Love Lines

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  Many of the entries are columns written by Bruce or Kären Love. 
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Personal Computing Archives

May 22, 2004

Trojan warriors threaten your homestead

by Bruce A. Love

Dangerous invaders have arrived in the middle of the night unannounced and uninvited. Using ingeniously deceptive trickery, they have breached the fortress walls, previously thought to be impenetrable. The unsuspecting Trojan citizens who welcomed the towering wooden horse into their stronghold as a "gift," will now experience the destruction hidden inside this menace.

The strategic success realized by the Greek soldiers, who made their way inside the walls of Troy by hiding in the belly of the Trojan Horse, has inspired similar military tactics ever since Homer first immortalized the Trojan Wars in his epic masterpiece, "The Iliad." Today, over 3000 years after Odysseus masterminded the plot, computer users worldwide continue to fall victim to attacks that are remarkably similar to tactics used by the Greeks in the battle for Troy. Trojan Horses, as well as viruses, worms, and other malicious software of modern times, are nearly as destructive as their wooden ancestral namesake.

There are many forms of malicious software, or "malware," that plague computer users. In 2003, malware cost businesses approximately 55 billion dollars – that is nearly the cost to overthrow some third world dictators! Viruses are a form of malware that attach themselves to other programs and reproduce before performing their dastardly deeds. Viruses called Trojan horses, similar to the wooden one of old, are files that appear legitimate, but contain hidden code with bad intentions. Many spread through e-mail, or are downloaded from web sites, and can be designed to steal passwords, e-mail addresses (so it can spread further), and even credit card information.

Some viruses act immediately. Others lie dormant until triggered by a specific date or action. While some viruses are merely annoyances, others can be quite harmful, erasing or corrupting files, or even causing your hard disk to require reformatting.

Worms are self-replicating viruses that do not alter files but consume so much of your computer’s resources that they slow or halt all computer activity. Spyware and browser hijackers are programs that change browser settings and alter default start and search pages. They are also the root of many pop-up ads. Some spyware produce numerous pop-up ads for pornography, redirect browsers to undesirable sites, and add dozens of bookmarks to your “favorites folder.”

Viruses, including Trojan Horses and worms, can usually be avoided or removed by using anti-virus programs such as McAfee, Norton, or AVG (an excellent free program available from www.grisoft.com). Each of these programs updates automatically so that your computer is inoculated daily against the 20 or so new viruses that are launched each day. Since spyware and browser hyjackers are not technically viruses, they can only be removed by programs designed for this specific purpose. Try downloading a free program called Ad-Aware from Lavasoft (www.lavasoft.com) to eradicate these menaces. If that doesn’t work, there are other low-cost spy-blasting programs available.

To guard against becoming infected, there are several rules you should follow:

> Use up-to date antiviral software
> Do not download anything from sources you do not know and trust.
> Always backup your important files
> Be wary of e-mails and websites of questionable character trying to get you to download attachments or free software.
> Make sure that everyone using your computer follows these rules!

By exercising these precautions you will greatly reduce the chances of exposing your computer to viruses.

Someday, unless you completely abstain from e-mail and Internet activities, you will probably become infected. When you do, launch your updated Antiviral or spy-busting software against your intruder and watch with satisfaction as the enemy is destroyed! The next time a virtual skirt-clad Greek warrior bursts into your computer uninvited, you will be ready for him!

Posted on May 22, 2004 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 29, 2004

Take time to Memorialize our heritage

By Bruce A. Love

Memorial Day is a time of remembrance, and a time to honor those who have died in service to our nation. While some may think of the Memorial Day weekend as the official launch of summer, many other Americans will solemnly observe this holiday with tremendous reverence, gratitude, and sorrow – some for the first time. Those who paid the ultimate price while combating the forces threatening the very existence of liberty, have made it possible for future generations of Americans, and citizens from many other lands, to experience freedoms that would not otherwise exist.

It is impossible to fully repay the debt that we owe these courageous men and women who died defending freedom. But, we hold parades, conduct ceremonies, and build monuments in recognition of their service and sacrifice, and we attempt to immortalize their memory and honor their patriotism. In Washington DC, one memorial known as “The Wall,” lists the names of the 58,226 who were killed, or remain missing from the war in Vietnam. Another monument, the “Pool of Remembrance,” honors the 54,269 American lives lost during the Korean War. The hallowed grounds of Arlington Cemetery are the final resting places for nearly 270,000 veterans – some from every war fought throughout America’s history.

Today, nearly 60 years after the end of World War II, a new memorial is being dedicated in our nation’s capital to honor the 16 million who served during World War II, and the millions who supported their efforts from home. The memorial includes a wall of gold stars meant to represent the roughly four hundred thousand Americans who lost their lives during that war in Europe and the South Pacific. Many of the veterans that survived the war are no longer with us to receive this expression of gratitude. Most surviving veterans of what has been called, “the greatest generation” are now in their eighties and beyond, and their ranks are shrinking by 1100 each day.

Earlier this year, that statistic became personal as my father, Robert Armstrong Love (960th Engineer Aviation Topographic Company), and my uncle, Franklin Reed Fitz (Edson's Marine Raiders) both past away within weeks of one another. Both proudly and eagerly served their country in the South Pacific as young men during World War II, and both continued to serve their country, their families, and their communities long after leaving military service. Their commitment, loyalty, and profound sense of obligation to this country were not unique, but their individual stories, including what they did after the war, are. So too are the stories of every man and woman who served during that time, and every man, woman, and child who did their part on the home front as the entire nation supported their troops, and the cause of liberty and national security.

This summer, as you gather for picnics, weddings and other family events, make it a point to seek out senior members of the family, particularly those who have served in our Nation’s armed forces, and learn about the stories that are part of your family heritage. As you do, give these special people a chance to remember, and honor those who did not return from combat. By doing so, you honor their memory and preserve the unique contributions of some nearly forgotten American patriots. While you are at it, do the same with every member of your family. In addition to dates and numbers, record (on paper, tape, or video) the stories that are uniquely theirs. Your children, and your children’s children will be grateful that you took the time to preserve and memorialize family history that is now woven into the fabric of America.

Posted on May 29, 2004 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

June 5, 2004

Use new tools to find old relatives

By Bruce A. Love

If you know anyone who has been bitten by the genealogy bug, you know someone truly obsessed. It has been 18 months since my wife first became afflicted, and her condition appears serious. She caught the bug from my mother, who was exposed to it several years ago when our family was “discovered” by a similarly afflicted, yet previously unknown, distant cousin. Through the combined efforts of these obsessed individuals, our family tree has now grown to include over 1500 relatives, with some tree branches dating back over 500 years.

Genealogy is the study of family, and the identification of ancestors and their pertinent information. It is one of the fastest growing and most popular hobbies today, but its origins go back to the dawn of civilization. In the book of Numbers, from the Old Testament, the Lord instructs Moses to conduct a census, a fundamental tool used by genealogical enthusiasts. In the two books of Chronicles, also from the Bible, the results of the census are reported and describe who begat whom. Throughout history, family heredity has influenced status and power, and has even been the cause of some notorious feuds and wars. For these reasons, genealogy can be both educational and interesting.

In the past, digging up old relatives has required lots of correspondence, and trips to the Bureaus of Vital Statistics, cemeteries, and Family History Centers. Recently, however, Internet technology has enabled genealogists to conduct much of their research online. Some very useful Internet tools are free, while others require paid subscriptions. One free tool that offers immigration details is the Ellis Island web site (www.ellisisland.org). On this web site, you can search for ancestors and view ship manifests, which provide names and details of immigrants. You can also view photographs of the boat on which your ancestor arrived!

Other free resources include www.familysearch.org and www.RootsWeb.com. On FamilySearch, researchers can enter ancestor names and dates (if known) and often find relatives online along with the names of the ancestor’s parents, siblings, and children! RootsWeb offers similar capabilities, plus it also provides message boards that can be viewed, and used to post inquiries about ancestors. Message boards are also a good place to find living relatives looking for the same shared ancestry.

After developing your genealogical skills using the free online services, you may want to sign up for a free (usually 2-week) trial of a subscription-based service such as Ancestry.com or Genealogy.com (or both). These very powerful search tools will enable you to research census records, death indices, and other miscellaneous databases. You can also use Ancestry.com for free at your local Family History Center. Family History Centers are affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). The Mormon religion places special significance on family history and, as a result, has become the keepers, and transcribers of various genealogical records found online.

As you start to assemble your family history, you will need a way to organize your findings. There are several computer programs that are designed specifically for this task. Family Tree Maker (the most popular Genealogical software), for instance, accommodates every type of family relationship, and accepts narrative text, sound, and even digitized video. These programs place your family tree at your fingertips and enable you to print reports and trees in a variety of formats.

If you become infected by the genealogical bug, you will soon be finding cousins by the dozens. As a family historian, you will soon discover that when you shake the family tree, you must be prepared to gather the nuts that inevitably fall out. These are the colorful individuals that make family history interesting.

Posted on June 5, 2004 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (315)

June 26, 2004

Taking a walk on the wild side!

By Bruce A. Love

Angel was short in stature and had a waistline that even a Barbie Doll would have envied. I made my way over to her and introduced myself. I felt somewhat awkward being there. Dressed the way I was, I am sure I looked very out of place. I had not been in a place like this in … well … I had NEVER been in a place like THIS! Angel appeared to gyrate and toss her head playfully as we talked. I told her I was a married man and that I wished she wouldn’t do that. She laughed and said, “Oh, that’s just my av.”

I was not sure I wanted to ask what her “av” was, but, I was there for my first investigative story, and so I did. We talked for nearly 45 minutes. I learned many remarkable things about this culture and also about the person with whom I was speaking. By the end of our conversation, she invited me to a poetry reading. I politely declined and said, “maybe some other time.” As I made my exit, I checked myself in the mirror. Everything seemed in place – from my beak down to my tail!

An avatar (or av”) is the look a person assumes when they enter into a chat room. The 3-dimensional Internet chat world that I entered as a visitor, provided me with a default av in the form of a penguin. It was not until I walked past a mirror that I realized how I appeared to others in this virtual world.

I suppose a talking bird seems rather odd, but one look around these rooms, and you feel as if you have walked onto the set of a Star Wars movie. Mulling about the lobby are people (most with perfect computer generated bodies), animals, gryphons, and every other imaginable creature. Each has a set of “actions” they can use, such as sit, laugh, point, etc. The avs also have a set of subtle random actions that can be perceived as flirtatious body language.

I am sure there must be some valid business uses for chat rooms and instant messaging, but from my perspective, their use is mostly social. To be honest, I have used text-based instant messaging and chat capabilities to stay in touch with friends and family members. It is much cheaper than long distance calls, and can be quite fun when multiple friends join in the conversation. Angel, it turns out, was in Canada when I spoke with her. She admitted that she met a man several years ago, and fell in love in chat. They married - first virtually, then in real life, and remain happily married to this day!

One week after being invited to attend the poetry reading, I decided to sneak inconspicuously into the auditorium to see what that was all about (well, as inconspicuously as a penguin can be, walking into a theater). There were no seats, but 4 sloping areas led down to a centrally located stage. I found my place between a fairy and some other mythical creature as the MC took to the stage. A window popped onto my screen from the host, and asked if I was interested in reading a poem. I said “no thanks,” but as the night wore on, I decided to give it a try, and made my way to the stage.

Ironically, I wound up winning the poetry reading competition. The prize? Six free VIP months using this 3-D chat service. As a VIP member, I am able to change avs. This means I won’t have to waddle around as a penguin anymore!

Posted on June 26, 2004 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 3, 2004

Americans are finding new ways to “chew the fat”

by Bruce A. Love

Throughout history, each generation has made contributions to the English language. Some of these have survived the test of time and have been incorporated into mainstream vocabulary. Other words and phrases were short-lived expressions of the day, and are no longer “hip” to use.

New words, and the new uses of existing words, frequently originate with creative contributions from geographic, ethnic, cultural, or technological sources. For example, I have learned many new terms after moving from eastern Pennsylvania to Blair County. In fact, I had never heard of the term “ynz” before coming here. I drink soda (not pop). From my perspective, it seems as though “you guys” speak in a different language!

Ethnic groups have also influenced the American vocabulary. For instance, the Yiddish terms “shmooze,” “shtik,” “klutz” and "chutzpah," are now commonly used by many non-Jewish Americans. The African American community has contributed such phrases as “I can dig it,” “jazz,” and “krunk” (a term frequently used to mean everything from pumped up, to awesome, or exhilarating). More recently, global events have introduced us to the word “Jihad!”

Technology and the medical community have given us terms such as “fax,” “chemo,” “nuke,” “dirty bomb,” and “AIDS.” Personal computers are responsible for a whole new vocabulary, and in fact a whole new language. These have contributed to a new generation gap, and a widening chasm between the “haves” and “have-nots.”

Instant messaging (or IMing), is quickly becoming the language of choice for online communications. This shorthand typed language uses a combination of phonetic spellings, acronyms, and techniques similar to those used to select vanity license plates. This blend of alphanumeric characters enables our youth to communicate at phenomenal speeds with the added benefit (from their point of view) of being encrypted against parental comprehension (of course, it does nothing to prepare our youth for spelling contests). Consider the following online conversation between two teenage girls who shall remain nameless:

Teen A: hey gf ut?
Teen B: yea hig?
Teen A: ok wut u doin?
Teen B: n2m iming ppl n history hw lol
Teen A: lol howz ur bf?
Teen B: ok y?
Teen A: cus hes a qt. j/k. I jus lhlab
Teen B: OMG pos gtg ttyl
Teen A: lol cya l8r
Teen B: cu

Here’s the Interpretation:
“Hey girlfriend! Are you there?”
“Yes. How’s it going?”
“OK, What are you doing?”
“Not too much. Instant messaging people and doing my history homework” (laughing out loud)
(Laughing out loud) “How is your boyfriend?”
“He’s OK, Why do you ask?”
“Because he is a cutie. Just kidding! I just love him like a brother!”
“Oh my gosh! I have a parent looking over my shoulder! I have to go! I’ll talk to you later!”
(Laughing out loud) “I’ll see you later!”
“See you!”

As my contribution to bridge this widening communication gap, I invite Altoona Mirror readers to join me for a “Virtual Open House” on Monday, July 5th, at 7pm. This event will be held at www.LoveConsulting.com. Follow the links and directions to enter our “Chat.” I will be happy to entertain questions about business, computers, e-commerce, or we can just chat. You may use conventional English or try using the IM language as you talk with me, and others, in the room. An IM dictionary will be available for anyone who wants to refer to it. Previously published articles will also be available for downloading.

If you yearn for some of the phrases of yesteryear, try reintroducing our youth to some of the classics of your generation. Maybe you can even find ways to make those expressions IM-friendly! Until next time, “CU L8r G8r!”

Posted on July 3, 2004 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

July 17, 2004

Accentuate the positive through cloning

by Bruce A. Love

Cloning is a very useful tool and shows great promise for eliminating some physical imperfections that most of us have. Under the proper conditions, cloning can be used to generate limbs, eliminate acne, remove scars, and of course, create human life forms where none had existed previously! As remarkable as it sounds, these feats can be accomplished from home on a personal computer!

