SCUG Report - Sarnia Computer Users' Group magazine - my FINAL EDITION

Sarnia computer users’ group June 2009 - Vol. 26 Issue 9 SCUG REPORT Award Winning Computer Magazine That Goes ‘Outside the Box’ Windows 7 - is available for you & itʼs FREE... Run it with 3 other operating systems FAST & FREE... Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have more than one operating system on your computer? Ever wondered what it would be like to run an operating system without worrying about getting a virus? How about about running four operating systems, and one of them being a MAC? “No way”, you say. Microsoft lets YOU do it. A real ﬁrst!!! Microsoft is giving out their new Windows 7 operating system to EVERYONE and it is FREE to test drive until March of 2010. Also available FREE is Microsoftʼs Virtual PC 2007 (http://tinyurl.com/287fx8). Microsoft is telling users “You don't need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we're not limiting the number of product keys, so you have plenty of time” (http://tinyurl.com/crxlpq). Windows 7 is very easy to load in the “virtual” mode. Ron Walters, Webmaster for Computer Operators of Marysville and Port Huron (COMP) (www.bwcomp.org), demonstrated this process a few weeks ago. Ron says Continued on page 10 How to Join SCUG p 2 A SIGS p 14 Presidentʼs Perspective p 3 Genealogy p 17 Editorʼs Korner p 4 Hidden Talent p 18 Secretaryʼs Notes p 5 P Computer Tutor p 19 Review: Auto Pr p 6 Prize Winners p 21 Review: Dreamweaver CS3 p 7 E Classiﬁed Ads p 14 Review: Akvis Multibrush Reinstalling Windows p 8 p 9 E Advertising Rates Financial Report p 22 p 24 FREE PC Utilities p 11 K Microsoftʼs Bing p 26 Watch www.scug.ca[1] new meeting schedule coming soon for

FREE 3 MONTH TRIAL CONTACT US TODAY... President: Dorothy Alexander president@scug.ca HOW & WHY TO JOIN SCUG? On the right side of this page is a complete listing of all Vice President the SCUG executive members. To join SCUG or to get Bill Colotelo complete details about the group, please contact our vicepresident@scug.ca Membership Secretary, Jim Lapointe via email: membership@scug.ca Treasurer Ed Ginn WHAT DOES SCUG OFFER YOU? treasurer@scug.ca Each month we have a general meeting wherein a tad of business is conducted, then we have guest Recording Secretary presenters on a slew of computer-related topics. Tom Deeprose secretary@scug.ca Within SCUG there are sub-groups that include: Windows/Computer/Tech presentations. This is Membership Secretary where a presentation is made on a computer topic Jim Lapointe and the best part is our Question & Answer session. Another sub-group is our most-popular Digital membership@scug.ca Photography group. This is where you learn all about this amazing technology, from how to turn Shareware Librarian your camera on, to editing video clips, to learning Pierre Houle new editing software, or simply how to take better library@scug.ca pictures. Editor These sub-groups are called SIGs, short for Special Interest Groups. These groups are included in the $35 Gregory West yearly membership fee. editor@scug.ca Along with that fee you also get a monthly copy of our Public Relations infamous newsletter: SCUG Report - that is ﬁlled with Ian Hunt reviews, articles, and lots of how-to. prc@scug.ca Members get to place free “want ads” in SCUG Report and there is no limit. Program Coordinator Norm Lamoureux At each monthly general meeting our Shareware coordinator@scug.ca Librarian demonstrates a new and FREE program that is available afterwards on the SCUG website: www.scug.ca Webmaster Dick Carpani Contact Jim today as we offer much, much more for you. webmaster@scug.ca membership@scug.ca [2]

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Dorothy Alexander SCUG President president@scug.ca TIME FOR A CHANGE This will be my last Presidentʼs Perspective. As I write this I reflect on the changes that I have seen happen in the past four years that I have been your president, as well as the five years before that when I was treasurer. Some happenings were good for the club. We celebrated the 25th Anniversary of SCUG, moved to a new location, more accessible for anyone with a disability, and received awards from APCUG for both the newsletter and the website. These are but a few. This year, for the first time in many years, SCUG will be losing several executive members. …..all for a variety of reasons. It is indeed unfortunate that more members didnʼt step forward to run for an executive position. You gain valuable knowledge when you participate! As I have stated in previous President Perspectives I feel it is time to get some new blood into the executive. It is my hope that our new executive will work as a team, weighing the merits of the old versus the new and then making informed decisions. While they explore new ideas they will also have the benefit of SCUGʼs Constitution (that was amended and approved February 28, 2007) to help them follow the policies, definitions and guidelines that are so important to keep SCUG moving in the right direction. Speaking of changes have any of you tried BING, the new Microsoft search engine? This will replace MS Live Search. When you search with BING, for a camera as an example, it will bring prices, images, and reviews on a single screen and help you make decisions easier and faster than going from screen to screen. It no doubt will challenge GOOGLE, our old standby. At our last General Meeting of this season we have as our guest STAPLES who will show you the new HP touch smart computer, a small mini net book, JVC Camcorder and some other new items of interest. Hopefully all of you will have a great and safe summer. Dorothy Alexander, President, SCUG. (3)

