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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2005-09-26

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!

1) New Kinds Of File-Sharing Services

A number of new free and low-cost services have cropped up to help make better use of some of the billions of digital images being captured each year: These specialty file-sharing services let their users place photos and videos--- and in some cases, any file type whatsoever--- in private or public areas for sharing, group collaboration, archiving, for illustrating auction sites, for use on message boards, in classifieds, on live journals and blogs, in online photo albums, and almost any other use you can think of.

Although you can use an ordinary web site for sharing photos or videos, many of these specialty image-sharing services offer easy-to-use custom tools that are optimized for processing and organizing visual materials. There's no domain name to register or maintain, no hosting service or server to worry about. And, because these services are free or extremely low-cost, end-users can create accounts as needed and on their own, with no webmaster assistance required. Uploads usually require only a web-browser and a password to the site--- no website-creation tools are needed, and no special knowledge or training (e.g. HTML) is required. The sites usually even present the uploader with a finished URL for easy sharing of the uploaded materials, with no behind-the-scenes website knowledge needed whatsoever.

Some of these services are totally free. Others offer free trials, but then charge a minimal amount for ongoing service.

Most of the free services are supported by advertising, which raises two issues. First, most of these free sites prohibit "hotlinking:" that is, you can't link directly to your photo or video, in isolation. Instead, your visitors will see your image or video on a complete page, as set up by the free service; the page will include their ads around or alongside your image or video. That means these services may be OK for basic photo and video sharing, but will not work if you want to embed your images or videos on another page, such as on your website or on (say) an auction site: All you can do is link to the image-hosting service's own pages, which will display your photos and videos, along with its ads.

And that leads to the second issue: While many of the image-sharing services are safe for work environments and are "family friendly," others support themselves with ads mostly or entirely of an overtly sexual or "adult" nature. So, you need to be careful in choosing free sites to make sure the content that will surround your photos and videos meets with your standards. (In contrast, many of the paid sites contain no advertising of any kind, and seem to police their users more rigorously, and so appear to avoid this problem.

But perhaps the best way to sort out these differences is to look at some real-life example sites.

I've tested many, many of these services in recent weeks, and have selected ten which I found to be the best of the bunch. (You should have seen the ones I didn't list. No, on second thought, it's just as well you didn't!)

All of my top ten either have at least a free trial, and most have a "free forever" option, depending on the level of service you wish. All accept photo files, most also accept videos, and some accept any kind of file you want to post--- even Zip files or EXEs! File size limits range from 10MB to 50MB per file, with some higher limits available, too.

I've posted mini-reviews of these top-ten, along with direct links to each site, at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=171000882 .

If you want to share photos, videos, or almost any other kind of file, easily and inexpensively (maybe even free!), click on over to http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=171000882 to see this new breed of file sharing service!

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2) Which GPS?

Our recent discussion of GPS ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=170701704  ) prompted a number of readers to write in with questions along this line:

Fred, you said:
 
"Personally, I find a GPS from the middle ground better--- neither bare-bone minimal nor top-of-the-line. The choices there abound, including the unit I'm currently using: a device barely larger than a deck of cards, yet with a full-color, sunlight-readable screen, synthetic voice prompting (so the unit speaks directions to you), built-in rechargeable batteries good for 20 hours of operation, and more..." 
 
Would you please tell me (or all readers) what that unit is. Thanks, Brian

Sure, Brian (and all others with the same question); I wasn't trying to be mysterious! <g> It's just that picking a GPS, like picking a computer, is a personal choice affected by dozens of factors. What's right for one person may not be best for someone else.

With that caveat: My current GPS is a Garmin Quest. It has the right mix of features, portability, and ruggedness that I need for my current uses; which include handheld, in-car, and on a motorcycle. If I were always on foot when GPSing, or always in a car, I might well pick different units. But for the kind of mixed uses I normally put the unit to, the Quest seemed the best choice for me.

Lots of GPS reviews:
http://www.google.com/search?q=review+gps

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3) Which Camera?

