Flat-Panel Monitors a Pain in the Neck?

Prices continue to drop for those sleek, space saving flat-panel monitors, but don't get skimp on features when you're shopping. It's exciting to see a 15 or 17 inch LCD monitor under $200 but be sure the height and size are appropriate for you. Only the higher priced models have an adjustable slider to control the height. If you can't try it out by sitting at a desk with the monitor you're buying, make sure you get one you can tilt or adjust.

The top of a monitor should usually be about even with your eyebrows, so your head, neck and shoulders aren't strained. CNet has done the work for you, with an exhaustive review of the best flat-panel screens, fully adjustable no matter what your preference.

Learn more at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3000_7-5554722-1.html?tag=nl.e404.

Anything's better than balancing that new monitor on phone books!

And the Oscar Goes to Netscape for Best Browser

Because of yesterday's New York Times article, there's a lot of talk about web browsers, and more to choose from than the default Internet Explorer that Microsoft ships pre-loaded on every PC.

Read the full article if you wish, at http://www.nytimes.com/circuits/ but note this:

All the recent articles about browsers are missing the obvious choice: Netscape. Both Foxfire and Mozilla are built by the same people who first developed Netscape at the University of Illinois almost twenty years ago.

Netscape is free, available by download or CD at www.netscape.com and has MORE features han all the competing browsers:

• Increased security
• Junk mail filter
• Pop-up stoppers
• Search the web by clicking any word on a web site
• Tabbed browsing
• Save all tabbed pages as a group of bookmarks

and because the mail is integrated, you don't have to use a separate program like Outlook Express for e-mail.

So why all the talk about paying $30 for a browser with tabs? Beats me. I've got 86 percent of my clients happily using Netscape and nobody misses out on a single feature of IE.

Top 25 Innovations

CNN lists the top 25 innovations of the past 25 years as:
1. The Internet
2. Cell phone
3. Personal computers
4. Fiber optics
5. E-mail
6. Commercialized GPS
7. Portable computers
8. Memory storage discs
9. Consumer level digital camera
10. Radio frequency ID tags
11. MEMS
12. DNA fingerprinting
13. Air bags
14. ATM
15. Advanced batteries
16. Hybrid car
17. OLEDs
18. Display panels
19. HDTV
20. Space shuttle
21. Nanotechnology
22. Flash memory
23. Voice mail
24. Modern hearing aids
25. Short Range, High Frequency Radio

You can read the full article at http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/01/03/cnn25.top25.innovations/index.html

New Virus Disguised as CNN News

Remember when a virus was the worst thing that could happen to your computer? Today we are battling spyware, data miners, and malacious programs that hijack your browser and track your online activity. But viruses are getting more sneaky too, and more harmful.

The new virus reported today, is called Crowt-A. It pulls headlines, subject lines and other content from CNN.com. Once opened, the virus can then scan the user's address book and try to email itself to those users.

The virus' subject line and attachment share the same name, researchers say, but change continually to match headlines from CNN.com's home page.

The virus can also plant spyware on your computer. In addition to emailing itself to other users, it installs a "backdoor Trojan function that cansend data such as keystrokes to a remote user -- a practice sometimes used by hackers to obtain sensitive information such as passwords.

Use reputable anti-virus software and be sure it's working. My #1 recommendation is ETrust from Computer Associates at www.ca.com. If you have an active subscription to Norton or McAfee, keep updating the virus definition files and make sure it is protecting your e-mail.

Wow! There's a Patron Saint just for us

Isadore of Seville, known as Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages, is also the patron saint of computer users.

Born c.560 at Cartagena, Spain, he lived centuries before technology, but was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1722, and became the leading candidate for patron of computer users and the Internet in 1999. Initially a poor student, Isadore gave the problem over to God and became one of the most learned men of his time.

It's good to know St. Isadore is watching over us.

If you're looking for a patron saint, here's where I stumbled across the site that boasts over 4,000 saints. http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm.

Of course, I wasn't actually looking for a patron saint.I found it while looking for something else. Isn't that often the path to information these days?

How to Read a Web Site

It's fun to watch someone read the newspaper. Some methodically turn pages from start to finish, section to section. Others grab the business section, sports, or crossword puzzle, then wander to editorials, local news and get lost in the wanderlust detail of the weather page. Me, I start and stop several times during the day, always interrupted, but can pick up right where I left off when I get a few more minutes to read.

Yet, web sites, containing much the same mix of loosely organized information, seem to leave people transfixed. I'm a frequent observer of people's navigation behavior and have noticed what I call the 30-second stare.

First the eye looks around the page for something, anything, appealing. Behind the eye, the brain is saying "Why am I here? What am I supposed to look at? If I click something, how will I get
back here?"

Then, the glazed look begins and the mouse is thinking: "I don't know what to do next."

Then, the click, often taking the person away from that page, forever.

You put a lot of time into the look of your web site, but like the newspaper, which produces new material every single day, you need something of value on every page, and have to give people a way to navigate where they want to go, not just where your logical mind feels they should navigate. And, always give them a way out, but invite them back. It's disappointing to follow a site for several pages and then not be able to get back to an interesting page.

So start the New Year off with some quality reading -- of your own web site. Make sure it measures up to your standards, and is also pleasing to your clients. Check the traffic your site receives through your web host, and pay special attention to which pages receive the most hits, and what pages cause people to exit the site.

Avoid Online Holiday Scams

SBC has posted these updated warnings for holiday scams. Stay smart and don't fall prey to any online tricks this year:

Identity Theft. Thieves are able to "steal" another person's identity by illegally obtaining sensitive personal information such as credit card or Social Security numbers, often from discarded credit card statements, utility bills or personal checks. Phishing. Also known as "spoofing" or "carding," Phishing is a new, but fast-growing form of Internet fraud. Online scammers "fish" for consumers' financial information and password data by sending consumers e-mails that appear to be from well known companies. The e-mails often contain links taking consumers to Web pages that have been disguised to look nearly identical to legitimate companies' sites. "Do-Not-Call" List Scam. This scam involves a call from a person claiming to be a state official or member of a consumer advocacy group who asks consumers if they would like to be included in the state or federal do-not-call list. The caller then asks for personal information, like Social Security or bank account numbers, explaining that it is required for enrollment in the registry. 809 Area Code Scam. This ongoing scam encourages consumers to respond to e-mails, pages or voice mail messages from a phone number with an 809, 284 or 876 area code to claim prizes or receive information regarding a family member. Consumers who return the calls — often to the Caribbean, Canada or other countries — are often charged extremely expensive international calling rates. Internet Threats. Consumers should be wary of a variety of Internet threats, from destructive Internet worms and viruses, to online auction scams, money transferring schemes, and more. SBC companies offer in-depth information about existing and emerging online problems affecting adults as well as children.

Best anti-virus & spyware protection

At CNET.com today they listed the top 100 products of 2004. Clients worred about computer viruses and spyware, especially those with children, take note. The best program in this category is not Norton or McAfee, its:

Best antihacker software Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 Let's be clear: Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 is the best Internet protection bundle currently on the market--period. It includes first-rate antivirus, firewall, antispam, and spyware-blocking tools, plus a host of extra security features--all for about $20 less than comparable roducts F-Secure Internet Security, ZoneAlarm Internet Security, McAfee Internet Security, nd Symantec Internet Security. Read more at www.cnet.com/Top_10_software/ 4520-6022_1-102337-4.html?tag=nav

Take a look, both for peace of mind and to save the cost of a service call to repair your system, or to wipe out your entire computer and start over. The first of the year is a good time to gain control of the necessary responsiblity of protecting your computer investment.

Holiday Gift Guide

One great thing about computers is they provide us with lots of nifty gift ideas for the holidays.

