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Reviews
15 TechMates
Happy Talk
Volume 17 . April 2006 . Issue 4 Each month, Sandy Berger pairs
up a couple of products to show
THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY: you how to make the most of
what’s on the market.
17 Tech Diaries
Our Smart Computing colum-
nists spent some quality time
with computer and computer-
related hardware and software
to get beyond the benchmark
scores, statistics, and marketing
hype. Find out what they liked
and disliked about their choices.
22 Digital Shutterbugs,
Take Note
Digital cameras help users take
control of their images; learn
what photo-editing software
will work best for you.
26 Software Reviews
System Utilities:
Fast Cleaner/Clean Assistant 26
Security:
Ella For Spam Control 27
Graphics Utilities:
Photo Story 3 27
28 Side-By-Side Review
3D Home Architect Landscape
Design Deluxe 8 vs. Better
Homes And Gardens
Landscaping And Deck Designer
Spring has sprung—help it find
a good place to land in a newly
designed yard.
30 Impulse Items
Each month, we take a look at
several useful gadgets and pro-
grams you can get for $25 or less.
GREEN FIELDS 3D
SCREENSAVER 1.0
Corrections/Clarifications
On page 11 of our February issue, we discussed Sony’s “free” IVE VoIP service. We should have
noted that the service is free only if you’re using it to call other IVE users.
TABLE OF CONTENTS APRIL 2006
Hardware
For all the latest product reviews, visit the Hardware Reviews & Comparison Charts Editorial Staff:
area at SmartComputing.com (www.smartcomputing.com).
Ronald D. Kobler / Rod Scher /
Kimberly Fitzke / Sally Curran / Corey
Russman / Christopher Trumble /
PC Operating Instructions Calvin Clinchard / Katie Sommer /
Katie Dolan / Blaine Flamig / Raejean
Linux: Digital Cameras & Linux Brooks / Michael Sweet / Nate Hoppe
Help your Linux system cooperate with your digital camera. / Trista Kunce / Sheila Allen / Linne
Ourada / Joy Martin / Ashley Finter /
Marty Sems / Chad Denton / Nathan
Quick Studies Chandler / Kylee Dickey / Josh Gulick /
Andrew Leibman / Vince Cogley / Sam
Evans / Jennifer Johnson / Brian Weed
Adobe Photoshop CS
Adding Effects To Text
Web Staff:
Dorene Krausnick / Laura Curry /
Email
Kristen Miller
Carry Gmail
In Your Pocket
Customer Service:
Lindsay Albers
Adobe InDesign CS2
InDesign Opens New Subscription Renewals:
Horizons, Part II
Connie Beatty / Matt Bolling / Patrick
Kean / Charmaine Vondra / Miden
Security Ebert / Kathy DeCoito / Stephanie
Keep Children Safe Contreras / Nicole Buckendahl
Online
Art & Design:
Email
Microsoft Access 2002 Lesa Call / Fred Schneider / Aaron D.
Create Helpful Tips For Data Input Clark / Carrie Benes / Ginger Falldorf /
Sonja Warner / Aaron Weston / Lori
Garris / Jason Codr / Andria Schultz /
HTML Erin Rodriguez / Lindsay Anker
Basics You Can Use To Align &
Lay Out Objects Newsstand:
Garth Lienemann / Jeff Schnittker
Microsoft Money 2006
Premium Advertising Sales:
Finding Help For Money Grant Ossenkop / Cindy Pieper /
Brooke Wolzen / Eric Cobb
Broderbund Print Shop 20
Deluxe Marketing:
Create A Layout For Forms Mark Peery / Liz Kohout / Marcy Gunn
/ Kelly Richardson / Jen Clausen / Scot
Banks / Ashley Hannant / Luke Vavricek
Roxio PhotoSuite 7 Platinum / Travis Brock / Becky Rezabek / Lana
Using Masks Matic / Jeff Ashelford / Ryan Donohue
Microsoft Money
Microsoft Works 2005
Where Does The Money Go?
TECHNOLOGY NEWS & NOTES
Compiled by Christian Perry
Illustrated by Lori Garris
STORAGE
DISPLAYS
Good As Gold
magine opening your PC case and striking gold conventional materials. As such, Argonne re-
I among all that dust and grime. Though it
sounds far-fetched, the premise could be-
searchers found that gold, in particular, let
them control the wavelength of light
come a reality in the future—if current emitted when electrons are stimu-
research at the U.S. Department of lated—a discovery that could allow
Energy’s Argonne National Labor- them to use gold as a light source
atory is any indication. inside of optical chips. This, in
Researchers there discovered turn, would enable efficient data
that gold exhibits properties at flow through the light.
the nanoscale level that could Although the team leader, Gary
lead to advances in future optical Wiederrecht, stressed that the
chips that power computers or research is still in a primitive
switches and routers in fiber net- stage, the technology has the po-
works. At the nanoscale level, tential to lead to faster and smaller
which represents one-billionth of optical devices. Furthermore, the
a meter (about 70,000 times small- optical chips could have the ability to
er than the width of a human hair), switch or route optical signals without
materials display far different tempera- performing an electronic conversion. ❙
ture, electricity, and magnetism readings than
DIGITAL MISCELLANEA
COOL TOOLS
A pending patent in- be exempt from such a ruling, the question remains as to
fringement lawsuit by whether such an exemption would be technically possible.
patent license firm NTP RIM told the court that “it would be extraordinarily diffi-
against BlackBerry cre- cult, if not impossible, for the court to devise, implement,
ator RIM (Research In and continue to administer any injunction that would not
Motion) has observers disrupt or diminish the use of the BlackBerry devices by the
pondering what would happen with government users of mass of BlackBerry users that NTP concedes should be
the handheld devices if courts demand an injunction exempt.” According to RIM, more than 1 million Black-
against RIM. Although government users would apparently Berry users would require exemptions.
Could Sony’s Mark Russinovich, the man who discovered the Sony
rootkit debacle rootkit, who also recently discovered similar technology in
be just the tip Symantec’s Norton SystemWorks. In this case, Symantec
of the iceberg? used a hidden directory to prevent users from deleting files,
Quite possibly, especially when it appears that other com- but the move also could allow crackers to hide malware in
panies might start owning up to such tactics before con- it. For its part, Symantec issued an update to fix the poten-
sumers discover them and blow the whistle. In fact, it was tial security problem.
Brian Krebs, blogger at The Washington actually taken longer to issue critical fixes when researchers
Post, revealed results of some inter- waited to disclose their research until after the company is-
esting research that detailed how sued a patch. In 2003, Microsoft took an average of three
Microsoft is taking longer than ever to months to issue patches for problems reported to them. In
release patches for known problems. 2004, that time frame shot up to 134.5 days, a number that
Krebs writes: “Over the past three years, Microsoft has remained virtually unchanged in 2005.”
A recent update to Apple iTunes has the current song that’s playing and other titles bought by
some users worried that Apple is other iTunes users, but it also sends information to Apple,
trying to spy on them. A new feature which in turns sends targeted album advertising back to
called MiniStore not only displays you. Apple claims it’s not saving the information.
albums available from the artist of
DULY QUOTED “Just as a Chihuahua is still a dog, these ice dwarfs are still planetary
bodies. The misfit becomes the average. The Pluto-like objects are more
typical in our solar system than the nearby planets we first knew.”
—Alan Stern, principal mission investigator of the Southwest Research Institute, employs an
apparent dislike of tiny canines to describe icy objects that inhabit our solar system.
(Source: Associated Press)
New Products Hardware Quick takes on the latest hardware and software to hit the market at press time. Manufacturers'
and publishers' release dates are subject to change, so some products may not be available when
Compiled by Kylee Dickey you read this. (Logos indicate products are compatible with either Windows or Macintosh only.)
256MB Collegiate (800) 769-7079 www.pny.com A USB thumb drive that displays the
Attaché USB 2.0 logo of your favorite university
Flash Drive
PNY Technologies
$29.99
500GB WD Caviar (949) 672-7000 www.wdc.com A 7,200rpm hard drive with a 16MB
SE16 (#WD5000KS) cache that stores up to half a
Western Digital • $349.99 terabyte of data
e-STUDIO300P (800) 316-0920 www.copiers.toshiba.com 30ppm workgroup laser printer with
TABS (Toshiba America (949) 583-3000 true 1,200 x 1,200dpi resolution
Business Solutions) • $399
Flash Wristband (888) 466-3456 www.imation.com Instead of using a thumb drive,
Imation (651) 704-4000 transport your files on this wristband
$34.99 with built-in flash memory
Lumix DMC-FZ7K (800) 211-7262 www.panasonic.com A 6-megapixel camera with a 12X Leica
Panasonic • $399.95 (201) 348-7000 DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens
maccontrol (305) 576-8850 www.maccontrol.com Control your Mac, iPod, and
maccontrol entertainment system from a single
$799.90 remote control
PhotoBook Creator (877) 246-3669 www.unibind.com Create hardcover photo books at home
Unibind • $99.99
radius Leather (877) 482-7487 A black leather notebook case with a
Messenger (714) 765-5555 faux orange suede lining and a re-
(#TSM015US) tractable airline ticket holder
Targus • $119.99
Sportfolio for Mac mini (954) 927-6031 www.marware.com A padded carrying case designed espe-
Marware cially for the tiny Mac mini
$44.95
users place and remove the headset support for up to eight hours of talk high-tech apparel provides a control
with one hand. The BH-800 supports time and 180 hours of standby time. panel on the left sleeve that lets you
up to six hours of talk time and 160 Another new product, the 14-gram browse your mobile phone’s address
hours of standby time; plus, it in- BH-200 ($55), features support for book and call contacts using a built-in
cludes power buttons, volume con- up to 5.5 hours of talk time and 150 microphone in the collar. You also
trol, and call-answering buttons that hours of standby time. can scroll through and select songs in
give users the same control over calls Bluetooth also is beginning to ap- playlist mode on your iPod—all
that they’d expect with a wired pear in other, stranger areas, such as without removing the device from
phone. Voice-recognition capabilities apparel. For example, take a look at your pocket. The jacket even features
let users make calls and redial with- the Audex cargo jacket ($599; www two speakers in the hood, but pro-
out touching the device. .audextech.com) with integrated vides a 3.5mm jack if you’d prefer to
Also new is the 18-gram BH-900 Bluetooth technology from Motorola. use your own headphones. And of
($100) headset, which features noise Although it looks like your every- course, the electronics are removable
reduction, echo cancellation, and day winter jacket at first glance, this for washing ease. ❙
Happy Talk
I
n 2005, 807 million cell phones were sold. It’s no wonder: a lot on my cell phone, I have never considered using head-
It brings us instant communication no matter where we phones because of the wires, echoing sounds, and downright
roam. Newer cell phones offer tons of useful features, as discomfort. The Voyager eliminates all my headphone objec-
well. So in this month’s TechMates column, I’d like to tell you tions. Because it is Bluetooth-enabled, it has no wires. The
about a great cell phone that is especially useful when paired transmissions are so clear that people I talk to don’t even
with a comfortable wireless headset. know I’m using a headset. The Voyager is small, lightweight,
The cell phone is the Motorola RAZR V3. I like this phone and made of soft flexible rubber material. It comes with three
because it has excellent battery life, clear transmissions, voice ear adapters to fit all ear sizes, so it can be worn in either ear. It
dialing, Bluetooth connectivity, and a speakerphone. I love is comfortable even when I wear my glasses.
this phone because it is the thinnest flip phone (3.9 inches After you read the instructions, the Voyager is easy to set
tall x 2.1 inches wide x 0.54 inch thick) I’ve seen. It fits easily up. One nice feature is that it can be paired with two devices
into my pocket. and can easily switch
I also love the phone’s RAZR V3 between the two. That
simple design and strong Available for several carriers; means I can have one
materials. There is little, if prices vary with service plans conversation on my
any, plastic. The entire Motorola RAZR phone and then
shell is made of anodized (866) 289-6686 switch to a Skype or
aluminum. Even the key- www.motorola.com Google Talk VoIP (Voice
pad is metal. Instead of over IP) conversation on
raised keys, the RAZR has Voyager 510 my Bluetooth-enabled
flat metal keys with num- $99.95 PC without changing my
bers and letters etched in Plantronics headset or picking up my
the flat keypad. Light blue (800) 544-4660 telephone. If you want to
backlighting illuminates www.plantronics.com make calls from your
the phone keys, making landline phone, the
them easy to see and use. $299.95 Voyager 510S
The RAZR has been touted as a cutting-edge fashion phone. Bluetooth Headset System bundle allows you to use the
It’s amazingly good-looking in the brushed silver finish and headset with an office or home desk phone.
also comes in jet black and magenta. Yet I was drawn to this The Voyager comes with a compact charger that you won’t
phone more for its great features than its good looks. have to use much. The six hours of talk time is enough to keep
I love the convenience of the flip phone. Open to answer me going for days at a time. The Voyager has several other
and close to hang up with no key-locking necessary. This nice features. It can generate more volume than most headsets
phone has a crisp and clear 2.5-inch color display. There is I’ve tried. The whole device swivels, so it can fold flat when
also a small display on the top of the phone, which lets you not in use. Foam protectors for the microphone are included
easily see the time, signal strength, and message indicators to reduce wind noise when using outdoors. The one-button
when the lid is closed. If you have caller ID, you can also see control lets you easily redial the last number dialed or initiate
who is calling without opening the phone. voice-activated calls from the headset. The only caveat is that
The RAZR is a quad-band GSM phone that pretty much the power button is very small and difficult to press.
has all the bells and whistles currently available. It has Java The RAZR phone and the Voyager 510 headset are a useful
support, MP3 ringtones, a calculator, a date book, an alarm pairing for anyone who is a heavy cell phone user. These prod-
clock, a voice recorder, and games such as billiards and golf. ucts make the most of current technologies, resulting in truly
The included camera even has a 4X digital zoom. I used the useful tools and features that will appeal to everyday users. ❙❙
camera to pair my contacts with pictures, which then appear
on the external screen to show who is calling. I’m not a big fan BY SANDY BERGER
of text messaging, emailing, or Web browsing on such a small
platform, but if you are, the RAZR can handle it for you.
Sandy Berger is a nationally respected technology author and
Look, Ma: No Hands computing expert. Sandy’s aim is to convey to others in easy-to-
understand language what they need to know to take advantage of
To add to your wireless experience, you can pair the RAZR today’s technology. Visit her at www.compukiss.com or email her
phone with the Plantronics Voyager 510 headset. While I talk at SandyB@smartcomputing.com.
joshua@smartcomputing.com PlaysForSure
plane, and you’ll find more earphones
than keypads. Even casual technology Microsoft’s system rescues the sea of cas-
users are climbing aboard the portable ual users who don’t want to buy an iPod.
player bandwagon. PlaysForSure (www.playsforsure.com) is a
But if my friends are any indication, compatibility service that helps users match
music fans discover that their new players players with music services. It’s pretty straight-
don’t support the online music services forward: A portable music player that has the
they want. Many services offer songs in PlaysForSure logo will support any online
only one or two file formats. And no player music service that also has the logo. Several
supports all formats. But you can avoid this music services, including Musicmatch
mess and come home with a player that (www.musicmatch.com), Napster (www.nap
matches your music service. ster.com), and Wal-Mart (www.walmart.com)
are PlaysForSure members. Thus, if you fall in
love with a particular music service, you can
File Frenzy
rush to the store and find a compatible device.
Before you search for a player and music The PlaysForSure Web site is a fountain
service, you’ll need to bone up on a few of digital music knowledge. It has detailed
music formats that sales people will toss profiles of PlaysForSure-compatible music
around when they’re pitching you. services, which means you can quickly
Here are three of the most well- compare service features without flipping
known formats: among half a dozen music service Web
AAC. iTunes, Apple’s online sites. You can research portable music
music service, offers only AAC players in the same way.
(Advanced Audio Coding) songs. Some devices are PlaysForSure-compat-
MP3. The MP3 (Moving Picture ible after you install a firmware update. The
Experts Group, Audio Layer 3) Creative Zen Micro is a perfect example: It
is one of the most popular music isn’t PlaysForSure-compatible out of the
file types around. Most, if not all, box, but you can install a free firmware up-
portable music players support date that makes the device as compatible as
5GB Zen Micro MP3s. In fact, many people refer to the newer Micro Photo. If you want to see all
(PlaysForSure Device) portable music players simply as MP3 of the available devices before making a deci-
$199.99 players. sion, your best bet is to visit the Web site and
Creative WMA. Microsoft’s own music file type, browse its comprehensive list of players.
(800) 998-1000 WMA (Windows Media Audio) is very
(408) 428-6600 popular. Many portable players and online
us.creative.com music services support it.
What’s Next
Of course, the portable music player isn’t
going to stay at the top of my “cool gadget”
Apple Of My iTunes list forever. The portable digital video player
Computer industry giants Microsoft and is getting ready to steal the show. Luckily
Apple are among those taking stabs at for users who love the PlaysForSure
helping users match players with music. matching system, Microsoft already has a
Apple characteristically keeps it simple: PlaysForSure Video logo in place. ❙❙
Only iPods support the songs you buy from
iPod iMprovement
though, and I’m fairly certain that if the
nylon tools were still in their original con-
dition, they would have worked to open
the case.
Give Your iPod New Life With A New Battery I believe my iPod’s case was held to-
gether more tightly than most, and you
probably won’t encounter the problems I
Kylee Dickey
Send your comments to
Itot’sdon’t
well-publicized that iPod batteries
last forever and are not designed
be user-replaceable. Apple will replace
did. If you do, however, the blow dryer
trick works wonders.
kylee@smartcomputing.com the battery or your iPod free if you bought
Power Up
an AppleCare protection plan ($59). If
you don’t have AppleCare, Apple will pro- It was very simple to install the new bat-
vide a replacement iPod for $59. Of tery. As demonstrated in the video, I lifted
course, both options are pricey, and both the hard drive out of the case and set it
mean you have to live for a few days aside. Then I used one of the nylon tools to
without an iPod. There are many third- gently lift the edge of the battery. I un-
party replacement batteries available. I plugged the battery’s power connector
used Sonnet Technologies’ 3G iPod Re- from the iPod’s motherboard.
placement Battery to replace a 2-1/2-year- The rest was simple. I plugged the new
old iPod’s battery. battery’s connector into the motherboard
and carefully dropped the battery into
place. I made sure the power connector’s
The Case That Wouldn’t Open wires were tucked out of the way. The hard
Sonnet Technologies’ kit came with drive locked back into place easily, and the
everything I needed: a new battery pack, case snapped shut without any trouble. I
tools, and a CD-ROM video tutorial. I was pleasantly surprised by how secure the
started by watching the video, which case seemed after reassembly, too.
made the process look simple and Before I could use my iPod, I had to plug
straightforward. it in to charge the new battery. To my re-
However, I could not get the lief, after I charged the battery and turned
iPod’s case open using the pro- on the iPod, the Apple logo appeared, and
vided tools. I could get the tool the iPod menu displayed. Sonnet Tech-
inserted into one side of the case, nologies says its 3G iPod Replacement
but I couldn’t slide it around the Battery lasts 30% longer than the original
edge to loosen the case. In a fit of iPod battery, and my iPod does indeed op-
frustration, I searched online for erate longer on a single charge now than
others’ experiences using the battery-re- when it was new.
placement kit. The posts I read showed
that most people had no problem opening
Do It Yourself Or Not?
