Diablo Blue

The Newsletter of the Diablo Valley PC Users Group

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November 6, 2008 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Monthly Meeting Topic
Presenter: Alison Kane, Pandigital

Looking for holiday gifts? Our speaker for the November meeting will be Alison Kane, Director of Marketing, Pandigital, a local (Dublin, CA) maker of digital photo frames. She will show the latest models and other peripherals.

The best parts of life are the moments shared with the ones you love. It's the pride you feel walking the stage at graduation. It's how your baby's face lights up the room at the sight of their first birthday cake. Or, it can even be that special, once-in-a lifetime vacation.

Digital photo frames by Pandigital make sharing not just one moment, but all the special moments in your life, easy. All of your favorite memories can now be beautifully displayed in any room of the house or office. Laugh as the slideshow highlights all your favorite photos. Sigh when "your song" is played in the background. Reminisce over forgotten videos of your children. Pandigital makes it all possible.

This month's meeting will be fun, interesting, and informative. We'll see you on Thursday, November 6, at Diablo Valley College.

NOTE: Diablo Valley College has parking permit dispensers that take dollar bills as well as nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins, and will at some time in the future take credit cards. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change.

Where and When We Meet

DVPC monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Diablo Valley College In Pleasant Hill, California, on the Main Campus located at 321 Golf Club Road. We meet in room H109 in the Humanities Building. See the campus map on the About DVPC page for driving directions, parking information, and how to get to room H109. Remember: there's a $2.00 parking fee, payable at the ticket machines in each lot. These ticket machines take dollar bills and quarters, but do not give change so be sure to bring correct bills and/or quarters to buy your parking ticket. Place the ticket face up on the driver's side of your dashboard.

We have a Networking Table from 6:30 to 7:00; if you have something to sell or trade, need technical help, or just want to exchange views, visit the Networking Table. The regular monthly meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with Random Access where you can ask questions or report on technical problems, followed by a presentation by our guest speaker. Also, as usual, we'll have SIG news and some of our usual great door prizes.

Driving Directions:
680 Northbound:
Exit at Willow Pass Road
At the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Willow Pass Road
Continue on Willow Pass Road to the second signal and
turn right onto Contra Costa Blvd.

680 Southbound:
Exit at Concord Ave.
At the end of the exit ramp turn left on Contra Costa Blvd.

Direction into the Campus:
Continue on Contra Costa Blvd. to the signal at Golf Club Road and turn into Golf Club Road. At the second entrance into the campus turn left then immediately right to parking lot 7. Turn left into lot 7. Park (but don't use parking spaces that are reserved for faculty and staff only), then purchase a parking permit (see Parking Fees below) and put it on your dashboard. Click on this link (www.dvpc.org/about.html) to see:
> a detailed DVC map showing parking and our meeting room
> a map for driving to DVC
> an aerial view of the DVC campus

Parking fees:
On the Pleasant Hill campus parking permits are $2.00 per day. You can purchase permits at the parking permit machines marked with a red star on the maps on the DVPC website. Parking permit machines take nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change. DVC parking permits are required Monday through Friday at all times that classes are in session. That includes the times that DVPC meetings are held! Do not park in metered or faculty/staff spaces.

You need to purchase a parking permit and place it face up on your dashboard so it is clearly visible through the windshield. If you attend classes at DVC and have a campus parking permit, you can use it when you attend DVPC meetings.

Some members park (for free) in the College Park High School lot across Viking Drive from the DVC campus. Do so at your own risk!

Parking violations:
Be sure to purchase a parking permit! Fines range from $35 for parking in a regular space without a permit, to over $275 for illegally parking in a space reserved for the handicapped.

Parking alternatives:
Some members carpool and share the parking fee; they park at Sun Valley Mall, have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the mall, then take one car to the meeting. Some members park in the lots in front of College Park High School, which is across Viking Drive from DVC. Remember: if you decide to use any of these parking alternatives, you do so at your own risk!

Diablo Blue Password Access
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

You will need the monthly password to access the current issue of the newsletter. If you are a paid-up member of DVPC you'll receive an email message, usually on the Weekend prior to the meeting, with the password.

As each month's issue is uploaded, it's placed in a password protected folder on dvpc.org. When you click on the link to go to the newsletter, a dialog box will be displayed asking for the password from the email message. The password is case-sensitive; either copy it from the email message or make sure you type it correctly.

As we add the current month's newsletter, the password on the prior month's newsletter will be removed so anyone coming to the DVPC website can access older issues of Diablo Blue.

If you have any problems accessing a password protected newsletter, please email webbie@dvpc.org.

Watch for Updates!
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

With our new method of producing and publishing the monthly Diablo Blue newsletter, we can easily add updates to each month's issue. If an article is updated,the word Updated will be added in red

When we add a new article "mid-month" the entire entry will be shown in red in the Table of Contents.

DVPC Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
by Tom Krauss, DVPC

[Author’s note: The minutes may seem even more unintelligible this month than normal. This is what happens when one stumbles upon a website such as http://phrontistery.info/ihlstart.html, filled with odd and archaic words and definitions. Here’s wishing you oblectation.]

It was our first Board meeting without pizza and our appetence for it made us all a bit anxious. Fortunately, Alan foresaw this possibility and was able to convince to prepare one of her delicious dessert confections.

To get things rolling Alan produce a portable printer roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes. He demoed it by taking a picture of Mel with his cell phone, cabling that to the printer and printing. The greenish tint threw me but looking closely you could almost tell it was Mel. The photo should be up on Youtube by now.

