Issue 68

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Flight Lines: Rest is crucial to success
2. Wing Tips: Windows XP Security Updates
3. Feature Article: "Web Beaconing - What It Is and What It Does"
4. Alter Eagle: "Tale Wins" Writer's Resource Web Site
5. Light Flight: A Bridge to Understanding
6. Eagle's Talon: Convert Documents to PDF Format at No Cost
7. From The Bench: "Browser Kickstart" - Powerful New Tool!
8. Eye Of The Eagle: What's the next number please?
9. Contact The Flyer: Send questions, comments and articles

1) ======= Flight Lines =======
[Observations on business and life]

Rest: the sweet sauce of labor.
--Plutarch

He that can take rest is greater than he that can take
cities. --Benjamin Franklin

Sometimes a bit of rest is just what we need to restoke the
fires of ambition and success. What better time than the
winter holiday season for a much needed rest.

2) ======= Wing Tips =======
[A variety of business helps and tips]

Windows XP Security Updates

Use "Auto Update" to automatically detect and download the
latest security patches from Microsoft. Auto Update can be
configured to automatically download files in the background
and prompt you to install them when download is complete.

To configure Auto Update, go to Start / Control Panel /
System and click the Automatic Updates tab. Select the first
notification setting to download the updates automatically
and receive notification when they need to be installed.

This applies to both Home and Professional versions.

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http://www.eagleflyer.com/a/csoft.html

3) ======= Feature Article =======

"Web Beaconing - What It Is and What It Does"
By Ralph Moore (c)2004

In this ninth article in the "Practical Security for Small
Business" series, I will discuss a common practice known as
"web beaconing".

"Web Beaconing" refers to a tracking method, similar to
using "cookies" to track the activities of "web surfers",
often without their knowledge.

Also called a "pixel tag", "web bug" or "clear gif", a "web
beacon" is often simply a 1 pixel x 1 pixel transparent
graphic image that is embedded in a web page or in an email
message.

When a person visits the web page or views the email which
includes the beacon, information such as the IP address of
the user's computer, the type of web browser used, and the
amount of time between viewing similar web pages on the
site, can be stored on the company server and accessed at
a later time.

Yahoo! and Napster are two popular sites that use beaconing
to track user information. You can read about it in their
privacy pages here http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us/ and
here http://www.napster.de/privacy_policy.html - At least
they let you know when you read their privacy pages.

While web beaconing is used by large Internet web sites to
gather "aggregate" data about the habits of web surfers in
general (for marketing purposes) there is a security aspect
to web beaconing that has to do with unsolicited email,
otherwise known as "spam".

Whenever you open an email that has a beacon buried in the
source code, a message is sent back to the server alerting
the spammer that you have viewed (or at least received) the
email.

Assuming that you must be interested in their offerings,
the spammers' servers begin sending you an ever-increasing
flow of their junk, targeted around the email that you have
already opened or received.

This explains why after clicking an email link to a web page
advertising low-fat recipes for example, you start receiving
a never-ending flow of ads for kitchen appliances, cookware,
recipe books and more.

So how do you "stem the tide" and regain some semblance of
control over your email and web surfing habits?

Most web browsers, like Internet Explorer, allow you to set
the security options to disable the displaying of images
by default.

In Internet Explorer 6, for example, go to Tools, Internet
Options, Advanced and scroll down to the "Multimedia"
section and uncheck the "Show pictures" box.

If you would like to see where the pictures should go, be
sure to check the "Show image download placeholders" box.
Try visiting a site like http://www.yahoo.com/ before and
after making the changes to see the difference.

You can also revise the settings in your email program to
display text only. In Outlook 2003, for example, images
are not displayed by default. To change this, you would
go to Tools, Options, Security and click Automatic Download
to change your settings.

In addition to increasing your security online, you may
notice a dramatic reduction in the loading time of many
web pages, especially if you are still using a dial-up
Internet account.

By having the correct information, and by making a few small
changes to the way you use your Internet programs, you can
increase your security and regain some control over your
private Internet activities.

