Nice Internet Speed Tests
New One May 2009: http://testmy.net
SpeakEasy is here ! also another is HERE and Motorcycle Michael suggested these too:
http://www.bandwidthspeedtest.com
http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html
http://www.wugnet.com/myspeed/speedtest.asp
http://www.bandwidth.com/content/tools

I liek this one http://www.speedtest.net

Additional notes 

Editor's comments delimited by < >

It's not so easy to use an iPhone as a disk storage device as last week's show implied.
You can use an ipod ripper to get data off an iPod, iPhone, or iTouch.
There's also an app to show you what data is on your iPhone here.

Glenn tried using Cycorder to record videos with his iPhone but iTunes did not recognize any of it.

Paul played audio from zug.com that points out our cell phone records are not safe:

US debt clock mentioned. See above link.

The above link about CD ROM drives explains why it's difficult to get them to spin faster and thereby transfer data faster.
Early drives were required to have a speed of at least 150k bps to qualify as a multimedia drive in the early version of Windows. That's just fast enough for audio. The top theoretical speed is about 52 times that original speed.

Smartypig.com (above link) is a place to get a higher than usual interest on your savings. It also lets you to set up savings goals for yourself & others (like your children).
Check it out at Bank Rate using the above link.
Caveat emptor — use it at your own risk. Check with fdic.gov if you want to be cautious.

The disclaimer: views & opinions are those of the show's hosts only.

A quote from Karl Marx, Das Kapital, 1867 is read (see above).

Network Solutions has been infiltrated by credit card fraud. See above link.

There's more information about why we get viruses if you follow the link in the first part of these notes.
There are 2 camps, those who write the viruses and those who from botnets. It's mostly a criminal enterprise now.

The above link, concerning the Kindle unit, is about Amazon's rescinding the sale of 2 ebooks because of copyright issues.

Learn about your CPU, memory type and graphics by going to cpuid.com (see the link above). The utility you download from there does not need to be installed, just run it.

Belarc Advisor is a similar utility.

There is a utility for Mac that shows how the disk space is used.

Grandperspective from Source Forge uses the TreeMap algorithm and also groups the files by type (like .jpg). WinDirStat does something similar for the windows users. See the above link where there's also a link to explain TreeMap. Treemap is a way to graphically present large amounts of complex information.

Mikhail emailed to say iPhone also has a kill switch — similar to what was said about the Kindle — to delete data from the iPhone. A jailbroken iPhone can have the kill switch disabled

A utility that comes from Cydia called boss prefs allows you to turn off the iPhone kill switch. switch (also see show notes for 4-6-09).

Glenn mentioned Google Mobile for the iPhone so you can talk to the phone instead of typing. More info about it here.. Paul mentioned 2 apps he likes — Shazam (identifies music you play into the phone), and Red Laser <supposedly this is the link to it, I don't have iTunes to check it out so beware>. Red Laser lets you scan barcodes and identify products.

Glenn wonders if the iPhone has image stabilization, because he was getting such clear images, but Paul thinks that was because he was in a well lit place and the phone was using a high shutter speed.

A caller suggests using memtest86 as another utility to check out your machine.
The machine has to be booted from separate media like a bootable CD, floppy or flash drive.

A caller has a continually rotating hourglass icon and can't access his firewall settings.
– Paul thinks it may be Symantec that's hogging the CPU time.
– Get AVG www.download.com or free.avg.com and after installing it you can then…
– Uninstall the Symantec product
– Some of the current browsers (Firefox 3.5.1 and IE8) already warn you of nefarious web sites, thus doing some of the work of Symantec. So that, AVG and the built in firewall of your operating system should be all the protection you can reasonably expect. But note you can never be 100% protected.
– Spybot is also mentioned but the browsers & AVG also check for spyware.
– Go to popuptest.com to check how well your popups are blocked.
<Other useful utilities are listed in the show notes for Dec 17, 2007>

A caller using a Mac wants to know if using Parallels to run Window means he should use an anti-virus program.
– Yes, get AVG

One of the reasons for using Windows on a Mac is that some sites require Internet Explorer 7 or 8 <if you avoid them, maybe they'll get the message>. Some realtors because of the Paragon system are required to use one of the latest versions of IE.
An alternative to using Parallels and a Windows operating system is to use Crossover. <Also see the Mac iPhone show of 3-23-9>, which is based on the open source program called WINE. Crossover will run some but not all Windows programs without using Windows itself. Check the Crossover web site to see which applications it can run. Crossover is cheaper ($40 for standard, $70 for professional) than the Parallels and Windows combination.

A caller wants to convert her cassette tapes to digital files.
– Connect the tape deck using the red & white RCA jacks.
– Get the Audacity software to control the recording/
– Audacity is avaliable for both the PC & Mac.