If you need stocking stuffers for the family, here are some tips for the most-wanted items:

Digital cameras @ $100 to $400
USB Jump Drive, backup memory sticks @ $19 to $60
Charger for rechargable batteries
More memory for desktop or laptop computers
MP3 players to listen to downloaded music @ $100
Computer games from Scrabble to Madden NFL, all under $50
Blank CD's
Combo printer under $150
A year's subscription to The Wall Street Journal online @ $79

Office Max has an online catalog, free shipping for orders over $50 and gift ideas ranging from a keychain-sized AM/FM radio for $7.00 to elegant pen sets, CD's, DVD's, games, laptop computers, and DVD players and recorders. www.officemax.om

Don't forget, you can shop online and still patronize your local retailer. Most shops have a web site, and where I live in Glenview, I can purchase anything from unique Irish imports at Irish Connoisseur to books from Alibi and The Bookstall in Winnetka.

Many charities also allow contributions via the web. It's not too late to make a donation for 2004

A Necessary Precaution

At a business meeting tonight, sitting across from some wonderful people, I was thinking about the power of networking and the reliance on person-to-person communication even in today's fast paced world. Computers emulate this human life form with the electronic version of neighborhood chats, friends helping friends, and people learning from each other.

Much has been written about Windows SP2, and I've posted a few related articles here is my blog. Common wisdom is that the Microsoft patch is essential for all XP users, but that some precautions are required.

What does this mean for you?
Read what your neighbors are saying at updatexp.com or winsupersite.com.

A recent survey compiled by PCWorld.com, with over 3,000 site visitors who own WinXP and have installed Service Pack 2 on their machines led to these results:

" ... Service Pack 2 is an important upgrade with many desirable features, especially for the security-minded. If you follow Microsoft's installation guidelines and check the lists of known conflicts in advance, you'll probably get through the experience unscathed -- or at worst have to overcome only mildly irritating conflicts.

Percentage survey respondents who installed SP2: 62%
Percentage of those who had no problems: 74%
Percentage who reported mild problems: 10.3%
Moderate problems: 9%
Severe problems: 4%
Most common problem: Malfunctioning software
Favorite new feature in SP2: Pop-up blocking
Least favorite: New security features that conflict with 3rd-party security software "

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117990,pg,2,00.asp

So if you have a problem you'll be in the minority, but check the sites listed above for solutions to common problems. Most problems I've seen at Computer Clarity are firewall conflicts or Norton being disabled by Microsoft. Both are fairly easy to resolve with a little research.

Music Downloads & Spyware

One reason to avoid the "free" music download sites, like Kazaa and Limewire, is because you're almost certain to be plagued with spyware on your computer if you use those sites to download. When you agree to the license to use their software for free, you are also agreeing to let companies plant information on your computer, and even use your computer for their own purposes.

Legitimate alternatives are being launched all the time. Here's a brief update on two.

1. Best Buy, the retailer, advertises Napster subscriptions at only $16.99. This includes a two month subscription and ten prepaid downloads. Offering over one million tracks of music, and additional prepaid download cards, it may be the holiday solution for a teenager and the end of spyware on your computer.

You can help your teenager avoid illegal music copying, and teach them to use their downloads for good music they really want, instead of downloading megabytes of junk just because they think it is free. Free has a price.

2. Dell Computer Corp. reports that calls for tech support have increased dramatically because spyware makes computers inoperable. While they are not responsible for spyware, they have been advising customers to download solutions, such as the AdAware and SpyBot products used and recommended by Computer Clarity.

Dell has now become a partere in an Internet safety organization. Take a look at the Internet Education Foundation at www.getnetwise.org for video tutorials and tips to prevent spyware.

Why does Dell care? In the last 18 months, their tech support calls related to spyware have jumped from 2% to 20%. That illustrates how the magnitutde of spyware has reached outrageous proportions, and why large vendors of hardware, software, and high speed connections are beginning to offer assistance to users.

Basic E-Mail Savvy

If you found your way here, you're already web savvy. Are your e-mail skills also up-to-date?

Here are the basics a good computer user should master. How do you rate?

Can you forward?
In the top toolbar of your e-mail program, you should see a button to allow you to forward a message from one person to another. When you receive a forwarded message you will see FWD in the subject line. That should be a tip for you to read below the sender's message to see what he or she forwarded.

