THE SOUNDBOARD
KEEPING
PACE IN CYBERSPACE
Heritage Village Computer
Club
NOVEMBER 2003
DECEMBER
Monthly Meeting
CLICK ON THIS LINK
FOR UP-TO-DATE MEETING INFO:
http://www.hvcomputerclub.org/news.html
EVERYONE
WELCOME, BRING A FRIEND
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
WINDOWS 98 SUPPORT CENTER
In accordance with the Microsoft
Product Support Lifecycle, no-charge support for Windows 98 ended on July 1,
2003. Paid-only support will continue
to be available from Microsoft at $35 per incident. Support will also be available from some third party
providers. Microsoft will also continue
to offer a variety of self-help resources on the Product Support
Services Web
site until at least January 16, 2006, two years after phone support for Windows
98 ends on January 16, 2004. These
resources include the Microsoft Knowledge
Base and Newsgroups.
It appears that sooner or later the upgrade to a new operating system will be inevitable. The following link will provide many more Microsoft links to answer your questions: This is not from a bogus Microsoft email; it is a legitimate web site.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;w98
I regularly receive emails from zdnet.com and these emails are so helpful for me when writing this newsletter because they are chock full of great articles about new software. The latest email included a link to the website and the article that caught my attention was written by Jason Parker: Contributing Editor, Downloads;
from Anchordesk,
located at http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/AnchorDesk/.
Thursday, November 6, 2003.
I was
particularly interested in the painting programs that he recommended “...apps that can help you create artwork that looks really good, even if
you have no artistic talent. Despite
their relative ease of use, these downloads also offer features--from
customized brush types to the ability to work in 3-D-- that other paint
programs don't. When you're finished
creating, you can use your art for your desktop, signs, CD cases, T-shirts, or,
yes, even something practical at work.”
Need to make art for work or play? Check out these programs. They'll help you out whether you're an
experienced artist or a novice.
HIS
RECOMMENDATIONS:
PIXARRA
SKETCHBOOK 2.4
NEW; Publisher: Pixarra -- (Shareware/Windows)
File size: 1.29MB; download the Demo from the website.
License: Free to try (DEMO); $49.95 to buy FULL VERSION
Minimum requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP
Uninstaller included?: Yes
Limitations: 15-day trial
Screenshot: View
screenshot
Publisher's Description:
Artist paint software with realistic
natural brushes plus wild effects.
Software for artists without the complexity of other art programs. Oil paint feels thick with color. Airbrushes feather their spray the further
they are from the page. A variety of
blenders range from dry dust to wet to semi dry smudging. Chalk and charcoal are chalky. Oil pastels mix and smear. When you need something unique use the
random brush generation feature for creation of an unlimited number of brush
effects. Pixarra Sketchbook has a high
performance-rendering engine with a full 64-bit color precision. This allows for ultra-smooth blends and
working with frequent screen updates to give the feel of real media. The work flow is similar to that of a
sketchbook, moving from page to page is just one click away so you can capture
ideas quickly without slowing down to manually save the file, this is taken
care of for you.
File size: 11.2MB;
download the Demo from the website.
License: Free to try (DEMO); $399.00 to buy FULL VERSION
Minimum requirements: Windows
95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP
Uninstaller included?: No
Publisher's Description:
ZBrush is a blend of traditional and
innovative tools that let you create complex, high-quality graphics while
expressing yourself quickly and effortlessly.
It gives you instant feedback, and your images render in real time. It is also great for storyboarding and
conceptualization, and it is powerful enough to polish and process your work to
perfection. Intuitive, easy-to-learn,
and very powerful, ZBrush will inspire you to create multifaceted, vibrant
images, whether you're a beginner or professional. ZBrush's unique combination of 2D and 3D capabilities yields
impressive results without putting you through a painful learning curve. In v1.55, users are able to create both high
and low-polygon meshes with UV coordinates automatically assigned thanks to the
use of the ZSphere modeling tool. The
ZSphere modeler is a powerful tool for building 3D meshes. It enables you to construct a skeletal shape
around which a skin can be stretched, forming a mesh object. The mesh can be textured with TextureMaster
(part of Pixologic's ZScript utility, introduced earlier this year) and
incorporate into a ZBrush composition.
