nibbles & bits, july 2009 - orcopug.org winning monthly newsletter for orcopug members. vol....

award winning monthly newsletter for orcopug members

vol. 27 no. 8 / august 2009

feedback 2 your favorite shot 3ask computer tutor 4iphone rave 6keyword explained 7reimage 8 book review 12ask experts 14tv: back then 18windows upgrade 19troubleshooting 20google voice 21member information 22user group deals 23orcopug information 24

presented by

wesley heuler, computer technician/technology consultant, pepperdine university

AUGUST PROGRAM

• is it on target for release in october?

• what are the system requirements?

• what are the new features?

• is the shut down button fixed?

• will it run on older hardware?

• is it really faster?

• can xp be upgraded?

get the answers to these questions and more at the august meeting!

ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — AUGUST 20092

feedbackTerry SchieleORCOPUG – (July 10)

I have been reminded that it has been a while since I last brought everybody up to date.

Last doctors appointment was the 2nd of July at City of Hope. Blood levels remain unchanged. I could use more production of the red blood cells from the marrow but the doctor does not seem concerned at this point. She thinks I am where she expects me to be. In the past three weeks I have had a increase in energy. I find that if I titrate the pain medication and the activity I can do a lot of minor activities. I have been painting some trim at the house that are low enough not to have to use a tall ladder. It is tiring but fufilling. I get sore and stiff but I feel good after the day is done. I was taken out to lunch on my birthday and was able to taste the foods. Taste is coming back. Yaay!

The peripheral neuropathy in my feet is still variable. Walking is slow and I have to be careful because I don’t fully feel each step. It is improving and I hope it will soon (?) be gone. I can then proceed to the next phase which is the followup medications for 4 to 6 months. Of course there is always the bone marrow biopsy and the blood draws during this time.

I have an appointment next week on Thursday at CoH and may have an infusion of Aredia, which is a bone building medication to help reverse the bone loss. Right leg is still stiff and lymphedema is still a problem. I will keep you updated as things change. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Barry SchnittFacebook – (July 24)

In the past couple of days, a rumor has begun spreading that claims we have changed our

policies for third-party advertisers and the use of

Ted WirtzORCOPUG

This only works with Firefox 3 as far as I know. Two different Easter eggs (hidden messages).

1. In the URL space type “about:robots” (omit quotes.) Press <Enter> to get a mystery message.

2. In the URL space type “about:mozilla” (omit quotes.) Press <Enter> to get a another mystery message.

your photos. These rumors are false, and we have made no such change in our advertising policies.

If you see a Wall post or receive a message with the following language or something similar, it is this false rumor:

FACEBOOK has agreed to let third party advertisers use your posted pictures WITHOUT your permission.

The advertisements that started these rumors were not from Facebook but placed within applications by third parties. Those ads violated our policies by misusing profile photos, and we already required the removal of those deceptive ads from third-party applications before this rumor began spreading.

We are as concerned as many of you are about any potential threat to your experience on Facebook and the protection of your privacy. That’s why we prohibit ads on Facebook Platform that cause a bad user experience, are misleading, or otherwise violate our policies. We’re committed to remaining vigilant in enforcing our policies to prevent bad ads from appearing on Facebook—whether served by us or a third party. But we also need your help. If you ever see a misleading ad or believe it violates our policies, report it to us. (Source: http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=110636457130)

3ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — AUGUST 2009

SO YOU LIKE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Everybody has a photo that they

like a lot. Please send us your favorite photo for our next “Your Favorite Shot” page. Email your low resolution JPG to [email protected]. Please provide a short description of the photo or photo trick that you used to get it. Photo subjects can be whatever you choose.

Lady slipper — these are on the

endangered spices list in Manitoba. I took the photo last evening (June 10).

photo by Neil Longmuir, WPCUSRGP

your favorite shot


by Pamela Tabak

askcomputer tutor

I am using a high speed cable connection. How do I eliminate the

request for a dial up connection each time I try to connect to the internet?


COMPUTER HELP

QUESTION: When I connect to

the internet my computer thinks I have a dial up connec-

tion. I am using a high speed cable connection. How do I eliminate the request for a dial up connection each time I try to connect to the internet?

ANSWER: To prevent this from popping up you will need to click on TOOLS on your Internet Explorer toolbar then select INTERNET OPTIONS. On the CONNECTIONS tab put a checkmark next to “NEVER DIAL A CONNECTION.” This will eliminate the request to connect through your modem to enable dial-up.

QUESTION: My Taskbar has suddenly appeared on the left side of my screen. I don’t know how the arrangement changed or how to get it back where it belongs. Can you help?

ANSWER: The taskbar’s usual location, at the bottom of the screen,

is strictly a matter of convention although you can use it on the left, right or top if you wish. The reason that it moved to an undesired location is because it is “unlocked” and you may have inadvertently dragged it to the left side.

You can move it back to the bottom of your screen by following the steps below:

1. Put the cursor on the taskbar2. Press the left mouse key, and

drag it. (If it won’t move, it is probably locked.)

3. To check if the taskbar is locked, Right-click the taskbar

4. If ‘Lock the Taskbar’ is checked, click it and it will be unchecked. Now that the Taskbar is unlocked you will be able to drag it to the desired location.

5. Remember to LOCK the taskbar again when you have dragged it to the desired location to prevent it from moving.

QUESTION: The fonts on my e-mail through Yahoo are almost too small to read. How do I increase the size of the fonts? Thanks for your help.

