Dave "Bytes"

Please remember to use your thinker, before you tinker!

May 25, 2005

A Periodic Newsletter for the Members of the Sarasota PC User Group and the World!!

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Here's A Computer Tip

USB makes connecting peripherals, from printers and scanners to CD-RWs and digital storage media, to your computer easy. In addition to being easy to connect, the USB specification allows for up to 127 devices to be connected at once. Since most computers have 4 USB ports, you will have to use USB hubs in order to connect more devices.

There is a catch, though. Many USB devices get their power from the USB port instead of having a separate power supply. This usually works fine when the device is connected directly to the computer but be careful when using USB hubs. There are many inexpensive USB hubs that are passive - meaning they don't have power of their own and will draw power from the USB port that they are connected to. This works OK for mice and keyboards but a passive hub cannot supply enough power for more power thirsty devices such as scanners and CD-RW drives.

Save time and frustration by always choosing powered USB hubs !

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Here's An Online Tip

Double Threat Online Travel Scam

By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director and Columnist

Most of us like to travel, and would especially enjoy a travel bargain. We may have checked with reliable travel resources such as our local travel agents, airlines, cruise lines and hotels but were unable to find the deal that we wanted. We check the major travel sites such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, but still can not find a deal that makes us happy. Since we are experienced Internet users, we go to the major search engines such as Yahoo, Google or Alltheweb, and search for bargain travel sites. We notice some websites that appear at the top of the listings, sometimes in the premium paid listings on the search engines, that allege airline tickets, hotel rooms, and cruises at far below the prices charged by the reputable sources that we are familiar with, so we click on the links. One link may be for CheapClouds.com, claiming deep discounts off published airfares; another link may be for Busysky.net that offers comprehensive travel services with fares far below those offered by travel agents or other online travel websites. Two other websites offering unbelievable travel bargains that appear in the paid or premium listings on the search engines are Crazytickets.net and Submitprice.net.

Tasting a good deal, we click on one of these sites and see a travel site similar to the better-known and reputable sites with which we are already familiar.

We search for airfares and find tickets for about half of what we would pay elsewhere; we find hotels and cruises similarly priced. Unable to resist such bargains, we select our trips and we are asked to enter our credit card information. A familiar window appears that asks us for our credit card number, security code (the three or four digit code on the credit card), expiration date, and name on the card. With a sense of excitement, we eagerly await the confirmation, which we are told may take a few minutes, but are instead presented with an official looking window that says that our credit card information could not be processed. We are then presented with an option to pay with another credit card, or pay by an alternative means. Thinking that it is just a simple glitch, and not wanting to lose the opportunity for a glorious vacation at a bargain price, we enter the required information for another credit card. We are again greeted with the same screen that it could not be processed, and are then told to contact customer service by email, utilizing the link and transaction number provided on the screen.

A short time later, we will receive an email from the travel company apologizing for the inconvenience, and claiming that their bank is having trouble processing credit cards. Since the price quoted is only valid for a very short time, the traveler is asked to use alternative methods of payment – wire the proceeds via Western Union. Readers of this column may feel a hint of skepticism at this point, remembering that sometime ago I wrote that while a legitimate method of sending money, wiring money via Western Union to pay for Internet purchases should raise a red flag of suspicion. Still, eager not to let the bargain of a lifetime get away; we follow the instructions on the email from customer service. The address to wire the money to may raise more suspicions, as the destination is not in the United States, but instead in Bulgaria, Romania or Thailand. An inquiry email back to customer service may bring a prompt canned reply that the reason why the deal is so good is that these prices are only available for tickets purchased outside of the U.S., along with an assurance that they will be honored by the airlines, cruise lines, and the hotels. Still not wanting to lose out on this dream vacation, we send the money via Western Union, exactly as requested. We will then receive an email stating that it will take several days to receive our tickets, and are provided with a web link and tracking number to show our tickets are on the way.

After not receiving the tickets in the time specified we click on the tracking number, and are given another canned response that they are being processed, and should be delivered in the next few days; following up clicks several days later display the identical statement. An email reply from customer service reiterates the message. By the date of the dream vacation, no tickets have arrived, dashing any dreams of a good time.

We have become the victims of another very nasty scam circulating on the Internet. What is especially insidious about this scam is that it is a “double whammy,” in that we are not only out of the money for the trip, since the money sent via Western Union is virtually unrecoverable, but we have also given unscrupulous unknown parties our credit card information!

This is not some fictitious scenario by a mystery writer but a documented scam. The scam has become so pervasive that even some of the antivirus companies have posted warnings about it on their websites. There is anecdotal evidence that, in several of the cases, the victims’ credit cards had been illicitly charged for a variety of goods and services in the days immediately following the fraudulent transaction, possibly committed by the same travel thieves.

The websites mentioned above were real, and are well documented, but are currently offline (as I type this). Based on their success at defrauding countless victims, it is likely that they will reappear under different names.

In order to be safe when shopping for travel bargains, be sure to use a reputable resource, such as a local travel agent, airline or hotel website, or trusted third party website. If you pay with a credit card, there is some degree of protection from fraud from the credit card company. Never wire money, especially overseas, to pay for a travel bargain. We work too hard for our money to have miscreants steal it from us under the false pretenses of a travel bargain.

The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.

"Unofficial" Windows 98 SE Service Pack Is Updated

The independent developer who released unsanctioned service pack updates for Windows 98 Second Edition, struck again Wednesday, as he rolled out version 2.0 of the cumulative patch.

