Diablo Blue

The Newsletter of the Diablo Valley PC Users Group

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OCTOBER 7, 2010 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

What's New from Microsoft: Word 2010 and IE 9
Presenters: Alan Mildwrum, Barry Brown, and Ron Ogg, DVPC

See demonstrations of two updated Microsoft programs: Microsoft Word 2010 and Internet Explorer 9. After these demonstrations you should be able to decide if these new versions are right for you.

What's new in Microsoft Word? What's improved, what's the same, what's irritating? How does it compare to Word 2007? To Word 2003?

What is new in Internet Explorer 9? Everything has changed! See what you’ll have to learn, how your use of the IE browser will be different, how it compares to Firefox and Chrome, what is better, and what is maybe not better.

This month's meeting will be fun, interesting, and informative. We'll see you on October 7, 2010 at Diablo Valley College.

Our meeting room has been changed. We'll still be in the Humanities building, but we'll meet in room H111 at 7:00 p.m. See the maps on www.dvpc.org/about.html.

NOTE: The parking permit fee is now $3.00 at Diablo Valley College. There are parking permit dispensers that take dollar bills as well as nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins, and credit cards. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change.

President's Message
by Alan Mildwurm, DVPC

We've finally arranged for a permanent room assignment with Diablo Valley College for the rest of this school year. One holdup was finding a new source for the $1,000,000.00 liability insurance policy that is required by DVC. I was able to find a new agency that offered us the policy at an affordable cost, and the policy includes certificates for both Diablo Valley College and the Contra Costa County Library System. Once this was in place, Ron was able to finalize the agreement with the college. We'll be in room H111, that's in the same building we've been in for the last few years, but just down the hall a bit.

Another piece of good news is that the Windows SIG has found a new meeting location. Due to budget reductions, the Concord Police Department now closes the Community Room at police headquarters at 5:00 p.m. That eliminated our ability to use that facility for the evening SIG meetings. Walt Parsons was able to arrange for use of the meeting room at the Ygnacio Valley branch library in Walnut Creek on the first Monday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. That's the same day and a return to the same meeting time.

As usual, I will be attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and will be able to describe what's new and exciting at our November meeting, and I'll have some of the newest products to demonstrate. My article about what I’ll have seen will be in the December edition of Diablo Blue.

Be sure to attend the October meeting. We'll be demonstrating Word 2010 and Internet Explorer 9, the latest versions of these two industry leading software packages. I'll see you there!

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 H111 in the Humanities Building. See the campus map on the About DVPC page for driving directions, parking information, and how to get to room H111 — THIS IS A NEW ROOM IN THE SAME BUILDING. 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 $3.00 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, dollar coins, and credit cards. 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.

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. There is limited street parking in the area. 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.

Where Was I When I Took That?
by Alan Mildwurm, DVPC

Ever happen to you? It is really more common than you think. What I am referring to is not being certain what your picture is of. In fairness I am speaking specifically about taking pictures while traveling and not remembering exactly which landmark is which. This last summer we went to Beijing. Trust me, the palaces all look alike. (If you have this problem in small family gatherings, your home, hometown or familiar circumstances (or what should be familiar circumstances), this review is not for you! — you need other help!)
                  
THE GISTEQ PHOTOTRACKR BT PRO
www.gisteq.com

The GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ will tell you exactly where you took each picture on your trip.  Utilizing the included mapping software and latest Geo-Mapping technology, the GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ allows you to record and review your trip knowing exactly where you have traveled. Furthermore, if you took pictures on your trip, it will even show you the exact location and time of your pictures.
Using the Gisteq is incredibly simple. There are 4 steps to follow.

1. Use the provided software to synchronize your Digital Camera clock with GISTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ unit. (One time only)
   
   
2. Take the GISTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ unit along with you when taking digital photos.

3. Import photos and GPS log data into the provided software.

Clicking on an image brings this pop-up:

The selected image is pinpointed on the map with all EXIF data included:

4. Share your photos on the included mapping software, Locr or Flickr™ online. (For free!)

GPS Datalogger: My model has a built in Bluetooth transmitter/receiver which allows it to double up as a GPS receiver for a PDA or laptop (non BT model can be used via USB.) My Ipaq running Streets and Trips recognized the unit immediately and plotted my location. What makes this logger unique is that it has a built-in sensor that wakes it up when it senses a movement and turns it off when it doesn't (the delay is user programmable). This is ideal for data logging as you don't use up memory or battery life to capture portions where you're not moving.

Another unique feature is that it “talks”, actually voice messages or sounds can be associated to certain actions. When it wakes it up it will say “searching for satellite signal”, “found GPS signal”, etc. It can be muted if need be. This can be a bit disconcerting when voices are heard coming from your pocket!