ANSWER: In order to change the text size for reading your Yahoo emails follow the steps below:

1. With your Yahoo Mail open click on VIEW in your Internet Explorer toolbar.

2. Select TEXT SIZE.3. Change the text size to the

desired size.NOTE: The text size will stay this

size for reading your emails but will not print in the same size. For this function you will need to go to your printer properties.

QUESTION: I would like to have an icon for my list of “favorites” on the toolbar in MS Word. Somehow it disappeared in my 2003 version. How do I get it back?

ANSWER: In Office 2003 you can have the “favorites” icon appear on your Word toolbar by following the steps below:

1. Open Word 2. Click on VIEW 3. Click on TOOLBARS 4. Select WEB and/or WEB

TOOLS if you need them.Your “Favorites” “home page” and

“search the web” icons will appear at the head of your document in the toolbar enabling easy access.

Pamela Tabak receives numerous

computer-related questions via e-mail and during classroom presentations. She selects those she feels are of common interest to most computer users and forwards them to us for publication in this newsletter. Pamela invites members to e-mail computer-based questions to [email protected] Questions are often answered within 24 hours.


by Lorene Romero, NCMUG president

On Friday, June 19th, Apple released the new iPhone 3G S and now there is

a new group of “happy campers”! This new phone has several features that are not available to those of us who now fall into the “old iPhone” category. Some of the features exclusive to 3GS include: Autofocus, Video, Compass and voice control.

On the Apple website they have full details and, in typical Apple style, the phone is bigger, faster and cheaper than previous visions. You can now purchase a new S 32 GB iPhone for the same price as the previous 16 GB model. For more information about the new iPhone 3GS, please refer to this article: <http://tinyurl.com/m65x5m>

In addition to the new iPhone, Apple released the new iPhone 3.0 software. Finally Apple got it right by releasing the update for current owners, so that we can upgrade the firmware before all the new kids jump on the bandwagon.

There are several new 3.0 features that convinced me to hit that “update now” button as soon as I could. I want to mention three of them briefly:

First of all, they FINALLY have cut and paste (loud applause for this). Needless to say this feature has been needed since day one. It works

new iphone 3ggets rave review

in email and Safari. You simply can cut/copy or paste. If you need to undo it, just shake your phone. What a time saver. It really was a hassle to reply to email without it.

Another new feature is Share Contact. Again, another “wow, it’s about time” feature. If someone is in your address book you can forward his or her information in an email message. Simple and useful.

My other favorite (this took about 2 seconds) is the landscape mode for email. Does this really need more detail? Not really! Just start an email and turn your phone sideways and continue typing away.

For a great article explaining the iPhone 3.0 updates, please refer to the article at http://tinyurl.com/m39kjy.

So, are you a new iPhone owner? Have you drunk the Kool Aid yet? Jon Jones and I have been writing about iPhones for months. He drank a huge gulp last year and wrote an article about his transition. If you missed it, you just have to look at his article in the December issue: http://www.ncmug.org/newsletter/2008/ncmug_08_12.pdf.

IPHONE


KEYWORD

june keyword explained

Bit.ly is a relatively sophisticated URL shortener that launched July 8, 2008. It uses a cookie to remember the last 15 links you’ve shortened and displays that history on the home page when you visit. It allows you to set up a custom URL ending for your link. It automatically creates three thumbnails for every page you save a link to.

How about these features, though?

Bit.ly saves a cached copy forever of every page you shorten a link to, on Amazon’s S3 storage (processing is done on EC2, as well, so uptime looks good). Bit.ly also tracks clickthrough numbers and referrers so you can see what kind of traffic your shortcut got and from where. There’s a simple API for adding Bit.ly functionality to any other web app (Betaworks affiliated gaming site ImInLikeWithYou already has this live) and all the data, including traffic data and thumbnails, is easily accessible by XML and JSON feeds.

Those are some pretty awesome features but that’s only the beginning. Bit.ly just added a simple bookmarklet that will make it easier to use casually, and user accounts will be available.)

Excerpt of review by Marshall Kirkpatrick, http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/bitly_alternative_to_tinyurl.php

Survey conducted by Danny Sullivan, Search Engineland. He also questioned why people use the services and received these answers:

Half (49%) said it was to save space. Only 16% said they wanted tracking, though 25% said they wanted both. Among reasons for “other” were to preserve branding or that it was easy (as these are built in). Read more details at http://searchengineland.com/analysis-which-url-shortening-service-should-you-use-17204

most-used url shorteners

bit.ly

ORANGE COUNTY IBM PC USERS’ GROUP — AUGUST 20098Turn to next page

Recently one of my online technical journals had an article about a somewhat

unique online service that claimed that it could non-destructively repair a Windows XP installation. The article claimed that this service could restore the software on the computer to the condition and speed that the computer had when it was new. Being the skeptic that I am, I decided to try the service and see if it really did what

online service for windows xp repair

reimage

it claimed that it could do. I went to the website, www.reimage.com, and tried the service on an aging six year old Gateway computer, with XP Home (Service Pack 3), a 3.06 GHz Pentium CPU, and 1 gig of memory. When new, this computer was a speed demon which amazed me by processing files so quickly, but now it is long in the tooth, and dragging with years of software installations, uninstallations, updates, virus and other malware attacks. Now it seems

to boot slowly, process data slowly, and grudgingly shutdown. Sometimes the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” appears indicating that something has gone terribly wrong, and that the computer needs to be shut down. While this computer has been well maintained with frequent malware scans, defragmention of the hard drive, maintenance of the startup files, cleaning the registry, and other tasks, it still seems to have degraded

by Ira Wilsker


COLUMN

performance compared to when it was new. This malady is explicitly what Reimage claims that it can remedy.

