Power User: In-house video setup needn't cost more than $5,000
With in-house video production capability, an agency can record anything from IT inventories to training sessions. It makes sense to have digital recordings good enough to incorporate into later projects.
Power User: Ounce of assessment is worth pounds of missed security cures
My central Pennsylvania county's emergency management coordinator recently asked me and other volunteers how the county would spend a windfall grant to fight terrorism.
Power User: A guide to XP Pro
Government users just migrating to Microsoft Windows XP Professional will find a particularly handy feature: Word for XP can load multiple documents into an open document.
Norton Ghost shadows your system
The ultimate backup is to have a mirror image of a system on a separate hard drive stored offsite.
Compatibility problems plague DVD
With drive prices less than $500 and capacities in the gigabytes, DVD is a tempting backup medium for small networks and individual client systems.
Picking up the pieces
There are few things more critical to an IT department than having a good, thoroughly tested backup and disaster recovery program in place.
Watch the bugs and don't get stung'or complacent
New server software vulnerabilities pop up every day, but most are never exploited. That can lead to complacency on the part of Web site administrators.
'Naked' federal sites are open to attack
Federal Web servers are broadcasting critical security data about themselves. Many sites fail to cover up their operating systems and the precise Web server software versions installed, so the information is remarkably easy to find.
Power User: Speed up remote Net access and slow down attackers
If you work in a field office that's networked only through the Internet, and if recent attacks have made you a bit nervous about reaching your mission-critical Web sites, store the site names in a local DNS translation table.
Power User: A simple formula sets shortcuts for Windows apps
Omnipresent computer mice have made many users forget that the keyboard can control Microsoft Windows programs all by itself. That's handy when, for example, your mouse breaks or you're working on an airline tray table.
Power User: Chronicles of the XP upgrade from hell
For two decades, I have upgraded systems and software without much trouble. Despite the hype, year 2000 changes didn't even make a blip on the scope. But in the last couple of years, I've encountered more problems than in all the other years combined.
Power User: Consumer gadgets could prove useful to agencies
As soon as the price dropped, I invested in an Xbox game system'but not to play games. The Xbox cost about $200, probably less than it cost Microsoft Corp. to produce, and it's a powerful computer as well as a decent DVD player.
Power User: Power User looks back to 1982 and forward to 2022
As GCN reaches its 20th year of bringing IT and product news to agencies, I am near my fourth decade of working with computers. My stint in this space has been the most enjoyable of all.
Power User: Does modeling hold the secrets of the universe?
Mathematica 4.2, the latest version of one of my favorite problem-solving toolkits, came out this summer at the same time as the program's creator's book: A New Kind of Science.
Power User: Mine rescue puts PC crisis in perspective
Three hard-drive catastrophes in as many months is about average for a large office, but unprecedented for my small workplace.
Power User: Here's a guide to finding what's invisible on the Web
Many Web users know how to get the most out of the <a href= "http://Google.com">Google.com</a> search engine or its up-and-coming rival, <a href= "http://AllTheWeb.com">AllTheWeb.com</a>. Also useful are metasearch engines such as <a href= "http://Dogpile.com">Dogpile.com</a>, <a href= "http://Ixquick.com">Ixquick.com</a>, <a href= "http://Net-comber.com">Net-comber.com</a>, <a href= "http://Pandia.com">Pandia.com</a> and <a href= "http://Search.com">Search.com</a>.
LCD prices drop within reach
If you haven't taken LCD monitors seriously as an alternative to traditional CRT monitors, it's time to explore the possibility.
Power User: Google is a user's best friend
Every Web user should know how to exploit the features of the powerful Google.com search engine. Besides the news.google.com beta test site I've mentioned before, it also features a free but invaluable Google toolbar that you can download from <a href="http://www.google.com">google.com</a>. It appears as a little search window in every browser session.
Tools for secure networks
A vast number of programs can be loosely described as network management tools. This reflects both users' desperate need for help and the broad range of problems you can encounter on a network.
Power User: Can Flash MX beat .Net?
The latest contenders in the Web wars are Macromedia Inc.'s new MX versions of ColdFusion, Director, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash. The San Francisco software publisher boasts that the XP suite can build what it calls Rich Internet Applications.
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link
If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.
Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.
Cookie List
A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:
Strictly Necessary Cookies
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Functional Cookies
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Performance Cookies
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Sale of Personal Data
We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.
Social Media Cookies
We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.
Targeting Cookies
We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.
Help us tailor content specifically for you: