Do you think spreadsheets are only for crunching numbers? How wrong you are! Think again! Come to this meeting and discover other uses for spreadsheets. Club members will demonstrate how they use spreadsheets. I use one to maintain the address list of club members for printing labels for the Soundboard. Others will show how to catalog personal collections (stamps, coins, orchids) as well as to record household possessions. A spreadsheet also works well for maintaining a stock portfolio. Perhaps you are dealing with a data or record problem that may be resolved at this meeting. Come and find out.

Classroom Helpers

The Computer Club has many areas that need volunteers. Our teachers need classroom helpers. All that is required is that you have completed Computing I, are comfortable with the mouse and have a basic knowledge of computer terminology. Helping in the classroom is a great way to learn more while performing a much appreciated service for teacher and student. Call me with any questions you may have or make yourself available. Jean Van Loon 267-5397 or jeanhvl@aol.com.

Librarian

A librarian is needed to maintain the teaching handbook. This handbook contains the materials used for teaching. The Librarian would assume the responsibility for seeing that a teacher is given the lesson plans and homework assignments needed to teach a course. Conceivably, the notebook could be maintained from the home of the Librarian. If you have questions about this assignment or are available, e-mail Jeannette Mittelsdorf at a.j.mittelsdorf@snet.net or call her at 262-8496.

Website Assistance

You need not be a computer wizard to help with the Website. And you certainly can help without being skilled in HTML, the language of web creation. Webmaster, Ken Pelletier, is seeking help in preparing text on various subjects, such as a description of a specific Heritage Village Club and its activities. Or perhaps you can offer a better way to present text already in place. Remember that this site is for the entire Village, not just the Computer Club. Check out the site: www.heritagevillage.org

In addition, Ken needs volunteers with an artistic bent with a talent for or interest in the creative layout of material. The Web Design Committee meets in "The Web" each Tuesday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00PM. Drop by and test the waters or call Ken at 264-2310.

The program named "AtomicTime98" will connect you to the Atomic Clock time server in Boulder, Colorado and obtain the current atomic clock time value. It compares this value to your PC time and displays the difference. You then have the option of updating your PC clock to exactly match the atomic clock value. You can't get much closer than that for time accuracy.

The way you obtain the program is to get on the Internet using your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape or AOL) and type in the URL address box, www.atomtime.com and the "AtomTime98" page will be displayed. Click on the "Download" button in the upper left side of the screen and click on the download site "AtomTime98 v2.1b" download via FTP from AtomTime server" located about 6 lines down from the top of the page. A window will appear asking you if you want to run this program from its current location or save this program to disk. Click the radio button "save this program to disk" and then click the "OK" button and look to see what file it will download the program to. The name of the program is "atmtm21b.exe" so if you can't remember where it is, you can always do a Find on "atmtm21b.exe" (without the quotation marks) and locate it. The program is only 478 KB which is quite small and will take several minutes to download.

Once you have downloaded the program, start "Windows Explorer" and go to the file that has the program in it. Double click the file "atmtm21b.exe" (the .exe stands for "executable") and start the installation. Follow the directions and the program will be installed. Next, get on the Internet and start the AtomicTime98 program and click the "Check" button to see how far off the time your computer's clock is to the Atomic Clock. Click the "Adjust" button and your computer will now be synchronized to the Atomic Clock. You may have to click the "Adjust" button several times if your computer's clock is way out of sync.

You now have just eliminated an excuse for the next time you're late. Oh,oh!                       Walter Fair

What does ScanDisk scan?

ScanDisk is a built-in utility that Windows uses to find and fix problems with your computer's hardware. It can help spot errors on your hard drive, disk drives and memory components. If you have a system crash or your computer is turned off before the "shut down" function is invoked, you may get a message from ScanDisk expressing concern the next time you start up.

Although it is not apparent to the user, one file can actually be spread out around the hard drive in different blocks, called clusters. The computer keeps track of where all the parts of files are with what is call a file-allocation-table, or FAT. Problems can arise if the file allocation tables are not updated or clusters on your disk are lost. A problem called cross-linked files can also occur, if the computer thinks that two files are stored in the same place on the hard drive. ScanDisk can fix these problems.

