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Contents
1 Windows XP Power Management - Lynn Page
2 About k-Byte
4 How to Use Google Street Views to See . . . - Linda Gonse
6 Calendar of Events
7 The Two Month Activities Calendar
8 Online Consumer Help from the Federal Government - Ira Wilsker
10 Tip of the Month-Creating Visual Media in PowerPoint©
10 About Trading Post
10 FRPCUG Election Results
10 Have You Seen This?
12 Map to Meeting Place
12 FRPCUG Contacts
Meeting Previews on Page 6:
January: Digital Video In Your Pc
Special Guest Speaker
February: Burning CD's and DVD's
Special Guest Speaker
Quote of the Month
Speech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact-0it is silence which isolates.
Thomas Mann [1924]
Windows XP Power Management
by Lynn Page, Editor, Crystal River Users Group, Florida, newsletter(at)crug.com, http://www.crug.com
If you use a laptop you know the problem of running down the battery before you finish up. But configuring power management can also reduce electrical usage on your desktop computer.
Power Options
By using Power Options, you can reduce the power consumption of your computer devices or the entire system. Choose a Windows power scheme or create your own. You can even adjust the individual settings in a power scheme.
Turn off your monitor and hard disks automatically to save power. Put the computer on standby when idle. While on standby, the system switches to a low-power state where devices, like the monitor and hard disks, turn off and the computer uses less power. When you use the computer again, it comes out of standby quickly, and your desktop is restored exactly as you left it. Standby doesn't save to disk, so a power failure while on Standby can cause lose of unsaved data.
Put your computer in hibernation. The hibernate feature saves everything in memory on disk, turns off the monitor and hard disk, and then turns off the computer. When restarted the computer restores the desktop as you left it. It takes longer for the computer to come out of hibernation than out of standby.
Configure Power Management
To configure power management log on as an administrator, open Control Panel from the Start menu and click Performance and Maintenance. Then click Power Options in the Performance and Maintenance box.
In the Power Options Properties dialog box, select the Power Schemes tab. A power Power Options Properties Graphic scheme is a predefined collection of power options. Select the power scheme that most closely matches how you use your computer in the Power schemes drop down menu. The power settings change depending on the power scheme chosen.
The power options available depend on the specific hardware in your computer system. Preset time settings appear in the Turn off monitor and Turn off hard disks lists on the Power Schemes tab. Change these settings by clicking the arrow and clicking the desired time.
After tailoring a power scheme click Save As and type a name to save your personal scheme.
Standby
To automatically put the computer on standby set the time settings displayed in System standby. To turn off your monitor before your computer goes on standby, select a time in Turn off monitor. To turn off your hard disk before your computer goes on standby, select a time in Turn off hard disks.
If you're using a laptop computer, you can specify one setting for battery power and a different one for AC power.
On the Advanced tab, you can adjust how the power buttons function. With a laptop/notebook computer, you have settings for closing the lid of the computer and pressing the sleep button. To manually put your computer on standby on the Advanced tab, under "When I press the power button on my computer," click Standby. If you are using a portable computer, click Standby under When I close the lid of my portable computer.
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state in which the computer shuts down to save power but first saves everything in memory on the hard disk. When you restart your computer, the desktop is restored.
To automatically put your computer into hibernation select the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and click Apply. Then on the Power Schemes tab select a time period in System hibernates.
To manually put your computer into hibernation on the Hibernate tab select the Enable hibernate support check box. Click Start, and then Turn Off Computer. In the Turn Off Computer dialog box, click Hibernate.
Laptop Low Battery Warning
Set Power Options to for a warning alarm when the level of battery reserve power falls below the levels defined as low or critical. You can easily change the battery level at which the alarm or message is activated.
To set a warning alarm select the Alarms tab in Power Options. Specify the settings in Low battery alarm and Critical battery alarm by dragging the sliders. Then click Alarm Action to select the type of alarm notification.
Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups. This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).
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About k-Byte
Published 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 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 and Trademark Information
k-Byte is copyrighted ©2008 by the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group. The k-Byte logo and the Front Range PC Users Group logo are Trademarked by the Front Range PC 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: a) proper author and publication credits are given; b) that a copy of the publication in which the article appears is sent at no cost to k-Byte at the above mailing address, or emailed to contact(at)frpcug.org; and c) any additional instructions/restrictions contained in the article are followed. User groups wishing to exchange newsletters with FRPCUG are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request.
