july 2009 bearly bytes4 big bear computer club bearly bytes newsletter july, 2009 sun mo tu we th...
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
President’s Message –Rosemary Lloyd
Award Winning Bearly Bytes Newsletter Next Meeting July 14 5:30 @ The Discovery Center
Bearly Bytes
Big Bear Computer Club Volume 9
July 2009
Big Bear, California
Inside:
Powerpoint Workshop ................................. 2
Calendars ..................................................... 3
Rick Edwards .............................................. 3
Officers and Key Leaders ............................ 4
General Meeting Notes ................................ 5
Door Prize Winners ..................................... 5
About Bearly Bytes ..................................... 6
Cash Flow .................................................... 6
National Cyber Alert System ...................... 7
What is Cyber Security? .............................. 8
Word, Excel and Windows Tips .................. 9
Membership Application and Map .............. 10
Happy Summer!!!
Those of you who attended last
month’s meeting saw Jim Apple-
bury give us a sneak peek at Win-
dows 7, Microsoft’s next operat-
ing system. According to what
I’ve read recently, Windows 7 is due to be released
in the latter part of October 2009. If you are think-
ing about buying a new computer this year, it
might be worth waiting until Windows 7 (or an
upgrade to it) is available.
Have you heard about the latest iPhone from Ap-
ple? It was released on Friday, June 19, 2009.
Apparently the Apple stores were busy all week-
end with lines of people around them. It was kind
of wild.
In the last few weeks, you may have noticed that
Microsoft released a number of Security and other
important updates. This has been one of those
times when they pushed updates off schedule (due
to their importance). It is just a reminder to keep
your system updated. It is important to maintain
its “health”. Of course, the person using the com-
puter is their own best defense against malware
infection. Good habits are number one. Be care-
ful where you go and what you open.
I’ll get off of my soapbox now. Enjoy!
Rosemary Lloyd
Jaime Link
First Glimpse | Smart Computing | PC To-day
Jaime will be her at our next
meeting. Come and enjoy a
very enlightening presenta-
tion and she’ll have a maga-
zine for you I’m sure. Happy 4th of July
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
MICROSOFT POWERPOINT WORKSHOP
The Big Bear Computer Club is offering a Workshop on basic knowledge of
“Microsoft Powerpoint” on Monday, July 27, 2009 from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon.
The Powerpoint Workshop will be held at the Big Bear Discovery Center located at
40971 North Shore Drive, Fawnskin, CA 92333.
Those attending the Powerpoint Workshop are asked to bring their laptops so they
can have hands on training. There is a $10.00 donation for the workshop. For more in-
formation or to sign up for the Workshop, please contact the instructor, Rosemary Lloyd
at (909) 584-9358 or [email protected] .
Anyone wanting to learn on how to get the full use of their computer should plan on
attending the Big Bear Computer Club meetings held the 2nd Tuesday of the month, 5:30
pm. The next Computer Club meeting is Tuesday, July 14, 2009. The meetings are held
at the Big Bear Discovery Center which is located at 40971 North Shore Drive in Fawn-
skin, CA. The public is welcome to attend.
Belated Wishes
Happy Father’s Day
Sorry Dad’s, I missed it!!
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
Sun Mo Tu We Th Fri Sat
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
July 2009
Sun Mo Tu We Th Fri Sat
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
August 2009
14 General Meeting
27 Microsoft Powerpoint
28 Board Meeting
11 General Meeting
25 Board Meeting
BIG BEAR COMPUTER CLUB GETS RECOGNITION IN SAN DIEGO
At the 16th Annual Southwest Computer Convention Rick Edwards was awarded Second Place in the
People Category on the submission of the “Young Masai Girl” and he also received the Best of Show for
his “Lioness Watching Her Cub Yawn”.
Rick Edwards, an associate of The Royal Photographic Society, perfected his photography skills while
living in Nairobi Kenya watching wildlife in the many parks of the region. During his last two years of his
stay in Kenya he became the official photographer for the Kenya Wildlife Service. Rick's work can be
seen in numerous brochures, magazines and books on wildlife in his beloved Kenya. Besides photogra-
phy, Rick also writes articles on wildlife to accompany his images.
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
President......................................Rosemary Lloyd
584-9358 [email protected]
Vice President……………………….Yomar Cleary
878-5622 [email protected]
Treasurer.......................................Barbara Moore
585-7981 [email protected]
Secretary……………………..……..Mary Rowland
866-2878 [email protected]
Reviews Editor………………..………Ron Fross
(951) 769-1225
Refreshments………………………...Gayle Richi
866-0814
Publicity.......................................... Yomar Cleary
878-5622 [email protected]
Equipment Director..........................Don Odekirk
585-6728 [email protected]
Technical Director................................ Jim Lloyd
584-9358 [email protected]
Director at Large……….………..Rick Edwards
547-0109 [email protected]
Webmaster........................................Bill Flanagan
866-9379 [email protected]
Newsletter Editor............................Norene Lieser
626-378-8178 [email protected]
Membership Director……………....Tina Nazarian
633-4516 [email protected]
Parliamentarian............................David Philipson
585-9389 [email protected]
Historian..............................................Nancy Hinz
585-8095 [email protected]
Sunshine Coordinator......................Grace Fross
(951) 769-1225 [email protected]
Officers and Key Leaders
www.techbargains.com
web site devoted to helping users find the best
technology products and the lowest price
Performance Management Software
866-566-7778
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
General Meeting Notes– Mary Rowland
Editor, and Gail Ritchie who has the job as Refresh-
ments Coordinator.
