KC News 2002

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Keyboard Shortcut Du Jour
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I'LL PASS ON THAT CD
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Got a CD you want to put in your computer, but you DON'T want it to automatically run?

*MONEY-SAVING RANKINGS
Best sites for comparison shopping and reviews.
*"SWEET SPOT" SHOPPING LISTS
DESKTOPs and LAPTOPs. Best price-to-quality!
*GREEN PC Section
Helps you save energy.

FEBRUARY DEAL$:
Canon Printer/Scanner Bundle ONLY: $100
720 x 360 dpi print, 600 x 1200 dpi scan, USB, Parallel

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HOUSEHOLD ITEM
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ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
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Our regular readers will know that we strongly believe BACKING UP your data is more important that running antivirus software. Nonetheless sharing files with other machines is so common that antivirus protection is the second most important thing you can do to save your files.

Antivirus utilities searches your hard disk for viruses and removes any that are found. Antivirus programs should have an auto-update feature that enables the program to download profiles of new viruses. Checking for the new viruses as soon as they are discovered is the key to protection. The two main antivirus software tools are Norton Antivirus and McAfee VirusScan. Here are several cheaper alternatives you can try out.

TALK IS CHEAP
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KAHL CONSULTANTS recommends products that we personally use.
We found an incredible prepaid long distance service!

* Works worldwide (via web enabled CALLBACK)!
* No Monthly Fees! No Hidden Fees!

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WORDS OF THE MONTH
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802.11a AND 802.11b
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802.11 refers to a family of specifications developed for wireless networking.

802.11b wireless networking (also referred to as 802.11 High Rate or Wi-Fi) is hot. It provides up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps) transmission. Not only popular in busines, educational and institutional networks, but 802.11b products are popular in home and SOHO applications.

Demand for 802.11b at home was driven by people who use wireless-equipped notebooks at work. They take it home and want the same freedom there.

But 802.11b isn't perfect. 802.11b has three major problems:
* limited bandwidth
* radio interference from other devices and networks
* security concerns.

The next big thing is probably 802.11a. The 802.11a standard offers data-transfer speeds of up to 54 Mbps but the higher operating frequency equates to relatively shorter range. 802.11a and 802.11b aren't compatible - they operate on different frequencies - but the two standards can co-exist.

Ready to install a wireless network in your office? Read these articles to help you choose:

802.11g is a new standard that applies to wireless LANs and provides 20+ Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Still in the preproduction stages... but look out when it hits later this year!

HomeRF is short for home radio frequency. Designed for wireless networks in homes - in contrast to 802.11, which was created for businesses -- HomeRF networks are designed to be more affordable to home users than other wireless technologies. Based on frequency hopping and using radio frequency waves for the transmission of voice and data, HomeRF has a range of up to 150 feet. HomeRF uses Shared Wireless Access Protocol.
http://www.homerf.org/

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SITES FOR SORE EYES
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LOCAL NEWSPAPER GATEWAY
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Need to find a local newspaper? Try Newspaperlinks.com.

This site has links to practically every local newspaper in the USA and Canada as well as internationally. Amazing!

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DEALS FROM THE AMAZON
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THIS JUST IN: our real handy Tools & Hardware Deal:

LEATHERMAN Juice C2 Inferno Multitool
List Price: $59.99
Our Price: ONLY $44.99
You Save: $15.00 (25%)

From Leatherman's new Juice line of multitools, the metallic red C2 Inferno features the sleekest, most compact profile. Makes a great gift for boy scouts and
MacGyver disciples everywhere.

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KC TIPS
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WINDOWS XP UPDATE
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This month we'll just focus on two reasons why we do NOT recommend upgrading to Windows XP.

1) Not Backwards Compatible
Windows XP, like Windows 2000 before it, is the latest flavor of Windows NT... not Windows 95/98/ME.

Windows NT was developed as a secure, networked, multi-user operating system. It is an operating system designed for businesses, for workstations and servers, for employees working full-time on computers, who have highly developed computer skills... not for the consumer.

Good old DOS is not part of its structure. It does not "boot through DOS". Compatibility with DOS and Windows 3.x programs rely on "virtual DOS machines" in memory. WinXP does NOT have backward support/compatibility for hardware drivers designed for DOS.

2) No software designed for XP
Software publishers like to claim their software is "compatible" with Windows XP. But they're just referring to a product's ability to run under the operating system.

Only software that has the "Designed for Windows XP" logo is guaranteed to properly run on a WinXP machine, especially one that has been configured for multiple user accounts.

Unsure if a product has met Microsoft's "Designed for XP" criteria? Check the Windows Catalog. Only those that say "Designed for Windows XP" support multiple user configurations seamlessly.

ADULT EDUCATION
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Do you or one of the colleagues in your office need a little help learning to navigate cyberspace?

For example, here in Marin County our county library at the Marin Civic Center offers INTERNET TUTORING.

Marin County Library Internet Tutoring is on Thursdays from 10-11 AM.
Call (415) 499-6058 for reservation, or reserve by email:
ccelib-@-co.marin.ca.us

We have found that most of our small business clients have staff with a lack of fundamental knowledge of internet usage. In other words, they are "winging it" and it
shows. Some of our clients have gone as far as hiring us for private tutorials (actually a good idea if you get several people in the office together).

We recommend that you take an introductory class at your local library or community college. We guarantee that it will be free or inexpensive and you will feel much more confident using your computer. What are you waiting for?

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AOTM (Acronym of the Month)
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PDF
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PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is a file format developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient's monitor or printer as they were intended. This is why many websites post documents in PDF format. The Acrobat Reader is a free, while Acrobat Acrobat 5 costs over $200.

HOW TO READ PDF FILES:
With free Adobe Acrobat Reader software, you can view and print Adobe PDF files across a broad range of hardware and operating systems.

HOW TO CREATE PDF FILES:
Adobe PDF files are created so that other people can download and then reliably open and see your documents.

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WinTips
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CONVERT A WORD DOC TO A PDF FILE
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Not sure what exactly a PDF file is and why it is important? See "Acronym of the Month".

ADOBE ACROBAT
Adobe Acrobat is the best, most reliable way to make PDF files. Acrobat 5.0 lets you convert Microsoft Office documents to Adobe PDF files. Acrobat costs over 200$. You could also buy it on ebay.com (cheaper but often for an older version).

To convert a MS Word file to a PDF file you first install the Adobe Acrobat software (the full version, not the free Reader). Then open the document in Word. In the pull down menu click "File" and select "Print". If Adobe Acrobat PDFwriter is loaded as one of your "printer" choices, you can "print" the file (even though, confusingly, nothing gets printed) and convert it to a PDF.

FREE WORD TO PDF CONVERSION
Don't want to spend over $200 on Adobe Acrobat? The following are offering free services to convert word files into pdfs online:

BCL Magellan
Magellan converts PDF files into HTML4 for online browsing. Magellan uses a unique process that preserves original document layout - complete with graphics, lines, hyperlinks and bookmarks - and transforms it into a useable and searchable document for the web. Purchase for $200, free demo.
http://www.bclcomputers.com/products/magellan.htm

SCANSOFT OMNIPAGE PRO
ScanSoft's OmniPage Pro OCR software now includes a feature to convert to and from PDF and many popular file formats including MS Word.

WORDPERFECT
WordPerfect has a "Publish to PDF" to create a PDF file from it's formats and others (including MS Word). Not always perfect though - pardon the pun.

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!!Hoax & Virus Alert!!
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EMAIL PETITIONS
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From time to time we all get a petition in our email forwarded from a friend for a cause we would really like to support but:

Remember an email petition has no validity at all as signatures cannot be checked or validated.

This is also the latest way for Internet spammers to get huge lists of valid e-mail addresses.

WHEN YOU SEND A MASS MAILING BE SURE TO USE BLIND CARBON COPY (BCC) TO SEND BLIND OR UNDISCLOSED ADDRESS
COPIES.

People sign petitions and feel like they have helped. Not only have they done nothing to help, they may not go on to take an action that would make a difference.

Activists organizations have websites that allow you to write government officials or sign petitions directly from their site. These have credibility because you must
give your name and address.

Our name on a legitimate petition has power. Personal letters have even more power. Speak up for what you believe in, but do it where it counts!

Remember kids, play it safe on the net. Don't trust internet fairy tales. Scan for virii and verify your emails here:
http://www.kahl.net/hoax

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NetTips
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NETSCAPE ADS REVISITED
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Last month we showed how Netscape 4.x users how to eliminate the ads and news blurbs that pop up in Messenger?

Reader Peter Lairo points out that Netscape 6.x has a UI preference for this under:
edit / preferences / mail&newsgroups / Mail Start Page / Loction (just make it blank.).

In the future we'll be taking closer looks at Netscape 6 and Mozilla as alternatives to Internet Explorer.

SIGNATURE FILE: FREE MARKETING REVISITED
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In December 2001 we gave this MARKETING TIP: create a SIGNATURE FILE for all your email.

You learned that a signature file is a TEXT FILE that is automatically attached to the bottom of every email you send out.

But we only told you how to create a SIGNATURE FILE in NETSCAPE. Now we show how it's done in MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS:

Cheers,
Alex Kahl
Kahl Consultants
http://www.kahl.net
Technology. Use it appropriately. Put it in our hands.

THE PLUG
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Is your small business or organization performing? Have enough clients? Want to enhance your net presence? Our latest clients include:

Please forward KC News to your friends. Remember, the best things in life are free.

THE PUNCH LINE
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LOOK AT ME, I'M NUTS
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The massive security at the Winter Games could be put to the test today when a delegation arrives in an unusual fashion.

Intergalactic visitors are expected in the early evening, according to a woman who claims to have had "multiple visitations" by the aliens.

"The Brotherhood of Light will make their presence known on Thursday, February 21 over the Olympic city," said Victoria Liljenquist of Phoenix, Arizona.

Liljenquist, 46, claims she was first "contacted" by these visitors when she was 13 years old living in northern Utah. Since then she's had many visits from them.

"It could be a cigar shaped-craft with a scout fleet," she said. "They're benevolent beings, a peaceful entrance of making their presence known. They want the world to unite together," she said.

Protesters, scalpers, religious zealots and pin traders have been gathering for weeks in downtown Olympic Square areas. So what is another stranger in the neighborhood going to hurt anyway?

Kahl Consultants
P.O.Box 4284
San Rafael, CA 94903-4284
USA
Tel: +1-415-499 0838
Fax: +1-415-499 0833
www.kahl.net
Contact us

The award-winning Kahl Consultants. Helping small business in San Francisco Bay, Marin, Sonoma and globally.
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Technology
Use it appropriately
Put it in our hands

KC News

KC News FEBRUARY 2002 Vol.4, No.2