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Front Range PC Users Group Newsletter k-Byte |
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| v. 20, n. 5/6 May/June 2003 | Users Helping Users |
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Contents 1 State of the Group - Rick Mattingly 2 About k-Byte 3 Letter To The Bank 4 Protect Your Registry from Accidental Overwrites 5 Beware The 809 Area Code Scam 6 All Purpose Notepad 6 Only In America - Humor 7 Error Reporting With Windows XP 7 Filtering Spam In Outlook Express - Sue Whitehouse 8 Worm Warning 8 Clipboard Tip For Windows 98 9 SPOOL32 Error 9 Change The Default Opening Folder In Windows Explorer - Kris Bertleff 10 Roxio's Complete Guide To Buying A Digital Camera 14 Calendar of Events 16 June/July Calendars 18 Membership Application 21 Homeland Security On The Net 24 Buying A DVD Recorder 25 Kim Komando Newsletter - Don't Keep Your Friends In The Dark 26 Some New Airline Humor 28 Famous Last Words 28 Outlook Express Spam Killer 30 Trading Post 31 FRPCUG Contacts State of the Group by Rick Mattingly Volunteers-We need 'em! An organization like FRPCUG only exists through the efforts of it's members. After all, our motto is “Users Helping Users,” as noted at the top of this newsletter. Over time our volunteer effort has slipped to the point that a handful of dedicated members are carrying the whole load. There are only so many hours in the day and we need some help to make our group run. At this time we need assistance in the following areas: Newsletter Editor Web Site Administrator Raffle Drawing Coordinator Advertising Coordinator Please donate some time to your group and volunteer to assist! Published bi-monthly, k-Byte is the official newsletter of the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group (FRPCUG): our mailing address is PMB 152, 305 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521. Opinions expressed in k-Byte are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the group or its members. Publication of information in k-Byte constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use of any information found in this publication is at the sole risk of the user. Neither k-Byte, nor its officers, nor k-Byte, nor its editors or contributors assume any liability for damages resulting from use of information in this publication. Submissions Articles, letters and short items of interest on computer-related topics are welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for publication are subject to editing. Send your contribution to the editor via e-mail attachment or submit on disk. If you have questions about a submission, please contact the editor for information. Copyright k-Byte is copyrighted ©2003 by the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group. Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit users groups may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in k-Byte without prior permission, provided that proper author and publication credits are given and that a copy of the publication in which the article appears is sent at no cost to k-Byte at the above mailing address. User groups wishing to exchange newsletters with FRPCUG are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request. IBM PC, OS/2, Compaq, MS-DOS, UNIX, Windows and other trademarks occasionally mentioned in k-Byte are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc., Compaq Corporation, Microsoft, Digital Research, AT&T or their owners respectively. Neither FRPCUG nor its newsletter k-Byte are connected in any way with any manufacturer or seller. We, however, gratefully acknowledge sponsorship of our group by Data Service Center, Jim Becker, owner. Advertising Classified advertising is free to members for non-business ads. See “Trading Post” for pricing for camera-ready display ads. Charges for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are available on request. Deadline for camera-ready and classified ads is listed in the Calendar of Upcoming Events. Deadline for ad-makeup is the same as for articles. About FRPCUG FRPCUG is an independent nonprofit computer society, so incorporated with the State of Colorado and open to anyone interested in MS-DOS, OS/2, or UNIX microcomputers. Its purpose is to provide an educational and scientific forum of mutual benefit for members of the micro-computer community. FRPCUG holds a monthly meeting and conducts various special interest groups (SIGS) and seminars. Members have voting privileges, subscription to k-Byte newsletter, SIGs and selected seminars. Annual dues are $25 for individual/family membership and $50 for corporate/group membership. The guy who wrote this is a genius. The letter to a bank below is an actual letter sent to a bank in the United States. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the New York Times. "Dear Sir: I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations some 30 minutes must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire salary, an arrangement which, I admit, has only been in place for eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account by $50 by way of penalty for the inconvenience I caused to your bank. My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. You have set me on the path of fiscal righteousness. No more will our relationship be blighted by these unpleasant incidents, for I am restructuring my affairs in 2003, taking as my model the procedures, attitudes and conduct of your very bank. I can think of no greater compliment and I know you will be excited and proud to hear it. To this end, please be advised of the following changes: I have noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, ever-changing, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will, therefore and hereafter, no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your branch whom you must nominate. You will be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Let me level the playing field even further by introducing you to my new telephone system, which you will notice, is very much like yours. My Authorized Contact at your bank, the only person with whom I will have any dealings, may call me at any time and will be answered by an automated voice service: Press buttons as follows: 1. To make an appointment to see me. 2. To query a missing payment. 3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there. 4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping. 5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature. 6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home. 7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated at a later date to the Authorized Contact. 8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7. 