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Front Range PC Users Group Newsletter k-Byte |
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| v. 21, n. 3/4 March/April 2004 | Users Helping Users |
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Contents 1 IRS Again Offers Free Online Filing Services - Ira Wilsker 2 About k-Byte 5 What Are Blogs? - Sharon Housley 6 USB Backups - Rick Mattingly 7 Network Your Home/Office - Rick Mattingly 10 Under Attack By Cyber Worms - Ira Wilsker 12 OCR Scanning Tip - Rick Mattingly 12 The Flight Instructor - Humor 13 Is That A PC In Your Pocket/Purse? - Lee Schwab 14 Calendar of Events 16 April/May Calendars 18 Membership Application 19 Subject: Is God Real? 22 Virus Detection and Prevention Tips 23 Broken Internet Links - Rick Mattingly 24 Cybercriome and You - A Special FBI Presentation 25 How To Disable The Windows Messenger Service 26 Actual Product Label Instructions 27 Inhuman Computers - Elizabeth B. Wright 29 The Best Things In Life Are Free (After Rebate) 30 Trading Post 31 FRPCUG Contacts IRS Again Offers Free Online Filing Services by Ira Wilsker We should have received all of our W-2's, 1099's, and other tax forms by now. Many of us struggle filling out tax forms manually, trying to decipher forms that have so many links and connections you feel that you have to be a genius octopus to connect all of the parts. Some of us use one of the popular tax software packages such as Tax Cut or TurboTax, and others use accountants or commercial services to prepare our most dreaded of forms. For those looking for an alternative, the IRS is again coordinating a variety of free online filing services. The logical starting place is the IRS website at www.irs.gov. At the top of the page is a link “Free File - Start Here for Free Online Filing”. Clicking on the link opens a new page with pre-filing tips, step-by-step instructions, and a “help center” with frequently asked questions. While the free filing services are coordinated and regulated by the IRS, the services themselves are provided by a number of individual profit seeking companies or non-profit organizations. Any company listed is prohibited from mandating the purchase of any additional services, and the listed services must be absolutely free to those qualified to use the services. The IRS site also states, “IRS Free File does not endorse Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) or any other advance refund banking products”. The site also states that your privacy and financial information will be protected by the providers listed, and that these providers must meet commercial privacy and security standards, and be certified as such by a recognized issuer of privacy and security certifications. The process of getting started is a rather simple three step process. First is the “Start Now” button on the “Free Online Filing” web page; second is a determination of eligibility, as different providers have different requirements; finally the third step is linking to the private provider's website, separate from the IRS site. If you find that you are ineligible for a particular company's free offerings, simply return to the IRS site and repeat the process by selecting another likely service. It should be noted that while millions of us are eligible for these free services, many of us will find that we are ineligible for any of many reasons. Once a satisfactory service has been selected, then the tax return information is completed online, with the completed documents being “e-Filed”, or electronically filed with the IRS. Fifteen online providers of free filing services are listed. Each has its own requirements that may be based on residence, income, age, military status, and other factors. While some services are clearly for lower income individuals, some of the free services are available for individuals who have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $100,000. Some are available to residents of specific states, regardless of income level. None of the listed services offered free filing to Texas residents without regard to income level, though an even dozen of the services are available at no charge to Texas residents who meet other requirements. One of the services, FreeTaxUSA, is listed as available to all Louisiana residents at no charge. Several of the companies listed provide free service to all active duty military personnel, regardless of residence or income. Some services provide unrestricted service based on age, either younger than early 20's, or older than 62 years of age. For those unsure about which service to consider, a button on the IRS page “Guide me To A Service!” uses a simple form to direct the user to appropriate services based on a short series of personal questions. These questions are age, estimated adjusted gross income, state of residence, number of W-2 forms, possibility of using a form 1040EZ, probable eligibility for the “Earned Income Credit”, and military service. Once completed, a list of likely service providers is presented, allowing for the user to easily choose a provider. All of the providers in what the IRS refers to as the “Free File Alliance” provide for electronic filing of tax returns. E-Filing, as the IRS calls it is relatively safe and secure, and, according to the IRS website, can generate refunds in as little as 10 days, with faster refund service available to those who select having their refunds direct deposited to their bank or credit union accounts. While these services are freely available online at no charge to many, they may not necessarily be the best alternative. Even if eligible to utilize one of these free services, the onus of decision making is solely on the individual, as most provide no comprehensive tax advice, meaning that it is quite possible for the user to miss deductions or credits that he may be eligible for, thus overpaying. It is also the responsibility of the user to accurately and completely enter data, as there is no one to verify the accuracy of the data entered. To use an early cyber cliché, “GIGO”, which means “Garbage in - Garbage Out”, the final return can only be as accurate as the information entered. Clearly, the free filing alternatives may be attractive to many individuals, but for many others the more traditional tax preparations resources may be a superior alternative. The choice is yours; choose wisely. Ira Wilsker is the Advisor for Region 8, APCUG Representative & Bylaws Chair for the Golden Triangle PC Club, a columnist for The Examiner in Beaumont, Texas, and has two radio shows. He also graciously shares his articles with the APCUG editors. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you. 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 ©2004 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. by Sharon Housley Having heard the term previously but not having paid much attention most are just to afraid to show their ignorance and ask the question, what is a blog? Lets face it; the term blog does not conjure pleasant images. Blogs are web logs that are updated regularly, usually on a daily basis. They contain information related to a specific topic. In some cases blogs are used as daily diaries about people's personal lives, political views, or even as social commentaries. The truth of the matter is that blogs can be shaped into whatever you, the author, want them to be. Where Did Blogs Come From? The roots of blogging can be traced back to the mid 1990's. Who the very first blogger actually was is unclear, as the art of blogging did not really take hold until 1999. The original "weblogs" were link-driven sites with personal commentaries. The very first blogs were human guided Internet web tours. While initially thought of as diaries or online journals, blogs have evolved into the latest fresh web content. The Future of Blogs A buzz word in techie circles, "blogging" is the wave of the future. Whether its a fad, or proves to be a new way to communicate with existing and potential customers it deserves at the very least a cursory look. Why is Blogging Helpful to Businesses or Individuals? Just as animated .gifs were once cool, blogging is the trendy thing to do. That does not mean that it is not beneficial to businesses. Webmasters struggling to keep fresh, attractive content on their websites to lure visitors back, have found blogs the answer. Content is a necessity for online businesses, both for purposes of being found by search engines but also because it gives visitors a reason to come back. Now that we have established that blogs are not only trendy but also beneficial to businesses, its important to understand how they can be used to your advantage. We currently manage and update two blogs on a daily basis. The first is our new business blog at: http://www.notepage.net/blog.htm This professional business blog allows us the opportunity to tell potential, or existing customers industry news, updates, or generally how mobile or paging software can be used in specific situations to alleviate problems. The bottom line is we control the content. Its updated daily, which increases the chances that search engines will spider on a regular basis and it helps with page rank because it's been submitted to all the blogging directories. Initially started on a whim we've found it beneficial to report tips, tricks or make visitors aware of new regulations related to the mobile or paging industry. The second blog we manage is at: http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html This blog is less formal and contains marketing tips, or promotional advice for software developers or online marketers. We found that we had overflow from our monthly newsletter. Generating a daily blog would require very little effort and would assist us in creating fresh content which our readers told us was of significant interest. Blogs & Your Business The bottom line is you need to determine how a blog will benefit your business, determine a schedule and adhere to it. Let your readers know what to expect and when to expect it. Blogs provide great supplemental content and direct attention to areas of your business that you want to showcase; you direct the content but let your readers guide you. Creating a Blog There are numerous online tools that can be used to create a blog. We found that because of security concerns, it would just be best to use a standard html program. In our case we used Dreamweaver and create daily posts. Its really not much more complicated than typing an email. The content is then sent via FTP to a web server. If you want to test the waters there are online web-based tool that helps you publish to the web instantly. The most popular web based tool is likely Blogger http://www.blogger.com. Other Advantages to Blogs While you may initially create a blog for your existing customers, you may find that you can attract new customers by illustrating your expertise in a specific field. There are numerous websites that act as "blog search engines", be sure to submit your sites to these websites to increase your exposure. This will also help with your page rank and possibly increase the likelihood you will receive decent ranking with Google. You can also create an RSS feed in order to syndicate blog content and gain additional exposure. About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.monitoring- software.net by Rick Mattingly Backup, backup, backup! We have all heard this call over and over. And, for good reason! It never ceases to amaze me how many individuals - and businesses - ignore this call for reason. All of your software and unique data is stored on your computer system on a hard drive. Hard drives are simply a mechanical device with moving parts - fast moving parts! While today's hard drives are amazingly robust, they will ALL fail one day. It is therefore not a question IF but rather a question of WHEN your hard drive will fail. Some will run for years yet and others will fail today. Just a simple fact. Think about that for just a moment. If your hard drive were to fail right now how much would you lose? The software can be reinstalled from original media. This task only involves time, maybe a lot of time to reconfigure and reinstall updates. But, the real problem is your data files which are unique and exist nowhere else -- unless you have been backing up to separate storage media. For years now the primary backup tool has been the tape drive. The reason being that tape was the most cost effective means of storing data. No matter that tape drives, and the cryptic software interface that is required to access them, are slow and a real pain to use. The plain truth of the matter is that the