Tuesday, November 30, 2004

SnapFolders: "The shortcuts you create with SnapFolders are automatically placed on the Start Menu or a side menu to the Start Menu. Like any shortcuts they can be copied or moved anywhere you want. Like any shortcuts they can be renamed or deleted as you wish.

Shortcuts to folders have been available in Windows since Windows 95 was released in 1995. In those days a 1 GB hard disk was considered a luxury. Today, a 200 GB hard disk is quite ordinary. The average home user is lost in a folder jungle that gets bigger and bigger every year. The average professional user has to cope with a network where the jungle is even bigger.

Arm yourself with a machete in the folder jungle!"
PCWorld.com - Top 10 DVD Drives: "Top 10 DVD Drives"Internal drives have reached 16X for write-once discs, the fastest speed they can safely spin. more

Friday, November 19, 2004

This is Money article from Tony

THE CARD-TRICK KING
Richard Mason has turned playing his credit cards into an art form -
saving £300 a month on his mortgage

Full story:


From This Is Money, 17/11/2004
http://www.thisismoney.com/

Pensions: "Ten ways to be better off"
Working is one obvious way to boost income in retirement for those who cannot, or do not, want to release equity from their home, but there are others.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

SCIENCE HOBBYIST: Traffic Waves, physics for bored commuters
I include this for Tony in Cyprus as I am sure it will be of interest to him or at least make the night shift seem shorter.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Yahoo! News -
Researcher Says Atlantis Found Off Cyprus
: "Researcher Says Atlantis Found Off Cyprus

Mon Nov 15,11:28 AM ET

Add to My Yahoo! Oddly Enough - Reuters

By Michele Kambas

LIMASSOL, Cyprus (Reuters) - A U.S. researcher on Sunday claimed he had found the lost civilization of Atlantis in the watery deep off Cyprus -- adding his theory to a mistery which has baffled explorers for centuries"

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Atlantis Hunt Reveals Structures in Sea Off Cyprus
Sat Nov 13, 2004 07:11 AM ET
NICOSIA (Reuters) - An American researcher on the trail of the lost city of Atlantis has discovered evidence of man-made structures submerged in the sea between Cyprus and Syria, a member of his team said Saturday.

Robert Sarmast, who is convinced the fabled city lurks in the watery depths off Cyprus, will give details of his findings Sunday.

"Something has been found to indicate very strongly that there are man-made structures somewhere between Cyprus and Syria," a spokesperson for the mission told Reuters.

The mystery of Atlantis, both whether it existed and why it disappeared, has fired the imagination of explorers for decades.

Many believe the ancient civilization was destroyed in a massive flood, a cataclysm which many ancient cultures believe occurred around 9,000 BC.

Greek mythology says Atlantis was a powerful nation whose residents were so corrupted by greed and power that Zeus destroyed it.

Theories place Atlantis either somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, or the Greek island of Santorini, or off the Celtic Ridge of Britain or even further afield in the South China Sea.

Sarmast's theory is that Cyprus is the pinnacle of Atlantis, with the rest of it about a mile below sea level.

His expedition took place some 70 miles off the eastern coast of Cyprus toward Syria.

Friday, November 12, 2004

learning to drive in cyprus is mad
EARNING TO DRIVE IN CYPRUS?........YOU MUST BE MAD! is a site created by a good friend of mine who "Strangly enough" lives and works in Cyprus. (yes you guessed correctly.-------He IS a Driving Instructor) After reading the main page. Please click on the traffic symbols to take you to more interesting links and also The A,B,C`s of Cyprus driving VERY FUNNY
Secure online payments: In safe hands - PCW: "Secure online payments: In safe hands
If you don't feel safe flashing your plastic online, there's a range of secure payment services you can use to pay for goods instead. We investigate
Rory Reid, Computeractive 11 Nov 2004"

Thursday, November 11, 2004

MyDoom

The newest version of MyDoom does not even have a file attached to it, making it look even less suspect, and less worm- or virus-like.

Instead, it exploits one of the more recently discovered holes in Internet Explorer, through which clicking on a URL can cause a file to be downloaded to the unsuspecting user’s computer. Once downloaded to the user’s machine, the file executes, harvests email addresses, and starts spewing spam from the user’s computer.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

The Dr. Spock Company: Expert parenting and children's health advice and information.
One of the best-selling books of the 1950s was one that my mother read (along with millions of other mothers and mothers-to-be). It was by a certain doctor, and it was about raising children. Well, here it is, over forty years later, and this fine gentleman is still around, sharing his knowledge with yet another generation of mothers.

The site is called DrSpock.com and is the online site of Dr. Benjamin Spock. Here you can find out just about anything relating to raising children, from being pregnant to raising a preschooler and beyond. This educationally-based site has topical news and information, message boards, advice sections, and a place where you can ask questions of a panel of pediatricians.
BeenThere-DoneThat - An illustrated travel guide to Great Britain: "An illustrated travel guide to Great Britain, based on personal experience of the locations, with pictures of mountains, moorlands, quaint villages, pastoral landscapes, historic buildings over 1000 years old, the coast, steam railways, wild flowers, fossils and much more.

Select a coloured county on the map by clicking on it or on the appropriate button. London is shown in black but is not included in the guide (see explanation below)."

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Cyprus Weekly
EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen has ignored an appeal by the Cyprus Association for the Protection of Human Rights to do something in connection with the continuing gross violations by Turkey in Cyprus.


A VERY good article setting out why the Annan Proposal was unacceptable to the MAJORITY of Cypriot people and showing the double standards of EU.

Monday, November 08, 2004

israelinsider: diplomacy: Suspicions grow that Arafat is dying of AIDS: "Suspicions grow that Arafat is dying of AIDS
By israelinsider staff November 6, 2004

Former White House speechwriter David Frum has joined the growing chorus of pundits, medical experts, and intelligence operatives who claim Yasser Arafat is likely suffering from AIDS. "

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Dolphin Synergy: THE DANCE OF THE DOLPHINS: "The perpetual & ecstatic dance of the Dolphins has captivated Humanity since the beginning of recorded history & probably through pre-historic times. The Dolphins live in a state of sheer exuberant joy of being alive, our inherently natural state of being, so yearned for by everybody yet so painfully inaccessible to most of Humanity.

Without exception, whether in the wild or in the brutal enslavement & debilitating conditions of marine parks, Dolphins always bring people back to such a deep experience of their own joy, their own essence, to a place of Love."
I have for my whole life had a certain affinity for dolphins. After reading this site i can understand why. T'is but a pity that human nature is not as sweet and pure.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Helping Seniors Become Computer Literate
Taken from Lockergnome. I will add the later items as they become available

Lockergnome has featured some fine articles on how to get a job, but for those of you older than about 50, be aware that ageism is alive and well - particularly in the high-tech environment, where it is generally assumed geeks stop learning at about age 24 and become hopelessly obsolete shortly thereafter. The only answer I have found is to create a position, since precious few jobs will be given to older people. That is just the fact, not a call to social revolution.

Sometimes we get lucky and stumble on an interesting niche. The best jobs are ones where you can make money and do something worthwhile at the same time. I help seniors become computer-literate.

Many seniors entered the computer/Internet/e-mail age because their children and grandchildren communicate via e-mail. That, plus the general social pressure forces them to go to Costco or a similar store and buy an entry-level HP or equivalent and then sign up for free AOL on a dial-up connection (with one line to the house). Many have never used a word processor, and none have a good mental model of exactly what the Internet is or where e-mail comes from (in reality, this probably applies to most users regardless of age).

Then they get in trouble. One client said her machine was slower than when she bought it. A quick run of Spybot S&D followed by Ad-aware routed over 600 pests. Then I looked at her inbox and found several hundred letters. We discussed filing and special folders, none of which had occurred to her.

Another client had opened an attachment and wondered why her IE worked differently now.

Several clients had infections, which I surreptitiously traced back to visiting questionable sites - hey, I don't make value judgments. Even seniors like to be titillated. My job is to help protect them.

In future articles, I will explore methods that have worked to help people become comfortable to the extent that I have clients who now do day trading over the Internet, book reservations, bank, and all the things that Gnomies take for granted.

PART TWO
Almost immediately one faces certain moral dilemmas when helping seniors become computer-literate. The first is which operating system to use, and the second is which office software to use. In fact, there is no real choice. Windows is ubiquitous, and even though I personally dislike Word, I gently urge them to practice using it. The reason is simple: Everyone else they know uses Windows and Word.

The situation becomes a bit stickier when getting them on the Internet and a mail client. IE is okay if they are otherwise protected (We all use Firefox, right?), and has the tremendous advantage of universality. Similar comments go for Outlook Express. However, by the time I get to them, most are hooked on AOL and do not want to give up their address. That simplifies my options. I have reluctantly learned how to navigate through AOL stuff.

Since many seniors are on fixed incomes, they are reluctant to sign up for broadband service or even put in a dedicated line for their modem. This doesn't necessarily mean they can't afford the better service, it just means they are oriented toward not spending money until they perceive a distinct reason for doing it. One demonstration that has mixed benefits is for me to fire up my laptop and sniff around for an unencrypted wireless network in the neighborhood. Then I go to Google image search for something like "trees" on their dial-up system and wait. When the page has loaded, I do the same on my laptop. That dramatically demonstrates the difference, but still doesn't demonstrate why they should spend money for it. That's okay. They get the idea and eventually as they progress, broadband will entice them.

The downside of this demonstration came when one client looked at my laptop in awe and asked where he could buy a scanner like mine. That's not the point!
------------------------------
Yesterday I addressed some issues of ageism. Today’s topic is the tradeoff between volunteering and charging to help seniors (and any others) become more computer-literate.

First off, I strongly encourage anyone with skills and time to volunteer and help spread computer literacy. Do it through civic centers, social clubs, or church groups. The rewards go beyond money. However, there is a big difference between what you can do as a volunteer and in a hour with the client paying. Volunteering takes many forms, but space is limited, so please don’t think me dull for overlooking your favorite. A common way is to offer introductory classes at a senior center or retirement community. These can be good, but unsatisfactory, unless enough computers are available for all participants to practice during the session. You didn’t learn how to log onto Lockergnome and read this article by listening to a lecture. They won’t, either. Your students need to do it themselves with your guidance. They need the positive reinforcement of punching a key and getting a reward. Listening to you describe computer usage doesn’t cut it.

A challenge in running a class is quickly ascertaining the existing skills and knowledge of the students. Any such class is bound to have a range of backgrounds. The wise teacher quickly identifies students who can, in effect, become classroom helpers and those who are going to need extra hand-holding.

Volunteering to tutor on a one-to-one basis has other challenges. First, it is a less efficient use of volunteer time since only one person benefits. Then you have the problem of a facility. Do you use your own computer or go the client's house? A good alternative is a computer center if one is available to the client. Often, retirement communities and other senior centers have such dedicated rooms, often with broadband connections.

What about charging for services? Teaching is a noble endeavor, and one need never feel bad about charging to provide a service someone wants. I emphasize this because some people express the feeling that sharing what they know, and what to them is simple and basic, should be given gratis. I reply that singing comes easily and is fun for the Rolling Stones (after how many years? Remember, this is about seniors); do they still charge?

While one could organize formal classes and charge for attendance (I would like to hear from anyone who has done that), I find providing individual tutoring often in conjunction with fixing some hardware or software problem is my preferred way. Cleaning out spies can be combined with a quick lesson on how to download and install software and how to protect against pests. Helping set up personal stationery can be combined with a lesson on the various formats and why you can have an animated gif in HTML, but not in plain text.

Anyone who wants to get into this game has to find a personal equilibrium point trading off volunteering and charging. The right point depends on your clientele, your skills and needs, and resources available. For me, both are important.

Monday, November 01, 2004

Get Firefox!

The community is spreading the word about Firefox. Millions of people are already using Firefox and helping us chip away at Internet Explorer's marketshare. More than 80,000 websites already link to the Firefox page, with an additional 200,000 linking to mozilla.org. The buzz about Firefox was too hot for the blogosphere and has consumed the mainstream press: this month alone, Firefox has been declared officially "Wired" (IE? "Expired"), USA Today is recommending that its readers use Firefox, and Walt Mossberg, perhaps the most influential tech writer in the US, is telling Wall Street Journal readers that, if you're worried about security, Firefox is a good way to go.

PLEASE NOTE--I have been using this browser now for many months and it does everything AND more that you will ever need in your browser.ITS FANTASTIC
Tony