3G iPod Battery (BAT-3G) the case. There were only a few, like me,
$29.95 who had difficulty. Sonnet Technologies offers batteries for
Sonnet Technologies Nathan, one of our other writers, 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G iPods, as well as iPod
(949) 587-3500 opened an iPod mini case a while back. photos, iPods with color screens, and iPod
www.sonnettech.com He suggested that I use a blow dryer to minis. Check Sonnet Technologies’ Web
warm the edges of the case and loosen up site for details because prices and specs vary
its adhesive. When I tried his suggestion, according to model.
the case did indeed wiggle a little bit This type of battery replacement is not
more. Unfortunately, in my earlier at- for everyone. When you open the case, you
tempts to pry the case open, I’d mangled void the warranty, and you risk damaging
the nylon tool that came with the battery, or destroying your iPod. However, if you’re
so I had to resort to using a butter knife OK with that risk and are comfortable tin-
to open the case. I was very lucky not to kering with electronics, you might want to
scratch my iPod. The case opened easily, buy a third-party battery. ❙❙
Digital Shutterbugs,
complaints about performance. Experienced
users, on the other hand, may find some of
the advanced editing tools lacking in preci-
sion. The Smart Erase tool left obvious
Serious does not always translate to expe- product carries an industrial-grade price
rienced, however. Understanding that some tag ($649) that prevents most imaging am-
serious amateurs have little editing experi- ateurs from taking advantage of it. That’s
ence, Corel designed Paint Shop Pro to make why Adobe released Photoshop Elements.
few assumptions about a user’s level of ex- Elements packages the most useful fea-
pertise. Its intuitive interface features on- tures of Adobe Photoshop in a tightly orga-
screen step-by-step instructions—some nized, no-nonsense interface. It boasts a
more clearly written than others—that guide variety of automatic editing tools and
inexperienced users through complex editing extensive color-correction options. It also
tasks. (Users who need additional help can provides excellent file management capabil-
peruse the 106-page users manual.) More ities and an elaborate creation component
importantly, advanced editing functions, for crafting everything from simple slide-
though always nearby, do not get in the way shows to hard-cover photo albums. We ap-
of simple editing tasks. Each project starts preciated the fact that all of the program’s
with a single layer, for instance. If users want features are installed together as a single
to create more layers, they can open the unit rather than as individual components.
Layers Palette and build away. But if the However, performance was markedly slow
users don’t know what layers are, they need at times, even with the recommended
not fumble around with them just to cut out 512MB of RAM. And like Paint Shop Pro,
a blemish or change the color of the sky. Photoshop Elements is compatible only
In the end, Corel has improved upon an with Windows XP. Users of other operating
established product by making it accessible systems will have to consider Digital Image
to a wider audience without sacrificing fea- Suite or Nero PhotoShow Deluxe.
BUYING TIPS tures or functionality. It’s a novel concept
and one that ought to earn it a larger share
Although promoted as a consumer edi-
tion of Photoshop, Elements assumes a cer-
Before investing in a of an ever-growing market. tain amount of technical proficiency and
photo-editing program, users provides little on-screen assistance, which
should review the software Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 is why inexperienced users should expect to
that came bundled with their For as long as consumers have been spend some time browsing the accompa-
digital cameras. They may snapping digital photos, Adobe Photoshop nying 207-page manual in order to learn
already have a scaled-down has been the premiere program for editing how to use the program’s various features.
version of a title listed here. them. Of course, the industrial-grade Users who know how to wield its many
Software Information
Price Company Contact Information URL
Digital Image $99.95 Microsoft (425) 882-8080 www.microsoft.com
Suite 2006 (800) 642-7676
Paint Shop Pro X $129 Corel (952) 930-9171 www.corel.com
(800) 772-6735
Photoshop $99.99 (box) Adobe (408) 536-6000 www.adobe.com
Elements 4.0 $89.99 (download) (800) 833-6687
PhotoShow Deluxe 4 $39.99 Nero (818) 956-7551 www.nero.com
Picasa Free Google (650) 253-0000 picasa.google.com
Scorecard
Performance Features Ease Of Use Installation Support/Documents Price Overall Score
Digital Image 3 4 5 5 3 4 4/6
Suite 2006
Paint Shop Pro X 5 5 4 5 4 4 4.5/6
Photoshop 4 5 3 5 4 5 4.3/6
Elements 4.0
PhotoShow Deluxe 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 4/6
Picasa 5 2 4 4 3 5 3.8/6
tools will find Photoshop Elements to be a effects. But that’s about it. After all, the focus
worthy companion. Others are likely to here is not modification but publication.
find Elements a bit overwhelming. Toward that end, Picasa makes it easy to
manage photos and even easier to print
Nero PhotoShow Deluxe 4 them locally, share them by email, compile
Not everyone wants to spend $100 or more them into a digital collage, post them to a
to edit digital snapshots. And, fortunately, personal blog, or order prints online. Users
not everyone needs to. Nero PhotoShow may have to go through brief registration
Deluxe 4 delivers essential file management, processes the first time they use some of the
photo editing, and project-creation capabili- publishing features. We ended up creating
ties in a product that costs less than half of its a blog with Blogger (www.blogger.com),
more recognizable counterparts. for instance, and then had to install a sepa-
Casual users will find what they need in rate photo-publishing utility to upload our
PhotoShow Deluxe. It automatically catalogs photos to the Web. We performed both
existing images during setup and allows users tasks with minimal effort but would have
to sort the images by date and name. It also preferred that these features were inte-
provides a one-click Share option that makes grated within Picasa itself.
it easy to send favorite images by email. As It’s hard to find much fault with Picasa
for photo editing, the expected tools are simply because there isn’t much there to
there, including red-eye reduction, effects fil- fault. Serious digital photographers won’t
ters, touch-up tools, and text captioning. The give the program a second look. And why
interface can be awkward at times. Icons would they? Picasa has nothing to offer
aren’t labeled, for instance, and it isn’t always them. But occasional photographers on
clear how to save modified files. And users tight budgets should give it a try. The only
shouldn’t bother looking for the kind of ad- thing they have to lose is time.
vanced functionality that lets them brush out
flaws, fine-tune color levels, and straighten
A Pretty Picture
tilts. This program doesn’t have them.
It does have photoshows, though. The The good news for consumers is that it’s
user chooses the photos, a frame, the transi- easy—and, in at least one case, free—to
tion styles, captions and credits text, the find software that can help improve digital
speed, and background music. (The program images and share them with others. The
ships with 275 audio tracks.) PhotoShow bad news is that it isn’t so easy to decide
does the rest. The results are impressive. We what kind of editing functionality a partic-
were able to build an entire photoshow in a ular consumer needs. Users certainly can’t
matter of minutes and then share it with go wrong with Corel Paint Shop Pro X. By
friends by uploading it to a free personal combining robust functionality with excep-
Web page (provided by Nero). tional usability, this program earns the
Few programs make it this easy to touch Smart Choice designation this month. ❙❙
up images, build slideshows, and share them
BUYING TIPS with others. We advise amateur photogra-
phers with minimal photo-editing
BY JEFF DODD
Graphics Utilities
As winter draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking 8 ($29.99; www.encoreusa.com) and Better Homes
about your decorating plans for spring and summer. And Gardens Landscaping And Deck Designer ($59;
But we’re not talking about the color you’ve chosen for www.homedesignersoftware.com). Both programs
your living room walls. Instead, we’re talking about offer a variety of plants, fences, and other materials to
your landscaping. Consider using a program to ease help you design the perfect space. In addition, each
the process of designing your outdoor retreat. Two op- program has a feature that lets you generate a materials
tions are 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe list to take to your local garden center.
3D Home Architect
Use the Toolbar tabs to select the tools you need to create a land-
scape plan, change the topography of your lot, or build a structure.
Outdoor furniture lets you add the final touches to your model.
The Library Browser gives you access to plants and furniture you
can incorporate into your design.
Get one-click access to basic shortcuts that let you create struc-
tures and format objects.
The Terrain Tools let you customize your design to match the
contours of your space.
The Materials List gives you the size, description, and count of
the items you’ll need.
Print a list of items you’ll need before you head out to the
garden store.
PERFORMANCETEST 6
Is your computer running more slowly than normal? If you used benchmarking software
to test your PC back when it was in its prime, you could run the test again to see if it’s still
performing well. If you haven’t bought a benchmark program, now’s your chance: Pass-
Mark software’s PerformanceTest benchmark program runs a series of tests to determine
whether your components (such as the processor and the video card) are performing well.
The easy-to-use program has color performance reports that let you quickly see how your
PC is performing, even if you’re not very familiar with your computer’s internal parts.
PerformanceTest requires 64MB of memory, DirectX 9.0 (you can download the latest ver-
sion free from www.microsoft.com/windows/directx), and Win98/Me/2000/XP/2003. Try
the benchmark free or buy it for $24 (www.passmark.com).
SMUGMUG
SILICONE SKINS If you’re a member of smugmug, the online
The first iPod (www digital photo-sharing service (memberships
.apple.com) was small, but start at $29.95 per year; www.smugmug
the iPods available now are .com), you can print your favorite photos
truly tiny. If you have the on a variety of inexpensive gifts. We’ve seen
latest version of Apple’s photo printing services before, but we’re
famous portable music play- impressed by smugmug’s unusual items:
er, the iPod nano, you’ll like You can add a shot to a luggage tag ($7.95),
LASERline’s Silicone Skin ceramic tile ($11.95), or a set of four coasters
For iPod Nano ($14.99; www ($19.95). Of course, smugmug also lets
.laserline.com). The soft, members print their pics to standard gift fare, such as coffee mugs and T-shirts. Our
transparent skin protects favorite gift is the puzzle, which is available in 30-piece and 252-piece versions.
most of your player (includ-
ing the touchpad) from light
scratches. It doesn’t cover WIPE HERE DOOR MAT
the nano’s screen, but you If you’ve used Windows for long, you’re used to the
already have screen protec- various warning message windows that
tors for the sensitive nano, appear from time to time. We see
right? We noticed that the them so often, in fact, that we’ll
skin has extra silicone sup- follow warning window instruc-
port around the nano’s head- tions—even if they aren’t on a
phone jack, which means you computer screen. We’re not alone
won’t easily wear out the in this situation, so Computer
resilient skin. LASERline offers Gear offers a doormat that has the
the skins individually in Baby familiar Windows pop-up box and
Pink, Icy Blue, Midnight exclamation point, along with the
Black, and Pearly White, but message Wipe Feet On Doormat To
you’ll need to spring for the Continue . . . ($19.99; www.computer
$19.99 two-pack if you favor gear.com). Put this mat in front of your door and see how many of your
green or purple. geek friends wipe their feet on the Continue button.
Nanowire Makes
Every Spark Count
Good Things Do Come In Small Packages
ftentimes, super-sizing is preferable; this is certainly Nanowire is a solid member of the
S
ometimes media players and We burned discs using three popular However, it was easy to use WMP10
burning software aren’t quite applications: WMP10 (free; www.mi to erase the music files on our CD-RW.
truthful with us—such as crosoft.com/windows/windowsmedia To make a clean sweep, just click the
when they tell us that a CD /mp10), RealPlayer 10.5 (free; www Erase Disk button (that’s the one on
was successfully burned, but .real.com), and Nero 7 Ultra Edition the far right) on the Burn tab.
then we find out that a player won’t ($99.99 package, $79.99 download;
play the newly burned disc. ww2.nero.com/nero7/enu/Products
RealPlayer 10.5
The problem could be in your .html). The process of finalizing a disc
choice of discs. (See our “The Record- varies from player to player and pro- Burning options in RealPlayer are
able vs. Rewriteable Conundrum” gram to program, but our steps should determined by what version you have.
sidebar.) Or it may be because the soft- give you a general idea of how to The free version does a nice job; we
ware didn’t finalize the burn, which is accomplish this step, regardless of your burned a music CD at a speed of 24X
an essential step to recording to a disc. hardware and software. in less than five minutes onto a 48X
We’ll explain how to make sure neither CD-R (CD-recordable).
issue becomes a problem when you Burning with RealPlayer is a three-
Windows Media Player 10
burn a CD or DVD. step process. First, it creates a table of
Don’t try to “finalize” discs with contents. Second, it burns the tracks.
WMP. It uses the term “close” instead, And third, it finalizes the disc, which
What Is Finalization? and it doesn’t give you the option not takes just a few seconds. With the free
When a burner finalizes a disc, it to close a disc because WMP automati- version, finalization is automatic, so
means you can’t add to it or rearrange cally performs this function whenever you can’t choose to skip this step until
the content. Part of the finalization you burn music CDs. WMP completes later. But members of Real Service and
process, depending on the media player a three-step process during a burn: It those who have purchased RealPlayer
or burner you use, is the writing of a converts files, if necessary; it burns
table of contents to the disc, which a them; and it closes them. You can
player needs in order to play the disc. monitor the stages by keeping an eye
Some media players and burning soft- on the bottom of the Burn tab.
ware give you the option of finalizing We successfully burned tracks to a
the disc, but others, such as Windows CD-RW (CD-rewriteable), and al-
Media Player 10, do it automatically. though we couldn’t play the disc on
Of course, if your player lets you all of our CD players, especially our
burn in multiple sessions and if you older ones, that wasn’t WMP’s fault;
plan to burn more content to the disc many older CD players simply can’t
later, you shouldn’t finalize it yet. But play CD-RWs, even ones that have
at some point in the burning process, been created correctly.
you will have to finalize the disc before
you can play it in a CD or DVD player.
There is one exception, though: Even if Don’t try to burn at a faster rate than the disc
you finalize a rewriteable disc, you can allows, regardless of your burner’s capabilities.
erase its content and burn to it again.
Plus can choose to burn a CD in mul- said, some older players may not play common mistake when burning discs.
tiple sessions. If you fit into one of certain disc brands. Many disc-burning (A buffer underrun occurs when the
those categories and select the mul- enthusiasts will tell you that they exper- flow of data from the source—such as
tiple-session option, you’ll need to imented with a variety of brands and your hard drive—to the buffer in your
make sure you complete the finaliza- speeds before they found what works optical drive is interrupted, thereby al-
tion step before you can play the disc. If best with their burner and players. lowing the buffer to be emptied. When
you burn to a CD-RW, you can erase At the same time, it isn’t necessary to this happens, writing to the disc stops.)
the disc by choosing that command purchase blank CD-Rs that are labeled Too many buffer underruns can render
from the Additional CD Tasks list. “music” when you want to create an a disc unreadable to players.
audio CD; regular CD-Rs work just A media player may give you the op-
fine for burning music files. tion of enabling underrun protection
Nero 7 Ultra Edition
Shut down other functions. As you or have it set as the default. Selecting
Nero 7 Ultra is a good CD- and might expect, it’s a good idea to close that option or setting won’t completely
DVD-burning suite, but finalizing discs other programs when burning a disc. eliminate the possibility that an un-
depends on what tool you use. For in- Granted, an app such as Microsoft derrun might occur, but it will allow
stance, if you use Nero StartSmart to Word shouldn’t affect a burn session, the burner to “link” data across the
access shortcuts you can use to make but ideally, you shouldn’t run anything small gaps on the disc that are created
an audio CD, you won’t have the op- else until the burn session ends. by a buffer underrun. Your best bet is
portunity to activate or deactivate the In addition, turn off your screen to set your burner’s burn speed to a
finalization step because Nero will fi- saver. Right-click your Desktop, choose slower setting. You can do this either
nalize the CD for you by default. If, Properties, and click the Screen Saver by adjusting your media player’s set-
however, you open Nero Burning tab. Under Screen Saver, choose None tings or by opening the drive’s Prop-
ROM 7 to burn a CD, you have many from the drop-down menu, click Apply erties (as we mentioned previously in
options, including recording the disc in and OK. Also, turn off your optical this article) and choosing the appro-
multiple sessions. The Burn tab in this drive’s autoplay function. Open My priate settings on the Recording tab
section also has the finalization setting. Computer, right-click the optical drive (followed by clicking Apply and OK).
We burned eight tracks onto a CD-R icon, choose Properties, and click the
via StartSmart shortcuts and found that AutoPlay tab. Select Blank CD or DVD
To Tell The Truth
Nero did indeed finalize the CD, which Movie from the top drop-down menu,
we played in several types of players. select the Prompt Me Each Time To If you follow these steps, as well as
Choose An Action radio button, and the ones your media player outlines,
click Apply and OK. you shouldn’t have any problems
Helpful Hints
Burn at a slower rate. Your optical burning discs that do, in fact, work
Regardless of which player you use drive’s burn speed can cause problems with your CD and DVD players. And
to burn a disc, you should follow these if you try to burn at a rate that’s faster when that happens, you can be sure
tips for the best results. than the disc allows. In addition, even if that your media player or burning soft-
Use brand-name discs. Brand-name your blank discs and burner can record ware is telling the truth when it says the
discs may cost a bit more than generic at fast speeds, you might find that burn was successful. ❙❙
ones, but you’ll compensate for the burning at such a high speed leads to
higher price tag by buying quality. That buffer underrun problems, which is a BY RACHEL DEROWITSCH
Vista
Sneak Peek There’s A Lot To Look Forward To
In Microsoft’s Next OS
M
icrosoft outdid itself with Windows Vista. We looked
Windows XP. It’s extremely at the Beta 1 version of this
stable; it’s compatible with a upcoming OS, and even
staggering array of hardware and soft- though it doesn’t look much
ware; and it’s incredibly easy to use more advanced than WinXP
compared to previous versions of at first glance, there’s a lot more going
Windows. WinXP is great, but for on under the hood than you might new Aero theme,
something as essential as an OS (op- think. Although the final feature set and from the screen shots we’ve
erating system), great isn’t good for the OS won’t be complete until seen of the forthcoming Beta 2 release,
enough. WinXP has some glaring se- Vista is released in late 2006, here are Vista will look even better once the
curity issues, and it looks dated com- some highlights we guarantee you can user interface is finalized. Icons have
pared to the latest OS releases from look forward to. received a complete makeover, and
Apple. Also, it wasn’t developed at a their sizes are completely customiz-
time when home networks and able, which is a very nice touch consid-
Interface Makeover
broadband Internet connections were ering how difficult it can be to make
practically ubiquitous, and it shows. The first thing you notice after everything legible on today’s high-res-
The solution to all these problems— booting up Vista is its sleek new look. olution LCDs (liquid-crystal displays).
as far as Microsoft is concerned—is Even Beta 1 looks great thanks to the Vista was obviously developed with
multimedia in mind because it handles
pictures and video files much better
than WinXP does. Instead of applying
a generic icon to each picture by de-
fault, Vista automatically generates
thumbnail images for each picture or
video and uses those for icons. These
icons also are fully resizable, just like
regular Vista icons, and the end result
looks much better than the Thumbnail
view included in WinXP. The new OS
also will come with an integrated
photo organization tool called Win-
dows Photo Gallery, and the Windows
Media Center feature (which wasn’t
available in our test version) will let
users access music, movies, and other
multimedia from one central location
using a customized interface.