Dubbed the "Unofficial Windows 98 SE Service Pack 2.0," the update is a collection of fixes posted by Microsoft, as well as other enhancements added by Alper Coskun, a Turkish computer engineering student. The last update Coskun assembled was released a year ago.

Although Microsoft produced a Service Pack for Windows 98 in 1999, it never rolled out one for Second Edition. Meanwhile, free support for Windows 98 SE ended in 2003. However, users can still retrieve Windows 98-related information from the online support center, and the Redmond, Wash.-based developer occasionally releases security vulnerability patches for the aged operating system.

Coskun's service pack includes more than 100 bug fixes gleaned from Microsoft's Windows Update site and various technical support documents. The self-extracting, self-installing service pack, however, doesn't include updates to separate-but-integrated software such as Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, or Windows Media Player.

Coskun's site even has a legal disclaimer; the fine print reads: "This software is provided 'as-is,'" and "Use of Unofficial Windows 98 Service Pack may invalidate any guarantee and or warranty expressed in your Windows End User License Agreement(s)."

The adventurous can download the free service pack from Coskun's Web site.

Here's A Windows Tip

The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:

Windows:	Display the Start menu.
Windows + D:	Minimize or restore all windows.
Windows + E:	Display Windows Explorer.
Windows + F:	Display Search for files.
Windows + Ctrl + F:	Display Search for computer.
Windows + F1:	Display Help and Support Center.
Windows + R:	Display Run dialog box.
Windows + break:	Display System Properties dialog box.
Windows + shift + M:	Undo minimize all windows.
Windows + tab:	Move through taskbar buttons.
Windows + L:	Lock the workstation (or switch to the Logon screen w/Fast User Switching enabled).
Windows + U:	Open Utility Manager.

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 1500 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.

Click Here To Submit Your Ad

While Wandering The Web

WiGLE^™.net

(Wireless Geographic Logging Engine)

Worldwide database and mapping of 2,855,914 wireless networks since September 2001.

Click on the "Web Maps" link to see where wireless networks are in your area
Hmmmm ??? Perhaps you had better secure your wireless network

Click the logo to visit

Cell Phones Can Now Get Amber Alerts

AMBER Alert, the public notification system that has helped return 201 abducted children safely since 1997, has been
expanded so that most people with a cell phone or other wireless device can get alerts in their area.

"The best way to find children who are at the greatest risk is to mobilize the eyes and ears of the public," says Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Alexandria, Va., which worked with the wireless telephone industry to expand alerts to wireless customers.

More than 182 million people use cell phones or other wireless devices, such as BlackBerrys. About 90% of the users in the country, those who subscribe to big carriers, can get an alert on an abducted child free by signing up at www.wirelessamberalerts.org
They can select the areas for which they want notification.

Subscribers to smaller phone services will be able to sign up in about two months, says Steve Largent, president of CTIA-The Wireless Association.

The cell phone alert builds on the existing AMBER Alert system that broadcasts descriptions of the missing children and the suspects who may have taken them in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Under the system, law enforcement officials work with local radio and television broadcasters to issue emergency messages when a child is missing and thought to be in danger. Some states issue the alerts on electronic highway signs.

The highway text messages are similar to what cell phone users would receive. The missing child center will issue text messages when notified by law enforcement. The messages will be routed to participating carriers, such as Verizon, Alltel or Sprint. The companies then send the messages to subscribers. The process can be completed in minutes, Allen says.

"Time is the enemy in the search for a missing child," Allen says. "You have to move fast." In 74% of abduction cases, Allen says, the child is killed within the first three hours.

AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The alert system was created after Amber Hagerman, 9, was abducted in 1996 from her neighborhood in Arlington, Texas, and killed. Allen credits the system with the rescue of 201 children. Last year, the center tracked 252 alerts.

From The "Smart Computing" Dictionary

wireless

Wireless is the holy grail of the communications and computer industries. Let’s face it, no one really likes to have all the cables, wires, and other tethers that attach devices to each other. Getting rid of the wires is a constant struggle. As a result, several industries that usually don’t work in similar directions have sprung up to capitalize on wireless technologies.

These sought-after technologies include, in no particular order:

Wireless networking. Represented in the Apple world by Air Port and in the PC world by IEEE 802.11 (including a, b, g, and e variants; 802.11b is also known as Wi-Fi), and HomeRF.

Bluetooth. Bluetooth is yet another “standard” for wireless communications with a very short reach. It has been described as a replacement for short cables (from keyboard and mouse to PC or cell phone to headset or microphone). Bluetooth has faced some fairly stiff criticism from industry pundits that cite its poor interoperability and poor security, but proponents claim that this stems from mistakenly evaluating Bluetooth as a competitor to wireless networking technologies such as 802.11b. Pro-Bluetooth folks claim that, in fact, Bluetooth is designed as a complementary technology, and therefore should be evaluated based on its functionality in a different set of applications.

Wireless modems. Wireless modems didn’t have a chance to take off before they were overtaken by cellular, PCS, satellite, and 3G phone technologies now being built into personal telephones, in addition to a host of “connected” PDAs (personal digital assistants) and other handheld computing devices.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association). Infrared technology is still being used in a number of palm-sized, handheld, and notebook computers. Sometimes the format in use allows communications among different companies’ products. Most often, however, it doesn’t. Printers and digital still cameras have sometimes appeared on the market with infrared capabilities, but the same problem of incompatible, proprietary standards, still applies.

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Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint somewhere, you have to touch it to make sure?

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Last Updated
04/13/2007 06:46 AM