Reimage was developed in Israel for an international market, and has an office in New York City. The principles behind Reimage all have impressive backgrounds and qualifications as well as a proven track record of personal performance. The goal of Reimage, as stated on its website, is “Reimage offers a revolutionary online, automated repair tool that empowers PC technicians to expertly service more computers more swiftly. Reimage automatically and quickly first identifies and then, surgically replaces faulty system software without compromising user data.” The company has identified that the typical computer is used for about five years before requiring major overhaul or replacement, and the overhaul process is time consuming and expensive. According to Reimage, there is also a worldwide

shortage of qualified computer technicians; “To provide repairs, there are 1,250,000 computer technicians - one technician for every 160,000 faulty computers.” Reimage was designed for computer repair facilities, schools, businesses, internet service providers, and others to be able to quickly and cost effectively repair the XP operating system installed on the computer, bringing it back to its original performance. Reimage can repair the software on the computer, but cannot replace deteriorated hardware in the computer. The current build of Reimage is for XP only, but Vista (and probably Windows 7) versions are in development.

After obtaining a username and password for a Reimage repair, I rebooted into Safe Mode with Networking (Safe Mode is recommended for speed and safety; tap the F8 key at the beginning of the boot process), and using Internet Explorer, I went to reimage.com.

Under the heading “For Home — make your PC as good as new” I clicked on the “Click to start a repair” link. It downloaded a file ReimageRepair.exe to my computer, which installed the preliminary diagnostic utilities. I entered my registration information, and allowed Reimage to work its magic, and diagnose and repair my software. If for some reason my computer was so badly corrupted that it was not bootable from the hard drive, Reimage offers a free bootable CD utility that will boot the computer with internet access. After the installation, the Reimage software did a thorough scan of my entire hard drive seeking any malware that may be infecting the computer. Reimage is not a substitute for antivirus software, and still suggests that antivirus software be installed, and that the antivirus software be used after the Reimage process to re-scan

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http://www.reimage.comhttp://www.reimage.com/home/what_it_fix.php


COLUMN

the computer. In my case, since I am tenacious about cyber security, no malware was found. If malware had been found, not only would Reimage have neutralized it, but Reimage also has the capability to repair almost any damage the malware had caused. According to the website, “Reimage PC repair is a web service that rapidly diagnoses operating system problems. Reimage surgically implements repairs by accessing a huge web repository of 25 million “spare” systems files and registry objects.” Once installed, Reimage runs automatically with almost no human intervention, and does not need to be monitored.

Reimage also scans and repairs any DLL and system files that are found to be corrupted or otherwise damaged, installing them while online from its library of “25 million spare parts”. In my case Reimage identified about 4000 files that it determined to be in

need of repair, downloaded them, and installed them. It checked the hardware drivers for adequacy, and then checked for any problems that could cause stability problems. I was amazed to see a graph generated about the recent system issues and crashes that I had suffered in the past few months, an indication that I had stability problems. Reimage corrected any erroneous entries in the registry, updated appropriate registry entries, and installed any necessary files. After completion of its diagnosis and repair, Reimage reboots a cleaned and repaired computer. According to the website, the typical repair process takes about 40 minutes, but in my case it took over two hours. One item that I noted is that after the repair, while my computer ran well, Microsoft’s Windows Update Service identified a few recent updates that had to be re-downloaded and installed. This was not much of a problem, and only a

very minor inconvenience caused by the fact that Reimage created an operating system on my computer that was like new.

After the reboot, my computer booted up appropriately and promptly, and I was very pleased to see that all of my programs and data files were intact, corroborating Reimage’s claims that it does not harm the data files on the computer. It still would be wise to have frequent backups (I do), but in my case no data files were lost. In the weeks

since I ran Reimage, I have not had a single “Blue Screen of Death” or other system crash, very much unlike the weeks preceding the running of Reimage where crashes were frequent and common. My system shutdown also appears to be faster than before running Reimage.

Reimage is not cheap with a one-time home use price of $65, with a 100% money back guarantee. Reading some blogs about Reimage, where users commented on the price, it was noted that for many users $65 was a bargain compared to what a technician would have charged for a similar service, and considering the massive database of “spare parts” that Reimage has developed. I can vouch for that because just recently one of my coworkers carried his computer to a prominent local “big box” store because his computer was running slow, and the store charged him $300

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COLUMN

in labor to clean up the operating system and software; no hardware was repaired or replaced. For him in this case, Reimage would have been a bargain, as it could have done about the same as what the big-box technician did for a lot less.

For those families with multiple computers, the marginal cost of running Reimage on additional computers is quite low, totally only $79 for three repair runs, which would fix the software on three computers. Small businesses (or big families) can get a bulk deal on Reimage, at $139 for 10 computers. Prorated at $14 per computer, the service is a bargain, considering the potential increase in performance and productivity. Schools, business IT departments, ISPs, and computer repair facilities may get unlimited access to Reimage and all of its services for $149 per month. The unlimited plan also includes premium support, where professional PC technician assistance is available. For all plans except the single use plan, Reimage can be

installed and run from a USB flash drive. At my school, with hundreds of XP computers of varying vintage, an unlimited monthly program would likely save the IT department a lot of time cleaning up and improving computer performance.