The visual overhaul extends to
Computer, which replaces My Com-
puter. Previously, opening this folder
The Vista interface is already looking good, and this is just the first beta release. only displayed icons for hard drives,
Windows Defender
Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware,
currently in open-beta testing,
will get a new name—Windows
Searching is much faster with Vista, and resizable thumbnails now Defender—and become a standard
represent multimedia files by default. component of Vista. ❙
Is Linux Ready
spectrum: one, a fairly high-end but
generic PC of recent vintage with
a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 processor and
1GB of RAM; and the other, a brand-
F
or several years now, the Linux As a result, Linux is starting to with fairly hefty users manuals (at
OS (operating system) has make greater inroads onto the desk- least in comparison to what you
been popular with corpora- top, which leads to the question of get with Windows). Mandriva in-
tions looking for a lower-cost op- whether Linux has become easy cludes two manuals; one is a reference
tion (and arguably, an option with enough to install and use for the typ- manual that primarily covers esoteric
a higher reliability) than Microsoft ical knowledgeable—but not neces- technical features and commands,
provides for their servers. And even sarily highly technical—user. If so, and the other is Mandriva’s 264-page
though Linux also has been available can Linux now be considered a viable starter guide that contains informa-
for desktop computers, limited driver alternative to Windows? And more to tion about installing and configuring
support and an overall lack of user- the point: Might dumping Windows the OS, as well as more advanced
friendliness have limited its appeal for Linux be a practical option? topics. The same sort of information
mainly to contrarian geeks. To find the answers to our ques- found in Mandriva’s starter guide is
Times are changing, though, and as tions, we took two recent and fairly what SUSE’s 300-page startup manual
more versions of Linux appear on popular versions of Linux—Mandriva includes. Although Mandriva’s starter
Web sites and store shelves (known as 2006 (wwwnew.mandriva.com) and guide and SUSE’s startup manual are
distros or distributions), both the SUSE 10.0 from Novell (www.novell informative and readable, we man-
open-source community and Linux .com/products/suselinux)—and put aged to install both OSes without
publishers have been making con- them to the test on a pair of our having to rely on the manuals.
certed efforts to improve the usability desktop test systems. We chose sys- Because installing Mandriva and
and compatibility of the OS. tems from different ends of the SUSE both require booting from a
notice that many of the same applica- obstacle to using Linux for most error messages whenever we tried to
tions are present on both OSes. users. When this issue came up play movie DVDs. (SUSE’s utility
For example, both Linux versions during our tests, our results were reported that it was unable to play
ship with OpenOffice.org, an excel- very inconsistent. Both SUSE and copyrighted material, whereas Man-
lent office productivity suite that Mandriva did recognize the majority driva’s app presented a generic error
comes with similar components to of the basic hardware on both of our message.) Similarly, we had trouble
Microsoft Office, including word pro- test systems, including such devices as going online with SUSE on one of our
cessing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphics cards, NICs (network inter- systems, even though there was no
database, and drawing tools. There’s face cards), optical drives, sound apparent problem with the NIC’s
also a separate email client/PIM (per- cards, and others. But neither distro configuration.
sonal information manager) called would work with the more specialized Thus, it’s a good idea to check the
Kontact that’s analogous to Micro- peripherals attached to our generic Web site of a Linux distro’s publisher
soft’s Outlook. Other applications test system, including the scanner, a to verify the product’s system require-
found in both Mandriva and SUSE Web cam, and a graphics tablet. ments and support for specific devices
include RealPlayer 10 and prior to purchasing a certain
Adobe’s PDF (Portable Doc- distro. However, there’s often
ument Format) Reader. no way to know how a partic-
If you don’t mind learning ular device will work with a
to use new applications for Linux distro until you try it.
typical chores such as word
processing, email, and Web
browsing, you’ll probably be
A Contender, But Not Yet A
as happy with Linux as you are
Prime-Time Contender
with Windows. Mandriva and Based on our experiences
SUSE also give users multiple with Mandriva 2006 and
applications to choose from SUSE 10.0, we agree that
for a given task. To cite just Linux has evolved greatly. To
one example, SUSE offers sev- their credit, both of the dis-
eral different Web browsers, tros we tested have polished
including Opera and Mozilla’s installation routines that
Are you doing a double-take? Yes, the KDE desktop looks and
Firefox. There are also several didn’t require us to consult
acts a lot like Windows XP’s Desktop.
free or inexpensive third-party their manuals (though we
Linux apps available. did need to periodically check
But it’s important to remember Printer support also varied. For the manuals as we used the OSes).
that Windows applications don’t example, SUSE was unable to print Still, we don’t believe Linux has im-
run on Linux, and many Windows to an Epson Stylus 825 on our gen- proved quite enough to be realistically
apps don’t have Linux counterparts. eric test system, but on the older considered by the average nontech-
Therefore, even though a Microsoft Compaq machine with an Epson nical user.
Office user can probably switch to Stylus CX3200, SUSE printed just Even so, Mandriva or SUSE may be
OpenOffice.org without suffering fine. By contrast, Mandriva printed a good choice for a second or third
many ill effects, a user of Quicken, for OK with both systems and printers machine used to perform basic tasks
example, won’t have a similar Linux we tested. A somewhat related prob- with the bundled software, as long as
option and may want to stick with lem was that the CX3200 is an MFD it’s a computer that doesn’t have any
Windows on at least one system. (multifunction device) that includes out-of-the-ordinary hardware. But
(NOTE: There is software available a scanner, and both distros refused dumping Windows from a primary or
to emulate Windows on Linux, but it to recognize the scanner portion of single system in favor of either of
can be expensive, and it doesn’t offer the MFD. these Linux distros will likely cause
any guarantees that it will work prop- But even when a particular device much frustration: You can almost
erly with a given application.) was recognized and ostensibly config- certainly count on something (and
ured correctly, that didn’t always perhaps a lot of somethings) not
mean the device could perform all working correctly—if at all. ❙❙
Usability & Device Support
given tasks. For example, although
The issue of hardware support will both Mandriva and SUSE were able to BY JOSEPH MORAN
probably still represent the greatest read data DVDs, we kept receiving
Blog!
Get Involved—Read
The easiest way to learn about blogs
and blogging is to begin reading. Find
blogs on subjects that interest you and
It’s Better Than Bad: check in regularly. You’ll find great
and poor writing, amateur and profes-
It’s Good sional presentation, labors of love and
commercial fronts, plus all of the other
variety usually found online. Where to
There are several trends that led to begin? Try an Internet search for one
the blogging explosion One is that of your hobbies or interests and add
more and more people started the word “blog” to the search terms.
finding their voice online. We moved For example, a film buff might search
from using personal Web pages as va- for “movie blog” and view the results.
cation slideshow tools to creating fo- Search the Web sites of media outlets
rums where we can speak to the you trust for columnists who create
world on whatever we’re passionate personal blogs under the publication’s
about. Another is that big players banner. Or check out some online blog
started paying attention. Your cousin directories. For a quick list of some
I
t seems you can’t turn around Ned’s ranting about election politics prominent blogs and blog directories,
online without bumping into takes on extra significance when he check out our “Top Blogs” sidebar.
someone’s blog. From your receives credentialed access to the Once you find a few regular blogs,
neighbor’s strange (but in- Republican and Democratic national you’ll probably start wondering if
triguing) lunchbox blog to conventions as a press correspon- there’s an easier way to keep up on the
Google’s corporate blog (googleblog dent. Finally, blogging technology be- latest postings. That’s when you’ll start
.blogspot.com) to Wonkette’s hilarious came easily accessible to the masses. noticing links on sites for RSS (Really
and irreverent political blog (www When Grandma can set up a site in a Simple Syndication), Atom, or XML
.wonkette.com), everyone’s jumping few minutes to chronicle the world of (Extensible Markup Language) feeds.
on the blogging bandwagon. porcelain horse figurines for collec- Syndication feeds deliver the titles and
tors around the globe, blogging’s po- summaries of new posts directly to
tential expands dramatically. your computer or mobile device,
Blogging 101
But what is blogging? The word it-
self derives from the phrase “Web
log.” The concept is nothing new. It
goes all the way back to the very early
days of the Web. Remember all the ex-
citement about being able to share
personal Web pages with the whole
world? The blogging movement is a
refinement of that personal Web page
concept. Essentially, blogs are online
journals, written in a personal and
conversational style, updated regularly
and chronologically. Bloggers often
link to and comment on other infor-
mation sources on the Web. The best
blogs focus on a specific subject and
offer interesting personal insight into
that topic. They can be informational,
persuasive, or therapeutic. Of course,
as with all things online, blogs have
become more sophisticated and more Syndicated feed readers, such as Pluck (www.pluck.com), integrate with your
commercial over time. browser and automatically aggregate new posts from all your subscribed blogs.
W
hether you’re a garden forum and type Moles And Gophers
Join In
pro, a hopeful brown in the search field toward the top of
thumb, or a newbie You can read and access most sections the page. As of press time, we found
without a pot to plant of the site without a membership; how- no fewer than 91 responses to the
in, gardening secrets are meant to be ever, when you’re ready to post a ques- question, “How can I rid my garden of
shared, and GardenWeb.com is a tion or answer, you’ll need to become a moles, voles, and gophers?” Creative
great place to tap into them. Maybe member. Membership is free and entails gardeners swear by a variety of me-
you’re proud of how your antique entering your email address and setting thods, including trapping them; fill-
roses grow and want to share tips for up a password and member name. ing tunnels with kitty litter, running
heartier blooms with other antique, Other users will see your member name water, poison peanuts, or castor oil; or
Austin, and old-garden rose growers. when you post to the forums, so you’re feeding the rodents Juicy Fruit gum.
Or perhaps you’re looking for advice encouraged to use only your first name. Home Forums. Similar to the setup
on starting an herb garden in con- When you sign up for membership, at GardenWeb.com, Home Forums is a
tainers on your patio and wonder you may enter a brief Personal Blurb community devoted to all-things home
how other people in your zone did it. and your favorite forum, birth date, (buying, selling, owning, cleaning, dec-
At this jam-packed online commu- gardening zone, the country in which orating, rewiring, etc.). Members of the
nity—as long as you can click through you live, and any links you wish to GardenWeb.com community may post
the ubiquitous and annoying pop-up supply, such as to your home Web questions and answers here, too.
ads—you can visit with like-minded page, email address, online journal, HortiPlex Database. When you’re
gardening enthusiasts about hundreds and trade list, to name a few. If you looking for information on daisies on
of garden-related topics; find gar- don’t want to share any of that infor- Google (www.google.com), you have
dening events in your area (or the mation, don’t enter it when you reg- to sift through data on pellet guns,
places you’re planning to visit); and ister. If you change your mind later, movies, rock guitars, or open-source
search for seeds, plants, pots, patio click the Your Profile
furniture, garden art, tools, and much link at the top of the
more for your own garden. home page and edit
Navigation is fairly easy: You’ll see your information.
a set of links across the top of the page Garden Forums.
for Garden Forums, Home Forums, In the forums you’ll
HortiPlex, FAQs, Glossary, and Re- find discussions on
sources. Toward the middle of the hundreds of topics.
page, you’ll see links for The Garden
Bazaar, The GardenWeb Directory, Members post pictures to
Events Calendar, Gardening Q&A, demonstrate a point,
and Today’s Birthdays. We’ll discuss such as how to raise
the links in more detail momentarily. herbs in containers.
applications. Type daisy in Google’s forums, so you’ll find answers more The Garden Events Calendar is also
search field, and you’ll get nearly 18 quickly. For instance, the most com- a useful tool for anyone who travels,
million returns; however, you’ll have to mon question asked in the Carni- and it’s nice to know what shows, lec-
scroll past 28 sites to find the first refer- vorous Plants forum is “What is a tures, and plant swaps are taking place
ence to flowers. The HortiPlex Database carnivorous plant?” in your city, as well. You can either
distills your search information, making Glossary. You’ll find definitions for search the calendar for events or post
it as relevant as possible. Type daisy in more than 4,400 words related to gar- your garden club’s meeting and show
the Search The HortiPlex Database dening, botany, landscape architecture, schedules. To post your dates, click
field, and the 185 returns all pertain to and horticulture. Search for a term or the Submission Form link and follow
flowers. For instance, the first return for by keywords using Boolean operators. the prompts, which include agreeing
daisy lists the botanical name (Chrysan- If you have trouble finding a word, to the terms of the site. To search for
themum) and Common Name (daisy). read through the notes to find out how an event, select a Month (or leave the
Click the More Info link under Daisy to the search works. field on the default All), Location,
visit a new page displaying the Genus, Resources. Click this link to find Keyword (for instance, Tulip Festival,
Family, and Author and a Links box three of the links from the middle of the or leave it blank), and Type Of Event
with additional online resources, which home page, GardenWeb Directory, (All, Shows, Festivals, Plant Sales,
may include images. Click the What Do Garden Events Calendar, and Garden- Plant Swaps, Garden Tours, Lectures,
These Terms Mean? link for definitions Bazaar, on one page. All three are Workshops, or Seminars).
for words such as genus. In the Links searchable databases, and you have sev- The GardenBazaar lets you search
box, click the PLANTS Database to visit eral ways in which to search each one. for any of hundreds of garden-related
the USDA Web site for a complete The GardenWeb Directory lets you items to buy. You’ll find books, seeds,
plant profile, including the entire classi- search more than 1,200 clubs, organiza- beneficial insects, repellents, aquatic
fication for the plant, images, and re- tions, and gardens. Search by Keyword, plants, fertilizer, hostas, lights, ponds,
lated taxa. such as Botanical Garden; by Type Of and much more. Again, you may
Search the HortiPlex Database using Program (All, Charitable, Conservation, search by Keyword (or leave it blank);
a plant’s common or botanical name. Educational, Membership, Native Product Lines, which will help make
FAQs. Before posting a question in Plants, or Professional); Location (All, the results more manageable; and
a forum, visit the FAQ section to see if any of the U.S. states and Canadian Check To Limit Your Search To
your question has been asked and an- provinces, or International); and you (Mailorder, Services, Retail—Store-
swered. The staff and members of can Limit Your Search To (Volunteers front, and/or Wholesale).
GardenWeb.com have harvested the Needed, Classes, and/or Master Today’s Birthdays. Click this link for
most common questions from various Gardener Program). a list of members’ birthdays. The list is
for the current day, and there are usu-
ally hundreds of members celebrating
T i p s For Using GardenWeb.com their birthdays on any given day. If
you’ve traded tips with a member and
• Rather than using the Back button on your • Don’t be shy about want to wish him a happy birthday,
browser to return to a previous page, click a posting, but if you do, click his username. If he’s entered his
link at the upper left of the page to return to you’d better know what email address in his profile, you’ll be
the previous forum or index of forums. For you’re talking about. able to click a link and email him.
instance, if you’re reading a post called “Best You’ll be hastily but
Selling Herbs” in The Market Gardener kindly rebuked if you
How Does Your Garden Grow
forum, click the Other Forums link. post digressions, rumors,
Frequently, clicking your browser’s Back or untested theories as Whether you’re enjoying the pretty
button returns an error message. “truth.” Members of little rows in your vegetable garden or
most forums (except the ready to give it all up to the rotten
• At the upper right of each page, you’ll see a Garden Writers Forum) little rodents, you’ll find someone on
box of links called Gardening Ads, which are positive, and GardenWeb.com talking about it. And
likely supplement the cost of running the supportive, but they’re if you don’t, post a question, and soon
site. When you click the links, they’ll open on also no-nonsense. you’ll be collecting kudos or sympathy
a GardenWeb.com page, and they usually from many, many gardeners who’ve
link to something related to what you’re hoed that row before. ❙❙
reading, such as garden supply or patio
BY KATHRYN DOLAN
furniture Web sites.
Y
ou could do a lot worse Home, lets you fill the blank space on link to activate the account, and when
than to choose Google (www Google’s home page with all sorts of you arrive at the activation page, click
.google.com) as your brow- links and Web content and lets you the Sign In link. Enter your email ad-
ser’s default home page. transform Google from a safe, fast- dress and password, select Remember
Owing to its spare, no-nonsense de- loading home page to a just-as-safe, Me On This Computer, and click Sign
sign, Google loads faster than just just-as-fast-loading personal Web In. An account summary page ap-
about any site in cyberspace. And be- portal that’s a perfect place to start pears; in the top right of this page,
cause the Google home page is free of your online day. click Google Home. The Google
advertisements and online marketing home page will reappear, this time
subterfuge, setting it as your default with your email address displayed in
Get Your Account & Sign In
home page ensures that you’ll at least the top right of the page.
begin every Web session without the If you don’t already have a Google If you do have a Google account—
threat of pop-ups, adware, spyware, account, you’ll need to create one be- which you might have if, for example,
third-party cookies, unsolicited tool- fore you can use Google Personalized you have a Gmail email account—you
bars, or other annoyances that some Home. Head to www.google.com can skip all of the above and simply
Web pages might try to send your way. /accounts/NewAccount and scroll to surf to www.google.com and sign in.
But Google would be an even better the bottom of the page. Enter your
default home page if it gave you a email address, choose and confirm a
head start on finding the information
Get Acquainted
password, and enter the characters
you want most from the Web. For ex-
& Start Personalizing
pictured. (This is a security measure
ample, imagine how great it would be that prevents a computer program Click the Personalized Home link.
if Google could display updated head- from entering account data on your You’ll see Google’s starter Person-
lines from your favorite news sources, behalf without your permission.) alized Home page, featuring Quote Of
the latest job listings from your fa- Then click the I Accept button to The Day, Top Stories, Weather, and
vorite job Web site, and the weather create your account. Word Of The Day features. Each of
forecast for your hometown. Within a few moments, Google will these is an RSS (Really Simple
Imagine no more. A relatively new send you an email verification of your Syndication) feed, material that a
Google feature, Google Personalized new account. As instructed, click the Web site has published in a special
XML (Extensible Markup Language) Content, and a list of feed categories appears at the top of the left column;
format that allows that material to appears in a sidebar along the left use it to enter, name, and add links to
be republished, or syndicated, on edge of the browser window. To add a sites you visit most often. When
other Web sites. You’ll create your feed, simply click the appropriate feed you’re finished, click Save.
Google Personalized Home page category (if necessary) to expand it Search History lets you list your
by tweaking or removing these start- and then click the Add button next to most recent searches; in order to use
er feeds and adding and tweaking the feed you want to add. For ex- this feed, you have to enable Google’s
other feeds. ample, to add a feed containing the Personalized Search service, a tech-
Start by customizing the Weather latest The New York Times headlines, nology that attempts to make your
feed to report the weather for your click News to expand that category search results more relevant by
own town. To the right of the word and then click the Add button next to tracking not only your searches, but
“Weather,” click Edit. If necessary, New York Times. The sidebar disap- what results you click. The Movies
select a country other than the pears (don’t worry, you can get it feed ruins a very convenient fea-
United States; then, in the Add A back) and The New York Times feed ture—a link to a Google page listing
City box, enter your ZIP or postal appears at the top of the left column. show times at all the theatres in your
code or the city and state and click To add another feed, click Add area—by including an unnecessary
Add. Repeat the procedure for any Content again to redisplay the sidebar and space-wasting listing of the top-
other city for which you want to and then repeat the process. Again, rated current movies (but you can fix
track the weather. If you don’t want you can edit any feed you add by this by listing the show times page in
to track the weather in Happy, Texas, clicking Edit and changing the avail- the Bookmarks feed). The Stock
click the corresponding X to delete able options. To change the position Market feed displays the four major
it. Then click Save. The Weather feed of any feed on the page, click its title indexes, and you can edit the feed to
changes to display forecasts for the bar (a four-pointed arrow pointer will track any stock, so long as you know
city (or cities) you chose. appear) and drag it to a new location. the stock’s symbol.