Can you reply without clutter?
When you click 'reply' to a message and type in your comments, you don't have to re-send the person's original note back to them. It's efficient to clean it up a bit, by highlighting their text and deleting. But leave a fragment of their message so they know what you're replying to. If the message said there is a meeting Monday at 7 p.m. followed by an agenda and directions, you could leave just the day and time showing, and reply something like "Thanks, I'll see you at the meeting."

Can you open attachments?
The easist way is to double-click on an attachment. If your computer has the same program the sender used, such as Excel or Word, it should open right up. If you have trouble, try a right-click instead of a double click. Choose Save As and save the file to your computer. Then open the program you want to use to view the file, click File / Open and you will see the document.


Can you copy and paste?
Many people know how to right-click after highlighting a passage of text, for example in Word, and then choosing Cut, Copy or Paste from the right-click pop-up menu. But you may need practice to get comfortable using Copy & Paste across different programs. For example, you can highlight, right-click and choose Copy while in a paragraph of an e-mail. Then, you can compose a new e-mail to someone else, right-click and choose Paste to send that paragraph on. You can also copy a passage from a web site into a Word document, from Excel to Word, from Excel to e-mail.... Well, you get the idea.

Spammer tricks to avoid
Nasty people with too much time on their hands love to send junk mail, also known as spam. To avoid problems, don't open messages if you don't recognize the sender or subject. At least, try just doing a print preview rather than actually opening a suspicioiuis e-mail, and NEVER open attachments you aren't expecting and know you can trust.

Spammers fill the messages with words having nothing to do with the subject line, because they know spam filters look for a percentage of goofy works such as Viagra, Rolex, etc. They fill the message with normal next like flowers, autos, banana, newspaper, tree, oxygen, etc. Don't waste time on the nonsense, just delete.

Act! Users: Upgrade with caution

As a fan of Act! Contact Management software for over ten years, it pains me to say this, but I don't recommend upgrading to Act! 2005 without careful consideration.

New users to Act! can begin with this new version and work happily for years. In fact if you haven't taken a look at Act!, there's no reason to keep waiting. Outlook doesn't do a fraction of the tasks helping you manage people, time and projects.

But for upgrading users, Act!, now owned by Best Software, has gone through a full make-over, written in MySQL, a structured query language program. The result is the entire program is slower -- slower to open, slower to run. Little things like look-ups went from speedy to poky and display the results in a list so you need to take another step to choose a record.

An important consideration for you is the conversion from earlier versions does not go smoothly, especially for custom fields and custom layouts. Plan on a day or more to complete the migration if your database is highly customized.

For upgraders, there are a few features that are improved: Notes & History are separated, so easier to search. Groups are more useful and flexible. But slower operating speed, difficulty converting AND the fact that you can't go back to the old version are reasons to take a pass on the upgrade.

If I can be of help, you know where to reach me.

XP SP-2 - The Full Story

There is a tremendously informative article on the issues surrounding the Windows XP upgrade. It's far more comprehensive than anything I could have put together. It's from Dennis Faas, editor of InfoPackets.com, a trusted source.

http://www.updatexp.com/windows-xp-service-pack-2.html

Read on...

XP SP-2 Update

As an update to my 8/23 blog, I recommended this strategy to minimize the destruction caused by the Microsoft update.

1. Turn off "automatic update" to prevent Microsoft from updating your computer to SP-2. Right click on My Computer, choose Properties, and review the options under the automatic updates tab.

2. Run software to remove spyware to clean existing problems. Many of the security improvements in SP-2 are intended to block spyware, but can't protect you from malicious programs that are already running on your computer. AdAware and SpyBot are most recommended. You can get them free at cnet.com/downloads or download.com. It's very important that you keep spyware off your computer.

3. Do full backups. Don't wait to be surprised by problems that occur with your data files.

4. Back up your Windows Registry, by clicking Start / Run and typing regedit and then choose File / Export and name the file regbkup so you can restore it if needed.

