Category Archives: Windows

Perfect Photo Suite Offers Low Cost Focused Tools for Photographers

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PPS BoxesPhotoshop: the gold standard for photo work is a terrific piece of software.  People who know the ins and outs of Photoshop can do literally anything they want to enhance or fix a photo.  But that’s the problem for us mere mortals.  Photoshop is not simple to learn.  It requires years of experience to get good at.  That is part of the learning process for someone in the photography industry but many people like myself need something to give us some of those dramatic effects possible in Photoshop without the large time investment.  Even Adobe sees this in its Photoshop Elements program that adds recipes for a number of these photographic effects.

There are many people who end up in the middle.  They have mastered organization programs like iPhoto or Picasa and want to take that next step.  One good place to start  is with Lightroom, as I have written about before.  But even Lightroom has its limitations particularly if you want to make changes to a portion of an image rather than the entire image.  There are a lot of good tools to assist you in these next steps including a few plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom but OnOne Software has a tool set that not only gives you some needed enhancements, it integrates with the tool you may already use.

Perfect Photo Suite 7 includes modules that allow photographers to focus on specific needs with tools that are created specifically for that workflow.  These include, Perfect B&W to develop black and white images, Perfect Portrait for easy portrait retouching, Perfect Effects and FocalPoint for creative effects, Perfect Mask for replacing backgrounds and Perfect Resize for image enlargement. This toolset also allows for a layered workflow without Adobe® Photoshop®, so you can combine the best parts of multiple photos, create composites, and quickly retouch portraits and landscapes. All of the products in Perfect Photo Suite 7 work together seamlessly as integrated modules to assist you in creating the images you envision.

With Perfect B&W you can achieve classic black & white looks instantly with a library of expertly crafted effects or customize your own unique look using powerful, darkroom-inspired controls that replicate old processing techniques. Enhance tone and contrast by boosting shadow and highlight details or bring back a touch of selective color. and control the exact appearance of your image using a set of adjustment brushes.  With Perfect B&W, you’ll infuse the artistry of black and white photography and create your own masterpiece.

Perfect Portrait lets you improve skin texture and color, remove blemishes, and enhance eye, lips and teeth. You’ll find that it’s never been so easy to create terrific  portraits

Perfect Layers lets you enjoy all of the benefits and creative power of a layered workflow, allowing you to combine, composite, and blend images—all without Photoshop.

Perfect Effects provides an easy, fast and powerful way to create images with impact with Perfect Effects 4. Choose from a robust library of photographic effects to add professional looks to your photos instantly, including the popular HDR and retro looks. You can also recreate the look of film and darkroom techniques, add glows, vignettes, borders, and correct common photography problems. With the ability to stack, combine and blend effects, and paint in effects to specific areas, your creative options are endless.

Perfect Resize, formerly known as Genuine Fractals, increases image size faster and without the loss of sharpness or detail that you might normally expect. The same patented, fractal-based interpolation algorithms that were in Genuine Fractals are at the heart of Perfect Resize with several improvements. Faster processing speeds, new presets that optimize clarity and detail of different image types, built-in output presets, and the redesigned user interface add to the power of Perfect Resize.

With Perfect Mash you can create high quality masks quickly and easily with new automated functionality and powerful tools. Automatic Background Removal, Drop and Refine Brushes, and clean-up tools make selecting subjects and isolating backgrounds for removal extraordinarily accurate.  You can create some amazing effects using this tool that really make you subject pop.

FocalPoint can create realistic selective focus and depth-of-field effects you would think could only be done in camera. Choose from a selection of lens presets to produce a specific effect or adjust controls to adjust the amount and kind of blur you want. You can even paint in sharpness or blur exactly where you want. It has never been easier or faster to focus your viewer’s eye and minimize distractions. This is like choosing you lens for the shot from an infinite lens bag and doing it after you take the shot.  It is really very cool.

Many folks will say, I can do all that in Photoshop.  Sure you can if you know how and want to spend the cost of using (not owning) this tool on a monthly basis.  You can even do some of these effects in Photoshop Elements or Lightroom but I will say you can’t do them as easy as you can with this toolset.

PPS PlatformsPerfect Photo Suite 7 is designed to meet specific workflow and budget needs with three different editions. It may be used as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, or Apple Aperture, and also works as a standalone. You simply choose the method that works best for the tools you already use.

Now for the best part.  These tools are truly inexpensive.  The complete professional suite for every workflow. Works with Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, and as a standalone is just $199.  The same toolset for your Lightroom or Aperture workflow and as a standalone is only $129.  If you don’t have Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, or Apple Aperture, a stand-alone only version runs just $79.  Perfect Photo Suite is available for Windows or MacOS and offers a 30 day free trial from the company’s website.