Of course, I am not talking about flesh and blood and genetic engineering. I am referring to pixels and palettes and digital photography. With the right combination of software and hardware, you will discover that it is relatively easy to remove scratches, and brush away other imperfections in old photographs, using cloning and other photographic techniques. You can even sharpen images and restore severely faded photographs to their original brilliance with some common editing tools.

Digital photography has come a long way in a short amount of time. As with many computer-based technologies, costs associated with digital photography have plummeted, while quality, speeds, and capacities have soared. The essential tools for editing photos at home include a computer, a scanner, photograph editing software, and a digital camera. The editing software typically comes with the scanner or camera, and the camera can be omitted from your list of tools if you just want to work on old photographs.

One of the most rewarding experiences in photo editing is finding an old damaged family photograph, repairing it, and preserving it for future generations. In my family, we were fortunate to have found several photographs of the Loves from around 1890. One was a family portrait taken in the “old country.” The quality of the photo was pretty good, but the surface was riddled with mold spots (commonly referred to as foxing). This is not an unusual occurrence with old papers and photographs, but I like to think of my ancestors as being spotless.

Photo editing using a personal computer is a combination of art and science. The process starts with either scanning an original photograph, or transferring a digitized image from a camera to your computer. Once transferred, open your favorite photo editing software and get to work! Most editors use very similar terms and have nearly identical sets of basic controls. All editors allow you to adjust the contrast, brightness, tint, and sharpness of images. By using a combination of these four basic tools, you can add new life to faded or discolored photographs.

If your photo has more severe issues, then it is time to open your editor’s toolbox. Again, most editing software will have a group of tools with very specific purposes. Among these, you will find dust removers (to eliminate the tiniest of specs), red eye removal (to neutralize the red eye effect produced by camera flash), and smudging and cloning tools, to name a few.

With photos affected by foxing, or people affected by blemishes, I have found that the cloning tool works best. This is where practice and a little artistic skill may help. Use the cloning tool to pick up samples from other similar areas of the photograph, and apply them to affected areas. This effectively smoothes out or eliminates the trouble spots.

If you are looking to perform “extreme makeovers,” try adding or removing people from your pictures. This can be very entertaining. I’ve used this cloning technique to create family portraits when it was impossible to get the entire family together at one time. You can also swap people in and out of group pictures to make sure everyone looks their best in the same shot!

To see some examples and explanations of photo enhancements, visit: www.LoveConsulting.com/PhotoFun.htm.

Posted on July 17, 2004 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

August 21, 2004

Cable and DSL compete for the gold!

By Bruce A. Love

Olympic competitions exemplify the human drive to become better, stronger and faster. Many world records have fallen this week; replaced by ones that will, no doubt, fall in the not-to-distant future. Some records are measured in fractions of seconds and centimeters. Others are measured in bits per second and megabytes. Like our Olympic athletes, the performances of home computers have increased significantly in recent history, and there appears to be no letting up in this quest for digital gold.

My first PC modem transferred data at a blistering rate of 2400 bits per second. At the time, that seemed quite adequate. File sizes were much smaller, and there were no web pages (Al Gore hadn't invented the Internet yet). In those days, we used our modems to dial-up and connect directly to other computers for the purpose of sharing files, and learning about the new technology.

I soon replaced my old modem with one that could transfer data at a rate of 14.4 kilobits per second, and later replaced that computer with one that had a 28.8k modem. Could it possibly go any faster? Oh yeah! While today's dial-up modems have apparently topped out at 56k, faster Internet connection speeds are possible using new technologies that are now available for residential use. Two competing technologies include cable modem and DSL.

About a year ago, I took the plunge, and signed up for cable modem. I felt that the website development side of our business justified the upgrade and added expense (about $28/mo at the time). Cable modem is provided by your cable company. It uses the same cable that delivers television programming, so you won't need a second phone line to access the Internet. One of the first tests of my new modem was uploading a web site to a host server. Previously, when I used my 56k modem to upload similar websites, transfers typically took all night and required my presence throughout the night to restart the process when my computer inevitably lost the connection. The process took less than 45 minutes with cable modem!

Local phone companies offer a competing broadband technology called DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Like Cable modem, DSL is “always on.” There are several flavors of DSL, but all use ordinary copper phone wires already connected to our homes. No additional phone lines are necessary! Last month when the DSL sales representative offered services at rates slightly less than I was paying for cable modem, I decided to give it a try.

Both technologies will give you high-speed performances that leave dial-up modems in the dust. Under some conditions, DSL will be faster; under other conditions cable modem will be faster. Broadband is not available everywhere. You will be unable to receive DSL if your house is more than 18,000 feet from your telephone company's central office. If you do not have cable TV, cable modem is not an option.

If you sign up for either of these services, you will need a new external modem to accept the broadband cable, and your computer will need a network interface card (NIC) that will interface with the new modem. With DSL you will also need filter modules (supplied by your DSL provider) on every phone in your home. With all the competition between broadband service providers, you may be offered free installation and free use of a broadband modem. If you need a NIC, they run about $10. Unlike cable modem, which permits cancellation of service at anytime, DSL requires a one-year contract.

We all enjoy a spirited competition. Especially when companies compete for our business. When they do, quality improves and prices drop.

Posted on August 21, 2004 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 4, 2004

Help your children surf safely

By Bruce A. Love

The Internet has been called the "Information Super Highway." Personal computers serve as on-ramps to this thoroughfare that leads to all kinds of destinations. Highways can be dangerous places though, especially for kids. Just as we do not allow our children to walk, bike, or play on dangerous roads, parents must also take precautions to protect children from hazards on the Internet.

There is no doubt that children can gain valuable skills and knowledge at an early age by becoming familiar with personal computers and developing Internet skills. However, most of us have heard about, or experienced, the dark side of the Internet, and want to protect our children from the destructive images, messages, and lifestyles that are all too accessible online. Pornographic content, Internet gambling, violent virtual reality games, and sexual predators are among the greatest threats that may be encountered while surfing the web.

As an educator at the college level, I observed the destructive effects of several online demons. In some cases, addictions to online gaming and/or pornography threatened the scholastic dreams of a few afflicted students. Exposure to pornographic content at an early age (under 14) has been linked to a much greater predisposition toward sexual deviancies and (for males) developing callous disrespect for women.

While children are often more cyber-savvy than their parents, they are often naïve to the depraved ways of child predators who have historically, searched for victims in places where children gather such as schoolyards, playgrounds, and shopping malls. Today, children gather online, and the Internet provides opportunities for predators to target children for criminal acts with anonymity.

The Internet holds the virtual equivalent of everything that exists in the real world -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. As parents/guardians, we must be vigilant in our efforts to shield children from the evils in the world because our children's innocence is precious, and deserves protection. By developing, and adhering to some simple Internet guidelines, we can establish a safe, educational, learning environment for our children. Below are several precautions to help parents and guardians protect children from harmful Internet experiences:

1. Place Internet-connected computers in areas that are easily monitored, and never in a child's bedroom.
2. Use an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers content filtering. AOL, for example, allows parents to set numerous parameters on E-mail, and Instant Messaging, and also offers the ability to schedule the times and durations of their child's internet privileges. You can even set up AOL to email detailed reports regarding the online activities of your children.
3. Young children should be closely monitored online and use child friendly search engines such as "Ask Jeeves for Kids" (http://www.ajkids.com) or "Yahooligans" (http://yahooligans.yahoo.com) when doing school projects. Older children can use search engines, such as Google, but parents should make sure that content preference levels are set to use filtering.
4. Instruct your children about the importance of privacy and keeping passwords and identity secret.
5. Teach children to tell their parent/guardian if they come across materials that make them feel uncomfortable or threatened.
6. Children must never arrange actual meetings with people they "meet" online.
7. Teach children that predators misrepresent themselves online, and in person, to lure children into dangerous situations.
8. Know your child's friends. Ask them about each of the names in their email address book.
9. Never send pictures, or anything else, without first checking with parents.
10. Develop a set of rules for going online.
11. Teach your children netiquette (a contraction of "network etiquette") so that they learn polite and lawful ways to interact with others online.

Posted on September 4, 2004 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 11, 2004

Reduce stress and make friends by playing games

By Bruce A. Love

Last weekend, I observed Labor Day the way that many small business owners observe holidays – by working. That is not to say I did not find some time to barbeque some brats and have a little fun. In fact, I found time for a spirited game or two of backgammon prior to tackling the projects of the day.

Many PC users discover that playing computer games can be a nice (temporary) diversion from the stresses of the day. If you are new to computers, solitaire (available on all PCs) can actually help you develop your mouse manipulation skills (an essential function for PC users) and help you learn some PC basics such as locating, opening, and exiting programs. If you have mastered solitaire and you are comfortable with the Internet, you may want to try playing some other familiar games online.

There are several excellent websites that allow visitors to play all sorts of games. One such website is Pogo (www.pogo.com). Pogo lists nearly a hundred different games, including many classics. For those of us who grew up playing games in an age when board games and card games were popular, Pogo offers bridge, checkers, chess, dominoes, hearts, cribbage, spades, and (my favorite) backgammon. There are also many new games to hold the interest of younger audiences. Unlike solitaire, which is a very solitary gaming experience, Pogo allows you to play many of these games against real people, and “chat” online with your opponents! This is a fun way to stay in touch with friends and relatives who live in other parts of the country or world.

The first time you visit Pogo, you will have to set up a login name and password. The purpose of establishing your free “account,” is to allow you to keep track of your wins and losses and develop a “friends list” so that you can easily find and play opponents with whom you have previously enjoyed pleasant gaming experiences. While most gamers seem to be very friendly people, you will occasionally come across a grump. Fortunately, conversations in gaming areas are filtered, so the few unpleasant opponents that you may play will be unable to use the colorful dialog that we associate with grumps and poor sports.

When you are ready to play, choose a game and a skill level. Novices should choose “Beginner.” Next, pick a “room” in which to play. After the room loads, you will see many tables. You can either watch a game, or click an open chair to ask permission to play the seated player. Don’t be offended if someone turns you down. Sometimes they are waiting for a special friend to join them.

Once you start playing games on the Internet, you will discover that opponents can be playing from just about anywhere in the world. Recently, I “sat down” to play a game and attempted to exchange pleasantries. I thought my opponent was a grump, or just avoiding conversation. After a minute or two, he finally responded in broken English and indicated he was German. I surprised myself, when I recalled some conversational German from High school and began to chat with the German. I enjoyed our talk almost as much as I enjoyed whipping Bernhard.

The nice thing about playing games online is that computers enforce the rules of the game. Pogo sets the board, deals the cards, prohibits illegal moves, and keeps track of the score. Whether you play games to socialize, or play for the competition, online games can be a fun way to meet new people and stay in touch with old friends.

Posted on September 11, 2004 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (85)

September 25, 2004

Some downloads can be very costly!

By Bruce A. Love

This week we address three more questions from the business classes at our local high school:

1. What are the current rules/regulations on downloading free music from the Internet? Understandably, there is still some confusion over the legal status of downloading free music from the Internet. After all, sites such as Kazaa.com (which provide the file-sharing services that make downloading music possible) proclaim that peer-to-peer (P2P) software has been ruled legal by U.S. courts. Technically speaking, this is true. It is also true that it is legal to own a gun in the U.S., but it is not legal to shoot somebody with it!

Last month, Federal agents seized computers and software as part of an investigation targeting criminal copyright abuses on networks used to illegally share music, movies, software and games. In the words of Attorney General John Ashcroft, “P2P does not stand for permission to pilfer.” The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) used the occasion to announce that they were filing 744 new lawsuits against individuals they claimed illegally downloaded songs. Free music can be costly.

The bottom line is, while the mechanism to share files is legal, the act of downloading free copyrighted material is not. Copyright laws permit you to make a copy of your own purchased CD for your own personal use. You may not give a copy to another person.

2. What are the differences between computer viruses and worms? Malicious software, or “malware,” are programs that can do undesirable things to your computer. Many computer users mistakenly call all such maladies viruses, but there are some notable distinctions among them.

Viruses are programs that are designed to spread to applications on a single computer. They need a lot of help from careless humans to spread to other computers. They typically require other legitimate programs, such as Microsoft Word, in order to infect files and other applications.

Worms are tiny programs that exist independently, and propagate through computer networks, frequently using e-mail address books. Creators of worms use a variety of techniques to trick computer users into opening them. Once this occurs, they multiply. Worms are often sent via email, Instant Message, or downloaded with other programs. Sometimes they arrive with files down-loaded from P2P networks (are you sure you want to illegally download music?) Some worms rename themselves and hide your files so they are inaccessible; others overwrite the data, thus destroying files. Most ultimately consume memory and disk space, thereby incapacitating your computer, and costing you both time and money.

3. What do you recommend to use as anti-virus protection on home computers? An estimated 63,000 computer viruses and other malware cause a lot of pain and anguish among computer users. With so many destructive menaces on the loose, operating a computer without protection is NOT an option!

There are several excellent products available to combat these viral demons. For years I had used either McAfee’s Virus Scan or Norton Anti-virus. Both of these have received excellent reviews by most independent evaluators, and I found that each of these protected my computers very nicely. More recently, when my Norton license expired, I decided to try AVG by Grisoft (www.grisoft.com). I had heard several good reviews of the product, and the free price tag was appealing.

In my very unscientific comparison of these products, I found that I experienced more intrusions after switching to AVG. To be fair, these are probably attributed to several factors other than the new antiviral software. My new broadband connection, stronger strains of viruses, and exploited weaknesses of my operating system (XP Pro) are all likely contributing factors to the increased breaches in my network security. Still, I have decided to purchase a new copy of Symantec’s Norton Anti-Virus 2004 (about $40 - $50). In addition to viruses, Norton also works on Trojan Horses, worms, and some spyware.

For more information about malware, including ways to remove it, read our “Trojan Warriors” article at loveconsulting.com/articles.htm.

Posted on September 25, 2004 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

October 2, 2004

A little rebellion can be a good thing

by Bruce A. Love

This week, I committed what once might have been considered an act of rebellion against the establishment. So ominous were the warnings against performing this deed, that although I had considered doing it numerous times, my fear of the consequences, if caught, forced me to reconsider these thoughts of nonconformity. I probably would have been satisfied doing things the way I have always done them had it not been for encouragement from my wife to do otherwise. And so, as Eve persuaded Adam to taste the forbidden fruit, my wife persuaded me to refill a depleted printer cartridge rather than buy a new one.

Forgive my melodramatic introduction. I finished reading “Nineteen Eighty-Four” this week, and the shadow of “Big Brother” is still hanging over me. In the past, refilling printer cartridges voided printer warranties, and the practice was denounced by all of the major printer manufacturers. Today, probably after lawsuits challenged the strong language used by the manufacturers, my current printer manual specifically states that the use of refills will not affect the warranty, but that any damage caused to the printer, attributable to use of refills, will be billed standard time and material charges if servicing becomes necessary. This softening of warranty language, combined with personal testimonials from close friends, was enough to encourage me to give it a try.

The refill kit contains everything you can possibly require to perform the task at hand. It even contains plastic gloves to keep your hands from getting stained. Since cartridges vary by make and model, the universal refill kit contains some accessories that you will not use. The most critical items for my operation were syringes, ink bottles, and a jig to hold the cartridge.

