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Row number 55 – right hand column:

Increase Internet Explorer Downloads to 10

NOT the “UNDO”

Click on the name and use the “Open” command and then “Run”. You can “Save” if you wish and then install from wherever you saved to.

Hope this helps.

Web browsing and the use of tabs

2008-03-06T07:25:00.000+10:00

An analogy: perhaps some of you can remember using an old manual filing system where a card was placed between groups of files with a header tab on it?

In graphical user interfaces, a tab is a navigational widget for switching between sets of controls or documents. It is traditionally designed as a text label within a rectangular box with its top borders rounded. Activating a tab (usually by a mouse click) makes its associated content visible and the tab itself usually becomes highlighted to distinguish it from other inactive tabs. Only one tab can be active at a time.

For computer use, here is a picture of tabs, “General” is the tab currently in use. To use any other tab you only need to mouse click on it to open a new interface.

A tabbed document interface is one that allows multiple documents to be contained within a single window, using tabs to navigate between them. It is an interface style most commonly associated with web browsers et al.

One important advantage of the tabbed document interface is that it holds many different documents logically under the one window, instead of holding a large number of small, child windows. Using tabs instead of new windows to display content creates a smaller memory footprint and therefore reduces the strain on the operating system.

Tabbed web browsers allow users to save their browsing session and return to it later.

Although the tabbed document interface does allow for multiple views within one window, there are problems with this interface. One such problem is dealing with many tabs at once. When a window is tabbed to a certain number that exceeds the available resolution of the monitor, the tabs clutter up. Also if you wanted to cut and paste between tabs this cannot be done. You need to open additional windows. But overall, using tabs in Internet Explorer 7 (tabs not available in earlier versions) or the Mozilla Firefox browser can make web browsing easier for the user, especially going from one website to others without loosing the original website/s.

How do I open new tabs in these browsers? When opening a new web page you can right click on the link and then choose to Open in New Tab (IE7) or Open Link in New Tab (Firefox). When you ‘right click’ you will also find a number of other options as well.

Alternatively if you have a mouse with a central scroll button on it, click the scroll button on the new web link to open the new tab (works on both browsers).

Happy browsing!

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

How to Download and Watch YouTube (and others) Videos

2008-02-14T10:37:00.001+10:00

YouTube, like many other websites e.g. My Space et al, do not have a download option – you can only view (streaming) but not save. You may have come across an appealing video which you wish to save or send on to others to view.

To save the video
Go to http://www.keepvid.com/ and copy the URL or web page address of the video you want to download and copy it into the address entry bar. Press “Download”. A new box will open up (below the Step by Step Guides), you then click on >>Download Link<< and you will be shown a File Download box which allows you to Open, Save or Cancel. Having clicked on Save you will be given a file name which is likely to be always called get_video.flv. Rename, to reflect the proper name of the video, choose a Folder to save it to (make sure the file extension is .flv). Click Save. Done!

How to View the Saved Video.
.flv is a flash video or FLV. These videos can be viewed using a flv player - free one available from here http://www.flvplayer4free.com/ Go to the bottom of the page and click on Download and this will take you to http://www.download.com/ (the site that hosts this player) click on Download Now and Save to a Folder on your computer. It is only a small download; 1.39MB. From the folder you saved it to you can now install the viewer. Any files you have downloaded with the extension .flv should now be able to be played using this viewer.

An Alternative
Just install and use ffdshow. You can download from here: http://www.flvplayer4free.com/ A 3.69MB download in a zip format. Choose the one dated 2008-02-10 (American). This player will support many other video and audio formats. Save to a Folder on your computer, unzip and install.

Use Media Player Classic
(download from here: http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/video_players/media_player_classic.cfm 1.95MB) Follow the prompts. Save and install. When both these programs have been installed you can use Media Player Classic to play the flv files. Why use Media Player Classic you ask when you already have a version of Windows Media Player on your system? Unfortunately many times when WMP goes off to find the codecs required, it is unable to find them! Media Player Classic is also suitable for those of you who may have ended up with MS Vista as your operating system.

Hope all this helps you get a little more entertainment from your computer. Please feel free to contact me if you should need further help. If you have an alternative or better way, more than happy to hear from you.

"I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert."

CLEANING AN LCD MONITOR & HARD DRIVE SIZES

2008-02-07T19:08:00.000+10:00

Before you start, make sure your monitor is off. I’d even unplug it and disconnect it from the computer. Use very warm (but not hot) water and dish soap. Apply the solution with a microfibre cloth or soft cloth.

Before washing the screen, wring the cloth out well. Don’t let water drip between the screen and case. You may have to use elbow grease to remove the marks. Don’t press too hard – you could damage the screen.

If soap and water does not work, then use alcohol (on the screen NOT yourself!). You should use a 50/50 blend of isopropyl alcohol and water. Alcohol bought at a pharmacy will probably be 90 percent. Mix this with (about) equal parts water.
The alcohol will dissolve marks. Try not to rub the marks. This could smear them. Instead, use a cotton swab to dab them.

I have heard that Windex works, too. These tips can be used to clean CRT monitors as well, the only difference being that you can press hard on a CRT monitor.

There are things you should not use on LCD panels: abrasive cleaners, ethyl alcohol, ammonia or acetone as they will damage your screen!

Why You Need to Know About File Sizes
Let's say that you are going to send a picture to a friend through email. Your friend tells you not to send anything bigger than a megabyte (MB) (many ISP’s don't allow attachments bigger than a megabyte anyway). You look at your picture and it says 2052 kilobytes (KB). A kilobyte is smaller than a megabyte so are you safe to send it? The answer is no because it is more than a megabyte. In fact 2052 KB is over 2 MB!

File sizes can be confusing but not once you understand how these sizes work and how to convert from one the other!
There are (from largest to smallest):Gigabytes(GB), Megabytes(MB), Kilobytes(KB), Bytes and Bit.
But that really doesn't tell you much other than a gigabyte is bigger than a kilobyte.

Exact File Size Conversion
Bit - Smallest unit of measurement.
Byte - 8 bitsKilobyte (KB) - 1024 bytes.
MegaByte (MB) - 1024 kilobytes (KB)
GigaByte (GB) - 1024 megabytes (MB)
To convert these in exact figures, it is best to use a calculator designed for this purpose.

Estimate File Sizes
That still doesn't help a whole lot unless you come back to this page and use a calculator. There is an easy way to estimate between file sizes. It is not exact but you can easily figure out an estimate of the different unit of measurement in decimal format (the math system we are used to).

Here Is How To Convert File Measurements Without A Calculator
Each unit changes names when you get to 1000 of that unit. The basic unit is a byte. If you have 1000 bytes, you can then call it 1 kilobyte. If you have 1000 kilobytes, you can then call it 1 megabyte. The same happens when you go up from megabytes to gigabytes.

Bigger than a Gigabyte or Terabyte?
Currently, hard drives and camera memory are being measured in gigabytes. Soon, we will be going to even bigger units of measurement. The measurement Terabyte is starting to be heard more often. Here is a list of measurements: Megabyte > Gigabyte > Terabyte > Petabyte > Exabyte > Zettabyte > Zottabyte > Brontobyte

File Sizes of Common Storage Devices
It is important to note that advertised measurements of storage are in the raw state - once you format the storage device it is smaller.
3 1/4" Floppy - 1.44 Megabytes (MB)
CD - around 700 Megabytes (MB)
DVD - around 4.7 Gigabytes (GB)
Hard Drives - getting bigger all the time but as of this writing, around 160 Gigabyte (GB) or 320 Gigabyte (GB) are common.

Thought For The Day:
"If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?"

Why you should think before you press the Forward button.

2008-01-04T14:45:00.000+10:00

A very relevant topic at this time.

I have included a web link for you to click on which addresses the problems of "junk" mail circulating around the internet.

Please (pretty please) read it!

Please Forward to Everyone You Know - Computing at Home by Dian Chapman.
Why you should think before you press the Forward button.
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=146

In the paragraph headed "Do Your Research" I would also add in these websites:
http://www.snopes.com/
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/virus-hoaxes.html

Having had my GOTD (grump of the day) I would wish all my readers:

A Happy Healthy New Year!

The ubiquitous MP3

2007-12-03T11:01:00.000+10:00

In the first half of 1995 through the late 1990s, MP3 files began to spread on the Internet. MP3's popularity began to rise rapidly with the advent of Nullsoft's audio player Winamp (released in 1997).

The ease of creating and sharing MP3s resulted in widespread copyright infringement. Major record companies, who argue that such free sharing of music reduces sales, reacted to this by pursuing lawsuits against Napster, which was eventually closed down, and eventually against individual users who engaged in file sharing.

Despite the popularity of MP3, online music retailers often use other proprietary formats that are encrypted (known as Digital rights management) to prevent users from using purchased music in ways not specifically authorised by the record companies. The record companies argue that this is necessary to prevent the files from being made available on peer-to-peer file sharing networks. However, this has other side effects such as preventing users from playing back their purchased music on different types of devices. The audio content of these files can be converted into an unencrypted format, however, because almost all sound cards in modern computers allow the sound played through them to be recorded back.

The MP3 player is the most recent in an evolution of music formats that have helped consumers enjoy their tunes. Records, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes and CDs -- none of these earlier music formats provide the convenience and control that MP3 players deliver. With an MP3 player in hand or pocket, a consumer can create personalised music lists and carry thousands of songs wherever they go.

All of that stored music and the MP3 player itself fit into a device that, in some cases, weighs less than one ounce. Portability is a large factor in the popularity of the MP3, considering the ease of transportation in comparison to a CD player and CD storage case. In addition, some devices provide additional technology, like video and photo viewing, alarm and calendar functions, and even cell phone and Internet service.

The MP3 File Format
The MP3 file format revolutionised music distribution in the late 1990s, when file-swapping services and the first portable MP3 players made their debut. MP3, or MPEG Audio Layer III, is one method for compressing audio files. MPEG is the acronym for Moving Picture Experts Group, a group that has developed compression systems for video data, including that for DVD movies, HDTV broadcasts and digital satellite systems.

Using the MP3 compression system reduces the number of bytes in a song, while retaining sound that is near CD-quality. Anytime you compress a song, you will lose some of its quality, which is the trade-off for the ability to carry more music files in a smaller storage system. A smaller file size also allows the song to be downloaded from the Internet faster.

