THE SOUNDBOARD
KEEPING PACE IN CYBERSPACE
Heritage Village Computer Club http://www.hvcomputerclub.org
Monthly Meeting
Heritage Hall
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
"Writing & Playing
New Music; for non-musicians"
Presented by N. Dale
Bryant
EVERYONE WELCOME,
BRING A FRIEND
PC Expo
September 17th
Must register via the internet at www.techxny.com ASAP.
HVCC is an education organization for the purposes of
registration.
Signup code is MLCTX. Register from home or from The Web
during Open House.
Make check out to ‘HVCC’ for bus fare.
Sign-up at Activities Desk
Round-trip Fare: $17.50 per person
Bus leaves Village at 8:00 a.m.
Bus leaves NYC at 3:30 p.m.
Lots of walking involved!!
HANGING IT UP
(“RETIRING”) THIS SUMMER?
For some people, a summer vacation isn't vacation enough; lots of people choose the summer months to retire.
If you're thinking of "hanging it up" this summer, applying for Social Security is probably on your "to do" list. If that's the case, the SSA suggests you apply for benefits online! If you'd like to make an appointment to apply over the phone or to visit the nearest Social Security office. But why not just sit down at your PC and fill out the application in the comfort of your own home? Once you've completed the form, all you do is print it out, sign it and mail it along with certified copies of the documents needed (such as your birth certificate and W-2 form or tax return from last year). To plan your retirement this summer, visit the Retirement and Medicare page.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/r&m1.htm
COMMODORE 64 MAKES A COMEBACK
Popular computers, games from the 1980s will be re-launched.
David Legard, IDG News Service, Monday, July 14, 2003
Tulip Computers, which owns the Commodore brand name, plans to re-launch the brand to take advantage in an upsurge of interest in the obsolete Commodore 64 (C64) computer and its 1980s-era games.
Tulip estimates that there are still 6 million Commodore users, who can choose from a range of 6,000 games which were developed for the system. Tulip is working with Ironstone Partners, which will handle all sales of Commodore 64-related products worldwide and take over the main C64 Web portal. Enthusiasts have made over 10 million game downloads, the site owners have said. Unauthorized use of the Commodore name by other organizations will be stopped, Tulip said in the statement. Even if the Commodore 64 hardware is obsolete, enthusiasts have written emulators for Windows PCs and now PocketPC-based PDAs to enable original Commodore games to run on those systems. Commodore was one of the pioneers of the PC industry, entering the market in 1977 with its 8-bit PET (Personal Electronic Transactor). The C64 was launched in 1982, followed a few years later by the Amiga. Slowly, the crucial graphics edge that these systems enjoyed was eroded by successive improvements in Microsoft's Windows OS, and Commodore went into liquidation in 1994. Tulip, based in Amersfoort, Netherlands, bought the Commodore brand name and other assets in 1997.
WINDOWS XP REVISITED
PC World recommends a web site that contains many Windows XP tips and tools. Upon visiting the site you will find a Newsletter Sign-up topping a list of the day’s reviews. Some that appeared on the pages I visited are ‘Bad CD repair”--allows you to copy files from bad CD or HDD; “Ad-aware v.6.181”--an award winning, free multi adware (spyware) removal utility; “Hotkey control XP”--customize windows hotkeys for specific purposes, freeware; “Spam CSI”--updated v.4.7 Crime Scene Investigator treats Spam like criminals; “Error Messages for Windows”--allow you to look up MS Windows error code; “Logon Studio”--allows WinXP users to edit, change, & apply new logon screens; “Protected Storage Pass View”--freeware utility, reveals passwords stored on your computer; “Online Recorder”--lets you know what other people type on your computer.
But there is much more than this. The left-side frame lists a large menu of helpful Win XP links: Software review, Basics for beginners, updates and add-ons, Fix Internet Connection, Tweaking tips, Support tools, Logon tips, Starting errors, Sharing a PC tips, File sharing Program. It appears to be quite extensive and worth a look. I bookmarked the site for future reference and recommend that you do the same if you have Windows XP or are thinking of upgrading.
UPI PHOTOS
This UPI web site, one of the earliest wire services to include photos, contains thousands of memorable photographs captured daily by UPI's global network of photographers. The photographs are available for license. For those interested in subscribing to the photo service, in single purchases, for general information regarding UPI photos taken after 1996, if you are a photographer and wish to work with UPI, there are links to contact for these services. UPI has a growing online archive of over 115,000 images created since 1996 and is adding around 1,200 images each month. For inquiries regarding photo research of UPI's physical photo archives pre-1996, you are advised to contact the UPI Photo Archivist.
