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the above is an advertisement )-------------- 1) None Like It HotHave you ever touched the surface of a working computer’s CPU chip--- say, a Pentium or an Athlon? These days, they get hot enough to take off your fingerprints. Heat is the enemy of a CPU chip. The cooler a CPU chip is kept, the more stable it is and the longer it lasts, simple as that. At abnormally high temperatures, a CPU may behave erratically or lock up; if you’re lucky, normal operation will resume when things cool off. But a single extreme temperature spike, or long, frequent periods of running "outside thermal spec" can permanently damage or destroy a CPU. Today's CPUs are pumping more and more energy through smaller and smaller wire traces and at ever-increasing clock frequencies. The result is that, without properly-sized and functioning heat sinks and fans, most CPUs would literally cook themselves to death in short order. That’s why so many current desktop PC designs internally resemble miniature wind tunnels: The higher-end and faster your PC, the more fans it’s likely to have. The 1.2GHz PC sitting at my feet, for instance, has no less than five fans busily whirring away: a very large fan ventilating the case as a whole, a smaller fan ventilating the power supply (and to a lesser degree, the case), a medium-sized fan blowing air down through the CPU’s massive heat sink, and a pair of tiny fan/heatsinks mounted on other chips--- one on the video card’s graphics processor, and one on the motherboard’s largest chip. Although most PCs from major vendors start their lives reasonably well-ventilated and are able to keep the CPU chip and other components within thermal specs, problems can arise: Many vendors use cheap fans with relatively short lives: If a fan dies on you, your first warning might be a general and seemingly-inexplicable system failure. Or, if you don’t clean the inside of your PC from time to time, the air intakes may become clogged with dust, dirt and pet hair, leading to overheating and trouble. (This will only sound weird to you if you’ve never opened the case of a PC that has been allowed to run undisturbed and uncleaned for a long time. The amount of crud that accumulates inside a PC case can be truly amazing--- and disgusting!) Some system vendors also have been known to cut corners, producing PCs that are technically within thermal specs, but running far hotter than they need to: This puts unnecessary stress on the system and all but ensures a shorter system life than otherwise. And if you worked on or modified your system by adding a new component (say, a new CD drive), your placement of cables and connectors can interfere with the airflow, possibly causing localized overheating. A bit further afield, if you built your own system from scratch or replaced the CPU, it can be hard to know if you chose the right combination of fans and heatsinks. So the question is this: How can you tell if your system is properly cooled? How can you tell if the airflow is right inside your PC? How can you tell (without opening the case) that *all* the fans are turning? How can you tell that your PC isn’t susceptible to erratic operation or even premature death caused by too-high or barely in-spec temperatures? The answer lies in free and excellent software: You see, many of today’s motherboards (maybe yours!) now come with built-in sensors that keep track of things like fan speed, and system- and CPU temperatures. Strangely, the software to access and use the sensor's data is almost never included as part of a base PC system. Even if your system has these advanced sensors built in, you may not know they're there, or be able to access the information they can provide. But if you know where to get it, you can obtain free software that taps the information from these built-in sensors to let you know what's going on inside your PC. Even better, there's also software you can run that actually can lower your CPU's temperature significantly (it sounds like a scam, but it's true!). I tested a bunch of these "motherboard monitoring" and "CPU cooling" tools, and present the results of my experiences in the "Monitor" column going live around midday today (March 12; UT-5) on the WinMag.Com site. In that column, you'll see how to tell if your system has the necessary sensors already built in, and if so, where to get the software that will let you take advantage of it. At the end of the article, if you're like me, you'll be running a small, free monitoring tool to keep an eye on what’s going on inside your PC; and will be able to correct any problems that arise before they can harm your system. As always, the Monitor column is free: Just click on over to http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/ . (If you arrive early, you'll see the previous column on "Cool Tools." 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/2001/06.htm . (If you arrive early, the link won't work.) Check it out! Click to