Consider that an average song is about four minutes long. On a CD, that song uses about 40 megabytes (MB), but uses only 4 MB if compressed through the MP3 format. On average, 64 MB of storage space equals an hour of music. A music listener who has an MP3 player with 1 GB (approximately 1,000 MB) of storage space can carry about 240 songs or the equivalent of about 20 CDs. Songs stored on traditional CDs are already decompressed, so it takes more CDs to store the same amount of songs. (Some CDs support MP3 files.)

Although MP3 is perhaps the most well-known file format, there are other file formats that can be played on MP3 players. While most MP3 players can support multiple formats, not all players support the same formats. Here are a few of the file formats that can be played on different players:
· WMA - Windows Media Audio
· WAV - Waveform Audio
· MIDI - Music Instrument Digital Interface.
· AAC - Advanced Audio Coding
· Ogg Vorbis - A free, open and un-patented music format
· ADPCM - Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation
· ASF - Advanced Streaming Format
· VQF - Vector Quantization Format
· ATRAC - Sony's Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3

The Technology
Unlike earlier forms of music players that required moving parts to read encoded data on a tape or CD, MP3 players use solid-state memory. An MP3 player is no more than a data-storage device with an embedded software application that allows users to transfer MP3 files to the player. MP3 players also include utilities for copying music from the radio, CDs, radio or Web sites and the ability to organise and create custom lists of songs in the order you want to hear them. This list of songs is called a playlist.

The MP3 player is the convergence of many technologies. Alone, none of its components are revolutionary, but together they create an unprecedented consumer product.

The player plugs into your computer's USB port, FireWire port or parallel port to transfer data. USB-based players transfer data many times faster than those that use the parallel port. The MP3 files are saved in the player's memory.

Memory types include:
· Internal Flash memory
· CompactFlash cards
· SmartMedia cards
· Memory Stick
· Internal microdrive

With the exception of the last one, these are all types of solid-state memory. The advantage to solid-state memory is that there are no moving parts, which means better reliability and no skips in the music. MP3 players that contain tiny hard disk drives can store 10 to 150 times more than Flash memory devices can.

All of the portable MP3 players are battery-powered. Most use a rechargeable internal lithium battery and last for approximately 10 to 28 hours on a single charge. Many of the players also have AC adapters so they can be plugged into a normal electrical outlet, and some even offer DC adapters for use in a car.

Types of MP3 Players
MP3 players are as varied as the people who buy them. Choice is based on several factors, including how you plan to use it, the amount of music you want to carry in your MP3 player and how much you are prepared to pay. Let's take a look at the four basic types of MP3 players.

Flash Memory Players
The flash memory MP3 player is the smallest and lightest and typically stores fewer songs than hard drive players. Because it's small and contains no moving parts, it's ideal for exercisers. And with some models boasting up to 8 GB of storage (2,000 songs) and other models offering video and photo capability, it also appeals to the multimedia aficionado. Its batteries can last up to 28 hours.
Hard Drive and Mini-hard Drive PlayersHard drive players are larger and heavier than flash memory players and offer considerably more storage. (The Apple iPod holds up to 80GB.) For those looking for a player that can contain their entire music collection (up to 20,000 songs), photographs, data, and video and allow podcast recording, the hard drive is best. However, these features and the hard drive consume more power, with some batteries lasting eight to 20 hours for music playback and up to six hours for video playback. The players include moving parts, which may skip. However, some players have anti-shock buffers and or anti-skip protection.
Smaller in size and internal storage capacity, miniature-hard drive players are lighter than traditional hard drive players, but contain less memory -- usually up to 8 GB. They, too, contain moving parts.

MP3 CD Players and MiniDisc MP3 Players
There is a breed of CD players available that plays MP3 and other digital files. These MP3 files are burned to CD-R/RW discs from your old CD collection and used in the MP3 CD player. A CD can hold about 10 hours of music. A CD burner is necessary for those buying an MP3 CD player. The MP3 CD player is cheaper than the flash memory and hard drive memory players, but may skip when jostled. They are also much larger in size than their digital counterparts.
For those who appreciate MiniDisc technology, there's Sony's MiniDisc Walkman digital music player. This player supports the trademark Sony file format codec ATRAC3 -- but it also supports MP3, WMA and WAV formats, too. And the multitasking doesn't stop there. Sony reports that the 1GB Hi-MD discs can also store and transfer loads of PC data files (think PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, et cetera). The discs retail for less than $10, store up to 600 songs and are re-recordable. Depending on the model, users can expect anywhere from 30-plus hours of playtime from just one AA battery.

The Hybrid PlayersMP3 is no longer just a stand-alone technology. Technology companies are now offering MP3 capability in other consumer products, including satellite radios, personal digital assistants, DVD players, sunglasses, swim goggles and even a combination Swiss Army Knife-MP3 player. Most notably, the iPhone from Apple crosses a cell phone with an iPod and Web browser, along with a variety of other features.

Filling Up Your Playlist
With MP3 players, consumers become their own disc jockey, picking the songs they want to hear when they want to hear them.
Potentially hundreds or thousands of songs are at the listener's fingertips. Songs can be ordered into a playlist by genre, artist or mixed into random order. The first step to creating a playlist is finding songs. That's not a problem -- there are many sources for MP3 files.

Ripping
If you have a collection of CDs and want to convert those CDs to MP3 files, you can use ripper and encoder software. Some MP3 players come with such software. A ripper copies a song's file from the CD onto your hard disk. The encoder then compresses the song into the MP3 format, allowing it to be downloaded to your MP3 player.

The basic process for ripping is as follows, although steps will vary based on individual software programs:
1.Place the CD into the CD drive of your computer.
2.Select the track for the song you want to convert to MP3 format.
3.Convert the track.
4.Copy the new MP3 file to your hard disk.
5.Download the MP3 file to your MP3 player.

For Free and For Fee
There are many online music sites, like iTunes, that offer songs for purchase, with some providing songs free of charge as a way to introduce an unknown artist.
Yet another option is subscription-based plans like Rhapsody. These services provide all the songs you want at one flat fee. However, there are two types of MP3 files that affect the subscription or song purchase: copy-protected and unprotected. The first ensures that the songs cannot be file-shared. If your subscription lapses, you can no longer play the songs. Music is also encoded with digital rights management technology -- anti-copying software -- to enforce the subscription agreement or limit the amount of times the song can be burned. The second, unprotected files -- offered on sites like eMusic -- is unrestricted, and once downloaded, can be used indefinitely.

Other Audio Sources
Many MP3 players have the ability to record songs directly from your CD player. For those who don't want to bother with a computer, this streamlines the conversion process. No longer do users put a CD into the computer, rip the track from it, convert it to MP3 format, save it and then download it to an MP3 player. The song goes directly from the CD to MP3 format in the user's preferred playlist.
Some MP3 players also have a built-in FM radio tuner, providing users with an additional source of entertainment. Radio listeners can record the tunes from their favorite stations in the MP3 format and instantly add it to their playlist. Several MP3 players allow you to playback your MP3 music on your FM radio using unused frequencies.
Some combination cell phone-MP3 players allow the user to browse and purchase songs, which are then delivered to the phone for immediate playback.
An additional audio source is the user's own voice, which can be recorded on an MP3 player and then transferred to a computer for storage or transmission via e-mail.

And NO, you don't have to get "locked in" to using only iTunes! People think that Microsoft have a monopoly - how about Apple and iTunes?

Lots More Information (if you wish to learn more)

Related Articles
· How iPods Work
· How the iPhone Works
· How MP3 Files Work
· How CDs Work
· How Analog and Digital Recording Works
· How File Sharing Works
· How Napster Worked
· How Podcasting Works
· How can I burn MP3s from my computer onto CD-Rs? MP3 Player Reviews and Stuff Guide

"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once."

Big Screen TVs

2007-11-04T09:09:00.000+10:00

High definition (HD) is selling many TVs but are you really getting high definition? HD means different things to different people! Especially if you’re an advertiser!

Many big screen TVs are including HD tuners, many of those models don’t have the screen resolution to show off that HD video. True HD is 1920 x 1080 pixels, so it is likely that only models selling about $AUD4000 or more are typically going to have this capability. Reviewers have found, of the two major technologies, plasma TVs on the whole delivered a smoother more watchable image than LCD models.

If you’re considering a big screen telly, make sure you’re getting at least most, if not all, of the following specs:

*Screen resolution. 1366 x 768 is NOT HD, even if it does come with a built-in HD tuner.

*HD Tuner. To get HDTV you need a HDTV tuner and a built-in model will make it easier to use.

*Multiple Inputs. Make sure any model you consider has multiple inputs for your digital video camera, DVD player, gaming console and even HDMI inputs in case you want to watch HD DVD or Blu-ray movies.

*Viewing Angle. When you walk into a shop, don’t just look at the TV dead on, but look at the screen from below (don’t be scared to get down on the floor) and also view from the sides. TVs with a poor viewing angle mean everyone will be fighting for the prime seat right in front.

Plasma Vs LCD: Which is the best?
Picking between them can come down to specific applications and specifications, but if you are talking about image quality, plasma continues to outrank LCD. Whilst LCD TVs can appear sharper, that sharpness comes at the expense of antialiasing, so that anything with diagonal edges looks like a mini staircase. Plasma TVs generally aren’t as sharp, but give a smoother edge. These days they also have less greyscale gradation of banding issues. LCD TVs generally have the advantage of better support for PC inputs.

Some models ranked, for your consideration: (sorry Kiwis, don’t know what’s available there)

LCD TV 37in and smaller:
LG 37LC2D
Philips 32PF9631D

LCD 40in and larger:
LG47LB2DE
Samsung LA46M81BD

Plasma 42in:
Hitachi 42PD960DTA =
Panasonic TH-42PX7A =

Whatever you choose DON’T PAY FULL PRICE, make sure you shop around for the model you have chosen.

And for you clever ones; build your own. One way you can achieve a better visual result on a smaller screen is to build a media center PC and use an LCD computer monitor. Even 19in and 22in models have sufficient definition for high quality HDTV playback and can be a great choice if 42in TVs are just too big for the price or your room size. Around $700 for the media PC, definitely worth thinking about.

That’s a guide to the state of the market at the moment, just remember that “state” is always changing.

