C C C C N E W S L E T T E R
CENTRAL COAST COMPUTER CLUB
Santa Maria, California
VOLUME XXI: NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER, 2006
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Knollwood
Village Clubhouse 4012 S. Bradley Dr., Santa Maria.
General meeting at 7:00 PM. 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: September 19, 2006 KNOLLWOOD VILLAGE 4012 S. BRADLEY
PRESENTATION: The September meeting presentation will be: Ray Isenson
Demonstrating Vista Beta 2.
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******** SEPTEMBER COOKIE PROVIDER IS DICK JONES **********
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| CONTENTS |
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(1) OFFICERS, HELPLINES, S.I.G.S
(2) PRESIDENT'S CORNER Ray Isenson
(3) EDITOR'S COMMENTS Dick Trissel
(4) WEB WANDERINGS
(5) SYSTEMS S.I.G. Dick Trissel
(6) CLICK BOOK REVIEW Spence Stimler
(7) TASKBAR DESKTOP Dick Trissel
(8) GOODBYE, 98 AND ME Kim Komando
(9) MAPPOINT 2006 W/GPS LOCATOR REVIEW Ray Isenson
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OFFICERS HELPLINES
President Juno
Ray Isenson 937-6938 Dick Trissel 937-7572
risenson@juno.com rtrissel@juno.com
Vice President Windows 95/98/ME/XP & VoiceControl
Spence Stimler 938-0217 Amy Malicki 925-5780
SPENCE923@msn.com savvyforseniors@juno.com
Secretary Hardware and Windows XP
Barbara Godwin 934-9885 Ray Isenson 937-6938
yung.bag@verizon.net risenson@juno.com
Treasurer AOL
Gerry Miller 934-1396 Frank Maciel 922-2318
2741 Banyan Way frm8198@aol.com
Santa Maria CA 93455
gandamiller@verizon.net
Publicity Visual Basic and Genealogy
Bill Corning 934-0775 Gerald Miller 934-1396
foster95@impulse.net gandamiller@verizon.net
Newsletter Editor Help With Any Problem
Dick Trissel 937-7572 Ray Isenson 937-6938
rtrissel@juno.com risenson@juno.com
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (S.I.G.)
Systems (5:45pm)
Dick Trissel
rtrissel@juno.com
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CCCC Page 2 September 2006
PRESIDENT'S CORNER by Ray Isenson
Well, Fall is here. Vacation season is about over and, hopefully, we'll be
back to the full room for the meetings.
Computer trouble last month, when Spence was making the presentation on
ClickBook, kept us from displaying one of the more interesting aspects of
the program; the display showing how the final product will look before
printing starts. The difficulty has been cleared up. In a future meeting
I'll take about 5 minutes to present a quick look at that feature.
For the September meeting we have arranged a real treat. Microsoft has sent
us two copies of the Beta 2 version of that new operating system Vista.
They've included one copy for 32 bit CPU machines and one for a 64 bit CPU.
There'll be a show and tell covering significant features of the new O/S.
We have authority for a limited number of the members to try the system on
their own computers. That will be discussed as well.
Looking forward to a big turn out at the September and October meetings.
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CCCC Page 3 September 2006
EDITOR'S COMMENTS by Dick Trissel
Are you thinking about buying a new computer? Are you interested in having
the new Windows operating system called "Vista" due out early in 2007?
In the past few months we've reported the computer requirements to be able
to use Vista. And soon, many new computers will be "Vista capable" or
"Vista ready". So, computer manufacturers are stating they will offer
"Vista coupons" with some computers starting in October 2006.
All this means you can buy the computer that is advertised as Vista capable
or ready in 2006 before Vista is released, and then send the Vista coupon to
the computer manufacturer to get Vista after it is released in 2007. This
could save you around $200.
The August 12, 2006 EXTRA4C bulletin had a short article about Windows file
type association. At the September Systems S.I.G. we will elaborate on this
and demonstrate how to make use of this feature.
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CCCC Page 4 September 2006
WEB WANDERINGS
TIRED OF DELAYED FLIGHTS?
Recently, I took a trip to New York City. I always arrive early so I'm not
rushing to catch my flight. But I also know that there can be flight delays.
However, this particular flight was delayed six hours! Certainly, you can
imagine my frustration. So I sought out today's Cool Site.
