PC Club of Charlotte
Bytes and Bits
July 2008 issueHope you had a GR8 4th!
JULY 10th MEETING PROGRAM
ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF VOICE COMMUNICATION
By: Cliff T. Johnson, PE, Control Systems Engineer
We will be presenting the various methods that are available for you to talk with someone if you have a high-speed (cable, DSL, Clearwire, or WiFi) Internet service. You can also do it using a 56K modem, but without pictures.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technique that several ISPs (Internet Service Providers) such as TimeWarner and Vonage have been advertising for $29.00 per month with unlimited calling in the US. Sounds like a good deal, but it really isn’t.
If you meet the following requirements and attend our presentation: you may be able to do almost same thing for FREE. You will be able to call any other person almost ANYWHERE in the WORLD that has a similar hookup AND SEE A PICTURE OF THAT PERSON if you and the other person have a video camera. The requirements:
Have access to a computer.
Computer System Requirements:
PC running Windows 2000, XP or Vista. (Windows 2000 users require DirectX 9.0 for video calls).
Internet connection (broadband is best, GPRS is not supported for voice calls, and results may vary on a satellite connection).
Speakers and microphone – built-in or separate.
For voice and video calls we recommend a computer with at least a 1GHz processor, 256 MB RAM and of course a webcam.
For High Quality Video calls you will need a high quality video webcam and software, a dual-core processor computer and a fast broadband connection (384 kbps).
You know the basics for downloading and installing software from an Internet Site.
We plan on having a live demonstration with connection to my niece in Germany complete with video and it is a total free call.
But that’s just the beginning! One of us will demonstrate IM (Instant Messaging) with the most popular technique, AIM (AOL providers). Another of the team will employ a Provider that allows IM with several different providers.
Chat Rooms (the pros and cons of using them) vs. Social Networking Websites
Audio and Web Conferencing. You need to make a conference call, and you need it now.
Coming soon: How to set up your own BLOG and put the ranting and raving into print.
Please join us for an entertaining evening that will introduce you to new ways of ranting & raving (or just having a nice chat with and seeing a friend or relative) for FREE!
The July PC3 Meeting will be held on Thursday, July 10th at
Little Diversified Architectural & Consulting 5815 Westpark Dr. Charlotte, NC 28217
The meeting begins promptly at 7:00pm. (Doors do not open before 6:45).
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Letter from the President
It’s already happening. At the May general meeting I asked for someone to research what we need to do to get the club straight with the IRS. Terry Bozarth raised her hand and spent I don’t know how long on the phone trying to resolve our status. The good news is that we are not in trouble and we even have a new tax ID number. When she gets back from a trip, she will follow up to determine if we really need to file any forms.
Terry is working closely with Treasurer Barbara De Mase to straighten out our financials. We’re probably no worse than many people (of course, none of you), but through a series of treasurers - are a little short on details. The detail we do know is that very few people have paid dues in 2008. Unless you know you paid in the second half of 2007, it’s time to write us a check for $15 to get right with the club.
Barbara is also working with Jack LaPointe and Dewey Williams to create and administer an updated membership database. While much of the discussion revolves around administrative procedures of how to share and secure the data, we welcome anyone’s input as to what should be included. The Membership Committee still needs someone with an eye for friends and a strong handshake to greet members and guests at the general meeting. Please contact Jack or me if you’re willing to help. This won’t require any extra time since you already come to the meeting.
We have a self-contained presentation from Microsoft and need someone to evaluate it and show it. This program is One Care Live. It seems to be their answer to AOL, Flicker, etc and be focused toward saving and sharing family photos, social communication, and desktop security. But my glancing at the documentation may also be off base. Contact me if you’re interested.
Remember that members are always encouraged to contribute their input at the monthly Board meeting. We usually meet for dinner on the fourth Monday of the month. Check out the calendar at
http://pc3.org/EventCalendar/month.php for the specifics. And you can always start or join a conversation on our forum at
http://pc3.org/smfpc3/. The more you use it, the more often the club’s gurus will check in and help you out.