9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may on occasion involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call. This month I've chosen a refrain from "The Best of Woodie Guthrie": "Oh, the banks are made of marble, With a guard at every door, And the vaults are filled with silver, That the miners sweated for." On a more serious note, we come to the matter of cost. As your bank has often pointed out, the ongoing drive for greater efficiency comes at a cost which you have always been quick to pass on to me. Let me repay your kindness by passing some costs back. First, there is a matter of advertising material you send me. This I will read for a fee of $20 per page. Inquiries from the Authorized Contact will be billed at $5 per minute of my time spent in response. New phone service runs at 75 cents a minute. You will be well advised to keep your inquiries brief and to the point. Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement. May I wish you a happy, if ever-so-slightly less prosperous, New Year? Your Humble Client, (Name Withheld)" One potentially dangerous Windows default setting involves files .reg file types (the Registry export files you can create in the Registry Editor). When you double-click this type of file, Windows will automatically import that file into your Registry, and overwrite any information that the Registry presently has. This can be a disaster if you don't have a current Registry backup available and you overwrite valuable Registry information. To make sure that this doesn't happen, change the default action associated with the .reg file type. The simplest way to do this is to open Windows Explorer and find a file of the .reg type. Press the Shift key, and right-click the file. When you see a menu called Open With, choose Notepad, then click the option next to Always Use This Program To Open This Type Of File. Click OK. Once you make this change, whenever you double-click a .reg file, it will open in Notepad as plain text, rather than overwriting your Registry. You can still import the .reg file if you want by selecting the Import option from the Registry menu in the Registry Editor. PC Magazine by David K. Subject: 809 Area Code We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you--get back to us quickly. Have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. We did not respond. Then this week, we received the following email: Subject: Don't Ever Dial Area Code 809, 284 or 876 This is very important information provided to us by AT&T. Don't ever dial area code 809. This one is being distributed all over the US. This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call. Be sure you read this and pass it on to all your friends and family so they don't get scammed! Major Scam: Don't respond to Emails, phone calls, or web pages which tell you to call an "809" Phone Number. This is a very important issue of Scam Busters because it alerts you to a scam that is spreading *extremely* quickly can easily cost you $2400 or more, and is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of it. We'd like to thank Verizon for bringing this scam to our attention. This scam has also been identified by the National Fraud Information Center and is costing victims a lots of money. There are lots of different permutations of this scam. Here's How It Works: You will receive a message on your answering machine or your pager, which asks you to call a number beginning with area code 809. The reason you're asked to call varies. It can be to receive information about a family member who has been ill, to tell you someone has been arrested, died, to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the US, you will apparently be charged $2425 per-minute. Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24,100.00. Why It Works: The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas). The 809 area code can be used as a "pay-per-call" number, similar to 900 numbers in the US. Since 809 is not in the US, it is not covered by U.S. regulations of 900 numbers, which require that you be notified and warned of charges and rates involved when you call a pay-per-call" number. There is also no requirement that the company provide a time period during which you may terminate the call without being charged. Further, where as many U.S. homes that have 900 number blocking to avoid these kinds of charges, do not work in preventing calls to the 809 area code. We recommend that no matter how you get the message, if you are asked to call a number with an 809 area code that you don't recognize just disregard the message. Be wary of email or calls asking you to call an 809 area code number. It's important to prevent becoming a victim of this scam, since trying to fight the charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong. Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam. Sandi Van Handel AT&T Field Service Manager (920) 687-904 Thanks to Don Anderson of FRPCUG for forwarding this information. Don Received the information from his sister in Milwaukee. I've found it useful to have a shortcut to Notepad in the QuickLaunch area of the taskbar (just to the right of the Start button. If I see something on the Internet or anywhere that I want to save, I can select exactly what I want by highlighting it, pressing Ctrl-C to copy, opening Notepad, and pressing Ctrl-V to paste the selected text into Notepad. Then I can save or print it. I use it on the Scot's Newsletter archives a lot. To place Notepad on your taskbar, open the Start Menu > Programs > Accessories. Depress the Ctrl key. Click and drag the Notepad icon off the menu and drop it onto the QuickLaunch area on the taskbar (directly to the right of the Start button). That's all there is too it. A single click summons Notepad from the QuickLaunch area. (XP users, you may have to enable QuickLaunch first.) --Michael Wark Response: Funny, I have Notepad on my taskbar for a similar reason. I routinely copy URLs, their names, and sometimes all or part of the text on them into documents I save for use later on. Trouble is, when you paste Web text into Word, from the Web often gets carried over. Word XP has a laborious process for making the new text conform to your default style, but it's often not worth the trouble. Pasting the text into a Notepad window strips the formatting. Then I can copy and paste the text into Word or an email message without having to hassle with formatting. I wish Microsoft would get hip and realize that preserving the default formatting should be an optional setting on pastes from the clipboard. And also, that Notepad's window should remember size and positioning. --S.F. Only in America...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance. Only in America...are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink... Only in America...do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front. Only in America...do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke. Only in America...do banks leave safe doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. Only in America...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage. Only in America do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place. Only in America...