Editor’s Korner Gregory West gregorywest@bell.net Final Frontier See You In Cyberspace... tech company reps, and the use of Skype we now see a huge change in the way User Groups After publishing nearly 60 issues of SCUG can and do hold some of their meetings. Report the time has come for me to pass the Editorʼs baton to someone new. Do you ever wonder what those other User Groups present at their meetings? Now you As I reflect back on my time as Editor, there are can watch online and for FREE. APCUG offers a many memories such as those smiling memberʼs Live Event calendar where you can check out faces at meetings as they faced my ever- other prodding camera for photos that may end up User Groupʼs LIVE meetings on the Internet: somewhere in the confines of SCUG Report. http://tinyurl.com/d6o2ez Nobody could forget those many, many reviews You must get involved and ask the new and articles that were submitted that gave us so executive to test drive some of the new stuff out much information about new software products there that Web 2.0 is offering. Get involved and and the new stuff happening out there in help move SCUG into that future out there...That CYBERSPACE. is what computing is all about: trying new and exciting things. The old saying: “If it aint broke SCUG now has worldwide recognition donʼt fix it” does not apply anymore. through the Association of Computer Usersʼ Groups (APCUG). Our articles and reviews are It is in this regard that I am leaving SCUG to test sent out to 250 other User Groups around the drive new areas and new adventures. It has globe each month and then published in other been a great ten years with this amazing group User Groupsʼ Newsletters and posted online. and I wish everyone the best. But what is more important, I would like to thank all of you for In this day of Instant Messaging (widely used helping make my time at SCUG a fun and by corporations now and individuals), live- meaningful experience - thank you. streaming User Group meetings over the Internet and interactive presentations by major See you in Cyberspace! (4)

Executive Dreamweaver Book is complete. Suggestion Secretaryʼs Meeting made that a section on the web site be set aside Report June 1, 2009 to post reviews available for members who Tom Deeprose would like to review new software or books. secretary@scug.ca 9. Public Relations Input: Ian Hunt 50-50 draw and a 8 gig USB Thumb Drive for the prizes for 1. Approval of minutes for April executive the June meeting. A second roll of tickets to be meeting accepted as written. purchased for other donations of prizes should a presenter offer a prize in addition to one from 2. Membership Input: Jim reported 53 people the club. present, 1 new guest, 5 repeats, 1 renewal 62 members 29 associate members for a total of 10. Web Master Input: The new name of the 91. ALC that Dick has used should be included. 3. Vice-Presidentʼs Input: Ian reported that 11. Presentation for June by Staples. Pierre will lead the next Windows meeting. Names were suggested for possible people to 12. Discussion regarding Internet connections run for elections and Ian will get in touch with for presentations – Ed Ginn to check with the people suggested. school about correcting the problems we encountered at the last general meeting. The 4. Secretary absent – minutes taken by Helen Computer Tutorʼs presentation was well Ginn. received despite the glitches in connecting to the Internet. Hopefully that problem will be 5. Treasurerʼs report: Financial report for May resolved before the next meeting. end was accepted as written. 13. New Business: Suggestion from Norm 6. Software Librarianʼs Input: Pierre suggested regarding a NING invitation – declined. Letter we continue posting freeware on the web site as received from Loblaws regarding charging to this eliminates the work of writing a CD when use their meeting room – discussion to ﬁnd a most everyone has broadband access. less expensive room for executive meetings, possibly the ALC. The sound system was 7. Editorʼs Input: Thanks to Judy Taylor, the looked into by Bill Colotelo who reported that APCUG representative, SCUG has had free the microphone had been damaged and could Local Advertising and World Wide Recognition be repaired for $100. A new microphone would from places as far away as Australia. Many of be $300 and a new two-speaker system would our reviews are also published at various paid cost $1,000. websites on the Net, such as Amazon.com, and Helen Ginn suggested that consideration be OʼReillyʼs websites. Greg stated that many of given to sending newsletters electronically in his articles that are published in both SCUG order to save the cost of printing and extra work Report and First Monday magazine, are also involved. The Executive agreed to present this published on the following websites: to the General Membership, for their views on w w w. c o m p u t e r s i g h t . c o m - h t t p : / / receiving a hard printed copy of the newsletter writinghood.com - www.authspot.com - or an electronic copy sent by email. www.webupon.com - and other Internet connections which link back to SCUG. Time constraints put on us by Loblaws prevented us from fully reviewing a letter of 8. Program Co-ordinatorʼs Input: Norm has 2 concerns that was submitted by a SCUG reviews due namely: Pro Show Producer by member. This letter will be put on the agenda for Bruce Ritchie, and Akvis Multibrush by Dorothy review at the next Executive meeting Alexander. Greg stated that his review of (5)

www.mtcpro.com A SCUG Review - by Ian Hunt, Executive Member Software Review: Auto Maintenance Pro Standard Edition Single User Version Version: 10.0.0 Build 11 Software Developer: Innovative Maintenance Systems Address: 152C Freeport Road, PO Box 142, Lyndora, PA 16045 Sales & Product Information: 1-888-449-2405 Fax: 724-283-7450 System Requirements: Pentium 600 Mhz or better processor - 16MB of RAM - 20MB of free disk space - VGA color monitor (800x600 screen resolution - Windows® 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP Product Pricing: $34.95 USD Download Size: 6.17 MB - Size on disk: 31.7 MB Product Website: www.mtcpro.com Web link for screen shots: http://www.mtcpro.com/automtc.htm Installation The program loaded easily and runs nicely with no ill effects on my Windows XP SP3 Home Edition PC with AMD Sempron 2800+ processor and 1 GB of RAM. What It Does Auto Maintenance Pro helps you stay on top of your vehicle maintenance by scheduling and then recording maintenance items. Up to 5 vehicles can be entered into the program. Once you have entered a vehicle into the program and save, you are asked if you want to enter the Preventive Maintenance information. The program has a set of over 80 default PM services with default intervals of both time and mileage. You can alter these using the maintenance schedule recommended by your vehicle manufacturer and you can add and delete items. Features * The program is downloadable from website with 30 day free trial. * You can add a photo of each vehicle (jpg format) to the main window. * Track in miles or kilometers. * 28 custom fields you can define on the vehicle information tabs. Tabs that contain the custom labels are "General" (4), "Specifications" (20), "Purchase" (2), and License (2). * Upon opening the program, the main window will display your vehicles in a list, the background colour will indicate whether service is due (pink), soon due (yellow) (less than 15 days, (6)

