If the experts are to be believed, business startups need a fortune in seed capital. If this was the case back at the turn of the century, small businesses wouldn't have started, much less become the very thing that has made this country great. This is the last of a five part series on technology in small business. We'll look at other ways technology can help a new business and some local sources for info or help.

 

GotVmail (www.gotvmail.com). GotVmail is a completely new way to use your phone. Imagine having a 1-800 number with more features than most Fortune 500 companies' phone systems all using your existing home, office, or cell phone. Take a call while at the lake with the kids, transfer it to sales in Denver. Route another call to your partner in Detroit. In addition to advanced routing, it has many other incredibly handy features. The basic plan will run you $9.95 per month.

 

Vonage (www.vonage.com). VoIP is a technology which uses the Internet to route phone calls at little to no cost, and Vonage is a VoIP service provider. One plan has 1500 minutes outgoing, unlimited incoming calls, no long distance fees, and incredibly cheap international calls. I can chat with relatives in New Zealand for 5 cents per minute. Some of the other plans even offer free calls to the France, Italy, and the British isles. The basic business plan runs $39.99 per month.

 

Net10 (www.net10.com). Prepaying gives you the ability to aggressively control costs. It has excellent customer care, fantastic coverage in Huerfano County, no contracts, and no phone costs over $80.00. While some organizations might be better served with an unlimited plan from a major provider, most need much less. You pay ten cents per minute with no hidden fees. A basic plan is $15.00 per month, and you'll pay $23.60 to get it started with a basic phone.

 

GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com). These folks have some of the best service in the web industry. If you need a domain name (www.yourbusiness.com) these are the people to see. The owner, Bob Parsons (www.bobparsons.tv) is a veteran, Marine, entrepreneur, and CPA. If that sounds like an interesting combination, it is, but his marketing advice is sound and free. A domain name costs 9.95 per year.

 

InMotion Hosting (www.inmotionhosting.com). These folks are the best web hosting company I have found. Their level of support is second to none. A basic business package is $6.95 per month.

 

The Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce (www.huerfanocountychamberofcommerce.com) at 400 Main St. is an excellent source for information and networking. Located in the train depot with Colorado Workforce, they are also an excellent starting point if you need qualified employees.

 

Your Public Library (www.spld.org). Should you need to know anything, they have a book on the subject or can get one for you. Need a quick answer? They do research. Need a computer? They have fast workstations available for use. Need something printed, copied or faxed? They do that too.

 

SBA (www.sba.gov). You'd be surprised at the amount of resources available at the SBA website. They have everything from forms, contacts, advice, and training just a click away.

 

Finally, most of the software listed in this five part series is available on a free CD at the Public Library and Chamber of Commerce in Walsenburg. Alternatively, drop me a line at aharper@nextweb.co.nz and I'll get one out to you.

If the experts are to be believed, business startups need a fortune in seed capital. If this was the case back at the turn of the century, small businesses wouldn't have started, much less become the very thing that has made this country great. This is the fourth of the five part series on technology in small business, and this time we'll examine some real world examples. How much can you really save? Are there any other benefits?

 

First, we need to add a couple of entries to the list of free open source software for business. While Nola Pro is an extremely powerful accounting package, GNUCash (www.gnucash.org) and Grisbi (http://www.grisbi.org) are targeted to home and small business use.

 

On to the case studies. We'll assume that they are starting a business from scratch and all computers are purchased preloaded with Windows XP or Vista. A full version of all software must be bought in the beginning, and subsequent upgrades will occur on a typical three year cycle, except financial software which must be upgraded annually.

 

A small insurance agency has five workstations, where one is the owner, three are agents, and the last is the secretary. None need anything other than an office suite, basic accounting, and some contact management. GNUCash and Open Office can perform these duties with ease, saving $762.00 for the first computer and $299.00 for the other four. This comes to $1958.00 in savings at the beginning, and an average of $550.00 per year thereafter in upgrades. Over five years, the savings come to over $4000.00.

 

How about something more technical? Let's say you are a small engineering company, again with an owner, secretary, and three engineers. Instead of using Microsoft Office, Quickbooks, AutoCAD, and Adobe CS4, you can save $10317.92 initially and around $2200.00 per year in upgrades. Over five years, the savings come to nearly $20,000.00 while giving you more capabilities.

 

How is this possible? Commercial software is specifically written to address a perceived need so the software company can make a buck off the consumer. Free software was written to solve a problem that was not addressed. The difference is the person designing and writing the free software usually knows their trade, while the person writing commercial software is a programmer first and may not have a deep understanding of the industry for which they are writing software.

 

There are other benefits. A former employee with a grudge filed a report with the Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) claiming that I was using pirated software. I had no problem producing software licenses for all the software installed when the inspectors showed up. When they realized I was using open source software, they left with an expression on their faces like someone shot their dog.

 

Next time we'll wrap up our series on technology in small business with information sources in our local area. You would be surprised at what is and will be available. Got an idea for a business? Talk to the Small Business Administration (SBA). You'd be surprised at the amount of resources available at the SBA website. They have everything from forms, contacts, advice, and training just a click away at www.sba.gov.

If the experts are to be believed, business startups need a fortune in seed capital. If this was the case back at the turn of the century, small businesses wouldn't have started, much less become the very thing that has made this country great.

 

This is the third of a five part series on technology in small business, and this week we're covering creative software. Creative software is used to draw, design, and visualize.  It is everything from desktop publishing to  Computer Aided Design (CAD). The software we'll replace include Autodesk's legendary AutoCAD LT 2009 (www.autodesk.com) and the Adobe Creative Suite (CS4) bundle from Adobe (www.adobe.com).

 

One reader asked: “...by what measure do you gauge the equivalence of open source or free software and an industry standard like MS Office?” Three factors. Can I do everything I did with an expensive product using a free one? Will there be a learning curve? Can I share documents with those who still use standard software? Much of the answers to these questions depend on what you really do with the software, but for 99% of readers the products are functionally equivalent.

 

First the bad news. If you are used to AutoCAD, nothing else works in quite the same way, though this applies even to different versions of AutoCAD. The good news is that there are excellent low cost and even free alternatives.

