BGRCC Bulletin May 2008

BENTSEN GROVE RESORT COMPUTER CLUB BULLETIN
May 2008

MEETINGS

APRIL -
OCTOBER

SECOND
MONDAY

10:00 AM
MAIL HALL

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS:
If you would like to meet in a small group to discuss special computer related subjects or form a Special Interest Group lets discuss it.

Our bulletin is also available on line by visiting http://www.bgrcc.com/ and clicking on bulletin.

You may also search the BGRCC.COM site by entering your search terms at the bottom of the main page.

NEED SOME HELP
Try http://www.bgrcc.com
Click on HELP

EMERGENCY

RESPONSE

TEAM

John Abbott..........424-7113

Corinne Higbee.....585-5664

Zone Alarm
By Harold Buechly, Temporary Bulletin Editor

Zone Alarm has a long history (many years) of doing a fine job of blocking unwanted attacks on your computer.
It's been reported that Zone Alarm is no longer available free and/or it is difficult to find the free download. It is still free for personal use and is fairly easy to find.
Always be carefull when downloading and installing any program. Because of the respect of fine free programs including I-View, AVG, Zone Alarm, Belarc Advisor, Spybot S & D, Ad Aware and the list goes on and on, it may be very easy to be misdirected to the wrong site using any search engine (Google, Yahoo, MSN etc.) and end up with a program that will install harmful software on your computer.
Once you are on a ficticious site that looks like the one you really want, there is little defense to save your computer if you insist on downloading and installing the wrong program.
To make sure you get the latest updated program, you must go to the home page and take the steps the creator of the program requires. There could be programs for different operating systems (XP, Vista, Linux, Apple etc.) There could be several choices including experimental software that you may not be ready for till it is proven.
To download and install the latest free ZoneAlarm, I find it easiest to go to www.bgrcc.com, click on Top Downloads, Click on www.zonelab.com, enter the word free in the search box near the top of the page

and click on go. Zone Alarm Free may be the second item. Click on it and look to the right side of the page for "Get Basic PC Protection", click on Zone Alarm Firewall and instruct your computer to save the setup program. Probably it will save it to your desktop. This is a program that really does the downloading and installing.
They will give you 2 other chances to buy the commercial program during the installation and setup, but you may deny the pay version and install the fireware protection only.

Google Releases Updated Version of “Google Earth”
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, Texas; Radio & TV Show Host Iwilsker(at)apcug.net

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

WEBSITES:
http://earth.google.com
http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html - FREE Version
http://earth.google.com/tour.html
http://earth.google.com/enterprise/earth_plus.html - $20 Plus Version
http://earth.google.com/enterprise/earth_pro.html - $400 Pro Version

It has been nearly two years since I first (and last) discussed Google Earth in this column. In the ensuing time since the last review, Google has been busy updating and improving the product, adding new features, and improving the graphics. For those who may not be aware, Google Earth is a program that allows the immense Google database of terrestrial and satellite images of the earth, along with amazing images of space, to be utilized and manipulated on the computer.

What is new and improved in the recently released Google Earth 4.3 (beta) is demonstrated in an interactive video tour online at earth.google.com/tour.html. One of the new features in version 4.3 include what Google calls “Photo-realistic Buildings”, where hundreds of buildings in many of the world’s major cities are shown in three dimensions (3D). If a building that is displayed “turns purple” when cursoring over it, clicking anywhere on the building will open up a smaller window giving details of the building, and the moniker of the person who created or updated the digital image. The images displayed can be manipulated to zoom in or around them from any angle, effectively creating a dynamic 360 degree panoramic view. These 3D views are not just of cities and buildings, but there are also spectacular images of natural beauties such as mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and canyons. Another new feature on this version is what Google calls “Swoop Navigation” where the user can virtually “Fly seamlessly through the landscape with new navigation controls. Swoop from outer space to street level and leap from one building top to another. Use the look joystick to view buildings as if you were standing right in front of them.”

Another aspect of the new version is the “Light and Shadow” feature where many of the images can be shown in selected or sequential times of the day, such as displaying a mountain top from sunrise to sunset. On the top of the screen is an optional slider which can be moved with the mouse to display the simulated or realistic image at any chosen time. In some of the more scenic images it appears to show the path of the sun across the sky with the corresponding light and shadows. The new and improved “Street View” that has been previously available online with Google Maps (maps.google.com) is now integrated into Google earth. Google has a fleet of vehicles which cruise major cities taking high resolution 360 degree digital photos as they drive down the streets. With “Street View” the user can virtually visit a city and virtually walk or drive the streets using the mouse instead of a vehicle. Views are literally from the street level showing cars, people, store fronts, intersections, and any other features visible from street level. Using the mouse, the user can cruise the streets just as if he was navigating the city for real. While not yet available for every city, a camera icon, when displayed on a map, will zoom in to a 360 degree panoramic image from street level. Many street level images contain additional camera icons which allow the user to travel seamlessly up a selected street, and the mouse can be used to turn in any direction.

