FPCUG Notes for March 2020 Editor: Frank Fota ([email protected])

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (7:00 PM - Falmouth Firehouse, Butler Road): -- Tues, Mar 3: Technology Workshop (Josh Cockey) -- Tues, Mar 10: Board of Directors (BoD) Meeting (Patty Davis, Presiding) -- Thu, Mar 12: Annual Meeting. The FPCUG Annual Meeting will be held at the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department, 250 Butler Rd., Falmouth, VA 22405 on Thursday, March 12, 2020, at 7 PM. Please attend this meeting and consider running for office. You can make a difference! One Director, one Trustee, and all of the Executive Officers (i.e., President, Vice President, Secretary, and the Treasurer) will be elected or reelected at the meeting. Contact Patty Davis ([email protected]) or a BoD member if you are interested in serving in one of these positions. We will also accept nominations from FPCUG members at the meeting. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. -- Tues, Mar 17: All About Your Computer (Robert Monroe) -- Wed, Mar 18: Experimax Workshop – 1865-106 Carl D. Silver Parkway -- Thu, Mar 26: Windows All Workshop (Jim Hopkins) FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING RECAP

The FPCUG drew a small but enthusiastic crowd to view three TED talks: computer scientist Supasorn Suwajanakorn presented “Fake Videos of Real People -- and How to Spot Them,” Professor of Physics at TU Delft, Leo Kouwenhoven, discussed quantum computing, “Can we Make Quantum Technology work?” and Navin Reddy, CEO of the distance learning company Telusko, discussed “Blockchain: The Underrated Technology.”

1 SHARE A MONITOR WITH MULTIPLE COMPUTERS Dual monitor computer setups are all the rage these days. But what if you have no space for a second monitor and want to use more than one computer with the same monitor, keyboard, and mouse? Consider a KVM Switch. KVM stands for Keyboard, Video, and Mouse. A KVM switch allows you to connect multiple computers to the switch and utilize the same keyboard, monitor and mouse. I use a KVM switch with a home server running the Debian Linux-based Open Media Vault, a Windows 10 notebook computer, and a Windows XP gaming computer (for games that just won’t play on a 64-bit system). Some KVM switches use a 15-pin VGA connector others use a digital video interface or HDMI connector. The higher the desired resolution, the more expensive these switches become. My monitor is an Acer 23” (1680 x 1050) and the KVM switch I use is manufactured by IOGEAR. It has 4-DVI ports and came with 4 sets of cables. It can also share speakers. If you are interested in a KVM switch, a wide selection is offered at Amazon.com. Terry Hollet provides some of the advantages of various KVM switches in the article, “How To Share Monitor With Multiple Computers” at Daves Computer Tips.

CHINA’S SURVEILLANCE STATE REVEALED AMIDST CORONAVIRUS FEARS Writing for Reuters, Yingzhi Yang and Julie Zhu detail the story of a man from Hangzhou who returned home from a business trip to find the police wanted to speak with him. They tracked his car from a location that reported a few cases of coronavirus. They requested he shelter in place for two weeks. At 12 days he became bored and left his home. The police and his boss contacted him because a surveillance camera with facial recognition spotted him and alerted the police and the man’s boss. China’s surveillance network is omnipresent. The Chinese can reportedly scan the streets for people and recognize them even when masked. If an infected passenger boards a train, Chinese surveillance can identify them and the people sitting around them. Mobile phone apps can warn individuals that they have come into contact with infected citizens and produce maps with the location of the infected. You would think that the Chinese people would object but according to the authors, “…Chinese citizens seem to be accepting the extra intrusion, or even embracing it, as a means to combat the health emergency.” Cameras with thermal imaging are currently being tested to identify people with fevers. Thermal imaging technology has been available but its use to spot the infected is new and in response to a request by China’s Industry Ministry to Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies and research institutes to assist in combating the coronavirus. Would most Americans accept such an assault on privacy to combat an outbreak in the United States?

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HUAWEI HAS BACKDOOR TO MOBILE NETWORKS GLOBALLY Huawei helped build phone networks across the globe that they can reportedly access using backdoors intended for law enforcement. According to Corrinne Reichert at CNET, “The details were disclosed to the UK and Germany at the end of 2019 after the US had noticed access since 2009 across 4G equipment…”. Huawei has offered its equipment at reduced prices but the use of Huawei equipment comes with a price; the loss of data security. China cried foul concerning their ties with Huawei and claimed that the allegations are a smokescreen for US spying on other countries. The UK approved Huawei to build 5G infrastructure in limited locations with some conditions last month. The US urged the UK to ban the construction entirely. Huawei was added to the United States Entity List in May 2019. The Entity List restricted the importation of Huawei equipment because they were believed to be “…involved, or pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.” President Trump followed this action with an executive order that banned the company from doing business in the United States.