Reimage claims a 95% success rate in restoring decrepit XP computers to a like-new performance state. For the few that are not successfully restored,

Reimage offers a 100% refund, as well as for those not satisfied with the repair. The repairs are totally reversible, and the computer can be

quickly restored to its pre-repair state, which may be necessary for some refunds.

I was very satisfied with the repair on my antiquated XP computer, and as said earlier, I have had no software crashes or other severe system problems since running Reimage, and my computer performance seems to be improved. Since the current version of Reimage is for XP only, I eagerly look forward to the potential of having a similar service for Vista and the upcoming Windows 7. While somewhat pricey for a single use, Reimage can be a blessing considering the time and aggravation of dealing with an unstable XP computer that crashes at the most inopportune times. With its money back guarantee, Reimage may be very worthy of consideration for that older XP computer that seems to crash a lot and have other software issues. If it works as well on your computer as it did on mine, it may well be worth the cost.


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REVIEW

by Joan O’Brien, NCMUG

Everything you ever wanted to know about Photoshop and more besides.Lesa Snider’s Missing Manual for

Photoshop CS4 from O’Reilly is a technical manual and down home cookbook. Lesa uses her good ole girl Texas gift of gab to demystify the complexities of Photoshop while taking the reader through a very professional course of study.

Starting with the basics, Lesa goes over what you need to know to get around in the program. For the faint of heart, it may seem a bit overwhelming at first as there is a lot to learn if you are new to the program and a lot to review if you are a dabbler or occasional user. Her references to more material on later pages or in further chapters is a bit disconcerting at first. One wonders, should I go there right now to study this or that or should I wait until I get there? I chose to work chapter by chapter and found that was a good decision instead of jumping back and forth.

The redesign and updates in CS 4, as Lesa points out, giveth and taketh away certain Photoshop

photoshop cs4the missing

manual

by Lesa Snider

Pogue Press & O’Reilly Media

$49.99 O’Reilly Press (UG discount available)


REVIEW

features. If you were used to picture packages, they are gone and you have to follow her work-around directions to get back to them, but the new adjustment panel offers one stop shopping with icons to take you to non-destructive editing tools.

Lesa covers the technical information in a very easy to understand way. She has her own style: ”You can use the regular ol’ copy

and paste commands...mouse over to the tool bar,” when she is giving directions or describing features. When she covers theory, she is simple and straightforward.

Once you get to chapter 5 and beyond, Lesa’s handling of the theory and power of Photoshop begins to shine. There she starts with color and one can never know too much about color when working with images. Her discussion about cropping,

resizing and rotating images can help the timid capture something from photos that might contain some good material but be cast aside at first glance. She covers resizing images in a way that makes sense. Resolution is a hard concept for many to master. Lesa compares it to measuring brown sugar for cookies. Loosely packed neither can produce as good a result as they both do when densely packed.

Moving on, each chapter goes into depth on the technical as well as the fun things that can be done with Photoshop. Correcting color and lighting, repairing blemishes and using layer masks are things we would like to be able to do well and the tips and tricks in Lesa’s chapters will make one’s work look much more professional.

Chapters 12 to 14 build on the power of the Adobe Suite when

she begins to integrate painting in Photoshop along with vector tools and text. That would bring in features in Illustrator and InDesign.

Finally she covers filters, printing and image preparation for the web.

Taking any of the areas in the later chapters, by working and rereading Lesa’s material as well as using her images from http://missingmanuals.com to follow along with her notes

and directions can improve one’s Photoshop knowledge and skill. She is quick to point out the obvious in Photoshop menus and tools as well as willing to lead you to more obscure spots. For instance, in her cropping notes she tells you how to find a grid to use, rather than trying to create one yourself, for the rule of threes when scrutinizing the composition of an image.

Photoshop is a powerful program that can be many things to many people. For the occasional photographer it can be used for basic color correction and image repair. For the professional it can be the tool that provides

income and security. The Missing Manual for Photoshop CS4 covers both ends of the scale and everything in between. It can be used to learn the program from the bottom up or as a reference manual for power users, depending on your needs. It’s a good addition to your computer library and as you work through the book, you’ll feel Lesa is right there beside you offering friendly advice.

Once you get to chapter 5 and beyond, the theory and power of Photoshop begins to shine…Lesa starts with color and one can never know too much about color when working with images.


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compiled by Bob Goodman, Cajun Clickers

linux question

Erin Bennett: I have heard tell of a way to run Linux from a machine that does not have it installed. You have it on a CD, flash drive or some such thing and instead of booting from your hard drive, your computer boots from the CD, etc and runs from there.

Does anyone do this and can you tell me a little bit about it? Are you able to run other apps from this? I’m a bit puzzled by this because I don’t see how you could run apps from a OS that is on a CD or flash drive and does not have the apps installed somehow.

Any feedback is appreciated.Ed Richards: Yes you can do exactly that. There are a host of “live CD’s” and DVD’s that

have a complete linux installation, including a wide array of programs, already installed on the CD. You can find a list of them here: http://livecdlist.com

If you have never played with Linux before, I would suggest that you download PCLinuxOS, Kubuntu, or Mepis, as these are probably 3 of the easiest for a person that is accustomed to Windows.

If you are interested in learing more about Linux, I suggest that you attend both the January and February club meetings and/orjoin the Linux Desktop SIG. In the January club meeting, Larry Braud will be talking about many different operating systems, including Windows and Linux. In the February meeting, the Linux SIG will be doing a presentation that will, among other things, highlight many of the new feathers that Linux offers as well as ways to run Windows on Linux and Linux on Windows, also known as “virtualization.”