 

X-11 CAD Pro from Graytech Software (www.graytechsoftware.com) for $29.95 is a serious contender. If 3D modeling is your thing, AC3D by inivis (www.inivis.com) for $79.95 lets you design things in 3D. It works nothing like AutoCAD... it is much easier to learn. TurboCAD Deluxe (www.turbocad.com) is also good choice for $129.95. All three of these can read and write AutoCAD's .dxf file format.

 

BRL-CAD (brlcad.org) is the clear winner in the free category. It's had 20 years of active development and is more capable than anything else. The learning curve is a bit steep, but it was designed by the US military for their internal use and has the feel of a mature, polished product. Graytech's X-11 CAD Free edition is a good choice too, though it limits you a little compared to Pro.

 

Adobe CS4 is much easier to replace. GIMP (www.gimp.org)is an open source graphics editor on par with Photoshop. Adobe Illustrator can be replaced with Inkscape (www.inkscape.org), and InDesign has an open source counterpart named Scribus (www.scribus.net). Pagemill and Dreamweaver's functionality can be replaced with Nvu (net2.com/nvu). All of these are free to download. The only thing you'll loose by using separate programs is integration. Most folks never use those capabilities, since these are some of the most poorly documented features.

 

Next issue we'll talk about more cheap and free software, look at real numbers for a business startup, and discuss other advantages of open source software in a small business.

 

Got an idea for a business? Talk to the Small Business Administration (SBA). You'd be surprised at the amount of resources available at the SBA website. They have everything from forms, contacts, advice, and training just a click away at www.sba.gov.

If the experts are to be believed, business startups need a fortune in seed capital.  If this was the case back at the turn of the century, small businesses wouldn't have started, much less become the very thing that has made this country great. 

This is the second of the five part series on technology in small business, and this week we'll cover office suites.   An office suite is a family of applications that generally include a word processor, spreadsheet, database, and presentation modules.  In Microsoft Office, these are known as Word, Excel, Access, and Powerpoint respectively.  While the emphasis will be on Windows software, Mac and Linux versions are available.

A business needs an office suite, but Microsoft Office costs $499.95 for the package you need, and more if you do anything fancy.  Cheaper alternatives include Corel WordPerfect X4 (yes, it's still around) for $399.00, Sun Microsystems' Star Office for $79.95, and ThinkFree Office 3 for $50.00. 

IBM Lotus Symphony is the latest offering of a decent and mature product.  The Lotus software line began in 1983 and today it is a well rounded product with a mild learning curve.  IBM offers this product for free at symphony.lotus.com.

Competition started Star Office too.  In the 90's Sun Microsystems wanted to undermine Microsoft, so they bought a German software company who had a product that worked like Microsoft Office.  As time went on, Sun made more and more improvements, and according to many if its users, now it's better than Office in many ways. 

The project later split into two branches.  Star Office is a top notch office suite with excellent support from Sun.  Open Office, does nearly as much and is free, though you will have to pay for support if you need it.  It is available for download at www.openoffice.org  We made the switch to Open Office a couple of years ago, and there was practically no learning curve.

Software hosted on a server and used through the Internet is a relatively new trend.  Examples include Quickbooks Online, Microsoft Office Online, Deskaway (www.deskaway.com) Google Docs (docs.google.com), Zoho Office (www.zoho.com), and ThinkFree (www.thinkfree.com).  The advantage is that the document is available on any computer and only one version of the document is flying around no matter how many people are collaborating on it.  The disadvantage is that you're relying on an online service.  If something goes wrong, you may not have access or the ability to use the documents you created.  Many of these are free to play with, but pay for serious use. 

Next issue we'll cover creative software.  Between Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection ($2499.95 on discount) and Autocad LT 2009 ($4699.95), you can spend $7200.00 plus, or save your money and use free or low cost alternatives!

Got an idea for a business?  Talk to the Small Business Administration (SBA).  You'd be surprised at the amount of resources available at the SBA website.  They have everything from forms, contacts, advice, and training just a click away at www.sba.gov. 

If the experts are to be believed, business start-ups need a not-so-small fortune in seed capital for generic startup expenses, plus all the items specific to their trade or industry. If this was the case back at the turn of the century, no one would have started a small business, much less become the very thing that has made this country great.  It's got to be easier than that... and it is.

Consider that small business today:

• Represents 99.7% of all employer firms.
• Is 53% home-based.
• Employs half of all private sector employees.
• Has generated 60% - 80% of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
• Employs 41% of of high tech workers.
• Pays 45% of total U.S. private payroll.
• Produces 13 to 14 times more patents per employee than large firms.
• Creates more than 50% of non-farm private gross domestic product (GDP).
• Made up 97% of all identified exporters*.

This is the first of a five part series on technology in small business, helping a start up business spend less and do more.

Hardware is difficult for a start up to save money on. While it's unnecessary to buy the latest and greatest if all you'll do is run your business on it, your lender may insist on new equipment because he will need to place a certain value on the goods you purchase with his money as collateral. If you lender will allow it, or you're on your own nickel, buy lease return computers and you'll save $500.00 - $2000.00 per computer. Buy new printers and monitors, as these don't always age well.

Saving money on software is easier. There's an amazing amount of free software out there that's not advertised. There is some argument about the total cost of ownership (TCO) of free software, so I will include what I spent on these solutions. You can do the math yourself.

Every business today needs accounting software. QuickBooks Pro multi-user (quickbooks.intuit.com) will cost $549.00, and more if you need payroll or point of sale (POS), as high as $1899.85 when it's all done. Yearly updates and occasional upgrades will cost yet more.

Nola Pro (www.nolapro.com) is an accounting package that has been around since 1973. This mature and well tested product is free. The company makes it's money selling documentation, customization, and services, and even those are reasonable. I'm not an accountant, and I got my accounting system up and running in a day. Printed manuals and modules to tune it to my uses came to $38.85. Version upgrades are free and annual tax table updates will run me $5.00. Yes, you read that right.

Next issue we'll cover office suite software. Microsoft Office 2007 costs $499.95, but there's a free alternative!  Got an idea for a business? Talk to the Small Business Administration (SBA). You'd be surprised at the amount of resources available at the SBA website. They have everything from forms, contacts, advice, and training just a click away at www.sba.gov.