“A thunderstorm is God's way of saying you spend too much time in front of the computer”

Phishing (or the "art" of trying to extract your personal details)

2007-10-11T20:09:00.000+10:00

When we talk about 'phishing' we mean the act of tricking someone into supplying their personal details, not a fun pastime you reserve for long weekends with the boys. Those who are doing the tricking are scammers who will usually try to contact you by email claiming to be from a trusted source like eBay, PayPal or your financial organisation.

It can be very hard to tell these fake emails from the real thing.

Learn how to protect yourself when you're doing your thing online — help is now at hand.

How to spot a fake.

Phishing emails usually contain links to a fake website where you can enter details like your password or account number. There is often a sense of urgency in the email asking you to respond quickly because your account is in jeopardy.

These techniques are an attempt to capture your details and gain access to further personal information, steal your identity and commit fraud.

What to do with a fake.

If you are in any doubt that an email claiming to be from eBay or PayPal is genuine, check My Messages in My eBay. All genuine emails about your eBay account can be found in My Messages.

If you think an email is fake forward it to spoof@ebay.com.au or spoof@paypal.com.au and delete it straight away.

Wanna protect yourself?

Find out how to stop the scammers dead in their tracks.

How do the scammers do it?

1. You get an email that looks like it’s from a familiar company like eBay or your bank – it can even appear to be sent from a genuine email address like support@ebay.com.au.
2. These emails often have a generic non-personalised greeting and encourage you to take immediate action like signing-in to your account. They may also have grammatical errors as many are created overseas.
3. The email may include a link that appears to go to a familiar website but actually directs you to a fake one.
4. The fake website will often be a copy of a familiar sign-in page like eBay or your bank where you will be asked to input your sign-in details, password or other account information.

These websites can be very convincing and have very similar addresses to genuine pages. For example:
Genuine eBay log-in page will usually start with:https://signin.ebay.com.au/

Fake eBay log-in page can be as close as:http://signinebay.com.au/
OR
http://123.456.78.9/signin.ebay.com.au Can you spot the differences?

Be sure to check the web address carefully against the genuine example above if you are in any doubt or sign into the site directly rather than through a link.

1. Some websites also contain hidden malicious software that will download to your computer without your knowledge.
2. Now that a fraudster has your details they can steal money from your bank account, use your eBay ID to commit fraud or log in to other websites you visit, like email or social networking sites.

So make sure you keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs of these bogus emails and stay safe online.

Keep your browser updated and keep your antivirus program updated as well.

"Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out."

Voice over Internet Protocol = Cheap phone calls

2007-09-10T21:42:00.000+10:00

Voice over IP is exactly what its name suggests. It is voice communication that is transmitted over an Internet Protocol (IP) service.

VoIP is seen as a disruptive technology. For a century, people have been happy to use the plain old telephone system (POTS) to make calls. When POTS calls are made, a circuit opens between the two callers. No matter how long they speak, or whether there are quiet periods in the conversation, that circuit remains open between the caller and receiver. Importantly, the further a caller is from a receiver, the dearer the call cost because telcos must lease a longer line for that call to take place.

VoIP changes this model. Now a call, just like an audio file or image file, can be broken up into packets of data and sent over an IP network. The catch with this is packets might not always travel the same path to get to their intended destination. So the continual challenge for a VoIP service provider is that these packets arrive quickly and as one voice stream when they get to the other end. Any hiccups along this path and your conversation literally makes no sense.
To get VoIP in your home or office all you need is a Broadband connection to the Internet, a subscription to a VoIP service provider and a client -- an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA), IP Phone or "soft phone".

How does a VoIP call work?
So how does VoIP work? VoIP is largely dependent on a protocol called SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). The idea behind SIP is to provide a simple, lightweight means for creating and ending connections for real-time interactive communications over IP networks -- mainly for voice, but also for videoconferencing, chat, gaming or even application sharing. In other words, the protocol initiates call setup, routing, authentication and other communication features to endpoints within an IP domain.

VoIP is quite similar to e-mail. That is, you have the Internet, a server and a client. If users want to check their e-mail they would have to register with their e-mail server and download mail from that server. If they send an e-mail that also goes via that mail server. Nor do users have to be tied to one location -- they can send/receive mail while travelling. As long as they can connect to the Internet, they can use the service.

VoIP is exactly like that. There is a server, in this case a SIP proxy server or a softswitch. These are both the same -- software applications running on general purpose computing. In the first instance, the client (ATA, IP phone or soft phone) will register with a user's SIP server. So, from then on, when a caller picks up the phone to make a phone call, because the ATA has a current registration, there will be dial tone.

This works because the first thing an ATA does when it boots up is get a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) address so it has an address on the Internet, it will register with the service provider to say "hey, I am alive".
With many ATAs on the market today, users do not need a computer to make it work. All that is required is for the ATA to be powered up from the wall and plugged into a phone. VoIP service providers charge by the minute. Ensuring a call is routed efficiently and cheaply also lies with the softswitch.

What is a VoIP service provider?
A service provider offers the connection to other VoIP services or to the PSTN. In other words, they are responsible for directing your call to where it is supposed to go.
As with any other type of service provider, VoIP service levels will differ. Most service providers charge a monthly fee, then additional costs when calls are made. Service providers offer different rates based on their services. Charges to look out for are local call rates, STD rates, mobile rates, and rates to any international destinations that may be of interest to the consumer. These prices are charged by the minute and are continually negotiated by the service provider, other VoIP providers and telcos around the world. As a result, call prices can change rapidly, so it is important to keep an eye on the cost of your calls.

Users should note that there are differences between public and private numbering schemes.
If the user only wants to make cheap outgoing calls, and receive calls within the service provider's own network, then a private number is sufficient.
Some services also enable users to receive calls from regular telephones -- at no extra cost. This feature is known as DID (Direct Inward Dialling) and, although you can't use your existing number for the moment, you can get a real, regular eight-digit format number for people to call.

What sort of broadband do I need?
The broadband connection is quite important. The minimum required for VoIP is ideally 256Kbps download. Users can get away with 128/64Kbps, but the bigger the pipes at home the better the VoIP service as it reduces the chance of voice traffic having to compete with other (larger) data files such as MP3 or images.
But speed is not the only thing that matters. The actual broadband service is also critically important. Ultimately, a VoIP service is totally dependent on a reliable broadband service provider to help deliver voice traffic. If a user's ADSL/cable/wireless broadband service provider has continual dropouts or outages, it will obviously affect the VoIP service. You cannot surf the Internet and open e-mails when there are outages. Nor can you make VoIP calls.
It is worth noting that although users are doing away with their telephone provider if they chose to use a VoIP service, they are still required to pay the telephone line rental for the ADSL-enabled phone line. This is because ADSL is an add-on service for telephone subscribers. If users are on cable, they would be subject to the cable provider's subscription rates.

What hardware do I need?

The Analogue Telephone Adaptor
An analogue telephone adapter, or ATA (also referred to as a media terminal adaptor or broadband phone adaptor), allows you to enable an ordinary telephone, including your cordless, to make VoIP calls. All you need to do is plug your analogue phone into the ATA, then take your cable from the Internet port of the ATA and plug that into a spare Ethernet port on your ADSL or cable router. If you don't have a spare port you will need a switch to provide a spare Ethernet port.
Current ATA devices will set you back between $145 and $210, depending on their capabilities.
An ATA may sound like a modem, but in fact there is quite a bit of difference in the hardware technology. An ATA is specifically designed to deal with the voice traffic and not data traffic. It takes the analogue human voice and converts that to an IP packet with the use of the compression codec, then sends that over the Internet.

Connectivity: USB or Ethernet. Ethernet is best because it gives users the versatility of plugging in multiple devices. Whereas, if the connection was a USB ATA it would need to go via a PC.

IP Phones
IP Phones look pretty much the same as normal analogue phones. The main difference here is that they are digital, and have an inbuilt ATA. Additionally, rather than having the standard RJ-11 phone connectors, IP phones use an RJ-45.
An IP phone is ideal for businesses, where Ethernet network ports are distributed around the office space. All that is required is for the user to plug the phone straight into an Ethernet port and away they go.

Soft Phones
Soft phones, as their name suggests, are not hardware devices. The purely software services, such as FreshTel, Skype or BroadBand Phone require users to install small software applications, or clients, on their PC to run the service. In this case, users need to connect a USB/FireWire handset or microphone headset to a PC to talk.
The key point to note here is that users need to have their PC turned on at all times to make and receive calls.

Broadband modems
Assuming users already have broadband, the type of modem they have is important.
A home or office modem should be Network Address Translation (NAT)-enabled. NAT is a protocol used by a device such as a firewall, router or computer, and provides a mapping between internal IP addresses and public IP addresses in real time. The modem may be NAT-enabled, with a DHCP server in it (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is for assigning dynamic IP addresses to devices on a network). In most cases, when the ATA is plugged in, it will boot up and automatically seek out the softswitch of the service provider to which it is connected. More on softswitches later, but for now it is important to note that the softswitch is owned by the VoIP service provider and will direct phone calls to where they are supposed to be going.

If users have an old broadband account, it is likely that their modem may not be up to scratch for voice delivery.

Ethernet on the modem: USB is inferior to Ethernet because it means the modem needs to be connected to the PC to talk. In this case, users would be limited to a soft phone.

CPU power: Modems are CPU based. A slow CPU means it can only do so many packets per second. A VoIP phone call transmits at 100 packets per second (50 packets per second each way). That is the sort of performance that every phone call is going to require of a modem (and ATA). Therefore a modem must be able to handle that traffic.

What is QoS?
The key factor inhibiting the growth of VoIP is Quality of Service (QoS). In a nutshell, QoS is how voice traffic is given priority over other data traffic such as e-mail, JPEGs or MP3s that traverse a network.
But quality will come down to some key areas:
• The last mile -- the link between your home and ISP
• The ISP access to the network core
• The core segment

The last mile
The last mile is where users will encounter the most probable congestion point. The reason is that this where you have the narrowest "pipe". Users may have a 256/64Kbps subscription, so if they send or receive large files it is very easy to fill that pipe with non-voice data.

The easiest way to implement QoS for a residential line is for users to use the Internet exclusively for phoning when making a call and not do any other form of Internet surfing during the call. But that is not very practical and can be difficult if the Internet connection is shared among many users in a home or small business environment.
A way to get around this is to get a modem which has in built QoS. The way a modem implements QoS is by identifying voice and giving it priority. Right now only a few of the modems on the market do this, and configuring them can be a challenge if you are not technically minded. This, of course, will change over time.

