NWA-PCUG Newsletter Articles 2010-

NWA- PCUG
The Northwest Arkansas Personal Computer
User Group

Newsletter Articles


2010

Jan thru Mar - 10

Apr thru Jun - 10

Jul thru Sep - 10

Oct thru Dec - 10











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October thru December- 2010

December - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Election of Officers & PC security. At the November meeting I gave a TOM [tip of the month] concerning the latest rankings of the 2011 best internet security suites. Here are the rankings:
  • Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus - by Ash Nallawalla
    Microsoft Office is a suite of business programs such as its word processor: Word; spreadsheet: Excel; presentation manager: PowerPoint; email manager: Outlook; database: Access; and so on.
  • Word 2010 for Dummies - by John Kamper
    If you’re new to Word and computers to begin with, a total newbie, this book is for you. It doesn’t point out what’s new in 2010 compared to 2007 and previous versions, so it assumes you’re new to Word.
  • The "i" and "e" Digital Gadgets - by Mike Morris
    Over the past few years, I have received numerous questions about the meaning of various terms, such as MP3, BlackBerry, etc.
  • Installing Windows 7 On An XP Computer - by Nancy Wallace
    (If I can do it, you can do it!). I have a 2006 Dell laptop (32-bit) with an 80 GB hard drive and 1 GB of RAM. I have just successfully installed Windows 7 on this computer with a few glitches which I managed to resolve.
  • Negotiating Slick Deals With Your Cable Company - by Gabe Goldberg
    For some people, their cable company is "the company they love to hate". Most folks just accept the cable company for what it is, a semi-regulated utility providing useful or necessary services.
  • You Know "Copy and Paste" - Meet their Cousin "Format Painter": - by Nancy DeMarte
    When you begin to use the programs that are part of Microsoft Office, it is easy to overlook some of the tools which could make your life easier.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
    Miscellaneous Comments
      Loss Of Another User Group
      Still Good
      Will The Real Security Stand Up?
      More On Safe Web Surfing
    More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Dozens of Free Utilities From NirSoft
      It is no secret to regular readers of my column that I am somewhat of a software junkie, often very willing and eager to download and install interesting software. I am especially fond of free software (freeware),
    • IObit Toolbox - Free System Utilities
      I have just added another system utility to my growing collection of software. While there have been some controversies in the past about some IObit security products, I have generally been very satisfied with IObit products,
    • More Free Online TV but be Careful with This One!
      In recent months, I have written several columns about some of the free utilities that can be used to play live TV and radio on the computer.
    • Millions of Historic Photos Online
      I have always been interested in history, especially military history. Sadly, I find that most of today's college students are blissfully ignorant about history, unless it was in a fictional Oliver Stone movie,
  • November - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Election of Officers.
  • Discovering Windows 7 - Part 7 - by Neil Stahfest
    This month we’re going to look at customizing the Task Bar and the Start Menu. Why would you want to do this? Read on.
  • Video and Graphics for Windows 7 - by Vinny La Bash
    Engage anti-aliasing. Activate the anisotropic filters. Fire the vertical sync generators. Is that Han Solo shouting orders to Chewbacca in a heroic effort to fend off Darth Vader and his evil galactic empire? No, it’s “geek speak” for language that was never meant to confuse us but often does
  • Windows Explorer in Windows 7 - by Lynn Page
    I have always felt that Windows Explorer is the most important application provided with Windows. It is a file management application included in the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 on.
  • PC Mover Essentials - by Terry Currier
    PC Mover from Laplink allows you to move files quickly and easily from one computer to another.
  • Use Creativity To Expand Picture Taking Capabilities Without Flattening Your Wallet - by Constance Brown
    Ever since the cost of photography was drastically reduced with the development of affordable digital cameras, it has been possible for the hobbyist to use creativity to expand picture taking capabilities without flattening his wallet.
  • Making Wireless Internet Faster - by Vinny La Bash
    A wireless network works on the same principle as any other communications network. It is a collection of various devices connected to each other in a way that allows data to flow unimpeded, and unchanged from one device to another.
  • Music: Capture it, Organize it & Enjoy It - Part 1 - by Phil Sorrentino
    Music in the past was captured and made available on analog sources and played back on analog devices. Those analog sources were tubes (in Thomas Edison’s times), record disks (78s, 45s and 33 1/3 vinyl), and finally tapes (reel-to-reel, 8 track, and cassette). And they were played on a phonograph (circa late 1870s), a turntable (spanning the 20th century) or a tape machine (spanning the late 20th century).
  • End of an Era Arrives For XP, Service Pack 2 - by Bob de Violini
    The end of an era has come for Windows XP, Service Pack 2, and it bears noting. One survey found that over one-third of the PCs in the firms surveyed were running Windows XP SP2. I’m sure that quite a few of you reading this are also running XP SP2 as well, and this warning is for you.
  • Safe Mode - by Bill Pryor
    Windows Safe Mode available in Win 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7 allows you oftentimes to boot up Windows when you can not normally run Windows at all.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      USB Feedback from Last Month’s Column
      More On My Ricoh Printer
      Unusual Vending Machines
      Need Some Training?
      What Is Starting When Your Computer Boots?
      A free backup utility A Great Christmas Gift
    More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • TrendMicro Titanium - A New Concept in Secruty
      As I have said in this column many times before, I am a software junkie. I like trying new software, often seeking out the gems that can improve performance, or increase security. Recently, I installed a most intriguing product that promised both the epitome of online security along with a noticeable increase in performance due to the utilization of less system resources. This product is the newly released TrendMicro Titanium Maximum Security.
