Acronym Online Update (03/08/07)

CODE YELLOW: ELEVATED RISK!! Daylight Savings Time Change.

To U.S. based computer users: This year we will push our clocks forward one hour early on Sunday, March 11th. Typically this shift happens sometime in April and your operating system’s clock and calendar (in Control Panel for Windows or System Preferences for Mac) have always been equipped to deal with this change. In the past, operating systems made allowances for when the changes in time occurred because they they happened at predictable intervals. Fast forward to 2005 and a law was passed by the US Congress to help us “save on energy costs.” One of the solutions that the “do-nothing Congress” implemented was to extend daylight savings time for approximately 4 weeks. (No disrespect is meant to the institution of Congress, rather I am referring to the 2005 – 2007 session of Congress.) What’s done is done folks. I don’t know if it will put even a roll of dimes in your pocket, but it’s my job to make sure your computers are prepared for the unexpected.

I would not classify this situation as an emergency. Even if you are a couple days late at downloading and installing these updates, your computer won’t melt down. However, I would recommend you download them as soon as possible. Take a few minutes and do it now so that your scheduling program, or e-mail program that downloads messages locally to your computer, or any other software that has a use for time and date is in perfect sync with real time.

Please click on the link(s) that apply to you. Note: you should download the fix for your operating system and the JAVA update. Java is a small, but critical program you already use on your computer that powers a large number of the programs and websites you use on a regular basis. Note: some of the links have been truncated using a website called tinyurl.com. TinyUrl is a great and free resource for taking long web addresses and making them shorter for purposes of sharing.

Mac OS X 10.3.9 (Last and final version of Panther. If you have another version of 10.3.x, do a software update first and then download this patch.) Note: there is no new Java update for 10.3.9 users, so I’d assume your Java applications will be ok. I’ll keep you posted. http://tinyurl.com/3xao2h

Mac OS X 10.4.8 (latest version, Intel or PowerPC processor) http://tinyurl.com/25u55p

JAVA for Mac OSX 10.4.8 Release 5. http://tinyurl.com/2hzmm7

Windows XP users. Click the link below and scroll down the page until you see “Download the Update for Windows XP package now.” Click on that link and it will prompt you to save the file.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931836

Java. Click on the link below and choose the Download button next to “Windows off line installation.” http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Final note: I will paraphrase the words of the President of my Macintosh User Group (http://www.ctmac.org) by say that if you are using an operating system prior to Windows XP (for Windows users) or Mac OS X 10.3.9 (for Mac users), “that is pretty lame.” In either situation, you have an operating system that is obsolete and cases where the hardware is more than 5 years old — your computer needs replacing too. Contact me and we will seriously contemplate an upgrade! Also, please contact me if you are using an obsolete century operating system (Win 98, Win 2000, Win ME) and want to know if there are DST patches available for download. I didn’t have time to research those issues before I wrote this post.

As always, I appreciate your e-mails, calls, and of course – your business.

Ready for 03/11/07, (are you?)

Kevin

Acronym Online Update (03/05/07)

AT&T DSL E-mail Server Change

AT&T DSL, a.k.a. AT&T Yahoo DSL, is one of the most popular broadband internet service providers in Connecticut and the entire USA. I won’t make any critical comments about this ISP today, but will actually praise them for taking steps to prevent SPAM and improve your e-mail experience. They have changed the names of the servers their customers should to retrieve their messages. FYI: YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IS NOT CHANGING. If it was @sbcglobal.net or @snet.net before, your “legacy” address is still in effect. Do not panic!

However if you use a local e-mail client, such as Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Outlook, or Apple Mail (those are the major ones) to download your mail on your computer, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE THESE SMALL CHANGES TO CONTINUE RECEIVING YOUR MESSAGES. I am going to provide basic instructions here for Outlook Express, because that is the client most widely used by my customers. (I am not saying it is the best client by any means.) FYI, if you only check your AT&T DSL account via the web by logging into Yahoo mail: this server change does not apply to you.

1. Click on the Tools menu in Outlook Express.
2. Click on Accounts.
3. Click on the Mail tab.
4. Select your AT&T Yahoo DSL email account and click on the Properties button.
5. Click on the Servers tab.
6. Verify these settings:
For “My incoming mail server is a ____ server,” the field contains POP3.
The Incoming mail (POP3) and Outgoing mail (SMTP) fields contain the correct mail server settings. THIS IS WHERE YOU MAKE CHANGES!
Incoming server: pop.att.yahoo.com
Outgoing server: smtp.att.yahoo.com
The Account name field contains your full AT&T Yahoo! email address (e.g., YourName@att.net, @sbcglobal.net, @snet.net, etc, etc.)
The box next to Log on using Secure Password Authentication is NOT checked.
* The My server requires authentication box is checked.
7. Click on the Advanced tab.
8. Verify these settings (YOU WILL MAKE CHANGES HERE TOO!)
* Under Outgoing mail (SMTP) should be port 465 and the box next to This server requires a secure connection (SSL) is checked.
* Under Incoming mail (POP3) should be port 995 and the box next to This server requires a secure connection (SSL) is checked
9. Click OK.
10. Click Close.

If you are using an alternate software program to retrieve your messages, please e-mail me and I will send you the instructions. For your reference, these new settings can be verified on the AT&T DSL help page. NEW AT&T Servers

Thats all for now. Stay tuned for another Update later this week with a link to a free download from Microsoft to prepare your computer for the Daylight Savings Time change that takes place on Sunday, March 11. Most of your computers are not equipped to deal with DST this year because the US Goverment is forcing a change of the clocks earlier this year to “save energy.” Trust me, next year I’ll still be paying close to $300 per month for natural gas…. but that’s another discussion. Regardless, you will need to download the DST fix so your PC will render the date and time properly after 03/11/07. Windows and Mac instructions will be provided. If you have not done so already, please add my business e-mail address to your address book, kevin@whconsult.biz, so these updates don’t get blocked as SPAM.

Your Consultant – In – Chief,

Kevin

Acronym Online Update (03/01/07)

Correction from Acronym Online Update (01/05/07):

After reviewing updated information on the DTV (digital television) transition, I want to make the following clarification. If you have an analog TV (not SDTV or HDTV) and only subscribe to an analog cable package (meaning you don’t have a digital cable box attached) there is nothing in the DTV law preventing you from continuing on like this after February 17, 2009. The only situation that could affect cable customers is if your provider alters its menu of packages in such a way that the very popular “Expanded Basic” analog package is no longer available and you are forced to choose from basic service (approx. 20 channels) for $10 to $15 a month or various levels of digital service starting at about $60 per month with a digital cable box included. Cable providers have not forced their hand in doing this yet, but some Wall Street analysts have recommended this change to increase profitability and adaption of digital offerings.

In the 01/05/07 post, I emphasized that customers who subscribe to direct-to-home satellite, such as DirecTV or DISH, would not feel much affect from this. This is still the case. The only ones that will be impacted dramatically are those who do not subscribe to any paid TV at all and watch via over the air broadcasts with an internal or external antenna. The US government will provide you with up to two $40 vouchers for digital to analog converters, if you do not plan on buying a digital television before the shut off date. The expected street price of these converters is $50 to $75 each.

Yours truly,

Kevin