After inserting the cartridge into the jig, I used one of the 4 syringes (WITHOUT the needle) to extract the residual ink from the depleted cartridge. Next, I attached a long metal needle to the syringe, extracted the appropriate amount of black ink from a bottle contained in the kit, REMOVED the needle, and slowly forced the new ink back through the print head and into my cartridge. Mission Completed!

A day later, when my color cartridge showed signs of running dry, I prepped for surgery. Surprisingly, the process of refilling cartridges differed significantly between black and color. Refilling the color cartridge did not require the jig, but did require the use of a screw tool (provided) to punch through existing plugs at the top of my cartridge for each of the three primary colors. Next, with skill equal to that of a seasoned phlebotomist, I injected the prescribed amount of appropriately colored ink into each of the 3 reservoirs. Once again, success!

The kit costs about $20 dollars at Sam’s Club. It contains enough ink to refill about 7 black cartridges and 5 - 8 tricolor cartridges. To put this in perspective, a new black or color cartridge for my HP Deskjet typically runs about $30. The $20 kit saves me from purchasing cartridges that would cost a total of $360 - $450!

After my apparent success refilling printer cartridges, I decided to see what others were saying about their experiences with refill kits. Most comments on the Internet indicated that purchasing one cartridge, and refilling it 2 - 3 times usually produces acceptable printing results. More refills than that, will probably produce noticeable degradation. If you frequently use your printer to print photographs, or other color graphic images, you may want to refill less frequently to maintain optimal results.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” This is especially true if such rebellions can save a few Franklins!

Posted on October 2, 2004 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 16, 2004

Frightening Words Haunt Cyberspace

By Bruce A. Love

As Halloween approaches, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the creepy crawly things that inhabit the world of personal computing. I understand that computers can be very frightening for a lot of people. The terms, Logizomechanophobia and Cyberphobia, were born out of the need to document and describe the fears relating to computers and the Internet. But, it is my belief that many of these fears can be attributed to other fears and have nothing to do with technology. Step into my office, and I will explain my theory, which has absolutely no scientific or medical foundation.

In previous articles we learned about viruses, and how they attach to programs, reproduce, and perform evil acts. We also discussed the self-replicating worms that consume computer disk space and memory. Many people already have overdeveloped aversions to germs and worms, and may therefore develop cyberphobic tendencies as a result. In other words, it is actually the vocabulary used by software engineers that evoke these fears and not the technology! Other terms used in conjunction with computers sound like something right out of “Night of the Living Dead!”

In 2003, an average of 30,000 computers were transformed into zombies each day. Once transformed, the processing power was sucked out of affected computers, and used by hackers for dastardly deeds. Denial of service (DOS) attacks, for instance, use zombie computers, amassed with an army made up of other zombies remotely controlled and directed by sinister masterminds. Their goal is to flood corporate websites with so much activity, that they effectively deny legitimate surfers the ability to visit the site. These attacks cause companies to experience lost revenue and incur significant expenses, as they require additional bandwidth to address the growing server demands.

Do you remember the movie “Arachnophobia”? Guess what! There are spiders in cyberspace too! That seems reasonable since the Internet is often referred to as the World Wide Web. In cyberspace (the Internet), spiders are a good thing. Search engines, such as Yahoo and Google, release spiders to crawl the web looking for websites. Their mission is to find and index pages on every website on the Internet. As a web developer, I have grown to love spiders, and I make sure that they can find their way around my websites easily when they come to visit. I have even paid for them to visit! By inviting spiders to crawl my webs, I increase the likelihood that my websites will receive higher rankings (listings) in search results.

As a kid, one of my favorite cartoons was “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” You could always count on Casper to help someone out of a jam. Ghosts can be helpful with computer networks as well! Ghosting is a technique used to convert the contents of a hard drive (including configuration settings and applications) into an “image” and then storing the image (usually on a server or another network PC). This technique is most useful when configuring many computers in larger organizations.

Vampire connectors (or taps) are often used in computer networks to connect groups of computers to a network bus (cable). Vampire taps clamp onto cables and sink their sharp metal fangs through the insulation to make contact with the conductors inside. This eliminates the need to skillfully cut into cables and risk bringing down networks.

There many other computer-related terms that sound frightening until we learn more about them. The thing to remember is that computers are our friends and would never cause us to experience displeasure! Oh, that reminds me … my computer is hung. I think my hard disk crashed. I may have to terminate some resistors. Talk about megahertz! That really bytes!

Posted on October 16, 2004 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 23, 2004

Politics has gone to the blogs!

By Bruce A. Love

It’s raw, it’s informative, it’s opinionated, it’s instantaneous, it’s provocative, and it’s in your face. If you have an opinion to express, or a question to ask, jump into the fracas and try the latest forum we have to exercise our right of free speech. A new media has emerged that allows us to express opinions, discuss events, give firsthand accounts of breaking news, and, in general, just add our two cents on just about any given topic. Blogs (short for Web logs) are the modern day equivalent of the soapboxes of old.

Blogging is an Internet-based communication forum that allows people to comment on just about anything. Blogs exist for every industry, interest, and hobby imaginable. Bloggers (those who blog) respond to the postings of others to express agreement, provide additional information supporting an opinion, answer questions, or refute the accuracy of posted blogs. The entire resulting textual (and pictorial) discussion and debate is indexed and forever recorded into the annals of cyberspace for future reference.

Bloggers have made a significant impact on the news we read, hear, and see in other media outlets. Days before the mainstream media began to question the motives, sources, and circumstances surrounding the now infamous story reported by Dan Rather regarding George Bush’s National Guard record, bloggers were pointing out inconsistencies and expressing doubts regarding the authenticity of documents used in the story. Blogging activity had reached such a feverish pitch that other medias could no longer ignore the demand for an investigation. At times, political blogs can become quite heated and colorful, but nothing that you wouldn’t hear on the Pennsylvania State Senate floor (sorry about that Senator Jubelirer)!

Two years prior to “Rathergate” (a blogging term), sustained blogging activity focused mainstream media attention on comments made by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) when he seemingly endorsed segregationist rhetoric at Senator Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday celebration. That eventually led to his resignation from the post. Today, blogs are used by both pro-Kerry and pro-Bush bloggers to attack and debate the tactics used by the other side.

Not all blogs are the same. Some are extreme right-wing conservative forums while others favor ultra-left-wing liberal bloggers. Finding blogs that represent views from all sides of the political spectrum is more elusive. I found one web log for “undecideds,” but there was nothing posted (go figure). Depending on the forums you visit, you will read about the alleged “cheat sheet” used by John Kerry during the first Presidential debate, or the “earpiece” used by George Bush in the second debate. As we discussed recently, don’t believe everything you hear in cyberspace (or in some newspapers, radio talk shows, or television broadcasts for that matter).

Politicians are discovering new uses for blogs. Howard Dean and Wesley Clark both used web logs to generate interest and awareness during their Presidential campaigns. The Democratic National Convention also recognized the power of blogs when they invited selected influential bloggers to attend the conference. Their hope, of course, was that bloggers would spread positive reports about the convention to others in the blogosphere.

Blogs are not literary masterpieces. They are written by average citizens who aren’t necessarily the most gifted writers. What they lack in style, however, they often make up for with passion and, in many cases, strong cases for their positions. Some critics have referred to bloggers as “armchair analysts in bathrobes.” They charge that blogs are not true journalism, but merely a form of Op-Ed page. While it is true that bloggers often do not have the resources to investigate stories personally, many connect to other groups worldwide that are on the frontlines of breaking stories. If nothing else, the role of bloggers may be to ensure that the mainstream media maintains a “fair and balanced” perspective (or risk provoking the wrath of the bloggers).

For an interesting experience, visit some of the popular blogs. In addition to reading the initiating posts, be sure to read some of the “comments” (there may be hundreds of responses to each posting). During this politically charged season, check out the following blogs to get divergent views on our Presidential candidates:

www.newrepublic.com
www.freerepublic.com
www.littlegreenfootballs.com

Posted on October 23, 2004 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

November 13, 2004

Use Your PC to Make a Special Tribute

By Bruce A. Love

Unfortunate events allowed me to make interesting use of my PC this year. When my father passed away in late January, the family gathered to make the usual arrangements that occur on such occasions. We had a lot of support from family and friends during that time. We were all so grateful for the kind words we received, and for the meals, desserts, and other sources of comfort our friends brought. In the evening, however, when it was too late for visitors, but too early to think about sleep, there was a noticeable void. It was during that time that the family dragged out some pictures to reminisce a bit.

For baby boomers like me, family photos exist in a variety of formats: color and black and white prints, slides, negatives, and digital images. As we sorted through the envelopes of old pictures, and thought about the guests that would be arriving for the memorial service, we decided to put together a visual tribute to Dad so that we could share these precious memories with others who knew and loved him. We decided that a computer slide presentation, along with a three-panel display board for photographs, was the way to go.

In times of grief, keeping busy is essential for maintaining one’s sanity and composure. I think it must be a natural response we all have to cope with the losses we experience. As we started into our project, each family member contributed in his or her own way. For some, sorting through envelopes of pictures in search of “Classic Dad” shots was the activity of choice. For others, constructing the photo display board was the focus. I chose to run the slide projector, while some enjoyed just observing the whole process. The experience of preparing Dad’s presentation was actually quite cathartic.

When we had selected about 60 photos and slides, we were ready for the next step - scanning! Most modern scanners accept photos, slides, and even negatives! The CanoScan 4200F, for example, scans photographs and documents in just about any format. It runs about $100.

Scanners and digital cameras always seem to be configured to produce huge files by default. I suppose they are set up this way to emphasize the biggest and sharpest images that the device is capable of producing. But if you intend to just use the digitized images in a computer slide presentation or a web site, it is preferable to keep image sizes smaller. By experimenting with “Size”’ and “Resolution” settings on your scanner or camera, you will discover that you can make sharp images that load quickly in your intended program.

Once your pictures have been scanned, you will want to insert them into a program such as PowerPoint (part of Microsoft Office). If you are pressed for time, however, the newer versions of Windows have a slide show mode built into Windows Explorer. I like PowerPoint because I can control image intervals, picture backgrounds, animations, music, and other multimedia elements. I configured the presentation to loop through the 60 slides, pausing for 5 seconds on each image before fading through black to the next slide. For memorial tributes, you may want to omit sounds and moving images.

When it was time for the memorial service, the three-panel photo display board was placed on a table, with other framed photos, near the receiving line. The laptop computer displaying the slide tribute to Dad sat in the middle of the table and looped silently as guests recounted fond memories.

If you would like to memorialize a loved one, consider producing a computer slide presentation. You will enjoy the activity of digging out photographs you probably haven’t seen in many years, reminiscing with loved ones, and sharing memories with the youngest members of the family. Once completed, presentations can be copied to CD-ROM, and distributed to friends and family as very special keepsakes.

Posted on November 13, 2004 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (90)

November 20, 2004

Is a New PC on your Holiday Wish List? (Parts One and Two)

By Bruce A. Love

(Part One)
As we enter the holiday season, I know that some “kids” are hoping they’ll find shiny new computers underneath their trees on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, Santa is not the most technologically savvy elf. If you have been dreaming about a computer that will satisfy all your cyber desires, you may want to be specific when writing your holiday wish list this year to help Santa find the perfect one for you.

I have received several inquiries regarding computer purchases. It would be nice if there were one computer that was right for everyone, but buying the “right” computer depends on two factors: intended use and budget. If you are in the market for a new PC, you are in luck. Prices are down, and companies are offering some nice incentives with the purchase of a new PC (such as a free printer, scanner, or shipping). Still, the purchase of a computer is a sizable investment. Before you start shopping for one, determine how much you are willing to spend.

One of your first decisions you should make will be what processor you want inside your machine. The processor is the brain of the computer. When buying a “home computer,” you want a processor that will meet the needs of those who will be using the computer. If family computer needs are limited to being able to compose documents, exchange e-mails, surf the Web, run some educational software, or play some basic games, your needs may be satisfied by the less expensive computers. These will have processors with names such as AMD Duron, Sempron, or Intel Celeron.

If anyone in the family intends to use the computer to create Websites, compose music, edit videos, or play high-end virtual reality games, you should build your system around either a Pentium 4, or an Athlon XP processor. These will cost a bit more, but they will give you the processing power necessary to tackle complex tasks. Processors are rated by speed. When buying a computer, I usually go for one that has a processor that is a step or two below the best (fastest) processor available. This way I avoid paying a premium for the “latest and greatest,” and I can also count on having the computer for a while before it becomes obsolete.

Memory is another very important consideration. Memory is located on RAM modules, or sticks, inside the PC. Memory is used to temporarily hold the file and application (program) while you are using them. These days, low-end computers usually come with 128 MB of RAM. This is sufficient for light use in word processing and web surfing, however, 256MB to 512MB is preferable (but will add $50 to $100 to the total cost of the PC). Increased memory size can have a significant impact on the speed of a PC – particularly if you like to have multiple programs opened simultaneously. If you are trying to keep initial costs down, you can start with 128MB of RAM and add more memory if you see a need for it. Adding RAM is a relatively simple operation.

When you finish working on a file, such as a Word document, you will want to save your work to the computer’s hard disk. The hard disk is a permanent storage device that will hold your file even after a computer is turned off. Hard disks spin at very high speeds. Faster disks are better. If you have it in your budget, choose a hard disk rated at 7200 rpm. While 5400 rpm is often acceptable, you will appreciate the performance of a higher-end drive. Disk capacities have increased dramatically in recent years and prices have plummeted. Because of these enormous disk sizes, most people, particularly novices, will never come close to reaching the full capacity of these new drives. Even so, you might want to request a hard disk one step larger than the smallest one (i.e. 40 to 60 GB should be fine for most of us).

By specifying processor type, memory, hard disk size, and price range, you will be taking some significant steps toward ensuring that Santa will bring your family the computer of your dreams. Next week we will complete our list with a few more computer shopping considerations.


(Part Two)

Last week we examined some basic considerations to keep in mind while preparing a wish list to send a certain bearded fellow up at the North Pole. We described how to specify the right processor, hard drive, and memory for a new computer, in case any elves are listening for hints about what you would like to find underneath the Christmas tree this year. This week, we add a few more details to ensure that you are overjoyed with the new addition to your family.

Computers usually have a number of “bays” in the front of the computer. These are mostly used for removable storage media such as diskettes, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. Unused bays are hidden behind bay covers. It is nice to have several extra bays available for future use. Portable storage devices have undergone significant changes in recent years. The floppy disk, which has been used to transport files for the last 15 years is nearly extinct. It is being replaced by various forms of CD-ROM and DVD technologies. Floppy diskettes, which hold just 1.44MB, and susceptible to damage from dirt, dust, and magnetic sources, are dwarfed by the 700MB capacity of the CD-ROM, and the 4.7 GB capacity of the most common DVDs. Still, the convenience of transporting smaller files is a great feature of floppies. I like having a CD-ROM drive with rewrite capabilities (a CD-RW) and a DVD drive. Another option to consider is one of the new combination drives which allow you to burn (copy) to CDs and also play DVDs.

