C C C C N E W S L E T T E R
CENTRAL COAST COMPUTER CLUB
Santa Maria, California
VOLUME XXII: NUMBER 8 AUGUST, 2007
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Knollwood
Village Clubhouse 4012 S. Bradley Dr., Santa Maria.
General meeting at 7:00PM. System Special Interest Group session is at
5:45PM. Guests are welcome.
Check out our web site: http://member.apcug.org/fourseas for the latest
program schedule information.
Membership is $15 for twelve months for individuals, $20 for families.
For this you receive: Monthly newsletters, EXTRA4C E-mail Messages,
Help-line support, Monthly presentations, Valuable door prizes, Question
and answer sessions.
NEXT MEETING: August 21, 2007 KNOLLWOOD VILLAGE 4012 S. BRADLEY
PRESENTATION: The July meeting will be: Ray Isenson on Protecting Personal
Information On Your Computer.
***********************************************************
******* AUGUST COOKIE PROVIDER IS PETER STONEHEWER ********
***********************************************************
-----------------------------------
| |
| CONTENTS |
| |
-----------------------------------
(1) OFFICERS, HELPLINES, S.I.G.S
(2) EDITOR'S COMMENTS Dick Trissel
(3) WEB WANDERINGS
(4) SYSTEMS S.I.G. Dick Trissel
(5) RAW FORMAT CAMERA FILES Kim Komando
(6) CONNECTING SATELLITE TO A MONITOR Kim Komando
(7) EXPLORING WINDOWS EXPLORER Jim Sanders
(8) SEND TO Dick Trissel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICERS HELPLINES
President Juno
Ted Tucker 937-2374 Dick Trissel 937-7572
genmail@verizon.net rtrissel@juno.com
Vice President Windows 95/98/ME/XP & VoiceControl
Vic McLaughlin 937-8326 Amy Malicki 925-5780
vnmclaughlin2448@msn.com msamym5@verizon.net
Secretary Hardware, Windows XP, Vista
John McCurdy 925-1825 Ray Isenson 937-6938
jmccurdy.1@verizon.net risenson@juno.com
Treasurer Custom Computer Design and Assembly
Gerry Miller 934-1396 Digital Imagery and Video
2741 Banyan Way Command Line Operations and Batch Files
Santa Maria CA 93455 Jim Tonge 937-0187
gandamiller@verizon.net jtonge1@msn.com
Publicity Help With Any Problem
Bill Corning 934-0775 Ray Isenson 937-6938
foster95@impulse.net risenson@juno.com
Newsletter Editor Visual Basic and Genealogy
Dick Trissel 937-7572 Gerald Miller 934-1396
rtrissel@juno.com gandamiller@verizon.net
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (S.I.G.) AOL
Systems (5:45pm) Frank Maciel 922-2318
Dick Trissel frm8198@aol.com
rtrissel@juno.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 2 August 2007
EDITOR'S COMMENTS by Dick Trissel
Earlier reports that Dell was going to offer Windows XP in their new
computers has come true, as reflected in some recent ads. Dell also is
offering LINUX on some new models. The latest news on the Web is that other
computer manufacturers are going to offer XP on some models. It seems
buyers of new computers (probably many that are replacing older computers)
are skeptical of the usefulness of Vista for them.
Reports are that Microsoft says their Vista sales are very good. I suspect
that is because they pretty much forced manufacturers to install Vista in
their new computers, exclusive of XP.
Now, Microsoft says they are working on "improving" Vista--whatever that
means. Reports on the delivery date of Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) (which
was suppose to be made available toward the end of the year) vary from a few
months to June of 2008.
Also, the word is that Microsoft is already working on their new operating
system with a new file allocation system. That will present more
incompatibilities. Since it took them five years to create Vista, I'll
probably not live long enough to see the next system .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 3 August 2007
WEB WANDERINGS
THE FUTURE OF ONLINE MAPS
Online maps have come a long way since the early days of MapQuest. Maps
aren't just about finding driving directions anymore.