Ron gave us an update on the Sufi invasion of Saranap, the area between Walnut Creek and Lafayette where he lives. They have acquired property there and want to build large church or temple or whatever Sufis’ use. The homeowner’s association is against this. Or was against it. It seems you don’t have to be Saranap homeowner to be a voting member of the Saranap homeowner’s association. So several hundred Sufis joined and the locals were badly outnumbered. It may not be too bad. I remember when Danny DeVito joined the Sufis in Jewel of the Nile. They really seemed like pretty nice guys. Except for that fire-waling stuff.

Nick brought some donations for the raffle. There is an electronic pad—with no transformer or stylus. A several year old version of Red Hat Linux.  Something I didn’t catch, but the box called it the “best software of 1998”. Not to play the aristarch, but I doubt we will sell a lot of extra tickets that night. Although come to think of it, I have a transformer or two that I have no idea what they belong to. Maybe I’ll donate them. And a ten foot long telephone cable, with the connector torn off one end. Wonder where my 1988 copy of MultiMate word processing software went to?

We discussed having the general meeting at the Concord police station over the end of year holidays, since DVC can get unpredictable when classes are on break. In our usual multivolent fashion here was generally confused and repetitive discussion until some one lost control and cried “let’s vote!” Mel exclaimed “Aye” and Peggy cried “I second”. Then we tried to figure out what it was we were voting on. Somewhere in the course of all this Alan called for all in favor to say “Aye” and then those opposed to say “Nay”. I noticed our duniwassal Barry voted both ways, excited to be away from Scotland and here in America, the cradle of democracy. It always warms my heart to see how immigrants from third world countries relish the opportunities America offers.

We continued our anacoluthon conversations a short while longer before, one by one, drifting off to our cars.

Corel Announces ‘Before and After’ Photo Contest
by Amie Hoffner, Corel Corporation

Corel today announced the opening of its Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate Before and After Photo Contest. The winning contest photo will be featured in Paint Shop Pro Photo Magazine, a great opportunity for an aspiring photographer or scrapbooking enthusiast.

OTTAWA, ON - October 23, 2008 — Corel today announced the opening of its new CorelR Paint Shop ProR Photo X2 Ultimate 'Before and After' Photo Contest. Photography enthusiasts around the world are welcome to enter the contest by enhancing a photo using Paint Shop ProR Photo. Providing easy-to-use photo editing tools such as the Makeover Tools or more advanced tools including HDR Photo Merge to merge several photos to create the perfect shot, Paint Shop Pro Photo provides a continued depth of functionality that enables users to grow as their skills and knowledge progress.

The winner of the Corel 'Before and After' Photo Contest will have their winning photo featured in the official Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo Magazine and will receive one Sony® DSLRA300K (alpha) Digital SLR Camera, and one box of the all-new Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate that includes more than 250 raw camera formats, a new background remover, new Creative Content Pack, and the ability to turn photos into paintings. In addition, two (2) winners will each receive one (1) AgfaPhoto 7" Digital Photo Frame, and one (1) copy of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate.

Photographers can find information on the 'Before and After' Photo Contest at www.corel.com/beforeandafter or in Issue 5 of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo Magazine available now on newsstands and online at www.imagineshop.co.uk.

Corel has also provided video tutorials showcasing simple and advanced edits such as removing blemishes, whitening teeth, applying a suntan, removing background objects from a photo and changing a full-color photo to black and white at www.corel.com/beforeandafter. Users can choose from more than 500 creative effects to enhance their photo leaving a lasting impression with friends, family and the contest judges.

About Corel

Corel is one of the world's top software companies with more than 100 million active users in over 75 countries. We develop software that helps people express their ideas and share their stories in more exciting, creative and persuasive ways. Through the years we've built a reputation for delivering innovative, trusted products that are easy to learn and use, helping people achieve new levels of productivity. The industry has responded with hundreds of awards for software innovation, design and value.

Our award-winning product portfolio includes some of the world's most widely recognized and popular software brands, including CorelDRAWR Graphics Suite, CorelR Painter(TM), Corel DESIGNERR Technical Suite, CorelR Paint Shop ProR Photo, VideoStudioR, WinDVDR, CorelR WordPerfectR Office and WinZipR.

Our global headquarters are in Ottawa, Canada, with major offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Taiwan and Japan.

©2008 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. Corel, Corel DESIGNER, CorelDRAW, Paint Shop Pro, Painter, iGrafx, VideoStudio, WordPerfect, WinDVD, WinZip and the Corel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. All other product names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.

Barlows Newsletter
by Gene Barlow, User Group Relations — Copyrighted October 2008

Announcing Acronis True Image Home 2009

Acronis just announced a significant new release of their top rated backup utility, Acronis True Image Home 2009. It is hard to understand how they could possibly improve on this excellent product, but they did it with dozens of important new features. The product may be ordered now on our secure web site at www.ugr.com/TrueImage.html for only $29 (as a download) or $29 plus shipping (on a CD).

Here are a few of the new features included:

• New User Interface – Acronis completely redesigned an already superior user interface. It is inspired by Windows Vista and adds usability enhancements to make Acronis True Image Home even easier to use.

• One-click Protection. – Start up Acronis True Image Home after installation and the program will automatically take stock of your computer storage devices. If you have enough free space on one of hard drives or in the Acronis Secure Zone, it will offer to protect your system right away by backing up your system volume and Master Boot Record to the storage location of your choice. In addition, Acronis True Image Home can refresh the backups regularly. Just click Protect and your system will be safe from a disaster.

• Archive to the popular zip format – Now you can specify file-level backup archives as zip files, one of the most popular archiving formats, in addition to Acronis’ space-saving tib files and flat file archives. You can extract zip files from backups created by Acronis True Image Home without firing up the Home product itself.

• Encryption of archive data. Protect sensitive data from prying eyes.

• More archive location options – Save full, incremental and differential backups of a data entity (for example, a partition, disk, E-mail) almost anywhere you like. Previously, all backups belonging to the same data entity could be stored only in the same place. Now you can choose a network share, CD/DVD, Blu-ray, USB stick, FTP-server, or any local internal or external hard drive. Furthermore, you can now give meaningful names like "SystemDiskbeforeRepartitioning" to incremental and differential backups to simplify your searches.