    • Use Your Electrical Wiring for Your Home Network
      Several years ago I wrote about a promising new technology that offered the home computer user the ability to create a wired home network without running any cables throughout the house. Since then, many new products were introduced that offered wired home networking without running any wires, but due to performance issues and cost, they never really caught on.
    • LiberKey - Hundreds of Free Programs Run From a Flash Drive
      I had previously written about the USB flash drive that I always carry with me as it is attached to my car keychain. That 2 GB flash drive contains my frequently updated, malware scanners (Malwarebytes, SUPERAntispyware, and others), as well as my emergency contact and medical information.
    • Save Money Grocery Shopping with Online E-Coupons
      Just like all other families, my family buys a lot of groceries. Between us humans, the dog, and the cats, we easily spend hundreds of dollars a month on groceries and related household needs. Considering the increase in commodity prices that have been driving up grocery prices, as well as tight budgets influenced by prevailing economic conditions, we seem to use more coupons at the supermarket than in the past.
  • October - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Election of Officers.
  • Dick's Clicks - by Dick Ramette
    This month I clicked on "email etiquette" in Google, and found 163,000 hits, with myriad suggestions for doing the right thing. I realize that many of you do not need this, but others, including my own kith and kin, should take note of these pet peeves. Please take the quiz:
  • Magic Wand: A Real Portable Scanner - by Marrtha E. Walsh
    With this compact battery-powered Magic Wand scanner from VuPoint, you can scan most any document without being connected to your PC.
  • Charge Anywhere - by George Harding
    The last few years have produced a remarkable quantity of mobile devices: phones, MP3 players, cameras and so on. Each of these needs a power source. The internal battery can hold only so much
  • A $2.50 Pentium 4 Desktop Computer - by Bill Pryor
    I do not know, but I am having more fun lately reviving the dead than buying the latest and greatest every minute. And with all the old parts and software around, almost anything can be replaced with a little patience and very low cost. It is certainly uncanny so much amazing technology is being ignored and discarded everywhere. Why when $2.50 won’t even get you into a computer show, how about buying a whole computer ready to go?
  • Backups: Essential To Protect Your data - by John Weigle
    No matter how often they’re warned that hard drives fail, many people never back them up or back them up so seldom that they lose months or even years of work when the drives do fail. And then they cry when they’re told that their family pictures, e-mail, vacation pictures and financial information either can’t be recovered or will cost thousands of dollars to recover.
  • Mobile Computing - by Chuck Horowitz
    I’ve been hearing and reading a lot of hype about the value of a Netbook computer for searching the web on the go. If you’re like me, getting older and wearing glasses, a Netbook is not the best idea.
  • The Control Panel: Extremely Useful - by Sandy Berger
    Just as you can use a car without manipulating anything under the hood, you can also use a computer without changing any settings. However, at a certain point you will want to correct a setting, uninstall a program, change the way your mouse works, or add another user to your computer.
  • How Do You Connect To The Internet? - by Constance BrownDo you use dial-up, DSL, cable, satellite, mobile broadband, wireless or a combination of the above? Your answer likely reflects the availability of services in the area where you live and whether you use a laptop, personal computer, netbook or smart phone for email and Internet access. Let’s take a look at some of these services.
  • Internet Tech Advice: Managing {and deleting} browser Toolbars - by Sandy Rand
    Did you ever notice that your Internet Explorer has toolbars from such companies as Google, Yahoo, Ask.com, WebSearch, MSN, The Weather Channel, etc? The list of these toolbars goes on and on. When I work on my client’s computers, sometimes I see five or six toolbars on the same browser window.
  • The First Computer Science "Man of the Year" Was A Womman - by Joan Craymer
    In 1969, the Data Processing Management Association awarded the first Computer Science Man-of-the-Year Award to Grace Brewster Murray Hopper. In 1973 she also became the first woman (and the first American) to become a Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Lets Talk Drive Letters
      Still No Information
      Use Your Smartphone For A Good Cause
      Where Can I Find Lots of Smartphone Apps?
      Where’s The Wi-Fi?
      What If You’re Sick?
      Archive Your Computer Drivers To Be Sure You Have Them
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Clean Your Hard Drive of Junk Files and Improve Performance
      My primary software of choice to clean a cluttered hard drive is the wildly popular CCleaner (www.piriform.com), an excellent free utility that has been downloaded over 500 million times.
    • Control All Functions in Windows 7 with "God Mode"
      While Windows 7 generally works fine as they come from Microsoft with all of the default settings in place, many of us cannot resist tweaking our operating systems. In Windows 7 we can click on START (the orb) and CONTROL PANEL which will display the menu of most of the items that can be tweaked.
    • Free Online Scanners Detect and Remove Malware
      In recent weeks I have written about a variety of utilities that can detect and remove malware from an infected computer. Some of the utilities can be downloaded and installed, and run as necessary to detect and remove any malware that may have penetrated the primary security software that was installed on that computer. Other utilities discussed previously in this column are portable and could be run from a flash drive to detect and remove malware
    • October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
      Organizations, employers, school teachers, computer clubs, senior citizen centers, and a variety of other institutions are often in search of some type of topic or event that they can use as a theme for meetings and presentations.
  • July thru September- 2010