Today's maps are incorporating satellite images or street-level views. Plus,
some sites let people add pictures and comments.
These types of maps are great for planning vacations or discovering new
hotspots. Of course, it will take some time for these services to build out
their offerings.
Take EveryScape, which will launch this fall. It features street-level
views. You can navigate cities as if you were there yourself. There's also
information on local businesses and attractions.
If this sounds interesting, stop by EveryScape's site. You can view a quick
demonstration - a tour of San Francisco's Union Square. Then, vote for your
city to be included in the project!
www.everyscape.com
THE REBIRTH OF ROME
There is no doubt that Rome was home to one of the greatest civilizations.
We owe a lot to ancient Rome.
Of course, not much survives from the ancient city of Rome. That makes it
difficult for scholars who study the civilization.
But Rome Reborn recreates ancient Rome at the height of its power in the
fourth century. You can explore it through pictures and video clips.
The history of the project is just as interesting as the videos and
pictures. It took 10 years to complete the digital reproduction. And
computer experts started with a 3,000-square-foot plaster model. Amazing!
www.romereborn.virginia.edu
THE SIMPSONS, RE-IMAGINED
The Simpsons is a cultural icon. The family first appeared 20 years ago. And
the show's 18th season will soon start.
The show pokes fun at American culture and society. But it isn't just
popular in the United States.
At this Cool Site, you can watch a video that was created to promote the
show in Britain. But you're in for a big shock!
The video features a re-working of the show's opening credits. It casts the
characters in a whole new light. But I won't ruin the surprise for you.
video.google.com
ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE
We all have things sitting around the house collecting dust. Some of them we
don't want to part with.
But then there are the things we'd love to part with but don't know how. You
can't just throw these things away. And a garage sale isn't a great way to
spend Saturday morning.
Enter SwapThing. Just list the items you'd like to get rid of. You can sell
the item outright. Or you can consider trade offers.
Getting started is easy. The site isn't free to use. You must pay $1 per
trade. But I think that's fair!
www.swapthing.com
FREE GAMES
Today's video games are full-scale productions. Millions of dollars are
spent developing games for the Xbox and PlayStation.
Of course, these games can be expensive. And don't forget that the consoles
will cost you hundreds of dollars.
But you don't need to pay a dime to play fun games. Just visit Miniclip.
You'll find plenty of games to keep you entertained.
Want to keep a game? You can! Just click to download it. Or, you can feature
it on your Web site or blog. Miniclip will provide you with the coding.
You'll need the free Flash and Shockwave players to play the games. If you
don't have them on your machine, you'll be prompted to install them.
www.miniclip.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 4 August 2007
SYSTEMS S.I.G. by Dick Trissel
With thirtysome in attendance we had a very busy S.I.G. Here are some of
the questions that came up.
There was a question as to what is a "Windows Home Network Server".
Microsoft is releasing an operating system for home network servers. A home
network server is a special computer being developed by some of the computer
manufacturers. The whole purpose of this is to provide a means of having
several computers exchanging data. Windows XP has a full description of the
concept. Go to Start / Help and Support / Networking and the Web / Home and
Small Office Networking.
It was suggested that most home computer users would be better served by
using a flash drive to transfer data or a USB external hard drive instead of
networking. Flash drives range from $10 for 1MB, $20 for 2MB, and up to
over 8MB. External drives are available for less than $100.
Another question was what is the cost for Verizon DSL broadband. When the
attendees were polled, the numbers ranged from $15 per month to over $30--
with speeds ranging from 768Kbps to 1.5Mbps download rates. Since the
meeting, Verizon has announced a $15 per month service for one year for
758Kbps download rate.