The low-polygon meshes can also be exported to other modeling and
animation programs, or used in real-time applications such as game development.
Mystica
(Shareware/Windows); Publisher: dawntec
File size: 4.1MB
License: Free to try (DEMO); $19.95 to buy FULL VERSION
Minimum requirements: Windows
95/98/Me/2000/XP
Uninstaller included?: Yes
Limitations: 30-day
trial -- download from website
Screenshot: View screenshot
Publisher's Description:
Mystica features an extensive effect section for all image sources and a built-in 3D engine to fly, walk or drive through your created worlds. All images are exportable in all major graphics formats.
FRAUDULENT EMAIL RECEIVED FROM CITIBANK
& THEIR RESPONSE TO ME
A fraudulent Citibank email was recently received by me. In this email, “Citibank” asked for some very personal information (see below) and to open an attachment, fill in the form, & submit it (No, I did not open the attachment, whew!). I immediately was extremely concerned about a reputable institution requesting such details by email, rather than by a letter to me, so I went to the Citibank website and found a place to report these frauds (Contacts). My own email to them was sent out, reporting the fraud, and the response follows. I hope that anyone reading this has not been duped by this or any other fraudulent email that requests such personal information.
Subject: Citibank Email Verification
Reply-To: autoreply.iewa@citicorp.com
From: autoreply.iewa@citicorp.com
To: scottie2@att.net
Dear DIANA SCOTT
Thank you for your message regarding receiving an Email asking for any or all of the following information:
Citibanking Card and PIN Number/ATM/Debit
Card expiration date
Drivers license number
Social security number
Citibanking Card CVV number
Mother's maiden name
Date of birth
The email you received is a fraud Email and it is not an official communication from Citibank. We strongly recommend that you delete the Email and should not attempt to reply to the message or open the attachment.
Citibank is aggressively investigating this fraudulent Email that has been sent to numerous Email addresses. Citibank is also working with law enforcement on the issue. However, if you did open the attachment, we recommend that you run your virus protection software. You may need to download an updated version of the Anti-Virus Software from your vendor. We advise that you change all Passwords used online, after your Anti-Virus Software has certified that all malicious programs have been cleared from your system. You can contact your local technical support for options on removing the malicious program if you did open the attachment and do not have an Anti-Virus Software. We recommend that you not log on to any site that requires a User ID and Password until the system is cleaned. You should also change any Passwords which you have entered online after opening the attachment. These changes will need to be performed with the institution and not online. You can forward the fraud Email to hatsu1@aol.com.
If you have further questions concerning Myciti.com, please send another email or call us at 1-800-374-9700 and we will be happy to assist you. Thank you for using MyCiti.com, Mary
KIM KOMANDO
http://www.komando.com/index.asp
This page is for those without visual impairments.
http://www.komando.com/text_links.html
This page has been designed to assist those with visual impairments. However, the links on the page do not
necessarily take you to other Large Text pages.
If you want to learn more about Kim Komando, click on one of the links, above. There are plenty of good tips for computer users. Here is an example:
Question:
I have way too many people who send me jokes, Internet chain letters, Web sites they like, hoaxes and just about everything else under the sun.
Answer:
1. Change your e-mail address
OR
2. Write them a note that says something like this:
"Thank you so much for including me on your list but I am overwhelmed by e-mail. So if you could please take me off the list, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
OR
3. Send the person a fake bounced mail message:
Reply To:
a. Type "INVALID ADDRESS" in the SUBJECT
b. Type the following in the BODY of the e-mail message:
"MAILER DAEMON: "!! RETURN TO SENDER !!"
"(Put your e-mail address here) IS NOT A VALID ADDRESS!" "Please update your database or address book accordingly."
I have not tried this so I do not know if any of this works. I prefer the DELETE key as a speedy alternative.
After closing its doors in 2001 following an expensive bout with the RIAA, Napster is back--and now it's legit. The new Napster, now owned by software company Roxio, runs in part on technology leveraged from Roxio's other recently acquired property, veteran music subscription service Pressplay. Read our review to find out what's changed and what's stayed the same.
NEWS: WEEK IN
REVIEW: FOCUS ON THE OS
Operating systems took center stage this week, as Microsoft trotted out Longhorn, Apple fended off some OS X criticism, and Linux got a boost. You'll find everything you've ever wanted to know about these systems in CNET News.com's news roundup.
REVIEW: PINNACLE STUDIO MOVIEBOX DV
Anyone who's tried to transfer a movie from VHS to DVD knows that video capture can be a game of trade-offs. Unless you're working with an impeccable source, you'll end up with lost frames, out-of-sync audio, and other unseemly flaws. Pinnacle Studio's versatile MovieBox DV seeks to mitigate the damage. Find out if it succeeds in our review.
Artist Moves from
Traditional Crafts to Digital Art
Diane Cipollo
has moved away from the traditional form of crafting that usually involves
paints, glue guns, and sewing machines and has combined her two passions in
life-computers and crafting with the help of Paint Shop Pro. Diane’s web site, Crafters on the Web™, provides a column
about digital art and design for BellaOnline where she shares project ideas,
tutorials and tips for crafters. Her
columns include showing readers how to create an e-card, greeting cards, and
how to draw a nine-patch quilt square. "People just love the projects," she
said. "They especially love the
tutorials where they have something to print out at the end." Cipollo also uses her column to introduce
people to digital art, encouraging people to try different things with Paint
Shop Pro.
Learn more about how Cipollo
uses Paint Shop Pro in her crafting and see examples of her work on Jasc.com.
Show us (Jasc Paint Shop Pro contact)
how you've used Paint Shop Pro or Paint Shop Photo Album to create holiday
cards, crafts, or special photos and you could be featured in next month's Jasc
Newsletter.
EMAIL SUBJECT LINES:
DELETE IMMEDIATELY.
Here is a sample of one day’s worth of spam emails that I received. I don’t bother opening any of these, but before I delete these, I usually have a thought about each, which I printed in italics beside the “Subject”. Sometimes it just makes it funny instead of so aggravating. I’m not exactly sure why these spammers feel such a need to make contact with strangers (you and me).
SUBJECT LINE MY THOUGHTS:
·
Click here to see photos of single.........Nope, not
interested in pictures of strangers.
· I want to go out win you!.....................I do not want to go out WIN you.
· Sometimes i just get bored of the.........then get off the computer & do something meaningful with your life.
· I take on public challenges...are...........try this challenge: stop spamming
· Qdaya mfeudi......................................I don’t know this language
· Get $50 in savings on brand name c....Why, so you can keep spamming me?
· Bad credit, no problem........................Yeah, like you can fix it??
· .’’the na:tio’na,li_nfr*ast’ru’ct............ trying to bypass my message blocker?
· Diana, i’ll put your ad on 2.5 mill......Uh, no you will not!
· Praises aeneid.....................................you’re telling me this because????
· Your credit is confirmed....................you do not know anything about my credit.
· RE: did we meet on IRC?..................No, we did not.
·
Re: Why are you always offline?......Because I’m
trying to avoid you, whoever you are?
· You need to know alternative ways!....No I don’t need to know from you.
· Coming up with new ideas is hard.....like you have any new ideas.
· He’ll make your idea a MEGA success.......I’ll make my own mega success, thanks anyway.
· Lets get it straight................................No, let’s not
· Get Budget Living Magazine and a D.....Don’t want your magazine.
· Its too loud!.........................................Then shut it off.
· ‘all_gener:ic d’rugs.for c.hea;p...........Someone from another country?
· it wasn’m me DIANA.........................huh? Who cares?
MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD: http://www.hvcomputerclub.org/officer.html
SOUNDBOARD CONTRIBUTIONS: theweb@snet.net
CLASSES, MEETINGS, EVENTS: http://www.supercalendar.com/view.php?a=893
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
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