Vol. 32 number 8 October 2015 The newsletter of the Ottawa PC Users' Group Calendar OPCUG General Meeting Bush Theatre of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum 11 Aviation Parkway. Second (*first) Wednesday of each month, 7:30pm 2015: Sep 9, Oct 14, Nov 11, Dec 9 2016: Jan 13, Feb 10, Mar 9, Apr 13, May 11, Jun 8 Beginner SIG After the OPCUG General Meeting, at the Museum. Linux SIG After the OPCUG General Meeting, at the Museum. Beer BOF (Wing SIG East), after all the SIGs, at 10 p.m. Liam Maguire's, 1705 St. Laurent Blvd. at Innes Rd. Please note that unless otherwise noted, SIGs meet at 9:00 p.m. (immediately following the OPCUG General Meeting). ____________________________ Coming Up... Wednesday, October 14th Speakers: Shelley Robinson & Andre Dalle Topic: Your ISP & Privacy Changes in Canadian law (and corresponding judicial decisions) have influenced what ISPs must or may share with individuals alleging copyright infringements or the authorities investigating criminal activities. Shelly Robinson (Executive Director) and Andre Dalle (System Administrator) will discuss these issues insofar as they pertain to the National Capital Freenet as an Internet Service Provider. Wednesday, November 11th Speaker: Art Hunter (B.Eng.(Mech), Ph.D. (Aero)) Art Hunter began his career in the development of Telesat Canada's Anik A and the Hermes communication satellites. In the '80's, he became the NRC's Project Manager for the remote manipulation arm (Canadarm) for the Space Shuttle. Art has developed hardware, software, drivers and firmware since the mid-80s and has worked as a consultant for many Canadian companies in their R&D programs. Art continues to be an avid computer enthusiast, regularly evaluating new software and is familiar with the instabilities of software development. Topic: Windows 10 - An End-User's Evaluation With Microsoft poised to release Windows 10 later this summer, many users will be eager to know what's under the hood in Microsoft's newest operating system. Art Hunter, long-time computer enthusiast, has been using various incantations of the Windows 10 Preview since its inception and will be among the first to upgrade when Microsoft releases the new OS commercially. Wednesday, December 9th Topic Description: The Use & Misuse of Anonymizing Technologies: The Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) is an organization which advocates on behalf of the public interest in the intersection between technology and the law. David Fewer, CIPPIC's Director, will discuss the use and misuse of anonymizing technologies, current practices and policies, and the ramifications which arise from competing public and private interests. Presenter: David Fewer, CIPPIC's Director, is an intellectual property and technology lawyer with over a decade experience in advocacy and intellectual property files. Prior to joining CIPPIC, Mr. Fewer practiced intellectual property and technology law with national firms in British Columbia and Ontario, and clerked with the Federal Court of Canada. He completed an LL.M. at the University of Toronto, where he wrote on intellectual property policy and the application of the Charter to copyright law. He has taught and written extensively on intellectual property and technology law issues, and is a frequent commentator in the media on such issues. ____________________________ October Raffle For the October raffle we have the Delux Q12 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker which provides superior sound quality to your Bluetooth connected phone, tablet or PC. Featuring a built-in lithium battery, the Q12 also doubles as a hands-free telephone when connected to your phone. Available in black or white. Images of the unit can be seen at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g7vbn47rw5gmrcq/DeluxQ12.gif?dl=0 and https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ryb2aglrwbsqhr/q12blk.jpg?dl=0. Tickets are, as always, a good deal at $1 for one, a great deal at $2 for three or the unbelievable bargain of $5 for ten. ____________________________ September Prize Winners We had two lucky winners at our September monthly meeting. Micheline Johnson won the door prize of a 5 pack license for the Startisback software while Herb Gillingham won our raffle for a Ubislate Tablet. As well many of the members were lucky enough to win various prizes donated by our evenings presenters. Thanks again to the "SurfaceSmiths". And a big thanks to Microsoft for the Subway Sandwiches and Pop. It was a really unexpected treat. ____________________________ 2015 OPCUG Beginners' Workshop The Ottawa PC Users' Group's motto is "Users Helping Users" and, this fall, we are going back to offering a Beginners' Workshop. A group of knowledgeable and experienced members of the club will provide sessions on a number of topics that will be of interest to the new computer user, and even those not-so-new users who need to know a little more about their software. Our Beginners' Workshop