In this issue the following topics are addressed:

~~~ August 2004 General Meeting
~~~ In the News
~~~ Worm and Virus Update
~~~ The News From Pasadena
~~~ Selected Software
~~~ Closing Humor

And now for the details


~~~ August 4, 2004 General Meeting

The next General Meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday August 4, 2004 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, the LVPCUG will
present Sheri Paddock of BlueSquirrel who will give an overview of the
various products offered by them, including click2PDF, Snapture, Grab-a-site
and much more...
http://www.bluesquirrel.com/


~~~ In the News

>From the LVPCUG

Member Al Jackson sends along a helpful site for Windows XP assistance:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/

HP has free online classes in many mainstream apps. The classes rotate, and
usually have more than one level of expertise addressed.
http://www.hplearningcenter.com
-Jay K


>From PC World

AMOUNT OF SPAM STILL SKYROCKETING
CAN-SPAM law hasn't slowed the spread of unwanted e-mail.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/146102/8331229/516352/0/

HOW TRUSTWORTHY IS MICROSOFT'S COMPUTING?
Software giant's products remain the primary target for hackers.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/148705/8331229/516426/0/

TERRORISTS RELY ON TECH TOOLS
Web sites offer training, resources, communications for global movements,
researcher says.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/150278/8331229/516476/0/

ONE-THIRD OF SOFTWARE PIRATED
Industry group estimates 2003 losses at $29 billion worldwide.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/150278/8331229/516477/0/

AMD ADDS TO ITS MOBILE PROCESSOR LINEUP
Chips include one with 64-bit support and built-in antivirus protection.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/162035/8331229/538403/0/

GOOGLE GIVES AWAY DIGITAL PHOTO APP
Picasa's image management software is now available as a free download.
http://www.picasa.com/picasa/

SEAGATE WARRANTIES JUMP TO FIVE YEARS
New policy reverses trend, extends coverage of internal drives sold
separately.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/171866/8331229/601016/0/

MICROSOFT DELIVERS OFFICE SERVICE PACK
Update includes security fixes, improved spam controls for Outlook.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/173221/8331229/601067/0/

M-SYSTEMS SPEEDS UP USB FLASH DRIVE
Smart DiskOnKey brings advanced performance to 2GB keychain-size storage.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/173221/8331229/601070/0/

WEB-BASED E-MAIL GETS PERSONAL
SeeqMail's free service offers 150MB of storage, choice of domain names.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/173221/8331229/601071/0/

WILL CHEAPER SOFTWARE EASE PIRACY?
Microsoft fights competition from open source and illegal copies by cutting
prices in some markets.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/176997/8331229/601170/0/


~~~ Worm and Virus Update

>From PC World

PDA Viruses Could Get Nasty
Pests could easily run undetected on handhelds and spread quickly online,
security expert warns.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/179085/8550347/601191/0/

MYDOOM.0 HAMMERS SEARCH SITES
Update: Worm's threat level rises as search engines stall, when crafty worm
harvests e-mail addresses from site data.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/173221/8331229/601069/0/

MORE WORMS INCH ACROSS THE INTERNET
New Bagle, MyDoom variants are spreading via e-mail, shared folders.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/164187/8331229/538447/0/

NEW BAGLE VARIANTS SPREAD
Worms deposit copies of their source code on infected PCs.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/148705/8331229/516425/0/

MCAFEE NAMES WORST VIRUSES
Hacker rivalries and smart, fast worms contribute to a busy year swatting
pests, security firm says.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/171866/8331229/601015/0/


~~~ Selected Software

>From PC World

ScrubXP
ScrubXP cleans your computer of temporary files and Registry keys resulting
from opening files and or using the Internet. It removes Internet Explorer
history, temporary files, cookies, and your documents list from your Start
Menu. It also empties your Recycle Bin and clears Auto Complete Entries.
Finally, it clears recent file lists that appear in all types of
applications. The program runs automatically when your computer starts.
Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/175242/8819205/601119/0/

Restoration
There are lots of programs that permanently delete files and recover them,
but doesn't just having one on your hard drive make you look like you have
something to hide? Restoration can rescue your accidentally deleted files
and permanently delete the files you want good-and-gone. It can live on a
floppy, so it leaves no trace of its activities. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/172780/8819205/601035/0/

ZipCentral
This intuitive zipped-file manager makes creating, opening, and extracting
.zip files a snap. It offers drag-and-drop, hot keys, the option to
designate default, add and extract folders, self-extracting archive
creation, and shell execution. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/172780/8819205/601036/0/