Access layer to ISP
Presently, ISPs are not providing voice-aware QoS. However, what you will start seeing is ISPs offering voice to their DSL customers, with their big differentiator being "if you buy voice and data I will give you QoS".

The core
In the core of a network there is no QoS. However, QoS is not so much a problem here because the pipes are significantly bigger. In the core, a voice packet is in there with e-mail, MP3, JPEGs, TIFFs, PowerPoint files and so forth. The thing voice has going for it is that voice packets are small. So chances are, routers in the core will drop MP3s and e-mails before voice. This way the voice call experiences no latency and gets to the receiver as fast as possible.

There it is, a “short” dissertation with out a lot of tech stuff, just to give some idea of how you could make lots of cost effective phone calls internally and o’seas.

"If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?"

Beat Mobile Roaming Costs

2007-08-05T19:33:00.000+10:00

Using your Mobile (Cell) Phone Overseas

Although this is written for my Aussie readers, the principles probably apply also for my Kiwi readers.

International roaming is loved by mobile carriers. Knowing that people will put up with it, they quite often charge what they please. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are some tips and ideas to stay in touch and minimise the costs. Of course, make sure your phone is set up for international roaming.

Once overseas avoid calling back to Australia. Get people to call you instead. For example, through Telstra’s NZ partner, Vodafone, calling back to Australia costs $3.75 per minute! For an Australian calling using their landline at 40c per minute plus and additional 40c set up fee is far more cost effective.

If you can’t avoid making a lot of calls, do some homework and manually select the cheapest network on your phone rather than accepting the one your local carrier nominates. The exact procedure for manually selecting a network varies between handsets but is usually found in a settings menu under ‘Network’ or ‘Network Settings’. Set to manual and let your phone retrieve a list of all available networks. Choose the one you want.

Be very, very careful if you are using Blackberry – Blackberry handsets check for email on an ISP-style POP3 account every 15 mins! You could be slugged 4 times an hour or around 60 times per day (if you turn off the phone when going to sleep). Disable the email.

Consider using a prepaid SIM card in your destination country. You can divert calls from your regular voice plan to your prepaid number. Apart from cheaper local calls, calls back to Australia could also be cheaper. BUT, be warned – getting a local prepaid SIM card may not be as easy as you wish. Some countries require domestic proof of identity papers before purchase. So, having a local friend or business contact line up your SIM card is a boon.

One last tip – Telstra customers can use a little known feature called MessageBank Roaming, to check their mobile voicemail from overseas at the cheaper incoming rates.

Prices quoted are correct at time of publication.

"Did Noah have woodpeckers on the ark? If he did, where did he keep them?"

Internet Safety for Children

2007-07-29T16:37:00.000+10:00

Protecting Children

Cars, knives and ladders all kill but do we ban them? No! They do have alternative good uses so we seek to control the "killer" and educate the users. The same applies to the internet.

Kids need protection, and there are ways you can work toward keeping them safe online. Have them use the computer (in a lounge or dining room) where the parents can see what they are doing. Not that a parent needs to be continually watching but as long as the child knows parents could be watching, then that alone may be enough incentive for the child to be cautious about what they are doing.

If you can’t (or do not wish to monitor them) use a content filtering program (e.g. Net Nanny, costing approx. $30) or other similar programs. One I came across recently, with good recommendations, is K9 Web protection.

K9 Web Protection is a FREE Internet filtering and control solution for the home. K9 puts YOU in control of the Internet so you can protect your kids. You can learn more about this program, its promoters and download from here: http://www.k9webprotection.com/

Just make sure you download the correct version for your computer system. The download is very small – only 234kb. You will need to “register” in order to obtain a key to install the program. PLEASE, print the installation instructions that comes with the email containing your "key".

Here are some other programs:
http://www.smartpctools.com/safesurfer/ http://www.netveda.com/consumer/safetynet.htm

When installing a new program, in case something goes wrong, set up a “system restore” point first (XP).

People always hope the government will come up with a magic wand. But why leave it to the Government? Try “parental supervision”. Magic wands are in short supply.

As a concerned parent, grandparent or helpful friend, please feel free to pass this article along to someone else who may benefit from it.

"Isn't Disney World just a people trap, operated by a mouse?"

Quick Tips: Digital Photography & Scams

2007-06-25T15:50:00.000+10:00

A couple of "quickies" this time:

Digital Photography Tips

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/mac/2002/10/22/digi_photo_tips.html

http://digitalphotography.tipcentral.net/

Buyers Guide

http://www.dpreview.com/

Beware of Scams

Australian and New Zealand internet users are under assault by online scammers and cyber criminals who are using blended or multifaceted attacks that combine several crimeware techniques to steal money, identities and hijack PCs. Cyber prowlers frequently build fraudulent web sites that closely mimic legitimate banking and other commercial sites. Internet users can easily get tricked into turning over their online account names, passwords, social security numbers, and other personal information. 'Identity theft is a serious crime’
Attitudes towards online security reveal an alarming complacency among consumers protecting themselves. While many people understand that scams exist, a significant proportion seems to think they won't be affected. The reality is, scammers target everyone and if you're not properly protected, you could end up worse off.

Money
1. Never respond to an email asking you for your PINs or passwords.
2. Never send money to someone you do not know or trust.
3. Only invest with licensed financial services providers.

Phone
1. Be suspicious of unexpected calls and text messages.
2. Hang up. Or text 'STOP' to unwanted messages.
3. Do not give out your number to just anyone.

Computer
1. Keep your protection software up to date.
2. Do not respond in any way to unsolicited emails.
3. If in doubt, delete.

Identity
1. Never give out your personal information to someone you do not know or trust.
2. Do not just bin it, destroy it (old bills, records or expired cards).
3. Check your credit report at least once a year. 'Identity theft can cost you time and money. It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name. However, identity thieves can be deterred by safeguarding information.

Remember the golden rule: 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!'

The Basics of Cut and Paste

2007-05-20T08:58:00.000+10:00

Remember your first pair of scissors? Learning to cut along the edge was an early lesson in kindergarten. After cutting, next you paste your picture or shape on another page. The computer world uses a very similar technique to move information from one location to another. Once you have learned to cut and paste, your computing days will be very productive.

What?
Okay, in computer speak, what is Cut and Paste? Cut(Move) and Paste and its good buddy Copy and Paste are computer functions that allow you to move or copy text, images, and even Web information from one location to another location. The Cut function removes the information from its original location, and Paste puts it someplace else. Using the Copy/Paste functions, you can copy information to a new location without removing it from the original location.

How?
Let's start with moving some text. Using your mouse, place the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to move so that you can highlight the text. Click and hold down the left mouse button and drag the cursor to the end of the text that you want to move. This will highlight (darken) the text. You now have several ways to cut the selection:

1. Click on the Cut icon (the scissors) on the toolbar, or
2. Select Cut from the Edit Menu at the top of the screen, or
3. Press and hold down the Ctrl key and press the X key at the same time, or
4. Press the Delete key.

The text will disappear.

After you have cut the text, place your cursor at the location where you want the text to be displayed. Again, there are several choices to "paste" the text:

1. Click on the Paste icon (the clipboard on the toolbar), or
2. Select Paste from the Edit Menu at the top of the screen, or
3. Press and hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the V key at the same time.
Any of these three choices will "paste" the selection in the new location.

If you want to copy some text and place it in another location, select the text as mentioned above. To copy:

1. Click on the Copy icon (the two pieces of paper on the toolbar), or
2. Select Copy from the Edit Menu at the top of the page, or
3. Press and hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the C key at the same time.

To Paste a copy of the text into a new location, follow the Paste directions above.

Behind the Scenes
When you use the Cut or Copy functions, the information is stored in the computer's memory in an area called the Clipboard. Although you cannot see the information, it remains in the computer Clipboard until you use the Copy or Cut command again, at which time the information that was previously in the Clipboard is overwritten with the latest information that you just copied. Newer Microsoft Office Products, like Microsoft Word, allow you to keep more than one item in the Clipboard at one time.

Grayed Out
If you are ready to Cut or Copy and you find that you cannot click on the cut or copy icon, it means that you do not have anything highlighted. When nothing is highlighted, the Scissors (Cut) icon and the Paper (Copy) icon will be light gray in colour, which indicates they are currently unavailable. Run your mouse across some text to highlight it, and you will see both icons brighten and become active.

Select All
Have you found an entire document or maybe Web page that you would like to copy or move? Click your mouse anywhere in the document or Web page, then go to the Edit menu and choose Select All or hold down the CTRL key and press the A key at the same time (Ctrl+A).

Select All is a very helpful feature that can save you much time and energy. When using Select All, the computer will do the highlighting work for you and highlight the entire document or Web page. This saves you from having to run your cursor over the entire page to highlight it. You can then follow the usual steps to copy and paste the complete selection in another document. Guess what? If you are on the Internet, you can copy the complete page - text, hot links, and images as well.

If you do not wish to copy the whole page, then you need to select (highlight) the text or the picture/s to be copied and use the copy and paste instructions. Sometimes, when trying to copy from a web page you are not able to highlight from the start (not sure why) but if you go to the end of the text and highlight back to the beginning this will normally work for you.

Working with Images
Did you say images? Can you really Copy and Paste images and pictures? The answer is emphatically YES. It is possible to Cut/Copy/Paste images. When working in a word processing document or another similar application program, you can simply click on an image to choose it and then copy or paste it, just as you would text. When you are on the Internet, it is even easier. You can simply right-click on any image and select Copy from the pop-up menu. Or you can right-click the image and select Save Picture As.

A quick tip: If you use the Save Picture As option, be sure you name the graphic and be careful to place it in a folder that you can easily locate in the future. If you have a My Pictures folder, that is a good spot.

Very Valuable Skill
Even though its name may have brought back memories of a kindergarten assignment, Cut/Copy/Paste is a very valuable computer skill. I'm sure you will agree with me that mastering this basic skill of copying and moving text and graphics will make your computing days very productive.

Skilled keyboard users will remember these shortcuts:
Ctrl+A Select all
Ctrl+X Cut
Ctrl+C Copy
Ctrl+V Paste

"Work smarder and not harder and be careful of yor speling"

PHISHING/SPAM MAIL

2007-05-12T18:58:00.000+10:00

Just thought I would give an example of phishing/spam emails and the “signs” that should make you take care. Both examples I received recently.

No1.