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight. Only in America...do we use the word "politics" to describe the process so well: "Poli" in Latin meaning "many" and "tics" meaning "bloodsucking creatures." Only in America...do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.. Only in America...can a homeless combat veteran live in a cardboard box and a draft dodger live in the White House. by Rick Mattingly The Windows XP operating system includes an automatic error reporting feature. In the event of an error, XP will pop up a window asking the user to send an error report to Microsoft. The intent of this feature is good for two reasons. First is that by sending the error report the user may be automatically notified of a patch available to correct the problem. Secondly, Microsoft is auditing error reports received to determine if a consistent problem needs to be addressed with a future patch. Reporting such errors is voluntary and the user may choose to cancel the error reporting window. However, if you find this feature to be an annoyance you can turn it off. Right click My Computer and select Properties. Select the Advanced tab and click on Error Reporting at the bottom of the window. From the resulting window you may choose to either disable the error reporting feature for a specific program only or disable the feature altogether. Friday August 2, 2002 Today's Internet tip: An easy way to filter spam in Outlook Express is to use Outlook Express' message filtering. To check this out, choose File|Folders|New. Select Local Folders and type "Spam" into the "Folder name" entry box. Click OK to continue. Now choose Tools|Message Rules|Mail. Click New and then select the check box labeled "Where the To line contains people". Next, select the check box labeled "Move it to the specified folder". Next, under Rule Description, click "Contains People" and then type in your e-mail address and click Add. Now click Options and select the radio button labeled "Message does not contain the people below" and click OK. Back in the New Mail Rule dialog, click "specified" under "Rule Description" and double-click your Spam folder. Now, click OK to close the dialog box. In Message Rules again, click OK to close the dialog and record your new rule. Outlook Express will now send all e-mail that arrives without your e-mail address in the To box to the Spam folder where you can check to see if you need it. Sue Whitehouse - eMazing.com A Few Scanning Tips Website by Wayne Fulton One of the absolute best web sites available covering optical scanning and graphic imaging - Check it out today! http://www.scantips.com/ by Larry Horn I recently received the following e-mail. +++++++++++++++++ Subject: Worm Klez.E immunity To: horn1@pcugsj.org Klez.E is the most common world-wide spreading worm. It's very dangerous by corrupting your files. Because of its very smart stealth and anti-anti-virus technic, most common AV software can't detect or clean it. We developed this free immunity tool to defeat the malicious virus. You only need to run this tool once, and then Klez will never come into your PC. NOTE: Because this tool acts as a fake Klez to fool the real worm, some AV monitor may cry when you run it. If so, ignore the warning, and select 'continue'. If you have any question, please contact 1234@5678.com Attached: xxxxx +++++++++++++++++ The attachment is actually a worm/virus which comes packaged with a nice e-mail designed to trick you into running it. It has even figured out a way to get around your anti-virus software: it has you turn it off! Be very careful opening attachments! from March 2003 Cache newsletter, PC Users Group of South Jersey by Rick Mattingly The Windows Clipboard is a very handy tool. Whenever the user Copies anything within any application the material copied goes to the Clipboard for Pasting elsewhere. But, be aware that the copied material will remain on the Clipboard until either something else is copied or the machine is rebooted. Each new Copy action replaces the content of the Clipboard. The Clipboard uses available RAM to perform this magic. With the Windows 98 operating system, available RAM is a critical consideration affecting how many applications may be open at once and how fast they may respond. When the Clipboard contains a small amount of text the amount of RAM required is very small. However, when a complete screen is captured the amount of RAM tied up can be huge. With this in mind, it is important to keep the Clipboard as clean as possible. The simplest method of accomplishing this is to simply replace a large Copy to the Clipboard with a simple Copy action, as in one word of text. This will flush the Clipboard and replace the material held with a tiny amount of data, freeing up critical RAM. The quickest way to do this is to double-click a single word in any text file and press CTRL-C. by Rick Mattingly Has printing from your Windows 98 installation suddenly began to result in SPOOL32 errors? This is a classic case of Microsoft (and other developers) fixing one thing with good intent, only to break something else. The solution? Find a friend who is running Windows ME. Copy the support file SPOOLSS.DLL. On your Windows 98 system, rename your SPOOLSS.DLL to SPOOLSS.OLD and copy the ME version into the same subdirectory. Problem solved. by Kris Bertleff By default, Windows Explorer opens showing the My Documents folder. To change the default setting so that all top-level drives and folders are shown, follow these steps: Click Start, point to Programs, then Accessories, then right-click Windows Explorer, and click Properties. Under Target field, which reads %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe, add to make the line read %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, /select, C:\ Click OK. I love that little trick. Now when you open Windows Explorer you get to choose from all the folders and drives, not just My Documents. by Michael Murie If you're still using a film camera, or have an older digital camera, it's time to upgrade. Technology has moved even faster in the digital camera arena than with PCs in the last couple years. Digital offers many advantages over film, such as direct computer download, no film or developing costs, immediate review of pictures to be sure you got the shot, and the ability to edit your images with software like Roxio's PhotoSuite. And the latest digital cameras even rival film for quality and features. Perhaps the only catch is the staggering variety of options from which to choose. So here's a guide to help you decide if it's time to buy, and the key features to look for. Category Before looking at the details, decide on the general price range that's right for you. Basic point-and-shoot digital cameras that are excellent for families, taking on trips and other uses can be had for $200-$400. These cameras are typically in the 1.3-to-3.3 megapixel range, and often quite compact in size. Mid-to-high-end cameras with more resolution (typically 3.3-to-4 megapixels) and features such as manual controls, powerful zoom lenses, and flash hot shoes, cost about $400-$800. At the top end of the spectrum, digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses just like their film counterparts, are starting to appear in the $2,000 price range and