The UPI photo database can be used searching for keywords and/or dates. I entered several keywords and got more than I wanted. For example, after entering the word “volcano”, most of the pictures that appeared were of actors in a movie of the same name, and very few pictures of volcanoes. One nice feature is the ability to change the page presentation by clicking on little icons on the bottom of the page. One of the icons will give a page of pictures only, one of the icons will show text, and the other icons give a combination of pictures, links, and text. Very clever.
http://www.upi.com/photos/index.cfm
DISC CLEANER (the hard disc / “C” drive; NOT the removable CD )
PC World.com and
Lockergnome.com picks CM DiskCleaner v1.0.0.3 [4.3M] W98/2k/XP FREE
Disk cleanup--“DiskCleaner helps free up more space on your computer by finding
and deleting garbage files. Windows
(and most applications) create temporary files while running, but these files
are rarely deleted after use. These
files vary in size, waste disk space, and slow down applications. CM DiskCleaner searches for garbage files
(trash left by programs), invalid shortcuts, and zero byte files. When deleting files, they can be deleted
(and restored using backup), sent to the Recycle Bin, or erased (and can't be
restored).”
Requirements: Pentium 166; win98/ME/2000 and XP; 15
MB of free disk space; 32 RAM
The site offers “screenshots” so you can see what you are getting. They also list the awards received and the list is unusually impressive, because most “site” awards don’t impress me that much but these are coming from some knowledgeable sites. The application also supplies updates and the next one is coming in August, 2003. Only one precaution that I can see. The FAQ page lists a problem (the only one) with downloading onto some Win 95 operating systems.
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE COMPARISONS
After reading
about all that the different anti-virus software packages have to offer, I made
my choice. Only then did I find this
article (pcworld.com link below)
comparing the most popular and most efficient.
When I bought my computer over 3 years ago, McAfee was
pre-installed. I was having some
difficulty with the application and some other downloaded software
incompatibility and on the advice of knowledgeable friends changed to
Norton. Recently trying to upgrade my
Norton to add a firewall feature, I purchased the downloaded version that came
with a discounted price. The download
did not work at all, so I uninstalled it and reinstalled it and uninstalled it
again. Finally, I started searching the
Internet message boards for help.
PC-cillin 2003 came highly recommended, a visit to their website offered
either a CD or download, and a discounted price with a rebate it either McAfee
or Norton was previously installed. A
bargain, I thought. I basically got the
CD for about $4.00 after discount and rebate.
Plus, every so often I would use Pc-cillin from the http://www.hvcomputerclub.org web site as backup to what I already had.
So, here are some comparisons on the whole scene of antivirus software and you can make your choices according to whatever plan you wish.
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,110654,tk,wb060203x,00.asp
The CHART:
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,110654,pg,3,00.asp
CUT AND PASTE
To paste only text from a Web page into MS Word, after doing the CTRL+C bit to copy to your clipboard (or right click and select Copy), you'll need to tell Word to paste the text without graphics. You do this by clicking on EDIT; choose PASTE SPECIAL, selecting UNFORMATTED TEXT and OK.
If you would like a one-key approach to pasting clipboard contents in Microsoft Word, go to TOOLS|OPTIONS and the EDIT tab. There, place a check mark at "Use The INS Key For Paste" and OK. Thereafter, highlight the words, then CTRL+C (or EDIT/COPY or right click and select COPY), and then press the INS or INSERT key to insert copied material at the cursor location. The INSERT key on your keyboard is in a group of six keys: “HOME” “PAGE UP”, “PAGE DOWN”, “DELETE”, AND “END”.
INTERNET FRAUD CONTINUES TO RISE
The FBI’s Internet Fraud Complaint Center reports that in one year Internet fraud tripled. Auctions and email solicitations head the list. According to the 2002 Internet Fraud Report, $54 million was lost due to Internet Fraud. People are still “falling” for the Nigerian letter and various versions that have appeared in emails around the world, with a 500 percent increase over 2001. Regarding Auction fraud, according to the report more than 300 people lost a total of more than $800,000 to a Worcester, Massachusetts woman, Teresa Smith, who sold computers through Internet auctions but never delivered the merchandise. Smith, who used a number of identities to defraud her victims, pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of mail fraud and five counts of wire fraud. She could face up to five years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. Identity theft has risen from Internet & email scams. Another email scam seemingly comes from a legitimate bank but is actually set up to convince you to give your name, social security number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, etc. Bank of America and Paypal.com have also been victims of this scam and have sent emails to their customers with the warning to be cautious. If you receive any of these emails and you didn’t ask for it directly from your bank establishment, caution is primary. Many emails are asking for money for a specific charity. If you wish to donate to a charity, go to their website and find out all you can before sending money to an unidentified and unverified address.
FINANCIAL
AND ESTATE PLANNING WITH A TWIST
Free weekly tips are brought to you by ihatefinancialplanning.com, a web site for everyone who loves money but hates to plan. Explore topics, ask questions, find answers, set goals, get organized, run numbers and take control. All while having fun! They also offer estate planning tips and suggest what documents are needed. My subscription to the newsletter ensures that I won’t forget to visit their site and the advice is always welcome. One of the web sites that they provide a link to is http://www.nolo.com/ This site is “everyday law for everyday people”. Certainly worth a visit.