The recommendation of periodic defragmenting your hard drive has been
stressed often to keep the computer performance optimal. However, some
users are having long defragmentation sessions, or non-completion of the
defragging process. Once a defrag is completed, frequent defragging will
not take long. However, you may have to turn off the screen saver (it will
interrupt defragmenting), or boot up in the "Safe Mode". To get to Safe
Mode, reboot the computer and immediately start tapping the F8 key
repeatedly until the boot menu appears. Then use the arrow up key to the
Safe Mode option and press Enter. After bootup, run defrag, and reboot the
computer.
There is free program that I use that is far superior to the XP defrag
application. It is Auslogic's defrag program. To download it, go to Google
and search for auslogic.
One member reported receiving many e-mail notices of "undeliverable" e-mail.
It is e-mail he didn't send. This is what happens when someone has stolen
your e-mail address. Other than just tolerating this (which is not a good
idea because of the content of the e-mail being sent), the only solution I
know is to change your e-mail address. I know, this is a traumatic
solution. Contact your ISP to see if they can easily transfer your account
to another address.
Some Windows XP computer users are being bothered by having a logon screen
each time they boot up. There are several things can cause this. One is a
non-blank password. Two others are settings in User Options.
To change your password, go to Start / Control Panel / User Accounts and
click on your account (as Administrator). Choose to change your password
and leave the new one blank.
To correct a setting in User Options that can cause the request for logon,
go to Start / Run and type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes) and
press OK. Make sure the box is checked for "[/] User must enter a user name
and password to use this computer". NO, that is not an error--the wording
is backwards.
The other change in the User Accounts is to only have the Administrator
account enabled. Go to Start / Control Panel / User Accounts choose the
accounts that are not the Administrator, and turn them off. Be careful
doing this--don't remove your account.
While we're on the subject of passwords, you can stop the 42 day warning
that your password has expired. Go to Start / Control Panel /
Administrators Tools / Computer Management / System Tools / Local Users and
Groups / Users. Right-click Administrator. Click on Properties and check
the box for [/] Password never expires.
We don't seem to provide very well for beginners with computers. But there
is help for Windows XP--take a tour. There are two ways to get to the Tour.
Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Tour Windows XP. Not all
computers have that option installed. In that case, go to Start / Help and
Support / What's New in XP / Taking a Tour or Tutorial. If you like to be
entertained, take the Animated Tour. Even you experienced users might enjoy
it.
There's also a Tour on Windows 98SE. Go to Start / Programs / Accessories /
System Tools / Welcome to Windows. Or, go to the Tour on the operating
system installation CD. In Windows Explorer go to D:\Win98\Tour
\discover.exe (where D is the CD-ROM device letter).
It's useful to learn to use the Help options on Windows and all the
applications.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 5 August 2007
RAW FORMAT CAMERA FILES
from Komando newsletter
Q. I've heard you recommend shooting photos in the RAW format. Could you
tell me what advantages the RAW format offers? I've tried shooting photos in
this format, and all I see are drawbacks. For one, I haven't been able to
open the files on my computer. I'm not sure if the problem is with my
camera, my computer or the software.
A. I can understand where you're coming from. If you can't view the images,
there is no benefit to shooting in RAW! So let's solve that problem first.
There probably isn't anything wrong with your camera or computer. You just
need a special piece of software to view the files. I would start with the
software that came with your camera. It should have tools for working with
RAW files.
If not, visit the camera manufacturer's site. You'll want to make sure the
software is specific to your camera. Most manufacturers use a proprietary
RAW format. And, the RAW format may vary between camera models. There are
also third-party programs that will work with many different types of RAW
files. For example, Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom do. And for the Mac, there's
Aperture.
If you want to view your RAW images in Windows, Microsoft offers a free
download. But it only works with images from certain cameras.
To organize your RAW images, you can use Google's Picassa. It works with
many RAW files.
Understanding the beauty of shooting in RAW is more complicated. Let me
start by explaining RAW. Whenever you shoot a picture, the data is captured
in RAW. The camera may be set to record data in RAW. If so, it is written to
the memory card. If your camera is set to JPEG, it processes the data.