is scheduled to run from 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM on Saturday, November 7th, at the Sunnyside branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 1049 Bank (south of the canal), and will consist of five sessions: How to Protect Your Computer, presented by Chris Taylor: The average time it takes for an unprotected computer to be compromised after connecting to the Internet is under 15 minutes. Don't let it be yours. Chris Taylor, President of the Ottawa PC Users' Group will show you the simple steps you need to take to keep your computer from being hacked. Upgrading to Windows 10, presented by Jeff Dubois: July 29th marked the release date of Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft's Windows operating system. If your computer is currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, then an upgrade to Windows 10 is available free of charge. Jeff Dubois, Program Coordinator of the Ottawa PC Users' Group, will discuss a number of considerations which should factor into your decision to upgrade to the new operating system. Backups, presented by Alan German: The only thing you can guarantee about your hard drive is that it will fail. And, when it does, you will wish you had a recent backup. Alan German, Treasurer, Ottawa PC Users' Group will show how to create full backups with disk imaging software, synchronize files and folders, and implement a real-time backup system for data files. Use one or all of these techniques and keep your data safe. Office Applications, presented by Jocelyn Doire: Office applications are one of the most important tools on computer, used to write text document, calculating a budget on a spreadsheet, making a slide presentation. This session will introduce those applications using free software available to all on the internet. Digital Photo Editing, presented by Bert Schopf: So, you bought a digital camera and now have dozens of not-so-terrific pictures that just need a little tweaking to make them look great. But, the image editing software that came in the box is so complicated and not in the least intuitive. What you need is Digital Imaging 101. Our graphics expert will give you the low down on the different types of digital images, and the basic features of image editors and management tools that you can put to work to create the masterpieces hidden inside your pictures. The cost to attend the entire day's workshop sessions is just $45.00. This includes a light lunch and coffee breaks and a complimentary one-year membership in OPCUG (a $25.00 value by itself). Tell all your friends - who are not yet OPCUG members - about our workshop. This is a not-to-be-missed event. Not only will they obtain lots of great information, and become members of the club, for just $45, they will also have a great chance to walk away with one of our fabulous door prizes. Check the web site for details. And, don't forget that, if you are already an OPCUG member, your workshop registration will extend your membership for a further year. Space at the workshop venue is limited and participation will be limited to the first 55 registrants. So, register today by visiting http//opcug.ca and clicking on the "Workshop" link. A registration form can be found on the website and at the bottom of this issue. Payments can be made by: - at the OPCUG web site at http://opcug.ca/public/history/workshop/2015 (by credit card or PayPal account) - by mail (payment by cheque) - in person at the OPCUG general meeting (payment by cash/cheque) If you have any questions, please send an email to Workshop2015@@opcug.ca or talk to a board member at the next meeting. ____________________________ Registration Form OPCUG Workshop 2015 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM on Saturday, November 7th, 2015 Sunnyside branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 1049 Bank (south of the canal) The library opens at 10:00 and people are welcome to arrive before 10:30. The workshop will begin promptly at 10:30 (Please print neatly) Name: ____________________________ Address (complete address, please): ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Tel : ______ - ____________________ E-mail: ____________________________ I wish to register for this workshop which includes a light lunch and coffee breaks; a complimentary one-year membership in OPCUG (a $25.00 value by itself); and the presentations offered online. Please find enclosed my cheque in the amount of $45.00, made payable to: OPCUG. Mail the completed registration form and your cheque to: OPCUG Workshop 2015 3 Thatcher Street Ottawa, ON, K2G 1S6 ____________________________ Find my phone by Chris Taylor Did you ever lose your Android phone? In the May issue of the newsletter, I mentioned the Android Device Manager and how it can be used to locate your Android phone. Google has made it even easier to locate your phone, as long as it is on and connected to the phone network at the time. In your web browser, go