• Make reserve copies of your backups – Save them on the file system, a network drive, or a USB stick. Copies can be specified as regular (flat) files, a zip compressed file, or a tib file.

• Automatic backup to a removable drive – If you have chosen a removable drive for your backups, but it is not attached when a scheduled backup time is set to occur, Acronis will automatically start the backup  to that device as soon as you plug it in. To prevent unauthorized persons from backing up the data to their own devices, the software requires the removable drive to be the same one used for all previous backups.

• Automatic computer shutdown after backup or restoration finishes – Launch a backup at night and walk away without bothering about turning off the computer – the program will do it for you.

• Consolidate backup files – You can define rules for consolidating your archives to reduce storage space. Merge an older full backup with several incremental backups to quickly create a new full backup; subsequent backups are based on the newly-created full backup.

• Automatic consolidation – Set limits on the size of backup archives, the maximum number of backups you want to keep, and the maximum amount of time archives are to be stored. Whenever any of the limits you preset is reached, Acronis will automatically combine the first full backup with the oldest incremental into one full backup dated to that incremental’s backup date. Archive integrity is unaffected. This feature can be applied to all archives Acronis manages except those stored on CD/DVDs.

• Use Google Desktop and Windows Search to search for files – Use either search engine to find files through multiple archives. Type in a name or part of the name to find and restore individual files easily and quickly. File contents can be indexed as well.

• Try & Decide enhanced - create a temporary, safe place on your hard disk where you can perform changes to your system that otherwise might not be advisable, such as installing new software, downloading files from the Internet, or opening e-mail attachments. If the operations are successful, you can apply those changes to the real system or discard the changes as you wish. New with Home 2009: the temporary space you create is maintained across system shutdowns and restarts.

Acronis True Image Home 2009 is available from us for only $29 (as a download) or $29 plus shipping (on a CD). This is less than the upgrade price through Acronis and you get a full new license of the product and not an upgrade license. If you order the product on a CD, you also get our Perfect Backup Approach tutorial to help you understand the best way to do backups. There is also a step by step starter’s guide for installing and using the product for the first few times. The full Acronis manual is also on the CD for your use. In addition, I try to help my customers when they have questions about True Image. You also have the normal technical support through Acronis to assist you. You can order your copy of Acronis True Image Home 2009 from us at www.ugr.com/TrueImage.html. Make sure you use the order code of UGTIH2009 when placing your order.

If you are a current user of Acronis True Image, then you will want to get this new release and put all of the new features to work for you. If you have not started a backup plan for your computer, then this is the best product to accomplish this important task on your computer. In either case, place your order today so that you can enjoy this new product soon. If you have any questions about this article or Acronis True Image Home 2009, please send them to support@ugr.com. I look forward to helping you if I can. 

Gene Barlow — gene@ugr.com
User Group Relations — www.ugr.com
PO Box 911600
St. George, UT 84791-1600   

This is one of a series of monthly technical articles that I distribute to those that have subscribed to this newsletter. You can subscribe at www.ugr.com/NewsletterRegistration.html.  Watch for them and learn more about your computer and its hard drive. If you do not want to receive these newsletters, simply reply and ask to have your name removed from the list and I will do so immediately. User group newsletter editors may print this article in their monthly newsletter as long as the article is printed in its entirety and not cut or edited. Please send me a copy of the newsletter containing the article so that I can see what groups are running the articles.

A Platform for the Next Technology Revolution
by Steve Ballmer, Microsoft

During the past decade, a dramatic transformation in the world of information technology has been taking shape. It's a transformation that will change the way we experience the world and share our experiences with others. It's a transformation in which the barriers between technologies will fall away so we can connect to people and information no matter where we are. It's a transformation where new innovations will shorten the path from inspiration to accomplishment.

Many of the components of this transformation are already in place. Some have received a great deal of attention. "Cloud computing" that connects people to vast amounts of storage and computing power in massive datacenters is one example. Social networking sites that have changed the way people connect with family and friends is another.

Other components are so much a part of the inevitable march of progress that we take them for granted as soon as we start to use them: cell phones that double as digital cameras, large flat-screen PC monitors and HD TV screens, and hands-free digital car entertainment and navigation systems, to name just a few.

What's missing is the ability to connect these components in a seamless continuum of information, communication, and computing that isn't bounded by device or location. Today, some things that our intuition says should be simple still remain difficult, if not impossible. Why can't we easily access the documents we create at work on our home PCs? Why isn't all of the information that customers share with us available instantly in a single application? Why can't we create calendars that automatically merge our schedules at work and home?

This week at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles, we shared news with software developers about a new set of platform technologies that will help transcend these limits. Because you are a subscriber to Executive Emails from Microsoft, I wanted to share my thoughts about the impact that these technologies will have as developers begin to use them to create a new generation of experiences that extend uninterrupted from the desktop to the mobile phone, media player, car, and beyond-to places where we never thought information and communications would be available to us.

A New Platform for Cloud Computing

At PDC, we announced the availability of an early preview release of a new technology called Windows Azure. Windows Azure will enable developers to build applications that extend from the cloud to the enterprise datacenter and span the PC, the Web, and the mobile phone. For the first time, we shared pre-beta code for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows 7, which is the next version of the Windows desktop operating system, will take advantage of software and hardware advances to help eliminate the boundaries between information, people, and devices.

We also previewed Office Web applications, which are light-weight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote that are designed to be accessed through a browser. Office Web applications will be part of the next version of Office and will enable people to view, edit, and share information and collaborate on documents on the desktop, the phone, and in a Web browser in a way that is consistent and familiar.