    September - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Malware update.
  • Variations On a Theme of Flash Drives - Reviewed by Fred Wasserman
    Flash drives have become not just interesting little toys but essential storage and data transfer tools. How many of us still use floppy disks to pass data along from one computer to another?
  • Outside the Lines - by Carla S. Cawlfield
    SO! You Want a New Computer! This article is intended as a guideline to how to select a computer, not specifically which computer to buy.
  • Website Discoveries - by Steve Bass
    I spend lots of time patrolling the Internet, looking for sites that can help me with my life. Some are pin-pointed to something I might need right away, like Contact Help, a way to get the phone number of a company. Others are spots I know I'll need someday, such as instructions for recovering a ring from a drainpipe or how to wrap an extension cord like a pro.
  • Shopping Sites - by Terry Currier
    Quibids (www.quibids.com) A combination auction, the arcade claw game, and poker. Like an auction because you bid on items they post. Like the claw game you look to see what you want and the best way to get it. Poker, because it takes strategy, bluffing, and money to win.
  • Understanding Libraries in Windows 7 - by Vinny La Bash
    Some people think of a library as a building that houses a collection of books. It’s an accurate physical description, but tells you nothing about a library’s true value to society. A library is a reservoir of knowledge. From the ancient Library of Alexandria to the Library of Congress, the function of a library has been to make a civilization’s knowledge available to those who wish to educate themselves.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Good Help To Organize Your Desktop
      Is That Web Site Safe To Visit?
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Another "Clean Your Hard Drive of Junk Files and Improve Performance"
      My primary software of choice to clean a cluttered hard drive is the wildly popular CCleaner (www.piriform.com), an excellent free utility that has been downloaded over 500 million times.
    • Control All Functions in Windows 7 with "God Mode"
      While Windows 7 generally works fine as they come from Microsoft with all of the default settings in place, many of us cannot resist tweaking our operating systems. In Windows 7 we can click on START (the orb) and CONTROL PANEL which will display the menu of most of the items that can be tweaked.
    • Free Online Scanners Detect and Remove Malware
      In recent weeks I have written about a variety of utilities that can detect and remove malware from an infected computer. Some of the utilities can be downloaded and installed, and run as necessary to detect and remove any malware that may have penetrated the primary security software that was installed on that computer. Other utilities discussed previously in this column are portable and could be run from a flash drive to detect and remove malware
    • October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
      Organizations, employers, school teachers, computer clubs, senior citizen centers, and a variety of other institutions are often in search of some type of topic or event that they can use as a theme for meetings and presentations.
  • August - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Useful Tips.
  • This and That - by Elizabeth B. Wright
    You never know what your program will remember when you close it. For that reason, if the last file you used in the program happened to be on removable media which has been detached from the computer,
  • ET Phone Home! - by Berry F. Phillips
    SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an exploratory science that searches for evidence of life in the universe.
  • Finding Help In Windows & Windows Programs - by Ron Hirsch
    Help Is Everywhere.
    Windows and Windows programs actually have a tremendous amount of help and assistance built into the software. Unfortunately, most users don't know where to look,
  • Windows Explorer - by Wil Wakely
    What a terrible name! Often confused with Internet Explorer, this file manipulator is one of the most useful and used programs on my computer.
  • Sights & Sounds of Multimedia - by George Harding
      Desktop Emergency Weather Station
      Rebit SaveMe
      LG Netbook X120
  • A Font of Knowledge - by Dave Chrestenson
    Have you ever gotten a small print from your camera or cell phone and thought it looked pretty nice? And decided to have an 8x10 made? And discovered that diagonal lines stair stepped across the
  • Creative Griping Makes Friends & Brings Rewards - by Gabe Goldberg
    In a perfect world, there'd be no problems with hardware, software, or services; businesses would be fully staffed with articulate human beings ready to accommodate all requests, and every product would meet or exceed customer expectations. But that's not how things work on planet Earth in 2010.
  • USB Explained - by Sandy Berger
    USB, or Universal Serial Bus, is a hardware bus standard that allows users to plug a peripheral device into a USB port and have it automatically configured and ready to use.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Computer Repair Feedback
