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Dave "Bytes"
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Dave "Bytes" Home Page
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Bits & Bytes Radio Showl
A Periodic Newsletter for the Members of the Sarasota PC User Group
Click here to subscribe to Dave "Bytes
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and email address)
Here's A "Caps-Lock" Trick
Don't you hate it when you accidentally hit the Caps Lock key?
Sometimes I have a whole sentence typed in before I realize my mistake! (I
know, GASP!)
What if you could set your computer up so it alerts you when your pinky
finger wanders off and taps the Caps Lock key? With this tip, I'll show
you how to make your computer beep & flash the next time it happens.
The first thing you'll need to do is get the computer to beep when you hit
the Caps Lock key. Here's how:
1. Click the Start button, Settings, Control Panel (XP Users, hit the
Start button, Control Panel) then open the Accessibility Options Icon.
2. On the Keyboard tab, click the "Use
Toggle Keys" checkbox. That's it for the beeping part.
Next, we need to get your screen to flash you, err, flash at you. Here's
how:
1. From the Accessibility Options screen, click the Sound tab and check
the "Use SoundSentry" checkbox.
2. Next click the Settings button and select "Flash active window" from the "Warning for windowed programs" drop down box.
That's it. Hit OK until you're clear
of property and settings screens. Open your favorite word processor and
hit your Caps Lock key.
Cool huh?
P.S. If you don't have an Accessibility Options icon in your Control
Panel, you may not have it installed.
To install, hit your Start button, Settings, Control Panel. Open the Add /
Remove programs icon and click the Windows Setup tab. You'll be able to
add components from there. Keep in mind you'll need your Windows CD!
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BITS |
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BYTES |
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Clicking on Dave will take you to the
"Bits & Bytes"
site where you can listen to the most recent broadcast and our Commercial too !!!
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Dave's Cool Download |
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dBworx
This an easy to use, yet versatile database program. Create your
own custom databases to keep track of most any type of information.
Once you've defined the fields that make up your database file, you can
use dBworx to add, edit, delete, sort, search and filter information.
You can also import and export data to and from dBworx, making it easy
to share information with other applications or put your database on
the web.
5 Star Word Engine Freeware ver. 1.0
Build the longest possible word
 Think you are pretty good at Scrabble? Hardly anyone can beat you at Boggle? Then try this one! From a randomly selected set of letters it is you versus the computer to find the longest word. Sporting a lovely interface and a good range of options and difficulty levels 5 Star Word Engine can challenge everyone from kids to those English scholars who think they know it all (with over 230,000 words in Word Engine's vocabulary, the odds are it'll easily destroy any contender on the top level). Great entertainment by itself and a great way to increase your word power. A must have for all those who prefer the computer challenge their mind rather than reflexes. Warning: The game is highly addictive!
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Why not give the gift that keeps on giving all year round? I'm referring to a subscription to either Smart Computing or CPU Magazines. If you are a current subscriber and order a gift subscription, the folks at Smart Computing will add 2 additional issues to your current subscription at no charge. And remember that even gift subscriptions will be credited to the SPCUG account so that we can accumulate free subscriptions to give away to our membership.
To order call
1-800-733-3809 and be sure to give the following Code Numbers so that
SPCUG gets proper credit.
Smart Computing (11607) CPU Magazine (272)
PC Today (146) CE Tips (219)
Click the banner above to print an order form.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to print
If you do not have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer you can get it by clicking this button
Smart Computing Adds New Feature Available Only to Subscribers
My Personal Library
Wish you could organize all the wonderful computing articles they give you
so that you can form your own library? Starting next Thursday, May 20th,
Smart Computing is giving you that opportunity! As a subscriber, you will
see an Add To My Personal Library link in the upper right of ANY full
article from Smart Computing and their sister publications. Click the link
to add the article to your library. Create as many folders and store as
many articles as you like! Don't forget to check out this great new
feature!
New Version of Spybot Search & Destroy Now Available
If you have become a faithful user of Spybot Search & Destroy you've probably noticed that there haven't been any updates for a while. Well .... version 1.2 of Spybot Search and Destroy will never be upgraded. It's been replaced by a brand-new version 1.3. You have to uninstall 1.2 first, then install the new version, which is available at the Main Page of Dave "Bytes".
Before installing version 1.3 I had version 1.2 do a scan which took 10 minutes and identified a few instances of spyware. Then out with the old and in with the new. To my amazement another 200 spyware files were located in only 3 minutes.
SPCUG
WEBMASTER GARY SCHWEINSHAUPT
ADDS NEW FEATURE TO WWW.SPCUG.ORG
The What's New! page now has a button you can use to register to be notified whenever that page has been updated. No longer do you have to remember to check these pages to see if something new has been added, we'll send you an email, letting you know. Just click on the "Monitor changes" button.
Very Cool .... Thanks Gary !!!!
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Countdown To June General Meeting |
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The "Bytes" Beg, Bargain & Barter Basement
Got
something "computer related" to sell? Looking for that rare peripheral? If
it's computer related you can submit a short classified ad for exposure in
Dave "Bytes". Be sure to include your name and e-mail address in the ad.