Windows Azure is part of the Azure Services Platform, a comprehensive set of storage, computing, and networking infrastructure services that reside in Microsoft's network of datacenters. Using the Azure Services Platform, developers will be able to build applications that run in the cloud and extend existing applications to take advantage of cloud-based capabilities. The Azure Services Platform provides the foundation for business and consumer applications that deliver a consistent way for people to store and share information easily and securely in the cloud, and access it on any device from any location.

Windows Azure is not software that companies will run on their own servers. It's something new: a service that runs in Microsoft's growing network of datacenters and provides the platform that helps companies respond to the realities of today's business environment, and tomorrow's. Windows Azure technologies are already finding their way into products such as Windows Server 2008 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, enabling organizations and Microsoft partners to create their own cloud infrastructure.

Windows Azure will enable organizations to respond to realities such as the need to use the Web to provide customers with comprehensive information and to interact with an audience that has the potential to expand exponentially overnight; to integrate operations with partners-and sometimes even competitors-to meet customer needs; to add new capabilities quickly to respond to new opportunities; and to enable employees to work efficiently and effectively no matter where they are. These realities apply not just to businesses, but to organizations of all kinds: schools, governments, community groups, and more.

Traditional approaches to building technology infrastructure and delivering computing capabilities make it difficult and expensive to adjust to these realities. You need systems with enough capacity to meet the highest possible demand-capacity that includes servers and buildings to house them, the power to run them, and the people to manage them. You have to spread that capacity across locations so there's a backup if one part fails. You have to solve issues like access for different types of users and compliance with tax regulations in all countries where your customers reside.

Designed specifically to meet the global scale that today's organizations require, the Azure Services Platform will provide fundamentally new ways to deploy services and capabilities. It gives businesses the option to take advantage of the capacity available in the cloud as it is needed, reducing the need to make large upfront investments in infrastructure simply to be ready when demand spikes. It will enable developers to create applications that run in the cloud and provide the features, information, and interactivity that employees, partners, and customers expect-no matter how many of them there are, where they are in the world, or what device they have at hand.

Software Plus Services and the Power of Choice

The Azure Services Platform reflects our belief that choice is critical for developers, companies, and consumers. It is also based on our belief that the key to delivering value today and in the future lies in combining the best aspects of software running on PCs, servers, and devices with the best aspects of services running on the Web-an approach we call "software plus services."

Our software plus services approach lets people take full advantage of the incredible power of today's devices. While there are undeniable benefits to being able to tap into the wealth of information and services that can be accessed over the Web through a browser, the interactive experiences that people expect on their PC, mobile phone, and media player depend on sophisticated software running on powerful processors.

The richness of these experiences will only increase as multicore processors expand the computing capabilities of our devices and new programming languages open the door to a new generation of applications that let us use more natural ways to interact with digital technology such as voice, touch, and gestures.

Software plus services also recognizes that for most companies, the ideal way to build IT infrastructure is to find the right balance of applications that are run and managed within the organization and applications that are run and managed in the cloud.

This balance varies by company. A financial services company may choose to maintain customer records within its own datacenter to provide the extra layers of protection that it feels are needed to safeguard the privacy of personal information. It may outsource IT systems that provide basic capabilities such as email.

This balance will change over time within an organization, as well. A company may run its own online transaction system most of the year, but outsource for added capacity to meet extra demand during the holiday season. With software plus services, an organization can move applications back and forth between its own servers and the cloud quickly and smoothly.

Today, companies around the world are implementing Microsoft technologies to take advantage of the best combination of on-premise software and cloud-based services. Using Microsoft Online Services, businesses including Coca-Cola Enterprises, Blockbuster, and Energizer access and manage Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, Office Communications Server, and Live Meeting over the Web through a single, secure infrastructure. In addition, 1 million people rely on Office Live Workspace for sharing and collaborating with friends, family, and colleagues.

Expanding the Definition of Personal Computing

Ultimately, the reason to create a cloud services platform is to continue to enhance the value that computing delivers, whether it's by improving productivity, making it easier to communicate with colleagues, or simplifying the way we access information and respond to changing business conditions.

In the world of software plus services and cloud computing, this means extending the definition of personal computing beyond the PC to include the Web and an ever-growing array of devices. Our goal is to make the combination of PCs, mobile devices, and the Web something that is significantly than more the sum of its parts.

The starting point is to recognize the unique value of each part. The value of the PC lies in its computing power, its storage capacity, and its ability to help us be more productive and create and consume rich and complex documents and content.

For the Web, it's the ability to bring together people, information, and services so we can connect, communicate, share, and transact with anyone, anywhere, at any time.

With the mobile phone and other devices, it's the ability to take action spontaneously-to make a call, take a picture, or send a text message in the flow of our activities.

Through Live Mesh-a service from Microsoft that we announced earlier this year and about which we shared new information week-we're beginning to bridge the PC, phone, and Web and create this next generation of connected experiences. Built on the Azure Services Platform, Live Mesh enables you to use programs and information stored on your work computer from your home PC, and vice versa. With Live Mesh, you can share folders and ensure that the information is automatically synchronized across your devices.

Live Mesh hints at how our lives will be transformed as the barriers between devices disappear and the option to connect instantly to people, devices, programs, and information becomes a reality.

We're not quite there yet. Today, the Azure Services Platform is available only as a limited technology preview release. But as developers begin to combine the capabilities of this new platform with the amazing ongoing hardware and software innovations that we are seeing from companies across the industry, it will bring us significantly closer to the time when information, communication, and computing flows along with us seamlessly as we move through our day-to-day activities.

You can learn more about these technologies and the progress we are making by visiting the Microsoft Software + Services Web site.

I look forward to sharing more information with you about these new technologies in the near future.