      Minor Problem, Though
      Not Much Work Lately
      Even Some Large User Groups are Feeling the Pinch
      No Luck With Vendor Announcements
      Worried About Your Laptop Getting Stolen?
      Another Daily Deal
      Help Troubleshooting Your Computer Problem
      Help With Updates
      How Do You Replace Your Favorite Utilities
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Can You really Watch Free TV On Your PC?
      You may have seen ads on the internet or on TV that tell you that you can watch free TV on the internet, and that you do not need cable or satellite to watch thousands of TV channels. Some even go as far as to say that you should cancel your cable or satellite, and use the free services, rather than paying for expensive TV service.
    • Free Utilities From CPUID Describe System Details
      As regular readers of this column know, I am a fan of utilities, especially if they are free! Frequently, situations arise where it is necessary to know the details of a computer, including specifics about its software, hardware, drivers, and other components in order to diagnose a problem and make recommendations.
    • MS Security Essentials - Free Anti-Malware Protection
      I recently encountered a situation where one of my computers was unable to load a new beta (pre-release) version of one of the popular security software suites that I was beta testing. The purpose of beta testing is to find serious bugs and other problems before the software is officially released.
    • Probably the Best Free Security List In the World (Website)
      In a previous column I wrote about "Gizmo's Freeware", a very popular site that compiles lists of free software, categorizes thousands of freeware titles, tests, and rates much of the available freeware.
  • July - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Meeting programs.
  • Email Scams - By Vinny La Bash
    There are at least two dozen people in Nigeria that want to give me twelve million dollars. Imagine that! People are vigorously competing with each other to make me rich.
  • MP3 Tag - A Useful Utility - by Phil Sorrentino
    As I have said in the past, “Utilities are usually small programs that are intended to do a specific task or a small range of tasks.” And I have also directed you to the SPCUG Monitor Computer Buffet,
  • Upgrade Your E-mail Activities - by Ron Hirsch
    It's probable that 99% of computer users use e-mail in their daily lives. It has been my observation that the majority of users do a less than perfect job of writing and handling their mail.
  • Fix It Center At Microsoft - by Dave Gerber
    Fix it Center consolidates into a single product a whole range of trouble shooters, wizards and other support resources currently scattered throughout the Microsoft site and Windows itself,
  • Using Skype - by Mike Kearns
    Using free Skype software on your computer allows you to make calls over the internet to others who have the service. It's easy to download and works with most, if not all, computers.
  • SharedView & Skype - Attending a Remote SIG Presentation - by Judi McDowell
    A few Quad Cities Computer Society SIG leaders have been using Microsoft SharedView and Skype to allow participation from members remotely. We have been practicing with small test groups;
  • Windows 7 Tech Tips - by Brian K. Lewis
    Have you ever wanted or needed information about the hardware in your computer? Did you know that Windows 7 contains a command that can provide you with a list of your hardware components including memory information?
  • Eliminating Obsolete Windows Device Drivers - by Vinny La Bash
    Device drivers are programs that are designed to control (drive) specific types of hardware (devices) that are attached to your computer. These devices can be attached through wires or by wireless connections.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      How My Reimage Repair Went
      How To Make Posters
      How Is Your Flash Drive Working?
      Help For Your Downloads
      Coral Deals
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Soluto Anti-Frustration Software Improves Boot Time
      In several past columns I have written about utilities that can speed up the computer boot process. As cluttered as it was, my old XP machine could take up to five minutes to boot; my newer Windows 7-64 machine boots in under two minutes, considering the multilayered security that is installed on it. Traditionally, the ways of speeding the boot process on a PC was to defrag the hard drive, and clean up the programs in the startup that load when the computer is first turned on.
    • Microsoft Offers Free Online Version of Office
      In the over 10 years I have been writing this weekly column I have used the Microsoft Word installed on my desktop computer for all but a handful of the columns. There were a few columns I wrote while using Open Office as a topic of the column
    • WolframAlpha - Computational Knowledge Engine
      We are all familiar with the common search engines, such as Google, Bing, AllTheWeb, and Yahoo. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of search engines, and they all pretty much provide somewhat the same information. Last year Microsoft introduced Bing,