Dear online-banking user! Please note that from May the 6th the online-banking service in Australia will be suspended due to a vigorous hacker attack on the websites of the most popular Australian banks (National, Common, Bendigo, BOQ etc.). Please be extremely carefull with your credit cards and accounts. To get more information on the situation of the online-banking service of your bank please follow the link below: http://www.antifraud.comBest regards, AntiFraud.com

And this site “purports” to speak on behalf of all the banks? I think not.
Common Bank? Actually the Commonwealth Bank!
Why not mention the ANZ and Westpac? Both, I would think, more popular/larger than either the Bendigo or BOQ. Let’s get some credibility here.
“Carefull”? Why not get the spelling correct? Bad English and/or spelling is usually a dead giveaway.
And if you were to hold your mouse over the URL shown you would see that it is a Korean site, http://daekyeong.ms.kr/antifraud/australia.html Why wouldn’t the local banks have an Australian site? To click on (visit) that site may well see a trojan or some other spyware downloaded onto your machine looking for passwords and finance institution account numbers.
A scary part of this was that the email was using my email address – whereas sometimes you would see in the address list a number of email addresses that may look similar to your own but have been generated by a computer that throws up various combinations.

No2.

From: Property management

Remind me please to get a copy of the ad-aware program from you

How easy it would be to reply and ask the question, “Who are you?” or something similar.
The spammer then would know they actually have a “live” email address and you would now become the recipient of many more “spam” emails and perhaps other malicious spyware!

The first lesson is: Be aware and question why you would be receiving such an email.
The second lesson is: Remove all addresses from emails that you are
on-forwarding to other people.

Please read my entry on this blog dated Monday, June 19th, 2006, Conclusions. It is about what you should do with email addresses.

Let us be MORE CAREFUL!

MEDIA PLAYERS

2007-04-27T22:07:00.000+10:00

Recently a friend asked for some information on media players. That is the software that plays either audio files or video/movie files.

Most of the software is free (Windows Media Player comes with the Microsoft operating system – iTunes and Quicktime comes with Macs) and all are easy to use. iTunes and Quicktime can also be used on Windows.

However, the problems arise with the differing file formats being used and also the proliferation of codecs (compression/decompression). Most media players will play both audio and video files but iTunes is used to play only audio and Quicktime for video only. There is no, one media player that is going to play all the most commonly used audio and video file formats, thus it is likely you need to have two or maybe three media players on your system.

A recent test on media players showed that if you use Windows, then Windows Media Player 10 used in conjunction with VideoLan VLC media player 0.8.5 (free download from here http://www.videolan.org/) will cover 26 audio and video files most commonly used. Real Player 10.5 basic (http://www.real.com/) and jetAudio Basic v6 (http://www.jetaudio.com/) both run VideoLan a close second.

If you are having problems playing one or more different file formats, you probably need to update the codecs for your media player. Your software needs to know the codec that was used to encode the data so that it can decode it and play the file.

Windows Media Player can be set to automatically update codecs needed to play Windows media files. VideoLan VLC comes with lots of pre-installed codecs (installing additional codecs won’t normally help) but update your copy of VLC regularly to ensure you have all the supported codecs.

The most common missing codecs are Xvid (http://www.xvid.org/) and DivX (www.download.com/3000-2139-10062728.html), both widely used for internet distributed AVI files. Download and install them.

In order to locate a missing codec you first need to know the format of the file. A codec identification utility can be used to do this.
GSpot (www.freecodecs.com/download/GSpot.htm),
AVIcodec (http://avicodec.duby.info/) and
VideoInspector (www.kcsoftwares.com/?vtb) can all be used for identification.

This is a fairly complex subject but I hope I have given you some ideas that will allow you to play more audio and video files than previously. E-mail me if you have any queries.

"To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer."

Windows Vista Update

2007-04-01T10:20:00.000+10:00

First an update guide on retail prices here in Oz:

Basic Premium Business Ultimate

$385 $455 $565 $751 Full Version
$199 $299 $379 $495 Upgrade
$130 $165 $205 $270 OEM (online retailer)

A word of warning!!! If you are going to upgrade your current system to Vista, check the availability of drivers for all your major components both internal and external. Whilst Vista comes with more drivers than XP did at release there are still driver issues. No doubt, over time, Microsoft and third parties will provide compatible drivers to be used.

For home users buying a new Vista computer (as against upgrading an existing system) there should not be any problems except for maybe running some of your “older” programs or external hardware. And do make sure you have at least 1GB of memory, especially if you are using on-board graphics.

If you’re a home user whose only basic needs are email and accessing the internet then you could save a few dollars using Home Basic BUT for the best home computing experience use Home Premium.

For serious gamers, don’t leap in yet until the next generation of video cards with DirectX 10 become available. Keep in mind that the earlier versions will be expensive.

One of the much touted features of Vista is the Windows Firewall. Whilst it may protect you against external threats, unlike most other “third party” software firewalls e.g. Zone Alarm, Vista is not set up to block outgoing connections – those used by malware to report home! There is an outgoing filter (it doesn’t prompt you to allow or deny connections whilst using) and you’re required to go in and manually set up the firewall to allow connections. Something that is likely to be beyond the capability of many users.

There may be issues for some users with the User Account Control (UAC) and also Digital Rights Management (DRM) but for most home users these are not likely to be big problems.

So, what do users of Vista think? Three camps – those who hate, those who love and most somewhere in between. Personally I’ll wait a little longer for the initial ‘bugs’ to be ironed out – perhaps wait for the first Service Patch before making Vista my operating system of choice.

Caveat Emptor.

p.s. Send me an email if you have any questions.

Windows Vista

2007-02-01T19:55:00.000+10:00

Windows Vista (and Office 2007) has now been released.

Whoopee! did I hear some one say? And what are the “versions” of this new operating system? Try this site for a preview http://www.seewindowsvista.com/

Vista Ultimate.
Windows Vista Ultimate offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, including Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support, and Windows DVD Maker. It also offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Business, including business networking, centralised management tools, and advanced system backup features. And Windows Vista Ultimate has all of the new security and data protection features that help take Windows Vista to a whole new level of dependability.In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes support for all of the new mobility features in Windows Vista, including Windows Tablet and Touch Technology, Windows SideShow, Windows Mobility Center, and other new, advanced mobility features.

Vista Home Premium.
The preferred edition of Windows for home desktop and mobile PCs. Windows Vista Home Premium delivers the productivity and entertainment that you need from your PC at home or on the go. It includes Windows Media Center, and that makes it easy to easier to enjoy your digital photos, TV and movies, and music. Plus, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that your PC has a whole new level of security and reliability. All together, Windows Vista Home Premium redefines enjoyment in home computing.It starts with a breakthrough design that makes your PC easier to use every day. With Windows Aero, you'll experience dynamic reflections, smooth gliding animations, transparent glass-like menu bars, and the ability to switch between your open windows in a new three-dimensional layout. Instant desktop search capabilities, coupled with powerful new ways to organize and visualise your information, means you can instantly find and use the e-mails, documents, photos, music, and the other information you want, when you need it. You can always do an easy upgrade to Vista Ultimate if required.

Vista Home Basic.
Windows Vista Home Basic is the edition of Windows for basic home computing needs. If you only want to use your PC for tasks like browsing the Internet, using e-mail, or viewing photos, then Windows Vista Home Basic may be the right edition for you. While it won't provide as many benefits as Windows Vista Home Premium, it will help you use your PC more easily and more safely than you could with Windows XP.

There is no Aero, DVD maker or Media Centre and this edition really does only provide the "basic" experience, but with all the security!

Vista Business.
Windows Vista Business is the first edition of Windows designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses. You'll spend less time on technology support-related issues—so you can spend more time making your business successful. Windows Vista Business is the definitive choice for your business today and tomorrow.

However there is no DVD maker or Media Centre in this edition.

Vista Enterprise. (This version is not available to the public.)

Approximate pricing, (in Australia) from $169 to $633 depending on which version you want and whether it is the full version or merely an upgrade.

And what does the new operating system offer?

1) A New User Interface
One thing that everyone will probably find the most useful about Windows Vista is that now photos, videos and music are not treated the same as Word documents any more, like they are in Windows XP. Windows Vista has been designed with multimedia in mind. There's inbuilt basic photo editing. Music folders come up in columns of ID3 tags, a bit like iTunes. Finally, you we now have a built in DVD maker (Ultimate and Home Premium).

2) The Power Of Desktop Search
Windows XP had a very poor search capability... Windows Vista introduces Instant Search: enhanced desktop search and organisation that helps you locate files and e-mail messages on your PC. If you remember anything about a file—the type of file, when it was created, or even what it contains—Windows Vista can quickly find it for you.

3) File Backup And Restore
Windows Vista helps you easily back up the files on your PC when and where you choose to back them up, with the convenience of automated scheduling. For ease of use and to prevent confusion, programs and system files are not included in the file backup. They can be separately restored by reinstallation or by using either system restore points or Complete PC Backup and Restore, a feature available in the Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista. You no longer have to remember to periodically back up your data. You can now use a simple wizard to schedule when and where you want your data to be backed up, and Windows Vista will take care of the rest.

4) Built-in Diagnostics
To help keep your system running smoothly without a lot of effort on your part, Windows Vista contains built-in diagnostics—collections of instrumentation, troubleshooting, and resolution logic—to resolve external problems that affect the way Windows Vista behaves. The framework that supports these diagnostics, called Windows Diagnostic Infrastructure, is a new feature in Windows Vista. It provides a number of diagnostic scenarios to address some of the most common and costly problems facing PC users. These include: Disk Diagnostics, Memory Diagnostics, Network Diagnostics and troubleshooting, Resource Exhaustion Prevention.

5) Fast Sleep And Resume
In the past, if you turned your computer off to save power or extend your mobile PC's battery life, it took a long time for it to start back up when you wanted to use it again. With Windows Vista, you can easily and quickly use your PC whenever you want, while still preserving battery life. The default "off" state is now the new Sleep power state. Just press the power button on the Start menu or on your PC, and your PC will automatically save your current session to memory, and then quickly enter into a very low power state. It will also save your session to the hard drive, so you can access it even if the memory loses power. Then, when you want to resume your computer use, just press the power button on your PC. Your PC will turn on in seconds, and be just how you left it last time.

