Government | Castellini on Computers - Computer help for beginners

Posts Tagged: government

Should government have right to cut off Internet service?

Senate Bill 773 provides for protecting the country’s tech infrastructure by declaring a cybersecurity emergency. This emergency would authorize the government to shut down Internet access to key non-governmental computers and networks. If passed, the bill would create a whole new government agency that trains and certifies cyber-security professionals to help manage and carry out the rules set forth in this proposed law.

Click the link below to read a complete news store from CNET and get links to other news stories on the subject.

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet | Politics and Law – CNET News.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — 6 Comments
25
Mar 09

White House Web Site: Open For Questions

photo credit: scottwills

No matter your party affiliation or political leanings, this site offers a major opportunity for Americans to talk with each other on a government web site. Whether or not the questions are taken seriously and read by our public servants remains to be seen, but it offers an incredibly easy method of asking, rating, and searching questions about our government and country.

I applaud the White House for attempting such an endeavor, and the site is extremely easy to navigate and interact with…two technological feats not always obtained. I will be keeping an eye on it for a few months and see what happens with it. Tonight alone, I’ve asked 2 questions and rated almost 80 others.

Let me what you think of the site when you visit it by leaving comments below.

Open For Questions.

Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — 3 Comments
12
Mar 09

French police force save millions by using Ubuntu

This might be one of the largest government agencies making a whole sale change to Ubuntu and leaving Microsoft behind. Ubuntu Linux is a free open source operating system that can very capably replace a Microsoft Windows operating system. This article describes how France’s national police force will change all 90,000 of their computers to Ubuntu by 2015, and they have already saved more than $50 million dollars with their efforts so far.

French police: we saved millions of euros by adopting Ubuntu – Ars Technica.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — 1 Comment
26
Jan 09

Will Obama save money on government computers?

A news story from the BBC broke today describing Obama’s invitation to Sun Microsystem’s CEO, Scott McNealy. Obama asked McNealy to present a report on the benefits of Open Source software. Already many national and state government entities in the United States and many over-seas governments successfully use Linux and other Open Source software. What do you think? Should the United States government go on a software diet?

General Computer Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 8 Comments
30
Jan 08

How to fill out a PDF form with your computer

I fielded a call from a client today who wanted to know how to transfer a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) form he received via email to Microsoft Word so he could fill it out using his computer, save it, then email it back. My short answer was that he couldn’t do it.

Technically, it can be done through a series of computer hocus-pocus, Jedi mind tricks, a great deal of knowledge about the Windows clipboard, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word and a lot of time. Knowing that this client didn’t have these tools at his disposal, I elected to tell him that it couldn’t be done.

Adobe Acrobat forms (PDF files) are not easy to edit or annotate because the purpose of a PDF is to preserve the formatting and integrity of the original document. Some PDF form designers can make their forms fillable using our computers, if they choose to do so. For example, many government sites like the IRS have forms that can be downloaded and printed or filled out right from our computers. Again, these forms are designed this way and not all PDF forms can be filled in via computer.

It bothered me all day that I still didn’t know of a better solution for this common question; how to fill in a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) form on the computer. I did some research tonight and found that our new favorite PDF reader (Foxit Reader) has this capability built-in (see illustration). However, the free version will let you fill it in, but if you save, print, or email the filled in form, it will have some verbiage along with it stating that the feature is a pay feature. If you pay Foxit $40, you can use the feature and not have the trial verbage printed on your form. If you need to fill out a lot of PDF forms, this looks to be a great solution.

I write and talk about Web 2.0 all the time and lo-and-behold there is a Web 2.0 option for filling in PDF forms online. Aptly, it’s named On-line PDF form filler. Unlike many of the Web 2.0 services I have introduced, however, On-line PDF form filler charges $1.49 per form. Considering the time savings a tool like this can provide, I think the cost is certainly more than reasonable for the occasional form. And if you need to fax the filled in form to someone, they can do it for you for just another $1.

I like the above two options just dandy, but I did find a few other PDF form fillers that can be purchased, but I haven’t tried them:

Computer User Group / Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
9
Oct 07

Blogs and Blogging – October 2007

Definition

The word blog derived from web + log. Blogs became well known during the 2004 election process, but have been around since at least 1999. They started out as simple online diaries comprised of primarily text entries sorted by date…newest to oldest. Gradually, they morphed into full fledge web sites containing images and video along with the written information.

What is the purpose of a blog?

Blogs started out as true online diaries where the ?blogger? simply typed their feelings or happenings for the day or their philosophies and beliefs about government, life, religion, etc. Over the past five or so years, blogs evolved to become sites created by experts in all walks of life sharing their experience and tips and augmenting their work in other areas of media.

Who can create a blog?

Literally, anyone can start a blog with no web designing experience necessary. If you can type and send an email, you create and maintain a blog. An individual story or entry on a blog is called a ?post? and can be made directly on the blog web site, via email, or even a cell phone. Blogs also became popular because most bloggers allow readers to post comments about their writings. Comments can often times end up being more informative or entertaining that the original blog entry.

How much does a blog cost to start?

