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Please note: Older issues may contain information that is now out of date. How To Subscribe
and Unsubscribe is at the end of this note. Mailing List Trouble? See http://www.langa.com/help.htm Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000 !) An easier-to
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LangaList 2000-12-18 A Free Email
Newsletter from Fred Langa *Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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It's that time of year when many
columnists climb high on a soap box to opine on the past year and to offer
predictions for the new year. But not me. <g> Instead, I thought it would be
refreshing to take a small break from the weighty matters being discussed
elsewhere and to focus on a nagging problem we all face: What do you do with old
CDs, especially with unwanted CDs from AOL and other ISPs? It's a real problem. CDs (especially
the "10 million hours free!" ISP-marketing CDs) are everywhere, like
high-tech barnacles attached to every magazine, newspaper, carton... heck, to
every flat, marketable surface on the planet. AOL alone probably has distributed
enough CDs to pave New Jersey. (And while some might say that that's suggestion
number one--- getting rid of old CDs by using them to pave New Jersey--- I'd
rather lead off with more serious suggestions.) If CDs were made of glass, using
them as paving material might actually work: Ground-up glass actually can be
used in paving materials as a kind of filler. But CDs make lousy fill because
they're made of brittle, fragile plastic; and because the plastics may slowly
degrade over time, leaching who-knows-what chemicals into the environment.
Similarly, CDs aren't recyclable by normal means because of the thin layer of
metal embedded within the disk. Likewise, because of the metal layer, they
usually can't be burned as fuel in cogeneration facilities. So, what we really need is a list of
alternative uses for these CDs--- uses that give them some value and help to
keep them out of the waste stream. In the last issue ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-12-14.htm#4
) we talked about how most ISP CDs contain the full setup files for Internet
Explorer. Having a full local copy of the setup files can be a timesaver, saving
you the hassle of going through the live download/setup process, especially if
you have to reload the browser several times or on several machines. So,
suggestion number one, when you don't want the main item on a CD, is to check
out what else might be lurking on the disc: It actually might be worth hanging
on to for those hidden items. But there's lots more, and that's
the focus of my last "Explorer" column for this year on the WinMag
site: I'll start by telling you how you can "de-customize" the
browsers that come on ISP CDs (stripping out the "brought to you by
AOL..." or whatever), and then go on to a wide variety of other uses---
including some wild, no-software uses. And if you think I mean something
lame like "use them as coasters," well, you're in for a surprise. You
won't believe what some people are doing with their old CDs! Check out the column (it should be
posted midday (UT-4) today (December 18th 2000), and will remain up until the
New Year. The column will appear under the "Explorer" heading on http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/
; if you arrive early, you'll see the previous column "AOL6 and MSN
Explorer." In that case, just try again a little later. If you want to try
a direct link, once the column is posted, it should be at http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/26.htm
. (If you arrive early, the link won't work.) *Everyone* has useless CDs
lying around. Come check out some alternatives to dumping them in the trash! Click to
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Almost every item in this newsletter
generates mail, mostly from extremely helpful people who wish to contribute to
the discussion with a good tip, a pointer to a proven resource, or other useful
information. But some items *really* push
people's buttons, and generate a veritable *flood* of replies! I wouldn't have guessed it, but the
item on how to print from a file ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-11-30.htm#2
) was one such. Tons of you wrote in with great suggestions! Here's a sample: Hi Fred: Thanks again for a
really useful/enjoyable newsletter. I've used this free tool [PrintFile32] for
quite a while and have had success with it, especially with postscript files. I
suspect it may have been able to help with your problem as well. http://hem.passagen.se/ptlerup/prfile.html
---Nigel Hislop (Many others also recommended this utlity.) Hello Fred!! a. Thank you
for the grreat newsletter. Keep-on-going! b. For printing PRN files, I use
GSview ( http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
). It is free, and of course you can also the file before printing. c. Speaking
about printing utilities, I've found FinePrint2000 ( http://www.fineprint.com
). Although it is 40$ shareware (and I am poor student...), I am going to buy
it, as it give you control on about every aspect of the printing number of
sheets on page, printing order, stationery, duplexing, and even considering
Hebrew documents for Right-to Left printing order (one of the biggest problem,
we Hebrew speaking and writing computer users, suffer from). ---Roee Friedman Dear Fred, I have a comment
about the command "copy printfile.prn lpt1 b/". I am a software
engineer that writes firmware for printers. I use the above command a lot!
I use a slightly modified command, though: copy
printfile.prn /b lpt1 I thought you might be
interested in a utility I've found that prints .PRN files. It's called Direct
Send To Printer. I have installed another copy of my normal printer driver, with
the output set to FILE (as opposed to LPT1). This gives me a .PRN file in the
correct format for my printer. Then I use Direct Send To Printer, which installs
itself as a shell extension. Right click the .PRN file go Send To-> A
Printer... It shows a list of installed printers. Select one, click print and
voila - out comes your printout. BTW It's freeware! You can get it from http://space.dolphin.free.fr/Windows/direct2printer.html
---Chris Stoneham Fred, In the windows
environment, I have a good, free alternative to the PRN file mess. Why not just
download Acrobat Reader 4 for free. It will install a virtual printer acrobat
PDF writer. When you're offline from your printer, just print your file to a PDF
file. Later, you can print a hardcopy and best of all, all of your formatting,
color, etc. will be retained. --- Pete L. Thanks to all who wrote in! Click to
email this item to a friend Reader James Francis ran into a
problem many IE users suffer from: I've been an avid reader of
LangaList for about 2 years (I think). Keep up the good work! I am running
Windows 2000 with IE 5 (both extremely stable - MS impressed me a lot for a
change!), with IIS which also installed the Windows Script Debugger. I use this
on occasion to debug scripts, but it appears every time a JS error appears on
someone else's page. Is there anyway to stop the error message from appearing? Indeed, the MS script debugger has
always been clumsy. I personally thought the old-style Netscape "Javascript
Console" was far better at pinpointing problems. If you find the IE debugger getting
in your way, it's easy to disable. In IE, click Tools/Internet
Options/Advanced and under Browsing, click "Disable Script
Debugging." There are tons of other
user-configurable settings in the IE menus, too, although most people never even
look to see what's there. Check it out: You might find some things that make IE
work more the way you want it to, instead of the way Microsoft wants you to.
<g> Click to
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Around the holidays,
lots of people will be getting new PCs or upgrading older ones. A pair of new
books can help less-experiences users get things set up the right way: a) Absolute
Beginner's Guide to PC Upgrades (by T. J. Lee, Lee Hudspeth) "Even if
you've never opened the case on your PC, TJ Lee and Lee Hudspeth's Teach PC
Upgrades will show you how you can add hardware components, upgrade peripherals,
and keep current on new version of your operating system and applications. This
book tells you what you really need to know about trouble-free upgrading of
computer hardware and software. The most common/popular/need-to-do upgrades are
covered, such as improving your Internet connectivity, adding more memory, and
storage, in a clear, straightforward manner that is both informative and
entertaining. TJ Lee and Lee Hudspeth show you how to get the most bang for your
hard-earned bucks, from the core upgrades that you need to keep your computer
from miring down in obsolesce to the upgrades you may not have considered but
should." It's available in your
local bookstore, or you can order here for $19.99 (20% off the cover price): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789724170/langacom b) Windows Me: The
Missing Manual (by David Pogue) "Getting
started. The book's early chapters cover using menus, finding lost files,
reducing window clutter, and taming the wild Start menu. Above all,
Windows Millennium: The Missing Manual offers warm, witty, jargon-free writing,
with enough basics for the novice and enough depth for the aspiring power user.
The book bursts with enough shortcuts, advice, and surprising tricks to make
using Windows comprehensible--and even delightful." This one's also
available in your local bookstore, or you can order here for $15.96 (20% off the
cover price): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/059600009X/langacom You'll also find lots
more recommended reading available at http://www.langa.com/books.htm
! Click to
email this item to a friend Along with the
thousands of readers who have signed themselves up for the new LangaList Plus!
edition, some have asked about giving subscriptions as gifts. What a great idea! If you know someone who
wants to get more from their hardware, software and time online--- a friend,
colleague or loved one who could benefit from the tons of tips, tricks, free
downloads and other information in the LangaList Plus! Edition--- sign them up
for their own copy! The Plus! edition
carries the full content of the Standard Edition plus more content, more
options, and more benefits. Here's a quick summary of the benefits: They Can Choose
Among Multiple Formats They'll Get They'll Get Extra
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Earlier Delivery! They'll Be First
In Line For Linked Sites! They'll Be First
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Join Real-Time, Live, Private Online Chats About LangaList Topics! and more! In addition, the signup
is quick, easy and affordable ($10 for a full year's subscription). Your friend,
colleague or loved one will automatically get a personalized note from you (the
note is fully customizable, if you wish), informing them of your gift within
minutes of your signing them up--- no last-minute gift-delivery worries! You'll find full
instructions on the Gift Subscription process at http://www.langa.com/plus_gift.htm And if you need more
info on the Plus! edition, or would like to sign up for your own copy, please
see the pages at http://www.langa.com/plus.htm
. Click to
email this item to a friend Here's a pair of letters, the second
of which nicely answers the first: When N6 starts up my
ZoneAlarm asks me whether I want to allow N6 to be a server. Personally I don't
see why N6 needs to act as a server, and I don't like the idea of any programs
running as servers on my desktop PC (Security holes ??!!). Why does N6 want to
act as a server? --- Jacob Thastrup Netscape 6 has the Personal
Security Manager which acts as a secure proxy, the PSM module and local host are
in an internal server/client relationship and have no outside influence
whatsoever, or in other words, it is acting as a server to itself and sending no
information to the Internet. The Netscape 6 Personal Security Manager must act
as a local server; [but] your "software firewall" sees this and
panics. The same concept is used with some ad blocking software such as
Naviscope, which likes to set itself up on your machines loopback address
(127.0.0.1), you will notice that your firewall alerts you with a "Will you
allow Naviscope to act as a server?" message. ---Ryan Farmer Click to
email this item to a friend If you think the LangaList is a
worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a
friend. You just may win $10,000(!); your friend just may find a new source of
useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber (full details also
available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1 Or, win a no-strings $30 Gift
Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware,
kitchenware, toys... (Full details available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 Either way, thank you, and good
luck! Click to
email this item to a friend Just about 1000 readers have now
"loaded the code" onto their websites. Have you? Do you have a home
page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm
. If you've already "Loaded The
Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com
web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt
) Speaking of which: Here's another
eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal: View A Randomly-Chosen
Reader Site Manually Browse All
Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At Lone Bull Web Design Royal Canadian Dragoons
Association The Alternatives (Links,
links, links...) West Cheshire College (UK) Iggyz (free stuff, links,
more) Cure My Computer (UK) EcoCyber (Australia) The Kennebunks Dave's Shop Click to
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Martin Heller, fellow Byte columnist
and a founder of the free PC Pitstop online system-testing suite, writes: Fred, you might enjoy some
of the new Internet-related tests that I've been working on at PC Pitstop. You know that we've had
some heavy-duty http download bandwidth tests for awhile -- but now we also have
ftp upload bandwidth tests. You know that we've had a graphical ping test
(considerably improved from my old WinMag Pinger), but now we have a graphical
Trace Route as well. Finally, we have two new command-line utilities for
download. nslook gives Windows 9x and Me users the two most important functions
of the Unix/Windows NT nslookup utility, DNS name lookup and reverse DNS (IP
address) lookup. iCheckConnection combines ping, traceroute, and bandwidth
testing into a single command utility that can quickly tell you how well you are
connected to multiple sites. All the above are available at http://www.pcpitstop.com
. (And thanks for the update, Martin.) Click to
email this item to a friend In the holiday spirit, reader Dobbie
Velosky sends this along: Came across this seasonal and sadly
uncredited gem and had to get it to you. I know you'll get as big a bang out of
it as I did. PROGRAMMER"S NIGHT
BEFORE CHRISTMAS 'Twas the night before
implementation and all through the house, Click to
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See you next issue! Best, Please recommend
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of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer:
(Please see full disclaimer here: http://www.langa.com/legal.htm.)
Abbreviated version: The tips and other information given in the newsletter are
researched and are believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee
that all the information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the
time. All information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind.
Neither Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for
any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application
of any information presented here. This newsletter is a free
service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2000 Langa Consulting LLC. All
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