GNOMEREPORT: Coca-Gnomie Classic?

Remember what the Web was like when the BLINK tag roamed the earth? There were only a handful of browsers, and it didn't take much to make a page "look good" on all platforms. It doesn't take much to push the envelope, but sometimes (as we discovered) the envelope pushes back. You might recall the somewhat-simplistic design of our site before we dove head-first into Cascading Style Sheets. Despite its shortcomings and lack of finesse, the sucker worked - and we had few complaints. Pay attention, as we're about to tuck a tail between our collective legs... and trade in modern conveniences for compatibility. Lockergnome.com is about to become less confusing as it goes back to more a basic code structure. We're going to unbury the menus and options and chalk up the past few months to experience. I'm not saying that we won't employ fancy scripts now and again, but we're refocusing our new(er) layout on the thing that most likely brought you to us: the content. Right now, Jason's putting the finishing touches on the overall structure and functionality - and I'm keeping my eye out for errant font sizes. So far, no pesky 'Times New Roman' characters have escaped our attention. I've always had a severe disliking for that typeface.

Is this going to be a step backward? In a way, yes. I'll certainly miss certain aspects of our ultra-hip CSS implementation. However, until 99% of the installed browser / e-mail client base supports the same standards, we're gonna leave the fancy-schmancy stuff to other online resources. For what we do, and how we need to do it, advanced "hacks" just don't work well. But this is the Internet; everything can change with the click of a mouse. We're taking a mulligan. Do over! No need to seek professional bamboo stick-wielders to whack us senseless because... (1) Bob's already hired a couple of local thugs from Craigslist; and (2) we're going to re-deploy a completely sanitized site design very soon. Has it been optimized for Lynx? No telling, but I wouldn't be surprised if yesterday's console-based programs have an easier time interacting with what's on our horizon. Oh, the viewed hyperlinks won't be purple, and the background won't be grey - but I believe you'll be happier with the impending launch of our patent-pending lemon-scented HTML tags. I suppose you could call it the "Coca-Gnomie Classic?" At least it'll be better than the ill-fated, completely translucent "Crystal Gnomepsi." Nobody knew where to click! Good times... Good times...

Digitally yours,
Chris Pirillo

DOWNLOAD: FWNUA v1.0 [425k] Win9x/2k/XP FREE

http://fwnua.sourceforge.net/

{Login data collector} Fewnooah (Free Windows Network User Account) is a utility for systems administrators to track workstations. It collects data on the date of the user's last login, a list of all computers a specific user has used, and IP address search to see who is logged into the PC. FWNUA also helps with standard Windows computer naming conventions through random generating of computer names, organizing existing naming conventions, and naming computers to specific computer information. The information also provides useful data in knowing who has logged into what PC. [Meryl]

DOWNLOAD: Drawboard v1.5 [409k] Win9x/2k/XP FREE

http://drawboard.sourceforge.net

{Server whiteboard} Why settle for a boring chat when you can add scribbles to it? One co-worker has a cartoon and he does drawings when and keeps the rest of us entertained when we're stuck in a very boring meeting. Drawboard is a Java applet for sharing drawings over a server. Click on drawboard.jar and then test.html to see Drawboard in action before trying it over the network. The program requires JDK or JRE v1.1 to run or JDK v1.3 or higher to have the ability to save images on the server in PNG format. [Meryl]

GNEWBIE GNOOK: LCD Clarification

Ken Colburn of Data Doctors answers Bob, who wonders:

Q: What do WXGA and TFT mean when they describe the display type on laptops and which is the best?

A: As with all of the latest technologies, manufacturers are doing a great job of confusing consumers. When it comes to today's LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display) of any type (laptop or desktop), the resolution and aspect ratio are two of the main elements.

The WXGA and TFT specs are two completely different technologies.

WXGA has to do with the 'resolution' (number of pixels displayed) and 'aspect ratio' (relationship of height and width).

TFT stands for 'Thin Film Transistor' (in the old days, it was called 'active matrix') and is today's standard for how the image is displayed on virtually all flat panel and laptop displays.

Since TFT is pretty much going to be on everything at which you are looking, let's concentrate on the various types of resolutions.

The current resolution standards include XGA, SXGA, SXGA+, UXGA, and QXGA. Any time you see a 'W' in front of any of these standards (such as WXGA), it refers to a wider version of the original (more on that later).

