NWA-PCUG Newsletter Articles 2005

NWA- PCUG
The Northwest Arkansas Personal Computer
User Group

Newsletter Articles



2005


Jan thru Mar - 05

Apr thru Jun - 05

Jul thru Sep - 05

Oct thru Dec - 05









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October thru December - 2005

December - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • What's New In Digital Photography? - by Bill Moeller, Vice President
    In a sense, 2005 has been a year of consolidation in Digital Photography. The technology has become mainstream, and significant improvements have been made in all areas...
  • Speedup Your Cmputer - Clean Your Startup - by Ira Wilsker
    While there are many causes for inadequate performance, such as a fragmented hard drive, and other problems, one of the most common causes of slow booting and poor performance is having too many programs automatically load when the computer is booting.
  • Indexing The Web: Spiders, Web Crawlers, & Bots - by Brian K. Lewis
    Have you ever wondered how search engines such as Google manage to get the answers to your queries so rapidly? How could they search the web that fast, I mean usually less than one second to find the words you ask for? Well --- They don't.
  • The New, The Best, & The Worst - by Pim Borman
      Hard Drive Too Small?
      How Much Is That Program in the Windows?
      Too much security?
      Windows Tips and Tricks
      Recovered Printer Cartridge
      AdSubtract, Good Bye!
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      Nothing is Ever Really FREE
      AMD Asks Intel for a duel
      PC Has Water-cooled Radiator
      New IE 7.0 is for Windows Only!
      No More Textbooks?
      TPMs Make E-Commerce Safer
      eBay Rethinks Recycling
  • Tips For Locating Misplaced Files - by Dave Gerber
    Losing files on your PC is a lot like misplacing your car keys in a cluttered apartment. You know the things you’re looking for are close by, but actually finding and using them can be a challenge.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Need A New Web Site?
      Announcement for SearchMyDisks 2.01.
      September, 2005; For Immediate Release -- New disk cataloger and search engine helps PC owners find necessary CD or DVD in seconds.
  • SideBar
    SEASON'S GREETINGS and... A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO EACH OF YOU AND YOURS!
    and...
    OUR THANKS TO THE OUTGOING OFFICERS FOR A GREAT YEAR and... CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INCOMING OFFICERS FOR A GREAT *NEW* YEAR!
  • November - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • October Is National Cyber Security Awareness Month - by James Katz
    What is cyber security, what all does it involve, who's paying attention to it, what is your responsibility and how much priority does it get with you?
  • Bless Both Of These Backups - by Stephen Wildstrom
    BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! Here are two ways to protect yourself from data disaster, each with distinct advantages, if your hard drive dies. Taken from Business Week with permission.
  • Network Your Home or Office Internet - by Ira Wilsker
    Three basic methods of connecting an internet source to a home or office network for simutaneous operation.
  • Expect The Unexpected When Traveling Abroad - by Lynn Kauer
    The ultimate in planning for the unexpected, and then missing something.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Zio Corporation Is Acquired.
      What's In Your Computer?
      Punch Software.
      What's a Skin Clock?
      For Immediate Release.
      Skin Clock v1.0 Features At a Glance - Pricing & Availability.
      Announcement For IntroWizard - Pricing & Availability - Create Flash Websites In a Flash!
  • SideBar
    The Ultimate Bootable CD For Windows
    Imagine diagnosing and repairing all Windows problems with one bootable CD, destined to replace the emergency bootable floppy disc, which usually only allows looking at the hard drive.
  • October - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Servant Salamander - by John Clark, WebMaster and Librarian
    A slick file manager, with applications to digital pictures.
  • Paint Shop Pro 9 - An incremental review by Bill Moeller, Vice President
    Thoughts on this new version from a long time user of graphic programs.
  • Maintaining Your Downloads - by David Garcia
    Ever wondered where that download went? (all the time????). Here are a few tips to help that situation.
  • Figuring Out How Spammers Get Email Addresses - by Dave Gerber
    You're probably more vulnerable than you can imagine. See what you're doing wrong.
  • Lessons Learned Too Late - by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director
    Another attack of killer worms! Learn all about it here from experience.
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      Free services are being used to install malicious code.
      Insect “extermination” via mini robots.
      Vector Capital purchases WinZip.
      Better Eating Through Nanotech.
      Microsoft Finalizes Genuine Advantage.
      There is no “Superfetch”.
      End of analog TV?
      New Media Center Device.
  • Moderating a Question & Answer Session - by Bob Bondietti
    Two observations:
      1) A successful moderator, I have found, should practice two qualities: and
      2) The moderator should make it a habit of repeating the question for two reasons:
  • How To Transfer Large Files Over The Internet - by Gary Bentley
    What's a large file? and tips on sending it over the big wire.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      How About Designing or Remodeling Your Home.
      An Announcement I Received Back In June And Edited For publishing.
      Design Website Buttons With Style.
  • SideBar
    What Time Of The Year Is It?
    Time to elect new officers for 2006.
  • July thru September - 2005