A SCUG Review - by Gregory West, SCUG Editor DREAMWEAVER CS3 - The Missing Manual Author: David Sawyer McFarland Published: 2007 OʼReilly Media, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-596--51043-5 Pages: 995 US $44.99 CAN $58.99 Anyone who has ever tackled the web creation software program Dreamweaver CS3 knows all-too- well of its massive complexity. From absolute divs to CSS, FLASH and other multimedia, HTML and XHTML, Java Script coding, to the all-new SPRY widgets by Adobe, you are taken on a real adventure of what Dreamweaver CS3 has to offer in this, the “missing manual”. McFarland states that this book “should have been in the box” and this is so true. This book is an excellent, easy-to-follow guide that takes you from simple to way beyond in website design creation and tricks and tips. You get to test-drive the software with the help of this book. The author demonstrates this concept right at the beginning on page thirty-eight wherein he points out that “Many of this bookʼs chapters, therefore, conclude with hands-on training: step-by-step tutorials that take you through the creation of a real, working, professionally designed Web site” for a “fictional” magazine. This way you get a hands-on approach to web design. Even if you are novice to web design, you can easily follow along with McFarlandʼs simple instructions after each chapter. This book is a work book. You design websites by tutorials. However, if you happen to be already accustomed to Adobeʼs Dreamweaver software, this book will act as an amazing reference guide to ensure that you use this software to its best capabilities. You are always kept abreast with the many screen shots throughout, and “Tip” boxes to keep you going in the right direction. There is nothing worse than getting off track with a website from the onset. This book definitely helps you steer a course for success in web design and creation.ʼ At the back of the book you will find an invaluable section called: Menu by Menu. Here is where each part of the menus is described and the functionality of each is given in plain language for everyone to understand. The file, edit, view, insert, modify, commands, menus and so many more are hear for very easy reference. At the very end of the book is an in-depth, 24 page, Index ensuring you will not get lost. McFarland makes searching so simple, as did he make the entire book, simple yet very complex. It is an excellent companion to such an extensive and amazing web design program. (7)

A SCUG Review - by Dorothy Alexander, SCUG President AKVIS MULTIBRUSH v 4.1 Standalone Edition Software Created by: AKVIS Software Inc. http://akvis.com #101 - 1001 W. Broadway Suite 381 Vancouver, BC V6H 4E4 CANADA FAX: 206-984-3919 VOICE: 206-309-0821 Price: Home Deluxe - PlugIn+Standalone $65.00 USD System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.9-10.5 Minimal system requirements: Recommended system requirements: Windows Pentium III, 1 GB RAM, 100 Mb HDD; screen resolution 1024x768; video card Direct X8 compatible, 32 Mb, color depth 32 bits Recommended system requirements: Core Duo, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB HDD; screen resolution 1280х1024; video card Direct X8 compatible, 128 Mb, color depth 32 bits I opted to download the standalone version of this software. This program was formerly known as AKVIS Stamp but has been revised with many more features added. This program has healing and enhancement brushes, cloning and stamping tools that you can use to improve your photos. The Chameleon Brush allows you to remove wrinkles, scars and scratches on a portrait. They claim it is like the Adobe Healing brush but with more options. We all have some old family photos that could be recovered using this program. One photo in the tutorial appeared to be un-recoverable but I was amazed at the end results. There is a unique feature called the Artistic Cloning mode. This allows you to clone parts of a picture in a really smart way. Sample, adjust and re-source parts you're about to multiply through the image, and create impressive collages with little effort. If you want to remove a person from a photo you can do so with this program. You can even add a person or replicate the original person and place in the background. It appears that what you can do with this program is endless. I have only tried a few features but expect to have many hours of fun using this program. Currently they offering a 10 days free trial of this program at: http://akvis.com/en/multibrush/index.php Why not give it a try if you don't want to go and spend a lot of money on one of the more expensive photo editing programs? (8)

PayPal or anything else important to you., now Reinstalling Windows is the time to write it all down. Some folks use a Written by Vinny La Bash, password protected spreadsheet file. Others Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer use some kind of encrypted application to store Users Group, Inc., FL the data. I prefer good old reliable pen and www.spcug.org paper stored in a safe place, not taped to my vlabash (at) comcast.net monitor. This article has been Do you have your Windows product key obtained from APCUG with available? You need it to reinstall Vista. Are the author’s permission for there any other applications you will reinstall publication by APCUG member groups; all other that require product keys, like Microsoft Office? uses require the permission Gather them all, including any drivers you may of the author (see e-mail need to reinstall hardware, like a printer or address above). mobile smart phone. No matter how diligent you are at computer housecleaning and tuning your system, at some A clean install requires that you backup your point you will need to reinstall Windows. One of data files. This is especially important if you’re the most infuriating things about the process planning to reformat your hard drive. Backup occurs after the installation when you realize email contacts, calendar entries, and anything you have forgotten something important like you consider important. Don’t forget anything exporting your Favorites folder. Several weeks special you may have saved on your desktop. ago I reinstalled Vista on my laptop and almost That’s an easy one to overlook. forgot to do something elementary. So perhaps it’s time to review the basics. Have you installed new hardware recently? Any new devices, except physical memory, require some kind of driver software to work properly. There are many reasons to You can get the most up-to-date drivers by reinstall windows. Perhaps the visiting the manufacturer’s web site and registry has gotten corrupted or it could be an downloading them. Go to the Device Manager accumulation of little things that are driving you for a list of installed hardware or use Belarc nuts. Whatever is annoying you, a clean install Advisor for a more detailed description. is always the best option. Before doing anything, careful planning will keep you out of Do some housecleaning. Search your trouble. drive for files that are obsolete or otherwise unnecessary. It’s amazing how much digital The detailed procedures outlined here apply detritus can accumulate over time. Perform a specifically to Vista, but the general concepts full deep virus scan so your new setup can get apply to any version of Windows and even other off to a clean start. Use Disk Cleanup if you operating systems. There are three main want to reduce the number of unnecessary files areas to a reinstall. You need proper on your hard disk to free up disk space and help preparation, the install itself, and the aftermath your computer run faster. It removes temporary to clean up any mess you may have files, empties the Recycle Bin, and deletes a inadvertently created. That means you don’t variety of system files and other items that you schedule a reinstall the night before any no longer need. deadlines. Back up the My Documents folder and any Start by documenting any critical login sub-folders that may exist. Backup Links if you identifications and passwords. If you pay bills use Internet Explorer; Bookmarks if you use online, access financial information, eBay, Mozilla Firefox. If you’re not sure you’ve backed (9)