email this item to a friend 2) WinMag.Com Changes Course On WinMESpeaking of WinMag.Com: On most major issues, the folks there and I share similar views. But as a freelance, I sometimes come to different conclusions than they do, and vice versa. WinMag.Com's original assessment of Windows Millennium Edition was a mild positive; they didn't see much great about the OS, but they didn't see a lot very wrong either. My assessment was starker: I just didn't see the point of ME at all, beyond assisting Microsoft's cash flow. But as more and more negative evidence accumulated, the folks at WinMag.Com realized they'd been too gentle on WinME. This is to their great credit because sometimes, when a publication has staked out a position, it's loathe to change. But WinMag has now strengthened and clarified its position on WinME by incorporating tons of real-world experience into a new article called "Windows ME Long-Term Wrap-Up." It's at http://content.techweb.com/winmag//windows/winme/longterm/default.htm and is definitely worth a click. Click to
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the above is an advertisement )-------------- 3) New Variant On An Old IE Security ProblemLike the proverbial "bad penny," some old security problems keep turning up. This new variant potentially allows a malicious web site operator to run code of their choice on your machine by scoping out information about IE's cache that should remain hidden. As a full explanation is just a click away, I won't burn space by going into detail here. Along with the full explanation, Microsoft has released a patch that prevents both the main problem and related problems with the "scripting host." If you're using IE 5.1 or 5.5, you
probably should grab the patch sooner rather than later. You can get the patch
and a fuller explanation of what's gong on at: Click to
email this item to a friend 4) Many More Gadgets That Spy On YouIn issues past, we discussed the "CueCat," a handheld scanner that was promoted as a way to save the world from the onerous task of typing URLs. (As if it's all that hard!) But under the covers, CueCat actually was a brilliant marketing tool: The more you used it, the more the CueCat makers learned about you and your preferences, thus allowing them to "target" you with advertising. (See http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=cuecat&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ) Well, the CueCat was only the first of a host of devices that spy on you as you use them--- now there are MP3 players, sports watches, and more. Check out http://www.privacyfoundation.org/commentary/tipsheet.html . Click to
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Own Reference Shelf--- And Up To 20% Discounts! <a href="http://www.langa.com/books.htm">AOL Users Click Here</a> --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 5) Granny Knows BestReader Sheryl Clark--- who goes by the nom-de-email of "GrannyC"--- has an excellent suggestion you might want to keep in mind the next time you're doing major system work:
Thanks, Sheryl, er, Granny. <g> It's an excellent idea. I did something similar after my last major reinstall because I'd gotten tired of running SFC (the system file checker) and having to hunt for good copies of system files that had gotten munged. But because I rely on my full backups for most restorations, my separate system-file archive isn't quite as organized as Sheryl's: I simply copied every DLL I could find on my system after a clean install and update, and placed the copies in a safe place. Now, when SFC reports that some software has replaced a newer DLL with an older version, I have an OK version readily at hand. Either method--- the all-in-one way, or Sheryl's more organized way--- can save you time in the long run. Click to
email this item to a friend 6) Don’t Make Me Beg! 8-)If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (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... and more. To have a shot at winning, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win a $30 Gift Certificate! (Full details also 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 7) Windows 9x/ME Setup "Switches"A software "switch" is a modifier you append to a standard command to make it behave somewhat differently. Here's a trivial example: At DOS or in a Command window, if you type DIR you'll see a listing of the contents of whatever Folder ("DIRectory") you're in. But if you add a switch--- "/w"--- the DIR command generates its output in "wide" mode, filling the screen horizontally. With the switch, you'd type the command: DIR /W . The Windows "Setup" command (used to install or reinstall Windows) also can be modified with switches. For example, the Windows Setup "progress bar" normally doesn't convey much information beyond giving you a very rough idea of how far along you are as components are detected and installed. But if you start a new installation or reinstallation of Windows with the command
instead of just plain
you'll see something different. The detection progress bar will become "verbose" and show all the resources of the detected devices along with the progress bar. This helps you to know exactly what's going on: If you run into trouble during an installation or reinstallation, knowing precisely which component or module failed can be a big help in correcting what's wrong. You can find a list of all the available Windows9x/ME setup switches and what they do at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q186/1/11.asp Click to
email this item to a friend 8) They Loaded The CodeDo you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (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 Cluj On Line (Romania) The View from Number 80 Data Processing Management
Services MaryWalt Place Long Island Voice Automated
Homes AC Web Design "Cowgirl Bo's
Home" AACI Jerusalem (Israel)
Branch Computer Club Click to
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Less Than You Think! <a href="http://www.langa.com/ratecard.htm">AOL Users: Click here!</a> --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 9) Space Stations Keep Fallin' On My Head...As you've probably heard, the Russian Mir station will be "deorbited" soon. If all goes according to plan (hey, what could go wrong? <g>), many tons of high-velocity, incendiary rubble will splash down in the South Pacific. (The bigger chunks will not burn up in the atmosphere.) If you want to stay on top of the current status of Mir and know the most up-to-date predictions of actual splashdown time and locale, these sites should be excellent resources: This NASA site plots the current, real-time positions of Mir and other spacecraft on a map of the earth: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/Spacecraft.html Another NASA site, this one gives you the "on the ground, looking up" view of Mir's passages (as well as those of many other satellites): http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/JPass/20/ This huge, comprehensive site is a great resource for just about any object that can been seen anywhere from Earth, including Mir: http://www.heavens-above.com/main.asp And this specialty site is devoted specifically to tracking satellites as their orbits decay and they fall to Earth: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/index.htm I personally don't think Mir's descent will be particularly dangerous, but it sure will be interesting! Click to email this
item to a friend 10) Just For GrinsIt's been a snowy winter here in New Hampshire: The ground's been completely snow-covered since mid-December, and two recent back-to-back Nor'easters dumped a huge amount of the white stuff. Parts of our yard are chest-deep in snow; standing inside the house and looking out, one's feet are well below the level of the top of the snow outside. Our driveway is walled with snow like a toboggan run; and the streets are worse, with the snowbanks piled higher than the roofs of most cars. In the midst of all this, our firewood carrier--- a kind of wheeled carriage--- broke. It wasn't a trivial matter: Although we have conventional heating, we provide most of our heat via two high-efficiency woodstoves because wood is a local, renewable, and relatively environmentally benign resource. With a large-ish and constantly-occupied house (my office is in my home), we burn a *lot* of wood, and losing the wheeled carrier was a major inconvenience. I ordered a new one--- a different, sturdier model--- and it arrived ready to be assembled. Although it was from a U.S. company in Kentucky, the instructions were crafted in the kind of language you normally see only in poor translations. "Tube" parts were referred to as "tupes," "legs" as "leds" and so on. But here's the part that made me laugh out loud: While one side of the instruction sheet was dense with a complete battery of single-spaced instructions that detail the full assembly sequence, the other side contained alternate instructions, which I reproduce here in full:
Yes, they really called them "'Guy' Instructions." I'm hoping it was just a bit of dry Kentucky humor. 8-) Click to
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the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition HighlightsToday's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus information on a way to get--- for free!--- a critically-acclaimed program that normally costs $70; a tip for advanced users that saves memory and may speed your system; and more information on internet time servers and software. Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm Click to
email this item to a friend See you next issue!
Best, Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com. (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site. Why are you getting this newsletter? This is a 100% OPT-IN newsletter: There are only three ways to get on the list--- signup via direct email request from you, or signup via the WinMag newsletter page or signup via BrowserTune's email-notification service. If you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me through one of those signup channels. At signup, you also received a confirmation email from my list software---no one is signed up secretly or against their will. SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Create and send a new email address it to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net For even more content, downloads and special services, check out the LangaList Plus! Edition: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm UNSUBSCRIBE: From the same address you used to sign up with (it's shown on the first line in the body of each email issue you receive), create and send a new email address to unsubscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net . CHANGE ADDRESS? LIST TROUBLE? HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED HELP? See http://www.langa.com/help.htm About the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement 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 service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 1997-2005Langa Consulting LLC. All rights reserved. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156 |
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