To delete a feed, If you have a Gmail account, in the
just click the X next My Stuff category, you’ll also see a
to that feed’s name. Gmail feed. Add it, and you’ll be able
(You can use the to see—and click straight through
Undo bar that ap- to—the newest messages in your
pears to undo your Gmail inbox. If you like Gmail be-
deletion, until you cause it lets you read and send email
make another.) without having to open a dedicated
email application, you’ll really like
being able to keep tabs on your mail
My (Meaning
from your home page, without even
Google’s) Stuff
having to open the Gmail page.
The My Stuff
Google Personalized Home lets you transform the Google home page into category includes
A Feed Of Your Own
a custom Web portal with information and links most important to you. feeds for Google
services you may You can also add feeds from sites
already be using or not in the category list, such as a
You can edit the other feeds in sim- may consider using once you see how feed that updates you on local job
ilar fashion. For example, if you’d like useful they are in the context of a openings in your field of work or a
to display more or fewer stories in the home page. feed from a discussion group per-
Top Stories feed, click Edit next to Take the Bookmarks feed. (This is taining to a hobby or interest. But
Top Stories; in the Show drop-down more of a link-maker than an actual you have to find such feeds before
menu, select the number of stories feed.) You may be used to choosing you can add them.
you want to display. Click Save. bookmarks, or favorites, from your Most large, popular sites have at
browser’s menu; all the Bookmarks least one RSS feed; many have mul-
feed does is put links to your book- tiple, categorized feeds that deliver a
Add More Feeds marks into your Personalized Home specific type of information—for ex-
Google has assembled a full menu page, where you can get to them ample, most major newspapers have
of additional feeds that are ready to faster. Click the Add button next an RSS feed corresponding to each
pop into your home page. Click Add to Bookmarks, and an entry form major section of the paper, and some
even have RSS feeds for feeds you can peruse; if (www.google.com/ig) and click OK.
individual columnists. you want to add one to (In Opera, you may want to set Startup
Just look for the bright your page, just click Add. to Start With Home Page before
orange RSS or XML but- clicking OK.) So long as you’ve
ton on the site’s home set your browser to accept cookies
Tips For Happy
page; clicking it will usu- from Google and you selected the
Personalized
ally take you to a list of Remember Me On This Computer
Homemaking
categorized feeds. option when you signed in, your
Some sites offer highly You now have all the browser will open to your Personalized
focused feeds or ones that skills you need to create Home page.
generate updated search and continuously tweak Give links their own window or
results. Craigslist (www the Personalized Home tab. Over time, you may find Person-
.craigslist.com) offers an page of your dreams. alized Home is less of a starting place
RSS feed for just about Once you’ve created a and more of a base of operations—a
every content page you page you’re happy with, place to which you return throughout
might visit. Suppose you try these techniques for the day to monitor stocks, check new
want an RSS feed that using it efficiently. headlines, start new searches, and so
keeps you current on Make it your default on. So instead of having to make your
writing job listings in the home page. Obviously, way back to the page after following
Boston area. Head to the Google Personalized one of its links, try opening each from
site, click the Boston link, Google offers several Home isn’t much of a the page in its own browser win-
and under Jobs, click ready-to-use RSS (Really starting place unless it’s dow (if you use Internet Explorer) or
Writing/Editing. At the Simple Syndication) the first page your brow- its own tab. Next time you want
bottom of the page, you’ll feeds that you can ser loads. To make this to click a link, right-click it; in
find the RSS button. quickly pop into happen, first get to your Internet Explorer choose Open In
In whatever site you’re your page. browser’s default home New Window. In Netscape or Fire-
searching, once you find page setting. In Microsoft fox, choose Open Link In New Tab.
the button for the feed Internet Explorer, choose In Opera choose Open In New Page.
you want, click it. You’ll be taken to a Tools and then Internet Options; in Scroll down your fonts. The Per-
page of indecipherable XML code, but Netscape or Mozilla Firefox, choose sonalized Home screen shots in this ar-
don’t let that bother you. All you need Tools and then Options. If necessary, ticle are of full-screen (maximized)
is the page’s URL, found in your click the General icon. In Opera windows on a 1,024 x 768 pixel screen
browser’s Address field. Double-click choose Tools and then Preferences. display. If you don’t have this level
it to select it and then right-click it and Click the General tab if neces- of screen resolution—or if you can’t
select Copy from the menu that pops sary. Then, in the Home Page field, devote your entire screen to your
up. Return to your Personalized Home enter the Personalized Home URL browser—Personalized Home can get
and click the Add Content link. At kind of crowded (and days of your
the bottom of the sidebar, click Google weather forecast can get
Create A Section; right-click the crowded out). As a fix, you may
text box that appears and choose want to get in the habit of using
Paste to paste the feed URL. Click your mouse’s scroll wheel to re-
Go. Your feed will appear, as al- duce the font size when you view
ways, at the top of the left column; Personalized Home. In Internet
you can move and edit it as you Explorer, Netscape, or Firefox,
would any other feed. press CTRL and turn the scroll
If you can’t find a feed from wheel forward (away from you) to
the site you prefer, you may be decrease the text size and back-
able to use the Create A Section ward to enlarge text. In Opera hold
box to find a suitable substitute. down CTRL and scroll backward
Instead of pasting a URL in the to decrease text size and forward to
text box, enter a keyword or two enlarge text. ❙❙
describing the type of informa-
tion you want in a feed and click BY MARK SCAPICCHIO
Go. Google will return a list of Many sites include multiple categorized RSS feeds.
Retirement Living
Seniors Surf www.retirementliving.com
If you’re looking for information
INTERNET TROUBLESHOOTING
W
hen you try to visit a Web site and A pile of packets has the potential of becoming a
nothing happens, all you see is a huge mess, so TCP’s other main duty is to stamp
potentially broken browser. Under each outgoing packet with a number and a time, so
most circumstances—especially for the computer on the receiving end knows how to or-
broadband Internet users—everything ganize all of the pieces when recreating the original
online runs so smoothly that it’s tough file. If a packet is missing, the computer on the other
to realize how hard everything is working behind end sends a request to resend the missing packet and
the scenes. As soon as you press ENTER to visit a site, waits until it arrives before putting the file together.
a host of software and hardware must spring into If a lot of packets are missing or the connection is
action to handle your request, and that means there severed before the transmission is completed, an
are plenty of opportunities for errors to come be- error message is generated, and the receiving com-
tween you and your requested data. puter won’t be able to assemble the incoming file.
Missing packets also are the main reason why
media that’s designed to stream over an Internet con-
Knock Knock nection (such as streaming video or audio) becomes
The Internet is little more than a vast array of com- choppy when it must use a poor connection; there
puter hardware—all connected to the same network. simply aren’t enough packets getting through to play
Your computer sends requests for data to other com- the complete file, so portions are skipped.
puters on the network, and that data is then sent to This all seems incredibly absurd until you under-
your computer. It all seems so simple in theory, but stand that the Internet is designed for redundancy in-
it’s incredibly complicated in operation. stead of for efficiency. A number of hardware devices
First of all, your computer and the computer on called nodes serve as the intersections for threads of
the other end of the connection must speak the same the World Wide Web, with data hopping from node
language, or they won’t be able to understand one to node until it reaches its destination. If one node is
another. This is called a protocol, and TCP/IP broken or overloaded with data, packets simply flow
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) around it using other nodes, and any packets that were
represents two protocols that work together to serve lost because of the damaged node can be sent individ-
as the common language of the Internet. TCP is the ually instead of requiring that the entire file be resent.
protocol that lets your computer make a direct con- Thus, large portions of the Internet’s underlying
nection with another computer, along with handling structure could fail and data would still get
other parts of the transmission, while IP moves the through—thanks to the packet system. And that’s
data between the two connected computers. something that couldn’t happen if the Internet re-
Normally, when you copy a file from one place lied on linear data paths.
to another on your computer, the entire file is
copied at once, but IP works much differently
than that. Instead, IP chops up data into tiny units
Understanding URLs
called packets and sends the individual packets You can learn a lot about how the Internet
streaming through the Internet, where they are re- works—and figure out a lot about why certain prob-
ceived and reassembled by the computer on the lems sometimes happen—by examining the anatomy
other end. Imagine that instead of mailing a letter of a URL (uniform resource locator). URLs are the
to someone, you cut out each character within your text you type in your browser’s address field (such as
message and mail these characters separately to the http://www.smartcomputing.com) that tells the
same person, who then has to paste the entire thing browser which server it should connect to.
together in order to read what you wrote. That’s URLs have two distinct parts. The “http://” portion
how IP works. tells the browser you want to connect to the server
inoperable via another browser, but it have bookmarked and the site has a live
Y ou may be familiar with so-called
“alternative” browsers that—
technically speaking—aren’t com-
may work perfectly in IE. feed (common for news sites), you can
pletely distinct from IE. Instead,
However, this site design focus is have updates delivered to you as soon
they’re what’s known as IE shells:
gradually changing and moving toward as the site content changes.
They overlay IE or use its rendering
designing based on Web standards (es- Firefox contains several notable se-
engine (software that takes Web con-
tablished technologies for creating curity features, such as the security up-
tent and formatting info to display
Web-based content) instead. Therefore, dates that automatically download to
the formatted content) and add fea-
we suggest that you read our pros and your browser and the one-click Clear
tures. Here are a few examples, but
cons for the most popular alternate Private Data tool, which deletes
you should have a backup and set a
cookies, data for Web forms,
restore point before using them.
browsing history lists, and
other personal data. There’s Avant 10.1 (free; www.avant
also support for Web sites browser.com). The folks at Avant
that allow content and appli- estimate that more than 85% of all
cations to be read out loud. Web page flash animations are adver-
And the bonus is that all of tising. If these programs are slowing
this is wrapped in a package down your browsing experience,
that is fast and customizable. you can use Avant to block them
The software isn’t with- with one click. Other features in-
out its drawbacks, however. clude tabbed browsing, a full-screen
It lacks common browser mode, and a built-in search engine.
plug-ins, such as Adobe
iRider ($29; www.irider.com). iRider
Acrobat Reader, so you’ll
lets you perform searches on mul-
be prompted to download
tiple search engines simultaneously,
and install them yourself.
“pin” pages to keep them from mis-
The Netscape browser includes the ability to assign trust Plus, it blocks ActiveX con-
takenly closing, and download
levels to specific Web sites. tent by default.
multiple pages in the background
while you’re viewing the current
browsers and then check out the
Netscape 8.x one. One warning, though: It’s in-
compatible with the popular Ad-
programs for yourself. Each program Centuries ago in Internet time,
Aware antispyware application.
profiled here is available as a free down- Netscape’s Navigator once occupied
load from the developer’s Web site. the same place within the market that Maxthon (free; www.maxthon.com).
IE holds today. Navigator was the Maxthon closely resembles IE, but it
dominant browser in the early to also adds features such as tabbed
Firefox 1.5 mid-1990s, and even though IE now browsing and support for third-
The most popular alternative to claims that spot, there are plenty of party plug-ins, as well as the ability
IE—various estimates put its usage at reasons to use a Netscape browser. to easily delete cookies, the cache,
more than 15% in the United States— If security is a top concern of yours, and your browsing history.
Mozilla’s Firefox (www.mozilla.com you might want to check out the list
/firefox) has taken the Internet by of potentially harmful sites that
storm since it was launched less than Netscape 8.x (browser.netscape.com Multibar feature, and create your own
two years ago. /ns8) provides. If you happen to visit toolbar by grouping similar buttons.
Firefox offers tabbed browsing, sites that may harm your computer, Plus, you can display feeds inside tool-
which means that instead of needing to Netscape 8.x notifies you automati- bars. Netscape features tabbed brows-
open multiple windows for each Web cally. Additional security features ing and the ability to place pop-ups in a
site you visit, you can see multiple sites include Site Controls, which let you in- single tab, which you can then control
within one window. And if it’s another dicate how much you trust a particular or block completely. And, along with a
category of multiple windows that’s site, as well as a rendering engine that home page, you can create a home tab,
causing you annoyance, you’ll be displays a site based on Netscape’s which opens multiple sites whenever
happy to know that Firefox includes an evaluation of its trustworthiness. you launch the browser.
integrated pop-up blocker. You can customize up to 10 different But if you rely on RSS (Really Simple
Another cool feature is Live Updates: browser toolbars, condense each one Syndication) feeds, you’ll want to
When content changes on a site you into a single button with the new download a RSS client (often called an
Opera 8.5
With a name like Opera (www.opera
.com), you might expect this browser
to really “sing.” Well, it may not do so
literally, but it does speak to you. The
Opera Voice feature lets you control
the interface by talking, provided you
have a microphone and are using a PC
Firefox’s Clear Private Data feature makes it easy to erase personal information
running Windows XP. When you give
concerning your recent Web travels.
it the command to speak, Opera can
read site content and email messages.
And, you can control navigation with It has its quirks, though, such as re-
commands such as “Opera back” or quiring the user to right-click to
Yo u H a v e A C h o i c e
“Opera next link.” follow a link. Plus, there were several All the Web browsers we men-
Another unique feature is its set of pages we tested that loaded compara- tioned here may be described as
Opera skins. You can download dozens tively slower than they did in IE. IE alternatives, but they aren’t backup
of skins, from the Spartan (a basic gray But the real reason to check out or substitute browsers—each one
Concrete) to the flashy (FauxS Emerald Amaya is its Web-authoring tools. can stand on its own as a full-featured
With Reflections, which is one of our The W3C (World Wide Web Consor- application. After trying Firefox,
favorites). The browser is customizable tium), along with the French National Netscape, Opera, and/or Amaya, you
in numerous other ways, as well. For Institute for Research in Computer may soon be relying on one of those
instance, you can add and remove tool- Science and Control, created Amaya as applications as your primary Web-
bars, and you can move search fields a tool for showcasing new Web tech- surfing tool and using IE as your
and buttons. nologies and helping site designers “alternative” browser. ❙❙
Plus, Opera includes tabbed brows- create valid Web pages. If you revel in
ing, pop-up blocking, and a password terms such as “cascading style sheets” BY HEIDI V. ANDERSON
manager that can store multiple logins and “structured editors,” we recom-
for the same page. Protective features mend giving Amaya a try.
include providing security informa-
tion about Web sites within the
address bar, as well as offering users FOR SUBSCRIBERS: MORE ON THE WEB
the ability to configure the history file
and the cache, so they clean them- “Browsers: Find Content Within Pages While Using
selves out automatically when you Firefox Or Internet Explorer”
close the browser. www.smartcomputing.com/scmar06/browsers
Want to make the most of your browser? Each month, we publish a Quick
Study article online that covers a variety of browsers. See this recent article for
Amaya 9.3 tips on finding terms within Firefox and IE.
And now, it’s time for a quick peek
at something a tad different. If, during “Buck The IE/OE Trend: Exploring Alternative Browsers & Email Clients”
your Web browsing, you’ve ever www.smartcomputing.com/scjun05/alternatives
thought to yourself, “I wish I could Just as IE isn’t the only Web browser out there, Outlook and Outlook Express
create a site like that,” you’ll want to aren’t the only email clients, either. This article includes a comprehensive over-
take a look at Amaya (www.w3.org view of alternative browsers and email programs you may want to check out.
/amaya). Yes, Amaya is a Web browser
with typical features such as tabbed “Browsers: Manage Third-Party Add-ons In Internet Explorer”
browsing and special features such as www.smartcomputing.com/scapr05/browsers
annotation tools, which make the soft- If you’re happy with IE but want to spice it up a little or add some extra func-
ware particularly useful for researchers. tionality, you can do so with the use of third-party add-ons.
Video Mishaps
Internet Options, choose the General displaying correctly, so try disabl- support screens above 96dpi, Web
tab, and click the Delete Files button. ing these programs one at a time to pages that specify pixel sizes for items,
In the Delete Files dialog box, select resolve the problem. If your browser such as containers and text, might
the Delete All Offline Content runs properly after disabling one appear fuzzy and unreadable. But if
checkbox, click OK, and then click of these programs, check the soft- you’re using a high-dpi screen and
OK in the Internet Options dialog ware manual or the developer’s Web encounter this issue, you can modify
site for a solution to the the Windows Registry to force WinXP
graphics problem, or try and IE to properly adjust the picture
modifying settings yourself automatically.
until images display cor- (NOTE: Making changes to the
rectly. Before changing Registry can have disastrous effects on
settings in any security pro- your PC if you’re not careful, so be sure
gram, be sure to write to back up the Registry before modifying
down your original settings it. See support.microsoft.com/kb/322756
just in case you run into for more information on Registry
problems later. backups.)
A box with a red X may To open the Registry Editor, click
not necessarily indicate a Start, click Run, type regedit in the
missing image, but instead Open field, and click OK. Next,
Despite its diminutive appearance, the free Media Player stem from a missing Java browse to the following Registry key:
Classic supports an astounding number of video formats applet, which is sometimes HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFT
and plays them all with ease. accompanied by the fol- WARE\MICROSOFT\INTERNET
lowing error message in the EXPLORER\MAIN. With the Main
lower-left corner of your folder selected, click Edit, select New,
box. If this solves the problem, return browser window: “Loading Java and click DWORD Value. Type
to the Internet Options dialog box, Applet Failed.” If you see this mes- USEHR for the new value name and
click the Settings button, and check sage, open the Start menu, click press ENTER. Double-click the new
the amount of drive space you’re Control Panel, and double-click Java value, change the Value Data from 0
currently allowing under Temporary (in Windows XP, use Classic View). to 1, click OK, close the Registry
Internet Files Folder. If the allocated On the General tab, click the Net- Editor, and restart your computer.
space is more than 50MB, reduce the work Settings button and then con- The fuzzy images and text should now
setting to 50MB to prevent the poten- firm that Use Browser Settings is appear normal, even when using a
tial corruption of your temporary selected in the Network Settings high-dpi setting.
files by keeping the folder lean and dialog box. If not, select it, click OK,
mean. In fact, some power users even and then click OK to close the Java Problem: The video content I’m
reduce the folder size to 10MB or less dialog box. trying to view will
with no impact on browsing perfor- not play.
mance, so don’t be afraid to tinker Problem: Fuzzy im-
with the size of the temporary ages appear on my Solution: When you
Internet folder. high-dpi (dots-per- click a video link on
Although less likely, incorrect IE inch) screen. a Web page and the
settings also can invite the dreaded clip doesn’t launch,
red X to infest the Web pages you Solution: Software or it does launch your
visit. If clearing your IE cache doesn’t can’t always keep video player but
work, open the Tools menu, click pace with new hard- nothing appears on
Internet Options, choose the Ad- ware devices, and the video screen, the
vanced tab, and confirm that both such is the case with most common culprit
Show Pictures and Play Animations WinXP and high- is a missing codec.
In Web pages (under Multimedia) dpi screens, which Codecs compress and
have check marks. If not, select their are increasingly in- If you’re unable to hear sound decompress video
checkboxes and click OK. cluded with newer clips or audio streams, make sure and audio to make
Certain settings in software-based laptops. Because this your speakers are on, turned up, the data suitable for
firewalls and pop-up ad-blocking OS (operating sys- and your volume is correctly streaming or down-
software also can prevent images from tem) doesn’t natively configured in Windows. loading, but there are
many different codecs. If you don’t third-party media player that bun- If you’re partial to WMP or if you
have the correct codec installed on dles commonly used codecs and run into playback problems with a
your PC to view a particular video, you other files that enable them to handle third-party player, use KC Softwares’
won’t be able to watch it until you get varied types of media. Media Player VideoInspector (free; www.kcsoft
the codec. Classic (free; sourceforge.net/pro wares.com) to automatically detect
If you’re accustomed to using jects/guliverkli) can play almost any- the codec required by the video file
WMP (Windows Media Player) thing under the virtual sun, as can you’re trying to play. You can down-
to watch video, consider using a VLC (free; www.videolan.org/vlc). load free codec packs from www.free-
codecs.com/download/Codec_Pack_
All_in_1.htm and www.k-litecodec
pack.com.
When you’re surfing the Web and dealing with audio or video that won’t play as
intended, you should always document your solution when you find it.
Solution: See all those buttons on versions that most closely match your
the perimeter of your keyboard?
Mishaps With Plug-Ins connection speed rating, you might
Some of them just might save you end up viewing movies that display
plenty of frustration when playing Problem: The QuickTime movies I less-than-acceptable visual quality.
different Web-based audio clips that play are often choppy. On the other hand, the movies that
inevitably vary in volume. Most QuickTime plays for some users
multimedia keyboards include vol- Solution: Because QuickTime auto- might be so slow that they’re impos-
ume and mute buttons, and some matically attempts to play the movie sible to watch. You can change the
even include rollers that let you criteria QuickTime uses to play
easily adjust the volume up or down movies by altering your connection
by rolling the adjuster. (You might speed setting in the application.
need to configure your keyboard In the QuickTime interface, click
software to use the roller for volume, Edit, Preferences, and QuickTime
though.) Preferences. On the Streaming tab,
By using these tools, you can al- click a connection speed from the
ways leave your speakers on and set Streaming Speed drop-down menu.
them to a medium volume, and then Because there are 10 available options
simply adjust your speaker volume (other than Automatic), make sure
using the keyboard. With a little prac- you know the speed of your connec-
tice, you’ll soon be able to drop the tion before making a selection
volume quickly without even looking because an accurate selection will help
directly at the control, thereby saving Most multimedia keyboards feature QuickTime properly gauge the
your ears from sound clips that seem configurable buttons that let you correct speed of streaming video for
to dwarf the decibel level of late-night easily control volume, which can your PC. If you’re not sure of your
TV commercials. save you plenty of hassle when connection speed, use an online tool
dealing with Web-based sound clips. such as the Speakeasy Speed Test
Problem: The digital music streams I
download sound terrible.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS: MORE ON THE WEB
Solution: You can find plenty of in-
credible music streams on the Web “Play It Like You Mean It: Tackle Media Player Irritations”
that play song after song of the music www.smartcomputing.com/scjan06/media
you love. However, what isn’t so Not surprisingly, it looks like your software is to blame for your media mal-
lovely is the sound quality of many adies. In this article, you’ll find some straightforward solutions to some
streams featured at various music- common problems.
related sites.
For example, the free streams on “Basic Troubleshooting: Video Cards & Monitors”
Live365 (www.live365.com) top out www.smartcomputing.com/scsep04/video
at a measly 64Kbps (kilobits per Is your frustration mounting because you know that the problem originates
second), whereas CD-quality streams with either your video card or your monitor, but you’re not sure what sug-
at SHOUTcast (www.shoutcast.com) gestion you should try next? Follow this list of troubleshooting tips and “see”
are available that even let you sort the some results.
streams according to bit-rate quality.
Also, SHOUTcast lets you listen to “Basic Troubleshooting: Audio Cards & Speakers”
the streams using Winamp or other www.smartcomputing.com/scsep04/audio
music players, so you can use your If you’re having a hard time pinpointing the source of your audio trouble and
own equalization settings to get the want step-by-step instructions on how to deal with such issues, check out the
best sound possible. suggestions in this article.
(www.speakeasy.net/speedtest) and
choose a server that’s closest to your
location. After choosing your con-
nection speed on the Streaming tab
in QuickTime, click OK to confirm
your selection.
If manually setting the connec-
tion speed doesn’t help, you can
return to the auto detection option
by choosing Automatic from the
Streaming Speed drop-down menu.
Also, if you have a broadband con-
nection, make sure that you’re using
the Instant-On option (also on the
Streaming tab), as this can drastically
reduce the amount of buffer time
when viewing streamed video.
Problem: Flash or Shockwave content Tired of listening to music streams that sound like garbage? Step up to SHOUTcast,
doesn’t play correctly. which features high bit-rate streams you can play in powerful players, such as Winamp.
1
preferred search engine, too. may occur for any number of reasons, Install an antivirus utility. Install
If you use IE, you can reset the home including a couple that pertain to antispyware. Install a firewall.
page by opening the Tools menu, se- system security. For instance, a spyware Use and regularly update them.
lecting Internet Options, choosing the infection may put the brakes on surfing
General tab, typing the URL of your performance as it collects data about Keep your Web browser,
preferred home page in the Address
field, and clicking OK. Remove an un-
wanted Favorites link by opening the
your online activities. Run an antispy-
ware utility to identify and eradicate
any spyware contaminating your PC.
2 Windows, and all security soft-
ware current with the latest
updates, service packs, and free
Favorites menu, selecting Organize You also may notice a significant de- upgrades. Take advantage of
Favorites, perusing the contents of the crease in data throughput if your wire- automatic updating tools when-
Favorites folder, highlighting the un- less network is usurped by unauth- ever they’re available.
wanted link, and clicking Delete. And orized users operating—either inten-
in most cases, you can use the Control tionally or incidentally—within range Don’t just wonder about how
Panel’s Add Or Remove Programs
function to uninstall foreign toolbars.
Also, restore your search engine by
of your unsecured wireless network.
These users can surf via your Internet
connection for free and may even have
3 secure your wireless Web con-
nection is; take five minutes and
configure your network hard-
clicking Customize in the browser’s access to your personal data and files. ware for optimum protection.
Search pane, selecting the Use One The practice of intentionally tapping
Search Service option, and specifying into a wireless network is known as Choose passwords that consist
the search engine in the Choose The
Search Service drop-down menu.
Doing all of this to reset items isn’t
drive-by hacking or wardriving be-
cause the users sometimes position
themselves curbside in idling vehicles.
4 of both letters and numbers
and are at least six characters
long. Change them frequently.
enough, however. Such band-aid fixes Drive-by hackers also work out of
may resolve the situation temporarily, homes and offices by targeting net- Stay away from unfamiliar Web
but they won’t eradicate the underlying
adware or spyware that hijacked the
browser and caused all of the trouble in
works in nearby buildings or rooms.
The best way to secure a wireless
network against drive-by hackers is by
5 sites. Ignore email from unrecog-
nized senders. Delete unsolicited
files that make it to your PC.
the first place, so close your browser activating your network’s WPA (Wi-Fi
and run antispyware Protected Access) or
as soon as possible. WEP (Wired Equiva- fails to respond to my tapping. What’s
While you’re at it, run lent Privacy) settings. going on?
an antivirus utility, Refer to the users
such as Norton Anti- manual that shipped Solution: As a general rule, you should
Virus ($39.99; www with your networking view any type of unusual system be-
.symantec.com) or equipment for de- havior as a symptom of a virus infec-
McAfee VirusScan tailed instructions on tion. That means your first response
($39.99; www.mcafee how to accomplish should be a virus scan. If you don’t
.com), which will re- this. After you secure have an antivirus utility, get one. And if
move the Trojan your network so un- you haven’t updated your antivirus
horse (a malicious authorized users can’t utility in more than a year, renew your
program disguised as access it, you’ll have subscription as soon as possible.
something else, such The easiest way to protect a its throughput all to But that’s just for starters. The par-
as an enticing email wireless network from a security yourself. ticular symptoms you cited are com-
attachment) that breach is by enabling its WPA mon to zombies. In this sense, a
smuggled the mal- (Wi-Fi Protected Access) settings. Problem: My com- zombie is a computer that functions as
ware into your PC. Each network is different, though, puter is acting funny a passive front for a backroom cracker
so refer to the users manual for lately. My online con- who wants to commit vile acts of dig-
Problem: When I ac- detailed instructions. nection is slow, and I ital vandalism without getting caught.
cess my broadband get mailer daemons The cracker typically gains control of a
Internet connection reporting undelivered system or systems by sending out a
through my wireless network, some- messages to people I don’t know. The Trojan horse. When an unsuspecting
times Web pages load quickly, and hard drive also seems to be spinning all user opens the Trojan, it installs its
other times they load slowly. the time, and sometimes the keyboard wicked payload on the PC and begins
transmitting data back to the cracker, local police department, one of the
usually by exploiting a security vulner- three major credit bureaus, as well as
ability in the user’s OS (operating the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).
system) or Web browser. You also should close—at least tem-
After the cracker attains access, he porarily—any vulnerable online or of-
commandeers the infected system—the fline accounts you have. While you’re
zombie—and its available resources, at it, address the source of the trouble.
usually for the purpose of sending In a case involving stolen Web identi-
spam or committing DoS attacks (de- ties, the culprit is usually a keyboard
nial of service attacks; acts of digital ag- logger, which is a type of spyware that
gression, whereby an attacker floods a records your keyboard actions and
particular computer or server with net- sends that info across the network to
work traffic). A DoS attack renders the A missed Windows update is a golden crackers. The crackers then sift through
victim’s system useless and places a sig- opportunity for crackers to violate your the resulting log for passwords, user-
nificant burden on the zombie ma- PC’s security. Stay current by activating names, credit card numbers, Social
chine caught in the middle. the Automatic Updates feature (via Security numbers, and any other piece
A virus scan should eliminate the the Control Panel) in Windows Me of personal information they can get
Trojan horse that created the zombie. and Windows XP. their grubby hands on.
You can protect your system in the fu- Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses
ture by installing a firewall. A firewall password be sent to your email address are capable of carrying keyboard log-
not only monitors incoming traffic for on record. Hopefully, you’ll receive the gers to unprotected computers. To
unauthorized users but also watches information and recognize it. If not, eliminate this type of threat, install an
for outgoing traffic from programs that you have a problem. up-to-date antivirus utility and scan
don’t normally transmit data across the If it appears that someone has your system for malicious code. You
network. In this way, a firewall can changed your username and/or pass- also should install and run antispyware.
identify a DoS attack emanating from word without your permission—most After eradicating the keyboard logger,
your PC, alert you to what’s hap- likely as part of an identity theft—im- invest in a firewall application that will
pening, and stop the offending pro- mediately contact the company that notify you if an unrecognized program
gram from continuing the attack. provides the account in question and tries to transmit data—such as a key-
Finally, users should update their explain the situation. The company stroke log file—across the Internet. ❙❙
software as often as developers make will probably close your account and
updates available. Software developers require you to file a report with the BY JEFF DODD
release these updates to fix bugs, add
product enhancements, and—perhaps
most importantly—patch security FOR SUBSCRIBERS: MORE ON THE WEB
gaps. By staying current on updates,
you can ensure that your system “Security: Enhancing IE Security”
doesn’t fall prey to a zombie attack. www.smartcomputing.com/scapr05/security
Internet Explorer is the browser most home and small-office computer users
Problem: When I try to log in to some rely on to surf the Web. This article discusses how you can utilize IE’s basic secu-
of my online accounts (such as those rity features for safer surfing.
involving financial data, health care,
shopping sites, etc.), I receive access- “Line Of Defense: Protect Your System With Internet Security Suites”
denied messages indicating that my www.smartcomputing.com/scjul05/defense
usernames or passwords are incorrect. When it comes to Web security, the best defense is a good suite of protective
utilities. This software roundup covers some of the most reputable programs on
Solution: Before jumping to any secu- the market, enabling you to pick one that meets your needs.
rity-related conclusions, verify that you
typed the correct username and pass- “Wireless Network Security: Protect Your Air From Freeloaders
word, spelled them correctly, and used & Intruders”
the proper case (upper or lower) for www.smartcomputing.com/scnov05/wireless
each character. Next, assume that The number of wireless users is steadily increasing—and so is the number of
you’ve forgotten the information and threats to your network and data. Find out the best way to protect your per-
request that the correct username and sonal wireless network from uninvited guests.
For maximum performance, it also an all-in-one tweaking tool such as switch to Normal if the connection is
helps to properly configure your dial- CableNut (free; www.cablenut.com) unstable. The suggested numbers ap-
up modem or your NIC (network in- and use preconfigured settings. pear in the main window, and you
terface card) if you have broadband. Download the software, double-click can click Save To Registry to apply the
For Windows XP the downloaded changes. Reboot the computer, and
users with dial-up file, follow the in- Windows will use the new settings.
modems, open the struction prompts,
Start menu, click and double-click
Control Panel, click the CableNut icon
Deal With Disconnects
Switch To Classic on your Desktop to Few things are more frustrating
View (if necessary), get started. than a dropped Internet connection,
and double-click The first step is but there are several things you can
Phone And Modem to make a backup try to get data flowing again. If your
Options. Choose the of the Windows cable or DSL connection quits, for in-
Modems tab, click Registry before you stance, try resetting the modem.
the entry for your make any edits. The Sometimes this requires holding
modem, and click Registry is a data- down the power or reset button while
Properties. This base of Windows you unplug the power cord, but check
time, choose the For best results, you should use and software set- the documentation that came with
Modem tab and use twice your modem’s rated speed tings that your OS the device or contact your ISP for spe-
the Maximum Port in the Control Panel settings. (operating system) cific instructions.
Speed drop-down absolutely needs in If the diagnostic LEDs (light-emit-
menu to select a order to function, ting diodes) on the front of the cable
speed that’s approximately twice as so making a backup is critical. From or DSL modem indicate that the
much as what your modem supports. the CableNut interface, click Registry, trouble is on the PC side of the con-
(For example, select 115200 if you click Backup Registry, give the file a nection instead of with the connec-
have a 56.6Kbps [kilobits per second] name, select a location to save the file, tion to the wall, check the lights on
modem.) Choose the Advanced tab, and click Save. If you need to restore the back of your NIC to make sure it
click Change Default Preferences, and the original Registry settings later, is working properly. If it isn’t, just
make sure the Flow Control box is set click Registry, click Restore Registry, purchase a replacement because NICs
to Hardware before clicking OK twice click the icon for the file you saved, are inexpensive and very easy to in-
and resetting the computer. and click Open. Restart the computer stall. There are even adapters that use
For WinXP users with NICs, open when you finish. a USB (Universal Serial Bus) inter-
the Start menu, right-click My Net- Now you can load the preconfig- face—such as the NETGEAR FA120
work Places, and click Properties. ured tweak file. Click
Right-click Local Area Connection, File, click Open Custom
click Properties, click Configure, and Settings File, and double-
choose the Advanced tab. Select the click the CCS folder.
Link Speed & Duplex setting on the Open the folder that
left and use the drop-down menu to matches your connec-
select the entry that matches the max- tion type (such as 56K
imum speed of your NIC (which is for dial-up users) and
usually the 100Mbps/Full Duplex set- double-click the file
ting for most modern devices). Click that matches your OS.
OK and reboot the computer. (WinXP users should
double-click the file that
has “2k” somewhere in
Tw e a k W i n d o w s its name.) The Cable and
Windows has a lot to do with the ADSL files also are sep-
efficiency of your modem or NIC, arated into Fast and
and there are several settings you can Normal versions, so you
adjust to smooth the connection. It’s should use Fast first, see
very difficult to edit things manually, how it works, and then CableNut automatically modifies a number of connection
so we recommend that you download repeat this process to settings that are scary to edit manually.
Products such as this FA120 from NETGEAR let you add networking capabilities doubled and occasionally tripled the ef-
to your computer using a common USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection. fectiveness of our connection when
routing everything through ONSPEED’s
servers, especially at text-heavy sites. Just
remember that the price of $49.99 per
year breaks down to about $4.17 per
month, so if you can upgrade to a
broadband connection at a similar cost,
that’s a much better option.
Make A Stink
Internet accelerators such as ON- If you aren’t getting as much out
SPEED ($49.99 per year; www.on of your Internet connection as you’d
speed.com) use data compression to like, don’t hesitate to call your ISP
pack all of the files from a Web page and demand that its staff look into
into a much smaller amount of space. directly from your computer, and it. Competition in the ISP market is
The software on your end of the com- when they don’t (because ONSPEED fierce, and many companies will do just
puter then unpacks the files and dis- or another accelerator is making them about anything to retain their cus-
plays them via your Web browser. If on your behalf), these sites think spy- tomers. For example, if it seems to take
the compression routine can pack a ware is sending the requests. For in- a long time to connect to every site you
100KB text file into 10KB of space, the stance, when we enabled ONSPEED visit, but files download normally once
theory is that you should be able to on one of our test sys- the connection is es-
transfer that text file to your computer tems and tried to con- tablished, check to see
in one-tenth of the normal amount of duct a Google search, if the ISP’s DNS (do-
time. Therefore, if you’re using a me- Google often refused main name system)
tered access plan that charges you to cooperate until we servers are to blame.
based on the amount of data you typed in an on-screen (For more information
download, the benefits are twofold be- code to prove there see “On & Off The
cause you receive much larger files on was a human sitting Job” on page 60.)
your end than actually pass through at our computer. To investigate this,
the connection, so you pay less, and We tested ON- WinXP users can click
you receive those files faster. SPEED with a 3Mbps Run from the Start
The main problem with a service (megabits per second) menu, type cmd in the
such as this is that everything must cable broadband con- Open field, and click
pass through the service’s servers, nection, and the re- OK. Next, type ping
If the Internet connection
which means that if you have a slow sults were spotty. www.XYZ.com (where
continually drops whenever
connection to its servers, everything Oftentimes, just con- XYZ is the name of the
you’re away from your PC, turn
slows down. In addition, this arrange- necting to the sites we site you’re having
off the idle disconnect setting.
ment raises privacy issues because usually visited took problems with) and
everything you type and everything much longer than write down the IP
you request passes through the ser- normal, which negated the value of (Internet Protocol) address that appears
vice’s servers, so make sure you close- getting data faster once we got there. in brackets next to the domain name
ly inspect its privacy policy before Overall, ONSPEED occasionally dou- you typed. Type that numeric address
installing this type of software. bled the speed of the connection into your Web browser’s address bar
Another problem is that most files during our tests, but it also frequently (don’t forget the periods), press EN-
created for Web pages are already op- cut the connection to as little as one- TER, and then see how quickly your
timized to the point where compres- quarter of its typical speed because of browser connects. If it connects at a rate
sion can’t do much more to make the initial connection delay. that’s significantly faster than when you
them any smaller—even if the accel- The service is much more viable for type the domain name, tell your ISP to
erator uses proprietary compression dial-up users, though. In many cases, upgrade its DNS servers. Slow connec-
routines, as ONSPEED does. the compression really makes a differ- tions are rarely your fault. ❙❙
A final major caveat is that certain ence, and while testing a system with
Web sites expect requests to come a dial-up connection, we commonly BY TRACY BAKER
I
f you’ve ever upgraded your cell phone, you know
what a pain it can be to transfer your contacts’ phone
numbers from one phone book to the next. While
some phone companies will transfer your phone book to
your new cell for a small fee, doing it yourself provides
more options and flexibility. With the right tools, you can
create regular backups, com- Because we can’t cover all
pose ringtones, and synchro- data transfer programs and
nize your phone book with options in the course of this
Outlook or Outlook Express. article, we’ll focus on trans-
Although most basic cell ferring phone numbers be-
phones don’t come with the tween your PC and cell
ability to synchronize with phone using the DataPilot
your computer, many cell Universal Kit. Other kits and
phone manufacturers sell programs should operate in
a data transfer cable with a similar manner, but be
software. Other alternatives sure to thoroughly read any
are also available, such as users manuals.