    September - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Wi-Fi Wireless Inernet and Network Availability - by Ira Wilsker
    Where can you get free "hotspots" or wireless "Wi-Fi" locations where you can get free broadband wireless internet access?
  • Windows: Better Safe (Mode) Than Sorry - by Gabe Goldberg
    What is Safe mode, when do you use it, and where can you find information on it?
  • Book Excerpt: 3 Word Annoyances (and Fixes) - by Guy Hart-Davis
    More of what you always wanted to know about Word annoyances.
  • Beware of File Sharing - by Ira Wilsker
    In a statement by Alberto Gonzales "...that those who actively encourage or induce the theft of copyrighted works may be held liable for their actions..."
  • Why Can't I Just Copy My Programs To My New Computer? - by Brian K Lewis
    All you ever wanted to know about file transfer.
  • 27 Useful Bookmarks - by Richard Johnson
    27 websites (updated from that published in hard copy) that without any necessary downloading provide exceedingly useful free non-specialized services and tools, that require no particular knowledge except how to navigate the World Wide Web.
  • Perfect Backup - by Gene Barlow (NOT IN HARD COPY NEWSLETTER)
    The material Gene promised during his June visit.
  • How Internet Predators Can Harm Your Computer - by Gene Barlow (NOT IN HARD COPY NEWSLETTER)
    This is the first of a two part article on Internet Security. This article will focus on the harm that predators can do to your computer while you are attached to the Internet. The second article addresses what you can do to protect your computer from these predators. You need to read both articles to get the whole story.
  • Internet Tips and Tricks - by Richard Johnson (NOT IN HARD COPY NEWSLETTER)
    Pointers designed to help get the most out of using Internet Explorer.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      More On HD Warranties
      Interesting Show
      New Computer Project
      Last Chance For the Biometric Unlocking Device Deal
      Special Rebates For Zio Corp. Products
  • SideBar
    APCUG Annual Conference 2006

  • August - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Don't Fall For "Human Engineering" - by Ira Wilsker
    The first click on the attachment...planted a nasty backdoor Trojan on your computer, Nibu.D. ...which just installed a “keylogger” intended to capture usernames, passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive information.
  • Search Engine Tips and Tricks - by Richard Johnson
    As helpful as is Google, it's a mistake to overlook the other search services. It's a good idea, however, to pick out and bookmark at least a few competitors, for special situations. A good place to start is the search comparison chart at...
  • Bass's Computing Factoids - by Steve Bass
    There are unrelated things picked up in e-mail that are terrific but not long enough for an article. Here are a few of them.
  • Five More Computing Privacy Annoyances Set 1 - by Dan Tynan
    Tired of annoying pop-ups and fretting over junk mail? Here are fixes for another five of your computer privacy annoyances.
  • Five More Computing Privacy Annoyances Set 2 - by Dan Tynan
    Worried about your cell phone being tapped or maybe want to tap a cell phone? Here are answers to five of your computer privacy annoyances.
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      AMD’s Antitrust Suit Against Intel.
      Coming soon: 30Gb on a 1-inch drive.
      Court Rules against File-Swapping.
      Man vs. SuperComputer.
      Tired of waiting for Windows XP?
      Laptop Batteries Recalled.
      No IE7 for Win 2K.
      Digitally Enhanced Photos May Be “Too Good"
      Do the walls have ears?
      $100 Computer.
      Porn gets its own domain.
  • EndItAll Installation Procedure - by Bill Shook, Editor
    The slick little program that lets you turn off all those things you open up at boot-up in case you want to defrag or install other programs.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Mysterious nasty popup.
      Reminder - biometric fingerprint device still good.
      The other announcements featured last month are also still good for August.
      Free Database.
      How About a Free Toolbar!
      Pocket PC Safety! Edited Announcement.
      IconoMaker.
  • SideBars
    O'Reilly Book Discounts and More On The Web - by Bill Shook, Editor