Bill Barnes
President
7/4/08
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SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Web Design SIG
Levine Senior Center
Wednesday, July 2 - 6PM
(Check PCCC Website for possible August date)
MS Office SIG
Levine Senior Center
Tuesday, July 15 - 6PM (Tentative at this time)
"WORD Intermediate" (Segment 3)
For the times and locations of all meetings: go to
http://pc3.org/EventCalendar.
The Event Calendar is the most reliable source for late program changes
(including cancellations).
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Board Meeting Minutes
Personal Computer Club of Charlotte
June 23, 2008
Submitted by Dr. Paul Reiss, Secretary
(but unavailable due to technical difficulties - sorry!)
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FireFox 3 ... then what?
If you downloaded the new Mozilla Firefox 3 browser last week, you weren't alone. Initial reports indicate that Firefox picked up 4 percent of the browser market share in its first 24 hours. For comparison, Safari has about 6 percent total and Opera has slightly less than 1 percent.
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GPS on Your PC?
These days, GPS (global positioning system) devices are affordable and powerful.
If you hate getting lost: check out PC Today's introduction to the world of GPS. (July issue of PC Today.)
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FEATURED WEB SITE
See Hubble Space Telescope images:
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/(From Paul Reiss)
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TOP TEN FREEBIES - Part II
(Some Are PCCC Members’ Old Standbys)
Report by, Dr. Paul Reiss, Secretary
In the June, 2008 SmartComputing, Mr. Modem talks about the responses he got from readers when he asked for their favorite Freebies in a column about his personal ones back in January. Here is the alphabetical list with web address and abbreviated descriptions.
Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) An outstanding sound editor that accepts signals for all standard sources. Can remove audio clicks and pops; has some special effects.
Auslogics Disk Defrag (auslogics.com/disk-defrag) is faster (wouldn’t be hard to accomplish) than the Windows-included one claims MM. We both like the fact that it has a graphical display of its progress.
CCleaner (ccleaner.com) This one is highly prized by many PCCC members. It cleans out many of the temp and unnecessary files and other “digital residue” that accumulates during computer operation. Includes a registry cleaner, as well!
Foxit PDF Reader (tinyurl.com/4a4a6) An excellent alternative the bloated Adobe Reader (22.4 vs 2.13 MB). Edit PDFs and fill in online forms.
Jott (jott.com) Converts your spoken voice into a typed message. You may then send the message as email or a text message. Jott is free but usual text message rates apply.
Picasa (picasa.google.com) A must-have if you take or receive digital pictures. “Picasa is outstanding for organizing, managing and sharing photos online.” After installation it locates all the photos on your PC and sorts them by date. You get Drag and drop to folder(s) or albums which can be password-protected if needed. Basic photo editing functions are included.
Revo Uninstaller (revouninstaller.com) Not only can it remove programs with all related registry entries and hidden files but it can remove files that Windows “Add or Remove Programs” won’t delete.
Screen Hunter (tinyurl.com/28kqd4) Ever wished that you could grab that screen that your are looking at or part of it? This is the utility for you. Scale to any size, paste to any file or folder. Plus & Pro versions available on payment of funds.
Site Advisor (siteadvisor.com) Developed by MIT engineers to protect families and friends from BAD sites. A constantly updated list causes URLs (Universal Resource Locaters) to appear as Green, Yellow and Red in Internet Explorer and FireFox warning users of dangerous sites.
Unlocker (ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker) deletes any file for folder. It can delete those that Windows says are being used by another person or program.
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Ransomware Resisting Crypto Cracking Efforts
Dewey Williams says:
"A nasty Trojan this one is….."
http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11523/1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cell Phone Information
Cell phone companies are charging $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 Information calls. Since no one carries a telephone directory in their vehicle: they get away with it.
