Blog for "the-enabler" of the letsnet.org network

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You hear these terms thrown around all the time: 32-bit, 16-bit, 40 Gigabytes, etc. So what exactly do these terms mean and how do they relate to Windows? The term Bit comes from "Binary Digit." In regular counting, we use base-10 counting. Computers use base-2. So, numbers are either 1 or 0. Each one of these 1s or 0s is called a bit. 8 bits is called a byte. So, 00000101 is a byte of 8 bits that translates to the number 5. Now, 16-bits means that instead of having numbers from 0 to 255 available in the 1-byte computer system, now you have numbers from 0 to 65,535! This gives your computer more "room" to work. A true 32-bit processing system means you will have numbers from 0 to 4,294,967,295 available to perform work.

A kilobyte is 1000 bytes, but because of the base 2, translates to 1,024 bytes or 2^10; a megabyte is 2^20 or 1,048,576 bytes; and a gigabyte is 2^30 or 1,073,741,824 bytes. Man, am I a nerd or what?




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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Right-click on the desktop and select Properties from the menu. Click the Appearance tab and look in the Item list box. Once you find Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical) you can select the values you want. You will probably need to adjust these a couple of times to fit your taste. When you are done, click OK. Press F5 to refresh the desktop. If the appearance is not quite correct, you will probably want to readjust.
- Michael Vincent

And remember you can slow down your computer by kepting alot of Icons on your desktop. Open a new folder on your desktop and call it something like "other desktop Icons" and put the Other Icon into it. How?
Right-click on the desktop and select Properties from the menu. Click on "new" then "folder". when the new folder appears type in the title you like for it. Then click anywhere on your desktop and you'll have your new folder for you to drag and drop your Icons into. I kept My computer and my Docs on the desktop. Enjoy.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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Phishing scam messages can be just as destructive as viruses or worms. Phishing (fishing), also known as carding, is the use of bogus e-mails and web sites to lure unsuspecting users into revealing identity, password and credit card information.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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Even if you don't consider yourself a nerd, you might like to visit a page that provides you with the latest news about computers, the Internet, and science. At Slashdot, you'll find information about various operating systems, what's happening on the Internet, the latest virus news, information about hardware, and lots of other interesting stuff. Nerd or not, you'll probably like Slashdot.

Click here to visit Slashdot!

- Sue Whitehouse




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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When you are attempting to make your Windows screen more friendly and easy to use, often you are encouraged to make sure that your graphics have the correct "resolution." What exactly does this mean? Earlier this month, we discussed the 'pixel.' The resolution is the total number of pixels on a screen. For example, when changing the screen resolution in Windows, you may use 640 x 480 or 1024 x 768. This number is the number of pixels horizontally x vertically. So, for 640 x 480, the total number of pixels is 307,200. So why not make a screen have millions of pixels and get a great image? The reason for this is your computer must map and draw each pixel. This takes significant computer power. This is also why, when you set your resolution to 1280 x 1024, Windows will not allow the large color combinations. It just simply takes too much computing power. - Michael Vincent



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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When you visit a page in Microsoft Internet Explorer, you may be viewing an older page. Since you probably want to see the very latest version of any page you visit, you need to make a setting change.

To change this option, go your Tools then Internet Options. When the Internet Options dialog box opens, click the General tab. Now, click on "Settings" in the Temp. Internet Files Section and then select the radio button labeled "Every visit to the page" and click OK. Back in the Internet Options dialog box, click OK again to close the dialog box.

Note that this may slow down your navigation somewhat. If it's too slow for you, you can always repeat the above procedure and select the "Automatically" radio button. - Sue Whitehouse



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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When buying a computer, often times the buyer ends up with a computer that does not meet their needs and they are stuck with a system they are unhappy with. However,
there are several things to keep in mind when buying a new computer that will help you avoid the ever so frustrating "Buyer's Remorse Syndrome."

Do Not Limit Yourself to Just the Price: The most common mistake when choosing a computer is solely considering the price. Although the budget may be the
ultimate decision factor, it is equally important to avoid the temptation of buying the system with the lowest price without considering your needs first.

Consider the Quality of the System: Just like shopping for anything else, you always have to consider a number of things: brand name, capacity, speed,
compatibility, etc,... Doing this helps alleviate the stress of worrying about whether or not you purchased a lemon. Realistically, you will not benefit from merely trying to save
a buck, because at the same time, you are also risking purchasing a system that will need frequnt repairs as often as getting an oil change for your car or a system that has
compatibility problems with your software.

Make a Realistic List of your Needs: Another common dilemma is buying a computer that does not have the capabilities to run your software. By making a list of
things you will need, you can save a lot of time and money when buying your next computer. Also, choose a trusted store that has computer knowledgeable and friendly
staff. It is the staff's job to be informed of all the latest technology in order to help you make the right decisions concerning your new computer.

Pay Attention to Specifications: Often times there are big advertisements that depict extremely low prices on computers. But does it have enough RAM? Will the
hard drive space suffice? It is better to buy a computer that is customized to fit your needs. Be cautious of catchy " next to nothing" ads because they intends to
overshadow important specifications. "Next to nothing" gets expensive if you end up needing more memory or a faster processor.

Look at the Real Warranty and Support: Some computer companies require you to send your computer somewhere (sometimes out-of-state) for repairs. Services
of this nature can take anywhere from two weeks, up to a month, to send it back. This service may actually cost more because of all the shipping fees involved.
The best solution is to choose a computer company that has a tech department and live technician for you to speak with regarding your computer questions and problems.
This will save you money and time in the long run.