  • July - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Another Silent Attack On Our Computers - by Ira Wilsker
    Imagine a threat that would be undetected by our current antivirus, firewall, and anti-spyware software, yet be so powerful as to effectively take over our computers, without our knowledge. It's called "Rootkit".
  • Wacom Graphire 3 4x5 Tablet - by Bill Moeller, Vice President
    Grumbling when trying to draw lines with a mouse? Read on.
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      Homegrown Star Wars with Big Screen Magic.
      Let the Games Begin.
      Odd-shaped Robots Do More Than Homework.
      Get Your LCD Monitor or TV now!
      Talk To Your TV!
      3D Without Glasses.
      Electronic Pill Boxes.
      RealNetworks Launches Napster Challenger.
      Longhorn to Support Handwriting and Touch Screens.
      VoIPs To Get 911 Access.
      A Word To President Bush.
  • Digital Photography: - by Rick Altman
    The Killer App of This Generation, Part Two.
  • Book Excerpt: Five Home Networking Annoyances - by Kathy Ivens
    In just 5 minutes you'll be able to fix 5 of the most annoying home networking annoyances.
  • Search Engine Tips and Tricks - by Richard Johnson
    All you ever wanted to know about Google.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Purchase Dates For Hard Drives.
      Email Problem Fixed.
      Popular Deal Revived.
      Why Not The Latest Locking System For You?
      High-impact Screenshots without complexity
      RoboTask 2.2-the latest version of a high performance animation tool for the Windows platform
  • Sidebar
    Create A Virtual Drive - by Bob and Joy Schwabach