At Avoid Delays, you'll see a list of the airports with the worst departure
records. You'll also find the worst times to fly into or out of these
airports. And, you can even see the specific flights that are most delayed.
This will cause you to think twice next time you book a flight. I guarantee
it. There's also information to help you become proactive. Find out where to
complain, how to avoid delays and why flights are delayed. It makes travel
much more bearable!
www.avoiddelays.com
SITE FOR THE OVER 50
Eons.com, a site for those 50 and over, will go live. It focuses on helping
older people get the most from their lives. It features sections on health,
entertainment, finances and family. The site believes this group is under-
represented on the Net.
http://eons.com/
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS!
If you're like me, your hard drive is crammed with digital photos. Because
you can take them for free, it's easy to accumulate lots.
Managing your photos is essential. You can't enjoy the memories if you can't
find the files. Well, StudioLine will help you take control of your photos.
This free program helps you organize and tag photos.
Add descriptions to your photos and then search by keyword. Arrange them in
folders and create slide shows. Then use the backup utility to archive your
photos to CD or DVD. It also helps you create Web archives.
There are also editing features to help you crop, rotate and adjust images.
And don't worry about making mistakes – the originals are preserved!
The program will take a while to download, even on a broadband connection.
But it's worth it. You must register within 30 days, but registration is
free. It runs on Windows 98 and later.
tinyurl.com/7dsaa
THE MOTHER LODE OF CLIP ART
Clip art can enliven any document or presentation. But you can spend hours
hunting it down on the Internet.
Well, Microsoft's put together a generous collection of free clip art. There
are photos, drawings and animations. They'll add a little pizzazz to
whatever you're working on.
Browse through the categories – there are almost 50! Or you can do a search.
Enter your keywords and then select the type of file you want.
When you see something you want, simply select it. You can continue browsing
and download them all at once. There are hundreds of clips available. For
example, a search for photos of dogs returned eight pages of results.
The clips are free, but you must agree to Microsoft's terms. You may also be
prompted to download additional controls.
tinyurl.com/4gof9
VIRTUAL HOSPITAL
The Virtual Hospital is a service of the University of Iowa. It contains a
wealth of health-related information.
Search for information by topic, symptom, body location or medical
specialty. Then, link to articles to learn more about health conditions.
Most of the information is aimed at adults. But you'll also find articles
that specifically address pediatric health. So parents will find this
helpful. Most importantly, articles on prevention will help keep you and
your loved ones healthy.
Doctors' understanding of medical conditions changes regularly. Fortunately,
the Virtual Hospital features a news section. The monthly updates will keep
you abreast of advances in the medical field.
www.vh.org
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CCCC Page 5 September 2006
SYSTEMS S.I.G. by Dick Trissel
Here's the list of free programs I mentioned in the August System's S.I.G.
Many of the programs are on the ComputerWorks free utility CD.
OpenOffice similar to MS Office
FireFox browser
Picasa graphics editor
Audacity audio editor
ThunderBird browser
AVAST anti-virus
AVG-7 anti-virus
ZoneAlarm firewall
Ad-Aware ad remover
SpyBot Search & Destroy anti-spyware
Speaking of free stuff, every few weeks Office Depot has 128MB thumbdrives
for $13.99 and a $13.99 mail-in rebate (free except for tax and mailing). I
have one to save wear and tear on my 1GB Memorex thumbdrive.
Microsoft announced the termination of support for XP SP1 (support for SP2
will continue.) This means if you haven't upgraded to SP2, there will be no
more upgrades for XP SP1 owners. That doesn't mean your computer will stop
working .
Ever wonder what those funny characters are that you sometimes have to type
in to access certain Web sites? They are known as CAPTCHA characters
(Computer Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers & Humans Apart.)
This is to prevent WEBBOTS (WEB roBOTS) from accessing the Web site.
WebBots can't respond with the unique characters--humans can.
Barbara Godwin showed me the results of the Verizon speed test on her new
$17.95 768kilobit/sec DSL account. It was about 400kbps. If you are a
Verizon DSL user, you should check your speed
(http://infospeed.verizon.net/) and maybe complain to Verizon if you aren't
getting what you are paying for. Of course, they advertise 768kbps as the
"maximum" download speed. My speed at the free Santa Maria Airport Wi-Fi
hotspot was 1000kbps. I don't know what service they use.