frustrations of utilizing tape drive systems is probably the primary cause of inadequate or no backup for many users. Well, no more. For some time the USB External Hard Drive has been creeping up on the scene. Now the creeping has turned into a rush! These tiny, super fast devices have now dropped in price to the point of overtaking tape drive systems as the most cost effective storage media. Numerous models of USB hard drive will fit into the palm of your hand and will hold 250 GB of data or more. There are presently a number of 120 GB models available in the $150 range and 80 GB models in the $100 range. Many of them also offer dual interface options: USB and Firewire. They are "hot-swappable," meaning they can be connected/disconnected while the computer is running. The neatest feature is that, unlike tape drives, they are accessed from your computer as simply another drive. No more cryptic tape interface software! No more buying tape cassettes. No more inserting tape and waiting, waiting to access the data needed! Simply access the USB hard drive using any software on your system. Use any number of free or inexpensive backup software utilities to generate automated backups - full or incremental. Carry the USB hard drive between multiple computer systems and connect to each using the common USB port connection and power, with no special software required. Access time of the USB/Firewire external hard drive will run circles around the tape drive unit, especially with the USB 2.0 drive or Firewire models. Oops, you say your system is not equipped with USB 2.0 or Firewire? No sweat. Simply pop in a $20 card to add either to your existing computer system (running Windows 98 SE or higher). Digital camera owners take notice as well. Remove all of those huge digital camera images from your active hard drive and archive them onto a USB external hard drive. OK, no more excuses now. Install a USB or Firewire external hard drive and back up that system today! by Rick Mattingly So, now you have a computer in just about every room in the house. Well, it sure seems that way! The next logical step then is network them together. Networking will provide access between computer systems for software applications and data files, printers or a multi-user Internet connection. There are numerous network configurations available to do this job: cabled Ethernet, wireless, internal phone wiring or internal electric wiring. Decisions - decisions! Maybe a quick comparison will help. An Ethernet cabled configuration provides the fastest response time across the network but the down side is the need to install the required cabling from room-to-room and/or floor-to-floor. Wireless networking, while slower, is very popular due to the fact that no cabling in required, resulting in a fast and easy installation. Wireless also provides the convenience of roaming access, as with a laptop, within the operational radius of the access point, usually about 100 feet. The next two configurations listed, internal phone and electric wiring, are newer standards that are coming on strong due to the fact that they utilize existing wiring within the structure, provide faster response time than wireless and are also very easy to install. The critical standards for functional internal wiring network configurations are being coordinated by a consortium titled the "HomePlug Powerline Alliance." Visit the HomePlug web site for more information on this exciting development: http://www.homeplug.com . OK, so now that you have decided to investigate networking the home front -- where to go for the critical step of determining what hardware and software is needed. And, even more important, what hardware and software work together? As a suggestion, I would suggest that you visit the following web sites. If the new internal wiring solutions are of interest, visit the HomePlug web site at the url indicated above for more information and an interactive list of manufacturer links. These manufacturers have developed network component products which have been approved by the HomePlug Alliance as being compatible. Also, be sure to visit another of the HomePlug approved manufacturers for a very convenient tool. This manufacturer is "Netgear," a company who is gaining quite a reputation for excellent network solutions and components. Netgear's Internet address is: http://www.netgear.com . The tool mentioned above on the Netgear site is an excellent interactive network configuration utility. At the bottom of the Netgear home page click the link titled "Configure Your Network." This link will activate the interactive configurator. Answer the simple questions and the configurator will display a solution list of your desired network configuration listing all the hardware components required (Netgear models, of course). Print out the configuration list. The configurator also provides a printable icon diagram of the configuration to assist in understanding how each component is utilized in the network. Print this diagram as well. Now, click each component icon in the configuration list for detailed specifications and details of use of that component. And finally, click the link provided for a quick comparison shopping list which will indicate which dealer, online or storefront, has the best price on the required components to complete your network. You may be surprised at the price spread! Networking the home or small office has never been easier. Happy networking! by Ira Wilsker If you use email, as you most likely do, you may have noticed the recent increased onslaught of worms and viruses. Using a variety of techniques, the latest attacks are once again flooding our inboxes with dangerous content, as well as seeking out security holes in our systems and attacking us through our internet and network connections. One insidious family of new pests is the group referred to as the “Bagel” or “Beagle” virus and worm family. Now spreading endemically, as I type this, are sixteen variants, referred to by the sequential letters “A” through “K”. These nasties were explicitly designed to slip through most spam filters, and many antivirus scans by concealing their malicious payload in a password protected zip (compressed) file, which can only be opened by opening the email, and clicking on the attachment, and entering the password shown. The rapid appearance of the many variants also makes it easier to slip through our antivirus defenses, and more difficult to protect against. While most of us are reluctant to click on attachments from unknown senders, these creatures try to use “human engineering” to trick us into opening the email and activating the attachment. This is accomplished by spoofing the “From:” line and making it falsely appear to be from the management, tech support, email server, billing department, or other department of your ISP (Internet Service provider). They use an internal template to create a variety of subjects and messages incorporating the name of the ISP in order to appear to be authentic. Some of the common subject lines are “E-mail account security warning”, “Warning about your e-mail account”, “Email account utilization warning”, “E-mail account disabling warning”, and similar subjects. The body of the message typically starts with some variation of “Dear user of (the name of your ISP)”, followed by text indicating that your email account is about to be disabled, you have been sending out infected emails, the email server will be shut down, and similar attention getters. The punch line may be of the type "For more information see the attached file" or "Please, read the attachment for further details." To make it look even more legitimate and secure (and to bypass spam and virus filtering) it may contain a closing line to the effect of “For security reasons attached file is password protected” or “The password is (password)." The infected email is signed with "Sincerely," or "Best wishes," or some nicety, and often has a tagline "The team, http://www.(the name of your ISP)" Attached to the email is an innocent looking file possibly with the filename (ending in “.zip”) “Information”, “Readme”, “Document”, “Message” or some other innocuous name. If this file is opened, and your antivirus software does not detect the payload, the computer will be instantly infected. Once infected, the worm will search your computer for any email addresses, and use its built-in email utility to replicate itself to the email addresses found on your computer, again spoofing the name of the recipients ISP as the sender. If you think about it, this is both a clever way to entice even a suspicious victim into opening the attachment and infecting his computer, and an insidious thing to do to countless thousands of innocent victims. One of the common payloads in the Bagel/Beagle series is a utility that deactivates many of the popular antivirus programs, and prevents them from being updated, leaving the computer open to later attacks. Some versions also open a port through a firewall (ZoneAlarm is often targeted) allowing external “backdoor” access to the computer, and broadcasting the IP address of the vulnerable computer over the Internet. Fortunately, many of the Bagel/Beagle variants have code in them that will cease their propagation between March 14 and 25. In another trick, some of the new virus and worm writers are trying to fool us into believing that their content is safe by including a falsehood either in its subject or as a closing tagline that the message has been scanned by a major antivirus program (most often Norton AntiVirus). Just because an email is from someone you know, and contains a line indicating that it is certified as safe, do not believe it. The creator of the worm is lying to you by concealing the real sender by spoofing the “From:” line to appear that it is from an acquaintance, and including the “certified virus free” tag. The massive recent attacks by the authors of the Netsky, MyDoom, and Bagel/Beagle viruses and worms have created a battle among themselves, indicated by messages encoded in their respective payloads. According to several antivirus companies, the code includes attacks on each other, such as when Netsky attacks a computer already infected with MyDoom or Bagel/Beagle, Netsky tries to deactivate them, while installing its own malicious code, and stating “We kill malware writers. They have no chance”. The author of Bagel responded in a quickly released variant “Hey Netsky... Don't ruin our business. Wanna start a war?''. Later variants of these three malicious products have continued the dispute. Wouldn't it be nice if these virus authors spent more time and effort fighting each other, and less time trying to infect our computers? FREE online virus scans are available at the following websites: housecall.antivirus.com www.pandasoftware.com www.bitdefender.com us.mcafee.com This article is brought to you by the Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member. The MYDOOM Virus has infected more than 1 million computers, according to F-Secure, a Finnish anti-virus form. by Rick Mattingly Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a great time-saving tool for scanning in all that text for editing. While OCR technology has improved greatly over time, your success rate will improve if you follow a few simple rules. When scanning for OCR, use a minimum resolution setting of 300 dpi. Place the text of the original document on the scan surface as close to possible to perpendicular. Skewing the text makes the software work much harder, resulting in more errors. If the text of the original document is very light, photocopy the document at a darker contrast setting and use the copy for the scan. A photographer for a national magazine was assigned to take pictures of a great forest fire. He was advised that a small plane would be waiting to fly him over the fire. The photographer arrived at the airstrip just an hour before sundown. Sure enough, a small Cessna airplane was waiting. He jumped in with his equipment and shouted, "Let's go!" The tense man sitting in the pilot's seat swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air, though flying erratically. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make several low-level passes." "Why?" asked the nervous pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures!" yelled the photographer. "I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures." The pilot replied, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?" by Lee Schwab KISS = Keep It Simple Schwab Napa Valley Personal Computer User Group, Inc. California For some people, the Pocket PC (PPC) is an incredibly useful tool while other people are not familiar with the Pocket PC. Some people confuse the Pocket PC with a Palm which is similar in appearance but is a different device that uses the Palm operating system. Below is an overview of what is included in a Pocket PC and how it helps me organize and simplify my life. The Pocket PC uses a scaled down version of the Microsoft Windows operating system which is called Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 (replaced Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 in June 03). Pocket PCs ship with lots of software, are very powerful, lightweight (4-7 ounces), small enough to carry in your pocket or purse (approximately 3” wide and 5” long), and easily synchronize with your desktop or notebook PC. Here are some of the Pocket PC features: ActiveSync: This third party software automatically synchronizes the data on your Pocket PC with your desktop or notebook PC. You can also use it to transfer files between the devices. Because I use the Pocket PC extensively, I synchronize them almost every day. Calculator: Use it as you would any simple math calculator. Use it to figure the tax on a purchase, the unit price of grocery items, the percent of a discount, tips, etc. Third party calculators are also available for more sophisticated or specialized calculations (i.e., financial, scientific, statistical). Calendar: Keeps track of your appointments (who meeting with, where to go, what time, and notes). You can also set up reoccurring appointments, a reminder alarm, or cut and paste appointments. Information can be viewed by day (with a choice of two formats), week, month, or year. Communications: Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth may be included in the Pocket PC or added using the SD (Secure Data) or CF (CompactFlash) slot. Contacts: Use to organize address book information (i.e., name, address, phone, email). Excel: This Pocket version of Excel supports 100 functions and formulas, rows, columns, and spell checker. Use it to keep track of expenses when traveling, rosters, fundraisers, etc. Expansion: Many Pocket PCs include slots for CF (CompactFlash), SD (Secure Data), and/or PC Cards. Use them to add memory, a camera, communications capabilities, etc. Find: Search the entire Pocket PC or a specific area (i.e., calendar). Use it to find a contact, a specific appointment, something in a Word or Excel document, etc. Games: Solitaire and jawbreaker are included with the Pocket PC. I am not a gamer but there are lots of third party games available. Inbox: An email application that lets you send, receive and synchronize email. Infrared beaming: Beam information between devices. My husband and I beam appointments and documents between our Pocket PCs. Internet Explorer: This software program is included on the CD-ROM that accompanies the Pocket PC. Memory: Pocket PCs come with 32-128MB built in RAM and 32-64MB ROM. Microsoft Reader: This eBook reader can be used to read electronic books. Use it to read the Pocket PC manual, books that are on the accompanying CD-ROM, or books that are downloaded. It includes search capabilities to help find a section or word in the eBook. MSN Messenger: Instant Messenger application. Notes: Create handwritten or typed notes, drawings, or make a short voice recording. Pictures: View your .JPG pictures in thumbnail or full screen. This is a good place to keep an electronic picture of your spouse, children, or special events because it can easily be updated and the edges do not get frayed. Power: Many Pocket PCs include a main battery, back up battery, and power cord for external power. The suspend mode and brightness levels can help conserve battery life so the Pocket PC can be used all day without a charge. If the Pocket PC battery is allowed to run all the way down, data may be lost. It is recommended to fully charge the batteries every night. Price: Depending on features and manufacturer, the prices range from $199 - $649. Processor: Chips (Intel, Samsung) and speeds (200-400 MHz) vary depending on the device manufacturer. Screen: Most screens are 3.5” (measured diagonally) and are Transflective TFT or Reflective TFT. Tasks: Keep track of your “to do” or “honey do” tasks. You can prioritize the tasks so the most important tasks will be at the top of the list. Text Entry: You can enter text using the software keyboard, block recognizer (graffiti), letter recognizer, or transcriber (cursive, print, or mixed handwriting recognition). As you enter text, words are suggested to help you complete the words. Some Pocket PCs have built in miniature keyboard where your thumbs are used to enter or you can purchase a foldable keyboard (Targus makes good and sturdy keyboards). Voice Recorder: Make short recordings and playback using the Notes application. Windows Media Player: Use to play MP3 or Microsoft Audio Format music, or Microsoft Video Format videos. Word: The Pocket version of Word is incredibly useful for keeping reference documents, taking notes in meetings, writing articles, keeping shopping lists, etc. The Pocket PC also includes lots of systems software (Asset Viewer, External Keyboards Functions Support, File Explorer, Infrared OBEX beaming, Server Sync Client, setup/configuration utilities, Terminal Server Client, VPN Client, etc.). I bought Hewlett Packard iPAQ 3800 series Pocket PC in 2001 and my husband is using it now. This year I bought a DELL Axim5 but I would not recommend a DELL because the screen was badly scratched within one month, the calendar intermittently and randomly changes appointment times (i.e., 1:00PM becomes 2:00PM). I will probably buy a Hewlett Packard iPAQ but there are many choices. Pocket PCs and cell phones have teamed up and are called smartphones. These devices use the Microsoft Windows Mobile for Smartphone software. The smartphones have to make some compromises in their form and function. To learn more about Pocket PCs or to make a purchase, check out the following. My favorite is the Pocket PC magazine (their 2004 Buyer's Guide is available now). Magazines: Handheld Computing (PPC & Palm devices) Mobility (mobile and wireless) Pen Computing (mobile computing & communications) PocketPC (Windows Mobile PPC reviews, comparisons, & smartphones) Wireless (wireless communications) Websites: amazon.com hpshopping.com mobileplanet.com PocketPCmag.com pcconnection.com tigerdirect.com The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you. Baud Trivia The computer term "baud" (bits per second) is named for Emile Baudot who discovered a method of encoding text into five bits per character way back in 1870. The "Baudot Code" was later used by Teletype machines, TDD terminals and some HAM equipment. - IMPORTANT NOTICE - FRPCUG meetings are held at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Check below for directions to the Senior Center. April General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:00 pm. Meeting Agenda 7:00 - 7:30 Announcements 7:30 - 8:45 Wireless Networking-Rick Mattingly will describe how to install a wireless network for the home or small office. 