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR!
Do you know what film was in the theater when you were born? Click on a year below to find out..... This is really interesting.
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
More about the film industry here: http://www.filmsite.org
WINDOWS
XP NEW JOISEY EDITION
This note is for youse guys outside the Garden State -
Dear Consumas:
It has come ta our attention dat a cupola copies of the Windows XP New Joisey Edition may have been shipped outsida Joisey. If ya got one a dese, youse may need some help unnerstanin da commands.
Da Joisey edition may be recognized by da unique openin' screen. It reads: "Windas XP", wit a background pitcha a Hoboken. When youse start da program, instead a da usual stringy like music, you hear a little Springsteen. It's also shipped wit a Sopranos screen sava.
Please also note:
· Recycle bin is labeled "Newark"
· My Computer is called "My Friggin' Computa"
· The Inbox is referred to as "Da Trunk"
· Deleted items are referred to as "Wacked", "Erased" or "Rubbed Out"
· Control Panel is known as "The Bosses"
·
Performing an "illegal operation" is
known as "Enhancin' da Family Business" and will actually maximize da
program instead a shuttin' it down
· Hard Drive is referred to as "Da Turnpike on Da Way to Da Shore"
· Instead of an error message, "You Ain't Gonna Friggin' Believe Dis'" pops up.
Changes in
Terminology in Da Joisey Edition:
OK........... Sure ting
Cancel....... Fugetaboudit
Reset......... Start ova
Yeah......... Yeas
No............ Nah
Find.......... Put a Contract Out On
Browse..... Get a Looksee
Back......... U-Toin
Help.......... Get Your Own Friggin' Ansa
Stop.......... Knock it Off
Start.......... Move it
Settings..... Here's da Rules
We regret any inconvenience it may have caused if you mistakenly got a copy of the Joisey Edition (not).
You may return it to Microsoft for a replacement version. You gotta problem wit dat?
AN
INTERNET PHONE BOOK
Looking up phone numbers is a cinch with
this website. The registration is free and allows for better results.
This site even gives phone numbers that
are registered as cell phones and the service under which the phone is being
used.
Quoted from their URL:
http://www.whitepages.com/ provides you with tools
to search for people, businesses, phone numbers, addresses and area/ZIP codes.
Our service features:
·
The
freshest free data available anywhere – 90 to 180 days old!
·
A
wide variety of searches – Reverse Addresses, International Country and City
Codes, 800 Numbers, etc.
·
Nation-wide
searches – only first and last names are needed for most searches.
·
Enhanced
search logic – recognizes common nicknames and spelling variations.
JOKE
SECTION:
Four retired guys are walking down the street. They turn a corner and see a sign that says "Old Timer's Bar -- ALL DRINKS 10 CENTS !” They look at each other, and then go in.
The old bartender says in a voice that carries across the room, "Come on in and let me pour one for you, what'll it be, Gentlemen?"
There seems to be a fully stocked bar, so the men all ask for a martini.
In short order, the bartender serves up 4 iced martinis -- and says, "That'll be 10 cents each, please."
They can't believe their good luck. They pay the 40 cents, finish their martinis, and order another round.
Again, four excellent martinis are produced with the bartender again saying, "That's 40 more cents, please."
They pay the 40 cents, but their curiosity is more than they can stand. They've each had two martinis and so far they've spent less than a dollar.
Finally one of the men couldn't stand it any longer and asks the bartender "How can you afford to serve martinis as good as these for a dime apiece?"
"Here's my story. I'm a retired tailor from Brooklyn, and I always wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the lottery for $25 million and decided to open this place.
Every drink costs a dime, wine, liquor, beer, all the same."
"Wow. That's quite a story,” says one of the men.
The four of them noticed three other guys at the end of the bar who didn't have a drink in front of them, and hadn't ordered anything the whole time they were there.
One man gestures at the three at the end of the bar without drinks and asks the bartender, "What's with them?"
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD: (Click Here)
SOUNDBOARD CONTRIBUTIONS:
scottie2@att.net
theweb@snet.net
CLASSES, MEETINGS, EVENTS: (Click Here)
HELPERS:
AutoCAD........ Ken Pelletier.................. 264-2310 Digital Camera........ Joe Franzino.......... 264-2922
MS Word........ Arnold Deutchman........ 267-7355 MS Word................. Joe
Franzino.......... 264-2922
MS Excel........ Diana Scott................... 264-2134 Paint Shop Pro........ Ken Pelletier.......... 264-2310
Publishing...... Joe Franzino................. 264-2922 Quicken................... Arnold Sail............. 264-2540
Scanning........ Joe Franzino................. 264-2922 WordPerfect........... Jean Van Loon 267-5397
Microsoft Policies on Software Distribution
Microsoft never distributes software directly via
e-mail.
Click
here to examine their policy on-line.