A question similar to the one above:

Fred: just curious how you came to choose a concord eye-q 4363z for your [gps-guided newfoundland] trip?
 
i did notice some of the pics lacked the detail one would expect from a 4 megapix camera. is that due to the 1024x768 resolution?---chris nelson

Yes: The pix I posted online were all re-scaled, reduced, and multiply-compressed to get them to a reasonable size for download. For example, the 300 or so photos at their original, raw 4 megabit resolution, would have occupied around 1.5Gbytes: No one would have downloaded a slide show that large! <g> (And that's without the embedded videos.) So, yes, for the files I shared, all the images were reduced, rescaled, and recompressed. The larger format went down to 1024x768, the smaller size went to 640x480.

That said, the Concord Eye-Q is a pretty decent camera for the price (about $100; I bought mine from TigerDirect). It's a little fussy in low-light situations, but can be used as either a point-and-shoot camera or one with full manual control. It has a very useful 3x optical zoom, and a less-useful 18x digital zoom; and a macro function for closeups to 4" (10cm) or so. I put in a 1GB SD memory card (about $50, also from Tigerdirect) so it can hold a *ton* of pictures, especially with the camera's reasonable default JPG compression.

The camera also does small-format movies with sound (you may have seen some in the NewFoundland downloads I offered; see below); movie length is limited only by available memory.

I got that camera specifically for the Newfoundland trip: I needed something rugged, with high capacity, and not so fancy that it'd be a heartbreak if it got ruined. (I expected the trip to be quite hard on the equipment--- vibration, rain, cold....) But the camera actually did fine and came through unscathed. For the money, I think it's a winner!

BTW, if anyone missed the Newfoundland photos, they're still online:

One version of the photo journal--- available to all--- is at:
http://freetune.com/extras/newfoundland2005/newfoundland2005.htm

A much higher-resolution version is available to Plus! edition subscribers:
http://www.langalist.com/Plus/extras/newfoundland/newfoundland2005.asp

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4) Drunken Mouse

Fred: I've 2 computers...I'm contacting U on the "other." Perhaps because I spilled some wine, perhaps not - but - my Right Click on the mouse doesn't do anything. Can I do Mouse things with my keyboard as a substitute mouse? Thanks, Jim Graham

Yes, but first: If it's just the mouse that's dead, you can get a new one for literally a couple dollars. Yes, there are expensive mice--- if you go wireless and optical, you can spend some multiple tens of dollars. But a basic generic two-button mouse, with a scroll wheel, costs literally just $2-$3, so this isn't the sort of thing you have to do without.<g>

Try your local stores first to save yourself the shipping costs (which often cost more then the mouse itself). But if you can't find a local source, check online: http://langa.com/u/t.htm

Sticky beverages are the bane of keyboards and mice: Once the liquid evaporates, it's usually the sugars left behind that gum up the works. But sugar is highly water-soluble so you often can return the gear to service with a simple washing in warm water, with or without mild soap; rinse thoroughly (distilled water preferred); and then air dry, with the gear as disassembled as practical to allow the guts to dry out fast. Usually, that's all it takes. Of course, the gear has to be unplugged before you do this! <g> See http://langa.com/u/u.htm for lots more info on washing electronic gear.

As for using the keyboard, here's a list of keyboard commands available in Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboard.aspx

Or, try a Google search: Use "keyboard+shortcut" plus the name of whatever software you're interested in. For example, to find keyboard shortcuts for Firefox, you'd enter:
http://www.google.com/search?q=keyboard+shortcut+firefox

There also are many software tools that allow a keyboard to be used for mousing around: http://www.google.com/search?q=key+mouse

So, you have lots of options!

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--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---

 "When I placed my order for the Langa List Plus version, I didn't see
anything about if you automatically re-bill until I cancel. I don't
like automatic rebilling.--- Bill"

Neither do I! That's why I NEVER auto-rebill Plus! subscribers.
Each subscription is for one year, and then you're given the option to sign up
again, or not. If you do nothing, your subscription stops, and that's
that. But the overwhelming majority of Plus! subscribers do choose to
renew--- which is why this newsletter is still going strong!

