Computer Info – February 2, 2000

This Week’s Program

        This week – Continuing to learn how to navigate through our drives to locate a file. When backing up your files, don’t copy the shortcut. Also, miscellaneous topics.

Files (Part 3) – Type of File

                    Practice Lesson 1 (finding the drive that your file is on) -----
                                    Open WORDPAD. From the FILE menu – choose OPEN.
                                    Click on the small folder icon to the right of the Look in box until it shows you all
                                                of your drive choices.
                           When all of your drives are listed ---
                                    MY COMPUTER will be listed in the white box to the right of the words LOOK IN.

                    Practice Lesson 2 (locating the folder that your file is in) -----
                                    Now choose the drive that your file is on (by double-clicking on that drive).
                                    Let’s assume that it is on your hard drive (C:\)
                                    Look for the yellow folder named MY DOCUMENTS
                                                    – double click on it to open it.

        Now that we have located the drive and the folder where our file is stored – then it is time to open the file. But what if you know that you stored that file in the folder that you are now looking at --- but you don’t see it listed. Try changing the FILES OF TYPE to ALL FILES – then if your file is stored in that folder, it will now be listed.

Practice Lesson 3
        While in WordPad (after you have done the first two practice lessons)
        Change the FILES OF TYPE to read ALL DOCUMENTS.
        You may notice that many different types of files are now listed.
        Just because they are now listed, does not mean that WordPad will be able
                to correctly display what the file is intended to be (for example, you
                can open a picture format in WordPad ---- but the results will not be
                what you think they should be. Your picture file will be displayed as
                a jumble of characters and symbols that are unreadable.
Genealogy & FCC Database Web Sites
From this web site, you can search nine different Genealogical databases. It will search
                    Ancestry.Com                                 FamilyTree Maker
                    Gendex                                           Genealogy.com
                    JewishGen Family Finder                 Kindred Konnections
                    LDS Family Search                         Roots Surname List
                    RootsWeb WorldConnect Project
                                           http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/CACulman/MultiGen.htm

The FCC’s database system of ALL radio/communications licenses (ULS - the Universal Licensing System). For those of you that are Amateur Radio operators, this is where you can register for online updates (renew your license – change your address, etc) to your license. You can search the database by name – callsign – type of license – date of expiration, etc.
                                           http://wtbwww05.fcc.gov:80/index.html?

Virus Hoaxes

There are several key phrases that can clue you to a potential hoax:
1. A request that you pass it on to everyone in your address book.. Actual virus notifications never include such requests.
2. Invoking a respected source with no means to verify the information. All real virus notifications include a specific point of contact
3. Declaring that there is no defense. All viruses, once detected, can be remedied.
4. Alarmist tone. Hoaxes are perpetuated by preying on people's natural concern and relative ignorance of the systems and software they use. Real alerts are about as interesting as reading legal notices.

So what should you do when you suspect a hoax?
1. Do not forward it. The best way to stop a hoax is to just say no.
2. Check it out at any of the hoax sites or at Symantic or McAfee sites on the web. If it is real the latter sites will be very clear about it. Keep in mind that the anti-virus companies have staffs that actively seek out viruses in the wild. Very few remain undetected or unremedied for long.
3. If it is a real threat, then forward notices directing people to a real source for information such as Symantic or McAfee.

What can you do to protect yourself?
1. Get and install a commercial quality anti-virus program. Both the Symantic and McAfee products are good. You must install it and update it regularly. An uninstalled or out of date virus checker is next to useless.
2. Make backups for anything that you cannot recover from distribution media (CDROMs or floppy disks). There is no point in backing up 600 MB of Office Pro if you have a distribution CD but, that great American novel may be lost forever if you don't store it off-line from time to time.
3. Ignore mail from sources you do not recognize. Treat it like the junk that it usually is and trash it without reading it.
4. Under no circumstances open attachments from suspect sources. This is particularly true of attachments to unsolicited e-mail. Attachments are a common means of delivering malicious software.
5. Download from reputable sources only. The larger shareware/freeware sites scan their files prior to making them available for download. Not all sites do that.
6. Take time to learn about how your computer works. Do more than learn how to make it do something. Find out what makes the thing tick. Knowledge is power.