Happy birthday Bugs Bunny, link above. Groucho Marx inspired the character.

A caller wants to know what software to use with an MP3 player that's not an iPod.
– Winamp allows you to manage the MP3s on a player that is neither an iPod nor a Zune.

jkdefrag is much better than the built-in Windows defragger and is now at version 4.11, the link is above. The built-in Mac defragger does a pretty good job, no need to replace it.

Editor's comments are delimited by < >

Glenn reminds people to back up. External media is so cheap now — Paul has seen 8gig flash below $20. And do a dry run in restoring the data so you know everything is working ok.

Glenn got a used iPhone. You need iTunes to be able to interface with the iPhone. Even if you want to use it as an external hard drive, you'll need iTunes and check the box for that. This needs to be done only once, then you can access the iPhones flash memory anywhere else.

You can't, "routinely", synch to more than 1 machine at a time

Paul's most useful gadget for the iPhone is a video cable that has composite out. Be careful to get the cable specifically for the equipment you have.

At Fry's Glenn found a Philips SDV2710/27 Passive Indoor Antenna (for digital TVs) on sale for $16.99. He got it for a friend who lost channel 10 & channel 6 on the June 12th conversion date. It's a directional antenna and it solved his problem. An outdoor antenna should work even better.
Paying more for an antenna gives you diminishing returns — doubling the price does not give you twice the signal strength.
Those having trouble receiving the KVMR signal may use a TV antenna to improve FM reception. See here for helpful tips.

Paul is impressed by the EVA9000 media server by Netgear which comes with a 500gig drive. It's able to store and deliver any multimedia — pictures, movies, music, .gif, .pdf, you name it — except for DRM media (digital rights management). You can connect it to your TV with HDMI, composite video, component video, or S-video. It has an Ethernet port, wireless port and infrared controller. Once you get it networked, it becomes a network access storage device — the 500gig is shared on the network.
It can also play an ISO image of a DVD (decrypted).
You can connect your iPhone, or even an external hard drive, to one of it's 2 USB ports.

For capabilities similar to the EVA 9000 see the Linux project called MythTV.

MobileMe comes with iTunes. It stores your contacts & emails on the web and synchs the info on various platforms. It comes on a trail basis and works with the PC, Mac and iPhone.

Tips for iPhone users, when you see you've pressed the wrong key, don't lift your finger but drag it toward the key you really wanted, when its image shows up then let go.
If you want to correct something you've typed further back, put you finger on the text and hold it there for a second. A magnifying glass showing your cursor comes up and you slide your finger back & forth.
In your home window, go left a few times and a search window comes up that allows you to search for anything on the phone.

Glenn talks about someone who didn't have secure wireless at an RV park but it was secure at the library across the street. This person would use the library connection to do banking.
– Such "secure" connections are meant only to get access to the library's router and has no bearing on your security on the internet itself.
– Such "secure" connections do make it harder (not impossible) to snoop on the wireless signal itself.
– Beware of people looking over you shoulder in any case.
– In the case of a bank which uses a secure protocol, it doesn't matter which type of network you're on, it will be secure end to end.
– Problems occur, even if you're using a secure connection, when a bunch of people share the same network and your computer has security issues like the firewall is turned off or it's set to share files.

A local caller has an old TV and asks if the mentioned antenna would allow her to pick up local channels.
– There are no local stations in Nevada City.
– She'll also need to get a converter box, coupons are still available.
– If her TV doesn't have a coax antenna connection, she's out of luck.

<There used to, and may still, be a twin lead to coax converter (aka a 300ohm to 75ohm converter, or Balun), so even really old TV's can go digital.>

Someone called to say he tried a couple of DTV converter boxes for his mother in Meadow Vista with no luck.
– Try the Roku Netflix box. Though not live TV, it may satisfy. It's talked about in a previous show.

Ellen called to say she's trying to use the Mac Disk Utility to partition an external hard drive. She can't find the "partition" button to click on, as per instructions.
– Various revisions of OS10 have different instruction to do this.
– Find out which revision you have by clicking on the Apple logo in the upper left and click "about". Then google the phrase: Apple disk utility 10.xx partitioning. Where xx is the revision number that "about" reported. That should get you the correct instructions.

Mikail called to add that Ellen should select a drive not a partition. Disk utilities won't allow you to partition an already partitioned drive.

