CyberCoyote — May 1, 2009

NEWS and NOTES
Windows 7

Windows 7 Release Candidate will be available May 5. "Release Candidate" (RC) means "We think we're done, but we're checking one more time." It's the interim step between "Beta" and "Release to Manufacturing" (RTM), which does mean it's done. The RC is free, but turns into a pumpkin on March 1, 2010.

How do you "manufacture" software? Well, there are DVDs to make, you need boxes to put them in, and you need some way to make the boxes hard to open. :^) More importantly, RTM is when manufacturers will start wrapping up the designs for their new Windows 7 PCs. They're hoping they'll be able to ship them in time for the holidays (best guess is now October 23). Meanwhile, here at CGH, we're gearing up to switch to Windows 7 as soon as we can download the RC. ;-)

TECH TOPICS
WiFi Woes

At a club meeting a few weeks ago, someone asked me why their home WiFi network had become so slow. I had no answer at the time, but I recently stumbled on a possible answer.

Most WiFi routers slow down when there is interferrence with the radio signals between the router and the end point (your computer). This is intended to be a temporary measure until the source of radio noise goes away, but sometimes routers get stuck in the slow speed mode. That's their dirty little secret.

There are three things to try in resolving the problem. You may need to try one or the other of the first two in combination with the third one.

  1. Try changing the channel number of the link to avoid interference.
  2. Try moving the computer that's using the WiFi link closer to the WiFi access point (router) to increase signal strength, which will also minimize interference.
  3. Most Wi-Fi links fall back to lower speeds if there's interference or some other signalling problem. They may not revert to full speed when the interference is gone though. Try resetting the connection: [Disconnect your PC from the access point (router) using the network properties > force the access point to reboot by unplugging it's power for 30 seconds > and then reconnect your PC to the access point (it may do so automatically)].
Tweaking IE8

With IE8, Microsoft finally moved their browser into the 21st century. :-) It's faster, more secure and less crash prone than previous versions, and even compares favorably with Firefox. IE8 has many things that you can tweak to make it suit your way of doing things. Nomita Paul posted a nice visual guide to tweaking IE8 in the IEBlog. Poke around and see what you can do. Her guide should get you started on the road to getting the most out of IE8.

All-in-one PCs

Many people buy notebook computers because they don't have space for all the pieces of a conventional "tower" PC. Then they buy a separate keyboard and mouse to make their notebook more useable. Eventually they find they need a notebook stand so they can put their keyboard under the notebook to regain some space. Finally, they add a monitor because they want a bigger screen.

Maybe I overstate, but you get the picture. The ubiquity of notebooks leads to what could be called "solution fixation". There are alternatives. One to consider is a mini-tower PC, which really doesn't take up much room. Combine that with an LCD moniter and you have a nice compact setup. The single-piece computer, called an all-in-one, is another solution. It's basically a cleaned-up version of the traditional notebook kludge.

There's a downside to all-in-one computers though. First, there is no portable computer to detach and take with you. Second, all-in-ones are custom designs. The only way to get them repaired may be to send them back to the manufacturer. That's likely to be expensive. Notebooks aren't that inexpensive to repair either though. ;-)

All-in-ones have been around a long time. That's what eMachines started with more than a dozen years ago. Then single-piece PCs pretty much went away, but they made a comeback a few years ago. PC World has a nice pictorial review of the latest crop of single-piece PCs.

SECURITY
What's Conficker been up to?

So far Conficker is not as virulent as was feared. It does use an advanced technique, so there's no way to know what the future holds. Some of the copy cats that are bound to follow are sure to be worse, but right now the controllers of conficker are quietly going about their business of spamming, scamming, and updating malware on the computers they've infected. [previously] [more]

Security for Vista and Windows 7

I'm always looking for ways to improve the security of my PCs. Threats keep growing, but there have been new programs to combat them. You can't keep adding programs forever though. That's why I'm pleased when there's a way to use fewer programs. That's what Vista and Windows 7 offer.

Previous versions of Windows — 95, 98, XP — offered Administrator accounts and Limited accounts with reduced "rights" or permissions. It would have been much more secure to run under a Limited account, but it was usually impractical because so many programs wouldn't work right unless you ran as an Administrator. An alternative was to run just your internet-facing programs with reduced rights, but that is too complicated for many users.

Vista (and Windows 7) changed all that. These versions make it much more practical to run as a "Standard User". The result is that your online defense can be simpler and better. In my case I eliminated one (Online Armor) of the two major programs that I used [before and after].

To learn how to set up a Standard User account, go to the Vista 101 Wiki and click "Standard User" in the left column. You'll find more about Standard User accounts in Vista (or Windows 7) Help.

DOWNLOADS
Microsoft Image Composite Editor

Microsoft just released the best image stitching tool that they have shipped to date. Use this free tool to create zoomable panoramic images. For an over-the-top example (17,000 megapixels), try exploring the Yosemite Extreme Panoramic Imaging Project image. [yosemite-17-gigapixels.com] See if you can spot the sunglasses on the hiker near the top of Yosemite Falls.

ODDS and ENDS
Jigsaw puzzle

This puzzle features an interactive image. There are only 14 pieces, but I'll bet you can't put it together in less than a minute. :-)

Voting in India

Early results from the exit polls.

Walk-in fridge

Supermarkets now have walk-in fridges (at least here in WA). How about one for the home?

Uncommon sense

"You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'." —Homer Simpson

*CyberCoyote Galactic Headquarters