** Issue #19 May 15th, 2007 **
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#1- News, News, News
In This Issue...
#2 - Do you have a buck or two? - Contribute to further the site and newsletter. We're at 50%!
#3 - Things seem to look different part 3! - When will it all stop?
#4 - RoboForm makes surfing easy! - I've talked about it. Now let's learn how to use it!
#5 -What's new in Outlook 2007 - Carol fills us in.
#6 - My Recommended Software - Need software? Check this list first!
#7 - The Lighter Side - Some humor to lighten your load!
#8 - Useful web sites - Websites I've visited lately that you may find useful.
In the next issue...
If you have information, links, articles, or other such info you would like to see in the newsletter don't hesitate to send them along! I can't possibly respond to every email, but I try to get through them all and include relevant information in the newsletter.
Here is where I beg!
Please tell a friend, relative, coworker, or stranger about my site and newsletter. Use any means necessary to spread the word about Daves Computer Tips.
As always I appreciate your comments and suggestions about the site and newsletter. If you would like to share please contact me at dave @ davescomputertips.com.
Carol is our resident "Office Goddess". If you have Microsoft Office questions or suggestions for future Office articles shoot her an email at carol @ carolscorneroffice.com.
#2 - Do you have a buck or two?
I'm asking those that have an extra dollar or two and appreciate the work I do to donate a few of dollars in support of the newsletter. The money will be used to purchase a new computer running Microsoft Vista. The new computer will allow me to begin adding relevant Vista content to the newsletter! There is no pressure to contribute. The only purpose of this request is the purchase of a new computer to further the efforts of my site and newsletter.
Total amount presently in the new computer fund is 50% of the cost, so the purchase is on hold for a while longer. Be assured the money is tucked away and will be used for no other purposes, as I promised.
If you enjoy the Daves Computer Tips Newsletter and find it helpful please donate by clicking the PayPal button below. You may donate any amount you feel comfortable with. Every little bit helps and is appreciated!
#3 - Things seem to look different!
By David Hartsock
Yes I changed the buttons again! If you visit the main site you may notice changes in the URL's of the pages you visit. I've implemented PHP, Hypertext Preprocessor. PHP is a form of server side scripting. As a result most URL's will now end with the extension php instead of html. PHP allows me to create dynamic web pages. When you request a page at www.davescomputertips.com the server now builds a page on the fly and sends it to your browser. It also lets me make one change that affects many pages. PHP is very common on the web. If you would like some more info about PHP check out this Wikipedia page. Hopefully this will same me some valuable time as I tweak and change aspects of the site to improve your experience. If you've bookmarked any pages at Daves Computer Tips you may want to visit the page and update your bookmark.
I know that this stuff is probably more than you want to know, but I feel that as readers you devote time to reading, investigating, and commenting. As such you share some ownership of Daves Computer Tips also. Without you there wouldn't be any me.
What do you think about the new Daves Computer Tips changes?
#4 - RoboForm makes surfing easy!
By David S. Hartsock
I've mentioned RoboForm several times in the newsletter. Usually these spawn emails and comments about the program, questions about usage, comments about confusion, and praise for this program. So let's talk about it.
I use RoboForm and highly recommend it. It's one of the programs I can't live without. I have about 135 sites that I am registered at. That's 135 user names, 135 passwords, and 135 URL's. That may seem like a lot, but if you spend any time on the internet you probably have more than you realize.
RoboForm does several things that make my life easier. It stores passwords securely using AES encryption, autofills passwords and web forms, generates strong passwords, and lets you save text in encrypted Safenotes. Let's have a closer look at the features of RoboForm. I'll explain what they are, what they do, and why you should have a copy of this program on your computer.
RoboForm works with files called Identities and Passcards. Identities are where your personal information is stored. Name, address, bank info, and credit card info. RoboForm intelligently autofills the correct information from your Identity into web forms, saving you from typing all the info yourself. Below are several screenshots showing an Identity being created.
Enter your name, address, and phone numbers on the Person Tab.
Enter your credit card info. You can add additional tabs if you have several cards.
Enter banking information. You can add additional tabs if you have several banks.