The memory capacity is rated at 250,000 points it can log with fast data transfers to the PC. Haven’t tested the full capacity — yet!

The battery life is rated at 22 hours of continuous usage and 2,000 hours of standby time. I have not had the unit long enough to test these claims — but battery life does not appear to be a problem.

The PhotoTrackr software: This is a full blown software suite that will handle everything from the GPS data downloading for multiple users to the GPS geocoding, Picture downloading, EXIF information display, the reverse geocoding to determine the address, geo-slideshow, picture sharing on flicker, logger settings, trip stats, etc.

Fast downloading: Connect the datalogger, hit the "download log" button, choose the users and the data transfers quickly with instant display on Google Maps.

Reverse address geocoding: Concurrent with the embedding of the GPS information (standard so it can be read with tools like www.locr.com), the software also does some reverse geocoding to show the address where the picture was taken.

Slideshow mode: This is probably the coolest feature since it lets you relive your trip by displaying the picture, top left, the reverse coded address, any comments you have added below and on the right a map showing where the picture was taken. Logs can be downloaded and converted into other formats.

MSRP: About $90 without Bluetooth and $110 for the Blue Tooth model. For $20 you can upgrade to Phototrackr Pro.

The GiSTEQ™ PhotoTrackr™ Pro version has enhanced support for RAW images. The pro version also works seamlessly with Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Bridge, which can be integrated into the RAW photo processing flow (GPS info will be written in XMP sidecar file). The PhotoTrackr Pro version is available as an upgrade to any version of PhotoTrackr™.

This is a very cool device that needs to be in every traveler’s camera bag.

The specifications are:

GPS Features Datum
Chipset NEMERIX low power chipset WGS-84
Frequency L1, 1575.42MHz
Dynamic Conditions
C/A Code 1.023MHz chip rate Altitude <18,000m (60,000feet)
Channels Supports 16 channels Velocity <515m/s (1000 knots)
Antenna (Internal) Built-in low noise patch antenna Acceleration <4G
Motional Jerk 20m/sec3 max.
Sensitivity Interface
To – 152dBm Tracking, Superior Urban Canyon Performance
GPS Protocol: Default: NMEA-0183 - RMC
Time to First Fix (TTFF) Data bit: 8, stop bit: 1 (Default)
Cold Start 45 sec, average
Environmental Characteristics
Warm Start 38 sec, average Operating Temperature - 10°C to + 60°C
Hot Start 6 sec, average Storage Temperature - 20°C to + 85°C
Reacquisition 1 sec
Device Size and Weight
Update Rate 1 Hz (max.) 77.4 (L) X 46.3 (W) X 22.5 (H) mm
Accuracy 3.05 (L) X 1.82 (W) X 0.89 (H) inch
Position 5m CEP (50%); 9m (90%) 68g (battery included)
Velocity 0.1m/sec, without SA 43g (without battery)
Time ±100ns synchronized to GPS time
Data Logger Power Store up to 250,000 records in flash memory (4MB)
Single Li-ion 1100mAh Rechargeable Battery, 5V
Log Data: NMEA format (Longitude, Latitude, Speed, UTC, Tag)
Operation Time Up to 25hrs, in continuous mode
Output Data Format: WGS84 2-degree transverse Mercator.
Standby Mode 2000 hrs
Log Interval: Time (1 sec ~ 30 mins) or Distance (2~65535 meters)
Charge Time 3 hrs Auto Power On in 3 Sec upon detecting vibration
Bluetooth Technology
Included in CD110BT Model

The Curmudgeon's Corner
by Walt Parsons, Official DVPC Curmudgeon (Don't accept any substitute)

The villain this issue is Microsoft for two disturbing failures all involving the installation of MS Office Home and Business 2010. .

1.      Elsewhere in this issue is an article describing a problem installing a new version of MS Office 2010, Home and Business which balked because it found vestiges of a beta version of  Office 2010.  The cure was found in the MS Knowledge base article which provided a program to download  to my computer which successfully removed all vestiges of the beta version of Office 2010 and allowed me to install the new release version of Office 2010.

Microsoft should have recognized that this problem could occur and included the necessary program in their installation program to remove the beta version left overs automatically.

2.      The 2nd gripe is also about the installation of MS Office 2010 Home and Business package.  This version of Office does NOT include the Access data base program.  In order to get the new version of Access you must buy the Office Professional 2010 version for considerably more cost or buy an expensive  free standing DVD with MS Access 2010.

It so happens that I had a legally installed version of Access 2007.  The installation program for Office 2010 Home and Business without asking deleted the Access 2007 and replaced it with a trial version of Access 2010 leaving me with a short term trial version and without my 2007 software.  At the very least Microsoft should have asked me if I wanted to leave the Access 2007 on my computer.

