CyberCoyote -- August, 2005

http://cybercoyote.org/news/coyote.shtml -- subscribe or un-subscribe

NEWS and NOTES

The "Mr-Modem!" column for August is now online: http://cybercoyote.org/articles/modem.shtml

You can now subscribe to CyberCoyote as a Web feed instead of email. It's a good way to make life simpler if you're already reading other blogs and Web feeds. The CyberCoyote feed will also give you prompt notice of "breaking news" and other current items that you'd have to dig around on the website to find.
http://cybercoyote.org/news/blog.html -- the CyberCoyote Web feed
http://cybercoyote.org/articles/feeds.shtml -- Web feeds explained
http://cybercoyote.org/news/rss.shtml -- subscribe to the Web feed

TIPS and TOPICS

"Travel sites can help you snag a great deal. Just don't get taken for a ride."
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,121193,00.asp

Microsoft now provides tools that let you convert, or at least view, old file formats. If you don't find what you want, try searching at the "Tools" page, for example, search for "Office File Converter". Microsoft also plans to provide tools for the next generation of Office that will let you convert new formats to old ones (for your friends who are not up to speed yet).
http://cybercoyote.org/url/121.html --tools
http://www.microsoft.com/office/xml/xmlletter.mspx --article

WINDOWS

Firefox -- stick with me until the next paragraph -- began to act strangely a while back. I had been trying a wide range of experimental Firefox "extensions". I was just about ready to reinstall Firefox, but I thought about trying a new "profile" instead. That made Firefox as good as new. Interesting...
http://www.tweakguides.com/Firefox_7.html -- manage profiles
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/profile -- create a new Firefox profile

Later on, my computer developed too many quirks to live with. Could it have been on too many adventures? Nah, not computer. I thought about restoring Windows, but didn't know how far back in time I would need to go. Then I remembered the Firefox fix.

Why not for Windows too? I created a new "user account" for Windows instead. Windows is running like a Swiss watch again! I'm sure my old account had some corrupted registry entries -- the new account replaced them.
Go to [Start > Control Panel > User Accounts] to create a new user account.

COMPUTERS

If you're thinking about a new computer, PC Today has a well written, up-to-date article on what to look for. You'll also want to make sure that your new computer is "ready for Windows Vista", which is due out in 2006. I'll wait until new computers come with Vista myself.
http://cybercoyote.org/url/120.html -- "Get The Most PC Out Of Any Budget"

Speaking of new computers, before you decide to spring for a blazing, 64-bit model you'll want to consider this:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/07/27/HNsecurityvendorsholdoff_1.html

SECURITY

Alas, virus and spyware writers have "discovered" the Firefox browser. The Mozilla team has been quick to fix security holes, but you do need to update Firefox quickly each time they do. I usually just install the new version "on top of" the old installation. That may not always work out well though.

Scot Finney recommends that you "clean install" Firefox each time. I have not had as much trouble as Scot. I do a clean install only when Firefox ends up with problems. Scot gave the procedure for a clean install in his (excellent) newsletter.
http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/68.htm#ffprobs -- clean install process
http://www.mozilla.com/security/ -- Firefox security updates

Good news for WA residents: Laws that went into effect on July 24 go a long way toward protection from Internet and other bandits. Companies must report security breaches, victims can "freeze" their credit information, installing spyware is illegal, phishing is explicitly prohibited and cell phone privacy is protected. They don't go far enough, but it's a start.
http://cybercoyote.org/url/124.html

"Using Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware: Learn how to install and use this tool." This is a good program, and it's free. I have much more confidence in CounterSpy by Sunbelt Software ($20), but you really should be using one or the other.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/howto/default.mspx
href="http://cybercoyote.org/security/anti-malware.shtml#counter

"Corrupted PC's Find New Home in the Dumpster" Has it come to this? Seems radical to me. You can usually restore your computer to "factory condition" one way or another. But then you have to reinstall the software you have added since then. You'd have to start over again if you buy a new computer too.

Either way, maybe now is a good time to start making drive images. That way you won't need to ride your time machine clear back to the beginning.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/technology/17spy.html -- article
http://cybercoyote.org/computer/bu-sys.shtml -- antidote

INTERNET

You should try the Google Toolbar if you're using Firefox as your main browser. I suppose that's true for IE too, but I wouldn't know. :-) Instantly carry out searches that are limited to the Web site you are currently looking at. Instantly search for news articles. Spellcheck text you've entered in an online form. Find or highlight specific words on the page you're viewing. Instantly search for items at Froogle. The toy factor alone is worth the (tiny) download.
http://toolbar.google.com/firefox/index.html

"One in Ten Web Users Have a Taste for Spam" -- and we wonder why the rest of us are choking on it.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/44640.html
http://cybercoyote.org/internet/fauxham.shtml

DIVERSION

You've most likely heard of Google Maps and the matching satellite views by now. Now they've mapped the Appolo landing sites for the missions. If you zoom in further you'll see what the moon is made of.
http://moon.google.com/
http://maps.google.com/

Learn about the origin of the phrase "dog days of summer."
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/brightest_stars_030715-1.html

A really big ad from Down Under :-) [probably requires Internet Explorer to view]
http://www.bigad.com.au/

Improving the gene pool: The 2004 Darwin Awards
http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/index_darwin2004.html

Sponges in space
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050726.html

SUBSCRIPTION and OTHER INFORMATION