Now that you've created an Identity let's see what we can do with it. Obviously in today's world we have multiple cards, banks, accounts, and addresses. I have a terrible memory. RoboForm allows me to have all this information handy in a securely encrypted form. If you look at the right pane in each screenshot you will see a padlock icon. Using this icon you can drag and drop the contents of that field, or the entire page. You can right click the icon and copy selected fields or pages to the clipboard also.
The best part of an Identity is the ability of RoboForm to fill forms on the web. RoboForm reads the underlying code of a web page and knows where to enter the correct information. I shop online quite often and find this indispensable. Let's pre-order the new Harry Potter book on Amazon.
Choose the Identity, if you have more than one, and select Fill & Submit from the drop down that opens.
RoboForm enters the address information from you Identity and automatically clicks the Continue button.
Here is the payment screen. Again we choose the Identity and click Fill & Submit.
Once again RoboForm comes through! The correct info in entered and submitted. This works for any form, not just shopping. Forum registrations, polls, surveys, and much more!
Passcards are the real shining star of RoboForm. Passcards remember site addresses and the usernames and passwords associated with a site. They are stored locally on your computer in a securely encrypted file. When you create a Passcard you have the option of password protecting it. Password protected Passcards require you to enter a Master Password to gain access. Roboform remembers that fact that you've entered your Master Password for a period of time that you define. I password protect all Passcards related to personal information such as banking, retirement, credit card accounts, and utility accounts. More and more sites are requiring users to login to view the site or certain content. I know my list grows weekly. Passcards are great for online banking, forums, webmail, and much more!
As an example let's pretend we are at Google.com and decide we want to check information about our car.
By clicking the Logins button in the RoboForm toolbar your list of Passcards is displayed. Simply clicking the one you want takes you to the website, enters the correct login information, and completes the login process. All without any intervention from you.
Creating Passcards is incredibly easy. Visit a site that requires you to login. Enter your username and password, but don't submit or complete the login.
Now click the RoboForm button in the toolbar and select Save Forms which will open a new window.
This is the business end of the Passcard. The Passcard Name field is the name that the passcard will be stored as. I like to rename them with a meaningful name. The Create In button directly above allows you to put the Passcard into a folder. The New Folder button in the upper right allows you to create folders. The Password-protect checkbox invokes the Master Password function, requiring the master password be entered before RoboForm will work for the password. Save As Bookmark allows you to save a Passcard without a username and password. It functions just like a standard bookmark. The checkboxes under the folders allow you to add the Passcard to your desktop or the links bar in your browser. You only need to do this once!
Roboform is incredibly helpful. Everything is stored in an encrypted format. It may help protect you from some keyloggers because it enters information without using the keyboard. I've receive many email where the writer is confused about the operation, hopefully this will help. Once you've done it once it's easy. Further information can be found by visiting RoboForm's website and clicking the Tutorials or Manual links on the left.
Roboform is available as shareware. The catch is it only allows 10 passcards, but it will function forever. There is no time limit. This is a great opportunity for those who want to try it, or only feel the need to use it for a few sites. I will warn you... It's addictive! Visit their site at www.roboform.com to download.
For those who feel 10 isn't enough (it never is) you can buy the full program for $29.95 for one license, and $39.90 for two. This is referred to as RoboForm Pro and is unlimited in the number of passcards (I've got 135 and growing).
There are several free alternatives to RoboForm. The most popular of these is KeePass. Another option is PassPack. I have years of experience with RoboForm and I know it works, and works well. KeePass is relatively new. I've not used it, though I do know it is not as capable as RoboForm from what I've read about it. PassPack is an online version. I feel strongly about NOT storing my personal information on someone else's server, but you may be of a different opinion. PCWorld, Computer Shopper, Download.com, The New York Times, and Fred Langa feel that RoboForm is the cream of the crop. I have to agree.
NOTE: I contacted Siber Systems, the maker of RoboForm, before I wrote this article. Simon wrote me back and very kindly offered a free copy of RoboForm to give to a reader. I graciously accepted his offer. Using my super secret random number generator I generated a random number and contacted the subscriber associated with that number. Geoff from Australia replied promptly. I sent him instructions for downloading the program and activating the license. Kaye, Geoff's Wife, wrote back:
Thanks Dave
I already had this program on my laptop and wanted it on the desktop too. Its a great little program. This has allowed me to put it on the desktop too.
Cheers
Kaye
Congratulations Geoff and Kaye!!
What is your opinion of RoboForm?
#5 - What's New in Outlook 2007
by Carol A. Bratt
Unlike some of the other Microsoft Office applications, the main Outlook 2007 window uses a familiar menu bar and toolbar combination to give you access to commands, options and tools in Outlook 2007. Other applications, such as MS Word, us a new feature called the Ribbon to give you quick access to commonly used features.
Outlook 2007 does make use of the Ribbon, mostly in the individual items forms such as messages, contacts, etc.
The Ribbon is a bit of a pattern shift. The Ribbon has features on individual Tabs, each of which groups of tools for related functions. For instance, all the tools relating to inserting items into a new message are located together on the Insert tab of the new message form.
Each ribbon tab is divided into groups and each group organizes the features for a specific function. On the Message tab of the new message form, the Basic Text group organizes the tools you use to format the text in the message.
Even though Outlook 2007 opens in a single window, it supports the use of multiple windows. You can keep your Inbox open and still check your calendar and tasks. You can copy items from one folder to another by dragging them. The Outlook 2007 interface is very easy to use with multiple windows.
When you right-click a folder in the Navigation Pane, the shortcut menu for that folder contains the Open In New Window command. You would choose this command to open the selected folder in a new window, keeping the existing folder open in the current window.
The Navigation Pane does not include shortcuts to all of your folders by default. Luckily, Outlook 2007 has another way for you to navigate your folders and this is called the Folder List.
Click the Folder List button in the Navigation Pane to display the Folder List. In the list, click the folder you want to open. Once you have selected the folder you want to open, Outlook 2007 hides the Folder List again.
The Status bar is at the bottom of the Outlook 2007 window. It presents information about the current folder and selected items, such as the number of items included in that folder. It can also handle other status information. Any information that is taking up real estate can easily be removed from the Status bar by simply turning the Status bar off by choosing View | Status Bar.
The Reading Pane allows you to preview Outlook 2007 items without opening them. You can preview an e-mail message in the Reading Pane simply by clicking the message header. To turn the Reading Pane on or off follow the steps below:
- Choose View | Reading Pane
- Chose Right, Bottom or Off.
You can configure the Reading Pane to your liking. For instance, you can set up the Reading Pane to mark messages as read after they have been previewed for a specific length of time. To configure the Reading Pane, follow the steps below:
- Choose Tools | Options.
- Click the Other tab,
- Then click Reading Pane.
Select the options you would like based on the list below:
- Mark Items As Read When Viewed in the Reading Pane. Select this option to have messages marked as read when they have been previewed for the time specified by the following option.
- Wait n Seconds Before Marking Item As Read. Specify the number of seconds a message in the Reading Pane must be displayed in the Reading Pane before it is marked as read.
- Mark Item As Read When Selection Changes. Select this option to have the message in the Reading Pane marked as read when you select another message.
- Single Key Reading Using Spacebar. Selecting this option will allow you to use this Spacebar to move through your list of messages to preview them. Press Shift | Spacebar to move up the list. You can also use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to move up and down the message list.
There is also some additional functionality in the 2007 Reading Pane:
In a message, you can double-click an address in the Reading Pane to view details for the address.
The Reading Pane header displays the message's attachments. You can double-click an attachment to open it or right-click the attachment and choose other tasks on the shortcut menu.
The Reading Pane displays Accept and Decline buttons so that you can accept or decline a meeting request in the Reading Pane without opening the Request.
If you like, I can cover more of 2007 Outlook next time or, alternatively, I will take requests. You decide!
Carol writes the monthly Word Bytes Newsletter with more tips and tricks each issue. Visit Carol's website for more great Microsoft Office tips and tricks! Visit Carol's site at www.carolscorneroffice.com
Did you find Carol's Article helpful?
#6- My Recommended Software
Anti-spyware and Anti-malware Software
Webroot SpySweeper - Daves Computer Tips Seal of Approval Winner! See the test results HERE. Spysweeper provides the best protection of the seven anti-spyware programs tested! Great detection and removal rates with a small real-time protection memory footprint. This is the one you want! SpySweeper includes the ASK toolbar. Be sure to uncheck this option during installation. Free 14 day trial.
CounterSpy - Runner-up in my Anti-Spyware test. Not only does CounterSpy scan and remove spyware, it also uses real time protection. Real-time protection prevents spyware infection. Free 15 day trial. Winner of Computer Shopper Magazine's Best Buy Award!
Antivirus and Firewall Software
ESET Smart Security - New from the maker's of NOD32. Antivirus, Antispyware, Antispam, and Firewall all wrapped into one effective, swift, and low resource package. It is what I use to protect each of my computers!
Kaspersky Antivirus - Kaspersky is my second choice for antivirus software. A good program that is very close in performance to NOD32. Free trial.
Online Armor Firewall - You shouldn't be on the internet without a software firewall that offers inbound and outbound protection. Online Armor is the Best of the Best. Online Armor uses an interface that is easier to navigate than most other firewalls and the protection level can't be beat! Online Armor is available in both a free and reasonably priced paid version, which offers even more protection!
Audio and Video Software
Acoustica Audio Converter Pro - This program converts audio formats and bitrates. Perfect for those with portable audio players or large music collections. 30 day trial.
Adobe Premier Elements 7 - Elements is the home version of Adobe Premiere, the best professional video editing suite today. Premier Elements costs 1/6th the price of the professional version, but is very capable of making videos that will impress everyone.
DVDFab is my favorite DVD software. I tried over 30 different programs before settling on DVDFab. It offers every function of the other programs and more! Copy, burn, shrink, convert for mobile devices, or convert for streaming. Almost all of the other programs I've tried did not function as advertised, were extremely slow, or did not have features that worked as advertised. DVDFab works, and works as advertised! It's easy to use, has a pleasant user interface, and it updated often.
Computer Hardware
Crucial Memory - Memory (RAM) is the upgrade that gives any computer the best bang for the buck. If you want to speed things up with more memory, why not purchase it from the leading source of quality RAM memory. Great selection, good prices, excellent support, and a lifetime warranty! A real winner!
CyberGuys - The place to get those hard to find cables and accessories for your computer!
HP Computers
- My current pick for new laptops and desktops. In the current market I don't think you can beat HP's combination of price and performance. Their laptop line is very cost effective and the design is absolutely beautiful!
Newegg - Newegg.com is known for great service and awesome pricing on computers, upgrades, and electronics. If you're looking for computers, computer parts, or electronics you owe it to yourself to start here! Great Products. Great Prices. Great Customer Service!
Computer Maintenance Software
Diskeeper 2008 - My current favorite defrag program. As files are written and erased from the hard drive they begin to leave "spaces" behind. When the drive is written to again files are broken up to fill in these spaces. This causes the drive to go to several different locations to read an entire file, which slows performance greatly. Diskeeper has several advanced features such as; automatic defrag, scheduled defrag, and the ability to defrag the MFT (Master File Table) and paging file. 30 day trial.
Registry Mechanic - A very thorough and efficient registry cleaner and defragmenter. A definite must to maintain peak performance and stabile operation. 30 day trial.
Computer Utility Software
Acronis True Image 2009 - Do you value the data on your computer? Do you value your time? How much time will you spend recovering data and returning your computer to its original state after a hardware failure or software glitch? True Image is my #1 choice in backup tools. Whether you choose file or image based backups (you should use both!) True Image will perform better than any other application I've used. Disk images created with True Image are generally 10-20% smaller than those from comparable programs. If your time and files are as important to you as mine are to me this is a must have.
Acronis Disk Director - My favorite tool to partition, format, and resize hard drives.
