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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2002-08-05

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!

1) A Real-Life GPS Road Test

Several months ago, in "Error-Free Business Travel" ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020425S0004 ) we discussed how Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is revolutionizing business and pleasure travel. More recently, I gave a brief synopsis ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-07-25.htm#10  ) of two-weeks I spent navigating through back roads in Europe using a GPS and a laptop. I asked if anyone wanted more info--- and yow!--- what a response.

I can understand the interest: Although GPS units come in all sizes, shapes, and costs, prices are falling *very* rapidly. I firmly believe that GPS is on the verge of going fully mainstream, and will soon be in common use.

The basics of GPS technology can be stated in a single paragraph: You use a small mobile receiver and appropriate software to receive ultra precise timing signals from a fleet of satellites originally used by the U.S. military, but now available to all users. The GPS software processes the satellite signals to calculate the exact location of the receiver, in latitude and longitude.

But a GPS unit's real power is unleashed when it's combined with a digital atlas to turn your raw latitude/longitude information into an easy-to-understand location drawn on a map; or better still, to display your position, speed and direction on a moving street map that scrolls as you drive, giving you a bird's eye view of your route. A properly equipped GPS unit also can generate instant, on-the-fly, turn-by-turn directions as you drive. Traveling with a street map-equipped GPS is like having an expert navigator in the seat beside you, letting you drive through an unfamiliar area with the accuracy and confidence of a local taxi driver. GPS can make missed turns--and missed meetings--a thing of the past.

Although I'd used a GPS for many trips in the US, this two-week sojourn was extreme: Some 2100 miles/3400 km through totally unfamiliar areas and usually on smaller roads, with 15 border crossings between and among six countries (France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Lichtenstein). I used the GPS both for long-distance road navigation and for local, in-city routing; for finding restaurants, hotels and gas stations; and for tracking down scenic spots way, way off the beaten path, too.

In fact, given the complexity of the route I drove, plus the fact that I wanted the flexibility to change routes at will, and not to have to stick to only the major, well-marked highways, I think it would have been either extremely hard or even impossible to plan and drive this trip without GPS. At the very least, it would have required a full library of paper maps in the car, and a full-time human navigator to help find the way.

So, I figured I'd return from this trip either totally believing in GPS technology, or equally firmly believing that it wasn't yet ready for prime time. I'm happy to say it's the former: I'd take another GPS-based trip of this sort without any qualms at all.

But that's me. To help *you* decide if or how to use this emerging technology for *your* next road trip, I've turned my current InformationWeek. COM column ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020801S0010 )  into a discussion of the hardware, software, and techniques of using a GPS even far outside the home areas for which it was originally designed.

I'll discuss "basemaps" versus add-on maps; directly compare two popular mapping products, with side-by-side screen shots so you can see how each portrays the same locations; discuss the errors (!) the software may create, and how I identified and corrected these; discuss how to provide backups for a GPS itinerary so you can continue your trip if the GPS unit is dead, lost, or stolen; and much more. (And I'll soon post more screen shots and photos, as well!)

Yes, there are times when GPS is overkill. For example, for short trips, or trips closer to home, or trips that involve routes only on major roads leading to heavily-trafficked (and thus well-marked) destinations, especially if driven along fixed routes, GPS adds little. But for travelers who want or need a flexible and /or complex itinerary; or if you want the freedom to choose any route--- not just the major roads; or to visit locations away from the high-traffic tourist traps; GPS is the only way to go.

Please come check out the article at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020801S0010 . See you there!
 

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2) Firewall Feedback

Hundreds of emails are pouring in (to ZA@Langa.Com ) in response to my request for real-life experiences with the new versions of ZoneAlarm. When the flood of emails starts to taper off, I'll collate the replies and let you know what emerges.

Meanwhile, reader Bill Roth asked a question that often crops up with desktop firewalls:

Fred: Quite often when my firewall has an inquiry such as a program trying to access it, it will post a notice and ask me if it is ok to allow ...whatever to access my machine. (I use Sygate. It appears to keep my machine free of problems and does not cause problems like Zone Alarm). How does one know if the request is legit or someone is trying to get into my machine. Quite often I will get "Windows Explorer is trying to send information to ...". At any rate if you could explain how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys, I am sure your readers would appreciate. Thanks, Bill Roth

Usually, outbound access requests FROM your machine to another are not too hard to track down, either by seeing what software is doing the calling, or by doing a WHOIS on the target address to see what the destination is. (See http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=whois&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ) While this kind of outbound activity can be from illicit "phone home" apps or trojans, routine use of a good antivirus tool and anti-spyware tool (like PestPatrol) can keep the worst of these off your system. Most remaining outbound connections are usually legitimate, and are relatively easy to ID, especially if your firewall tells you what's triggering the outbound activity.