  • April thru June- 2010

    June - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Recap of May meeting.
  • Things, Thinglets & Thingassoes - By Jack Lewtschuk
    The Bad Guys are after Your Money. Well, that’s nothing new. Just as knowing the “computer language” is good to assist communication when seeking help or offering help to others, so is knowing the definition of words to describe cybercrime.
  • “Disk Failure” Scare - By Phil Sorrentino
    This morning, it happened again. I started the computer in the morning, as I do every morning, and staring me in the face was the dreaded "system disk failure" message.
  • Password Protect Your Account - By Kathy Frey
    If you password protect your account for your Windows operating system, then you should create a password reset disk. It takes very little time and is easy to do. In Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, these first steps are the same.
  • Rich’s Ramblings for April 2010 BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! - by Rich Schinnell
    One thing I have learned over that past 25-30+ years in computers is that Never Never Never open an E-Mail attachment from anyone unless you are 110% sure that it is expected and verified.
  • “2010: A Live Chat Tech Support Odyssey” - By Gay Jenson
    My experience with computers began professionally and personally at the same time: 1984. George Orwell would have been quite proud, particularly if he could have read this article.
  • Discovering Windows 7 – Part 3 - By Neil Stahfest
    I know many of you are in the process of Upgrading to Windows 7. As you’ve probably figured out, the more carefully you plan for this the easier it will be.
  • BluePack S3 - By George Harding
    We have so many portable devices these days that it’s hard to keep track of which charging cord goes with which device. We certainly don’t want to carry all the cords along wherever we go.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Ready For A Different Way For To Hold A Conference?
      I Tried To Refurbish My Computer With A Software Product
      Reminder: DiskKeeper new technology
      Take A Look At Specials From Your Favorite Vendor
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Free Utilities to Uninstall Unwanted Software
      Recently, in one of the computer classes I was teaching, a student volunteered that he got rid of unwanted programs by simply deleting the files and directories using Windows Explorer (file manager). He asked if that was ok. I politely explained that the method that he used was not ok, because improperly deleting files can leave errors in the registry, damaged file associations, and a host of other problems.
    • Google Books - Millions of Titles Available
      Google needs no introduction here, as it has been discussed in many previous columns. Google is much more than the ubiquitous search engine, as it now provides mapping services, email, public domain name servers, comprehensive portable online document services, and countless other benefits in a highly competitive field.
    • Google for Smart Phones - More Than A Search Engine
      I finally joined the 21st century when I recently upgraded my cell phone to a smart phone. My old cell phone worked (and still works) very well at sending and receiving calls, basic text messaging, and even had a decent camera; a few years ago, it was almost "state of the art", and now it is approaching functional obsolescence.
    • Remove Resistant Malware Free With Bootable CDs
      In some recent columns I wrote about several free utilities that can be used to remove malware from most infected computers. Those utilities either had to be loaded and run on the infected computer (such as Malwarebytes) or run from a USB flash drive (a-squared free USB stick files and SUPERAntispyware Portable version).

  • May - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Editorial Bits - by Patrick Libert
    We have all probably had it “up to here” with the health care debate. Medicine is in the twenty-first century; medical record keeping in the nineteenth! Pet peeve? When I visit my physician’s office, a new computer monitor adorns the exam room. Is it used to access my medical history during my visit? Not in the least!
  • From Rubber Boots to 38% of the Worldwide Cell Phone Market! - by Lou Torraca
    From Rubber boots to 38% of the worldwide cellphone market! Yup, that’s a true fact and the name you will immediately know is Nokia which began in the last part of the 19th century as a rubber goods manufacturer.
  • This and That or Things that May Interest You - by Lynn Page
    Windows 7: Snap, Snipping Tool, Windows Mail, Add a User Account, Shake, Delete a User Account, Blocked Email Attachments, Junk Mail Folder, Change the Junk Email Protection Level, Move a Message from the Junk Email Folder to the Inbox, Add Sender to the Blocked Senders List, Add Sender to the Safe Senders List, Correct File Associations, Remove Your Phone Number from Searches, Google, WhitePages.com, Yahoo, Switchboard.com, Office 2007, Format Painter, Create a Theme from a Document, Use a Theme from another Document.
  • Circuit Writer Version 7.3 - by Jerry Scheef
    Not too long ago, I subscribed to Wired Magazine. I’ve read Wired on and off over the years and thought it would be fun to get it again, so I did a deal for Wired in exchange for a few airline miles. Naturally this was online.
  • Controlling System Restore - by Vinny La Bash
    Did a shareware application you were enamored of turn out to be an unmitigated disaster?
  • Broadsides: Feb 2010, The Space Coast PC Journal - by Ron Broadhurst
    These ideas are compiled from years of accumulations from various magazines, books, on-line sites and my own personal experience.
  • MS Scanner & Camera Wizard - by Bob Elgines
    Most of us have multiple digital cameras nowadays, and really don’t need to install all of their programs anymore since Windows XP. You can use the “Scanner & Camera Wizard”.
  • What are RSS Feeds? - by Constance Brown
    What are RSS Feeds? According to the Wikipedia, “RSS (most commonly translated as ‘Really Simple Syndication’ but sometimes ‘Rich Site Summary’) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video in a standardized format.”
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Another users group gives up.
      Diskeeper Introduces An Update.
      How About A Smart Uninstaller!
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Improve PC Performance With TuneUp Utilities 2010
      Many of us seem to be in a perennial battle to improve the performance of our computers, trying to tweak out the last little bits of performance that our machines are capable of.
    • Karen Is Offering Free Software Utilities
      I have been a big fan of free software utilities, and have written about them in this column many times before. Some years ago I was looking for an obscure utility, and found it on the Karenware.com website.
    • Remove Malware From Your Computer or Face the Dire Consequences
      For the past few weeks I have been inundated with calls, emails, and personal visits from frustrated people who have computers badly infected with malware. All of them had popular brands of free or commercial antivirus software installed which, not surprisingly, was penetrated by the vector carrying the malware.
    • Microsoft Offers Free "Fix it" Utilities
      We have all heard the moans and groans about Microsoft's frequent lack of response in terms of its technical support, unless we are willing to pay significant support fees.