Pro Photographers will scoff at the need for tools like this but those of us with ambitions for some of those Pro looking effects  in our photos but without the time to dedicate to learning advanced Photoshop techniques will grow to love this toolset.  When you can produce the look you want from an image, photography takes on a new light for you.  These tools are a great bulb to help turn on that light.

Which AntiVirus Software should I be Using?

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MSEThere are a host of nasty intruders on the Internet including viruses, trojans, worms and spyware. It would sure a better world for computing if people didn’t have to worry about antivirus software.  For years, Windows users have had to install antivirus software, sometimes at a relatively high cost, to ensure that their PCs would not be taken over by all the viruses that are out on the Windows platform. That condition still exists, although antivirus software in my opinion has become much easier to decide upon.

In past years, my favorite antivirus software for Windows was AVG.  AVG, was free for personal use and relatively inexpensive for business use.  They still make a very good product. But I believe in today’s computing, there’s one that is better.

Microsoft Security Essentials offers award-winning protection against intruders without getting in your way.

Microsoft Security Essentials is built for individuals and small businesses, but it’s based on the same technology that Microsoft uses to protect giant businesses (security products like Microsoft Forefront, the Malicious Software Removal Tool, andWindows Defender).

Downloading and installing Microsoft Security Essentials is free* and easy. Once you have installed it, the software updates automatically once a day. We’re constantly tracking new threats and we keep your PC updated to help protect you. You don’t have to do anything.

Microsoft Security Essentials uses green, yellow and red color codes to designate the security status of your PC and a color-coded icon in the taskbar tells you at a glance if your attention is needed. It’s simple—when you’re green, you’re good. However, if there’s a red or yellow threat, Microsoft Security Essentials will alert you and recommend what to do (you can act directly from the notification area without having to enter the application).

The best part about it is that it runs quietly without hurting PC performance.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly in the background. You’ll only be alerted when there are specific actions to take. When you’re away or busy, Microsoft Security Essentials can take the default action on your behalf and you can open the program later to review and undo those actions if you wish.

Microsoft Security Essentials is efficient and compact. Scans and updates are scheduled to run when the PC is idle and the software works in a way that your PC is still snappy when you’re using it. All this makes Microsoft Security Essentials friendly for all sorts of computers—your old PC, your new PC, your laptop, as well as your little netbook.

If you are running a PC with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8, Microsoft security essentials is definitely the one you should be using.  Being secure and at a no-cost certainly makes one feel better these days.

If you’re a MacUser, I don’t believe there’s a need to install antivirus software. There are many fewer viruses for the Mac, and Apple does a good job of keeping its security holes closed.

How do I update Java on my Computer?

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Screen Shot 2013-07-19 at 3.20.48 PMQ: My Windows computer got a message that her Java version is obsolete and needs to be updated.  Is that safe and good to do?

A:  Java ia required for many applications to function properly.  Java allows you to play online games, chat with people around the world, calculate your mortgage interest, and view images in 3D, just to name a few. It’s also integral to the intranet applications and other e-business solutions that are the foundation of corporate computing.

Updating it is fine but I would do it by going to the Java Control Panel in Windows. This way you can be sure it is the actual Java software doing the update and not some web site masquerading as a Java update.

I would also turn off Check Automatically and then press Update Now.  This allows you to have more control of when the updates are done and ensures you do not get continually interrupted by the update requests.

Q:  What about on the Mac?  Does it use Java too?

Screen Shot 2013-07-19 at 3.26.59 PM

A:  Yes it does. On the Mac, at least to provide Jolla updates. But in mountain lion, Apple has deferred job updates back to Oracle who owns the Java code.  On the Mac, Java is also controlled by a  system preference panel.  From the Apple menu, select system preferences.  Near the bottom, you should see Java.

From the update tab you can see whether Java is up to date. If not, you can also update from there.
For either platform, you can download Java from Oracle.

Maybe it’s time to Upgrade your Flash Drive…

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lexar_S23_groupI got this advertisement in the email today and it made me think….

New USB 3.0 drive stores and transfers content faster

Spend less time waiting for your files to transfer with the new Lexar® JumpDrive® S23 USB 3.0 flash drive. Transfer a 3.3GB HD video clip in less than 90 seconds, 13x faster than the 20 minutes it takes using a standard USB 2.0 drive.*

One of the smallest USB 3.0 drives available, the slim, retractable JumpDrive S23 comes in colorful capacity options—from 8GB to 64GB—giving you a handy color coding system to help you organize your drives and their contents. And it’s backwards compatible, so it even works with all your USB 2.0 devices.

