Email hyperlinks broken

If email hyperlinks no longer work or your receive a message like "the action was canceled..." and you have Google Chrome installed.  Try uninstalling it...

If the problem persists, this article may help.

Thanks, Mike and good research work...

Bing maps

Will Microsoft's Bing maps ever compare with Google maps?  Maybe someday, but they have work to do. 

We have not used Bing Maps a lot, but we like it so far.  This article suggests Bing is too cluttered with information.  The article complains about the left panel, but Google also has an index panel.  Both can be turned off to maximize the map and remove the clutter.

Both do a good job with the street and aerial.  Bing's 3D aerial view is somewhat like Google's Earth, but it is part of Bing maps, not a separate application.  Both use an incredible amount of bandwidth, so dialup users be patient...

Turning on Bing's "Bird's eye view" does a strange overlay rather than switching completely to that view, but once you work it a little, it's not too bad.

Here is the same location from Bing and from Google (60-80 yard scale).  If you click to view the full image of both, you will find that Google is more detailed; listing building names, more street names, etc.

Click images to zoom

DNS servers

DNS servers (from your ISP) resolve web addresses to their true destination, i.e., when you type or click to www.yahoo.com, you are actually going to a server with an address of  http://209.191.93.52.  But rather than remembering numbers like those you need only to know yahoo.com and the DNS does the rest. 

Google is now offering public DNS servers. 

Setting your computer to use Google's servers may be advantageous if you often connect from various locations,  your provider is constantly changing its DNS addresses or you have erratic "page not found" issues. 
In addition Google is touting a faster, more secure service.  

We've changed our router and server to use the Google DNS and so far everything seems to work just fine, but a speedier service is yet unclear. 

This article explains how to make the changes for PCs, Macs and other platforms. 

Notes:

• Google's initial recommendation is well worth complying with: Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS, be sure to write down the current server addresses or settings on a piece of paper. It is very important that you keep these numbers for backup purposes, in case you need to revert to them at any time.

• Their intro and information page does not address the issue at all, so we wonder if Google collects any data from this public DNS service...

• If you have a place for three or four DNS servers, put Google as the Primary and Secondary then your providers as the third and fourth... 

Riskiest websites

You may want to think twice if you hit a site with a .cm extension. That belongs to Cameroon, pegged by McAfee as the world's riskiest domain.

Romania (.ro) is tagged as the riskiest domain for malicious downloads, with 21 percent of its sites delivering payloads of viruses, spyware, and adware. The information (.info) domain is seen by McAfee as the most "spammy," with 17.2 percent of its sites generating junk mail.

The article has more interesting information and points out the easily made typo .cm instead of .com.

New laptop/battery

If you are getting a new laptop or replacement battery for your existing laptop, here are some battery care reminders...

Initially charge the battery for 8 hours. Unplug the power supply and allow the laptop to run until the battery discharges. Repeat that process once more then fully charge it.

A battery may be damaged by overcharging (continuously on a charger for more than 24 hours), so if the laptop is typically on a desk and plugged in, remove the battery and store it in a dry place.

Also:

• Do not expose laptop batteries to excessive heat or extreme cold.
• Fully discharge and recharge from time to time, perhaps once a month...

And be careful...

Free WIFI?

Maybe not for long, at least in the U.K.

A pub owner in the U.K. has been fined $13,183 because someone downloaded copyrighted material over its open WIFI hotspot.  The article.

With ridiculous lawsuits like that we can't imagine any small business would be willing to offer such a service.

Will this kind of insanity spill over to the U.S.?

Probably...  There has been at least one situation where a free hotspot was closed due to downloaded materials:  Coshocton County, Ohio.

So once again, blame the item rather than the individual responsible...

Junk mail

If you get a lot of junk mail from various email addresses but always the same domain, you can block everything from that domain.  Example: 1234@spammer.com and 12345@spammer.com are from the same (spammer.com) domain, but they are completely different email addresses.  Adding 1234@spammer.com to a blacklist will not stop that spam as the next day the email address might be slightly different.

What you want to do is add that domain to the blacklist. E.g., in Outlook's junk mail options > blocked list we would add @spammer.com,  not the sender... Be aware, if you are getting spam from a legitimate domain like Hotmail, you probably do not want to block that entire domain as it would remove legitimate email...

Home page

Your Internet home (start) page can be any website you want!  If the typical MSN, Yahoo, or whatever is too cluttered or too slow loading, try using a simple site like Google.

Go to whatever website you would like the browser to start with and then from the browser's Tools menu, select Internet options. In there click the Use current button and ok your way out. The next time you open the browser, it will go to that site... In most browsers you can have multiple sites open in different tabs, but that too would slow the browser's startup performance...

Thanks, Mike

Out of Office

If you are using Outlook for email, are not under an Exchange server (corporate network) and would like to have an Out of Office reply, see this article from Microsoft. 

Outlook Express and Windows Mail users can emulate the same thing using this procedure. 

Note: For either to work, the computer has to be on and the email application running.  Also you will need to stop the computer from going to sleep or standby (under the power settings options).

Don't forget to check with your email provider!  Many offer an Out of Office setting directly at their servers, which would allow you to shut your machine down while you're gone.  If they do not offer such a service, ask them for it...

Windows 7

Microsoft is offering a Windows XP virtual PC download that may resolve problems running older applications.  If you're under Windows 7 and have application issues, try the Virtual PC.  Read the information and instructions. 

First thing you need to know is which version of Windows 7 you are running.  If you are unsure, right click the Computer icon then select Properties.  Near the top of that window it indicates the version...

Notes:

• There are actually two different downloads, the first of which is about 500Mb and will take a while to get... 

• Not all computer hardware will be supported!  Run their compatibility tester...

Firefox CPU usage

Apparently the Firefox Internet browser can consume so much of the CPU processes, it can actually cause overheating in certain computers...

While some articles indicate the problem is at sites using Adobe Flash, this article from Mozilla talks about Firefox consuming too many CPU processes under other conditions and sometimes at any site...

The Mozilla article explains the problem and how to disable Flash and scripts, but in our opinion, disabling site features is not a great answer.

iPhone worm

Another iPhone worm has been detected that allows hackers to steal sensitive information.

Infected phones may experience short battery life, but apparently there is no other way to tell if your phone is infected.

This article recommends restoring the phone back to factory settings and downloading updated firmware, if you suspect an infection...

Global warming scandal

How much have you heard about it?

ABC didn't cover it. CBS didn't either. And NBC apparently wouldn't go near it.

“Poor Al Gore. Global warming completely debunked via the very Internet you invented.
Oh, oh, the irony!”  - Jon Stewart 

The article.  

And if the facts don't work for your argument, just make something up...

How green was the Copenhagen climate summit?

• There were an estimated 15,000 people plus
• 2,000 journalists
• 1,200 limousines
• 140 private planes (jets no doubt)
• 900km (559 miles) of computer cable
• 50,000 square miles of carpet
• 200,000 meals
• more than 200,000 cups of coffee
• producing an estimated 40,500 tons of CO2

Stimulus money? 

We would say so, but to stimulate what?

Original article.

• Recovery.gov says $34 million in stimulus money has been spent in Arizona's 86th congressional district in a project for the Navajo Housing authority, which is actually located in the 1st congressional district.
• In Oklahoma, recovery.gov lists more than $19 million in spending -- and 15 jobs created -- in congressional districts that don't exist. 
• In Iowa, it shows $10.6 million spent – and 39 jobs created -- in nonexistent districts.
• In Connecticut's 42nd district (which also does not exist), the website claims 25 jobs created with zero stimulus dollars.

The list of spending and job creation in fictional congressional districts extends to U.S. territories as well.

• $68.3 million spent and 72.2 million spent in the 1st congressional district of the U.S. Virgin Islands. 
• $8.4 million spent and 40.3 jobs created in the 99th congressional district of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• $1.5 million spent and .3 jobs created in the 69th district and $35 million for 142 jobs in the 99th district of the Northern Mariana Islands.
• $47.7 million spent and 291 jobs created in Puerto Rico's 99th congressional district.

All this of course from YOUR taxes...

But wait, there's going to be (a lot) more...

A meeting between China, India, Brazil and South Africa quietly arranged talks in Beijing, the countries said they had reached agreements to include the need for the West to provide finance and technology to help developing nations combat global warming.  The article.

"The West" of course includes the U.S. and Canada, which are to commit “at least 0.7%” of their annual GDP.    

Healthcare rationing started already?

Admittedly, there is already healthcare rationing of sorts, but is it expanding?   New Pap Test Guidelines and Screening for Breast Cancer  

In efforts to calm the water... 

The Senate backed a plan on Thursday to make it easier for women to get preventive health services such as mammograms as it cast its first votes on a sweeping healthcare overhaul.  The article.

Hopefully...
Health care bill could face string of legal challenges

Even though Obama argues that the mandate is similar to laws requiring drivers to obtain auto insurance, opponents cite several key differences. First, the auto insurance mandate is avoidable, since anyone who doesn't want to pay doesn't have to drive. Second, auto insurance is mandated in large part so that drivers carry liability insurance to cover damages to other people and cars -- not themselves. Third, auto insurance regulation occurs at the state level. 

A lot more interesting information in this article.

But, it's politics as usual...

• Nelson Accused of Selling Vote on Health Bill for Nebraska Pay-Off

2009 Darwin Awards (Thanks, Al)

and

I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me.   - Dave Barry

and

It's time to limit politicians to two terms: one in office ...and one in jail!