5. Make frequent use of Windows System Restore to set restore points. You'll find this under Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools

6. Download patches from vendors whose products won't work right after the Microsoft update. Among the known problems are conflicts with Norton products, some AOL features, FTP, and SBC Global DSL. Learn more at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242.

PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com) reports the focus of SP2's increased security, as well as the cause of most problems is the new Windows Firewall, which replaced Windows XP's Internet Connection Firewall (ICF).

When you run firewall software, you have to be prepared to learn how to approve or block incoming and outgoing activity over the Internet and manage the process to allow exceptions for the programs you want to access the web, such as IM or FTP. Keep in mind, though, that making a broad exception to allow programs to run on your computer and online will defeat the purpose of the security. When in doubt, I recommend you do not allow a program to access the web, and see if you can still function well online. If your access to something vital is blocked, then change the rule to allow access. Learn more about firewalls at www.cnet.com.

Stay safe online,

Helen Gallagher

Windows XP SP-2 update risks

Since Microsoft has announced the major patch, Service Pack 2, for Windows XP, users are scrambling to understand whether the security improvements are worth the trouble to obtain.

Users of Windows 98 and Windows ME are happily unaffected by this change.

SP-2 is a 'fix' for flaws in Windows XP. It is so major, it's almost like getting a new copy of Windows. But it requires disk space and memory to run. It requires a huge amount of disk space, and a long time to download. For people using dial-up, it might be more effective to order the CD from Microsoft.

Microsoft recommends turning on Windows Update and letting it download a little bit of the program every day. That eases the burden on their download servers more than it helps us, but it is probably a good idea. Also, remember to use System Restore frequently to set a restore point so you at least have a chance of undoing the changes if you run into trouble.

Disk space
You'd think Microsoft was profiting from the sale of hard drives, with their expansive need for disk space to download the patch. Their web site suggests you need almost one gigabyte (1 GB) of disk space free on Windows XP Home and 1.5 GB on XP Professional. This is for the service pack itself, working space, space for files it will delete and room to keep track of what it's doing.

The rewards
The patch is intended to fix the security flaws in the Microsoft operating system and in Internet Explorer. These products are vulnerable to hackers and have cost corporations millions of dollars to set defenses, buy redundant protection, and clean up from hacker attacks. Companies have put significant pressure on Microsoft to do something about the weaknesses in its program, and this is their solution.

Oddly, as users we won't see much of the benefit of this increased security, but we will be frustrated by it when it hinders something we used to do just fine before this alledgely helpful 'fix.'

The risks
Some vendors, such as SBC Global, are already aware of conflicts caused by the Microsoft patch and have a work-around. So now this necessitates visiting their web site and downloading the patch that will keep your DSL connection working. Many other vendors will be tagging along, cleaning up the mess left behind by the Microsoft upgrade.

Because of the firewall feature, users of Internet games, Instant Messaging and even ETrust and Norton Anti-Virus may run into trouble. It's interesting that Microsoft has added it's own anti-virus program in the service pack, thereby effectively disabling the anti-virus software we bought from other vendors. In most cases the solution just requires telling the new Microsoft firewall to open a port allowing these programs to send data out from your computer, but it sure is annoying to have this forced on us by Microsoft.

Just as when we first moved to Windows XP, there are some programs and devices that won't work with the upgrade. And, with the unfriendly firewall, you'll be surprised by the intrusion of it's messages every time you want to access the Internet. Like a new puppy, the program can be trained to know what "out" means, so you just need to exercise patience along with your mouse finger when the messages appear. Bear in mind, for a firewall to be effective, you can't ruthlessly say "yes" to everything, or you'll be defeating the purpose of the protection.

Well, there will be more news on this as pioneers report all the problems they discover with the patch. Stay current by reading CNet at www.cnet.com or PC Magazine at pcmag.com, and check back here for more articles soon.

Laptop or desktop?

One advantage to this blog is the ability for me to address questions I'm frequently asked. At least once a week, I advise clients and colleagues on the merits of choosing a laptop over a desktop computer.

A laptop, now often called a "notebook" offers the obvious advantage of small size and portability. But it's never easy to have data in two places instead of one, so adding a laptop to a desktop environment requires some discipline to copy or synchronize files across both computers.