8:45 - 9:00 Break 9:00 - 9:30 Open Forum May General Forum Meeting We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, May 4 at 7:00 pm. Meeting Agenda 7:00 - 7:30 Announcements 7:30 - 8:45 Internet Security - Dave Mahon, F.B.I. agent, will be on hand to provide a presentation on Internet crime and security. The Computer Users Group of Greeley will also attend. And, the public is invited. 8:45 - 9:00 Break 9:30 - 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: 1630 S College Avenue in Fort Collins. New Technology 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: 1630 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. 4 Daylight Savings Time Begins 6 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00PM 9 Good Friday 11 Easter 14 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM 15 New Technology SIG 7:00PM May 2004 4 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00PM 9 Mother's Day 12 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM 20 New Technology SIG 7:00PM 31 Memorial Day Ensure proper housekeeping and safeguards are in place to protect your Information Systems. Thanks to R. Glenn York for the subtle reminder! Subject: Is God Real? An atheist professor was teaching a college class and he told the class that he was going to prove that there is no God. He said, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!" Ten minutes went by. He kept taunting God, saying, "Here I am, God. I'm still waiting." He got down to the last couple of minutes and a big 240 pound football player in the class walked up to the professor, hit him full force in the face, and sent him flying from his platform. The professor struggled up, obviously shaken and yelled, "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that?" The football player replied, "God was busy; He sent me!" Life is good. A few common sense tips regarding virus protection from McAfee 1. Do not open any files attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source. 2. Do not open any files attached to an email unless you know what it is, even if it appears to come from a dear friend or someone you know. Some viruses can replicate themselves and spread through email. Better be safe than sorry and confirm that they really sent it. 3. Do not open any files attached to an email if the subject line is questionable or unexpected. If the need to do so is there always save the file to your hard drive before doing so. 4. Delete chain emails and junk email. Do not forward or reply to any to them. These types of email are considered spam, which is unsolicited, intrusive mail that clogs up the network. 5. Do not download any files from strangers. 6. Exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Ensure that the source is a legitimate and reputable one. Verify that an anti-virus program checks the files on the download site. If you're uncertain, don't download the file at all or download the file to a floppy and test it with your own anti-virus software. 7. Update your anti-virus software regularly. Over 500 viruses are discovered each month, so you'll want to be protected. These updates should be at the least the products virus signature files. You may also need to update the product's scanning engine as well. 8. Back up your files on a regular basis. If a virus destroys your files, at least you can replace them with your back-up copy. You should store your backup copy in a separate location from your work files, one that is preferably not on your computer. 9. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and do not open, download, or execute any files or email attachments. Not executing is the more important of these caveats. Check with your product vendors for updates which include those for your operating system web browser, and email. One example is the security site section of Microsoft located at http://www.microsoft.com/security. 10. If you are in doubt about any potential virus-related situation you find yourself in, you may report a virus to our virus team. McAfee - http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=tips Tip from Rick Mattingly An all too common issue with Internet access is the broken link. You know the scenario. The link to that great Internet site worked fine last month but now results in a Page Not Found error. The first thing to consider is that this site may just be down for a number of reasons, including legitimate maintenance. However, after trying the link with no success for a period of time, it is time for more drastic action. Before going on an scavenger hunt with a search engine, try this simple trial. Highlight the bad URL in the Address field of your Internet browser. Now, erase the end section of the address up to the next forward slash and try to access the site again. Keep doing this until all segments of the address separated by forward slashes are exhausted. Many times, you will eventually access some page or the actual Home page of the desired site by doing this. The most common cause of this issue is that the creator of the subject web site has restructured the site and renamed pages. The old link which you had saved is now pointing to a page address which simply no longer exists, even though the site itself is still online. With this problem in mind, it is a good habit to always save desired sites to your Favorites after first negotiating to the site's Home page, the URL of which should never change. Here is an example: Wyoming Geographic Information Web Site http://wgiac.state.wy.us/wsdc/usgs/drg/AboutDRG.html - results in a broken link error http://wgiac.state.wy.us/ - results in successful