to Google and search for find my phone. The first result will show a Google map titled Find your phone and you are prompted to sign into your Google account again for security reasons (you wouldn't want a computer you left unattended to be used to wipe out your phone!) After you sign in, click anywhere on the map to load Android Device Manager and it locates your phone. A blue circle shows the approximate location and a box notes the accuracy, such as Accurate to 23 metres. The box also has three buttons; Ring, Lock, and Erase. Ring makes your phone ring at full volume for five minutes, which should be enough time for you to find it behind the couch where you accidentally dropped it. The Lock and Erase buttons are more useful if your phone is nowhere near or has been stolen. Lock brings up the New lock screen dialogue box where you can enter a new password and message to display on your phone. Optionally, you can also enter a phone number so the person who finds your phone can contact you. After entering the particulars, click the Lock button in the dialogue box to instantly lock your phone. When anyone tries to access your phone, they will get the custom lock screen. Erase is most useful if you never expect to see your phone again and you just want to remove all your data from it. This option does a factory reset on your phone, wiping the data. Editor's Note: Google warns Find My Phone users to contact police if they suspect their phone has been stolen. This is serious advice after a young man was killed recently when he tried to get his phone back from a thief. If the finder of your phone contacts you, meet them in a busy public place or ask them to leave it at a police station. ____________________________ Windows 10, Threshold 2 by Chris Taylor Microsoft has, by just about any measure, a huge success on their hands with Windows 10. But also by just about any measure, Windows 10 is not perfect. Fortunately, Microsoft is rapidly revving Windows 10, not only fixing bugs and security problems, but also changing capabilities and user experience. The next major change to Windows 10, code-named Threshold 2 (a,k,a, TH2), is due for general release in October. On August 18th, Microsoft made build 10525 available to Windows Insiders. 10525 is the first build to include some of the TH2 features. See the end of this article if you want to be a Windows Insider. Just as Microsoft has been very opaque when it comes to talking about what's in all updates so far to Windows 10, so it is with changes in TH2. But two changes are known; one influences the user experience and one is an under-the-hood change in memory management. Both should be very welcome. User Experience In the release build of Windows 10, all title bars are plain white (although Store apps can set their own title bar colour), which leads to confusion. Textpad has the insert cursor at the start of the document where there is an extra I. PowerPoint has a Nikon camera selected. What will happen if I hit the delete key? I have no idea because I can't tell which program has the focus. If Textpad has the focus, the extra I will be deleted. If PowerPoint has the focus, the Nikon will be deleted. This is a major problem, especially if you use more than one monitor, where you are most likely to have multiple, non-overlapping windows visible on-screen. Enter TH2. Now the title bar of the window with the focus takes on the accent colour. Now I can clearly see that if I hit the Delete key, the picture of the Nikon will disappear because the colour in the title bar shows PowerPoint has the focus. To choose the accent colour, go to Settings | Personalization | Colors and turn off Automatically pick an accent color from my background. Just be aware that it will only change the colour of the title bar in the program that has the focus if you are using build 10525 (TH2) or later. Memory Management The other known change in TH2 deals with memory management. In all modern operating systems, if memory gets low, the OS can automatically page out to disk some least-recently used pages of memory. If those pages are needed again, the memory manager retrieves them from disk and (probably) sends some other pages from active memory to disk instead. This is a great feature as it allows you to work with more than will fit in memory at any point in time. But as you might imagine, disk operations are very slow, comparatively speaking. In TH2, Microsoft has implemented compression in memory. While paging to disk is still available, compressing pages in memory is much faster and should help performance. Windows Insider If you want access to early builds in Windows 10, first ask whether you really want that. Almost by definition, early builds are likely to be less stable than versions sent to the masses. I chose only my least important computer to receive Insider builds. Also important for some, if you use a local account to sign into Windows 10, you will need to switch to using a Microsoft account