Steve Ballmer [sballmer@microsoft.com]

Anti-Virus Virus
by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS

I hate writing about computer viruses. It always reminds me of how many unscrupulous, money-hungry people there are in the world. Yet, there are times when I feel that I must write about a certain virus because it is causing so much havoc for everyday computer users. Unfortunately, that time has come again. In the past two weeks, my company has removed a very bad group of viruses from six different computers. So I feel it is time to send out a warning.

There are many different variations of this virus and its cousins. They have many different names, including Antivirus 2008, Antivirus 2009, SpywareScanner 2008, and AntiVirXP08. Some experts are calling them viruses. Some are calling them malware. Symantec calls them misleading applications. McAfee lists them as a PUPs (potentially unwanted programs). Whatever you call them, they are terribly invasive.

By most accounts, these awful applications piggy-back on programs that are downloaded from the Internet. However, some experts are warning that your computer may become infected by simply visiting certain websites, especially if your operating system and/or antivirus software is not up-to-date.

The gist of the matter is that once your computer is infected, you will begin to see pop-up windows that give an exaggerated report of the number of threats that your computer is infected with. The window may say something like “Your computer has become infected with 231 computer viruses and spyware.” These pop-ups try to scare you into purchasing their antivirus or antispyware software.  If you purchase it, they send you a registry key, but it doesn’t work because the program they sell you doesn’t exist. These viruses are also being spread by malicious websites that sell fake antispyware software.

On top of that, there are many other viruses or pieces of malware that can piggyback on the main virus. So this malware can dramatically slow down or even stop your computer. The infections being caused by these viruses and malware programs are extremely harmful and can be very difficult to remove. They often require a cleanup by a professional or a complete reformatting of the hard drive and reinstallation of the software.

As an everyday computer user, you need to be very careful about the software that you download from the Internet. Make sure that it is from a source that you know to be reputable or a website that has been recommended by a trustworthy source. You can also use a program like the McAfee Site Advisor to help you assess the validity of the website before you download the program. McAfee’s Site Advisor is a small program that is used by your Internet browser to indicate the safety of websites. It is a free download available at www.siteadvisor.com and it is a valuable tool.

Also, as usual, be sure that you update your operating system and antivirus software regularly. Don’t fall for any program that pops up on your computer trying to scare you into purchasing antivirus or antispyware software.

Yes, the bad guys are out there and they have a lot of computer savvy. So we all need to be smart about the software we download and the websites we visit.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Broadsides
by Ron Broadhurst, Space Coast PC Users Group, Inc., Florida

These ideas are compiled from years of accumulations from various magazines, books, on-line sites, and my own personal experience. I claim neither originality nor ownership to any of its contents. My only intent is to share the various “tips, “tricks”, & “hints” in hopes of helping & maybe enhancing your computing experiences. They are all intended for anyone who uses a PC. It is for beginners as well as advanced users.  Enjoy and use as you will.

Ron Broadhurst

HOW TO GET RID OF “SEND ERROR REPORT TO MICROSOFT

Right click My Computer on the desktop or in the Start menu.
Click Properties.
Click the Advanced tab.
Click the Error Reporting button at the bottom.
Click Disable error reporting. You can select the checkbox under it if you still want to be notified when errors occur.
Click OK.

Note that you can disable error reporting for the operating system only, or for programs only, by unchecking the appropriate box under the Enable error reporting option.

You can also configure error reporting only for specific programs by clicking the Choose Programs button.

ALPHABETIZE START MENU LISTINGS

When you install a new program on your system, it will often appear at the end of your Start menu. Reorganizing files alphabetically in the All Programs menu does not

affect how they appear in your start menu. In order to alphabetize your start menu, you’ll want to click Start and select All Programs. On any file or folder right-click and

then select Sort By Name. Now all of your Start menu programs are in alphabetical order. You can also sort subfolders in your Start menu the same way.

MAKE YOUR QUICK LAUNCH ICONS BIGGER

Unlock the Toolbar
Right click the QL toolbar
Select the View tab
Select large icons

PIN AN APPLICATION TO START MENU

The Windows XP Start menu includes an area where two or more Microsoft applications, usually Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, are permanently positioned for easy access. You can add your favorite application to this same convenient location. Open Windows Explorer and locate the executable file for the application. Right-click

the file and select Pin To Start Menu. The application will now appear in the Start menu. To remove an application, locate it, right-click it, and select Unpin From Start Menu.

Alternatively, you can right-click the app in the Start menu and click Unpin From Start Menu.

CHANGE SYSTEM SOUNDS

Through the Control Panel you can change your system’s program event sounds. Click Start and Control Panel. If you’re using Category View, click Sounds, Speech, and

Audio Devices; and Sounds and Audio Devices.  If you are using the Classic View, click Sounds and Audio Devices. This loads the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties

dialog box. Choose the Sounds tab. Select the sound you’d like to change in the Program events box, and then select a new sound from the Sounds drop-down menu. Or select a sound you’ve saved to the hard drive by using the Browse button to navigate to the sound file. Change as many sounds as you like. Save your changes as a sort of theme from the Sound Scheme drop-down menu above the Program events box. (Select the blank line and click Save As.) You can also choose to disable program event sounds. When you’re finished click OK.

SAVING E-MAIL MESSAGES

To save e-mail messages highlight the message you want to save, then click on File -Save As. Select where you want to save the message and then save it as a txt file.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author [ringram728 (at) earthlink.net].

Google’s Chrome Browser
by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX

As I type this, the national media is playing up the fact that today is Google’s tenth anniversary. In that time it has become the predominate player in the search industry, with a market share of about two-thirds. By more than coincidence, Google also recently announced the public release of a beta version (pre-release) of its free new browser with the moniker “Chrome” (http://www.google.com/chrome). It is no secret that Google is in a competitive war with some parts of the Microsoft dynasty, and Chrome is intended to be a competitor of Internet Explorer (IE).