Continued from front cover - Windows 7 Continued from page 9 - Reinstalling Windows “I have used Virtual PC 2007 for over a year up everything you need, back up the entire now. It is a very useful tool when providing disk. If you’ve forgotten anything, your data can customer support for an old operating system. be recovered. It will run most version of windows and installs By now you should have: in a snap. It is available in both 32 bit or 64 bit. I am currently running Vista Ultimate 64 bit as Documented all logins and passwords my primary OS and running Windows XP Pro Backed up all important data including My SP3, Windows 7 Release Candidate and Documents and any sub-folders Windows 98 all on Virtual PC 2007. It makes Have all product keys and activation codes my job a lot easier,” says Ron Walters. handy Backed up your email contact list, and Many computer users are using virtualization as calendar entries a way to surf the Internet without fears of Backed up Favorites, Links, Bookmarks, getting a virus or malware etc. These virtual etc. operating systems are used to test software and Collected Driver disks other data that you would be worried to do so on your host operating system. If there is any Check everything at least twice to make sure problem you simply delete the folder that the you haven’t overlooked anything essential and virtual operating system is residing in and you’re ready to go. Insert your Windows disk delete the folder. Thatʼs all there is to removing and reinstall the operating system. it and all its ﬁles etc. After the process is complete, there is still work Debra Shinder of windowsecurity.com says that to do. Use Windows Update to retrieve and “Virtualization software makes it much easier to install the latest service packs, security create a testbed for trying out new software in a updates, and any necessary patches. After safe environment without risking damage to bringing your operating system up-to-date, turn your production network.” your attention to applications and device drivers. So, when you load Windows 7 to test drive it give some serious thoughts to trying out a If you reinstalled Vista from the manufacturer’s virtual PC mode to load into. installation or system restore disks, drivers for the original software and hardware that came Windows 7 is stacking up some excellent with the system are likely to be either no longer reviews already. For instance, pcadviser.co.uk relevant or out-of-date. You may need to visit says itʼs good to go and “is ready for prime several manufacturers’ web sites to download time”. and install the most recent drivers. This is part of proper preparation, but if you neglected this “With less of what you donʼt need, Windows 7 step it’s not a fatal mistake. helps you do more. More work, more play, and more of everything in between. Making every Restore any data you backed up earlier, task simpler and every day easier. See for reconfigure network settings if applicable, and yourself” (itpro.co.uk). tweak the system to suit your personal preferences. Create a system restore point, I downloaded Windows 7 from the Microsoft site and do an image backup of your entire system (http://tinyurl.com/crxlpq) in about 3 hours. Full in case you need to reinstall again. instructions are found on that website and are quite easy to follow. Don’t fool yourself. Reinstalling the operating system, applications, drivers and such is never Editor SCUG as simple or as easy as it should be. If you plan carefully however, it doesn’t need to be stressful. (10)

This free suite has been recognized by the Free PC Utilities from Comodo media for its quality, by being awarded CNETʼs Written by Ira Wilsker highest 5 star rating, and was selected by PC APCUG Director; Magazine as its “Editorsʼ Choice”. Comodo Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; hopes that users of the free security suite will Radio Talk Show Host want to eventually upgrade to its commercial big Iwilsker (at) apcug.net brother ($40) that offers additional and enhanced features along with free 24/7 online This article has been obtained from APCUG with the chat support. authorʼs permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above). Comodo offers a somewhat unique free product in its “Comodo Memory Firewall Version 2.0”. WEBSITE: This is an unusual utility in that unlike a h t t p : / / w w w. c o m o d o . c o m / p r o d u c t s / conventional firewall (which is also required to free_products.html maximize security), this Memory Firewall monitors the memory of the computer and the Last year I wrote in this column about a free running applications. It is on the lookout for suite of excellent security products from a little attacks on running programs such as buffer- known company called Comodo overflow attacks, a common and damaging (www.comodo.com). Comodo is one of those threat to our computing security. Attacks such sleeper companies that quietly provides very as these, which can be prevented with this good products and services, but just seems to Memory Firewall, can cause system crashes or dwell in the background while it adds paying steal confidential information from the targeted customers and clients. Comodo is an computer. international company with offices in the U.S., the U.K., the Ukraine, and in India. While not An extremely common threat faced by all web visible to the ordinary internet user, Comodo is surfers is a form of identity theft through the use the exclusive provider of digital security services of “phishing” or otherwise fraudulent websites. to the top level internet domain name Comodo offers its “Free Forever” Comodo registrants. Comodo has over 200,000 Verification Engine, which notifies the user if a commercial customers in over 100 countries, website is legitimate or fraudulent. If a website and protects over a half-million businesses and is known to be legitimate, simply placing the private individuals. As is common in the field, mouse over the website logo will display a Comodo offers some excellent free products green border. This is an excellent tool to available to all users that Comodo hopes will prevent some of the more common online forms spread its reputation and services, and of identity theft. eventually attract paying clients to its more sophisticated commercial products. Many thousands of computers are lost or stolen each year. It is a known fact that thousands of In my earlier column on Comodo, I discussed laptop or notebook computers are stolen in the individual free Comodo security products, airports and other places annually. One major including its antivirus, firewall, antispam, and concern of the owner of a lost or stolen other security products, all of which can still be computer is the potential disclosure and abuse downloaded individually, but work together as of the personal data on the hard drive. Comodo do many of the competitive commercial security offers a solution to this vexing problem, its free suites. To ease the download process, and Disk Encryption Software, which can be used to even better integrate the protective functions, encode the data on a hard drive, preventing its Comodo has introduced its free Comodo use by unauthorized individuals. This provides Internet Security, a fully functional, but basic continuous protection of the data on the drive, antivirus, firewall, and proactive security suite. and includes two levels of data authentication. This protects sensitive data without disrupting (11) Continued on page 12