Your choice of monitor and graphics interface is another important consideration. The traditional CRT monitor (cathode ray tube) has two major specs to consider: dot pitch, and maximum resolution. Dot pitch refers to how closely packed the pixels (dots) are on your screen. These measurements average about .27mm. The smaller the number, the easier on your eyes, and the harder it is on your bank account. Maximum Resolution is specified with a particular screen size at a specified refresh rate (i.e. 1024x768 pixels at 85 Hz). The higher the numbers here, the better.

The traditional CRT monitor is beginning to be phased out by the more expensive flat panel screen. Flat panel proponents justify the higher costs citing that they last longer, take up less room on the desk, and produce less eyestrain. While flat panel specs also list pitch, I have found that the “Prime Mode” listed by some manufacturers is the best indication of the quality of the monitor. Bigger Prime Mode numbers are better, but most flat panels produce a very acceptable output.

A great monitor cannot perform well unless you have a good video card in your computer. For anyone NOT interested in video editing or computer gaming (the 3-D variety that many younger people enjoy), a standard video card (graphic adapter) or even an integrated video configuration can be quite adequate. However, if you are interested in pushing your monitor to the limit and seeing faster screen load times, consider a high-end video card. For gaming enthusiasts and video producers, consider a video card with at least 128MB memory with controller speeds of at least 300Mhz, controller widths of at least 128 MB, and on-board memory data width of at least 64 bits (but preferably 256 bits). Between the larger memory requirements, the high-end graphics card, and the higher resolution monitor needed, getting a computer to play games can be many hundreds more than would be necessary for most other uses.

Some computer manufacturers are offering some awesome deals on their computers this holiday season. Dell, for instance, is advertising free shipping, a free printer, and free upgrade to a flat panel monitor with the purchase of many of their computers! Whether you buy a Dell or not, visit their site and try customizing a computer to meet your needs. You will discover that Dell provides a lot of online information about each computer part, which will help you decide which configuration is best for you.

Posted on November 20, 2004 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

December 4, 2004

Consider new techie toys for the holidays

By Bruce A. Love

Home offices and computers have a way of creating a never-ending demand for even more new gadgetry. As a result, many of us develop wish lists of things we need to satisfy this seemingly insatiable appetite for technology. For those who are preparing for Chanukah, I’ve assembled eight gift ideas for the technophile in your life so that you can address his or her technology needs, and celebrate the “festival of lights” in 21st century fashion. Of course, if you are waiting for Christmas, some of these ideas will make great stocking stuffers too!

Floppy diskettes have become virtually obsolete due to their relatively limited storage capacity (1.44MB). Several new medias have emerged to replace the diskette in uses involving file backup and transport. These new storage devices provide capacities many times greater than that of the floppy.

If your computer still relies solely on diskettes for portability and file backup, you may want to consider purchasing a CD-RW, DVD+/-R, or one of each. If you have unused bays in your computer, adding these drives is usually a simple procedure. For those who would prefer not to perform minor surgery, external drives are available which connect to computers through the PC’s USB port. Rewritable CDs hold about 700MB of data, and are also great for copying music CDs. Internal CD-RW drives are available for under $50. Like CD-RW drives, DVD+/-R drives are great for backing up old files. The typical DVD holds 4.7GB, and starts at about $70. In addition to holding an incredible amount of data, these drives also will enable you to watch DVD movies on your computer.

Flash drives are the latest form of portable storage. These devices typically measure about 3” by one half inch and plug into any computer with a USB port. They are primarily used for transporting files and not for long-term storage. When evaluating flash drives, important specifications to consider are speed and capacity. The USB version number specified will tell you how fast the drive is. At 480MB/sec, the USB 2.0 transfers data about 40 times faster than USB 1.1 flash drives. The smallest capacity flash drives hold 16MB, and cost about $10. If your needs require greater capacities, you can find drives as big as 1GB for about $60.

If you haven’t purchased a computer in the last two years, your mouse is probably over the hill. Mice no longer roll on rubber balls and require a mouse pad. Nor do they require minor operations to remove dust bunnies from their internal workings when they are stubborn. Some new mice don’t even have tails! The cordless optical mice available today give you carefree flexibility for a very reasonable price. In fact, if you want true freedom, Logitech offers a cordless keyboard and mouse set for about $40 – no strings attached!

Speaking of dust bunnies, if you find that your keyboard, mouse, or computer is infested with them, there are kits that include canned pressurized air to blow them away. Alternatively, some kits have tiny vacuums so that you can lift the dust out rather than risk blowing it deeper into the device you are trying to clean. These kits range in price from under $10 to about $30. Another useful maintenance item is a scratch removal kit for CDs and DVDs. You can find these for under $25.

If you are like me, you probably get “brilliant ideas” at times when it is inconvenient to write them down. New digital voice recorders, measuring just 1” by 4”, can hold about 10 hours of dictation. Some digital recorders can be connected to your computer to copy audio to your PC. They run about $80. If you have no need to copy audio files to a PC, you can purchase a digital recorder without PC connectivity for about $40.

One piece of software you might want to consider is PrintShop Deluxe. It’s a nice program for anyone new to desktop publishing. With it, you can create your own greeting cards, business cards, posters, and other custom designed stationary. PrintShop is available at Staples for just under $50.

After purchasing enough gifts to last 8 festive nights (a modern miracle), be sure to wish your technophile friends a Happy Chanukah!

Posted on December 4, 2004 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

December 11, 2004

Networks are a natural evolution for home computing

By Bruce A. Love

Somewhere along the way, computers in my home multiplied – and I do not mean in the computational sense that we would expect from our computers. We now have one computer for each member of the family, and that does not include those collecting dust in our very own PC salvage yard. I suppose it is the natural evolution of technology that brought us to this point, but the mutual coexistence of man and machine has not always been as enjoyable and convenient as it is now – through networking.

As technology advances, I have found it necessary to replace older computers with machines that will help me stay current and competitive in my field. Although the replaced computers are dated, they still perform very well for many basic computer activities, such as word processing, instant messaging, and web surfing. As a result, a high-tech hand-me-down process takes place in our home each time we get a new computer.

Anyone with two or more computers in their home quickly discovers that there is always a need to move files from one computer to another. Sometimes this situation arises when we want to move a picture file that has been scanned on one machine to another, or when we want to use a printer connected to another computer. While we can move files by physically carrying them on floppies or re-writable CDs, it is much faster and easier to share them over a network.

A computer network comprises two or more computers linked together to share data and peripheral devices. There are many benefits to having a home computer network:
> Easy file sharing
> Convenient and efficient sharing of peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, high capacity drives, etc.
> Effortless sharing of your high-speed Internet connection
> Convenient method for file backup or archiving.
Setting up a home computer network is relatively easy and inexpensive. There are several ways to approach this task, but each requires a Network Interface Card (NIC) in each of the computers to be networked. If you just want to connect two PCs, you should be able to do so very easily using an Ethernet crossover cable. Crossover cables simply connect the “receive” on one computer to the corresponding “transmit” of the other.

If you have more than two computers, a common approach to home networking is to run Ethernet cables from the NICs on each computer to a router, which determines where to route the data it receives. Cables run about $.25/ft. You can find routers as cheap as $30. This hard-wired arrangement gives you a very fast connection, but can be inconvenient to set up if you don’t like running cables through your house.

The easiest way to set up a home network is to go wireless. Wireless Fidelity, or Wi-Fi, uses radio signals to and from each computer in the network. Connections over Wi-Fi are slower than through cables and degrades as distances between access points increase. Signals reach about 100 feet, but can be increased using upgraded antennas. In the home network environment, wireless is a very attractive option.

If you choose to go wireless, you will require a wireless router (typically hardwired to one computer through a standard NIC), and wireless network adapters for each computer on the network. I recommend buying a router that also functions as a print server. This way, you can print from any computer and not have to go through a computer that would have to remain “On,” 24/7. Look for equipment that functions with standards 802.11b and 802.11g.

You can find wireless routers for under $50 dollars. If you want one that also functions as a print server, expect to pay about $70. You can find wireless network adapters for under $30 each. There are a number of kits available that include everything you need to set up a home network for under $100.

After you have networked your home computers, and you are surfing the web from your wireless laptop computer while sitting under a tree, don’t forget that a family that computes together, … well … computes separately. Make sure you make time to actually talk to members in your family and not use instant messaging as your primary means of communication!

Posted on December 11, 2004 12:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

December 18, 2004

Digital shutterbugs swarm stores this holiday season

By Bruce A. Love

Last summer, millions of 17-year locust larva emerged from their long sleep and transformed into flying red-eyed windshield decorations. This holiday season, a swarm of shutterbugs will emerge from their sleep, and transform into digital photographers, as they discover a new breed of camera underneath their Christmas trees. Photography, as we used to know it, has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. Digital photography offers many new options for both amateur and professional photographers.

Digital cameras come in many shapes and sizes, and many have an impressive set of features that will interest even the most sophisticated photographer. However, evaluating these cameras can be confusing. There are several specifications that are important when selecting a digital camera.

Resolution, measured in megapixels, is an important indicator of image quality potential. Megapixels (millions of picture elements) refer to the number of dots that make up a picture. Currently, 3-4 Megapixel cameras are most common, and can produce outstanding photographs. The most expensive digital cameras now boast as high as 8 megapixels. The higher the number, the sharper and bigger the image will be. Most cameras allow you to select image qualities that are less than the maximum advertised resolution. These lower resolution settings generally produce very acceptable results, and allow you to fit more pictures on your camera before it becomes necessary to delete them, or move them to your computer.

Zoom power is another important consideration. Like traditional cameras, zoom refers to the amount of magnification the camera can produce. Numbers such as “3X” or “4X” refer to the amount of magnification potential relative to an unmagnified image. Most middle and high-end cameras have both digital zoom and optical zoom capabilities. Optical zoom specs are much more important. Digital zooms distort images as they enlarge. Optical zooms do not.

Memory size directly impacts the number of pictures a digital camera will hold. If a camera only has built-in memory, there is no option for increasing its capacity to store images. Most digital cameras come with a small amount of expandable memory, which can be replaced with a larger memory card in order to give your camera the ability to hold more pictures.

The amount of resolution, zoom, and memory, all significantly impact the price of a digital camera. Other features available on high-end cameras also affect price. These include flash capability, and the ability to manually set exposure levels, make short audio-video movie clips, produce time-lapse photography, and perform other actions photographers desire.

> There are some major benefits to digital photography:
> No film costs
> No traditional developing costs
> Instantly view images on camera’s LCD viewer
> Print photos from home PC
> Ability to store images on computer hard disk or other storage media.
> Free and easy editing tools available for retouching flawed photographs

There are some significant hidden costs associated with digital photography, especially if you intend to print many of the pictures you take. If your printer is more than three years old, it won’t matter how many megapixels your camera is, you will need a newer model to fully appreciate the quality of your digital camera.

The cost of photo paper and ink also can be substantial. There is a wide range of prices associated with “photo paper” for inkjet printers. I recently bought a 40-pack of the top-of-the-line photo paper for about $30. I wish I could say that a cheaper paper is just as good, but the saying “you get what you pay for,” comes to mind after seeing the brilliant colors of Kodak Ultra Photo paper. Kodak claims that photos on this paper will last more than 100 years. Some photos that I printed on cheaper paper faded after just a few months.

Even if you do not have a personal computer, digital cameras are still an option. Many K-Marts, CVSs, and others, will print photos directly from your camera’s memory module. Some new printers also provide sockets that accept all of the camera memory formats. This way you can plug your memory module directly into the printing device - no PC required! If you are considering purchasing a digital camera, be aware of the hidden costs, and find one that matches your artistic and budgetary requirements.

Posted on December 18, 2004 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

January 1, 2005

Bring organization to your "Surfin Safari"

By Bruce A. Love

For anyone with a personal computer and Internet access, mastering Web surfing skills is easy and rewarding. Whatever your occupation, hobby, or interest, learning how to skillfully surf the Internet will enable you to find information, pictures, audio, and video, relating to any subject you can imagine. Search engines are the tools that help make this happen.

There are several popular search engines. Google (www.google.com) and Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) are two that are easy to use once you understand web-searching basics. In most cases, relevant search results are returned to the Web surfer if good search terms are entered.

Let's say, you want to learn about a dog breed called the Newfoundland. Our first instinct might be to enter "Newfoundland" into the search engine and hit Enter. But Newfoundland is also the name of a Canadian Province. Your initial search will most likely return a list of pages that have nothing to do with dogs. Enter multiple terms such as "Newfoundland" and "dog" and you will get a list of web pages that have both terms. Multiple terms allow you to find the best matches for your intended searches.

All of the major search engines allow Web surfers to use some form of "Boolean" notation in search phrases. Boolean notation (named for the mathematician George Boole) refers to the logical relationship among search terms. The three Boolean terms commonly permitted by Internet Search engines are: "AND," "OR," and "NOT." You can use these terms alone, or in combination, to more accurately describe your desired search result. By default, most search engines assume a logical "AND" when more than one search term is entered. When we entered "Newfoundland" and "dog" into our search engine, the "AND" was implied by default.

The "OR" operator can be used to further refine our search criteria. For example, we could enter "Newfoundland dog OR puppy" (without quotes) to make sure we don't miss any pages featuring the breed. Both Google and Yahoo provide an "Images" search option above the search criteria entry box. You can use that to view pictures of the searched subjects. Before doing so, it's a good idea to check the "Preferences" link on the search engine to make sure the filtering is set as desired. With SafeSearch turned on, most graphic "adult" images will be filtered from your search results.

Sometimes it is useful to run a search that excludes some items from the search. My wife, who is an avid genealogist, cannot do a simple search for one branch of her family without seeing her "celebrity heartthrob" cousins plastered all over the search results. To filter search results, she now types in "Gyllenhaal -Jake -Maggie" (without quotes) to find her less publicized relatives. The minus sign in front of any search term causes the search engine (theoretically) to ignore any web page that features those terms. This is the most effective way to perform a Boolean "NOT" operation. Using a plus sign in front of a search term is the same as performing an "AND" operation.

Quotes can be very useful in searches. They group words so that they must appear together in a page in order for that page to be returned in a search result. Using quotes is particularly useful when searching the Internet for a person. If I type in my first and last name without quotes, I get pages that have "Bruce" and "love" without necessarily putting them together. If I search for "Bruce Love" I can usually find web pages relating to everyone who shares my name.

After mastering the basic techniques of surfing the Web, you might want to try some "power surfing." Google and Yahoo offer some very interesting tricks for specialized Internet searches. Try searching a phone number (i.e. 814-946-7411) to get information about the person or organization to whom that phone number is registered. You can also enter tracking numbers for UPS, FedEx, and the United States Postal Service to track packages. To find the definition of a word, enter "define:" followed by the word.

So, now that you have had your first surfing lesson:
"Let's go surfin now
Everyone is learnin how
C'mon and safari with me!"

Posted on January 1, 2005 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 15, 2005

It’s no fun when you lose your drive!

By Bruce A. Love

My computer crashed and I had to get a new hard drive. Is there any way to retrieve information from the hard drive that no longer works?

When a hard drive dies, there are varying degrees of death. The good news is that most hard drive deaths are recoverable situations. The bad news is that depending upon the amount of heroics needed to revive a hard drive, doing so can be quite costly.