If you don?t want your own .com name (domain), the cost is nothing. Your blog might have an ad or two on it, but the advertising subsidizes the cost of the service.

Where can blogs be started?

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 6 Comments
19
Apr 07

Secret language of the shadow government

Today's post is for everyone who listens to the radio show via direct feed from Genesis Communications Network. I received this information from a trusted source who received it in a forwarded email chain letter.

It appears that the real government uses a special language to communicate on the Internet. You will find this secret language all over the web. Only now that we have Google and Internet searches can we discover how frequently these messages are sent.

Whenever the Luminati or the Masons have sent messages and those messages have been received a special confirmation is posted. You will even find this confirmation text in the body of some older printed material in the days before the Internet.

Only those who speak it will tell you what it means.

If you confront anyone who knows this secret language they will often say that it is just place holder text used for layout purposes. That's what the ancient Egyptian order just wanted you to believe!

Here is the text to look for. Type just a portion of these paragraphs into Google and you will see how deep the conspiracy goes:

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Curabitur tempus pellentesque nisi. Sed nec est vel nisi commodo tincidunt. Suspendisse potenti. Morbi accumsan. Donec pede augue, consectetuer at, vulputate et, consequat nec, sem. Curabitur rutrum velit vitae sapien. Curabitur molestie. Ut pede urna, sodales ut, vestibulum eget, tristique fermentum, mi. Etiam nunc justo, vulputate id, mattis sed, hendrerit eu, nunc. Nullam magna nisi, suscipit et, consequat sit amet, fringilla in, elit."

This will go on for paragraphs if the messages is a forwarded chain letter passed among secret shadow government members.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — 5 Comments
17
Apr 07

Tax Day – FairTax.org

We do our best to limit political talk on the show and the site because we Fair Tax Book are supposed to be a technology show. However, once per year I like to point out one of the most common sense proposals I have seen with regard to funding our government. It is called the Fair Tax and was developed by some economists in Houston, Texas more than thirty years ago. Unfortunately, it might just be too fair and make too much sense because it has been in and out of committees in congress but never brought to a vote.

Please visit the Americans for Fair Tax web site and take the time to study and learn about this proposal and then write your congressman or woman and senators to encourage their support of this important proposal. Better yet, buy the Fair Tax Book , read it and pass it on to friends and family. You will be amazed at how simple and fair the plan really is.

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 1 Comment
30
Mar 07

Future Windows Prediction

By now it is no secret that I have a unique super power. I can see the future of technology. Too many cell phone radio waves to my brain have caused me to have premonitions about the future of technology.

Two days ago, I was carried away in vision and I saw the future of Microsoft.

Microsoft knows they shot themselves in the foot with Vista. They knew before it was released that they would have to create a demand for it since it was replacing a superior product.

Now even the government is looking into getting away from Microsoft products. Linux seems to be the most popular option. This is where the prediction comes in.

Microsoft's next major operating system will not be Windows at all. It will be MS Linux. Remember MS DOS? What about MS SQL? Office 2007 uses MS XML. Microsoft will build their own version of Linux.

However, the new program will only run Linux at the very core. Everything else will be Microsoft. The system will likely not even turn on unless you have a MS Passport-type account with Microsoft.

By creating an operating system that will seamlessly tie in with Microsoft web applications Microsoft will hope that people will avoid Google.

It is a great strategy, but my second prediction is that Google will buy an Internet OS. Google will become an Online operating system that can run from any kind of computer anywhere in the world.

Within 10 years computers will be everywhere. There will be less demand for laptops because there will be small workstations in malls, airports, and cars. We will read our email and surf the web from our couches because our TVs will tap into our online operating system.

The shift from computer-based data to online-based data will cause another revolution and will be the most significant shift in technology ever.

And it will all be spurred by the mass exodus from Windows Vista.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — 7 Comments
29
Mar 07

Wow! Is Microsoft worried or what?

Is it me, or is Microsoft pummeling the TV, Radio, and of course the online advertising arenas? Almost anywhere I look, Windows Vista ads poke me in the eyes. Could it be because of the nearly 150+ customer visits I have made since Vista came out, only two of them were using Vista? Could it be because users are perfectly content with Windows XP and don't see (rightly) the need to upgrade to Vista? Could it be that the once bullet proof Microsoft name has tarnished with this release and the web has changed the rules about desktop computing? Could it be because Microsoft's sales figures are sorely lacking compared to the release of XP and 98? Could it be that so many business and government entities have 'outlawed' Vista in their space? Could it be the incompatible software and hardware numbers that are racking up?

When Vista was first released in January, computer prices rose instantly almost 10%. Sales tanked, few were buying and those who did buy were unimpressed. Pundits tried their best to gloss over the fact that there was very little substance to talk about or get excited over.

All this being said, prices have dropped again on computers in an effort to move some inventory. Laptop prices are dropping again and if you are in the market, you might find some good deals. It makes me wonder if Microsoft is subsidizing in some way the lower prices to try and move product. Surely the hardware manufacturers can't be happy with the abysmal sales.

Just remember, if you do make the plunge into Vista territories, please get at least 2 GB of RAM and a dual core processor (either Intel or AMD).