NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, February 2008
The Deals Column
by Bob (the Cheapskate)Click, The Dealsguy
Greater Orlando Computer Users Group
bobclick@mindspring.com
(click to email author)


I've used FedEx twice and it was a complete disaster. The first time, a few months ago, they delivered the packages I sent my son to the wrong house, which was actually unoccupied, but the tracking said it was delivered. Luckily he found them three days later when checking that house (he owns it).

I recently sent two more packages to my son’s home. I tracked the packages on the Web site and when it showed the packages on the truck for delivery, I called to make sure their gate was open that day. They live a quarter-mile back from the road with a gate at the entrance. The package was not delivered that day, but at 6:46 PM the tracking showed it would be delivered the next day. At 8:30 PM the next night and no change with the Web site tracking, I called FedEx to see why it was not there and was told they had no way to communicate with the driver, but the package would not be delivered that late. My son closed the gate.

FedEx called me the next morning to give an approximate delivery time, but discovered that the delivery was actually made the night before at 9:06 PM. My son hurried to look, but the packages couldn’t be found. My son’s house is not visible from the gate at night because it’s back down the drive, so obviously with the gate closed, the packages were left beside the road, but there is a large sign on the gate with the address and phone number to call. Why can’t they communicate with their driver? They said that because I didn’t request a signature, I am out of luck. Actually, they are out of luck from now on with my money. I submitted a claim anyway.

Problem Resolved
Last month I mentioned a reader had tried the free Advanced WindowsCare Personal (from my November column), but in order for it to fix the problems, he needed to upgrade to the pay version, so he stopped there. I later received a message from Ira Wilsker telling me it worked fine without upgrading, and that he had demonstrated it to their group. My proofreader also tried it with no upgrade demand, so I downloaded it and it removed what it found without upgrading to the pay version. I don’t know where my reader went wrong, but he’s going to try it again. Sorry for the mixup.

No Operating system? What’s a Hypervisor?
I saw this article http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202401578 about using servers without operating systems. This doesn’t affect home users, but could it in the future? I found it interesting.

I severely edited the items below so thoroughly check their Web sites for full information. I have not tried them.

A Firefox Add-on
iMacros for Firefox was designed to automate online activities within the Firefox web browser. With iMacros, users can create macros to automatically check the same sites every day, remember passwords, complete web forms, and upload or download files, among other activities. They say, "Whatever you do with Firefox, iMacros can automate it." Notable examples include stockbrokers who create macros to extract online stock quotes, shoppers who use them to automatically compare prices at online stores and website owners who use them to get daily downloads of their page rankings.

iMacros for Firefox allows users to share macros and scripts in a way similar to how they share bookmarks on the many social book marking websites. After creating a new macro, users can use just one click to share it with their friends as a link, or by distributing the link via e-mail and social book marking websites. Also, by embedding it in a website or by blog for public access. Script sharing is now so popular that iOpus has even created a special site for script-sharing on .

The iMacros for Firefox software is free for personal and commercial use. Users may opt to upgrade to the business version with guaranteed response times and advanced features. Additional information and the software download link are available online at http://www.iopus.com/imacros/firefox. Alternatively, the software may be downloaded directly from the official Mozilla site for extensions at .

Help For Your Video File Conversion
Video Mobile Converter v1.0 supports digital video files in the following formats: .AVI (audio video interleave), .ASF (advanced systems format), .MOV (QuickTime movie), .MPG/.MPEG/.MP4 (moving pictures experts group) and .WMV (windows media video). Once you choose a video, Video Mobile Converter loads the video and lets you define how much video to convert. Users also have control over the video and audio quality during the conversion process. Users control the height and width of the video, its frame and bit rate as well as its overall quality. Users also control the sample rate, bit rate and overall quality of the video's converted audio, along with the option of splitting video files during the conversion process enabling very large video files to become smaller and more easily managed.

Lastly, Video Mobile Converter can output the converted video in the following formats: .3GP and .3G2 (for use on 3G network mobile devices that use GSM or CDMA network protocols), .MP4 (for use on mobile devices, such as iPods classic, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPhones, cellular phones and other mobile devices), and .PSP (for use on Sony PlayStation Portables).

Video Mobile Converter v1.0 runs under all versions of Microsoft Windows, including Vista and costs $29.95 (USD) for a single-user license. User group members get a 20% discount. For some reason they didn’t respond to my request for the special ordering procedures so, you can e-mail Michael Kaba sales@geovid.com. Could be the because of the holidays. Licensed users are entitled to the fully functional copy of the software, and free updates. Further information, as well as a free, fully functional evaluation copy is available from http://www.videomobileconverter.com.

For more information: http://www.geovid.com.

Download link:
http://www.videomobileconverter.com/download/videomobileconverter.exe (9.3 MB)

Help For Your Web Site
Our software package, SeoAdministrator, is a popular professional tool for webmasters and SEO specialists. We released a new module called "Site Analyzer" that will be of interest to all webmasters including those who look after personal websites. The new module helps you to keep a website free of errors such as broken links. Regular use of Site Analyzer will ensure that problems are quickly and easily spotted so they can be fixed. Download a free demonstration of our easy-to-use tool from here. http://www.seoadministrator.com/seoadministrator.exe

Site Analyzer, Developed by by FlamingoSoft of Vancouver, BC, is designed to automate the vital web management task of monitoring and improving web site performance.

Site Analyzer performs comprehensive scans of a specified website and alerts web managers to a range of common problems including broken links, faulty image links, errors in HTML code and missing meta tags using a variety of report formats. Site Analyzer can also create sitemaps in both human and machine formats ready for uploading. The link vendor will be able to see which pages are "overloaded" with external links and perhaps suspend link sales on those pages. System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

Priced from $70 (Standard) to $150 for Expert edition, we are offering this great software to user group members at 50% discount ($75 instead of usual price of $150) which includes lifetime support and free upgrades. Use this link for the 50% discount. Check their Website URL for full info. http://www.seoadministrator.com/

Pacific Business Centre
Att: FlamingoSoft
#101 - 1001 W. Broadway
Suite 381
Vancouver, BC V6H 4E4
Canada

Easier Way To Remove USB Devices
USB Safely Remove enhances the native Safely Remove function in Windows and enables you to remove and unplug any USB removable device in one mouse click or hotkey. It can give correct names to the devices, lets you rename them and find out what application or process is locking the USB device, preventing it from safe removal. It's easy to unplug the wrong one by mistake because many of them have the same name. Unlike the native Windows option, USB Safely Remove shows all USB devices currently plugged into the computer and lets you remove any of them and the program gives correct names to the devices on its menu. The software is primarily aimed at those users who have more than one USB device.

USB Safely Remove 3.2 runs under Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista and is available immediately for $20 (US) from SafelyRemove.com. User Group members can purchase the program at a 25% discount. Use the coupon code: CUG25 on the Buy Now page. Licensed users get unlimited functionality without nag screens, free technical support by e-mail and free lifetime upgrades. More information on the product, as well as a free trial copy is available from http://safelyremove.com/ug.

Download link: http://safelyremove.com/usbsafelyremovesetupug.exe

That's it for this month. I’ll have more new product announcements on my Web site (most not offering a discount). Meet me here again next month if your editor permits. This column is written to make user group members aware of special offers or freebies I have found or arranged, and my comments should not be interpreted to encourage, or discourage, the purchase of any products, no matter how enthused I might sound. Bob (The Cheapskate) Click . Visit my Web site at http://www.dealsguy.com

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