The hard drive is the main storage device in the personal computer. It is a sealed unit that contains one or more rotating metal platters, or disks. The surface of each disk contains a magnetically alterable coating that is read from and written to as an armature navigates into positions above data storage locations on the disks. The disk rotates at a very high speed. The armature hovers so close to the surface of the disk that the diameter of a human hair seems enormous compared to the gap between a hard disk and the armature! The armature must never touch the rotating disk. If it does, you have a disk crash.

Disk failure may be imminent if you hear clicking, grinding, or some other unfamiliar sound coming from your PC. Backup your valuable data immediately if this occurs. The official death of a hard drive is usually confirmed when the computer is unable to locate the hard drive at startup, and announces this before Windows ever has a chance to splash across your screen. Once a hard drive dies, there still may be options.

If your computer indicates that it cannot find the hard drive at startup, turn it off, and try powering up again. Try this half a dozen times or more and hope that it will eventually fire up. If it does, immediately copy valuable data to a safe location on another storage device (CD-ROM, DVD, or another computer on the network). If it doesn’t fire up, it’s time to look under the hood to check for loose cables. [CAUTION : DO NOT put your hands into a computer that has power. Use anti-static precautions when removing parts from a PC.] If that is not the answer, try making the suspect drive a “slave” to a “master” disk in another computer. Sometimes the change is enough to run it long enough to extract data from the failing drive.

Stiction (short for static friction) is a condition in which the armature becomes stuck to the platter. You can try removing your hard drive unit from your computer, placing it in a static-free plastic bag, and placing the bag in a freezer for at least an hour. This process can cause the metal to shrink just enough to dislodge the stuck armature. If successful, work quickly to remove all valuable data to another storage device, since it is likely that the drive will fail again as it heats up.

If all else fails, you may want to send your drive out for data recovery. One of the most reputable experts in this area is Iomega Data Recovery Services. They give free estimates and have an outstanding satisfaction rate, though their services are not cheap. The least you can expect to spend is about $500. If they have to crack open your hard drive in a clean room, expect to pay considerably more. According to Ron Austin, Vice President of Marketing, the average cost for a space suited engineer to recover data in a clean room is $1,200 to $1,500. If the content of your hard drive is priceless, this is a bargain.

It is a fact of life that nothing in this world lasts forever. Be aware that all hard drives will fail some day. Get into the practice of backing up your important data files. Save picture files and other irreplaceable files to CD-ROMs or DVDs, and mail copies, in archival sleeves, to a friend for safekeeping. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

For more information about data protection and recovery, visit the Iomega Data Recovery Services website: www.iomegadatarecovery.com. While you are there, be sure to download their free guide:
"Data Protection and Recovery Handbook"

Posted on January 15, 2005 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 22, 2005

Google offers more than just search tools

By Bruce A. Love

In a recent column, we described how to browse the Internet more effectively by using the right tools, and by applying some simple surfing techniques. One popular tool is a search engine called Google. As search engines go, I like Google because it works well, and has an uncluttered interface. But Google also offers much more than just Internet search capabilities.

Visitors to the Google web site (www.google.com) immediately see the search entry box, and buttons to launch a new search. However, there are links to other features that many visitors overlook. Above the search box is the word, “more,” which links to pages featuring free programs, translation tools, newsgroups, and other items of interest.

This week Google rolled out a free photo management program. Download Picasa 2 from Google to easily organize, edit, present, and share digital pictures. Like other digital photo editing programs, Picasa offers filtering effects, color and lighting adjustments, red-eye removal, photo cropping, and straightening capabilities. Editing can be performed on individual files, or on entire groups of pictures all at once. In addition to photo editing, Picasa also brings order to digital photograph collections no matter where the photos are stored on the computer. After installing of the software, Picasa conducts a comprehensive search for all photographic files, and then indexes and displays them by date without changing the actual location to which they are saved on the computer. The program gives users a bird’s eye view of all picture folders, and permits users to open individual folders and view thumbnail versions of picture files prior to opening them. Picasa even has tools to allow users to easily e-mail selected photos.

Another cool feature reached through the “more” link on Google is the Translate Tool. With it, it is possible to translate entire web pages, or just text that you write or copy into the translator box. To test out Google’s foreign language skills, I typed the following into the translator box: “How are you today?” Next, I asked Google to perform the translation to Japanese. Instantly, a string of Japanese characters were displayed, (which, of course I could not read). I took this string of characters, copied it into the translation box, and asked for Japanese to be translated back into English. I performed this same test with the German language. In the case of the Japanese translation (which is still under development), I got back “How, as for you is there today?” The German translation came back as “How do you go today?” Obviously, the translation is far from perfect, but I believe the general meaning of the phrases make communication possible between cultures.

If you are interested in composing your own web log, or “blog,” Google offers “Blogger.” With it, you can post your thoughts to an online bulletin board, and invite friends, family, and/or strangers to leave comments about articles or topics you post. This type of forum is an excellent way for groups and clubs to meet and exchange ideas with others who have similar interests. Hosts of popular blogging sites can even generate revenue by selling advertising space.

Related to blogs are newsgroups. Google’s “Groups” are Collections of related messages, and articles. Newsgroups are posted to news servers by users. The servers distribute them to other participating servers. Newsgroups are arranged on Google by topic. For example, if gardening is your interest, click on the general subject of “Home, ” and then select the “Gardening” sub-category. There are thousands of groups available from which to choose. A wealth of knowledge can be found on the pages, and from the people in these newsgroups.

Google has already established itself as a premier search engine. As other features and service become available, Google appears poised to become a leader in other areas of information services.

Posted on January 22, 2005 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

February 26, 2005

Protect your PC from harmful spikes and power outages

By Bruce A. Love

Vampires don’t like spikes, and neither do computers. With home computers, the spikes I refer to are sharp nasty electrical signals that can significantly shorten the life of computers (and most other home electronic equipment). Lightening strikes, downed wires, and fluctuating load demands can produce spikes, surges, sags and other power problems for your personal computer. Fortunately, there are a number of products that can help protect your PC. Surge protectors, surge suppressors, UPSs, and line conditioners, are some of the options available to combat “disturbances in the force.”

Spikes and surges are examples of over-voltage situations. Spikes are characterized by sharp voltage increases of extremely short duration. Power surges have longer durations, but typically have lower peak voltages. Both conditions deliver higher voltage than desirable and can be harmful to your computer and peripheral equipment. Some sort of protection is important to guard your electronic investments against over-voltage situations.

When you walk into your favorite office supply store, you will see a selection of power strips with a wide range of price tags. The least expensive ones are basically multi-socketed extension chords that provide no additional protection from power line problems. They look ideal for plugging in PCs, monitors, printers, and other devices, but you should avoid these cheap solutions for use with sensitive electronics. You will also see some power strips advertising “surge protection.” This usually means that the strip is fused, or will shut off like a circuit breaker. These strips also should be avoided.

Some power strips have “surge suppression” capabilities. Rather than shutting down power to your PC, which is what a surge protection “circuit breaker” strip would to do under extreme situations, surge suppressors eliminate temporary high voltage conditions that would otherwise reach your personal computer. Surge suppression strips typically have one or 2 LED lights, which indicate that the surge suppressor is working properly, and that your equipment is properly grounded. Surge suppressors range in price from about $10 to about $50. Higher priced models last longer and are able to block higher surges and spikes. These devices eventually wear out as they sacrifice themselves over time to protect your more valuable equipment.

Line conditioning units are the most robust devices to eliminate spikes and surges. They also regulate low voltage fluctuations to bring these temporary situations up to optimal levels. Line conditioners use a transformer to buffer line inputs from the outputs connected to your computer equipment. Conditioners also use similar surge suppression and filtering techniques used in surge suppression strips. These units can run from $100 to $200 and even higher.

When the snow is weighing heavily on the power lines, or when electrical storms threaten to knock out power, we have another option that will help us avoid losing work if power suddenly fails. The Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) gives computer users an opportunity to save work and power down properly when the lights go out. All UPSs also perform surge suppression.

UPSs have VA ratings. The higher this number, the longer your equipment can operate on the unit’s battery before you ultimately have to shut down your computer during blackouts. With higher VA ratings come higher price tags. Some units (rated at 1000 to 1200 VA) are priced under $100 and can power your computer and monitor for more than a half hour.

Most surge suppressors, conditioners, and UPS units provide data protection ports. These allow you to protect telephone modem lines and other external data sources from dangerous line conditions. Make sure the device you select offers this kind of protection.

There are a number of good options available to protect your computer from the external forces that try to destroy them. Surge suppression strips offer a good, affordable option, while line conditioners and UPS units can provide more robust protection. With all this protection, however, it is still unwise to operate sensitive electronic equipment during an electrical storm. Do you really think a lightening bolt, after traveling hundreds of feet, will pause before jumping a fraction of an inch across the contacts in your surge suppressor and computer’s power switch? Not likely! This is why it is best to unplug all sensitive electronic equipment during lightening storms.

Posted on February 26, 2005 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

March 5, 2005

Spyware and spam are all a big scam!

By Bruce A. Love

Spyware and spam!
They’re both such a scam!
I do not like
that spyware and spam!

“Do you want those larger?”
“Do you want that bigger?”
“Here’s a pretty foreign girl,
I think that you’ll dig her!”

I don’t like your scams
I don’t like your spams
And I really don’t want
To see you on cams!

“You can get a mortgage,”
“a Russian girl for marriage”
“Prescription drugs are no problem!”
“Send cash, and you’ll get them.”

An oil guy from Nigerya
wants to share millions with ya.
To get your share’s easy
“Mail your bank numbas to me!”

If an offer sounds great,
Too good to be true
It probably is
Not a good one for you.

Make laws that do ban
This new form of scam
Do what you can
to can all this spam!

Take my advice,
Remember this verse,
Don’t read the foul spam
Their attachments are worse.

Delete it right now
Delete it I say,
Take no more chances,
Just throw it away!

Ok, I am no Dr. Seuss, but the onslaught of spyware and spam can make anyone feel as miserable as a Grinch. Spam is unsolicited "junk" e-mail sent to large numbers of people to promote products or services. Spam can be a huge time waster and is one of the biggest threats to personal privacy and security today.

Unlike junk mail that arrives at the curb, spam can contain software that burrows deep into your computer and steals email address lists, passwords, and personal information that could cost you, or your friends, dearly. Your best defense against such personal violations is to educate yourself about good e-mail and web surfing practices, and get a few tools to assist you in your efforts.

Spam has become such a problem, that legislators have enacted laws against it. The CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) was signed into law in December 2003. This was a good gesture, but has done little to eliminate the barrage of spam launched against our wired society. What it has done, however, is provide law enforcement professionals the legal footing they need to prosecute the vermin that send this trash (if and when they are located).

As an e-commerce web store developer, I recognize the value of mailing lists generated by the e-stores that I build. I view the use of promotional e-mail as a service to the customers. However, in fully complying with the CAN-SPAM Act, the subject lines of promotional mail generated by my stores clearly identify the commercial content of the e-mail, and contact information and opt-out instructions are always provided. These are legitimate uses of commercial e-mail.

Illegal uses of email often are easy to spot. Their subject lines frequently have nonsensical words, or the sender is unfamiliar. These are the first clues that should alert recipients to potentially destructive spam. The misspelled words are not necessarily the product of an uneducated sender. They are attempts to evade programs designed to block spam. Anti-spam programs look for certain words and the proportional use of those words in the subject lines and content of e-mails. I worry that some spam blockers filter mail coming from a guy named Love. The best thing to do with suspected spam is delete it without opening it. Above all, do not open attachments or click on links contained in the e-mail.
Anyone who does any amount of web surfing will eventually stumble upon web sites requesting e-mail information. If you fill out these forms, use a disposable e-mail address just in case the website sells your contact information to spammers. There are free services that serve as buffers between real e-mail addresses and ones that are given to others (see www.sneakemail.com or www.mailinator.com).
You can minimize the threat of spam by observing the following:

1. Do not open suspicious e-mail.
2. Do not respond to a bulk email EVER!
3. Use throwaway e-mail addresses when filing out online forms, and when joining newsgroups.
4. Use spyware blockers (Spy Sweeper, Ad-Aware, and/or Spybot Search and Destroy)
5. Keep your Anti-virus software up to date.
6. Keep Windows up to date.
7. Consider using a firewall.
If you think you've been a victim of online fraud, you should contact the FBIs Internet Fraud Complaint Center (www.ifccfbi.gov)

Posted on March 5, 2005 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 12, 2005

A Little Spring Cleaning Can Re-energize Your PC

By Bruce A. Love

We all slow down a bit as we get older, but sometimes we can do things to delay the inevitable. If you abuse your body by consuming harmful substances, by not giving it the nourishment it needs, or by denying it the rest that it requires, your body will age much faster than if you take care of it. The same is true with personal computers.

Over time, our computers accumulate stuff that may be unnecessary, and even harmful, to your PC. If you visit disreputable web sites, or you download e-mail without using protection, you may become infected with programs that will drain the life from your PC. Even if you are a responsible Internet user, your computer can become clogged with useless files that bring performance to a crawl. Fortunately, there are ways to put a little spring back in the step of your PC. Although the following remedies may seem a little technical, most are relatively easy to implement, and will greatly enhance your PC’s performance.

The first thing you want to do is purge your computer of harmful toxins by running an updated anti-virus program. If your program is out of date, you can download the Free Edition of AVG Anti-Virus. Next, get rid of other forms of malware (malicious software). I highly recommend the newest Ad-Aware SE Personal edition – It works great, and it’s free! You can find links for this at lavasoft.com. Spybot Search and Destroy, and Spy Sweeper also are very good products for removing most spyware. I use several products to make sure I get everything off my PCs.

After removing dangerous programs designed to cripple your computer, you can delete temporary files that were created while you surfed the Web. You can free up many megabytes of disk space by doing so. Open Internet Explorer, and click on “Tools,” then “Internet Options,” and select the “General” tab. Under “Temporary Internet Files”, click “Delete Files...” Next, right click the Recycling Bin icon on your desktop, and click “Empty Recycling Bin” from the dropdown list. Now, wait until dark.

Before going to bed is the best time to launch the next two tasks – each could take several hours to run. Check Disk is a utility included in Windows XP and 2000. ScanDisk is the equivalent program used on Windows 98 and ME. These programs find and fix problems on your hard drive. To run Check Disk, click “Start,” “My Computer,” and then right click the hard drive (usually C:). Next click “Properties,” and select the “Tools” tab. Click “Check Now” and select both boxes. Click “Start.” You will have to reboot the computer to make it run. To run ScanDisk on Windows 98 or ME, click “Start,” then “Programs,” then “Accessories,” then “System Tools,” and choose “ScanDisk.” Select “Thorough” and “Automatically Fix Errors,” and click “Start.”

Before you go to bed the following night, you can begin the defragmentation of your hard drive(s). Defrag rearranges data in your PC to make it more efficient. Click “Start,” “All Programs,” “Accessories,” “System Tools,” and select “Disk Defragmenter.” In Windows XP, click the drive you want to defragment, and then click “Defragment.” In Windows 98 and ME, click “OK.” In Windows 2000, click “Defragment.”

