Technobytes

Moving to Wordpress

2006-04-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

To all my fellow readers,

I am moving the blog over to Wordpress, you can check out the new blog by clicking here.

Geekboy

Windows Vista: Not Available?

2006-03-22T19:38:00.000-08:00

Consumers waiting to buy the next version of Windows will have to wait just a little while longer. Microsoft has announced that Windows Vista for consumers will be delayed until sometime in 2007. However, business customers/computer manufacturers should be getting their copies sometime in November 2006. This good be very bad news for many computer manufacturers looking to capitalize on this season's Christmas rush. Well, bad news for some, usually means good news to others, mainly, Microsoft competitor Apple Computers. Apple Computers has promised to ship their next version of OS X - Leopard, sometime in the first half of 2007. Microsoft vs. Apple: redux. This is definitely a must see, so let the good times roll!

Windows XP on MacTels? Finally...

2006-03-17T03:33:00.000-08:00

As reported earlier here on this blog as well as news sources around the world, one could not install Windows XP on their new MacTel machines. Since then, a couple of ingenious "hackers" have successfully loaded and ran Windows XP on the new Intel based Macs. So, if you have one of these new Macs and a licensed copy of Windows XP, you can download the boot loader software from here and checkout this fantastic wiki that was written for the very purpose of booting Windows XP and OS X on a Mac.

~Geekboy.

The World's Most Desirable Laptop????

2006-03-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Fujitsu-Siemens is really going out on a limb by declaring their latest LifeBook - Q2010, the "world's most desirable" laptop. This particular model is an ultraportable model and is targetted to the business professional that is really on the go. The Q2010 features:

Bluetooth 2.0 and 802. 11g support
3G Mobile phone connectivity
Gigabit Ethernet
Voice of Internet Protocol (VOIP) ready. You can Skype right out of the box.
Biometric fingerprint scanner
12.1" LCD Display (1280 X 800)
1.0 Gigabyte RAM
SD and Express Card support for future expansion
SIM Slot for cellular networking
up to 8 hours of battery life
"piano black" finishing
incredibly small (less than standard sheet of letter size paper) and under 2" thick

If you are already salivating for one right now, the Q2010 will ship in limited quantities in the the next couple of months. The LifeBook Q2010 will cost around $6000 CDN. Start breaking those piggybanks!

WEIRD GADGETS: GOING TO THE DOGS

2006-03-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

I personally have never owned a pet that wonder far enough that the City Pound, the local SPCA, or my neighbour cannot find. Unless, you have a lot of money to spare or you are just a uber techie. I, personally, do not see the justification in using GPS for lost pets. This GPS device seems to be overkill not matter how much I love my family pooch. The product is called the Global Pet Finder and it promises to alert you via cell phone or website where you pooch/cat is at this very moment. The GPS device will cost around $349 USD ($600 CDN). Global Pet Finder is a subscription service, meaning you have to pony up monthly fees of $18 - 20.

Another wonderful gadget for all you pooch and cat owners is a cellphone service for pets call PetCell by Pets Mobility. PetCell allows owners to phone and talk to their pets through a speakerphone strapped to the dog/cat. No word on availability and cost of the service.

Largest LCD display in the world.

2006-03-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today, at CEBIT 2006, LG and Phillips Electronics introduces the world's largest LCD panel - 100 inches. No word on when they will become available commercially or how much this big boy will cost. Beautiful Korean girls not included.

WEIRD GADGETS: PILL CUP

2006-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Well, this really isn't a gadget per se, but what the heck - it's weird. If you have got problems and I mean very big problems (i.e. check out the size of the pill in the picture), swallowing your medicine, plus, you have got $4.00 to spare. This little item is just for you. An ingenious plastic cup that helps you digest to enormous pills.

Samsung YP-Z5

2006-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of anticipation for this little MP3 player from Samsung. Not only is the "flash based" MP3 player well designed, the user interface (i.e. menu system) was designed by the same fellow that brought us the iPod's easy-to-use menu system. Click here for a wonderful review Anything But iPod.

LG Xnote TX: the very ultra portable

2006-03-06T04:09:00.000-08:00

If you ever need a ultra portable laptop computer, LG Electronics may have just the model for you - Xnote TX. This "paper thin" laptop features:

1.3 GHz Pentium M Processor
12.1" WXGA LCD Display
1 Gigabyte of Memory
60 Gigabyte of Hard Drive storage
Weighs 2.4 lbs.
Available only in Korea

Chalk up another win for biodiesel!

2006-03-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

High school kids at West Philadelphia High School have stole the thunder at last week's Philadephia Auto Show by building world's first economical and fuel efficient sports car. The sportscar can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4 seconds, which is just as fast as some of the fastest sports cars in the world made by the likes of: Ferrari, Porshe, Lambourghini, etc. The car runs on a biodiesel derivative made from Soybean oil.

Story Courtesy of: CBS News

Apple bears new fruits...

2006-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

After weeks of speculation of what "fun products" Apple will unveil, the company announces two new products and one revamped product. Apple introduced a revised Apple Mini with an Intel processor. The Mini will now ship with the new iLife '06, revised Mac OS X, and Front Row. The new models (1.5 GHz or 1.66 GHz) will be available immediately and will cost approximately the same price as the old G4 models starting at around $599. If you are planning one buying one of these small form factor machines, you have to consider the limited expandability of the machine and shared video memory. The machine will ship with 512 Megs of RAM but 64 Megs of that is used for video purposes. Solution: double the amount of memory to 1 Gigabtye.

The biggest news of the day coming from Apple is the introduction of the iPod HiFi. iPod HiFi is an addon product for the iPod which basically allows any iPod user to connect their iPods to portable speaker system. You can power this baby by using an AC adapter or a couple of D-cell batteries to power this baby. Cost: $429 CDN. Available today!

The third product Apple introduced are new leather cases for your iPod that will cost $129 CDN and will be available in March.

Photo Courtesy: Apple Computers

Microsoft announces Office 2007 & Pricing Plans

2006-02-17T04:22:00.000-08:00

Microsoft will ship Office 2007, formerly known as Office 12, sometime in the second half of this year. Like Microsoft Vista (Windows), Office 2007 will come in seven different flavours ranging from basic to enterprise. Prices for Office 2007 starts at around $149 USD. For more information click here.

Motorola RAZR for the Everyday Person!

2006-02-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

Finally, Motorola has decided to launch a RAZR for the everyday person! I was really beginning to worry that I am not cool enough to hang with the cool kids in geekville. Today, Motorola introduceda new mass market phone for 2006 - W220. W220 features:

FM Radio (no MP3 playback)
600 member contact book
128 x 128 pixel colour screen
No external display for clock, caller id, status, etc.
497 minutes of talktime/293 hours standby
Availability: Fall 2006

WEIRD GADGETS: HIGH POWER LASERS

2006-02-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

I was reading this short little blurb over at Gizmodo. Apparently, there is a company out there by the name of Wicked Lasers, that is selling class 3b lasers to people. So, for about $499.99 (I am guessing USDs), you can buy one of these babies to: "pop balloons", "scare birds", or "turn yourself into a Sith Lord or Jedi master come Halloween". You can also get a cheaper version for $99.00 or a more expensive state of the art model for $1999.00.

Story Credit: Gizmodo
Product Info: Wicked Laser

For all those single geeks out there...

2006-02-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

A innovative graduate of the University of Plymouth invented a new washing machine - WashDryIron. The aptly named all-in-one device does washing, drying and ironing. The device is expected to cost $1600 to $1800 CDN.

Story Credit: BBC News

Microsoft Vista Editions Finalized?

2006-02-14T04:21:00.000-08:00

According to Neowin.net, Microsoft has finalized the number of editions of Vista (a.k.a Windows 2006/07) it will ship later this year. Instead of coming out in two distinct flavours like its predecessor - Windows XP, Microsoft Vista will come in a seven distinct flavours. These are rumored to be:

Microsoft Vista Business Edition
Microsoft Vista Business N (European Union) Edition
Microsoft Vista Home Basic Edition
Microsoft Vista Home Basic N (European Union) Edition
Microsoft Vista Home Premium Edition
Microsoft Vista Small Business Edition
Microsoft Vista Ultimate Edition

Unlike Windows XP, there will not be seperate Media Centre and Tablet PC standalone edition. For a nice writeup/summary of the different editions of Vista, you can click here.

A Scanner for road warriors

2006-02-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

Plustek launched a scanner for road warriors - OpticSlim M12. Guys on the road can: scan business cards into contact management software, create PDF documents on-the-go, and scan full legal size documents. The bonus feature is that this device is completely power-cord free. The device draws all the power it needs through a standard USB 2.0 connection. The scanner comes with all the necessary software to scan: pictures, business cards, articles, and brochures. The scanner also supports OCR of up to 176 languages and high resolution output (up to 600 dpi and 48 bits). Expected to cost around $200 CDN.

WEIRD GADGET: Boob Shaper

2006-02-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

How to use. Firstly, spray special healthful liquid on bust. After put on bust doctor, plug in and turn on switch button. You can adjust vibration power by button. 15 minutes per day is efficient to make good shaping bust.

~From the Boob Doctor Instructions Manual.

This has got to be one of the weirder ones that I have come acrossed in a long long time. This little item is aptly named Boob Doctor. I do not really know exactly what this device actually does for that part of the human anatomy or to whom the manufacturers intend on selling the Boob Doctor to (i.e. old people, people with man boobies, etc.). You definitely have to credit the geek that invented this "sucker". For those of you that are looking at scoring one of these for Valentine's Day, you can only get them in Korea.

~Geekboy.

Story Credit: Red Ferret

World's First One Inch 12 Gigabyte Hard Drive

2006-02-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

Seagate, the world's largest maker of computer hard drives, introduces one of the smallest hard drives on the market - ST 1.3. The model measures 40 mm x 30 mm and holds approximately 12 gigabytes of information. Seagate hopes to begin shipping these little buggers to cell phone and other mobile device manufacturers sometime later in the summer.

~Geekboy.

World's Smallest MP3 Player just got bigger...

2006-02-12T23:00:00.000-08:00

MobiBLU DAH-1500i is currently the smallest digital music player on Earth measuring at slightly less than 1 inch (24mm x 24mm x 24mm). This little guy is designed to be worn around the neck (trinket style) and weighs a mere 18 grams. The storage capacity on the latest model has been bumped up to 2 gigabytes, which translates to around 500 songs. Besides being the smallest guy on the block, this music player also packs a lot of features, including: blue OLED display, FM radio, voice recorder, SRS WOW surround sound, and rechargeable lithium ion battery and USB 2.0 transfer rates. Retails for around $175.00 CDN and available in three colours: silver, black, and blue.

WEIRD GADGETS: Hotronic FootWarmer Power Plus

2006-02-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

Getting a little cold feet? Keep you feet "toasty" warm with the Hotronic FootWarmer. The device can keep your feet warm for up to 14 hours depending on settings. The manufacturers hope that you will install them on your footwear for skiing, horseback riding, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, bicycling and all outdoor activities. Don't ask me how exactly you are going to mount them on your feet, they do look pretty intimidating...I guessing it will be "one size fits all". Retail cost is expected to be $170 USD.

Motorola MS600Z Slider

2006-02-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

Thought your new RAZR V3 phone was the best looking mobile phone ever! Think again! Motorola has just launched a brand new "slider version" of the famous RAZR mobile phone. A bigger screen and thinner form factor, can you ask for anything more? Unfortunately, this phone will only be available in Korea. The Motorola MS600Z features:

built-in MP3 player
14.8 mm think
2.2 inch colour display
1.3 Megapixel camera

Thin Phones - Part Deux

2006-02-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Continuing on the topic of thin phones, Samsung also decided to release a 9.8 mm thick phone - SGH-Z150. The SGH-Z150 is a full 4.1 mm thinner than Motorola's trendsetting RAZR V3 and just a couple of hairs thicker than your iPod - 2.9 mm to be exact. Unlike its Motorola counterpart, the SGH-Z150 is a 3G phone and probably will be available only in Japanese/Asian/European markets. Too bad so sad for us North American folks!

Think the RAZR is thin, check out the NEC N500is

2006-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

NEC just launched the NEC N500is slim phone to compete with Motorola's vastly popular RAZR thin phones that mobile phone carriers in Canada (Rogers/Fido, Bell, Telus) cannot seem to get enough off. This funky slim model from NEC features:

65K Colour Screen
1.3 Megapixel Camera
MP3 audio player
64 built-in polymorphic ringtones
Expandable storage via memory card
Works only on the GSM network (i.e. Roger's/Fido in Canada)

This beauty is, regrettably, only available in Japan and select European countries. Lucky Europeans and Japanese folks!

~Geekboy.

World's First 1 ms LCD Monitor by Viewsonic

2006-02-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

Today, LCD monitor/TV maker - Viewsonic announces the development of new a LCD technology that will allow its products coming out this Fall to have a refresh rate of 1milliseconds (ms). So, what is the big deal you say? Currently, the fastest refresh rates found in LCD monitors/TVs are around 4 ms or greater. A faster refresh rate simply eliminates ghosting and delays that are typical of LCD monitors/TVs. For many gamers, and action movie enthusiasts, this is the "holy grail" of monitor/TV technology. Because of the slow refresh rates, LCD monitors/TVs have often lagged behind their CRT counterparts. Beginning this fall, there will never be anymore excuses for not buying an LCD monitor/TV.

~Geekboy.

Photo & Story Credit: gizmag

Introducing the 1 Gigabyte Nano by Apple

2006-02-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today, Apple Canada quietly announces a new member to the iPod Nano family - one gigabyte model. The new iPod Nano, like its iPod shuffle cousin, holds approximately 240 songs. But unlike the Shuffle, the iPod Nano features: a colour display and Apple's patent pending "scroll wheel". The iPod Nano is available at all authorized Apple retailers in Canada and at Apple Canada's online store for $179.00 CDN. The price for iPod Shuffles will drop to $89.00 (512 GB) and $119.00 (1 GB).

~Geekboy.

Introducing: Sony Memory Stick Micro

2006-02-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

So, you got a Sony digital camera, eh? If you bought your Sony digital camera a few years back, there is a good chance that you are still using the old "Memory Stick" digital memory card format. The original "Memory Stick" could not hold more than 128 megabytes per stick and had an incredibly slow transfer rate. So, to rectify matters, Sony introduced, yet again, another proprietary memory stick format - Memory Stick Pro. Today, Sony, again, announces the introduction of the Memory Stick Micro (M2) format for Sony digital cameras and Sony Ericsson mobile phones. Initially,the MC will come in 256, and 512 Megabyte flavours and will be available in March 2006. The bigger capacity model - 1 Gigabyte will follow in May 2006. Memory Stick Micro is expected to cost approximately the same as current Memory Stick Pros you get at the store.

~Geekboy.

TECHNOBYTES: Introducing GeekPack 1.0

2006-02-04T00:50:00.000-08:00

Recently, Google decided to get into software distribution by introducing the Google Pack. Google Pack is package of software that Google and its' many partners believe you should download and install on your computer. Most of the software in Google Pack are readily available for free over the Internet, but Google has decided to bundle them together for your downloading convenience. I do not necessarily agree with all of Google's choices on this one, so I went out and created my own - the GeekPack.

Office Productivity
OpenOffice 2.01 - is a great alternative to Microsoft Office. The office suite is fully compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. You can create type documents, presentations, and spreadsheets and open them up, formatting intact, in Microsoft Office and vice versa. The great thing about this "office suite" is that it is absolutely free.

Google Earth - is a wonderful resource to have if you need a "birds eye view" of the world. You can get a satellite view of just about any address on Earth with the exception of Military facilities, etc. Use with caution: this product can be so fun to use that you will lose all productivity!

GIMP - is an free opensource photo-editing alternative to Adobe Photoshop. For individuals looking for photoshop level image editing tools, this is a great one to get!

Communications
Mozilla FireFox 1.501 - is the best IE alternative browser on the planet. The elegance and simplicity of this browser makes it a must have on your computer. You can download additional extensions and plugins to expand the capabilities of FireFox. For those looking for a feature rich FireFox clone, you can try Flock.

Mozilla Thunderbird 1.50 - is one of the best e-mail clients. If you are an Microsoft Outlook Express user, you should replace it by downloading the freebie.

Trillian 3.01 - is an instant messenging client for users who IM users on multiple IM networks such as: MSN, AOL, and Yahoo. Instead of downloading multiple IM clients to chat with all of your friends, family members, and colleagues, download this one. Trillian Basic is free. Trillian Pro is $25.00. For our more adventurous users and techies, you can download and try opensource - Gaim.

Skype 2.0 - virtually free VOIP phone calls to anyone on earth. You can now call anyone you want on a computer; plus for a small fee, any USB phone, landline, and cellphone using Skype service. In the lastest edition, you can do teleconferences with up to five individuals (ten indivuals if you are using Intel's Duo Core processors).

File Organization
Apple iTunes 6.0.2 - is the best software around for organizing your digital music collection on your computer and you do not have to be an iPod owner to use it. Apple iTunes is a freebie. But, if you do not want to support big technology companies such as: Apple, there is a nice open source solution out there for the more adventurous computer users - Songbird.

Picasa 2 - is a very simple to use photo editor/organizer for all your digital photos. Picasa will automatically categorize all your photos on your computer. Simple edits performed with relative ease for all your photos. Users can even share photos with family and friends through Google's Blogger service. If Picasa is not your "cup of tea", you can also try FastStone Image Viewer.

Google Desktop Search 3 - is a free utility that allows you search and organize all of your files, such as: word documents, e-mails, photos, etc. on your computer. You can, now, share your files across all your computers. From your desktop, without opening your browser, you can have access: new webclips, GMAIL, and Google Search.

Utilities

7 Zip - software for compressing and uncompressing documents. You can uncompress any documents such as: .zip, .rar, .tar, .cab, etc. with this one tool. Instead of Winzip, download this little freebie for all your zipping and unzipping needs!

FoxIT PDF Reader - if you read a lot PDF documents, you may appreciate using this reader instead of the Adobe Acrobat 7.0 reader. FoxIT loads up a lot quicker and utilizes less computer resources than Adobe's reader. To create PDF documents, you can download PDF Creator.

SyncBack - is a backup tool that allows users backup/restore files and information with "one click" simplicity or automated scheduler. Ensure two or more computers you are working on have the exact same files. All backups are encrypted using military level encryption and are compressed using the latest compression formats to ensure secure and small backup files. Bonus: you can even backup live files, meaning you do not even have to close the files you are working on, just run the program and keep on working. Freebie is available for download, but you can get a newer version of the program for $25.00 USD.

VLC (Video LAN Client) - if you watch a lot video from the Internet, you will soon run into a variety of different video formats. There are a couple of formats not supported by VLC, but it supports most popular formats. You may still need other players to play certain types of video such as: Real file formats (.rm, .rmvb).

Security/PC Safety
Clam Antivirus (Clam AV) - both Norton and McAfee are good products but are costly solutions in the long run. If you are on a budget or just tired of paying those "yearly subscription fees" for new antivirus definitions, download and give this guy a shot! If you are not comfortable using open-source software on your computer such as: Clam AV, feel free to download other free commerical alternatives, such as: Grisoft's AVG Antivirus and Avast! 4 Home Edition.

Spybot Search and Destroy & Microsoft Antispyware are really good free pickups for your computer that will, if used properly, prevent those nasty spyware from invading your computer and ruining your experience. You may also want to try: Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spyware Guard, Spyware Blaster, Hijack This!

ZoneAlarm - only free software firewall on the Internet. ZoneAlarm provides excellent protection for your computer from all those nasty trojans, spywares and viruses from the web. ZoneAlarm is a better solution than the built-in firewall protection found in XP.

If you have come across any freebies that you think I should add to my list, I welcome your comments and suggestions!

~Geekboy.

Parallel Parking for Dummies by Siemens VDO

2006-02-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy: New Launches

So, after all these years, you are still having troubles parallel parking? Siemens VDO may have just solved all your p-parking problems with the "Park Mate". The system utilizes sensors and onboard computer technology to alert drivers to suitable parking spaces. Once the driver stops the car, the system will takeover and park it for you. What will they think of next?

~Geekboy.

Can't log onto certain websites?

2006-01-31T15:53:00.000-08:00

For some reason or another, some users are not able to log onto websites that they want to, and when they need to. If you find yourself on a public computer (i.e. computer lab at Collingwood) or work, and you cannot log on to a particular website or downloading file attachments, you may want to give this site a try: Vtunnel.

~Geekboy.

Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Available to the Public

2006-01-31T15:49:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are curious and a bit adventurous, you can download a pre-release version of Internet Explorer 7 (next edition of IE) and take it for a test drive. You can do so by clicking here and following the instructions.

~Geekboy.

Portable Cell Phone Jammers!

2006-01-31T03:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you that are paranoid about the government evesdropping on your mobile phone conversations, you can head over to Japan and purchase one of these personal cell phone jammers. The unit supposedly gives users a 70 seconds of privacy and costs around $71.00 USD.

Photo & Story Courtesy of: Red Ferret

Wireless Networking for Newbies!

2006-01-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

For those that are planning on building a wireless (WiFi) network in your home or small business for the very first time! I, recently, came across a simple little article to hep you decipher all the technology gibberish. If you are interested in reading the article, you can check it out by clicking here.

~Geekboy.

UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR

2006-01-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

Casio Computer Co., introduced an electronic dictionary with text-to-speech capabilities of translating 6 different languages (English, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, and French) - XD-ST6200. The dictionary will be available in mid-February for around $400 CDN.

Other Features:

5" black and white display with backlit for various lighting conditions (480x320 dpi resolution).
20 MB or internal memory
SD card slot for future storage and added capabilities
Uses just 2 AAA alkaline batteries (60 hours of continuous usage)
Weighs around 250 grams (including batteries)
Available in a couple of different colours: Champagne gold, black and red

Photo Credit: Casio
Info: Tech Japan

FYI: Futureproof your new computer!

2006-01-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

If you are planning on buying or upgrading to a new computer this year, you may just want to read this little guide by the good folks at Extremetech. The guide outlines to readers what they should be buying to ensure that their new computers will run the lastest Windows operating system (Microsoft Vista) due to ship by the end of this year. You can read the guide by clicking here.

~Geekboy.

FREE HTML EDITOR

2006-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

From Evrsoft, this little company has been offering free HTML editors to the world for a number of years. The program is very intuitive and relatively easy to user, even for beginner web page designers. This program is not feature rich like: Adobe Dreamweaver or slick and easy to use as Microsoft Frontpage, but a great program nonetheless. If you are interested in getting their latest release - First Page 2006, click here.

~Geekboy.

Instant Messaging Comparison Guide

2006-01-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

Want to know which Instant Messaging Client suits your needs? Look no further, head right over to PC WORLD, they have got a pretty good "feature" comparison guide for the top IM clients. You can also clicke here for the article.

~Geekboy.

HAUPPAUGE MediaMVP

2006-01-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hauppauge, leading manufacturer of "streaming" devices for PC to TV, just launched a wireless product called the MediaMVP. This device will allow you to "stream" music, video, or pictures from your computer to your TV all "wirelessly "over your wireless home network. The MediaMVP supports 802.11g standards, DivX and MPEG movie playback, and picture slideshows on any TV in the house. You can also purchase Hauppauge's Win TV-PVR software package and turn your computer into a PVR - wireless stream and record sporting events, tv shows, and movies from your TV to your computer. MediaMVP supports: S-Video, RGB, composite video, stereo sound, and S/PDIF audio out. MediaMPV runs only on Windows XP computers. MediaMVP will be available sometime this month at around $200 CDN.

TIRED OF APPLE iPODS?

2006-01-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

Today, iPods are everywhere - in movies, tv shows, bus stops, on the radio, etc. You can shake your head without seeing one. If you are one of those people who hate the devices or are suffering from iPod "burn out", a company called Creative has an answer for you! Creative is the same company that brought about the SoundBlaster sound card a few years back. Recently, Creative, in response to Apple's Video iPod, has launched the Creative Zen Vision:M. The Zen Vision:M is a portable media player that like the iPod plays video, music, and photo slideshows. The similarities between the two products practically ends right here. The Zen Vision: M offers: higher number of onscreen colours for vibrant pictures and videos (65,536 vs. 262,144), built-in FM tuner, longer battery life, vibrant colours besides black and white, built-in voice recording capabilities, and a power adapter (iPod adapters are extra). The device also syncs with Microsoft Outlook, so you can take your appointments with you. But, the biggest bonus for users, is the Zen Vision:M supports multiple video: MPEG 4, XVID, DivX, WMV, and Motion JPEGs. The menu structures are well laid out and quite easy to navigate around using the "thumb pad". So, if you are on the market for a portable media player and don't want to buy an iPod, make sure you check out the Creative Zen Vision: M. The device is expected to cost: $329 USD. There is one downside to device, it's size - Zen Vision: M is slightly thicker than the iPod.

~Geekboy.

FREE CD/DVD BURNING (WRITING) SOFTWARE

2006-01-14T01:19:00.000-08:00

Most computers, today, come with Nero and Roxio for CD/DVD burning purposes. Both of these pieces of software are really nice, but they usually charge a small amount of dollars to get the "full version" of the software. But for those of you who are using Nero or Roxio for making CDs and DVDs, and are looking for alternatives, you can try a wonderful free piece of software call CD Burner XP Pro. The software is 100% free of adware or spyware and most importantly "free of charge". You can get it by clicking here.

~Geekboy.

TOP 100 ESSENTIAL (FREE) DOWNLOADS!

2006-01-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Some really nice folks decided to put up a website dedicated to freeware or free downloads that are "a must" for all Windows XP users. You can check it out by clicking here. The site provides some information on what the software does and direct download links to all software listed.

~Geekboy.

MACWORLD 2006

2006-01-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today, at Macworld 2006, CEO Steve Jobs introduces a few goodies for the Mac faithful. First up, iPod customers finally get what they have always dreamt of having - FM Transmitter. The FM Transmitter/remote control (iPod Radio/Remote)will go for approximately $59.00 CDN. Second, for Mac iLife users, Apple has, again, released a new version of iLife suite for $89.00 CDN. What seeminly is "the best consumer software package for editing, making, and organizing digital content" (i.e photos, video, and music) has "just gotten a little better". iLife '06 integrates new "podcasting" and "photocasting" capabilities right into the applications as well as new themes books, and calendars for user's digital projects. iLife '06 also introduces a new application to help consumers publish web content to Apple's .mac (dot mac) subscription web service called iWeb. Apple also updated and refined it's iWorks suite by introducing new themes, smart tables, and cinematic transitions for presentations. Finally... Mactels or more specifically MacBook Pro and iMac starting at $2299 and $1499 respectively. The new Intel based Macs feature:

Intel Duo Core processors (1.67 or 1.83 GHz for laptops) or (1.83 or 2.0 GHz for desktop)
iLife '06 included
built-in iSight cameras for video conferencing
Front Row software which allows users to manage photos, music, and videos via remote control.
Bonus: users can configure, install and run Windows Vista (next version of Windows) and all of it's software on your new Macs. Windows XP will not work on the new Macs! So, if you are one of those lucky beta testers for Windows Vista, you can install it on your new Mac. Otherwise, you will have to wait until later in the year for Microsoft to launch Windows Vista.

Not looking for a new MacBook or iMac, no problem... Apple has promised to convert all existing hardware computer product lines to Intel by the end of this calendar year!

~ Geekboy.

FYI: Microsoft Vista (AKA Windows 2006) System Requirements

2006-01-07T22:37:00.000-08:00

Microsoft released some minimum system requirements to vendors via e-mail. In order to run Vista, you will need:

3.0 GHz or higher Intel or equivalent AMD processor (CPU)
Minimum 1 GB of RAM
High end GPU, preferably from ATI - they got better driver support
SATA or 7200 RPM hard drive

CES 2006: Pioneer Inno & Samsung Helix

2006-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were lucky enough to get a satellite radio, especially XM satellite service, this past Christmas. You can followup this Christmas with one of these babies - Pioneer Inno or Samsung Helix. Both the Inno and Helix are: portable XM satellite radio receiver, and MP3 player all in one. The device can store up to 50 hours of your favourite satellite programming or MP3 music, audiobooks, etc. You can also stream digital radio signal to any radio via built-in FM transmitter. This should be in stores within the next couple of months and retails for about $399 USD.

CES 2006: Ultimate Gamer PC - Dell XPS 600

2006-01-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

This is the ultimate gaming rig from Dell Computers. This custom rig is going set you back between $4000 to $7000 USD, depending on your configuration.

Features: Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Processor (4.26 Ghz), full support of 4 video cards with 512 Megabytes of RAM each, 3 hard drives will be included.

CES 2006: PHONE/MOUSE HYBRID???

2006-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Mouse/SKYPE Phone by Sony

Well, this is definitely something you do not see everyday - mouse phone. This was designed for people who do not want the extra peripherals like: headset to clutter up their desk. The question I like to ask the engineers is how do you talk on the phone and use the mouse at the same time?

CES 2006: Toshiba's HD-DVD Debut - HD-XA1 & HD-A1

2006-01-06T02:05:00.000-08:00

CES 2006, was the coming out party for Toshiba's HD DVD format. Toshiba formally launches first generation HD DVD players - HD-XA & HD-A1, in North America in March. Prices for these guys start around $499 to $799 USD. Paramount Pictures, Warner Home Video, HBO, New Line Cinema, Studio Canal, Weinstein Company, and Universal have promised up to 200 movie titles by year end. No word on how much these discs are going to cost. On a related note, Microsoft will launch an external HD-DVD drive for their newly released Xbox 360 sometime this year. Again, no word on what kinds of games will make use of the new format.

MP3 Players from SanDisk!

2006-01-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sansa e200 by Sandisk

Capacity: 2, 4, or 6 gig models.
Cost: $200 - $300

Other Features: 1.8" TFT Colour screen for video, photo, album art; titanium alloy casing (protection from scratches); user-removable lithium-ion battery; and WMA and MP3 support

Sansa C100 by Sandisk

Capacity: 1 or 2 gigabytes depending on model
Cost: $120 (1 gig), $170 (2 gig)

Other Features: 3.0 cm colour LCD display for album art and slideshows, FM tuner with 20 channel presets, built-in microphone; support for WMA and MP3 formats. Powered by single AAA battery.

CASIO EXILIM EX-S600

2006-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

CASIO EXILIM EX-S600

Just thinner than a deck of playing cards, this is a 6 megapixel camera, with a 2.2" LCD on the back and anti-shake technology. The camera also features: 3x optical zoom, and ability to shoot MPEG4 quality movie clips. Retails for around $400 USD and available in three different colours.

Micro USB Drives by Sony

2006-01-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

Micro USB Drives from Sony.

Following the mantra: the small is about to get smaller, Sony introduces Microvault USB drives. These little buggers fit right into your standard USB 2.0. Available in assorted colours and can have a capacity up to 5 gigabytes.

PLASMA or DLP PROJECTION TVs not your thing, how about an LCD?

2006-01-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Samsung 82" LCD TV (LN-S8281D)

At CES 2006, Samsung, again, introduced the world's largest - LCD TV. This guy is an 82" HD LCD set, perfect for those sports nuts out there! Availability and price has not been announced, by for additional information, you can go to the Samsung site.

Robots from LEGO MINDSTORM

2006-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Picture Courtesy of: Lego

Lego introduces new Lego Mindstorm robotic toolkits called the LEGO Mindstorm NXT. The robots can be programmed via a standard USB 2.0 or Bluetooth connection. Lego promises that the robots will be "smarter, stronger, and more intuitive than ever". The toolkits should be available just before school starts in August 2006, retailing at $379.00 CDN. For more information check out the Lego Mindstorm site or the unofficial blog. For the official press release, click here.

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST LED LIGHT SOURCED DLP REAR PROJECTION HDTV

2006-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

According to Samsung, the HL-S5679W operates longer and quieter than previously designed light engine based rear projection TV sets. The LED light sourced DLP RPTV provides natural color, with an improved color gamut versus traditional CRT televisions. Featuring true high definition 1920 x 1080p resolution and Samsung’s Cinema Smooth™ light engine with Texas Instruments™ DLP technology, the HL-S5679W displays picture with breathtaking clarity and vividness. Two 1080p HDMI inputs that are compatible with the latest 1080p source content, provides plug and play connectivity for digital devices. And the black glossy finish and integrated ATSC and NTSC tuner ensure that the HL-S5679W will be an elegant addition to any living room, and the Cable Card feature allows the TV to be used without a cable box. The HL-S5679W will be available in April 2006 at MSRP $4,199. For more information click here.

If you are bigger, I can be too! - World's Largest Plasma TV

2006-01-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

Just before the LG guys declared their HD Plasma TV the "largest in the world", the guys over at Panasonic unveiled their 103" HD Plasma TV. The world's top seller of plasma TVs expects most of the demand for this product to come from businesses, medical institutions, schools, and the "ultra rich". The set supports full high defintion resolutions at 1920 x 1080p.

World's Largest Plasma TV (Perhaps)

2006-01-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

Shopping for a HD Plasma TV? Check out this "bad boy out" from LG Electronics. All 102" of digital beauty...

CES 2006: Tiny Portable Video Players

2006-01-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

FM30 (Left) & JM53 (Right) by LG Electronics.
Photo Courtesy of: Engadget

Screen: 1.77 inches, OLED
Storage: 8 gigs (JM53) & 1 gig (FM30)
Battery Life: 30 - 60 hours depending on usage.
Media Formats Support: WMA, MP3, MPEG4, ASF, OGG Formats
Price: N/A
Availability: N/A

Lexar JumpDrive Mecury

2006-01-04T23:32:00.000-08:00

Ever want to know just how much storage is still available on your USB Thumb drive without having to actually plug the darn thing into the computer? Well, the guys out at Lexar designed a "capacity metre" right into their JumpDrive. Prices on these guys are forthcoming.

Photo Courtesy of: Engadget

Sony's New E-Book Reader

2006-01-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

E-Book Reader by Sony. CES 2006.
Courtesy of: Gizmodo.

Handheld device, that uses electronic ink technology from E-ink, for reading electronic documents including: PDFs, JPEGs, and RSS feeds stored on Memory Sticks, SD cards. Users can download books via the Sony Connect online store. Sony expects to have about 10,000 titles by the product launch date. Expected to be on sale in North America in April 2006. Estimated cost: $299 - $399. For more information, click here.

DLP Projection TV - Toshiba

2006-01-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

DLP Projection TV by Toshiba. CES 2006.

Redesigned and smaller than their predecessor models. 720p and 1080i screen resolutions. 42" and 50" models. Available: 2006.

WiFi Skype Phone by Netgear

2006-01-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

WiFi Skype Phone by Netgear. Courtesy of: Engadget

This guy works without a PC, all you need is access to a wireless connection and you can contact all your friends who are on your Skype buddy list. You can even contact friends, family, and colleagues who use the SkypeIN and SkypeOUT services.

Pioneer BDP-HD1 Blu-Ray DVD Player

2006-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Pioneer BDP-HD1 Blu-Ray DVD Player. CES 2006.
Courtesy of: Engadget

Availability: May 2006
Retail Cost: $1800 USD
Audio: DTS-HD, DTS, Dolby Digital
Video: 1080p out, HDMI Video interface, connect to any Windows Media Centre PC

Digital Picture Frame by Samsung

2006-01-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

7" Digital Photo Frame by Samsung at CES 2006.
Courtesy of: Engadget

Photos can be uploaded directly from your digital camera and should be available in North America sometime this year.

TECHNOBYTES: 2005 YEAR IN REVIEW & A LOOK INTO 2006

2006-01-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you look at this time of year, you will see them – the list. There is a list for the top ten news and sports events of the year or the top ten baby names of the year, etc. Lists are everywhere! So without further adieu, here are some of the highlights in the world of technology for 2005 and what to look for in 2006.

In 2005, the world of technology witnessed the opening of the world’s first (online) Gamers Anonymous – electric shock therapy for Internet addicted youths. However, some of the more notable things of the year included:

Voice over IP (VOIP) gaining a stronger foothold in the household. VOIP as you remember (see SKYPE article – December 2004) is a way to route phone calls over the Internet. Instead of connecting via telephone wires, individuals can voice and video chat through their Internet connection. This technology shift has enabled us to make better quality long distance phone calls at cheaper rates and has provided another alternative for people looking to connect with family, friends, and colleagues around the world.

Recording what you want to watch when you want. In the era of 200 plus TV channels, finding the time to spend in front of the “tube” is a bit of a challenge. The solution is the DVR (Digital Video Recorder). Both Shaw and Bell have begun offering and promoting DVR solutions to their customers. The services allow users to digitally record their favourite TV shows and play them back whenever they wish. Canadian customers may also want to get a TIVO. TIVO set top box is only offered for sale in the US, but the service can be configured to work in Canada. For a small monthly subscription fee, this service allows you to digitally record TV programming sans commercials. The service can automatically skip all the commercials that interrupt your favourite programming.

Googlemania. After a very successful and rich IPO in 2004, Google begins its ambitious project of indexing the world’s information and making it available to everyone. Google also offers a plethora of other non-search related services such as: e-mail (GMail), instant messaging (Google Talk), blogging (Blogger), and photo editing and sharing applications (Picasa). In 2005, Google became the fastest public company in history to surpass the $400 per share mark, making it the second richest technology company after Intel.

Satellite Radio for Canadians. In December 2005, both XM Radio and Sirius Radio began offering their digital satellite services to Canadians. All digital radio aficionados can now rejoice!

Xbox 360 Launches. In November 2005, Microsoft’s latest game console – Xbox 360 is launched to tremendous anticipation and marketing frenzy. Within hours of the launch, the Xbox 360 was sold out to the dismay of the still awaiting gamers. Xbox 360 proved to be one of the most anticipated gifts of the 2005 Christmas season. But across the pond in Japan, the story was the exact opposite; Xboxes just piled up and did not sell. Perhaps our Japanese friends are awaiting next year’s most anticipated gift the Playstation 3, which incidentally is scheduled to launch in Japan in March 2006.

iPods reinvented. Apple Computers unveiled, yet another, edition of the iPod called the iPod Nano. iPod Nano, not only was smaller than it’s predecessor – iPod Mini, but it also offered a colour screen for viewing and sharing pictures with family and friends. Apple, also, introduced an iPod capable of playing videos.

á la carté TV. Apple introduced downloadable TV programming (US residents only). For just $1.99 US per episode, iPod Video, iMac, and iTunes users can download their favourite TV episodes from an ever increasing library and watch them whenever they feel like it.

Web 2.0: Web Services Redux. The notion that services like: e-mailing, calendaring, project management, word processing, etc. can be done through one’s browser without installing a large program or application on your computer is called Web 2.0. The idea of web services has been around since the late 1990’s and have been sort of making a comeback of sorts in the past year.

Sony PSP launches. After making a big splash in Japan, portable media/games player – the Sony PSP, makes it’s much anticipated North American debut.

Thinning Mobile Phones. Introduced during the Oscars, Motorola RAZR captivated users and inspires other handset makers to create aesthetically thinner cell phones.

A couple of things to watch out for in the coming year:

IPTV: Competition for Shaw. IPTV is essentially the delivery of television signals over the Internet instead of through the more traditional coaxial cable. Telus is expected to launch the service sometime in the Fall 2006, so stay tuned!