I hope this is helpful and, if you have further questions, please feel free to ask away.Bill LeBlanc: See http://tinyurl.com/23nmq for a list of Linux distributions that run from a

CD. Perhaps the best known is Knoppix.

ask the experts


I can remember how painless the installation of a new program was on the VAX I ran in the oil patch.

COMPUTER HELP

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You can even build your own Win XP stand-alone bootable CD. This is helpful if you want to troubleshoot problems. You need the UBCD4Win program and a copy of WinXP (Licensed) CD (either SP1 or 2, or slip- stream sp into image. See: http://www.ubcd4win.com

In addition to operating systems, there are loads of (Free) applications that will run from a flash drive without any installation. Same for some that will run from a CD as long as they don’t have to write to the CD.

For a partial list see: http://tinyurl.com/bed6u You might also look at the Wikipedia entry for Portable

Apps. However, this treatment is very limited in scope.Some applications can be run from a flash drive by

simply copying their programs from your hard drive to the flash drive. Eudora, if it is installed in a certain way, is one of these. You can then plug your USB drive into any computer with internet access and have/download your email.

The link above explains just what each application does and its requirements.

You can also download a large number of freeware portable applications in one lump at: http://tinyurl.com/yw7kkw.

Chopin Cusachs: We’ve grown used to “installing” programs because that is the way that Windows usually does it. There are little utilities that don’t need to be installed that run in

There are little utilities that don’t need to be installed that run in Windows, but they are rare.

Windows, but they are rare. Other OS may not require “installing.” When you run Linux, or other OS from CD, the computer memory serves as work area. To save anything you have to write it somewhere, to hard disk or removable media.

I can remember how painless the installation of a new program was on the VAX I ran in the oil patch. Create a directory, copy the files, and go, each user defining a


COMPUTER HELP

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logical name or two. To uninstall, delete the directory and contents.

Many jump drives come with software, U3, which permits putting programs on it and running on an XP or later machine, leaving nothing on the computer. It is handy for using a computer in a library or hotel that you can’t take home with you.

Bill LeBlanc: Choppy, There are over a thousand “portable” utilities that I know of. There are large programs that can be portable. There is a portable Open Office, portable Gimp, etc. You can make Eudora portable if, when you install it, you choose the Eudora directory as the data directory. Do a search on the Internet for “portable Apps.” You might be surprised.

Tommy Minton: Erin, glad you’re interested in Linux. Let me tell you what this Newbie has done. I had seen the Linux SIG group mentioned in the Newsletter so I attended a meeting. I liked what I saw and I odered a PCLinuxOS CD. You can download PCLinuxOS but I wanted a CD in case I had trouble.

I was afraid to partition the hard-drive on my computer running M$ Windows. So I bought another computer from Corporate Recyclers Council for a small sum on Ebay: http://tinyurl.com/2fzs4k. I loaded the CD into it and am having a great time with Linux as the OS. No viruses, all programs are free and downloaded as the OS is installed (there are over 7200 programs). I put my M$ Windows documents on a thumb drive and physically moved them over to the new (used) computer. Now, how will I open my M$ Windows documents in Linux? Don’t worry! I clicked on some of my Excel spreadsheets and

there they were in OpenOffice just as they had been in M$ Windows! I can make changes, new entries, new spreadsheets anything I want using the PCLinuxOS. And just think I didn’t even know how to spell Linux before this! Did I spell it right? Hope you try it.

Over Christmas I told my son-in-law I wanted to give him a PCLinuxOS cd so he could try it. Well, he didn’t want the cd. However over the visit he got to see and use the PCLinuxOS computer and saw what it could do and was so impressed with it’s speed and quickness and crispness, he wouldn’t leave without the PCLinuxOS cd.

Chopin Cusachs: Sounds interesting, Tommy. Since I haven’t lived in Baton Rouge for a few years, I’m not sure of where the Corporate Recyclers Council is to be found. When I click on the link I am brought to eBay, with shipping listed. Did you have to pay $20 shipping?

I don’t have an eBay account because of an unpleasant experience some years ago, but the prices look attractive. Is there a way to avoid eBay?

Of course Computer Exchange may have newer boxes by now.

Tommy Minton: Corporate Recyclers Council is at 800 St. Philip St. Their phone number is 379-3577. Click on one of the items to be auctioned and scroll down to it’s description. On the far left is the Location and Phone info. You do not have to pay the shipping listed on eBay if you wish to pick the item up. You have to pay $4 and call them in advance.

When you arrive tell them you won the bid on eBay and they will get it for you right away. Happy Bidding!

I don’t have an eBay account because of an unpleasant experience some years ago, but the prices look attractive. Is there a way to avoid eBay?


COMPUTER HELP

installing linuxRoy Potter: I am a bit confused

as how to run the PCLinusOS disk short of buying another pc. Would someone jump-start me. Ijust got my PCLinuxOS disk!

Mark Lappin: Another option you might consider is virtualing your install of PC linux: MS Virtual PC, Innotek Virtual Box, and there are others out

there. Basically you put a computer, inside your computer.

Ron Spruell: As a Linux newbie, I have some comments. I have tried several distributions of Linux.

1. The most popular distributions are Ubuntu, Suse, and Fedora. I have had a hard time finding the GUI commands in Ubuntu. The package (update) manager is excellent. In Fedora, I found that the package manager leaves a lot to be desired, i.e., I couldn’t figure out all the cryptic

messages I got when I tried to update. (I downloaded a special distribution, MythDora, so that may not be a fair evaluation.) I haven’t tried Suse, but I understand it is hard to use in a dual boot with Windows.