  • April - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Recap of March meeting and malware.
  • Making Windows More Legible - by Gary Bentley
    Have you noticed that each time you purchase a new computer with a higher resolution screen you find everything on the screen looks smaller than it did on the lower resolution monitor screen.
  • Wolverine F2D Slide Scanner - by Joe Nuvolini
    Over the years, I have amassed about 3,000 color slides. I have been wanting to scan them into my computer, but up to now, had not seen a scanning product that would allow me to get the job done in a reasonable time.
  • OAG Joins the FaceBook Generations(s)! Part 2 - by Mike Morris
    Hello again. This is the Old Analog Guy with Part 2 of my story about joining the Facebook generation. I need to warn you that I am a novice at this social networking phenomenon—just in case it isn’t obvious.
  • BeWARES! - by Berry F. Phillips
    The wares have often perplexed computer users with numerous decisions regarding software. The multitude of wares have been even more confusing.
  • Neat Things You Can Do With a Flash Drive - by Vinny La Bash
    By now you’re probably tired of reading about how much better Windows 7 is than Vista. me too, so let’s spend some time examining some of the things you can do with a flash drive other than mere data storage.
  • Backing Up and Restoring Files, December 2010 Boca Bits - by Ron Hirsch, Jr
    If I had to pick a single area where most computer users are extremely lacking, it's in the area of backing up and preserving the documents and other items that they generate during the course of their computer activities.
  • WUBI? What the Heck is a WUBI? - by Jim McKnight
    The Windows-based Ubuntu Installer (WUBI) is a program that allows you to install and remove Ubuntu-Linux from within Microsoft Windows.
  • Nybbles and Bits - by John Pearce
    Last month, I mentioned an article in TechRepublic regarding removing old drivers from your system. Little did I know that issue was going surface in my notebook computer that I upgraded to Win 7.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Conference Update
      Ever Wonder???
      This One Does A Lot For Your Videos and Photos
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • FREE Music Downloads from AMAZON
      Regular readers of this column know that I like bargains, and I especially like the biggest bargains of all, “free stuff”. Many of us now have some form of MP3 player (digital music format) in our cell phones, in our cars, on our computers, or in the myriad of small personal MP3 players carried by millions of people.
    • OpenOffice 3.2 – Free Competitor to Microsoft Office
      For only the third time in the ten years that I have been writing this column, I am not using Microsoft Word as my word processor to write this column. For one column about three years ago, I used the then new Google Docs to compose my column, and saved the output in the Word format requested by the Examiner.
    • Immunet – Free AntiVirus Software Using New Technology
      Many users are blissfully unaware of the degree that virus and malware threaten our computing safety and security. According to published security reports, there are now over 12 million viruses, Trojans, worms, and other forms of malware threatening us, with an average of 5400 new threats and variants showing up every day.
    • National Broadband Plan – Check Your Connection
      When I started writing this column over 10 years ago, I happily plodded along the internet using dial-up internet provided by a now defunct local ISP. The internet debate of the day was whether or not a modem could really run at 56k speeds, or was 33.6k a practical limit?

