In this issue the following topics are addressed:
~~~ April 7, 2004 General Meeting
~~~ In the News
~~~ Worm and Virus Update
~~~ The News From Pasadena
~~~ Selected Software
~~~ Closing Humor
And now for the details
April 7, 2004 General Meeting
The next General Meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday, April 7 at the
West
Charleston Library. The meeting will follow the usual outline, beginning
with a round table discussion and Q's and A's with meeting
participants. The
meeting will begin at 6:15 p.m. with a short break at about 7:00 p.m.
followed by our main Program. This month, Robert Bartz of Network
Technology
Solutions will be speaking about wireless networking.
~~~ In the News
>From SANS
Security Improvements in Windows XP SP2 Could Break Some Applications
Microsoft wants software developers to test their code against the
upcoming
Windows XP Service Pack 2 beta; it contains security improvements that
could
prevent some applications from working correctly. Microsoft is
also
offering an online training course designed to educate developers about
the
implications of the changes. The Service Pack will also allow customers
to
opt in to automatic security updates.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,90849,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A29328-2004Mar4?language==printer
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/print.php/3322381
>From PC World
GOOGLE READIES FREE E-MAIL
Gmail service will offer 1GB of storage, built-in searching, and
antispam
tools.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115493,tk,dn040104X,00.asp
GATES TOUTS SECURITY PLAN
Rare e-mail to customers describes priorities, strategy.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115488,tk,dn040104X,00.asp
COURT REJECTS BAN ON DVD COPYING CODE
California man who posted DeCSS software online is protected by free
speech,
judges rule.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115021,tk,dn030104X,00.asp
Spam Slayer: Spam Weapons of Tomorrow
Internet firms turn to technology, not law, to fight the avalanche of
spam.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114995,tk,wb030104x,00.asp
Gates Previews Security Projects
Microsoft is enhancing Windows XP protection, pursuing biometric
options.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114916,tk,wb030104x,00.asp
DDR2 TAKES MEMORY TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Emerging memory technology set to rev gaming and multimedia PCs,
servers.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115031,tk,dn030204X,00.asp
NEXT FROM PARC: SMARTER, EASIER NETWORKS
Get ready for two-step wireless nets and a platform that lets
'incompatible'
gadgets share files.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115080,tk,dn030404X,00.asp
NVIDIA REVS GRAPHICS WITH DDR3 MEMORY
Chips based on new standard can run at up to 800 MHz.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115090,tk,dn030504X,00.asp
AMD READIES MOST POWERFUL DESKTOP CHIP YET
Athlon 64 FX-53 will appear in high-end PCs for gaming and digital video
editing.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115271,tk,dn031804X,00.asp
Product Review: Top 15 Desktop PCs
The fastest high-end PCs on our chart are powered by the latest Advanced
Micro Devices Athlon 64 chips, which beat out Intel this month. And
these
systems aren't just fast, they're loaded with goodies like 19-inch LCD
monitors, high-end audio components, and fast graphics cards optimized
for
gaming.
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,114733,tk,prx,00.asp
EARTHLINK TO TEST CALLER ID FOR E-MAIL
New systems could fight spam and Internet scams, company says.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115094,tk,dn030504X,00.asp
COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES SHAKE UP E-MAIL
How will rival authentication schemes change the way we communicate
online?
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115100,tk,dn030804X,00.asp
~~~ Worm and Virus Update
>From PC World
SPAM WARS RAGE
The new federal antispam law doesn't seem to be working. Will anything
stop
the e-mail onslaught?
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115002,tk,dn030804X,00.asp
BYE-BYE, POP-UPS. HELLO...?
Use of pop-ups wanes, but worse intrusions may be coming.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115026,tk,dn030804X,00.asp
MAJOR ISPS TEAM UP TO SUE SPAMMERS
AOL, Earthlink, Yahoo, and Microsoft file suit against hundreds of
alleged
spammers.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115142,tk,dn031004X,00.asp
~~~ The News From Pasadena
Steve Bass, book author and PC World Editor, sends along some helpful
Google
info.
Google has some glorious ways to search the Internet and you can find
them
all here:
http://www.google.com/help/features.html#number
But for a better spot, one that makes all the Google features
accessible,
try
http://www.soople.com
~~~ Selected Software
>From PC World
CDBurnerXP Pro
CDBurnerXP Pro can write to CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD+R/RW media. The program
lets you record data discs on the fly--no need to image the disc
beforehand.