2. The 2 distributions most used in the Linux SIG are Xandros and PCLinuxOS. These are both dual boot friendly with Windows.

3. These 2 distributions that have their GUI commands sorta where Windows users would expect them - Xandros slightly more so than PCLinuxOS. The premium ($) versions of Xandros comes with CrossOver Office that allow you to install and run some Windows programs. (I don’t understand the difference between the Xandros Networks package updater

and the Synaptic package manager in Xandros, but that’s another story).

PCLinuxOS is “crisp” compared to Xandros and noticeably faster. PCLinuxOS has a Live CD version. It will be easiest for you to get familiar with.

Running as a dual boot with Windows, the boot loader (GRUB with graphical interface) in PCLinuxOS is very good. PCLinuxOS has an excellent graphical representation of the disk partitions. It was easy for me to understand. Xandros is a little more difficult.

Recently, Xandros has partnered with Microsoft in some kind of way. Do you have any doubt about which partner will come out on top? Xandros may not dedicate enough of its resources to improving it’s distribution in the future. Who knows?

Roy Potter: I downloaded Ubunta 7.10 virtual box. I ordered the disk for PCLiunxOC and am using it live at this time. I am exploring whether to use dual disk boot or I saw something interesting at the start of the installation process. It asks if I was using USB with external drive. Did I see that? That sounds interesting. your input is appreciated.

Larry Braud: You can run Linux as a live CD and see if you want to use it. Just boot it on startup, you have to make sure you can boot from your CD?DVD drive. If you do like it and can let it have at least 4G of your hard drive, you can have a dual boot machine.

Ron Spruell: Before you try to install a dual bootrun Scan & Defrag. Make a backup. Run Belarc Advisor and print out your information.

Allow 5 GB ext3 for PCLinuxOS and 1 GB for Linux-swap. Leave all the rest for Windows.

I put my Windows documents on a thumb drive and physically moved them over to the new computer. Now, how will I open my Windows documents in Linux?


RETROSPECTIVE

by Jon Jones, NCMUG

So we recently lost our television. Well, we didn’t really lose it “we knew where it

was still. It’s just that when we turned it on, there wasn’t much of anything on it. “No big deal,” I said to myself. “I don’t really watch much television…can’t stand the stuff.” But my wife, on the other hand, CAN stand the stuff. She stands it real good. And there was to be a reckoning.

I don’t ask for much from my television. I’ve learned over the years to keep my expectations very low. Perhaps it’s because I understood

I can see clearly now...

early on that it is supposed to be a challenge to enjoy good television. Back then, we got three channels, and we had to switch between them by turning a giant dial on the front face of the set. Eventually, the dial broke from the great strain of cranking it, and we had to pinch and twist the remaining nub with a pair of pliers to switch between Gunsmoke, Lawrence Welk, and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. And then we had to finagle the rabbit ears just right to properly “tune in” so the programming would look at least slightly better than the remote surface footage of an Apollo moon mission.

Ah, that reminds me. I even remember our first remote control. It came with a later model TV and was about the size of an average shoe box. It was a wired remote and was tethered to the television with a six foot cable. The couch was not close enough to the set, so we still had to stand up and walk across the room to use the remote control. It sounds ridiculous now, but it sure beat a pair of pliers.

Fast forward a few decades. We’ve been a basic cable subscriber for several years. In light of the looming “digital television” changeover, we had received numerous assurances that as existing cable customers we

Turn to next page


RETROSPECTIVE

by Darry D Eggleston, GTBPCUG

The pending, innovative Windows upgrade is exciting the computer world!

The all-out blitz of TV and radio spots, media interviews with Microsoft leaders and the talk radio buzz is driving large crowds toward the stores to get this latest Windows upgrade.

This may be the most anticipated event of this year.PC manufacturers are clamoring to highlight how well their systems

work with this new, innovational marvel of a Windows upgrade. Sales forecasts, even by the most conservative experts, say the

upgrade will set records.There are rumors that people are already lining up outside the

stores so they can be the first to buy this revolutionary upgrade. Stores are bracing themselves for record-breaking numbers with many stores announcing they will open at one minute after midnight on the official release date.

Oops! That was Windows 95; not Windows 7. Sorry for the confusion.

would not be affected by the new digital broadcast standards. But then every other week, they sent us conflicting letters warning us that despite these assurances, we would still lose most of our channels because we are only basic subscribers and don’t use their proprietary digital cable box. Huh? So…is we or ain’t we up a creek?

I then made two mistakes. I decided to wait and see what would happen, and I neglected to inform my wife as to the nature of my perplexity. As fate would have it, both things kinda sorted themselves out on their own, and in mid-June, her favorite programs went “bye bye”…and pliers don’t fix that.

In the end, I unenthusiastically installed a digital cable box in the living room. Not in a vain effort to enjoy good television, but simply to restore peace in the camp.

I guess, in some ways, a domestic relationship is a lot like an old TV and a set of rabbit ears. Sometimes the programming is not so good, but if you try to keep the transmissions active and can tweak the settings just right, you can at least enjoy better reception.

innovative windows upgrade

exciting the pc world!

Jon Jones, is the newsletter editor for NCMUG, and operates a short-run digital media production facility specializing in community and family-based multi-media. Jon can be reached at [email protected].