By design, Chrome may be a superior browser to IE, but in the few days that I have used it, I have to conclude that the current beta version is “…not yet ready for prime time.” Several of the websites that I routinely visit, including two different webmail accounts, My Yahoo, my weather page, and some other sites would partly load and display, and then disappear with a black window with a white font and graphic displayed. The graphic is of a frowning web page, and the expression “Aw Snap! Something went wrong while displaying this webpage. To continue press Reload or go to another page.” Reloading would not fix the problem on any page where the error appeared. This is why I believe that this beta version, while fast, attractive and feature rich, is not quite ready to take its place as a primary or secondary browser. For the record, every page that failed to load in Chrome, loaded flawlessly in IE and Firefox. Despite this nagging bug, Chrome is still a worthwhile free download, because it has several interesting features lacking on the competing browsers, especially its obvious target, Chrome’s nemesis, Internet Explorer.

Chrome (beta) was fast and easy to download, and effortlessly installed on my XP machine. During the install I was given the option to import bookmarks (favorites), cookies, and passwords from Internet Explorer, which I chose to do. While unstated by Google, it appears obvious that later versions of Chrome will be able to import data from Firefox. Chrome will also run on Vista, and versions for Mac and Linux are in the works.

After reading about Chrome and its features, I was excited about its potential. It is written in open source code using some of the best features of other open source products such as Firefox and Apple’s WebKit. The code is tight and compact, and when it works, appears to load and display websites much faster than IE. Some of the technical websites have actually tested the load times of popular websites, and Chrome may be the fastest browser available. One feature about Chrome, which I was especially interested in, was its default display of thumbnails of the websites most frequently visited by the user. Clicking on the thumbnail would instantly open the website either in that window, or in another tab (window) at the user’s discretion. The appearance of the Chrome browser is clean and uncluttered. Each Chrome tab or window is loaded in a virtual “sandbox” such that if one web page crashes, it will not take down the entire browser, but instead only close the affected tab.

More and more applications are being integrated, many of which can be run directly from Chrome. Clicking on the control icon on the toolbar of Chrome gives several options, one of which is to create instant application shortcuts which can load applications into Chrome. An icon is created and placed on the desktop by Chrome, and clicking on that icon directly opens the application in a Chrome tab, even if Chrome is not loaded or is offline. This can give near instant access to such services as Gmail, Google Calendar, or most other applications.

Utilizing a concept “one box for everything” enables the traditional address bar of the browser to perform several simultaneous functions. As information is typed in the address bar, Google (by default) will identify previous websites visited as well as suggested search topics which become more detailed as more is typed. While Google is the factory default search setting, it can be easily changed to other major search engines, such as Yahoo. Multiple sites, such as EBay, Amazon, and others can also be selectively searched as determined by the user.

Chrome uses tabbed browsing long a staple of Firefox, but fairly new in IE. The tabs are dynamic, in that they can be dragged changing their order on the top of the screen, or into a window creating a new window. This gives the user total control over the appearance of the pages displayed for comparison or other purposes, and is an attractive feature. Another useful feature in Chrome that also previously appeared as a default in Firefox is a safe browsing function. Chrome dynamically checks websites entered in the address bar against a continuously updated database of malware and phishing (identity theft) websites, and displays the following in a red warning window in a large font, “WARNING: Visiting this site may harm your computer!”.

Many users like to create lists of bookmarks and favorites, and Chrome makes book marking sites very fast and easy. There is a small star on the address bar, and clicking on the star creates the bookmark, with the option to modify the bookmark. Another common task that Chrome handles very well is downloading files. Rather than using a download manager, Chrome displays download progress in the bottom of the window. When completed, the downloaded file can be dragged to the desktop or elsewhere, or opened directly by clicking on the filename in Chrome.

Chrome has been a lot of fun to play with, despite my frustrations trying to open some web sites. Google will be releasing frequent updates, and hopefully the page loading bug will be quickly remedied. If you want to try the latest in browser technology, being fully cognizant that it is currently a beta version, then Chrome may be a worthy browser to download and install. Chrome coexists just fine with IE and Firefox, and does not interfere with them.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author [Iwilsker (at) apcug.net].

Shrinking Computing
by Andy Marken, President, Marken Communications, www.marken.com [andy (at) marken.com]

Intel Plays In All the Fields But… Size Matters!

Bright Idea — Just so no one missed the fact that Intel’s Craig Barrett was talking about another bright idea that the company’s engineering teams had developed the events folks put him in front of a light bulb. It didn’t work because we could barely see the itty-bitty device he held in his hand at the opening of IDF this year. Source: Intel

“Well, that's right, Professor Frederickson, and that all matter is made up of not only density but of empty space, and if we can proportionally reduce the amount of empty space in any given object, we can, thereby, shrink the object.” — Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis), Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

We always enjoy the Intel Developers Forum (IDF) because 98 percent of the time the demos work.

When they don’t work, you’re pretty sure no one will get sent to the Bering Seas to work on The Deadliest Catch series.

No sweat this year! Craig Barrett, Intel’s chairman, wanted everyone to know that the company was just flush with fresh ideas (see photo) so he waved around and talked about an itty-bitty something you couldn’t really see.

Heck could have been one of his new fishing lures… who’d know?

Of course Paul Otellini, Intel Prez, had to show off their huge silicon platters with a gazillion chips on it.

To hear him talk you’d think that everything we use everyday would be useless without his chips. Look around… he may be right.

Figure 1 - Laden With Technology — Life would really be great if you only had to have one work/communications/entertainment device as all of the manufacturers would have you believe. Problem is people seem to want different things for different activities. So our collection continues to grow… and grow. Source: Forrester

For him it was all about performance, raw speed.