*Sources:
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Advocacy-funded research by Joel Popkin and Company (Research Summary #211)
Federal Procurement Data System
Advocacy-funded research by CHI Research, Inc. (Research Summary #225)
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
 

We were promised technology would solve problems and we'd have time to relax. While this happened, we saddled ourselves with more tasks during the day, yielding even less time for ourselves and our families. In order to not work a 60-80 hour week, we need to slow down or learn good time management. While it's a nice thought, slowing down is not possible for most of us. There are several time saving tools available though, and while these usually don't reduce the number of hours spent at work, they can keep work from taking over your life.

 

Not all solutions use what we'd normally call “technology”. For instance, there are mouse pads which double as note paper. It's an elegant solution, since it keeps paper handy, and we generally use the mouse with the same hand we write with. To queue the next day's tasks, a colored file folder holds notes etc, preventing these from cluttering my in-box, which is probably already overstuffed with today's tasks. My calendar is a white board. I draw calendar divisions and persistent information with a wet erase marker which, unlike dry erase markers, only erase with a damp cloth. I write data on my schedule with a dry erase marker and can erase things as needed without messing up the framework.

 

Sometimes we try to get a handle on the day before it starts, or we work in two locations. It would be nice to have a calendar, to do lists, and other resources wherever we are. Google allows you to do that. Once you sign up for the free service (www.google.com/ig), you have access to thousands of tools. Everything from sticky notes, to do lists, to news feeds and contact lists, can be added simply by a mouse click. Some of these tools require a little setup (the weather radar needs to know your location), but all are designed to be quick and simple.

 

Delicious (del.ico.us) is an online tool for research and collaboration. It works just like your bookmarks in your web browser, but you can access these bookmarks from any computer on the internet. You can share bookmarks between accounts allowing collaboration and data interchange. Bookmarks are sorted by tags, which identify related information. This organizes it all and the site can recommend related material.

 

Sometimes when we need to add an event to a calendar or take a quick note we aren't near a computer at all. Jott (www.jott.com) is an alternative to a pen and paper note which could become illegible or lost. It's allows you to call the service with your cell phone and it sends the transcription of your message via email. A little setup is required, but it's straightforward, yet flexible. You can make the system as simple or as complex as you need.

 

There are websites that are chock full of more time-saving organizational information. Some of my favorites are:

 

• www.lifehacker.com

• blogs.suite101.com

• www.lifehack.org

• zenhabits.net

• www.43folders.com

   

  They are well worth a look.

Note:  This was a piece I wrote for the entrance exam at a college.  The topic was  about personal perspective change over time.


"When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut". How many youngsters have said those words? Growing up in America in the 60's and 70's, I know I did. At first I thought it was going to be easy. You know it all when you are ten years old.

The more I learned, the more I found that I didn't know. Before long, I realized that I could not do it all.  I would need to specialize my focus. While I maintained a vast body of facts and figures, as children are wont to do, I began to specialize in the electronics that made space accessible to mankind.

In high school I majored in electronics and went on to attend a trade school where I received an associates degree in electronics and computer engineering. Still undaunted in my quest, I realized that I needed to specialize yet again, this time in computers.

Over the next years I joined the Air Force, working on F-15 aircraft electronic systems. I saw the way both aircraft and spacecraft were constructed and controlled, and realized that the control systems in use was decades behind the times. There is much to say for "tried and true", especially in avionics design, but the systems I saw lagged commercial designs by 30 years or more.

I made suggested improvements to every system and procedure I had the opportunity to study. Many of these suggestions were implemented Air Force wide, improving the capability and reliability of the force. Over time it became clear my strength was not in the use of technology, but rather in the design and upgrade of complex systems. This demanded yet another shift in my perspective.

Today I have enrolled in another  bachelor's degree program in the hopes of completing something I should have long ago. I have come full circle. One major change is that I no longer wish to be an astronaut. I have designed systems astronauts use every day. I build systems that make things happen because of their utility, not in spite of their issues.

I realize that many of the changes in my perspective have to do with growing up, but there is another aspect. I have come to realize that any endeavor is a team effort. Most only see the "rock star", never seeing the people who made the show happen.  We saw the astronaut in the completion of a mission as the ultimate personal success story, overcoming the odds, as opposed to what it really is. It is the culmination of countless man-hours and the incredible efforts of thousands of people just like me.

One thing hasn't changed. I still want to fly where the blue sky goes black and the stars never dim.

What's Next

As a techie I frequently get asked what's next. What's the next step or toy? In this week's Tech Savvy, I'm going to make some predictions about what's coming in the next 1-5 years... It should be a fun ride.

Speed. Processor speed has remained stable for some time. About the highest you'll see, barring major breakthrough, is 3-4 gigahertz. The speed of the system will continue to increase using task delegation. The industry will develop specialized processors, thereby increasing the speed at which the system is capable of processing data. To a small degree this is already the case, but I expect to see major improvements in this area. The average computer will have specialized processors and multiple processors working in parallel.

Power. The average computer system's energy consumption is about 150W doing nothing. With extreme use, a large computer system can pull as much as 1000W of power. From the “less is more” camp we have seen computers that pull around 2-8W of power in use, though their capabilities were quite limited. That's changing as we speak. The Everex gPC2 TC2512 is available at Walmart's Online store for $199.00 without a monitor. It's quite capable of being an office computer and consumes around 35 Watts of power. I expect this trend to continue and the efficient computers will soon compete favorably with the energy hogs in all markets.

Size. Have a look at the Apple Macintosh Mini, and you will see that small is beautiful. In addition to efficient, new computers will be only as large as they need to be. That will have a drawback since small machines are difficult to work on. You may have to take the unit to a service center or send it back to the factory for repair. Once there, it may be easier and cheaper to replace the unit rather than fixing it, leading to environmental issues.

Integration. We have systems that serve multiple functions, like satellite TV boxes with a recorder, and printers that function as fax / copiers. This trend will continue, though the integration will shift gears. Rather than focusing on consolidating multiple boxes, it'll change to a functional approach. Imagine a satellite TV / DVR unit that plays DVDs, CDs, and MP3s. It shows a clock on the screen when not in use, and functions as a reminder of upcoming events. It pulls weather alerts, radar, and other emergency info with its email and web capabilities while displaying broadcast reports.

