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SLO Bytes Newsletter - January 2008 - PUSH Article Descriptions

10 Commandments for Online Shopping by Robert Spotswood, a Member of HAL-PC, Texas www.hal-pc.org (approx. 3,839 words). Most of us will probably have to use this article over several issues…. Navigating the online shopping minefield includes these 10 important commandments: Understand the risks, keep your computer clean, shop around, don't trust that lock, checkout the company, use credit cards not debit cards, zero liability sounds better than it is, protecting your credit card online, close the browser, and use common sense.

A Laptop for the Holidays? By Vinny La Bash, a regular columnist and member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (approx. 1,005 words). In June 2005, monthly laptop sales exceeded desktop sales for the first time. Since them, the popularity of laptops has continued to gain. Laptops are replacing desktops in homes and corporate offices and they are cheaper than ever, but that doesn't mean that the cheapest laptop is the one that's best for you. Examine the specifications, test drive it if you can, then make your choice.

Connected or Discombobulated? By Judy Lococo, Director, Kentucky-Indiana PCUG, www.kipcug.org (approx. 652 words). Everywhere you look today, someone is always talking about "connectivity" and how out new, improved world demands it. The more Judy sees of this phenomenon, the less she thinks we are connected.

Converting to a Portable Office by Brian K. Lewis PhD, a regular columnist and member of the Sarasota PCUG, FL www.spcug.org (approx. 1,401 words). Brian is in the process of changing to a completely mobile lifestyle and that means everything he needs has to fit in a very small space in a travel trailer where there is no room for a desktop and a CRT and he needs to add storage to the laptop so that all of his research files, genealogy files, etc. will be able to go along. That's what this article is all about - fitting everything into as small a space as possible.

FBI Asks "How Aware are you of the Dangers of the 'Net?" by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont TX; Radio and TV Show Host (approx. 1,286 words). As regular readers may know, Ira frequently lectures on computer security topics, and has written numerous columns on security topics over the years. While many of us surf the net oblivious to the online threats that face us, many others are aware of the treats, and sadly, many have learned of the threats the hard way.

Free Help for Creating Greeting Cards by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS, www.compukiss.com (approx. 578 words). A recent trip to the greeting card store left Sandy in sticker shock. While the text with the price of the card was smaller (or is it just my aging eyes?), the price tag was definitely larger than the last time she looked. You can visit the sites in Sandy's article and create your cards with free clip art and pre-designed cards.

Moving on to Vista - Part 2 by Neil Stahfest, Shareware Librarian, Tacoma Area PC User Group, WA www.tapcug.org (approx. 731 words). Part 2 of Neil's saga with Vista.

Need a sticky note? Put it on your computer! By Linda Gonse, Editor & Webmaster, Orange County IBM PC Users' Group, CA www.orcopug.org (approx. 531 words). Sticky note programs for your pc, as you might imagine, are a utility that takes the place of paper Post-it notes that we all stick to our monitors! But the sticky note programs Linda research this year discouraged her from even trying them out. Then she found one she likes.

Old to New Computer Files Transfer: Careful! By Charles W. Evans, Reviews Editor, Hal-PC TX www.hal-pc.org (approx. 960 words). It's that time of year when many of us will buy a new computer. And one of the biggest chores of getting a new computer is moving all of our stuff from one to the other. This review and the one in January '08 should be helpful in transferring or moving your "stuff."

Saitek Optical Photo Mouse by Jan Fagerholm, Mouse Maven, PC Community, CA www.pcc.org (approx. 609 words). This mouse is for the person who has everything. It's a desktop optical USB mouse that you can insert your own photos into. The photo area is illuminated. The mouse features 3 buttons and a scroll wheel.

The New, The Best, and The Worst - November 2007 collected by Pim Borman, Webmasters, SW Indiana PC Users Group, Inc. http://swipcug.apcug.org (approx. 1,039 words). This month, Pim tells us about disruptive Open Source programs and thermal color printing.

The Phenomenon of Facebook - Part III, Love and Dating in the 21st Century by Courtney Jewett, member of Alamo PC, TX and a Senior English major at Baylor University alamopc.org (approx. 508 words). Facebook is one of the most valuable tools in the dating world, and is today's version of the little black book. Users of the social network can display their relationship status on their profile, along with the name of their significant other. This information is visible to their 'Facebook friends,' and is simply a click away.

Tweak Your PC to Keep It Running Fast, Feeling Good and Looking Young! by Lou Torraca, President MOAA Computer User Group, HI www.the-tug.org (approx. 2,211 words). Lou was explaining to a friend that he is a quick launch toolbar aficionado {:-) What the heck is that he asked. Lou said he was just referring to the fact he uses it instead of the desktop to keep all his shortcuts, actually, lots of shortcuts, at least on his main PC. As they continued to talk about this Lou found myself explaining a lot of stuff he has done with his PCs and notebook in the past 6 or 8 years! The "things…tweaks" come from dozens and dozens of places including many newsletters, also some regular blogs, newspapers, radio shows, other PC users he talks with and of course, the real biggie, MICROSOFT! Yup, their knowledge base contains millions of tips, solutions and you guessed it…TWEAKS!

Weird Windows Behavior by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS, www.compukiss.com (approx. 868 words). Have you ever been completely dismayed by your computer? Does it seem to do unusual things that you can't trace back to any of your actions? Well, you are not alone. Do your Icons disappear? Have you lost your toolbars or the toolbar moves? Do you have a dramatic slowdown, no sound, or your mouse shutters? Sandy gives you tips on why this happens and how you can fix the problems.

Windows Live Hotmail by Lynn Page, Editor, Crystal River Users Group, FL www.crug.com (approx. 1,367 words). Lynn has had a Hotmail account for many years and uses it regularly. The latest Windows Live Hotmail is easier to use and includes many impressive features. With a 5 GB Inbox so you don't have to worry about it filling up while you are away and many safety features to alert you to suspicious email and spam.

Af06hi(at)gmail.com
Bwsail(at)yahoo.com
Courtney_jewett(at)baylor.edu
Editor(at)orcopug.org
Iwilsker(at)apcug.net
Jan Fegerholm - pcc4me(at)@netscape.net
Judy(at)thorobred.win.net
Ncstahfest(at)msn.com
Newsletter(at)crug.com
Reviews(at)hal-pc.org
robert(at)spotswood-computer.net
Sandy Berger - sandy(at)compukiss.com
Swipcug(at)gmail.com
Vlabash(at)comcast.net

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