Introducing MacTels. Apple Computers is set to launch a new consumer line of computers based around Intel processors (the same guys that run inside your Windows PC). The new processors will enable Apple computers to run more than one operating system simultaneously. Yes, you will be able to run both Mac OSX and Windows all on one machine.

New Yahoo Mail and Hotmail. Yahoo and Microsoft will both launch revamped web-based e-mail services that will offer radically improved interface and e-mail handling abilities.

Office 12 launch. In the summer, Microsoft will launch the latest versions of Microsoft Office. This version will feature among other things, a radically different menu structure that will undoubtedly throw more than a few office workers off!

Microsoft Vista (formerly Windows) finally launches. After four plus years of development and hype, Microsoft finally pushes this baby out the door. Hurrah, more cash for Bill Gates! As always, get ready to upgrade your computers!

Gamers Galore. Last year it was Microsoft’s turn, this year it will be Sony and Nintendo’s coming out party. What promises to be two of the most sought after Christmas gifts for 2006 – Playstation 3 and Revolution game consoles. So, if you have not already bought the Xbox 360 last year or are looking for the perfect gift for this Christmas, look no further…

Hail Master Chief. In 2004, the most heavily anticipated electronic game was Halo 2. In one day, Halo 2 surpassed $125 million US in sales, an unheard of number for a video game. In 2006, Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 will probably follow the footsteps of its predecessor in becoming the must have game of 2006.

Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD: VHS vs. Beta part deux. The world of tech and gizmos are synonymous with format wars. The most famous is VHS vs. Beta. A new era is quickly approaching for the lowly DVD. The next generation players are capable of high definition playback (i.e. richer sound and better picture) will begin to emerge on the market. The only problem for manufacturers, users, and content providers is which format to adopt. Buyers will, initially, see players and disks for both formats. So, if you are in the market for “High Def” DVD players for your computer or home theatre this Christmas, consider yourself forewarned.

Craving for HDTV. As North American broadcasters begin the move to “high def” and the cost of LCD/Plasma TVs drop, Canadians continue buying them up right through Christmas.

Unification of all Home Media. Home electronics and personal computer technology will move closer together. Devices will, hopefully, work seamlessly together – allowing one to play digital music and video on various devices, from your computer (laptop or desktop) to your home stereo/theatre system.

Until next time,
Geekboy

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
E-mail them to Geekboy at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com

FYI: Top 10 Tips to keep that new computer spyware free

2005-12-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you lucky enough to get a new computer for Christmas this year, you will definitely want to read this blog by Suzi Turner over at ZDNET. The article gives a handful of useful tips for protecting your new computer, so make sure you check it out!

Geekboy.

WINDOWS SAFETY LIVE LAUNCHES

2005-12-01T22:55:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of years, computer security companies like Symantec, makers of Norton Antivirus, have offered free online computer security services. These free online services allow computer users to scan their machines for: viruses, holes in their firewalls, spam, etc. The free online services only scan, detect, and remove the problems when you run the online scanner. The tools do not provide continous protection. For continuous protection, you must purchase and install the software on your computer. Microsoft has just launch their own version of these online tools called Windows Safety Live. The service is, currently, in beta and is open to the public free of charge.

Windows Safety Live offers:

detection and removal of viruses.
tools for improving computer system performance.
tools to detect and remove unwanted files.
information on the top Internet threats.
access to (usually free) software downloads to enhance PC security.
access to support forums, tips, articles, and FAQs.

If you are concerned around the issue computer security in your home or office, point your browser to the Windows Safety Live and try out this freebie. It may well be worth the effort!

Geekboy.

DIGITAL RADIO!

2005-11-04T03:46:00.000-08:00

Over the years, many of our major household gizmos including: refrigerator, washer/dryers, and television have received some sort of technological makeover. Technology has transformed and dramatically improved the usability of these devices. But technology has seemingly left one household device relatively untouched – the radio.

Since the advent of the radio some 60 years ago, the only big advances in radio land were AM and FM. AM radio stations can broadcast their signals a good distant, especially on clear nights. The problem with AM radio signals is that they are not of really good quality. To solve this little problem, engineers invented FM radio. FM radio offered high quality stereo sound. But the only problem with FM signals is that it cannot be broadcast very far. Satellite radio, on the other hand, aims to solve both problems.

Starting this Christmas, the lowly radio will undergo a digital revolution. Billed as one of the “hottest” holiday gifts this Christmas season, Canadians will finally get their very own satellite radio service. According to statistics, some estimated 100,000 Canadians are currently subscribers to digital satellite radio services through the “grey market”. These are citizens that have subscribed to satellite radio services and purchased satellite receivers from the United States.

How it works
Instead of receiving signals from large antennas on the ground, digital radio signals are transmitted via satellite to your receiver (radio) wherever it may be. You would not miss any of your favourite programming even if you found yourself on a deserted island 300 kilometres away!

Advantages over traditional radio
Most Satellite Radio Services or Digital – Pay Radio services, for a nominal monthly subscription fee, offers:

24/7 CD quality digital broadcasts

Live radio feeds and access to exclusive programming like: Martha Stewart or Major League Baseball

Artist and song information, including lyrics, can be displayed

Alerts – helps keep track of your favourite songs, artists, sports teams, and stocks

Reliable and high quality coast to coast coverage

A majority of Commercial free airtime

Disadvantages
There are a couple of disadvantages with Satellite Radio. Firstly, the cost of a digital receiver ranges from $80 - $400 to purchase. This does not include: any installation costs, initial activation fees, additional equipment (antenna), or accessories, etc. Secondly, the digital receivers you buy for one service does not necessarily work with the other one, thus making the switch to another service provider very difficult.

Digital Radio Receivers
There are two different varieties of digital receivers – vehicle and portable. The vehicle type can be installed like a regular cassette deck in your car, boat, or truck. A number of major car manufacturers, such as: GM, Honda, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and others will preinstall receivers for you at the factory. So, if you are planning on buying a new vehicle soon, you can definitely choose that option. The portable versions are designed to go where you go. You can use it in the car, workplace, home, or on a quick workout. All digital radio receivers will be available at all major electronic retailers and department stores.

Canadian Service Providers
Three service providers have been approved by the CRTC to begin service in Canada beginning as early as December 2005 or early 2006.

Sirius Radio Canada, offers about 100 channels including ten channels dedicated to Canadian content. Canada Radio One, CBC Radio 3, Iceberg Radio, Hardcore Sports Radio, Première Plus, Infoplus, Radio-Canada Bandeapart, Rock Velours, Energie(2), and RCI Plus. Subscription cost: $14.99/month.

XM Radio Canada, offers about 80 channels including eight channels of Canadian content (English Music, French Music, Comedy, and Information/Talk). NHL will begin to broadcast all of its games exclusively beginning in 2007/2008 season. Subscription cost: $12.99/month (No Contract).

CHUM Subscription Radio Canada, offers about 50 channels all produced in Canada including 40 English language/music channels, five French language/music channels, and five multicultural language channels. You can check out the complete channel offerings by clicking here. Subscription cost: $9.95/month. The service will only be available in larger cities at launch.

Prepaid subscription cards will also be available for some service providers from major retailers. This is a great option for individuals that plan on using the service sparingly.

Digital satellite radio services or pay-radio will probably not replace your favourite radio stations anytime soon. The digital satellite radio service offerings will definitely appease individuals who are (1) living in rural communities where channel choices are limited; or, (2) travelling and spending a lot of time in their automobiles. In the next couple of years, traditional radio stations will slowly make the transition from analog to digital broadcasts which will result in higher quality and distortion free radio programs. Now, that is definitely worth listening to!

Until next time,
Geekboy

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
E-mail them to Geekboy at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com
Past Technobytes Articles are archived at: http://www.technobytes.blogspot.com

GONE PHISHING

2005-09-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, my sister noticed that her eBay and PayPal accounts were mysteriously suspended. Authentic looking e-mails from eBay and PayPal began arriving in her inbox requesting for “confirmation of billing and credit card information” so that her account could be reactivated. Unaware, my sister proceeded to follow the instructions indicated on the e-mail and submitted the requested information. Not long afterwards, fraudulent charges began to appear on subsequent credit card bills totalling a whopping $4566.97. My sister became the latest victim of phishing…

Phishing (also known as carding and spoofing) is a form of a social engineering, characterized by attempts to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an apparently official electronic communication, such as an email or an instant message. - Wikipedia

Over the last couple of years, Internet users, businesses and law enforcement agencies all around the world have noticed a dramatic increase in phishing activity. According to Anti-Phishing Working Group, the number of reported phishing incidents in the US went from just under 7,000 to over 14,000 within the last ten months. More and more individuals are getting caught because of the increasing sophistication of these schemes. The good old heydays of crooks rummaging through the garbage for your personal information are definitely gone.

A typical phishing scheme often begins when a recipient receives an e-mail from a supposedly real financial institution or business (i.e. eBay). The fellows behind the scheme of course do not know whether or not the person has any dealings with the company. Like all good fisherpersons, they are just hoping for a few “good bites”. As long as a small percentage of the millions of Internet users respond, they can make an enormous amount of money.

The suspicious e-mail usually contains the following elements:

The Company logo.
A very generic salutation such as: “Our Valued Customer” or “Dear eBay member”.
A reason why they are sending you this e-mail such as: “your account has been suspended” or they need to “update and verify account information”
A link or button that one can click on to submit their personal information.

After clicking on the link or button, an authentic looking website will often appear prompting the unsuspecting victim to input their passwords, login identification, billing and credit card information, etc. Once the information has been entered and sent, the information can readily be sold and acquired on the Internet and used to create fake credit and identification cards that potential thieves can use and exploit. For examples of various types of Phishing e-mails, go to the Anti-Phishing Work Group Archives by clicking here.

HOW TO AVOID BEING BAIT

Installing Antivirus and Firewall software is a must on your computer. Remember to update your Antivirus software.
Internet Explorer could have a lot of security holes that hackers can potentially exploit, so make sure you update the software by checking Microsoft’s Security Homepage.
Install Anti-Phishing toolbar to your browser such as: NetCraft’s Anti-Phishing Toolbar or Cloudmark’s Anti-Fraud Toolbar.
Keep all records of credit card purchases online and offline to verify your purchases when you receive your monthly credit card statements.
Avoid sending personal and financial information via the Internet unless you know that it is reputable site like Amazon.ca. You can also check the web address up at the top of your browser to make sure that it says “https://” and not just “http://”, the “s” indicates that it is a secure site. You can also check the bottom of the browser for a “lock” icon to indicate that the site is secure.
Don’t reply or click on any e-mails that are asking you to send personal or financial information.
If you are not sure, just pick up the phone and call the financial institution or company. Remember to use a phone number you trust and know it is genuine.

CAUGHT? NOW WHAT?
If you have inadvertently been caught or have supplied personal or financial information you should do the following:

Call your Credit Card Company or financial institution.
File a police report.
Place fraud alerts on your credit reports by calling the credit bureaus that operate in Canada:

Equifax Canada 1-800-465-7166
TransUnion Canada 1-877-525-3823

You may also want to notify other government and private sector organizations such as: RECOL (Reporting Economic Crime Online), PhoneBusters (Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre), and Anti-Phishing Workgroup.

Despite some potentially negative aspects of doing commerce on the Internet, one should not be afraid to use it to pay their bills, and purchase goods and services as long as one is aware of the pitfalls.

Until next time,
~Geekboy

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS…

2005-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

In the past several years, music formats have evolved from eight-tracks to records and audio tapes to CDs. With the popularity of the World Wide Web, music formats are again evolving. For the past couple of years, music formats have transitioned from CDs over to MP3 (digital music) files.

Since the late 1990’s, portable digital music players called MP3 players have been flying off retail shelves. Several million are sold around the world each year. Many have dubbed the MP3 player “the walkman of the 21st century”. If you do not already have one or a device that plays MP3 music files, such as: a phone or a PDA, you may be a little out of the techno loop.

The advantages of MP3 players are:

Size. Most players are relatively small compared to the portable CD or audio player. Some players are smaller than your average postage stamp and can be worn like a piece of jewellery, while others are no bigger than the size of a deck of cards.
Storage Capacity. Typical MP3 players can hold anywhere between 50 to several thousand musical tracks. This translates to hours and hours of continuous play.
Personalized Music Lists. MP3 players allow users to create customizable music lists. You can create a list of musical track for your daily commute, gym time, etc.
Extended Playtime. Most MP3 players can give users eight to twelve hours of continuous play before it needs to be recharged.
Near CD quality sound.

The only disadvantage of MP3 music players is that most of the players need to be hooked up to a computer. Unlike the CD player or Walkman, users have to use the computer to manage the songs on their portable devices. So, for individuals who do not have access to a computer, this may be problematic.

CLASS OF PLAYERS
There are two distinctive types of MP3 players – flash and hard drive. The main difference lies in how the music files are stored on the device.

Flash Players:

Small and tiny. Some players are just a tiny bit bigger than your typical postage stamp and can be worn like a piece of jewellery.
Have no moving parts, therefore making them very durable. Users, particularly gym rats, do not have to worry about track skipping or damaging the player.
Have a capacity of less than 1 Terabyte (TB) which translates to about 75 to 150 songs.
Typically costs less than $200.

Hard Drive Players:

No bigger than your average deck of playing cards.
Are not ideal for guys and gals that are doing a lot of running around (i.e. athletic types) because the music is stored on a moveable disk.
Have a capacity of 4 Gigabytes or more and holds anywhere between 200 to several thousand songs.
Generally costs between $250 to $600.

Before you head down to your local electronic superstore to purchase an MP3 player, you may want to consider some of the following pointers:

The number of songs you have and would like to carry on each outing. Most individuals have only a number of tunes in their personal music library; others have thousands of music albums that they want access to on the go.
Users can also store computer files (i.e. word documents, videos, etc.), audio books, and radio broadcasts on their MP3 players. You may need to buy a player with a larger storage capacity if you plan on using your MP3 player to store files other than music.
Personal lifestyle. Are you a gym rat, or athlete? Basically, how are you going to be using the device?
Add-on accessories. Most of the portable music players out there on the market with the exception of the Apple iPods, allow users to change only the style of headphones. Apple iPods have an entire economy of accessories that are created to enhance the capabilities of the iPods. You can add FM tuners, microphones, external speakers, etc. to enhance your iPod experience.
File formats. Look for a player that plays a number of different file formats. In addition to playing MP3 files, some players may also play WMA or AAC formats.
Battery Types. There are generally two types – user replaceable or built-in rechargeable – found in your typical MP3 player. Some MP3 players utilize standard AA/AAA batteries or some type of proprietary rechargeable that the user can easily replace, whereas some players such as the Apple iPod uses a built-in rechargeable battery which cannot be readily replaced. For the latter, if you find that the device is losing charge, you will probably have to throw out a perfectly workable device.
Test drive. You should test drive the player, preferably in the store before you buy it. Many of the big electronic stores like Future Shop or Best Buy allows consumers to test out the device before they buy it. Take advantage of this! Check out the mini display on the device under various lighting conditions, the intuitiveness of the menus, and the overall design and usability of the device. For stores that do not have display units set up, make sure they have an adequate return policy. Take it home and give it a whirl then take it back if you do not like it.

So this summer, treat yourself to some sweet tunes by getting yourself an MP3 player! For more information on various types of players, you can go to any of the manufacturers listed below:

Until next time,
~Geekboy

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
E-mail them to Geekboy at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com

FYI: FIREFOX UPDATE!

2005-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are using an older version of Mozilla Firefox, a new updated version (1.0.4) is now available on the Mozilla website. This version fixes a major security flaw in the program, all Firefox users of previous versions are advised to upgrade. If software update is enabled for your browser, you can see if there is a small icon located right next to the Mozilla icon at the top right hand corner of the browser (right under the minimize/maximize buttons). Alternatively, you can proceed to install the new version of the software, by first, uninstalling the old one through the "add/remove program" feature in your control panel.

~Geekboy.

FYI: SHAW INTERNET SERVICE UPGRADES!

2005-05-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, Shaw Cable decided to one-up its main competitor Telus by improving all of their Internet Service offerings while keeping prices unchanged.

High Speed Lite Customers:

E-mail account space has increased to 100 Megabytes

High Speed Internet Customers:

Increased download speeds of up to 5.0 Megabits/sec (up from 3.0 Megabits)
Create 10 e-mail accounts (up from 7 per customer)
Space in each e-mail account has increased to 100 Megabytes (up from 30 Megabytes)

High Speed Xtreme- I Customers:

Increased download speeds of up to 7.0 Megabits/sec (up from 5.0 Megabits)

For further information, you can check Shaw's products/services site.

~Geekboy

JAZZING UP YOUR DIGITAL PHOTO COLLECTION WITH PICASA

2005-05-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

In the past few years, we witnessed the dawning of a new era in digital photography. With a computer and a digital camera, many were able to create spectacular pictures that until recently would have been very difficult to do. This digital revolution in imagery had a profound impact on computer users. In recent years, both computer hard drive and digital memory card capacities have increased exponentially. At the same time, prices for these critical storage devices have dramatically decreased. As a result, digital camera buffs have been snapping up a tonne of pictures and filling their computers with an enormous amount of pictures which often makes it very difficult to find the pictures you want when you want them.

Most of high end digital cameras sold in the past couple of years come with some sort of software for organizing your digital photos and collections such as: ACD Systems’ acdsee 7.0 or Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0. Unfortunately, a lot of consumer digital cameras do not come with photo organizing software. So, if you recently purchased a camera that did not come with any bonus software or you are just not satisfied with the built-in photo organizer in Windows XP, you will, definitely, need to buy or download something better.

Recently, Google (yes, the search engine guys) released a very easy to use and intuitive program that attempts to help organize all our digital memories called Picasa. While Picasa, is not as sophisticated as the aforementioned software packages in terms of their built-in photo editing tools, Picasa is quite adequate for your average digital photographer. You can download Picasa 2.0, free of charge, by clicking here.

After you have successfully downloaded and installed the program, Picasa will automatically go through and locate all the pictures on your computer. Picasa will sort and arrange all your photos into folders or albums according to date.

Professional Editing For Dummies
We all remember those photos that did not turn out so good. You know the ones with red eyes or the ones that came out a little on the dark side. The photo editing tools in Picasa are not going to blow any professional away, but will really make life simpler for your average digital photographers. Most of the photo editing tools found in Picasa can be accessed by the user through buttons or slider controls. Cropping photos, removing red eyes, fixing contrast and color can be done by clicking a single button. Straightening out a crooked picture or removing red eyes in a picture is as simple as clicking on a button. Users can also jazz up their photos with up to 12 different visual effects such as: sepia, b & w, tints, and sharpen.

Hassle Free Printing
Anyone who has tried printing pictures can attest to the fact that it is a pain in the rear end. You try to print a 4” x 6” photo and the printer prints the picture right in the middle of the sheet of photographic paper – wasting 50% of the sheet. Picasa optimizes and automatically prints to one sheet of photographic paper on your home printer. You simply choose the picture(s) you want to print, specify the size and Picasa will auto fit it to print on one sheet of paper. If printing on your home printer is not your thing, the software also allows you to order photo quality prints directly from a number of online providers that have partnered up with Picasa.

Photo Sharing
The sharing of your digital memories cannot be any easier. Users of Picasa can:

Create and burn slideshows of their digital photos to DVDs, CDs or USB thumb drives to share with family and friends.
Send their photos via e-mail directly from within Picasa. Picasa will even optimize the size of each photo to ensure that your photos are sent efficiently as file attachments and viewable by your intended recipients.
Publish their photos directly to Blogger – Google’s web logging service.
Send photos instantaneously, and securely to family and friends via a free Instant Messaging service for sharing photos called Hello.