Figure 2 - Speed Trials — With every speed and performance advance, consumers raise their expectations for speed and performance. It never seems to be powerful enough or fast enough. Good thing because that only fires the demand for newer and better devices for work and play. Source: Intel

Obviously if you need an excuse to upgrade your devices every six months it is all about speed, performance!

Glad the wife wasn’t there. She would have been so ticked about her new, barely used, now outdated Dell notebook.

Notebooks Still Cool

What’s not to like about a good notebook computer?

You can do everything with the sucker!

Figure 3 - Content Buckets — People like today’s notebook computers because they are relatively light and deliver versatile storage and playback — photos, videos, music and even work. They also aid people in staying connected around the globe. Source: NY Times

Photos… music… video… search… work… study… stay in touch.

It’s no wonder notebook sales have equaled and surpassed desktop sales. The numbers just keep growing.

Figure 4 - Growth Path — Notebook computer sales show steady potential as they become lighter, more powerful and more reliable. Users can stay in touch, enjoy hours of music/video entertainment and carry filing cabinets of work with them in a unit that usually weighs less than five pounds. Notebook sales today surpass desktop sales. Source: IDC

They’re so popular, so versatile that we have two categories… those you work with and those you slip into an envelope.

Where’s the machismo with the light systems from Apple, Lenovo and others? Used to be a badge of honor to have you knuckles drag on the floor from carrying your luggable computer. Sheess now first graders stuff the units in their backpacks and take them to school. The power systems are “pretty” light… ok pretty! The envelope systems are downright ridiculous. People keep trying to make them lighter but there is only so much you can do…  Add all the parts together and you’ve got a weight “problem”.

Figure 5 - Fixed Numbers — While component and system engineers work creatively to drive cost and weight out of computers while increasing performance and capabilities, the laws of diminishing returns also comes into play. As you add features and applications they add to the weight of the system. The laws of physics still apply. Source: Intel

Since they can’t change the laws of physics they figured they’d simply make you change the way you think about and use computers.

One of the first out of the chute (right after OLPC) was Asus with their eee — dumb name, pretty good idea.

Figure 6 - Cloud Computing — If you want to drive a lot of weight, power consumption and cost out of your portable computer look closely at the new netbooks. The systems are light, decently powered, have good data life, respectable battery life, some storage capacity. It’s all good if you can connect to the Internet. Source: Asus

Oh sure it was light weight, used socialist (Linux)-based operating system, (small) solid state drive and was relatively cheap. Barrett convinced them of the errors of their ways though and brought Asus out into a Windows/hard drive world. True, that raised the price a little.

But folks come on??? We’re talking Windows! We’re talking HDs !!

As Wayne Szalinski said… “I think that went well.”

Teens and Tweens like the idea of a netbook and operating in the cloud. But then… they didn’t know life BI (Before Internet). Netbook prophets say it’s going to be a huge market WW. So big that every manufacturer on the planet is bringing out their small, cheap netbook… and cheaper… and cheaper and… Otellini loves it… more chip sales!

Asus wants to keep ahead of the game so they have started offering their flavor of storage in the cloud. Then they added fashion systems that smell (ok they call them fragrances but really…). At the really low end of the shrink-your-tools spectrum lots of us learned to tolerate the Blackberry. Not a half bad phone… good for email… lousy for typing. Everyone mimicked them, largely to no success.

Thanks Steve

Then Jobs had to come along and muck up the waters. Ok so the phone part of his iPhone sucked but sheess… gotta admit it is cute.

Figure 7 - Neighborhood Watch — Steve announced his new approach to phones and the world hasn’t turned back. The clean, crisp design and ability to do everything (ok not a great phone call but…) with a single device got engineers around the globe rushing back to their labs to reverse engineer their version. Source: Apple

You now surf the web… watch your videos… look at your photos… play your iTunes… email… shave… cook eggs… all the really important stuff! And people quickly glommed onto the new mobile activities.

Figure 8 - Smart Sweep — If you’re a teen or tween the idea of using a smartphone as your all encompassing communications/entertainment device is a logical next move. The better units let you call, text, IM, take photos, listen to music, shoot videos, email, clean your fingernails (ok maybe not right now but …). Service providers like the new everything devices because it means more data service program sales. Source: IDC

It no surprise that a recent Simmons New Media study found that there are more mobile phones in use than cars (800M) or computers (1.2B).

But what they’re doing shows people need to be constantly connected:

59% text messaging
49% taking photos
20% emailing
19% accessing the Internet
13% taking videos
6% banking
5% accessing GPS positions
2% shopping

If you listen to Jobs, the mobile everything sellers and the Kool-Aid drinking forecasters you’re probably asking the same question Professor Frederickson asked…  “Mr. Szalinski, are you trying to tell me that suddenly size is no longer relative?”

Oh they’re good, they’re fun, they’re useful. The pocket-sized, thumb-dislocating multimedia devices show plenty of growth potential.

Mobile Growth

In fact, the entire mobile device market continues to show promise. But profit margins are grim …except for Steve

Figure 9 - World Divided — Mobile device manufacturers have a phone for every segment of the market. Highly industrialized countries are ready markets for iPhones/smartphones. People in developing countries will want feature phones. Users in third-world countries want food, work, an occasional phone call. Source: iSuppli

The iPhone and “enhanced” versions will do well in today’s mature markets (Canada, US, Korea, Japan, Australia, most of the EU). Money may be tight but folks justify the coolness factor. Emerging countries (Brazil, Mexico, India, China, Russia, etc.)?

Somewhat.

The ROW?

They’d be happy to make a call, let alone worry about emailing or online banking!

Barrett and Otellini aren’t concerned about one device (design win) replacing another.

Petaluma (CA) is not going to replace their World Armwrestling Contest for thumb wrestling.