There was a question about transferring an addressbook file, which led to
finding the file. One way would be to put some unique characters in an
address (maybe xaybzc@xaybzc.com) and then do a search for the characters
xaybzc. Use a very unique string--abcd, dumb, stupid, etc. are not unique
in Windows. The location of Outlook Express addressbook in XP is at:
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book.
In 98SE it is in C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book. The
file extension is .wab. However, it is not readable! In Juno it is in
C:\Juno\User0000\addrbook.nv and is readable and editable.
A problem was reported of having multiple duplicated e-mail messages,
particularly from Earthlink. One online reference claimed this may be a
self-replicating virus. However, members stated that after deleting the
messages there were no more problems.
Here's a neat trick for cleaning the inside of your computer, especially the
fans. Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose, put a tapered plastic cup over the
end (tape it on), put a small hole on the bottom of the cup, insert a
flexible soda straw in the hole and sealed the hole around the straw with
cement.
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CCCC Page 6 September 2006
CLICK BOOK REVIEW by Spence Stimler
I had asked to do the Click Book review to see what it had to offer to
aspiring writers like me. Not knowing what to expect, I did the unthinkable
for me, I downloaded the Read Me file. I don't know whether Blue Squirrel
intended the file to be an instruction manual or not, but it was just that
for me. It walked me through the intricacies of the program. What I found
was a program that was most enlightening to anybody who wants to publish a
book or prepare a presentation.
Pursuing my interest of preparing stories for publication, I found a quick
and easy means to convert manuscript from Word to a 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
booklet and visualize it as it would be printed on front and back of each
side of a sheet. Using the program, I was able to take my latest writing
and inspect it to see if it included the sketches, chapter headings on the
right page, and total number of pages in the smaller format than the 8 1/2
by 11 1/2 inches in which it was composed.
Click Book has the further advantage of being able to insert data of many
varieties from drawings, to raw data included in programs found in programs
such as Excel, and even articles found online. You can do each of these by
merely clicking the mouse on Click the Click Book Printer for each article.
Then, once you have all the articles assembled, all that is needed is to put
your cursor on Print with Click Book and everything falls into place exactly
as you want them to.
I tried making up both posters and banners and was amazed at how Click Book
set it all up automatically.
I found that Click Book will easily convert any text to PDF which is what
commercial printers require. All it takes is one click with the mouse.
Overall I think that Click Book is a valuable and easy tool for anybody
desiring to publish or make up bulletins for presentation or distribution.
ClickBook 9.0 for Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP/2003
Price $49.95
Sales: 800-403-0925
sales@bluesquirrel.com
Demo version: www.bluesquirrel.com/download/ClickBook9Setup.exe
There is another Blue Squirrel program that makes PDF type documents. It is
Clck2PDF for Windows.
Price $19.95
Demo version: www.bluesquirrel.com/download/Click2PDFSetup.exe
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CCCC Page 7 September 2006
TASKBAR DESKTOP by Dick Trissel
We all know about the Windows Desktop. Most of us know about the Windows
Taskbar. What you may not know is that you can quickly display the Desktop
no matter what program you are running or in on your screen.
One way is to put the Desktop icon on your taskbar Quick Launch region. Of
course, you have to have the Quick Launch turned on. To do that:
1. Do a right-click on a blank area of the Taskbar.
2. Scroll to Toolbars and click on Quick Launch (make a check mark).
Now you need a Show Desktop icon. Search for "Show Desktop". If the Show
Desktop tool is missing, the procedure for creating it is:
1. Open Notepad and type the following five lines of text:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
2. Save the new file as C:\Show Desktop.scf.
Right-click and drag this file to the Quick Launch bar to make a shortcut
there.
Another way to display the Desktop is to put Desktop on the Taskbar. To do
this:
1. Do a right-click on a blank area of the Taskbar.
2. Scroll to Toolbars and click on Desktop (make a check mark).
This will put the word Desktop>> on the Taskbar next to the Systray area.
Click on the >> and this will open a list of the Desktop icons without
disturbing the current screen display. A single click on an item will
execute it. A right-click on an item will drop down a menu. Choose Sort by
Name to put the items in alphabetical order.