before you can get access to insider builds. To sign up for insider builds, select Settings | Update & security | Windows Update | Advanced options. Under Get Insider builds click Get started and you will be walked through the process, including switching to a Microsoft account if required. Once you opt for Insider builds, go back to Settings | Update & security | Windows Update | Advanced options and you can choose whether you want to be on the fast or slow ring. According to Microsoft, "If you choose to go to the Slow ring, you will still receive new builds, but they will arrive less frequently and will typically have fewer bugs, more workarounds, and will have spent some time being used by Insiders in the Fast ring to find issues." ____________________________ Windows Defender in Windows 10 by Chris Taylor After upgrading to Windows 10, I reviewed my scheduled tasks. Besides deleting a bunch of tasks related to Real Player that were left behind after un-installing Real Player a long time ago, I noticed a task I had created under Windows 7 that needed adjustments. If you followed my instructions in the May, 2000 issue of the newsletter (http://opcug.ca/public/articles/1005.pdf) to force signature updates for Microsoft Security Essentials (now called Windows Defender) and you have upgraded to Windows 10, you will need to make these adjustments. In the Windows 10 task bar section Search the web and Windows, type in task scheduler. At the top of the results pane it will show Task Scheduler - Desktop app. Select it. Find the task you created to update Microsoft Security Essentials. Right-click on it and choose Properties. On the Actions tab, select the action called Start a program and click the Edit… button. You need to modify the Program/script line. Click the Browse… button and navigate to C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe. After you select it, make sure the Add arguments (optional): box is set to -SignatureUpdate. OK your way out and you are done. If you never had Microsoft Security Essentials set to update more frequently than once a day and would like to have signature updates in Windows Defender in Windows 10 update more than once a day, take a look at my article in the May, 2000 newsletter for complete parameters for the task. Be sure to adjust the Program/script as detailed above. ____________________________ OPCUG Free Software Guide - Part 59 Compiled by Alan German, Jeff Dubois and Chris Taylor This guide features an annotated list of free computer programs. The software mentioned has not been reviewed (except where noted) nor have any tests necessarily been conducted. Consequently, no guarantees are provided that the individual programs will perform as described. Rather the list of available software is provided for the information of our members who may find one or more of the programs useful. Movie Maker Make your own movies using digital photographs, videos, and audio files. Trim your movie, split it, speed it up or slow it down. When your movie's done, publish it to the web so you can share it with family and friends. Current Release: Version 2012 Web Site: http://tinyurl.com/lmwwze5 HD Tune This hard disk/SSD utility has multiple functions including measuring your drive's performance, scanning for errors, and checking its health status (S.M.A.R.T.). Current Release: Version 2.55 Web Site: http://www.hdtune.com/ Google Goggles A virtual Jack-of-all-trades for Android devices. Point your camera at a landmark and get more information about it. Read text and translate multiple languages. Solve Sudoku puzzles in about 3 seconds flat! (Use it as a backup in case you screw up the puzzle and want to back up, or to give you a hint if you get stuck.) Web Site: http://preview.tinyurl.com/6orjcqw PhraseExpress Organize frequently-used text snippets into customizable categories for quick access. Automatically expand abbreviations as you type. Auto-complete entire sentences. Current Release: Version 10 Web Site: http://www.phraseexpress.com VeraCrypt VeraCrypt is free disk encryption software that is a fork of the no-longer supported TrueCrypt. Current Release: Version 1.0f-2 Web Site: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/ Heroes & Generals Two on-line games in one. A modern multi-player first-person shooter puts you in the thick of the action. Or, enjoy the strategic side of waging war by devising the grand plans for victory. As infantry, tank gunner, fighter pilot - or as the general - your actions can turn the tide! Web Site: http://www.heroesandgenerals.com The Outliner of Giants Use this feature-rich outline processor to organize the material for a document, or to manage a to-do list. Start with any one of a range of pre-built templates. Collaborate with others by sharing access to a template. The program runs on-line and so is available from any device with an Internet connection. Web Site: https://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/ Panda Free Antivirus 2015 