Keeping You Connected
	Welcome to the AS CONSULTING email newsletter for June 2005

(please let me know if you cannot read this document which is in HTML format)

As I stated in a previous email (don't worry if you did not get that one), I am going to try and send out a newsletter to my clients on a mostly monthly basis. In the newsletter, I will try to address the specific needs of my clients. I have also been in communication with several of the better newsletter authors out there and they have been very kind in allowing me to reproduce some of there content (again, if I think it helps my clients.) If you see a tip from one of these authors, by all means, click the provided link and subscribe to their newsletter directly.

In this issue:
-Backup software woes for my favorite backup program
-Spyware is getting worse, not better
-Is Big Brother watching you from outer space?
-How can I print the contents of a folder in XP?

Backup software woes for my favorite backup program
Many of my clients are using Stomp's Backup MyPC to do their backups (you ARE backing up aren't you??). While version 4.85 was flawless, clients with versions 5.0 & 6.0 have been having issues where the verification process would stop and complain that there was a "compression mismatch" on the media. You should know that I have finally cornered Stomp into admitting that there is a problems with their software. They state that they are in the process of fixing this issue. For now you have two fixes: 1) turn off compression, things should work properly (if you can fit the backup onto one disc). 2) If you cannot wait for them to fix this issue, I have found another software manufacturer who has a great product. Personally, I really love BUMPC, and am patiently waiting for the fix.

Spyware is getting worse, not better
Spyware is getting nastier and harder to detect. I provide many of the tools I use to fight spyware right on my website! Please make sure you go to www.asconsulting.com and click on the downloads link. I urge you to run Ad-Aware at least once a month

Is Big Brother watching you from outer space?
Google now has a page that lets you see most any location in the U.S. from a satellite. One of the most asked questions is, "Can they see me from space?" Although I am positive that the technology would allow the government to read the message on the back of your morning cereal box while you breakfast on your patio, that's not what Google offers. They offer a view of about street level, and that view is usually about 6 months old.

Here's the scoop from the LangaList:

 Your Home, From Space

     Google just released a new feature to Google Maps at
     http://maps.google.com that lets you view satellite imagery of
     sites you search out on the site.  It is a very neat feature.
    
     Here's how I described it on my weblog:
    
     Google rolled out a new maps feature last night that lets you view
     satellite imagery for a location. The interface is very slick, you can
     zoom in and click and drag to move seamlessly around.
    
     The resolution they have varies by location, but you can get down in
     some places to where you can clearly make out individual houses
     and roads. ---Gary Petersen

Thanks, Gary.

It's kind of neat to see the alternate views; the software does a pretty good job of matching the roadmap view to the satellite image, and vice versa, so you can flip back and forth between them. But as you zoom in, the satellite images can suffer from excessive magnification.

Want higher resolution? "TerraServer" http://www.terraserver.com/ offers a free limited "view from above" service for many places; a lot f those photos are shot from planes, rather than from satellite, and so show more detail; often down to
1 meter resolution. But, Terraserver doesn't offer roadmap integration; and it's mainly geared towards selling you hardcopy printouts of the images.

But both sites are fun to play with, er, I mean *research,* yes, that's
it: research. <g>


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This item reprinted with permission from The LangaList (a free email newsletter available at http://www.langa.com/newsletter.htm), Copyright © 2005 Langa Consulting LLC."
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How can I print the contents of a folder in XP?
Many clients have asked how they can print the contents of their folders in Windows XP. This tip comes from Worldstarts "Computer Tips & Techniques, Weekly Edition".

Print Your Folder Contents

This is one we get asked about all the time. There are programs out there that you can get, in fact we reviewed one called PrintFolders last year...
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/319

But you can also make a printable list of a folder's contents without needing third-party software. Here's how:

First you need to open the folder, right-click a blank area in it and select "Properties". Next to where it says "Location" you'll find the path of the file. You could write this down or move the window to the bottom of your screen.

Next you need to get a command prompt. Go to Start/Run and type in "cmd" (without the quotes).

The prompt will most likely be the same as the beginning of your folder path. Move the command window up to the top of your screen so you can see both the command window and the properties window for your folder.

Next to the C prompt type in "cd" (space) followed by the location. For example...

C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner>cd Desktop\WORK\Cartoons

Enter

At the next prompt type in "dir" (space) > (space) list.txt. For example...

C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Owner\Desktop\WORK\Cartoons>dir > list.txt

Enter

Type "Exit" to close out the command window.

Now, look in the folder and you'll see a file called list.txt—this is your list of folder contents. Open it up and print it out.

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This item reprinted with permission from Computer Tips & Techniques, Weekly Edition (a free email newsletter available at www.worldstart.com), Copyright © 2005 WorldStart, Inc."
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Well, that's it for my first newsletter. Please let me know what you think!
If you would rather not be on my newsletter list- no problem! Send me a quick email and I'll forever take you off.
If you know someone who would like to be placed on my mailing list, have them drop me a line as well.

See you next month!
_______________________________________________________________

Andy Shapiro, Owner
AS Consulting  (Networking, Hardware, Software & Training)
P.O. Box 1728, Goleta, CA. 93116-1728
Voice: (805) 968-6366
email: asc2@asconsulting.com 
Web: www.asconsulting.com