What You Need to Know about All Things PC
Volume 4 Number 16Click here to return to the back issues page.Click here to return to the main newsletter page.
The Naked PC - http://www.TheNakedPC.com What You Need to Know about All Things PC Publisher: Lee Hudspeth and T.J. Lee Editor in Chief: Dan Butler Contributing Editor: Al Gordon This issue is for Thursday, August 9, 2001 - Vol. 4 No. 16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents ** 01. Letter from the Publisher ** 02. Seeing Red Over AntiVirus False Positives (by Lee Hudspeth) ** 03. Computer Memory: More is Better (by Al Gordon) ** 04. The Naked PC Store Update (by T.J. Lee) ** 05. Preventing PDA Power Shortages (by Al Gordon) ** 06. Featured Product - Anonymizer Privacy Button ** 07. Featured Office Tip - Microsoft Office Template Gallery ** 08. Featured Web Site - Intel's Download Calculator ** 09. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and interesting stuff ** 10. We Get Mail ** 01. Letter from the Publisher Welcome to this, the eighty-second issue, of The Naked PC newsletter. If you're just joining us, welcome, we're very glad to have you as a subscriber. Bill Bradley, our mail server guru, has The Naked PC mail server on better speaking terms with EarthLink and a couple of other servers so if you haven't seen your bi-weekly issue of The Naked PC in a while, delivery should be more regular now. Dan is aware that in our last issue his article on Web snooping referred to "PGP" as "pretty good protection" when it should have said "pretty good privacy". Not Dan's fault but rather an editing error by Jim. Bad Jim, bad! In this issue Lee is confounded by a CodeRed conundrum and has to resist dealing negatively with a false positive. Al Gordon has the straight scoop on memory and tells you why now is the time to upgrade and who has the best deals. He also checks in on prolonging PDA usage... power-on, Al! Meanwhile, Jim has been left minding the store, The Naked PC online store that is, and provides a quick update on what's new and interesting over at http://www.TheNakedPCStore.com. Last but not least, TNPCer Mary S. wanted us to let everyone know that Pacifica, while located on the edge of the Pacific ocean in California, is not really all that foggy, they just tell people that to keep the place a secret. Hey, if you have a Web site (fog-shrouded or not) please consider adding our spiffy new animated icon to your site thereby proclaiming your support for The Naked PC as a member of our Naked Hoard. It really does help us. On this page you'll find our animated and static banners along with HTML code you just cut and paste to add the banners to your site. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?pub1 TNPCer Dave B. has our new logo on his Frozen Tundra page: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?pub2 Reader support is what keeps The Naked PC free. To this end you can help us by passing a copy on to co-workers and friends (no spam please). We even make it easy to refer people to The Naked PC... check out our Refer page: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/refer/ +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ "The Book That Should Have Come with Your Computer" "This book should come with every PC - it has become MY BIBLE." "I find information in this book that I can't find anywhere else." These are just a few of the comments we've received on this book. The hard copy version went OUT OF PRINT over a series title issue with the publisher, but WE BROUGHT IT BACK in this book-on-a-CD-ROM searchable PDF format! Written by the same guys who bring you this newsletter, T.J. Lee, Lee Hudspeth, and Dan Butler tell you what every computer user needs to know. If you use computers you need this book! Check it out! http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?tugpc2 +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 02. Seeing Red Over AntiVirus False Positives (by Lee Hudspeth) I recently had a series of CodeRed Worm alerts on my production PC. But guess what, that's impossible! Why impossible? Because this particular piece of malware cannot infect a PC unless it's running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, and my production PC runs Windows 98SE. This scenario is called a "false positive" in computer security circles. Think of it as a false alarm. This term means that some mechanism or system has incorrectly identified some other mechanism or system (like a PC) as being in a given state when it isn't. An example we humans can all relate to is a disease diagnosis based on a blood test. There's a chance--sometimes small, sometimes not, depending on the test and the disease--that you will be told you're sick when you're not, at least not with that particular malady. False positives are a part of the empirical reality of our world, but I'm not going to cut Symantec or the anti-virus developers any slack. A mistake is a mistake, I paid my money for error-free detection/prevention of viruses, and they need to raise the bar. On the date in question, Symantec's Norton AntiVirus ("NAV") was running in its latest update incarnation. As I've said repeatedly in this newsletter, I have NAV check for virus definition and scanning engine updates DAILY. I was running the latest build; NAV 2001 v7.07.23D to be exact. When I started Internet Explorer 5, NAV stubbornly insisted it had detected the CodeRed Worm, and it did so four times. By the second Alert screen I was seeing red (pun intended). A file named iis2ucms[2].asp kept appearing in randomly spawned folders under C:\Windows\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5. (Where did these weird pages come from? Probably a recent Napigator session.) Each time I quarantined the suspect file, and was told the system was clear, IE5 would get busy again and NAV would sound another false alarm. After the second false alarm, here's what I did. I couldn't get online because IE5 was triggering the alarm, and I didn't want to use another PC on the LAN in case the problem really was a virus just not the CodeRed Worm (this would be a case of misidentification by NAV's scanning engine). I let NAV continue to alert me, called my associates Mike Craven and Jim (T.J.) Lee to see if they could look up the relevant CodeRed Worm data on the Symantec Security Updates Home Page: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee1 Their searches confirmed what we already knew: it was an impossible infection. Right when I had decided to shut IE5 down and clean out all Temporary Internet Files, the fourth alert cleared and stayed clear. What can anti-virus manufacturers do about false positives? If a simple and unalterable property of the system can be used to warn the user about false positives (like the version/build of the operating system), the anti-virus package should do so. In this particular case, NAV knows the PC is running an operating system that cannot support the CodeRed Worm. It should have used that information to tell me, "Lee, our virus scanning engine thinks the CodeRed Worm is attacking your system, but since you aren't running an operating system that allows that to happen, it's probably a false alarm. Please take the appropriate precautions. Have a nice day." Note that Symantec's own CodeRed Security Check tool told me this when I ran it, "Invalid operating system version detected. This program can only test for the CodeRed worm on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000." They've got the tool and infrastructure, it simply isn't integrated into the NAV scanning engine. Another gripe I have with the anti-virus manufacturers is that they don't post any information on their sites about the phenomenon of false positives. I checked the Web sites of Symantec, McAfee, and Trend Micro, but there's not a single bit of information on the topic. Call me naive, but I think that in the war against malware, the manufacturers of defensive tools should explain that the scanning engine will occasionally-- perhaps rarely--make a mistake, either as a false positive or a total misidentification, and provide a help file topic that suggests what to do. Rob Rosenberger is editor of Vmyths.com, a Web site dedicated to dispensing the truth about computer virus myths and hoaxes. I ran this scenario by Rob who comments, "'False positives' occur in the antivirus world. They always do. Antivirus vendors can control the problem to some extent, but when you're in a hurry (for publicity reasons) to release an update, well--let's just say 'there isn't always enough time' to make sure the detection triggers correctly. Time is critical when you're trying to earn valuable media exposure." Check out Rob's site here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee2 In the meantime, here are my suggestions if you get ambushed by a false alarm. Even if you suspect a false alarm, assume the worst and proceed as if it is the real McCoy. It's not until you get to step 6 when, if it's a false positive, you'll realize you really don't have anything to remove. (For more details about these steps see my article "Virus Attacks and How to Thwart Them When You Get One"): http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee3 1. Start by staying calm and taking thorough notes in your system journal. 2. Let your anti-virus program tell you what it thinks you should do, and do it. 3. Immediately disconnect your PC from the network and notify your system administrator. 4. Use your anti-virus program's built-in virus definitions to look up what it says about the virus. 5. Go to your (or any other) anti-virus program's Web site and look up the latest details on the virus, especially about removal. 6. Follow the recommended removal instructions. 7. Finish up by doing a full virus scan of all the PC's hard disks. For your convenience, here is a listing of all the virus articles we've published to date in "The Naked PC." "A Serious Reminder About Viruses and Backups" http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee4 "Optimal Norton AntiVirus 2000 Settings" http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee5 "Safely Testing Your AntiVirus Package with the EICAR Test File" http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee6 "Safely Testing Your AntiVirus Package with the EICAR Test File: Part 2" http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee7 "Virus Attacks and How to Thwart Them When You Get One" http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?lee8 If your anti-virus program has incorrectly identified a virus, either false positive or blatant misidentification, I'd like to hear your story. You can reach Lee Hudspeth at: mailto:leehudspeth@TheNakedPC.com ** 03. Computer Memory: More is Better (by Al Gordon) With handheld computers, desktops, and notebooks taking on new functions every day, memory is of the essence. Increasing memory often is one of the most cost-effective performance enhancements you can make on a PC. And this is all the more true right now because memory prices are dirt-cheap. The folks at Kingston Technology Company (www.kingston.com) recently assisted me in trying out several items from their memory lineup. Kingston recently has decided to focus on its core memory business, a spokesperson said, and also revamped its shopping Web site, putting substantial price cuts in place. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?al1 It is worth surfing there to do some comparison pricing if you are thinking about memory upgrades. One starting point would be to take your desktop or notebook up to 256MB, which would be my top hardware recommendation if you are considering a move to Windows XP. If you have a PC that shipped with Windows ME, you are going to want to trade up to XP. But XP is a memory hog. At current pricing, 128MB modules for most desktops run as low as $24.70; $45.50 for 256MB. More expensive ECC (error checking and correction) memory runs $66.30 for 128MB; $123.50 for 256MB. Notebook prices are a little more variable; 128MB modules are more aggressively priced than the 256MB units. Kingston's and most retailers' sites have a "memory finder" utility that allows you to simply put in the brand and model of your PC and let the Web site do the work of finding the right part number. Just be sure you check any fine print at the bottom as it contains important configuration rules. (For information on memory types and installation see Jim and Lee's "Absolute Beginner's Guide to PC Upgrades" Chapter 5 - Ed.) For handhelds and other electronic devices, Kingston has focused on non-proprietary, industry standard digital storage formats: PC Cards, CompactFlash (CF), SmartMedia (SM), and Multimedia Cards (MMC). It has no current plans to get into manufacturer-specific formats such as Sony's Memory Stick. CF and SM are big in digital cameras, and Pocket PCs embraced the CF design. Kingston's CF lineup runs to 256MB, with a price around $200. The 128MB cards are around $100. I recommend buying them in a bundle that includes a PC Card adapter, so you can plug them into notebooks as well as your handhelds. The additional storage capacity is a valuable accessory for a handheld. It allows you to store video, audio, and large databases while leaving the handheld's main memory free for processing use. I put the 64MB, 128MB, and 256MB cards to the test in a Compaq iPAQ (where I also used the PC Card adapter in the iPAQ's PC Card sleeve) and a HP Jornada. You can install Pocket PC applications to a storage card as well as data. Since the main memory on a Pocket PC functions as both as storage and as the equivalent of RAM on a desktop, putting less-frequently used apps on a CF card allows you to preserve precious memory for running applications. But the core value still is in data storage. Given the Pocket PC's built-in Windows Media Player, for example, a 128 or 256 MB CF card will allow you to put literally hours of MP3s or Windows Media files on your handheld, store a large collection of graphics, and host a industrial strength database. Kingston also makes a USB PC Card Reader for CompactFlash, $35, that when plugged into your PC's USB port (and the driver software installed, of course), lets your computer see a CF card as if it were a removable media drive. You can then do the usual Windows Explorer or My Computer drag and drop, copy and move functions to get data on and off the card, as well as access it from Windows applications. While a few file formats, such as Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, need to be run through Microsoft ActiveSync and converted to Pocket PC formats, that is not necessary for a lot of data, including most multimedia and graphics files. The Reader is a faster and more simple data transfer tool than ActiveSync, and I use it whenever possible. A CF card is roughly the size of a restaurant matchbook. The MMC is even smaller: postage stamp-sized. MMCs now are available in 64MB capacity ($90) as well as 32MB ($48), with 128MB upcoming. The format is starting to take hold in MP3 players--I tested Kingston's 64MB MMCs in Compaq's PA-1 and new PA-2 players--and they also will work with Palm's 500-series handhelds. You can essentially record a half-dozen CDs worth of music onto a couple of postage stamp-sized MMCs, which is the essence of portability. And if your need for storage is totally insatiable, you can always go with Kingston's 2GB DataPak PC Card Type II Hard Drive ($357.50). Yes, 2GB. The unit is mainly for notebooks, but it runs just fine in the iPAQ's PC Card sleeve. I couldn't come close to filling it up, but corporate users (or someone determined to put a movie on a handheld) probably could find a way. One thing for sure: I like the way digital storage prices are trending. When I started researching this piece, I could not recommend the highest capacity cards because they were more expensive than buying two of the next largest. Now, by the important bucks per MB standard, the rule is the bigger the better. On a side note, I like the Handspring's color Visor handheld (TNPC #4.03) and the expandability of its "Springboard" module system. But I wasn't keen on the fact that memory expansion was available only through the proprietary Springboard format. Problem solved. Hong Kong-based Portable Innovation Technology Ltd. has developed "MemPlug" Springboards that allow users to use industry standard CF and SmartMedia cards with their Visors. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?al2 I tested the CF unit with cards as large as 256MB without problem, however the company warns that not all media is comparable. For now stick to the major brand names, such as the Kingston I used. Patrick Lin, the founder of Portable Innovation Technology says that his product lineup will expand further later this year with Secure Digital/MMC and Sony Memory Stick MemPlugs. The former is used in Palm 500-series handhelds, the latter in Sony's Clie, and thus, Visor owners can use data and apps from the other two Palm OS handhelds. Very cool. In keeping with the Springboard concept, all the software for running the MemPlug is on the module itself, and the package includes backup, data moving, and video applications. My one complaint: only a limited function version of PiDirect, the software that enables the Visor to read from the memory cards, ships with the MemPlug. Upgrading to the full version is another $20. The idea may have been to keep the module at the lowest possible price point, but PiDirect is so critical to its operation that it should have been part of the standard bundle even if it increased the price tag. You can reach Al Gordon at: mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ PRIME for Office Utilities CD If you use Microsoft Office, and by that we mean Office 97, Office 2000, or Office XP, then you need to read this! From the Publishers of The Naked PC newsletter come the ultimate utility sets for Office. On one CD you get PRIME for Word, PRIME for Excel, and the amazingly useful PRIME DocLauncher for Office utilities. Hundreds of features! And now you get the utilities plus our ebook "How To Save Time with Office" that will show you how to use each and every utility to unlock the true potential of your Office applications. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?pcgcd3 +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ ** 04. The Naked PC Store Update (by T.J. Lee) Thanks again to all of you who have helped support this newsletter by making purchases through our store. This patronage helps keep The Naked PC a free electronic publication and, based on all the positive feedback we're received, provides you with nifty and useful products. Here's the latest on what's happening at The Naked PC Store: *-* PRIME for Office Utilities CD The new PRIME for Office Utilities CD has just about sold out its initial pressing and all pre-orders have been filled. In fact, we have received so many inquires from readers who are unfamiliar with add-in utilities like PRIME that we've made our ebook, "How to Save Time with Office," available on the PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. Web site. This ebook, in PDF format, details how to use the add-in utilities on our PRIME for Office Utilities CD. Each utility for use in Word or Excel, and our DocLauncher utility, is discussed in detail. How much time each utility could save you, how to use each of our utilities to make Microsoft Office work better... it's all covered in this ebook. Download it here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?tnpc1 *-* Easy Hang Up The Easy Hang Up has been very popular. This is an anti- telemarketing device that plugs into your telephone and lets you deal with pesky telemarketers (who always seem to call right at dinner time). You can now hear the message that the Easy Hang Up plays thanks to Dan managing to transcribe the message as a WAV file. Check it out here: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?tnpc2 The only bad news is that we'll be raising the price of the Easy Hang Up come September 1st from the current price of $16.95 to $19.95, so now is an excellent time to order this nifty device. You can reach T.J. Lee at: mailto:tj_lee@TheNakedPC.com ** 05. Preventing PDA Power Shortages (by Al Gordon) Color PDAs are esthetically pleasing, offer brighter, much easier to read displays than the monochrome LCD screens, and show off applications and the Internet well. But they are power hogs. So what to do if you are, say, on a trip and are not anywhere near an outlet for your PDA's recharger as your handheld runs out of juice? You get yourself PDA battery backup, that's what. For Compaq iPAQ users, Teletype GPS (they make GPS modules for PDAs) has a $29 battery pack that takes four AA cells. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?al3 Slip the batteries in, and you can run the iPAQ off the power pack instead of its rechargeable cells. The pack is a good choice for purposes such as listening to music over the iPAQ's Windows Media Player during a long flight. You otherwise would have a dead iPAQ after a couple of hours of playing MP3s. But the "killer" product in this category is Electric Fuel Corporation's Instant Power Chargers for PDAs and cell phones. They can be used to recharge the devices as well as a source of auxiliary power. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?al4 Electric Fuel manufacturers Zinc-Air batteries for purposes ranging from chargers to electric vehicles. No electrical or chemical engineer am I, but the gist of the technology is that rather than containing all the reactants inside a sealed cell like typical batteries, the Zinc-Air cell is perforated and draws in oxygen from the air as part of its energy generating process. The result is supposed to be more energy from a smaller, lighter unit. The PDA/Cell phone chargers all use the same "Instant Power Cartridge" battery--a matchbox-sized black plastic flat rectangle. It ships in a $20 kit that also includes a "smart cord" customized for the particular device. The cord both connects the cartridge to the device's power terminal and also times the charging process. The cell ships in an airtight bag and a resealable bag is included to keep the air out between reuses. Each cartridge is good for up to three recharges and replacement cartridges are $10 each. The company says the Zinc-Air cells are environmentally safe to dispose. Units are available for many HP, Casio, Palm, Compaq, and Handspring PDAs and Audiovox, Philips, Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Panasonic, Samsung, and Siemens cell phones. I tried Instant Power with a Visor Prism, HP Jornada, and Compaq iPAQ, plus a Nokia cell phone. In each case, the unit charged up in two hours or less. The Zinc-Air cells get warm while they are charging, but no warmer than the PDA itself gets in operation. It is a neat design that can keep road warriors in action far from any A/C outlet. You can reach Al Gordon at: mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com +++------------------------- sponsor -------------------------+++ MICRO-LIGHTS the Super POCKETFLASHLIGHT! 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Surfing through the Anonymizer proxy prevents a visited Web site to identify your IP addresses, and blocks Java, JavaScript, ActiveX, and cookies. In the past you had to go to the Anonymizer site and type the URL for the site you wanted to visit to use this free service. But no longer. The new Anonymizer Privacy Button utility installs as an add-in for Internet Explorer and appears as an icon on the IE toolbar. You can surf the Web but when you want to visit a site you can invoke privacy by just clicking on the Anonymizer button on the IE toolbar. When you type in a URL or click on a Favorite you'll notice that your surfing through the Anonymizer proxy server by the options display that appears at the top of your browser display space. The Anonymizer Privacy Button is a free download but like so many free things on the Web there is a catch. The free version causes a somewhat annoying "Upgrade Now" message to flash in the IE status bar when the privacy feature is turned on. There are also a number of types of pages (noted as "restricted") that can't be displayed when using the free privacy option. Secure HTTPS pages for example. The idea is to get you to go for the paid subscription version, which costs $49.96 for a full year (or $14.99 for three months). On the other hand, a paid Anonymizer subscription gets you these additional privacy features: no restricted pages, safe cookies (you can accept all cookies as they are marked as session only and expire automatically), URL encryption to prevent tracking your surfing by employers or even your ISP, block all standard sizes of banner ads, and the ability to send anonymous email You can uninstall Anonymizer through Control Panel's Add/Remove software option. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?fprod ** 07. Featured Office Tip - Microsoft Office Template Gallery Starting a document from an empty page can be a daunting task, particularly if you have a specialized document to prepare, something like either a Bad Check Notice (in Word) or a Currency Rate Calculator (in Excel). If "free" sounds like a good price to you, and you want plenty of templates to choose from, then the Microsoft Office Template Gallery is a great resource. Hundreds of templates are available, ready for your instant use, and you can preview them right inside your browser. The categories offered include Staffing and Management; Letters to Customers; Marketing; Legal; Business Forms; Stationary, Labels, and Cards; Your Career; When You're the Customer; Meetings, Events, and Projects; Finance and Accounting; Publications and Education; and Personal Interests, Community, and Politics. There is a search feature so you can look for what you want regardless of the categories set up by Microsoft. From this site with one click you can preview a template and with another click be editing a new document based on that template inside the host Office application. These templates support Office 97, 2000, and XP. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?ftip +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ WANT TO GET YOUR WORD OUT? Classified ads in The Naked PC can be yours for ridiculously low prices. Get your message out to over 73,000 TNPC subscribers. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/tnpcadvertising.html?v4i16 +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ ** 08. Featured Web Site - Intel's Download Calculator Perhaps you've got a broadband connection and data flies down the fat Internet pipeline, spilling right onto your hard disk at the snap of a finger. Nonetheless, on occasion you need to know in advance how long it will take to download a specific file. If you're connected at dial-up speed, such a tool will be useful even more often. Intel provides a free download calculator. You enter the file size in KB, MB, or GB and click Calculate. It's that easy. The tool also has a convenient "Determine My Current Speed" feature (click this button before you do anything else, since the operation clears the File Size field). The tool is available as a download or you can run it inside your browser in a pop-up window. So, let's see, the full pop on Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 is 101 MB. That'll be a thumb-twiddling 4 hours 9 minutes at 56.6 Kbps, or a mere 9 minutes 24 seconds with a 1.5 Mbps cable connection. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?fsite ** 09. Newsworthy - a potpourri of current events and interesting stuff *-* In an effort to prevent any government agencies from preventing Windows XP from going ahead as planned, Microsoft asked the Supreme Court to take its antitrust appeal. Microsoft also asked the Court of Appeals to stay the order that would return the case to the trial court for further proceedings later this month. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?news1 *-* Related to the previous Newsworthy bit, Microsoft is advancing the release schedule to ship Windows XP ahead of any possible injunction that would delay the new operating system's debut. Microsoft has apparently given PC makers the go-ahead to ship Windows XP as much as one full month before the operating system's official October 25 launch date, sources have told CNet. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?news2 *-* Our colleague Rob Rosenberger wants there to be an advisory board for the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center to help curb official cyber-incompetence. We agree and can't think of anyone more qualified than Rob to be on that board. You can help in that regard. We urge our readers to support Rob as a candidate for serving on just such an advisory board. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?news3 *-* K-mart is offering unlimited dial-up Internet access for $8.95 a month through its BlueLight.com subsidiary. They've got a special on until August 31st where you can get the first three months for only $6.95. As you might expect there are lots of limitations and fine print but it's still a killer price. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/416/tr.cgi?news4 Get more Newsworthy bits on The Naked PC Web site: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/newsworthy/ Have you come across something newsworthy? Drop us a line: mailto:hottips@TheNakedPC.com ** 10. We Get Mail Lots and lots of reader comments on Jim's article on the banning of hand-held cell phones... TNPCer Bob R. says, "Rules to ban other than hands-free phones do not make sense. In New Zealand we have offences such as 'careless use' and 'driving without due care and attention' and I feel that these are adequate to cover the irresponsible use of telephones in vehicles." TNPCer Lloyd K. had this to say, "Your reasoning about the relative safety of talking while in dangerous conditions also rings true. I too have always wondered how I had managed to avoid accidents, during the years the kids chose to fight in the back seat. Perhaps it was my recognition of the inherent danger in the situation that kept enough of my attention on the road." From Chris E. in the UK, "There is plenty of debate about this right now here in the UK. There are a number of accidents which have occurred and at least one fatality to my knowledge that are directly attributable to cell-phone use so it is no surprise that people are starting to look at this." Jim wants to thank everyone who wrote in on this issue but the response was such that he could not respond individually to everyone. Be sure to stop by the Letters to the Editor page for more: http://www.TheNakedPC.com/letters/index.html **PLEASE SUPPORT THE NAKED PC BY VISITING OUR ADVERTISERS** +++----------------------- classifieds -----------------------+++ GET THE NAKED PC BACK ISSUES You can now get three volumes worth of "The Naked PC" newsletter on CD-ROM delivered right to your door! Volumes 1-3 includes every issue since TNPC's first issue through the end of the year 2000. Get over 60 issues on disc, fully searchable, all the articles, pub letters, each and every issue, complete and uncut! http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?backissue +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ HALLOWEEN IS COMING! Don't wait until the last minute and pay outrageous prices for your Halloween masks, costumes, and scary props. Start planning your MONSTROUS good time NOW! Check out the best selection of masks, robes, costumes, hoods, capes, wigs, beards, make-up, and decorations! 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At Machesta International we have some amazing stuff so come by our site and check things out. http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/a/tr.cgi?defense +++-----------------------------------------------------------+++ DISCLAIMER Personal computers are individual machines with performance that can vary with components, software, and operator ability. The Naked PC is not responsible for the manner in which the information presented is used or interpreted. Also, although we work hard to provide you with accurate Internet links in The Naked PC, we are not responsible for Internet links herein that represent sites owned and operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, performance, or availability of any such third-party sites. Okay, a free bumper sticker for the first person to email T.J. and tell him the name of the robot in Forbidden Planet and which of Shakespeare's plays the movie was loosely based upon. 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