INTERNET / HOW TO

online “how to” videos areoffered by tech republicby Bill Detwiler, Tech Republic

When Windows Vista was first released, many early adopters complained of device driver incompatibilities with

older hardware. Since then, most hardware vendors have released updated, Vista compatible drivers, but unfortunately even updating your drivers doesn’t always put a stop to erratic driver behavior. In this IT Dojo, http://tinyurl.com/ljyqrn, I’ll show you two handy tools that can help you solve those pesky Vista driver problems—Driver Query a command line tool, and DriverView is a third-party utility.

For those of you who prefer text to video, you can click the Transcript link that appears below the video player window or you can also read Greg Shulz’s article, “Troubleshoot Vista system drivers more efficiently with these tools,” on which this video is based at http://preview.tinyurl.com/6nage8.

For help troubleshooting driver problems, check out my previous IT Dojo video, “Find and delete hidden Windows Vista and XP device drivers,” which shows you how to uncover old Windows drivers and root them out of your system once and for all.

troubleshoot windows vista drivers with driver query and driverview

Driver Query shows only signed drivers, shows more details, formats the result as a list or saves the results as a CSV file.

DriverView displays the list of all device drivers currently loaded on your system.

Related Videos


Google Voice is a free service that gives a user one number for all his/her phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling

features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more.

Google Voice is available by invitation only, and will be open to new users soon. For an invitation, leave your email address at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ You will be notified as soon as Google Voice becomes available.

To learn more about Google Voice, check out the feature videos at http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html

at&t blocks google voice from iphoneExcerpt of post by Ed Hansberry, The Information Week Blog at http://tinyurl.com/nrlc2x, 7/29/2009

According to Daring Fireball, AT&T has pushed Apple into blocking the Google Voice app from the App Store.

Google Voice is a service that essentially gives you a phone number for life, or a very long time anyway. Certainly longer than you’ll ever be with any carrier, landline or VOIP company. It is easier now than ever to switch phone numbers around, but there are some things you still cannot easily do, like switch a landline number to your cell, or move landline numbers from one home to the other unless they are very close by.

Google Voice allows you to point your number at any other number you like, so if someone calls your GV

number, you can make that go to your cell, home, or whatever you want. The problem is, when you call from, say, your cell number, the number assigned by your carrier will be what shows up on caller ID on the phone you are calling. Enter the Google Voice App. This app will let you call from your cell phone and have your GV number appear on caller ID.

Of course, it is chock full of other features too, like SMS management and voice mail. It is almost like a phone service shell for your phone. You are still using your carrier though, so this isn’t a VOIP app that is bypassing talk time minutes.

There are a number of very good reasons to have a GV number. AT&T isn’t having any of it though. It is their network and they will treat users how they wish. They have a lot of leverage too because if you want an iPhone, 99.9% of the people in the US will have to get it from AT&T. AT&T isn’t the only one though that treats their customers that way. All of the US carriers do.

I wonder if they can appreciate the amount of animosity and resentment so many users have against their carriers for imposing these limitations on their users? There has to be a middle ground where power users can harness the power of all of these services without it taking money out of the carrier’s pockets. Until that happens, when some people say the word “carrier” they will continue to get that look on their face, as if they had just said “used car salesman” or “ambulance chaser.”

(BlackBerry and Android phones can be added to Google Voice. The FCC is investigating complaints from Google and the iPhone app’s developer. — LG)

Topic suggested by Edith Parker

what’s upwith google voice?

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

google voice gives users one phone number for all their phones


Bollinger, Frank [email protected], Lloyd [email protected] III, Gary [email protected], Linda [email protected], Milton [email protected], Walter [email protected], LeRoy [email protected], Larry [email protected], Stan [email protected], Lothar [email protected], Mike [email protected], Charlie [email protected], Dave [email protected], Harold [email protected]

emailMEMBERS’ PAGE

Meetings are the second Tuesday of every month. See www.orcopug.org for more details.

What A Bargain! For about $2 a monthyou can’t beat the benefits of belonging to our user group!

Make checks payable to: ORCOPUG - Dues are $25 per year

ORCOPUG, P.O. BOX 716, Brea, California 92822-0716

Last Name First Name Nickname

Mailing Address City State Zip

Home Phone ( ) Work Phone ( ) E-mail Address Areas of Interest/Comments

membership application Renewal* New Member

Expired members are not eligible to win raffle prizes or to access the Members’ Only web page.

Westberg, Carl [email protected], Ted [email protected]

time for renewal?

addresses july raffle winnersSmart Computing subscription $21.95Gary Covington III Not PresentHank Dart Not PresentDavid Musser WinnerCook-n-Fix & Forget $29Gary Covington III Not PresentCarl Westberg Not PresentStan Leese WinnerParsons American Atlas $20Ted Wirtz WinnerParsons Greeting Cards $20Leroy Kaump WinnerAquarium 3-in-1 $29Hank Dart Not PresentBob McDonald WinnerVipre Antivirus $49Linda Gonse WinnerVipre Antivirus $49Milton Gorham Not PresentCarl Westberg Not PresentHank Dart Not PresentGlenn Emigh Not PresentTerry Schiele ExpiredDon Ogden Not PresentDan Gonse DeclinedLarry Klees Winner

submitted by Charlie Moore

MAY 1– Terry Schiele (3 months overdue)AUGUST 1– Stan Leese, Sid LiptzSEPTEMBER 1– Louise Applequist, Don Ogden, Leonard Prince, Robert SchmalOCTOBER 1– Gary Covington III, Hank Dart, Larry KleesNOVEMBER 1– Dan Gonse, Bob McDonald, Carl Westberg

submitted by Charlie Moore


USER GROUP DEALS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please allow 10 to 12 weeks for your magazines to start. You must supply an address label from your present subscription when renewing. I carry over 300 titles at excellent prices. Just email me for a price.

discounts on magazines… only for user group members!

