Computer Info – November 15, 2000

This Week’s Program

        Resolution and sending attachments. This should be a good week for a question and answer session.

Sending An Attachment With Your E-Mail

Some rules you should follow when sending an attachment with your e-mail are ------

        1. Size of the picture If you are sending a picture, keep the size of your picture as close to 6.4 inches wide by 4.8 inches high at 100 dpi (dots per inch) as you can. You do not want to distort your picture – so if you set the width of the picture to 6.4 inches – and this makes the height of the picture go over 4.8 inches – then change the height of your picture to 4.8 inches – and this will make the width of the picture be less than the 6.4 inches – that’s okay. Maybe we can look at it this way -- if it is a portrait picture – set the height of the picture to 4.8 inches. If it is a landscape picture – set the width of the picture to 6.4 inches.
        If you prefer to work with pixels – then use 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels high. This will produce the same effect and you do not have to worry about the resolution (or dpi).

        2. Number of attachments If you are sending attachments to someone who is on AOL and you are not on AOL – only send ONE attachment per e-mail.

        3. Type of attachment Remember that everyone cannot open an attachment just because you can. Each type of file requires certain types of programs in order to be useable by the person receiving it. For pictures, JPG has become the standard – it is a smaller file than some other type of picture formats – and it is viewable by everyone. For letters and articles, TXT is a universal format (ALL word processor can save a file or document as a TXT file). MANY people can read a DOC file (one written in WORD can usually be read by someone who has WORDPERFECT and vice-versa – as long as it does not contains tables, pictures, etc.)

        4. Any file can be an attachment The above rules are ONLY guidelines. Actually, any file can be an attachment. If you know that the person you are sending the file to – has the program needed to open the file – go ahead and send it.

        5. Learn how to size your picture Learn the program you are using – photo editing program, we assume.
        In PhotoShop – to resize your picture – from the IMAGE menu – choose IMAGE SIZE – under PRINT SIZE – change this to meet the criteria mentioned above (6.4 inches wide by 4.8 inches high) – and set the resolution to 100
        In IrfanView – to resize your picture – from the IMAGE menu – choose RESIZE – be sure that the PRESERVE ASPECT RATIO has a checkmark in front of it – then place a checkmark in front of 640 x 480
 
 

Email Photos are too Large
(from our August 2, 2000 handout)

        Why is it that images I attach to e-mails come out so much larger than their actual size? My image-editing software might show a 4x6 inch image, but it fills the whole screen as an e-mail attachment."

        Resolution, resolution, resolution. Your image software shows a 4x6 inch image and figures that you want to see your entire image on your monitor, regardless of output size, so it shows it at a size that fits well on your screen. Somewhere on your screen while you are viewing a picture in one of your photo-editing programs, will be a percentage. If you make this read 100 percent, then you will be able to see how the picture will look to the people you e-mail it to.
 
 


W32/Navidad Virus

        This is a relatively new virus named W32/Navidad. McAfee has the risk assessment MEDIUM ON WATCH. This is an Internet worm which uses MAPI Outlook to spread. It will be received by email as a response to a sent email message to an infected user, with the attachment NAVIDAD.EXE.
        When ran, this worm displays a dialog box entitled, "Error" which reads "UI". A blue eye icon appears in the system tray next to the clock in the lower right corner of the screen, and a copy of the trojan is saved to the file "winsvrc.vxd" in the WINDOWS SYSTEM directory.
        An indication of infection is the presence of the EYE icon in the lower right corner of your screen. When the cursor is placed over the EYE icon, the text, "Lo estamos mirando..." is displayed. Translated this means, we are watching it. When the "eye" icon is clicked, a button appears reading, "Nunca presionar este boton". Translated this means, never press this button. When the button is pressed, a messages box is displayed entitled, "Feliz Navidad", which reads "Lamentablemente cayo en la tentacion y perdio su computadora". Translated this reads, Merry Christmas.
        This worm arrives as an email attachment with the name Navidad.exe. Running the attachment infects your machine.