A fully loaded laptop, often called a desktop replacement, has either a docking station, or an array of ports on the sides and back. This allows you to keep peripheral devices plugged in and always available, such as a full size monitor, printer, and network connection.

Of course, portability becomes a drag if you do that, since you have to unplug everything to head out the door. So ultra-portable notebooks become a highly coveted choice and often a more cost effective purchase in the long run. After all, we're measuring productivity when we invest in office equipment.

The lightest computers, from Sony, Sharp, Dell and IBM weigh under three pounds, but do so by skipping the essential places to plug in various devices, usually lack a floppy disk, and often have an external CD or DVD . Now you know why they are so light!

Evaluate the purchase of a new computer by comparing these components:

processor
screen size
hard disk capacity
memory
battery life
weight
available options to support:
floppy drive, CD, printer port, network, wireless, USB devices
sound quality if that's important in your work
warranty
cost of extended warranty

Every new computer has a warranty and most system failures happen early on. Yet laptops are delicate, have specialized parts and are harder to repair. The extended warranty almost always pays for itself, so consider it, even if it adds 10% to the original cost of the computer.

Don't' spend $3,000 on a new computer, though, thinking it's your dream machine. Buy the best computer that's in your price range, and don't expect it to still operate at peak performance in three years It will be obsolete, but you'll still love it.

Adding comments here?

Several people have asked about posting comments after viewing my web log. If you don't wish to register at blogspot.com with a user name and password, in order to post a comment for all to see, you are welcome to e-mail me, any time, at Helen@cclarity.com

Thanks.

If you want to try the blog experience yourself, to share your thoughts with colleagues and family, just sign up at blogspot.com and give it a try. The steps are easy to follow, and it's a good learning experience.

Sincerely,

Helen Gallagher

Organize Bookmarks & Favorites

Here's a little tutorial, by popular request, to organize and track web sites you visit, so you can view them again. The topic arises every time I see a client write down a web address on a Post-it note and struggle to keep track of that sticky little note.

Wouldn't it be better to let the computer keep track of web sites you visit, in one well organized file?

Here's how...
In Netscape, you create a "bookmark." In Internet Explorer it's called a "favorite."

1. Depending on your browser, click Bookmarks or Favorites to add a site so you can access it again without typing in the address each time. You now have the web address listed in a file instead of on a scrap of paper, so we're off to a good start.

2. Take a moment to look through the Bookmark or Favorites folder and you'll see you can manage or organize them into folders. Instead of a long string of web addresses, you can create categories that make sense to you, such as: Reference, Travel, Investments, Sports, etc.

3. When you do back-ups of your data, you can also back up this file, as it grows in importance to you, just like you back up your e-mail address book. (You do, don't you???) In fact, by saving your bookmark file, you create a live file of hyperlinks you can use as a directory of your most-used web pages.

• In the Netscape's Bookmark folder, click Tools / Export and save the file in your desired folder.
• In Internet Explorer, click File / Import & Export and choose the Favorites folder. Save the resulting file as .html (hypertext markup language) and you'll be able to open it as a file from your backups or on your computer, and click the live links to go to desired web pages.

This is a good exercise if you want to learn more about your computer, where to save files, and how to open them. More importantly, though, it provides a neat example of how effective use of the computer saves you considerable time, makes your online experience more efficient, and cuts a level of clutter from your desk. Questions? Let me know at Helen@cclarity.com

Top Tech Secrets

The question I'm asked most often is "How do you keep your computer safe? What's your secret?"

Well, it's not a secret any more. Here's what I do to keep Computer Clarity systems running well and the steps I recommend for clients:

1. Backup the registry and use Registry Mechanic to fix problems early
2. Run System Restore to create a safe backup point every week
3. Run nightly backups, stored away from the computer
4. Run msconfig to eliminate unwanted programs residing in memory
5. Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for specific problems
6. Know how to load drivers
7. Keep vigilant with anti-virus software, firewall and spyware prevention.