One of the biggest improvements you can make to PC’s performance is to add more memory. Assuming you have an open slot in your computer for additional RAM (Random Access Memory), this procedure is relatively easy. Refer to your computer documentation to determine appropriate module types for your PC. Chances are you may be able to triple the size of your PC’s memory by installing one module!

As time goes by, you may find that your computer takes longer to start-up. To improve startup time, disable unnecessary programs from launching at startup. Click “Start,” “Run,” and type "msconfig" (without the quotes) and click “OK.” Click the “Startup” tab and clear the boxes for the programs you don't need. Click “Apply” and “OK.” You'll be prompted to restart your computer. To determine the necessary programs to keep, and see descriptions of all start-up programs, visit: sysinfo.org/startuplist.php.

There are other options, including several software programs, which can assist in cleaning your computer. The important thing is, you do it. After performing these routine procedures, your computer should feel re-energized and ready to tackle the challenges of the day!

Posted on March 12, 2005 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 19, 2005

Mine the Internet for Useful Gems

By Bruce A. Love

Many of us have favorite web sites that we use periodically. As we find these gems on the Internet, we place them into our "favorites" folder so we can easily locate them for future use. As I looked into my Favorites folder this week, I thought that Mirror readers could benefit from knowing about some of my favorites. Many of the sites in this article are good ones to use if you are in business, but others are just plain fun or useful in other ways. If you are like me, you will enjoy checking out these sites and learning new things.

If you are contemplating starting a business, there are several web sites that will help you get the information you will need to build a successful business. The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers web site is a great place to start: www.pasbdc.org/what/resources/statistics.asp. This link goes straight to their demographic and statistics page (a personal favorite). On the side of the page are links to many other useful areas including "Starting and Running a Small Business," "Specialized Management Topics," and other "Government Websites." Our state also has a resource called the Invent PA Network. It is part of the Department of Community and Economic Development. Visit them at www.Inventpa.com. At the Federal level is the United States Small Business Administrations web site (www.sbaonline.sba.gov). Also, do not forget the Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov.
www.ThinkExist.com is the best web site for finding quotations. Search by subject, author, keywords, or other criteria to easily locate the perfect quote. The site boasts over 140,000 quotes by over 11,000 authors. ThinkExist also allows you to create a book of favorite quotes as you locate them on their web site. You can even receive daily e-mails with quotes of the day. Impress your friends, family, and boss by quoting these nuggets of wisdom!

If you are looking for a job, there are some very good websites. The state and federal job websites appear to be particularly useful, though I must confess, I have not met anyone who has gotten a job through a web site. The Pennsylvania Career Link advertises "One-stop delivery of career services to job seekers and employers." See www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us. At the Federal level, visit www.usajobs.gov. This site has thousands of jobs available, and their search tools are excellent.

Congress.org is the place to go to find contact information for anyone in any office of government. Search by ZIP code, region, state, or name to find the office for which you need information. In addition to Congress, Senate, and White House contacts, the web site also lists legislation that is being considered by our elected officials. There also are links to the Supreme Court Justices, and every Federal agency!

FamilyDoctor.org is an incredible resource for researching any medical condition. I found that using the Search box is the fastest way to get to the information I needed. This web site is uncluttered and not commercial. Webmd.com is a bit commercial, and has pop-ups, but you may find that their doctor locating tools are very useful.

In a previous article, we described how Snopes.com attempts to validate or disprove various stories we have heard over the years. You may be surprised to discover the truth about some stories! It is always good to be informed, and not be part of the hordes that spread rumors.

Wordsmith.org is an interesting site for word lovers and for anyone wanting to increase their vocabulary. For fun, put your name into their anagram maker and see what phrases are made from it!
SafeKids.com is a great resource for parents of young children who want to ensure that families learn how to make the "Internet and Technology fun, safe, and productive."

If you know of a great web site that you think others would appreciate (and it is more than just a commercial for your business), send it in and we'll let Mirror readers benefit from your suggestions in a future article. Your approved suggestions will also be posted on my web site at www.loveconsulting.com/links.htm. If you are in business and would like to link to our web site, don't hesitate to contact me to arrange for a mutual link!

Posted on March 19, 2005 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 9, 2005

Ashes to ashes, bits to bits

By Bruce A. Love

There is a saying, "nothing lasts forever." However, many of us still try to prevent the inevitable. We search for a fountain of youth, much like the Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon, and hope that we discover a way to preserve the things we value.

Recent technology has given us new tools that offer hope for eternal life for our most treasured belongings. Faded photographs seem destined to become relics of the past as digital photography soars in popularity. Shoeboxes of photos, negatives, super 8s, and other old medias are being replaced by CD-ROMs, DVDs, and hard drives. Have we finally discovered the key to eternal life for our recorded memories?

Most of what is on my computer probably won't be of much importance 10 years from now. However, there are a few things, such as family photographs, sound recordings, and videos that I would like to preserve for future generations. If you are a family historian, or just want to pass things down to future generations, you will want to take steps to ensure that these things survive the test of time. Scanning old photographs, letters, and documents may help you accomplish this task.

In a previous column, we examined the process of scanning, enhancing, and storing old photographs. We have also discussed genealogical programs. However, the long-term archiving of this irreplaceable data must also be a very high priority. One recommendation is to place photographs and other vital files on archival quality disks, store them in archival cases, and distribute copies to as many family members as possible. Remember the saying; "don't put all your eggs in one basket."

Even with all the redundant backups, the life of your digitized data still has limitations. Storage capabilities diminish over time, and storage medias become obsolete. Consider the history of musical recording medias. Throughout history, music has been recorded to wax cylinders, ceramic platters, vinyl disks, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, and CDs, to name a few. If you had a favorite song perfectly preserved on 8-track tape, it would be very difficult to access with modern technology. Likewise, we do not know what storage devices will be like 10 years from now, let alone when our great grandchildren want to see our pictures!

To completely avoid the threat of damaged storage medias and obsolete storage devices, you might want to transfer important data to an online backup service. These services charge a monthly fee based upon the amount of storage space used. One nice feature about these services is that it doesn't matter what your service provider stores your data on, since they will continually update and transfer (migrate) your data to new medias as technology changes. These service providers also make frequent backups of your data, and store these backups in another location. This means that you will never lose everything even in an environmental disaster.

If you use all of these preventative measures, your data may still become inaccessible if the original program that generated the file (i.e. MS-Word) is not stored with the data. This is because programs used 100 years from now may not accept the formats used today.

So, what are we to do if we want our data and pictures to last forever? First, print important documents and digitized photographs on archival grade paper. If all else fails, this provides a hard copy of your files, which your future generations will appreciate. Next, periodically access data files using the latest programs, and save them in the latest formats to the newest storage medias. This will ensure that your program files evolve with software and hardware changes. Consider using an online backup service to safeguard your data. Finally, make sure your heirs are trained to follow these same procedures. In this way, the digital fountain of youth just may keep your records alive forever!

Posted on April 9, 2005 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

June 11, 2005

Seniors citizens are discovering the value of personal computing

By Bruce A. Love

It is never too late to learn and enjoy personal computing. Just ask Alice Wilson of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. She got her first computer for her 50th Wedding Anniversary. Today, at 84, Alice and her husband, Ed, celebrate their 56th anniversary, and they have both learned many valuable PC skills!

It used to be that only programmers, engineers, and other technical professionals used computers. However, many others are discovering the value and fun of learning some new tricks. Alice Wilson knows she is no expert in the use of computers (yet), but the great thing about computers is you don't have to be an expert to enjoy playing and learning with them!

What can one do with a personal computer? E-mail and other Internet uses are probably the greatest attraction for most seniors. Those who want to write their memoirs and record family history will want to use a word processing program (such as MS-Word or WordPerfect) and possibly a genealogical program (i.e. Family Tree Maker). Senior shoppers will also enjoy learning how to make secure and convenient purchases online, to avoid traffic and outrageous gas prices.

Alice Wilson learned to type 65 years ago, and now uses these skills typing letters and e-mail online. This is a slight advantage she has over her husband. Although technologically savvy, Ed never received typing instruction - it just wasn't something guys did in the old days. Still, Ed enjoys surfing the Internet for maps and other travel information. Even if you can only "hunt and peck" at the keyboard, it is still easy to surf the web for subjects and images of interest.

Do you want to show the grandchildren pictures and maps of places you served during Word War II? It's easy! Go to Google (www.google.com), click on the "Images" tab, and type something like "Okinawa WWII" and click "Search." Even the slowest of typists can do this in under a minute. You will be rewarded with dozens of pictures representing links to pages all about that region during the war! From there, it is just a matter of clicking, reading, viewing, and learning! Do you have fond memories of the Kartoffelklosse your grandmother used to make? Search for "Kartoffelklosse recipe" and find various interpretations of this German potato dumpling!

The cost of personal computers has dropped dramatically in recent years. It is possible to get a very fine computer (including monitor, keyboard, mouse, and some useful software) for under $600. You can get an excellent printer for well under $100. If the cost of a PC is not in the budget, most libraries have PCs for your use.

Computers can be intimidating until you learn a few things about them. We have all been through this stage. The key is to get good instruction to make your computer your friend. Many school districts offer courses on the use of computers and the applications most often used with them. The Spring Cove School District, for example, has an impressive facility that houses several computer classrooms and regularly offers adult instruction on various introductory computer topics (Word Processing, Digital Photography, E-mail Basics, Internet Access, etc.). Most courses cost between $10 and $35. Contact "The Center" at (814) 224-7579 to find out what courses are available.

There is nothing magical about learning to use a PC. It just takes practice. After taking a course, or instruction from a friend, practice! Make mistakes (like the rest of us have), and learn from them. When you get stuck, call a friend, neighbor, or grandchild to assist you past the rough spots. The good news is, novices usually can't cause irreparable harm to a personal computer. Just keep it away from liquids and extremely dirty environments, and it will be just fine.

There are many good reasons to start computing - even in one's golden years. Staying in touch with friends and family is one good reason. PCs and the Internet have made this easier, quicker, and cheaper than ever before. Just ask Alice Wilson! Mrs. Wilson has communicated with loved ones and acquaintances in various corners of the world. She even has exchanged e-mails (including pictures) with missionary friends in Pakistan and Bolivia. Alice Wilson has grown so attached to her personal computer that she and her husband now take a laptop computer and a digital camera with them on vacations! I guess no matter what age we are, we will always like to show our friends how much fun we are having! Happy Anniversary Alice and Ed!

Posted on June 11, 2005 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 9, 2005

Learn new tricks to make word processing work for you

By Bruce A. Love

I don't like making my fingers work harder than they have to. Unfortunately, I do a lot of work on the computer, so this sort of "manual labor" is hard to avoid. Fortunately, computers follow directions well, and are eager to make our lives easier if we give them the right instructions. After mastering the tricks described below, your fingers will be thrilled that their burdens have been eased!

Most people who use a PC, use Microsoft Word for their word processing needs. MS-Word has features many users don't know about, including alternative ways to select, copy, cut, and paste. These shortcuts will make your word processing experience more enjoyable.
New users rely on the pictures on the toolbars to remind them of the functions the buttons perform. If we allow our mouse pointer to rest on an icon for a second, a text box appears announcing its function. However, it takes time to stop typing, grab the mouse, point to the icons, and click, every time we want to cut, copy or paste. If you learn shortcut keystrokes, your hands may not have to leave the keyboard.

"Shortcut keystrokes" are easy to learn. If you have ever noticed the dropdown lists from your menu bar (at the top of most applications), you may have noticed terms like Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, etc., to the right of commands such as "Cut," "Copy," and "Paste." These terms are the equivalent keystroke commands to perform those actions. For example, Ctrl+C, activated by holding down the Control Key while hitting the lowercase "C," will copy selected text. Go through your menu bar and see how many shortcut keystrokes you can memorize. Start with the "Cut, "Copy," and "Paste" commands. They will save you time as you type!
To select text to cut or copy, try these tricks: double click a word to select it, or triple click it to select the entire paragraph. Click in the margin to the left of any line to select just that line. Once selected, you can cut, copy, or drag the selection (using your mouse) to any other place in your document.

I often have a half dozen or more documents open simultaneously while I work. To move from one document to another, most of us grab for the mouse, point to "Window" on the menu bar, and click the document we want to see. The next time you are tempted to do this, try Ctrl+F6 (hold down the control key and hit the F6 Function Key). This toggles between all open documents.

I don't know about you, but the number of recently used documents, shown on the File dropdown menu, never seems long enough. You can increase the number of recent items shown to 9, by selecting the "Tools" menu, then "Options," then the "General" tab. Make sure "Recently Used File List" is checked, and change the "entries" value to nine. By the way, while you are on the "Options" window, click on the "Edit" tab, and check the "use the INS key for paste" and click "OK" to close the dialog box. This will give you another method to paste, but more importantly, it will eliminate the possibility of activating the destructive typeover setting of that key.

My wife has one of those names that everyone mispronounces on their first attempt. It is spelled like "Karen" but has the dots over the "a." That "ä" can be inserted as a symbol in MS-Word, but finding that symbol each time we write her name can be a chore. By clicking "Macro" on the Tools dropdown menu, and selecting "record Macro," we were able to permanently record the correct spelling of her name one time, and instruct our computer to type her entire name each time we use the key combination, Alt+K. This trick can be used to type entire company names, and perform many other advanced actions.
Have you ever accidentally hit the Caps Lock key while typing a large portion of text? There's an easy remedy! Select the affected text, hold down the Shift key, and hit the F3 function key (Shift+F3) to toggle between all caps, all lowercase, and sentence case.
Our last trick of the day is totally useless, but fun. In a new document type in "=rand(100,99)" without the quotes, and hit Enter. Go ahead, you can trust me!

Posted on July 9, 2005 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 16, 2005

Bumper crop of podcasts are sprouting up on the Internet

By Bruce A. Love

A recent phenomenon on the Internet is eerily reminiscent of the 50's Sci-Fi classic, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." In the movie, unsuspecting humans, who have had the misfortune of sleeping next to mysterious organic pods, vanish as the pods morph into clones of their victim. When meeting one of these newly cloned beings, friends and family of the departed humans notice a change, but never suspect that the clone is actually an alien. In the latest craze to hit cyberspace, "podcasts" are sprouting up at an incredible rate, and threaten to challenge, and possibly replace, broadcast radio. These podcasts resemble traditional radio in some ways, but the listeners will discover some significant differences. Many who experience podcasts for the first time will become so captivated by this new medium, that they, too, will want to become podcasters!

"Podcasting" is a term that was coined in 2004. It combines "broadcasting" with the name of Apple Computer's portable audio player - the iPod. Podcasting was not invented by Apple, nor do podcasts require an iPod player or Apple software, but podcasts are frequently transferred from personal computers to MP3-capable portable listening devices - like the iPod. Of course, podcasts can also be accessed directly and enjoyed from personal computers.

Podcasts are typically audio files that are published to websites on the Internet. Much like a newspaper, magazine or television programs, new files, or "feeds" are published on a regular basis. By using a program called an "aggregator," anyone connected to the Web with current equipment can "subscribe" to receive these audio feeds. The term "subscription" may suggest a fee for the service, but most podcasts are free.