  • January thru March- 2010

    March - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Recap of March meeting and my pet peeve.
  • ZoomText Express by Ai Squared - by Barbara Elliott
    ZoomText Express is a program that makes everything on your computer screen easier to see and read.
  • Latest Internet Explorer Flaw - by Terrence O'Brien
    Internet Explorer is no stranger to security vulnerabilities, but a flaw revealed by Microsoft on Wednesday is one of the most stunning we've ever seen.
  • Another Useful Control Panel (System) - by Phil Sorrentino
    The Windows Control Panel is the component of the Windows User Interface that allows users to modify and personalize the way Windows (XP and Vista) operates.
  • Cryptography - A Big Word That Helps Keep the Internet Secure - by Phil Sorrentino
    You may have asked yourself some of the following questions. How secure is the internet? What has been done to make the Internet secure? How safe is my private information during an internet transaction?
  • Adding an NAS Drive to Your Network (Part 2 of 2) - by Ron Hirsch
    The manual for the DNS-323 is probably the most comprehensive manual I've seen in a long time. It has complete instructions for installing and using the unit.
  • 2009 Come and Gone - by Elizabeth B. Wright
    Yes, another year is coming to a close. And what do we have to show for it? Another Microsoft OS for those who are not already confused
  • A Computer in Your Pocket - by Nancy De Marte
    Decades ago, the technology community was predicting that someday computers would be integrated into our everyday life – in cars, phones, refrigerators. This idea seemed far-fetched to us conservative PC users.
  • OAG Joins the Facebook Generation(s) Part 1 - by Mike Morris
    You may find it surprising that this OAG has signed up for a Facebook account. I certainly surprised myself. However, I decided it was time to explore this . . . whatever it is
  • Finding Our Roots - by Constance Brown
    Finding our roots has become important to many families as they begin realizing that much of the past will be lost as those who have been a part of our lives forever begin to slip away.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Help From Google For Your Job?
      A Unique Way That Modern Technology Affects Ranchers
      What If The Medication Doesn?t Work
      Just In Case You Wondered
      Need a Coloring Book?
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Personal Finance Websites Help You Spend, Save, and Invest
      There are three basic uses of money; you can spend it, save it, and invest it. Any economics student can tell you that money is one of the scarce commodities, and the household never seems to have enough of it. There are thousands of websites that can help you spend, save, and invest wisely, such that the little money that we do have can go farther.1
    • Edit Your Videos for Free
      There are now decent digital video cameras that are not much larger than a deck of cards, and are often advertised for less than $100.
    • Improve PC Performance with PerfectSpeed
      One of the most common pleas for help from readers of this column is to improve the performance of their computers. A common thread is that the computer was fast when new, but is now frustratingly slow.
    • The Best Free Software According to Gizmo
      While there are some mega-sites such as download.com and tucows.com that each carry thousands of software titles, many of which are freeware, there are also some lesser known websites that provide comprehensive information and reviews about freeware. One recent find that has now become one of my favorites is Gizmo’s Freeware Reviews, at techsupportalert.com.

  • February - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • President's Corner - by Wesley Eckles, Jr
    Recap of January meeting.
  • Selecting Text: A C omprehensive Discussion - by Ron Hirsch
    The heading noted above seems like a very simple one, and it's probable that most people feel they have a “good enough” capability in that area. After all, what's so complicated about selecting text? And, there are many people who state that they don't know how to select text, but so what? They've never had occasion to do so.
  • Windows Control Panel Basics - by Phil Sorrentino
    The Windows Control Panel is the component of the Windows User Interface that allows users to modify and personalize the way Windows (XP and Vista) to operate. All of the User Interface Settings and controls that are under user control can be manipulated by the small applications (called applets) that are part of the Windows Control Panel.
  • The News This Month - by Greg Skalka
    It is prime holiday shopping time, and the deals are out there, tempting us to stimulate the economy. Target advertised a $200 Acer Netbook even before Black Friday. There will probably be lots of good deals all the way through New Year’s Day, as the retailers are hurting and are looking for ways to get customers into their stores. This holiday season will probably see additional increases in online shopping, as shoppers try to save money, gas and time.
  • The Great Computer Build - by Jan Fagerholm
    First in a series on building a high performance computer with the latest technology.
  • Norton Internet Security 2010 - by Ash Nallawalla
    It’s about that time of the year when we have to update our antivirus (AV) software and so I installed Norton Internet Security (NIS) 2010 on my Windows 7 desktop. My previous AV package was Norton 360, which includes much of NIS 2009.
  • Microsoft Security Essentials - by Lynn Page
    I have been using Windows Live OneCare for a couple of years on my laptop and have been very happy with it. OneCare is being discontinued next year and will not support Windows 7. Microsoft Security Essentials is a real time security anti-malware application.
  • Hints For the Wanntabe Blogger - by Joan Mc?lmcyl Cleghorn
    Do I Need Or Want to Have a Blog? Now, for many, the first question is “what on earth is a blog?” and, “why would I want one?” The origin of the actual word 'blog' comes from the definition of what it really is.
  • Power to the Pixels! - by Dave Christenson
    I suspect that everyone reading this has at least one digital camera. What criteria did you use when buying it? Size, features, cuteness, need, impulse? Some or all of these? Maybe. But I’ll bet that two you definitely considered are price and pixel count.
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Hi gang
      Interesting Reading
      Oops, Nobody Home
      Need To Uninstall Something?
      Another of Mike's recommendations
      Be Warned About Those Nasty Web Sites
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • CrimeReports.com - The National Crrime Map:
      At present, over 600 law enforcement agencies are participating in an online service, CrimeReports.com. Claiming to be the largest crime mapping network in North America, CrimeReports.com gives people the information that they need to help protect them from crime, and also offers crime prevention information.
    • More Helpful Tools From Google
      Google has entered the fray with its new, free, GOOG-411 service. According to Google’s 411 website (google.com/goog411), “Google's new 411 service is free, fast and easy to use. Give it a try now and see how simple it is to find and connect with local businesses for free.
    • Downloading and Converting You Tube Videos
      Last Friday I was forwarded an email that had been bouncing around one of the departments at Lamar University about how to download YouTube videos and convert them to a format that can be used in PowerPoint.
    • Scumware and Scareware Warning and Removal
      Many of you have had the experience of having a popup or window open on your computer that tells you that your computer is infected with a substantial quantity of viruses, worms, Trojans, and other forms of spyware. Typically, these warning messages, which may appear to be authentic Windows warnings, instruct the user to “click here” to remove the malware.