Arts & Crafts
If editing and sharing your photos is not enough for you and you wish to get in touch with your Martha Stewart inner child. You can, also, create from within Picasa:

Picture collages
Desktop wallpapers
Gift CDs
Posters
Screensavers
Movies
Mugs, T-Shirts, Mouse pads, calendars, etc. through many of the online providers that have partnered up with Picasa

So, if you are a little peeved about using Windows XP to manage your photos or you find that the software you are currently using to manage your digital memories a little daunting, go ahead and give this freebie a try. Picasa 2.0 is, currently, available for Windows users only. Guys and gals who own a MacIntosh computer are already running the best photo organizing program in the world - iPhoto 5.0. If you do not have this version of iPhoto, you can get it by purchasing a new MacIntosh PC or by ponying up $99 for iLife '05.

Got any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact me via e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

See you soon,

~Geekboy.

ABOUT THIS BLOG!

2005-05-01T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Welcome to my blog! My name is Geekboy. I am a contributing columnist for the Renfrew-Collingwood News, a growing community newspaper in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over the past couple of years, I have been writing small technology articles for the "everyday" audience. This blog will be an extension of that effort. Most of the articles have been reprinted from the Renfrew Collingwood News, and since been updated. The other articles/entries are small exclusive tidbits for your reading pleasure. I hope to eventually include product reviews of various different kinds of gadgets and services on the blog, so stay tuned. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions , please do not hesitate to e-mail me at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com or by clicking here.

Enjoy!

FREE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

2005-04-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

To stem the global spread of computer viruses, users should have and install Antivirus software on every computer! For many of you, particularly the individuals that are in fixed income situations (i.e. seniors and students), ponying up $50 a year for Antivirus software may not be very economical. If you are in this category or just someone who believes in the mantra of "not wanting to pay for software", there is a couple of free solutions you can download:

AVG Antivirus 7.0 (Free Edition). Free of charge for non-commerical and home use. Bonus: all antivirus updates/definitions can be downloaded free of charge too!
Avast! 4 (Home Edition). Free of charge for non-commercial and home use. Free antiviral updates.

Shaw's Internet Service Customers: you can register and sign up for Shaw Secure by clicking here. Shaw Secure offers:

Virus protection
Internet Firewall
Parental Controls
Spam Control
Spyware and pop-up blockers
Protection for up to 3 of your personal computers
Automatic updates for all programs.
Free for all customers of Shaw's Internet Services.

If you still have some questions regarding Shaw Secure, make sure you have a look at Shaw Secure FAQs or give Shaw Technical Support a call. Shaw Secure is provided by one of the world's leading Internet Security companies in the world - F-Secure Corporation of Finland.

Telus' High Speed customers: you will have to pony up an extra $8.95 /month for TELUS Full Security Bundle Service. Full Security Bundle Service offers:

Anti-spyware
Virus protection with Ad blocker
Firewall protection
Parental Control
Form Filler - help you enter personal information onto online forms
Cookie Manager - helps manage all your cookies
Keyword Alert - prevents personal information from being sent over the Internet
Antivirus updates every 3 hours
Protection up to 3 personal computers

~ Geekboy

FYI: YAHOO MAIL USERS

2005-03-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

To users who send and receive large file attachments and or photos via e-mail. Today, Yahoo announced that beginning in April or May of this year, users of their e-mail service will receive an upgrade to their current account storage limit. The current storage limit is expected to increase from 250 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. In addition, Yahoo Mail users will, also, have stronger antivirus protection.

~Geekboy

ARE YOU UP TO YOUR YING YANG WITH "COASTERS"?

2005-03-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

Users, who "burn" their own DVDs and CDs on a regular basis will, inevitably, run into the problem of "coasters". Coasters are blank CDs and DVDs that fail to burn or write and are completely useless. I, recently, read an interesting and informative article entitled "Blank Discs Not Created Equal" in Wired Magazine written by Aaron Weiss. You can check it out by clicking here.

~GeekBoy

FYI: COMPUTER VIRUSES

2005-03-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

Over the past several weeks, I have been asked by numerous individuals and colleagues about computer viruses and how-to get rid of them for good. So instead of writing up another guide, I recently, read a pretty good one, regarding computer viruses written by PC World Columnist Lincoln Spector entitled "Caught a Virus?", you can read the article by clicking here.

~ Geekboy

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE

2005-03-13T04:27:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was approached by a number of residents inquiring about: the mysterious appearances of uninstallable icons, offline popup ads, and sudden drops in computer performance. If you or someone you know is experiencing some variations of these problems, there is a good chance that they probably have some sort of spyware on their computers.

Spyware by definition is a program that is installed onto a computer via the Internet unbeknownst to the user. Some spyware are bundled with certain applications and can be inadvertently installed as part of any normal software installation process, so make sure you read the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) before you install anything! Unlike viruses, the majority of spyware out there are relatively harmless and do not pose any significant threats to users.

There are many kinds of spyware that can exist on your system:

Adware – can send you a barrage of targeted popup advertisements
Malware – can change computer system configurations and files which may cause your machine to fail
Keyloggers – can record every keystroke you make on the keyboard
Browser Hijackers – can change browser settings (i.e. change your start page), and even make the Internet inaccessible
Dialers – can secretly disconnect users on a dial-up Internet connection and reconnect them to the phone line to make long distance or 1-900 phone calls, resulting in an enormous phone bill for the user
Collectors – collect information on surfing habits, personal information and send the information to advertisers and criminals

DETECT & REMOVE

If spyware is present in your computer, you will notice some or all of the following symptoms when you use your computer:

High-speed Internet connection has become unbearably slow.
Frequent pop-up ads appearing when you are not on the Internet and Internet Explorer has not been started.
Homepage has been changed automatically since you last used it.
Computer performance has decreased.
New icons appearing on the desktop and in menu toolbars.
Internet settings may have been altered.

To remove spyware from your computer, there are software packages available for download. You should install and use more than one. The cost of the software ranges between free to $50. Here are some of the ones that I recommend you consider installing onto your machine:

Microsoft Anti-spyware (BETA)

Detects and rates spyware by risk factor and recommends: quarantine, removal, or ignore
Provides a detailed definition of spyware detected
Resets any Internet settings that have been altered
Automatically updates spyware definitions over the Internet
Free of charge from Microsoft

This version works quite well, but it is a beta version, meaning that the program may still be “buggy”, so use with caution. The official release version will come out sometime around the middle of the year and will be offered to all authentic Windows users, free of charge.

Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3

Free of charge to use, donations are welcomed
Detects and removes adware and collectors
Supports over 30 different languages
Updates over the web to ensure that it catches everything

Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.05

Effective at detecting and removing: hijackers, cookies, collectors, adware, and Malware
Software updates accessible over the web
Free for Non-commercial use
For additional protection and features: Ad-Aware SE Plus ($40) or Ad-Aware SE Professional Edition ($50)
Free access to support forums and e-mail tech support

Spy Sweeper 3.5

Scans, detects and removes or quarantines various types of spyware
Actively monitors and shields the computer from spyware
Free to try for 30 days, afterwards, costs $35.00 for one year subscription
Software updates available over the web

PREVENTION

If you have recently purchased a new computer or have already ran a scanner to detect and rid yourself of any spyware, you should, if you run Windows XP (Professional or Home Edition), turn on your built-in firewall. You can get the instructions on how-to do this by clicking here. Guys and gals who have already been using Windows XP should, if they have not already done so, install Service Pack 2 by clicking on Windows Update. This critical update replaces the old Firewall program with a tougher version. Otherwise, you should install one of the following free firewall applications:

Zone Alarm
Free of charge for non-commercial uses.
Tiny Firewall 6
Free 30 Day Trial, $49.00 USD afterwards.

Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6
Free of charge for personal use.

Agnitum Outpost Firewall (Free) 1.0
Free of charge for personal use. No e-mail support or personal support service.

Kerio Personal Firewall 4
Free 30 trial for full version, afterwards reverts to limited free edition. Free of charge for personal and non-commercial use. Limited Free Edition does not provide content filtering (i.e. pop-up ad filtering, etc.). For more comparative information between each product edition, you can click here.

Remember, there is no 100% guarantee that these solutions will catch and solve all of your Internet pests, but at the very least they will definitely help mitigate any problems that you could get. For additional software downloads, check out the Spychecker website by clicking here. To stay abreast on all the lastest spyware news and threats, you can point your browser to: Topix or the aptly named spyware guide.

Got any questions, comments, complaints, suggestions etc. e-mail me by clicking here or at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com, anytime.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy

REVOLUTIONIZING THE WAY YOU E-MAIL

2005-01-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
January/February 2005 Edition

In my last column, I introduced many of you to a new browser called Mozilla Firefox. Since then, the Mozilla Organization has released yet another freebie to all computer users whom are tired of the myriad of problems that plague Microsoft Outlook Express called Mozilla Thunderbird. In fact, Microsoft has, albeit very quietly, stopped supporting Outlook Express all together, so if you run into any problems or need software patches from Microsoft, you maybe in for a very long wait. If you have been a long time frustrated user of Outlook Express, this may definitely be the product for you.

Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0, like Microsoft Outlook Express, is an e-mail client. An e-mail client is a piece of software that allows users to send, read, and receive e-mail. Both Thunderbird and Outlook Express work in exactly the same fashion; but, I believe Thunderbird does a heck of a lot better job than Outlook Express. Here are the reasons why...

10 REASONS TO LOVE THUNDERBIRD

Built-in adaptive SPAM filters to help manage all the junk and spam e-mails you get in your inbox. The program is capable of analyzing and learning what is deemed as junk and what is not. The filters will then either automatically delete the spam e-mail or put them in a folder called Junk.
Customize the way you view your e-mails. You can view your e-mail, your inbox, and contacts information in three panes on screen at the same time if you wish.
Personalize the look of your e-mail program by using the free and readily downloadable themes. The themes can really jazz up your e-mail client by changing the fonts and icons of the program.
Extend the functionality of the program by adding extensions that are again free and readily available for download. These extensions simply add functions to the existing program like a stock ticker of your favourite stocks running across the screen every time you read your e-mail.
Built-in Spell checker that actually has a regularly updated dictionary. Just press the spell check button, sit back, and relax.
Built-in Newsgroup and RSS readers. Users can subscribe to the various newsgroups or RSS feeds on the Internet. Thunderbird will download messages and headers, as well as watch and ignore news threads. For those of you that are still getting your Internet connection through dial up. The readers also allows you to download and read your threads offline.
Supports enterprise and government level security features like: message encryption, digital signature support, MIME, authentication certificates which should make e-mailing safer and more secure.
Works on just about any computer platform you may have, so there is absolutely no reason why it will not run on your machine if you have a Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP Professional Edition/XP Home edition, Mac OS X, Linux, and Sun Solaris operating systems.
The program is small and nimble and weighs in at about 5.6 megabytes. The program can easily be downloaded from the Web though a dial up Internet connection. Click here to download.
It is free of charge. No strings attached.

Once you have downloaded and installed the application, Thunderbird will automatically import all your favourite settings, e-mails (new and old), account information/passwords, and address book from Outlook Express or any other e-mail clients you are currently using to Thunderbird through a series of interactive screens called wizards. To begin to use Thunderbird, just start the program and begin e-mailing. It is that easy, no fuss and no muss! If you decide that you do not like the program, which is unlikely but possible, you can simply uninstall the program and go back to using Outlook Express like before. However, anything that you have done after using Thunderbird maybe lost because Outlook Express cannot directly import messages from Thunderbird.

So, if you are tired of all those Outlook Express problems or just want to start your New Year off with an e-mail facelift, give Mozilla Thunderbird a try. What do you have to lose?

Got any questions, comments, complaints or suggestions, you can e-mail me by clicking here or at: gb.technobtyes@gmail.com.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy

BROWSER WARS 2: DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH AGAIN

2004-10-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
September/October 2004 Edition

Once upon a time, in an Internet era not long ago, there were two competing browser programs – Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator that allows mere mortals like us to view and experience the pictures, sound, and video of the Internet. Since that time, Microsoft Internet Explorer has become the defacto standard for viewing content on the Internet. No other program has come close to displacing it, until today...

Recently, with all the security issues surrounding Internet Explorer and the seemingly endless software patches that users have to download, many Internet users have begun to look for alternatives. Many alternatives already exist and can, readily, be downloaded free of charge from the Internet – Opera Browser and even Netscape Navigator 7.2.

Last month, Mozilla Foundation released a new browser called Firefox to challenge the incumbent - Internet Explorer - for Internet supremacy. Not only is this browser more secure than Internet Explorer but is small and nimble in size to download. Firefox, also, loads Internet web pages faster, which should make it ideal for users with slower setups.

Aside from the usual browser functionalities, like: Bookmarks (Favourites), History, Full Screen web page viewing, text zooming, automatic software updates and keyboard/mouse shortcuts. Firefox is packed with very unique features:

Built-in Pop-up Blocker – to stop all those annoying pop up or in your face marketing that interrupts your Internet surfing pleasure.
Google Search built into the browser toolbar.
Tabbed Browsing – allows you to open more than one web page in one single window eliminating the need to open multiple windows to view more than one web page.
Downloadable skins and themes – for those who like to customize and personalize the look of their browser.
Built in support for RSS (Real Simple Syndication) – allows the browser to receive website updates. The updates are shown as headlines in the browser. If the user is interested, clicking on the “headline” link will quickly display the updated information. For more on this feature click here.
Automatic importing of all favourites, passwords, cookies from Internet Explorer so that you can begin surfing right after you have finished installing the program.
Works on computers running the Windows® operating system, Mac OS, and Linux.

So, if you are a bit weary of the problems of Internet Explorer and in the mood of trying something different, give Firefox a test drive. Your Internet experience will never be the same, guaranteed. Firefox 1.0.1 is available for download by clicking here.

Got any questions, comments, complaints, or suggestions, you can e-mail me by clicking here or at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com anytime.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy

P.S. After this article went public, an alert reader wanted to know if Firefox will run on Windows 95, apparently the systems requirement page neglected to say whether or not Windows supports it. Firefox will, indeed, run on Windows 95. For more information on how-to do this, click here.

GEEKBOY’S GUIDE TO GOING PORTABLE

2004-08-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
July/August 2004 Edition

In recent weeks, I have received several e-mails regarding "what to look for" when buying a notebook computer. With school just right around the corner and the price of "portable" computers coming down so dramatically these days, many of you are probably comtemplating on purchasing a new notebook computer instead of a desktop for you home, office, or school use. So if you are one of those who are in the market for a laptop computer this fall, read on...

NOTEBOOK TYPES
The laptop or notebook computers on the market today, generally, fall in three distinct categories. Before you consider the features of the notebook, you have to consider what you will be using the notebook for and choosing the appropriate type of machine.

Ultraportables – This class of notebooks are designed specifically for individuals that are always on the go and need sufficient computer power to complete their day to day tasks, like: checking e-mails, word processing, or presenting a presentation to a client.

Thin and Light – These notebooks are ideal for everyone. They are powerful enough to allow individuals to send e-mails, view/edit pictures, compose a novel, and play a few odd games. The notebook is also light enough to be carried, if needed, between work and home.

Desktop Replacement – These notebooks are for individuals who would like to replace their current desktop machine with a portable. These machines are just as powerful as their desktop brethren and are not meant to lugged around by the user, most weigh around 9 lbs, but can be moved from room to room quite easily if need be.

Besides trying to max out your budget, you should also consider some of the following factors when buying a new notebook computer:

Processors – The “brain” of the computer is harder to upgrade in laptops than a traditional desktop computer, it maybe more prudent to choose a faster processor in your class of machines and sacrifice other minor features. Despite what the salesperson will tell you, processors from AMD and Intel work and perform exactly the same. The equivalent (Mobile) AMD Athlon 64 machines are both slightly cheaper and better designed than their Intel (Centrino) counterparts.

Memory – Notebook computers, with the exception of the desktop replacement kind, typically have slower processors. Users have to make sure that they purchase a notebook with a least 512 Megabytes of memory to ensure that their machine is up to snuff. If you are planning on getting a machine with less than 512 Megabytes of memory, make sure the machine has an extra DIMM (memory) slot for future expansion, else it may cost you a little more to upgrade down the line.

Battery life – If you are looking to replace your desktop computer with a mobile computer, this is not a very important; for the most part you will have the laptop plug into the wall. For thin and light notebook users, typical laptops will give you 2 – 4.5 hours per battery depending on use. For the “always on the go” crowd, ultra-portables will give you 5 to 6 hours per charge.

Screen size – Mobile computer screens range between 10 to 17 inches. Most ultra-portables come in 12 inches or less. The desktop replacement variety usually come at 15 inches or greater. The average laptop will have at least a 14.1 inch screen. Unless you are doing a lot a desktop publishing work or watch a lot of movies, most users probably would not need anything larger than 14.1 inches. Big is not necessarily a good thing in the laptop world, it often means that you will sacrifice battery life and increase the weight of your machine making it less portable. To ensure that images and text are displayed clearly regardless of screen size, make sure that the screen supports high resolution rates. Have the salesperson demo the machine and judge with your eyes.

Keyboard – Mobile computer keyboards are not full size on some models especially the ultraportables. For those of you, who have slightly large hands, this could be quite uncomfortable. Finally, for all the touch typists out there, you may want to give the IBM ThinkPad line of notebooks a try. IBM notebooks have some of the industry’s best tactile keyboards. Make sure you give the keyboard a test drive before you decide to buy.

Mouse – To any computer user, next to the keyboard, the mouse is the most important device. Most notebook computers use a glide pad where individuals move the mouse pointer by moving their finger on a touch sensitive pad other notebooks from Toshiba and IBM use a tiny joystick embedded into the keyboard that the user can control the pointer on the screen. Individuals with slightly larger fingers may find the joystick a little harder to use. Try out the pointing device before you purchase.

Wireless Networking – Many university campuses, coffee hotspots, hotels and homes have WIFI wireless networking setup. If you are planning on using your portable in any of these environments, make doubly sure that your machine as built-in WIFI wireless networking and that it supports 802.11b or the better and faster 802.11g standards. A wireless network will give you access to all of your documents, e-mail family and friends, and surf the net wirelessly. Most laptops today come standard with an Ethernet port for Internet and network access. A majority come with both WIFI and the port. Finally, if you are planning on getting a portable with WIFI, make sure it comes with a switch to turn WIFI on or off. This gives individuals the option of conserving valuable battery power when there is no WIFI access.

Ports – Make sure you have enough USB ports for your digital cameras, printers, MP3 music players, and thumb drives. If you plan on editing your personal videos on the laptop, make sure you also have a firewire connection. Some laptops like the Sony VAIO Notebooks come with a built-in Memory Stick slot for those who use them to store photos and data. Finally, if you need to connect your cell phone or PDA to your laptop, make sure the laptop and your gadgets have Bluetooth or Infrared support.

Storage/Floppy Disks - Many of the newer laptops, today, no longer come with any floppy disk drives. So, if you have a lot of information stored on "floppies" make sure your laptop either comes with a floppy drive (internal or external) or you have enough USB 2.0 ports (i.e. 2 or more) to accomodate a USB thumbdrive. USB thumbdrives can be purchased at your local computer store for around $30 - $100, depending on storage capacity. The main advantages to carrying a USB thumbdrive versus floppy diskettes are: (a) smaller size (i.e. same size as your housekey); (b) no moving parts (i.e. less prone to mechanical failures); and, (c) increase storage capacity (i.e. 128 Megabytes and up).

