Info Manager for June 24, 2002

[*]  Top Ten Myths About Spam;   [*]  PayPal scam;   [*]  How about a trillion bites per square inch.;   [*]  Privacy;   [*]  Getting started with Audio;   [*]  Earthlink adds Wi-Fi;   [*]  Macs a better deal than Wintel systems;   [*]  Build your own Wi-Fi Antenna;   [*]  JPEG virus?;   [*]  Microsoft licensing driving customers away?;   [*]  Vote for MUG Web Sites;   [*]  More on batteries;   [*]  Mac collectables;   [*]  Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled;   [*]  Apple announces PowerSchool 3.0, new initiatives at NECC;   [*]  Summer Camp - Washington Apple Pi;   [*]  Mindshare alive and well;   [*]  Limits on iDisk;   [*]  Top Tens from Apple UG Intern;   [*]  Aladdin Systems to Merge?;   [*]  Want to know more about Mozilla?;   [*]  The Apple Museum;   [*]  Quote of the Week;  
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Top Ten Myths About Spam

1) Spammers are just trying to sell me something
2) If I don't answer or "opt out," they won't send me more spam
3) It will help if I report to Spam Cop or other official agency
4) It's best just to delete it when I see it
5) It can't be "them," they have a privacy policy
6) My Yahoo account protects me (Or Excite, or HotMail, etc.)
7) Just surfing the web can't expose me to spammers
8) Oh, cookies won't hurt you
9) There's nothing I can do
10) Spam really doesn't hurt anyone

      These will be fully explained in a full-scale spam essay, along with a look at which Macs Mac Users use; the Mac User community census, "Is OS/9 Really Dead?" Mac users stand up to be counted, "Turn Your Vinyl Into Gold" converting your vinyl music records to CDs (from Savannah Mac User Group), The 2002 User Group Hall of Fame, and much more when the AACUG Mac User Guide (MUG) appears in your mailbox. You can also pick up a copy at Macworld Expo in NY next month! To stand up and be counted in the on-going MUG community census, go to: http://www.aacug.org/

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PayPal scam

I got a number of messages about this new scam. It concerns an e-mail that claims to be from PayPal. www.Macintouch.com had a good mention of it.

      It is NOT from PayPal, but directs you to a web site that appears to be a PayPal web site. Of coure then it asks for information that can be used to get at your account or your credit card information. Anyone that has been on AOL for any length of time has seen similar schemes. Some are quite well done. Don't fall for it. So be careful out there. http://www.scambusters.com/

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How about a trillion bites per square inch.

IBM researchers in Zurich, Switzerland announced what they believe to be a breakthrough in data storage. It provides data storage density of a trillion bits per square inch -- 20 times higher than the densest magnetic storage now available. This could really turn a PDA into a usable device. Just imagine the number of MP3s it would hold. More information at: http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/06/11/020611hnmillipede.xml

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Privacy

Add this tool to Internet Explorer to stay aware of Web sites' privacy policies. Privacy Bird searches automatically for privacy policies at every Web site you visit. You tell the software about your privacy concerns, and it will tell you whether each site's policies match your preferences. For example, you can ask a for warning at sites that may share your personal information with other companies, use your health or medical information for marketing, or put you on mailing lists.
[Note that many sites do not actually follow their own privacy policies but merely publish them for looks.] Here's the story http://www.idg.net/go.cgi?id=697893

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Getting started with Audio

If you are a newbie to recording audio on your Mac, this should be a good place to start. This guy is starting off at ground zero and discusses various ways to go, hardware and software etc. (Also, don't miss "Turning Your Vinyl Into Gold" in the upcoming issue of MUG, the AACUG Mac User Guide.) See: http://www.themacmind.com/cgi-bin/newspublisher/viewnews.cgi?id=1023297655

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Earthlink adds Wi-Fi

Last Tuesday, EarthLink announced that it has added Wi-Fi to its offerings. It is now selling "EarthLink Wireless High Speed." This will let EarthLink customers use about 650 Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops, hotels, airports and other public areas throughout the country. I am sure the list will grow. Who said that Airport would never amount to much. Full story at: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-935103.html

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Macs a better deal than Wintel systems

Something that was proven before has now been re-worked. As we know, Macs are not more expensive than PCs to buy and use. Gartner has now confirmed that once again. In fact, the new study found Macs are up to 36 per cent more cost-effective than competing Wintel products. (Over the lifetime of the computer.) Full story at: http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0206/13.deal.php

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Build your own Wi-Fi Antenna

Don't remember where I got this one, but if you want a cheap and ugly, (uses a Pringles can), way to improve your Wi-Fi reception, then check out this O'Reilly story at: http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

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JPEG virus?

This is kind of strange. A programmer has sent the anti-virus companies a virus for study. It infects JPEG files. But requires another program to run. So I don't understand the point. Maybe someone here can explain it to me. Doesn't sound like the current version would be too distructive, but eveyone seems to think the worst is yet to come full story at: http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3462524.htm More information at: http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_99522.htm

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Microsoft licensing driving customers away?

InfoWorld conducted a poll last week that showed 42 percent of the respondents to be considering switching from Microsoft servers because of the new MS sofware licensing plan for desktop products.

      Maybe there maybe more of a chance for the Xserve than we thought. Full story at: http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/06/14/020614hnmmslicensing.xml?0614frpm

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Vote for MUG Web Sites

I have looked at a number of User Group web sites over the past few months. The nominations for 2001 are now down to three for the best of the best. Awards will be presented during the UG Soiree at MacWorld Expo in July. Be sure to vote at: http://www.ugacademy.org/Awards/webvote.html

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More on batteries

I got this message from a reader that said the best prices he has found on computer batteries is mail order from Best Computer Supplies (BCS). He quotes a price of $6.97 for the square clock battery used in some Mac models. You can get a catalog or place an order by calling: 1-800-544-3472

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Mac collectables

The Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To Antique And Collectable Macintosh Laptops 2002 Edition. Boy is that a mouthful. But there is also a lot of information in the article by that name at MacOpinion.com. Read it at: http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/02/06/12/index.html

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Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled

I never would have thought that Wal-Mart would be on the cutting edge of OS machines, but this one is it. Of course Lindows is MUCH cheaper than putting Windows on their machines. The full story is at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/25734.html

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Apple announces PowerSchool 3.0, new initiatives at NECC

"Monday at the National Educational Computing Conference, Apple announced a new version of PowerSchool. Also announced were new initiatives called Apple Digital Campus Curriculum and the Apple Learning Interchange." (ALI is a free web site for educators.) Apparently Apple is really getting back into the education market in a big way. See the full story at: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=541

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Summer Camp - Washington Apple Pi

We have heard a number of times about the summer camp that takes place in the Portland area each year. Well, now there is one on the east coast. Washington Apple Pi is offering six sessions of computer day camp for adults and teens at the Pi's Rockville, MD Tutorial Room. (So technically is a school not a camp, but who is quibbling.) Topics for the week long sessions include Photo and Video Camp and Print and Web Camp. For more information see the Washington Apple Pi website at: http://www.wap.org/

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Mindshare alive and well

Contrary to rumors you may have heard, Microsoft has NOT discontinued its user group program. (Called "Mindshare". If your group isn't signed up, it should be. While they require their PC groups to be a member of APCUG, they do not have such a requirement for MUGs. More information is available at the Mindshare website at: http://www.microsoft.com/mindshare

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Limits on iDisk

TidBITs has a nice summary of the issue of limits on downloads from iDisk in its most recent issue. Besides covering it at http://www.tidbits.com, Adam recommends the discussion on Macintouch as well. See that at: http://www.macintouch.com/homepagelimit.html#report

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Top Tens from Apple UG Intern

David Roemer has an interesting project as part of his internship at Apple this summer. He is creating Top Ten lists. Now these are probably expected to be serious, but I bet someone with a sense of humor does a good job too. He is asking for help from the user group community to develop the following lists:
For people new to user groups:
1. Top Reasons to Join a User Group
2. Top Questions about Joining a Group
** For leaders:
3. Top Reasons to Start a User Group
4. Top Questions About Starting/Running a Group
5. Top Resources for User Group Leaders

      If you are on the AUGB mail list then help him out there. If not, then send him suggestions at: mailto:droemer@apple.com

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Aladdin Systems to Merge?

This was sent in via the input box at the UGN web site. According to a press release from both companies, Aladdin and Activeworlds Corp. have signed a non-binding letter that indicates they are likely to merge. The resulting company would be Activeworlds Corp.

      I hate to see such a great company become part of another. After all we have seen a number of great products disappear after they were picked up by Symantec and even a few others. Hopefully Aladdin's products will be around for a long time. Aladdin's web site is at: http://www.aladdinsys.com

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Want to know more about Mozilla?

Want to know more about Mozilla? If so, here is a list of resources:www.mozilla.org/unix/customizing.html for changing fonts and other preferences that aren't available from the Preferences menu.

      techaholic.net/ns7.html has information on customizing Netscape 7 (which as you may know is built on Mozilla.)
MozDev, at www.mozdev.org/, hosts over 70 projects related to Mozilla. Projects include an alternate user interface, a Mozilla/Blogger component, and a spellchecker.
      If you're not looking for really advanced stuff, but just want a couple of hints, check out the page of keyboard shortcuts at
www.mozilla.org/docs/end-user/moz_shortcuts.html.
      If you want general Mozilla information, check out Hogarth's Mozilla Resource at mozilla.weebeastie.net/ for a big resource collection, Blogzilla (www.deftone.com/blogzilla/) for the latest Mozilla news and information www.Vorstrasse91.com/moztips/, with tips and plugin pointers for Mozilla. PermaLink
Sorry, I didn't record where I got this list. If someone else knows, please tell me. http://www.vorstrasse91.com/moztips/

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The Apple Museum

Now has newer machines covered and has done a major revamp. See it at: http://www.theapplemuseum.com/

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Quote of the Week

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." -
Oscar Wilde (Thanks to Information Week)

"If we are not responsible for the thoughts that pass our doors, we are at least responsible for those we admit and entertain." -
Charles Newcomb, Screenwriter/Director

"If better is possible, then good is not enough" -
George Graziadio

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News and Info you can use...

The Info Manager invites user groups to use his column in full or in pieces in their newsletter. He would appreciate word that you are doing so however and if you can, please send a pdf version of the newsletter for his perusal. Or just provide him with the link. Use this address: Infomanager@user-groups.net or... our online Information form

The Info Manager is a veteran of the UGN (AOL User Groups Forum) and User Group Network. He's been a supporter and volunteer on many, many UGNet and User Group Academy projects. As a long time user group member, he's served as volunteer from Honolulu to Boston and many points in between. Currently working with the Apple Corp of Dallas, the Dallas Mac Pack, Cowtown MUG of Ft. Worth and TUMS (the Tulsa Users of Macintosh Society) doing newsletter articles and the monthly CD-ROM Update. Post a lead Info Manager should follow up on.

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