The Southwest Computer Conference was a huge suc-
cess with Rick Edwards taking 2nd place in the Animals
category and Best in Show of the Digital Photo Contest
( with the pictures that were selected at our General
Meeting before the Conference). Summaries of the
Conference were given by Mary Ann Boone and Sandi
Ybarra. We wish to express our appreciation to Sandi
Ybarra for driving a full carload to and from the Con-
ference, as well as to recognize Don Odekirk, with a
Certificate of Appreciation, for always being available
to help whenever needed. Our own Jim Applebury
then gave a presentation on Windows 7, which in many
ways, seems to be an updated version of Vista with all
the patches included and the kinks worked out. There
were many new features, however, that were interesting
to find out about. Our question and answer session had
greater participation then there has been at recent meet-
ings, with both easy and difficult questions addressed.
In fact, a few of the questions were held over to be dis-
cussed at our July meeting. Our door prizes were then
drawn, as well as our 50/50 winner. The meeting was
then adjourned.
Our June 9, 2009 General Meeting,
was opened at the Discovery Center
by Rosemary Lloyd. Our guests and
new members were introduced, as well
as Ron Fross, our new Reviews taken
Bill Flanagan ― T Shirt
Odie Odekirk ― T Shirt
Sharon Teeter ― Corel Ulead Video Studio II
Paul Palmquist ― Cloud Computing Book
Teresa Hulett ― Windows 7 RC
Barbara Moore ― 50/50 winner 16.75
June Door Prize Winners
The Abacus Group
For All Your Computer Needs
Jim Applebury
909 584-1733
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
AZTECA GRILL Open Daily
11:00 am - 9:00 pm
DINE IN
TAKE OUT
CATERING 40199 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake
California
909 866-2350
Beginning Bank $3,576.35
Cash Received
Membership Dues $100.00
Fundraising: Equipment $35.00
Donations: 50/50 $33.50
Advertising $90.00
Other $123.00
Total Income $381.50
Cash Disbursed
Dues and Fees $44.00
Promotion $623.33
Total paid out $667.33
Ending balance in Bank $3,290.52
July Cash Flow About Bearly Bytes
Bearly Bytes, past winner of SWUGC & APCUG
Newsletter contests. is the official publication of the
Big Bear Computer Club. Views expressed in Bearly
Bytes are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Big Bear Computer Club.
Other computer user groups are welcome to reprint
our articles as long as they give credit to the author
and Bearly Bytes, Big Bear Computer Club.
Submissions: All BBCC members are encouraged to
send letters, articles, questions, and comments to
Bearly Bytes for inclusion in future issues. Submit
as plain text in the body of an email and attach any
graphics as JPEG or GIF format. Send to Yomar
Cleary
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
National Cyber Alert System
Adobe Acrobat and Reader Vulnerabilities
Systems Affected
* Adobe Reader versions 9.1.1 and earlier
* Adobe Acrobat (Standard, Professional, and 3D) versions 9.1.1 and earlier
Overview
Vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader and Acrobat may allow an attacker
to take control of your computer. Adobe has released Security
Bulletin APSB09-07, which describes the issues.
Solution Update
Adobe has released updates to address this issue. Users are encouraged to read Adobe Security Bulletin
APSB09-07 and update
vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
Disabling JavaScript may prevent some exploits from resulting in code execution. Acrobat JavaScript can be
disabled using the
Preferences menu:
* Open the Edit menu.
* Select Preferences.
* Choose JavaScript.
* Un-check Enable Acrobat JavaScript.
Disable the display of PDF documents in the web browser
Preventing PDF documents from opening inside a web browser will partially mitigate this vulnerability. This
workaround may also
mitigate future vulnerabilities.
To prevent PDF documents from automatically being opened in a web
browser, do the following:
* Open Adobe Acrobat Reader.
* Open the Edit menu.
* Choose the Preferences option.
* Choose the Internet section.
* Un-check the Display PDF in browser check box.
Do not access PDF documents from untrusted sources
Do not open unfamiliar or unexpected PDF documents, particularly
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
WHAT IS CYBER SECURITY
Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder
You've heard the news stories about credit card numbers being stolen and email viruses spreading. Maybe you've even
been a victim yourself. One of the best defenses understands the risks, what some of the basic terms mean, and what you
can do to protect yourself against them.
What is cyber security?
It seems that everything relies on computers and the Internet now -- communication (email, cell phones), entertain-
ment (digital cable, mp3s), transportation (car engine systems, airplane navigation), shopping (online stores, credit
cards), medicine (equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your daily life relies on computers?