The popular features that were in earlier versions of Google Earth have been retained. One that I periodically use is the “Directions” feature, which does not just give traditional driving directions and maps, but also animates the drive by clicking on the play button at the bottom of the driving directions listing. When animated, a detailed sequential zoomed-in satellite image is displayed, with the directions overlaid on the image. For example, when I requested driving directions from the Examiner offices on Willow Street in Beaumont, to the Bush Airport (IAH) in Houston, the seamless animation in Google Earth showed the street images including real pictures of the highway showing which lane to be in, detailed images of each turn or exit, and high resolution images of the airport. The images are actual photographs, not computer generated images. By seeing the route in exquisite detail prior to a journey may help ease the anxieties of the drive.

Once at a destination, it may be helpful to find nearby “points of interest”, such as restaurants. By simply entering the word “restaurants” in the “What?” box, and the current address in the “Where?” box, restaurants will be displayed on the Google map. By clicking on the icon displayed for each restaurant, details will be displayed for the selected restaurant in a window overlay. Typical information displayed included the name, address, phone, a hyperlink (if any) to the restaurant website, any reviews that may be available and driving directions “to” and “from” the restaurant.

Google Earth does not just provide maps and images of terrestrial and earthly locations, but also includes celestial maps and images. Clicking on the Saturn-looking icon on the top of the screen will open a “Search the Sky” search box. By entering a celestial body or location, such as “Mars”, Google Earth will display a sky map with an image of the heavenly body, and also display the current geometric coordinates for those using sophisticated telescopes.

The basic version of Google Earth 4.3 (beta) is a free download from earth.google.com. For those desiring more features, Google offers Google Earth Plus for $20, which adds support for a variety of GPS devices (verified support for Magellan and Garmin GPS devices, but can not upload to those devices), improved network performance, and improved high resolution printing. For professional and commercial use Google offers the Pro version for $400.

Google Earth is a fascinating utility, and will run on Windows 2000 or XP (Vista is not mentioned), and requires a minimum of 400MB hard drive space, and a video card capable of 1024x768 resolution with a 16bit color depth. An internet connection of at least 128Kb/sec is required. I suggest that readers of this column at least download the free version of Google Earth and simply play with it. Click on the icons at the top of the page, and check and uncheck some of the boxes on the left margin, and experiment with it; do not worry, you can not hurt anything by experimenting with it. Google Earth is one of my favorite “fun” programs.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

The Big DTV Transition
by Sister Dorothy Robinson, OSB, OMUG Newsletter Editor, The Olympia Microcomputer User Group, Washington
http://www.olymug.org newsletter(at)olymug.org

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Computer users often speculate about how digital technology will affect us and our world. We are now entering the final stage of a rather large digital transition, that of digital television signals. Didn’t know this transition was going on? You’re not alone.

On February 16, The Olympian ran an Associated Press article on the digital television transition that is happening in the United States. The article said that in about a year, on February 17, 2009, all analog TV broadcasts will end in this country. If a TV does not have a digital tuner, or is not connected to cable or satellite or other paid services, it will need a digital converter box to receive and display digital signals. About 13 million households would be affected—those with older TVs (no digital tuner) or receiving signals only over the air as in the past. This is because analog tuners can't decode and display digital signals.

Options, said The Olympian, for continuing to receive TV signals after February 17, 2009 are to buy a digital converter box ($40-50, according to this AP article), a new TV with a digital tuner, or get connected to a paid service. The federal government is offering $40 coupons, up to two per household, good on the purchase of a converter box. You can now call 1-888-388-2009 or apply online at http://www.dtv2009.gov. There is also an option online to print out an application and mail it in. You may want to apply early.

http://www.9wsyr.com says “You will still need an over-the-air antenna in addition to the converter box to receive a digital signal on your analog television set. Your current antenna should work the same as before. Many major chains have been certified to sell the converter boxes, including Best Buy; Circuit City; Kmart; Sam's Club; Wal-Mart; Sears, Radio Shack and Target.”

Best Buy, according to centredaily.com, “will stock an Insignia-branded analog-to-digital converter box exclusively, retailing at $59.99.”

PRNewswire.com states “Converter boxes at $49.97 are on shelves now at Wal-Mart already.”

According to radioshack.com, you can find a Zenith converter in stores for $59.99. It is looking like the difference between the price of the converter box and the coupon will be $10 and up.

The Olympian article said the reasons for the changeover are to allow for auctioning off excess airwaves (digital broadcasting is much more efficient so there will be an excess), for new wireless services, and “possibly” providing emergency air networks for disasters. Digital signals can also provide better picture definition—but that depends on whether high definition programs are being broadcast and on whether a TV is set up to receive high definition programs. Digital signals can support high-definition (HDTV) broadcasts—but is not the same as HDTV.

From How Stuff Works, http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/hdtv1.htm, comes this information: “Some people believe that the United States is switching to HDTV—that all they'll need for HDTV is a new TV and that they'll automatically have HDTV when analog service ends. Unfortunately, none of this is true.” If you want more information on how HDTV works, check this site at the link above.

The government website at http://www.dtv.2009.gov has this to say about the reasons for the changeover: "Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders." It says nothing about auctioning off air wave spectrum or the intricacies of HDTV.

The Benton Foundation page at http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=node/1257 has information on the background and time-line for DTV transition. It states:

"Digital television (DTV) is a new, more efficient technology for transmitting and receiving broadcast television signals. But DTV signals are not compatible with today's analog TV sets in most American homes. Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the amount of spectrum given to television station owners was doubled. The policy rationale for this was to enable the stations to transition US consumers to digital TV without interruption of analog broadcasts. But after ten years of digital TV broadcasts, only a small number of US households have made the switch to DTV, delaying the return of valuable spectrum that could be used by emergency officials and auctioned to offset federal deficit spending."

Included in benton.org's time-line called "Getting to February 2009: Implementing the Digital TV Transition," is this step:

"January 28, 2008 The FCC must conduct the auction of the licenses for recovered analog spectrum, commencing the bidding no later than this date, and is to deposit the proceeds of the auction in the US Treasury no later than June 30, 2008."

In other words, this is happening right now, if things are proceeding on schedule.

CNN.com's take on this topic in January of 2006: (http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/04/technology/pluggedin_digitaltv/index.htm ):

“Once TV stations switch to digital transmission, they will return to the government a big chunk of the radio spectrum they currently use to transmit their analog channels. Some of that spectrum will go to first responders—police, fire and public safety officials—so they can better communicate with one another. Breakdowns in emergency communication slowed the response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. New spectrum should help.

The rest of the spectrum will be auctioned off to the highest bidders—probably tech companies. The sale of this valuable, scarce real estate is expected to bring in about $10 billion, maybe more. That will help reduce the federal budget deficit.”

CNN also talked about the new technology and services that will likely be developed using this increased air availability, for example, cheap wireless broadband access virtually everywhere. Referring to an historical parallel, it states:

“Scheduled for 2008, the auction will be the biggest spectrum sale since a 1994-95 spectrum auction. That sale helped boost the mobile phone industry, boosting the number of cell phone subscribers in the U.S. from 24 million to 200 million. It also helped drive down the cost of wireless minutes from an average of 47 cents a minute to 9 cents a minute, according to analysis from financial services firm Stifel Nicolaus.”

Whether we like it or not, the DTV revolution is on its way. The best we can do is prepare ourselves. For many of us, the $10 or $20 needed to buy a converter box is not a problem. Unfortunately, some people on fixed or low incomes will find it very difficult to get ready for the change. For them, the TV screen may go dark at midnight on February 17, 2009. :

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Wireless Router Setup
By Bob Elgines, Editor, Colorado River Computer Club, Arizona
www.crccaz.com/ elginesz@rraz.net

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

How to change the setup or configuration of your Wireless Router and PC. First we need to get to your router after the original setup by bringing up Internet Explorer on your direct wired computer (Master) and typing in one of the code addresses below:

TYPE
Belkin:
D-Link:
Linksys:
Netgear:

CODE
192.168.2.1
192.168.0.1
192.168.1.1
192.168.0.1

USER
(No NAME)
admin
(Leave Blank)
admin

PASSWORD
(Leave Blank)
(Leave Blank)
(Leave Blank)
password

CHANNEL
6
6
11
10

A login screen will appear, if you used your own login name and password then use them. If you lost them and you wish to reconfigure your router you will have to push the reset button for at least 30 seconds. This sets the router back to its defaults and you can use the default values above.

During your setup you may have seen “Number of DHCP users allowed”, reduce this to the number of total computers in your network or that number plus one.

SSID is your wireless network name, for example, Linksys will broadcast “linksys”. First, we want to rename your SSID and then hide it later. After changing the name, we need to reconnect with each wireless computer. To reconnect, right click the icon in the System Tray (or task bar-right).

Windows XP SP2 - Choose Available Wireless Networks / Change Advanced Settings. Click the Wireless Networks tab, click Add button in the Preferred Network section.
Type in the Network name you have chosen, then click OK twice.

Windows VISTA - Select Network and Sharing Center, then left click on View Status (located middle-right). Click on Wireless Properties button. Put check mark on “connect even if the Network is not broadcasting”.

(Or go to START / CONNECT TO / click on your SSID and click the CONNECT button below. Then you can right click on your SSID and select Properties. This will get you to your Wireless Properties window where you can put the “check mark” and enter your Security code.)

Complete this on all of your wireless computers and remember how you got there!

Second, now we can choose to stop your Router from broadcasting your SSID by selecting disable to “SSID Broadcasting” in your router setup. All your computers should be reading the wireless connection.

Next step is to select a Security type, let us try WEP first. This may be slightly
different due to different manufactures. Usually you will find it under Security or Wireless tabs of your router setup. Select 64 or 128 bit encryption, then type in a word or phase and let the router do the coding by clicking on Generate. Select #1 and write down this code for your wireless computers. Go to the Wireless Properties window and click on the SECURITY tab. Then set the ENCRYPTION type to WEP and enter the security code you wrote down, click OK and Close. Key Index should remain on one.

Look at the Security Type by clicking the down arrow on the right. Note these are the other types of security allowed: WPA2-Personal, WPA-Personal, WPA2-Enterprise, and WPA-Enterprise. Most newer routers and computer can operate with this type of security and is considered better than WEP.

We completed a simple setup to supply a secured wireless connection. You can go further and use one of the WPAs if all of your computers will accept this. Just disable WEP and enable WPA and roughly go through the same process. You could also assign your MAC addresses, but how far do we have to go?

Following are definitions for MAC, DMZ, WPA, DHCP, and the router FIREWALL:

DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol as a server assigns IP addresses to all computers on the network (in this case the router is the DHCP server).
DMZ – Dedicated Multi Zone exposes a computer directly to the internet with a IP address. Some games require this direct access. You could give a false address not used by your computers to send intruders to an address that goes no where!
FIREWALL – The router’s firewall gives protection on data coming in, but not going out. If you wish full bi-directional protection you will have to use software and replace your windows firewall which is incoming only.
MAC – Media Access Control is a number related to the network adapter in a small network. LAN-MAC address is for your internal network and WAN-MAC address is used for router to modem connection. You can find your Client table (IP and MAC addresses) in your router’s configuration utility.
WEP – Wifi Encryption Protection is the old security standard that can be used with either 64 or 128 bit encryption.
WPA – Wifi Protected Access is the latest network security standard, but if your equipment is over two years old you may want to checkout www.wi-fi.org web site for information. For full instructions on activating WPA see PC Magazine’s step by step article at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1819544,00.asp

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Pinnacle PCTV HD Ultimate Stick Review
By Bill James, APCUG Director; Editor & Webmaster, Computer Club of Oklahoma City
www.ccokc.org bjames(at)apcug.net

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.
Some computer products just have a ‘wow’ factor on first sight; the Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick is one of those devices. It is a TV tuner on a USB stick and not just any TV tuner but one that is capable of pulling down Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) content to your PC. On seeing the Pinnacle presentation on their PCTV HD Stick at the APCUG Convention in 2008, I have been itching to get my hands on one. I was imagining a new widescreen computer monitor coupled with this device as a means of having a really cheap HDTV. So I purchased a new widescreen monitor (22”) and the PCTV HD Stick. The USB device comes in 3 flavors, PCTV HD ($69.99), PCTV HD Pro ($99.99) and the top of the line PCTV HD Ultimate ($129.99). There is also an internal card version ($79.99). All these devices are designed for Windows XP and are Vista Certified. There is a separate device with similar features for Mac users ($129.99). I opted for the ‘Ultimate’ model because of its onboard memory DVR and software. More on that later, but the Ultimate is a plug and play that allows you to start watching and record SD and HDTV almost immediately.
Packaging
The packaging contains a mini remote control including batteries, a portable telescoping high-gain antenna, A/V adapter cable, a USB extender cable and the usual manuals and CDs. With the Ultimate model you also get a neat soft leatherette carrying pouch.
Setting Up
Setting up the PCTV Ultimate could not be easier. This model has all the software preinstalled including the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) that allows you to record up to 2 hours of video. You just plug it in and follow the onscreen instructions and start enjoying live TV within seconds. The on-board memory on the Ultimate can also be used to store additional files. You run setup once, even if you use the device on a different PC, the settings and preference are stored on the device.
You have 3 options in setting up the PCTV:

Antenna (for digital/analog TV reception);
Cable (analog TV reception);
Capture from Cable/Satellite Set-top Box.