Although the the DataPilot Universal Kit
($79.95; www.datapilot.com).
This kit comes with software
Start Your Engines
Merge tool claims and nine connectors that let Before you can back up
you connect the majority your phone book to your PC,
to eliminate of phones from manufac-
turers such as Motorola,
you’ll need to install the
DataPilot software. During
The DataPilot
Samsung, LG, Nokia, Sanyo, installation in Windows XP
software lets
duplicate entries, and Sony Ericsson to your
you back up
(the kit also supports Win
computer. 98SE/Me/2000), you’re likely
your cell’s
Kits such as the DataPilot to see Windows Logo testing
this feature didn’t Universal also provide addi-
address book,
warnings. Click Continue
create
tional functionality that’s not Anyway each time to proceed
ringtones,
work as well as we necessarily available through
other options. For example,
and more.
through the installation.
After installing the soft-
DataPilot Universal lets you ware, connect the appropriate
had hoped. check your email on the go, using your phone adapter to the USB cable and
cell phone as a wireless modem for then connect the USB cable to your
your laptop. Also, creative enthusiasts PC (leaving the phone disconnected).
can create ringtones and download Your PC should display the Found
pictures from their cell phones. How- New Hardware Wizard. In this wizard
ever, these extraneous features are sub- Windows ought to recognize the new
ject to compatibility with your phone hardware as the Susteen Universal
and service provider. Cable II. Select Install The Software
Installation Complete
Transfer data between your cell phone and PC with the DataPilot cables and software.
Now that you’ve completed the in-
stallation process, open the DataPilot
software and click the Settings button. we don’t recommend this approach as which COM port your phone is using.
After selecting your country, you’ll see it may take your computer several min- Click OK to close the message and
a Communication Setting dialog box utes to figure out what type of cell then click OK to exit the Communica-
that asks you to select the COM Port, phone you have. At minimum, you tion Setting dialog box. Your computer
Country, Make, and Model of your should specify the Make of your cell will then establish a connection with
phone. If you know the COM Port that phone. After selecting Make and Model your phone.
the DataPilot software should use to options, click OK. If you cannot find
communicate between your phone and your particular model of cell phone,
We’re Almost There
PC, select it; otherwise, select Auto update the DataPilot software. Once
Config Or IrDA. you click OK, the computer will at- After starting the DataPilot Launch-
Even though you can select Auto tempt to detect your phone. If suc- er, click the Phone Book Manager icon
Detect for the Make and Model fields, cessful, DataPilot will let you know in the upper-left corner of the Data-
Pilot home screen to begin the process
of syncing your phone list. Next, open
The DataPilot Universal Kit comes with nine the Communication menu in the
cables that are compatible with most Phone Book Manager and select Read
cell phones. All to download a list of contacts from
your cell phone.
After reading the list of contacts from
your cell phone, you can rearrange, re-
name, or delete them. If you want to sync
your computer address book with your
cell address book, select File and Import
Address Book and choose Outlook,
Outlook Express, or Palm Desk
top as appropriate. To com-
bine the phone book on
your cell phone and the one
on your computer, navigate to
the Tool menu and select Merge.
Although the Merge tool claims to
eliminate duplicate entries, this feature
Rest Easy
With your cell’s address book back-
ed up, you can relax, knowing you
won’t lose any important numbers if
your cell phone goes missing or bites
the dust. With a program such as the
DataPilot Universal Kit, it’s easy to
back up your phone list or transfer it
to a new phone. Now you can spend
your time on other things, such as
shopping for a new phone. ❙❙
DataPilot’s Phonebook Manager software works with Outlook, Outlook Express, and Palm Desktop.
BY JENNIFER JOHNSON
Spreadsheet hen an Excel task has you stumped and The Contents tab is organized like a table of con-
Beginner
W the nerdy guy in the next cubicle is on va-
cation, it’s time to get proactive. Excel’s Help files
tents, with Help topics arranged under big head-
ings such as Getting Started and Charts. Click the
2002 for can be reached several ways and usually turn out plus sign beside a heading to see the topics under it.
Win9x/NT to be pretty helpful. The Answer Wizard tab lets you type a question,
4.0/2000/XP such as “How do I insert dates in cells?,” and get
information on the topic. The more keywords you
Ask For Help
put in your question (such as “insert,” “date,” and
The most obvious approach is to click the Help “cell” in our example), the more targeted your re-
menu. It lists multiple options, but you can click sults. Click Search and several topics appear in the
the first one, Microsoft Excel Help, to get started. box below the one where you entered your ques-
Here you’ll meet everybody’s software pal, the tion. Click the topic that looks most promising,
Office Assistant. This little cartoon (which typi- and it appears in full in the pane to the right.
cally looks like a cheerful paper clip) floats Another option in the left pane is the Index tab,
around the screen until you summon it, which a tool that’s both more streamlined and more ex-
often happens unwittingly. haustive. Here you enter a word, such as “date,”
When you choose the Help menu’s first item, and click Search, and Excel lists everything it finds
the Assistant produces what with that keyword in it. The list can be a long one,
looks like a cartoon strip’s dia- including things like the COUPPCD function and
logue bubble. It’s actually a di- adding dates. Narrow things down by typing a
alog box where you can ask the couple of keywords in the box, such as date; insert,
Assistant questions. In the white or by clicking a keyword on the list in the window.
box at the bottom of the dialog
box, type a few words about
Navigating Help Articles
what you’re looking for. If
you’re trying to learn about Many Help articles include text that looks like a
charts, for example, type chart Web link. Sometimes, clicking them opens a defini-
in the box and press ENTER. tion of a term, such as “shortcut menu.” Other links
The Assistant produces a list open up more detailed information on a topic.
Find answers of Help topics it thinks are close to what you’re You’ll often see windows full of a dozen topics that
to your Excel looking for. Click one of them to summon a new all look like hyperlinks. This is information that’s
questions by Microsoft Excel Help window with an article on been collapsed for easier browsing; click a link to see
posing them to the relevant topic. all the steps you need on a particular topic.
the cartoony Another approach that produces the same re- Some Help topics, especially those explaining
Office Assistant sult is to type your questions in the drop-down how a function works, include sample data. This
or skipping the box in the upper-right corner of the window. information gives you a live example that makes it
middleman and For quick help about items on-screen, choose easier to understand how formulas work. You can
heading straight Help and What’s This. The cursor now has a ques- study the info in the Help window or paste it into
for the official tion mark beside it—when you click something, an actual worksheet, so you can better learn how
Help window. such as toolbar button, a definition appears. the function operates.
Sometimes you’ll click a Help topic and get a
wordy message in the right pane that’s headed with
Using The Help Window The Page Cannot Be Displayed. This means the
Once you’re in the Help window, you can get se- Help topic is located on Microsoft’s Web site, and
rious about finding detailed info on a topic. The Excel couldn’t find a live Internet connection.
Assistant may have taken you directly to what you If you find a Help topic so useful that you’d like
need with the article in the right pane. But if the ar- to have it in hard copy form, click the printer icon
ticle isn’t what you’re looking for, it’s time to go at the top of the window. ❙❙
searching. The left pane features three tabs you
can use to dig deeper. BY TREVOR MEERS
Image Processing he Internet has made it easy to share files, and necessary information.) Registering for an ID
Beginner
T sometimes that isn't such a good thing.
Consider how this ability affects professional pho-
through Digimarc, however, requires a subscription
to MyPictureMarc. Details about and pricing of its
8 for tographers, for instance. When their photos are annual subscription packages are available at
Win98SE/Me/NT published, it's obvious who took the snapshot. But www.digimarc.com/mypicturemarc/buy-now.asp.
4.0/2000/XP put that work on the Web, and others can down- Once you have a Creator ID, enter it into the
load it and falsely claim that property as their own. Personalize Creator ID fields and click OK. You're
(NOTE: Corel When you "sign" your work with a digital water- now back at the Embed Watermark dialog box,
acquired Jasc mark, you're telling the world that this is your where we’ll guide you through the next set of steps.
Software, so the image. This permanent proof of authenticity is in-
most recent ver- visible to the viewer, but a computer can clearly
sion, Paint Shop
Watermark Features
detect it. Paint Shop Pro can help you create a
Pro 9, may list watermark for your masterpieces. Regardless of whether you chose to obtain a
Corel as the Creator ID, you'll want to customize the rest of the
developer.) watermark features. Under Copyright Information,
The Creator ID you have the option of entering two different years.
Before you begin, you need to take one prepara- The current year is already filled in for you, but if
tory step: Open the image in the software and make you'd like to enter an earlier year, you can go as far
sure you have flattened it to just one layer. If you back as 1922, the earliest year that Digimarc allows.
place a digital watermark onto a multilayered image The category (on the dialog box) titled Image
and then make changes to a layer, the watermark Attributes is a set of options you can select to in-
may become degraded. Plus, you can embed a dig- form others about the way in which you intend
ital watermark into a layer only once, so it's best to your work to be used. Restricted Use means that
have the image ready the image is under your control and someone else
before you start. cannot copy or otherwise use it without your per-
Open the Image mission. Do Not Copy indicates you own the
menu, choose Water- image and others don’t have permission to copy it.
marking, and select The last option, Adult Content, is used by adult-
Embed Watermark. content providers in what Digimarc calls a "self-
The Embed Watermark policing function." If any of these options apply to
dialog box prominently your work, select the appropriate checkbox.
displays the Digimarc Now set the watermark strength. As we said, dig-
logo. Corel (which ac- ital watermarks are invisible to the human eye but a
quired Jasc Software) computer can detect them. If you want the water-
has teamed with Digi- mark to display on-screen, select Monitor from the
marc, a pioneer in this Target Output drop-down menu and then leave
area, to offer this tech- the Watermark Durability number at the default
nology to Paint Shop value of 8. If you want the watermark to appear on
Pro users. If you wish to a printed image, select Print from the drop-down
Use a digital use the basic Jasc Watermark Demo as the creator menu and leave the Watermark Durability number
watermark to ID, that's fine; this will indicate that a Paint Shop at the default value of 12. Or, use the slider bar and
protect your Pro user created it, and for many users, this level of experiment with various strengths.
photos from authenticity is sufficient. But if you'd like to create Finally, click the Verify checkbox and click
copyright your own ID, click the Personalize button. The OK. Nice job; you've digitally protected your
violations. Personalize Creator ID dialog box can link you to image. The watermark is virtually invisible, but
the Digimarc site to obtain an ID. Click Register you can view it anytime by opening the Image
and the Digimarc site provides info on how to ob- menu, choosing Watermarking, and selecting
tain an ID number, a PIN number, and a password. Read Watermark. ❙❙
(If you aren't online, you can call the toll-free
number listed in the dialog box and obtain the BY HEIDI V. ANDERSON
FolderShare ultiple computers means you have multiple you want to carry a copy of the synced folder. Next,
Beginner
M places where you can forget to load the files
you need. If you’ve found yourself at home when
browse to the drive and folder where you want to
save the data. You can choose existing folders that
the file you need is at work or on the road with a already contain files, and FolderShare will create
laptop missing the latest version of an important the necessary copies so that each machine eventu-
document, FolderShare might be for you. ally carries all of the files in the specified folders.
FolderShare features several cool functions. First When you finish adding computers, FolderShare
and foremost, it serves as a tool to sync folders on will ask for a Library Name for the new set of
multiple computers, so synced folders. You can choose anything, but it
you can keep identical might be less confusing if you use the same name
folders of documents on for the library and the synced folder on each ma-
your home PC, laptop, chine. Choose Automatic Sync as your sync type in
and work-related com- order to keep all of the files updated automatically.
puter. Then, when you After that, FolderShare takes care of the rest. If
make changes to a file on the folders you selected include a lot of files, it may
one computer, Folder- take quite awhile for everything to transfer via the
Share will feed updates Internet, but the process should start working right
via the Internet to the away. Data is encrypted during its journey online,
other synced machines. and only those who know your user ID and pass-
Microsoft recently word (or those to whom you’ve granted access) can
purchased FolderShare log in to browse through your files. FolderShare
and offers it at no charge. transfers any file up to 2GB in size.
To the relief of many
cross-platform users,
FolderShare still supports
Side Benefits
FolderShare is a Macs, despite its new owners. And at the low, Along with syncing folders for yourself, you can
remarkable free low price of $0, FolderShare is well worth a look. set FolderShare to share libraries with other
service that FolderShare users. You also can download indi-
automatically vidual files on an as-needed basis from any of your
syncs folders Get In Sync machines through any Web browser, even when
on multiple Try out FolderShare at www.foldershare.com. using a computer that isn’t running the Folder-
computers via You’ll need to create an account and install a small Share software. The sync function has limitations,
the Internet. FolderShare Satellite program on each computer though. FolderShare only syncs entire files, not
As long as you want to include in your setup. After setting up data within files. That means that you can’t merge
your system is one computer, go to the second (and third, and records within a database or merge emails inside an
running the fourth, etc.) computer, log in to your FolderShare Outlook file, for example. And problems will arise
FolderShare account, and click the Download link. Here, you if a file is opened and edited at the same time on
software, you can pick the Mac or Windows version of the soft- two different synced machines. You may not be
can view and ware. Also, remember to log on with the same ID able to use FolderShare on work or school com-
download files and password on all of your machines. puters that are positioned behind firewalls (or if
from anywhere. With Satellite running on all of the relevant you don’t have the requisite permissions to install
computers, sit down at any of them and log on to the FolderShare software on those computers).
FolderShare again. Click Sync My Folders and then Within those boundaries, FolderShare does a
Select Folders to Sync. The next page includes icons terrific job. The process of syncing folders among
for each of your computers; pick the one with the computers also provides the advantage of having
files you want to duplicate. Click Specify A Folder an automatic backup system in place. After all, it
and browse through the lists to find the right only takes one hard drive crash to ruin your day
folder. (You also can create a new folder.) (or week). ❙❙
FolderShare saves your choice and presents the
computer icons again; now pick another computer BY ALAN PHELPS
Word Processing ast month we looked at the basics of templates regardless of how you created it. Create a new
Intermediate
L and how to find them within Microsoft Word
2002 and on the Web. We will talk about how to
template and then click File and Save As. Click the
Create New Folder button, enter a name for the
2002 for create a new template, transfer elements between template, and then click OK. Open the Templates
Win9x/Me/NT templates, and add to the global template in dialog box, and there will be a new tab for the
4.0/2000/XP this column. folder you just created and your saved template.
Word gives you the ability to create new tem- It’s easy to transfer elements between tem-
plates from an existing one, from a document, plates directly using the Organizer. Click Tools,
or from scratch. Each approach has its Templates And Add-Ins, and Organizer. The
own uses. Organizer dialog box contains a section for the
Sometimes Word may have a template active document or template and the global tem-
that isn’t exactly what you need. Open plate, which is Normal.dot unless you changed it.
an existing template by clicking File, At the bottom of the box is a description of the
New, and General Templates. Choose selected item, which can be a style, piece of auto
one and click the Template button in text, toolbar, or macro, depending upon what tab
the lower right of the box. Click OK. you chose.
The template opens, ready for you to Click Close File under one or both of the tem-
edit. Click File and Save, name the file, plates or documents that appear in the dialog box
and save it when you are done mak- and then click Open File to use the template or
You can add
ing changes. document you want. Copy elements from the left
elements to the
After a while you may find yourself creating document or template to the right by clicking the
global template
documents with the same layout and styles. For Copy button. Click Rename or Delete to perform
Normal.dot from
example, you may create faxes with the same those functions.
other templates
basic layout that are destined for various recipi-
by using the
ents. In this case, it’s often more efficient to
Templates And
create a template out of an existing document.
Add To A Global Template
Add-Ins dialog
Open the document from which you are going Global templates contain elements that are
box.
to create the template. available to all open documents. The default
Eliminate any specific in- global template is Normal.dot, but you can add
formation, such as the other templates to it, and as such, you can apply
name of the person the template elements to a document without having
fax is going to. Click Save to add them to Normal.dot.
As and choose Docu- Add to a global template by clicking Tools and
ment Template (*.dot) in Templates And Add-Ins. Click Add to open the
the Save As Type drop- folder that contains your templates. This folder
down menu. Enter a will vary depending on which version of
name for the template. Windows you are using.
By default, Word will Select the template you want to use and then
save the new template in click OK. The Templates And Add-Ins dialog box
The Organizer
a folder of user templates. The template will be appears with the added global template in the list.
lets you directly
available under the General tab of the Templates Select the box next to it to activate it. The tem-
transfer elements,
dialog box. plate will be deselected the next time you start
such as Styles,
Lastly, you can create a new template in the Word, so you will need to open the Templates
AutoText,
same way you create a document. Just choose And Add-Ins dialog box and select it again.
Toolbars, and
Document Template (*.dot) in the Save As Type That’s our whirlwind tour of templates in
Macro Project
drop-down box when you are finished adding the Microsoft Word 2002. We will present more fo-
Items, from one
elements you want. cused information on templates in future issues,
template to
Users aren’t restricted to the Templates dialog but for now, you know how to get started. ❙❙
another.
box tabs Word creates by default. You can
save templates in a folder of your own making, BY TOM HANCOCK
Office Suites ordPerfect’s writing tricks include a few Type, controls the feature. Simply remove the check
Intermediate
W quick fixes. We turn to QuickCorrect and
SpeedLink, two tools designed to do at least some
mark to disable it. Select the second box, Correct
Other Mistyped Words When Possible, if you want
Win9x/Me/ of your work for you. to allow WordPerfect to automatically correct typos
2000/XP QuickCorrect instantly corrects common that have only one possible correction.
typing mistakes, such as misspellings and extra
spaces. SpeedLink, similar in some ways to
Link Up Quickly
QuickWords, can automatically expand key-
stroke shortcuts into full hypertext links. Another tab on the QuickCorrect dialog box is
SpeedLink. WordPerfect creates hyperlinks in
your documents whenever you enter text that be-
Expand The List gins with “http,” “www,” “ftp,” or “mailto.”
QuickCorrect includes a list of common errors, SpeedLink also offers a way to hide the actual
as well as the means to build up the list to accom- URL behind a clickable link. To do so, designate
modate your own quirky mistakes. It doesn’t take the visible link text through the QuickCorrect di-
long to peruse the list to see if your own frequent alog box. On the SpeedLink tab, enter the text in
typos already appear there. If they the Link Word box. WordPerfect automatically
don’t, you can add them to the adds @ in front of the shorthand you typed. In the
QuickCorrect list easily. Location To Link To box type the URL for the Link
To open QuickCorrect, go to the Word’s destination. For example, type Smart in the
Tools menu and click QuickCorrect. Link Word box and http://www.smartcomput
The QuickCorrect dialog box ap- ing.com in the Location To Link To box. Click Add
pears with its eponymous tab on Entry. Now when @Smart is entered in a docu-
top. To add a recurring personal ment, WordPerfect changes it to Smart as a click-
typo to the list, enter the error in the able link, underlined and colored blue.