should continue to decrease in price. These cameras offer true film-like flexibility for the serious hobbyist, and resolutions up to 6 megapixels that rival that of film. If you don't need interchangeable lenses, cameras in the $1,000 price range offer similar features and image quality. Resolution Resolution (stated in megapixels) is a major determinant of both price and image quality. However, while it used to be a given that you should buy the highest resolution camera you could afford, with so many cameras now in the 4-to-6 megapixel range, it's arguable that resolution is no longer as much of a consideration. For the vast majority of people, a 4-megapixel camera is probably good enough for everything they need, including 8x10 prints. Only if you need to crop your images way down, or print them poster size, do you have to buy the highest resolution camera available. High-res digital cameras (in the 5-to-6 megapixel range) can be very expensive ($700 to $1,000), but these cameras generally also have the best optics and feature sets. For $300 to $500, you can get a good 2-, 3- or even 4-megapixel camera with fewer bells and whistles. Of course, when considering price, remember all the money you'll save on film and developing! (Prints can cost more, but you'll likely print far fewer images-just the ones you really like, for a net savings overall.) And even though a high-resolution camera may cost more now, you'll likely keep it longer. Just what is a megapixel? It's short for millions of pixels, so a 2-megapixel camera produces an image with approx 2 million pixels (typically 1,600x1,200=1,920,000.) How many pixels is enough? If you just want to display your pictures on a computer screen--to e-mail to friends, or put on CDs and Web pages--then 1,280-by-1,024, or about 1.3 megapixels, is all you can really use. Going with a slightly larger camera (2.1 megapixels) will give you the flexibility to crop your images, and get decent print quality, for relatively few additional bucks. If print quality is your primary concern, things get more complicated. You'll need to decide on the maximum print size you expect to use (such as 5x8 or 8x10), and note the resolution of your printer (such as 600 or 720 dots per inch (dpi)). But you can't just multiply 8 and 10 inches by 600 dots to determine that you need an image file 4,800x6,000 pixels (which is lucky, since that is far beyond the capability of most digital cameras!). Image file resolution is different from print resolution since most printers use solid-color dots (cyan, magenta or yellow) and each dot can only be one of these colors. With the camera image, a pixel can be any of 16 million colors. To create the illusion of more colors, the printer actually prints patterns of these dots (yellow and blue looks like green). So if you send a 720 pixel-per-inch image to a 720dpi printer, you'll be throwing away color data. For best results, the rule of thumb is to divide the resolution of your printer by 2 or 4 to get the image resolution you'll need. For example, for a 720dpi printer, your image file should have 360 or 180 pixels per inch. If your printer is 600dpi, use 300 or 150 pixels per inch. You will see a small difference in print quality between divisors of 2 or 4, but the larger image will take you longer to manipulate and print. So do a test run on your printer to see the differences, and then decide which resolution you prefer. Once you know the image resolution you need in pixels per inch, you just multiply it by print size to get the camera resolution you'll need. For example for an 8x10 print at 180dpi, you need a camera capable of shooting at least 1,800-by-1,440 pixels, or about 2.5 megapixels. Again, we recommend rounding up (in this case to 3 megapixels), so you can crop photos where needed. Another important point is that sheer number of pixels is not the only component of resolution--image quality counts too. Two cameras producing the same image file size might produce very different quality in terms of image detail. Image quality at a given size can be affected by the quality of the lens, any manipulation done by the camera (rescaling and color calculations) and the compression used on the image. Most cameras use some kind of compression, typically JPEG, when saving images, and have two or more different compression options (high, medium, or low quality, for example). No matter which setting you use, the resulting image size in pixels remains the same, but the file size (in kilobytes) will be smaller for the more-compressed images (lower quality). To compress the image, some resolution (detail) is thrown away. Of course, the more compression used, the more images you can capture before the memory card is filled. Many of the high-end cameras include an uncompressed (usually TIF format) or a RAW file format option. Both promise the 'best' quality image the camera can produce, though the files are much larger, and will often take the camera much longer to save. With the RAW format, the actual data from the cameras CCD is stored in the file. Because of the way cameras work, each pixel on a CCD only records one color (usually Red Green or Blue, or Cyan, Magenta or Yellow) rather than TIF or JPEG which stores three colors per pixel. During conversion to TIF or JPEG, the single color is combined with information from surrounding pixels to create an interpolated color for the pixel. Also, many cameras capture 12-bit information for a pixel (rather than 8-bit) and this information is saved in the RAW file. Usually you can't rewrite these RAW files, which prevents you from accidentally overwriting the original files. However it's a tradeoff whether to use these uncompressed formats or the highest quality JPEG format. You have to weigh the image quality difference with the performance and memory requirements of saving in uncompressed formats. Generally, the better the optics and higher-priced the camera, the better image quality you will get. Which brings us to a discussion of lenses. Lenses Producing good quality optics for digital cameras can be a challenge. Considering the small size of most CCD imagers versus the size of a typical 35mm film frame, the digital cameras lens must be of very good quality to produce a good image. Most digital cameras are of the range-finder, fixed-lens type. The choices in lenses continue to increase, and you can also get add-on lenses for some cameras (notably wide-angle lenses for Nikon's CoolPix 900 family of cameras, and the add-on lens for the Olympus E-10/20) but add-ons aren't available for all cameras, and for the most flexibility you will want to look at the more expensive digital SLR cameras (like the Canon D-60 and Nikon D-100.) Digital cameras have typically been less light-sensitive than film cameras, which means that for a given quality lens, you will not be able to get as much image detail, unless shooting in very bright light. So also check out the ISO ratings of the cameras you are considering. Some offer the ability to capture at 400 or 800, although the results may be noisy. When comparing lenses, we are most