When you need to use the '411' Information option, simply dial 1(800) FREE 411, or 1 (800) 373-3411 and you will incur no charge. This works on your home telephone as well.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends. If you enter this number into your cell phone you will always have a way to get a phone number if you need one.
Note that this checks out with Snopes.
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/free411.aspGoogle also offers free '411' service: (800) 466-4411
Free '411' voice activation is often lame - and can be irritating - keep both #s and see which you like best - both are free!
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CYBER SECURITY TIP
Supplementing Passwords
Passwords are a common form of protecting information, but passwords alone may not provide adequate security. For the best protection: look
for sites that have additional ways to verify your identity.
Why aren't passwords sufficient?
Passwords are beneficial as a first layer of protection, but they are susceptible to being guessed or intercepted by attackers. You can
increase the effectiveness of your passwords by using tactics - such as avoiding passwords that are based on personal information or words
found in the dictionary; using a combination of numbers, special characters, and lowercase and capital letters; and not sharing your
passwords with anyone else. However, despite your best attempts, an attacker may be able to obtain your password.
If there are no additional security measures in place, the attacker may be able to access your personal, financial, or medical information.
What additional levels of security are being used?
Many organizations are beginning to use other forms of verification in addition to passwords. The following practices are becoming more and
more common:
* two-factor authentication - With two-factor authentication, you use your password in conjunction with an additional piece of
information. An attacker who has managed to obtain your password can't do anything without the second component. The theory is
similar to requiring two forms of identification or two keys to open a safe deposit box. However, in this case, the second
component is commonly a "one use" password that is voided as soon as you use it. Even if an attacker is able to intercept the
exchange, he or she will still not be able to gain access because that specific combination will not be valid again.
* personal web certificates - Unlike the certificates used to identify web sites, personal web certificates are used to identify individual users.
A web site that uses personal web certificates relies on these certificates and the authentication process of the corresponding public/private keys
to verify that you are who you claim to be. Because information identifying you is embedded within the certificate, additional password is unnecessary.
However, you should have a password to protect your private key so that attackers can't gain access to your key and represent themselves as you.
This process is similar to two-factor authentication, but it differs because the password protecting your private key is used to decrypt the
information on your computer and is never sent over the network.
What if you lose your password or certificate?
You may find yourself in a situation where you've forgotten your password or you've reformatted your computer and lost your personal
web certificate. Most organizations have specific procedures for giving you access to your information in these situations. In the case
of certificates, you may need to request that the organization issue you a new one. In the case of passwords, you may just need a reminder.
No matter what happened, the organization needs a way to verify your identity. To do this: many organizations rely on "secret questions."
When you open a new account (email, credit card, etc.), some organizations will prompt you to provide them with the answer to a
question. They may ask you this question if you contact them about forgetting your password or you request information about your account
over the phone. If your answer matches the answer they have on file, they will assume that they are actually communicating with you. While
the theory behind the secret question has merit, the questions commonly used ask for personal information (such as mother's maiden
name, social security number, date of birth, or pet's name). Because so much personal information is now available online or through other
public sources, attackers may be able to discover the answers to these questions without much effort.
Realize that the secret question is really just an additional password--when setting it up, you don't have to supply the actual
information as your answer. In fact, when you are asked in advance to provide an answer to this type of question that will be used to
confirm your identity, dishonesty may be the best policy. Choose your answer as you would choose any other good password, store it in a
secure location, and don't share it with other people.
While the additional security practices do offer you more protection than a password alone, there is no guarantee that they are completely
effective. Attackers may still be able to access your information, but increasing the level of security does make it more difficult. Be aware
of these practices when choosing a bank, credit card company, or other organization that will have access to your personal information. Don't
be afraid to ask what kind of security practices the organization uses.
Authors: Mindi McDowell, Matt Lytle
Produced 2005 by US-CERT, a government organization.
Note: This tip was previously published and is being re-distributed
to increase awareness.
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UPCOMING MEETING PROGRAM TOPICS
August - Another 'Q & A' Session with Dewey Williams
See you at the Meeting on Thursday!
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