KeyNote
If your desk is cluttered with scraps of paper, you'll appreciate KeyNote.
The program is a personal information manager that creates all kinds of
lists. You can enter to-do items or use it as a scratch pad for quick notes
and ideas. You can add personal contacts (addresses and telephone numbers),
passwords and PIN numbers, and Internet booklists. You can even store
recipes. Most useful, the program has strong encryption to keep snoopers at
bay. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/170881/8819205/600988/0/

Belarc Advisor
Belarc Advisor gives you the scoop on what's installed on your desktop or
notebook. It scans your computer and generates a profile of everything
installed on it, from your main circuit board to software. Version,
manufacturer, and serial numbers are listed, as well as statistics such as
available memory slots and hard drive space. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/168606/8819205/539538/0/

ESPN BottomLine
If you're a sports nut who can't wait until the morning newspaper, you're
likely to enjoy ESPN's BottomLine. The free toolbar updates scores in real
time, streaming them to your desktop. You can find out details of the latest
basketball, baseball, and football games. Finally, the program retrieves the
latest headlines from ESPN, letting you read the full story by clicking on
the link. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/168606/8819205/539539/0/

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. Scotty the mascot/watchdog monitors your computer 24/7. This
latest version adds support for Internet Explorer Toolbar objects, features
right-click context menus, and has a new interface that displays longer
lists and more helpful text. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/165077/8819205/1960/0/

CDCheck
This utility detects and recovers damaged files on CD-ROMs. You can discover
which files on your CD are corrupted. You can also use the program
proactively, to insure that your data on CD-ROMs are safe. In addition to
CD-ROMs, the program can be used with other local or removable media, such
as disk drives, floppy disks, and Zip drives. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/161273/8819205/538385/0/

Babylon-Pro
This utility translates text into English from French, Dutch, German,
Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Babylon also
translates English text into those languages. It supports both simplified
and traditional Chinese characters. The program features an
instant-messaging-style interface and works in any Windows application.
Highlight a word, and the program gives its equivalent in the other
language. If you have Microsoft text-to-speech installed, you can hear the
highlighted word. Free trial; $50 to purchase
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/159313/8819205/538358/0/

IE-Spyad
IE-Spyad adds a long list of sites and domains associated with known adware
companies to the Restricted sites zone of Internet Explorer. Once you merge
this list of sites and domains into the Windows Registry (using the
convenient batch file), the Web sites for these companies will not be able
to use cookies, ActiveX controls, Java applets, or scripting to compromise your privacy or your PC while you surf the Net. Nor will they be able to use your browser to push unwanted pop-ups, cookies, or auto-installing programs onto your computer. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/153088/8819205/516501/0/



IrfanView
If you're looking for a lean and mean graphics utility, IrfanView is a top
choice--and the fact that it's both free and a high-quality program makes it
nearly irresistible. Import images, view images, perform basic image
editing, create slide shows, and convert files from one format to another.
Crop, blur, and sharpen your images. Make modifications in regular mode or,
if you have a jeweler's eye for detail, make changes in zoom mode. You can
set the compression level when you save files, and it supports all major
graphics formats, including .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png, and .tif. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/148195/8819205/238420/0/

Download Accelerator Plus
This free utility lets you gather the files you want to download and
schedule when you want the download to begin. Look for files using the
predefined search categories (such as games, MP3 files, or programs), or
simplify the search by adding URLs. Once you locate a file, a list of the
best locations (mirror sites) to retrieve the file is generated so you can
find the most reliable connection. Multiserver connections are supported,
and an Always Resume feature finishes downloads that are interrupted due to
lost connections. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/148195/8819205/516401/0/

BitTorrent
BitTorrent is a new kind of file distribution for large files. Slashdot.org
called it "P2P with brains" because its users upload files at the same time
they download, so more network bandwidth is available for more popular
files. Like other P2P networks, it inserts no middleman between you and
others; yet because of its novel approach to managing bandwidth, bottlenecks
are greatly reduced. Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/146950/8819205/516363/0/

Ultimate Boot CD
If your PC's ailing, are you really going to let the patient diagnose its
own illness? Ultimate Boot CD lets you run diagnostics from CD. You can
create a boot CD with any of a variety of hard drive diagnostics, hard disk
management programs, memory diagnostics, Linux-based rescue discs, and more.
Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/143818/8819205/516337/0/

Sam Spade
Sam Spade is a network-query tool that can help you locate bulk e-mailers
and maybe even make them answer for their transgressions. Many
server-finding tools, such as nslookup, whois, and traceroute, have been
previously available, but only from a command line. Sam Spade lets you use
these tools from a graphical interface, and information found with one tool
can be queried using another. Its SMTP Verify tool helps you check on the
validity of an e-mail address, which is good for finding out if e-mail is
being sent from that address or forwarded from another address to cover the
spammer's tracks.  Free
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/178793/8819205/601185/0/


>From Lockergnome

(Ed Note: The Lockergnome web site has changed its operation. The
newsletters are primarily Blog excerpts and they also seem to be pressing
more into software sales. Hence, there are a much smaller number of software
items that would be of interest to members. To sign up for their mailings go
to www.lockergnome.com )

DVD Shrink v3.2.0.14
http://channels.lockergnome.com/windows/archives/20040727_dvd_shrink_v32014.
phtml
DVD Shrink is software to back up DVD discs. You can use this software in
conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice to make a backup copy
of any DVD video disc. DVD Shrink will also burn your backup DVD if you have
installed the latest version of Nero. This is a MajorGeeks pick. [1M]
[Win9x/2k/XP] [FREE]

Macro Scheduler
http://snipurl.com/83wq
There was a time that one of the main purposes of a PC was simply to save
you time. The theory was that a computer could do what you do, but do it
quicker and more efficiently. We?ve all seen the Sci Fi films and series
where this is the norm, but the modern day reality is often a little
different. The fact is that the PC nowadays does a lot more than just save
us time. We use it to surf the web, help run our businesses, control the
world, communicate, research, purchase goods and much more. But we often
overlook the fact that we can also put it to work for us as well. Macro
Scheduler by MJT Net Ltd is software designed to do just that, and make easy
work of the (often) complex task of scripting Windows. It lets you create
macros to control your Windows applications, automate software processes and
assign tasks to scheduled events, desktop shortcuts or hotkeys. You can
choose to perform complex tasks with a single mouse click, or schedule your
computer to perform tasks while you're in conference or travelling. And the
great news is that you don't have to be a programmer to use Macro Scheduler.
For complete ease of use, you can record macros to automatically create
efficient, reliable scripts that can be edited and modified later. Recorded
macros can even be compiled into standalone Windows applications. Macro
Scheduler is fully compatible with Win9x/ME/NT3.x/NT 4.x/2k/XP Further
details and a free 2.1 MB download version are available from the MJT Net
Web site.


~~~ Closing Humor

The following humor in a jugular vein was sent by an old friend now living
in Montana. Readers can embrace the tips as authentically redneck.


                  SOCIAL TIPS FOR REDNECKS:

General
1. Never take a beer to an interview.
2. Always identify people in your yard before shooting them.
3. It's considered tacky to take a cooler to church.
4. If you have to vacuum the bed, it's time to change the sheets.
5. Even if you're certain that you're included in the will, it's rude to
drive a U-haul to the funeral.

Dining Out
1. When de-canting the wine from the box, make sure you tilt the paper cup
and pour slowly so as not to 'bruise' the fruit of the wine.
2. If drinking directly from the bottle, always hold it with your hands.

Entertaining in your home
1. A centerpiece for the table should never be anything prepared by a
taxidermist.
2. Do not allow the dog to eat at the table, no matter how good his manners
are.

Personal Hygiene
1. While ears need to be cleaned regularly, this job should be done in
private using one's own truck keys.
2. Even if you live alone, deodorant is not a waste of money.
3. Use of proper toiletries can only delay bathing for a few days.
4. Dirt and grease under the fingernails is a social no-no, as they tend to
distract from a woman's jewelry, and alter the taste of finger foods.

Dating (outside the family)
1. Always offer to bait your date's hook, especially on the first date.
2. Be assertive, Let her know you're interested: "I've been wanting to go
out with you ever since I read that stuff on the bathroom walls two years
ago."
3. Establish with her parents what time she is expected back. Some will say
10:00 PM. Others might say "Monday." If the latter is the answer, it is the
man's responsibility to get her to school on time.

Theater Etiquette
1. Crying babies should be taken to the lobby and picked up immediately
after the movie has ended.
2. Refrain from talking to the characters on the screen. Tests have proven
that they can't hear you.

Weddings
1. Livestock usually is a poor choice for a wedding gift.
2. Kissing the bride for more than 5 seconds might get you shot.
3. For the groom, at least, rent a tux. A leisure suit with a cummerbund and
a clean bowling shirt can create a tacky appearance.
4. Though uncomfortable, say 'yes' to socks and shoes for this special
occasion.

Driving Etiquette
1. Dim your headlights for approaching vehicles, even if the gun is loaded
and the deer is in sight.
2. When approaching a four way stop, the vehicle with the largest tires does
not always have the right of way.
3. Never tow another car using panty hose and duct tape.
4. When sending your wife down the road with a gas can, it is impolite to
ask her to bring back beer too.
5. Do not lay rubber while traveling in a funeral possession.

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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