interested in the field of view of a lens (how wide or narrow it is). Historically, the focal length of a lens has been used as an indication of field of view. For 35mm cameras, 50mm is considered "normal," 28mm is considered "wide," and 150mm is "long." While focal length is measured differently in a digital camera, most manufacturers quote 35mm equivalents. The most common optical zoom lenses are 2X and 3X. The multiplier is the longest lens setting divided by the widest (i.e., 38 to 120 mm is 3X, 38 to 75 mm is 2X). A few cameras come with truly long optical zoom lenses, 6X or 10X. However be aware that as the lens gets longer, it gets more difficult to hold the lens steady enough while the picture is being taken. At least one manufacturer includes an image stabilization system in their long lens camera precisely because of this problem. Also, some camera lenses are better than others. Many low-to-medium-end cameras suffer from problems with barrel distortion (the image sides appear to be slightly bowed.) This is most notable in the wide angle end of the lens, and you should check reviews for the cameras you are interested. It's important to distinguish between optical and digital zoom. With optical zoom, lenses move to scale the image (technically speaking, the focal length of the lens is being changed), whereas digital zoom scales the image electronically, without actual additional picture information. There is therefore a big difference in quality between these two techniques. Optical zooms are always preferable, although many cameras offer a combination of both, using optical up to a point, then switching to digital. You can always scale your image later if needed with computer software, there is no need to do it in the camera. Many digital cameras offer a Macro feature. This is the ability of the camera to focus on objects very close to the lens. If you plan to take close-ups you will want to make sure the camera has Macro capability. Camera Speed The other big difference between digital and film cameras is picture-taking speed. While film camera owners are used to snapping away repeatedly with no noticeable lag time between shots (except perhaps for flash recycling), digital cameras can be downright slow in comparison. These delays can be noticeable when turning the camera on (startup time), the time between depressing the shutter and taking the picture (lag time), and the time it takes to save the image and get ready to take another picture (recycles time.) Better (and higher-priced) cameras are speedier. A startup time of a second or two is about as good as is currently possible, but some cameras take as much as ten seconds. Startup time can be influenced by the time it takes to charge the built-in flash, and can vary based on the charge in the batteries. Lag time is the time between depressing the shutter release button, and the actual taking of the picture. A lag time of even a fraction of a second can mean missed pictures. For some cameras a proportion of this time is taken up by the camera focusing the lens and calculating exposure before taking the picture. It may be possible to reduce this time by depressing the shutter button halfway while framing your image, and before actually taking the picture. This makes the camera measure and pre-adjust focus so it is "ready" to take the picture when fully depressed. Recycle time is the minimum time between pictures. This is the time it takes the camera to transfer the image to the memory card, recharge, and get ready for the next picture. Some cameras include a large amount of buffer memory within the camera for storing pictures temporarily before saving them to the card, which can reduce recycle time from 5 seconds or more, to a fraction of a second. However, there will still be a limit; after two or more pictures, you may have to wait while the buffer is emptied, which can cause missed shots. Note that while higher-resolution cameras usually have bigger buffers, they also have a lot more image information to save. Viewfinders and LCDs Most digital cameras use viewfinders and/or LCD displays to display the image to be captured. Viewfinders are optical systems that present a view very similar to what the lens actually sees. Viewfinders are usually more accurate the further the subject is from the camera; as you get very close to the object the accuracy will decrease dramatically. By contrast, the LCD panels on most digital cameras let you see what the lens sees. This can be especially useful for close-up photography. LCDs also let you hold the camera away from your head while taking pictures from high or low angles. Unfortunately, LCDs are often difficult to see in bright sunlight. The SLRs also, let you see what is coming through the lens in the viewfinder; though at a price. When the picture is taken, the image is briefly obstructed. Memory Cards Most digital cameras use flash memory cards to store images. You then transfer the images to a computer, erase them from the card, and take more pictures. There are three major types of memory cards in use today; Compact Flash, SmartMedia and Memory Stick. Unless you are already using a particular type of memory and have an investment in cards and readers, there's little reason to choose one over another in terms of performance or price. The one exception is that special high-performance memory cards are available at premium prices that will speed up the lag time between shots somewhat. These are generally only worthwhile if you have a high-end camera, and must take fast-paced shots. Probably the most important point to make about memory cards is that nearly all cameras come with very small ones, often holding 20 or fewer pictures at highest resolution. Budget for enough memory to take at least 48 pics or so at your desired resolution and compression settings. Some camera that support CompactFlash, can also accept the IBM MicroDrive, an actual mini hard drive that can hold a full gigabyte of data, enough for a vacation's worth of pictures, even at high resolutions. Battery Life and Flash Attachments If you've used a digital camera before, you know how power-hungry they can be. Chances are, you've missed a lot of good shots because your battery went dead at a critical moment. The bad news is that the better the camera (in resolution, memory and features), typically the more power it requires. Large LCD screens are especially big memory hogs. The best defense here is to be prepared, and always have a second battery with you. There have been notable improvements in battery design and performance; though this comes at a cost. Many cameras now use special custom rechargeable batteries that, while offering much longer times between recharging, cost more to buy if you want to have a second backup battery. If your camera uses a 'standard' AA size you can buy relatively inexpensive rechargeables as well as an AC adapter. If you do have a second battery, remember to keep it charged at all times! Flash attachments can be used with some cameras, in addition to the built-in flash, which is often underpowered. Using a bounce flash