connection to the site's Home page It is with much regret that we note the passing of Sheila Anderson, wife of Don Anderson. Don is a long term member of FRPCUG and presently serves as Vice President. Our sincere condolences to Don and his family. WHAT: F.B.I. PRESENTATION ON IDENTITY THEFT & COMPUTER SECURITY WHEN: TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2004, 7:00PM WHERE: FORT COLLINS SENIOR CENTER 1200 RAINTREE DRIVE FORT COLLINS, COLORADO MULTI-USER ROOM 3 WHO: OPEN TO GENERAL PUBLIC AT NO COST SPONSORED BY: COMPUTER USERS GROUP OF GREELEY (CUGG) & FRONT RANGE PC USERS GROUP (FRPCUG) On Tuesday evening, May 4th, 2004 Dave Mahon, agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), will be on hand to provide an important presentation of about one hour on the subject of Cyber Crime. This presentation free and is open to all! Agent Mahon will explain the mission of his department within the F.B.I., as well as his personal job description and experience. He will then speak on critical crime issues such as Identify Theft and Computer Security. Agent Mahon will close the presentation by addressing related questions from the audience. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW AND PLAN TO ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT PRESENTATION! Visit your community computer user group online today - Users Helping Users! COMPUTER USER GROUP OF GREELEY (CUGG) - http://www.ccug.org/ FRONT RANGE PC USERS GROUP (FRPCUG) - http://www.frpcug.org/ VISIT THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ONLINE AT: http://www.fbi.gov/ Back in the days of mainframe computing, and WAY before the days of instant messaging as we know it, the folks at computer centers needed a way to send emergency text messages to everyone announcing things like THE PRINT CENTER CLOSES IN 15 MINUTES! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR PRINT JOBS IMMEDIATELY. or SQUADRONS OF SQUIRRELS SPOTTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SEEBECK COMPUTER CENTER! YOU WOULD BE WISE TO IMMEDIATELY SAVE YOUR WORK AS WE WILL SOON BE PLUNGED INTO SQUIRREL-INDUCED DARKNESS. So, built into mainframe operating systems like VM/CMS and UNIX are commands like TELL and WRITE that let you broadcast a simple text message to a specific user or group of users. [And you get special karma points if you ever used these commands to spook newbies.] Windows has a similar, built-in feature called the "Windows Messenger Service." Now this is NOT to be confused with "Microsoft Messenger" or "MSN Messenger," Microsoft's free instant messaging program (a la AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, or IRC.) WINDOWS Messenger Service is a way for mainframe and network administrators to broadcast an emergency text message to all users. The Windows Messenger Service is, by default, enabled in Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP (Home and Professional), and Windows 2003. And it's about as useless as giving a job application to my brother. The problem is that the Windows Messenger Service can be used by unscrupulous spammers to send you an untraceable pop-up message even if your Internet Explorer is closed. And, even worse, a hacker can use the Windows Messenger Service to break into your computer and do all sort of nasty things "including installing programs, viewing, changing or deleting data, or creating new accounts with full privileges." [Source: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-043 at http://tinyurl.com/r2j3 ] By the way, you DON'T need to worry about the Windows Messenger Service if have a Mac, a *nix box, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, or Windows ME. BUT, if you have Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003, you need to turn this little bugger off. Now. You could manually disable the Windows Messenger Service if you want -- the University of Virginia's Information Technology and Communications department shows you how to disable it at http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/ -- but if I were you I'd just hop on over to http://grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm and download the free "Shoot the Messenger" program. I *HIGHLY* recommend this program for four reasons: It's free. Free is good. The Shoot the Messenger program is only 22 kilobytes in size. That's so small it's downright silly. You can download this program literally faster than you can read this sentence, even on the slowest modem connection on earth. Shoot the Messenger was created by Steve Gibson at Gibson Research, the guy behind ShieldsUp and SpinRite. Steve is probably one of the most trusted and respected computer gurus on the planet. Having Steve Gibson [through his Shoot the Messenger program] disable the Windows Messenger Service for you is like having Lance Armstrong fix your bike or Michael Schumaker fix your car. Downloading and running Shoot the Messenger keeps you from having to get your hands dirty by going to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services > Messenger ... blah blah blah. Once you have downloaded Shoot the Messenger, just double-click on the shootthemessenger.exe icon. A little window appears telling you if the Windows Messenger Service is running on your computer. If it is, just click on the "Disable Messenger" button and then click on "Exit." That's it. The Windows Messenger Service is now disabled, and your computer is now protected from both the spammers and the hackers who have been using the Windows Messenger Service to do nasty things to other people's computers. Oh, and you can delete shootthemessenger.exe if you want. You don't need it any more. NetSquirrel.com http://netsquirrel.com/messenger/index.html On a Sears hairdryer: "Do not use while sleeping." (That's the only time I have to work on my hair.) On a bag of Fritos: "You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside." (The shoplifter special?) On a bar of Dial soap: "Directions: Use like regular soap." (And that would be how?) On some Swanson frozen dinners: "Serving suggestion: Defrost first." (But is it just a suggestion?) On Teco's Tiramisu Dessert, printed on the bottom is "Do not turn upside down." (Well duh, a little bit late, huh?) On Marks and Spencer Bread Pudding: "Product will be hot after heating." (And you thought .... ?) On packaging for