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Computer Universe Ezine Volume 2 Issue 4
This ezine has the support you need to fix that "Stubborn" computer.
10.09.2003
Subscribers: 933
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Hello!
Welcome to another edition of "Computer Universe". It has been a very hectic month with things that
I am committed to including this ezine. Don't worry, this ezine will still be published every month and you will still
get the same information you have come to love. As you can see, the ezine has had an overhaul and it is now available
in full HTML and Text and on the website. And it has sections that it will have every month including the feature article,
Inside the computer, which has an article that describes something that goes on inside your computer, comparing...., and others.
These sections will be in every edition and if you like a certain section, it will be in every issue. I have also
created a clickable contents which helps you navigate the ezine quickly and easily. Just click on the section you want
to go to and it will go there within seconds. This eliminates the scrolling you had to do earlier. I hope everyone
likes the new format and I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the ezine or anything else computer/business
related. As for the website, it is going to take longer then expected. It probably will be up and running by the end of the year.
I hope this hasn't caused any inconvenience. I will take off now and let you read this month's edition.
I wish everyone a prosperous October, and happy reading!
Matthew Zator
Editor, Computer Universe
1. How to use a search engine
2. Comparing Digital Cameras (Canon Powershot & Fuji Finepix)
3. Inside The Computer: When is your hard drive dieing?
4. Business Section: Fixed versus variable: Which mortgage option is right for you?
5. Latest News!: Microsoft details new security plan
6. Classifieds
7. Next Issue...
8. Info & Credits
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How to use a search engine
by Matthew Zator
Using a search engine is pretty simple if you think about it, enter in what you are searching for
and press enter. That might be the easiest, but does that method provide you with the best results? In this article
I am going to tell you the best way to use a search engine. This technique won't get you the best results all the time
but it has a pretty high success rate.
Here are a few tips on using the search engine:
- Don't use a long string of words. The search engine can't comprehend it all and it will return information that's
not useful.
- Use different words to narrow down your search. For example, if you are looking for a dodge caravan, instead of
typing in "vans", type in "Dodge Caravan (-year-)" This will bring back the results you are looking for because
you are being more specific.
- Be SPECIFIC with your search. There are a lot of websites out there and if you are just general, it will take you
hours upon hours to wade through the results. And you probably won't find much.
- Use directories rather then a regular search engine. If you can find a directory on Dodge vehicles, going back to
the example, you have a better chance of finding websites that have got to do with the Caravan you're looking for.
- Use the major search engines. (ie. google, altavista, etc.)
I hope these tips help you with your search for information. Like I said before, there are a lot of websites
out there and you might only see 1/3 of the best websites for your search. But if you try to make the search
engine understand your query, you probably will find what you're looking for.
Note: If you want more search engine tips, visit: Web Search Engine FAQ's It is a
VERY useful site
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When is your hard drive dieing?
By Matthew Zator
Computer hard drives don't last forever and if you have an old computer, it may be on its last legs. So I am here to tell
you about how you can find out when it is about to die.
Here are a few symptoms of a dieing hard drive:
- You hear your computer grinding A LOT. It sounds like something being put through a grinder. If it does this, it
is going down hill.
- You smell a heat smell every time your computer is loading a program.
- (WORST CASE) Your computer starts smoking. If this happens, turn off your computer and call a technition.
- You start seeing a lot of errors on your screen when you boot up.
These symptoms are the signs of a dieing hard drive. Now I'm going to tell you how to avoid
replacing your whole computer. If one of these happen, make sure you back up all your sensitive information before
shutting off you computer. After you have done this, go to your computer retailer and ask about replacing a old
hard drive. Then buy a new hard drive and install it or ask someone to install it. Once this has been done, your
computer shouldn't have any more problems. (well with the hard drive at least)
Here is a site where you can get hard drives at at a good price:
Computers4sure.com Storage
If some of this is confusing, email me at: compuniversezine@yahoo.ca
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Fixed versus variable: Which mortgage option is right for you?
This is one of the most confusing times in recent history
for Canadians looking to acquire, renew or refinance a mortgage. In
addition to making sense of seesawing interest rates, there are an
incredible number of options to choose from.
As a starting point, Canadians need to first come to terms with one
critical question when looking for a mortgage: do they want the stability
of a fixed rate mortgage or are they comfortable with the potential
risks and rewards of a variable rate mortgage.
Over the past few years, interest rates have fallen to historically low
levels and, as a result, many Canadians are choosing the peace-of-mind
of a fixed rate mortgage over the potential savings of a variable rate
mortgage. However, recent confidence in the outlook for the Canadian
economy is putting upward pressure on longer-term interest rates, such
as those for multi-year fixed rate mortgages. As a result, many
Canadians are turning to variable rate mortgages as a more attractive
short-term option.
“A variable rate mortgage is now around a full point (one per cent)
cheaper than a fixed rate mortgage,” says Feisal Panjwani, senior mortgage
consultant for Invis, Canada's largest independent mortgage brokerage
firm. “Because of the widening spread between short and long-term
rates, even if interest rates rise, homeowners with a variable rate mortgage
have an advantage.”
A variable rate mortgage allows the borrower to take advantage of low
rates -- the interest rate is calculated on an ongoing basis at prime
minus a set percentage. (Prime is the base rate that banks use in pricing
loans to their best and most creditworthy customers.) For example, if
the prime-lending rate of a bank is 4.50 per cent, the holder of a prime
minus 0.50 per cent mortgage would pay a 4.00 per cent interest rate,
until the prime rate changes. Variable rate mortgages may also have
additional features such as an opening or "teaser" rate that applies for
the first few months of a loan, or "lock-in" rules that allow a borrower
to change their variable rate to a fixed rate at certain intervals.
Why choose a variable rate mortgage now? Consider the following:
* A homeowner has $125,000 remaining on their $250,000 property loan
and a 25-year amortization period. Their monthly payment is $716.
* Let's assume prime increases over the next five years to 5.75 per
cent -- this equates to a 0.25 per cent increase per year (on average).
* The homeowner takes a common variable rate mortgage at prime minus
0.60 per cent. By taking the variable mortgage instead of the comparable
five-year fixed, the homeowner saves $3,129.
The homeowner’s outstanding balance at the end of five years: $110,371
with a fixed-rate mortgage at 4.85 per cent versus $107,243 with a
variable-rate mortgage.
Prime would have to increase to over 6.75 per cent in the next five
years before variable rate mortgages become an unattractive option for
homeowners.
“Yes, many Canadians simply prefer the greater sense of stability that
a seven to 10-year fixed rate mortgage can provide in a changing rate
market,” says Jim Rawson, regional sales manager, Invis. “Nevertheless,
the advantages of a variable rate borrowing strategy are real: over the
last 50 years, research shows consumers would have been better off by
borrowing at prime rather than at a five-year fixed rate 88 per cent of
the time.”
INVIS mortgage consultants work with homeowners across Canada to
complete a financial analysis of their situation and determine which mortgage
option is right for them.
INVIS (www.invis.ca) is Canada's largest independent mortgage brokerage
firm, with a network of over 500 mortgage consultants Canada-wide.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Microsoft details new security plan
By Robert Lemos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
In the most significant security announcement since Chairman Bill Gates unveiled the software giant's Trustworthy Computing Initiative, Ballmer told attendees during a keynote address at the software giant's first Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans that Microsoft will redouble its efforts to secure its users.
"Our goal is simple: Get our customers secure and keep them secure," Ballmer said in a statement. "Our commitment is to protect our customers from the growing wave of criminal attacks."
The pledge comes as Microsoft is trying to recover from the attacks of online vandals and critics. In August and September, the MSBlast worm likely infected more than a million computers that run Microsoft Windows.
The SoBig.F e-mail virus also spread widely during those months, compromising many more systems. Such incidents were used to support a position paper seven well-respected security researchers wrote, which the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a noted Microsoft critic, released Sept. 24.
And a lawsuit that charges Microsoft with making computer users' personal data vulnerable was filed against the company a week ago, on behalf of a victim of identity fraud.
Microsoft said it will focus on initiatives in three areas: improving its system of patching its software products; adding and improving security technologies to Windows XP and 2003; and educating customers.
A major change for system administrators bogged down by a to-do list of patches to apply to Windows computers is the software giant's move to a monthly patch release schedule. Microsoft will immediately start to release software updates once a month, unless the security flaw needs to be fixed immediately in order to help customers avoid an attack, said Amy Carroll, director of product management in Microsoft's security business unit.
"One of the things that we have heard from our customers is that deploying patches on a weekly basis is too difficult," she said. "There is some anecdotal evidence that deploying a patch is what prompts the release of exploit code."
The software giant also plans to shrink the size of patches up to 30 percent by next May and reduce the number of updates that require the user to reboot the system. Microsoft will also reduce the number of patching systems for its products lines to two. The company has also pledged to continue support for users of Windows NT4 service pack 6a and Windows 2000 service pack 2, both products for which the company had previously halted support.
Building on set base
Microsoft will focus on modifying and adding to the security measures it has already taken for its current products, Carroll said.
PC and network protection measures such as the Internet Connection Firewall will be turned on by default and will be designed to work better with other applications. Executable file filtering, a measure that protects Outlook users from attachments that could carry viruses and Trojan horse programs, will be expanded to other Microsoft products. Internet Explorer's system of security zones will be revamped to better protect users. And better defenses against memory flaws will be erected in the software development process and, potentially, in hardware.
"The areas that we are focusing on represent the four main vectors of attacks that we have seen," Carroll said.
The company also plans to further educate its customers in hopes that it can help them become more secure, she said. Monthly Webcasts will be published on the company's site to train customers in good security practices, and the company will use itself--in a series called "How Microsoft secures Microsoft"--as an example to teach system administrators ways to secure their systems.
"We have the goal of, by the end of 2004, that we have trained to some extent 500,000 customers," Carroll said.
Security company Symantec fully supports the Microsoft initiatives, the company stated in a release, despite indications that Microsoft might move into the antivirus software market. In June, the software giant bought Romania-based antivirus firm GeCad.
However, Symantec pointed to a recent report its researchers released as reason enough to support Microsoft's initiatives. The report indicated that attackers were quickly taking advantage of new software security holes.
"Now, more than ever, computer users need to take proper steps to protect themselves from online threats," Janice Chaffin, chief marketing officer at Symantec, said in a statement.
Microsoft plans to provide more details in the future and will continue to modify its security practices until it finds the right recipe, said Neil Charney, director of product management for Microsoft's Windows client group.
"What we learned from customers is that it is not an easy process to secure their systems," he said. "The impetus (behind these changes) is the recognition that there is still work to be done."
This news story is used with the permission of C-net Tech News and is © copyright 2003.
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Copyright © 2003 Computer Universe Ezine. All Rights Reserved
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