Welcome to the June 2010 Edition of Cyber News, an ad free, spam free online magazine emanating from Stanley's Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. In Cyber News we'll try to pass along some useful tips and information about your computer, the Internet, computer products, digital photography, other related topics, and some stuff that's not related at all. If just one thing you read here can help you in your computing world then it's worth the time of putting this together. Almost every month someone will email me and ask to resend them Cyber News. May I point out that this is a web site and is always here on the Internet. Just put it in your favorites and you can refer to it anytime. The monthly email is just a reminder that a new edition has been posted. I thought I knew a lot about the computing world, but there is always something to learn. I did not know that commercial copy machines contain hard drives. And, those hard drives contain the information of every copy it has made. So the next time you walk into a store and make a copy of your income tax, or send a fax you should be aware of this! Here's an investigative report from CBS News that you will find most alarming and informative.
I don't use Facebook or any other social network as it serves no purpose for me. But I am the exception as it seems that most people do. I feel however that It is my responsibility to pass along things that I learn about social networks that could be damaging to people who use them. The latest scam involves Facebook and others sharing personal information with advertisers. Details from CNN. PC World is reporting that more than half of Facebook users are considering dumping their account due to privacy concerns. They have made it fairly easy to deactivate your account but permanent deletion is much more complicated and frustrating because it's buried deep within the bowels of Facebook. If you are one of those dissatisfied users here is the secret to deleting your account. If you are one of those who choose to keep facebooking be warned again that your postings are not private nor is your profile information. As we mentioned last month, everything you do on the Internet is there indefinitely!
A skydiving daredevil is planning a free fall jump from 120,000 feet! This summer in New Mexico, Felix Baumgartner hopes to make the highest, longest and fastest fall ever. His attempt will take him to an altitude where the atmosphere ends and space begins -- where blood boils at body temperature, and the air temperature could be as low as minus 70 degrees. Read about it here. Have you stepped up to Windows 7 only to find one of your favorite programs won't work now? There are some older programs that would perform with Windows XP but not in Windows 7. If that's the case, don't lose heart because there's a chance that it will still work. Here's the secret. Insert the disk in your CD player. Click Start, Computer, and double click on your CD drive to see the files it contains. Find the Setup.exe or Install.exe file, RIGHT click on it and choose properties. At the top of the window that opens click on the Compatibility Tab then put a check mark next to "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and choose your previous operating system. Click OK to finish and now go ahead and install the program.
There's not a person who uses the Internet who has not heard of YouTube, and you undoubtedly have watched many videos on that site. What is unbelievable is that they are now exceeding more than 2 billion views per day! That's nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. television networks combined. I've watched hundreds of YouTubes but have never made one. Something on my bucket list. Britney now passes Ashton for the most followers on Twitter. To that I say "whoopee and who cares!" I guess it's part of getting older but I have better things to do than cling on to every word of Britney Spears! Get a life.
I
have this app on my Iphone and am going to start using it. I
can take a picture, add effects, and immediately upload it to my new
Iphone photo site. Check
it out.
My Blog contains thoughts and photos on many subjects and the latest entry talks about "What's going on in Arizona?" You need to read this Blog. If you missed my slide presentation last month entitled "The Great American Southwest," you may view it here.
Remember you can read previous editions of Cyber News by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page. You can also search previous editions of Cyber News by typing key words into the search box. If you would like to be added to our mailing list (absolutely not shared with anyone) just click here. You will be notified when each new edition is posted. Since spam filters seem to be getting stricter our notification may end up in your spam folder, so be sure to check that occasionally for any important email that may have ended up there. Cyber News is a permanent web site, so you can put it in your "Favorites" and refer to it anytime. Secrets of Safe Computing are outlined below. Please don't ignore them. Read each point and be sure to follow the advice as outlined in System Maintenance. Just a few minutes of work each month will go a long way in keeping your computer running smoothly. "Live life with passion, in a constant state of joy, and with an attitude of gratitude!"
Disclaimer: The information presented in Cyber News is researched and is believed to be accurate. We cannot guarantee that all the information will work on your particular combination of hardware, software and user skills. All information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither Stanley Computing nor its contributors are responsible for any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from your choosing to use any information presented on this web site. |
One
of the most common computer complaints is "my machine is so
slow." People have even purchased a new computer to get
away from the problem, but then a few months later they have the same
complaint. So, why is this happening? Well, there are a
couple of reasons. One is that the computer is not being
"cleaned" regularly by using applications such as CCleaner,
Malwarebytes, and monthly defragmentation. (See "Secrets to
Safe Computing" below) Another reason is because of junk programs
that have been involuntarily installed. When installing an
application you will usually be offered two options; Recommended or
Custom. The custom choice usually says "For Advanced
Users," but don't let that scare you. They want you to choose
the Recommended mode because they are going to install stuff that you
don't want or need. Vendors pay software companies to install
hidden programs, so it's up to you to be alert! Always use the
Custom choice when installing any program.
If you
love music as I do, then I have a DVD that you have to own! 
Last
month I mentioned Apple's marketing hype concerning the Ipad.
No one can deny their ability to market products and proof of that is
selling 2 million units since it's launch in only 60 days, that's about
one every 3 seconds! Those
Ipads sold anywhere from $500 to $800, but wait, you can have the
ultimate Ipad for only $190,000. No I'm not kidding, this is for
the person who has everything; it's gold and diamond studded! 
Photo
Tip of the Month: Millions of people are taking pictures with
their cell phones. It's a handy method because you always have
your phone when you may not have your digital camera. With some
common sense 
If
you think a friend or family member would enjoy Cyber News, don't
hesitate to let them know about it. An easy way to do this is to
right click on the web address in the address window of your browser and
choose copy. Open your email program and a new email.
Address it, and in the body of the message right click and choose paste.
That creates a link and when your friend receives the email he or she
simply clicks on the link and it will take them directly to Cyber News. Of
course you can do that with any web page.