Well, I hope this helps guide you on your shopping trip. For those of you, who really need specific recommendations, feel free to drop me an e-mail by clicking here or at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy

LEGAL MUSIC DOWNLOADS, AS EASY AS 1-2-3

2004-06-01T02:07:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
June/July 2004 Edition

Exactly one year ago in an article (see June 2003 Edition), we visited the topic of: how peer to peer (p2p) file sharing technology worked and why it was difficult to stop individuals from using this technology to “illegally” share music (MP3) files. Since that time, a high level federal court has ruled that “downloading” music files are not illegal under the current Canadian copyright laws and that only “uploading” files are considered illegal. So, if your conscience is still bugging you and you feel for all those “poor multimillion dollar” pop-princes and princesses, there are a couple legal alternatives that have, recently, cropped up for Canadian consumers.

HOW IT WORKS

All music download services work exactly the same way. All you need is a valid credit card and you are “off to the races”. After completing the simply account registration process, consumers are given the choice of purchasing and downloading entire albums and individual tracks of music or subscribing to aservice. Once you have finish downloading the music files, you can choose to: (a) copy it to a CD; (b) listen to it on your home stereo; (c) listen to it on your computer; (d) take all your music with you by transferring the files to a portable digital music player called an MP3 player. Some services give the consumer the opportunity to buy the actual album and have it shipped directly to your house. The only minor downside to purchasing music this way is that most services do not yet offer any music lyrics or album cover art if you elect to download your music.

Most of the services that are offered either by Telus or Bell (Sympatico® Music Store) and Future Shop’s Bonfire Service, are all powered by Toronto based Puretracks.com. Puretracks.com is the first Canadian company to offer digital music downloads to Canadian consumers. All the consumers of the aforementioned services basically have the same access to the Puretracks’ music archives and services.

On Puretracks.com, consumers can:

search music, individually, by album title, artist, track title, and music categories.
access “exclusive” tracks that are only available on the Puretracks.com.
preview each song for 30 seconds.
purchase gift certificates and send them to their friends, and family members via e-mail.

All downloads from this service are in Microsoft’s proprietary WMA (Windows Media Audio) file format, so you will have to have Windows Media Player 10 installed on your computer and a portable music player capable of playing WMA files in order to listen to your tunes.

Beginning on June 12^th, 2004, Future Shop’s Bonfire music download service will give their customers the same access to all the songs and albums on Puretracks.com, plus the opportunity to purchase prepaid cards in various denominations at their stores for purchase of music and the ability to download songs in alternate file formats (MP3), that today’s portable digital music players support.

Puretracks.com, of course, is not the only player in town. Recently, Napster Canada decided to enter the Canadian market. Napster offers three types of services: Napster, Napster to-go, and Napster Light.

Napster:

costs $9.95/month.
gives users access to over 700,000 music tracks.
offers 50 commerical-free radio stations.
allows users to play music on stereo (click here for more info), multiple computers, including laptops.
has a library of exclusive tracks and music recommendations.
allows users to view other Napster user playlists.
includes all Napster Light features (see below).

Napster Light:

offers access to over 700,000 music tracks.
allows users to purchase individual tracks ($1.19) of music or album ($9.95 and up).
allows users to burn their playlists to CD or transfer to a wide range of MP3 players.

Napster to-go:

is a subscription service that costs $14.95/month.
offers all the features of Napster and Napster Light (see above).
works only on Windows XP computers with Windows Media Player 10.
allows users to transfer unlimited tracks of music on the go to select MP3 players and mobile phones.
allows music lovers to play their music in their cars via cassette adapter, direct connection or FM transmitter.

Subscribers must be aware that as soon as you stop subscribing, you will lose access to songs that you have not yet purchased.

By the end of the year, Apple Computer Canada will debut their heavily anticipated music download service called iTunes Music Store. The iTunes Music Store has been around in the USA and in Europe for the past couple of years and is regarded as the current market leader.

iTunes Music Store offers:

exclusive music tracks.
album cover art.
$9.99 per album, or $.99 per track.
full integration with the best application for organizing music - iTunes.
gift certificates and allowance accounts are available.
Flexible usage rights. For details, you can click here.
"One-click" purchasing.

The only negative is that the music you have purchased can only be transfered to an Apple iPod (MP3) device. So, if you have an MP3 player from another manufacturer, you are outta of luck!

The “bottom line” is that music downloading services probably will not replace your local music store; but, can be practical in many ways. The services can be a convenience for those who need music in digital form and do not want to mess around with trying to convert their old CDs, LPs, cassettes, and vinyl records. Some of these download services have very flexible usage rights, meaning that you can edit the music into new compilations or soundtracks into your home movies and school/business presentations with the help of your computer.

Before you begin to download your favourite tunes from the net, you must be aware of couple of things:

Know thy portable music player. There are many portable music players on the market that play digital music. Digital music comes in all different file formats, such as: MP3, WMA, AAC, and not every player on the market will play all the different formats. So, make sure that your music player can actually play the individual file formats offered by your download service. Most of today’s players will play MP3 and WMA files.
Know the music service you are using. The music download sites fall into two categories: Subscription and á la carté. Subscription services allow individuals to have access to their library of songs for a monthly fee. Individuals can listen to the music as often as they want on their computers, but do not own the actual music. The moment you stop paying your monthly subscription, you lose access to the music. The á la carté type service allows individuals to download and buy the individual songs that the user wants to own.
Before you enter your credit card information, make sure you read up on the terms of use of the service, this typically will tell you your digital rights to the music. Digital rights depict to the individual (the user): whether or not they own the music, how many computers can have access to the music, how many times you can write it to a CD, etc.

Got any questions, comments, complaints, suggestions etc. e-mail me by clicking here or at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com, anytime.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy

ONLINE DVD RENTALS – AS EASY AS 1-2-3

2004-04-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
April/May 2004 Edition. Updated: March 2005.

If you enjoy watching movies like I do and you rent a whole tonne of it, you will have inevitably encountered “late charges” at the local video store. Canadian consumers pay a "boat load", when it comes to “late fees, in fact, they pay millions each year just on “late fees”. According to some statistics done by Video Store Magazine (and yes they have their own magazine), consumers in North America racked up nearly one billion dollars in late fees. Exorbitant late charges consumers pay, typically, add between 15 – 20% to the bottom line of large video rental chains like: Blockbusters and Roger’s Video. In other words, late fees are a gigantic revenue generator for video store owners and probably will never go away.

On a recent excursion to visit a family friend in Seattle, I was introduced to an interesting online service called Netflix®. Netflix® is an US-based online DVD rental service for movie buffs. You can rent up to 3 movies at any one time starting at $11.99 US a month. The service promises: over 35,000 classics and new releases to choose from, no due dates, line-ups, hassle free, and best of all – no late charges.

HOW IT WORKS

You sign up by going to their website, fill out the necessary forms and enter your credit card number. Once you have signed in, you create a “wish list” from the library of movie titles on the Netflix® website that you wish to see. The service will then send you up to three movies from your “wish list” with a self-returning postage paid envelop for each DVD shipped to you in 1 – 3 business days. In the US, mail is, also, delivered on Saturdays, ensuring that you can have DVDs to watch on the weekends which is a great plus when you wish to have big viewing parties with family and friends. As soon as you are finished watching one of the three movies, all you have to do is put it in the self-address postage-paid envelop and drop it in the mail box. As soon as the DVD is received by Netflix®, the next available DVD on your “wish list” will go out to you by mail. The number of DVDs you can watch per month depends on how quickly you watch your DVDs.

Unfortunately, Netflix® is only currently available to US customers. But, fortunately for us, three entrepreneurial Canadian companies have just decided, recently, to offer similar but competing services based on the Netflix® concept – Zip.ca, Moviesforme.ca, and Dvdstoyourdoor.com.

Zip.ca offers:

over 29,000 DVD titles for rent.
detailed writeups of each DVD.
availability status of each DVD.
e-gift memberships you can send to family and friends.
current entertainment news, movie suggestions, and member ratings of each movie.
flexible membership plans (i.e. 3 month pre-paid plans, or month to month plans, etc.).
service at $10.95/month and up depending on the number of DVDs (up to 6 a time) you rent at a time.

Moviesforme.ca offers:

over 20,000 DVD titles for rent.
a selection of audiobooks for rent.
live e-mail support to answer any customer queries.
1-3 business days delivery of DVDs.
service for $24.95/month (4 DVDs) and up depending on the number of DVDs (up to 6 a time) you rent at a time.

Dvdstoyourdoor.com offers:

service for $14.95/month (2 DVDs) and up depending on the number of DVDs (up to 5 a time) you rent at a time.
"refer-a-friend" program.
no member ratings/reviews or option to purchase DVDs.

So, if you are an avid movie buff and want to tryout an alternative method of renting DVD movies, you can take advantage of the free 14 day trials that all three services are offering. Just go to their, respective, websites and sign up. It's that easy!

Since the introduction of these online DVD rental services, Blockbuster Canada has responded by essentially relaxing their rental policies. Members can, if they choose, return their rentals a day or two late without incurring any late fees. To learn more about Blockbuster Canada's "the end of late fees" program, click here.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com or by clicking here.

~Geekboy

SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON THE INTERNET...

2004-02-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew Collingwood News,
February/March 2004

80% Canadian youths have access to the Internet at home; about half of them are using it with very little or no adult supervision, guidance, or rules.

25% of young Internet users have been asked by someone they met on the Internet only once to meet face-to-face; about 15% of these users met their online counterparts in person; and of these, 2 in 10 went to these meetings alone and without adult supervision.

-- Media Awareness Network, 2001

Over the past several weeks, I have received a lot of e-mail inquiries and concerns from parents, grandparents, and guardians of young children regarding how to properly keep their child’s young minds from traversing on the “dark side” of the web. After all, you can only do so much supervising and peering over shoulders. What is a concerned teacher, parent, guardian, grandparent, or babysitter suppose to do? Is there anything out there on the web that is safe for children?

The Basics - the fundamentals that all concerned parents should do.

Teach your children to value and protect their private information when entering chat rooms, instant messaging services, websites, e-mail services etc. Personal information such as: gender, picture, passwords, e-mail address, mail address, and credit card information should always be protected.
Establish family rules on how to use the Internet and what sites are appropriate and which are not.
Chat and educate your kids about predators, and other online pitfalls and dangers.
If your children are using instant messaging services and chat rooms, make sure you know who they are talking to and what they are talking about.
Monitor chat room activities and topics of conversation.
Get some parental filtering software.

E-mailing & Chatting Concerns…

Most young Internet users today, even the little ones have e-mail accounts. Many of them use the commercial free e-mail accounts and chat services such as MSN and Yahoo, which are unmonitored and not screened. There are services available that offer: adult monitored chat rooms, bulletin boards, and e-mail services. Although most of these sites offer some degree of supervised use, private chat room conversations can not be monitored; it is imperative that parents make sure that all chat conversations happen in the public rooms. As well, these services can not guarantee that adults can not join or pretend to be children.

Finding “good” and “safe” information on the web…

Looking for the “good” stuff on the web can be difficult when you use a general search engine such as: Google or a directory like: Yahoo. These services typically give you everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are a number of “kid friendly” search engines out there on the web that parents and children can use. All of following search engines filter out offensive and inappropriate materials.

Other good sites to visit with your children…
I often get asked by parents a lot in my classes regarding "safe and informative sites” that they can let their children go into. After rattling my brain and testing them out on a few unwilling little cousins, I have come up with the following:

National Geographic for Kids
Exploratorium
eNature
TVO Kids
Global Story Train
Mamamedia
YTV– Fun and games from YTV.
BrainPOP – Teaches kids about Science, Health, Social Studies, Math, English, and my favourite – Technology.
Zillions – Consumer Reports for Kids by Kids.
Matmice – free webpage for kids.
Teenwire – teen specific health issues
CBC4kids
Zoom
National Library of Canada (Kid’s Page)
Disney

I hope this goes a long way in helping all those distressed moms, dads, grand parents, guardians, childcare workers, and babysitters. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, complaints, or other great site(s) that you feel I should add to this list, feel free to e-mail me by clicking here or at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com. You can also leave comments by clicking on the comments link at the end of the article.

See you soon,

~Geekboy.

NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO CALL ME, JUST "SKYPE" ME...

2003-12-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
November/December 2003 Edition

One of the most common comments that I get from people, colleagues, and friends is that e-mail and Instant Messaging is “great and all but a bit impersonal…e-mailing, chatting [and instant messaging] are just not the same as phoning someone”. But what if you can call someone, anyone, wherever they maybe around the world or across the street using nothing more than your computer and an Internet connection, moreover for an obscenely low price – free. Well, it turns out that you can do just that by using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Internet (Web) telephony.

VoIP is not a new technology or concept but something you most definitely will hear a lot more about over the next couple of years as it becomes more mainstream. The common problems with earlier VoIP programs and services was the horrendous sound quality, difficult software setup and the expensive centralized equipment that providers needed to offer the service. Today, many businesses and consumers use VoIP services to connect with colleagues, clients, friends, and family due mainly to vastly improved software and technology. Many of the people working in and around large organizations do not even realize that their calls are being connected via the Internet. The voice quality is virtually indistinguishable and in many cases is clearer than many mobile phone connections.

Some VoIP services are free, but only works for calls between computers that have the same installed software. There are also VoIP service providers like: Dialpad; Net2Phone; SIPPhone; and, Vonage allows callers to seamlessly converse over their existing telephones. Most of these providers offer flat rate monthly charges for unlimited local calls, plus a plethora of extra (free-of-charge) call features like: Call Waiting, Call Forwarding; Voice Mail, etc. For long distance service, some providers provided unlimited service whereas others provide it, typically, for a few cents less than your traditional long distance carrier.

In a nutshell, when you use VoIP, you typically speak into either a special handset microphone (or headset) connected to a computer (or network) with access to the Internet. The voice information is digitally recorded, disassembled by the computer and transmitted as tiny packages or packets of information for easy transport over the Internet to the receiver. The computer then reassembles the tiny packets and outputs the sound of your voice is outputted on the speakers. Voice information is sent and received when it is needed thereby saving a lot of resources, bandwidth, to be used for other things like surfing on the Internet or sending e-mails. Under more traditional phone systems, there is a closed point to point connection between the caller and the recipient for the entire duration of the call. The connection or circuit is broken when both individuals hang up the phone. The connection is only being used half the time, the rest of the time it is dead air. If you think about two people talking, you will notice that the Person A talks, Person B listens. Person B responds. Person A listens. Information is only traveling in one direction at a time. For a two minute traditional phone call, the actual amount of information that is transmitted may only be one minute, meaning that the other minute is wasted. In short, sending information over the Internet is just more efficient. For those of you who want to know more about how IP telephony works you should check out: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ip-telephony.htm.

Recently, while researching VoIP solutions for a friend, I discovered a small piece of software called Skype (pronounced skippy), that allows users to converse with family and friends through their computers. In fact more the 3.2 million people, to date, have downloaded the free software from the Web (http://www.skype.com/). This promising program offers:

free unlimited worldwide phone calls.
works behind firewalls, and routers without user configurations.
encrypts all incoming and outgoing calls to ensure total privacy.
no phone numbers to remember. Friends list that tells you who is online and available for chatting or text messaging.
call logging that records all your miss calls.

Moreover, what is most interesting about the software is that it utilizes the same underpinning peer-to-peer technology that some of today’s most popular music sharing programs use (See Technobytes: February 2003). Under other VoIP services, conversations are routed by a central computer (or server), which has an index of all those that are currently online using the system. The central computer, which works very similarly to the old switchboard operators, then finds the recipient and sends the information to the intended receiver. As more and more users sign up for the service, more central computers are needed to keep track of all the users, which increase the cost to the provider and decrease the quality of the calls on the system. Furthermore, anything catastrophic happens to these central servers (indexes), nobody on the system will be able to talk to anyone. Under a peer-to-peer system, all the computers using the service act as both a telephone and a part-time central index. So, all the computers are responsible for helping route calls to other members on the service. If something happens to the one of the indexes (i.e. your computer), other member computers will simultaneously help route the call to ensure that the recipient can carry on the conversation without interruption. The peer-to-peer technology helps ensure the service is both reliable and stable.

WANT TO KICK THE TIRES ON VoIP
If you want to give this a try, you are going to need the following items:

Relatively fast notebook or computer, not necessary the latest and greatest. Anything bought within the last two years is probably alright. More specifically any computer with 500 Megahertz processing or “brain” power and 256 Megabytes in RAM (memory).
Soundcard, speakers and a good microphone or a headset.
Broadband or High Speed Internet connection either from Shaw Cable or Telus.
Internet Telephony Software, like Skype.

Unfortunately for all you Apple computer users out there, Skype only works on Windows 2000/XP machines. But I was assured that subsequent iterations of the product will have Mac support. In the mean time, if you really want to try VoIP on your Mac, you can use the Free World Dialup (FWD) program (http://www.fwdnet.net). FWD works in almost exactly the same way as Skype. As of March 2004, Skype now supports Mac OS X, Linux, and Pocket PC operating systems.

So, as an extra special Christmas present this year to all your family, friends, and colleagues, surprise them by talking to them using VoIP. Wishing you and yours a wonderful and safe holiday!

See you soon,

~Geekboy.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

THE CASE OF THE HAUNTED LOO...

2003-10-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
October/November 2003 Edition. Updated May 2005.

A s I sit, mindlessly and confused, in front of my computer pondering the topic for my upcoming column in my office, the phone rings… my answering machine picks up, “GB, you there, it’s Max, you got come over… totally awesome, I am not jus’ talking ‘bout the party, dude, you [will] totally trip when you see it”…

Since, I was not going to get anything done tonight and curious to what this was all about, I gathered my stuff and headed over to Maxamillion Ubergeeks’ Westside digs. There is absolutely nothing that this bloodhound investigative reporter could observe that made this party any different. Typical “house warming” party, girls, guys, drinks, and everything in between, but there was something different. The subtle conversations all around seem to revolve around the “room”.

After a few exotic cocktails and dead end conversations regarding the “room”, I proceeded to one of the many washrooms in the house, to relieve myself. Max, our generous host, kindly directed me to one at the end of the hall. As I approached the washroom, a couple of girls scurried fairly hastily out of the room, murmuring among themselves that “maybe its’ alive” and they “should’ve used the one upstairs”. Not worrying too much about what they have said or having the slightest clue, I proceeded to enter the room to do my business…

As I entered the room, nothing seemed out of the ordinary: the toilet, sink, and bathtub are all there - nothing missing or anything. As I approached the toilet, something fascinating happened, the lid began to rise and as I stood in front of it, the seat lifted, automatically…For a few seconds there I thought it was getting ready to eat me for dinner. Afterwards, the toilet flushes, disinfects and deodorizes, and lowers the seat and lid readying itself for its next unsuspecting victim.

Fascinated and curious, I pondered about what the other experience would be like. So, being the good investigative reporter that I am, I decided to make the supreme sacrifice to all my readers by dropping “my pants” in the name of good journalism… So, there I sat, on the self-warming and gentle messaging seat wondering what is going to happen to me next. I noticed a wireless remote control device that controlled the automated bidet functions of the toilet. By pushing the buttons, not only does the toilet clean your front and back end it even offers variable controlled blow-dries. The toilet even automatically deodorizes after each use. Whoa…this is truly a throne fit for a geek.

Afterwards, me and Max sat around and chatted about his magic throne and what else it could do… and yes it does a lot more just clean your beloved behind. The toilet conserves energy by recording usage frequencies and reprograms itself weekly. The toilet goes into power-saving mode at times of low usage (i.e. when you are at work or not at home), very similar to your laptop computer. The loo uses a proprietary “flushing technology” called “cyclone flush engine” which produces a series of computer calibrated sequence of flushes. This allows the loo to produce a powerful flush while conserving water at the same time. The loo, also, produces no wait times for the tank to refill or any associated refill noise.

For those of you who hate cleaning the stains in the toilet bowl, the designers of NEOREST have also thought up an ingenious solution to this by putting some kind of high-tech glazing on the surface of toilet bowl that prevents stains. So everytime one flushes, the toilet self-cleans.