The aggregators, such as "Doppler" or "iPodder" also are free. These programs periodically go out on the Internet looking for new issues of the podcasts to which you have subscribed, and automatically add them to the play list of your preferred media player. At that point, podcasts can either be played on the PC, or transferred to a portable MP3 player.

Like websites, podcasts range in subject matter, quality, and relevance. Many podcasts contain music, but some are highly technical dissertations intended for professionals in various specialized fields. You will also stumble upon podcasts recorded by individuals experimenting with the medium for the first time. All of these can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet.

Podcasting is still in its infancy, and still a bit awkward to setup and use. No doubt, it will become more user-friendly as industry responds to consumer demands for programs that automate more of the process. The future of this broadcasting medium has great potential for both business and personal use. Any individual or organization with a message will be able to distribute it worldwide in a podcast using both audio and video.

If you are interested in receiving podcasts, there are a few basic requirements and some initial steps to take. First, be aware that your PC should have a broadband connection, and have a Windows XP, or Windows 2000 operating system. You should also be comfortable with downloading, installing and configuring programs on your PC. The basic setup procedure is as follows:

1. Download and install a podcast aggregator such as Doppler (available free at www.dopplerradio.net)
2. If you don't already have it, download and install the latest Windows Media Player (available free at www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.aspx)
3. Configure your aggregator as described in the setup instructions.
4. Using a search engine like Google, search for sites with podcast directories and find podcasts covering topics that interest you (try www.podcast.net).
5. Once you locate a podcast of interest, copy the “RSS,” “Podcast,” or “XML,” icon from the website listing to your podcast aggregator’s “New Feed” or “Subscribe To” area.
7. Your computer is now setup to fetch selected podcasts, and you can play them at any time.

Sometime in the near future, I plan to offer detailed instructions for setting up your own podcasting website. Because this can be a tedious and technical process, it probably would not make for a good newspaper column. For this reason, I think it might be more appropriate to record these instructions in a podcast. Stay tuned!

Posted on July 16, 2005 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

August 6, 2005

Virtual meetings can reduce business expenses

By Bruce A. Love

Rising gas prices impact society in many ways. One effect is the increase in the cost of doing business. This puts pressure on companies to reduce expenses in other areas, or raise prices on their products and services in order to maintain acceptable profit levels. Ultimately, these costs will be passed along to consumers who already feel the burden of soaring fuel prices.

Companies can minimize fuel-related expenses (thereby increasing profits) by eliminating unnecessary travel expenses. While meetings with customers are a necessary part of business, holding meetings online can eliminate some trips.

This week I had an opportunity to use GoToMeeting (available at www.gotomeeting.com). GoToMeeting is a subscription-based web conferencing service that is both powerful, and easy to use. It is ideal for businesses with a need to discuss projects while showing visual images to augment discussions. This service is particularly useful when significant distances separate hosts and attendees.

When I downloaded the software for a free trial, I was a bit concerned that it came with a 79-page user’s manual. My hope was that the program would not have a steep learning curve. This is an important consideration if companies expect new meeting attendees to be comfortable participating in the virtual meeting. As it turns out, the program is very intuitive, and reference to the user’s guide was practically unnecessary.

After installing the software, it is very easy to schedule and hold meetings. Meeting hosts and organizers simply click on the GoToMeeting icon on their computer’s desktop (or in the tray), decide if they want to hold the meeting immediately or schedule for a specified time, and invite the guests. Meeting invitations can be sent via email, or meeting details can be given over the phone or Instant Message (IM). When you email or IM invitations, the message contains time and date of the meeting, a link to the meeting room, and any necessary passwords.

As a virtual meeting attendee, it is not necessary to purchase the service. Simply click on the link included in the email or IM invitation, or go to the GoToMeeting website and enter sign-in information given to you by the meeting organizer. Software will temporarily download and install on your computer to enable you to participate in the meeting. This will take less than a minute if you have a broadband connection (which is strongly recommended for any web conferencing).

Once the meeting control panel opens, you will be able to exchange pleasantries with the host and other attendees using an integrated chat program. When the meeting starts, you will see the host’s PC desktop, and any applications that the host wants you to see. You will even see the host’s pointer move around on screen, and see everything the host sees on his or her computer.

At times, it may be convenient to allow guests to take control of applications on the host’s computer, or switch the meeting view to applications and images on one of the attendee’s computers. It is easy to hand-off control of the meeting to others in attendance! Of course, if an attendee gets off topic, the original host can take control back at any time.

I first tried the service with my father-in-law who was able to view my desktop and take command of my computer from his home in Virginia. I wanted to be comfortable with the software before trying it with clients. We discovered that online meetings were greatly enhanced using speakerphones. Obviously, if a meeting has more than two participants, a conference call is recommended.

Next, it was time to try a virtual meeting with a client. I put together some interactive web pages and was anxious for the client to see them in action. The materials were not quite ready to run on a server, and wouldn’t run on the client’s PC without a copy of the program used to generate them. Before pushing ahead with what I believed was a good design, I decided to allow my client (200 miles away) to try it out on my computer. I accomplished this using GoToMeeting.

GoToMeeting has many benefits:

1. Companies may dramatically reduce travel costs, save time, and increase productivity.

2. Companies can hold as many meetings as they want for as long as they want – for one
monthly or annual fee ($49.00/month, or $468.00/year)
.
3. Meeting participants can exchange information and images in real time.

4. Chat discussions during meetings are recorded for future reference.

The meeting capacity of the standard package is 10 attendees, and up to 25 attendees for the corporate package. Special event licenses can be purchased for up to 200 attendees.

Posted on August 6, 2005 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (151)

January 6, 2006

Cookies can make online shopping a sweeter experience!

By Bruce A. Love

Christmastime can be a very fattening time of the year. It's hard to avoid all the goodies that are given to us by well-meaning family, friends, and co-workers. For me, cookies are probably my greatest temptation - one that usually wins out over my will to avoid fattening foods. As a result, I usually put on a few extra pounds each year during the holiday season.

If you spend any amount of time online, you have probably received some cookies over the Internet too - particularly if you do any shopping online. The cookies I am referring to are virtual cookies. These do not add inches to your waist, but can make your online shopping a sweeter experience.

Many people are afraid of Internet cookies. The bad rap that Internet cookies have received comes from a lack of understanding of what these digital morsels can and cannot do. The fact of the matter is without cookies, e-stores would be less personalized, and shopping online would be a lot more difficult!

A cookie is a small text file, which a Web server can store on a user's hard drive when the user visits a particular Web site. This allows the Web store (located on a Web server) to store information about users on the user's PC, and retrieve that information at a later time (when a user revisits the Web site). Cookies are not programs, not viruses, and do not gather personal information from other parts of your computer. The information that a server can retrieve from a cookie on someone's computer is limited to the information that that server previously placed in the cookie. This information can only be retrieved by the Web site that placed the cookie on the PC.

The text in a cookie contains information stored in name-value pairs. The names are chosen by the developer of the Web site, and represent some piece of information needed by the store. The value is some alphanumeric value associated with that name. These may change each time a user visits the store. At a minimum, the cookie usually contains a name that retains a user identification number assigned by the store for the customer (or more specifically, the customer's computer). For entities other than the e-store that places this info into the cookie, this alphanumeric value is pure gibberish. To see an example of what gets stored in a cookie, sign into any Web store, and type the following into the address bar at the top of the page: Javascript:alert(document.cookie). If you are in a store that I've designed, this information is usually relatively short. If you are on Amazon.com (the online book retailer), the information contained in the cookie can be quite lengthy.

Internet cookies come in different flavors, and some contain much more information than others. The two main varieties are "session cookies" and "persistent cookies." Session cookies are used to keep track of what you place in your online shopping cart so that you can checkout of the e-store with everything you placed in your cart. Session cookies are removed after leaving the e-store. "Persistent cookies" are placed on your computer's hard drive and used to remember things about you for the next time you visit a store. These will remain on your hard drive indefinitely, or until you remove them manually or with software designed for that purpose. If a user provides their name, address, and other information during a visit to an online store, this info could be accessed by using values saved in a persistent cookie. Web sites look for cookies on customers' PCs that have been previously deposited by their store. If found, the cookie's value is used to search the store's online database to learn of details about the previous visits. This is so that a customized shopping experience can be offered to the customer. I see evidence of persistent cookies on Amazon.com when I am greeted with "Hello Bruce Love! See what recommendations we have for you." Amazon watches everything you do in their store so they can try to recommend books that they believe match your shopping habits.

Online shopping can be a very enjoyable and secure shopping alternative. One precaution you should always take when purchasing from e-stores is to avoid using a computer that is located in a public setting - like an Internet café or library. Your cookies and your information could be viewed by others. If the thought of Internet cookies still makes your tummy queasy, it is easy to disable them (if you are using Internet Explorer, click "Tools" on the menu bar, select "Internet Options," and set "Privacy" to the highest setting). Unfortunately, if you do, you most likely will not be able to purchase items online.

Posted on January 6, 2006 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 14, 2007

Use blogs to communicate with friends and customers

By Bruce A. Love

Over the past several years, I have enjoyed reading blogs, and responding with comments that reflect my own views and experience. For those who are unfamiliar with the term blog (short for “Web log”), they are online forums where ideas and information are posted by a blog host, who encourages visitors to respond online with comments. As a casual blogger, I have found that this form of communication enables individuals to analyze and debate issues with peers, and receive a pretty good education in the process.

Recently, I decided that I was ready to host my own blog. I researched various blogging options, and decided that I liked the features of a free package called MovableType. The flexibility of this blogging tool and its impressive features make it one of the most popular blogging programs available. Unfortunately, the web server hosting LoveConsulting.com did not meet the requirements for hosting a MovableType blog. I realized that it was time to move my Web site and combine it with the new blog I wanted to build. After contacting MovableType for recommendations for a reputable Web host who was familiar with MovableType, I was referred to LivingDot.

Pavel Ushakov is the Managing Director of LivingDot in Los Angeles, CA. He and his staff made the process of transferring my Website from my old server to LivingDot servers very easy. Unlike the “support staff” that hosted my old web server, the staff at LivingDot were friendly, accessible, attentive, skilled, and communicate fluently in English. These are all qualities to look for in a Web host, since you will probably need to coordinate with them as you build your blog or Web site. It is no wonder why Newsweek, Time Magazine, Washington Post, CapitalOne, and thousands of others all have their blogs at LivingDot!

Before launching my blog, I read everything I could about the process. Although it sounded complicated to install MovableType, Pavel had me up and running within minutes - with very little input from me! I posted my first blog entry about three weeks ago. We were throwing a surprise party for my father-in-law, and I decided to set up the blog so that others could wish him a happy 80th birthday from afar. Although only a few comments were left on the blog, I learned some things and will begin posting other types of entries. I continue to tweak settings and adjust the style of my blog to customize it for my purposes.

According to Pavel, there are numerous reasons for small businesses to start a blog. Like traditional Websites, blogs can be an inexpensive and effective form of marketing (my plan costs less than $10 per month). Interaction with the public is important for businesses; blogs provide a convenient channel for feedback and recommendations from customers. Blogs also help to improve search engine optimization (SEO). This means that your company will appear higher in search engine results than it would without the blog! This can translate into more business.

Individuals and organizations will find many uses of blogs. I hope you use my new blog at blog.loveconsulting.com to leave comments and share your thoughts about this column and others.

Posted on September 14, 2007 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 19, 2007

Organize Your Info

By Bruce A. Love

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Information is the currency of democracy.” Jefferson obviously understood the value of information. With accurate and timely information, businesses can identify market trends, make wise investments, and develop successful strategic plans to steer their businesses through difficult economic times and capitalize on good times.

We receive daily bombardments of facts, numbers, documents and other data. Such data becomes usable information only after it is processed and organized. In this “Information Age,” we have some powerful tools to bring organization to clutter. One of the most powerful tools we can use to process raw data into usable information is the database.

Whether you realize it or not, you have probably used databases in one form or another. When we go to a library to look for a book, a user-friendly computer interface gives us access to the library’s database so that we may search the library’s entire holdings by author name, subject, keywords, or book title. If you shop online, you can search or browse store inventories on databases located on web servers. These databases also have product descriptions, images of products, prices, and links to other related products (which are used to promote other products that customers may be interested in). When you make a purchase online, you enter billing and shipping information, which is shared with other databases belonging to your credit card company as well as shipping databases.

I really love databases. Without them, I would never be able to stay organized. I guess my enthusiasm for databases has spread to infect other family members. My wife and daughter have helped me launch e-stores and build virtual art galleries by entering inventories into databases. Karen, my wife, spends many hours each week searching online genealogical databases in the hope of finding long lost, and long departed, relatives. Alysia, our daughter, accesses her grades and assignments online, as do most students these days. Alysia also spent the past summer entering confidential information into a medical database at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, DC. Our son Tim, who is a chef in the suburbs of Philadelphia, is interested in having all his recipes stored in a safe, secure location, and has expressed an interest in putting this valuable information into a database.

Although databases are fairly easy to use, I’ve found that becoming proficient in developing databases can take years. However, in most circumstances, someone has already developed any database you may want to use. MS-Access is a database that is sometimes bundled with other Microsoft products on new computers. If you have to buy the software, it isn’t cheap – usually over $200. Once you have this software, however, you can develop and use your own databases with Access, or you can use the databases already developed by others.

When you launch Access, you are given the option of starting a new database, opening up an existing database, or loading a database template that either came with your Access software or is located on the Internet. A sampling of free Access-based databases that you can find include an issues database (for tracking tasks), a classroom management database, inventory management, and address books. If these don’t satisfy your needs, you can often purchase templates that will.

Have fun with data and stay organized!

Posted on October 19, 2007 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

November 6, 2007

Taxing Free Speech

By Bruce A. Love

This week, the federal government voted to continue the ban on taxes to access the Internet. This affects the federal government as well as states. With the general election just one year away, it’s not so surprising that the vote went the way it did. The last thing any politician would want to do is anger millions of surfers, bloggers, chatters, and other online researchers who believe that virtual speech ought not be taxed by governments. Unfortunately, lawmakers left the door open for the possibility of Federal Internet taxes in seven years. This tells me that some people in Congress REALLY want a piece of the Internet pie! I, for one, prefer to keep my speech free of federal taxation.

It’s true that online communication is anything but free (yearly high-speed Internet access can cost hundreds of dollars per household). But these charges are understandable since it costs Internet providers money to bring such services to your home. However, the idea of taxing our access to online services seems, to me, at least, to be very much in opposition to the fundamentals of free speech. One could even argue that by taxing the Internet, the government would be effectively discouraging free speech. On the other side of the argument, others might say, “but, it’s just a few cents” or “just a few dollars.” But this is not a valid argument. After all, you didn’t pay tax to purchase your news in today’s Mirror, did you? In Pennsylvania, newspapers are not taxed. In the state where the Declaration of Independence was signed, we value our “free speech.” Online news should receive the same consideration.

This long battle over the Internet tax issue goes back to 1998, when Congress first passed a three-year moratorium on new taxes on the Internet. This moratorium barred states and localities from imposing taxes that were specifically targeted to the Internet, or were higher for the Internet. The moratorium was renewed in 2001, 2004, and again last week.