Continued from page 11 - FREE PC Utilities the ability to legitimately utilize the data, but While Comodo offers many other utilities, it is makes the same data useless to an best known for its security products. One such unauthorized user, such as a thief. free product offered is its BoClean, which can detect and remove rootkits, hijackers, You may have heard commercials on radio and keyloggers, and Trojans, as it continuously TV about a “VPN” or Virtual Private Network, monitors the system for attack. BoClean offers where selected computers can be connected real time protection against online identity theft together over the internet, just as if they would caused by malware, as well as protection from be connected over a wired in-house network. file damage caused by other varieties of For those who may need to connect distant malware. computers, Comodo offers its free “Comodo EasyVPN”. This VPN provides secure encrypted Regular readers of this column have read the communications over the internet, and allows three most important words in computing, for the safe transmission and reception of “Backup, Backup, and Backup!” Comodo sensitive communications. It also allows for offers a full featured and free backup utility that remote access to connected computers, can automatically backup critical data files to including a “remote desktop” feature that allows almost any form of media or storage system. one user to access control over another distant Backups my be scheduled automatically, or run computer. For family use, EasyVPN allows for at will, and allow for the easy recovery of files in the quick and easy internet exchange of music the event of system crash, natural disaster, or photos, and even allows connected users to theft, or other loss of data. With software such play multi-user games. This is like having a as this, and a secure place to store the backed remote office, where the office computer can be up data, there is no reason why any important securely accessed from anywhere there is an data should ever be lost. internet connection. This may be a very useful utility. Comodo offers its System Cleaner utility to clean computers of useless and wasteful files I hate spam, that unwanted junk email. and registry entries that can adversely impact Comodo offers a free anti-spam utility that can computer performance, thus improving stop spam, phishing (identity theft), and other performance. Comodo System Cleaner is fraudulent email from getting into your inbox. among the fastest and most efficient system The software can import the address book from cleaner tested, including several of the popular most popular email clients to create a safe competitors. System Cleaner includes both disk sendersʼ list, and provides for a challenge and cleaner and registry cleaner tools, as well as response system to verify unknown senders, other powerful diagnostic tools. System and adds verified senders to a safe “white Cleaner claims “100% Safe Cleaning” as it list”. Using Comodoʼs Anti Spam utility can implements proprietary “Registry Protection” significantly reduce the unwanted mail in your and “Safe Delete” features which can inbox. automatically restore any files that may have been deleted in error. Sometimes we must send and receive sensitive information via email that we would Comodo offers an impressive collection of free not want others to be able to access or read. utilities, and should be commended for offering Comodo has a free solution to this problem, its them. Comodo explicitly states that many of SecureEmail utility. This utility encrypts and these utilities are free for both personal and digitally signs email such that it cannot be read business users, making them most cost by anyone except the intended recipient. This effective at “free”. utility seamlessly integrates with all major email clients, and has a wizard to help setup the For this price, they are most worthy of a try. program. (12)

FREE Ever Wonder Why BASIC LEVEL Newspapers Are Closing Up COMPUTER & INTERNET Shop? And Why Too Many TV Sessions Shows Are Less Than Good? Back for a 3rd season this Fall. Craigslist.org Have you checked the classifieds here yet? Bring along all your questions If not, you are missing out. It is very popular among buyers and sellers looking for deals. to our The Associated Press states that “ Many newspaper executives view Craigslist as a FAMOUS Q&A nemesis because it doesn't charge for most ads. As Craigslist and scores of other Web session at each meeting! sites have offered free or less expensive alternatives, newspapers' total revenue from the classified advertising in print editions has waned from a peak of nearly $20-billion in 2000 to about $10-billion last year”. This year alone we will see more newspapers fold as the advertising money “you do not need to pray for a is moving. The Associated Press article also computer miracle, just attend any pointed out that “Craigslist has been raking of these FREE sessions next fall” in more revenue from the ad listings that it does charge for in major U.S. markets. Most of the money comes from help-wanted ads FALL PREVIEW – another former cash cow for newspapers all about Emailing that has been drying up”. learn more about MS WORD security Te l e v i s i o n n e t w o r k s are in somewhat of a similar boat. TV advertising basic digital photography dollars streaming from the “boob-tube” to FREE cloud computing software the Internet. There is no lack of news about whatʼs NEW Online this problem for what some call Television “dinosaur” technology. WHERE: Central United Church “In the past five years, music companies, All sessions are free and open to the public. newspapers, and others have seen their revenues plunge as theyʼve lost control of For more info: their content. Now television broadcasters www.centralunitedsarnia.ca/computer_group.html are fighting the same bloody, ugly and Email Greg West: gregorywest@bell.net ultimately losing battle for control” (PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 28, 2009). (13)