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CCCC Page 8 September 2006
GOODBYE, 98 AND ME
from Komando newsletter
Not everyone is able to run out and get a new computer, just because
Microsoft and Zone Labs have given up supporting those of us who still have
Windows 98 or Windows ME. I am disabled and live on $600 a month. I am lucky
to have a computer. There are thousands like me. We don't have these old
systems because we WANT them. If we COULD upgrade, we would have done it
long ago.
I received a number of messages from people who say they are stuck with 98
or ME. As the second person says, a lot of people simply can't afford to
replace their computer. It's not a question of safety for them. Either they
use 98 (or ME), or they don't have a computer. If I were in this situation,
I'd continue to use 98, too. Same with ME. You really can't make these
machines perfectly safe. But there are things you can do.
First, I'd stop using Internet Explorer. Security problems pop up regularly
for this program. In fact, there's one out there now that Microsoft cannot
fix. Instead, I'd download Firefox
(http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=1581). This free browser
has problems of its own. But it is not tied into Windows the way IE is. So
the security problems are not as severe. Besides, it can be patched, even if
it is running on an old Windows version.
Don't try to remove Internet Explorer from your computer. It's part of
Windows, and is virtually impossible to uninstall. Just stop using it.
Next, you need a firewall. ZoneAlarm no longer supports 98 and ME. But
Agnitum does. You can download Outpost Firewall Free
(http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=1800). It will even run
on Windows 95.
You need anti-spyware software, too. In fact, you need more than one
program, to be safe. After you get the programs, update them regularly.
Spyware is a moving target. The best such program is Webroot's Spy Sweeper,
in my opinion. (Webroot is also one of my advertisers.) Spy Sweeper supports
Windows 98 Second Edition, along with ME. So if you use the early edition of
Windows 98, you're out of luck. Spy Sweeper is $30. It updates itself
automatically.
Spybot-Search & Destroy is also good. And it is free. Furthermore, it runs
on all Windows 98 systems. Download and install it. You have to update it
manually.
Ad-Aware Personal is also free. And it works fine on Windows 98 and ME. It
will not keep spyware off your computer. But it does a good job of removing
it. Download and install it. Update Ad-Aware manually.
I have links to all of these programs on my site
(http://www.komando.com/downloads/categories.aspx?cat=Security).
Don't forget antivirus software. There's plenty available for 98 and ME.
Free programs are available from AVG and Avast!. You'll find links on my Web
site
(http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=1232).
Install a HOSTS file. If something gets onto your computer, the HOSTS file
will keep it from contacting the Internet. You can get a good HOSTS file
online
(http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm). Follow the instructions for
installation.
Most important, use common sense. Most threats arrive via e-mail. Don't open
spam. Delete it. If you do open it, do not open attachments. You will almost
certainly be attacked. There is a slim possibility that a Web site could
download something dangerous to you. I emphasize the word slim. However, if
you use common sense, you should be OK.
Nonetheless, Microsoft's lack of support is a problem. The bad guys could
find and exploit a weakness in these old systems. There is an outside chance
that a keylogger could be placed on your computer. So don't put any
confidential information on them. I wouldn't do online banking or stock
trading with these systems.
Copyright 2006, The Kim Komando Show. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission
of The Kim Komando Show is prohibited and strictly enforced. Newsletters
may contain links to sites on the Internet owned and operated by third
parties.
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CCCC Page 9 September 2006
MAPPOINT 2006 WITH GPS LOCATOR: a review by Ray Isenson
Having had many years of experience with paper and digital maps and more
than a passing acquaintance with global positioning systems (GPS), I opened
the box containing MapPoint 2006 with GPS Locater with the greatest
confidence. I was certain that all the program controls and the use of the
program would be self-evident; on-disk help files would be a "waste of hard
drive space". There would be little or no learning required. Nevertheless,
before installing the software on my laptop, I turned to the Quick Start
Guide included in the package to acquire software and hardware installation
instructions.
Reading page 1 of the small pamphlet totally deflated my ego by exposing me
to concepts that were completely alien to my total background and
experience. MapPoint 2006, once I learned to use it, would allow me to
overlay my business and economic interests on a map of North America and to
combine that information with localized demographic information. The help
file went from useless to critically important. However, softening that
awakening was a final paragraph noting that the program and the GPS locator
could be used about as I'd suspected.
The software is delivered on two CDs; one with the application, the other
with supporting data; maps and the like. During installation the user is
given the choice of installing the application and the data on the hard
drive or just the application, opting to use the CD reader to furnish
supporting data. Given the latter choice, the program will not run in the
absence of the data CD but does place a warning on the desktop to the effect
that the CD can't be found.
My first action after installing and executing the program was to exercise
the function that supposedly would be obvious; plan a trip from a location
in the MidWest to one on the California coastline. Selecting "Route" and
then "Route planner" resulted in a changed desktop with a "questionnaire" in
the left pane and a map of North America in the significantly larger right
pane. Answering the first question in a box just below the header, "Route
Planner", I entered, "Ft Sheridan, IL". To my delight, the map of North
America in the right pane changed to a much smaller scale map showing about
a 20-mile section of Chicago's shore line and the northern suburbs,
including Ft Sheridan. In a box just below the "Add to Route Command" was a
grayed out entry "Get Directions" and below that a small green box with a
superimposed number 1 followed by the name Ft Sheridan. The box for
entering a place name was cleared.
Continuing, I entered "Santa Maria Ford Motors" in the "type place or
address" box and clicked on "add to route". This time a box opened listing
a number of locations in Santa Maria, headed by my selection, the Ford
Garage. The map in the right pane changed to show a map of part of Santa
Maria at a scale of approximately 2 inches to the mile and a pin pointing
the location of Santa Maria Ford. Additionally, below the "1 Ft Sheridan"
entry was added "2 Santa Maria Ford". Having defined the beginning and end
of my trial trip, I clicked on "Get Directions". To my delight the right
pane now showed a map of the United States with a green line superimposed on
roads from Ft Sheridan, just north of Chicago to Santa Maria, barely above
Los Angeles. In a new pane, just above that map was a new box containing
detailed listing of the roads and highways connecting the two points, turn
points, a recommended daily travel, a detailing of the route sections and a
summary: driving distance - 2182.7 miles, estimated travel time - 31 hours
and 45 minutes or, 3 days, 7 hours and 45 minutes. In my opinion, one
particularly valuable feature of the program is its ability to get latest
road construction information; by clicking on that item, under the route
heading, and connecting to MAPPOINT web service. Obviously, a web
connection is essential for that service.
To me, another of the more valuable features of the mapping "subprogram" is
a function that allows map pins to be "poked" into a map at locations
selected by the user. Once a map pin is "inserted", clicking on it opens a
small window into which the user can do annotating or enter bits of
information; say, for example, the name and telephone number of a contact at
that location. Important aspects of that feature are that the message can
be hidden, brought forth only when desired and, when the map is saved, all
such messages are saved with it. This leads to another very important
feature, a route or other map additions, once prepared, can be saved as a
named file, to be brought out later.
Moving beyond the basic route planning function of MapPoint 2006 to those
functions that seemed so complex when first read in the Quick Start Guide
turned out to be far simpler than anticipated. Clicking "Help" in the
command line yields a listing of seven tutorial exercises; ranging from
viewing current sales figures through locating your customers or planning a
sales trip. Each exercise gives a hands-on demonstration of how to
accomplish a desirable business function; integrating business information
into map data. The exercises were well selected and presented in easily
understood, step-by-step instructions. By diligently moving through each
exercise, taking time to understand what is being done and to memorize the
sequences, one quickly develops a skill equal to that required for simple
route planning.
As a final test, to monitor dynamic functioning of the GPS unit, a 5-mile
trip from my home on the outskirts of town to the city center, was planned.
Although the computer selected the most direct route, because of numerous
traffic control lights and heavy traffic, it was by far the slowest and most
fuel-consuming route. Nevertheless, the GPS locked in almost instantly and
did track my position from start to finish.
All in all MapPoint 2006 can be a valuable asset to anyone whose job entails
integrating business matters with geographic location. The simple route
tracking function is useful but dangerous. Spending too much time watching
a cursor move along a previously defined track while driving a vehicle would
be a foolhardy stunt. GPS is a capability to be used very judiciously.
Microsoft MapPoint 2006 with GPS locator:
List price: $349. Street price: $213 - $310.
Available from Microsoft and computer stores.
Also available is the book MapPoint for Dummies, $20.
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