Number 307 - December 2008

UPDATE
Beginners    In Broadsides by Ron Broadhurst, the author tells us of several windows tricks he has learned over the years. Communications    In Anti-Virus Virus author, Sandy Berger, warns of a new breed of viruses which masquerade as virus-fighting programs thus luring the inexperienced user into loading them on their machines. Read all about it and be warned.    In Hacking 101 the author Marjie Tucker discusses how a hacker can get into your computer, and gives a brief description of 17 of the tools they use, including: Anonymizers and Remailers, Command.com, Password Crackers, Key Loggers, Kismet, Traceroute, to name a few.    In Sarah Palin - Password Protection the author Sany Berger uses the recent reorted hacking of Sarah Palin's computer as a vehicle to list some steps that you can take to secure your own data.    In Vista Fun the author describes how to run some dynamic screen savers that come with Vista. He gives you the command to key in to do so. Be aware, however, that they do use significant resources, but they are fun to run. Hardware    In When Two (Or More) Is Better Than One the author Vinnie LaBash describes his experience with two computer screens, each displayoing a portion of the program that he is running.	In Solid State Drives the author John Lansdale of Danbury Area Computer Society, discusses these very fast access devices. Prices have dropped to the point that they are affordable and have several advantages. However, there are some down sides as well. Both are discussed. Worth a read.    In Prepare for Hard Drive Recovery Bob Hudak, Greater South Bay User Group Hardware SIG Leader gives point by point instructions on how to set up your computer and relates it to the use of Acronis True image suggesting a backup to a USB drive. General Interest    In Are Your On Line Financial Transactions Secure? Cass Lewart looks at whether the convenience of on line transactions is worth the risk. He gives you several precautions to take and lists several threats to consider.    In Linux Software - QCad the author describes QCad -- an application for 2D computer aided drafting. It is a Linux based application. It appears to be compatible with other professional programs but only direct comparison could verify that. It could be useful for an individual who needs a drafting program--and the price is right!    In Storing Data on Living Computers the author discusses this interesting concept. There is a distinct possibility that this could work. To quote the article: "Still in its infancy, bacterial computing could have far reaching implications for data storage, parallel computing, and genetic engineering."
Number 307 - December 2008