S Digital Photography Special Interest Group I Pierre Houle G* gimp a PhotoShop Clone At least 30 people attended the last Digital SIG of the season. Pierre led the session with a demonstration of the GIMP, Gnu Image Manipulation Program. This is a very powerful image editor. Like all these image programs the GIMP takes time and practice to be familiar with all of it's functions. Pierre demonstrated how to crop, clone, sharpen, adjust brightness and contrast, levels and layers among other features. There are excellent tutorial for the GIMP. Here are some links: http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/ http://www.gimptalk.com/forum/beginning-with-gimp-starting-tutorial-for-new- users-t34772.html-sid=db94594e941b04525a4add0057615795 I would like to thank all who have attended throughout the year and made this SIG a success. I have agreed to lead the SIG for the next season. * A SIG is a Special Interest Group within the Sarnia Computer Usersʼ Group (14)

SARNIA A Live Remote Demo with Internet Connection Problems TORONTO Members Await Pamela Tabakʼs (the Computer Tutor) LIVE Remote Control demonstration from her home in Toronto. Lots of work went into testing. The tests went well both at home and at the centre. We even tested it live at the centre during a Windows SIG months before this night. Skype was used for voice and Teamviewer for the remote computer ...conʼt. at bottom... setting up takes time computer hookups between Sarnia and Toronto. Everything went ﬁne in most of the tests, although we did experience some problem with the Internet at the centre that afternoon during testing. When the demonstration began we knew right at the start there was an Internet connection problem at the centre. Pierre lightly shook the ethernet box on the wall and that helped, but we had a VERY slow connection during the demo. Apparently we were not alone as other User Groups have experienced slow Internet connections at their meeting places as well. Nature of the beast they say! Greg handing out 5 prizes after his demo to happy members (15)

Disc of the month This month's freeware offering is a technician's dream come true. System Information for Windows will show you everything you want to know about your computer. It's more thorough than Belarc or Everest. It gives software and hardware information. It gives license information and passwords. The program is stand-alone which means it can be used simply by downloading and running, no install is required. This means that it can be run from a USB thumb drive. http://www.gtopala.com Window SIG Sorry, report unavailable also see page 26 Microsoftʼs CEO, Steve Ballmer, announces Bing Watch the exciting video interview: http:// tinyurl.com/lsguut and read the full article too. REMEMBER YOU HEARD IT FIRST IN SCUG REPORT: Bing is going to be HUGE!!! MOBILE COMPUTING & SOCIAL MEDIA: From Google Gear Guide They say once something gets on Oprah the http://tinyurl.com/nmczql general population gives it a try. “95 great free sites and downloads youʼve “By now, you probably know that Oprah Winfrey probably never heard of...” loves Skype (not to mention Twitter). Oprah did a Skype video chat on her TV show with Virgin America's Mandalay Roberts.” As reported by James A. Martin, PC World. full article at Wanna Farkle? http://tinyurl.com/l8auen I mean, do if you want to download YouTube videos?: farkle.com FACEBOOK- did you know the most number of new people using FACEBOOK Great for storing those YouTube training videos. today are the Baby Boomers who are connecting with their past from many years. How to Download Youtube with Farkie? 1,000,000th. WORD 1. Copy the full web address of the site you wish From Thursday's Globe and Mail, Thursday, Jun. to download. 11, 2009 04:40PM EDT 2. Paste the web address into the box at the top of this page. “The one-millionth entry into the English language 3. Click "Download" and wait until it has fully may be a sign of the times, but as words go it's a loaded. bit on the bland side - and, one could argue, not 4. Choose a format and it will then download and even a word. convert the video. 5. Be patient, it can take up to 5 minutes “Quibbles aside, the Global Language Monitor depending on the size. announced on schedule early yesterday its choice 6. You're done! Enjoy your newly converted for the milestone millionth word: Web 2.0.” YouTube video! (16)

the crooked tree by Val Conway SCUG Member Some of my Favorite Genealogy Web Sites Iʼll finish out the year with a list of some of name translations, distances from other places, and maps are provided. my Favorite Genealogy Web Sites. http://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/ LocTown.asp Ontario Locator is the best site to use to locate counties and townships in Ontario. Over 11,000 Three Military sites that are worth surfing: place names are listed with short histories: http://www.geneofun.on.ca/ontariolocator/ 1. Commonwealth War Graves: http:// www.cwgc.org/ US National Association of Counties works for 2. American Battle Monuments Commission War the United States: Dead: http://www.abmc.gov http://www.naco.org/ - Select About Counties/ 3. Canadian War Museum includes a WW II Data and Demographics /City Search database of Newspaper Articles: http:// tinyurl.com/eps2c Many ethnic church records are written in Latin. Here are two sites I have found helpful: Rootsweb hosts many interesting pages including mail lists and message boards, and 1. Church Record Translations many special projects. Be sure to check out their http://www.bmi.net/jjaso/ index and dig deeper: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ 2. Family Search Latin Genealogy Wordlist: http://tinyurl.com/b6fggo Rootsweb also hosts freepages for those who wish to share their research. Cyndiʼs List is a categorized & cross-referenced http:// index with over 265,850 easy to find links for freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ family history. There is everything from “Adoption” to “Writing Your Family History”: These pages cover more than personal family http://www.cyndislist.com/ trees. Here is one about quarantine at Ellis Island that includes a database of those that died JewishGenʼs Town Search is a must for there: searching all localities in Central and Eastern http://tinyurl.com/ccboyr Europe whether you are Jewish or not. Historic Enjoy your summer and hopefully we will meet (17)