  • April thru June - 2005

    June - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by David Hinds
    May Meeting Q & A Recap
  • Protecting Your Internet Passwords - by Gene Barlow
    How do you keep track of your passwords? make them all the same? use sticky notes? There's a better solution.
  • Another Annoyance: Windows Licensing - by Ed Bott
    All you ever wanted to know about licensing an OEM copy of Windows from a guy who knows.
  • Digital Photography: The Killer App - by Rick Altman
    First in a two part series about the impact of digital photography.
  • Double Threat Online Travel Scam - by Ira Wilsker
    If you're a traveller, do you always get a discount price? or can't ever find the deal you want?
  • Current Hoaxes & Urban Legends - by Ira Wilsker
    What's your criteria for forwarding those "must have" or "send to everyone" in your address book? emails? Do you know how to check whether or not they are hoaxes or urban legends?
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      Traditional 911 Services Not Available From VoIPs
      MRI in a Pill
      Cell Phone Helmets For Bikers
      Now You CAN Return Unwrapped Software
      Great New Escape
      Creative Commons Rewrites Copyright!
      WinFS To Be Included In WinXP Update
      New PhotoShop CS Details
  • Would You Like An Internet Can-Opener? - by Gabe Goldberg
    Wouldn't it be nice to access the Internet with devices as easy to use as toasters or pencil sharpeners?
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Continued Travel Stories
      Surprise Fella, You're Out Of Luck!
      I Did Something About The Weather
      A Deal Renewed
      Announcement For ActiveStartup Deluxe - Below Is An Edited Announcement
      Last Minute Problem
  • Managing the Information Flood - by Gene Barlow
    Are you having trouble finding things on your overcrowded large hard drive? The better organized we are on our computers, the quicker we can find and use the information available to us.
    NOTE: This article is not in the hardcopy newsletter.
  • Sidebar
    Tip Of The Day! Lots of good stuff. Check it out at: http://www.windowstipoftheday.blogspot.com/
  • May - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Bass’s Computing Factoids - by Steve Bass
    "There are unrelated things I pick up in e-mail that are terrific but not long enough for an article. Here are a few of them." -- tech support/customer transcripts and more.
  • Five More Annoying Annoyances - by Steve Bass
    "When I wrote PC Annoyances, I thought I'd soon run out of annoyances to fix. Ha! No sooner had the book landed in bookstores than I was barraged with email from--who else?--PC World and O'Reilly readers, tossing me more annoyances to handle."
  • The New, the Best, and the Worst - by Pim Borman
    DVD Compatibility Woes, more Google features, and Gadgets.
  • Cyber Security in 2005? - by Pim Borman
    As more and more computer users gain fast, always-on, broadband access to the Internet via cable or ADSL telephone lines, computer security becomes a critical issue.
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      IRS partners offer no-cost services.
      V40 states and the District of Columbia working on a national Internet sales tax system.
      EBay and Intel have developed a “Rethink Initiative”
      Vonage, the No. 1 Internet phone company, offers subscribers a wireless Wi-Fi phone.
      New technology known as eICU lets physicians manage health care from miles away.
      If you've bought a plasma TV, you might get one-upped in two years.
      For people fed up with pecking out text messages on their mobile phone, Samsung Electronics may have an answer.
  • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) - by Brian K. Lewis, Ph.D.
    Are you using the Internet for your local and/or long distance service? If not, then maybe you need to read this article.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Working the Shows.
      The Password Vault software for $15 is still good from Gene Barlow.
      The Bundle Is Back.
      Put Your DVD Burner To Work.
      Announcement for Active Screen Lock (Edited).
  • Sidebar
    Online search engine leader Google has unveiled a new feature that will enable its users to zoom in on homes and businesses using satellite images...
  • April - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Updater Beware! - by Robert Davis
    Everyone knows the warning, "Buyer Beware!" This article is to say "Updater Beware!" Suffice to say that I got bit.
  • Necessities For That New Computer - by Ira Wilsker
    If the new user as well as the experienced user would follow some simple steps, he/she would likely enjoy years of happy computing; if not, well...
  • Rich's Ramblings - by Rich Schinnell
    BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! Sage advice from many years of experience from one of the best. It doesn't get much easier...nor interesting.
  • The Computer Corner - by Joe Shipley
    Software recommendations for protecting your computer during the "flu and virus" season.
  • Search The Windows WUGNET - by Bettie Cummings Cook
    A Microsoft website that demonstrates the highest standards available today in shareware for Windows XP.
  • Tech News - by Sue Crane
      Search Engines.
      Floating screen (Mitsubishi's Scopo.)
      Two Japanese companies claim they've developed the first DVD for both standard and high definition players.
      You can get anything on eBay -- except justice -- (putting a judge up for sale????)
      Free annual credit reports.
      California Engergy Commission approved standards that would require ALL household appliances to run on 1 to 3 watts.
      Microsoft is setting an example for customers by introducing smart cards for every employee.
      President Bush has signed a new 4 year ban on state and federal taxation of Internet connections.
      More capability for Intel products in both the digital home and the digital office.
      The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) reports that as more hospitals have issued drug automation, more errors have also increased.
  • Legal Bytes: Cyber Criminals - Who and Why - by John Brewer
    The Finnish security firm F-Secure reports that even though the numnber of arrests and sentences handed down make 2004 the best year yet for catching cyber criminals, it won't have a noticeable effect on eliminating virus writers.
  • Ask The Expert - Bluetooth - by Joe Schmitt
    What is Bluetooth? Now you know.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      More interesting items on Working the Shows.
      Another deal from Linda and Gene Barlow. (Note they'll be with us at our June 11th meeting at Jones Center. Be sure to attend and bring friends.)
      Attention Gamers! (a new space shooter/puzzler.)
  • Sidebar
    Actual comments made by 16 year olds on SAT tests (Scholastic Aptitude Tests). You may be surprised.
  • January thru March - 2005