Disclaimer
IBM PC, OS/2, Compaq, HP, Dell, UNIX, Windows and other trademarks occasionally mentioned in k-Byte are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Microsoft, Dell Inc., or their owners respectively. Neither FRPCUG nor its newsletter k-Byte are connected in any way with any manufacturer or seller. Acceptance by FRPCUG of donated products or services from suppliers, or inclusion of a supplier in the FRPCUG Partner list does not imply that any continuing financial support is received or expected by FRPCUG. Nor do such activities imply an endorsement of either the supplier or product or service. Such information is made available to members as a service. Use of any product or supplier found in this publication, or any FRPCUG publication, is at the sole risk of the user.
Advertising
Classified advertising is free to members for non-business ads. See "About 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 45 days prior to the month of publication. For example, ads for the March newsletter must be submitted by January 15th. For pricing and schedules for ad design, connect to contact(at)frpcug.org or kbyte(at)frpcug.org.
About FRPCUG
FRPCUG is an independent nonprofit computer society, so incorporated with the State of Colorado and open to anyone interested in Windows, or UNIX/LINUX 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, and access to SIGs and selected seminars. Annual dues are $25 for individual/family membership ($20 for students) and $50 for corporate/group membership.
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How to Use Google Street Views to See...
by Linda Gonse, Editor and Webmaster, Orange County IBM PC Users' Group, CA, editor(at)orcopug.org, http://www.orcopug.org
Beyond the curiosity of the new panoramic on-the-road reality shots, Google's detailed Street Views give you a feel for really being where you want to go. Although only a handful of large cities are represented in these views, it's still likely you will want to look for destinations in them occasionally.
If you aren't familiar with Street Views, go to Google.com and click on Maps, a link at the top of the screen. Type in a location of a street or a city. If one of the boxes at the top of the map shown says "Street View," click on it.
A map looking like a plate of blue spaghetti shows where panoramic shots were taken.
Zoom in to see streets outlined in blue. A "person" icon (that's you) is facing in the direction you are heading. You can move the icon to wherever you wish to go, or simply double-click on one of the blue-lined streets.
You can enlarge a panoramic shot to full screen, so you don't have to squint to see into a little peek-a-boo window.
Other handy features allow you to zoom in and out, and to "drive" along a street or freeway by clicking on an arrow with your mouse. You can look in all four directions, of course, and the names of the streets and the routes are superimposed on the photos. You can even email the view to family or friends.
In the meantime, a different type of map searcher is ignoring the privacy controversy caused by Google Street View's high-quality, crystal-clear, panoramic photos, and are magnifying certain side-of-the- road scenes they find and sharing them online!
What they've found falls into categories, which include actual lawbreaking or crimes in progress, people doing ordinary things that seem extraordinary when you know that people worldwide will be seeing them; surreal sights caused by the panoramic camera being halted or later photo-stitching in an editing program; visual commentaries about places and people; and street views divulging the homes of the famous, or landmark homes and places. Map searchers uploaded these mini-slices of life to www.streetviewr.com.
Check out the maps and see what you can find. Maybe you'll even see yourself in one of the shots!
Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups. This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).
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Calendar of Events
January General Forum Meeting
We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, January 8th 7:00 PM
Meeting Agenda:
7:00 to 7:15 Announcements
7:15 to 8:00 Open Forum
8:00 to 8:15 Break
8:15 to 9:00 Digital Video in Your PC-and Related Topics
February General Forum Meeting
We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, February 5th 7:00 PM
Meeting Agenda:
7:00 to 7:15 Announcements
7:15 to 8:00 Open Forum
8:00 to 8:15 Break
8:15 to 9:00 Burning CD's and DVD's
See you at the meetings!
See you at the meetings!
Get full membership benefits. If you are not a current member, download an application from http://www.frpcug.org/memberap.htm
Future General Forum Meeting Notes
The January meeting topic starts the New Year with an exceptionally interesting-and timely-topic: Digital Video in Your PC-and Related Topics. Presenters include special guest speaker Mr. Tim Hinde of Woodward Governor Company. His presentation will include the use of several pieces of free software, for the specific use of displaying small items on an LCD projector for large audiences and also the use of webcams for security purposes.
Learn how to transfer data and your favorite music to CD's. Or your favorite videos, movies, or photos to DVD's. Special Guest Speaker Erin Varao will talk about Burning CD's and DVD's at the February meeting.
Future SIG's, Seminars, and Other Meetings
Digital Imaging SIG (NEW)
The NEW Digital Imaging SIG is a forum for discussion of digital imaging hardware and software. The meetings are held every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Senior Center Lobby. The meeting format is informal, using the Shop Talk sessions as a basis. For more information, contact Mike Morris at twriterext(at)gmail.com.