You can record many popular audio formats--including MP3, OGG, and
WMA--on
the fly as well. And you can rip discs to your local hard drive. Note:
This
is beta software, and may be unstable. Free
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,23099,tk,hsx,00.asp
Mars Exploration Rovers Screensaver
This screen saver automatically downloads and displays the latest daily
status reports and image updates throughout the duration of the Rover
missions. The images and data come directly from NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. The screen saver doesn't display images properly on
dual-display
setups. Free
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,23156,tk,hsx,00.asp
Winuscon
Winuscon (short for Windows User Console) unearths many of Windows' most
useful features and sets them neatly on your desktop. Whether you want a
multipanel Internet browser, to run an Internet trace, or just to find
out
what time it is in Singapore, Winuscon has you covered. The main form is
divided into six areas: Menu, Internet, Internet Utilities, Office,
Accessories, and Settings. Free
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,23092,tk,hsx,00.asp
Winamp Full
This popular program saves playlists and equalizer settings, and it can
be
customized with special skins. In addition to playing CDs and most other
digital audio formats (.wav, .mid, .mod), it has a spectrum analyzer and
oscilloscope that jumps and dips with the rhythm of the music. Winamp
also
has a minibrowser that lets you view biographies and photos, and you can
sign up for 3GB of free Internet music storage. Integrated Internet TV
and
radio round out the functions. Free
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,5556,tk,hsx,00.asp
WinPatrol
WinPatrol gives you greater control over what gets permission to run on
your
machine. You can set it to display additional information about Startup
programs, and approve any programs set to autorun. You'll also be
alerted
when new cookies are added to your system, and see what information is
being
stored there. This latest version monitors the list of scheduled tasks
on
your system to make sure nothing is scheduled without your permission.
It
also creates individual sounds for WinPatrol events or alerts. Free
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22728,tk,hsx,00.asp
MyUninstaller
This utility gives you more data than does the Windows uninstaller,
helping
you make an informed decision. It tells you the product name and
company,
its location, the version number, whether the program is obsolete, and
more
points that help you decide whether to uninstall an app. It lets you
save a
list of installed applications as a text file or HTML file so you can
keep a
record of what's on your system. Free
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,23025,tk,hsx,00.asp
AVIcodec
Sometimes you can't play the video file you want to watch because your
PC is
missing some codec or other. AVIcodec checks your system to let you know
what codecs you need to play the file, and where you can find them. It
recognizes the following file types: AVI, ASF & WMV, Real (.rm,
.rmvb), Ogg
(.ogg, .ogm), MPEG-(S)VCD-DVD (.mpg, .vob), MP3, andall file types
handled by DirectShow. AVIcodec can be accessed from the contextual
menu in Explorer. You can export all the information it finds toanother
file, so you'll know exactly what you were missing. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/27497/8819205/237855/0/
>From LockerGnome
DateLens [3.5M] Win2k/XP FREE
http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/datelens/
{Zoom in / out on Outlook's calendar} The main application didn't work
for
me from within Outlook (I have a few plug-ins / add-ins that could be
interfering), so I had to download the stand-alone application per the
instructions and when opening the application, it imports the
appointments
from Outlook. What makes this application different is that it provides
a
fisheye representation of dates as it is called. Just click on the days,
months, icons, to zoom in / out of the calendar. If you're already using
Outlook, this is a great add-on feature. It also has a Pocket PC
version,
but it's not free and it supports Tablet PC's Ink. Requires .Net
framework
v1.1 and Outlook.
NetMeter v0.9.9.9b [600k] Win9x/2k/XP FREE
http://readerror.gmxhome.de
Watch a little monitor to see the connection speed. NetMeter includes
reports with totals, project, daily, weekly, and monthly data for
upload,
download, and both. The bars in the graph as well as the system tray
icon
(up and down arrows where up represents upload and down... you got it,
download) are color-coded for easy referencing indicating a fast or slow
connection. If nothing else, enjoy the pretty little graphs.
GanttProject v1.9.10 [3.8M] Win9x/2k/XP FREE
http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net/download.php
A Java-based program, GanttProject is a good substitute for Microsoft
Project. It may have fewer features, but sometimes simple is better. Add
resources, tasks, milestones, and link / unlink tasks. Having used MS
Project, the learning curve for GanttProject was practically nil. Those
who
haven't crossed paths with MS Project should have an easier time
learning
GanttProject than MS Project. The interface is sharp-dressed and easy
on the
eyes.