Solid State. Moving parts break and fail long before well designed electronics. That's why there's a push to use solid state devices for storage. While using flash instead of hard disks is expensive, prices are dropping. Cooling fans will be used less, but eliminating them will only be possible on highly efficient units, since heat is the result of inefficiency.

Operating Systems. I see Microsoft trimming back its business and bloated software. The reasons folks stay with Microsoft is the learning curve, lack of support, and software compatibility issues on other operating systems. Both Linux and Mac Operating Systems have ways of making other software work with them, support is available, and they've become easy to learn. To stay competitive, Microsoft must create a slimmed down Windows compatible with older versions. Linux will continue to become more of a desktop operating system, though still primarily used by computer geeks.

Older Equipment

Some folks buy the latest car every year. They end up paying more, but they get a new car under warranty. For some this is an advantage, but I belong to another camp. I use things until they fall apart, then I fix them. I choose to buy things used rather than new, saving on average 90%. Computer equipment is no different. This week's Tech Savvy is about using older computers.

As with most things there are disadvantages. Older equipment is, by nature of the industry, larger, heavier, and slower. Sometimes the latest program or operating system will not work because the computer of operating system is no longer supported. Just like when a car is no longer supported by it's manufacturer, you need to find alternate ways of making things work.

Recently, I ran into just such a problem. I have an iPod and wanted to move some of my music from my computer to over it. Normally, this is simple; you install iTunes from the Apple website, and the rest is pushing a couple buttons. The computer is 8-10 years old and runs Windows 2000. The latest version of iTunes requires WindowsXP or Vista. No tunes for me, right?

With a little research I found websites that specialize in older versions of software. One of them, oldversion.com, had what I needed. I simply installed the correct version, pushed a couple of buttons, and the music was transferring merrily. Many software titles are available on the site. It's well worth a look.

Sometimes the problem isn't the operating system, it's the computer. I have a little 486 computer that I needed to use for a specific task. I could have installed Windows95 or NT, but finding the software I needed for the task for those operating systems was a bust. Are there are alternatives to Microsoft?

Linux allows the use of extremely old computers, but if you want to use a graphical interface (GUI), the minimum is a 486 with 32MB of RAM. It will be slow, but it will work. If you just want it for a specific task, like a weather station, it will work fine. Because Linux was written for low end hardware, a machine that crawls on Windows will run like a scared rabbit on Linux. There is a learning curve, but it's really not that bad.

Linux comes in hundreds of flavors, each with a unique look and feel, and with different system requirements. Feather, Puppy, and DSL are designed for small and older systems. Medium speed systems run well on Slackware, Wolvix (my favorite), and Mandrake. If you have a newer computer and want to try Linux, try Sabayon, Fedora, or Ubuntu (also a favorite). One warning: installing an operating system will usually remove all data on your hard disk. Back up your data before you proceed.

That's about it for this week's Tech Savvy. Next week's article is about hackers: What they really are, and why you need to know one.

Note: My editor at the Huerfano Journal had some issues with the presentation of the original article. To be honest, I really didn't think it was some of my better work. So with some suggestions from Gretchen, I reworked the article slightly. I am much happier with the outcome. Thanks a bunch, dear!

Leadership

Imagine a world where you can do whatever you want whenever you want. Sounds like paradise until everyone else′s freedom encroaches on yours. The only way to keep what is yours is to defend it ... a wild west culture. Now imagine a world where you are monitored 24 hours a day. There are no freedoms except those explicitly granted by law. While this solves many of the problems in the previous world, it creates its own issues and stifles creativity and innovation.

While we enjoy the middle of the road right now, the Internet could easily devolve into one of these extremes. The problem stems from organizations and special interest groups, each with their own agendas. All are trying to con ignorant and sometimes apathetic politicians into making rules that work in their favor. Some want more freedom; some want tighter control. It′s all about who can make the best presentation.

Some elected officials are so uninformed that they present the Internet as “a series of tubes” (Senator Ted Stevens, R-AK, Chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee discussing the Net Neutrality Bill). These gaffes indicate a shocking lack of knowledge in those who determine how we use technology. Legislators may be making decisions about technology they have never used. It′s like having the Amish decide for a highway department or an electric utility. It′s a recipe for disaster, and it′s also completely unfair to saddle them with that sort of task. It sets them up for failure and takes their attention away from what they should be doing.

There are tech savvy elected officials. Al Gore was one example. He had messages put within the code of his website specifically for technically savvy visitors. The math worked in his budget. It should be noted that Vice President Gore never claimed to have “invented the internet." That rumor was based upon a comment taken out of context, that took on a life of its own. Vint Cerf, the father of the internet, said that Gore “played a powerful role in policy terms that has supported its continued growth and application, for which we should be thankful. We′re fortunate to have senior level members of Congress and the Administration who embrace new technology and have the vision to see how it can be put to work for national and global benefit.” (V. Cerf 1999 in an MSNBC interview) Love him or hate him, Gore is tech savvy.

The Internet is a new frontier, comprised of data rather than land. If we expect technically savvy leadership, we have to put it there. This is a democratic system of government after all. Vote for someone with a brain, not someone who says what you want to hear and fails to back it up. Check their math and voting record. Lazy and apathetic voters beget lazy and apathetic politicians. As Benjamin Franklin said, “In a democracy, we get the government we deserve.”

Keeping Your Computer Forever

This week's Tech Savvy is about keeping what you have. Many believe that computers and anything related to technology is best bought new and replaced every few years. Computer manufacturers probably love this, but that it is simply not true. The truth is if a computer is properly maintained and not abused, it can last for a decade, even more. My pre-teen daughter has a laptop as old as she is, and it works great.

So how do you keep a computer running for a long time? The trick is to keep the enemies of your computer at bay. We will cover each of them, starting with the most common.

The biggest enemy of your computer is dust. It doesn't kill your computer instantly, but rather shortens it's lifespan in several ways. In a computer, dust coats things, preventing them from getting rid of heat effectively. It also coats parts that move, and since dust acts as an abrasive, it wears them out prematurely. In extreme cases, dust, nicotine and animal dander can form mats that block airflow the computer uses for cooling.