The standard on entry level laptops is XGA (eXtended Graphics Array) and has a rated resolution of 1,024 horizontal pixels by 768 vertical pixels.

SXGA or SuperXGA is a display that supports a resolution of 1280 horizontal pixels by 1024 vertical pixels.

SXGA+ supports a resolution of 1400 horizontal pixels by 1050 vertical pixels.

UXGA supports a resolution of 1600 horizontal pixels by 1200 vertical pixels.

QXGA supports a resolution of 2048 horizontal pixels by 1536 vertical pixels.

Generally speaking, higher resolution is better, but there is one major issue with very high resolutions displays: everything is smaller on the screen.

Those that have a problem reading small text on the computer screen may actually have a more difficult time if they purchase a very high resolution display. And if you purchase a high resolution display and run it at a lower resolution so that everything is bigger, you will be defeating the purpose of buying the more expensive display.

The standard 'aspect ratios' are 4:3 (traditional displays) and 16:10 (newer wide displays).

Anything that starts with 'W' is going to be a wider screen than traditional, displaying up to 30% more information. This is a great benefit to those that work on large spreadsheets (more cells displayed) or large graphics projects.

For standard word processing or e-mail, the only real benefit is that you might be able to squeeze two applications onto the screen, side by side.

There are lots of other, more technical specs such as contrast ratio, megapixel rating (much like digital cameras), and viewing angle that are a little more difficult to discern; unless you are comparing two units side-by-side, don't get too caught up in them.

Which display type is best for you is determined by what you plan to do with the laptop. If you have any vision issues, just be careful not to overbuy when it comes to resolution and aspect ratio!

HOME: Mama's Got A Brand New Bag

By Brandon Watts

Are you the primary tech geek in your family? I'm currently the reigning king of all the bits and bytes in my household. My parents have always wondered how my technical skills developed, but it's simple - a lot of alone time. My dad knows how to operate a computer, but he doesn't view it as an enjoyable activity. He only uses a computer when he has to. However, the person that I expected would never use a computer has recently become a member of the online world. You're going to need to prepare yourself for this. Are you sitting down? Here we go... it's my MOM!

OK, now pick yourself up off of the floor. Trust me, I was just as surprised as you are. There are snack foods that possess more technical knowledge than my mom. She's never learned because she fears that if she makes a mistake, the entire world's population will die. She's only wiped out a small country so far, but the night is still young.

It all began (or ended) when she asked me how to go to a specific Web site. I don't think she really appreciated my uncontrollable laughter, but it came naturally. After gaining my composure, I began to show her the simple operations of using a computer. Simple does not even really begin to describe how stripped down these lessons were. After several demonstrations of how to turn it on, and an hour lesson on how to use the mouse, she started to figure out how to do a couple of things. And believe you me, she will do those couple of things for hours. This knowledge is power - power she didn't need. I'll walk into the office to find her with her reading glasses on, and her face positioned three inches away from the monitor with that glazed-over look. She probably learned the look from me, but I take great pride in it. It's an art that I have perfected over the years. Anyway, I'm now exposed to browser windows that are left open with recipes and women's clothing all of the time. Looking at women's clothing past page ten gets boring, anyway. Don't ask me why I know that.

Apparently my mom is not the only maternal geek-in-training. A survey from 2002 showed that seven in ten mothers use personal computers. We're in 2004 now - you do the math. There's no question that this number has steadily been increasing. It's no longer uncommon for everybody (including grandma) in the family to be technically proficient. Accept it - technology is becoming more accessible and crucial to everyone.

'm still worried that one day my computer will be infested with Dr. Phil wallpapers and disco music. Let's not forget about the multitude of recipes that are sitting uninvited on my hard drive. I need a laptop in the worst way. Oh, I've got to go get the oven mitts. My green bean casserole is finished.

MOBILE: Acer TravelMate C111 Tablet PC

By Donato Esposito of TalkGadgets

http://go.lockergnome.com/279

Certainly using the ultra low power Centrino chip improves battery life to the point where it can be used for a normal working day, providing you are willing to have slightly less contrast and brightness on the display.

By providing a USB floppy and DVD/CD combo drive, the size and weight of the unit are within bounds. It is 26 x 22 x 3cm and weighs only 1.45 kilos. While It has a slip case (which is fine for transportation), what do you do with it while using the tablet?

