My Favorite Money-maker

When KaZaA - a "free" program - goes on to a computer, it's money in the bank for me.

KaZaA is a music-sharing, peer-to-peer program. Households with children (or grandchildren) seem to have KaZaA and all of its attendant problems. On installation, KaZaA gives you the choice of setting the program for automatic startup. So when Windows boots, KaZaA also starts. It is running in the background. KaZaA users tend to have a library of music stored on the machine. When KaZaA is running, that library is available to others - all around the world - assuming you're online.

That's a good way to get sued by the music industry.

It's also an invitation to the worst of the worst among us. KaZaA opens up your computer to the entire universe. Fellow KaZaAers can access your files, and can take what they want - and can leave behind what they want. KaZaA is a major source of viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses.

You should be able to remove KaZaA the normal way. In Windows XP, click Start>>Control panel, then double-click Add/Remove Programs. Find KaZaA in the list and click Change/Remove.

If you have Windows 2000, 98 or ME, click Start>>Settings>>Control Panel. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Find the program in the listing and click Add/Remove (or Change/Remove in Windows 2000).

However, KaZaA comes with other programs, variously known as adware or spyware. To clean your computer, run Ad-aware or Spy Bot.

KaZaA also arrives with a MySearch toolbar, which attaches itself to Internet Explorer. Delete that through the Add/Remove process.

Now, if after all this you still have Kazaa on your system, download and run KazaaBegone

Still, once KaZaA is in place, I can assume that eventually that computer will need around $250 in services to undo the damage. So load it up, folks. My '95 Mazda Pickemup truck is starting to show its age.... and there's this '04 Toyota calling my name.

State and Local Government on the Net Directory

The State and Local Government on the Net Directory provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments. Only pages that are controlled and managed by state and local government agencies are included.

Print Envelopes

Envelope Wizard (freeware).

From the web site:
"Envelope Wizard is a utility for envelope printing. I have been searching forever for a freeware program that makes printing envelopes effortless. This one is it. Team it up with a freeware word processor/editor and you are ready to handle all your correspondence needs without the bloat of a big "Office" suite ... This program will guide you through the steps, necessary for using your computer and printer for addressing an envelope."


Quick Envelopes (free version).

From the web site:
"Sure, your favorite Word Processor does envelopes! So does Quick Envelopes! It's FREE, you won't have to attend a two day seminar, you won't need wizard help, and you will not have to wait 3 minutes for it to load. Simply the easiest to use envelope printing you will ever use!"

Free Will?

It's a question for the ages. Something that should be beyond question is whether or not you need a will. You do.

Nobody wants to talk about death and dying, but creating a will is a must. You can do it the old-fashioned way by going to a lawyer. Alternatively, you can use a software program or Web-based service to create a legal, inexpensive will in less than an hour.

Do-it-yourself wills are controversial. Not everyone agrees that they are a good substitute for a lawyer.

Nancy Coleman, director of the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging, cautions against solely using do-it-yourself services. She believes they are an excellent tool to educate consumers and are a good first step. But the resulting documents should be double-checked by a lawyer, she said.

However, Paul Bergman, a law professor at UCLA, said do-it-yourself wills are fine for most people. Only people with special circumstances, such as those with assets in the millions or those who want to disinherit a spouse or child, require a lawyer, he said.

For those who want to take on this chore, there are products available.

Nolo Press sells many books and programs for helping Jane & John Public understand legal stuff. One of those programs is Quicken WillMaker Plus 2004, which retails for $79.99. Amazon.com has it for $25.99 after rebate. This Windows program creates wills, trusts, health care directives and more.

WillMaker Plus 2004 conducts an easy-to-follow interview. If you are unsure how to answer, there is a comprehensive legal manual. There is online help as well--encyclopedias and glossaries--geared to lay people.

As opposed to a software program, Legacy Writer is a Web site that will help you create a will for $19.95. For an additional $9.95, you can revise your will an unlimited number of times for five years. You do not have this extra expense if you use a software program such as WillMaker Plus on your own computer.

The site's easy-to-use questionnaire is filled with highlighted words and phrases. Clicking on a highlighted area activates a pop-up window with further information, usually a helpful hint.

For example, I could make specific bequests appear in the body of the will, in an updateable property list or within the body of the will with a reference to a property list. The pop-up window let me know what should be included (engagement ring), what should not be included (cash gifts) and where it should be included (it's most common in the body of the will).

LegalZoom is another Web site that offers will services. It goes one step further than LegacyWriter. A paralegal proofs your will before it's printed. A standard will costs $59. For an additional $50, you get unlimited revisions for five years, plus LegalZoom will store your will for five years.

LegalZoom's clean interface makes filling out the will easy. Many sections are dotted with yellow exclamation points. Click on these for a pop-up window that gives further clarification and examples. You can choose to have the will mailed or e-mailed to you.

Just because you do the will by yourself doesn't mean other people are not involved. Wills created with these services still must be signed by two or three witnesses, depending on the state. The program or site you use will give specific information.

In addition, wills created with WillMaker Plus or LegacyWriter are not valid in Louisiana. LegalZoom states that its wills are valid in all 50 states.

There are certainly other options for do-it-yourselfers. The American Bar Association does not endorse any products, but it has an excellent site that clearly explains wills.

DVD? I'm So Confused

Just about any DVD READER drive can read just about any commercially-produced DVD. Commercial DVDs are molded. They have a different structure from the R's, with two layers on a single side. Their format is called DVD-9. These discs hold 7.9 gigabytes of data, more than enough for a movie.

DVD-9s are just one part of a really confusing format mishmash.

Things are never simple when we discuss DVD formats for home-brew DVDs. Burning DVDs is much more likely to confuse.

PC-based DVD burners use "R formats" such as DVD+R and DVD-R. These DVDs are made with a laser built into the unit. The heat from the laser makes the 0s and 1s; hence, the term "burner."

On one site that purports to explain DVDs, I counted 14 formats. The companies that make DVDs were never able to get together on a standard.

This also happened with video recorders. Makers split over VHS and Beta. But buyers went for VHS and forced a de facto standard on the industry. That has not happened with DVDs.

There are new DVD standards coming. These DVDs will be much more capacious than today's equipment. And guess what? The manufacturers can't agree on standards for the new ones, either!

Downloading Music. Legally.

Believe it or not, you can download and upload music legally. There are many musical groups who allow fans to tape their shows and share them.

Furthernet is a peer-to-peer network dedicated to the exchange of live concerts. Only artists that approve of this policy are traded. Fortunately, for music lovers, there are a lot of groups that allow taping and trading of concerts.

You'll find chart toppers such as AC/DC, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, U2 and more.

Distance Calculator

Have you ever wondered how far it is to Peru or Paris?

This site calculates the distance between two cities. You can enter just about any city in the world. It provides the latitude and longitude of the two cities, plus the distance in miles.