    March - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Improving Your Digital Photos - by Bill Moeller, Vice President
    A preview of the meeting program: three tools will in all likelihood meet well over 90% of your image correction needs, which in Adobe Photoshop Elements are called Levels, Crop, and Clone Stamp.
  • IRS and "Free File Alliance" - by Ira Wilsker
    These two again offer FREE online tax preparation and filing.
  • Screen Capture Tools - by Gabe Goldberg
    Put Windows at your beck and call.
  • The Digital Home - by Sherry Zorzi
    Will 2005 be the year your home entertainment goes digital? Here's what you want and how to do it.
  • Simple But Powerful Tools - by Gabe Goldberg
    Powerfile programs to find misplaced files.
  • New Year's Resolutions For Computer Users - by Ira Wilsker
    Suggested Resolutions:
      Update antivirus.
      Delete Spam mail.
      Never click on a Popup ad.
      Practice good email etiquette.
      Don't forward hoaxes.
      Kill spyware.
      Participate in National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
  • Firefox: - by Linda Gonse
    A program popularized by open source programmers
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Is this a good deal or what?
      Tax time
      Media Catalog Studio Announcement - Catalog and classify your media collection easy!
      An announcement for Fontonizer.
  • Sidebar
    Windows Media Player 10 from Microsoft.Use it to listen to music on CDs, MP3s, MIDI, Wave, rip from CD to computer, quickly burn your own CDs, and put songs from several CDs to one master CD, and more, and it's FREE!.
  • February - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Acronis True Image 8.0 - A Review by Bill Shook, Editor
    A backup and disaster recovery software package that allows creating exact images of the hard drive or individual partitions for later restore, if needed.
  • More Power To You - by Bill Garfield
    One cause of computer data loss is the momentary power failure. If you've ever considered a backup power supply for your computer and not really understood the lingo, or even wondered what size you need, this article may help.
  • Legal Bytes - by John Brewer
    It's the Slammer for a Spammer! Spam is a nuisance. A recent Virginia case has sent a message to the spammer community that should not be ignored.
  • What's New? - by William Gizzell
      New BTX Design for PCs
      Florida Man Pays Spam Fine
      NetGear is Designing a Broadband Modem
      AMD Releases Athlon 64 FX-55 CPU
      New Laptop Hard Drives
      Google Desktop Search
      Future Computer Monitors from HP Research
  • Why Can't I Open This File? - Brian K. Lewis, Ph.D
    There are times in every computer user's life when the computer seems to be deliberately trying to increase your level of frustration. So why does this happen? And what does it have to do with these things called extensions or suffixes?
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Travel Visas
      Vacation Comments
      Reminder - Alpha 5 ver.6 special offer
      AdWords Clever Wizard
      NotePage's FeedForAll
      Announcement of Flash File Recovery 1.3
      What Do You Want? - [http://www.savvysenior.org] is said to offer everything for seniors including 3000 free goodies.
  • More On The Web!
    Gene Barlow's Hard Drive Newsletter reviewing Move Me, a software package that aids transferring all files from old PC to new one.
  • Sidebar
    Three Interesting URLs from Bob and Joy Schwabach On Computers column in the 1/24/05 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
  • January - 2005
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by David Hinds, President
    2005 Meeting Dates. both regular monthly meetings and the executive board meetings. Also, additional emphasis on letting the board know what programs you'd like to have.
  • Do It Now - by Elizabeth Wright
    Don't wait until it's too late to share your and your parents genealogy information, and where it will be safe.
  • PC Help - Sometimes - Just A Mouseclick Away - by Gabe Goldberg
    Who would have thought a Beatles song highlights a great PC resource for solving problems and answering questions - Help!
  • What Time Is It? - by Ira Wilsker
    Set Your PC Clock. What's the big deal about having a wrong time and date on my computer?
  • Do You Know How Safe Your Credit Card Is? - by Jack Lewtschuk
    How many times have you typed your credit card number or password into your computer? Any idea what happens to it?
  • Understanding USB - by Vinny LaBash
    Up until a few years ago if you wanted to add an external device to your computer, like a scanner or Zip drive, it needed your one and only parallel port, which was already in use.
  • Beware of SCUMWARE - by Ira Wilsker
    Pretending to be anti-spyware. You've probably seen the popup saying "WARNING! This computer is infected with dangerous SPYWARE. CLICK HERE..."
  • Computer Essentials - by Pim Borman
    What can be done to make computers true household appliances, intuitive and simple to use even by technophobes?
  • Computers Of The Future - by Pim Borman
    What will they think of next?
  • The Computer Corner - by Joe Shipley
    Synchronize those files!
  • Discounts Offer - This item is NOT in the newsletter.
    An extensive list of computer discounts. These discounts are furnished by APCUG, an international organization to which we belong, as a benefit of membership.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Working the shows.
      Disappearing Rebates.
      Reminders (Banner badges).
      How about helping Microsoft?
      Time is of the essence.
      How about a great relational database!
      Working on your icons?
      Talk all over the world
  • Sidebar -
    Who says computers don't have a mind of their own
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