Desktop Publishing SIG (NEW)
The DTP SIG is a forum for discussion of desktop publishing applications. The meetings are held every 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Senior Center lobby. The meeting format is informal, using the Shop Talk sessions as a basis. For more information, contact Mike Morris at twriterext(at)gmail.com.
New Technology SIG
The New Technology SIG provides advance 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 Bluebird Manufacturing Inc., 1421 Webster Avenue, in Fort Collins. For more information, contact Chuck McJilton at 970-493-2987.
Shop Talk
One-on-one assistance. Drop in to the Senior Center lobby on any Saturday (holidays excepted) from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Board Meeting
FRPCUG's executive board meets on Wednesday of the week following the General Forum meeting. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held at 7:00 PM in the Staff Board Room of the Fort Collins Senior Center.
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January 2008
1 New Year Holiday
5 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
8 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00 PM
12 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
15 DTP SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
16 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00 PM
17 New Technology SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
19 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
26 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
February 2008
2 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
5 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00 PM
9 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
12 Digital Imaging SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
13 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00 PM
16 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
18 Presidents Day Holiday
19 DTP SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
21 New Technology SIG Meeting 7:00 PM
23 Shop Talk 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
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Online Consumer Help from the Federal Government
by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio & TV Show Host, Iwilsker(at)apcug.net
Bookmark these websites:
http://www.consumer.gov
http://www.recalls.gov
http://www.usa.gov
http://www.ready.gov
http://www.annualcreditreport.com
http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft
http://www.consumer.gov/military
President Bush has requested that all federal agencies make it easier for consumers (the general public) to locate and utilize information on federal websites. In some cases a variety of federal agencies have pooled their resources and information, and compiled the data in easy to use websites that represent several agencies in one place. Some of these integrated federal websites are consumer.gov, recalls.gov, and usa.gov.
Consumer.gov is probably the premier federal website for comprehensive consumer information. The tabs across the top of the page lead directly to such consumer topics as food, product safety, health, home & community, money, transportation, children, careers & education, and technology. The perimeter of the page contains icons and links which directly connect to specific government services.
One of the icons links to "OnGuardOnline" which says, "OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information." There is another link for "Consumer Sentinel" which contains comprehensive information on fighting and preventing fraud and identity theft.
One link that I have personally used and strongly recommend leads to the "National Do Not Call Registry" (donotcall.gov) where you can enter your home and cell phone numbers, and prohibit most telemarketers from calling. After activation, if a telemarketer does call, there is a link to enter a complaint, which may lead to a substantial fine against the telemarketer.
You have probably seen a TV commercial hawking free credit reports, but the fine print and disclaimer advises that the credit report is only free with a paid subscription to a credit monitoring service. It just so happens that congress has required that all Americans are entitled to a genuinely free credit report once a year, without the strings or necessity of paying for a credit monitoring service. This free service is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov), and linked to the consumer.gov website, or can be reached directly at www.annualcreditreport.com.
Many of us have had concerns about our children's safety while online, and consumer.gov has a linked resource for that purpose as well. The FTC has created an online child safety website "Kidz Privacy" which is a childish looking website that will appeal to kids of all ages. On this site are resources for kids, adults, the media, and teachers.
We are all faced with higher prices at the gas pump, and we generally do not like it. There are scammers out there promoting a variety of miracle products to dramatically improve our gas mileage, but there are also several legitimate tasks we can undertake to save gas. Consumer.gov obliges with an icon linked to a FTC website "Saving Money at the Pump". This is a cute, interactive website with several tips that we may find useful and money saving.
There is a pandemic of identity theft taking place which is costing our society tens of billions of dollars per year, with millions of victims of identity theft annually. Consumer.gov has a link to the central repository of identity theft prevention and information services, which is administered by the FTC at www.ftc.gov/idtheft. On this site is a link to report identity theft, steps to follow if a victim, information on preventing theft, and other useful resources.
Many of us are inundated with prescreened credit card offers, and invitations to purchase insurance. For those who want to reduce or end this unsolicited and often unwanted mail, there is a link to "Prescreened Credit Offers". On this site is information on how these prescreened offers work, and how to stop them. For those who want to stop these prescreened offers, the FTC says, "Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com for details." That website and phone number are operated by the three major consumer credit reporting agencies, and they will ask for personal information, but promise that it will be treated confidentially.