The high-tech toilet is called the NEOREST 600 - made by one of the largest toilet makers in the world - Toto. So, if you are interested in the high tech loo, you can check it out at the Toto NEOREST website. The high-tech loo should be for about $5,000 - $6,000 USD, available by the time you read this.

As I retired to bed that early morning, I felt tired, and satisfied that another mystery has been solved... Until next time,

~ Geekboy.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

WHAT’S BLOGGING YOU?

2003-08-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
August/September 2003. Updated April 2005.

While surfing around over the weekend, I like many Internet users have found a lot of web pages, both personal and business that are quite dated. Yup, you all know what I am talking about, those pages that read “last updated October 1996” at the very bottom of the page. Why do people or businesses even bother with putting a web page up anyways if they do not even bother to maintain it?

Many of the dated pages are usually designed by your average computer users, who do not possess the necessary skills of a webpage guru or webmaster. Other web pages are neglected because the owners’ either forgot about it or just did not have the time to update their sites. The sole purpose of their page seems to be for information about themselves, products or small businesses. So, is there a better way?

Over the past couple of years a new technological trend on the Internet has emerged. The internet phenomenon called “blogging”. The technology behind “blogging” comes directly from content management software tools. These are tools that website managers use to allow average computer users (i.e. office workers) to quickly update company or personal web pages. Today, Internet users are using this technology to revolutionize the way we communicate with one another. So, if you think having an e-mail account or personal webpage is the only way to communicate to all your cyber friends, you definitely not a “blogger”, at least not yet. What the heck is blogging you say?

Well, a blog is “geekspeak” for web log. A blog is basically a webpage that is frequently updated, much like a personal journal or diary. Blogging software tools allow “bloggers” to write their “dated” entries and upload them from any Internet connected computer with a click of a button. Individuals are not limited to typing text entries, they also upload and hyperlink text, video and images from other bloggers. Unlike the process of updating your conventional website, “bloggers” do not have to have to mess around with complicated HTML or be web design guru. You will never have to worry about screwing up the fonts and colour schemes of your page. Anyone and everyone can be a blogger. Blogs are truly a self publishing tool for all the little voices on the web.

Simply go to your favourite search engine and typing in the word “blog” will yield numerous hits of blogs by individuals all around the world. Blogs can be about links/commentary about personal or world events, thoughts and interests to news about companies, ideas, and persons. Personal diaries, photos, poetry, essays, stories and project updates can also be topics for a blog. Most blogs found on the web are maintained by one individual but there are blogs that are maintained by groups of individuals sharing common interests.

GETTING STARTED

Before you can begin to write and contribute your voice to Internet, you need to set up a blog site. As mentioned before the difference between your typical web page and a blog is the software that allows the author to automate publishing and updating of the page. Individuals or groups can set up blog sites free of charge by going to one of the following sites to setup an account:

Blogspot - Free of charge and easy to use.
LiveJournal - Free of charge. Consider one of the largest blogging communities online.
MyBlogSite - Free of charge.
TypePad - Free to try for 30 days. Monthly subscriptions: $4.95 - $14.95. Yearly subscriptions: $49.50 - $149.50
Xanga - Free of charge.

For individuals, groups, businesses, that would like to set up blog tools on their existing websites, you can add the necessary software to the web server. If you do not host your own website (i.e. you have a company like Telus host your website) you will have to call the site hosting company to see if they have blogging tools installed on their servers to provide your website with blogging capabilities.

For individuals, groups, businesses that host their own websites you can get blogging software by going to one the following sites:

So, if you have an interesting story to tell or “significant” personal event like: a wedding or an impending birth of your first child. You can document and share your stories and experiences with others around the world by “blogging”. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

Until next time,

~Geekboy.

PUTTING THE SLAMMER TO SPAM!

2003-06-01T01:09:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
June/July 2003 Edition. Edited May 2005.

I am beginning to believe that the world that we live in today is just full of people that are debt-ridden, bald, sexually deprived and have a slightly limp ego who seem to want to get rich quickly. Before you think that all the technology has finally driven me to the brink, please allow me to elaborate…

Over the past several years, like many users of e-mail around the world, I have been inundated with unsolicited e-mails or spam. The offerings include everything from getting low rate mortgages and solving my “hair loss problems” to improving my sexual drive with “cheap Viagra” and “herbal pills” which promise to help add a few inches to my “family jewels”. And yes, all those plus the usual plethora advertising for “free porn” and “hanky panky” things we, humans, do with “farm animals”. Gee…what a wonderful world!

These seemingly innocent little nuances can quickly become a “real pain in the butt” and are increasingly costly to both individuals and society. Everyday, users need to spend hours of their productive time cleaning out their inboxes just so they can find and read their e-mails. Spam also clogs up the Internet causing outages and delays for all e-mail and Internet users.

Spam can be sent easily by anyone to anyone. Spammers use simple servers or computers to “harvest” e-mail addresses from unsuspecting website visitors, newsgroup and discussion group users, etc. Once an e-mail list in created, the scrupulous spammers can either sell the list to other spammers or use a simple $35 program to write, publish, and send junk to everybody on the list with the simple push of a button. So, how do we stop getting spammed?

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

As mentioned before, anyone with the right tools can create e-mail lists. Most tools are designed to capture your e-mail address. Anytime you are online and have to enter your e-mail address, you should be wary. Online activities such as: chatting online, posting and replying messages on newsgroups, bulletin boards, and discussion groups, signing up for a particular online service, shopping online, joining mailing lists, and creating your personal webpage (if you list your e-mail address) will, potentially, expose you to spam.

Do not worry about having to limit your online experiences. Just try the following to minimize your own exposure to potential spammers:

Set up a fake e-mail account. Use one of those free ones from Yahoo or Hotmail. Use this e-mail account every time you need to submit your e-mail address before you are allowed to use the service.
Always read the terms of use and privacy policy for the service you are signing up for.
Only give out your e-mail address if the website is reputable. If you are unsure, make sure you do not give them your real e-mail address.
When you setup your e-mail address (especially those free ones) make sure that you use something that is a little more cryptic and creative such as: sun_flower4u@abc.com instead of jsmith@abc.com. More cryptic ones tend to thwart some of the automated harvesting programs which spammers tend to use.

EVASIVE MANOEUVRES

So you got spammed, now what? If you are already getting some spam in your inbox, you probably will not be able to totally vanquish them from your e-mail account, but you can limit them as much as possible by doing the following:

Depending on which e-mail program you are using, there maybe some kind of e-mail filters that you can set up to help filter out e-mails by certain words in the subject headings, or those from a particular person. Both Hotmail and Yahoo have e-mail filters and sender block lists.

Hotmail Users:
All mail handling options are under the “options” link, located right beside the Contacts Tab. Under “options”, you can:

- setup your "junk e-mail" filter.
- create e-mail safe list (up to 250 e-mail addresses).
- create e-mail block list (up to 250 e-mail addresses).
- create up to 10 customized filters.

Yahoo Mail Users:
Access you mail handling options under “mail options” link. There you will find:

- the option to create up to 15 different filters for all incoming e-mails.
- the option to create a blocklist of up to 100 e-mail addresses.

Outlook 2000/XP Users can create your own filters for all incoming e-mails and the method of disposal (either to the “junk mail” folder or directly to the “delete folder”).
Some spam e-mails come with attachments. Treat it like any other attachments you get from strangers. Avoid and delete them. Remember to not open them because attachments may contain viruses.
Delete all obvious spam. Take a good look at all the subject headings and senders of the e-mails you receive.
Do not try to reply to the spam message because the sender’s e-mail address probably does not exist. A reply will only confirm to the spammer that your e-mail address is active and you will start to receive more and not less spam.
Resist the urge to buy any of the goods advertised in spam e-mails; most of them are scams and you will most likely get more spam.

DEFENDING YOUR TURF

In this crazy “cat and mouse” game between spammers and e-mailers, the old adage that “defence wins games” need not apply. No matter how vigilant you are with your e-mail address or how well you have set up your filtering rules, nothing is truly 100 percent effective against spam. Before you think of abandoning e-mailing altogether or setting up a brand new e-mail account, consider using anti-spam software in conjunction with the other measures mentioned.

The only drawback with software solutions is that it can, potentially, filter out some e-mails you want to see and allow some of those that you do not want to see to get through. Fortunately for users, anti-spam software are accurate most of the time and can help us considerably in managing our inboxes and preventing them from being totally overwhelmed by unwanted e-mails.

All anti-spam software can use either a “filtering” or “permission-based” system. Filtering software look specifically for certain words either in the subject or sender line of the e-mail. Rejection or acceptance of the e-mail is based on the filtering rules that the user creates. On the other hand, permission-based systems will actually send an automated reply to all suspicious senders, prompting them to register for permission to send their e-mail to the recipient. The recipient will receive a reply from the sender and will get to say “accept, “reject”, or “delete” mail from the sender. If the sender is not rejected, all e-mail quarantined will automatically be moved to the recipient’s inbox. However, if the sender is rejected, their quarantined e-mail will be permanently deleted.

ANTI-SPAM SOFTWARE RECOMMENDATIONS

ChoiceMail One by DigiPortal Software
Qurb by Qurb Inc
Norton Antispam 2005 by Symantec Corporation
Spamkiller by McAfee Associates

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

See you soon,

~Geekboy

A GEEK’S GUIDE TO BUYING A PRINTER

2003-04-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News, March/April 2003 Edition.

Over the past several weeks, I have received several e-mails from readers inquiring about printers, specifically, to do with the purchasing or replacement of an older printer:

I would like to let you know how much I like reading your very informative column. Recently, I noticed that the print quality on my printer has begun to deteriorate and am contemplating, right now, on replacing my 7 year old printer. Since the purchase of my last printer, I have noticed that the choices have grown and choosing one seems very daunting to me. Could you help me decide?

– Susan M, avid reader.

Next to the good old monitor, the printer is probably the most frequently used part of the average home computer. Over the past couple of years the technology in these “buggers” has changed considerably. Today, printers can produce a vast array of projects from the production of near quality photos that rival those developed by professional photo finishers to colourful banners, posters, and text documents.

Generally speaking, there are two groups of printers out there in the world – impact and non-impact printers. The basic difference between the two types of printers comes down to whether or not the print head of the printer actually makes contact with the paper during the process of printing. Impact or dot-matrix printers, for the most part, are computer history, but some may still be used in old cash registers or businesses that still use carbon-paper forms. Most computer users, today, will probably be buying some type of a non-impact printer either an inkjet or laser printer.

Inkjet printers have been around since the 70’s and uses a series of tiny nozzles that spray ink onto the paper. The tiny droplets of ink together form the image or text on the paper. Inkjets are quiet and very suitable for home or small office use. The inkjet printers, today, are relatively inexpensive. Inkjet printers provide their owners with the flexibility to take on a variety of projects in colour or black and white. Inkjets tend not to produce very crisp black and white text or line graphics but produce very photorealistic images and pictures relative to their laser counterparts. While the initial cost of the printer is quite low, the operating (maintenance) cost over the long run is quite high relative to a laser printer. Beware that guys and gals that are planning on doing a lot of printouts will eventually be kicking themselves in the long haul.

Consumables, particularly the ink, are the biggest cost of operating an inkjet printer. Inkjet cartridges, for the most part, are all refillable. But, once refilled, depending upon the type of inkjet cartridge one has, printout quality usually deteriorates. Printout quality often has nothing to do with the ink, but rather the cartridge. There are two types of ink cartridges on the market today, ones that have built-in print heads and those that do not. Lexmark, Hewlett-Packard, and Canon inkjet printers use the former whereas Epson printers use the later. The ones with print heads are generally more expensive and provide users with higher quality printouts because every time the user buys a new cartridge he or she is essentially getting a new printer because both the print head and ink are being replaced. The ink cartridges for these printers are designed not to be refilled because the ink actually insulates the print head from burning out or deteriorating. So as the ink is used up the print head gradually deteriorates and thus when the user attempts to refill and use the old cartridges he or she will get deteriorating print quality. Instead of buying a refill kit for these types of old cartridges, users should buy OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges. These are cartridges that are made by, usually, the same manufacturer that made the cartridges and sold them under the brand name of your printer. You can get these at local stationary stores or stores that specialize in selling printer supplies. The cartridges that do not have print heads like the ones in the Epson brand printers tend to be refillable because they are just containers of ink. The print head is actually a permanent part of the printer. You usually should notice very little degradation in print quality unless of course you use the wrong type of ink and clog the tiny ink nozzles in your print head. In this case, you probably have to either take it to a technician or buy a new printer. Make sure you are using the right type of ink if you are planning on refilling these types of ink cartridges yourself.

Laser printers use a laser to reproduce the image or document the user wants to printout. If you really keen on wanting to know how a laser printer really works check out the How Stuff Works website. Laser printers are great for, primarily, doing black and white text documents or images. Colour laser printers are just beginning to sell at prices that are affordable to small home/business users. The colour images produced by these machines are still not as good as the average inkjet. All laser printers can handle a heavier workload and are quicker than your typical inkjet. Laser printers are cheaper to operate, cost per page wise, in the long run. The toner or printer cartridge lasts considerably longer than its inkjet equivalent. Recycled toner cartridges, particularly for the larger brands of printers like Hewlett Packard, are readily available to further reduce to cost of ownership. Additionally, laser printers do not need to use additional specialty paper to print out certain projects like: photographs, cards, etc. Laser printers just require regular paper. The only downside to buying a laser printer is the initial cost of a printer tends to be slightly higher than an Inkjet.

Most laser printers sold today are using laser technology, but there are models of laser printers, particularly the lower end laser printers, out on the market that uses an LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology. LED type laser printers are not really laser printers per se. LED laser printers are cheaper but produce inferior images and text output relative to ones using a laser technology. So, make sure you ask the sales representative about it before you buy...

Multifunctional Printers…

Users in small or home businesses may want to opt for one of numerous multi-functional units out on the market. Multifunctional printers can copy, scan, fax, and print documents in colour, or black and white. The multi-use machines can give their purchasers incredible flexibility by replacing their scanner, printer, and fax machines with a single unit. There are two types of multifunctional printers – inkjet and laser. Depending on what you want to do and how much you want to pay, these multifunctional units may fit the bill.

Other things to consider…

Pages per Minute (ppm). This specification measures the speed of the printer. The page per minute that is printed on the box is usually somewhat inflated by the manufacturer. The actual ppm is usually closer to half of what is stated on the box.
Maximum resolution of printer is measured by DPI or Dots per inch. In short the more dpi your printer can produce the finer the image or picture or crisper the black and white text will be.
If you are planning on buying a laser printer, make sure you take a look at the amount of memory that is included with your printer. This is important if you are going to be sharing the printer between two or more computers. The more memory you have the smaller the printer queue will be, meaning the faster your print job will come out of the printer.
Connectivity. For guys and gals with older computers, make sure that the printer comes with a parallel cable connection. Most printers sold today only come with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection. USB connections do provide for faster transfers of data from computer to printer, so if you are planning on printing large files, like photos of family and friends, it is good to have a USB connected printer.
Paper Tray capacity. This is important if you plan on sharing your printer between two or more computers and are printing large files or documents. Most home inkjets and lasers hold between 50 to 250 sheets of paper which sufficient. You definitely do not want to be running around looking for paper to put into the tray every time you print.
Paper handling capabilities. Important if you are going to be doing print jobs that require different paper sizes like: envelopes, and banners.
Cross platform compatibility. Some printers work better with Windows computers whereas others work well with Macintosh machines. If you are working with both types of machines in an office or at home make sure it is cross-platform friendly.
For individual who are going to primarily use their printers to print photographs, consider getting an inkjet that does borderless printing or inkjets that just do photos. Special photo inkjets are also available that allow users to simply plug in their flash media cards (memory cards) or via USB connection directly into the printer without ever having to turn on the computer, a major plus for digital photographers.

Well, there you have it, everything and just about anything you want to know about purchasing a new printer.

Until next time,

~Geekboy

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions feel free to e-mail me at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com or by clicking here.

P2P: A NEW WAY OF FILE SHARING OR PIRACY?

2003-02-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
January/February 2003 Edition

Eve, a typical college student logs on to one of the many popular file sharing networks on the Internet and begins to download her favourite music, movies, software and e-books. Eve, like many of her peers, is your typical techno-pirate. Everyday, on one very popular file sharing network, roughly 3 to 4 million individuals like Eve are sharing some 650 million files.

File-sharing is nothing new of course. Back in the heydays of computers, file sharing between computers, was done by physically copying the files to a diskette and moving and installing it to another computer. Today, with exponential growth of the Internet and increasing popularity of high-speed Internet connections, moving and copying digital files has become easier and quicker. Files transferred by individuals, today, are not restricted to your standard office documents. Everyday, hours of full-length movies, commercial software and millions of music tracks are routinely transferred by millions of users all around the world.

Today, there are several Internet file sharing tools that are predominantly used by your typical downloader – IRC (Internet Relay Chat), Newsgroups, and Peer-to-peer (P2P) share programs. All the types of the aforementioned programs and tools work pretty much the same way. The most widely used technology is peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Unlike some of the other file-sharing technology, peer-to-peer sharing programs allow multiple computers to share and transfer files simultaneously. Currently, these programs have been a “great” big pain in the butt for a lot of software, music, movie vendors and publishers. Not only are millions of people around the world downloading and sharing movies, music, and software free of charge, but shutting down P2P file-sharing networks has also become a lost cause. Every time one of these networks is shut down another, seemingly, pops up in its place. Furthermore, P2P networks today are technologically designed to be unstoppable.

HOW P2P WORKS…

So what is this P2P business? The idea is simple. Individuals around the world that would like to share personal files stored on their hard drive needed an internet connection and software that would facilitate the transferring of files. In the beginning, P2P technology was very similar to the old card catalogues for books in the school library. All the files that individuals wanted to share were indexed by the software on their individual machines and send to a centrally located computer called a server. Anytime anyone wanted to look for a particular file, the software would go to this server and locate the machines that have this particular file and return the results to the individual searching for the file. After the individual chooses the file he or she wants, the computer than requests the file from the individual that is sharing it. Once the request for download has been accepted, downloading of the file begins (see Figure 1, courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com). Since the central index server is key to facilitating the sharing of files, shutting the network down is as simple as pulling the plug on the server and all file sharing will stop.

Presently, the P2P networks work pretty much the same way as before but without the central index server. Each client (i.e. your computer) of the P2P network serves two purposes: (a) stores all the files the individual wants to share; and, (b) stores an index of what files are being shared by the individual. To locate files on the network, the computer requesting the file may have to ask several thousand computers on the network before results are returned. The returning result does not guarantee that there will be any results that match the initial request. Furthermore, the new P2P networks take a little longer to return search results than its predecessor (See Figure 2, courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com). Shutting down a P2P network would require pulling the plug on all computers around the world connected to this network.

Because of inherent differences in interpretation and enforcement of copyright laws in countries around the world, plus the realization that the laws will always be playing catch up to technology, both the industry and government are changing the way they are attacking the problem of Internet piracy.

INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS…

The music and movie industry have begun to offer legitimate downloads of music tracks and select movie titles. Most services are generally subscription based and individuals pay a small monthly fee to access the limited library of music online. Individuals, depending on the service he or she subscribes to, can either download the tracks to their personal computer or have the music streamed to their machines. The latter is similar to the broadcast of radio signals to your AM/FM radio; the music is not actually downloaded, but broadcast to the individual’s machine whenever he or she goes to the website and logs in. Some subscription services allow their subscribers to download music tracks and transfer them to blank CDs and/or portable digital music players called MP3 players, while others only allow the downloaded files to be played on the individual’s computer using a service-specific music player. Furthermore, time and play limits have also been used by some of these services to further control the illegal spread of the files. If you plan to subscribe to one of the music download services on the web, you should be aware of: (a) any restrictions; and, (b) the cost of the service.