Keeping dust out of your computer might sound impossible, especially in this climate, but it's not. Never put a computer directly on the ground while it's running. I swear they need to design vacuum cleaners like computers because they're quite efficient at collecting dust. If your computer is out of the warranty period, turn it off and open it up occasionally to wipe the dust out of the bottom of the case. Don't worry about the dust on the parts, as touching these can cause more damage than good. If you look inside, and it's really bad, you may wish to refer the cleaning to a computer professional.

The second thing that is your computer's mortal enemy is static electricity. What is a mild annoyance when you touch a door knob will kill your computer. The odd thing is that it may not kill it right away, all at once, or even affect it at all... it all depends on factors that are completely random. Enough static “hits” will rack up microscopic damage to the electronic components, weakening them and shortening their life. Some things you can do to limit the damage static electricity will do to your computer are don't touch the parts on the computer unless you know what you are doing. If you open the case for cleaning or curiosity, stay in physical contact with the bare metal in the case. Placing your hand on the frame will drain the static charge you may be carrying.

The third enemy of your computer is power. The same thing that makes it run can also harm it. A power surge packs quite a punch and will cause damage is allowed to. To prevent this, use a surge suppressor. To tell how good one is, check to see how many joules it is rated at (this tells you how much energy it will absorb before it gives up), and what kind of equipment replacement warranty they provide. If the manufacturer claims their device will stop anything, but doesn't put their money where their mouth is, you should question the manufacturer's confidence in their own product. Related to this is lightning. It is best to disconnect your computer from the house during a lightning storm. Remove power to the computer and accessories by unplugging them and disconnect the phone line.

Damage is not the only thing that can keep your computer from running like new. After a while the information becomes disorganized and getting the computer to do anything becomes a chore. It's kind of like a workbench or desk which never gets cleaned. No matter how efficient you are, eventually clutter takes over.

Programs are available to fix this, and a few are loaded on your computer from day one. On a Windows computer, Scandisk, Disk Cleanup, and Defrag are quite valuable in keeping it running well. They are located in your Start Menu under Accessories and System Tools. Use Scandisk to verify the health and integrity of the information located on your computer's hard disk. Use Disk Cleanup to remove information that is not needed any longer. Finally use Defrag to organize the information logically.

Programs can also impact your computer's ability to do it's job. Viruses, Trojans, Spyware, and other malicious software, collectively known as “Malware” do nasty things to your computer and the information on it. These will be the topic of next week's Tech Savvy.

Repetitive Stress Injuries

Have you ever gotten up from a computer or typewriter stiff and sore? Do you have eyestrain after typing a letter or two? How about wrist pain or numbness in your forearms and hands? These are all symptoms of Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI. This week's Tech Savvy is about not letting extended computer use hurt you.

Most of us have done it at one time or another. A game that rivets our attention, a book we are writing, a weekend's homework delayed to the last minute. We park out rears in front of a little screen for hours on end ignoring all but the most dire, life threatening interruptions. When we finally arise our bodies creak in protest. We weren't designed for this, but we do it anyway. Some of us, myself being one of them, had a job that required this sort of torture for 8 hours per day, and sometimes more. What can we do to minimize the pain and damage? There are a lot of things! Let's look at our body's design and see what we can learn.

From the top, the eyes take the worst of it, and do so without complaint for the most part. Use a large screen that occupies at least a 30 degree field of view. This is equivalent to a 15” screen at 3 feet. The larger screen allows your eyes to move about rather than remain in a fixed spot. Make sure the screen does not require you to crane your neck up or down. Most folks need to elevate their monitors by 3-4 inches.

Another thing to help the eyes is replace that old CRT monitor with an LCD panel. In an ideal world your monitor would curve, wrapping around you allowing your eyes to stay at one focal length as they look around the screen. Older monitors actually curve the wrong way, aggravating the situation. Adjust the pitch of the screen so that the distances from the top and bottom to your eye are equal. The idea is to keep your eyes from having to refocus constantly.

Lighting is important, but keeping the glare down is critical. If you spend eight hours per day squinting, you will end up with a headache. If you have a window close to your workstation, make sure it is not directly behind you. Ideally, light should come high over your shoulder.

Further down is your neck and shoulders. Take this small test: Get in a comfortable chair away from the desk and sit erect. Put your hands forward as though typing, but at comfortable angles. If you are like 90% of the population, your head will be pointing slightly down and your hands will be in front of you angled in about 15 to 30 degrees. This is a natural position for you, and anything you do outside this position requires effort.

The first thing is get a chair that supports you in that position. Sam's club in Pueblo had chairs that worked for pretty much everyone in the office for about $45.00. They are a better fit than either the$200.00 office chair it replaced or the high dollar chair I used to have at the Fortune 500 company I worked for. I bought four, one for every desk.

Getting a keyboard drawer that matches up to the height you had your hands at during our little test will keep you from having to reach up to the keyboard, or worse, have the desk put pressure on the soft underside of your wrists and forearms. An ergonomic keyboard may work for you, or it may not. I have one, but it will take a lot of getting used to. I have been typing for 30 years on normal keyboards, and I am still hunting where the keys are. It is easier on my wrists though.

Finally, the human creature was not designed to remain practically motionless for long periods of time. Get up and move around a bit from time to time. Pitch your shoulders front and back, roll your neck from side to side, close your eyes or focus on something far away. Personally, I tidy my work area to break up the doldrum. Next week's Tech Savvy will be on that topic; how to safely clean computer equipment.

Keeping on the Right Side of the Law

These days it seems like more crime is done with a computer than the old fashioned way. The truth of the matter is that most things reported as crimes are just normal folks running afoul of the law due to a misunderstanding of what is and is not their property. This week's Tech Savvy is all about software licensing. While I am not a lawyer, I can give you some basic guidelines to keep you out of trouble.

The core of the problem is this: unless you wrote the software on your computer, you do not own it. The author or his company owns it, and allows you to use it for a fee. Likewise, just because you own every “Sing along with Mitch” record, you do not own the songs, just the records themselves and the right to play them (unless your name is Mitch Miller...).

