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Column for week of August 29, 2004:

The long awaited “Service Pack 2” for Windows XP
has finally been released, not without problems
though. If you’ve got a good bit of computer
experience, then installing the service pack
shouldn’t be all that difficult. For most typical
users though, it could end up being a royal pain.
There are a large number of applications
(programs) that just seem to balk at the changes
made by this latest release from Microsoft,
especially for corporate users. For those who like
a challenge, you can install the service pack
through “Windows Update”; download the file as a
whole (over 250 megabytes), and then install it;
or you can order the CD-ROM from Microsoft. The CD
is free but could take up to six weeks to be
received.
If you’d like to educate yourself on computer
security, Microsoft has created a “Security at
home” section on their Web site, just jump over to
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx
to get educated.
If you are wondering whether or not you should
install Windows XP Service Pack 2, just haul
yourself on over to
news.google.com
and then type in “sp2” (no need to include the
quotation marks) in the search box. You’ll find
plenty of very useful information to base your
decision on.
It seems to me that for every convenience, for
every timesaving step that computers and the
Internet afford us, there always seems to be a
“booby-trap” or two show up.
Since we are on the subject of software updates,
I’ll go a little deeper. You’ll notice that when
you run “Windows Update” that there is a section
entitled “Drivers”. That section is Microsoft’s
attempt at making sure that you are using the
latest driver for any devices that you have
installed on your computer. What Microsoft does
for device driver updates, the Version Tracker
service at
www.versiontracker.com
does for over 30,000 software programs. The
service makes sure that you are running the very
latest version of software. Running the newest
version, in most cases, assures that you are
getting the best performance and the most features
from that software. The most basic option offered
at this Web site is free of charge and then there
are two additional options that come with paid
subscriptions.
Are you ready for some virtual traveling? In the
past, I’ve written a few times about 360-degree
photographic images called “panoramas”, that are
viewable using the Apple Quicktime plug-in for
your Web browser. One of my most popular Web
destinations is the British Tours Ltd. Web site at
www.britishtours.com
but now, I’ve got another great site to add to my
“Favorites”. This one even offers (if you have
broadband access) full-screen panoramas that are
so clear and crisp that they will blow your mind.
Can you tell that I’m impressed? You will be also
if you go to
www.panoramas.dk
and start exploring. One of my favorite virtual
destinations is the view from the summit of Mt.
Everest.
Crazy thing about the Internet isn’t it? We don’t
have to exert any energy, take any chances, take
time off from work, or spend lots of money, and
yet we can practically stand on top of the world,
and get the same view as all of those die-hard
adventurers have had when they reached the summit.

Tom DiFrancesca III is a freelance columnist and can be reached via
www.trackertom.com

Column for week of August 22, 2004:

A few months ago when I started telling folks in
Clovis that I was moving to Florida, almost
invariably one of the first responses would be
“But what about all of the hurricanes?”
My response was always
“What hurricanes?”
For at the time there was nothing brewing in the Gulf
of Mexico or the Caribbean. I’d then try to assure
those questioning my sanity that hurricanes
weren’t all that bad, and that I’d actually been
through a couple already and had survived them
just fine.
I mean besides, what is the chance of a hurricane
coming in right where I’m moving to anyway?
Well, wouldn’t you know that just a day or so
before I pack up and head for the Sunshine State
that both a tropical storm and a hurricane start
moving into the Gulf of Mexico.
I think Mother Nature got a real kick out of watching
me pull my foot out of my mouth on that one.
As I was navigating my way across country I was
able to keep abreast of the locations of both
storms, by radio, by television, and of course by
way of the Internet. As usual, the folks behind
www.weather.com
did an excellent job of providing very up-to-date
information. I also learned by way of their site,
that there is some very good (and free) software
that one can download and use to track hurricanes
and tropical storms.
If you’d like to get your hands on the software just
jump over to
www.hurricanesoftware.com
and download it for yourself.
As I was rolling into Vicksburg, MS on the way to
Florida, I decided to spend the night in that
town. I’d been checking out the billboard
advertisements for motels when “Free high speed
Internet” caught my eye – of course it did. So, I
decided to stop and check the room rates of the
motel offering the access. I was quickly turned
off by the prices though. So, discouraged that I
would not have decent access to the Internet for
the night, I decided to check into the motel right
next door, which charged about half the price for
a room.
When I asked about Internet access at that
establishment, I was told “Well, we do have jacks
in the phones that you can plug into and dial out
with.” Of course, since I don’t have an account
with a national Internet provider such as AOL,
that little jack didn’t do me any good. I had to
resort to using my Sprint cellular telephone
attached to my laptop. Don’t get me wrong though,
the connection is decent enough to check e-mail
and such, but surfing the Web gets old real fast.
After I had disconnected my laptop from the cell
phone, I decided on a lark to just plug in my
Linksys wireless Internet device, I’m sure glad
that I did. For low and behold, I had a pretty
good signal, good enough to surf the Web, to
listen to streaming music, and to chat via MSN
Messenger. Where was the signal coming from you
may be wondering? I was happily surfing the
Internet compliments of the overpriced motel next
door.
Their idea of offering free high speed Internet
to their guests was to set up a wireless
router and to just leave it wide open, no security
settings in place, no safeguards.
Speaking of wireless, T-Mobile offered free access
to the Internet at most of their Florida Wi-Fi
“hotspots”, about 300 to be exact, for a few days
after Hurricane Charley decimated parts of
Florida.
Quite a contribution to the thousands of displaced storm
victims.
By the way, the tropical storm came onshore about
100 miles to the east of my location and the
hurricane made landfall a good days drive from
here.
I’m safe and sound.

Tom DiFrancesca III is a freelance columnist.
He can be reached via www.trackertom.com

Column for week of August 15, 2004:

Although the folks at Yahoo have attempted in the
past, to provide local information - even for
small towns such as Clovis, New Mexico - they never did a very
good job. That is now all about to change based
what I have just experienced. Go take a peak at
local.yahoo.com
and then give the updated service a test run for
yourself.
As you’ll remember, the Google people are
attempting to do the same thing at
local.google.com -
which is also well worth exploring if you haven’t
already.
How many times have you found yourself at a public
Internet terminal but unable to access MSN
Messenger? Either the program was never installed
onto the computer that you were using and/or the
terminal maintainer didn't want the program
installed and therefore blocked it. Well, relief
is at hand. Just jump over to
http://webmessenger.msn.com –
I’ve been feeling a pretty good nudging by God,
for some time now, to go help with that ministry.
I’m really excited about all of the opportunities
that will come with that endeavor.
Another thing that I will be doing in Florida will
be the creation of a new business. Basically, I’ll
be like a pest exterminator but won’t have to mess
with any nasty chemicals. The pests that I’ll be
after will be viruses, spyware, malware, and SPAM.
You can visit my newly created Web site by jumping
over to
www.internetmedic911.com ,
once there, you will be able to learn more about
what kind of services my new company will be
offering to the citizens of the “Emerald Coast”
(www.emeraldcoast.com ).
Just remember, no matter the distance between you
and I – we are really only just a few mouse clicks
apart.
That’s the power of this digital age.

Tom DiFrancesca III is a freelance columnist and a
former resident of Clovis, New Mexico - he now resides
on the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida. He can be reached
by way of www.trackertom.com

Column for week of August 8, 2004:

If you've not run “Windows Update” on your PC
lately, you need to do so. Microsoft has released
yet another security patch for Internet Explorer.
I've also just recently learned that Microsoft
will be releasing “Service Pack 2” for Windows XP.
The service pack is predicted to be very, very
large and may take some time to download -
especially if you only have a dial-up Internet
account. I cannot stress to my readers enough
about the importance of keeping Windows updated.
The service pack is due to be released within the
next couple of weeks.
Speaking of Microsoft, New Mexico's First Judicial
Court has just ruled that the company has to issue
over 30 million dollars worth of software and
hardware purchase vouchers to the residents of New
Mexico. It appears that Microsoft was found guilty
of over-charging New Mexico consumers for its
operating system and application software between
December 1995 and December 2002. Details of
exactly how to file a claim for those vouchers
have not been released. As soon as I get more
details on the subject I'll be sure to pass them
along.
Although I have shopped the Internet for over 6
years now, I still get apprehensive at times,
especially if the item or items I want to purchase
cost over say $25. It's not so much that I fear
not receiving the product that I ordered and being
a victim of a scam, it's actually the fear that
the product will not live up to its expectations
and that I'll have to spend hours, days, or weeks
trying to get it replaced or to get my money
refunded.
So, with all of that in mind, I wanted to share
with you a very pleasurable shopping experience
that I recently had. I was in need of some
magnetic signs for my car. Having a pretty good
idea of exactly what I wanted the signs to look
like, and having some experience in graphic
design, I was very excited to come across the
Speedy Signs” Web site at
www.speedysigns.com -
and to see that they offered not only great
prices, but also offered the opportunity to let me
design the signs myself using an online
application. Within a matter of 15 minutes, I had
the final design completed and had placed the
order with my credit card. Even more amazing than
that, I received those two magnetic signs in a
matter of days (3), and they looked exactly like I
had designed them. The signs are of excellent
quality and they stick to the side of my car like
glue.
Can you tell that I'm one satisfied customer?
When I find a company (online or not), that
actually delivers on its promises, that actually
provides exemplary service - I gotta' tell folks
about it.
By the way, the two signs, measuring 12 by 24
inches and produced in full living color, only
cost a little over a 100 dollars - now that's a
deal. Speedy Signs not only produces magnetic
signs but also specializes in vinyl lettering,
custom signs, vinyl banners, and vinyl decals.

Tom DiFrancesca III is a freelance columnist and
an off-and-on resident of Clovis, New Mexico and
Emerald Coast of Florida. He can be
reached via www.trackertom.com

Column for week of August 1, 2004:

It used to be, just a few years back, that if
there was a computer in a home, it was a unique
situation.
Then the Internet went and got popular.
All of a sudden people started flocking to stores
to purchase new computers, just so that they could
surf the Web.
Eventually, it was quite common for
a computer to be present in most homes, at least
60 percent of American homes to be exact.
In the past year or so though, a new phenomenon has
occurred, and that is the existence of multiple
computers in a single dwelling. Dad has his
laptop, mom has her desktop unit, and Junior -
well, he's got his own little “digital interface
device” in his bedroom, or maybe it's situated in
the family room somewhere.
The popularity of home networks has now also grown
at a tremendous rate. Most of the first home
“do-it-yourself” networks were actually
“hard-wired”, that is Category 5 network cable was
run through walls, draped across attics, and in
some cases - hung from the ceiling.
Oh, those were grand times.
Home networking is now a booming
business, for those who perform the professional
installs and for the companies who manufacture and
sell home networking equipment.
Networking has gotten a lot easier though, and a whole lot
less physical. The newest form of networking is
wireless or as most folks are beginning to call
it “WiFi”. I get asked questions about setting up
home wireless networks a lot. In most cases I
encourage the individual to just “go for it”, to
purchase the necessary equipment (which is now
quite inexpensive) and to just have fun setting up
and configuring their own little network world.
The majority of the time though, I normally get
one of those “deer in the head light” looks as a
response to my encouragement.
Really folks, it is not all that difficult a thing to do and the
rewards for carrying through with the project are
well worth the effort. You'll even get smarter in
the process - you have to.
For any of you who are contemplating the
installation of a home wireless network, why don't
you just jump on over to:
www.wifi411.com/
- the site is really targeted toward those
jet-setters who are always on the go and have
their trusty laptop computers in tow. These folks
are constantly on the look-out for “WiFi
hot-spots” - that is, locations where wireless
Internet access is available either for free or
for a subscription fee.
If you will look up to the
upper right-hand corner of the homepage though,
you will find a link entitled “WiFi Tutorials and
Guides” - just click on that link. You'll learn
lots of new stuff and it's written in a very easy
to understand manner.
If you are a “news junkie” you might be
interested to know that Microsoft has launched a
new news portal/news search engine Web site. Just
jump over to
news.google.com
and check it out for yourself and you'll see what
I mean.

Tom DiFrancesca III is a freelance columnist and
an off-and-on resident of Clovis, New Mexico & N.W. Florida.
He can be reached at www.trackertom.com