Sites for Legal Music Downloads (Updated April 2005):

Apple iTunes Music Store
Napster Canada
Bonfire
PureTracks
Telus Music Downloads
Music Match Canada
Archambault
BearTraxx - dedicated to the promotion of North American Aboriginal Music

Sites for Movie Downloads:

Movie Link - Available in the US only.

Online DVD Rental Services are available, click here to read more about them.

A UNIQUELY CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SOLUTION…

In the US, most of the remedies to the problem of stopping piracy of intellectual properties on the Internet have been done primarily through the judicial system. However, in Canada, copyright laws are a little bit different and thus require the government to tackle the same problem differently. Under Canadian copyright laws, “private copying” for “personal use” is legal and does not infringe copyright. The Canadian government uses a tariff mechanism to compensate musicians, record labels, songwriters, and music publishers. Basically, each and every time you go out to buy blank CDs, audio tapes, recordable DVDs, etc. you have paid the hidden tariff or levy included in the retail price of the blanks. The tariff is collected directly from the manufacturers and importers, by the Canadian Private Copying Collective and redistributed. At time of writing, the new tariffs for 2003 and 2004 are still being debated and have not yet been ratified. The current tariffs on blank audio media are: 29¢ for each audio cassette 40 min and longer in length; 40¢ for each CD, CD-RW; and, 77¢ for each CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio, Minidisc. Since the writing of this article, the tariffs have been amended:

Audio cassettes (of 40 minutes or more in length): 29¢ each
CD-R and CD-RW: 21¢ each
CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDisc: 77¢ each
For non-removable memory permanently embedded in a digital audio recorder: $2 for each recorder that can record no more than 1 Gb of data, $15 for each recorder that can record more than 1 Gb and no more than 10 Gbs of data, and $25 for each recorder that can record more than 10 Gbs of data.

In the end, no amount of policing, curbs, and enforcement by the government, industry trade groups, or companies will ever fully shut down these networks. Stemming the proliferation of file-sharing networks would, perhaps, require nothing less than the changing of individual morals and values.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can drop me an e-mail me at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com

ALL ABOUT PDAs

2002-12-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
December 2002/January 2003 Edition. Updated May 2005.

Recently, I received several e-mail inquiries from avid readers contemplating and looking for advice regarding the purchase of a Personal Digital Assistant (or PDA). Traditionally, Christmas has been a popular time of year for the purchase of these handy little devices and picking the right one for the right person can be quite a challenge. So, without further a due, here’s my take on PDAs.

Computers, today, come in a variety of shapes and sizes; you got your standard personal desktop computer, laptop, handheld or PDAs and the newly introduced tablet PCs. Most of the early personal digital assistants are small handheld computers that were designed primarily to replace our day planners. All data entries and user interactions with a PDA are done by using a pen-like device or stylus and a small touch sensitive screen. Special handwriting software converts the written entries into the appropriate commands and information. All PDAs perform basic tasks like:

Contact management via an electronic address book;
Appointment scheduling;
E-mail;
To-do lists; and,
Personal Memos

Everything pertaining to technology these days seems to be getting better over time. Today, most personal digital assistants are pack with the same computing power as early desktop computers and do more than your run of the mill basics; some allow you to record voice messages and play musical files, while others allow you to view digital pictures and video clips. So if you are in the market for one of these gizmos here are a few basic things to consider.

OPERATING SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
In the handheld market there are two dominant operating systems – Palm and Pocket PC 2002. Both operating systems have the same features and functions and allow you to interact with PDA in pretty much the same way. Currently, Palm is the dominant of the two and is found on approximately two out of three handheld devices sold worldwide. More than 15,000 third party software applications have been written and developed for the Palm operating system versus about 5000 or so applications for the Pocket PC. Applications range from personal financial software to games to word processing.

Although there has not been as many applications, initially, written for the Pocket PCs, the standard Pocket PC device does ship with “pocket” versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger. So, if you are a user of any of these programs, you can use them on all Pocket PC handhelds and not have to buy or look for additional software. This can be a real time saver for those that do not like to experiment or learn new things technology wise. Even though the Palm devices do not have any of our favourite Microsoft products running on it, there are plenty of cheap and free software applications from third party vendors that can do the same job as the aforementioned software packages.

HARDWARE
From a hardware perspective, all PDAs are all roughly the same shape and size and are designed primarily to fit in your shirt pocket or purse. All have a screen, stylus, and easy access buttons for you to access frequently used functions like: address book; to-do list, etc. Some devices even have built-in microphones to record voice messages and tiny speakers to playback sounds and music.

Since the screen is the part that we use to interact with the device the most, it is naturally the most important thing we look at before we buy. There are two general types of screens available: colour and monochrome (black and white). Besides looking a bit prettier, the only purpose, I think, of having a colour screen is if you are going to be viewing pictures, video clips, or presentation slides on your handheld device. But if you are not going to be showing pictures or want to spend the extra bucks, just purchase a monochrome product. The resolution of the screen is another item for consideration. A higher resolution tends to give greater picture quality and clearer text.

If the user is going to be using the PDA in a variety of lighted environments, you may also want to consider the different “backlighting” technology used in the PDA. All PDAs have a “backlit” feature that allows users to be able to use their PDAs in a variety of lighted environments. Before you make your final selection, make sure you have tested out the “backlit” feature on the device and that the information on the screen is readable for you.

EXPANDABILITY
For future expansion of capabilities, it is important for potential users of PDAs to consider what type of memory card slot the device supports. Both Palm and Pocket PC devices come with at least one memory card slot. These slots can accommodate cartridge like devices that can add to the current functionality of the PDA or expand its memory capacity. There are three competing types of memory card technology on the market:

Memory Stick (Pro)
Compact Flash or Multimedia Card
Secure Digital Media Card

Digital photographers may want to consider a device with a Memory Stick (Sony products only) or Compact Flash Card, so that you can take your pictures, store them on the memory card and show them to your friends and family on your PDA. Just make sure your digital camera and PDA use the same type of memory cards.

MAC USERS BEWARE!

Currently, the only handheld devices that work with Macs are the ones powered by the Palm Operating system. Enthusiastic Mac users who want to buy a Pocket PC based device will have to wait a while longer.

COST
The standard handheld cost, on average, is between $170 and $600. Typically, Pocket PCs, on average, tend to be slightly more expensive than most Palm devices in part due to the Colour screens and added functionalities that come standard with all Pocket PCs. With Palm based devices, prices tend to vary considerably depending on the amount of functions and features on the device.

GEEKBOY'S PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

ENTRY LEVEL - For first time PDA users and people who need something very basic to organize their daily lifestyles. Recommended for “soccer moms or dads”, and students.

Zire 21 (Palm) - $149.00
Zire 31 (Palm) - $189.00
Dell Axim X30 (Pocket PC) - $299.00

MID-LEVEL - For individuals who would like a little bit of extra functions, such as a colour screen, or more memory to hold more programs and pictures on the device.

Tungsten E/E2 (Palm) - $299.00
Dell Axim X50 (Pocket PC) - $399.00
Zire 72 (Palm) - $399.00

HIGH-END - For the business road warriors, advance users, or entertainment enthusiasts who want a device that has pretty much all the “bells and whistles” like a built-in digital camera, MP3 player or wireless network access.

Tungsten T5 (Palm) - $599.00
Dell Axim X50V (Pocket PC) - $599.00
LifeDrive Mobile Manager (Palm) -$629.00

For further information on any of the above products, go to some of the links listed below:

Well until we meet again. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

See you soon,
~Geekboy

SEX, VIOLENCE & BOMB-MAKING: GEEKBOY'S GUIDE TO INTERNET SAFETY

2002-10-01T02:44:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
October/November 2002 Edition. Updated May 2005.

According to a recent poll done by Ipsos-Reid, approximately 70% of Canadian households own a personal computer and about 57% have access to the Internet. As the Internet continues its exponential growth, more and more people, especially parents of young children, feel the pressure to join this incredible revolution. Today, parents feel that in order to succeed in school or get ahead in this world, kids must have greater access to computers and, especially, to the World Wide Web. Young children today can get access to computers virtually everywhere -- through their schools, local libraries, and community centres. As with everything happening these days with the Internet, we only hear about the “great benefits” of the Internet, how great it is, how it has revolutionized the way we have communicated with our friends and relatives, and how we have changed some of our traditional shopping habits, etc. Rarely, do we ever hear either the media or teachers talk about the “bad things” that pertain to this great medium of ours, the so called “dark side” of the web. The dark side of the web includes: pornography, hate literature, crime and violence promoting sites. So, what is a parent, guardian, or teacher to do? Read on.

Mission Impossible: “deleting the dark-side of the web”
The fact of the matter is that no matter how much we try to police the web, there is just absolutely no way of stopping these kinds of inappropriate activities from mushrooming up. But this is not an excuse to not attempt the impossible. Firstly, parents, guardians, teachers, etc. must play a more active role in controlling the use of the computer by young children. Guidelines and curfews must be created and the child must understand through education why those guidelines and curfews are in place. In 2001, Ipsos-Reid found that on 57% of the parents surveyed have computer use guidelines in place for their children; and, only 48% of you moms and dads have some kind of curfew on Internet usage. So the question begging to be asked is where in the blue moon are the other 50% or so parents and guardians? What kind of roles, if any, are they playing in all of this? If you are a parent, administrator, teacher or guardian who is in this boat, I urge you to go to one of the resource links listed below. If guidelines and curfews are “simply not your thingy”, a simple solution like just being with your child when he or she is on the Internet is probably enough to deter him or her from going to the wrong places. In case you were wondering, only about 51% of those surveyed by Ipsos-Reid were actually doing that.

DOs & DON'Ts - Safety Surfing Tips for Parents

Make sure that your child or children DO NOT:

give out personal information (including their name, home address, phone number, age, race, family income, school name or location, or friends' names).
use your credit card online without your permission.
share their passwords to their e-mail, instant messaging, or Internet access, even with close friends.
arrange face-to-face rendezvous with someone they meet online unless you approve of the meeting and go with them to a public place.
respond to e-mail messages that make them feel confused or uncomfortable. They should ignore the sender, end the communication, and inform you, a spouse, guardian, or teacher about the incident right away.
use inappropriate language or send mean messages online.

Make sure that you DO:

make a concerted effort to understand the types of technology that your child is using and try keep up-to-date on what is going on in the world of computers. You just do not want your children to get too ahead of you.

For further information, you can check out the following:

Software for Parents - site specializes in parental control software reviews.
Safe Teens - a web safety resource site for teens.
Get Net Wise - a how-to resource to help kids have a safe, entertaining and educational learning Internet experience.
Cyber Angels - site of the largest online safety advocacy group.
Bernstain Bears - a cool interactive game featuring those Berenstain bears that teaches young children about Internet safety.

Software Filtering Solutions

So, what if you cannot be with your child each and every time he or she wants to go online or that you found that the guidelines and curfews you have set have fallen on deaf ears, what should you do then? You should probably consider trying a more technical approach like buying software.

If you have few bucks to spare, an uncooperative kid and a little extra bit of techie know-how, you can simply go out and buy a piece of software that will pretty much replace a lot of time spent by you monitoring and enforcing usage rules. Several companies make such software specifically for filtering and monitoring computer usage. Most filtering and surveillance software work pretty much the same, and share the same basic features such as:

Setting online access times for individual users;
Customizing filtering criterion for each member of the family;
Controlling the specific use of words and phrases;
Preventing personal information, including credit card numbers, from the Internet; and,

The only difference between each software package seems to be the price and maybe some added capabilities.

Parental Filtering Software for Home
Net Nanny 5.1:

Purchased online/person at: Office Depot, Staples, Best Buy or Futureshop.
Cost: $40.00
Free 15 day no obligation product trial. Click here to download.
Offers: customized warning messages and violation actions and computerized logs and records of all online chat sessions.

CyberPatrol 7.0:

Purchased online at: CyberPatrol Site
Cost: $50 for one year license or $75 for two year license.
Free 14 day no obligation product trial. Click here to download.
Offers: monitoring/logging of all Internet Activity; control dowloads, block sites and images; filtering of chat applications; blocking of descriptive search engine results; and, unique “Try It” feature that allows you to try and evaluate your customized settings before the kids go online.

Software solutions are not restricted to just home users; a lot of enterprises have adopted similar types of internet monitoring and surveillance software to monitor their own employees. So, if you are not just a concerned parent but an entrepreneur concerned about company resources such as the company e-mail and computer system, being used for personal use, you can probably consider implementing a similar software solution such as the one by SpectorSoft.

Spector Pro 5.0

Purchase online at SpectorSoft site.
Cost: $120.00

This program is considered to be the grand-daddy of Internet Surveillance and Monitoring Software. It allows the users of the program to screen capture and record virtually all computer related activities including e-mail, instant messages, chat and other message logs that can be viewed minutes or days later. Best of all, the targetted computer users will not even know the software is installed.

Other Features:

Restrict application uses;
Keyword violation with immediate e-mail notification;
Schedule when to record usage; and,
Record by individual profiles or users.

Kid Friendly Browsers:
Alternatively, if you have some younger children, you may want to consider using a kid-friendly browser instead of letting them use Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator. Like any browser, young children will have the same benefits of e-mail, chatting, information and everything in between in a safe and fun environment. Most of the browsers do the following:

Time Control that limits access to the Internet;
Internet content filtering;
Activity logs;
Customizable browser interface; and,
Parental control and customizations on certain functions depending on the product.

AT Kids Browser - Cost: $29.95 USD, free trial available for download. Additional features: animated characters, and multilinqual capabilities.

If you are a subscriber to any of Shaw Cable's Internet Services, you can access, free of charge, Shaw Secure Internet Security package. This software includes: parental control software. You can register and sign up for the software by clicking here.

If you are a subscriber of Telus' High Speed Internet Services, you will have to pay an additional $8.95 per month to get the equivalent software package.

If you do not want to spend the money or are not very good at installing software on the computer, you can, if you have Internet Explorer 6 (or the latest version), setup the built-in content filtering feature by:

Going to the Tools menu in Internet Explorer;
Select Internet Options;
Select the Contents Tab;
Under Content Advisor, select Enable;
Under the Ratings tab, select appropriate category language, nudity, sex, or violence and move the tolerance slider up.
Under the Approved Sites tab, you can simply type in the sites that you deem viewable or not viewable regardless of tolerance ratings.
Remember to go the General Tab to set a supervisor password, so no one but you can tamper with the settings.

Given the level of technological savvy in kids today, many of them could probably circumvent some of the filtering software that mom, dad, or the teacher could put in place. So, next to completely banning the child from the web, which in itself may prove to be a futile exercise, a complete software solution is, probably, out of the question. The best possible solution seems to be something between parental set usage policy and guidelines and software monitoring. The level of required monitoring really depends on the parent, guardian, and to a certain extent the child.

Well, until next time,

~Geekboy

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com

EMAILING AND WHAT ELSE?

2002-08-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
August/September 2002 Edition. Updated May 2005.

Ever since its’ birth, the Internet has always been used primarily for communication. Virtually every Internet user around the world has an e-mail account. According to a recent survey done by Industry Canada in the year 2000, approximately 92 % of the people in British Columbia with access to the Internet indicated that their primary use of the Internet was to send and receive e-mail. So, is e-mailing the most advantageous and efficient way of communicating with friends, colleagues, and family? The answer is “No”. E-mail technology, as great as it may seem, does not allow for immediate responses. E-mails are sent by the sender over the Internet to another computer called a server, where it waits for the receiver to download and read the message. For individuals who have no need for an immediate response, e-mailing is fine. But for individuals who need a quick and crucial decision, using an instant messaging solution maybe the answer.

What is Instant Messaging?
An internet technology that allows users like you and me to receive messages from friends, family and colleagues literally instantly right after the message has been sent from any locations across the street, in the same building or around the world. Instant messaging allows users to send their messages whenever they feel like it and provided that the recipient is online, get a reply right away. No more waiting for a response. In a way, it is quite like the telephone system that we all grew up with. However, Instant messaging programs also allow us to open channels and talk to more than one individual simultaneously as well as send attachments and voicemails to one another.

How does it work (In a nutshell)?
Everyone doing instant messaging needs an instant messaging (IM) client, that’s the little piece of software that you need to download onto your computer before you can actually begin instant messaging your buddies. These little pieces of software allow you to log onto the corresponding IM service. Once logged on to the service, the little program sends a message to another computer called a server to let it know that you are now logged in and can receive messages sent to it. To begin sending a message to an individual, you simply click on a name from your buddy list that you have created, compose your message, hit the send button and wait for a response. The message is then transmitted to the recipient.

Practical Applications
There are things that you just simply can not do with your typical e-mail programs such as:

Share pictures and files;
Chat;
Internet Telephony;
Collaboration features: like whiteboards, that allow more than one IM user, such as: another colleague to team up on discussions or meetings; and,
Video conferencing with family, friends, and colleagues.

Interoperability
So far we have only mentioned all the good things with regards to instant messaging, and for most of you, it may sound too good to be true. After all if this technology is so good, why do people still have e-mail accounts and why do they not just use these IM programs?

The main disadvantage of this form of electronic communication is interoperability. E-mail, standards, and protocols were developed a long time ago to ensure that people’s e-mails could be read regardless of the network or software people had installed on their system. To put it another way, if you were to dial a number on your phone to call someone, you do not have to worry about what brand or kind of phone the other person has. You know with certainty that the other individual will be able to receive that call. In the world of instant messaging, those types of standards are still being developed. So friends that are on another IM service basically could not talk to one another when the other is using a different piece of software offered by another IM service. In order to get around this, people either had to download multiple IM clients (software) to access all the different IM networks or they would download this one piece of software which would allow them to access all the different networks that their friends are on through this one instant messaging client.

What do I need to get started?
Equipment you need:

Access to a computer;
Internet connection (the faster your connection the better your experience);
Web cam (optional);
Microphone, if you plan on doing Internet telephony; and,
Instant Messaging software.

Instant Messaging software can be downloaded, free of charge from the Internet, in some cases it may already be part of the operating system that is installed on your computer, so look around before you download any software applications.

The Big Players…

MSN Messenger 7.0 – the computer world would just not be complete without any products from Bill Gates and Co. If you are running Microsoft Windows operating system and you may already have this piece of software. If you do not see it under your programs menu or on the desktop, you can download it free of charge by clicking here. You will also need to sign yourself up a free hotmail account before the software will actually allow you to log onto its network.
ICQ 5.01 - also owned by America Online, has a very large installed base approximately 140 million users in 245 countries. Service is very popular with a lot of young users of Internet. Chances are your children or grandchildren are on this particular service. You will need to download the software from here.
America Online Messenger (AIM) 5.9 - currently has the largest number of users, if you include all the users from ICQ. You do not have to be an America Online Canada customer to download and use this part of their service. You can download the latest version of their Instant Messaging software by clicking here.
Yahoo! Messenger - if you have a Yahoo Mail - e-mail account, you can download the latest version of their software by clicking here.

Other IM Clients

The following software programs allow individuals who have friends on other IM networks to talk to one another without having to download all the above pieces of software. You will still need to get an account with each one of these services even though you can access all the services from one program.

Trillian 3.1 (Cerulean Studios) - the program will allow you to talk to all your AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger buddies. You can also do multiparty chats and transfer pictures.
Odigo 4.0 (Odigo Inc.) - this program will allow you to access AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger buddies, but has a “flaky, users beware” ICQ connection. You may not be able to talk to your ICQ friends with this one.

From a simple technology developed to communicate with friends, instant messaging is quickly evolving into a quintessential tool for today’s business world. I hope that you’ll find this abbreviated glimpse at instant messaging helpful in both your personal and work life.