6) DirectX 10
DirectX 10, the latest version of the DirectX suite of multimedia application programming interfaces (called APIs), puts gamers and multimedia buffs on the leading edge of PC audio and video performance. DirectX 10 features heavily enhanced 3-D graphics-rendering capabilities and helps noticeably improve your computer's in-game and multimedia performance.

7) Windows Vista Aero
Windows Aero is the best-designed, highest-performing Microsoft user interface ever. Available to PCs using a compatible graphics adapter and running the Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise edition of Windows Vista, Windows Aero gives your PC a whole new look and feel. Windows Aero offers a premium user experience that makes it easier to visualize and work with your information, and it provides a smoother, more stable desktop experience.Two exciting new Windows Aero features, Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D, enable you to confidently manage the windows on your desktop by arranging them in a visually striking yet convenient way. Beyond the new graphics and visual polish, the Windows Aero desktop performance is as smooth and professional as it looks, providing a simple and high-quality experience.

8) User Account Control
User Account Control in Windows Vista improves the safety and security of your computer by preventing potentially dangerous software from making changes to your computer without your explicit consent. This feature works with Windows Defender and Internet Explorer 7 to help reduce the impact of viruses, spyware, and other threats. With User Account Control and the new Parental Controls in Windows Vista, you can easily create a separate account for each member of the family and control which websites, programs, and games each person can use and install. This helps protect your family and keeps your computer running smoothly.Windows Vista provides two main types of user accounts, each of which will be familiar to you if you share a family PC at home or if you use a computer at the office: standard user accounts (for general users) and administrator accounts (for owners or designated administrators). You can create a separate account for every user and control which websites, programs, and games a user can use and install.In Windows Vista, standard users are prohibited from installing most programs, changing system settings, and performing other tasks that are the province of administrators. If, as a standard user, you attempt to do something that requires administrator rights, you'll either be notified that the task is prohibited or that administrative credentials are required to proceed.At the same time, Windows Vista extends the range of common, low-risk tasks that standard users can perform (though administrators can still choose to restrict these privileges).Administrator privileges are essential if you are, for instance, the owner of a PC, but they can also be a liability. Online threats such as malware (including viruses and spyware) exploit administrator permissions—and they attempt to do it in secret.Even when you use an administrator account, User Account Control provides heightened security. By default, most programs run with the permissions of a standard user, which limits the potential damage they (or malware acting through those programs) can do.

9) SuperFetchWindows
SuperFetch enables programs and files to load much faster than they would on Windows XP–based PCs.When you're not actively using your computer, background tasks—including automatic backup programs and antivirus scans—run when they will least disturb you. These background tasks can take up system memory space that your programs had been using. On Windows XP–based PCs, this can slow progress to a crawl when you attempt to resume work.SuperFetch monitors which applications you use the most and preloads these into your system memory so they'll be ready when you need them. Windows Vista also enables you give priority to important programs that you use infrequently.

10) Windows ReadyBoost
Adding system memory (typically referred to as RAM) is often the best way to improve a PC's performance, since more memory means more applications are ready to run without accessing the hard drive. However, upgrading memory can be difficult and costly, and some machines have limited memory expansion capabilities, making it impossible to add RAM.Windows Vista introduces Windows ReadyBoost, a new concept in adding memory to a system. You can use non-volatile flash memory, such as that on a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, to improve performance without having to add additional memory "under the hood."The flash memory device serves as an additional memory cache—that is, memory that the computer can access much more quickly than it can access data on the hard drive. Windows ReadyBoost relies on the intelligent memory management of Windows SuperFetch and can significantly improve system responsiveness.

11) Windows DVD Maker
Windows DVD Maker, available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate, enables you to create professional-looking video DVDs of your home movies and photos that can be viewed on your DVD players, regardless of geographical region codes.Transferring your Windows Movie Maker HD creations to a video DVD has never been easier. You can directly access Windows DVD Maker through All Programs, or use the Publish menu in Windows Movie Maker HD to transfer your videos to a DVD format. Because Windows DVD Maker is also integrated with Windows Photo Gallery, simply selecting Burn Video DVD enables you to select photos and videos to publish without leaving the Windows Photo Gallery.DVD Maker in Windows Vista publishes directly to MPEG-2 format, enabling you to burn DVDs directly from your video camera. Windows DVD Maker also supports a variety of publishing styles for your movies, focused on highlighting your content and creating a customized look and feel. You can choose to customize the DVD further by adding a disc title and a notes page, and editing the menu text. In addition, Windows DVD Maker gives you maximum choice and control over the quality and size of your video files when you are encoding; you can even choose widescreen or standard format to publish a slide show or movie that looks best on your TV.

12) Parental Controls
The parental controls built into Windows Vista are designed to put parents' minds at ease and give them confidence in their ability to manage exactly what their children can do on the computer. These controls help parents determine which games their children can play, which programs they can use, and which websites they can visit—and when. Parents can restrict computer use to specific times and trust that Windows Vista will enforce those restrictions, even when they're away from home.The Parental Controls panel, part of the User Accounts and Family Safety Control Panel applet, centralises all of the key settings of the Windows Vista Parental Controls. From this one location, you can configure the parental controls for your computer and applications, setting appropriate limits on your children's game playing, web browsing, and overall computer use. The Parental Controls panel provides a centralized location where you can turn parental controls on and off; block or allow specific programs, games, and websites; and set controls for every aspect of your child's computer use. Third-party family safety software and services providers may also choose to have their products and services accessible from the Parental Controls panel in Windows Vista. Parental Controls does not work on domain-joined machines, such as in a business environment.

13) Windows Calendar
Windows Calendar is a flexible, easy-to-use tool for planning and managing all of your activities and coordinating your schedule with other people's. As the pace of life accelerates at work and at home, many people find it helpful to use a PC-based calendar to manage their time and coordinate their schedule with family, friends, and colleagues. Windows Calendar also includes a feature you can use to create a personal task list and to receive automatic notifications and reminders about specific tasks or upcoming appointments.

14) Performance
New technology in Windows Vista makes your PC significantly more responsive while you are performing everyday tasks. Improved startup and sleep behavior helps both desktop and mobile PCs get up and running more quickly. Greater efficiency in managing both memory devices and input/output (I/O) devices helps your programs run more smoothly and consistently. And as your computer ages, a number of features in Windows Vista work together to help keep it as responsive as the day it arrived.Windows Vista also takes a new approach to performance problems. The Performance Information and Tools Control Panel helps you understand your PC's performance characteristics so you can manage and troubleshoot performance-related problems.

15) Shadow Copy
Have you ever accidentally saved over a file you were working on? Accidental file deletion or modification is a common cause of data loss. Windows Vista includes a useful innovation to help you protect your data: Shadow Copy. Available in the Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista, this feature automatically creates point-in-time copies of files as you work, so you can quickly and easily retrieve versions of a document you may have accidentally deleted. Shadow copy is automatically turned on in Windows Vista and creates copies on a scheduled basis of files that have changed. Since only incremental changes are saved, minimal disk space is used for shadow copies.Easily access this feature by right-clicking a file or folder and selecting "Restore previous versions." It enables you to go back in time and access your files and folders as they were on previous dates. You can preview each file in a read-only version to determine which file to restore. Then, to fully restore it, you can just drag the file to a folder, or select it and click "Restore" to restore it to its original location.It works on single files as well as whole folders. When restoring a file, all previous versions that are different from the live copy on the disk are shown. When accessing a previous version of a folder, users can browse the folder hierarchy as it was in a previous point in time.

Networking
Windows Vista includes new features that make networking easier, safer, and more reliable. Whether used at home or in a small business or large enterprise, Windows Vista simplifies connectivity so you can focus on what's most important. Connect wirelessly to your company's network, share printers and a high-speed Internet connection, copy files between PCs, and enjoy your favorite online entertainment at home.The Network and Sharing Center puts you in control of your network. Use it to check your connection status, view a visual representation of your network, and troubleshoot connection problems. The Network and Sharing Center informs you about the network your computer is connected to and verifies whether it can successfully access the Internet. It even summarises this information in a handy Network Map.

Wow! But do I really need all this? At what cost? Is it really more secure than Windows XP? Or will the “hackers” attack it like they have done with Windows XP. I would bet they will. And then we will all be on the “merry go round” again as Microsoft continues to “patch” the holes. Maybe I am wrong, but past history does not give any confidence to think differently.

Vista offers a lot of improvements over Windows XP, but most of them are conveniences rather than essentials.

I would suggest for the “average” home user, surfing the internet, using the email system and other applications on their computer, unless you are rich or a nerd then you probably do not really need to use Vista at this time. Why be an “early adopter” of this new system? Let someone else iron out the “bugs” before you decide you should make the change. I understand that Microsoft will be continuing to support Windows XP until 2010. Surely enough time to sort out the bugs of Vista.

More on Vista in my next article coming soon!

Outlook Express Stationery

2007-01-18T20:58:00.000+10:00

Compliments of the Season!

Creating Stationery (Background) for Outlook Express the Simple Way

Open Outlook Express and click on New Message. Go to Format then ensure that Rich Text (HTML) has been selected (a dot next to it).

Then select Apply Stationery, More Stationery and go to Create Stationery.

Click on Next then Browse to select a picture on your system to use. Use Browse to find a picture, select picture and Open then use the “drop down” boxes to position where the picture should be in the background of your email message and then click Next.

From here choose the Font Style, Size and Colour and choose Next. Enter your margins, give the stationery a name and choose Finish.

You will now find that the newly created stationery will reside in your stationery folder for use any time. You may need to experiment a little to get your settings right.

To apply stationery to a new email, just follow the instructions of the first three sentences above, except that instead of Creating just click on the stationery required.

Tips On Buying A Laptop

2006-11-27T18:37:00.000+10:00

Laptop Basics
Just as with a desktop, RAM is something you need to think about when you're buying a laptop. If your purchase is for a student or anyone who doesn't have demanding needs you can probably get by with 512 megabytes of RAM. If you're getting something for a business traveller you'll probably want to get 1 gigabyte of RAM. Remember, RAM is what programs run so you don't want to get too little. There was a quote that went around in the 1980's that said, "You can never have too much RAM or too much disk space." For the most part I agree.

Here I'm going to repeat myself because I think it's important. I've said this before and I'll say it again. If cost is a real concern it's better to get more RAM and a slower processor, than to do the reverse. If you skimp on RAM it may not matter how fast your processor is.