Unlike some tablets, it has a keyboard and you could use the unit as a standard notebook as it also has a perfectly useable trackpad mouse. Press two buttons at the base of the screen and it rotates 180 degrees to allow the unit to become a full-fledged tablet. However, you can still use the journal for writing or drawing on the screen even when in notebook mode.

The Centrino chip has 1024KB of onboard cache and 400MHz front side bus. It comes with two 256MB RAM modules. The 40GB hard disk is adequate and I found it responsive during my tests. The 10.4 inch TFT screen was clear and bright when used on mains, however, I would suggest that you need to see if you are happy with the default settings when running on batteries. You can, of course, make your own setting, but this will compromise battery life.

It has a built-in wireless network, a modem for the times when you are not in a hot spot, and a 10/100 port for Ethernet connection. It's got all the normal ports as well as two USB2 and a FireWire port.

Recharging from a fully discharged state takes 90 minutes (or 150 minutes in use). The stated continuous use is three hours, however, by careful use of suspend you probably will get just about a day of use 'out and about.' If you really need a full day, then an additional battery would be a good idea.

To me this is a good improvement from original models on offer. The ultra low power chip helps with battery life. The ability to use the unit as a conventional notebook is, to me, a very big plus. Perhaps because my handwriting is poor, or maybe just because of my age, but I do like a keyboard. The trackpad is excellent and in notebook form the slightly smaller 10.4 inch screen does not really cause a problem. As a tablet it also works well and the transformation between modes is easy.

INDUSTRY: IBM Declared Safe For Consumption

By Jeff Partridge

Jury Clears IBM In Toxics Trial
CNET News.com
The verdict hands a significant victory to the computer industry, which for years has been dogged with allegations of unsafe working conditions in plants.

This doesn't surprise me. Having worked for Big Blue myself, I can tell you that there are few operations as safety conscious as they are. You can win yourself a nice bit of folding green or other prizes by finding a safety problem and offering a change that will reduce or eliminate it. With everyone on the payroll looking at things every day, safety problems seldom stay around long.

Those of us who have been around long enough remember a time when Microsoft-bashing took a distant second to IBM-bashing. I think those days have passed. Let it go!

FAVORITE: HNSKY v2.2.2h [3.0M] Win9x/2k/XP FREE

http://www.hnsky.org/software.htm

{Planetarium} See the stars, planets, and moons from the comfort of your chair. The map comes in handy for those who go stargazing with telescopes. For the heavy-duty astronomer hobbyist, the program comes with the SAO, PPM, Tycho-2 star databases, deepsky database containing 26000 objects, and access to the external GSC and USNO CDROM star catalogs. That was a foreign language to me, so I hope it makes sense to some of you. Turn on the constellations to view their locations and outlines. I've only been able to find two constellations: the big dipper and Orion. You can enter your time (GMT) and latitude / longitude. [Meryl]

ALERT: Yahoo!'s Ups And Downs

Gnomie William A. Ford writes:

I found this while looking for an answer to help someone solve a problem they were having. Yahoo! is now using Web beacons to track members movements at Yahoo! and other Web sites.

http://freewarearena.org/forum3/viewtopic.php?t=383

And here's Yahoo!'s page on their use of Web beacons [with information on how to opt out of letting them - look for the link about halfway down the page]:

http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us/pixels/details.html

I find it rather interesting that Yahoo! didn't consider it necessary to tell their members about this practice. I figured you'd like to pass this along to your readers. I also plan on repeating this information to Mr. Jim Eshelman, Mr. Fred Langa, and Mr. Scot Finnie to pass along to their readers as well. The sooner people know, the better.

But Yahoo!'s not devoid of its saving graces, according to Gnomie Christopher Wetmore, who writes in to tell us:

I'm sure I'm not the only reader with a customized "My Yahoo!" homepage. I got on the web 6 years ago with an old WebTV unit, and Yahoo offered a readable page... Now, you can add RSS feeds to your customized homepage, or, as with other content, create your own RSS only page. Click on the "customize content" at the top of any My Yahoo page, scroll down to the lower left, under "Web and Internet", and tick the "RSS" box. While it's still in beta, this could be VERY useful for those who don't want the clutter of a separate RSS feeder. I also prefer it to an e-mail oriented solution, as I tend to want my news in my browser. ENJOY!