You can also include a picture of the item. Now some would suggest that
there be a charge for this feature but alas, since my bookkeeping skills
leave much to be desired I've determined that this will be a free service
to all SPCUG members in good standing. "Bytes" is currently sent to
almost 1000 homes in the area. Ad requests will be included as
soon as possible. I assume absolutely no responsibility as to the accuracy
or completeness of supplied info. All transactions are between consulting
adults which leaves me entirely off the hook. Please let me know by
clicking
HERE when your merchandise is sold so that I can remove it from the
listing. I will try to run each ad for a month.
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Philips DVDRW208 (DO1) DVD+RW/CD-RW Internal Drive.
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Click Here To Submit Your Ad
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Symantec Warns Of Flaw In Antivirus Program
The flaw, which resides within Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2004 application, could let attackers run code of their choice on a user's system, launch unauthorized pop-ups, or even create a denial-of-service condition to freeze Symantec's antivirus application. Virus and worm writers are increasingly attempting to disable antivirus and personal firewall security applications, so a flaw such as this would be a prime target for virus writers seeking to disable a user's defenses. The flaw resides within the way an ActiveX control within Norton AntiVirus fails to properly verify or validate information sent to it. Symantec recommends that all Norton AntiVirus users run the LiveUpdate feature to fix the ActiveX control security vulnerability. According to Symantec's report, issued late Thursday, hackers attempting to launch malicious applications on a user's system would have to use malware already installed in the system and know the location of the application before being able to launch. The most likely scenario for this type of attack would be hackers luring users to download some type of malicious application from a Web site or to download an E-mail attachment. It's the second time this month that Symantec users have been advised to patch their security applications. On May 12, Symantec posted a security advisory and a handful of patches to fix several flaws within its consumer and corporate security software. Those flaws affected the consumer versions of Norton AntiSpam, Norton Internet Security and Professional, as well as Norton Personal Firewall for the years 2002 through 2004. Security holes within Symantec's corporate security software, Symantec Client Firewall 5.01 and 5.1.1 and Symantec Client Security 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 also were disclosed. |
Who Says There's No Place For Humor In Computing?
( Dedicated to George Whitesell )
From Fred Langa's Langalist Newsletter
AOL is at it again.
This
time, it's reading *inside* its members' emails, and preemptively blocking
any messages that contain links to sites that AOL doesn't want you to see.
Note: I'm *not* talking about simple mail blocks, where a mail is
discarded if it originates from a "forbidden" address. No: AOL is parsing
the content of its members' emails and blocking them even if they merely
*mention* a site that AOL disapproves of.
This happened to my last newsletter issue, when I mentioned a perfectly
valid and inoffensive link: http://www.codeproject.com/ . It turns out
that last summer, in July, AOL put that site on its naughty list for some
unexplained reason, and ever since has blocked all emails that even
contain a link to that address.
When my list-host ( http://dundee.net ) noticed huge numbers of AOL emails
bouncing back, they preemptively sought to find out why, and the folks at
AOL then removed the block--- on that one address.
AOL's mail system is just this side of insane. Not only does it read
inside member emails for links that AOL doesn't like, but--- as we've
reported before--- if AOL members get a little lazy and block a newsletter
like this one, instead of unsubscribing, AOL keeps track of the blocks.
Last time I looked, if as few as 10 readers took the lazy way out of
stopping a mailing, AOL would assume that the mail in question was spam.
In my case, if just 10 AOL users out of 160,000
readers--- that's 0.00006 of my readers--- took the lazy way off the list,
all AOL subscribers would have their legitimate issues blocked for some
time thereafter.
AOL's user-level mail filters are nearly useless because the master
filters discard emails before they ever make it to the users' mailboxes
and the local filters there. That means AOL members can white-list senders
to their heart's content but it will have no effect at all on the
pre-filtering that's done by AOL before their mail ever gets delivered.
AOL's user-level mail controls are a little like those fake thermostats
you sometimes see in office buildings that are meant to give occupants the
illusion of local control, when in reality, a central system is making all
the real decisions.
Noted tech writer Brian Livingston also has been struggling with this, as
he reported in http://briansbuzz.com/w/040408/ . Just look at the jaw-
dropping failure rates he found:
I've written many times that Internet service providers (ISPs) are
mishandling the growing menace of spam by imposing crude "junk-mail
filters" that delete legitimate messages without notifying the intended
recipients of that fact.
...AOL "bounced" about 88% of the newsletters that had been sent to
subscribers who use aol.com e-mail addresses. The problem was also severe
at subsidiaries owned by AOL, including cs.com (which bounced 88%) and
netscape.net (96%).
...[AOL's] filter simply deletes huge quantities of mail without ever
delivering it... (click link above for full article)
If you have friends on AOL, you may wish to tell them about this ( http://www.langa.com/sendit.htm
) so they'll know why their email is so unreliable. Of course, there's no
guarantee they'll see your email, just as there's no guarantee that
legitimate subscribers to this newsletter on AOL will get this issue....
