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Digital Dave

by Digital Dave

Digital Dave answers your tech questions.

More Windows Explorer Send To and Gmail; Giving Real Help to Windows Users.

Forget 3D, Now It's 4k Televisions

by Jack Dunning

Wondering About 4K TVs? Here Are the Facts.

A few years ago, 3D television was supposed to take the world by storm. 3D is still here (sort of), but now everyone is talking about 4K Ultra High Definition.

Easy Beginner AutoHotkey Tricks You Should Use with Windows

by Jack Dunning

If You Do Nothing Else, Use AutoHotkey to Instantly Turn Hard to Type Jargon into Hotstrings

Most people have specialized vocabulary in their occupation. Use short hotstrings to add those terms to any document easy without spelling or type hassles.

Wally Wang's Apple Farm

by Wally Wang

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery; Apple's Wearable Computing Device in Plain Sight; The Real Future of Apple TV; Sony Woes; The History of Social Networks; Windows Enthusiast Bashes Windows 8; Block Plug-ins.

Worldwide News & Product Reviews

by Charles Carr

The latest in tech news and hot product reviews.

FileZilla Hack Circulating the Web; See "Steam Machines" Ranked by 3DMark Score; New Breed of Ransomware is Leaving Skilled IT Admins at the Mercy of End Users; HTC One (AT&T).

Editor's Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers

by ComputorEdge Staff

Computer and Internet tips, plus comments on the articles and columns.

"Windows 9," "Windows Explorer Send To," "Linux as XP Replacement"

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Digital Dave

“Digital Dave answers your tech questions.”
by Digital Dave

More Windows Explorer Send To and Gmail; Giving Real Help to Windows Users.

More Windows Explorer Send To and Gmail

Dear Digital Dave,

Great help on the Send To, thanks.

Love the shortcut to finding it with shell:sendto. Any way to add/enable the Send To to utilize Gmail (or other Web based e-mail) to the e-mail or alternative option in the Send To?

Thanks,

Rich Ernst

Dear Rich,

Using the Send To option in Windows Explorer with Web based mail can be a bit of an issue. I didn't see a way to directly access the Webmail page and attach a file—the most common way to use Send To with e-mail—but there are a couple of other options.

The built in Mail feature in Send To is designed to use the default Windows e-mail client program. However, that would mean setting up Gmail in your e-mail program as an account. The Gmail incoming mail server uses IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) rather than POP (Post Office Protocol). The Gmail account will need to use the IMAP settings and ports, but it is supported by most e-mail client programs. If you don't use an e-mail program, then this is not an option.

The primary advantage to using an e-mail program on your computer rather than Web based mail is its ability to collect mail from multiple, diverse accounts. For example, I can collect both my Web based accounts and POP accounts in the same program. The advantage to Web mail is that you are not stuck with one computer to collect your e-mail. As long as you have Internet access, you can pick up your e-mail—even when you don't have your own computer.

Personally, I use an e-mail client most of the time and access Web mail only when away from my own computer. As a practical matter, I would only be setting up Send To for mail on my own computer so direct access to the Web browser interface for Gmail wouldn't give me much benefit. However, I recognize that there are many other reasons people choose to avoid e-mail clients.

One recommendation I've seen for resolving the Send To/Webmail problem is with a third-party utility called Affixa. This may do the trick. Although I've never used it, I'm not sure how it would be much different from adding Gmail as an IMAP account in any other e-mail client. It does cost two pounds sterling per year.

Digital Dave

Giving Real Help to Windows Users

Windows Remote Assistance for One-on-One Help

I like to think I know a lot about Windows, but the truth is that I really only know part of what I once knew. When I answer a specific question I refresh myself on various aspects of how Windows works and usually get one or two fresh insights—even if I've answered exactly the same question in the past.

The problem is that my brain has limited storage for immediate access and most of the space is occupied with family matters and important trivia like "What's for dinner?" Every time I put something new in my current memory cache something else needs to be flushed to permanent (although sometimes hard to access) storage. That's why I occasionally page through documentation to see what is worth recalling to the forefront. In this case, I was looking through Jack's e-book, Hidden Windows Tools, and came across "Chapter Thirty-six: Windows Remote Assistance." I asked myself, "Why do I forget to use that?"

Getting (or Giving) Windows Help

One of the most difficult computer tasks is helping someone with a computer problem when you can't see what is actually happening on their screen. This usually the result of both of you being located in a different building—or state. The person in need may describe what they see, but it is usually in a language you don't understand. Then when you tell them what they need to do, you suddenly realize that words are a poor substitute for pushing someone out of the way, sitting down, and just fixing the problem. You're thinking, "It would be great if they would send you a picture." But even a screenshot would not be as good as being there. Plus, trying to describe to a novice how to take a screenshot and e-mail it to you may be even more difficult.

On the other end of the conversation (yes I have called support lines occasionally), you sit there wondering where on the screen that little "thingy" they're describing is located? "If I could find it, I could certainly fix the problem." Wouldn't it be better if both of you were looking at the same screen and, yes, controlling the same mouse and keyboard?

I know that there are Web based systems available for providing this type of direct computer sharing support, but they usually have a fee and you don't need them. If you're using Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, and have a network or Internet connection, then you can hook up with any other Windows computer and share their Desktop from anywhere in the world with Windows Remote Assistance. If you've never tried it, you won't believe how easy (and cool) it really is. Give it a shot the next time you get that late night support call from your cousin. It will save you hours of blind explanation.

How Windows Remote Assistance Works

It is assumed that you will have some type of contact with either the helper (or helpee) before the Remote Assistance connection is set up—usually by telephone or e-mail. Both parties need to be ready for the initial set up e-mail, otherwise it may be regarded as Spam. The start of the process is relatively simple. It can be initiated by either party, but most likely the person needing help will send the e-mail request.

Windows Remote Assistance is most easily loaded in Windows Vista and above by typing "remote" in the Start Search field and selecting it from the list. It can also be run in those versions (not XP) with Run => msra.exe (+R, enter msra.exe, then OK). In Windows XP, Remote Assistance can be launched through Start => All Programs => Remote Assistance. Once loaded, Remote Assistance is easy to follow. (In Windows Vista and 7 the program location is Start => Maintenance => Windows Remote Assistance.)

In most versions of Windows, a dialogue will open with two basic options: "Invite someone you trust to help you" and "Offer to help someone." (Options will vary slightly with version of Windows.) Windows 7 or 8 may also offer "Use Easy Connect" which will work only when this type of connection is available to both computers.