by Dorothy Alexander Pierre has taken many personal interest courses at Lambton College including Black and White Darkroom, Colour Darkroom including Cebachrome, Bird Watching, Taking Better Pictures, and Computer Programming in Q-Basic, Personal Computer Repair, P.C. Repair Technician, and Instrumentation. Pierre has two sons. The eldest, William, is attending Lambton College and taking Internet Application Development. The other is Robert who will be attending Sarnia Collegiate High School in his senior year. He plans to attend the University of Western Ontario to study music. The boys live with their mother, Heather. They have been separated for six years. This month I introduce you to Pierre Houle, a member of SCUG since 1996. Pierre has been a member of SCUG since 1996. When he joined he was immediately Pierre was born and raised in Sarnia. He recruited to run the Windows SIG which he did attended Sacred Heart School and participated for 10 years. A year later he was asked to be on in Church activities including Boy Scouts. He the Executive and has been ever since, serving attended Northern High School and the as Public Relations, Vice President, President, University of Waterloo from which he has a Past President and Shareware Librarian. In bachelor's degree in Biology. His area interest 2007 he became leader of the Digital was genetics. Photography SIG. He has also been on the review committee since its inception. Under his Pierre was not able to find employment in his presidency the club prospered and had a chosen field so he decided to follow in his father membership of over a hundred. Pierre is a very and grandfather's footsteps and become an competent instructor, being able to simplify and electrician. This was originally a temporary explain computer related issues. solution to pay down his university debt but discovered he enjoyed working with his hands. In 2004 he was certified as a COMPTIA A+ He has worked in the chemical valley for 30 certified computer repair technician and started years. Pierre is currently working at the a part-time business in computer repair and expansion project at Bluewater Health, Norman instruction. He has a knack for troubleshooting Street site. computer problems. Many members have used his services. In recent months he has taken on (18) Continued on page 25

Computer Email: pamela@computertutorinc.net Website: www.computertutorinc.net Tutor Pamela Tabak Q&A Pamela Tabak receives numerous computer-related questions via e-mail and during classroom presentations. Did you know that Pamelaʼs column is published in 3 other User Groups: Front Range User Group in Colorado http://frpcug.org/k-byte/current.pdf Hilton Head Island User Group South Carolina Pamela thanks all of you who sent in http://hhiccbb.org/download/file.php?id=2003 all those ”excellent” questions. She hopes this continues on. Orange County IBM PC Usersʼ Group (California) http://www.orcopug.org/pdf/june2009.pdf QUESTION: Is it possible to make the icons on the Quick Launch Bar Larger with the Vista Operating System? ANSWER: Yes, with Windows Vista itʼs a few easy steps to enlarge the icons on your Quick Launch Bar: 1. Unlock the Taskbar by right clicking in an empty space on the Taskbar. 2. Left click on “Lock the Taskbar” this will take out the check mark that should be next to this option. If there is no check mark your taskbar is already unlocked. 3. Once the Taskbar is unlocked you will notice that the Quick Launch icons have triple dotted lines placed before the first icon and after the last icon. You will find the Quick Launch Bar next to the Vista Orb at the left side of your taskbar. 4. RIGHT click in a space next to the last icon. If you click too close to an icon a different menu will appear. If this happens click in a space to close the menu and try again (19) Continued on page 20

Continued from page 19 - Computer Tutor 5. A menu of choices will appear. Choose “VIEW” at the top of the list. 6. Then click on “Large Icons” and the icons will increase in size. 7. LOCK your taskbar to prevent it moving. 8. Your Quick Launch Icons will now remain larger and easier to see. QUESTION: How do I email my photographs after I have transferred all my digital pictures from my camera onto a USB storage device? ANSWER: To transfer digital photos from your USB device to emails you can save them to your hard drive first or you can transfer them directly from your external device. how to do it... To transfer them from your external device: PLUG YOUR USB DEVICE INTO YOUR COMPUTER: * Open a new email * Click on ATTACH or INSERT depending on your email software. * Find (browse to find) the USB device. * Then click on the pictures that you want to email, one by one and it will attach to the email. * If you are using Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail or Outlook Express you can insert all the pictures at once by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on selected pictures. Then hit the INSERT button. * If you have a “block” of pictures that you wish to select you just click on the first picture in the “Block” and then hold down the “SHIFT” key and click the last picture in the “block” (all the pictures will be highlighted.) Then click INSERT and all the pictures will be attached to your email. NOTE: I would advise against inserting the “picture” in the email because most people who receive them would not know how to save them if they appear on the email. The best way to send them is to “attach” them as a “file” and then the recipient can right click on the file to save it to their hard drive. (20)

Compuprize Winners Tonightʼs Winning Tickets R4: 50-50 draw and an 8 gig USB Thumb Drive Last Monthʼs Winners L-R 1) Cross-cut Shredder - Dick Wilson 2) Labeler - Gloria Johnston Tickets $2 or 3 for $5 . at “Guess wh Ian?” hat “What’s t Ed?” SCUG Executive extends a ys “I’ve alwa huge THANK YOU to Ian for said, all his very hard work win attempting to entice you can’t members to think about without a helping out on the ticket.” executive. Ian worked extremely hard on this project. Donʼt forget to buy a ticket $2 each or 3 for $5 (21)

SCUG Classifieds (22)

Slide & Film Scanning 35 mm SCUG Advertising Rates High Resolution Full page: 1 time = $30, 3 times = $25 ea...., 6 times or more = $20 ea. Call Pierre for a free quote Half page: 1 time = $20, 3 times = $15 ea...., 6 times or more = $10 ea. Phone: 519-344-1379 Business card: $10 per year (9 issues) One year = 9 issues, September to June. Email: pahoule@sympatico.ca Full and half page rates are per insertion. Example: 3 times $25 = $75 for 3 months (23)

hobby a SCUG n ote fest This year, SCUG will be at Hobbyfest again, July 26 on Sunday July 26 from 10 am- 4 p.m.. scug This is a good time to come out from the dark corners of the room we hide in during our meetings and get some fresh air. We have even got some new members by attending this free service brought by the City to Centennial Park.. Hope to see you there. Any questions or if you wish to volunteer to help out YOUR group, please contact Norm: coordinator@scug.ca FINANCIAL STATEMENT Sorry (24)