Laptops also come configured with processors from Intel and AMD. Remember, if you're trying to save some money you can always go with one of the lower priced processors like the Celeron or Duron chips from Intel and AMD respectively. The Pentium M processor was designed for "mobile" computers because they were easier on battery life. The problem is that the M chips don't have built-in wireless. At the moment the faster chips are Intel Core Duo. That is likely to change tomorrow! Such is the rapid change in hardware.

If the laptop is for basic use you can look for a processor speed around 2GHz. If your purchase is for someone who needs the power, you'll want to get a processor that's closer to 3GHz. I've found that the new dual-core processors tend to be running at slower clock speeds on laptops. For example, I did searches and didn't find any dual-core laptops available with 3GHz speed. At the same time, the dual-core processors offer more overall processing speed.

Laptop hard drives, in general, tend to be smaller than those offered on most desktops. Once again, make your decision based on the needs of the person the laptop is for. Someone who's doing email and surfing the Web can easily get by with 40 gigabytes of disk space. At the same time, someone who's really into music and pictures might need 100 gigabytes of storage.

Weight
If you look around you'll see that laptop weights seem to run anywhere between about 1.6 kgs and 4.3 kgs or so. Logically you can only make a laptop so light and still get all the features you want. Real "road warriors" will care more about features than weight. Remember, published laptop weights are for the laptop, not for all the extra stuff that comes with it. Extra batteries, extra drives, and even the case all add to the weight. Several companies make "heavy duty" laptops that are built to withstand heave usage. When push comes to shove, don't fret over a bit of weight difference. Better to get a laptop that does what is needed than one that's a tiny bit lighter.

Battery Life
For someone who travels a great deal battery life can be a key concern. If you're hopping between airports all day you may not have time to charge up. Some laptops will let you install two batteries and you can always buy extra batteries. Ahh, but that adds the weight. Things that impact battery life include:
· Size of screen
· Quality of graphics
· Processor type
· Power settings

So, if battery life is closer to the top of the priority list you may want to look at a Celeron processor and not look at a 17" super quality screen. If the laptop is going to be used by students or others who may be able to remain "plugged in" much of the time, battery life isn't your top concern.

Another factor is, the settings you use on the actual laptop. If the laptop is lower on the battery life scale you may want to set the Power Settings to reflect that. Have the display and hard drives shut down sooner. You can also set the screen to dim quicker when there's a pause in the work.

Summing It Up!
Buying a laptop is similar to buying a desktop in many respects, but you need to consider the differences. Some people today are abandoning desktops and getting laptops that are really powerful. These machines have nearly all the features of a desktop. They can also cost almost twice as much as a comparably configured desktop. So, consider the key factors - RAM, disk space, and processor type. In those considerations, however, you may need to consider weight, battery life, and how the other factors impact weight and battery life.
Consider who you're buying the laptop for. Once again I caution you about buying more machine than you really need. If it's a laptop for a student you don't need a 3GHz processor with 2GB of RAM and a 17" screen. That's a waste of money in my opinion. You'd do just as well with a 1.8GHz Celeron processor, a 15" screen, and 512MB of RAM.

If you're buying a laptop that you may upgrade to Windows Vista later, make sure it is Vista compatible. There should be a label on the laptop stating this.

My advice is to be realistic. If you're buying a gift keep in mind that many of the things we've talked about can often be upgraded. The recipient can purchase extra RAM or even buy extra drives or batteries. Another source you can check is Consumer Reports ... I do.

Tips On Buying A Printer

2006-11-27T18:25:00.000+10:00

Nearly everyone needs to print, but each person’s requirement may be different. I'll try to give you a basic understanding so you can be a more informed shopper.

Printer Basics
That are a number of printer types, but I'm only going to look at the two most popular varieties. These are the inkjet printer and the laser printer. Inkjet printers are the most popular and can be very inexpensive. These work by using nozzles to put drops of ink on the paper. Laser printers, on the other hand, use toner, heat, and static electricity to bind ink onto paper. Both work very well and can give high quality prints. The biggest cost of a printer is not the printer itself, but rather the cost of the ink.

It's In The Ink!
You can find inkjet printers for under $100, but what do the replacement ink cartridges cost? That's one thing you need to consider when looking at printers. Printer cartridges are rated as to how many pages they can print. If you can estimate the number of pages you print per month you'll have an idea of yearly costs. If you're buying the printer as a gift you may just have to guess.

Many inkjet printers, like those by Hewlett-Packard and others, utilize two print cartridges, one black and one colour. The "all-in-one" printers give you printing, scanning, copying, and faxing in one device. For basic work these devices are perfect because they do it all. Buying from a discount store also helps.
Some inkjet printers have 5 cartridges. Cyan, magenta, yellow, and two types of black. One of the benefits is that if you use a lot of a certain colour you don't have to replace all the cartridges at once.

Text
If you print a lot of text you may want to look at a monochrome laser printer. The text from a laser printer is much sharper than that produced by an inkjet. So, if your text quality matters, a laser printer is a consideration.

Photos
In my experience the majority of inkjet printers can print photos at a very high level of quality. At the same time, if you're primarily go to use a printer just for printing photos then look at some of the new photo printers. These specialist printers do a wonderful job and many have card slots that will read your cameras media. That makes it really convenient. Just slip in the memory card and you can print the photos you want. This is handy for those who don't have a computer also because most are stand-alone. But then again, you may find local photo shops, chemists and department stores run specials on digital prints for as little as 17c each. Printing your own could cost you around $1 per print.

Summing It Up!
Printers can be cheap and ink can be expensive. The majority of home users will have inkjet printers. Think about how the printer will be used. If the majority of what you print is text then check out a laser printer. If all you want to print are photos take a look at some of the photo-specific inkjet printers. If you need more than just printing you can find all-in-one printers that can do it all.

Print speed, for most home users, is pretty much a non-issue. Most printers today can produce decent results as far as speed is concerned. In my experience with printers I've had, they don't seem to print as many pages per minute as they claim. Your mileage may vary as well. When buying a printer look at the features of the printer and the cost of ink cartridges. Determine what your needs are and buy accordingly. For most users

Ink Jet Printer Tips

2006-10-29T14:41:00.000+10:00

The printer is the perfect companion to the computer, and here are a few tips to extend the life of your printer and to make printing easier.

Use It or Lose It
The most common printer for home computers is the ink jet printer, and the adage "use it or lose it" is best heeded for maintaining this type of printer. Inactivity causes the ink in the print nozzles to dry out which creates printing problems. If you don't use your printer on a daily basis, be sure to print out a test page at least once a week. Using the printer's test page is a good way to make sure that all the colours are being applied without using a lot of ink. See your printer manual to determine how to print a test page. This is usually accomplished by pressing a sequence of buttons on the printer.

Align the Print Heads
Most ink jet manufacturers recommend that you align the print heads whenever you change the ink cartridges. Instructions will either appear on the screen or in the manual.

Turn the Printer Off Properly
Always turn the printer on and off using the printer's on/off switch. Some ink jet printers clean and park the print head when they are turned off. If you turn the printer on and off using a switch on the surge protector or by pulling the plug, the print head may not park in the proper position.

Keep the Printer Clean
Dirt, dust, and paper shreds can interfere with the printers normal functioning. A can of compressed air can help to clean it out. If the printer environment is extremely dusty, keep it covered when not in use.

Care for the Printer Paper
Use the proper type of paper for your printer and be sure that you don't mix different types of paper in the same bin. Fanning the paper before you put it in the printer can help it move through smoothly. In extremely humid climates, the paper should be kept in an airtight container to keep it moisture-free.

Canceling a Print Job
To cancel a print job, select Printers & Faxes from the Start menu. If you don't see Printers there, choose Control Panel. Once in the Control Panel choose Printers and Faxes or Printers and other hardware. If necessary choose View Installed Printers. When the Printers window opens, double-click your printer's icon. You will see a list of current print jobs. Right-click the job you want to cancel and then select Cancel Printing in the shortcut menu. You may also see a printer symbol in the Task bar that you can use.

Two Printers Are Better Than One
Although ink jet printers are still the most affordable, the prices of laser printers have also plummeted. Since the per-page cost of black laser printing is much cheaper than that of ink jets, if you print a lot and don't care about colour, a laser printer may be just what you need. Many people have both a laser and an ink jet attached to the same computer.

Bonus Tip: Extending the Printing Life of a Laser Printer CartridgeLaser printers use a toner cartridge. When the printer indicates that the cartridge empty, you can often still get a little more printing out of it by removing the cartridge and tip it from side to side to redistribute the toner remaining in the cartridge. Then reinsert the cartridge into the printer. Often you can do this two to three times until the cartridge is really completely empty.

"Misers aren't much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors."

Searching The Internet

2006-10-24T20:29:00.000+10:00

Google = Internet?

Searching the Web is easy. The difficult part is to find what you are looking for. While the search engines and mainly Google have done miracles in making millions of pages accessible, finding what you need when you need it is not always an easy task. And the truth is, that the ease with each Google has made it possible to retrieve most of the information we need, has made us lazy to search in depth, when the stuff we are looking for is not right at the the top of the first ten search results.

Also the majority of users rely heavily on Google only - if something cannot be found via Google, then it simply does not exist, which is certainly not so. When Google cannot immediately retrieve a piece of information, most people just conclude that only what is retrieved exists and give up. Over the years I have developed a habit to keep an archive of important URLs and files that I stumble upon incidentally and that I might need some time in the future, but I am clever enough to know that even if I could make my personal mirror of the Net, this could hardly be more useful than Google.

Also, I am aware of the way search engines work and despite their revolutionary achievements, do not expect them to be perfect. I know that even the most powerful search engines cannot index every single page on the Web and include them in their databases. And since search results display only information that is indexed and is in the search engine’s database, if my stuff is not indexed and is not included in the database, I stand no chance of finding it at all. I have already learned that search engines might be the easiest way to search the Web, but certainly they are not the only one. Besides, sometimes (for very specific searches) the major search engines just waste my time and drown me in so much irrelevant information that I regret having to use them and resort to alternative means to make my way through the Invisible Web.

The Invisible Web
The Invisible Web is a term that describes precisely the situation when I know some piece of information is on the Web but I cannot see it. It is that vast part of the Net that search engines do not get to (due to different reasons) but still can be accessed in other ways.

Maybe it is necessary to explain that not all pages that cannot be retrieved through the search engines belong to the Invisible Net. For instance, the Opaque and the Dark Net are two other places that are hidden from the world because the Opaque Net is files that are not linked to other resources and cannot be accessed and the Dark Web is invisible deliberately – i.e. Corporate networks, sites with special membership and other similar places that do not welcome strangers.