Replace box and then enter the cor- WordPerfect doesn’t recognize Link Words as
rect spelling in the With box. Click case sensitive, so if you type @smart computing,
Add Entry. QuickCorrect is not lim- the link text will be lowercase even though the
ited to single-word typos. You can shorthand designation is Smart. So if you want
also use it with a pair of words. the link to appear as a proper noun, don’t forget
QuickCorrect to enter the first letter capitalized.
lists common
punctuation Other Quirks
errors and Update Links
QuickCorrect is not just for mistakes. You can
misspellings. use it to automatically expand abbreviations. If you The Internet is a fluid place where hyperlinks
want to replace OFC with Official Fan Club, enter often change. Should this happen to a SpeedLinks
the former in the Replace box and the latter in the entry, it’s simple to fix. Click the entry you wish to
With box. edit from the Location To Link To list. Select the
If you have wacky shorthand you use with col- text in the Location To Link To box and enter the
leagues, special words, or inside jokes with new destination. Click Replace Entry. However,
friends that involve deliberate misspellings, you editing the SpeedLink entry won’t change any links
can adjust QuickCorrect to ignore them. Look for already embedded in your document.
the misspelling on the QuickCorrect list and As with QuickCorrect, WordPerfect’s enables
delete it if you don’t want the typo automatically SpeedLink by default. If you’re typing text that be-
corrected. To delete an entry, select it on the gins with “www,” and it doesn’t turn blue when
QuickCorrect list and click Delete Entry. you press ENTER, check to see that the box
WordPerfect enables QuickCorrect by default, marked Format Words As Hyperlinks When You
but you can turn the whole thing off. At the Type Them is checked. ❙❙
bottom of the QuickCorrect dialog box, there are
two checkboxes. The first, Replace Words As You BY ANNE STEYER PHELPS
Presentation s any regular PowerPoint user knows, the look better, press CTRL-Z or choose the Edit
Intermediate
A program rarely makes you search very long
for some kind of prefab component to drop into
menu’s Undo Color Scheme option.
You can apply new schemes more selectively by
2002 for your presentations. Whether you need fancy clicking the Down arrow that appears next to each
Win9x/Me/ fonts, star-shaped objects, organizational charts, scheme’s thumbnail when you rest the cursor over
NT 4.0/2000/XP or dozens of other items, Microsoft built plenty the thumbnail. If you’d rather apply the new
of them at the ol’ PowerPoint factory. scheme to only certain slides, click the arrow and
Color schemes are no exception. Whenever you choose Apply To Selected Slides.
create slides using a design template, PowerPoint
assigns a palette of colors designed to work well
Customizing Schemes
together. All the elements, such as slide titles, hy-
perlinks, shadows, and bullets, get the preassigned Eventually you’ll feel that daring need to make
colors as soon as you add them to a slide. your own color schemes. To do so, click the Design
It’s worth taking PowerPoint’s suggestion on button on the Formatting toolbar and choose
most of these color setups. Poor color selection Color Schemes. (Skip this step if you already have
can make slides either unappealing or downright the Color Schemes task pane open.) Click Edit
unreadable for your audience. The combos avail- Color Schemes.
able in the color schemes should help you avoid On the Custom tab of the dialog box, click the
really awful choices such as color box of the item you want to change, such as
placing red type on a green Title Text, and then click Change Color. This
background. Of course, if opens a new dialog box where you have enough
you do decide to make your color options to make you feel like a kid digging
own color selections, we’ll into that first box of 64 crayons. The Standard tab
cover below how to do so. lets you choose from dozens of existing colors, and
To see the hues a color the Custom tab lets you mix up a color of your
scheme specifies for various choosing. When you find one you like, click OK.
parts of a slide, you could in- Once you finish changing colors, click Apply,
sert a few elements into a test and the new colors go into a freshly created color
slide to see how PowerPoint scheme that’s added to those available for the de-
colors them. But the simpler sign template you’re using. Each presentation can
PowerPoint’s
approach is to view the entire scheme all at once by have up to 16 color schemes.
color schemes
choosing Format and Slide Design. Click Color While you’re developing your new color
make it
Schemes in the upper-right corner of the window scheme, you can see how your selections look on
easy to design
to open the Color Schemes task pane. slides without actually finishing the new color
attractive slides,
The thumbnails to the right represent all the scheme. Click the Preview button in the Edit
and you can
color schemes available within the design tem- Color Scheme dialog box to see your look-in-
customize the
plate used to create your presentation. For a better progress applied to the active presentation.
look if you’re
view of each thumbnail, rest the pointer over one
feeling creative.
of the thumbnails, click the Down arrow to the
Sharing Schemes
right, and choose Show Large Previews. Now you
can clearly see how slide titles or chart fill colors You may get so good at creating color schemes
will look under each potential scheme. that you create your own custom look. One way to
do this is to copy the color formatting between
slides. Click a slide with the scheme you want to
Trying New Schemes copy and then double-click the Format Painter
Apply a different color scheme to the active button on the Standard toolbar. Go to the destina-
presentation by clicking one of the scheme tion presentation and click each slide to which you
thumbnails in the task pane. Clicking a thumb- want to apply the new scheme. ❙❙
nail applies the new scheme to every slide in your
presentation. If you decide you liked the previous BY TREVOR MEERS
Firefox 1.x he open-source Firefox browser is a flexible Those just starting out with extensions should
Intermediate
T piece of software that invites other developers
and code-wise users to add new functionality to its
make their way online to the Firefox Add-ons
gallery (addons.mozilla.org/extensions). If typing
most recent build. So, if Firefox doesn’t perform a that Web address is too much work, you can
task the way you prefer, there might just be an add- simply click the small Get More Extensions link at
in among the growing multitude of third-party ex- the bottom of the Extensions dialog box.
tensions. Coming from a var-
iety of sources, extensions run
Better Browsing
the gamut from useful to silly:
The Abe Vigoda Status exten- The Firefox Add-ons page lets you search for ex-
sion, for instance, obviously tensions by keyword or just browse around. For a
doesn’t increase your produc- good overview of the types of extensions many
tivity level, but there are many users find useful, click the Popular link. You also
other extensions that earn can browse individual categories using the links
their keep by adding new tools, along the side of the page.
customizing the Firefox inter- The typical extension description lacks much de-
face, or putting important in- tail, but you can always test drive an extension to
formation where you want it. measure its usefulness. Each entry in the catalog in-
With almost 1,000 exten- cludes a link to download and install that particular
sions available and more pop- extension automatically, assuming you’ve enabled
Firefox’s ping up each day, it’s a sure bet that at least one JavaScript in Firefox. During the download, the
Extensions dialog of them will bring Firefox just a bit closer to your Extensions dialog box opens to show you the
box displays vision of the ideal browser. status, but many of the transfers are small enough
which add-ons that the progress bar moves pretty fast. In most
you’ve installed, cases, you’ll need to restart Firefox before the ex-
as well as their Check Your Setup tension will begin to work.
current status. To check which extensions are already installed You may find yourself revisiting the Firefox Add-
in your copy of Firefox, open the Tools menu and ons gallery from time to time to see what’s fresh.
click Extensions. The Extensions dialog box dis- New extensions are added all the time, and old ex-
plays each extension with a brief description of its tensions might be updated with additional features.
purpose. Click an entry and then click Options to There’s no actual limit to the number of extensions
configure a particular extension. Some extensions you can install, so it can be easy to get carried away.
have little or no configurable options, whereas Downloading a newer version of Firefox some-
others are highly customizable with settings on times disables older extensions that weren’t written
multiple tabs. To learn more about an extension or with the upgraded environment in mind. To check
what its options do, right-click it in the Extensions for shiny new versions of your extensions, open the
dialog box and choose Visit Home Page, which will Extensions dialog box and click Find Updates.
take you to a site devoted to that particular exten- Firefox automatically checks all of your installed
sion (although whether this shortcut actually works extensions (even if you disabled them) for more re-
is up to the extension’s developer). Sometimes, you cent replacements. You may see dedicated Update
may need to play around with the settings yourself Now buttons next to some disabled extensions.
to figure out how things work. Because authors of extensions generally aren’t in
To temporarily turn off an extension, right-click it for the money, some extensions might languish
it and choose Disable. If you want to completely re- disabled for a while whenever Firefox undergoes a
move it, select it and click Uninstall. (To complete significant upgrade. That’s a risk you take when
the uninstall process, you’ll probably need to close you install and grow to love an extension, but even
all Firefox windows and restart the program.) a brief relationship with a more perfect browser is
Installing a new extension is just as easy as get- probably worth it. ❙❙
ting rid of it. The main trick is tracking down
which extension (or extensions) you’d like to use. BY ALAN PHELPS
Microsoft Question: I do a lot of editing using Microsoft formatting, just move your pointer into
Word Word, and I’m always straightening out formats. the Selected Text box, click the Down arrow
Is there an easy way to see my document format- that appears, and select the Select All Text
ting or find text that has the same format? With Similar Formatting entry. Word will high-
light all the text in your document with those
Answer: Microsoft Word 2003 offers visibility format attributes.
into your text formatting. If you want to see If you want to start the document’s formatting
how certain text is formatted, select the text from scratch, select the entire document, click
you’re interested in and then click Format and Format and Reveal Formatting, move your arrow
Reveal Formatting. A window will open along into the Selected Text box, click the Down arrow
the right side of your page that lists the specifics that appears, and select the Clear Formatting entry.
of your selected text. If you want to see all of the This will return the document to its default format,
text in your document that has the same and you can reapply new formats as necessary.
Microsoft Question: I want to display a Microsoft Power- (potentially much larger, if you’re including a
PowerPoint Point presentation on my laptop, but it doesn’t large number of fonts), but it should guarantee
have all the fonts and other elements that my that your presentation will look the same regard-
desktop PC has (so the slides don’t display cor- less of which system it is running on.
rectly). How can I show the presentation on the With PowerPoint 2003 open, click File and
new PC without having to install the same fonts Package To CD. Click the Options button, select
and such? the Embedded TrueType Fonts box, and click
OK. Now click the Copy To Folder button,
Answer: The best way to do this is to package your browse to the location where your packaged pre-
presentation. This adds a viewer utility, so you sentation should be stored, and click Select. This
can play PPT presentations on PCs that don’t places the packaged file on your original PC, but
have PowerPoint installed. It also allows you to you can always burn the packaged file to CD or
embed text fonts directly into PPT files. Of DVD later before taking the disc to another PC.
course, this makes the presentation file larger
Fans Question: I hear the fan in my new PC getting reduce noise and save electricity. When the PC is
louder and softer during the day. Is this normal, working hard, the fans speed up to carry away
or is there a problem? more heat. This is normal. On the other hand, if
your fan(s) sound as though they’re vibrating or
Answer: Most of today’s PCs use variable-speed grinding, have a technician address the problem
cooling fans. When the PC is idle, the main while the unit is still under warranty.
cooling fans slow down (perhaps even stop) to
Microsoft Question: I do a lot of traveling and often wind up with the time changes, and I’m always struggling
Outlook in a different time zone several times a week. But to adjust the time changes for my Calendar.
my Microsoft Outlook Calendar doesn’t keep up
Answer: Outlook 2003 lets you change your time
zone. Click Tools and Options and then click the
Calendar Options button on the Preferences tab.
Now click the Time Zone button and select your
current time zone from the drop-down menu.
Click OK to save your changes. This way you can
always keep Outlook running with your current
time zone, and reminders will arrive on time.
When you move to another time zone, just up-
date the setting in Outlook.
DirectX Question: I’m using a program that needs DirectX moments, the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window
9.0c. How can I tell if this is on my system al- will open and list details about your PC. The last
ready? If not, how do I install it? entry on the System tab will show your DirectX
version. Note your version number and click Exit
Answer: An easy way to check your version of to close the diagnostic.
DirectX is to simply use the DxDiag utility. In If you need to update DirectX, there are gener-
Windows XP just click Start and Run and type ally two options. One, the program you’re about to
dxdiag in the Open field. Click OK. After a few install may include the latest version of DirectX
and can install it as part of the overall program’s
installation process. Check the installation instruc-
tions that accompanied your program for more
details. Otherwise, you can download and install
the latest version of DirectX from Microsoft’s Web
site at www.microsoft.com/directx.
Once you upgrade DirectX, you may also want
to check for any graphics driver updates from
your video card manufacturer.
RAM Question: I added another gigabyte of RAM to my Performance And Maintenance, and System and
PC so that I could run applications without re- click the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button
lying on the hard drive for virtual memory, but in the Performance area and then select the
the program still hesitates as the hard drive Advanced tab. Click the Change button under
churns away. How can I stop this and make the Virtual Memory. Select the drive handling your
program run from memory only? paging file (virtual memory) and click the No
Paging File radio button. Click the Set button and
Answer: You might need to disable the virtual select OK to save your changes. Reboot the com-
memory on your PC. Close all of your applica- puter. Try your application again and see if its
tions. In WinXP click Start, Control Panel, performance smooths out.
D
VD players have quickly found their way into and its features don’t fit on one disc. However, this is
our hearts as a quality replacement for VCRs. quickly becoming less of a problem due to the introduc-
The extra features we can view on DVDs en- tion of the double-layer DVD (also referred to as a dual-
hance our viewing experience and add insight to movies, layer DVD), which packs two writeable surfaces on one
but it can be a little annoying if our favorite movie side of a disc.
Quick History
Many movies made before 2004 were put on discs
known as DVD-5s. These have one recordable side that can
hold 4.7GB of data, or roughly two hours of high-quality
video. However, Hollywood is putting more and more
movies on a new type of disc known as DVD-9.
This disc has two recordable faces on one side,
and with a capacity of 8.5GB, it nearly doubles the
capacity of DVD-5s.
Double-layer DVD+Rs (DVD+recordables) have
been around a while: The technology was announced in
October 2003, and the first recordable discs were released
for public use in early 2004. During the development of
Drives such as the NEC ND-3550A (about $50 online; double-layer technology, engineers focused on making
www.nec.com) can write to either DVD+R DL or double-layer DVDs compatible with normal DVD players.
DVD-R DL media. As a result, any DVD player you have should read double-
layer DVDs. In fact, you’ve probably already watched one
and not even realized it.
Compatibility Issues
Though double-layer discs can be played on practically DVD burner manufacturers are releasing products
all DVD players, things get a little more complicated that can burn both forms of media. Before you buy a
when you’re looking for the right media for your DVD 10-pack of DVD+R DLs, make sure your DVD burner
burner. There are two main types of double-layer DVDs: can write to double-layer discs and that it can write
DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL. There are certain DVD to DVD+R DLs. Also, check the optical drive’s manufac-
burners equipped to burn only DVD-R DLs and others turer’s Web site. Some are starting to offer firmware
that were made to burn only DVD+R DLs. However, this updates that will enable your burner to record both
is becoming less of a problem because more and more media types.
What To Do When . . .
Problem: A reader encounters a Solution: Talk about gobbledygook. legitimate error message with such mean-
particular error message almost every Although we have never encountered this ingless frivolities.
time he opens Internet Explorer. particular error message, we have seen The resolution, then, is for the reader
Sometimes he can close the message others like it. And most of the time, these to invest in an up-to-date antivirus utility,
immediately; other times, it takes him errors are caused by some kind of mali- such as McAfee VirusScan ($39.99 for
several tries before the message goes cious code, such as the P04n dialer one-year license; www.mcafee.com) or
away for good. The message doesn’t Trojan horse and the Netbus virus. We Symantec’s Norton AntiVirus ($39.99;
seem to have an adverse effect on suspect that’s also the case here. www.symantec.com), and give his system
his surfing, though. Why? Because of the clever riddle that a thorough cleansing. He also should
appears as the last line of the error mes- download and install antispyware, such as
Error Message: “16 bit MS-DOS sage: 2YYUR2YYUBICUR2YY4ME Webroot’s Spy Sweeper ($29.95; www
Subsystem. C:\WINDOWS\416434~ (translated as “too wise you are, too wise .webroot.com) or Computer Associates’
1.EXE. The NTVDM CPU has encoun- you be, I see you are too wise for me”). eTrust PestPatrol Anti-Spyware ($29.95;
tered an illegal instruction. CS:053f Legitimate software developers may lace www.pestpatrol.com), which will detect
IP:01af OP:63 6f 6e 74 65 Choose their pop-up messages with all sorts of and eliminate other forms of unwanted
‘Close’ to terminate the application. jargon, file names, and memory ad- code. One of these methods should take
2YYUR2YYUBICUR2YY4ME.” dresses, but they wouldn’t complicate a care of the error.
Problem: Ever since he Solution: Hkcmd.exe is the file name review the list of available updates (not
installed Windows XP SP2 for the Hotkey Command Module, a just the high-priority updates) for one
(Service Pack 2), a reader utility associated with the graphics driv- labeled Intel Graphics Controller, and in-
receives an error message each ers for the Intel 810 and 815 chipsets. stall the update on his PC. This will re-
time he starts his computer, The executable file enables a user to place the existing driver with a new one
but he can close the create hotkeys for activating various that no longer conflicts with WinXP.
message and continue graphics-related functions, but also is Second, he should install and run anti-
computing without known to conflict with certain WinXP spyware. Invasive programs have been
experiencing other problems. updates, including SP2. The reader can known to exploit the Hkcmd.exe file for
resolve the issue by undertaking two their own purposes. Antispyware will check
Error Message: “HKCMD reparative tasks. the Hkcmd.exe file to determine whether
module has encountered a problem First, he should access the Windows it has been contaminated, and then it will
and needs to close.” Updates site (update.microsoft.com), remove the infection if necessary.
Problem: Each time a reader starts S o l u t i o n : Determining the precise an answer to that question, the reader
WinXP, he receives an error cause of a generic message such as this can should return to the Startup tab of the
message. He can close the message be quite taxing, but we think we can help System Configuration Utility and select
and proceed into Windows without the reader resolve this particular issue only the first startup item on the list. He
any other problems. with minimal effort. then should click OK to accept the
We suspect that Windows is trying to change and reboot the computer. If he
Error Message: “Could not find load a corrupted program during the doesn’t receive the error message this
program code.” startup routine. All the reader has to do is time, he should go back to the System
pinpoint the program in question. He can Configuration Utility’s Startup tab, select
do so with a little help from the System another startup item, click OK, and re-
Configuration Utility. To access it, the boot the computer again. He needs to re-
reader should open the Start menu, select peat this process until he receives the
Run, type msconfig in the Open field of error message, at which point he will
the resulting dialog box, and click OK. know that the most recently selected
He then should choose the Startup tab in startup item is the culprit.
the System Configuration Utility, click Next, the reader can remedy the prob-
the Disable All button to deselect all of lem by removing the errant code—the
the startup items listed here, click OK, location of which is listed under the corre-
and reboot the PC. sponding Command and Location head-
Odds are good the reader won’t see the ings—associated with the startup item.
error message when Windows starts up Finally, after rebooting the computer and
(if he does, he should consider rein- determining that the error is gone for
stalling WinXP), thereby verifying that a good, the reader can safely reinstall the
corrupted program is indeed the source program that became corrupted and
of the error. But which one? To get caused all the trouble in the first place.