See you soon,

~Geekboy

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com

SHORTCUTS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

2002-06-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
June/July 2002 Edition.

You have bought fastest computer, played every single computer game on the market, done the latest digital photography thing, and downloaded the latest songs off the Internet. You know about the difference between ROM and RAM, what a bit and byte is, know all there is to know about megahertz and megabytes. So you think you know everything there is to know about the old PC…eh? There is probably one thing, besides knowing all the techno alphabet soup or an acronym, which distinguishes an experience user from the inexperience and that, is the use of keyboard and mouse shortcuts to do the simplest computer tasks. Experts always seem to know a better and faster way of doing things.

For instance, if I were to cut a block of text and paste it into another document, I, normally, would have to do the following:

Using the mouse, select(or highlight) the text;
Switch over to the other document;
Place the cursor where I want to place the text; and,
Click on the past icon up on the toolbar or click on the Edit menu and select the paste option.

Alternatively, I can simply do the following keystrokes:

Select the block of text;
ALT + TAB and select the other document;
Place cursor in position; and,
Press CTRL & “V” Keys.

The following are general program keystrokes that work within and Windows programs or applications (i.e. you can use them in just about every program that you run in Windows).

F1 - Brings up program help feature.
CTRL + X - Cuts selected or highlighted item in current program.
CTRL + C - Copies selected or highlighted item in current program.
CTRL + V - Pastes selected or highlighted item in current program.
CTRL + Z - Undos previous operation.
CTRL + B - Bold selection or highlighted text.
CTRL + U - Underlines selection or highlighted text.
CTRL + I - Italizes selection or highlighted text.
CTRL + A - Selects all selection or highlighted text.

Windows system shortcuts are keystrokes that apply only to Windows operating environment.

CTRL + ESC -Brings up the Windows Start Menu.
ALT + TAB - Switches between open applications or programs.
ALT + F4 - Quits program or applications.
SHIFT + DEL - Delete selected item without putting it into the recycling bin.

A lot of you are probably wondering why there are a couple of extra keys on the keyboard that you probably do not know what they are for particularly that one with the Windows icon on it (i.e. the one between the CTRL and ALT keys beside the space bar). Believe you me this is your ticket to improve productivity. Try the following:

WIN Key - to display the Windows Start Menu.
WIN + R - to open the Run dialog box.
WIN + M - to minimize all open Windows on the desktop.
WIN + F1 - to use the Help feature in Windows.
WIN + E - to open Windows Explorer.
WIN + F - to find or search files of folders.
WIN + D - minimize all windows and undo minimize all.
WIN + BREAK - to display system properties.

You are definitely not restricted to only using keystroke shortcuts; there are also mouse and keystroke combination shortcuts that you could also try.

To copy a file. Select the file that you want to copy, press and hold down the CTRL key and drag the folder to the appropriate location (i.e. the desktop).

Create a shortcut to your favourite file or folder by first selecting the folder(s) or file(s), hold down the CTRL + SHIFT and drag the selection to its appropriate location.

Enlarge and reduce font size in Internet Explorer, Word, Windows Help and Excel by holding down the CTRL key and spinning the mouse wheel. The little shortcut requires one of those fancy computer mouse with a wheel on it.

Maximize or minimize a active window by double clicking on the Window’s title bar (i.e. the colour bar on top of each active window.

For all you keeners out there, there are additional keystrokes or shortcuts that are specific to the programs themselves and you can simply go the menu bar or toolbar of the program and check under the toolbar selection for additional shortcuts. For instance to save a file in Word, it is simply CTRL + S and this is written right next to the save command in the file menu.

Because of time and space constraints, I am only able to cover a few of the shortcuts that we commonly use, if you really want to know a little more about Windows and its little nuances or shortcuts make sure you take one of the many short computer workshops that Collingwood Neighbourhood House is currently offering especially Windows Levels 1 and 2. Spaces are limited, so don’t hesitate to register.

Until next time,

~GeekBoy

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

DOING YOUR TAXES - THE 21st CENTURY WAY!

2002-04-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
April/May 2002 Edition. Updated May 2005.

“In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.”

– Benjamin Franklin

It is that time of year again… and no I am not talking about the hockey playoffs…I am talking about the annual event we do every year for the government - taxes. Every year millions of us Canadians take out the old calculator and sharpen our pencils… and with a lot of frantic head scratching are able to finally figure out how much money we get back from the Government or gladly fork over to them. So with April 30th, tax submission deadline vastly approaching, many of us are probably wondering if there are any ways that they are able to do it faster and without the hassles of mailing all those forms and slips. The answer is “yes”. Today, with the aid of a certified computer software package and an internet connection, taxpayers are able to quickly and easily file their tax returns online.

In the past...
If you wanted to use a computer to do your taxes you either had to take your slips and receipts to your favourite bean counter or an H & R Block tax preparer, and pay him or her a small fee, and have him or her punch it through and send it electronically on your behalf. Well, not anymore…

In last few years a number of computer software manufacturers like Edmonton-based Intuit or Richmond Hill-based Taxomatic have been putting out software packages QuickTax and Taxwiz respectively to help all those who are, including yours truly, numerically challenged. For a complete list of taxation software approved by Canada Revenue Agency, please check here.

Advantages:

A real timesaver;
Carryover credits like: unused RRSPs, tution fee credits, charitiable/political donations, and unclaimed medical receipts can be automatically carried over to subsequent years relatively easily;
Ease of use;
Access to online help and assistance;
Video tutorials, tax tips and error reviewer;
No calculators needed, only need to supply the numbers;
Computer will optimize each individual return; and,
Generates the computer files for electronic filing over the Internet.

Disadvantages:

Cost: $20 - $40.00.
Software only good for current tax year. You will have to buy the software again for next year.
Software limits the number of returns you can prepare.

So, once you decided to purchase the software and have managed to punch in all of your T-Slip information, and receipts etc. you will have the option of either printing it out and sending it the old fashion way by mail or by submitting it electronically through Canada Customs Revenue Agency’s website using their increasingly popular NETFILE program. In fact, last year, more than 1.4 million Canadian Taxpayers chose to file their returns this way. Typically, if the taxpayer decides to file electronically, he or she can expect to receive a refund and their notice of assessment in approximately 2 weeks versus the typical 4 to 6 weeks it would take if you send it via “snail mail”. So what if you owe money, can you still file electronically… You betcha... You can still file electronically and have the option of paying your outstanding tax bill through your bank, electronically (i.e. Internet banking or banking by phone, or ATM) or in person through your teller. You can also simply mail a cheque for the outstanding amount to the Receiver General of Canada postdated no later than April 30^th of the current tax year.

EXCEPTIONS for e-filers
Individuals, who fall in the following categories must file a paper return:

Deceased individuals. Filing deadlines may vary depending on date of death. You can check here for more information.
Newcomers to Canada.
First-time income tax filers.

If you are like me and do not want to shell out the $20.00 or $30.00 dollars for the software because you are cheap or your refund simply does not add up to $20 - $30, you may want to consider filing online. Both QuickTax and Taxwiz have an online presence that allows individuals to file their returns online for a small fee. You can go to www.quicktaxweb.ca and file your tax online. QuickTax charges about $19.95 per single return, $24.95 for a single and one spousal return. If you earn less than $20,000 (Line 236) total net income, you can qualify to file for free. You can also go to www.taxwiz.ca and file you returns with Taxwiz. Taxwiz charges $12.95 for a single return or you can do a single return plus a spousal return for $14.95. The two websites do accept credit card payments. Although QuickTax and Taxwiz are probably the biggest players in this space, you can also try ufile at www.ufile.ca. They do accept all major credit cards on their site and charge $14.95 for single return, $5.00 for each additional family member returns, and free for individuals making less than $20,000 (Line 150) or if you and your spouse(or common law) are making less than $20,000 (Line 150). Like Canada Custom’s Revenue Agency’s NETFILE service, all data transmitted by these websites to CCRA are encrypted and sent securely over the Internet. All the aforementioned software packages and online services are all certified by Canada Customs Revenue Agency, for further information, you can check out www.netfile.gc.ca/software-e.html. So what if I am a Mac user?

I almost forgot. For all you Apple or MacIntosh lovers out there, you can use either a Mac version of Quicktax or use a program call Taxtron (formerly GriffTax). I am sure you can probably pick up a copy at your favourite Mac dealer or at the Taxtron website. All mac and apple users out there can use the aforementioned online versions through their favourite web browsers.

Low-Income Individuals and Families
For all individuals making less than $20,000 in net income or have a family income (i.e. husband and wife) of less than $40,000, you can contact your nearest neighbourhood house or community centre to see if they are hosting any Income Tax Clinics to help individuals in low income situations file their returns. You can also call Canada Customs and Revenue Agency for the nearest clinic in your area at 1-800-959-8281.

See you soon,
~Geekboy

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com

RECYCLE, REUSE, OR DONATE!

2001-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
December 2001/January 2002 Edition. Updated May 2005.

Today, with computer technology advancing exponentially, most computer users and businesses are doing more upgrades and replacements of older machines. So, once we have done all of our upgrades and replacements, what do we do about the old parts or computers that no longer meet our needs? How do we get rid of them? Many individuals would choose to take the easy way out by throwing it out with their weekly garbage. Others would go one step further and take it to the city dump. According to Environment Canada, by 2005, the amount of disposed computers and peripherals will double to more than 67,000 tonnes in Canada. Each year, more than 158,000 tonnes of e-waste (i.e. dead computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, mobile phones, etc.) are incinerated, or buried in landfills. Currently, the City of Vancouver does not prohibit dumping of old computers and monitors in the city landfill. This does not mean that dumping of old computer equipment and electronics are encouraged. Patrons should dispose of their used electornics and vintage computers properly to avoid any potential environmental problems that will eventually come back to haunt us. Computers and their internals are toxic.

A typical computer including monitor, may contain chromium, cadmium, mercury, lead, and other hazardous materials, if leaked into our water systems, could create future health hazards. The silicon chip brain (CPU) of a typical computer contains Chromium, which can damage the DNA of living cells. Mercury, found in computer circuits, can cause both liver and kidney damage. More than 1.1 million tonnes of mecury are discarded by Canadians every year. Computer screens or monitors also contain up to 8 pounds of lead. The lead, used primarily to shield us from excess radiation, can leak into the ground and into our ground water which can cause developmental disorders in young children. Each year, an estimated 4740 tonnes of lead from old computer monitors and televisions are discarded. Tremendous care and caution should be taken, when disposing your old computer and electronic gadgets.

The easiest way of getting rid of the old box is to simply give it away. After all, this is the season to be giving, right? Since most working computers that we have can be quite adequate in doing simple tasks like typing, computer programming, or managing family finance, giving the old family computer, provided that it still works, to a friend, brother, sister, colleague, or other immediate family members is a good idea.

Alternatively, you can donate the computer to “Computer for Schools” program. This volunteer-run program is supported by the federal government and is in every province and territory across the country. The program takes in old computers, Pentium Class or PowerPC Class or better, cleans, refurbishes and distributes them throughout their corresponding province or territory. Since 1993, the volunteer-run program has clean, refurbished and distributed more than 250,000 computers to schools and libraries across the country. The computer offers donors tax receipts for working computers, hard drives, monitors, memory chips, printers, scanners, and other peripherals. For more information about this program, check out their website at: http://www.schoolnet.ca/cfs-ope

Reboot Canada is another non-profit organization that accepts old computer equipment. Reboot Canada will refurbish and donate the equipment or recycle it for a small administrative fee. The only stipulation is that they will only accept computers that are faster than 233 Mhz (i.e. Pentium and up). For further information about this program, you check out their website at: http://www.tradeworks.bc.ca/reboot/

Since, this article first published in December 2001, many manufacturers have realized what a huge problem e-waste has become and many have begun their own recycling programs to mitigate this ever-growing problem. PC manufacturers such as: Dell Canada, Hewlett Packard Canada (HP), and IBM have all started their own recycling programs.

Dell Canada -Tax receipts is available for qualified donated computers. Accepts both notebook and desktop computers. CPU must be a Pentium II/Celeron or higher. Donors will also receive 10% off any software and peripherals on Dell Canada's website. Free recycling service, up to 3 boxes, for all customers who have purchased a Dell printer or computer system.
Hewlett Packard Canada - Customer's can recycle any brand and type of computer for a small fee between $20 - $52 per box. Exact cost is determined by quantity of boxes and type of hardware. Corporation and large orders are accepted. In addition to computers, customers can recycle, free of charge, their used HP Laser toners and Inkjet cartridges, click here for more information.
IBM Canada - Individuals and small businesses can any manufacturer's PC (includes: peripherals, monitors, printers, etc.) for $49.95 CDN, including shipping. IBM will also provide program participants with up to 8% discount on new IBM products. For further information, customers should call: 1-888-SHOP-IBM, Select Option 1, Enter 27615 or you can sent an e-mail to: dispose@ca.ibm.com.

That is just fine and dandy you say…but what about the my old Commodore 64, Apple II, or 386, or 486 or grandma’s black and white monitor, or any other prehistoric computer door-stops you may have kept? Where should you bring those?

You can continue to use it as a good door-stop or you can call various computer retailers around town to see if they will take your used equipment for resell or take it to a recycler for you. Strider Computers, Cal's Computer Warehouse, and PC Galore are local computer stores you can try that may do recycling, refurbishing, and resell of old computers. You should also check various municipality websites to see if they have recycling programs, specifically, for electronic goods. For further information on e-waste, you can also consult the Recycling Council of BC, Electronics Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC), or Earth 911.

Finally, if your equipment is deemed "too old" to be recycled, refurbished, or donated, you can still try, as a last resort, the following museums for "relic" computer equipment:

Computer History Museum
Obsolete Computer Museum
Old Computers - Rare, Vintage, and Obsolete
Old Computers - Online Museum - Museum and collector's market
Sand Diego Computer Museum

So, whether you are planning to buy a new computer, personal digital assistant, or just a television set this Christmas, make sure that you properly dispose of all your old electronic gadgets and parts.

Before giving away your computer, you should do the following:

Make sure your computer is in good working order. Check the keyboard and mouse to make sure that it works and the keys are not missing. The monitor, when turned on, actually displays an image.
Label your cables, components and computer model number if you are planning on shipping the machine to someone or an organization. If you are sending more than one machine, make a checklist recording everything you have sent them, so that the receiver of your kind gift can quickly make sure everything is there.
Make sure you remove all the critical data on your machine, personal contacts lists, old e-mails, and programs and applications. You can readily find free online software that will , permanently, erase all data from your hard drive. Organizations, like “Computers for School” will actually format your hard drive and reinstall a new copy of the operating system before they actually ship the machine to a recipient school or library.
Some charitable organizations will offer tax receipts, so make sure you remember to ask them for one if you need one.

Well, until next time…

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

~ Geekboy

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please e-mail me at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

P.S. Don't forget to recycle those expended rechargeable batteries.

ARE WE SAFE AND SECURE? FROM A COMPUTER PERSPECTIVE...

2001-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
October/November 2001.

In the wake of the many horrific acts of terror that many of us have witnessed on September 11th, 2001, in the New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania, many have questioned about the security and safety of our daily well-being.

Most of the security concerns of personal computer users come from two forms-viruses and hackers (or intruders). As more individuals get accustomed to using the Internet and working with computers, the security risks increases. Every year viruses and hackers cost the government, and companies billions of lost dollars to prevent and defend. So what are viruses and hackers and how can we prevent ourselves from being their next victims.

A computer virus is a self-replicating computer program created by mischievous individuals that usually attaches itself either partially or fully to certain files or software applications. Once open these files or applications cause the computer to behave, in most cases, erratic. However, not all computer viruses are bad, some are quite benign and do nothing more than display a message or make funny beeping sounds, others like the most recent nimda (admin spelled backwards) and infamous “I Love You” viruses cause major traffic jams on the Internet causing many to lose Internet and e-mail services.

General Viruses:

Boot Sector. Virus that replaces, changes, or imbeds itself into the boot sector of the hard drive. The “boot sector” of the hard drive is usually accessed first when you first turn on your computer. This kind of virus can cause your computer to “lock up” upon starting your computer, thus preventing it from starting.
File. Virus that infects application programs when it is executed or opened.
Macro. Usually written in Macro programming language of a particular software package such as Microsoft Word or Excel. Virus could activate when a person decides to hit the “Save” file button or “Open” file button.
Multipartite. Virus infects both file and boot sector. This kind of virus may infect your computer a zillion times before you actually catch it.
Polymorphic. Virus mutates whenever it is passed on to another computer or executed, thus making it very difficult for virus-scanning software to detect.
Stealth. Makes infected software seem uninfected, but can not escape a good virus scanning software.

Malicious Code:

Worm Program. Computer code that replicates itself, like a virus, and slithers through the network connections (i.e. Internet) to infect any machine on the network and replicate within it, using up valuable storage and computer resources, thus slowing it down. One good thing out of all of this is that worm programs do not really alter or delete files.
Trojan Horse Program. Unlike the worm program, the computer code does not replicate itself, but it is something nasty disguised as something really nice, like a electronic “Happy Birthday” card. When you execute or play this file or program, the program can capture information about you, passwords, etc and allow hackers to control your machines.

Because most computer users have access to the Internet and share a lot of computer files amongst themselves and fellow workers, the proliferation of computer viruses will continue to become a major security threat to computer users in both the home and at work.

Checklist of Virus Free Computing:

Avoid opening unexpected e-mail attachments and downloads from people or websites that are not very reliable.
Get a good e-mail client. People using Outlook Express or Outlook should be careful. These products have been notorious in the past for spreading viruses because of the security loop holes that clever hackers are exploiting, Eudora and Pegasus are both free email clients that people can download and use.
Get a reliable antivirus scanner. McAfee Antivirus 6.0 and Symantec Norton Antivirus 2002 are the most popular and readily available products out there today.
Keep your virus-scanning software up-to-date. Since new viruses are coming out every day, make sure you enable the automatic update features of these products to ensure that the scanning software is up-to-date with the most recent virus definitions (vaccines), so that it will be able to detect the most recent viruses.

Viruses are not just the only threat for computer users, unauthorized intruders may decide to snoop around in your computer when you are online using the Internet. These hackers help themselves by downloading or stealing files from your computer or in extreme cases may cause hardware malfunctions in your computer. You do not necessary have to be online to have people look at your files. People, coworkers, bosses, friends, and family members could be unauthorized people looking through your files.

For individuals that are on an “always on” Internet connection, (i.e. Shaw@Home, or Telus Velocity ADSL service) or on computer network (computers are sharing resources like disk drives, folders, and printers, you should get some kind of a firewall software. When you are either sharing computer resources are have a high speed Internet connection, you are basically opening the door and inviting people to come in. A firewall acts like a door and prevents certain data from coming in and out. The software creates a virtual barrier or “firewall” between your computer and the rest of computers it is connected to or “network”. The “firewall” examines each little package of information that comes to your computer in the form of a “packet”. Based on the preferences and settings that you have given your “firewall” it effectively screens out packets of data that can potentially be harmful to your computer. These software packages allow users to essentially block out intruders; some products also allow parents of young children to set parental controls to prevent children from accessing inappropriate sites.

Checklist to Thwart Cyber Snoopers:

If your computer at work or home can be accessed by more than one user other than yourself, you should make sure you have some kind of password protection. This is your first line of defense. Make sure you don’t use something really obvious like your name, birth date, house address or my son or daughter’s name.

Get “personal firewall” software if you have an “always on” connection. Go to the following sites to get your “Free” firewall software. Zone Alarm or Tiny Personal Firewall or a product called Surfinguard. For small businesses or companies you may want to setup hardware solutions like proxy servers, or a product like Merilus’ Firecard.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

See you soon,

~Geekboy.