Fortunately I still had the free standing installation disc for Access 2007 which I successfully used to reload Access 2007 and I once again had full use of my extended family of Access data bases.   

This is just my humble opinion.

Installing Microsoft Office 2010 — A Problem
by Walt Parsons, DVPC

A while back I finally bought a copy of MS Office 2010 — Office Home and Business Edition. As soon as I started to install the program I ran into trouble. An error message which read:

"Setup is unable to proceed because of the following problem:
Microsoft Office 2010 does not support upgrading from a prerelease version of Microsoft Office 2010."

In other words, they are saying that if you installed a beta version of Office 2010 you can't install the release version.

I thought this was easy. I'd just uninstall the beta version. After running the Windows uninstall program I tried installing the release version again but I still got the same error message.

After discussing the problem with DVPC's guru, Ron Ogg, he reported that some of the beta versions had bad uninstall programs which did not uninstall all of the parts of the Office 2010 beta. He suggested getting and running Revo's Uninstall program as well as cleaning up the registry using the JV16 software. Good Advice BUT it didn't cure the problem.

So as a last resort I went to Microsoft's Knowledge base and searched on "Office 2010 install problems". Fortunately for me I discovered that this is a common problem and that MS had a program that could be downloaded called Cleanc2R. So after downloading the file I ran the magic bullet. This is one of those programs that gets out of windows to run. After it chugged away for a while it told me to reboot my computer and then re-run the Cleanc2R program. OK, I can live with that so after windows came up again I re-ran the Cleanc2R program and it finished its work and allowed Windows to come up.

It is important at this point to hold your breath and start to install the release version of Office 2010. So while I held my breath the install disk chugged away and lo and behold started to install Office. Resume breathing.

So I guess the moral to the story is don't be afraid to go to Microsoft's Knowledge base if all appears lost. It just might bail you out.

For further discussion of this subject go to "The Curmudgeon's Corner" in this issue.

Circuit Writer Version 7.6
by Jim Scheef, Danbury Area Computer Society, CT, www.dacs.org

I have enough trouble getting web pages to look right, now, and they want to bring out a new version of HTML? They’re kidding, right? Wrong! But the finalization of the new spec is planned for 2022, so why worry? Well this will cause a new round of browser wars as each browser incorporates pieces of the new spec that get cast in stone earlier than the rest. Naturally not every implementation will be perfect and the bugs that get traction become the “real” specification. That’s what happened in the first browser wars. It will be years before we get past the bugs in early versions of Internet Explorer that became baked into the web. It will be hard to avoid that happening again without major cooperation between the browser makers, which may actually happen. Remember that this will be a three-way race now that Google has released Chrome. Chrome’s market share may be small (infinitesimal?) right now, but for better or worse, it will grow as Google makes it the base for new products and services.

One of the interesting aims of HTML5 is to reduce the need for proprietary browser plug-ins like Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight and Sun JavaFx. While rolling video and animation into the basic HTML is a worthy goal, I’m sure all three software houses will just roll over and play dead on this one. One HTML5 technology that sounds really interesting is “local storage” that will allow web-based applications to continue working without an Internet connection, so good-by Google Gears. So the new spec will have no chance, right? Well, all the browser makers, including Opera, are involved in designing the spec and are implementing the parts that they believe are “close enough.” There is an eWeek synopsis at tinyurl.com/y92jsc2. I would be happy if all the next HTML adds is decent security and thus some privacy. (You cannot have privacy without security), If you were betting on a quiet decade for software, you lose!

Yet Another Microsoft Office
If you’re like me, you’re still struggling to learn that infernal ribbon bar in Microsoft Office 2007. So I’m sure you’ll want to jump on the chance to try Office 2010! Yes, the next version is in beta. It looks like microsoft.com/office/2010 will get you there. Good luck and don’t install it on your primary machine! Let me know if you like it.

Hacking your Toyota?
The news media frenzy about the Toyota “sudden acceleration” problem just never seemed like they had it right – not Toyota and certainly not the major news media. I could never understand how a floor mat could cause a car to “suddenly accelerate”. Since I don’t own a Toyota I haven’t paid that much attention but this story has started to make sense when I started to hear about “drive-by-wire” throttles.

Once upon a time there was a carburetor on every automobile engine. A mechanical linkage of rods and levers connected the accelerator pedal to the butterfly valve in the throat of the carburetor. Pressing the accelerator pedal opened the throttle valve allowing more air into the carburetor which mixed in fuel and fed that mixture to the cylinders to make the car go. If that linkage became stuck, the throttle could be held open with disastrous results, but first the driver had to step on the gas to open the throttle to a point where it could stick.