Problem: Whenever a reader tries to Solution: The Shell.dll file is a key When the disk scan is complete, the
install a program from a CD-ROM, he system component that, in basic terms, reader should perform an in-place up-
receives an error message. The message enables software to interact with Win- grade to reinstall the Shell.dll file and any
doesn’t prevent him from completing the dows. As such, it is a favorite target of other corrupted or damaged system files.
installation, and it doesn’t appear when virus and spyware developers. For this To perform such a maneuver, the reader
he inserts other types of CD-ROMs. reason, the reader should use his up-to- should boot to the Windows setup CD
date antivirus and antispyware utilities to and access the Welcome To Setup menu.
Error Message: “Cannot find scan his system for malicious code before Rather than press R, however, he should
Shell.dll.” he does anything else. press ENTER this time to set up WinXP.
Next, the reader should run the WinXP He can follow the on-screen instructions
Recovery Console to repair any hard drive to accept the EULA (End-User License
errors that might have damaged the file, Agreement), after which setup will ask
thereby prompting the message. He can whether he wants to repair an existing in-
do so by inserting the Windows setup CD stallation of Windows. The reader needs
in the computer and rebooting the system. to answer in the affirmative by high-
When the Welcome To Setup menu dis- lighting the drive on which Windows is
plays, he should press R and then press installed and pressing R.
ENTER to access the Recovery Console. Windows Setup will handle the situa-
Following the on-screen instructions, tion from here. It will reinstall key system
he can log into Windows and enter the files, restart the PC (the reader should re-
administrator’s password (if he has one). move the installation disc before the com-
A command prompt will eventually ap- puter reboots), and proceed with the rest
pear on-screen; when it does, the reader of the reinstall. The next time Windows
should type chkdsk /r and press ENTER. reboots, it should be as good as new.
Have questions about an error message you've seen? Send us your message (errormessages@smartcomputing.com), and
we'll try to decipher it. Tell us what version of Windows you're using, give the full text of the error message,
and provide as many details in your explanation as possible. Volume prohibits individual replies.
Fast Fixes
this 565KB update to stop the error
message from recurring. To down-
load the update, type the URL we
listed below in the Address field of
your browser window. After Micro-
link named Security Update For soft’s Download Center page loads,
Security Update For Outlook 2000 Windows XP (KB908519). On the next type KB900485 in the Search text
Problem: Microsoft pinpointed a page, click Download to save the file to box and click Go. Click the link
weakness in Outlook 2000 that could let your computer. After the file transfer is named Update For Windows XP
damaging code run on your PC when complete, double-click the downloaded (KB900485), and in the Validation
you open an email sent by a hacker. file (WindowsXP-KB908519-x86- Required box, click Continue. After
Resolution: Download and install ENU.exe) and follow the on-screen you validate your copy of Windows,
this update, which could be up to steps to complete the installation. click Download. Once the file
3.4MB depending on the update transfer is complete, double-click the
status of your computer. To down- www.microsoft.com/downloads downloaded file (WindowsXP-KB
load the update, type the URL we 900485-x86-ENU.exe) to begin the
listed below in the Address field of file installation process.
Streets & Trips 2006
your browser window. After Micro-
Construction Update
soft’s Download Center page loads, www.microsoft.com/downloads
type KB892842 in the Search text box Problem: The maps in your ver-
and click Go. Click the link named sion of Microsoft Streets & Trips
Security Update For Outlook 2000 2006 do not contain the most up-to-
(KB892842), and on the next page, date information regarding new
read the instructions for the down- roads and construction.
load procedure. If you have your Resolution: Download the newest
product’s CD-ROM, click the link map versions from Microsoft’s Web
that reads Office2000-kb892842-
client-enu.exe. If you don’t have
site. To download the update, type
the URL we listed below in the
Fix Of The Month
your CD-ROM or have problems Address field of your browser win- WinXP Graphics Rendering
with the first file, try the second link dow. After Microsoft’s Download Engine Update
(Office2000-kb892842-fullfile- Center page loads, type Streets and
enu.exe). After the transfer is com- Trips 2006 Construction Update in Problem: Microsoft found a vul-
plete, double-click the file to begin the Search text box, and click Go. nerability in the WinXP graphics
the installation process. Click the link named Streets And rendering engine that could let a
Trips 2006 Construction Update, and hacker take control of your PC.
www.microsoft.com/downloads on the next page, click Download. Resolution: Download and in-
After the file transfer is complete, stall this 711KB update to shield
move the downloaded file (Cons- your computer from such attacks.
Windows XP Security Patch tructionA5071522.dat) to the appro- To download the update, type the
Problem: Microsoft has found a priate folder (C:\PROGRAM FILES\ URL we listed below in the Address
problem with Windows XP that could MICROSOFT STREETS & TRIPS\ field of your browser window. After
let a hacker attack and take control of DATA) on your hard drive. Then, Microsoft’s Download Center page
your computer. when you restart the program, you’ll loads, type KB912919 in the Search
Resolution: Download and install see the updated maps. text box, and click Go. Click the
this 584KB fix to protect your PC from link named Security Update For
possible intrusions. To download the www.microsoft.com/downloads Windows XP (KB912919), and on
update, type the URL we listed below the next page, click Download.
in the Address field of your browser After the file transfer is complete,
Windows XP Service Pack 2 Error double-click the downloaded file
window. After Microsoft’s Download
Center page loads, type KB908519 in Problem: After you install WinXP (WindowsXP-KB912919-x86-
the Search text box, and click Go. Service Pack 2, you see an error mes- ENU.exe) to install the update.
You’ll see a list of updates, so scroll sage including the phrase: Stop 0x7e
through these options and click the In Aec.sys. www.microsoft.com/downloads
In Symantec’s Norton Internet Security pro- Next, open a particular sequence of pages—
Q gram, I’ve chosen the Prompt setting for in-
stances when a Web site wants to leave a cookie
and here’s where the version you have makes a
difference. For Norton Internet Security 2003
on my system. Now, whenever a site wants to and 2004: Click Privacy Control, Config-
place a cookie on my hard drive, I’m prompted ure, and Advanced. For version 2002: Click
to pick one of two choices: Accept Cookie or Options, Internet Security, and Advanced
Don’t Accept A Cookie. I’m also presented with Options. And for version 2001: Click Options
Utilities the choice to Always Use This Answer. I erro- and Advanced Options. Regardless of which
neously clicked the Don’t Accept A Cookie op- version you have, you should now see a Norton
tion and the Always Use This Answer setting, Internet Security Options or Properties dialog
and now a site I want to visit won’t let me in. box on-screen with a Web or Web Content tab.
How can I undo my choices? I’m using Windows On the tab, scroll through the Web address
XP Home Edition, with plenty of memory and list on the left and click the name of the Web
hard drive space. site you’re having trouble with due to your set-
tings regarding cookies. Click User Settings and
My husband purchased a new computer for to your new computer. It’s not perfect and
Q me to replace my old one. Both computers
have Windows XP Home Edition. What is the
doesn’t move everything, but it’s a good tool to
start with. All you’ll need is a blank 3.5-inch
easiest way to migrate the stuff on my old com- floppy diskette.
puter to my new one? We have a small home First, we’ll launch the wizard on your new
network, and the new computer is working fine computer. Click Start, All Programs, Acces-
on the network. sories, System Tools, and Files And Settings
Windows Transfer Wizard. When the wizard launches,
tell you to go to your old computer; as you do, computer. If you have a large number of files,
be sure to leave the wizard running on your this can take a bit of time. When the wizard
new computer. has completed the transfer, it will display a
Now insert the Wizard Disk you just created completion-type dialog box. Click Finish and
into your old computer. Launch the wizard as move to your new computer.
we previously described, and when the Once the wizard has completed transferring
Welcome To The Files And Settings Transfer your files and applying your settings, it too will
Wizard dialog box appears, click Next. Under display a completion-type dialog box. Click
the Select A Transfer Method heading, select Finish and then restart your computer for the
Home Or Small Office Network and click Next. changes to take effect.
When the wizard asks what you want to Although the Files And Settings Transfer
transfer, select Both Files And Settings and then Wizard does its best to make your new com-
click Next. puter a mirror of your old one, it isn’t infal-
The wizard will scan your old computer and lible. It generally migrates data from Microsoft
collect all the files and settings on it. This applications properly, but if you use a variety of
should only take a few minutes. When it is non-Microsoft applications, you’ll need to
complete, the wizard will ask you for the pass- manually migrate that data. Also, if you keep
word on your new computer. Enter the pass- your files in odd locations instead of My
word and click OK. Now the wizard will Documents and My Pictures, you’ll need to
transfer your files and settings over to your new specify that during the migration process.
I’ve been using Firefox for several months and others quickly became sources for soft-
Q now, and one question has always stuck in
my mind: How can Firefox be free?
ware developers to make incredible amounts
of money. Yet, despite this development, the
open-source ethos persisted.
Netscape initially paid developers to work on software on their computers for free? Some are
the Mozilla project, but a significant number of employees of large corporations that want to
software developers worked on Mozilla for insure that important FOSS projects have ade-
their own personal satisfaction. Eventually, the quate support. Others are programmers that
Mozilla Project became an independent organi- are just interested in a particular project and
zation and gave the most recent version of its work on it in their spare time. Some projects
browser the name of Firefox. even receive grants and donations that they use
Why do software developers work on pro- to hire full-time programmers. Whatever the
jects such as Firefox and let users install the reason, the end result benefits consumers.
I purchased a new computer that has a You also can check with the new computer’s
Q SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attach-
ment) hard drive. But my old computer has two
manufacturer to find out if there are legacy IDE
connectors on your new computer. Reputable
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drives that manufacturers will usually provide guides for
I want to use with the new computer. Is there any installing extra drives in your new computer.
way to add these two IDE drives? But if your new computer is only equipped
Hardware with SATA connectors, you have two options
means that as you open a file, the virus scanner at the same time. Antivirus programs often have
automatically evaluates the file before it opens. (or cause) problems when run concurrently.
One of the best free standalone antivirus pro- If you’re looking for a Web-based tool,
grams available is ALWIL Software’s avast! 4 Trend Micro’s Housecall (housecall.trend
Home Edition (www.avast.com), which features micro.com) is our top recommendation.
free automatic updates and offers protection Housecall works by downloading either an
against IM (instant messaging) and P2P (peer to ActiveX component or a Java program that
peer) viruses. In addition to using virus defini- scans your system. You simply visit the House-
tions to identify viruses, avast! 4 Home Edition call home page and click Scan Your PC. After
also uses heuristic analysis to identify virus-like you accept its Terms Of Use, Housecall will
behavior. This is an important way to find new, start scanning your system.
previously undetected viruses. However, using a Web-based service is less
Another good free standalone antivirus pro- than ideal for several reasons. First, it won’t pro-
gram is Grisoft’s AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition tect you continuously. Also, it takes longer for a
(www.grisoft.com), which has many of the Web-based service to scan your system than it
same features that avast! 4 Home Edition has, takes for a standalone program—even with a
but lacks heuristic analysis. high-speed Internet connection. Web-based pro-
If you’re looking for a standalone program, grams are better suited as an adjunct to stand-
we recommend trying either of these programs, alone antivirus software, or in situations where
but make sure that you don’t run both of them you’re unable to install software on a computer.
I have an extensive music collection stored Squeezebox supports both WEP (Wired
Q on my computer in MP3 form. I’d like to find
a way to access this collection from my stereo re-
Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected
Access). Plus, you can use more than one
ceiver in my living room, but my computer is in Squeezebox with SlimServer to distribute audio
the basement. Any ideas? I don’t want an ugly to multiple rooms in your house.
collection of cables and other gear cluttering up Although your MP3 audio collection lacks
Multimedia my room, either. the fidelity offered by CDs, the Squeezebox
can output its audio signal via RCA con-
Dell Dilemmas
& Nero Headaches
My mother has had several prob - out that withholding payments under any
lems with her Dell PC. One of the more re- circumstances is a violation of Dell’s credit
cent issues occurred in January 2005. At that agreement. DFS is an entirely different de-
time, Dell dispatched a serviceperson to install a partment and has no contact with Dell’s
new hard drive. When the serviceperson arrived, customer service or technical support docu-
ACTION EDITOR however, he determined that the current hard ments, so withholding payments will only
drive was not a problem and applied a short- draw the attention of collection agents.
Are you having trouble term fix rather than install the new drive. Regarding the replacement hard drive,
finding a product or Finally, in July, the system refused to even turn Dell maintains that the incident in July was
getting adequate service on. At that time, I contacted Dell to find out why a software issue, not a hardware issue that
from a manufacturer? If the technician didn’t install the new hard drive. might require a replacement component. It
so, we want to help solve Dell informed me that the technician had appears there was probably some confusion
your problem. Send us charged them for the drive, and there was between the Dell tech support agent and Jan
a description of the nothing they could do about it. When I called regarding the exact issues with the PC.
product you’re seeking the technician, he informed me that he no longer
or the problem you’re worked for Dell and hung up on me. Dell’s tech -
having with customer nical support refused to listen to me when I told I purchased Nero 7 Ultra for video editing
service. In billing dis- them the system refused to even turn on and on my Windows XP Media Center PC. The soft -
putes, include relevant refused to issue another replacement drive. ware initially worked fine, but now it completely
information (such as ac- Because we were not getting proper support freezes whenever I add a new video file. The only
count numbers or screen from Dell, I advised my mother to stop making way to exit the program is to manually kill the
names for online ser- payments on the system. Now she not only has a task. I have tried to uninstall and reinstall the
vices) and photocopies broken system, but she’s also receiving calls from software several times without any luck. I have
of checks. Include your collection agents on her outstanding balance. emailed several tech support requests to Nero,
phone number in case but I can’t get a proper response from the com -
we need to contact you. Jan Chisholm pany. At one point, I did get an email requesting
Carrabelle, Fla. that I attach a log, but I heard nothing further
Letters may be edited for after submitting the log.
length and clarity;
volume prohibits indi- Because Jan was handling the issue for her Edward Hess
vidual replies. elderly mother, we contacted Dell and Nampa, Idaho
passed along Jan’s contact information. Dell
Write to: contacted Jan and offered to replace the
Action Editor system and refund the money spent on an We contacted Ed requesting any serial num-
P.O. Box 85380 extended warranty. Jan, however, refused bers or case numbers that Nero might be
Lincoln, NE 68501-5380 the offer because Dell refused to provide any able to use to reference Ed’s previous help
financial relief on the past due amount. We requests. We passed that information to
Or send email to: contacted a PR representative with DFS Nero along with Ed’s contact information.
actioneditor@smart (Dell Financial Services) regarding the issue. Nero responded quickly by sending an email
computing.com Although he could not waive late fees and response the next morning and advised Ed
accrued interest, he did get Dell to provide to upgrade Nero Vision from version 4.0.0.1
Or fax us at: an additional $200 credit for bringing the to 4.1.0.9. The upgrade solved Ed’s problem
(402) 479-2104 account current. with Nero. (Nero Ultra 7 is a collection of
While our PR contact at DFS sympathized tools. The one Ed was having problems with
with Jan and her mother, he also pointed is Nero Vision, which is on version 4.)
Trapped In My Basement
B y the time you read this, I will probably have starved
to death.
No, I’m not on a diet, and it’s not as if there’s no food in
need her own blog, a GPS for her car, a wireless printer for
her office, a PDA, a Kodak EasyShare Gallery account, or a
cell phone, all of which she now owns and uses daily.
my house. There are plenty of goodies in the cupboards and So back to my predicament: I spend long, hard hours
lots of stuff in the fridge; I just can’t get to any of it. working at home in my basement office. (And by “working,”
It’s my wife’s fault, actually. of course, I mean watching baseball games, napping, surfing
Perhaps I should back up a bit. . . . At first, Lesley swore up the Internet, reading spy novels, and eating forbidden choco-
and down that she would never use a computer. “Why would late chip cookies.) Naturally enough, I sometimes get hungry
I want one of those?” she sneered. “It’s just an expensive while I’m down there, especially if I’ve run out of cookies. But
typewriter!” But somehow she ended up with a computer. in order to go from my office to the kitchen, I have to walk
Then she said she would never use email. “It’s too imper- past Lesley’s office. And here we arrive at the crux of my
sonal. Why would I dash off a note like that when I could problem: Because of her burgeoning collection of electronic
write a nice letter on beautiful stationery?” But somehow she gadgets, I can no longer get past Lesley’s office without being
ended up using email. All of the time. I mean, she can spend drafted to solve some tech support problem.
hours at it. It doesn’t matter how quiet I try to be;
After Lesley finished not wanting a it’s an old house, and the floors creak.
computer or email, she decided she (Also, I tend to stumble, grunt, and
didn’t want a digital camera. “Film is drop things as I make my way up
better!,” she insisted. But you know the stairs. This makes being
what happened. We just returned sneaky somewhat difficult.) As I
from a three-day trip during which attempt to creep past her door, I
she took more than 180 digital hear a plaintive wail: “Oh,
photos, mostly of our grand- honey? How come this isn’t
daughter. We have sequences of working? It worked before.”
10 or 12 shots of little Shaylyn in Now, the problem could be just
which the only discernible differ- about anything: a printer that sud-
ence is that the angle of her head denly prints only in blue (apparently
has changed 1.7 degrees since the women care about such things), an
previous shot. (And all the photos iPod that won’t sync with the computer,
of Grandpa seem to show a fat old a PDA that spontaneously reboots, email with
guy who looks nothing like me. I figure that missing attachments . . . well, you get the idea.
Lesley must have also purchased an “old man” filter for the I can solve most of these problems, given some time and a
camera. I didn’t even know they made such a thing!) few chocolate chip cookies. But I’ll probably never be able to
Soon after not wanting a computer, email, or digital sneak into the kitchen again, and it’s all because of these gad-
camera, Lesley decided that she also didn’t want an MP3 gets that my wife swore she didn’t want and would never use.
player. Naturally, she now has an iPod with 1,643 songs on it What really worries me is this: Not long ago we ran across
(Who even knows 1,643 songs?), and she always seems to have a Web site on which a company was offering “personal sub-
it with her: If we get stuck in a long line at the grocery store, marines” for sale for $2 million. Each. (Seriously. See www
she gets to listen to Mary Chapin Carpenter or Sinatra or .ussubs.com.) Lesley turned up her nose and said she’d never
Santana, while I’m forced to amuse myself by thumbing want her own personal submarine, that it was way too much
through the supermarket tabloids. (Who knew that Michael money and that it was silly and probably unsafe. So I’m ex-
Jackson was an alien love-child?! Actually, I suppose that pecting delivery any day now, and I have no idea where one
would explain a lot.) At first I thought that she’d had the iPod stores a submarine. Perhaps it’ll fit in the kitchen? ❙❙
surgically attached to her person, but that’s not the case. If she
had, she wouldn’t be able to plug it into the cute little iPod BY ROD SCHER
docking station (which she also didn’t want) that she keeps in
her car to transmit music from the iPod to her car’s FM radio. Rod Scher is a former software developer and a recovering English
And it never ends. In addition to not needing a computer, teacher. He's also the publication editor of Smart Computing and
email, digital camera, MP3 player, etc., Lesley also didn’t will no doubt continue in that position until such time as his boss
reads this column. Contact Rod at rod-scher@smartcomputing.com.