Computer Info – April 11, 2001

This Week’s Program

        Searching for information on the internet. Plus our usual question and answer session – and maybe we will take a look at the File Checker in Windows 98.

Searching On the Internet

HotBot
        This is a great search engine – the default is to search for ALL of the words that you enter. Just enter a space between the words.
                 http://www.hotbot.com
Dogpile
        This is a mega-search engine – you type in the words that you are searching for – and dogpile searches 16 different search engines and displays the results for you.
                 http://www.dogpile.com
IXQuick
        Another mega-search engine – uses 12 different search engines – can search the web – search for pictures – MP3’s – and Newsgroups.
                 http://www.ixquick.com
Yahoo
        Yahoo offers a good breakdown of categories to aid in your search.
                 http://www.yahoo.com
Search Databases
        This site uses categories to help you locate various databases that you can search.
                 http://www.lehre.fhw-berlin.de/presearch/inets.htm
HotSheet
        This site offers you many, many links to help you find the information that you are looking for.
                 http://www.hotsheet.com/
Pictures Now
        This site offers a search of its site for pictures and video on any subject.
                 http://www.picturesnow.com
TuCows and TuKids
        TuCows has a large listing of software that can be downloaded – while TuKids has software for children (listed by age group)
                    http://www.tucows.com      and      http://www.tukids.com
Military City
        You can search the military services database for Active Duty and retired personnel.
                 http://www.militarycity.com/newsroom/locator.html
GI Search
        You can search military services database here also. Plus they have searchable databases for Korean and Vietnam casualties.
                 http://www.gisearch.com/

Just Quotes
        For stock quotes and ANY type of information that you would like on a company – when the stock splits were – comparison in the industry – financial statements – etc.
                 http://www.justquotes.com
 

Investorama
        This is also a great site for stock quotes and ANY type of information that you would like on a company.
                 http://www.investorama.com/stockpowersearch/
Product Recalls on Automobiles
        Search for recalls on any automobile.
                 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recmmy1.cfm
Search Gov
        A search page of anything government related – state or federal.
                 http://www.searchgov.com

Security Updates for Internet Explorer

        Microsoft has some very recent security updates for Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 1 and Internet Explorer 5.5 Service Pack 1. These are the ones I found after reading a warning about this in the newspaper.

Security Update, April 2, 2001
        This update resolves the "Erroneous VeriSign-Issued Digital Certificates Pose Spoofing Hazard" security vulnerability, and is discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-017.
        Download now to prevent an unauthorized user from running code on your computer by digitally signing programs as "Microsoft Corporation."

Security Update, March 29, 2001
        This vulnerability exists because Internet Explorer does not handle MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) headers in HTML e-mails correctly. If a malicious user sends an affected HTML e-mail or hosts an affected e-mail on a Web site, and a user opens the e-mail or visits the Web site, Internet Explorer automatically runs the excecutable on the user's computer. If this occurs, the executable can take any action on the computer that the user can take, including adding, changing, or deleting data, communicating with Web sites, or reformatting the hard drive. This update eliminates the vulnerability by correcting the way Internet Explorer handles MIME headers in HTML e-mails, preventing e-mails from automatically launching executable attachments.

System File Checker

        Here is an excellent web page that describes the File Checker and problems with it.
                 http://members.aol.com/Knows98/checker.htm

Beginner’s Section

Volume Control
        Today, many people can control the volume (sound) for their computer by using buttons that are on their keyboard. But, Windows itself does have a volume control. On the right hand side of the taskbar – near the clock – there should be a SPEAKER icon. If you click once with the left mouse button – it will open up a small window that has a slider bar for adjusting the volume. Notice, there is also a place to MUTE all of the sound that comes from your computer (it is muted if there is a checkmark in this box). If you click twice on the speaker icon with the left mouse button – it will open up the controls for all of the various sound outputs of your computer (master – CD – wave – midi, etc.).