The LangaList Plus! Edition offers many benefits--- it's ad-free, spam-proof,
and contains even more content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads....---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading.

Get all the details--- it's just pennies per issue!:

http://langa.com/plus.htm

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5) Meet Jakison, Newest Member Of The LangaList Family

First, we've just made a second donation to the American Red Cross to help with ongoing--- and the new, "Rita-"caused--- hurricane relief efforts.

Plus, we've also added another child--- the thirteenth--- to the group of kids sponsored on an ongoing basis by LangaList Plus! subscribers. Here's a note I just got from an aid agency working in Brazil:

JAKISON ALVES DE SOUZA
GENDER: M, AGE: 10, COUNTRY: BRAZIL

Jakison is a young Brazilian boy who lives with his parents, Agostinho and Maria, and with four brothers and two sisters, in a rural community located in the Jecjuitinhonha valley, northeastern Minas Gerais, which is a poor and arid region. Their simple home, which is self-built, has adobe walls, dirt floors and a clay-tiled roof. It has rudimentary sanitary facilities (cesspit). Water is carried from a spring. Lighting comes from primitive kerosene lamps. Agostinho works long hours as a farm laborer but can hardly make ends meet. The per-capita family income is less than US$ 50.00, or half of the minimum monthly wage in the country. The family is Catholic and their native language is Portuguese. Jakison is friendly and shy. He is also a smart child. He helps his mom around the house. His favorite pastimes include playing soccer. Horses are his favorite animals. Jakison is considered to have good health. He attends a public primary school and his favorite subject is Portuguese. He participates in the project program where he receives benefits in the areas of health, education and nutrition.

Here's what's this is all about: Those of us with computers and Internet access are vastly better off than most of the world's population. Because of this, I decided that a portion of the LangaList Plus! subscription fees would be donated to registered/legitimate charities helping the underprivileged around the world. The contribution does not increase the cost of a Plus! subscription in any way; the donation is taken "off the top" of any profits. (This is described in the pages at http://langa.com/plus.htm  )

Jakison is the 13th child sponsored on an ongoing basis--- week in, week out--- by the collective generosity of LangaList subscribers. LangaList Plus! subscribers also have collectively contributed to emergency relief efforts for earthquakes, tsunami, and hurricanes; and more. (To see all the donations so far, click to http://langa.com/plus2.htm#kids )

As the year goes on, and as more readers sign up for Plus! subscriptions, I hope we'll be able to sponsor more children and assist other charities around the world.

Graham Greene once said, "There is always a moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in...." If you're already a LangaList Plus subscriber, thank you! You can feel good about giving back a little to those less fortunate, and opening "a door to the future" for a child in otherwise-desperate circumstances.

If you're not yet a Plus! subscriber check it out: With a Plus! subscription, you can not only help yourself make the most of your hardware, software and time online--- but you also can help those less fortunate (like Jakison) make the most of their very lives. Thanks for your help!

http://langa.com/plus.htm

or: give a gift subscription:  http://langa.com/plus_gift.htm

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6) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) P2P Problems ("Bearshare")

Hi Fred, I'm a novice at computers, but learning a lot from your newsletter, yet my sons have threatened to ban me from downloading anything. My problem is I downloaded a number of pictures from a P2P site, BearShare. Fortunately I save them in a temp file after moving them from the BearShare download folder. Otherwise my sons would have quarantined my computer.

However, it seems a file I downloaded is corrupted, or more likely malicious. Anytime I try to open the temp file, be it with Windows, Explorer, ACDSee, or other graphics program I get an error message....

