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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-03-08

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

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1) Part Two: Cool and Quiet

It's time to continue our exploration of the causes--- and cures!--- of noisy PCs.

In "Cool and Quiet--- Part One" ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17701645 ) we started with the basics of quieting a PC's noisy fans. We then saw how PC noise reduction can actually be rather easy, and cost just a few dollars. We discussed how fan speed is the #1 variable in PC noise, and how air turbulence, the tips of a fan's blades, and plain mechanical noise all contribute to total fan noise. Slowing down a fan--- or replacing a fast fan with a slower-turning one--- reduces all these noises.

But we also saw how cooling efficiency falls off as air flow decreases: If all you do is slow down your PC's fans, you'll raise your PC's internal temperatures, and that's not good at all. Heat is the enemy of electronic components, and overheating can destroy or shorten the life of your system. So, anything you do to quiet your PC must not compromise its cooling.

Fortunately, as we discussed, there are excellent, 100% free tools to assist you in avoiding costly cooling mistakes--- such as a fried CPU! Some of these tools even actively intervene to keep your PC safe in the event of a thermal problem!

If you haven't done so already, please read Part One now, as it contains essential background information and additional details that make today's article--- Part Two--- make sense.

Today's full-length feature article at InformationWeek covers PC fan airflow ratings and sound ratings (and what the jargon means in real-world terms);  and discusses what was, for me, the key to understanding how to quiet a PC: You actually can reduce system noise by adding *more* fans than it came with from the factory! It's totally counterintuitive, but we'll show you how and why it's true (it takes the right kind of fans), and even show you the kind of sound reductions that are possible.

We'll then look at some simple, inexpensive (and even free) ways to accomplish noise reduction; including some snap-in, no-tools-needed, off-the-shelf hardware that costs just a couple bucks.

By the end of Part Two, you'll have learned nine important elements in quieting your PC's fans easily, inexpensively, and safely!

Remember: "Whisper quiet" isn't just a phrase--- it's how quiet your PC really can be!

Please click over to the new article at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18201756 . See you there!

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2) Another *&^%@* Worm

There's a malicious worm that's been around for a while, but that exploded last week; it masquerades as a message from an ISP or web site--- Verizon, AOL, and others; even from me ("Dear user of  Langa.com e-mail..." or something similar).

The email usually arrives with a password-protected Zip file attachment that contains executable files. The email text tells you how to open it to "protect yourself from spam" or to "reset your email account" or some such.

DO NOT OPEN THE FILE! It's not really from me--- or Verizon, or AOL, or whomever. No responsible party will *ever* send you an executable file, unasked for, out of the blue. I certainly will never, ever do so.

In this case, the file is a trojan designed to infect your system. The worm-writers placed the payload in a password-protected file to try to hide from some anti-virus tools. They also crafted the worm to do an unusually good job of spoofing the formats and headers--- it can look quite legitimate, at first glance.

At first, I was amused when I got emails addressed to me from "The Langa.Com team." Well, the "Langa.Com team" is just me, and I knew I didn't send the message, so I knew it was a fake and deleted it. (My systems here never were infected by this worm; no infected mails originated from me.)

But I then got hundreds more copies of the worm--- and many of you did, too--- and it was no longer funny.

This particular attack seems to have started from a user at Centurytel.net, but it's hard to say for sure. In any case, don't be fooled: JUST DELETE THE FILE AND THE EMAIL. In fact, that's a sensible precaution for any unasked for attachment that shows up in your mail: When in doubt--- any doubt at all--- toss it out.

More information (from the Symantec/Norton Antivirus people): http://langa.com/u/3j.htm

If you think you've been infected, a free removal tool is available from Symantec at
http://langa.com/u/3k.htm

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3) Making Sure Your Antivirus Tools Can Work Inside Zips

This excellent tip was posted on the "Bugtraq" mailing list; it helps AV tools block the content of password-protected Zip files like the malicious one discussed in the previous item:

With the release of Beagle.H and Beagle.I, virus writers started enclosing the infected files within password protected ZIP files... I've found that the A/V software does see the file within the ZIP archive, but cannot process it because it does not recognize the extension.  When the archive is password protected, the file enclosed receives a "+" character at the end of the extension (ie test.exe becomes test.exe+)  Since the A/V software doesn't recognize that kind of extension, it lets it pass thru.

I found that by adding the "+" character to file extensions that are blocked (.exe+, .cmd+, .vbs+ etc etc), the A/V software can now recognize that file extension and perform the necessary actions on it.

I've only tested this out on Norton Anti-Virus for Exchange V2.1, but it should work on the other A/V software programs. ---Mike Maloney, Sr. System Engineer, Middlesex County College

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4) Firebird, er, FireFox

The new version of the free Mozilla follow-on browser, once called Firebird but now called Firefox, is perking along through its slow development cycle, and getting better with each build. Here's a note sent in by frequent contributor CptSiskoX:

I have tried several versions of Netscape, IE, Opera, and even Mozilla (alpha, beta, release versions, service packs, you name it)...over the years.  My personal longtime favorite, has been IE since 3.x or especially 4.x and up.  Modern-day Netscape is basically a joke.  Opera wasn't too bad but always had a bit of an odd feeling to it (no offense, Opera users, I do like the browser, it's just not my personal favorite kind of interface, etc) - and it often had problems in the past with certain pages (not necessarily due to its own fault).  However, recently, I tried Mozilla Firefox 0.8 at http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ - and so far, it has been almost just as good as IE 6.x - and definitely better than Mozilla 1.6 (and previous versions), and Netscape, and IMO, Opera.  Maybe even better than IE 6.  I still use IE 6 as my primary browser about 98% of the time, but for a 0.8 version, Mozilla Firefox is quite a nice browser.  I've only found one main bug so far, and it's just that clicking "OK" in the Preferences sometimes doesn't work.  If you keep doing it eventually it seems to work.  But it is fast, light, and loads all pages I've thrown at it as good if not better, than IE 6.  And it's cross-platform.  Windows. Mac. Linux. And others.  *Finally* a browser that can compete with IE again, after all this time.  Might be worth a look if you have time and want to try something new.  Nice interface, too.

Thanks, Cpt!

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5) Avoiding Site Redirection

Some web sites try to "help" you by guessing where you want to go and sending you there, unasked-for. Sometimes, it is a help, but other times, it's a hindrance.

This reader had a very specific problem (trying to access US sites from Canada), but the solution can be applied to *any* situation where you want to go to "X," but a site keeps sending you to "Y..."

Hi, Fred ~ I am a Plus subscriber who looks forward to every issue and reads every word. Always the best information.
 
Can't find an answer to this on the web. I live in Canada but use my PC as if I were still living in the US. My Internet Explorer, however, apparently knows that I am in Canada and delights in giving me back Canadian versions of some web sites when I have typed in the US version. For instance, I cannot access www.google.com; it automatically defaults to www.google.ca. Now, I imagine that I am getting the same information in my search but the problem comes when IE defaults to a Canadian version of a US site where it does make a difference. I am constantly seeing references, for instance, to eBay.ca when I use eBay.com exclusively. How can I prevent seeing all the Canadian references and defaults?
 
Thanks very much! ---Cindy Currier

The sites are probably noting your IP address; if your ISP is in Canada, the sites assume you want to see the Canadian version.

But you can get to where you want to go by using an explicit IP for the sites you want to visit, instead of using the sites' names. For example, Ebay.ca is at http://66.135.192.35 while Ebay.com is at http://66.135.192.87 .

Even from Canada, going to http://66.135.192.87 should bring you to Ebay.com (although it's possible you'll then be redirected again, depending on how the page is set up.)

But how do you find a site's numeric address? The easiest way is to use Ping, a networking tool that's usually on every normal Windows system from Win98 onward; and available in Linux and the Mac OS as well. It's a command-line tool in Windows, so you'll want to open a DOS box or Command window first. then type PING followed by the plain name of the site. Normally, Ping lets you see if you can access a given location, and how long the raw access takes. But it also shows you the numeric address of any named site you feed it. For example:

PING microsoft.com

or

PING www.microsoft.com

(you omit the "http://" because this isn't a web browser access)

In the above examples, Ping replies with "Pinging microsoft.com
[207.46.245.222] with 32 bytes of data..." Those numbers are microsoft.com's
IP address. In fact, if you enter it into your browser as
http://207.46.245.222 , you'll go to the Microsoft.Com home page, just as if
you'd typed http://www.microsoft.com.

You can use Ping to see what the numeric address is for *any* site. For example:

Google.ca: 216.239.59.104
Google.Com: 216.239.37.104

Amazon.Com: 207.171.182.16
Amazon.Ca: 207.171.187.19
Amazon.Co.UK: 207.171.166.19

If you access the sites via the explicit IP,  and then bookmark that url, you should be able to get where you want to go. (Note: numeric IP addresses can and do change from time to time; you might need to do a new Ping every now and then to keep the IP current.)

Many international sites also have a high-level home page that lets you specify which localized home page you wish. This takes an extra step, but also gets you where you want to go.

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6) Is This Newsletter Interesting? 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 one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) "Short Link" Reviews Updated

Hi Fred! Interesting site where info is provided on all/most of the sites available.

http://www.notlong.com/links

Thanks from a charter member of LangaList Plus! ---Rich

Thanks, Rich. We covered that site a while ago, but the list of link-shortening services has expanded, and it appears they've updated some other info too.

I have to wonder about the sites that promise their shortened-links will "never" expire. Never is a very long time. 8-)

I think I'll keep using my home-grown link shortener when needed, here in the newsletter. But for public-access link-shortening tools, the "NotLong" page could be very handy!

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8) They Loaded The Code

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 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
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

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

Troubleshooters Consulting
http://www.ts-consulting.net/

PaxServices
http://www.paxservices.com/

Computer Notions
http://computernotions.com/

Tri-State Frequency Source
http://www.geocities.com/nutcase1967/

Bellboy
http://bellboy.home.mindspring.com/

The Stapletons'
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~daldal/

Digital Photos
http://www.tomasek.ca/

Back Pain Help
http://www.back-pain-help.com/index.html

PCs And Things
http://www.pcsandthings.com/

Memorial Site For Men Of Camp Horn in Danang Viet Nam
http://hq-3rd-maf.tripod.com/

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9) Recover Lost Program Keys And Much More

Fred, If you have ever have had to re-install a program and found that the key code you need is no where to be found, then this should be of help. This free download will list the key codes to the software on your machine (and much more).
http://www.aida32.hu/
 
I have learned so much from your newsletter and look forward to each new issue. Thanks for all of the effort on your part to publish such a great newsletter. ---Karen Goble

Thanks, Karen. AIDA32 is actually a gold mine of information. We've discussed it in other contexts, such as helping you identify hardware in your system (eg http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-04-03.htm#5 ). Aida keeps gaining power, and it's now just about unmatched for sniffing out *any* information about what's on or in your system.

In light of the fan/temperature discussions we've been having (see #1 in this issue), AIDA32 can even display temperature and fan speed info for you, too, and show you the full status of any SMART-enabled hard drives.

And yes, it's free for personal use! Outstanding tool!

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10) Just For Grins

Paul C. Jess sends along this "Understanding Engineers" item, which he got from one Jonathan Gates. It's long, so we'll run the second half in the next issue:

Understanding Engineers - Take One

Two engineering students crossing the campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." The first engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."

Understanding Engineers - Take Two

To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Understanding Engineers - Take Three

A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!" The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude!" The pastor said, "Hey, here comes the greens keeper. Let's have a word with him." "Hi George! Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?" The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The group was silent for a moment. The pastor said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for them." The engineer said, "Why can't these guys play at
night?"

Understanding Engineers - Take Four

What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers? Mechanical Engineers build weapons and Civil Engineers build targets.


Understanding Engineers - Take Five

The graduate with a Science degree asks, "Why does it work?" The graduate with an Engineering degree asks, "How does it work?" The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with an Arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?" 

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• New, Compact OS, Free For Experimenting
     (Not DOS, Not Linux--- something completely different!)
• What, Exactly, Are The "System Files?"
     (what's essential for backups?) 
• Free Online Image Editor
     (a logo creator, too!)

You can't lose! The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and comes
with a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE from Fred. Check out the details:

http://www.langa.com/plus.htm 

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(Give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition!
Click <a href= " http://www.langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

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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