KeePass v0.92a [300K] Win9x/2k/XP FREE
http://keepass.sourceforge.net
Passwords are stored in an encrypted database using AES/Rijndael
ecrypted,
SHA-256 (as password hash). For organized freaks, the program supports
groups for easy password sorting. It comes with a password generator, a
search feature, and copying information to the Windows clipboard.
KeePass
doesn't install anything into the Windows environment or the
registries. The
settings are stored in a file in the same directory of the executable
and
lists can be exported to txt, html, xml, or csv files as well as
printed.
Nice and simple utility that can even be translated to other languages.
CutePDF Writer v2.1 [1075K] Win98/2k/XP FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=7763
CutePDF Writer allows you to convert any printable document to PDF
format.
It installs as a virtual printer and is available from any application
that
offers a `Print` option. The program is easy to use; just select the
CutePDF
printer and click the print button. Some advanced options are also
available
(scaling, multi-page layouts, print quality, and more). Unlike most
other
free PDF creators, this one does not insert any watermarks at all -
however,
it depends on the install of a free converter - which can be easily
downloaded and installed. If you are looking for easy, no hassle
conversion
to PDF format, you should give this one a try!
DVD Shrink v3.1.6 [800K] Win9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.dvdshrink.org/what.html
{Back up DVDs} CDs can't be shrunk like Shrinky Dinks using DVD Shrink.
Doom9, Mr. Bass, and DVDR Digest offer excellent guides to DVD Shrink,
so
you can start backing up DVD discs and even use the program with your
DVD
burning software.
Outlook Express Quick Backup v2.9 [2.6M] Win98/2k/XP OE 5+ FREE
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
We've previously talked about how you can back up your Outlook Express
files
by manually searching for the entry folder in the chasms of Windows.
This
process may have been a little too tedious for some of you. Thankfully,
the
Outlook Express Quick Backup software is ready to come to our aid in
greatly
simplifying the process. All you have to do is select an existing
folder for
the backup files to be transferred to, and then click the Complete
Backup
button. That's all there is to it. You now have a folder with your
address
book, message files, etc., that is ready to be transported to a CD or
any
other source.
CCleaner v1.06.050 [285K] Win98/2k/XP FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=7807
Crap Cleaner (CCleaner) is a tool to clean your system from temporary
and
unnecessary files that accumulate over time. This also includes rather
thorough cleaning of Internet and PC usage tracks like browser cache,
recently used files, Web sites visited, and more. You can select the
items
that you want cleaned, and also specify cookies that should not be
deleted.
In addition, the program comes with a registry scanner that scans for
invalid references (advanced users) and options to start cleaning
automatically or from the command line.
Argali White & Yellow [5.9M] Win98/2k/XP FREE
http://www.argali.com/
We have talked about finding information about people (addresses,
e-mail)
through the Web, but I have received several recommendations from
Gnomies
about a software solution. Welcome to Argali. Argali searches multiple
directories at once to give you effective results. You can search for
individual and business phone numbers, e-mail and street addresses,
area and
ZIP codes, and even the weather for a specific area. Once you find who /
what you are looking for, you can have a MapQuest map displayed of the
exact
location. After being satisfied with the information, the results can
then
be saved into a handy dandy file. This is a very comprehensive program,
folks. There are a rather large amount of ads present, but from my own
tests
and assurance from the developer, there should be no traces of spyware.
Rocket.Time [1M] Win9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.rocketsoftware.com/portfolio/rockettime/free.htm
If the correct time is a precious commodity to you, download
Rocket.Time.
The application will check your PC clock to ensure that it is set at the
exact time. Rocket.Time uses atomic time servers on the Internet for the
correct data. You can set the program to verify the time automatically,
or
you can schedule when you want this action to take place.
~~~ Closing Humor
A list similar to this was included about a year ago. This list has
several
additions and changes, besides if your over 50 you won’t remember it
anyway.
The Perks of Being Over 50
1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2. In a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run anywhere.
4. People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat dinner at 4 PM.
9. You can live without sex, but not without your glasses.
10. You enjoy hearing about other peoples' operations.
11. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
12. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
13. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into
the
room.
14. You sing along with elevator music.
15. Your eyes won't get much worse.
16. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
17. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the weather
service.
18. Your secrets are safe with your friends, because they can't remember
them either.
19. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
20. You can't remember who sent you this list.
See you soon! The information in this bulletin is compiled from a
variety of
public sources. Replies or comments should be sent to:
newsbytes@lvpcug.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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