The system then freezes up and I have to resort to Task Manager to close the folder to restore Windows. I could eliminate the offending folder but there are some photos of aircraft I want to save and I don't remember the sites I got the photos from. I have run Norton Security, Adaware, and Spybot S&D without success. Is there a way to cure the problem or rescue the desired photos? Thanks, Bob Benitez

It seems there may be several versions of Bearshare floating around, some legit, others spyware-infested. See http://langa.com/u/v.htm for a sampling of user feedback--- but be warned, some of the posters there are very, very unhappy with Bearshare, and it shows in their choice of language.

There are also some legal and personal issues affecting Bearshare, which you can read about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BearShare

On top of the issues with the software itself, you also can run into trouble with the files being shared over those kinds of services: Who really knows what's really in an anonymous download described as, say, an image of an airplane? You're putting a lot of trust in strangers when you accept files from them.

Because there are major questions about Bearshare, and about the stuff you downloaded, and because it seems that something already has gotten into your PC that shouldn't be there, I strongly urge you to abandon the folder in question, delete it, run a variety of anti-malware tools in addition to the three you mention (see the list on page 3 of this article: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=169400298 ), and then try getting your photos from other sources, such as the photo services mentioned in item #1 in today's issue. Google also has a "image" search function you can use to locate photos from billions of web pages. And whatever you do, don't go back to the sites you went to before--- they've probably already burned you once.

Finally: With the problems reported with Bearshare, and the controversy surrounding it, and with so many filesharing alternatives available, I simply wouldn't bother with Bearshare at this time. But if you really want to use it, uninstall your current version if you can, get a full, fresh copy from the master site http://www.bearshare.com/ (and not from a third party download site), and go on from there.

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8) They Loaded The Code

Over 4,000 of your fellow readers have "Loaded the code." Please click over to http://langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join them! (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see
http://langa.com/link.txt )

Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites---some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site
http://langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://langa.com/readersites.htm

Terry's Computer Tips
http://www.terryscomputertips.com

Tonto Rim Search and Rescue
http://www.trsar.org/

Tim's Lifeguard Shack
http://lifeguard2.proboards50.com

Tuttoallalettera
http://www.tuttoallalettera.com/wp/

Crown Hill farm
http://crownhillfarm.com/

Mike and Nat's Page (turn down speakers...)
http://home.comcast.net/~mnjcsm86/

Riesman Ltd.
http://www.reismanltd.com/

Business Network International
http://www.olneybni.net/index.html

Cakes by Darlene
http://www.cakesbydarlene.ca/

Complete seniors
http://www.completeseniors.com/

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9) Martian Postcard

Mike Elgan sends this along:

It took NASA's Spirit rover a year and a half to get to the top of Husband Hill in the Gusev Crater on Mars. It finally made it, and, like all mountain climbers, took a photo. Check this out! http://tinyurl.com/8fkrx

Thanks, Mike. The photo's awesome--- you may have seen lower-res versions in your newspapers, but the full res shows much more:. Note the dust devil whirling in the distance!

Lots more info on this amazingly long-lived mission: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

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10) Just For Grins

(Blush) I guess I've been using too many cryptic abbreviations and acronyms in recent newsletters. Sorry about that! Here's a letter I got from a reader who wanted to suggest a Rosetta-stone kind of site for decrypting some of the less obvious shorthand references:

HT, IHA IMHO HTH:
http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid26_gci211776,00.html

BTW, J4G. NRN

TCOY. GL

TY, GL!

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 40% more content including:

• Saving/Reusing Windows Update Files
     (answering one of our most-asked questions)
• Stretching The LIfe Of Li-Ion Batteries
     (surprising advise from the experts!)
• EULA Robot
     (automatically reads those looooong license agreements for you!)
• Processor Thermal Specs
     (links right to the source for authoritative info!)

Plus! Edition subscribers not only get much more content in every issue (like the above), but also have access to a private web site with over 100,000 words of special content and features not found in *any* issue of the newsletter; along with dozens of private downloads and much more- --all for about $1 per month!

Check out: http://langa.com/plus.htm

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(Give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition!
Click <a href= " http://langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

The LangaList is published about 72 times a year, or about 6 times a month. See you next issue, 2005-09-29!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

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