Of course, sometimes the information isn't specific, and then you have to do some digging. Windows Task Manager may help identify high-level activity; and a "process monitor" may help dig out further information in versions of Windows (such as Win98) where the Task Manager alone isn't very informative. More info on Process Viewers:
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=%22process+view%22&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000
and
http://www.google.com/search?q=process+viewer

You also can try a search of other sources--- such as newsgroups and the Microsoft Knowledgebase--- to track down what any mysterious component or process is, and to learn why it wants to phone home. For example, to see what "Svchost" is, and why it wants an outbound connection, see http://groups.google.com/groups?q=+port+svchost&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search
and
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q250320&

On the other hand, inbound access attempts--- from some outside place TO your machine--- are the more common danger; such connection attempts are often a sign of hacker activity; usually in the form of someone trolling through a whole block of IP addresses to see if any machines are running unprotected. (Hackers and crackers have software than can scan upwards of 10,000 addresses per hour...)

But even here, you can use some of the same tools--- such as WHOIS--- to identify who's trying to connect to you.

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3) Free Scientific/Engineering/Stats/Financial Calc

Windows has a little built-in calculator, of course (click Start/Run, type Calc, hit enter), and most versions also have a "scientific" calculator option available from the basic calculator's View menu. But if you want more, reader Bill Ayers suggests:

Calc98 is a free Scientific engineering statistical and financial pocket calculator simulator program for the Microsoft Windows operating systems, including Pocket PC for PDAs. It includes a very comprehensive set of conversions, constants and physical property data, a built-in periodic table of the elements, number base conversions, vectors, matrices and complex numbers. It is especially suitable for the scientific, engineering, medical and teaching professions and in finance, but we have also found it has been picked up by users in all walks of life.

http://www.calculator.org/

Thanks, Bill.

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-----

4) Simple, Free Undelete

Mr. Langa, Thanks for the great newsletter. Here is a little program that I ran across last week that I think all your readers might find useful. It is a program called Restoration . It can recover files even after they have been deleted from the recycle bin or deleted with the shift+delete method. I have used this a number of times lately with almost complete success. I have tested on win2k and winxp and it works well on both. It was even able to recover files after a defrag. There is also a feature to completely remove files from the computer, but I have not had time to try this feature out. You can get the file at http://hccweb1.bai.ne.jp/~hcj58401/ . Thanks again, Geoff Starnes

Thanks, Geoff. This is the flip side of the "Dead Drive Security Loophole" ( http://www.informationweek.com/837/langa.htm ): Normally, data isn't really erased when you "erase" it: The operating system just marks the file's space as available for reuse. Until the data is actually overwritten with new data, it's still there on your hard drive, and can be recovered.

Windows goes a step further: most deleted files aren't even deleted to that level, but are instead moved to a special folder called the "Recycle Bin." Until the Bin is emptied or fills up, the files aren't deleted at all.

This can be a real problem if you *want* to delete data: Even erasing data and reformatting your hard drive does not really remove data from your system. It can be recovered, until and unless you take special steps to ensure it's really gone. (Again, see http://www.informationweek.com/837/langa.htm )

But the flip side is that you can often easily recover files you accidentally erase and/or delete from the Recycle Bin or from DOS. Many disk-tool suites have this function built in, and--- as Geoff shows--- there's freeware to do the same thing.

By the way, you can improve the odds of recovering accidentally deleted files by keeping your hard drive defragged (so files are in contiguous blocks on the drive, and not scattered in many pieces) and by attempting recovery as soon as possible, before new data has been written over the "erased" file. Once it's overwritten, it's beyond the reach of simple software recovery tools; so the sooner you attempt an undelete, the greater your odds of success with a basic (and free) data-recovery tool.

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5) Belated Notice Re: X-Setup

This was in my "to do" pile prior to my going on vacation; the information's still good, just several weeks later than I intended to bring it to you. <g>

"It" is the release of the final (non-beta) version of  X-Setup 6.2--- a free all-in-one tweaking tool for  Windows 95, 98, NT4, 2000, ME, and XP. It's amazingly complete and powerful, and has so many nooks, crannies, and capabilities that it takes some time to explore fully. But almost everyone who does take the time finds the effort well spent. It's free for home use. Check it out: http://www.majorgeeks.com/article.php?sid=127

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6) Want $10,000 To Spend This Season?

The Recommend-It site gives away up to $10,000 as an incentive to use their service to recommend newsletters like this one!

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 or other prizes from the folks at "Recommend-It:"
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) Easier Fix For Lost CD Access

In http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-05-23.htm#8, we discussed a conflict caused by Roxio's CD Creator that can cause you to lose access to your CD drives. That article gave a Microsoft-approved patch that involved editing the Registry.

Reader "Soubriquet" found an easier fix:

Hi Fred As a long time standard issue subscriber and new plus convert, I thought it was my turn to contribute.

Re your article regarding the loss of CD drives, the easy solution can be found in this article http://aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm  which leads to a link for a registry patch called cdgone.zip. Worked for me, and useful to keep if you uninstall any burning software and find your drives missing again. The rest of the site is pretty useful too and worth bookmarking for regular visits. Hope this helps others who are not too keen on delving into the registry.--- Soubriquet

Thanks! Indeed that page--- and site--- is well worth remembering for its *tons* of info on burning CDs in XP.

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8) More Reader Sites!

Do 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 thousands 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 From Among All Listed
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

Imaginattic WebWorks (Australian)
http://www.imaginattic.net/help.html

Worcestershire County Hockey (UK)
http://www.wcyh.org.uk/WORC_WEB_new_a/Indexx.html

Linkorama (Canada)
http://www.geocities.com/artwolf44/index.html

Politics and Poker
http://www.geocities.com/bobmelzer/Introduction.html

TristanWeb (Filipino)
http://www.geocities.com/zooeyglass15/tristan/

"Only A Test..."
http://elffster.netfirms.com/

MysteryCat's Place
http://www.geocities.com/acatmeows.geo/

Stu Innes personal home page
http://sinnes.duncans.ca/

Oceanfront Rentals - St. Augustine, Florida
http://www.anastasiacondos.com/

Comler's Image Gallery
http://users.1st.net/comler/

Omnimaxx network
http://www.omnimaxx.com/

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9) A Plea Re: "Confirm Your Address..." Services

I have total sympathy with anyone who's fed up with spam. I get hundreds of spam mails every day, myself.

But an increasing number of readers are using various anti-spam services which require that people wishing to send them email first confirm their addresses before the mail will be delivered.

Some of these services simply send an auto-reply email to whomever is trying to contact the person behind the spam barricade; if the address is valid, the mail is allowed. Others require that the sender go to a special URL--- actually to visit a web site--- to validate their address. Still others require that the sender not only go to a special web site, but then enter a magic code word or numeric sequence *and* manually enter their own email address, before the original mail will get delivered.

I truly do sympathize with readers employing these measures, but I must ask for understanding in return. Combined, all versions of this newsletter go out to some 160,000 readers (mostly the free "Standard Edition"), and there is no way on earth I can manually confirm my email address to you all. And even though the paid-subscriber Plus! list is a small fraction of the total, it's still too many for me to go to web sites, one by one, and manually enter magic code words or series of numbers to allow the newsletter through.

Plus, I have my own concerns about sites that want me to enter my email address: What a great way for a company to harvest names for their own spamming!

It's a problem, and I'm doing what I can: The fully-automatic address-verification services are fine. I'll also click on as many of the one-click-to-verify services as I have time for. But I can't and won't work with any service that requires that I go to a web site and manually type in information. There's just not enough time in the day.

The end result is many readers now aren't getting their issues: They're being held by a spam filter, awaiting a manual validation reply from me that can never come. Sigh.

Here's what you can do: Set up your filter to allow anything with "langa" in the Subject or From field to go through. Or, set up the filter to allow email originating from my newsletter mailing server, "caseyjones.dundee.net" at IP address 216.234.106.37 . There may be other things you can do to allow the newsletter to pass, too.

But please understand that I can't validate the legitimacy of the newsletter thousands and thousands and thousands of times. I'll send the newsletter to any address you specify, but after that, it's up to you to let it in: It's literally impossible for me to work out what amounts to private delivery arrangements on a reader-by-reader basis.

In short, I'll gladly continue to send the newsletter, but if you want to get it, please be selective in what you choose to block.

Thanks for listening.

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10) Just For Grins

I don't know where this originally started--- Google shows it on something like three dozen sites--- but Kurt Wilner & Tammy Green were the first to forward it to me:

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(please do not forward this item to non-Plus! subscribers)
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See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I)

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