A Huge Thanks To All The Companies Dick Carpani Who Supported SCUG This Season SCUG Webmaster giving an update on MS Windows Vista Ultimate Photodex Pro Show Producer the SCUG website Photodex Pro Show Gold Akvis Multibrush Akvis Sketch Peachpit Proshow book Uniblue Registry Booster Staples, Sarnia Store Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 RealAllusion - Crazy Talk Adobe In Design Book CS3 Corel - Word Perfect Applian Technologies Replay McLean & McLean Computer Serv. Converter Dougʼs Computer Complete Innovative Maintenance Systems - Sarnia Computer Centre Ltd. Auto Pro Coffee Lodge & Johnʼs Restaurant O'reilly Windows Vista book Datatek Systems Larry Mobbs O'reilly Web 2.0 book Verdon Computer Systems President of COMP O'reilly Dreamweaver CS3 Sarnia Inkspot letting the us know O'Reilly Windows Vista: The Slide and Film Scanning - Pierre what is going on in Missing Manual Open Source Products Michigan with COMP Continued from page 18 - HIDDEN TALENTS less computer work so he could spend more Pierre had a life changing experience in 2007 time pursuing personal projects. when a young friend and fellow worker died in an auto accident on his way home from work. Another interest of his is photography. Pierre He left behind a wife and two small children. has owned a camera since 1979. He has taken Pierre decided that there was more to life than photography courses at night at Lambton work and started planning a trip to western College. He joined the Bluewater Camera Club Canada. To this point in his life he had never in 1979 but soon lost interest. He took up the had any interest in travel so this was a change hobby again a few years later and joined the of philosophy for him. In 2008 he took a layoff Sarnia Photochromatic Club which later from his construction job and hit the road with became the Sarnia Photographic Club. He has his camera and a mini van filled with camping served on the executive for many years as equipment. Pierre was gone for seven weeks, Public Relations, Program, Vice President and increased his vehicle's mileage by 14000 is currently the President. With Pierre's kilometers and took 9000 pictures. leadership the SPC grew from thirty five members to over one hundred. Most of this Pierre has since cut back on club activities and growth was due to a change from film to digital. computer repair to pursue personal projects Pierre has a keen interest in nature which include publishing a photography book, a photography and is known for his interesting website, traveling and showing his photography. compositions. He has won several awards, has had photographs published and has even sold If you know someone in SCUG who has a few, in particular a panorama of downtown HIDDEN TALENTS? Sarnia. Please contact me at president@scug.ca. (25)

MICROSOFTʼS NEW SEARCH ENGINE COMPETES WITH GOOGLE: bing GOOGLE STAND ASIDE YOU HAVE SERIOUS COMPETITION Now there is real competition online that will move many of us to Microsoftʼs amazing DECISION ENGINE when wanting to do A Decision some precision searches, to save Engine time, and to save money. The New York Post says Google is running scared. “You'd think nothing would get under the skin of search giant Google. But co-founder Sergey Brin is so rattled by the launch of Microsoft's rival search engine that he has assembled a team of top engineers to work on urgent upgrades to his Web service”. CNet.com says, “Although Microsoft has a long way to go before it makes a dent in Google's business, Bing may end up being the only true alternative to Google”. INFORMATIONWEEK also has great praise for this new search engine, “Bing includes features that allow users to book travel and engage in other e-commerce transactions with just a few clicks.” This VIDEO demonstrates the high quality search results that are more relevant that ever before: http:// tinyurl.com/mrsjum Donʼt forget to do your own test driving on BING: www.bing.com DUELING SEARCH ENGINES - Bing & google side-by-side on one site. YOU MUST try out the new combined search engine of Bing and Google called: Bingle. I cannot remember ever seeing two different search engines running side-by-side on one website, have you? Now we can. This is simple. Open Bingle, type in your topic of search, and the answer will be displayed in both Bing and Google side-by-side on the same webpage. (26) Check out page 27 for more...

Continued from page 26 - bing The latest new site combines both search engines in one site and allows you to use both at the same time to see what each search engine calls up for results to your query. This one is called: Bingle. Yep, Bing for bing and gle for Google. I know that sounds crazy, but it is for real. A double search engine: Bingle, now offers the best of both on one website. Microsoft is making headway, which is great for all of us. We need competition - It keeps companies watching their backs, thus the end result is better software for us to use. Check out BINGLE at http://bingle.pwnij.com PREDICTION: “As much as I am major fan of many of Googleʼs software programs, including itʼs search engine, I predict that Microsoftʼs new search engine “bing” will win out in the all-new search wars that are about to take place in Cyberspace,” greg west, editor SCUG Report. cnet.com says, “Microsoft Bing: Much better than expected”. never Bingle gets answers in both search engines at the been same time on done SCUG Report the same webpage B 4 bing results to SCUG Report search Google results to SCUG Report search (27)

SCUG is a proud member of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups Please check the website www.scug.ca for the 2009 - 2010 SCUG Schedule *** SCUG Members can advertise sale not available @ items at no charge as part of their press time! membership perks. Have a great summer SCUG Disclaimers 1. The viewpoints found inside SCUG Report are not necessarily the views of the SCUG Executive nor of the SCUG Membership, only that of the said authors of articles and reviews. ELECTION UPDATE... 2. Disclaimer: (SCUG Report) "The SCUG "I would like to thank those who have accepts no responsibility for errors or agreed to take an executive position and omissions in the Newsletter. all members who took the time to discuss Advertisements are paid for and should being on the executive." not be considered as endorsements by SCUG ." Ian Hunt, Acting VP, SCUG 3. Advertising Guidelines” Advertising in the Newsletter is subject to the approval of the Executive and, if accepted, will be at the current published rate. (28)

SCUG Report - Sarnia Computer Users' Group magazine - my FINAL EDITION

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