RAW format is simply the pixel data collected from the sensor. The file also
includes camera settings, such as white balance and color saturation. But
the image is not processed with this information.
Compared to JPEGs, RAW files are huge. That's because most RAW files are not
compressed. Others use lossless compression, meaning no image data is lost.
JPEG files are always compressed. And the JPEG format uses a lossy
compression. Data is lost from the image. With enough compression, that
becomes obvious.
Using RAW images allows you to do more editing. For instance, you can
correct for poor exposure or light balance. JPEG files limit you, because of
their compression. Editing can cause them to show degradation. Even if your
images don't need editing, RAW has its benefits. Your computer's processor
is much more powerful than your camera's. Images will look better if
processed on your computer.
RAW images also offer a greater dynamic range. RAW files contain 12 or 14
bits of data per pixel. That means you have 4,096 (2^12) or 16,384 (2^14)
levels of brightness. In comparison, JPEGs have 8 bits of data per pixel.
There are only 256 (2^8) different brightness levels. You won't see as much
detail in shadows and highlights. And you can't coax out details, as you can
by adjusting exposure and contrast in RAW format.
I like to think of RAW format as a negative, albeit digital. The JPEG format
is more like the printed photo. There is much you can do with a negative.
But with a finished photo, your options are severely limited.
Now, RAW format isn't always appropriate. Those who don't want to process
their photos don't need it. And if you're just taking snapshots, JPEG is
probably easier. Your camera can write JPEGs to a memory card faster. And
they take up much less room on the card.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 6 August 2007
CONNECTING A SATELLITE BOX TO A MONITOR
from Komando newsletter
Q. I would like to use my computer monitor as a television. I want to use it
in my RV with a satellite dish. Can this be done? Do I need special
equipment?
A. You should be able to connect your RV satellite dish to your monitor. You
can also connect it to your computer, if you choose. You will likely need
special equipment. Your computer monitor probably needs a VGA connection. If
it is a newer monitor, it probably also accepts DVI inputs.
In comparison, your satellite box probably has component, s-video and
coaxial outputs. It may also have an HDMI connection. In rare cases, it may
have a DVI output. If both the monitor and the satellite box have DVI
connections, that's your answer. You can connect the box to the monitor with
a DVI cable. You'll need to hook the satellite box to an audio receiver and
speakers to get sound. I'd be surprised if you're that lucky. So you'll need
to buy something that goes between the satellite box and your monitor.
One solution is to add a TV tuner to your computer. These come in different
forms. Some fit inside desktop computers. Others look like thumb drives that
plug in to a USB port. You can also purchase external boxes. Then, you can
connect the satellite television box to the TV tuner. It would function as
an antenna. But the connections would likely be limited. You'd probably need
to use the coaxial connection when connecting the satellite box to the
computer. You'd connect the computer to the monitor via VGA or DVI
connection.
I like this solution for a couple of reasons. First, you can use the tuner
to pick up over-the-air signals in addition to satellite signals. You'd need
an antenna, though. Also, you can record television on your computer. Your
television would work like a DVR.
If you don't have a computer in your RV, there are other solutions. First,
you can buy a tuner that will connect your satellite box to your monitor.
These usually have more options for video input. For example, you'll find
ones with component inputs. They connect to your monitor via a VGA jack.
Siig, KWorld and AVERMEDIA make external tuners that don't require a
computer. They can be difficult to find, though. Your local electronics
store might not stock them. But I found a few on Amazon. If you search hard
enough, you'll also find video-to-VGA converters. These are similar to the
external television tuners, and cost about the same ($50-$100).
Some stores sell VGA-to-component video cables. These have component
connections on one end and a VGA connection on the other. They look ideal
for your situation. But they're really designed for use with projectors.