SMARTPHONES ARE RUINING OUR SOCIAL LIVES The scene at left is likely familiar. It seems that every waking moment of our lives must be filled with data of some kind or another. If it’s unessential, it must be entertaining. Seen any good cat videos lately? Social Media is driving this endless stream (pardon the pun) of data. Writing for Daves Computer Tips, Marc Thomas says, “…the ubiquitous mobile phone has become so much more than a device. It’s become an extension of our very beings and for most of us, indispensable, but for many, an addiction.” I purchased a Google Pixel 3XL phone because of its exceptional camera. I use the phone primarily for voice/text communication and weekday access to Waze, a GPS enabled traffic app. I use the phone occasionally for photography, access to email, and the internet (e.g., audiobooks, YouTube, internet radio, and Facebook). For most of us, the old adage, If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” applies. We find ourselves pulling out our phones when waiting for anything. I see it at the hospital where I work; people walking the halls like zombies with their heads buried in their phones. There are large bins of linen and trash, hand trucks with supplies and equipment, someone’s going to get hurt! I suppose the current generation of young adults grew up with a “smart” phone in their hands and it’s hard to wean them away from them to engage in one on one conversation. What can be done? Many senior leaders in our government ask that phones are checked at the door or turned off for important meetings. Perhaps this could be practiced at the dinner table or at other times when personal interaction is required. Unless you’re a doctor, security staff, or a first responder, you can silence your phone so that it simply vibrates. If a call or message is important, you can respond at a more convenient time. Mr. Thomas enlightened me to a new tech term, “Phubbing.” According to Techopedia.com, “Phubbing is a term created by the combination of the words phone and snubbing. It refers to a person interacting with their phone (or other device) rather than interacting with a human being.” HOW RUDE! 3

SMART SHOPPING FOR MODERN SOLID STATE DRIVES Shopping for a modern Solid-State Drive (SSD) can be confusing. You need to know the connectors on your motherboard because there are a number of drive connectors and storage memory types. A good explanation of SSD types is provided by Christopher Harper at PCGuide. A question persists that needs to be answered, especially when you consider the high cost of a “faster” SSD and the more reasonable cost of a 2.5” SSD with Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) connector: is the difference between a SSD with high benchmark read/write speeds and a SSD with nominal read/write speeds noticeable? An interesting test was performed by Linus Sabastian at Linus Tech Tips with three computer experts and with the exception of the drive type, three virtually identical computer systems. The difference in performance between the three computer systems was imperceptible. Linus notes, however, that there are reasons to consider a high- performance SSD. What should you consider when shopping for a SSD? Consider purchasing a SSD with: 1. Higher quality flash memory – This allows more write/erase cycles (i.e., longevity). 2. A quality controller and firmware – This affects the performance of the drive as it nears capacity. 3. The amount of DRAM cache on the drive – This affects speed. Linus says that a SSD without DRAM cache performs like a mechanical drive. Most of the web shopping sites I’ve visited do not specify the DRAM cache on the SSDs they sell. You may be able to identify the DRAM cache size via PCPartPicker. Linus adds that you should consider the applications beyond gaming or video editing that you intend to use. Some applications can take advantage of the drive speed and your personal performance will improve by using a high-performance SSD.

WINDOWS 10 BUGGY HARDWARE DRIVERS You may not have known the hardware manufacturers upload new drivers to Windows Update and they are automatically installed when they’re available. Some of these updates are not ready for prime-time and can result in system instability or worse (e.g., inoperative hardware). Chris Hoffman at How-To Geek says, “Microsoft now lets driver manufacturers mark some driver updates as “Manual” rather than “Automatic” when uploading them to Windows Update. This new option was made available to manufacturers on Feb. 19, 2020.” These “Manual” (i.e., optional) updates will start appearing with the Windows 10 2004 update this Spring. Microsoft will be testing new hardware drivers and gradually rolling them out to end-users.