The moratorium that passed this week does not pertain to sales taxes. Sales tax can be (and must be) charged to online customers if they reside in the same state as the physical location of the online company from whom they purchased the goods. It makes sense to charge state sales taxes on Internet purchases, otherwise it would put “brick and mortar” stores at a disadvantage as they try to compete with online stores.

The decision of federal and state governments to tax or not tax Internet access has huge implications. Taxing Internet services could inject a huge amount of capital into state and federal coffers, but taxing Internet access could discourage technological growth and the exchange of ideas of America’s citizens. Making the ban on taxation of the Internet would be a good step forward for U.S. consumers, industry, and the economy. The Internet must be allowed to flourish in this country and help America compete globally and thereby ensure the long-term growth of our economy. As American online businesses succeed, Congress will get the tax dollars they desperately want in the form of business income tax from profitable American businesses.

Posted on November 6, 2007 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 2, 2007

Holiday PC buying strategies

By Bruce A. Love

This year, I’m pretty sure Santa is not going to bring me a new computer - not because I was naughty, but because I haven’t put one on my wish list. Even though I am not in the market for a new PC, I like to “window shop” (forgive the pun) and see what dream machine I would buy if I really needed one and had some disposable cash. After a crazy night of virtual shopping, and battling the non-existent cyber crowds, I have finally identified the best computer systems for my virtual cash. This week I share my techniques for shopping for the perfect computer so that all the “nice” boys and girls who read this column can make certain that Santa brings the computers of their dreams.

The first thing I do when getting ready to shop for a computer is to educate myself. I have found that the best way to do this is by visiting online websites such as Gateway.com and Dell.com. Even if you are not thinking of buying either of these brands, the descriptions of different PC features and specifications described on these sites will help you determine which features you absolutely need. My strategy when shopping online is to find a customizable PC that starts at a price that is $200 to $500 below what I want to spend for the PC. I do this because no system ever has everything I want, and I know I will pick and choose features that add cost on the advertised base sticker price.

There are a lot of options to consider when buying a computer, but your first consideration is your budget. In 2007, you can get a great computer without getting the top of the line model. In fact, the lowest end model this year is probably more powerful than anything 3 or four years ago! For this reason, if you only plan to use the computer for word processing, photo editing, e-mail, storing music, browsing the internet, and other simple tasks, you can pick up a very nice computer for about $600 (including monitor)!

Another factor that influences my computer purchases is how much new software I will need. If you do not already have software that you will transfer from an older computer, see what kind of software packages are available with the new ones that you are considering. I use a whole “suite” of office software (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation software), in addition to other specialized software for web development, graphic design, and genealogy. Fortunately for me, I haven’t needed to purchase the latest software. Older versions (circa 2003) have been doing just fine for me.

As you get into the customization of computer systems online, websites such as Dell and Gateway have help features that explain in great detail the differences of each option. For example, more memory, bigger hard drives, bigger and higher resolution flat panel monitors are always better (and more expensive). Processor differences, CD and DVD writers, video cards and speakers require more in depth review of information provided on these sites.

After wish lists and budget realities reach a compromise, you will be able to specify which PC fits under the tree this year. Happy Holidays and Happy computing!

Posted on December 2, 2007 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 1, 2008

Store Digital Photographs Online

By Bruce A. Love

Digital photography has become so easy and inexpensive that many users are now taking hundreds or thousands of pictures every year! With so many images, reliable storage for these graphic treasures becomes an important consideration! Thumb drives, CD-ROMs, DVDs and even hard drives can hold just so much, and we must face the fact that they all will fail us eventually. Do you really want to keep your family picture albums and other irreplaceable photographs someplace that can vanish overnight?

Many people have discovered online photo hosting services for their digital pictures. Companies such as Kodak Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com), Flickr (www.flickr.com), and Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com) offer many features, options, and tools that will make photograph storing, sharing, and editing easier than ever. Many of the services are free!

Once you opened an online account and uploaded your photos to your own gallery page, you will be able to add captions and titles and set up slide shows so that friends and family anywhere around the world can view your pictures. Kodak Gallery, typical of these photo hosting sites, allows you to organize your photos in secure virtual albums for easy sharing. These albums will let you, your friends, and family quickly find photos sorted by date or name, and search by keywords.

The editing tools provided by these services allow users to crop, rotate, and remove red-eye to enhance your pictures. You can even tint and add artistic effects and borders. Flickr and Shutterfly are free to use, however, each have premium services and products that you may opt to pay for. Shutterfly offers unlimited photo storage capability, while the free plan that Flickr offers limits the storage space to 100 MB. Kodak Gallery has unlimited storage, but requires users to make at least one purchase per year. Purchases may include prints, posters, books, cards, calendars or photos printed on coffee mugs. The requirement of one purchase per year is really quite reasonable.

If you choose to purchase prints from Kodak Gallery you can either have the photos on Kodak paper mailed to your home or shipped to a store near you. I counted 6 stores in the greater Altoona Area that work with Kodak Gallery to give you convenient pick-up options.

This week, I started my own Flickr account. I like the intuitive and flexible interface and the ability to easily share photographs with others. I also like the ability to keep some albums and pictures private, and the multiple viewing options that let visitors view images as reduced size (thumbnails) for quick scanning, an intermediate size for greater detail, or full size for maximum resolution. Visitors are allowed to copy images from your online gallery to and print images that they like at home. If I find that I am testing the free space limits of Flickr, I can always check out the competition.

Digital photography offers many advantages over film-based photography. It’s relatively inexpensive, and images are quick and easy to share, edit, and print. Also, photographs taken with digital cameras now boast resolutions that rival photographs produced by the most expensive film cameras. With photo hosting services, storing thousands of photos is no longer a problem.

Posted on March 1, 2008 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (188)

March 15, 2008

Web Sites for Science and Nature Buffs

By Bruce A. Love

From time to time, I like to share some of my favorite Web sites with readers. This week, I present some science and nature Web sites that I am sure most readers will enjoy.

From a very young age, space has captured my interest and imagination. This fascination may have something to do with growing up during the 60’s and 70’s when our country was flying missions to the moon. My interest in space really took off, however, when my parents bought me my first model rocketry kit. Soon afterwards, the size and sophistication of the rockets grew, and my brother, sister, and neighborhood friends began launching rockets too. We had spectacular successes and failures, but most of all, we had great fun. I drifted away from rockets as I grew older, but now I find myself visiting the high power rocketry Web sites such as www.tripoli.org. The Tripoli Web site is definitely for grown-ups who want to play with larger versions of the rockets they built as kids. This Web site has plenty of pictures, videos, and information about how to join the fun and excitement of high-power rocketry!

Speaking of the final frontier, if you are a space enthusiast you will want to put www.nasa.gov on your list of favorite Web sites. NASA has links to all their current, past, and future missions. It’s also a great resource for school-aged science buffs who are preparing for the next science fair. Click on the tab for Multimedia, select images, and view the Image of the Day gallery for some out-of-this world photographs! You can also view NASA videos and animations.

You don’t have to leave this world to see beautiful images and appreciate all that we have around us. If you like birds and other wildlife, visit Steve Kerr Nature Photography (home.att.net/~hsk3). H. Stephen Kerr is a wildlife photographer who is also a friend of mine since the tenth grade. On his web site, you can view many dozens of birds in categories such as Waterfowl, Raptors, Owls, and Vireos and Warblers. If birds are not your thing, the site also has pages for Reptiles and Amphibians, Wildflowers, Insects, and Whales. Each photograph is labeled for easy identification, and every photo is has an appropriate resolution for good PC viewing and reasonable download speeds. Most images on these pages are also available in higher resolution for purchase.

As a child, I enjoyed perusing the pages of my dad’s Popular Science magazines. The magazines often previewed technologies that were on the verge of becoming realities. Each issue helped us stretch our imaginations further by describing what scientists were striving for in the future. Today, popular science has a Web site (www.popsci.com). This is a must for anyone who wants to glimpse the future of cars, gadgets, military, aviation, entertainment and gaming, and the environment. I found one article on “Warships of Tomorrow,” and another on flying “green” at Mach 5. Wow!

If you have some favorite science and nature sites, share them with me and other bloggers at blog.loveconsulting.com. If you are planning to launch some really big rockets, don’t forget to invite me!

Posted on March 15, 2008 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)

April 12, 2008

April Fools, Frauds, Hoaxes and Scams

By Bruce A. Love

Earlier this month, most of us survived another April Fool’s Day without too much public humiliation. Pulling off the perfect practical joke can be great fun as long as nobody is harmed in the process and everyone involved understands that “what goes around comes around.” In other words, if you are a prankster, be prepared to be on the receiving end of such schemes.

Unlike the pranks that we pull in the name of fun, online deceptions are perpetrated to con victims out of personal information and bank numbers. These scams cost victims dearly and are no laughing matter!

Recently, a friend approached me about an email he had received from a potential online customer. Tom buys and sells coins on eBay and his potential buyer suggested a financial transfer arrangement that my friend was not familiar with. Tom knew that I am very cautious when it comes to online transactions, and that I know about some of the financial tools used in e-commerce. I was only too happy to look into the matter for him.

My first clue that the email was an attempt to defraud my friend was the first line of the email: “Am really intrested to purchase your item,am ready to buy it now.” When you see misspellings and sentence structures like this, warning bells should go off telling you that you are probably dealing with someone in a third world country. Most of us are aware that there are a lot of fraudulent schemes hatched overseas and launched at Americans, but I wanted proof.

My next test of the e-mail is a trick you can try at home. Whether the e-mail contains an outrageous or amazing story, or is a “to good to be true” financial offer, copy and paste a small portion of the e-mail (about 4 – 8 words) in your web Browser (e.g., Google). When you hit “Search” your browser will return many complaints and stories of fraud if the e-mail is a scam. In our case I searched on, “buy versaCheck Paper, at Shopping Mall” and was quickly rewarded with the verdict from numerous sources. It was a scam, of course!

For tips on spotting and avoiding online fraud, visit the FBI’s Internet Fraud page. Some of the best advice on this page includes:

* Be skeptical of individuals asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas banks.
* Do not believe promises of large sums of money for your cooperation.
* Guard your account information.

If you believe you are a victim of internet fraud, contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

If you enjoy clever (and non harmful) practical jokes and hoaxes, you might want to visit the Museum of Hoaxes. There, you can read about some classics that were perpetrated by individuals and reputable organizations alike - all in the name of fun. Click on the link for the Top 100 April Fools jokes and you’ll learn about the Annual Swiss Spaghetti Harvest, Burger King’s Left-Handed Whopper, and others. With a little planning and practice, who knows … maybe you will see your practical joke featured on this page!

Posted on April 12, 2008 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (447)

April 26, 2008

Portable Data Options

By Bruce A. Love

I routinely use three computers in three different locations. When I work from home, I need files that were created on my PC at the office. When I am out of town, I make sure I have important files with me that normally reside on my other computers. For anyone who works at multiple locations on multiple computers, choosing the right tools for file portability is critical.

In recent years, there have been many types of removable storage media: floppy disks, Zip disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and USB flash drives (sometimes called a thumbdrives). In the past decade, storage capacities of removable media have increased dramatically. Only 10 years ago, most of us relied on the floppy diskette, which held just 1.44 MB of data. Today, it is not unusual to find flash drives with 4GB capacities (3,000 times the capacity of the floppy diskette!) A portable hard drive is another option that has even more storage capacity. It is clear that the saying “you can’t take it with you” does not apply to the content on your PC’s hard drive! There’s virtually no excuse for not having every important file with you at all times!

Before leaving on a business trip this week, I made sure I saved every file I could possible need to my 1GB flash drive. Unfortunately, all portable storage devices have a major flaw – you have to remember to take them with you when you leave town! Mine is still securely plugged into my PC at home (assuming Chloe, our Jack Russell, hasn’t discovered that they make excellent chew toys). Fortunately, I can use another mobile computing trick to access my files!

Last weekend, I installed a program on my home PC that allows me to access anything in, or connected to, my home computer! LogMeIn Pro allows users to see a remote PC's full desktop and control everything on it - applications, network files, email, and printing. You can even copy files to a local PC that are too large for email. With LogMeIn, I can access my PC from work, an internet cafe, an airport, or a hotel business center. I can even print documents that I access remotely to a printer at home or one located with me! You may use LogMeIn Pro free for 30 days. If you decide this product is right for you, it’s about $70 per year. A free version of the program allows you to view and control your computer remotely but will not let you drag and drop files from your remote PC to your local computer nor print such documents to a local printer. However, one way to use the free version to move files from a remote PC to a local PC is to make your remote PC e-mail the files to you. That’s not ideal, but it is free!

Now that I can operate my home computer remotely I will be able to monitor Chloe on the web cam and make sure she doesn’t get close to my flash drive. If she does, I can crank up the speakers at home from hundreds of miles away and yell “No Chloe!” I wonder if the little rat will listen.

Posted on April 26, 2008 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

May 24, 2008

Free Software Has Value

By Bruce A. Love

Good software can be very expensive. However, if you check reputable sources for worthwhile free software, you can get some real bargains. With gasoline approaching $4/gallon, it feels good to download these gems without having to drive anywhere to get them!

It has been a while since I’ve written about the importance of protecting your computer against viruses, spyware, and other malware (malicious files or programs that are designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system). One cannot overstress the importance of having defenses against these unwanted intruders. For years now, I have used a combination of programs, system components, and good web surfing practices to block attacks from these demons. Amazingly, the software I rely on most is free!

According to their Web site, AVG anti-virus products are used by over 70 million people. The free version (at http://free.grisoft.com) is what most of us use to find and kill computer viruses. Viruses are computer programs that can copy themselves and infect computers without the permission or knowledge of the user. Various programs are available that will eradicate viruses, but I have never been sorry for switching to AVG-Free from fee-based McAfee and Norton. Of course, AVG also has a souped-up version that they recommend for $55/year, but the free version is fantastic, and will probably suit your needs.

“Spybot Search and Destroy” is another free product I use that specifically targets spyware and adware. These programs often try to enter your computer through hyperlinks that users are tricked into clicking on disreputable websites. Spyware can collect various types of personal information, and can also interfere with PC performance and user control of the computer. Visit the Spybot Web site, click the Download link at the top of the page, and find the latest version of Spybot Search and Destroy to download. When you run this program, it’s fun and gratifying to see it locate and destroy it’s prey.

Piriform, Ltd produces several good (and free) programs. Although your PC already has a utility to defragment your hard drive, Defraggler gives you more control of the defragmentation process, which optimizes disk space. CCleaner, also by Piriform, is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It quickly removes unused files from your system. This allows Windows to run faster and frees up valuable hard disk space.

One more program that is getting great reviews from a lot of trusted sources is GIMP. Use GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) for such tasks as photo retouching and image composition. Many compare this program to Adobe Photoshop, whose various versions run anywhere from $100 - $1,000. My daughter, who has used Photoshop, wasn’t as impressed with this software as many reviewers, but considering the price tag you may want to give it a try. Caution: this program is not for beginners.

Free programs can be a bargain, but make sure the program has a good reputation and that you are downloading them from legitimate sources. Programs described in PC Magazine or discussed by Kim Komando (www.kimando.com) have been tested and approved by experts in the field. Most of the free programs discussed in today’s column also can be downloaded from FileHippo.

Posted on May 24, 2008 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (59)

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