These prices are for new subscriptions and renewals. All orders must be accompanied by a check, cash or money order. Make payable to Herb

Goodman, and mail to: Herb Goodman, 8295 Sunlake Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33496. Call or write: 561-488-4465, [email protected]

*Rev

ised

Janu

ary 2

009

31Y E A R S

2

Computer Games $15.95 — —

Computer Shopper $16.95 $32.95 $47.95

Mac Life $10.97 — —

Maximum PC $ 9.95 $18.95 $27.95

Microsoft System Journal $21.95 $39.95 —

PC Gamer $12.95 $23.95 $33.95

PC Magazine (now digital, 12 issues/year) $14.95 $24.95 $35.95

PC World $16.95 — —

Videomaker $11.95 $21.95 —

Wired $10.00 $18.00 —

thanks for your 2008 donations!Sincere thanks to the following companies for prizes they donated to our

2008 fundraising raffle. We couldn’t have done it without Story Software, Acoustica Software, Aviar, DVO Enterprizes, Electric Rain, Help Me 2 Learn, Iolo Technologies, Marken Communications, No Starch Press, O’Reilly, Otter Box, Photodex Corp., Prolific Publishing, Siber Systems, skype, Stardock Systems, Sunbelt Software, and User Group Relations (Gene Barlow). Please support all of these generous vendors with your purchases in 2009!

secret keyword raffle

Walter Jackson won a Universal Remote in July’s

keyword raffle. August’s new keyword is hidden somewhere in our newsletter or on our website. The new keyword prize is a Laser Light with flexible head. Find the keyword and be the next prize winner!

thank younewsletter contributors!

Bill Detwiler, Bob Goodman, Cha r l i e Moo re , Da r r y D Eggleston, Edith Parker, Herb Goodman, Ira Wilsker, Joan O’Brien, Jon Jones, Linda Gonse, Lorene Romero, Mike Lyons, Neil Longmuir, Pamela Tabak, Ted Wirtz, Terry Schiele, Tim O’Reilly

September DeadlineAugust 22

please help!

Bring used Hewlett Packard, Canon (BC-02, BC-05, BC-20

or BX-3), Lexmark, Dell, Compaq, Kodak, Samsung, or Sharp inkjet cartridges; or any laser cartridge to our next meeting for our fundraising project.

favorite shot wanted

Everybody has a photo they like a lot. Send your favorite

photo as a low resolution 3” x 4” or 4” x 3” jpg to [email protected]. Provide a description of the photo or the camera that you used to get it. Photo subjects can be whatever you choose.

net neutrality bill introduced in Congress

President Obama has repeatedly called for Net Neutrality. A pro-Net Neutrality chairman is now heading the FCC. Public support has never been greater.

The time has come to make Net Neutrality the law once and for all. Congress introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 (H.R. 3458) to give you control over the future of the Internet.

Now, it’s your turn to get involved. Write your congressman and say “Pass the Net Neutrality bill now!”

President, Mike Lyons [email protected] Treasurer/Membership, Charlie Moore [email protected] Editor/Webmaster, Linda Gonse [email protected] Programs, Lothar Loehr [email protected] Reviews, Terry Schiele [email protected] Membership, Carl Westberg [email protected]

Nibbles & Bits is electronically published and distributed by Orange County IBM PC Users’ Group to its members and vendors. Opinions expressed herein are the writers and are not reflective of the Orange

County IBM PC Users’ Group position, nor endorsed by inclusion in this newsletter. Submit newsletter items to: [email protected]. Reprint Policy: PAGE LAYOUTS AND IMAGES MAY NOT BE USED. User groups

MAY REPRINT UNALTERED, UNCOPYRIGHTED TEXT, WITH CREDIT TO THE AUTHOR AND NIBBLES & BITS.

ORCOPUGPost Office Box 716

Brea, California 92822-0716714-990-0580 • www.orcopug.org

member of the association of personal computer user groups

• Product & “How To”demos• Free raffles and magazines• Help from other members• Newsletter and web site• Special offers & discounts• Monthly meetings• Affiliation with worldwide group

benefits ofUser Group Membership

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GROUP INFORMATION

Planning meetings are held the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at Downey Savings & Loan, one block east of Harbor at Bastanchury in Fullerton. All members are welcome to attend planning meetings!

• Program of the month • newsletters • weather map • pdf & site search • personalized map • antivirus/antispyware links • help & tips • newsfeeds • contact information• membership application • Members’ Only! specials

our website’s got it all!

www.orcopug.org

User groups represent the spirit of the frontier, a community getting together to do things that no individual ought to have to do alone. The pioneers of the American west got together for barn raisings, cattle roundups, and the occasional party. The pioneers of new technology get together for installfests, new user training and support, and just plain fun. Being part of a user group is the best way to get more out of your computer, and lets you make friends while you’re at it.

Tim O’ReillyPresident, O’Reilly & Associates

where are the meetings and when are they held?

R egular meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Placentia Library, 411 East Chapman Avenue. Placentia, California 92870, (714) 528-1906. Call (714) 990-0580, for information. Meetings are free and the public is welcome!

next meeting: tuesday, august 11, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — placentia library, placentia

nibbles & bits, july 2009 - orcopug.org winning monthly newsletter for orcopug members. vol....

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