Hardly a day goes by where we do not hear on the news about some consumer product or food item being recalled for a safety or health reason. Occasionally we also hear about massive automobile recalls to correct some safety deficiency. There is an icon and link on this site to a centralized database on recalls which is continuously updated. This connects to a site recalls.gov, which is a joint venture of several government agencies that are involved in consumer recalls. Categories of recalled products include consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicines, cosmetics, and environmental products. What I find especially useful and informative on this website is the list of "Recent Recalls". There are six small windows on the recent recalls page that list the latest recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Coast Guard. Personally, I check this site regularly, and sometimes find that I have a recalled product in my house.
Some of the other useful links on the Consumer.gov website are to specialized websites such as ready.gov and usa.gov. Ready.gov is a website sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has resources about home and personal safety in a variety of threatening scenarios. Also included on this DHS website is information for businesses continuity, and child safety during disasters. USA.gov is the central clearing house for all federal agencies. It uses a simple menu hierarchy that eases the location of desired information. Topics are comprehensive, and include such helpful items as government benefits and grants, money and taxes, consumer guides, and many other topics. This site can be a good starting point for someone looking for something to do on the internet,
Military personnel and families may find the link to "Military Sentinel" a very useful resource. According to the website, www.consumer.gov/military, "Military Sentinel is a project of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Defense to identify and target consumer protection issues that affect members of the United States Armed Forces and their families." Included on this website is information on specific identity theft problems faced by military families, financial scams against military personnel, and other military specific information.
Other links on Consumer.gov are to the "Consumer Action Handbook", www.consumeraction.gov, and information that the disabled may find helpful at www.disabilityinfo.gov.
The website at Consumer.gov is a goldmine of consumer information that is free for the taking. I suggest that everyone should periodically visit this website and review any informational resources that may be of personal interest and benefit.
Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups. This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).
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Tip of the Month - Creating Visual Media In PowerPoint
Courtesy of The Office Experts, http://www.theofficeexperts.com. Copyright C 2007 by The Office Experts and reprinted with permission.
We'd like to throw in some of our personal opinions about creating good presentations and large documents.
Use lighter backgrounds and dark text for longer presentations. White text against a dark background can cause eyesore before long, so use these in short presentations.
Using all CAPS is never desirable in presentations, documents, or any other visual media, except for posters, shorter titles, and to draw attention to words.
Decide on one method to emphasize the text. Having text that is within "quotes", and/or italicized, and/or bolded, and or ALL IN CAPS can be difficult to read. The emphasis gets lost when too many methods are used. If your text has the same meaning with or without emphasis, don't add any emphasis at all.
For large amounts of text, use fonts that are easy to read, like Times New Roman, Garamond, or Palatino, which you'll commonly see in paperback books, or Arial. Beware that a lower-case L and an upper-case I in Arial font look the same. Serif fonts are sometimes considered best. They contain the *tittles* and *jots*. Sans-Serif means without serifs, such as Arial and MS Sans Serif.
Times New Roman 13 pt
Arial 12 pt
Warnings and Cautions, when used in a professional environment such as a production manual, or training manual or presentation, and especially when referring to the physical safety of personnel and/or equipment, should always be marked in the same manner and include a graphic for each warning or caution. Clipart for these types of items are available from Clips Online. The best colors for these types of graphics are red and/or orange for warning, yellow and/or orange for caution.
Don't write sentences in your presentation unless you do not have a Presenter. Use short phrases. The presenter or instructor can expand on the comments or thoughts without seeming repetitive.
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About Trading Post
Noncommercial Advertising
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 and only $10 for non-members. To place an ad in Trading Post contact Rick Mattingly at 970-613-8968 or e-mail to rmatt(at)mesanetworks.net.
Commercial Advertising Specifications (Per Issue)
Full Page (8.5" x 11")*$50.00
Half Page (5.5" x 8.5")*$30.00
Quarter Page (4.25" x 5.5")*$20.00
Business Card (2" x 3.5")*$10.00
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FRPCUG Election Results
The existing slate of officers was unanimously reelected:
President: Rick Mattingly
Vice President: Don Anderson
Treasurer: Virginia Febinger
Secretary: Jim Bragonier
Congratulations to all.
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Have You Seen This?
This "error message" supplied courtesy of APCUG.
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The Fort Collins Senior Center
The Fort Collins Senior Center is located at 1200 Raintree Drive. This site is situated at the northwest corner of the Shields and Raintree Drive intersection, on the north side of the Raintree Shopping Center, and just west of the bank building on the corner of Shields and Raintree (see map at right).
Check the marquee at the main entrance for directions to the specific meeting room.
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