Copying From Your Desktop to a Floppy

        You must be careful when copying something from your desktop to a floppy. Remember that most of the items on your desktop are just shortcuts. We have had a number of people copying these shortcuts – only to find out that they do not have the files that they thought they did.
        After they have made the copy, they have been checking to see that the file has been transferred to their floppy – and they have even been testing it out to see that the file (or information) really is there. They double click on the file and it opens up their data. If that is true, shouldn’t that be a good indication that the file (and therefore the data) is a good copy of backup. NO.
        What has been copied, is nothing more than a shortcut to where the actual file exist. Therefore, that shortcut will always work if you are using it on the computer that you copied it from (as long as you haven’t deleted it from the original location). But the true test is to try it on another computer – or, move the original file to another folder.

Notice two thin lines on your computer monitor??

        On some of the new computer monitors, you might be able to see two faintly visible horizontal lines, one near top of screen and one near bottom of the screen. These are due to fine wires used to hold the Aperture Grille in place. An Aperture Grille CRT delivers superior vertical definition as a result of striped phosphor alignment, as well as improved brightness for more uniform image contrast without loss of focus.

Dazzle -- Dazzle Digital Video Creator (DVC)

        A few people were questioning whether you could record (or copy) video from a tape or camera to your computer. Someone gave us a flyer discussing the following device called Dazzle which will allow you to do this. Again, we have not seen this device work, but this is just to let you know about one such device.
        With the Dazzle, you plug your camcorder or VCR into it and record your video footage right onto your PC with amazing TV-quality at 30 fps. You could then edit the video and record it back to video tape, CD, or any other removable media. It will create video CDs playable on any Windows 95/98 PC. It is available in Parallel Port or USB connections. You can capture still images - record CD-quality audio - record, playback, edit and manage your MP3 files.
        The cost is $249.99. You can check it out at
                                                               http://www.dazzle.com.

Windows 2000

        Windows 2000 is set to be released on February 14th.
        Windows 2000 is designed for business users. Windows 98 remains the best choice for home users and gamers.

Coppermine

        Coppermine is Intel’s code name for the latest revision of its Pentium III processor.. It is an enhanced version of the Pentium III.
        Coppermine technology is vastly superior to previous Intel processors. This is good news, but it will probably be extremely expensive, right? Not necessarily. Coppermine is physically smaller than previous Pentium III chips, and because the cost of producing an 8-inch silicon wafer of chips is roughly the same no matter how many processors are on it, manufacturing costs for Coppermine will actually go down. PC manufacturers like this combination, and you can expect to see a large number of manufacturers use Coppermine chips.
        The result of all this, all things being equal, is that Coppermine chips get quite a performance boost just by having smaller circuitry wires.

Rambus and the 820 chipset

        Another breaking technology from Intel is the 820 chipset. This new chipset supports the Rambus memory technology, which is expected to take the place of synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM). Rambus (RDRAM) will increase PC performance in memory-intensive tasks such as three-dimensional applications, video editing, and desktop publishing.
        Most systems currently use Synchronous Dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM), and to make the transition from RDRAM to SDRAM easier, Intel has developed the Memory Translator Hub.
        The Memory Translator Hub is actually a motherboard design constructed to specifically accompany the 820 chipset. It features two dual in-line memory module (DIMM) sockets to accompany SDRAM, and two Rambus in-line memory module (RIMM) sockets for RDRAM. The Memory Translator Hub serves as a bridge between RDRAM, SDRAM, and the central processing unit (CPU) so that no matter what type of memory you install, the CPU can use it. When memory is plugged in to the DIMM or RIMM modules, the Memory Translator Hub recognizes what type of memory is being used. If a user wants to keep using SDRAM, the Hub sends a message to the central processing unit (CPU) that allows it to work with the DIMM modules as if they were RIMM modules. Once this communication takes place, the system uses the memory as it normally would.
        The Memory Translator Hub is necessary because RDRAM and SDRAM each communicate differently with the CPU. RDRAM features its own bus and a controller that communicates the data from RDRAM to the CPU. With SDRAM, the CPU and memory use the same system bus. The Memory Translator Hub works similarly to a network hub used to network two systems or more. A hub serves as a bridge between the devices, in this case, the DIMM or RIMM modules with the CPU, and handles the stream of data that flows from one device to another.