on a hot shoe attachment (just like with a 35mm camera) eliminates annoying red-eye, which seems to happen even with the special red-eye reduction feature on many cameras. A more powerful flash can also illuminate more of the background, resulting in a more natural-looking shot with more image detail. Note that there are both hot-shoe and PC-sync connections available, and not all cameras feature both (or even one.) Also, many camera manufacturers recommend their own flash units with their cameras. While buying the same make of flash should ensure better communication between camera and flash unit, you may get good results with third-party units. If you're not sure, a trip to a camera store might be the safest way to check that your camera will communicate with the flash you want to buy. Getting Pics Into Your Computer Most cameras use USB cables to transfer pictures from camera to computer. This is a simple, hot-pluggable, process, once you install the USB driver. The latest cameras don't even require special download software, since their memory cards can be automatically read by the host operating system. If you don't want to bother with plugging in your camera, or have multiple memory cards, another option is to buy a card reader or PC Card adapter. These cost anywhere from $25-$90, depending on features (some can read multiple card types). The Bottom Line We've covered the major digital camera features to look for. There are many other features in some cameras, such as automatic exposure settings for different lighting situations, manual exposure settings for serious photographers, and extras such as the ability to capture video sequences or audio along with pictures. Since technology is improving rapidly, we recommend buying close to the state of the art, if you can afford it. That way, you won't feel you need to replace the camera within a year or two. If not, decide what features are most important to you from the list above. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for in digital cameras. Roxio Interest Article http://www.roxio.com/en/interest/articles/photo/digitalcamera_win.jhtml - IMPORTANT NOTICE - FRPCUG meetings are held at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Check below for directions to the Senior Center. June General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, June 3 at 7:00 pm. Meeting Agenda 7:00 - 7:15 Announcements 7:15 - 8:30 VerminWare-The issues of SPAM, Virus', Spyware, Evil Cookies and Pop-Up Ads will be discussed. 8:30 - 8:45 Break 8:45 - 9:30 Open Forum July General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, July 1 at 7:00 pm. Meeting Agenda 7:00 - 7:15 Announcements 7:15 - 8:30 FreeWare-Favorite Freeware and Public Domain software products will be the topic of discussion. 8:30 - 8:45 Break 8:45 - 9:30 Open Forum See you at the meetings! Directions The Fort Collins Senior Center is located at 1200 Raintree Drive. This site is situated at the northwest corner of the Shields and West Drake intersection, on the north side of the Raintree Shopping Center. Check the marquee at the main entrance for directions to the specific meeting room. Up-Coming SIG's, Seminars and Meetings Board Meeting FRPCUG's executive board meets on Wednesday of the week following the General Forum Meeting at 7:00 p.m. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held at the offices of JYM Information Systems: 311 S College Avenue in Fort Collins. New Directions SIG The LINUX SIG and the Telecommunications SIG have been combined to form the new Advanced Systems Support SIG. This SIG provides advanced support for all PC-related operating system and telecommunication issues. The meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month at the offices of JYM Information Systems: 311 S College Avenue in Fort Collins. For more information contact Chuck McJilton at 493-2987 or email telecomsig@jymis.com. Northern Front Range Netware Users Group NFRNUG meets at 5:30 pm on the second Wednesday of each month at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife building, 2101 Oakridge Drive in Fort Collins. NFRNUG meetings are open to any users that are involved with Novell networking products and integration of other networking products into the Novell environment (Unix, NT, Mac, etc.). Contact Jim Stephens at 303-541-3376 or jcsteph@concentric.net or contact Chuck Kluko at 970-663-4770 or c.kluko@ix.netcom.com for further membership information. Yearly dues are $000.00 (yes, FREE) with pizza and pop served at 5:00 pm prior to meeting. Saturday labs and training sessions open to NRFNUG members only, space is limited. Rocky Mountain Internet Users Group Meets on the second Tuesday of 'odd' months at NCAR in Boulder. Meetings start at 7:00 pm, but members are encouraged to arrive at 6:30 pm for informal networking and refreshments. NCAR is located in Boulder at 1850 Table Mesa Drive. For more information see the RMIUG Web site at: http://www.rmiug.org/. Web Design SIG If you're an HTML author/WEB page designer, or would like to learn, contact SIG coordinator Doug Boicourt at 495-6949 or e-mail db@jymis.com for the date and location of the next SIG meeting. Upcoming FRPCUG Meetings Along with presentations of new hardware and software, we will certainly continue to present tips, hints, solutions, as well as what is new with Public Domain and Shareware offerings. If you have ideas for presentations which you would like to see at future General Forum meetings or seminars, please let us know. We would appreciate the input and opportunity to improve your meetings. Know of a another computer-related meeting in our area? Please let us know so we can post it here. 3 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00PM 11 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM NRFNUG Meeting 5:00PM 15 Father's Day 19 New Directions SIG 7:00PMJuly 2003 1 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00PM 4 Independence Day 9 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM NRFNUG Meeting 5:00PM 17 New Directions SIG 7:00PM by Ira Wilsker There have been a lot of hoaxes and urban legends mixed with the facts about our current threat level, and things that we as citizens can do to protect ourselves. At a time like this, it is imperative that we get our important and critical information from reputable sources, and not from spam emails or rumormongers. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has set up a website at www.dhs.gov where the latest news and information on the topic can be found. A variety of topics are available from this official source, including information on the new “Operation Liberty Shield”. According to the DHS web page, “Liberty Shield is a unified operation that integrates selected national protective measures with the involvement of federal, state, local and private responders and authorities from around the country …. Operation Liberty Shield is a comprehensive national plan designed to increase protections for America's citizens and infrastructure while maintaining the free flow of goods and people across our border with minimal disruption to our economy and way of life. Operation Liberty Shield is a multi-department, multi-agency, national team effort.” Included in the “Liberty Shield” statement is information explicitly on increased security at our borders, stronger transportation protections, and ongoing measures to disrupt threats, greater protections for critical infrastructure and key assets, and increased public health preparedness. Detailed information about these and other important topics is available on the DHS site. Many of us are justifiably concerned about possible personal threats from terrorists. From the “Threats & Protection” link on the DHS site is comprehensive information compiled from a variety of resources, including the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency (NSA), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Department of Defense, and other resources. On this web page is also information explaining the Homeland Security Advisory System, which, as I type this, is at “Orange - Threat Advisory High - High Risk of Terrorist Attacks”. Advisories are also posted on cyber-risks, and other public health and safety threats. Tips are available for home and community protection, schools, computer protection, and the mail service. Threats from biological, nuclear, and radiological resources are also included. Risks encountered by our telecommunications, power, water, and other utilities are discussed, as well as possible threats to our transportation system, and our agriculture. Financial threats, such as counterfeiting and credit card fraud, as well as identity theft and other financial threats are explained, and precautions to protect against such risks are disclosed. Potential threats to leadership and symbolic targets are posted. An affiliated website from the DHS is online at www.ready.gov. With the heading “Terrorism forces us to make a choice. Don't be Afraid - Be Ready”. This site contains a variety of personal protection resources, including emergency supplies, emergency planning, and information resources. Details on appropriate emergency supplies needed in an “Emergency Kit” include food and water, air quality and safety items, materials necessary for first aid, a supply checklist, and special needs items. The special needs' listing includes items for babies, family medical needs such as prescriptions, contact lenses and accessories and eyeglasses, dental needs, and related materials. Some seniors and disabled individuals may also have special emergency requirements, such as communication and mobility necessities that must be provided for in times of emergency. Appropriate additional resources are listed, with links on the web page. The necessity of an emergency family plan is explained, including information on what to do if a terrorist attack or natural disaster occurs while at home, school, in a vehicle, or in a high-rise building, with an emphasis on “common sense” planning. Information on decision making about whether to evacuate or stay at home in a time of crisis is also included. Critical information on a variety of explicit threats, and what to do in the event those threats become reality is listed. The types of threats covered include biological, chemical, explosive, nuclear, and radiological. For those wanting a detailed printed brochure on this information, the DHS has a comprehensive one available for download on the ready.gov website, titled "Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now". This brochure is illustrated and in color, prepared in the Adobe PDF format, and suitable for local reproduction and distribution. Alternatively, the brochure is available for free in a published format by calling 1-800-237-3239. If anyone is interested in being trained in dealing with these threats, or wishes to volunteer for community service, links are available on the ready.gov site. Other useful and related official links are available on the ready.gov site. These links include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (www.bt.cdc.gov), Department of Education Emergency Preparedness Plans for Schools (www.ed.gov/emergencyplan), the FBI (www.fbi.gov), Department of Health and Human Services Disasters and Emergencies (www.hhs.gov/disasters), Disaster and Terrorism Help (disasterhelp.gov), Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Preparedness (www.epa.gov/ebtpages/emergencies.html), Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov), and other similar links. Unlike any other major threat previously faced by our country, the Internet has now become a valuable resource of reliable information that may literally be lifesaving. As has been said many times in the past, “information is power”, and in this case, information may mean survival. by Bob Elgines, elginesz@rraz.net Well the prices are coming down, now under $300 and as low as $220, for a DVD recorder. The blank disks are now under $2.50 each in lots of ten or more. But beware, the great decision as to which format is still under debate, DVD-R or DVD+R! If you just wish to make videos either one should work in most DVD players made after the year 2000, but not all. Cheaper DVDR disks and players will not work. Support out there is very weak to almost NONE! Much time is needed to be invested like 4 to 10 hours to make a 2 hour video DVD, of which several programs require you to sit in front of your computer. Most of the software is over priced and does not work without many problems and no support like "Video Studio 6" by Cyber. The best so far has been "MyDVD" by Sonic. Some of the suggestions listed below came from them. The best input devices are: "USB Instant DVD" by ADS ($160), "Bungee DVD" by Pinnacle ($150), "DCS 100" ($170) and "DCS 200" by Dazzle ($230). They all come with software that have individual problems, and advertise "Fast, Easy & Fun", boy that is a huge JOKE! It's Slow, Hard, & Will drive you nuts . If you can not provide all of the suggestions (really necessary evils) below then don't get involved. I became one of their guinea pig and I am about to throw it all in the circle file and call it a lost. My ASUS computer is an Intel P3 @ 866MHz, 256MB RAM @ 133MHz, 60GB Hard Drive @ 7200rpm ATA100, ATI Radeon 32MB video card, with the "USB Instant DVD" input device (I tried out the DAZZLE equipment, but it had big noise problems and they had NO support at all), VIVASTAR (LF311) DVD-R recorder. I have tried two operating systems such as Win '98SE and Win'ME and saw no difference, went back to Win'98SE. For Windows '98 'XP users start off with these suggestions on getting ready to record a DVD: *Install at least 256 MB of RAM *Disable the Screen Saver *Disable the Turn off Hard Disks option *Disable the Hibernation option *Disable the Network Time Server (Win'XP) *Disable Text to Speech (Win'XP) *Disable any scheduled tasks (for example, virus scan) *Do not increase Virtual Memory beyond Windows' recommended setting *Close any other running applications *Do not copy any large files while capturing *Do not allow any remote activities, such as PC Anywhere or Timbuktu connections *Your