Avoid "Buyer's Remorse Syndrome": Remember to look for the best value for your budget. Speak to a knowleadgeable sales person. Be realistic about your
computing needs. Keeping these criteria in mind will help assure you that your new computer is a functional tool that will work according to
your needs whether it is for business, education, or entertainment.
contributed by Mr. PC Club of PCclub.com



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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BSA, Business Software Alliance is a formost org. dedicated to promotinga safe and legal digital world,

http://www.1888nopiracy.com/?CMP=BAL-TZ5839888620&creative=text

at this site you can report an orgaization using unlicensed software on it's computers, or a organization that Distributes pirated software, or you can report piracy that involves software offered through the World-Wide Web, FTP, e-mail, bulletin boards (BBS), chat (IRC, ICQ, etc.), news groups, or any other unauthorized distribution of software using the Internet.

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LINK to Yahoo's TECH Tusday.
And I have more. LIke Oper.com for another browser and Ad-aware.com for Spyware. And some or more are listed on the left panel right here.

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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The Cost of Freedom
Thu Feb 12, 3:00 AM ET

Dan Tynan

Getting your software for free generally means giving up something in return. Here's what to watch out for.


Support: Don't expect much hand holding. If you're lucky you might get a few FAQs and a user forum. So expect to spend time troubleshooting if things go wrong.


Features: Some freeware programs are fully functional, but many are simply crippled versions of the real deal, designed to whet your appetite. If a program's tools are grayed out or don't seem to work, that's probably why.

Regular Updates: As with support, freeware generally doesn't qualify for automatic upgrades. That's fine for programs that don't change much, like word processors, but not good for things like antivirus software that rely on regular updates to maintain their effectiveness.


Ads: In some cases you'll have to put up with flashing banner ads inside the app, as in the free versions of the Opera Web browser and Qualcomm's Eudora e-mail program.


Spam: Sometimes accepting free stuff means agreeing to receive e-mail marketing messages--like when you sign up for a free Internet fax number from EFax. Technically it's not spam, because you agreed to receive the e-mail, but it sure feels like it. Read the end-user license carefully before you sign up.


Spyware/stealthware: Some freeware installs a little extra something along with the software you downloaded--a piece of spyware that tracks your movements across the Web and delivers pop-up ads. Before you install freeware, visit sites like Spychecker(I use Ad-Aware, which is free) and Counterexploitation's adware info page to keep the app from pulling one over on you.


MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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Click on the lick

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4362144

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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http://security.yahoo.com/

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Thu Feb 5, 7:21 AM ET

Jim Louderback - ExtremeTech

Cars these days are rolling computers, with technology controlling almost every aspect of an engine's performance and capability. Sensors track your car's health and performance, and all report back to a central computer.


To monitor and tweak those systems, every car built over the past ten years contains a standard port - think super-sized serial -- under the hood, or behind the steering wheel.


Using fancy diagnostic equipment, your mechanic can check out, diagnose and fix just about any problem those sensors uncover - simply by entering in the right code.


All this computer equipment means it's almost impossible to fiddle with car engines the way we used to. But the auto industry has standardized around something called "OBD II" for On Board Diagnostics. OBD II dictates the way a computer talks to the car, and the connector used. Thanks to the hacker creed - if you build it, we will come -- today you can buy a wide range of tools that help you fiddle with your car, at least a bit. And the good news is, they work well!


I recently played around with the AutoXRay, which includes a hand-held scanner that connects to the OBD II port on most modern cars - and downloads data to a standard PC. It connected just fine with my 1997 Saab 9000 and 1996 Land Rover Discovery (but alas, not with my 1992 Miata).


The documentation did a poor job helping me find the ports - which on both cars were located right under the steering wheel. Once I found them, however, it was a snap to connect the special cables from the car to the scanner, and then dump the captured data into my PC.


The scanner itself provided a wealth of data, including details on how the engine was running, what some of the codes meant, how the oxygen sensor was operating and much more. That information really came in handy when the "check engine" light started flashing on the Rover's dashboard. A quick scan, and I found that it was nothing to worry about - and the device even reset the light. At $699, it's not a cheap product, but the information it displays can be well worth it.


I'm not a car nut - which means I'm not likely to continually monitor and tweak my vehicles. But depending on your car, if you're looking to ramp up performance there are a variety of products out there that do more than just monitor. They'll actually let you change how your car responds, to speed you on your way.


Some will even help you replace the control chip in your car - which sets limits on speed and other functions. Be careful if you go this route - you will certainly void the manufacturer's warranty, and could burn out your engine too.


Others will help you update the programmable memory that sets tolerances for most of your car's systems. If you've got a turbo, you're in luck. This speedy engine peripheral is mostly computer-controlled - and careful tuning can result in at least 15 more horsepower.


The better software packages, like DirectPort Programming from Audi Performance and Racing will load your car up with four different performance profiles - which you can select using the cruise control buttons! (This particular package works only with Audi and Volkswagen models).


The Forge-Revo performance software, from Forge MotorSports, loads its profiles onto a small remote. You select which profile you want by clicking a button on top, and then plug it into the OBD II port. Both products include a low-power valet/teenager mode, an anti-theft mode and others.


The A'PEX Power FC provides an interesting controller for your car. The company calls it a "total engine management system," and it replaces the factory engine control unit (ECU) and lets you tweak just about everything. With the optional FC Commander - a remote controller for the Power FC -- you can tweak from the driver's seat.


Remember, just as microchip overclockers run the risk of destroying their CPU, tweaking your car is not for the faint of heart. You can burn out your engine, or other subsystems, if you're not careful. Consider yourself warned, and happy motoring. But don't come crying to me if your hot rod goes cold.
Jim Louderback - ExtremeTech