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HIGH-TECH SOLUTION TO PREVENT SPORTS BRAIN INJURY The National Football League (NFL) has asked inventors, scientists, physicians, and engineers to assist them to make football safer. Manufacturing experts met in Youngstown, Ohio at the NFL Helmet Challenge Symposium to collaborate on better helmet design. The NFL believes that the risk of concussion can be reduced by applying advanced manufacturing techniques, and lessons learned from NASCAR and the automotive industry. The Kurzweil Digest reports that science teams are exploring: 1) Advanced modeling software — to see how injuries happen, test wearable gear, 2) Improved helmet design — to protect the skull, neck, and brain, and 3) Composite materials — to construct better gear that can absorb + withstand crushing impact The NFL is quoted saying, ‘We see opportunities to change the paradigm of how helmets are designed — and use the world’s state-of-the-art from multiple fields. There are new approaches, new materials, new concepts.’ The Helmet Challenge is a contest that will award a $1 million prize and a $2 million grant to develop the prototype. The first round of proposals are due January 2020 — and final helmet prototypes are due May 2021. The company BrainGuard believes they have an effective product ready for distribution and use. Check out their product and test results at the link above. Increasing numbers of severe brain injuries suffered by NFL players make the development and use of better helmets urgent. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is not limited to professional football. It is common in high school sports, on college campuses, and in sports other than football (e.g., soccer, hockey, and boxing). TBI is also the signature military injury.

NOTE… the FPCUG does not endorse products or services of any kind .

EVENTS IN COMPUTER HISTORY (paraphrase and additions to the Iceni Technology Blog by Iceni Technology Contributor Rebecca Coe and historical data from the websites http://www.computerhope.com/history/, http://www.historyorb.com/, and http://thisdayintechhistory.com)

-- Mar 1 -- Steve Wozniak completed the basic design for the circuit board of a (relatively) easy-to-use personal computer (1976). The next day he showed it to the Homebrew Computer Club, which Steve Jobs attended. Jobs realized the potential and convinced Wozniak not to give away the schematics but instead produce printed circuit boards to sell. The two Steves formed the company Apple, and Wozniak’s design became the basis of the Apple-I computer. The rest, as they say, is history.

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-- Mar 1 -- AOL discontinued support for the Netscape browser on March 1, 2008.

-- Mar 2 -- Formerly, Jerry’s guide to the World Wide Web (aka David and Jerry’s Guide), Yahoo! was incorporated on March 2, 1995, by Jerry Yang and David Filo, electrical engineering graduates from Stanford.

-- Mar 3 --

On March 3, 1975, the Homebrew Computer Club held its first meeting in a garage in Menlo Park, California. Founders Fred Moore and Gordon French hosted ~30 microcomputer hobbyists, who discussed the Altair, a computer that could be built at home from a kit. The club and others like it increased the popularity of the personal computer.

-- Mar 3 -- On March 3, 2003, the US Supreme court ruled that sex offenders’ information and pictures can be posted online.

-- Mar 3 --

Magnavox obtained exclusive licensing of television video game technology from Sanders Associates (1971). The first home video game console, the Odyssey, was developed at Sanders by a team headed by Ralph Baer.

-- Mar 4 -- The first Cray-1 supercomputer was shipped to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico (1977). This supercomputer, which cost nineteen million dollars, was used to design sophisticated weapons systems. The system is a cylindrical tower seven feet tall, nine feet in diameter, and weighs about 5.5 tons. The machine produced so much heat that it required a built- in freon-based refrigeration system. It required its own electrical substation to power it, at a cost of about US$35,000 a month.

-- Mar 6 -- The Michelangelo boot-sector computer virus began to affect computers on March 6, 1992. Boot-sector viruses overwrite the section of the hard drive essential for locating data. Although few computers were affected, publicity caused panic among IM/IT professionals and PC users.

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-- Mar 6 -- Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) filed a $1 billion lawsuit against IBM on March 6, 2003, for allegedly devaluing its version of UNIX by contributing its property to Linux.

-- Mar 8 --

IBM introduced the IBM Personal Computer XT, which stands for eXtended Technology (1983). For a price of $4,995, it features an Intel 8088 processor, a 10MB hard drive, eight expansion slots, serial port, 128 kB RAM, 40Kb ROM, a keyboard, and one double-sided 360kB floppy drive.

-- Mar 8 --

MIT introduced the Whirlwind machine, the first digital computer with magnetic core RAM and real-time graphics on March 8, 1955.

-- Mar 9 -- Vice President Al Gore gives an interview on CNN’s Late Edition (1999) in which he states, “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.” This statement is widely misquoted as “I invented the Internet.”

