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The
LangaList
Standard Edition
2001-10-11
A Free Email Newsletter from
Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
Please visit our sponsors
and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1) No More "Dirty
Mouse Balls"
I'm convinced there's no subject so strange or obscure that Langalist readers
won't have excellent suggestions to offer. <g> For example, the brief item last
week on "Dirty Mouse Balls" (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-10-04.htm#5 ) brought a flood of
suggestions ranging from the general (and universally applicable) to the
ultra-specific:
Fred -- I thought I was suffering from the
usual mouse problem you mentioned in the last LangaList, but after doing the
usual cleanup of the ball and the rollers, I still had the same problem (slow,
jerky vertical motion, good horizontal motion). I finally disassembled the mouse
(it's a Micro Innovations Roller Mouse) and found that the motion is transmitted
through a wheel on the end of each roller. The wheel has teeth that pass between
two IC modules (probably a light beam and detector) and one of the wheels had
dust between the teeth -- in my house, probably cat fur. Once I cleaned the dust
off wheel teeth, the mouse worked perfectly again. --- Jonathan Spencer
Fred, I read your last article about mouse
problems with a wry smile on my face! About a week ago I too had been having
problems - my mouse would slow down about 5 minutes into surfing. I would
re-boot and try again with the same result. I spent a couple of hours rolling
back the registry etc. I even had my windows CD in the drive ready to
re-install, then like an idiot I realised what the problem was. My wife had
bought me a nice cordless mouse for my birthday back in June, and, I am sure you
have guessed the next bit - the batteries were flat!! A reminder to us all not
to discount the most obvious answer! Thanks for the LangaList ---Henry Gallagher
Fred, I have the EXACT same system [Dell
Dimension 8100 system (1.6G CPU, 256MB ram etc)], and bought it at the exact
same time. I also started having this problem around the same time he did. I
clean my mouse out daily, unplugged it, and it makes no difference. I even put a
clean install of Win2000 on my machine, hoping it was an OS issue, to no avail.
I've even noticed that the mouse wheel will fire off even though I haven't
touched it. It looks to me like the mouse and/or the port is firing off Windows
Messages at random. I have looked at the DellTalk forums and it appears to be a
recurring problem for owners of new 8100's. Dell has qualified it as an
"official" hardware issue, so there isn't much we can do yet other than complain
;-). These first generation 8100's certainly have some problems. I just replaced
the DVD and the floppy drive in mine this week.--- Chris Roseburg
Fred, I have to disagree with you on this
one. The issue is more likely due to a corrupted video driver or video hardware
on the fritz. The user could try updating the video driver, if available, or
reinstalling his/her current driver. If this doen't help, Msconfig cleanbooting
and a lower res setting could be tried next. If all else fails, s/he could try
contacting the PC vendor support line and ask for a replacement video card. ---
Bob Harrell
Thanks to all who wrote in. And, for a "once and for
all" solution to mouse ball problems, see the next item.
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2) Who Needs Mouse
Balls, Anyway?
Many, many readers suggested switching to optical
mice. Here's an example letter:
Dear Fred, I've been there, done that
(cleaned mouse balls and rollers). But, the best solution I've found has been to
replace the (old fashioned) mouse with an optical one. I'm using the Microsoft
Optical Mouse (no mouse ball, no moving parts), and it works great. The
Microsoft Optical Mouse has a USB plug, with a PS/2 adaptor. Keep up the great
work!! --- Mark Medvedeff
Ball-less, optically-driven mice are rare on new PCs
because system vendors often use the cheapest possible parts they can get away
with, and basic mechanical mice are unbelievably cheap--- just a buck or so, in
quantity (and as low as $2 or so even at retail).
But prices on add-it-yourself, aftermarket optical
mice have plummeted of late, and you can get a high-quality unit for $15-25.
Check your favorite vendor, or see, for example, what LangaList sponsor
Cyberguys offers:
http://www.langa.com/sponsors/cyberguys.htm
As Mark mentions, a good optical mouse can end your
mouse ball problems forever. 8-)
Thanks Mark, and all the other readers who love---
and recommend--- optical mice!
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3) Free Programming
Tools
Writing from Caracas, Venezuela, Luis Uribe sent in
a pointer to an event--- and a deal---I'd completely missed:
Dear Fred: Excellent gift for programmers. Free
WatCom's multiplataform Fortran and "C" compilers!
http://www.openwatcom.org/
Watcom compilers have been well-regarded for
literally decades, but now, WatCom is going the "open source" route in which it
will give the source code of its products to the programming community at large.
They also offer the downloads Luis mentions at
http://www.openwatcom.org/download.html ; you can get them for free, or make
a completely voluntary donation (of as little as $1) to help pay for the
download bandwidth.
If you work in C/C++ (or Fortran, for that matter)
it's definitely worth a look. Thanks, Luis!
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4) IE6
Decaffeinated?
Fred, No Java [in IE6]?! What in the world
is Microsoft thinking?! I realize I could download a Java engine but just on the
principle of the thing I don t plan to upgrade to Internet Explorer 6 anytime
soon. My online banking service sent me the following message
RegionsNet does not support the new
releases of Internet Explorer (6.0) and Netscape Navigator (6.0) because they do
not support java. If you choose to use them you will experience some losses in
function and design.
Here's a link to a nice article from the
folks at MCP Magazine.
http://www.mcpmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=334
Plus subscriber and loving it! --- Will
Greene
Thanks, Will.
The IE6/Java issue can be confusing because upgrade
installations can still have full, normal Java support, depending on what and
how you obtained Java support in earlier versions of IE. Clean installs,
however, can run into trouble.
If you're not sure if your copy of IE6 offers Java
support, BrowserTune's Level Three tests offers a fast and easy way to find out.
(
http://www.browsertune.com ).
You also can download a stand-alone Java engine from
Sun at
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/ .
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friend
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5) Bug In MS
Excel/PowerPoint for Windows or Macintosh
Microsoft confirmed a problem originally discovered
by the folks at Symantec in which Excel and PowerPoint macros can allow an
attacker to do pretty much whatever he/she wants on your system, if you download
and open a spreadsheet or slide show containing a malicious macro:
Excel and PowerPoint have a macro security framework
that controls the execution of macros and prevents macros from running
automatically. Under this framework, any time a user opens a document the
document is scanned for the presence of macros.... A flaw exists in the way
macros are detected that can allow a malicious user to bypass macro checking.
A malicious attacker could attempt to exploit this vulnerability by crafting a
specially formed Excel or PowerPoint document with macro code that would run
automatically when the user opened it. The attacker could carry out this attack
by hosting the malicious file on a web site, a file share, or by sending it
through email....
Affected versions:
- Microsoft Excel 2000, 2002 for Windows
- Microsoft Excel 98, 2001 for Macintosh
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, 2002 for Windows
- Microsoft PowerPoint 98, 2001 for Macintosh
More info and a patch:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms01-050.asp
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6) Is This
Information Useful?
If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read,
maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to
recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful
information and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (full details also
available via this link):
http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=143182
Or, win a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any
item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys... and more.
(Full details also available via this link):
http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm
Either way, thank you, and good luck!
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7) Email "WireTapping"
I'm ambivalent about the "Privacy Foundation." It's
done some great work, but also tends to sensationalize problems--- overplaying
them for maximum emotional effect. In a world filled with hype, misinformation
and just plain BS about online privacy and security, the last thing we all need
is a seemingly-reputable source treating every minor online security problem as
if it were an imminent risk to life and limb.
Still, if you remember to take it all with a grain
of salt, and mentally to filter out the overblown rhetoric, there is good
information on the site, as frequent contributor Vikki Collins points out:
Dear Fred, I don't know if you've seen this but it
might be of interest to some:
EMAIL WIRE TAPPING: The Privacy Foundation has
recently learned of an exploit that allows the sender of an e-mail message to
see what has been written when the message is forwarded with comments to other
recipients. We have nicknamed this problem "e-mail wiretapping" because the
exploit allows someone to surreptitiously monitor written messages attached to
forwarded messages.... The exploit requires the person reading a wiretapped
e-mail message to be using an HTML-enabled e-mail reader that also has
JavaScript turned on by default. Affected e-mail readers include Outlook,
Outlook Express, and Netscape 6 Mail.
It goes on to explain how to turn off the java
scripting etc.
Http://www.privacyfoundation.org/privacywatch/report.asp?id=54&action=0
Thanks Vikki.
As usual, the Privacy Foundation is both right and
wrong about this. Their scenario *can* play out, but it won't, even in browsers
that "turn on scripting by default" unless you *leave* scripting turned on. (It
doesn't matter what the default setting was, if you've changed it to something
safer.) Various firewalls (eg ZoneAlarm), add ons (eg script Sentry
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/scriptsentry.asp ) and AV tools all can block
scripts, too, so many readers of this newsletter (who have taken some or all of
the many precautions we've discussed over time) will be virtually immune to this
exploit.
By all means, check out what the Privacy Foundation
has to say; but mentally filter out the tone of breathless panic that pervades
too much of their site.
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friend
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8) They Just Keep
Coming And Coming and Coming...
Well over a thousand of your fellow readers have
"Loaded the code." Please click over to
http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join them! (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
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm
Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites
Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm
Shawn Dietzer (free tools)
http://www.dietzer.com/
Mackenzie Beer Brewers and Wine Makers
http://home.cablerocket.com/~willyum/
Impressionistic Wallpapers
http://plmills.home.netcom.com/
Joe's Disco Weather Central
http://hometown.aol.com/Joe42353/www/index.html
Capt. Nemo
http://www.chilembwe.net/index.html
Barb's Cozy Computing Corner
http://www.angelfire.com/in3/kittson/
Gordon & Travis' Home on the Web
http://members.home.com/travgor/
Beware The Wounded Tiger
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/spookydesigns/angelmz/main.htm
Patricia Matisz Smith
http://faculty.ncwc.edu/PSmith/Default.htm
Void! Entertainment
http://voidentertainment.virtualave.net/
Computer Tactics
http://www.computertactics.com/
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9) New ZoneAlarm
Version Coming!
It's not available
yet, but Zone Labs just announced new versions ("3.0") of ZoneAlarm and
ZoneAlarm Pro. The new software should be available soon--- stay tuned!
More details:
http://www.zonelabs.com/pressroom/pressreleases/2001/za3zap3.html
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friend
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10) Just For Grins
Reader Larry Coots says, "OK, it was late, I was
tired, and I had dealt with rebuilding too much of the network and phone system
after last Friday's massive electrical storm... anyway, I hope you enjoy reading
it as much as I enjoyed writing it!"
Inter-department memo from the MIS management
Attention: As many of you are aware, there are
several security protocols available for network authentication, such as PAP,
CHAP, MS-CHAP, etc. However, it has become necessary, due to the increased
ability of hackers to thwart these and other defenses, to implement our own new,
proprietary authentication the Challenge-Response Authentication Protocol, or
C.R.A.P.
We will begin installing C.R.A.P. on all servers and
workstations immediately. As soon as the laptops have gone through the "C.R.A.P.-on-your-lap"
upgrade program, the remote users will have to go through C.R.A.P. to connect to
the network over a modem. Portable C.R.A.P. will not be very different from
desktop C.R.A.P., and both versions are expected to generate similar quantities
of paperwork.
Once all the machines have C.R.A.P. on them, we
expect the first round of bugs to appear. We will have extra support personnel
on hand to deal with bugs brought to light by the presence C.R.A.P.. Eventually,
we expect to make the network even less appealing to hackers by implementing
additional layers of C.R.A.P.. Once the C.R.A.P. becomes thick enough, we don't
think anyone will try to get in anymore. So, the next time someone tells you
that we have C.R.A.P. for security, you can smile and proudly agree.
The MIS management
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11) Plus!
Edition Highlights:
Voice Recognition Software;
Add "CommandPrompt" To Win2K Menus;
Reader Fix For Another IE6 Issue;
Professional (Yet Free) Solution For Font Overload
Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten
items above, plus about 30% more content including: A site with tons of
independent, first-hand information on voice-recognition and voice-command
software; a reader's solution to add a "DOS box" command prompt to his Win2K
context menus; another reader's fix for an IE6 problem in displaying inline
images; and a professional's personal pick for easily managing large numbers of
fonts--- and even loading/unloading them on demand, on a per-project basis.
Plus! Edition info:
http://www.langa.com/plus.htm
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friend
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See you next issue!
Best,
Fred
(fred@langa.com)
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.
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