Install it and forget it for real-time anti-virus and anti-spyware protection. Panda Free Antivirus works in the background while you browse, work, or play on-line. You won´t even notice it's there as all the work is done in the cloud. Web Site: http://tinyurl.com/pqz8jka ribbet Edit your digital photographs directly in your browser. Fix your image in a single click, then fine-tune the result with advanced controls. Crop, resize, rotate or apply a wide range of special effects. Add text using a selection of fonts. Web Site: http://www.ribbet.com/ ____________________________ OTTAWA PC NEWS Ottawa PC News is the newsletter of the Ottawa PC Users' Group (OPCUG), and is published monthly except in July and August. The opinions expressed in this newsletter may not necessarily represent the views of the club or its members. Member participation is encouraged! If you would like to contribute an article to Ottawa PC News, please submit it to the newsletter editor (contact info below). Deadline for submissions is three Saturdays before the General Meeting. Group meetings OPCUG normally meets on the second Wednesday in the month, except in July and August, at the Bush Theatre of Canada Aviation and Space Museum, 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa. Meetings are 7:30-9:00 p.m. and Special Interest Groups go until 10 p.m. Fees: OPCUG annual membership: $25 per year. Mailing address: 3 Thatcher St., Nepean, Ontario, K2G 1S6 Web address: http://opcug.ca/ Bulletin Board - PUB II (BBS): http://opcug.ca/default.htm Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/opcug President and System Administrator: Chris Taylor, chris.taylor@@opcug.ca, 613 727-5453 Meeting Coordinator: Jeff Dubois, PR@@opcug.ca, 613-366-7936 Mike Pereira, Mike.Pereira@@opcug.ca (co-chair) Treasurer: Alan German, alan.german@@opcug.ca Secretary: Gail Eagen, gail.Eagen@@opcug.ca Membership Chairman: Mark Cayer, Mark.Cayer@@opcug.ca, 613 823-0354 Newsletter: Brigitte Lord, Brigittelord@@opcug.ca Email: (Mr.) Jocelyn Doire, Jocelyn.Doire@@opcug.ca Public Relations: Jeff Dubois, PR@@opcug.ca, 613-366-7936 Facilities: Bob Walker, 613 489-2084 Webmaster: Brigitte Lord, opcug-webmaster2@@opcug.ca Privacy Director: Wayne Houston, privacy2@@opcug.ca Special Events Coordinator: (Mr.) Jocelyn Doire, Jocelyn.Doire@@opcug.ca Beginners' SIG Coordinator: Chris Taylor, chris.taylor@@opcug.ca, 613 727-5453 Linux / Open-Source software SIG: (vacant) Note: We added an extra "@@" to the emails to reduce spam. Parking: Ample parking is available for a flat fee of 3$ after 5pm, paid in advance. Payment methods includes coins, VISA, and MasterCard, and the proof of payment must be left in the car and be visible in the front windshield. We will refund the parking fee for our speakers. (c) OPCUG 2015. Reprints permission is granted* to non-profit organizations, provided credits is given to the author and The Ottawa PC News. OPCUG request a copy of the newsletter in which reprints appear. *Permission is granted only for articles written by OPCUG members, and not copyrighted by the author. ____________________________ Newsletter by email: To receive the newsletter by e-mail, send a message to listserve@@opcug.ca with the plain text "subscribe NewsletterTXT" or "subscribe NewsletterPDF" (without quotes) in the body of the message. No subject line is required. To cancel e-mailing, send a message to listserve@@opcug.ca with the plain text "unsubscribe NewsletterTXT" or "unsubscribe NewsletterPDF" (without quotes). To change your e-mail address, cancel using the old e-mail address and re-subscribe using your new e-mail address. Cancelling the Paper Newsletter: You can help the environment and save us some costs by sending an email to Mark.Cayer@@opcug.ca asking to cancel the delivery of the paper version of the newsletter (or ask him in person - Mark is usually at the back of the auditorium at General Meetings). Announcements Mailing List: To subscribe to the Announcements List send an email to listserve@@opcug.ca, leave the subject blank and in the body of the message put "subscribe announcements" (without the quotes). Within a couple of minutes you will receive a confirmation message from the list server. OPCUG clock/calendar/calculator and mug: Check out the clock/calendar/calculator and thermal coffee mug sporting our club logo at the back of the auditorium at General Meetings! OPCUG insulated mugs are $15 and OPCUG clocks are $20. Reuse, recycle: Bring your old computer books, software, hardware, and paraphernalia you want to GIVE AWAY to the general meetings, and leave them at the table near the auditorium's entrance. Please limit your magazines to publication dates of less than two years old. If you don't bring something, you may want to TAKE AWAY something of interest, so look in on this area. Please note: If you bring anything for the recycle table, you are responsible to check on your way out and if the items you brought are still there, you must take them home with you.