Our kids schlep their notebooks with them. They have their iPhone look-alikes. They have their iPods. Son has his netbook and PSP. Daughter has her camera. We’ve got their battery chargers! Pile ‘em On

People don’t suddenly discard one communications/entertainment device for another.

They add to their arsenal of work/play toys.

Sure it would be cool if you could shrink and unshrink them in the blink of an eye because then as Wayne emphasized, “And given that my machine can substantially reduce the size of bulky payloads.”

That isn’t possible… yet. So we buy pants with bigger pockets… bigger purses… stronger backpacks.

We’re certain that Otellini’s team (in some deep, dark lab) is working on a computer on a chip that can be implanted because let’s face it, that’s a six billion market that overshadows PCs and phones!

Figure 10 - My New Phone — With the industry’s growing ability to shrink circuitry and technology it may not be long before your cellphone and perhaps even your everything phone can be so small you’ll have to use a magnifying glass to watch your shows, make your calls. Of course kids (little kids) will learn how to adapt while adults struggle. Source — Walt Disney Pictures

Of course if its Windows based you’ll probably crash periodically or need to reboot. Remember those problems never happen with Macs or Linux systems. And of course no one sends those folks viruses or Trojan horses or hacks ‘em!

Just remember… drinking Kool-Aid and driving don’t mix!!!!

Savvy Retirement Planning with Quicken
from O'Reilly.com

A New Online Event from O'Reilly on November 19
by Expert Bonnie Biafore

Our downward-trending economy has hit 401K plans and retirement stock investments hard in recent months. What have we lost? What's salvageable? What can we do to chart a course for the future?

Personal finance expert and author of “Quicken 2009: The Missing Manual” Bonnie Biafore is bringing the help you need. In this live, online event, she offers a two-pronged approach: first, you get a quick-and-dirty look at your current retirement finances so you know where you are. Then she shows you how to use Quicken to see if your current retirement plan is working. If it's not, you'll see whether changes you make to your retirement strategy might improve your retirement-plan results.

As part of her presentation, Biafore explains how to use Quicken to calculate the effect on your retirement portfolio of 401k contributions that increase over time, company matching contributions, and other major financial events in your life. In addition, she shows you how choosing different annual percentage returns can significantly affect the results of your plan and offers advice on how to pick a realistic annual return.

This is the first in a new series of webcasts from O'Reilly's Missing Manuals, designed to put you directly in touch with experts. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions, share experiences, and get on-the-spot advice. It's a truly interactive live event that you can participate in from your office or home.

Savvy Retirement Planning with Quicken Bonnie Biafore
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Time: 5:30 pm PT / 8:30 pm ET
Presented by: Bonnie Biafore
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes.

ISBN: 978-0-596-15754-8
Price: $39.99
Includes a free copy of “Quicken 2009: The Missing Manual” (a $24.99 value) with free shipping in the US.

For more information about the webcast, presenter, and the free book offer, see:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/e/1170
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
http://www.oreilly.com
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472

(Sorry, the UG discount is not applicable with this offer.)

Electronic Waste — Where to Dispose of It
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

Here's a list of ewaste donation sites in Central Contra County County. If you know or learn of others, please let me know with the location, hours, and website URL. Be sure to check the websites to determine what they will accept. We've included sites where you can recycle single-use and rechargeable batteries

Computers and Electronics

Hauling Pros Recycling Center
www.dumpmytv.com
73A South Buchanan Circle
(on the left behind S&S Roofing)
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-682-8987
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rapid Recycle
www.rapidrecycle.net
110 Second Ave., South B-1
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-671-8008
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

E-Waste Events
www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/e-waste.htm
See website for dates, times, and locations of events

Recycle for Breast Cancer
www.recycleforbreastcancer.org/dropoffanytime.htm
31 Beta Court, Suite C
San Ramon, CA 94583
800-315-9580
7 days a week excluding holidays 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A completed donation form is requested at the time of donation; this form can be downloaded from their website

e-Recycle OnUs
www.erecycleonus.com
1271 Boulevard Way
(at back left corner past East Bay Art and CTA)
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-934-1515
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Electronic Waste Management
www.noewaste.com
E-Waste recycling events at Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Road
(in DVC overflow parking lot across from north side of main campus)
Pleasant Hill, CA
866-335-3373
First Saturday of every month (except holidays)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where to recycle Batteries

Single-Use Household Batteries
Longs Drugs
www.longs.com
Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Lafayette,
Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek, San Ramon
Right Aid Drugstore
www.rightaid.com
Orinda, Walnut Creek
Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com
Danville, Walnut Creek
Check websites for store hours

Rechargeable Batteries
Right Aid Drugstore
www.rightaid.com
1997 Tice Valley Boulevard
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-932-0568
7 days a week
Check website for store hours

Photoshop Elements SIG Meeting Program
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Adobe Photoshop Elements SIG meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the home of Peggy Johnson in Concord, CA.

We cover and discuss the Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements software programs, along with other photo and video manipulation programs. As usual, check out the Elements SIG pages at www.bkbrown.net for all the latest news, information and tutorials.

The Photoshop Elements SIG usually meets on the third Thursday of each month; note that the November meeting is on a different meeting day!

Please email Peggy for further information and/or directions.

Windows SIG Meeting Program
by Walt Parsons, DVPC

The Windows SIG meeting will be held on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Alan is going to bring his laptop with 3G internet access to see if we can connect in the CPD Community Room. If we can, Ron will do a Google Chrome browser walkthrough (assuming we have connectivity). Ron will also show a handy little freeware popup that displays a corsshair on your screen so you can track lines of text; it's especially handy for those with widescreen displays. To top off the evening, Ron will show images of the features of the newest version of our favoirite PC operating system, Windows 7.

The Windows SIG meetings are held in the Community Room at the Concord Police Station. See the detailed directions on the DVPC SIG News page.

Today's Dilbert Cartoon
by Scott Adams