For this review we will be using Option 1 – Antenna (digital/analog TV reception). During setup, the PCTV will scan for SD and HD signals via the included antenna. The antenna is designed for digital and analog TV reception in regions with fair to good signal coverage. When using the antenna, it should be fully extended in the upright position as high as possible and near a window. The base of the antenna is magnetic so it should not be placed near a cathode ray tube monitor, television or similar equipment as the electromagnetic field of such devices might deteriorate the signal quality. Also be careful with the magnetic base around other objects that are sensitive to magnetic forces – i.e. PC hard drive. In my region I was able to download all the local SD and HD stations available within my region via the antenna.
Software
When you first install the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick, it checks whether all the required drivers and the .NET 2.0 Framework are already on your computer and, if necessary, installs them. After the initial startup, every time you start the program, a TV screen appears immediately on your desktop. The integrated memory on the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick is divided into 2 different areas or drives.

A re-writable memory area (removable media area) with the TVCenter Pro program and available memory for recorded shows or other user data. The drive is labeled PCTV flash.
A read-only memory area (CD-ROM area) contains the drivers. This drive is labeled PCTV Start

Also included in the package is Pinnacle Studio QuckStart that allows you to edit your recordings or home movies and transfer them to DVD, complete with custom menus and soundtracks.
Controls
The package comes with a full-featured remote control. Although small in size it does give complete control of the PCTV. If you elect to use Windows Media Center, the included remote will not work. You will have to purchase a compatible Windows Media Center remote that is available from Pinnacle.
Display
The first time Pinnacle TVCenter Pro is accessed, you will see the Player. This screen can be full-screen or resized to suit. There are navigation icons that select settings, channels, TV or Radio and the program guide.
FM Radio
As sort of an added bonus, during setup PCTV stick also scans for available internet radio signals for play back on your PC. It categorizes them by genre rather than call letters. Unfortunately, the software does not provide any other information regarding the available stations or for the music that is being played.
Picture Quality and Sound Quality
The quality of picture and sound is dependent on your monitor and speakers. The PCTV HD stick is capable of providing digital sound, SD and HD quality picture that if is available within your region.
Windows Media Center
If you have a PC equipped with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 and you want to watch and record TV using the Windows Media Center application, then you will have to run TV setup in that application. I’m running Windows Vista Ultimate on my PC and using the Windows Media Center software for my TV viewing and recording, but you can use either product. There is not a conflict between the included software and Windows Media Center. However, the Windows Media Center software overrides the included TVCenter Pro software for TV viewing and recording. The included remote does not work with Windows Media Center; however you can select channels directly by keyboard input and/or by mouse when viewing TV via Windows Media Center. You can also opt to purchase a compatible Media Center Remote control that is available from Pinnacle for $29.99. Again, to get the PCTV HD stick to work with Windows Media Center is the matter of selecting the TV setup in Windows Media Center and following the onscreen instructions. Window Media Center will recognize the device and do its own scan and download a TV guide that is used to identify the channels and for time shifting. The time shifting feature allows you to record your favorite TV shows and play them back at a later time. Windows Media Center does not support some of the onboard memory features of the PCTV HD Ultimate stick.
Conclusion
I now have my cheap HDTV and so far I have not been disappointed. The PCTV HD is pulling free off the air HD signals and displaying them on my monitor in full HD. The PCTV HD Ultimate Stick is a slick ultra-portable USB device that will allow you to watch and record SD and free HD TV. The TV tuner and personal video recorder software run directly from the Stick’s on-board flash memory, so you can plug it into any PC and start watching and recording TV in seconds – no installation required.
It supports both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) TV signals. The tuner hardware is also ready for ClearQAM (unencrypted digital cable).
You can record up to 2 hours of TV directly to the stick for playback on any PC and save recordings to your hard drive in MPEG-1/2 or DivX formats or even direct-to-DVD.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Submit Your article; deadline for next bulletin is the 3rd week Tuesday noon each month. Only what you write may be published. We cannot publish other peoples work without written permission.
Share your computer experiences with other members. We need articles to publish in the BGRCC Bulletin each month. Submit here

UPDATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Change your e-mail address, unsubscribe to this bulletin, etc. Submit here