November - 2004

Various Recalls

Apple/MAC Laptop batteries, see: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04201.html

Dell Laptop adapters, see: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml05/05004.html

Lexmark, Dell and IBM Laser Printers, see: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04211.html

IBM Laptop adapters, see: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04208.html

More recalls, see http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/recallsdesc.htm

Firewall vs. Antivirus

These are not synonymous! 

A (properly configured) firewall will protect your computer from outsiders "hacking" in to your computer.  If you have a software firewall, it will also stop applications (Trojans and worms) from accessing the Internet.  So your personal information are not sent to someone else.

Firewalls DO NOT necessarily protect you from viruses!

Antivirus DO NOT necessarily protect against hackers.

Be aware, neither of these protect you from spyware if you permit it to load in your computer!  So, when visiting sites and you are asked to "install" something, be sure you know what you are installing.  As boring as it may be, perhaps you should read the fine print of the user agreement.

Microsoft offers some good information and advice on spyware:  Click here

Wireless

As we have discussed in the past, Wireless (WIFI) networks are another source for invasion and neither the antivirus application nor the firewall will protect you against someone tapping in to your network.  A person with a WIFI enabled device such as a laptop may be able to park near the network and "tap in."

At the minimum you should shut off the SSID broadcast, change the original username and password.  If security is of great concern you may consider setting up WEP and/or attaching devices authentication (a list of computers that are allowed to connect) in which event, no other computer could connect.

Word Fields

Ever want to change an automatically updating field to plain text?  Example; at some point you inserted a date field but each time you open that document, the date updates to show the current date rather than a specific date.  If  you want the date to remain static, select the field and then press CTRL SHIFT F9

OEM Help

(Original Equipment Manufacturer)

Have a new computer?  You likely have one year of free support which may be of use some day.  Most of the time, the support personnel you talk with are not necessarily technically trained.  They follow a diagnostic script to aid you with the issue. 

For minor issues or hardware diagnostics, these scripts are right on and can usually get the problem resolve fairly quickly however;  if the problem is outside the scope of their scripts, they may rely on the Windows system restore or, may have you restore everything from the original CDs or the OEM restore (setup.) 

In that event, is very likely you will lose all of your data and settings!  So before you agree to this drastic measure, understand the computer may be completely washed out and you will be starting all over.  Question what they are having you do, why and what the consequences may be!

Windows Restore

Windows ME and XP users have the ability to "restore" the system to a prior date.  The ability to restore the system to a prior date is very handy for repairing the system in the event system drivers have become corrupt or other minor problems and this is a quick way for OEM support to resolve whatever problem you have.

Be aware, system restore will NOT clear viruses and while it is not supposed to harm data, it certainly can!  Another problem found using Windows restore is; if the computer was previously cleaned up (from spyware, etc.) then later restored, the spyware may become active again.

Due to Many Recent Drive Failures, a Reminder:

Hard drives do and eventually WILL fail and unless you have backed up, you will loose everything!  More on this in our Sept 03 newsletter but more importantly, see backing up!

Font Size Problems in Some Sites

Try this: 

Start Internet Explorer.
On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
On the General tab, click Accessibility.
Click to select the Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages check box.
Click OK twice.

Size Does Matter

Ah, come on now...  we're referring to the size of files during downloads, as email attachments and the like and this is especially true for a dialup connection. 

You have likely seen web sites that refer to a link or download as a certain size in "Kb."  The reason is; the web designer is giving you notice that there may be a delay while the item is retrieved and depending on how many Kb's, there could be a long delay...

On a (very) clean 56K dialup connection, a 100 Kb file will take approximately 30 seconds. 
A 1,000 kb file (one megabyte) will take about 4 minutes.  So, if you need to download the (massive) Adobe reader (8.4 to 22.4 Mb), you can expect to wait a half hour for the minimal setup to over 1.5 hours for the full setup!  Windows XP SP2 could take as long as 13 hours.

In June of '03 we had an article on photos and in there we talked about sending photos as attachments.  It has a couple of examples that may be of use. 
Click here for that article  also  more on file sizes in general here.

If you want, click here for an on-line download calculator.

Wireless

For the reasons discussed last February, the range of  WIFI is quite limited.  Pushing the signal through walls and floors takes a large toll in the signal.  Additionaly, the further between devices, the slower the connection speed.

Roughly WIFI can only transmit about 500 feet but walls and floors will quickly degrade this distance so more realistically around 150-200 feet.   Newer equipment 802.11g, 108Mbps and Atheros technology can improve the distance and throughput without an increase in wattage.  If you have a marginal wireless connection it may be worthwhile looking at these new products.

Old cell-phones, Eyeglasses, Ink Cartridges and now Laser Cartridges.

If you have any of these, please do not throw them away.  We collect them at the store for specific charities.    Thank you...

Looking to buy a new computer?  

Here are some ideas that may help you decide: http://www.bergesch.com/bcs/newcomputer.htm

We have not confirmed these quotes but they seem to fit...  

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,"
--Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life,"
--Brooke Shields, during an interview to become Spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.

"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body,"
--Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward. 

"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,"
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC.

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."
--Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents.

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
--Al Gore, Vice President

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
--Dan Quayle

"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
--Lee Iacocca

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
--Bill Clinton, President

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur." --Al Gore, VP

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina

"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record."
--Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman