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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, April 5, 2009
We will not be publishing this newsletter next week so that we can celebrate the holidays with our families and friends. We wish all of our readers a Happy Passover and Happy Easter.
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Keylogger
Tips & Tricks: Twenty Five Most Important Rules of Email Etiquette: 15. Resize Pictures Before Inserting Them in Emails
Featured Computer Term: Alert Box
This Week's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer - Clean the Desktop
Special Feature: All About Restore Points
Websites of Interest: Passover; Easter; April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month; Fifteen Ways to Save Money Online 2. Looking for a cheaper cell phone plan?
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Special Feature: Keylogger
Question: What is a keylogger?
Answer:
The following is from about.com:
In its simplest form, a keylogger trojan is malicious, surreptitious software that monitors your keystrokes, logging them to a file and sending them off to remote attackers. Some keyloggers are sold as commercial software - the type a parent might use to record their children's online activities or a suspicious spouse might install to keep tabs on their partner.
Keyloggers may record all keystrokes, or they may be sophisticated enough to monitor for specific activity - like opening a web browser pointing to your online banking site. When the desired behavior is observed, the keylogger goes into record mode, capturing your login username and password.
Some sites attempt to thwart keyloggers by having the user respond to visual cues they must point to with their mouse instead of using their keyboard. However, some keylogger trojans also capture screenshots, thereby negating the effect of this strategy.
The best defense against keyloggers is prevention. One of the most common infection sources is peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharing networks, such as Kazaa, Morpheus, Gnutella, and dozens of others. Keyloggers are also commonly sent as email attachments and via links in instant messages that point to the infected file.
To stay safe means becoming proactively engaged in your own security:
* Use antivirus software and keep it updated.
* Install Windows security patches.
* Use a firewall.
* Avoid opening email attachments received unexpectedly - no matter who appears to have sent it.
* Stay knowledgeable about Internet scams and virus hoaxes.
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Tips & Tricks: Twenty Five Most Important Rules of Email Etiquette: 15. Resize Pictures Before Inserting Them in Emails
This article is part of our ongoing series on Email Etiquette. With the help of Heinz Tschabitscher from about.com, we are taking an in depth look at email etiquette. To read previous editions of this series, please visit our newsletter archives:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/etiquette.html
The rules of email etiquette are not rules as much as they are guidelines that help avoid mistakes (like offending someone when you don't mean to) and misunderstandings (like being offended when you're not meant to).
These core rules of email etiquette help us communicate better via email.
Resize Pictures to Handy Proportions Before Inserting Them in Emails
Certainly, you have received the occasional email with images so large they stood out from the message in every direction, barely recognizable themselves. Similarly, when mega-pixel snapshots turn into mega-sized graphics, you may have wondered how to include them in your messages easily and with reasonable proportions.
Fortunately, resizing images for use in emails need not be an arduous task or involve complicated, slow to launch software.
To trim images to be lean and fit for emails, visit ResizR.
http://resizr.lord-lance.com/
It is an easy-to-use website for resizing pictures.
* Open ResizR.
* Click Browse... and select the desired image.
* Use the slider or the entry field to choose the desired width. Use a width between 300 and 640 pixels. (Try 340 pixels first).
* Click ResizR.
* Drag and drop the resulting image to your Desktop.
Insert the Shrunken Image in Your Message
Now insert the resized image in your email. Visit our website to learn how to do that in a few of the more popular email programs and services:
Optimum Online Web Mail
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/042008.html
America Online (Website)
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/041308.html
Gmail
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/040608.html
America Online (AOL Program)
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/031608.html
Windows Mail
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/030908.html
Outlook Express
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/030208.html
Hotmail
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/022408.html
Yahoo
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/021708.html
Host the Image Online
If you don't want to send your image as an attachment, you can use a free image hosting service to store it online and link to it or insert it as a remote image in email messages. Here are some free image hosting services:
Photobucket
http://photobucket.com/
flickr
http://flickr.com/
shutterfly
http://www.shutterfly.com/
To read previous editions of this series, please visit our newsletter archives:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/etiquette.html
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Featured Computer Term: Alert Box
Question: What is an alert box?
Answer:
An alert box is a small window that opens when your computer is about to perform an operation. Some alert boxes let you know that the process about to happen could have consequences potentially damaging to the computer.
Alert boxes act as reminders for you so you do not accidentally do something you did not mean to do. For example, you will see an alert box when you delete a file. A small window will open asking you if you are sure you want to remove that item. Other alert boxes will contain messages that inform you of illegal operations, shutting down your computer, or any changes you make on your system.
The alert box icon is a triangle with an exclamation point in the middle.
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of? Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Today's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer - Clean the Desktop
As your Windows computer ages, its speed can decrease. You will notice an increase in response time when you give commands to open programs, files or folders, use the Internet and other tasks. There are several things you can do to speed up your computer.
Over the next several editions of this newsletter, we will present articles discussing some of the steps you can take to speed up your slow computer.
Speed Up a Slow Computer: Clean the Desktop
Important: before making any changes to your system, always create a Restore Point. Read our article, All About Restore Points, in the Special Feature section, below, in this newsletter.
Every time you start your computer, memory is used by all the files on the Desktop. If these files are shortcuts (they have a little curving up and to the left), they do not take a lot of memory. If the files are not shortcuts, or there are dozens of shortcuts on your desktop, they will be using quite a bit of operating memory.
If the memory is being used by these files, the computer will have to swap memory from the hard drive to carry out commands that you are giving. This is called memory paging, and what you will see is a slowdown in the computer’s operation.
Put the files in the My Documents, or Documents folder. If you have many files that you would prefer to keep better organized, create separate folders for them.
A clean Desktop will improve the response time for the computer to carry out your commands.
In our next edition, learn how to speed up your computer by uninstalling unused programs.
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Special Feature: All About Restore Points
Before making any changes to your computer’s system, always create a Restore Point.
The System Restore feature is used to return your computer to an earlier state if you have a system failure or other major problem with your computer. The point of System Restore is to restore your system to a workable state without you having to reinstall the operating system and lose your files in the process.
If you create a restore point before making your changes, and something goes wrong with those changes, you can easily return to the point when the computer was working.
To create a restore point in Windows XP:
Click Start
All Programs
Accessories
System Tools
System Restore
Click Create a restore point
Click Next.
In the Restore point description box, type a name to identify this restore point. System Restore adds the date and time that this Restore Point is created.
Click Create
To create a restore point in Windows Vista:
Click the Start Orb
Right click Computer
Click Properties
This will open the System area of Control Panel. Click Advanced system settings on the left hand side. An alert box may open, click Continue.
Click the System Protection tab to get to the System Restore section. The system will search for available disks; this may take a few moments.
Click the Create button to create a new restore point.
A window will open asking you to type a description for the Restore Point. Type in a name that is easy to remember; the date and time will be added automatically.
Click the Create button. The restore point will be created.
To use a restore point in Windows XP
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.
On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next.
On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system restore point in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next. Note A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.
On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer.
Click OK.
To use a restore point in Windows Vista
Click the Start Orb
Right click Computer
Click Properties
This will open the System area of Control Panel. Click Advanced system settings on the left hand side. An alert box may open, click Continue.
Click the System Protection tab to get to the System Restore section.
Click the System Restore button.
You will now be at the System Restore window. From here, you can specify the restore point that you would like to use.
Vista will already have selected the Recommended restore option. If you would like to use this restore point, click the Next button to start the restore process. if there is another restore point that you would like to use, click Choose a different restore point and then click the Next button. A window listing all the available restore points will be displayed. Click restore point that you would like to use; click the Next button.
Vista will display a Window showing your selected restore point and ask you to confirm. Click the Finish button to begin the restore process.
A second window will open asking you to confirm that you would like to continue the restore. Click the Yes button. Vista will start the System Restore process.
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Websites of Interest:
Passover
Passover begins on Thursday. Visit our website for information, recipes, resources for children, E-cards and much more.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/passover.html
Easter
Visit our website for information, traditions, recipes, egg decorating tips, fun Easter graphics and much more.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/easter.html
April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Visit the ASPCA website to learn how you can help.
http://www.aspca.org/
Fifteen Ways to Save Money Online 2. Looking for a cheaper cell phone plan?
From Wendy Boswell of about.com
No matter what your financial situation may be, it is always a good idea to learn new ways to save money. Find out how you can utilize the power of the Web to save money, find good deals, and improve your financial status.
2. Looking for a cheaper cell phone plan?
Try BillShrink, a free service that recommends the very best cell phone plan for you and your unique needs. Here's how it works:
* You tell BillShrink about your cell phone, how you use it, how many minutes you use, what you want as far as features, etc.
* BillShrink takes into account all the plans that are available in your unique geographical area.
* You get a page full of personalized-to-you cell phone plans that tell you how much money you could be saving.
http://www.billshrink.com/
Tip: Some websites may require you to register to use their features. When you register at websites, you may be signing up for spam (junk mail) if the recipient sells email addresses to spammers. There is a way to avoid this and still be able to take advantage of the great things that site has to offer. Read our article, Minimizing Spam – Registering Online, at our newsletter archives, to learn how use websites without getting junk mail.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/111608.html
Next Edition: Mapquest Road Trip Planner
Please visit our newsletter archives for previous articles in our Fifteen Ways to Save Money Online series:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/savemoney.html
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