Few Toyota stories matched the stuck throttle scenario and the “sudden acceleration” scenario most certainly did not – but a “drive-by-wire” throttle system does. Such a system opens up all kinds of new possibilities that are not related to a mechanical linkage because there is no mechanical linkage. Drive-by-wire is a system where the accelerator is connected to an electronic sensor rather than to the engine. A wire (literally) is all that connects the gas pedal to the engine. Of course there is a computer in there along the way. The fact that the driver presses on the gas is just one of many inputs to a system that computes how the throttle butterfly should be positioned to allow the desired amount of air to enter the engine fuel injection. Now the possibility exists for the computer to tell the throttle to open in a way that does not directly correspond to how the driver presses the gas pedal. Wikipedia has the best explanation of such a system (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_by_wire) that I could find in a short search.

Now if drive-by-wire throttles make you queasy, add in the “brake-by-wire” systems that are in every hybrid car. Hybrids need to use braking energy to recharge the batteries. They do this by using the electric motor as a generator to do as much braking as possible. Naturally this means delaying the application of the regular brakes on each wheel, so a wire connects the brake pedal to the brakes rather than the traditional rod pushing on a hydraulic cylinder. To oversimplify, the more the car can delay using the regular brakes, the better the gas mileage. So now that several computers – hopefully working in unison – control how your car goes and stops, software is needed to tell those computers what to do. And we all know how well software works, don’t we? Today the Toyota story in the news is how they will “give braking a higher priority” in new models. Golly gee wiz. When I put my foot on the brake pedal, by God, that is my TOP priority!

Droid Does Sometimes
I have run out of time, but I must add a short story about using Droid navigation. Returning from Boston a couple of weeks back, I wanted to stop at a Borders Books store. So I used the browser in the Droid to do a Google search and found a Borders that seemed to be on the way home. So I pointed to the address and told the Droid to navigate and off I went. A short time later, I drove into a neighborhood a short distance from the highway and the Droid announced that my destination was on my right. Only there was there no Borders, there was not even a shopping center – nothing! Just somebody’s driveway. I’m not sure where the failure occurred – in the navigation, the address shown on the website, or Google Maps. I was too stunned to try to figure it out at the time and just drove back to the highway. Has anyone had a similar experience with Google navigation or some other navigation product? Let me know.

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 jscheef (at) yahoo.com).

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

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

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.

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
CVS/Longs Drugs
www.longs.com
Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Lafayette,
Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek, San Ramon
Right Aid Drugstores
www.rightaid.com
Orinda, Walnut Creek
Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com
Danville, Walnut Creek
Check websites for store hours

Rechargeable Batteries
Right Aid Drugstores
www.rightaid.com
Check website for store hours

Specialty Batteries
Call(2)Recycle
www.call2recycle.org/drop-off-your-old-batteries.php?c=1&d=213&e=85&f=142&w=9100&r=Y

Where to Dispose of Unneeded Pharmaceutical and Over-the-Counter Medications
Walnut Creek City Hall
www.walnut-creek.org
1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Look for the green Pharmaceutical Disposal bin
Please don't flush your drugs!

How and Where to Recycle or Dispose of Other Household Waste Items
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
The CCCSD has a two-page Disposal Guide for Central Contra Costa County brochure that can be viewed online or printed. This handy guide tells how to dispose of common household waste in safe, simple, and environmentally healthy ways. Click on the link below to access the brochure.
www.centralsan.org/documents/Brochure_Disposal_Guide.pdf

This brochure requires Adobe Acrobat Reader; you can download and install the latest version of Acrobat Reader by clicking this icon.

Adobe Elements SIG Meeting Program
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

There will be no Adobe Elements SIG October meeting due to scheduling conflicts. Check back for information about our November meeting; the date of the meeting will be selected to avoid the Thanksgiving holiday.

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 Adobe Elements SIG usually meets on the third or fourth Thursday of each month; be sure to check Peggy's email notice for the topic and to confirm the meeting date!

Please email Peggy for further information and/or directions.

Windows SIG Meeting Program
by Walt Parsons, DVPC

The next Windows SIG meeting will be held on Monday, November 1, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. We'll discuss that popular topic, TBA. See Walt's email for updated information about this month's meeting topic.

The Windows SIG meetings are usually held on the first Monday of each month in the Meeting Room at the Walnut Creek-Ygnacio Valley Branch Library. It's located at 2661 Oak Grove Road in Walnut Creek. Take Ygnacio Valley Road east to Oak Grove Road and go south approximately 2 blocks to the library entrance. See the detailed directions and a map on the DVPC SIG News page.

The Daily Dilbert Cartoon
by Scott Adams