Don't expect them to work with your computer monitor, though. There are
differences between VGA and component video encoding. Your monitor will need
something to decode the signal.
Copyright 2007, WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved.
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about computers and
the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit:
http://www.komando.com/listen . To subscribe to Kim's free e-mail
newsletters, sign-up at: http://www.komando.com/newsletters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 7 August 2007
EXPLORING WINDOWS EXPLORER
By Jim Sanders, Editor, The Orange Bytes, North Orange County Computer Club,
California www.noccc.org
Everyone using Windows XP uses Windows Explorer all the time. Some use it
in what I consider the true form. Some, because you use it under the title
of My Computer. And all of us when we are using Internet Explorer, because
Windows Explorer is an integral part of Internet Explorer. I continue to be
surprised at how many people do not know that you can right click on the
start button and go directly to Windows Explorer. I prefer that to the My
Computer path because it brings up Windows Explorer with the left hand pane
of the window displaying the tree structure of the files. It surprises me
that many people who use the My Computer path don't know that they can bring
up the tree pane by clicking on the folder button in the taskbar.
Something that is almost sad, is how many people live with the default
settings of Windows Explorer. One of the first things that I do with a new
installation of Windows XP, is to open Windows Explorer, go to the view menu
and click on details. The next step is to open the tools menu, and click on
folder options. When the folder options window opens, but what had a slump
and wrong that a mile and the click on the view tab. Then click on display
the full path in the title bar to place a checkmark in the box, click on
show hidden files and folders to put the bullet on that line, click on a
hide extensions for known file types to remove the checkmark.
Personally, I think Microsoft did new users in particular, a major
disservice by having the last item set to by default. The resulting
confusion of having two or more files with the same name, and not
differentiated by the file extension, causes a fair amount of distress in
users that are not sure which file to choose. I like to see the protected
operating system files but you may be more comfortable leaving them hidden.
The last item is to check is show control panel in my computer. Then click
on apply, wait for it to finish, then click on apply to all holders, then
click on OK and you're done.
As a result of the above actions the right hand window pane will now have
four columns, name, size, height, and date modified. The sort will be set to
alphabetical by name, numbers and special characters first, then A to Z. If
you want the sort to be Z to A, click on name at the top of the name column.
If you want the sort to be by size, click on size at the top of the size
column and Windows Explorer will sort the folder by file size, smallest file
first. To reverse the order, and place the largest file at the top of the
list, click on size again. The same procedure works with the type column and
the date modified column.
There is a faint divider bar between each of the columns located in the
horizontal bar where the names of the columns are located. One of the
easiest ones to find is one space to the right of the column heading Size.
If you move the mouse cursor to that area you should see a double headed
arrow appear. If you then click and hold the left mouse button, you can
adjust the width of the edge of the columns. The width of the name column is
often too narrow to show the complete file name. Having the complete path
displayed in the address bar, is often useful when you need to copy and
paste that path into other applications.
When you have a lot of files in a folder, there is a navigation shortcut in
the name column that too few people seem to know about. When you first open
a folder, the display will show any other folders (or what should really be
called subdirectories) within that folder followed by files, starting with
the letter A. If you need to get to a file that starts with a letter T, you
might have to scroll through several hundred files to get there.
There is a faster way. Click on the first file in the folder to highlight
it, then type the first letter of the file that you wish to find. In this
example the display would immediately jump to the first file that starts
with the letter T. If you know what you are searching for, and can type
quickly, you can follow the first letter with the second letter of the name
and it will take you to that point instead.
I think initially setting all folders on a hard disk to the detail view is
the best starting point and is best suited for the majority of folders.
Windows XP allows you to customize the view of each and every folder and
will remember what settings you assigned to a given folder. For instance,
for folders that contain photos it is often more useful if the thumbnail
view, or the film strip view, is chosen so that you can see what each
picture actually is. The advantage of the thumbnail view is that you can
find images quicker than in the filmstrip view. The advantage of the
filmstrip view is that you get a line of thumbnails across the bottom of the
pane and a larger view of which ever thumbnail is highlighted. There are
also mouse click arrow's that allow you to view the next or previous image.