Ralph Moore, Editor - Eagle Flyer Newsletter - Get No-Cost
Software, Reports, Bonuses! mailto:subscribe@eagleflyer.com
or visit the Eagle Flyer site at: http://www.eagleflyer.com/
~~~~~~~ Get The No-Cost Email Training Series Below ~~~~~~~
"How, When & Where To Post Your Articles" - "Write Here"(TM)
Training Series - Email: mailto:writehere@eagleflyer.com

4) ======= Alter Eagle =======
[Sites and services that we recommend]

"Tale Wins" Writer's Resource Web Site

Writers need resources. And that's what you will find on
this web site. Links to a multitude of writing related
sources and sites to help you get started or keep you
moving in the "write" direction!

Check it out here: http://www.talewins.com/

5) ======= Light Flight =======
[The Lighter Side Of Life - Jokes & Humor]

Once upon a time, a genie appeared to a man and offered to
grant him one wish.

The man thought for a minute and said... "Build me a bridge
from here to Hawaii so I can drive there anytime I want."

Frowning, the genie replied... "Gee, that's a tough one.
Just think of the logistics. The supports required to reach
the ocean bottom, the concrete and the steel! Why don't you
pick something else?"

"O.K." the man said. "I wish for a complete understanding of
women... what they're thinking, why they cry, everything.
I want to know how to make a woman truly happy!"

The genie was silent for a minute, then replied...

"So how many lanes did you want on that bridge?"

6) ======= Eagle's Talon =======
[Tools to help you "get a grip" on things]

Convert Documents to PDF Format at No Cost

Pdf995 makes it easy and affordable to create professional
quality documents in the popular PDF file format. A simple
interface helps you to create PDF files by simply selecting
the "print" command from any application.

Create documents which can be viewed on any computer with
an installed PDF file viewer, such as the Adobe Acrobat
Reader.

The "courtesy" version of Pdf995 displays a sponsor page.
Registration for a nominal fee of $9.95 removes the page.

Visit: http://www.pdf995.com/

For Adobe Acrobat Reader:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

7) ======= From the Bench =======
[Real-life accounts of hardware, software and more]

"Browser Kickstart" - Powerful New Tool!
By Ralph Moore (c)2004

Since I spend a lot of time working at my desk in my home
office, I am always on the lookout for utilities that will
help me to automate my work and make my life a little bit
easier. (I'm sure you can relate to that.)

Well, I just found another one! Sam Stephens, Director and
CEO of "TacticalSuccess Enterprises" has created something
he calls "Browser Kickstart".

The lines between workstations, servers and the Internet is
long gone for most people. We all spend countless hours each
week opening programs, clicking links to often visited web
sites and doing the same mundane things over and over again.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could click ONE link, and have
it open all of your web sites and programs that you need to
use for that particular session?

That's where Browser Kickstart comes in.

In the process of writing this newsletter, I need to go to
the Eagle Flyer web site and use a variety of programs, i.e.
Notetab Pro, WS_FTP, Ziney Pro, etc. and I will often work
on this on a daily basis.

Browser Kickstart is a small utility that runs from within
my Internet Explorer web browser and lets me open the web
sites and even launch the programs that I need with a lot
less effort than before.

By the way, the current version also works with FireFox and
Netscape browsers.

The program is very easy to use. You start by running the
installation program. You can either choose to set your
home page to open the program each time you launch it or
create a shortcut on your desktop or in one of your program
groups, or you can do like I did and add it to my Internet
Explorer links tab.

After you open the program, you can create a new "Master
Link" and then begin adding the web sites or programs that
you want to open for that session.

For example, I have one link titled "Expert Sites" that
opens the professional troubleshooting sites that I visit
when I need to garner additional information about a
particular hardware or software problem.

Another link called "Articles" opens the Eagle Flyer web
site and the programs that I use to write my articles.

I am still exploring the power of this handy little program
but I'm already starting to use it in addition to my web
browser to give me more speed and control over my desktop.

Do you have a bunch of online auction sites that you like
to visit in one sitting? Click one link and open them all.

Do you "surf" the same recipe web sites looking for the
latest thing to add to your kitchen's recipe box? Why not
do it with one click instead of five or ten?

By making use of powerful utilities like Browser Kickstart,
you can "ease the pain" of everyday tasks and enjoy the
speed and control of the best in desktop computing.

Browser Kickstart: http://www.eagleflyer.com/a/bkstart.html

Ralph Moore, Editor - Eagle Flyer Newsletter - Get No-Cost
Software, Reports, Bonuses! mailto:subscribe@eagleflyer.com
or visit the Eagle Flyer site at: http://www.eagleflyer.com/
~~~~~~~ Get The No-Cost Email Training Series Below ~~~~~~~
"How, When & Where To Post Your Articles" - "Write Here"(TM)
Training Series - Email: mailto:writehere@eagleflyer.com

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8) ======= Eye of the Eagle =======
[Ideas to inspire better communication]

What is the next number in this series?
17 23 4 36 26 14 11 29 16 24 8?

(Answer(s) in the next issue of the Flyer)

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Answer to Last Issue's Puzzler...

[When you double my number, I'm less than a score,
Half of my number is still less than four.
Add one to my double when bakers are near,
The days of the week are still greater it's clear.
What am I?]

The number six.

9) ======= Contact the Flyer =======

Do you have questions that you would like to have
answered in a future issue? Would you like to offer
a business or technology tip for our readers?
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Copyright © 2000-2004 Eagle Computers. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or
in part, without the express written consent of the
publisher.

Registered with the Library of Congress. ISSN: 1535-8429
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