ScanDisk looks for a number of different things when it is examining your system. There are two kinds of tests it can perform. The Thorough option will search for cross-linked and lost parts of files and check the physical surface of your hard drive for bad sectors. The Standard option will just look for cross-linked and lost files.

If you don't want to know exactly what is wrong with your system (and I am not sure I care or would understand it), you can check the appropriate box at the bottom of the ScanDisk screen to have the program automatically fix any errors it finds.

Even if your computer does not crash a lot, running ScanDisk periodically is a good habit to get into for preventive maintenance. One way to get to Scan Disk is to go to Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk.

We have a healthcare crisis on our hands. The question on everyone's mind is: what are we going to do about it? There are no quick or easy fixes, but the application of technology to the delivery of healthcare is showing significant promise. Healthcare is a complex business. Today every encounter between a doctor and a patient generates more than a dozen new pieces of paper, and it takes at least five different forms to issue a drug prescription. All this complexity means that doctors and nurses often spend nearly as much time filling out paperwork as they do caring for patients.

At the Cleveland Clinic Florida, in Fort Lauderdale, doctors issue prescriptions using handheld PCs and a software program from Parkstone Medical Information Systems. The system allows doctors to check for adverse drug reactions and to verify insurance information with the touch of a stylus - increasing efficiency, reducing the chance of error, and leaving them free to spend more time with patients.

Thanks to smart software and the Internet, healthcare providers in remote areas now have access to the top specialists. For example, stroke patients must receive specialized care as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival and rehabilitation. In utilizing "telemedicine" solutions, attending physicians can get in touch with stroke specialists anywhere in the world, day or night, to share their knowledge and examine patients remotely - vastly increasing the chances of a swift recovery.

Technology can also improve healthcare by streamlining medical record keeping - one of the more time-consuming and expensive aspects of the industry. By bringing together information that is often stored in many different places, and making it available to trusted parties, a patient's medical history, test results, allergic reactions and other information can be accessed more efficiently by everyone across the healthcare spectrum - from doctors to insurers to patients themselves. This reduces mistakes and can help healthcare professionals make better-informed decisions that improve the patient's quality of life.

Early experiments with paperless medical records have been very promising. Ohio State University Medical Center worked with Shared Medical Systems to develop a lifetime patient record that brings together everything from clinical data to billing information - all while safeguarding and improving patient privacy and security.

These are impressive examples, but we have only scratched the surface of the many ways technology can improve the delivery of healthcare. In the coming years, technology will bring specialized care and expertise to even the most remote and isolated parts of the world; doctors will be able to program pacemakers and other implanted devices remotely;: patients will be able to interact with the healthcare providers they need from any location, at any time; and individuals will have greater control over, and access to, their medical information. Microsoft is working with many companies and organizations in the healthcare industry to make this happen.
                                                                                                           Courtesy of Microsoft Corporation

Once you see a preview of the printed pages that the Web page will generate, you can use the Print command box to instruct your computer to print only the ones you want, ignoring blank or unnecessary pages.

If Internet Explorer shows you a Web page will print out five pages but the last one contains only legal reminders or links you do not need, just tell it to print pages one to four.

For those who use Netscape Navigator for Windows, there is a Print Preview under the File menu in at least Version 4.5 or later of the browser. You can download a copy of the current version of Netscape's browser by following links at www.netscape.com                                                                 NYT - J.D. Biersdorfer

Monthly Calendar: Changes occur, so please refer to Channel 3 or our Website to verify dates and times. In any event, visit our Website: www.heritagevillage.org/hvcc.html

S.O.S. - HVCC Help Line: Call Ken Pelletier 264-2310 or Bob Greene 264-9747.

Be sure your current E-mail address is sent to Gerry Schnutt: Gerrysc@aol.com or call him at 264-0423 and tell him you will volunteer for the telephone tree, which means making several calls a month.

The Board of Directors has been asked to clarify club policy regarding services involving computer problems. The names posted on page 5 are volunteers who will try to walk you through a computer problem that you may be experiencing. If that does not resolve the glitch, it is suggested that you bring the specifics of your problem to one of our Open Houses (Th 1-3PM and Fr 10:30-12:30). Members are encouraged to offer volunteer assistance when they are able. If none of these suggestions fixes the problem, your only recourse is to seek professional help. It is not the Club's policy to recommend professional computer technicians.