To get to Opaque and Dark Web sites, you need to know their URL in advance (for instance from a friend of yours) and if necessary, to have a user name and a password.

The search ideas I am going to give you in the next sections apply to the Invisible Web only and are unlikely to give results for the intentionally hidden parts of the Web. But even the Invisible Web alone is a pretty vast space. It is estimated that it is up to 500 (yes, five hundred) times the size of the Surface Web (the part that is indexed by search engines) and the tendency is that the Invisible Web will grow both as a percentage and in absolute figures. And what is more, really valuable stuff is hidden in its debris.

What Is Hidden in the Debris of the Invisible Web?

The short answer is – many essential items are hidden in the debris of the Invisible Web. It is true that the information there might not be interesting for everybody but if you are looking for a very special piece of information, no matter what topic or area, it is quite probable that it is buried on some other site together with many other topics of interest to you. Most often the stuff that cannot be found via the general search engines (but is accessible by other search means) is like the following:

Dynamic, database-driven sites that are publicly accessible but due to technical reasons search engines often skip their content when indexing the Web.

Archives of articles in online journals and magazines
Specialized databases that are not of interest to the general public – medical, scientific, legal, etc.
Different catalogs – of products, of libraries, etc.
News and newsgroup postings – although very often, when I search the Net I encounter newsgroup postings from five or more years ago, when searching for recent ones, the “deliverables” of the search engines are far from satisfactory.
Legal and administrative information (court records, patents and trademarks information) that is available on request
Classifieds and advertisements, Yellow and White Pages
Stuff that search engines exclude on deliberately – for instance files with particular extensions, data that is regarded to be private, or content that the owners of the site has asked explicitly to be removed from the search engine's index.

Alternatives to Google for Searching and Being Found

It is a fact that Google has been doing so much to make information accessible but monopoly has never been good. So, the first thing you can do, if you cannot find the stuff you need via Google, is to try a different search engine. Since the databases of the search engines differ, it is likely that if you cannot find it with Google, you might be able to find it with Yahoo, MSN, Altavista, or another search engine. Even if this does not lead to the desired result, do not give up – there are many other tools to use when hunting for information.

Well, the alternatives that exist might not be as easy as a Google search and they might remind you of the pre-Google times but the results that you can retrieve through them can be very rewarding. The alternatives (both for users and for site owners) include:
Specialized search engines
Specialized search directories
Meta search engines
Invisible Web databases
Specialized portals
Reference libraries

The list is by no means complete but it gives you an idea where you can go to search for the stuff you need and where to submit your site, if you are a site owner. For both categories – users and site owners – relying solely on Google is not a viable idea. For users it means that vast amounts of information are practically unaccessible for you and for site owners relying only on Google to generate traffic to your site (unless you manage to top the search results on many keywords – but it is a different topic) is pretty risky - you never know when Google will change its algorithm for calculating relevancy and you might drop from the top. So in both cases you need to know about the alternatives you have.

Why Google! = Internet

It is a common delusion that Google=Internet. No, it is not and it will never be. There are probably hundreds of reasons why this is so but I hope that even some of them are convincing enough:

Search engines and their indexing algorithms might be very powerful but it will never be possible to include into their database every single page that exists on the Web. At least because new pages appear every instant, while search engine crawlers do not visit sites so often – sometimes a site is revisited one or two months after the previous visit and all the pages that appeared after the last visit will not be indexed. You see why search engines do not deliver real-time weather, stock, or news information?

The site, on which the page you want resides, requires registration and/or a fee and there is nothing on Earth that the search engine can do to index such a site. If the site requires registration, after you register, you will be able to find the stuff you need but there is no other way to know if the stuff is there besides visiting the site and registering. It is a similar situation, when the site of interest to you is locked inside a database and search engines cannot access it because of that but when you go there, the site is searchable by humans and you can get what you want.

Generally, search engines prefer static to dynamic sites and are reluctant to index dynamic ones (these are database sites where pages are generated dynamically on a user's request). While dynamic sites are more powerful from a technical point of view, they are not the favorites of search engines and often are either not indexed at all, or only part of their content is crawled. If the URLs of the pages have question marks and other special symbols (like non-ASCII characters), then it is a good bet that this page will not be indexed by search engines, or at least the major ones.

Due to a violation of the fair play rules, search engines have excluded (temporarily or permanently) particular sites from their listings. This situation is much worse for site owners than for ordinary users but it is another reason for you - the ordinary user – not to be able to find the stuff you want. It is a little consolation that after some time the site will be indexed again. Even if this happens, you will spend some time in the shadows of the Invisible Web.

Search Engines and Search Directories

There are hundreds of search engines and search directories that contain Invisible Web content. What is more, there are even ones that claim to be an exhaustive collection of such documents. Three of the most popular search engines for the Invisible Web are Direct Search (http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm), The Invisible Web (http://www.invisibleweb.com), and CompletePlanet (http://www.completeplanet.com). They index mainly, but not only, Invisible Web content.

If you are searching for content that is limited to a particular topic only (e.g. programming), a great time-saver are topical search engines, because they return results related to the selected area. There are search engines for almost every topic you can think of – from gardening to nuclear weapons. A nice list of topical search engines can be found at http://www.searchengineguide.com/searchengines.html.

Metasearch engines return combined results, harvested by a syndicate of search engines, so if Google does not have a particular page in its index but this page is indexed by Yahoo or another search engine, you will get it retrieved in the results. Metasearch engines were popular especially before the advent of Google but now they are regaining popularity.

Examples of popular metasearch engines are Copernic (http://www.copernic.com), Beaucoup (http://beaucoup.com), Metacrawler (http://www.metacrawler.com), Dogpile (http://www.dogpile.com), and SurfWax (http://www.surfwax.com).
Some of the search engines offer a directory service as well and there you can browse by topic. Besides the directory services of search engines, there are specialized search directories. Search directories are an important place to submit your site to.

Once upon a time the distinction between a search directory and a search engine was clear but today, when search directories provide search tools and search engines offer lists of topical links, there is no sharp boundary between the two services. Basically, the difference is that search engines crawl the Web to find pages, while people submit their pages to search directories. Search directories are collections of links that are organized hierarchically by topic – for instance the top-level topics are entertainment, business, education, technology, etc. These topics are further divided into subtopics, which in turn have subtopics of their own, etc. In the above example, subtopics of technology, for example could be computers, biotechnology, personal tech, etc. One of the advantages of search directories is that their content is reviewed by humans and irrelevant pages are excluded from the listings.

Some of the most popular search directories are the Open Directory Project (DMOZ – http://www.dmoz.org), The Invisible Web Directory (http://www.invisible-web.net), Librarians' Index to the Internet (http://lii.org), About.com (www.about.com), Infomine (infomine.ucr.edu), Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com – the Directory Service, not the search engine), Google (http://www.google.com/dirhp), etc.
Databases, Specialized Portals and Reference SourcesInvisible Web Databases, specialized portals and reference sources can be an extremely valuable resource especially for very specific stuff. While search engines and search directories list only links to pages (and it happens that these links are broken), specialized databases and portals generally contain the pages themselves, so it is less likely to encounter a broken link or a missing document. There are specialized databases and portals for many topics, and if you write “medical database”, for example, Google will display a long list of medical databases only. Now you can go to the URL of the database and search from there. Another example of a specialized database is FindArticles - http://www.findarticles.com, which contains over 5 million articles most of which are not indexed by the major search engines.

A valuable source for virtual reference is The Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org). Of course, there are many other resources that can be quoted but I leave the fun of discovering them to you.

" When you see the handwriting on the wall, you can bet you're in a public restroom. "

Microsoft Operating Systems

2006-10-19T12:41:00.000+10:00

End of Support for Windows Versions

I'm sure by now everyone knows that support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millennium Edition has been discontinued by Microsoft as of 11 July 2006. Similarly, support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 ended as of 10 October 2006.

What does this mean?
Existing updates for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me will continue to be available for a period of time. How long? Well, it's hard to say ... but since there are still both forums and downloads for Windows 95 available I would expect they won't vanish soon.
Community and Newsgroup Support for these operating systems will continue for the foreseeable future so you can continue to get MVP and community assistance.
New updates for these operating systems will not be addressed or released.
Security updates will no longer be released for these operating systems. In fact, they won't even be tested by Microsoft to see if newly-found flaws apply to them.

And what does this mean?
If you're running Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Millennium Edition, you need to be aware of the risks you're facing. They already contain a number of known security flaws that have not been addressed and that number will only continue to grow as time goes on. Almost all software vendors have already withdrawn support for these operating systems. In short, it would be best practice for you to plan on upgrading really soon. Especially, if you intend to use the Internet on your PC.

If you're running Windows XP Service Pack 1, you need to get Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed. There's really no excuse for not having it installed by now.

In addition, Windows 2000 has now moved into its extended support lifecycle stage. Although security updates will continue to be released for Windows 2000, this is a sign that you should be considering migrating your Windows 2000 Professional desktops to Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Servers to Windows Server 2003. Some of Microsoft's newest technology, like Internet Explorer 7, will not be released for Windows 2000.

"The world is full of willing people: some willing to work and some willing to let them"

Media Player Dangers and more Email Issues

2006-10-11T12:02:00.000+10:00

Email Issues

Q. Do friends know how to blind-copy e-mail to protect YOUR privacy?
A. Not many! And you may wonder why you get spam mail and perhaps other “nasties”?

The answer lies in using blind-copy or “Bcc”. In a previous entry (June 19th 2006) I mentioned about Outlook Express but did not mention other email programs.

In Outlook, choose View and check “Bcc” Field. In Netscape, click the To: field and scroll to “Bcc”. In Yahoo Mail, click BCC and for Windows Live Mail, just click on the Show “Cc” and “Bcc” link at the top right of the new message pane.

You might want to pass this on to your friends to protect your privacy (and everyone elses).

Media Player Dangers.

Media players are a necessary part of enjoying digital entertainment. However, they also give another entry way into your computer system – useful if you’re a “crook”.

Recently critical holes have been found in Apple’s QuickTime media player and Macromedia’s Flash Player. Update now! Get QuickTime 7.1 from http://www.apple.com/ and Macromedia Flash Player 9 from www.adobe.com/downloads

"Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge"