Vol. 22 number 8 October 2005 The newsletter of the Ottawa PC Users' Group Calendar OPCUG General Meeting National Museum of Science and Technology 1867 St. Laurent Blvd. Second Wednesday of each month, 7:30pm Oct 12 Windows Vista, Rick Claus, MS IT-Pro Advisor Nov 9 Linux live install, Michael Ondrechak, O-C Linux UG Dec 14 Harley's Hits for the Holiday, Harley Bloom et al Jan 11 TBA, S. Cruise, Adobe Canada Feb 22 Protect Your Computer from Virtual Crime, Finkleman Mar 8 Apr 12 Web Mapping with Scalable Vector Graphs, DBx GEOMATICS May 10 Jun 14 BBQ, Newsletter contest Beginner SIG After the OPCUG General Meeting, at the Museum. IT Pro SIG After the OPCUG General Meeting, at the Museum. PIG (or Wing?) SIG, after all the other SIGs, at 10 p.m. Chances "R", 1365 Woodroffe (at Baseline), College Square Please note that unless otherwise noted, SIGs meet at 9:00 p.m. (immediately following the OPCUG General Meeting). ____________________________ Coming Up... Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - Rick Claus, OPCUG member and IT Pro Advisor for Microsoft Canada, will present on Windows Vista, the next desktop version of Windows, due in 2006. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.mspx And coming up later this year... Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - Michael Ondrechak, O-C Linux Users Group will show us how easy it can be to run Linux using a CD-based "live install" that can leave your current configuration untouched. Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - Back by popular demand! Harley Bloom from Bloom Microtech will be here for his 7th annual Christmas Wish list. January 11, 2006 - S. Cruise of Adobe Canada (topic TBA) February 22, 2006 (FOURTH Wednesday) - Eliott Finkleman, Practical Computing, "Protect Your Computer from Virtual Crime" March 8, 2006 - TBA April 12, 2006 - DBx GEOMATICS, "Web Mapping with Scalable Vector Graphics" http://www.dbxgeomatics.com ____________________________ At the October meeting, thanks to the generosity of MindShare - one of the user group support organizations within Microsoft, we have a copy of Zoo Tycoon 2 to raffle off. This intriguing game allows you to build a zoo, populate it with animals and create attractions. Do it right and people will flock to your zoo and you will make money. Do it badly and people won't come, your animals will die, and your zoo will get shut down. Spectacular graphics immerse you in the game play. For a review, see opcug.ca/public/Reviews/zoo_tycoon2.htm. For more information, see www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/zoo2/. Zoo Tycoon 2 is valued at $40. Tickets, as always, are $1 for one, $2 for three, or $5 for ten. ____________________________ September Raffle Winners Michael Cayer and Jocelyn Doire won door prizes of 3-packs of recordable DVD media. Simon Landry also won a box of recordable CD's. The raffle prize, a copy of Microsoft Digital Image Suite, was won by Keith Martinsen. Congrats to the winners and many thanks to our prize suppliers. ____________________________ Third Annual Workshop The fall is upon us, which means it is time for the OPCUG annual workshop! This year, the "focus" is on digital imaging with sessions on buying a digital camera, image editing, output options, and an open discussion on problems and solutions. This all-day event will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2005, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Heron Road Community Centre, 1480 Heron Road, Ottawa. One of the main reasons for having the workshop is to attract new members to the OPCUG, so if you know a non- member who uses a digital camera, or is thinking of getting one, please pass on the news about our workshop. Attendance is limited to the first 60 people who register with payment. As of the writing of this message, 20% of the spots are already gone! Don't delay! This year, the value of the workshop has gone up tremendously. Still at a bargain-basement price of $50, it includes all the sessions, lunch, a CD with all the presentation material and other goodies, a one-year membership in the OPCUG, and (new this year) door prizes! Thanks to the generosity of Microsoft, Roxio, 123di.com, and O'Reilly Computer Books, we have over $1500 worth of door prizes to be given away: 7 book prizes: Digital Photography, Pocket Guide; Digital Photography Hacks; Digital Photography, Expert Techniques; Photoshop Elements 3, The Missing Manual; Assembling Panoramic Photos, A Designer's Notebook; The 123 of Digital Imaging 9 software prizes: Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 (8 copies); Easy Media Creator 7 (details on all prizes at http://opcug.ca/public/Workshops/workshop_2005_prizes.htm) For more details about the workshop, including a registration form, see the September newsletter or http://opcug.ca/public/Workshops/workshop_2005.htm. You can print out the registration form near the bottom of this newsletter (select it, go to 'File>Print' then choose 'Selection') or print the one at http://opcug.ca/public/Workshops/workshop_2005_form.htm. The registration form can be mailed (details on form) or handed in at an OPCUG meeting to Mark Cayer (at the back of the room). The last meeting before the workshop is November 9. ____________________________ Product Review Netcraft Anti-Phishing Toolbar by Chris Taylor You have probably received them - emails from eBay, PayPal, Citizens Bank, or whatever - that ask you to come to the web site to correct some problem. Maybe there was a security problem and they need you to verify activity on your account. Or maybe there were billing problems and they need your account information updated. The trouble is - the email didn't come from that company. And when you click the handy link in the email, you are taken to a web site that looks like the legit site, but is run by thieves out to steal your money. If you make the mistake of actually logging into the site, you have just given some miscreant all the information they need to log onto the legitimate site and empty your accounts. That email was a phish. And the site you went to was a phishing site. For a more complete description of phishing, see toolbar.netcraft.com/help/faq/index.html#phishing. Identifying phishing emails Most phishing emails are really easy for me to identify. I don't have an account with eBay, PayPal, Barklays Bank, etc. so when I see them, I know they are not legitimate. But what if I was an eBay user? Some of these emails look pretty good. Who knows, it might be legit. A quick trip to the security center at eBay found, "eBay will not ask you to provide sensitive information such as eBay passwords, social security numbers and credit card numbers through email." Phishing has become so commonplace that, in fact, only a very foolish company would actually send out such an email. OK, so maybe you don't see any evidence saying the company doesn't send out emails like that. And you think it might be a legitimate email. How can you be sure? First, never trust a link provided in an email. If the email is formatted in HTML, the text you see in the email could be deceptive. While the visible text might say https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-run, which looks like a site owned by PayPal, the underlying link may send you to http://login.paypalaccountverify.com/, which is definitely not owned by PayPal. If you hover the mouse over a link in most email programs, either a tooltip or the status bar will show the real underlying link. Be especially suspicious if the underlying link does not match the visible text or if the link is a numeric IP address (such as http://66.90.75.103/ebay/verify.php) rather than a domain name. If you want to visit a site referenced in an email, the best bet is to manually go to the site. After all, if you are a customer, you probably already have their site bookmarked in your browser. Use your bookmark or manually type in the address of the web site in your browser. Or, if you think the email might be for real and you are worried what might happen if you ignore it, you can pick up the phone and contact your company to see if the request was legitimate. Toolbar to the rescue But now there is another option. Netcraft, a company that provides network security services as well as some pretty extensive research data on the Internet, wrote an anti- phishing toolbar for Internet Explorer. It is a very cool, free download from their site at toolbar.netcraft.com. Once installed, if you attempt to browse to a site that is a known phishing site, a pop-up will block the access. If you really want to, you can go to the page anyhow. But you have been warned. If you happen across a new phishing site not caught by the toolbar, you can use one of the toolbar options to report the site to Netcraft. If Netcraft confirms that it is a phishing site, and you are the first to report it, you will get a free gift from Netcraft. I received a coffee mug for reporting my first phishing site. Although the Netcraft anti-phishing toolbar is good, it is not a perfect solution. Why? Because it only blocks access to known phishing sites. There are new ones coming all the time. As of late April, Netcraft's database of known phishing sites contained some 5,400 entries. Ten of those were first reported by yours truly. If I can be the first to report ten phishing sites, you can bet there is a constant stream of new ones. The toolbar also reports some information about any site you visit that may help you determine its legitimacy. If Netcraft has seen the site before, there is the month and year when Netcraft first started tracking the site. For OPCUG.CA, it shows Apr 2002. We registered the domain name in October 2001, so that seems reasonable. If you were browsing to your bank and it showed that this was a new site that Netcraft had never seen before, it might make you suspicious. There is also a link to the Netcraft site report which provides technical details about the site, what web server it is using, who hosts the DNS records for the domain name, and more. The toolbar shows the country flag and the 2-letter ISO code for the country in which the site is hosted. If your bank site shows up as being hosted in Korea or Uzbekistan, well...you might think twice about entering in your account number and password. Another useful feature of the toolbar is the Risk Rating. A site's risk rating goes up with factors such as the domain registration being new, hosting a web site from an IP address rather than a domain name, a web site running on an unusual port, or on a network known to host phishing site, and more. It provides a nice, at-a-glance, view of the riskiness of a site. The Netcraft site has lots of information about phishing. There is a list of phishiest countries, a glossary to help you with the lingo, and lots more. Check it out. The toolbar checks for updates every time you load Internet Explorer as well as once a day if you have not closed IE. Typically I have found that, once I reported a phishing site, within an hour, the site was being blocked by the toolbar. Not too shabby. While I would not consider a site safe just because it was not blocked by the Netcraft toolbar, the extra information provided by the toolbar can help you determine if a site is legitimate. And the chance that it might block access to a phishing site can be really helpful if others using your computer click on any link they see. The Netcraft toolbar requires Internet Explorer. I was told in early May by someone at Netcraft that a version for Firefox is under development and should be released "in the near future." But, according to a page at the Netcraft site, it has been in development since before Christmas, so you might not want to hold your breath. Cost: free download from toolbar.netcraft.com Requirements: Internet Explorer on Windows 2000/XP Late breaking news: In addition to supporting Internet Explorer, as of May 24th, the Netcraft anti-phishing toolbar is available for Firefox as well. Oh, and I am up to 20 phishing sites where I was the first to report the site. ____________________________ Entries for Best Newsletter Article Doug Poulter has submitted the first two entries in our newsletter contest. We thank him for his participation and encourage more OPCUG members to join in. For contest details, see September's newsletter or visit http://opcug.ca/public/Articles/contest2005.htm. Firefox Extensions by Doug Poulter Many savvy PC users have switched internet browsers from MS- Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox, http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/. Collectively these users claim Firefox has a better user interface, more functionality, and runs faster, more securely, and with greater stability, etc. I agree. However: Adding and updating extensions to Firefox for additional functionality can be both tempting and, from time to time, problematic. Many problems can be avoided by selecting extensions only from those displayed at the trusted source: http://update.mozilla.org/?application=firefox, and not selecting extensions with overlapping functionality. When a little green up arrow appears on the first Firefox menu bar, it indicates that Firefox update(s) are available. (This arrow will appear eventually if you have checked the feature in Tools / Options / Advanced / Software Update. The notification is not instantaneous. Even if you manually initiate a check via Tools / Options / Advanced / Software Update, you may miss some approved updates if the associated Mozilla.org/extensions pages have yet to be outdated. The only way I know to verify as to whether an approved extension update exists, is to click Update for an existing entry of the extension list popup created by clicking Tools / Extensions). When the little green up arrow appears, click the arrow; you will get a list of proposed updates. While the process proceeds you may or may not be able to use Firefox. Occasionally though, to get some updates to work properly, one must first manually uninstall Firefox, the extension, or other extensions, and then re-install them. The need for such an uninstall/re-install is not always documented and is not handled by the current automatic update facility. (The uninstall/re-install need has recently occurred with the extension Tab Mix Plus). Pending completion of the uninstall/re-install, extension use may be problematic. Figuring out the source of the problem can be tedious. Those managing the development of Firefox have recognized shortcomings of the update process, and will be implementing improvements in upcoming release(s). Additionally, extensions and their updates can cause problems, because: * when FireFox is updated, some extensions may not be updated until some days or weeks later, or not at all. (NB: some protection is provided when the listed extension says that it is compatible to Deer Park - the next release). * as extensions are updated, new conflicts arise as new, sometimes not yet documented, features are added. Mid August 2005, I updated my Firefox extensions, and found some difficulty getting a set that worked well together, and provided all the extended functionality I wanted. To resolve conflicts, I had to unload and reload many extensions until I found which extensions were compatible and stable. After some days work, I arrived with the following general interest list which I thought you might find useful: Extensions (enabled:41, disabled:0) * Adblock 0.5.2.039 * Adblock Filterset.G Updater 0.2.4 * Add Bookmark Here 0.5.3 * Auto Copy 0.5.4 * Bookmark All 1.1 * Bookmark Backup 0.3.3 * ColorZilla 0.8.2 * Context Search 0.2 * CustomizeGoogle 0.26 * downTHEMall! 0.9.4 * File Title 0.2 * FlashGot 0.5.9.91 * ForwardFork 0.1.2 * GoogleScholarOpenURL (VUW) 0.1 * Groowe Search Toolbar 1.2 * IE View 1.2.4 * Image Assistant 0.2.1 * Image Zoom 0.1.7.1 * InfoLister 0.8.2+ * InFormEnter 0.2.9.8 * LinkVisitor 1.1.20050315 * NoScript 1.1.2.20050901 * Passive Cache 0.5 * PasswordMaker 0.7.3 * Print Preview 0.4 * Resize Search Box 0.0.6 * RUsure 0.1.2.0.0 * SearchBox AutoUpdater 0.1.3.2 * searchcache 2005.06.15 * SessionSaver .2 0.2.1.028 * SmartSearch 2.4 * Sort Extensions 1.1 * Stop-or-Reload Button 0.1 * StumbleUpon 2.03 * Tab Mix Plus 0.2.4 * TargetAlert 0.8.9.1 * Uppity 1.2 * URL Link 1.06.1 * View Cookies 1.3 * zoomFox 0.7 * zoompersist 2005.07.22 Themes (1) * Firefox (default) 2.0 [selected] Plugins (12) * RealJukebox NS Plugin * RealPlayer(tm) G2 LiveConnect-Enabled Plug-In (32-bit) * RealPlayer Version Plugin * Mozilla Default Plug-in * QuickTime Plug-in 6.5.1 * Adobe Acrobat <== DISABLED * GetRight(R) Plugin www.getright.com * Shockwave Flash * MetaStream 3 Plugin * Java Plug-in * Windows Media Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library * Microsoft(R) DRM The functionality of some extensions becomes available only when you turn on display of the associated toolbar, and/or move the associated icon(s) to a toolbar via View / Toolbars / Customize. Other functionality is enabled via extension menu items under Tools. The Tab Mix Plus extension has integrated the functionality of more than 20 other extensions. To get some Tab Mix Plus features, you need to turn them on via Tools / Tab Mix Plus Options. Because of its wide set of features, Tab Mix Plus has the greatest potential of conflict with other extensions. Because of quirks of Firefox, to update Tab Mix Plus and have it work properly, you may need to delete it and then re-install it. Another quirk or incompatibility is associated with the overlapping functionality with SessionSaver. If you also have Tab Mix Plus installed, when you call upon SessionSaver to restore a named session, all existing Firefox tabs and windows may first be closed. If you need Tab Mix Plus but don't need SessionSaver as badly, you might choose to leave it out. While SessionSaver allows saving named sets of tabs, Tab Mix Plus currently saves only the current session, and that when Firefox closes normally. As I previously identified, conflicts can usually be avoided by choosing extensions without overlapping functionality. For this reason, Tab Mix Plus is likely incompatible with each of the following: * Basics * BlankLast * Click2Tab * Close Tab On Double Click * Flowing Tabs * LastTab * MiniT * Petite Tabbrowser Extensions * Reload Tab On Double-Click * Scrollable Tabs * SessionSaver * Single Window * Tab X * Tab Mix [original one] * Tab Clicking Options * Tab Bin * Tabbrowser Preferences * Tabbrowser Extensions * TabScroller * Undo Close Tab * Unread Tabs Tab Mix Plus provides the functionality of Disable Target for Downloads, if you enable the option "links with target attribute or filetype open in current tab". As of mid September, the next release of Firefox, 1.5, is in (public) Beta. Its final 1.5 release is expected in November or December. The release incorporates faster page rendering, automated updates, improvements in pop-up blocking, security enhancements, and incorporation of some of the above tabbing enhancements currently provided by the above extensions. Further details are at: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/releases/1.5beta1.ht ml, and http://reviews.cnet.com/Firefox_1_5_Beta_1/4505- 9241_7-31516411-2.html?tag=top. Enjoy Firefox. ____________________________ FoxReader vs Adobe Reader by Doug Poulter To put an end to the slow response (and occasional system instability) associated with Adobe Reader, in both Internet Explorer and Firefox, I now use FoxReader (ver 1.3 Beta Build 0819, and of no relation to Firefox). FoxReader is free from www.FoxitSoftware.com. In comparison to Adobe Reader, FoxReader is also a fraction of the size, and displays documents much faster. To use FoxReader: * in Windows: I have associated the PDF file extension with FoxReader via Control Panel / Folder Options / File Types. * in Firefox: I have disabled the Adobe PDF plug-in via Tools / Options / Downloads / Plug-ins. I can still open documents with Adobe Reader by right clicking upon them and selecting "open with". Pending further development, FoxReader does not yet open within tabs in Firefox. Instead, a new incidence of FoxReader opens for each document displayed (this is not necessarily a bad thing as it enables one to continue doing other browser work while downloading a large pdf). While FoxReader does not have the forms fill-in tool of Adobe Reader, FoxReader does have a Typewriter function which lets one type (but not cut and paste) text anywhere. ____________________________ Product Review A fishy screensaver by Chris Taylor Anyone remember having a mid-80's computer with a monochrome green screen and a permanently burned-in image of Lotus 1-2- 3? Back then screensavers were designed to...well...save your screen. While screensavers quickly became unnecessary due to advances in monitor technology, they live on to this day for their entertainment value. I was recently offered a review copy of Rixane Interactive's Water Life v2.44, a 3-D underwater screensaver. I downloaded the 3.5MB installation file and ran it. I entered the registration number I was given. Didn't work. After checking with the company, I was told to download v2.45 which fixed the problem. Anyone get the feeling nobody tests anything anymore because it is so easy to roll out a new version? The setting dialog box for Water Life allows considerable customization. You can choose resolutions from 640x480 to 1600x1200. You can adjust the numbers for plants, fish and flotsam & jetsam on the bottom. There are toggles for soothing music and bubble sounds and you can adjust the volume. There are a large number of fish species available, although you can't choose specific ones. The fish, at a distance, look quite realistic, but any that swim very close start to suffer from jaggies. Light plays quite realistically through the water and creates shifting shadows on the bottom. The scene drifts around. When going slowly forward, movement is quite smooth. But when it pans sideways, things are a bit jerky at any resolution higher than 1024x768 on my 2.4GHz P4 with 1GB RAM and 64MB 3-D video card. You can use the mouse to pan, but not move forwards or backwards. Water Life is a very nice screensaver. My only problem is the cost - CAN$23.41. I am not sure I would pay that much for any screensaver. You can download a fully-functional 30-day eval copy from the web at www.rixane.com. System Requirements: Windows 98 or better, PII 1.4GHz, 128MB RAM, 32MB video card with DirectX 8.1 ____________________________ Workshop Registration Form OPCUG WORKSHOP 2005 Saturday, November 19, 2005 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Heron Road Community Centre 1480 Heron Road Ottawa, ON REGISTRATION FORM (please print neatly) Name: ____________________________________ Address (complete address, please): __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Tel: (____)_______________________________ E-mail: __________________________________ I wish to register for this workshop which includes lunch, the presentations and associated material on a CD-ROM, and a one-year membership in OPCUG. Please find enclosed my cheque in the amount of $50.00, made payable to: OPCUG. Mail the completed registration form and your cheque to: OPCUG Workshop 2005 3 Thatcher Street Ottawa, ON K2G 1S6 The OPCUG has established a Privacy Policy to comply with government legislation. The purpose of the policy is to safeguard your personal information. Your workshop application constitutes your acceptance of this policy: http://opcug.ca/public/privacy.htm. ____________________________ OTTAWA PC NEWS Ottawa PC News is the newsletter of the Ottawa PC Users' Group (OPCUG), and is published monthly except in July and August. The opinions expressed in this newsletter may not necessarily represent the views of the club or its members. Member participation is encouraged! If you would like to contribute an article to Ottawa PC News, please submit it to the newsletter editor (contact info below). Deadline for submissions is three Saturdays before the General Meeting. Group meetings OPCUG normally meets on the second Wednesday in the month, except in July and August, at the National Museum of Science and Technology, 1867 St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa. Meetings are 7:30-9:00 p.m. and Special Interest Groups go until 10 p.m. Fees: OPCUG annual membership: $25 per year. Mailing address: 3 Thatcher St., Nepean, Ontario, K2G 1S6 Web address: http://opcug.ca/ Bulletin Board - PUB II (BBS): http://opcug.ca/default.htm President and System Administrator: Chris Taylor, chris.taylor@@opcug.ca, 727-5453 Meeting Coordinator: Bob Gowan, bob.gowan@@opcug.ca Treasurer: Alan German, alan.german@@opcug.ca Secretary: (Mr.) Jocelyn Doire, jocelyn.doire@@opcug.ca Membership Chairman: Mark Cayer, Mark.Cayer@@opcug.ca, 823-0354 Newsletter: Brigitte Lord, brigitte.lord@@opcug.ca Email: (Mr.)Jocelyn Doire, Jocelyn.Doire@@opcug.ca Public Relations: Morris Turpin, PR@@opcug.ca, 729-6955 Facilities: Bob Walker, 489-2084 Webmaster: Brigitte Lord, opcug-webmaster@@opcug.ca Privacy Director: Bob Thomas, privacy@@opcug.ca, 820-6835 Director without portfolio Wayne Houston, Wayne.Houston@@opcug.ca Beginners' SIG Coordinator: Chris Taylor, chris.taylor@@opcug.ca, 727-5453 IT Pro SIG: Bob Thomas, ITProSIG@@opcug.ca, 820-6835 Note: We added an extra "@" to the emails to reduce spam. (c) OPCUG 2005. Reprints permission is granted* to non- profit organizations, provided credits is given to the author and The Ottawa PC News. OPCUG request a copy of the newsletter in which reprints appear. *Permission is granted only for articles written by OPCUG members, and not copyrighted by the author. ____________________________ Newsletter by email: To receive the newsletter by e-mail, send a message to listserve@@opcug.ca with the plain text "subscribe NewsletterTXT" or "subscribe NewsletterPDF" (without quotes nor HTML code) in the body of the message. No subject line is required. Cancelling the Paper Newsletter: You can help the environment and save us some costs by sending an email to Mark.Cayer@@opcug.ca asking to cancel the delivery of the paper version of the newsletter (or ask him in person - Mark is usually at the back of the auditorium at General Meetings). Announcements Mailing List: To subscribe to the Announcements List send an email to listserve@@opcug.ca, leave the subject blank and in the body of the message put "subscribe announcements" (without the quotes nor HTML code). Within a couple of minutes you will receive a confirmation message from the list server. OPCUG clock/calendar/calculator and mug: Check out the clock/calendar/calculator and thermal coffee mug sporting our club logo at the back of the auditorium at General Meetings! OPCUG insulated mugs are $15 and OPCUG clocks are $20. Reuse, recycle: Bring your old computer books, software, hardware, and paraphernalia you want to GIVE AWAY to the general meetings, and leave them at the table near the auditorium's entrance. Please limit your magazines to publication dates of less than two years old. If you don't bring something, you may want to TAKE AWAY something of interest, so look in on this area. Any item left over at the end of the meeting will be sent to the... recycle bin.