Some folks think that since they “bought” Microsoft Office, they can install it on any number of computers they wish. Since we already established that they do not own the software (though I'm sure Microsoft would sell it to you for a couple of billion), you can see the problem.

Enforcing the law gets confusing, since the average policeman and judge had no real training on “intellectual property” and it's value. This left enforcement to packs of lawyers who sensed blood in the water. Suddenly, a CD you would pay 6 bucks for at WalMart becomes worth $10,000.00 or more in court because the lawyer for the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is taking advantage of the legal system's lack of understanding. Software issues are handled the same way with BSA (Business Software Alliance, DEFFINATELY not the boy scouts!) taking the place of the RIAA. Oddly enough, one of the chief sources of leads for these guys are disgruntled former employees.

I owned a small computer repair business in another part of the country before moving to Walsenburg. One fine day someone was pounding on the door like the place was on fire. When I answered, a lawyer and six policeman walked in. The warrant was made out for “pirated software”. Well, they searched until the lawyer yelled “Aha!” at the office manager's computer. He was sure he had me until I produced licenses for Windows98 and Office97 Professional. Three hours later six chagrined policemen and a lawyer who had an expression like a wet cat left my business. I was legal, but I have some deep reservations about what happened and question the legality of the techniques used.

They use informers which they protect the anonymity of in violation of the sixth amendment of the US constitution (right to cross-examine). They issue “john doe subpoenas” to support their case, not checking the validity of their claims. Recently they went after an 80 year old grandmother who doesn't even own a computer. They inflate the losses claimed in court exploiting the ignorance of the system. Sometimes they claim damages several orders of magnitude higher than they could possibly be. Unfortunately, the law is on their side for now, though this is changing as judges become more informed of the issues.

Regardless of the hijinks of the lawyers, responsibility for a person's actions is on themselves. To stay on the right side of the law is fairly simple. If you use a piece of software, make sure you paid for it. Make sure you can produce the license certificates issued to you if asked. Read the license that came with your software. It is usually in the manual or under help on the top menu. Use the software in accordance with the license. If this means you can't afford to use the software, don't use it. Doing otherwise is stealing, and if you get caught it will be VERY expensive in many ways.

There is software out there that allows you to use it freely, or at a modest cost. Open source software will not only save you a bundle, it can also bring you in compliance with the law. Simply do a Google search for “Open source windows applications” and you will find more software than you can shake a stick at. Most of it will be free for use, and with no worries about the Gestapo beating your down your door.

That's it for this week's Tech Savvy. Next week we will cover something no one likes... Taxes. By doing your taxes online, you may save yourself a lot of time and money. With the computer doing all the hard work, you'd be surprised at how easy it is.

How Computers Fail

Computers work tirelessly at a job, doing exactly what they are told to do. 80% of all computer “failures” we see are software, driver (the program that makes the computer work with another component like a printer), or the Operating System. These can usually be resolved fairly quickly if the technician can figure out what happened. The other 20% are hardware failures and that's what we'll be covering in this week's Tech Savvy.

Hardware failures come in two flavors. A “soft failure” is where the computer will continue to operate, albeit at a reduced capacity. A “hard failure” is where the computer's operation comes to a crashing halt. A soft failure can be the harbinger of a future hard failure, so take note of the problem, make arrangements to get the unit repaired, and back up your data!

Modern computers have several moving parts, and predictably most common failures relate directly to them. The primary culprit is the power supply. Most rely on a fan for cooling. Should this fan fail, or if a lot of dust coats parts that need to get rid of heat, the power supply will fail. It usually does so with a bit of smoke and an electric smell. While fixing the problem is as easy as replacing the component, sometimes it's not so simple. The power supply connects to all components in the computer and sometimes when one fails it sends a power surge through all the components.

Another component that fails is the CPU fan. Once a CPU fan fails, the CPU (the brains of the outfit) is on borrowed time. Some will attempt to run slow, turning a hard failure into a soft one, but that only works for a little while. If you hear a groaning sound coming from your computer that changes when you move the computer or goes away as it warms up, your CPU fan is wobbling around on worn out bearings. Eventually it will stop spinning altogether.

Your Hard Disk contains all your information. It's a stack of circular platters wizzing around at 5400, 7200, or even 10,000 rpm. When the hard disk bearings begin to fail, the noise sounds like an old sawmill. A more common failure in the hard disk is where an area of the platter looses the ability to retain data. This happens to all of them eventually. You can keep from loosing data for a while by purchasing a quality unit and running Scandisk to determine the health of your hard disk.

The way to keep your system running for a long time is to keep the fans clean and the dust out. To prevent loss of data you will need to backup your files. Here at the office, I back up files weekly and make 2 copies of the disk. One copy stays at the office, while the other goes to another location just in case.

That's it for this edition of Tech Savvy. Next time, we'll discuss Jargon. Technical people seem to have their own language, and we'll help you make sense of it all.

This is the first of a weekly tech column to appear in this paper. Since we are heading into the busiest shopping weekend of the year, it makes sense to share some guidelines for shopping safely online and in the stores.

Security in an Online World

While the Internet is a wonderful tool during the holiday season for retailers and consumers alike, it is not without it's risks. If enough private data is shared across the Internet, there is a risk that someone could learn enough about you to access your bank accounts or even steal your identity.

Computer records affect nearly every aspect of life today. You can maintain control over your information by following some simple guidelines.

What needs to be secured?

There are only certain kinds of information that have any value to identity thieves. Without these pieces of information it becomes nearly impossible to prove your identity, for the thief or for you. Guard the following data carefully, making sure you can put your hands on it quickly or easily:

1. Credit card numbers
   
2. CW2 security numbers (those 3- or 4- digit codes on the back of your credit cards)
   
3. Credit reports
   
4. Social security numbers
   
5. Driver’s license numbers
   
6. ATM cards
   
7. Telephone calling cards
   
8. Mortgage information
   
9. Family birth records and information
   
10. Family death records and information
    
11. Online passwords
    
12. PIN numbers
    
13. Home/business addresses, both current and former
    
14. Phone numbers
    

While you should question whether or not someone needs any of the information on the list, there are legitimate uses online for this information. For example, an online retailer will need your credit card number, expiration date, CW2 number, and your name exactly as it appears on the card, but will not usually require your driver's license, social security number, or birth date.

