Norton Internet Security (NOT)

I went out today to fix a computer that would not send or receive email. To keep this short I'm just going to say, "do not use Norton Internet Security". This program is a nightmare and you will not get help from Symantec. Please save your hard earned $70 as there are very good totally free programs out there that are a dream, not a nightmare.

Norton Removal Tool - A must have

For advanced users
Use Internet Explorer not Fire Fox

Symantec support site, has a useful utility called SymNRT.exe. The Symantec Norton Removal Tool will completely remove all Norton security products from 2004-2006. This is a priceless tool for any users of Norton AV. Download it HERE or here:
http://tinyurl.com/qq5t2

Congress Critters

Copied from the GuruNews letter

If you've read this newsletter for more than a few weeks you know my stance on both the entertainment industry and our "elected" Congress Critters. From the much-abused DMCA to the blunderbuss of RIAA lawsuits, the entertainment industry is using pre-purchased Congressmen and Representatives to turn each and every computer user and audiophile into criminals.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, authored in a Republican controlled Congress and signed by Bill Clinton, shows that this isn't a problem of political ideologies; it's a problem of politics in general. Voting for a national political figure is actually voting to put power into the hands of their corporate contributors. Couple that uncomfortable fact with the ignorance of most Critters on technological matters, or medical, environmental, scientific or economical subjects for that matter, and you have the makings of disaster.

It's been used to attempt to close down generic ink cartridge, toner cartridge and garage door opener manufacturers. Lexmark wants you to HAVE to buy their vastly overpriced ink cartridges instead of a sanely priced generic, after all. I'm absolutely certain .2 fluid ounces of black ink should cost $35, how DARE those generic companies!

It's also been mentioned in cases like the Intuit Turbo Tax fiasco from 2002, where Intuit thought it perfectly fine to secretly install the C-Dilla "spyware" on user's PCs, and more recently with Sony's notorious rootkit copy protection scheme, which installed software so secret you couldn't even find it. "Loopholes" in the law allowed the town criers who reported the abuses to avoid prosecution (this humble publication included).

And the ability for copyright holders to sue abusers for damages? The RIAA has sued everyone from grandmothers to 10 year olds for file sharing, evidence be damned. Just this week they sued a family that didn't even own a computer for sharing music (http://www.boingboing.net/2006/04/23/riaa_sues_family_tha.html). Yup, that's some fine legislatin' there.

Instead of fixing this abomination by rescinding the DMCA the current Administration has authored a juicy little bill called the Intellectual Property Protection Act. Notice I said Administration. This bill wasn't introduced by some hand puppet in the Congress, no. This came straight from the White House. The IPPA will supposedly close the loopholes so that your antivirus company can be prosecuted for removing the invisible phone-home rootkit installed by Sony and YOU can be prosecuted by sharing the glaring secret that holding down the Shift key will prevent some forms of malware from being loaded (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/8143). You, my dear reader, can be made a criminal if you just make a copy of a CD you purchased to use in your car stereo.

This bill also provides provisions that allow the RIAA and MPAA to not only sue Mac users for being a KaZaA file-sharing node (Macs won't run KaZaA by the way) but also allow them to confiscate the "offending" computer. Kind of like a private police force, or militia. Land of the free indeed.

Did I mention that it raises the jail time for downloading a copyrighted movie to more than the jail time for downloading pictures of child sexual abuse (I can’t call it by name due to spam filters). What happened to the old “It’s for the children” mantra?

And for the ultimate in ridiculous, Attorney General Gonzales says that IP theft goes "quite frankly, to fund terrorist activities". Ummm… no. I'm not an attorney general, nor do I play one on TV and even if I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night I can't get my mind around that statement. Sharing music funds terrorism? More like sharing music is seen by the campaign contributing entertainment industry as bad, hence it must be stopped by any means.

The only politics I write about in this newsletter deal with technology issues so I'll just let that statement from Alberto speak for itself.

Folks, people who can't set the alarm on their digital clocks are being paid by Big Entertainment to write laws governing technology. People who think antibiotics are a must for combating a virus infection are writing medical policy. People who can't balance a checkbook are making decisions dealing with the economy. We can't continue as a country like this.

