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Dave "Bytes"



 

 Dave "Bytes"

Please remember to use your thinker, before you tinker! 

October 1, 2005

 A Periodic Newsletter for the Members of the Sarasota PC User Group and the World!!   

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Here's A Windows XP Tip

Windows XP and speech recognition


Strictly speaking, speech recognition isn’t part of Windows XP. However, some computer manufacturers install Microsoft’s speech recognition
software with XP. This software will turn spoken words into text. You can also execute commands by voice.

To find out if the speech software is on your computer, click Start + Control Panel. Then double-click the Speech icon. If there’s a Speech Recognition
tab, it’s already installed. You can “train” the software from this dialog box. For more on “training,” keep reading.

If it isn’t on your computer, you have two options. First, you can buy Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP. You’ll find this at your local computer store
for about $30.

Your other choice is to purchase Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word. The version you need is XP (2002) or 2003. Of course, Word and Office are both
pricey. A full version of Word is about $200. Full versions of Office start around $400. If you’re a student or teacher, look for the Academic
version of Office. It’s about $150. Learn more from Microsoft.

To make matters more confusing, Office and Word don’t always install speech recognition. You must opt to install it.

To install the speech recognition component in Word, click Tools +Speech. Click Yes when asked if you want to install the speech software. Have your
Office/Word disk handy. You’ll probably be prompted to insert it.

If Speech isn’t on the Tools menu, you must use your Office/Word disk. Select Add or Remove Features and click Next. Then click “Choose advanced
customization of applications” and click Next. Click Office Shared Features Alternative User Input. Click the arrow beside Speech and select “Run
from My Computer.” Click Update.

After the installation is complete, click Tools +Speech to “train” the software. You will be given a passage to read. This will help it learn your
particular speech patterns and pronunciation. A profile must be created for each user on the computer.

When you train the software, speak as you normally would. Over or under enunciation will cause problems. I know someone who read the passage as if he
were reading to a child. It was not successful.

Keep in mind that speech recognition is far from perfect. You’ll have to make lots of corrections at first. But you can do more training with the
software to increase accuracy.

Also, you need a good microphone. Get the noise-canceling headset type. Expect to pay about $30. And read the packaging. It will say if it’s suitable
for speech recognition.

Microsoft recommends at least 128MB of RAM and a 400MHz computer. This is the bare minimum. Speech recognition uses a lot of computing power. Make
sure your computer can handle it. I recommend a minimum 512MB of RAM and 1.5MHz processor.

 


 

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BYTES

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Who Says "There's No Humor In Computing?
 

 

Four fonts walk into a bar. The bartender says "Hey, get out! We don't serve your type in here."

 

 


The "Bytes" Beg, Bargain & Barter Basement

Got something "computer related" to sell? Looking for that rare peripheral? If it's computer related you can submit a short classified ad for exposure in Dave "Bytes". Be sure to include your name and e-mail address in the ad. You can also include a picture of the item. Now some would suggest that there be a charge for this feature but alas, since my bookkeeping skills leave much to be desired I've determined that this will be a free service to all SPCUG members in good standing.  "Bytes" is currently sent to almost 1500 homes in the area. Ad requests will be included as soon as possible. I assume absolutely no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of supplied info. All transactions are between consulting adults which leaves me entirely off the hook. Please let me know by clicking HERE when your merchandise is sold so that I can remove it from the listing. I will try to run each ad for a month.

Click Here To Submit Your Ad


Help Dave Choose # 100

To all my readers ...

The "Gallery of Free Programs" is getting close to the 100 mark.

I would like you to suggest your favorite program to be #100 on the list.

Here are the guidelines ....

Software must not include any Spyware or Adware

Must be FREE ... No Trials, No "Try Before You Buy"


Click Me To Send


 

While Wandering The Web

Crazy Fads

Here you can view and read about crazy fads from the 1920's to the 1990's. Can you imagine flagpole sitting being interesting?
Well in the 20's it was quite the fad. Travel through the different fads of different decades that helped to define pop culture. Find out what was cool when your parents were young, or your grandparents, or reminisce about your own youth. I can't imagine my grandfather sitting on a flag pole because it was cool.
I enjoyed browsing the fads of my generation as well as those that came before me. It was interesting what they considered to be fad materials, and what's even more fun is that a lot of them have links to other sites where you can read in depth about the particular fad or see photos of it.


 


Trojan Rides In On Unpatched Office Flaw


A new Trojan horse exploits an unpatched flaw in Microsoft Office and could let an attacker commandeer vulnerable computers, security experts have
warned.
The malicious code takes advantage of a flaw in Microsoft's Jet Database Engine, a lightweight database used in the company's Office productivity
software. The security hole was reported to Microsoft in April, but the company has yet to provide a fix for the problem.

"Microsoft is aware that a Trojan recently released into the wild may be exploiting a publicly reported vulnerability in Microsoft Office," a company
representative said in a statement sent via e-mail on Friday. The software maker is investigating the issue and will take "appropriate action," the
representative said.

The Trojan horse arrives in the guise of a Microsoft Access file, security software maker Symantec said in an advisory. When run on a vulnerable system, it would give a remote attacker full access to a compromised computer, Symantec said. The company calls the pest "Backdoor.Hesive" and notes that it is not widespread.

Although exploits had already been released in April when HexView publicly reported the flaw, the Trojan is believed to be the first actual threat to
take advantage of the security hole. Security monitoring firm Secunia rates the issue "highly critical," one notch below its most serious rating.

"The vulnerability is caused due to a memory handling error when...parsing database files," Secunia said in its April advisory. "This can be exploited to execute arbitrary code by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted '.mdb' file in Microsoft Access."

Symantec advises users to be cautious when opening unknown files. The security software maker lists all recent Windows releases as vulnerable to the
Trojan attack.


 

 

And Now Here's

Dave's Cool Downloads


 

Opera 8
 

Surf the Internet in a safer, faster, and easier way .... Now Free with No Ads !!

The most full-featured Internet power tool on the market, Opera includes pop-up blocking, tabbed browsing, integrated searches, and advanced functions like Opera's groundbreaking E-mail program, RSS Newsfeeds and IRC chat. And because we know that our users have different needs, you can customize the look and content of your Opera browser with a few clicks of the mouse.

 


3.6 mb


Microsoft Time Zone

Do you have relatives that live far away? Do you work with people from other countries? Use this simple utility to keep track of the time in other part of the world. Share your ideas without waking up your buddies. Microsoft Time Zone installs as a small tray icon that allows you to specify as many as five cities to watch the time on while you are working on your computer. In order to schedule meetings and trip the Microsoft Time Zone application also lets you compare times at different places in the world without changing your system time. With Microsoft Time Zone you will always know the time.


740kb


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Here's A Neat Net Trick

 

Pause For Thought

My favorite thing about the Internet is that you get to go into the private world of real creeps  without having to smell them
 

 


 

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Kim Komando, America's Digital Goddess

Mentioned In The LangaList Newsletter

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Website: http://www.spcug.org
© 2005. All Rights Reserved

Last Updated
10/01/2005 12:50 PM

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 Dave "Bytes"