Phishing

E-mails can “phish” for information about you. If an e-mail sounds like it is from your bank telling you there is a security concern, and you should click a link to go the site to correct it, DON’T DO IT!

An email can be made to look like an official one, and take you to look-alike Web sites designed to trick you into sharing your personal information directly into the thief's computer. Don’t cut and paste a link from an email either. This will take you to the same site as if you has clicked on the link itself.

What you should do instead is open your Web browser and use the bookmark you normally use or manually type in the link in the address bar near the top of your browser window. This is the only way you can be reasonably certain you won’t be misdirected. Better still, contact your bank or online vendor and ask if there really is an issue.

Evaluate things carefully. Ask yourself:

• Who am I talking to? Are you sure it's who you think it is? (see the next section)
  
• Do they need the data they are requesting?
  
• Does the URL (the web address at the top of the browser window) match the site you normally frequent?
  
• Did you get to the site by typing the address or a bookmark, or did you click on an email link?
  

Online Passwords

The biggest Achilles’ heel to online security is the password. Most folks use something familiar to them, never realizing they are making the potential thief's life easy as well.

To protect yourself, always use combinations of upper and lowercase characters, symbols and numbers. This is so that thieves who concentrate on commonly used words in the dictionary won’t guess it easily. Use longer words with more characters or combine two words together with a symbol. You may even want to use words from two different languages so that automated password guessing tools won’t work. Here are some examples of good and bad passwords:

Password	Status	Why
1234	Terrible	Easily guessed and very short
password	Bad	Simple word, no change of case
Simple42	Okay	Simple word, but mixed case with number
DarK*StaR	Good	Mixed case, special character, Odd capitalization
Schluck^uP68	Excellent	Mixed languages, special character, Odd caps, numbers
gnirps>BREAK72	Excellent	Reversed word, mixed case, special character, numbers

Another issue that affects password security is the storage of your passwords. With every on line vendor, bank, credit card, and utility bill demanding a password for your account you have a few choices on how to deal with this.

First, you can create a single good password for all of them and memorize it. This is an acceptable security plan, but is a careless vendor has a security breach, and your password is compromised, all of them are.

A second, better method is to use different passwords for each account and write them down in a small notebook you keep under lock and key. The disadvantage to this plan is that you could loose the notebook or someone could find it while in your house.

Social Engineering

Computers aren’t the only way thieves can get your personal information. Sometimes the thief can get the information in a low tech way. Watch your wallet when you go through crowds. If the vendor uses carbon forms for the credit card transaction (there still are a few), ask for the carbons.

“Dumpster diving” is a fairly common practice for private investigators and identity thieves alike. It involves, among other things, going through your trash in order to find information about you. Shred or burn any information from banks or credit card companies that you would normally toss in the garbage. Shredders are available at any office supply store and are fairly inexpensive.

Telemarketers are often hardworking people, but there are those who are persistent for the wrong purposes. If someone calls you and hassles you to give them your personal information, don’t! Even if they sound legitimate, you never know to whom you are talking to over the phone. The same rules apply as the Internet.

What if something slips by?

Sometimes a security breach happens despite your best efforts. The security at some companies and other legitimate organizations is rather lax and vulnerable to an attack. These may have your personal information, and there is little you can do about it... Right?

Wrong! In this case, the game has changed to a defensive one. Keep a close eye on bank statements and your bills. Challenge anything that you don't recognize. When an account is compromised, close it immediately. You can reopen it right away, but this will give you a different
account number, login, and password, giving the thief a dead end.

In any case where you suspect that your information has been stolen, you need to be prepared and to have organized your paper bank records for at least one year. You will most likely need to prove your identity and account balance to the financial institution’s fraud department, or help law enforcement determine who is the real you.

Detailed steps to take if your ID is stolen can be found at the following links:

• The plan to follow if your ID is stolen
  
• Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Website
  
• US Department of Justice's Identity Theft Website
  
• Identity Theft Resource Center
  

Conclusion

Everything you do online can be tracked whether it is making a purchase through a website, online banking, or investing. You must be very careful not to give out personal information that could potentially be used against you.

We live in a wired world, and finding anonymity is difficult but not impossible. Keep records of personal information and store them near your computer, though not in it. Keep track of your accounts and reconcile them frequently. If you are detail-oriented about your personal information, you can save yourself many headaches later on.

The Truth About Hackers

Hackers. The very word makes you shiver and check your wallet. Who are these folks, and why do they do what they do? Sensationalist media will often use the term to gain credibility for their stories or raise their ratings at the expense of the truth. Tired of the conflict between Hollywood's “bad boy / savior ” and the “hardened criminal” image portrayed by popular press, I attended a hacker's convention and made contact with the real thing to see and decide for myself. This week's Tech Savvy is a look at hackers in reality.

I discovered they're not criminals. They hate both the bad press and the ones responsible, often taking positions in companies defending your information against attack. The only things the sensationalists had right is that they make technology look like magic, and they tend to use a chosen name rather than their given one. Tired of being vilified, real hackers use the term “Cracker” for thugs who breaks into computers, and “Script Kiddie” for the person with no real skills or discipline, who cause havoc by misusing programs they downloaded.

If they're not criminals, what are they? It's hard to put in words. Let's look at some examples.

Maverick became an officer in a large police department's data crimes division after years of being the liaison between law enforcement and hackers. I pity the criminal he goes after because he is very good and doesn't stop until the job is done.

Dagmar worked for a private financial audit company in their information assurance department. He walks into a room and solves problems with kind words to all, though if the problem is human, he solves the issue just as fast with razor tongue.

Antimony was a grad student at a major university, and now works as a chemist for a major pharmaceutical firm. She is the best in her field according to her professors.

Elonka is arguably the best civilian cryptographer in the country. She speaks regularly at industry conferences and training seminars for both industry and government agencies.

Dement1a is a chef. Her special skill is preparing and modifying recipes until they are dangerously good, especially the fudge. Sorry grandma, it's better than yours.