  • January - 2010
  • Internet Help
    Many technical help and price comparison links.
  • Privacy and Google Voice - by Michael Gemignani
    I had originally intended to follow up on my previous column concerning ways we can get crosswise with the law using our computers, but I decided to postpone that discussion when I saw the announcement that Google is making available a service that will expand our ability to manage our phone service, but, at the same time, will vastly increase Google’s ability to know more about us.
  • Ubuntu 64-bit Operating System - by Brian K. Lewis
    I used the Brasero Disk Burner software that was provided with Ubuntu version 8.10 to burn the .iso file to disk. Burning the .iso file produced a bootable “Live” CD that could be used for the installation.
  • Hang Ten: How to Get the Most Out of Your Web Surfing - by Beverly Rosenbaum
    Many people consider “Google” to be synonymous with web searching, implying that it is the only search engine available. Indeed, practically everyone uses the word “Google” as a verb to describe searching the Internet, much like “Xeroxing” is intended to mean photocopying. But Google is only one of hundreds of search engines and search tools available.
  • A Little Computer Quiz - by Stuart Rabinowitz
    The trivia and minutiae of the computer related world. The answers will appear next month or you can submit an answer sheet the General Meeting. Good Luck.
  • Stealth Spyware: The New Spyware Threat - by Kristofer Simon
    For most of us, the word spyware is not an unfamiliar term anymore. It can mean cookies that track your movements on web pages or other little programs that put garbage applications on your machine.
  • The Egg and You: These "Eggs" are Subversive and Fun! - by Charles W. Evans
    Crack one open. Did you ever marvel at the engineering of an egg? What else makes an egg so fascinating, you ask?
  • A Slightly Different Kind of Shortcut - by Vinny La Bash
    Whenever you select a menu item or activate an icon on your desktop, you are most likely opening a file called a shortcut. This is a great time saver.
  • The Technology Revolution[s[: A Look Back and Ahead at Trends - by John White
    Scholars of the revolution process remind us that, like France‘s, most revolutions are half over before the affected people know they are under way. Whether we have noticed or not, here are some well underway:
  • The Deals Column - by Bob Click, The Dealsguy
      Problems Never Cease
      Gotta Keep Those Costs Down
      Time To Help Pay Back The Stimulus Loans
      This One Can Improve Your Photos
  • More On The Web - The following articles by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director, are NOT in the hardcopy newsletter.
    • Microsoft's "Bing Maps" Takes on Google and Yahoo
      For several years I have been a loyal user of Yahoo! maps (maps.yahoo.com) to get route maps on my local and long distance road trips. When I first accessed Bing Maps beta using my Firefox browser, I was able to access several of the Bing Maps features, but Microsoft advised me that..
    • Download Full Length E-Books for FREE or inexpensively
      About a year ago, I wrote about some of the excellent resources available that provide a wide selection of full-length books as free downloads. Since writing that column I have become aware..
    • FREE Online Classes and Lectures from Major Universities
      I have been teaching college classes at Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) now for almost 33 years. In my teaching tenure, there have been a lot of technological changes that have impacted education. One such major change is the availability of online courses that can be taken for college credit..
    • What You Need for that New Christmas Computer
      Now that Christmas and Hanukkah are past, many of you have opened that new computer and delved deep into its features. Preliminary estimates are that a huge number of new computers were purchased this holiday season,

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