But there's a glimmer of hope: For the first time ever, AOL's membership
has started to shrink significantly. Users are finally realizing they can
get better service at lower costs from other ISPs.
Perhaps if enough members vote with their dollars, AOL will wake up and
meaningfully change its Big Brother-ish ways.
Here's A Microsoft WORD Tip
Adding Page Numbers
Microsoft Word
provides two ways to add page numbers. In either case, the page numbers
appear in the header or
footer (header and footer: A header, which can consist of text or
graphics, appears at the top of every page in a section. A footer appears
at the bottom of every page. Headers and footers often contain page
numbers, chapter titles, dates, and author names.) at the top or bottom of
the page.
Add basic page numbers
to headers or footers
On the Insert menu, click Page Numbers.
In the Position box, specify whether to print page numbers in the header
at the top of the page or in the footer at the bottom of the page.
In the Alignment box, specify whether to align page numbers left, center,
or right relative to the left and right margins, or inside or outside
relative to the inside and outside edges of pages that will be bound.
If you don't want a number on the first page, clear the Show number on
first page check box.
Select any other options you want.
Add page numbers and other information, such as the date or time
On the View menu,
click Header and Footer.
If you want to position the page numbers at the bottom of the page, click
Switch Between Header and Footer on the Header and Footer toolbar
(toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out
commands. To display a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, and
then click the Toolbars tab.).
On the Header and Footer toolbar, click Insert Page Number .
Select any other options you want.
Note: The page number is automatically inserted on the left margin of the
header or footer. To move the page number to
the center or the right, click in front of the page number in Header and
Footer view and press the TAB key.
Here's The Latest Virus Information
Want to Join SPCUG or Renew Your Membership?
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Click the SPCUG Logo for an online |
Spyware, Spyware ... Everywhere You Look?
Click on name for additional info
Pause
For Thought
Be curious
always!
For knowledge will not acquire you; you must acquire it.
While Wandering The Web
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This site provides the most complete way for you to test your popup blocking software. One of the most annoying tricks is a software vendor who lures you into similar tests designed to fail your Popup Blocker. They then suggest a product that will pass their test without revealing that they actually profit from the software. An example of this unblockable pop up is included in the miscellaneous tests. Your pop up blocking software will be given a series of tests to determine ad blocking ability. Popup tests range from your standard pop up to very complex pop ups that most software is not able to block. The top 10 list of free Popup Blockers is scored by taking the percentage correct from each test group and adding them together. The miscellaneous and advanced tests do not provide overall scores but do provide you with advanced testing features. |
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Don't Be an Invisible Member Get Involved To inquire about volunteer opportunities Remember.. "The more you put in.... the more you'll take out"
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How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam
Internet scammers casting about
for people's financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting
victims: They go "phishing." Phishing, also called "carding," is a
high-tech scam that uses spam to deceive consumers into disclosing their
credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers,
passwords, and other sensitive information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the emails pretend to be
from businesses the potential victims deal with - for example, their
Internet service provider (ISP), online payment service or bank. The
fraudsters tell recipients that they need to "update" or "validate"
their
billing information to keep their accounts active, and direct them to a
"look-alike" Web site of the legitimate business, further tricking
consumers into thinking they are responding to a bona fide request.
Unknowingly, consumers submit their financial information -
not to the businesses - but the scammers, who use it to order goods and
services and obtain credit.
To avoid getting caught by one of these scams, the FTC, the nation's
consumer protection agency, offers this guidance:
If you get an email that warns you, with little or no notice, that an
account of yours will be shut down unless you reconfirm your billing
information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead,
contact the company cited in the email using a telephone number or Web
site address you know to be genuine.
Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting
financial information through a Web site, look for the "lock" icon on the
browser's status bar. It signals that your information is secure during
transmission.
Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them
to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement
is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or
bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
Report suspicious activity to the FTC. Send the actual spam to uce@ftc.gov.
If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov,
and then visit the FTC's Identity Theft Web site (www.ftc.gov/idtheft) to
learn how to minimize your risk of damage from identity theft. Visit
www.ftc.gov/spam to learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with
deceptive spam.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair
business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help
consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free
information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free,
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters
Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related
complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to
hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and
abroad.
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Remember Don't Let Your Membership Lapse contact: membership@spcug.org |
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Here's A "Google" Tip
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Looking for a SIG or Forum?
The best place to go is the SPCUG
Event Calendar.
Once there you can view everything planned for SPCUG members.
Want to register for a SIG? There is no better place to do that then at
http://www.calsplus.com/spcug
This calendar is updated on a daily basis making it the most accurate way
to see what's happening in the world of SPCUG.
Click here for the Dave "Bytes" Archives
P.S. Don't forget to say "Hi" at the meeting!!
Sarasota Personal Computer User Group, Inc
Phone: 877-SPCUG-HI
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To Send A Message To Dave Click Below
Sign the "Bytes" Book
Website:
http://www.spcug.org
© 2004. All Rights
Reserved.
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Dave "Bytes" Home Page
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Bits & Bytes Radio Show|
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