Roboform - This program is the next best thing since sliced bread in my book! This program integrates into Internet Explorer and firefox. It generates very secure passwords at the click of a button. How do I remember these complex passwords? Roboform allows you to save passwords and personal data in an encrypted format. A master password (yes only one password to remember!) allows access. Roboform in IE and FireFox works like a super powered bookmark. You click the site you want to go to and Roboform opens the site, enters your username and password for the site (if required) and as if by magic clicks the submit button. If you shop online Roboform can enter your personal information and credit card information, which is also stored in a secure encrypted file, in one click. A real time saver with great security thrown in to boot! 30 day trial.
WinRar - What is commonly called a zip utility, similar to the more widely known WinZip. WinRar is faster and works with more formats for about 1/2 the price of WinZip. 30 day trial.
Desktop Utility Software
LogonStudio - Change the screen that appears when you boot Windows (the one with the moving bar graph). Hundreds of free skins available online. It's free.
Cursor XP Plus - Change the cursors on your computer. Hundreds of cursor packs are available online for free.
Icon Packager - Change the icons on your computer. Icon Packager puts you in control to change every icon with the click of a button. Tired of the plain icons built into Windows? There are hundreds of Icon Packs available online for free, which will add a truly personal feel to your computer.
WindowBlinds 6 - This is the icing on the proverbial cake. WindowBlinds changes the look and feel of Windows. By changing the appearance of the task bar, start menu, and any other window or program you open. It adds transparency, shadows, alpha blending, and animations. Hundreds of themes are available online for free.
Internet and Email
1&1 hosting - If you want to start your own website, blog, photo gallery, or have a personalized email address then 1&1 is for you. 1&1 can not be beat for reliability, features, support, and price. 90 day guarantee.
Google Gmail - The best internet based email (webmail) available. Each mailbox has a 6.5GB limit. The interface is superb, and the spam filter is top notch. You will never need to delete an email again! It has a great search function and a feature called thread view, which makes finding emails easy. A webmail account offers several advantages including not being required to change your email address if you change service providers. Gmail requires an invitation from a current member. If you are interested shoot me an email and I'll send you an invite.
Microsoft Outlook 2007 - Outlook is the current email client of choice for corporate America. I get well over 200 emails a day. Outlook has a few features I really need such as a plug in for automatic backups, office sounds which offers me some audible feedback, and the ability to change headers. I've used Mozilla Thunderbird and liked it a lot. With the amount of mail I go through I really need the features of Outlook. If you aren't a heavy user, or don't need the features I do then Thunderbird is a great alternative.
Firefox 3 - An amazing, free, web browser. If you aren't using it you should be! Highly customizable through addins called extensions. There are thousands of extensions which can allow FireFox to do just about anything you can imagine. More importantly, Firefox is not subject to ActiveX, which is a large part of Internet Explorer, AOL, and MSN. No ActiveX means much less chance of getting spyware! Firefox also conforms to web standards more closely than Internet Explorer, which means you will see what the authors intended, not Microsoft.
Mozilla Thunderbird - A great free email client, from the same folks that brought us FireFox. Easy to use and highly customizable through extensions.
Photo and Picture Software
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 - Photoshop Elements is the home version of Adobe Photoshop. If you are serious about digital photos you will find Photoshop Elements a great program to have at your disposal. Elements provides all the functionality most will need at 1/6th the price of the full Photoshop version.
Picasa - A great (FREE) way to organize, edit, and share your digital photos.
Comment on Dave's recommended software!
#7- The lighter side
After spending countless hours surfing the web in search of various funny or interesting things to share with you here are a few of my finds to lighten your day! I go through a lot to please my readers!
Double Wires - a Flash game reminiscent of Spider Man.
rRootage - a shooter. Move your to avoid the enemy while trying to destroy them with your laser.
Cloud - a very relaxing game with good graphics. You should check it out!
Check your reaction time - I guess this could be used as an intoxication level test also!
FBI Files - Very interesting unclassified FBI files.
#8- A few websites you may find useful
BigGeekDaddy - Another nice site with good information. Also some humor, though some may find it offensive.
BoomeMan - This site has so many links to helpful site that it would take you a long time to visit them all.
WebTechGeek - A great tech news and software review site.
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