Sooner or later this has to stop, and we have an election coming up. It's time to read opinions from the different candidates and vote for the one that you can most agree with. No party line vote, no party loyalty at all, just vote for the right PERSON for you. Vote for someone who may actually bother to listen to the constituents and take their suggestions under consideration. I'm tempted to say if they're incumbent vote for the other guy but that's too sweeping a statement. The bunch we have in right now, from both parties, can't seem to differentiate their nether regions from a hole in the ground with both hands and a flashlight.

Yes, I’m a wee bit outraged…

Kevin Mefford, Editor

pcguru@microdome.net

Amber Alert

Please Click on the link above or below. You may be able to help !

http://www.amberalertindiana.com/

Welcome to the Web

I would like to welcome John H. Mann Investigations and Filter's Funeral Home to the Web. There are links, as always, from Ripley County Dot Net to these new sites. Do you need a Web Page? if so please look over what Ripley Computer has to offer your business.

Undelete files

Restoration is an easy to use and straight forward tool to undelete files that were removed from the recycle bin or directly deleted from within Windows, and we were also able to recover photos from a Flash card that had been formatted. Upon start, you can scan for all files that may be recovered and also limit the results by entering a search term or extension. In addition, it also provides the option to wipe the found files beyond simple recovery. The program is small and standalone, it does not require installation and can also run from a Floppy disk. Restoration works with FAT and NTFS as well as digital cameras cards. The best part, its free DOWNLOAD 229 kb

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html

Your Bithday

Here is a page that will tell you all on the day you were born.
Just for fun, give it a try at:
http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp

Live Real Time Web Cam

Versailles Indiana Live Real Time Web Cam - 129 & Benham Rd.
You Must edit ActiveX in IE - see below.

You must have broadband to view - Dial-up will not work.

How to Enable ActiveX in Internet Explorer browser

1. Open Internet Explorer (not Fire Fox)
2. Tools on the menu bar
3. Internet Options
4. Security Tab
5. Custom Level
6. Scroll down and verify (check mark) that you are prompted or have
enabled ActiveX controls and plug-ins to be downloaded and executed.
7. click OK - close IE browser
8. restart browser
9. type in or copy & paste :
http://wb9otx.mybluenetvideo.com
User Name: guest
Password: guest

Still can't view ? email me for help.

Porta for your photos

Porta allows you to create attractive image galleries from your digital photos in just a few easy steps. It offers several template designs that can be customized in thumbnail size, image quality, and some other aspects. You can also choose to add a watermark to each image, sharpen the scaled images, and display EXIF data for each photo.

Porta also includes SimpleViewer, a popular Flash-driven gallery creator that can be used instead of the included HTML galleries. The program is easy to use and allows you to create modern image galleries with minimal configuration.
Works with
[Win98/ME/2k/XP] [566k]
Its Free
Download it here

Am I Nut - I guess I am

Well - I'm the nut.

Now why would I think that anyone would want to see live streaming video from the courthouse lawn or the 421 - 50 intersection here in Versailles ? I only received one email and he wanted to know if it could be a porn site. At least he did reply. I guess I hear the beat of a different drum.

That's OK - I'll just stream the video so I can see it myself, and you can pay the dumpy paper megabucks for your little 2 X 3 inch ad in a box that no one will ever read.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


I need your input.
I would like to instal a real time video stream from a popular and interesting location near Versailles. It would have to have access to a phone line and electricity. The camera would be active 24 hours a day and people could view it from any Internet location. There would be advertisements from businesses wanting to sponsor or help with the cost. The cost for this project would run plus or minus $500 to install. Please email telling me where you think a good place to install the camera, also if you would like to help with the cost or ad your business page to the site. Email me at:
jack.demaree@gmail.com

Still running Windows 98

Still running Windows 98 or (shudder) Me? By July, you might want to consider upgrading if possible. Nate Mook of BetaNews reports:

Microsoft has officially begun requesting that users running Windows 98, 98 SE and Millennium Edition (Me) upgrade their operating system as soon as possible. The Redmond company will cease all public and technical support for the products on July 11, 2006, including all security updates.
Customers are being notified of the impending deadline, which was moved from January 16, 2004 to provide extra time for those still running legacy systems. No-charge incident support and extended hotfix support for Windows 98 and Me previously ended on June 30, 2003 and December 31, 2003, respectively…

Heh! I like how it’s said that Microsoft has “officially begin requesting” that people upgrade, considering it does that when it comes out with a new version of Windows, anyway. Then again, there’s always Linux…

From the lockergnome newsleter

Geek omelette - just for fun

Write the names of those you’re feeding on freezer Ziplocs bags with a permanent felt-tip.

Break two or three eggs into each bag. Add cheese, veggies, and spices to taste. (If you're feeding others, have the goodies prepared, and let them add their own fixin's.)

When everything's ready, squeeze as much air out of the bags as you can, and seal them. Then smoosh everything around inside until they're well mixed. Give each a shake to get all the goo in the bottom and off the sides.

Heat a big pot of water to a roiling boil, and add the bags. You can cook several in a two gallon pot. Boil 13 minutes for two eggs, 15 with three. Remove the bags from the water immediately when the time is up.

Note: this is really all you have to do. Don't get fancy, and things will work out perfectly. My Lady thought hers was a little soft, and nuked it for a few seconds. Mine was perfect. If I nuked one it would be very carefully, as I wouldn't want it to get too hard.

The omelettes will easily slide out of the bag onto the plate. Garnish and enjoy.

From the lockergnome newsletter.

Free Registry Cleaner

I have been ask about registry cleaners several times in the past and my standard answer has been the same, Don't do it. OK, I know you are going to do it anyway, so if you must, I have found a reg cleaner that will bail you out after you screw up. Re-boot after running the cleaner, if all is OK you are home free, if not, restore the back-up. Read more or download HERE

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner enables you to scan your registry for invalid entries. It provides a list of all errors that were found, and you can choose to remove all items, or only selected errors. Before the program deletes any keys, it automatically creates a backup of the registry and allows you to easily undo any changes if needed. You can choose to scan the entire registry or only selected sections.

Pay as you go cell phones

Pay as you go cell phones are a great solution for folks with modest airtime requirements and a limited budget. In these situations, plans that allow you to pay solely for airtime can conserve cash when compared to standard plans with yearly commitments. Why pay a high monthly minimum when you need a cell phone just for emergencies or special occasions? Unfortunately, the pay as you go cell phone market is confusing …

Some pay as you go plans will cost more than a standard plan ... even if you aren't making calls.The key is to read the fine print. Some of the giant cell providers offer Pay as you go cell phones, but they also charge a daily use fee even if you never make a call. Read the small print.

I hardly ever receive or make calls from my cell phone, so it makes sense for me to pay just for the time I am using the phone. I shopped around and found that Tracfone sold online or at Wal-Mart was a good choice for me, but may not fit your needs. The cost of the phone was 20 dollars and came with 60 minutes of air time. You can buy units (minutes) at Wal-Mart or online. The units roll-over also. It figures out to be about $10 a month for the way I use the phone, but may be more for you.

As I said above I do not use the phone very often, but boy when you need it, there it is.

One thing I'd like to say before I end, If you come upon a traffic accident STOP, put your hazard lights on and get off the roadway if possible. Check to see if anyone is hurt, then call 911. So many pass the accident then call 911. Not knowing if there are injuries just delays help till the first policeman arrives on the scene.

Free collection of software

From Google

XP users only.
A free collection of software That is safe - remove what you have or do not need or want. Get Norton Antivirus free for six months if you don't have a virus program already.
Click Here to download or get more info.

Below are must have:

Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar - Web browser
Mozilla Corporation

* Browse the web quickly and securely
* Switch between pages quickly with tabbed browsing


Ad-Aware SE Personal - Antispyware utility
Lavasoft

* Safely detect and remove spyware
* Protect your privacy with powerful features

Norton Antivirus 2005 Special Edition - Antivirus utility
Symantec

* Protect your PC from viruses, worms and Trojan horses
* Includes 6-month subscription to protection updates