Don't forget that you can right click on any of the thumbnails and bring up
a whole new menu of things that you can do with the image.
Everybody should learn how to do file housekeeping on their computer disk.
Being able to move files from one folder to another, to copy files from one
folder to another, to create new folders, and several other functions along
those lines can help you keep your data organized. It should be noted that
most of these functions can be accomplished in more than one fashion. For
instance, if you wished to copy a file from folder A to folder B, you would
first select the file by left clicking on it which will cause it to be
highlighted. You could then open the edit menu by clicking on edit, then
click on copy, then click on the destination folder, then click on paste in
the edit menu, a copy of the file will appear in that folder.
Alternately, you could use some of the keyboard shortcuts. You could
highlight the file, press and hold down the Ctrl key and then tap the C.
key. This will copy the file to the temporary holding bin called clipboard.
You would then highlight the destination folder, press and hold down the
control key, then tap the V. key which will paste the file from the
clipboard to the folder you highlighted. Another method is called drag and
drop. In this method you move the mouse cursor over the file you wish to
copy, left click and hold the mouse button, move the mouse to drag a ghost
image of the file over the top of the destination folder and then release
the left mouse button. There are many more features to cover but this is
all the room I have for now. We will do more later.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CCCC Page 8 August 2007
SEND TO
by Dick Trissel
The September Smart Computing magazine touched on the subject of modifying
the Send To option in Windows XP. In this case it was to be able to send a
document to the printer. However, there is more to it and it can be done in
Windows 98SE, also.
When you right-click a file, a dropdown menu appears that includes the Send
To option. When you point to Send To, another menu appears that contains
shortcuts to applications and devices. The usual items are:
Desktop, My Documents, Mail Recipient, Floppy Drive, CD Drive, and more.
Sometimes installing an application will put a shortcut in Send To.
You can edit the Send To shortcut list. Just know, it is a shortcut list,
so deleting an item does not remove the folder or hardware it is pointing
to. But, to edit Send To, you have to find it.
The article suggested going to the Send To folder by using the following
method for XP:
Click Start and My Computer. Double-click the C: drive, the Documents and
Settings folder, and the user name. I prefer using Windows Explorer: open
the C: drive, the Documents and Settings folder, and the user name. There
is also a Send To in the Administrator folder and the Guest folder.
In 98SE, use Windows Explorer and just go to C:\Windows. That's the only
one in SE.
In either case the Send To may not show because it is a hidden folder. To
make it show, the settings in Windows Explorer need to be changed.
To fix this, use Windows Explorer and go to Tools, Folder Options, View, and
change the following in order to be able to see and edit Send To:
Mark Show Hidden Files and Folders
Uncheck Hide Extensions for Known File Types
Uncheck Hide Protected Operating System Files and Folders.
Now that you know where it is and what it contains, what can you do with it?
As mentioned above, you can simplify it by deleting unneeded shortcuts. But
more importantly, you can add shortcuts to applications (Word, Excel,
Internet Explorer, etc.) and hardware (printer, disk drives, etc.). Any
existing shortcut can be copied into Send To, and you can create a shortcut
by the usual method to be put there. And, you can edit and rename a Send To
shortcut to something more recognizable to you.
The before mentioned article described adding a printer shortcut in XP using
the following procedure:
Start / Control Panel. Double-click Printers and Faxes. Locate your
printer in the window and drag its icon to the Send To window.
For example, I have DirectCD CD burner, Editpad text editor, and a batch
program called DirPrint in my Send To. When I right-click a file, I can
send it to whatever program or device is appropriate for that type of file.
Next month I'll talk about how to use the Open With option, which is very
similar in concept.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------