Computer
Info –
(** obtain handouts at http://www.hdprint.co.uk/ftp/florida **)
This Week’s Program
Let’s take a look at Windows XP.
RegCleaner
The
program that Steve demonstrated last week – named RegCleaner
– can be downloaded from this site. It
is a free program.
http://www.webattack.com/get/regcleaner.shtml
With
this program you can get rid of old and obsolete registry entries created by
software that you have deleted or uninstalled.
It will
remove various unused file types – entries of old software that you no longer
have on your computer – remove unused DLL files – it has an automatic backup
feature.
This program is written by a 19 year
old named Jouni Vuorio who
lives in
Zdnet has
the Microsoft version of this program called RegClean
– it is free to download. The comments
are that it works well – is easy to use – but documentation is very poor. But, the strange thing is – Microsoft does
not have it on their site.
http://www.zdnet.com/filters/user_rating/rate_product_text_details_sw/0,11314,23283,00.html
Problems Printing the Handouts Lately??
If
you have been having problems printing the handouts in the past couple of weeks
– it is probably because you are running Internet Explorer 5.5. We have done many tests now – and this is
what we have discovered. We cannot print
(or do a print preview) from Internet Explorer 5.5 on the handouts starting
with
If
you are using Yahoo email, you may have already discovered that Internet
Explorer 5.5 has caused a problem with downloading your attachments. This seems to be only when Internet Explorer
5.5 has been upgraded with Service Pack 1.
Possibly if you upgrade it with Service Pack 2, it will work okay.
File Extensions --- .DWG
A
question was raised last week about what program would create a file with an
extension of .DWG.
When
you receive a file that you can’t open, you can discover what type of program
created it by visiting
http://www.whatis.com and choosing file
extensions.
In
the case of the extension .DWG, it would have been created in AutoCad. So, in
order to open it, you would need a program that was capable of reading AutoCad files.
Viruses (w32.klez.E@mm -- and -- w32.Magistr.39921@mm)
W32.KLEZ.E@MM
We
receive this virus in our email this week.
Luckily, our virus program caught it and deleted it. But we thought we would explain about this
one, since it is circulating now.
This
worm exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook and
Outlook Express in an attempt to execute itself when you open or even preview
the message in which it is contained. Information and a patch for this
vulnerability are available at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-020.asp
This worm attempts to disable some
common antivirus products. It does large
scale e-mailing using
email addresses found in local files, and Outlook and ICQ address
books
It is a random subject and randomly
named file (with a .bat, .exe, .pif or .scr extension) for the attachment.
The from address is randomly chosen from email addresses that the
worm finds on the infected computer.
Because this worm does use a randomly chosen address that it finds on an
infected computer as
the "From:" address, numerous cases have been reported in which users
of uninfected computers receive complaints that they have sent an infected
message to someone else.
For
information on how to remove this virus, follow the instructions found at
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.klez.e@mm.html
W32.MAGISTR.24876@MM
W32.MAGISTR.39921@MM
These
viruses produce “dancing icons” on your desktop. If the computer has been infected for two
months, then the desktop icons are repositioned whenever the mouse pointer
approaches, giving the
impression that the icons are "running
away" from the mouse.
The
first one adds an entry in the Win.ini file, while the second one adds an entry
to the system.ini file. It may add one
or more registry entries also.
You can read about removing these
viruses at
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.magistr.39921@mm.html
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.magistr.24876@mm.html
Five Digital Cameras
(Info
from PcPhoto – February, 2002)
NIKON COOLPIX 5000
This
camera has 5-megapixel resolution. It
includes a “vari-angle” or swivel LCD panel – or you
can use the large optical viewfinder. It
has a newly designed lens that incorporates three aspherical
lens elements into a design that offers a 3x zoom (28-85mm in 35mm terms). The camera offers a full range of controls
from all-auto to full manual, a builtin flash and an
accessory shoe for an external flash.
You can focus to .8 inch with no added accessories.
It
uses a CompactFlash card and has a list price of
$1099.
This
camera has a 10x zoom range. With a 35mm
equivalent focal range of 38-380mm, there are few subjects this camera can’t
handle – it’s great for sports and outdoor subjects. Zoom out and the 38mm perspective is wide
enough to take storytelling scenics.
The
viewfinder is electronic, and you are actually seeing the same image that the
camera’s 2.1 megapixel CCD is recording. The electronic viewfinder is especially
useful when shooting in Macro mode because it gives you an accurate view of
your composition. (The optical viewfinder on most digital cameras don’t do this – instead
they force you to use the LCD when in Macro mode).
This
camera uses a Smart Media card and has a list price of $699.
CANON POWERSHOT G2
This
camera has external flash capabilities.
It has a 4-megapixel resolution.
The new chip and processing circuitry is designed to give better color
and less CCD noise. It has a 34 to 102mm
in 35mm equivalent zoom lens.
This
camera uses a CompactFlash card and has a list price
of $999
MINOLTA DIMAGE S304
This
camera has a 35 to 140mm lens in 35 mm equivalent. It doesn’t include all of the advanced
capabilities of Minolta’s upscale DiMage 5 and 7
cameras, but it does incorporate the most significant technology developed for
them. This model is easy to use.
This
camera uses a CompactFlash card and has a list price
of $499.
PENTAX OPTIO 330
With
a 3.34 megapixel resolution and a 3x optical zoom
(equivalent to 37 – 111 mm in 35 mm terms).
It features two dual-sided aspherical
elements.
This
camera uses a CompactFlash card and has a list price
of $699.
Inkjet Papers
(Info
from PcPhoto – February, 2002)
There
are four important qualities to consider when comparing papers: whiteness, weight, base and surface.
WHITENESS:
Whiteness
will affect the colors in your prints, and whiter isn’t necessarily better.
For
a photo with eye-popping colors that you want to jump off the page, try a
“cooler”, very white paper – the extreme whiteness of the paper will make the
colors in your photo appear brighter by contrast. For older, faded images, a less-white paper
often works well because it “warms” the colors in the photo. There is no hard and fast rule on which
“white” to choose. It really all comes
down to personal preference.
WEIGHT AND THICKNESS:
Some
papers are extremely thin and could suffer ink bleed-through; this is
especially a concern when printing on both sides of the page. Also consider your end use. A more durable, heavy-weight paper will
definitely give you longer life on projects like brochures that are intended to
be handled.
BASE:
Base,
in regard to paper, is the actual makeup of the paper. The range of possibilities runs from photo
papers to canvas to film. The base of
your paper will affect the feel of your print and can affect color vibrancy and
saturation as well as details in the image.
SURFACE:
The
surface of the paper will have the most dramatic ability to change the look of
your print. Coated papers designed for
use with inkjet printers will give you the best results. Glossy surfaces are very good for bright
colors, but like traditional photographs, they are easily marred by
fingerprints. Matte papers are less
susceptible to fingerprints, but don’t have the same vibrancy as
glossy-surfaced papers. Additionally,
there are many archival papers with varying “finishes” – such as velvet, satin
or pearl.
Another
consideration is print longevity. Most
inkjet prints won’t last more than a few years when made using standard papers,
and inks, especially if they are exposed to lots of sunlight. If this is a concern for you, look into
papers like Epson’s new Colorlife and HP’s Colorfast, both of which promise extended print
longevity and fade resistance. Be aware,
that some of the long-life papers require extra drying time and may be subject
to color shift during drying.