-- Mar 10 -- Scottish-Canadian-American Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone call to his assistant, Mr. Watson, which is considered the first phone call in history: “Mr. Watson come here I want you.” (1876)

-- Mar 12 -- The Hulu website was released to the public on March 12, 2008.

-- Mar 13 -- Ten years after the company’s founding, Microsoft Corporation stock went public at $21 per share (1986). The stock, which eventually closed at $27.75 a share, peaked at $29.25 a share shortly after the opening. It is said that the rising value of Microsoft stock has made an estimated 4 billionaires and 12,000 millionaires of Microsoft employees.

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-- Mar 14 --

AT&T Bell Laboratories announced the completion of the first fully transistorized computer, TRADIC (1955). TRADIC, which stood for TRAnsistor DIgital Computer, contained nearly 800 transistors, which replaced the standard vacuum tube and allowed the machine to operate using less than 100 watts; one- twentieth the power of a comparable vacuum tube computer.

-- Mar 14 -- Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 on March 14, 2011.

-- Mar 15 -- The first Internet domain “symbolics.com” was registered by Symbolics, a Massachusetts computer company (1985).

-- Mar 16 -- The popular massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) EverQuest (EQ) was released on March 16, 1999.

-- Mar 18 -- Panasonic was founded on March 18, 1918.

-- Mar 18 -- Microsoft released Internet Explorer 5.0 on March 18, 1999.

-- Mar 19 -- The domain ibm.com was placed online on March 19, 1986.

-- Mar 19 -- Microsoft released Internet Explorer 8 on March 19, 2009.

-- Mar 21 -- Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter posted the first Twitter post "Just setting up my twttr" on his account on March 21, 2006.

-- Mar 22 -- The first Intel Pentium CPU was introduced on March 22, 1993.

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-- Mar 22 -- Intel released the 5th generation Pentium CPU in 1993. Originally known as the i586, Intel was unable to trademark this name (i.e., number). The Pentium name was created by Lexicon Branding, a marketing company known for the Apple PowerBook and Blackberry. Intel trademarked and so effectively marketed the Pentium, that years later, Intel’s CEO noted that “Pentium” had become a more recognized brand than Intel itself. -- Mar 24 --

The Mac OS X desktop version known as Cheetah was released on March 24, 2001 replacing Mac OS 9.

-- Mar 25 --

On March 25, 1857, Frenchman Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville patented the phonautograph. The phonautograph transcribed sound to a medium.

-- Mar 25 – The world’s first Wiki, WikiWikiWeb was created as Ward Cunningham invited people to add and edit content (1995). A Wiki is a database that can be a community collaboration. Mr. Cunningham has said that the inspiration for the name Wiki came from the free Wiki Wiki Shuttle bus he used at the Honolulu Airport during a trip to Hawaii. Six years later, Wikipedia was launched, although Cunningham had no official involvement.

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-- Mar 26 --

On March 26, 1999, the Melissa virus spread around the globe over e-mail in hours and became one of the fastest spreading viruses in history.

-- Mar 27 -- The First Annual World Altair Computer Convention (WACC) and the first convention of computer hobbyists was held in New Mexico (1976). Twenty-year-old Bill Gates gave the opening address.

-- Mar 28 --

The domain facebook.com was placed online March 28, 1997.

-- Mar 29 -- Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80 Model 100, one of the first portable computers in a notebook-style form factor. The portability, simplicity, and built-in modem made it popular with journalists who could write stories in the field and transmit them back to their offices.

-- Mar 30 --

The first commercial computer, UNIVAC, was received by the US Census Bureau. Interestingly enough, the Census Bureau had driven the development of devices that eventually led to computers since the 1890’s and Herman Hollerith’s Punch Card Calculator.

-- Mar 31 -- Quantum sold its hard drive business to Maxtor (2001).

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Who's Who in the FPCUG

Officers Office Name Email Address President Patrice Davis [email protected] Vice President Roger Schirmer [email protected] Secretary Frank Fota [email protected] Treasurer Rick Neil [email protected]

Directors and Trustees Office Name Email Address Directors Josh Cockey [email protected] Ed Alexander Robert Monroe Trustees Johnny Creech [email protected] Kay Pollock Bill Williams "Agent of Record"

Chairmen & Representatives Office Name Email Address APCUG Representative Frank Fota [email protected] Newsletter Editor Frank Fota [email protected] Webmaster Josh Cockey [email protected] Publicity Representative Carolyn Fota

Special Interest Workshop Leaders Office Name Email Address Technology Josh Cockey [email protected] Windows Jim Hopkins [email protected] Windows 10 Ed Alexander [email protected]

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