a Rowenta iron: "Do not iron cloths on body." (But wouldn't this save me more time?) On Boot's Children Cough Medicine: "Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication." (We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5-year old kids with head colds off those forklifts.) On most brands of Christmas lights: "For indoor or outdoor use only." (As opposed to what?) On Sunsbury's Peanuts: "Warning: contains nuts." (Talk about a news flash.) On an American Airlines packet of nuts: "Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts." (Step 3, maybe, uh, fly Northwest?) On a child's Superman costume: "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly!" (I don't blame the company. I blame the parents for this one.) On a Swedish chainsaw: "Do not attempt to stop the chain with your hands or genitals." (I wonder - was there a lot of this happening somewhere?) thanks to The Digital Viking newsletter, September, 2003 by Elizabeth B. Wright Oklahoma City PCUG Older-model automobiles, airplanes and boats could be cajoled, sweet-talked and occasionally reasoned with. That's why many people gave their cars, aircraft and water craft names (usually women's names) and made them part of the family. But that is mostly because they operate by virtue of the internal combustion engine principle. (I'm talking about the days before computer chips replaced some of the mechanical functions of vehicle operations.). Also cars often take on the personality of the owner, much like pets do. Computers, on the other hand, have no soul, no compassion, and certainly no desire to please. The computer is amoral (not immoral, except in the hands of some people), totally insensitive to invective or other forms of oral communication, cannot be humiliated by ridicule or strengthened by praise, and most certainly doesn't respond to human reasoning. The occasional kick only makes them more intransigent (and, they break, easily). But your computer can sometimes be tricked. Since they have no sense of humor or sense of belonging, they do not understand that they can be replaced easily, usually by a superior, yet cheaper, machine. So they are not really trying to cooperate when you succeed in outsmarting them, they just honestly don't know any better. Computers crash in ways that lead you to believe there is absolutely no way to recover any of your most valuable information. But one of the best tricks of the trade is to just (in the words of a long ago Oklahoma City weatherman) “turn the d__n thing off”. Given an overnight rest, many computer crashes can be mitigated, at least for the short term, long enough to move your stored data to some other media, or even to another computer. Along with giving the machine an overnight rest, it is often advisable to unplug it from the electrical outlet after turning it off, to further enhance the rest period. I am not suggesting that this is an infallible procedure, but I personally have had it help more than once, and have talked with a lot of other people who have had similar luck. Another trick, and this one is rather obvious, is to have more than one hard drive. Storing your important documents on both drives helps with recovery should one drive fail. Again, the computer doesn't care whether it has one hard drive or a dozen. As long as it knows the drives are there, you can pretty much do your own thing. You wouldn't necessarily have two engines in your car, but two or more hard drives is a good idea. Help is out there to recover your data if one of the drives is still functioning, even if it isn't the boot drive. Trick number three: Although the computer doesn't tell you so, it does like a cool and hopefully dust-free environment. It doesn't know it needs this, but when it decides to roll over and play dead, it is often because it is suffering from heat exhaustion. The newer the computer, the hotter it will get while it is on. Since many people now leave their machines running 24/7, the heat problem can become critical. Internal fans are the beginning, but keeping the computer in a relatively cool part of the room is also important. Keeping it in the vicinity of the heat ducts during cold weather is not a good idea. That just causes the internal cooling equipment to perhaps not be able to handle the job adequately. Trick number four: Dirt and other stuff (bugs for example) can get into the computer case; it doesn't hurt to have someone who knows how to do it clean out the insides of the shell. I don't advise doing this if you aren't really technically adept as those small parts are so sensitive that you could do a lot more damage than just leaving it dirty. Trick number five: In spite of how you might think you are communicating with your computer with fancy screen icons, word commands and pictures, the computer only knows two commands. They are “on” and “off”. Most of the on/off switches are in those tiny chips, but the more you can think in terms of how little the computer actually understands, the more you can see why confusing it with conflicting programs can overwhelm its ability to function. More and more of us are wanting to use the latest and most sophisticated programs on the market, but just be aware that each new addition has the potential to cause your computer to become unstable. PLAN AHEAD!! BACK UP YOUR WORK!! Elizabeth Wright is a member of the OKCPCUG and a regular writer for the eMonitor. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you. Everyone loves to get free stuff. Free After Rebate will point you to stores that sell products that end up free after you send in for a rebate. Trustworthy netizen Kevin Savetz says this new site is a "scam-free, spam-free resource with info about free-after-rebate computer gear, consumer electronics, and office supplies." You'll have to pay for the item up front, then submit the rebate materials. Some time later (usually six to eight weeks) you'll get a rebate check. Only products with 100% rebates are listed. http://www.FreeAfterRebate.info The Internet Tourbus http://www.TOURBUS.com FOR SALE: Viewsonic 17GA 17" monitor with speakers in bezel. Must see/hear this monitor to appreciate how wonderful it is. $100 or best offer. Paul, 484-7680 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. Members: Place your FREE ad here! 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. |