Ah, but then we've got frequent contributor Jeff Partridge's stance to weigh! He writes:

Down With Yahoo!

As anyone who has to deal with Yahoo! online groups knows, you HAVE to have a Yahoo! e-mail account in order to belong to a Yahoo! group. The downside to this becomes obvious in a very short time: SPAM. The minute you sign up for that account, you become the frightened deer in the crosshairs of all the world's spam generators. 98.4% of all my daily spam comes from that one account. That alone makes me unhappy with Yahoo!.

Then we have a more serious concern. Yahoo! seems to have attitude problems. Oh, sure, you can say "Well, with any organization that large..." but it's NOT simply that they don't like their customers to complain. No, the problem runs a little deeper: they don't like having to deal with people who want to report other subscribers for sending out viruses.

Every ISP and large organization has a department that is tasked with handling customer abuse complaints. In fact, that's the core of the nearly universal reporting e-mail account abuse@..... But what happens when the department gets so overwhelmed that they stop being able to handle the traffic?

What happens is familiar to anyone who has ever complained to Yahoo!. First off, the incoming e-mail gets handled by an autoresponder. I'm not sure that any of it gets any further. I've turned over numerous reports of getting viruses attached to e-mail that came through Yahoo! and they have all gotten the same response: "Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Mail. Unfortunately, your message to us was missing full Internet headers. Without full headers we will be unable to further investigate this matter." This wouldn't be a bad response IF I hadn't included the full headers AND the subject line in my mail to them. Further, they seem to have a problem with things that any e-mail client in the world can handle: "At this time, we will need you to forward a copy of the message, as opposed to sending it as an attachment, because we are currently unable to accept attachments." This, of course, keeps people from sending anything like a screenshot that isn't inserted in your letter to them. They don't, I guess, actually want people to send them samples of any virus that they have let their servers send to YOU. They don't care about YOUR system, just please don't let a virus anywhere near THEM. Needless to say, I have never had a virus attachment show up with any message - except the ones that have come through Yahoo!.

It's about at this point that I stopped bothering to send virus and scam reports to Yahoo!. Yes, send them one of the numerous scam messages that purport to come from Yahoo! itself and you'll get the exact same response from their abuse department.

I've done my best to part ways with any groups I belonged to on Yahoo!, but I still have one or two that I can't get rid of, so I still have to put up with the crap that comes along. Just like the current run of car ads claims, "It's not a good deal if it's not a good car." So my opinion of Yahoo! is that they DON'T offer any free e-mail accounts. You pay one way or the other.

GOOGLE: Uncover Five New Ways To Use Google

These items are from the latest GoogleFriends newsletter (hosted through Yahoo!'s online groups). Enjoy!

Google does lots of little tricks. You probably know already that you can enter ticker symbols to get links to stock quotes, street addresses to get links to maps, and numeric expressions to use Google as a calculator. Here are a few new features that you might not have tried yet.

• Area Codes
  With the proliferation of U.S. area codes, it's not easy to figure out who's calling from where these days. Now you can enter a 3-digit U.S. area code into any Google search box for a link to a map of that area code's location.
  Example: http://www.google.com/search?q=650
• Universal Product Codes (UPC)
  Is your checkout scanner on the fritz? Find out more about a product by entering its UPC code into the Google search box. The UPC code is the number on the bottom of the zebra-striped bar code displayed on most product packages.
  Example: http://www.google.com/search?q=073333531084
• Flight tracking
  Attention, travelers (and those picking you up): find the status of a U.S. flight without delay. Just type a flight number into the Google search box (for example, USAir 50) to see a direct link to that flight's status information.
  Example: http://www.google.com/search?q=usair+50
• Vehicle ID (VIN) numbers
  Want to learn a little more about that car you're about to buy? Check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), then type it into Google for a link to a page with more information about the year, make and model of a specific car.
• Package tracker
  Eager to find out what happened to that fruitcake you ordered last December? Enter a tracking number for any package from UPS, Federal Express, or the U.S. Postal Service in any Google search box and you'll see a direct link to information about the delivery status of that package.

All of these new search features are available now for English language users on Google.com throughout the world. (International versions will be available in the coming months.)

Learn more at http://www.google.com/help/features.html [Jeff Partridge]