hard drives are formatted to NTFS (which as no files size limitations Win'XP) *You have at least 21 gigs available on a single drive *You have the latest drivers for the following: DVD Rom, burner, CD-ROM and burner. *Your hard drives have been defragmented. *In particular, while capturing video, do not use your PC for any other activity. Video capture requires all your PC's processing power, and any action such as inserting a disc or receiving e-mail may cause errors in the captured video files. *Your monitor resolution must be set to 1024x768 16 or 32 bit color *You are running ASPI driver 4.6. No higher, no lower. If you are unsure, you can go here to find out and/or download the appropriate driver: http://aspi.radified.com *You are not running you machine/session of a network/RAID configuration *Make sure you have the latest version DirectX (a must), WMP (a must): *If your "Input digital device" is on USB, then remove all other USB external equipment. *You may also find it beneficial to enable DMA for all your drives. There are DVD-RAM and DVD+RAM which allows you to save up to 9.6GB of Data, but hard drives are much cheaper, like 20GB for $69.00 or lower. It is just not FAST and EASY as they have stated in their advertising! Don't Keep Your Friends In The Dark Computer problems can be as mysterious as they are frustrating. But the information in my Newsletter can help solve them! You have my guarantee that we won't sell, lease or make our list of subscribers available to anyone, ever. If you know someone who could use a little help, won't you direct them our way? That would be swell! Tell them to sign-up right here: http://www.komando.com/newsletter.asp Warmly, Kim P.S. I'm now sending out by e-mail a computer tip every Monday through Friday. It's free and you can sign up by sending e-mail to: tips@komando.com All too rarely, airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported: On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants." On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have. There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane" "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride." As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Ronald Reagan, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!" After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as h--- everything has shifted." From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight 245 to Tampa. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite. "Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines." "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments." "Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks are in the overhead area. Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children ... or other adults acting like children." "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses. And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Delta airlines is pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!" Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City: The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault ...it was the asphalt. " Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!" Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal. " An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad landing, He had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no, Ma'am,"said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?" After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the Flight Attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal." Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of US Airways." A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOD!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant brought me a cup of coffee and spilled the hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!" A passenger in Coach yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!" And finally on a Southwest Airline flight: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing; and, if you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em." "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949 "I think there is a world market for may be five computers." Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957 "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp.,1977 "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." Western Union internal memo, 1876. "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in radio in the 1920s. "The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible." A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.) "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927. "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in Gone With The Wind. "A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies. "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962. "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895. "If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M Post-It Notepads. "So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'" Apple Computer, Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer. "You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training." Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the unsolvable problem by inventing Nautilus. "Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859. "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929. "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre. "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899. "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872 "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon" Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873. "640K ought to be enough for anybody." Bill Gates, 1981 Double-click on a piece of spam mail, right-click on the "From:" address and choose "Copy" from the pop-up menu. Select "Tools/inbox assistant," click on the "Add" button, right-click in the empty "From:" field and choose "Paste." Check the "Delete off server" box at the bottom of the window and click on "OK" twice. Additional mail from this sender is then automatically erased before it reaches your inbox. HP Home and Office Tip http://www.homeandoffice.hp.com FOR SALE: Gateway 800C Desktop w/Monitor, 20GB Hard Drive plus Epson Stylus Color 777 printer. Less than one year old. Only $600 complete. Contact Frances in Fort Collins at (970) 224-0776. About Trading Post k-Byte runs classified ads in Trading Post for three consecutive issues. Trading Post ads up to 10 lines (or 70 words) long are free to FRPCUG members: $5 for non-members. To place an ad in Trading Post contact Rick Mattingly at 223-2154 or email rmatt@jymis.com. Commercial Advertising Specifications (Monthly rate) Full Page (8 1/2” X 7”) $30 Half Page (3 1/4” X 7”) $20 One Third Page (3” X 4”) $15 Business Card (2 3/4” X 1 1/2”) $ 5 We offer a substantial discount for repeat ads and continuing contracts. For additional charge, we will design your ad for you. Contact Will Horton for information on this service at 223-2154 or email whorton@willsigns.com. |