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JimDinkey's blog

Has Your Password Been Cracked?

Tue, 05/01/2012 - 12:00am — JimDinkey
SIRs has already had several members’ accounts compromised. I was asked to set forth what went wrong and how to stop the ability of outsiders to use SIR members’ computers for spamming purposes.  This is the explanation, and a reminder to SPAUG members.
 
Once you make up a password, probably years ago, that password is available to those you have consented to have service your account.  Then there are outsiders who do not have that password but they gain access by either repeated trials or password cracking. The symptom that you have been cracked is a friend telling you that you have sent out either SPAM or nasty emails to that friend, or URLs to some advertising site.   In actuality, the salacious email or SPAM has been sent to ALL those on your email list – but not to you – so you are unaware of what you sent and to whom. 

Notes for April 2012

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 12:01am — JimDinkey

XP and Office 2003  Support Ends in 2014

In April 2014 Microsoft will no longer support Office 2003 and with the cessation in July of 2014, two months later of the support of XP’s anti-virus updating also ceasing, XP will effectively be dead.  No one can maintain a computer without a steady stream of anti-virus patches – so the combination will be dead. My personal plans are to migrate on or about January 1, 2014 to a new computer – most likely Win7 and either a later office than 2003 (presumably upgraded), or possibly an office suite of a competitor.  As long as I can read and write a common format for the letters and newsletters I write, all can be worked out without Microsoft Office.  TBD!

How Secure is Your Computer?

Thu, 03/01/2012 - 1:08am — JimDinkey

ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS

When asked which of the roughly 50 anti-virus programs I use or a SPAUG Member should use, I used to mention the then-current anti-virus programs that were either priced reasonably or one of the FREE anti-virus programs that was currently on the top of the list. That is no longer a problem.

Implementing Perpetuity Backups

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 1:01am — JimDinkey

 With Gene Barlow (and Linda) being our speaker for February, and the possibility of the reaction of “Not Again!”, I assure you that the session will be very worthwhile and much  different.

Acronis has come up with the implementation of “perpetuity” backups. Acronis doesn’t call it that, but that is the result. This means that the implementation permits the user to set up Acronis to create backups automatically, and to keep doing this forever!

The Channel is Coming to Town

Tue, 11/01/2011 - 1:01am — JimDinkey

“The Channel” is coming to town! The Channel will be a huge increase in the Internet capability Throughout the U. S. (and presumably the world) that will be able to carry tremendous amounts of data that will service all sorts of volumes and speed requirements. This will affect all of us in the sheer volume of it, the effect on infrastructure and each of us as we interact with the Internet by causing many of our interfaces to be modified, many will say to the good as huge bandwidth will be available. Undoubtedly the interface and also the supplier may change along with the much greater bandwidth. You will probably like it but you will have some interface changes.

You May be Vulnerable to Failures

Sat, 10/01/2011 - 1:00am — JimDinkey

A Bit Of History.  SPAUG is the follow on to the Homebrew computer club, which seemed to implode about 28 years ago. That Homebrew crowd was on the bleeding edge of the technology that was available at the time.

At that time, upon the void created by the cessation of the Homebrew computer club, through a miracle of events, personnel, and circumstance, a new club formed which had the inglorious name because of circumstance, the Stanford Palo Alto User Group (for PC) (SPAUG). The Stanford portion of the name came from the fact that, at the time of incorporation, SPAUG was meeting at Polya Hall at Stanford and numbers of Stanford students were an integral part of the club. I joined about 4 months after incorporation.

The Saga of the SPAUG Laptop

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 1:00am — JimDinkey

 Our “SPAUG Experts” Meeting— August 10

The panelists did a wonderful job at the August 10 General Meeting.  They kept the members’ interest and answered tons of questions that had been bugging the membership.  The response was overwhelmingly positive, so I have no trepidation about the September 14 meeting, at which the same team will field yet another barrage of questions from the audience. Kudos to Maury Green, Stan Hutchings, Kevin Lynn, Glen Murray, John Sleeman, Bill Worthington, Bill Young, and Brad Youngman. They will also be performing at the September meeting, answering questions submitted by the audience about any topic of general interest. 

Migrating From Windows XP to Windows 7

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 1:00am — JimDinkey

With about 40% to 50% of the PC currently connected in the marketplace being Windows 7, the writing is on the wall that Microsoft is winning the war to get more money by causing owners to upgrade. The primary driver for upgrading is to control and cover up the mistakes of the XP series and also to utilize the now-available 64-bit processors which can run considerably faster than the older 32-bit CPUs.

When You Get a New Windows 7 Computer

Fri, 07/01/2011 - 1:01am — JimDinkey

The Win32/FakePAV Trojan has made a name for itself in the effectiveness and thoroughness of the infection: it’s cure has been entered into the various programs that Microsoft encourages you to put onto your computer such as Microsoft Security Essentials.

First of all, I propose that everyone should have Microsoft Security Essentials program on their computer.  It is effective in its objective of catching and removing some programs that should not be on your computer - including Win32/FakePAV Trojan – and it is free from Microsoft.  It is not great, but solves some problems.

Maintaining Your Computer

Wed, 06/01/2011 - 12:01am — JimDinkey

One function of SPAUG is to provide you the opportunity to improve your computer use and maintenance capabilities.

Toward that end we provide:
  • A newsletter, which can provide insights into how to maintain your computer:
  • A tutorial meeting at which you are provided with the knowledge of how to use some tools
  • Speakers giving breadth to many technical discussions.
  • The Clinic to help fill in with the correction of the computer to a normal standard.
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