In my example, we'll look at inviting someone to help us. Since Jack Dunning knows a little about Windows, I'm going to send him an invitation to help me (see Figure 1). This is done by selecting the "Invite" option and choosing "Use e-mail to send an invitation." (The other option is to generate an invitation file which can be attached to Webmail e-mail as an attachment.) The new e-mail is generated with the default mail program.

Figure 1. After clicking "Invite someone you trust to help you" an e-mail is generated to send to your helper.

Before the new e-mail window opens, you will be given a prompt to enter (and re-enter) a password. This is your protection against the invitation falling into the wrong hands. You will need to communicate this password to your helper. Don't add the password to the generated e-mail. It's better that you give the password over the phone, but if that's not an option put it in a separate e-mail. (The process has other protections. Even with the password, no one can get into your computer without your active acceptance of the connection.)

After the e-mail is sent the Windows Remote Assistance window opens "Waiting for incoming connection..." (see Figure 2). This window also serves as the control panel for the Remote Assistance session. Note the various options for Stop Sharing, Pause, Settings, Chat, and Send file.

Figure 2. After the e-mail is sent the "Waiting for incoming connection..." Remote Assistance window opens. This window also serves as the control panel for the Remote Assistance session.

After receiving the e-mail request and double-clicking on the attachment, the first thing that the helper needs to do is enter the password. The computers will start connecting. As the remote requesting computer, you will receive a prompt asking if you want to allow the connection (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. When the helper connects, it must be accepted by the helpee.

Click "Yes" and the connection is established. The helper will now be able to see your Windows Desktop. The interface is pretty much self explanatory. Both of you are looking at the same Desktop screen while you (the host computer) remain in total control. You do need a way to communicate—probably over the phone (in speaker mode)—but there is a chat feature which you can use. In the Remote Assistance window which displays your Desktop to the connected computer, the helper will find a feature for requesting control. This will give shared control of your mouse and keyboard. But first you must allow the shared control (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Once allowed, the person helping you can share control of your mouse and keyboard. You can end the share at any time.

If you want to allow full access to your computer, then you need to check the "Allow to respond to User Account Control prompts" box. Now the helper can do anything that's necessary on your computer while you look on. Until it is terminated, the remote session will restart—even if it is necessary to reboot the host computer.

Windows Remote Assistance certainly has more possible uses than just solving computer problems. It could also be useful for remote training. Or, when your buddy wants to show you something particularly clever that he's done with his Windows computer, he can just send you an invitation to share.

Windows Remote Assistance is not a program for regularly accessing remote computers. For that you need Remote Desktop Connection—plus, the remote computer needs to have at least the Pro or Business version of Windows installed. Windows Remote Assistance requires that someone be available on both ends of the connection to monitor and communicate during the process. This is part of the protection against misuse.

Jack goes into more detail in his book than I have, but who needs it. It is remarkably simple and intuitive. The next time I'm trying to do phone support for one of my friends or relatives, I hope I remember that Windows Remote Assistance exists.

Digital Dave

Forget 3D, Now It's 4k Televisions

“Wondering About 4K TVs? Here Are the Facts.”
by Jack Dunning

A few years ago, 3D television was supposed to take the world by storm. 3D is still here (sort of), but now everyone is talking about 4K Ultra High Definition.

WebTV was introduced in the mid-1990s as a way to offer Internet access to people through their television sets. The idea was to take advantage of the one electronic device which sits at a central location in almost every home by offering Internet services through the family TV. There was no need for the complications of a computer. WebTV included a box, an online service, and a wireless keyboard. The TV would replace the computer's monitor. All that was needed was an Internet connection—either modem or cable. The idea made perfect sense, but it was ahead of its time. WebTV was eventually purchased by Microsoft and absorbed into MSN. The online service closed down last year.

Ironically, today almost every new television on the market could be called a Web TV. The Internet is now integral to our entertainment. While the early deliberate attempts at making the family centered television into an Internet hub failed, the reality evolved naturally with very little prompting. Companies such as Netflix made the Internet television into one of the most used computers in the home. We now call these entertainment devices Smart TVs. One of the most important features of a smart television is the capability to connect to the home network (usually wirelessly) and stream Internet entertainment. This video streaming through both Smart TVs and special boxes has become so important to the television that it now threatens the business plan of the cable industry.

I have three kids who now have families of their own. Every one of them use Internet streaming (mostly Netflix) as a major source of their family entertainment. Not one of them subscribe to cable television. All they want (or need) is the Internet connection. Of course my survey is purely anecdotal. None of my kids have much interest in watching live sports—which may be one edge that cable television has over most Internet streaming.

Regardless of the fate of the cable industry, new televisions must cater to the viewing habits of their buyers. Smart TVs are now standard equipment on electronics store shelves. The key to selling family entertainment equipment is offering what the people want.

The Fate of 3D Television

A few of years ago the rage was 3D TV. Every television manufacturer was pushing its latest entry into the high-end 3D market. This was supposed to be the technology which would turn home entertainment on its head. I humbly admit that I was one of the few who didn't drink the Kool-Aid. In 2010, I pointed out that 3D features could not possibly have the same effect on television as they had in the theaters. It's a physical problem. It turns out I was right. "In another five years we will be reminiscing about the big 3D push." (When I make a prediction, I so rarely get it right that I feel incumbent upon myself to revel in it when I do.) While 3D capabilities continue to be included in high-end televisions, they are no longer touted as a reason to buy a new television. Watching 3D at home still does not register on consumer entertainment surveys.

Figure 1. Samsung UN55F9000 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV.

That doesn't necessarily mean that 3D TV is going away. It just isn't getting the same attention from manufacturers as a possible game changer. It continues to be built into the more expensive televisions. It's almost as if TV builders are saying, "We have the technology. Why not include it?" While it can help justify a higher price in an entertainment system, I'm not sure it plays much of a role in the buying decision. 3D TV is not quite dead yet—and could make a comeback. However, the latest rage is 4K Ultra High Definition television.

What is 4K UHD Television?

The next generation in television resolution is 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition). The term which will be increasingly used in coming years is "4K" television. Essentially it is a television which has approximately four times the number of pixels (4096 x 2160 pixels) as the now standard 1080p HDTV (1920 x 1080 pixels). This means finer detail and sharper pictures. 4K televisions are now appearing on the store shelves varying in price from as low as $500, but more commonly in the thousands of dollars.

Figure 2. Sony XBR55X850A 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Internet LED UHDTV.

While it does look like the entertainment industry is headed in the 4K direction, there are a number of reasons that it's not quite ready for primetime—and it could be many years before you would have a compelling reason to buy a 4K television.

Little 4K Content

4K UHD is a major change in the technology. Not only does it affect the televisions, but all the cameras and broadcast signals will need to be replaced to provide 4K content. This represents a major overhaul of the infrastructure that provides the shows, whether it's the cameras used to record entertainment, BluRay DVD players, cable or broadcast television, or Internet streaming. It's an expensive change for the industry and it won't happen overnight. That means the current availability of 4K content is meager at best. If you buy a 4K TV now, you will still be watching 1080p content.

High 4K Prices

As is true in most new technology, the prices are high when first introduced. 4K is no different. As examples, here are three 55" 4K televisions each selling for about $3000: the Samsung UN55F9000 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV; the Sony XBR55X850A 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Internet LED UHDTV; and the LG Electronics 55LA9650 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 240Hz 3D Smart LED TV. Each is a Smart TV (connects to the home network for Internet goodies) and includes 3D (whether you want it or not).

Figure 3. LG Electronics 55LA9650 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 240Hz 3D Smart LED TV.

There are also 65" models available—usually for $1500 to $2000 more. 4K TV models are normally not available in smaller screens since the advantages of 4K TV viewing at family room distances are lost as the screen gets smaller. Lower priced 4K TVs can be found (under $1000), but they are generally not Smart TVs and they usually don't rate very well in reviews.

Quality of 4K TV Viewing

Based upon 4K TV reviews, there isn't much to be gained in viewing quality. The problem is that at the normal television distances it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between 1080p and 4K resolution. This is not so much an issue of screen resolution as it is the capability of the receivers in the eyeball. Everyone is limited by their personal vision and at a certain point any difference just can't be discerned. This is the same problem found with the ever improving audio standards. While it may be provable that the quality is better, it may not be perceptible by our human receptors. Those are the times when you may want the hearing of a dog or the vision of a hawk. Whether it is worthwhile to consider 4K may depend more on your own vision, than the resolution of the screen. (The higher resolutions on tablets and smartphones are often effective because they are viewed at much closer distances.)

While content recorded in 4K is an improvement over 1080p recordings when viewed in 4K, it has also been noted that 4K content viewed at 1080p is better than straight 1080p videos. That gives an added incentive for the industry to keep moving toward 4K production. Even though 1080p is likely to be around for a long time, there will be marginal improvements for producing 4K content which will be viewed at 1080p. By the time 4K TV prices drop (and they will) the entertainment industry will have moved much further down the 4K production road and much more content should be available.

Streaming 4K UHD

Since the screen has four times the resolution, the data stream for 4K TV (depending upon the type of data compression available at the time) will require four times the bandwidth. That places a heavy burden on an already over-taxed Internet connection. This is a very real issue for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the ISPs who provide the bandwidth into the homes. Most likely 4K service will come at a premium price, both for delivery from the streaming companies and the cost of additional bandwidth from your ISP for your home Internet connection. Right now, there isn't much to worry about since there is so little 4K content, but eventually (if the demand is there), this will be another money making opportunity for all involved.

HDMI 2.0

In order to support the new 4K standard the HDMI 2.0 interface specification has been released. Eventually, once the new technology becomes commonly available another question is added to our television list of features will be: "Does it have an HDMI 2.0 connection?" This will ultimately apply to everything that plays 4K video (e.g. Blu Ray DVD players).

Should I Get a 4K TV?

For now, unless you're the type of person who must have the latest and greatest of everything, you don't need 4K TV. The price is too high and there isn't much to watch in 4K. It would be better to get a good 1080p Smart television. These TVs will be around for a long time and they will be able to play the 4K video—even after 4K becomes the standard.

Jack is the publisher of ComputorEdge Magazine. He's been with the magazine since first issue on May 16, 1983. Back then, it was called The Byte Buyer. His Web site is www.computoredge.com. He can be reached at ceeditor@computoredge.com. Jack is now in the process of updating and compiling his hundreds of articles and columns into e-books. Currently available:

Hidden Windows Tools for Protecting, Problem Solving and Troubleshooting Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Computers.

Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 and Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey.

Our second compilation of stupid ComputorEdge cartoons from 2011 and 2012 is now available at Amazon! That Does Not Compute, Too! ComputorEdge Cartoons, Volume II: "Do You Like Windows 8 or Would You Prefer an Apple?"

Special Free Offer at ComputorEdge E-Books! Jack's Favorite Free Windows Programs: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Get Started!.

Misunderstanding Windows 8: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Windows 8 (Seventh Edition)!

Windows 7 Secrets Four-in-One E-Book Bundle,

Getting Started with Windows 7: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Using Windows 7,

Sticking with Windows XP—or Not? Why You Should or Why You Should Not Upgrade to Windows 7,

and That Does Not Compute!, brilliantly drawn cartoons by Jim Whiting for really stupid gags by Jack about computers and the people who use them.

Easy Beginner AutoHotkey Tricks You Should Use with Windows

“If You Do Nothing Else, Use AutoHotkey to Instantly Turn Hard to Type Jargon into Hotstrings”
by Jack Dunning

Most people have specialized vocabulary in their occupation. Use short hotstrings to add those terms to any document easy without spelling or type hassles.

Anyone who works with their computer regularly has found that they frequently have specialized vocabulary which they must use in their writing and data fields. Often these are terms, which are usually unique to the occupation, are too long to type so we abbreviate them for ease of input. However, these abbreviations may be confusing to some and meaningless to others. The answer is to add the complete terms to your documents every time you need it without typing anything more than an abbreviation. Then people will know exactly what you're talking about.

For example, typing ComputorEdge is a real pain. Between the capital E in the middle of the word and the silly "o" rather than an "e" it is extremely awkward to type. I could abbreviate ComputorEdge to CE, which may work find for most ComputorEdge readers, but to the average person CE may mean Consumer Electronics, CE marking, Continuing Education, or the Corps of Engineers. At a time when clarity is important, abbreviations get in the way.

The solution is to use AutoHotkey to add these often used, yet specialized, words to a main script which launches every time I log on:

::ce::ComputorEdge

When I enter "ce" followed by a space or other punctuation, I get ComputorEdge.

Here are a couple more that I use regularly:

::ahk::AutoHotkey

::ahkl::l.autohotkey.net

Since I do a weekly AutoHotkey column, I commonly enter the word. I could use the abbreviation AHK, but that could be confused with Acid House Kings (Swedish band) or American Health Kennels. (Okay, maybe that one would work.) But even more useful is the second hotstring, "ahkl", which is replaced with "l.autohotkey.net" when followed by an ENTER key. I use this when I'm adding Web references to AutoHotkey commands.

If I Google an AutoHotkey command, I will usually get a results list with the documentation for the original AutoHotkey version at the top. I could use that Web page, but command explanation may not be complete for the latest accepted version of AutoHotkey_L. I could search specifically for the AutoHotkey_L documentation, but that's time consuming compared to using the following technique.

I search for "AutoHotkey gui" with Google—usually by highlighting the words in a column I'm writing, right-clicking and selecting "Search Google for 'AutoHotkey gui'." I click "GUI - AutoHotkey" which is at the top of the search results, opening the GUI documentation on the original AutoHotkey site (www.autohotkey.com) (see Figure 1). Since, with the exception of the domain name, the URL for the AutoHotkey_L documentation is identical, I highlight the domain portion of the address and type "ahkl" followed by a return.

Figure 1. A Google search for an AutoHotkey command will bring up the Web site pages for the original version of AutoHotkey at the top of the list.

The URL is replaced with the equivalent AutoHotkey_L Web site URL (l.autohotkey.net) and the browser is redirected to that page (see Figure 2). I now have the URL I want to use in my referencing of the command.

Figure 2. The browser is redirected to the Web site with the documentation for the currently accepted version of AutoHotkey (AutoHotkey_L).

Note that the URL is now the ahkscript.org domain. This is due to a recent change where ahkscript.org has recently replaced l.autohotkey.net as the primary domain for AutoHotkey_L. All l.autohotkey.net request are redirected to ahkscript.org.

I'm not sure how much use most people would have for this last trick, but it sure saves me a lot of time. However, expanding commonly used abbreviations for jargon is certainly something that you should do on your Windows computer—both to save you time and clarify for others. I'm sure that you have your own set of words that are normally a hassle to type/spell.

If you use the AutoHotkey Autocorrect script for commonly misspelled words (and you should), then you can just add your special vocabulary to the list.

*                    *                    *

The new second edition with more chapters and an index to the AutoHotkey commands found in the book is available in e-book format from Amazon (and other formats—EPUB and PDF— at the ComputorEdgeBooks Web site linked below). Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 offers a gentle approach to learning AutoHotkey.

Building Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, AutoHotkey is the most powerful, flexible, free Windows utility software available. Anyone can instantly add more of the functions that they want in all of their Windows programs, whether installed on their computer or while working on the Web. AutoHotkey has a universality not found in any other Windows utility—free or paid.

Based upon the series of articles in ComputorEdge, Jack takes you through his learning experience as he explores writing simple AutoHotkey scripts for adding repetitive text in any program or on the Web, running programs with special hotkeys or gadgets, manipulating the size and screen location of windows, making any window always-on-top, copying and moving files, and much more. Each chapter builds on the previous chapters.

For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey click here!

For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper for inclusion in a standard notebook of A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey click here!

*                    *                    *

Jack's latest AutoHotkey book which is comprised of updated, reorganized and indexed columns from ComputorEdge is now available at Amazon for Kindle hardware (or free software) users. Since the columns were not all written in a linear fashion, the book has been reorganized and broken up into parts by topic. The book is not for the complete beginner since it builds on the information in A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey. However, if a person is reasonably computer literate, they could go directly to this book for ideas and techniques without the first book.

For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of Digging Deeper into AutoHotkey click here!

For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper for inclusion in a standard notebook of Digging Deeper into AutoHotkey click here!

Jack is the publisher of ComputorEdge Magazine. He's been with the magazine since first issue on May 16, 1983. Back then, it was called The Byte Buyer. His Web site is www.computoredge.com. He can be reached at ceeditor@computoredge.com. Jack is now in the process of updating and compiling his hundreds of articles and columns into e-books. Currently available:

Hidden Windows Tools for Protecting, Problem Solving and Troubleshooting Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Computers.

Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 and Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey.

Our second compilation of stupid ComputorEdge cartoons from 2011 and 2012 is now available at Amazon! That Does Not Compute, Too! ComputorEdge Cartoons, Volume II: "Do You Like Windows 8 or Would You Prefer an Apple?"

Special Free Offer at ComputorEdge E-Books! Jack's Favorite Free Windows Programs: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Get Started!.

Misunderstanding Windows 8: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Windows 8 (Seventh Edition)!

Windows 7 Secrets Four-in-One E-Book Bundle,

Getting Started with Windows 7: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Using Windows 7,

Sticking with Windows XP—or Not? Why You Should or Why You Should Not Upgrade to Windows 7,

and That Does Not Compute!, brilliantly drawn cartoons by Jim Whiting for really stupid gags by Jack about computers and the people who use them.

Wally Wang's Apple Farm

“Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery”
by Wally Wang

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery; Apple's Wearable Computing Device in Plain Sight; The Real Future of Apple TV; Sony Woes; The History of Social Networks; Windows Enthusiast Bashes Windows 8; Block Plug-ins.

Before the Macintosh, computers relied on command line interfaces that could display crude graphics. After the Macintosh came out, Microsoft introduced Windows, which they gradually refined until it basically worked just like a Macintosh.

Before the iPhone, smartphones relied on physical keyboards that either crowded the limited physical space of the smartphone, or flipped or popped out in odd Rube Goldberg-like contraptions. After the iPhone came out, smartphones adopted a touchscreen interface.

Before the iPad, tablet PCs offered a screen that swiveled around and folded flat over a physical keyboard, which meant you had a tablet that had the bulk and weight of an ordinary laptop. After the iPad, tablet computers looked more like the iPad with a touchscreen and little else visible.

Seeing how products drastically change their appearances after Apple releases a product makes you realize that imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery, even if the people doing the imitating knowingly do so while loudly proclaiming their independence so they can cater to customers who believe nothing Apple creates is worth using.

Some of the oddest form of imitation has come from the Linux world. First, there's elementary OS, which puts a Macintosh-like interface on top of Linux. If you use Ubuntu or any Debian-version of Linux, there's also Macbuntu. Perhaps the strangest example comes from North Korea with version 3.0 of their own Red Star Linux.

Figure 1. Red Star Linux mimics the interface of the Macintosh.

Apparently version 2.0 of Red Star Linux mimicked the interface of Windows 7, but version 3.0 switched to a more Macintosh-like interface. If you'd rather not switch to Linux, you can turn Windows into a Macintosh-like interface through a transformation pack.

With so many different ways to make Linux and Windows look like a Macintosh, perhaps the easiest solution of all is just to switch to a Macintosh. That way you can run Windows and Linux as virtual machines and get the best of all three operating systems running on a single computer. After all, why use an imitation when you can get the real thing instead?

Apple's Wearable Computing Device in Plain Sight

To get a jump on Apple in the wearable computing market, Samsung released their Galaxy Gear smartwatch that basically mimics a subset of smartphone features. Yet the evidence behind what Apple plans to do with their iWatch wearable computer is clearly visible for anyone to see (and copy).

While rumors of the iWatch are often as reliable as sightings of BigFoot or UFOs, actual evidence of Apple's plans can be seen in the tremendous number of experts they've been quietly hiring in fashion, wearable product industrial design, retail, blood-reading sensors, medical device product management, hardware engineering, software vision, and fitness. Any competitor that ignores all this evidence in plain sight has no excuse to claim they were surprised by what Apple was doing, but they'll likely do so anyway.

With all evidence pointing to the iWatch as being a portable, real-time health monitoring device, why aren't rivals busy developing their own wearable computing products that can compete against the iWatch? Most likely they won't release anything that competes against the iWatch until they first see what the iWatch does right so they can copy it and claim they're innovative leaders after all.

The Real Future of Apple TV

While everyone ignores evidence of the potential features of the iWatch, everyone's also ignoring other evidence right in front of their face. For the past few years, Apple has been spending billions developing server farms that seem to have no purpose. Rather than ask what Apple might be doing with these seemingly useless server farms, competitors are simply waiting to copy whatever Apple produces.

The latest evidence points to the real purpose of these giant server farms, which is to provide their own content-delivery network (CDN). Right now a CDN can be handy for delivering software updates and files like music, apps, and e-books through iTunes. However, Apple's current needs don't explain why they're building massive server farms all over the country for billions of dollars. While competitors ignore these server farms, it's likely that Apple plans to offer their own streaming video content, which happens to tie in nicely with their Apple TV along with the screens of people owning Macintosh computers, iPads, and iPhones.

By simply bypassing the bottleneck of traditional TV networks and cable companies, Apple can reach consumers directly. With such massive reach to millions of consumers, it's not hard to imagine that production companies will jump at the chance to reach so many potential customers by distributing their content (and sharing the profits) with Apple.

While competitors simply work within the current system, Apple plans to go around the current system and make that system so antiquated and undesirable that consumers will willingly dump their current means of receiving video content and switch to Apple's content services instead.

That's the real future of Apple TV. It's staring at rivals right in the face and they're all simply ignoring the billion dollar construction of server farms all over the country, despite years of ample warning of what Apple might do with these server farms. When they get blind-sided by Apple's content delivery network, they'll all claim that they couldn't possibly have predicted the future as they rush to copy Apple's services even though by then it will be too late.

Sony Woes

At one time, Sony was an electronics powerhouse that skyrocketed with the popularity of their Walkman portable music player. The Walkman should have evolved into the iPod, but Sony missed their opportunity. Sony also once had a chance to license OS X, but reportedly turned it down to focus on Windows instead.

Now Sony is shutting down their PC business since the Windows PC market keeps dropping and shows no signs of returning to their former glory when practically everyone used a Windows PC to do everything. Sony will also shut down their e-book store on March 20, 2014 and will transfer all accounts to Kobo. How long Kobo can remain in the e-book business remains to be seen, but at least current Sony e-book customers won't lose all of their e-books.

Unlike Dell and Hewlett-Packard, Sony sold most of their PCs to consumers. As Acer and Asus have discovered, when your PC market share depends on consumers and those consumers start switching from Windows PCs to something else, your entire market goes down the drain. If consumers don't want Windows PCs, and more corporations are letting workers bring their own technology into the workplace, does anyone think that the Windows PC market will suddenly reverse its decline and magically start growing once more?

How did Sony go from a leader to a struggling, directionless corporate dinosaur? Most likely Sony's executives focused on short-term profits and ignored long-term strategic planning. No matter how powerful any company might be, they could lose their leadership if they simply react to change instead of creating it. When you only react to change, you'll always be one step behind everyone else. That's the fate that awaits every corporation that thinks mimicking existing trends is a long-term strategy for success. Just ask Blackberry and Nokia how well the lack of long-term strategic planning worked out to maintain their leadership in the smartphone market.

The History of Social Networks

Many people think that social networks like Facebook and Twitter are something new. What they don't realize is that some form of social networks has been around as long as people have been around.

Before the Internet, people swapped ideas through electronic bulletin board systems (BBS). Long before people ran BBS software with odd names like Wildcat and PC Board, people have been using various means of technology to communicate. Tom Standage wrote an interesting book called The Writing On the Wall, which details how social media has existed in one form or another for centuries.

During America's early history, people often printed pamphlets that they distributed through public places like taverns and coffeehouses. If a pamphlet proved interesting, people would copy and share it with others. Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense, has largely been credited with galvanizing the colonies to promote independence from England.

Before printing presses, people used to write by hand. People in King Henry's court used to share love letters and poems that they would pass around to each other. Each person might comment on the contents or modify it, which gave the document a life of its own.

Even earlier, people in ancient times used to write messages to each other on the walls of buildings. Instead of being seen as graffiti, such writings were accepted as just another way for people to communicate with each other without physically seeing each other.

In another book, The Victorian Internet, Tom Standage explains how people took advantage of the telegraph to communicate with people over long distances. During slow periods, telegraph operators would chat with one another, play checkers or chess, and swap stories without ever seeing the other person. Critics often complained that people wasted time chatting with people they didn't even know instead of talking with people around them. Sound familiar?

Scientists often proposed ideas through these early forms of social networks, debating among themselves in coffeehouses and taverns, and sharing their thoughts in pamphlets for others to read and comment on.

At one point, two groups of scientists debated the value of inoculation as a method to prevent illness. The scientists who promoted inoculation as a preventative measure tried to convince others that inoculation was safe and effective. The anti-inoculation crowd claimed that inoculation could not possibly work, while ignoring actual evidence that it did work. So you can see that people have historically avoided looking at actual evidence right before their eyes and still held on to their beliefs even when such beliefs were obviously untrue.

By reading The Writing On the Wall, you can learn that humans have always found ways to communicate with others in ways that don't involve face to face contact. Social networks have existed for centuries. They just take on different forms as they adapt to changing technology.

Unfortunately as social networks have changed form, the inability of people to think remains the same. Fortunately people who refuse to think can bask in the comfort that they share the same traits as the people who denied inoculations could work, who advocated slavery was beneficial to society, and who believed that women should be denied the right to vote. With so many people willingly and knowingly doing their best to hold back progress, even in the face of contradictory evidence, it's a wonder that the human race can ever advance anywhere at all.

Windows Enthusiast Bashes Windows 8

Paul Thurrott is a long-time Microsoft enthusiast who has spent years promoting Microsoft and Windows. Recently he wrote "Windows 8 is not well-designed. It's a mess. But Windows 8 is a bigger problem than that. Windows 8 is a disaster in every sense of the word. This is not open to debate, is not part of some cute imaginary world where everyone's opinion is equally valid or whatever. Windows 8 is a disaster. Period."

Before Microsoft released Vista, their own executives couldn't get Vista to work right and knew Vista wasn't ready. Yet they knowingly released Vista to the public anyway. Now it appears that Microsoft knew about the problems of Windows 8, yet released the product despite its many flaws.

Paul Thurrott says, "I had found out from internal sources immediately that the product was doomed from the get-go, feared and ignored by customers, partners and other groups in Microsoft alike. Windows 8 was such a disaster that Steven Sinofsky was ejected from the company and his team of lieutenants was removed from Windows in a cyclone of change that triggered a reorganization of the entire company. Even Sinofsky's benefactor, Microsoft's then-CEO Steve Ballmer, was removed from office."

If a company knows a product is flawed, yet releases it anyway, then spends millions trying to convince the public that the product is not flawed when even they know that it is, is this the type of company or product you would want to support? If a company knowingly releases a flawed product once, you might forgive them. But if they knowingly do it twice (Vista and then Windows 8), why would you continue supporting that company? Even more puzzling, why would you actively discourage people from seeking alternatives and advocate that everyone should continue using flawed products from a company that keeps deliberately trying to deceive you?

Any Windows enthusiasts want to comment on this matter? Or would they rather stay silent and pretend they never saw the question?

In Writing On the Wall, Tom Standage explains how in ancient times, scribes resisted the spread of literacy because if too many people were capable of reading and writing, there would be no need to hire scribes.

In today's world, you can see tech-savvy people resisting devices that threaten the tech-savvy user's control, power, and status. If people don't need to rely on tech-savvy people to use technology, then tech-savvy people have no purpose. So one reason why tech-savvy people resist change is to avoid losing their power over others just like scribes of ancient times.

Given a choice between a world where a small minority profits off the ignorance of the masses, and a world where the masses can control their own future, can you guess which option will benefit more people? Can you guess which option will benefit the minority that relies on arcane knowledge to maintain their artificial monopoly? Now can you guess the motivation for much of the anger and bitterness of tech-savvy people towards anything that threatens their monopoly of power?

*                    *                    *

One huge problem with browser plug-ins like Flash is that they can run in the background, burning up power for no good reason. On a desktop computer, this isn't a problem, but on a laptop, this could drain your battery unnecessarily.

To fix this problem, you can block plug-ins from running. If you see something that you like, you can give Safari permission to run the plug-in. For your most frequently visited sites, you can tell Safari to always run plug-ins.

To define how Safari behaves with plug-ins, click on the Safari menu and choose Preferences. When a Preferences window appears, click the Advanced icon and select the "Stop plug-ins to save power" check box.

Figure 2. Safari lets you block plug-ins from running without your permission.

If you want to define sites to run plug-ins without asking for permission, click the Details button and type in the domain address of the sites you'll allow plug-ins to run automatically.

In the early days, before Wally became an Internationally renowned comedian, computer book writer, and generally cool guy, Wally Wang used to hang around The Byte Buyer dangling participles with Jack Dunning and go to the gym to pump iron with Dan Gookin.

Wally is responsible for the following books:

Microsoft Office 2013 For Dummies

Beginning Programming for Dummies

Beginning Programming All-in-One Reference for Dummies

Breaking Into Acting for Dummies with Larry Garrison

Strategic Entrepreneurism with Jon and Gerald Fisher

How to Live with a Cat (When You Really Don't Want To)

The Secrets of the Wall Street Stock Traders

Mac Programming For Absolute Beginners

Republican Fairy Tales (Children's Stories the 1% Tell About the Rest of Us)

The Zen of Effortless Selling with Moe Abdou

The 15-Minute Movie Method

Erotophobia (A novel)

Math for the Zombie Apocalypse

How to Write a Great Script with Final Draft 9

In his spare time, Wally likes blogging about movies and writing screenplays at his site "The 15 Minute Movie Method," finding interesting news stories about cats at his site "Cat Daily News," giving advice to authors who want to self-publish e-books at his site "The Electronic Author," and providing the type of advice he wishes someone would have told him when he was much younger at his personal Web site. Wally can be reached at wally@computoredge.com or you can follow him on Twitter @wallacewang_com.

Worldwide News & Product Reviews

“The latest in tech news and hot product reviews.”
by Charles Carr

FileZilla Hack Circulating the Web; See "Steam Machines" Ranked by 3DMark Score; New Breed of Ransomware is Leaving Skilled IT Admins at the Mercy of End Users; HTC One (AT&T).

FileZilla Hack Circulating the Web

Monika Greil from Emsisoft writes in this week:

On January 28th, the makers of open source FTP application FileZilla announced that tainted versions of their program are circulating the Web.

Known collectively as StealZilla, these versions contain malware that steals server log-in credentials and sends them to the attacker.

• Identifying StealZilla

StealZilla is being spread by third-party Web sites unassociated to FileZilla. If you have recently downloaded what you thought was FileZilla, you should investigate the application's properties. Pictured below is a comparison of the About Windows from FileZilla (left) and StealZilla (right).

• How StealZilla Works

As an open-source application, FileZilla has long been vulnerable to fraudulent replication, however StealZilla is currently the largest and most successful attack to date. At a glance, StealZilla differs very little from FileZilla. To begin, the third-party GUI download sites (right) are almost identical to the official FileZilla one (left).

On top of this, StealZilla is fully functional and the application is only slightly smaller than the 6.8MB FileZilla.exe. Essentially, StealZilla works because it works—and to the average user nothing appears to be wrong.

There are a few dead giveaways going on in the background, however. StealZilla actually contains a hardcoded FTP stealer which sends user FTP connection information to the hackers behind the attack. This information is sent only once, but once it is the hackers can then bypass your firewall and perform any number of malicious activities to or with your computer. This is a very subtle method, but Emsisoft Anti-Malware actually recognizes it with its Behavior Blocker.

As yet, the identities of those behind StealZilla are unknown. It has been discovered that the program sends stolen FTP credentials to a server in Germany (IP 144.76.120.24) but the domains linked to this IP are hosted by Naunet.ru, a Russian registrar long associated with hacking. The three known domains are: go-upload.ru, aliserv2013.ru, and ngusto-uro.ru but the WHOIS info on these domains is anonymous.

• StealZilla Protection

When downloading any open source application it is important to use only official or officially certified Web sites. For FileZilla, these sites are FileZilla-project.org and sourceforge.net/projects/filezilla/. If you use anything else, you are placing yourself at risk. With any application, regular updates are also a key component of comprehensive security. Notably, StealZilla does not allow itself to be updated.

Emsisoft's Malware Analysis team will continue to follow StealZilla as it evolves, and will keep readers posted if any significant modifications to this threat occur.

UPDATE: Visiting FileZilla.org as opposed to the official FileZilla-project.org will redirect users to any number of random sites, based on their location. Some of these redirects are to third-party FileZilla download sites that may contain the StealZilla variant!

See "Steam Machines" Ranked by 3DMark Score

Oliver Baltuch, president of the hardware benchmarking firm, Futuremark, writes:

[The gaming software company] Valve revealed 14 different Steam Machines at CES, from small streaming boxes like Gigabyte's Brix Pro to Origin PC's twin-Titan powerhouse.

There are plenty of choices, but which one offers gamers the best combination of performance and value?

We've trawled through our results database to estimate 3DMark Fire Strike scores for each configuration with confirmed hardware specs. These estimates are based on PCs with similar hardware running Windows. The performance may differ under SteamOS using Linux drivers, but the relative differences between machines should be the same.

For Steam Machines with prices, we've also been able to calculate a measure of value—how much 3DMark performance you get for your money.

You'll find all the numbers summarized in a handy table on our Web site, which we will update regularly as new details emerge: www.futuremark.com

You can also download 3DMark from our Web site to see how your own PC compares with these Steam Machines: www.futuremark.com

New Breed of Ransomware is Leaving Skilled IT Admins at the Mercy of End Users

The security awareness training company, KnowBe4, LLC has info about (yet another) new security threat:

Complaints of so-called CryptoLocker infections and resulting loss of data is on the rise. The malicious code, also referred to as "ransomware" due to the demand for fees to release captured files, is increasingly causing problems for IT security staff due to variants of the software and making millions of dollars off those targeted.

"We have been getting a lot of system administrators calling us to request security awareness training because their end users have been tricked into opening up attachments of phishing e-mails and infected their workstations with the CryptoLocker malware," said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. "It started last September and is not going away but actually getting worse."

Typically, the ransomware is spread by a user clicking on a malware laden e-mail attachment such as a fake tracking notice from UPS, Fed Ex, DHL or USPS. A Greenland, NH City Hall lost eight years of records from an employee clicking on a spoofed ATT notice and just recently Goodson Law firm (Charlotte, NC) lost access to all their files when a similar fake ATT voicemail attachment was opened and infected their file server. Although not as frequent, infection can also occur from a malicious Web site exploit of outdated browser plugins.

This malicious hijacker code detects the personal files of a user and wraps them in strong encryption with a $300 ransom fee to decrypt and a short window of time to pay up. This affects both the local user docs and remote shared folders, encrypting every file with standard Office extensions including images and PDFs.

Sjouwerman recommends IT managers make sure they have an effective working backup. Even with that, system administrators will need to wipe and rebuild or reimage the machine and restore the files, taking an average of 3 hours. If multiple machines are infected, it may take even longer.

According to Sjouwerman, "The need for security awareness training shouldn't be overlooked. Despite the best efforts of IT and antivirus companies, sometimes the attachments are blocked by existing filters as "possible malware" but users request them to be released and the (outsourced) help desk releases them. Users might not initially admit they opened an attachment saying it did nothing, until they are locked out of their files and the infection has spread."

Antivirus companies are furiously working on a way to prevent this from occurring and some are able to block it from running, but the perpetrators are frequently changing the code, making it difficult to eradicate.

KnowBe4's Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training 2014 is a solution aimed at educating users on how to recognize threats and avoid tricks.

HTC One (AT&T)

Product: HTC One

Manufacturer: HTC

Carrier: AT&T

Web site: www.att.com

Price: $0 with two-year contract, $599 without contract, other pricing options available

There are literally thousands of iterations of Android phone models, makes, and brands, so it's pretty hard to point to a leader of the pack. But the HTC One comes pretty close.

First off, let's go with the build. The One's case is literally milled out of one piece of solid piece of aluminum—and it looks and feels like it. The One looks more like something that was grown or occurred naturally than built by mere humans.

Under the hood is a fantastic quad core processor (see specs below) that blazes through just about any app you boot. Video looks fantastic with 1080p resolution and the color is absolutely fantastic. Text is clear and sharp.

The One's camera is pretty good. Four megapixels is not anywhere near the highest res being currently offered, but the shots I took looked great both on the phone and on my desktop's LCD. A feature called Zoes allows you to take super-short videos and a series of 20 pics at once. That gives you enough shots to pick from to find just the right image out of the bunch and save it or share it to most prominent social networks.

Sound is maybe better than any phone I've yet heard thanks to two front-facing stereo speakers. Beats Audio through a pair of good headphones sounds absolutely incredible.

The One integrates IR, so you can connect to your TV or other device. If you've got your phone sitting next to you anyway while you're watching the tube, why not use the One to control it?

The editor, Charles Carr, asked me to point out something that could be improved. I'd have to say that, like so many phones these days, there's just so much that's glued together—the screen to the mainboard and lots of ancillary parts—that getting them apart to do anything yourself is pretty much out of the question. Some parts on phones these days have to first be heated with a blowdryer to soften the adhesive they use. But, like I said, that's nearly every phone out there. Also, it's too bad that there's no user-accessible battery compartment. That means you'll have to use an external battery if you need more juice to get through the day. For me, battery life was very good, but I did have to make sure I didn't watch too many videos or play too many games if I wanted to make it all the way through the day.

All-in-all, the HTC One is an amazing piece of technology. If you're an Android person—even if you're an iOS (iPhone) person looking to try something a little different—you won't be disappointed in the general quality and majority of features this phone has to offer.

Review contributed by Randall Bremiller

Specifications (from AT&T):

——————————————————-

Android v4.3 (Jelly Bean) operating system

Display size: 4.7 inches

Resolution (pixels)

Full HD 1080p; 468ppi

16 million colors

Rear-facing camera

HTC UltraPixel Camera

Dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2

f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)

Continuous zoom

Live video capture and playback

1080p HD

HTC Zoe

Instantly capture 20 photos and a three-second video to make pictures come alive.

Front-facing camera

2.1MP with HD video capture and playback

HTC BoomSound

Dual frontal stereo speakers powered by built-in amplifiers.

Beats Audio

Studio quality enhanced sound by Beats Audio.

Music player

Google Play Music

Supported music formats

MP3, AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MIDI, WAV, WMA

Streaming radio

Tunein Radio

SoundHoundSM

Built-in FM radio

Create music playlists

Battery capacity

2300mAh

Talk time (hours)

Up to 26.2

Standby time (days)

Up to 19.2

Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600

1.7GHz quad-core

Internal memory storage

32GB

RAM

2GB DDR2

Wireless Technology

4G-LTE

Bands 2, 4, 5 and 17

4G

HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul

UMTS/HSPA+

850/1900/2100MHz

GSM/GPRS/EDGE

850/900/1800/1900MHz

Wi-Fi® connectivity

802.11 a/ac/b/g/n

5GHz Wi-Fi capable

Near Field Communication (NFC)

Open, secure

Bluetooth® technology

v4.0 with aptX® enabled

Mobile Hotspot**

Up to 8 devices

FOTA capable - upgrade Firmware Over The Air

Text messaging

Insert pictures, video clips and sound clips easily (messaging charges apply)

Instant Messaging

Google Talk™, Google+™ Messenger

Mobile email

POP3/IMAP, Gmail, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Yahoo!

Web browser

Android Webkit, Google Chrome

Applications/Media

Facebook, Twitter, Kindle for Android, City ID, Stocks, Voice Recorder, Weather, Tasks, Notes, Calculator, Maps, HTC Watch

Preloaded apps from AT&T

AT&T Address Book, AT&T Navigator, AT&T FamilyMap, myAT&T, AT&T HotSpots, Live TV, YPmobile, AT&T Messages, AT&T Drive Mode, AT&T Locker, AT&T Smart Wi-Fi. Separate subscription may be required.

Multitasking

Use voice and data simultaneously

Device Eco-rating

3 stars. Visit www.att.com/ecospace for additional information.

HTC BlinkFeed™

Stream all your favorite content live onto one screen.

SenseTV™

Easily control your TV and filter by interest, channel, or show.

HTC Sense Voice

Automatically adjusts in-call volume so you can get clear calls wherever you are.

World phone

BLUETOOTH® wireless connectivity

USB connectivity - transfer data through a USB cable

Micro-USB cable included

Hands-free speakerphone

Voice dialing and voice commands

Hearing Aid (HAC) rating

M3, T4

TTY/TTD compatible

Enhanced Audio

Noise Suppression by Fluence®

AT&T Ready2Go

Offers easy online setup and personalization of your new smartphone. See Quickstart Guide included in box for details.

AT&T Device Help

Device Help provides easy access to step by step tutorials and videos about features, functions and AT&T services directly from the web browser on the device (data charges apply).

Multiple award-winning author Charles Carr has written more than two thousand newspaper articles, magazine stories, and columns for many publications including the San Diego Union Tribune, The Californian, The North County Times, Parent Magazine, ComputerScene, and ComputorEdge Magazine where he has been an editor for more than two decades. He is also a television producer/director with shows both currently airing and in production on Cox Cable and elsewhere.

In the 1990s, Charles wrote 3DHouse, a complete inside-and-out virtual reality tour of his family's log home in Southern California. One of the first virtual reality programs ever created, 3DHouse enjoyed tens of thousands of shareware downloads on all major portals. He also sold the rights to Radio Shack and Egghead Software. 3DHouse has since been featured in many books and articles about VR.

Carr has also been commissioned to write and/or directed many of his own stage plays. Several years ago, Carr and others looking for ways to help organizations struggling in difficult economic times, founded Art Animates Life (www.artanimateslife.org).

To date, Art Animates Life, a CA incorporated, federal non-profit, has raised tens-of-thousands of dollars for San Diego area disaster relief, an arts non-profit and municipal gallery, a community outreach center, and several struggling community theaters.

Several years ago Carr was commissioned to adapt and direct the beloved Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. The play, titled "Mr. Scrooge & Mr. Dickens," has sold out So Cal theaters for the past several years. Six shows will take place Dec. 2013 to benefit the San Marcos Historical Society.

Another original play, "All the Time in the World," has been performed many times and garnered broad acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Carr is working on a brand new adaptation of the classic Hitchcock thriller, "The Lady Vanished," to be performed spring 2014.

Carr has won many writing accolades, including San Diego Press Club awards for Best Column Writing, Best Consumer Writing, and Best Arts and Entertainment. He has repeatedly taken top honors in San Diego Songwriter's Guild competitions for his original musical compositions.

Carr is also a noted producer, director, and videographer. Several of his documentaries can currently be seen on So Cal's Cox Cable. Since its inception he has produced the Fallbrook International Film Festival's red carpet event and panel discussions.

Charles receives dozens of requests each year to appear on Southern California television and radio stations to talk about important tech events. He also speaks from time-to-time to high schools and organizations about his eclectic life in the arts.

Learn more at www.charlescarr.com.

Editor's Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers

“Computer and Internet tips, plus comments on the articles and columns.”
by ComputorEdge Staff

"Windows 9," "Windows Explorer Send To," "Linux as XP Replacement"

Windows 9

[Regarding Jack Dunning's January 31 article, "Windows 9 Rumors":]

Hi, I just read your article on choosing an operating system. I understand that Windows XP will not be secure on the Web soon, so I thought of using Windows 7 rather than 8 (thanks for the heads up on the differences). As for my old flight sims, they work on XP and my six year old hardware, but would not like to lose them on Windows 7. Can I keep XP and strip it down for the sims and also use Windows 7 for Internet and other regular chores? If so, can you refer me to info on how to do this? Thank you.

P.S. I have enjoyed your mag since Byte Buyer in 1984, when I had Amigas, and then I switched to PC in 1997 to get on the Web.

-bhavatitdhyan

Make sure you get the Pro version of Windows 7. That way you will have access to Windows XP Mode which runs XP in a virtual machine on the Windows 7 computer.

-Jack Dunning

Windows Explorer Send To

[Regarding the January 31 Digital Dave column:]

Great help on the Send To, thanks. Love the shortcut to finding it with shell:sendto.

Any way to add/enable the Send To to utilize Gmail (or other Web based e-mail) to the e-mail or alternative option in the Send To?

Thanks,

-Rich Ernst, San Diego, CA

See this week's column.

-Dave

Thanks Dave, this will cut down on my mouse clicking in the future. Awesome tip.

-Dave Bisbeeq, Chula Vista, CA

Linux as XP Replacement

[Regarding the February 7 Editors Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers column:]

For those interested in getting something similar to XP (actually a bit more like Windows 7, but learnable) for their XP system, I recommend Linux Mint. Free download/use and runs well even on older hardware. Not oldest XP hardware, but I'd say any computer than can support/use 2+ gigabytes of RAM/memory will run the current Linux Mint pretty well. Older systems limited to 1 gig aren't likely to run well with any current, full featured Linux OS. There are variations of Linux Mint, Cinnamon is the most advanced, sort of Windows 7-ish, Maya and XFCE are for somewhat lower powered systems. I loaded Cinnamon on a two core Pentium at 1.73GHz, and 3 gig of RAM and it runs even better than I expected and will continue using since its original XP OS will not be supported in a few months.

Give it a try, linuxmint.com

-Rich Ernst, San Diego, CA

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