Marvels Of Technology

By Jerry Wonderly, regular contributor to The DataBus.

There's an oft-used cliché that technology is changing our lives. We've all heard it; we all sigh and nod in passive agreement. Yet in the past month, on a very real personal level, it has really hit me and has caused me to blink in near disbelief at the subsequent changes. Oh, how I wish my parents were still alive to experience some of this. They would be astounded. For example, in the last 30 days I've been unlucky enough to have been attacked many, many times on my PC, lucky enough to save $130 of $150 on doorbell installation, retired my wristwatch, contracted for central air conditioning, professionally completed forms, taken my first digital photographs, and most impressively, just watched - live - an actual battle in Iraq's Umm Qasr in the wee hours of March 23 (EST). That was truly an historic moment. Why do I mention all of this? Because I plan to cover most of these topics in this article and hope that some of it may be useful to you too.

First, we'll look at Internet attacks. We all know to use anti-virus software by now. And many of us also wisely use firewall software while we're on the Web to protect us from attacks. But did you know that good firewall software, if set-up properly, will also keep confidential information from leaving your computer? Get this: someone out there has been trying to get my social security number! About once a week, I get hit when my browser gets redirected from a perfectly innocent web page and the attempted theft occurs. It may be happening to you without you knowing it. Friends, use a good firewall and set it up right. I use Norton Internet Security 2002. On its Privacy Tab, there is a button called Confidential Info. I've entered all sorts of stuff I don't want to leave my PC without my consent: Social Security Number, phone number, home address, name, etc. Other good firewalls probably have a similar privacy option. If yours doesn't, consider Norton IS 2002 a good bet. Use a comparison-shopping site like My Simon, www.mysimon.com, to get it at a great price. There may be a 2003 version available too. NIS is also available within a suite of Norton software called Systemworks, which also contains Norton Anti-Virus and an assortment of diagnostic utilities.

Next, if you've been living in the Stone Age without a doorbell like me, save yourself $130 on a hard-wired installation by getting a wireless one. I got a GE Wireless Chime unit and door button for only $10 at Wal-Mart. The batteries were extra. It went up so fast and so easily that I could have kicked myself for not doing it years earlier. Next, I plan to tackle an exterior, solar-powered yard light with a motion detector. Ain't technology great?

Why did I retire my watch? Because I have finally joined the cell phone crowd and it tells time. Already, it has really come in handy. On an icy night out in the boondocks, I put my truck in a ditch (my first time ever) and had to call for help. Incidentally, according to Consumer Reports, Verizon Wireless has the best reliability and the best plans if you're considering the cell phone plunge. Shortly, I plan to call Ma Bell and disconnect my landline phone number. Then I'll retire all of those phones. I never thought I'd see the day….

As far as completing forms professionally, I have been testing Abbyy Fine Reader 6.0 Corporate Edition. It is, in my opinion, the finest Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software available. With OCR software, you can scan documents into your PC and edit them. Fine Reader Corporate also comes with a really cool add-on called Form Filler. It is utterly fantastic. Form Filler is small and simple but has dynamite results. It's a shame it is not available by itself on the retail market. Here's how it works: You scan in the form you want to complete, designate the areas to complete (called "fields), set your font, size, etc. and presto, your form will print out beautifully. And, the software keeps the blank form as a template for future use. The only drawback that I've seen so far is that you can't clean up the scanned form within Form Filler (staple holes, etc.) There is a work around though by using Abbyy Fine Reader to clean it up first. In a business environment, Abbyy Fine Reader 6.0 Corporate would be a wonderful time-saver. To read more about Abbyy Fine Reader go to their website at: http://www.abbyy.com/ocr_products.asp?param=1614. It retails for a hefty $500.

Now let's take a look at how digital cameras have changed our lives. Recently, I was fortunate enough to get one free through my employer's safety rewards program. Not being an avid photographer, I chose an entry-level digital camera called the Olympus Camedia D-380. It is a two-megapixel camera that retails for as low as $155.00. So what's so cool about digital cameras that you haven't heard before? No, I'm not mentioning the photo-processing savings, the ability to easily import the pics into your PC, or the ability to quickly view your shots. What's really innovative is that you can take snapshots of your woodwork, cabinets, flooring, etc. and then go shopping for accessories or whatever and use the camera's photos as reference materials. For example, I recently took a quick shot of my kitchen, went straight to Lowe's and showed the cabinet folks what I had to work with. They quickly saw the problem and I didn't have to spend an hour trying to describe it.

Last but not least, let's look briefly at the historic coverage of the war with Iraq. Due to the presence of "embedded" media among the coalition forces, we are witnessing real-time battles right on our TV sets and computer monitors. Do you find it both as captivating and surreal as I do? This morning, our forces were attacked by Iraqis driving a pink Japanese pick-up truck with a machine gun mounted on top of it. The truck sported a bumper sticker on its windshield saying "NYPD." Is that strange or what? As regrettable as war is, for me at least, I have to commend the coalition forces for allowing the broadcasts. They show the world that we are really trying to conduct this war humanely and avoid civilian casualties.

This is truly an unprecedented time in world history, thanks to the marvels of technology. While giving us "bunkerbusters", it also gives us media coverage to document their use. While making our lives faster paced and potentially hectic, it also gives us the creature comforts of cell phones, digital cameras, central air, wireless devices, and impressive software to make our lives easier. It is up to all of us to prudently and wisely use technology for the betterment of our families, community and mankind in general. [Sigh.] [Nod.] I guess we've all heard that cliché too many times. Sorry.

Now, where's my copy of The DataBus? Let's see… when does the Digital Photography SIG next meet?

Jerry Wonderly
A native Daytonian, Jerry has been involved with computers since the mid-80's. "I cut my teeth on CP/M Plus." He says that ‘computering’ can be very expensive but doesn't have to be. "Ask questions. Think cheap. Shop around. And don't assume your computer needs to be traded in. I'd rather put my money in my 401(k) than spend it on a complete new system and software."

This site made possible by

GEMAIR, INC.

DMA®'s wholly owned ISP.

Volunteer Today!

Join DMA® now!

DMA® Info Menu

DMA® Officers | Map to Meetings at UD | Club Purpose | Meeting Minutes
Calendar | DMA® SIG List | DMA® Member Benefits

Features Menu

Microsoft Mobility in Action | Marvels Of Technology | Regional Science Fair
Avernum 3 | Technology.talk: WAR | From the Chair
Shirts Seen Around The World! | Photos from Computerfest®
Heartland Regional User Group | Amateur Radio Goes High Tech?
The Deals Guy | NASA Speaker Addresses Schools