Mikail goes on to say there are many alternatives to the Roku Netflix box:
Xbox
Tivo
LG BD300
Samsung BDP2550 & BDP2500
Sony just announced all their new HDTVs will be Netflix compatible
The Playstation

A caller has more suggestions for Ellen. If she has an old or off-brand external hard drive, be sure to install any needed drivers.
Also, Paul says he's gotten a Mac to recognize a drive by simply going to:
Apple logo –> about –> system information

A caller says he's decided to get an iPhone because of tethering and the free app Shazam.
Shazam identifies music by "listening" to it and then gives you the option to buy it.

A caller says he tried to send a playlist, from a Mac, to a someone by taking a screen shot in iTunes and attaching it to a Word document, but the recipient couldn't receive it because the software warned that it needed to be decompressed. Is there another way.
– Go to the File menu –> Print. In the lower left select PDF so the playlist will be printed to a PDF file.

He continued by asking how to transfer the entire iTunes library to a laptop.
– Get a dual Firewire cable that goes between machines
– On the machine that has the library, start it up while holding the T key down (that turns it into a target Firewire drive).
– Start the other machine, and you'll see an external hard drive, which is laptop #1. Under your login profile you'll see "music", under that you'll see the iTunes folder. Drag it to the same place on the new machine (it WILL WIPE OUT everything under iTunes). Also the target machine should not have its iTunes running. Now everything iTunes will be identical on both machines. This also works with the PC.
<I think I heard that right but it could be the 2 machines should be reversed. To be safe, please back up what ever you don't want to lose. And you may want to confirm the order of hookup by writing to zen at kvmr dot org>

— Additional Notes — 

Editor's comments are delimited by < >

The offer of computer tune-ups for pledging financial support to KVMR is still available.
– Call (530) 265-9555
– Join online here.

Noise suppressing headphones merely block some of the noise from getting to your ears. Noise canceling headphones create a sound that is 180 degrees out of phase of the incoming noise so that the waveforms actually cancel each other.

Noise canceling headphones normally have a power source like a battery. Some work to cancel noise even when not plugged into a music player, thus acting like ear plugs/muffs. They work best with a continuous type of noise. Some allow you to listen to music, without canceling noise, if the battery dies.
If you google "cnet noise canceling review" you'll see results like this or this.

The disclaimer: views & opinions are those of the show's hosts only.

Why and how viruses get on machines and what they do when they get there. The above link will show you what a botnet does, presented in a non-technical way.

iPhone 3GS has just come out, as well as version 3 of the firmware. It contains a search facility and a voice recorder. Text messages & email will now rotate properly.

A faster & better Snow Leopard 10.6 scheduled to come out in Sept. You'll need at least an 800MHz machine & 512meg of memory.

Memory is much cheaper than it used to be — about $15 per gig for a desktop. Go to kingston.com put in your make/model of computer and it'll tell you what memory it came with, maximum amount it can have and how it can be configured (what type in what slot). Be aware, just because particular memory can be put into a machine, it may not all be recognized (available).

memtest86.com has an free application to test your memory if you suspect it's faulty. You'll have to create a bootable CD, floppy or flash drive.

crucial.com also gives similar info as the Kingston site.

John called from Carmichael to say noise cancellation is also used in a factory setting and that the police helicopters in Sacramento use noise cancellation when the fly over populated areas. He also says the cancellation is fairly directional. And, he says, don't use it while driving, you may not hear the car behind you.

Charlie, a Mac user, called to say he switched to Gmail but can't send mail from a link on a web page that allows you to send a news article to a friend.
– The reason is that he's using web-based mail to do the job.
– He may be able to configure the mail program on his computer to use Gmail.
– Apple Mail 2.0 – Gmail Help
– Apple Mail 3.0 (Leopard) – Gmail Help
– But don't configure the incoming server of the Apple mail program.
– On the Mac, you can't change the default mail program from the one that came with the machine.
– Windows users can also configure the SMTP server in a similar manner, so the sent mail goes thru the Gmail server.

Sometimes Windows users find that their default mail program has been changed.
– Change the default mail program by going to (XP): Control Panel -> Network & Internet Connections -> internet options -> program tab

It's important to notice what things look like when all is working well (like the lights on your Ethernet router) so you can tell what might be wrong when you have problems. <I try to keep notes when I make changes to the settings>

A caller is helping a friend with an Intel iMac (10.5 OS) who's stored many files stored in the first directory of Finder.
– First make a TimeMachine backup to an external hard drive, in case you screw up. It's a good idea to do this anyway. The backup hard drive should be twice the size of the internal hard drive.
– It may not really be any problem, it's just not esthetically pleasing.
– If files are moved, be sure the friend is there to see where they went.

A caller with a Sony Vaio smashed the screen and wants to know how to replace it.
– Check your home insurance, it may be covered
– Laptop screen replacement has come down in price to around $200, half of which is the cost of the screen itself.
– A screen from Sony would cost more than if you get it from a third party. Consider sending in for repair.
– Plug in an external monitor to be sure everything else is working before getting a new screen.
– You may have to reboot the laptop to get it to recognize the external monitor, maybe even press a special key.

