Program Updates Little Black Book

Iremember an old television show that featured an amorous young man who would consult his “little black book” when seeking female companionship. An updated plot could feature such a young man turning on his IBM PC to consult his electronic Little Black Book.

That’s the name of a software package that stores up to 400 names, telephone numbers and addresses along with up to three lines of notes for each entry. If you have a modem, the program can be used to dial a number, even while you’re using another program. It will also access long-distance carriers such as GTE Sprint and MCI.

The program actually prints out a pocket-size personal phone book that slips into a black cover. The manual comes with detailed instructions on how to cut, fold and staple an 8 1/2-by-11-inch print-out so that it can be inserted into the book. A copy-protected version sells for $49.95; an unprotected version is $69.95. The publisher is Cygnet Technologies. Call toll free at 800-331-9113 (within California) or 800-621-4292.

If you’re a computer information junkie in need of a daily dose, you can call 213-976-DATA for 90 seconds of “Daily Computer News.” (A 55-cent charge, plus applicable toll charges, will appear on your next phone bill.) The programs, which are changed each weekday, cover news and information of general interest to personal computer users. They sound a lot like radio spots and often include interviews with noted computer personalities and experts. A recent program featured Adam Osborne talking about Paper Back Software, his new company, which promises to lower the cost of high-quality software. Daily Computer News is one of many dial-up “audiotex” information services provided by Los Angeles-based Candle Corp. Other services include “Keys to Success,” “Calm-Line” and “Tips to Word Power.” The service is available only within California. For information, call Candle at 213-207-1400.

Another way to keep up with computers is to visit “The Famous Computer Cafe.” No, it’s not a restaurant that serves microchips but a radio show that delivers news, product reviews and interviews. The show, which has been on the air for nearly two years, has featured such guests as Philip Estridge, the late IBM vice president who was responsible for developing the PC; Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and Atari Chairman Jack Tramiel.

The show has three versions. The live version, which accepts phone calls from listeners, airs every weekday from 3:30 to 4 on KIEV in Los Angeles (870 AM). A taped version airs daily on Los Angeles station KFOX (93.5 FM) at 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. A nationally syndicated, non-commercial version is made available, via satellite, to National Public Radio stations. The show is produced by SOFTV, 1322 Second St., No. 24, Santa Monica 90401. Phone is 213-394-7242.

Anyone who uses a hard disk had better find a way to back up the data. The most common method is to copy it to floppy disks. For IBM Personal Computers and compatible machines, it takes about 28 floppy disks, each storing 360 kilo-bytes, to back up one 10-megabyte (10-million-byte) hard disk. There are several schemes to speed the process. One way is to copy the data to a portable hard disk. That’s the idea behind Data Pack from Peripheral Land, in Santa Clara.

The Data Pack is a hard disk drive in a box with a self-contained, 100-watt power supply. What’s unique is that the box, which weighs about 12 pounds, has a handle and can be moved from PC to PC, making it possible to back up any system in an office. A non-portable version is also available. Both require an electrical outlet. Each PC must have its own adapter card, which you plug into the Data Pack when you’re ready to do a backup.

Prices start at $1,194 for an 11-megabyte system. An adapter card is included with each system; additional ones are $95 each. Once plugged into a system, the Data Pack acts just like a second hard disk drive, allowing you to copy data from the computer’s main hard disk. Peripheral Land is at 3400 El Camino Real, Suite 10, Santa Clara, Calif. 95051. Phone is 408-248-5282.

Have you ever erased a file and later wished you hadn’t? I have. If you turn to the IBM Disk Operating System (DOS) manual you’ll find nothing about restoring erased files. They’re gone. Or are they? Peter Norton, a Santa Monica-based programmer and author, has written a program that can “UnErase” files. It’s part of the Norton Utilities package, which sells for $99.95.

When you erase a file, you’re actually erasing the file name from the DOS directory. The data may remain on the disk. Norton’s documentation spares the technical details but explains that “erasing a file is somewhat like throwing valuables into a trash can. If we’re lucky, we can still find what we lost by digging through the trash.”

The program works because data is written to a certain physical location on the disk. Norton’s program examines the disk, sector by sector. If new files have been added to the disk since the accidental erasure, those files may have overwritten the data from the erased file. So don’t create any new files on that disk until you’ve tried Norton’s UnErase system.

While Norton’s UnErase program is good news for those who have accidentally erased data, it’s bad news for those who deliberately erase files to maintain confidentiality. That file you “erased” might be unerasable by a nefarious hacker. That’s why the Norton Utilities disk includes the Wipefile program, which, according to Norton, permanently and positively removes the data from the floppy or hard disk. The package has several other useful programs, including directory sort, which allows you to rearrange the DOS directory by name, type of file, date, time or length. Norton Utilities is at 2210 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica 90403. Phone is 213-399-3948.