The common factor is these folks are good and constantly refine their skills to get even better at what they do. They're workaholics, combining work and play in a way that allows them to function 18-20 hours a day, 7 days a week. They have a concrete ethic; there is a clear line between right and wrong and are unswayed by peer pressure or media influence. They play as hard as they work, throwing incredible parties taking over large hotels for conferences like DefCon and Phreaknic.

Here's a twist for you... Hollywood got it right. Hackers can save the world, and they do it every day in ways people will never know or understand. I sleep well at night with this knowledge and count a large number of these folks as friends.

Today we presented our findings on the coverage area to the county Sheriff. I knew it was good, but I never expected the kind of coverage we got.

A little background: The county has had some problems communicating in some of the more extreme parts of their territory. Ironically, this is where they desperately need Fire, Sheriff's Department, Search and Rescue, because of the rugged terrain. They put up a repeater, and it helped a little, but not in some of the critical areas, and as the equipment fell victim to the brutal weather extremes here, the coverage dropped even more.

Just to see if we could, we installed a 40Watt UHF Amateur Radio Repeater on a radio site we were considering purchasing for the WiFi business. Given that UHF Ham band travels longer than the 800MHz stuff the SO uses, but the SO's radios are all about 150Watt digital trunking systems, it's a fair comparison +/- about 15%.

The result was that we covered every place in the county we could get to by vehicle. In many cases we blew right past the county lines, something impossible up to now. The only critical area not tested is an area I like to hike in. The weather has not allowed us to go up to this area, but it is critical since about 40% of Search and Rescue work happens in this small area. On the bright side, we planned to purchase a tower close to there anyway, and if one site doesn't cover it, the other will.

Why is this such a big deal? Well, first of all, we are able to cover 1800-2000 square miles with a single 40W repeater. When we use actual production gear properly installed, I expect that number to double. Secondly, we are able to solve some of the biggest headaches this part of the state has. Third, we can lease the repeaters to the local agencies, saving them money, providing a necessary service, and making a tidy sum in the process. Finally, we have done something ***NOBODY*** has ever done!

Today was a good day. It's a good feeling to be part of a solution instead of the precipitate.

Tech Savvy is a weekly article published in the Huerfano Journal, our local paper. It's a tech heavy by-line written for the beginning to advanced techie.

I will post a few each week until they are caught up with publication. It someone wants to see an article, has comments or suggestions, even specific techie questions, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do.

Sometimes we buy items at discount only to find out the hard way that we sacrificed quality and durability, usually not a good trade. Folks who follow this column know I'm frugal. When I spend money, I expect a lot from the goods and services I purchase. I'm also a bit rough on things, not through carelessness, but because I lead a very active lifestyle. This week's Tech Savvy is about finding equipment that's both inexpensive and durable.

Looking on eBay for a tough, cheap laptop to toss in the truck for field use, I found the Panasonic Toughbook CF-27. Nothing prepared me for the way this thing's built. You could literally drive nails with it! With only a 500MHz Pentium III processor and 384MB of RAM, it's a little slow, but meets my needs. Because they are hitting the used market after years of service in law enforcement vehicles, these laptops and their parts are inexpensive and plentiful. The unit cost me about $120.00 with shipping.

Another pleasant surprise from eBay was the docking station used in Highway Patrol vehicles to mount the Toughbook, the Kodiak Dock. These were actually built better than the laptops and allow you to mount or remove the laptop without disconnecting all the cables. It also allows you to charge and run the laptop without killing your car's battery. The docking station cost me about $40.00 each (I bought 4), including shipping. The good news is that the UPS driver will make a full recovery from his hernia.

After years of inactivity, I recently got my FCC Amateur Radio license again. While I love the major brand radios with all their bells and whistles, I couldn't justify spending $200.00-$600.00 on something that will be used and abused in the field. After another internet search, I found the Chinese company Feidaxin. Yep, Chinese. I would love to “buy American”, but even Kenwood and Motorola are made in Malaysia these days. Reviews of the Feidaxin FD-160 had nothing but praise, so I went ahead and purchased a package deal. The package came with the radio, charger, headset, programming cable, and the special tools to take the radio apart, should repairs be necessary. With shipping, it all ran about $75.00

Besides excellent sound and range, it's also very durable. I am amazed at what this little unit has lived through. It has been dropped 34 feet on asphalt and survived with a couple of nicks and a kinked antenna. I fumbled again and killed the display, but it still operates fine. I have contacted the company, praised them for an outstanding design, and asked for parts to fix my radio. They've earned my respect.

That's about it for this week's Tech Savvy. The thing I have learned from all this is that a little research on the Internet about specific products you intend to buy is never wasted time. A wise purchase of a durable inexpensive item, even used, will save you money now and for years to come.

On Friday we installed a small ham radio UHF repeater on an abandoned radio tower site we're considering purchasing. It's only about 40W and ran it into a fairly inexpensive antenna. Not only is it not at the top of the tower, but our mounting brackets wouldn't go around the massive uprights of the structure... so we used the 3M alternative, duct tape. The engineer that occupies the corner of my mind and plays with his shiny things took mighty offense at this solution, but since it was only for testing a couple of days, he walked away grumbling.

The solution's performance exceeded my wildest dreams, and unless I screwed up the math somewhere (entirely possible) the coverage area is about 30% better than my calculated best case scenario. With this radio we can cover a huge area, including about 80-90% of the target county. Best to date has been about 60% coverage.

I guess the bottom line is that when financing comes through, we will be the proud owners of a radio tower that provides emergency communications for the area and is the first node of an interlinked radio network to handle about 1/4 of the state. To those of you in more sedate terrain, this may not sound like much, but consider:

* Colorado is a big state
* Half of it is fairly flat leaning toward Kansas. The other half is some of the most rugged terrain on the planet.
* We have large amount of iron in the soil and rock here. It is not unusual for a compass to swing up to 30 degrees from true. It plays hell on communications, but can be used to good effect if you know how.

The goal is to provide continuous communications from one extreme to the other. This has never been done, and so far we have made it happen. With a little good engineering and a 150-200W public service repeater we should be able to accomplish our goals. We're going to reveal our findings to the county sheriff on Wednesday.