Caller asks if there is a problem with tagged.com, he thinks it may be stealing the contents of the address book.
– Paul says that link is redirected to mybrowserbar.com, which is spyware. Stay away from it.
– When your addresses are stolen, you my get a bogus invitation from one of your contacts to visit their web site or social networking site. Be careful about clicking on such links.
– Periodically run your anti-virus software. AVG is suggested at free.avg.com.
– Paul says there's no reason to have an anti-virus program on a Mac.

Paul seems impressed with the Roku Sound Bridge model M1001 which streams internet radio stations. You can listen to stations from around the world. He found it on sale for $129.

The gal, who is thinking about moving the files on her friend's iMac, called again. She wonders if doing a software update on that machine will be a problem if the files are NOT moved. Paul doesn't think so since the Application folder is still in the right place. He hints that it's just as well if the files are not moved.

Glenn likes using the Roku Netflix. Also see the previous show's notes.

Additional notes

Editor's comments are delimited by < >

Much of the show was a pitch for memberships as part of pledge drive.
You can pledge at kvmr.org (check out the thank you gifts) or call…
Locally: 265-9555
or 800-355-5865 (800-355-KVMR)

Those using a converter box for their DTV should rescan periodically because stations will be adding channels.

Glenn would like to hear from people who are having problems after the DTV conversion. <email to zen at kvmr dot org>

A caller, whose husband installs converter boxes & antennas, says they've been getting many calls since the DTV transition. She also says some stations start out at low power and go to full power later (like KCRA channel 3), so rescan periodically. And, she says, if people were not getting good UHF reception before the switch they may have even more problems as many stations are going to UHF.

At $99 the Roku box (above link) streams Netflix content. It connects your TV to content at Netflix via the Internet

Get more information about the analog to DTV switch over by following the link above.

Previous Zentech guest, Coryon Redd, is giving new classes about internet marketing. Search the Zentech site for show notes & audio featuring Coryon.
The classes are on:
Thursday June 18 for beginners.
That class is repeated Tue June 23.
On July 16 there's an intermediate class.
All classes are from 6:30pm to 9pm.
The location is 560 Wall Street in Auburn
530-823-4703
Or go to sedd.org

Special thank gift for those who pledge today only:
For a membership pledge of $60 — 1 hour of computer tune-up, a performance tweet
For a membership pledge of $150 — 1.5 hour of tune-up and service.

You may also listen to KVMR over the internet here.

You don't have to have a computer to listen to internet radio. There are ethernet-based devices made by Logitech (the Squeeze Box, about $300) and Roku (on sale for $129, usually about $200, see the above link)

A caller has a problem with power jack on the back of her HP laptop. She wants to know if the advice she got, that the mother board needs to be replaced, may be true.
– If the problem is with the part on the computer itself, then probably yes.
– Do back-ups while you can.
– New laptops may cost about as much as the repair of the old machine. Consider getting a new machine.

'Recovery Console' (see the above link) is different from 'Safe Mode' in that Windows is not run at all. It's used, for instance, when the master boot record is damaged. Normally the original CD is required to use it, but follow the link above to learn how to use it without the original CD.

The disclaimer: views & opinions are those of the show's hosts only.

A caller says that, while trying to get a wi-fi connection, 'view available networks' shows a free public wi-fi even when there isn't one.
– It's a bug.
– Got into preferences and delete it — 'view available networks' -> 'advanced settings'.
– While there, delete everything else you're not using.

A caller has an old Mac (eMac) and wants to reinstall the OS. He wants to know the best way to do it.
– If it's faster than 800MHz then install the Leopard OS.
– Since the caller's machine is 800MHz, version 10.4 may be better
– You should be able to get 10.4 on eBay
– Put the CD into the machine, restart and hold down the C key. You'll be prompted and everything is done for you.

The Palm Pre is mentioned. It uses the Sprint network and tethering is not allowed.

A caller with a Mac Power Book GS17 has Panasonic multifunction machine (fax/copier/printer) with a parallel port. How can he use them together.
– There is what's called a Centronics to USB cable to make the connection.
– There are 2 types of the cable. Make sure it's Mac compatible.
– He probably won't be able to scan; only print.
– Consider getting a replacement, but look at the cost of the consumables.

A caller is interested in the Roku unit mentioned above and wants to know if it can be used with an Aircard.
– It won't circumvent a bandwidth cap imposed by your provider, unlike a DSL or a cable connection.
– Use Netflix DVD's.
– Check out movies from your library.