How much of your personal information is stored either on your own computer or on someone else's system? Cyber se-
curity involves protecting that information by preventing, detecting, and responding to attacks.
What are the risks?
There are many risks, some more serious than others. Among these dangers are viruses erasing your entire system,
someone breaking into your system and altering files, someone using your computer to attack others, or someone steal-
ing your credit card information and making unauthorized purchases. Unfortunately, there's no 100% guarantee that
even with the best precautions some of these things won't happen to you, but there are steps you can take to minimize the
chances.
Continued on Page 9
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
What can you do?
The first step in protecting yourself is to recognize the risks and become familiar with some of the terminology
associated with them. Hacker, attacker, or intruder - These terms are applied to the people who seek to exploit weak-
nesses in software and computer systems for their own gain. Although their intentions are sometimes fairly benign and
motivated solely by curiosity, their actions are typically in violation of the intended use of the systems they are exploit-
ing. The results can range from mere mischief (creating a virus with no intentionally negative impact) to malicious activ-
ity (stealing or altering information).
Malicious code - This category includes code such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Although some people
use these terms interchangeably, they have unique characteristics.
• Viruses - This type of malicious code requires you to actually do
something before it infects your computer. This action could be
opening an email attachment or going to a particular web page.
• Worms - Worms propagate without user intervention. They typically
start by exploiting a software vulnerability (a flaw that allows
the software's intended security policy to be violated), then once
the victim computer has been infected the worm will attempt to
find and infect other computers. Similar to viruses, worms can
propagate via email, web sites, or network-based software. The
automated self-propagation of worms distinguishes them from
viruses.
• Trojan horse - A Trojan horse program is software that claims to
be one thing while in fact doing something different behind the
scenes. For example, a program that claims it will speed up your
computer may actually be sending confidential information to a
remote intruder.
Continued from Page 8
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
Excel Tip By Yomar Cleary
Word Tip By Rosemary Lloyd
Windows Tip By Norene Lieser
Periodically Delete TMP
Files
As you work with Word, you may
decide to turn on the AutoSave
function, which causes Word to
save your changes periodically. In
saving these changes to disk, tem-
porary disk files are created.
(Makes sense, right?) Unfortu-
nately, it is possible for these files
to remain on the disk after you fin-
ish using Word. Once you exit out
of Word, it is OK to delete any
TMP files or ASD files that may
remain on your disk. Take a look in
your TEMP directory and in any
directories where you store Word
documents. If you find any such
files, feel free to delete them,
thereby freeing up space on your
hard drive.
Tip #133 applies to Microsoft
Word versions:
97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003
More tips can be found at:
http://word.tips.net
Using a Graphic for a Background
Tip applies to Microsoft Excel ver-
sions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003
In Excel you are not limited to the
plain old white or somewhat shaded
background for your worksheets. In-
stead, you can use a graphic image
for a background. The effect is much
like the backgrounds you see on Web
pages--the image used as the back-
ground is tiled (repeated) so that it
fills the entire background of the
worksheet. To use a graphic as a
worksheet background, follow these
steps:
Choose Sheet from the Format menu,
then choose Background from the
resulting submenu. Excel displays the
Sheet Background dialog box
Use the controls in the dialog box to
locate and select the graphic image
you want to use as a background.
Click on OK.
The image is imported and fills the
background of your worksheet. To
later remove a background, choose
Sheet from the Format menu, then
choose Delete Background from the
resulting submenu.
Windows Vista:
Browse folders quickly and eas-
ily
In addition to pop-up menu options
for Windows Explorer column
headings, Windows Explorer in
Windows Vista categorizes the file
path for you in the Address Bar, so
that you can easily find your way
to or from any folder on your com-
puter.
Just click the drop-down arrow
beside any folder name in the file
path to view a list of available sub-
folders.
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Big Bear Computer Club Bearly Bytes Newsletter July, 2009
Bearly Bytes
Big Bear Computer
Club Newsletter
P.O. Box 645
Big Bear City, CA 92314 909 878-5822
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DEMOGRAPHICS
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Programs Beginner Intermediate Advanced Instructor
MS Office Digital Imaging Desktop Publishing Web Design
Monthly Meeting with:
Presentation and demonstra-
tion of popular hardware
and software; RAM (Q &
A) Sessions; Tech news and
Virus Alerts
Member Software Raffle
50/50 Drawing
Bearly Bytes -- Our award-
winning monthly newsletter
mailed to you first lass.
Club Website:
www.bigbearcc.org
Free software review pro-
gram
Members Help Line
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tions
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(SIGs)
All this for only $25 per
year!!
Mail your application and
dues to:
BBCC Treasurer
PO Box 645
Big Bear City, CA 92314
or bring your application to
a meeting.
For information and direc-
tions phone Rosemary
Lloyd, President 584-9358
BIG BEAR COMPUTER CLUB, INC.
Membership Application
Membership Benefits