I can remember the trials of burning files to CD.  I even remember 360K floppy drives.  That takes you back.  Then floppies got bigger to 720k and 1.44mb.  We moved to 100mb zip drives and then 250mb.  Not to forget the orb drive too.  But today, file storage is as easy as a flash drive.  Easy and inexpensive.  Sure, the future is storage in the cloud unless you get somewhere with poor internet speed or god forbid no internet at all.

lexar_usb3_transfer.2When I saw this add, and checked Amazon’s price for these, it has become clear that faster is definitely better when the price remains low.  Sure, not everyone has a USB3 port but they soon will.  SO maybe its time to update that flash drive you carry to a USB3 one and perhaps even a larger one.

Think about it…. What is your time worth.

HELP! “Mailbox quota exceeded”

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StacksThat’s the bounce back message your friends may see if you fill up your server based email box.  Just because you download your messages you cannot be sure that they are being removed from the server by default.

There are two types of email server systems in common use today.  These systems are referred to as: POP and IMAP.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

IMAP is a protocol by which you can read email. IMAP allows you to view your email from more than one place. E.g. from your desktop computer at work and from your laptop at home and from abroad and from your mobile device – multiple locations.

IMAP keeps the messages on the server until it is told to delete them.  In a typical IMAP implementation, all the messages you see on your mail program are located on the server.  With IMAP you have a service provider imposed storage limit called a  quota. If you run out of space on the server you will not be able to download new emails into your account!

POP (Post Office Protocol)

POP is better if you have no need to check your email in multiple locations. If you only ever check your email on one computer at, then POP is fine for this purpose.  In most cases, when you bring the email message down to your computer, it removes it from the server.  But this is a setting and some people, in a hope to save everything they ever get in email, just in case, set it to not remove messages.  In these cases you can also see the same message when you run out of space.

Which one is better?

One big problem here is that not all service providers provide both types of email access to choose from.  Most services that are intended for use on phones, tablets, or computers, may only offer IMAP.  Examples of IMAP providers are:  Gmail, iCloud, Outlook.com, Yahoo, and AOL.  In the over al scheme of things, IMAP is a much more modern protocol because it, having a centralized storage database for mail, allows you to delete a message from one place and have it deleted from all your computers or phones attached to this mailbox.

But not every provider provides IMAP.  Many Internet service providers will only give you access by POP.  These are typically companies more interested in providing internet service than mail.  An examples of this is Mediacom, a local internet service provider where I live. These companies don’t want to provide IMAP because while it is much better for the consumer, it requires more server infrastructure to store these messages on their end.

How do I deal with “Mailbox quota exceeded”?

This depends on the type of account you use.

For a POP account, you need to be sure your mail client is set to delete messages from the server. Most mail clients are very similar in setting this up.  You need to go to the account settings and look for a checkbox that says something like” Remove from server after:” and provides some choices such as one day and one month.  One Month is usually a reasonable setting.  With this turned on there is often a “Remove now” button that will remove all server mail older than the one month setting you chose.  But don’t worry, with a POP account, if the messages are on your computer, even though you delete it from the server, it will stay on your computer.

For an IMAP account, it’s not quite as straight forward.  Since the messages on the server match those on your computer, the only ways to clean this up are to either delete messages, move them to a local folder, or increase your quota.

Deleting messages is simple but requires quite a bit of time since you need to make decisions on what is good to keep and what is not.  Be sure to empty the trash in mail to clear them out after marking them as trash.  Moving them to a local folder requires you to create a folder within your mail client and select messages from your inbox to copy to this local folder.  This then stores this mail on your computer and removes it from the server.  If the domain is something that you host of have control of, you can often go into the service providers cpanel (control panel) and increase the mail quota.  This is a little different for all providers so you might want to read their instructions before trying to do it.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to not be a hoarder.  Clean up your email and don’t let many thousand messages accumulate just because you don’t have time to go through them.  Setup up a junk filter and have these messages deleted immediately.

[stextbox id=”info” caption=”Setting Mac Mail to delete messages on a POP account”]

 

MacMailIn Mail, do the following:

Go to the Mail menu and select Preferences
Click on the Accounts icon and select the Advanced tab
Click the checkbox on for “Remove copy from server” and select “On Month” in the dropdown box below the setting
Now press Remove Now

Remove mailo dialog

[/stextbox]

The Two Faces of Windows 8

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Win8I am a Macintosh guy at heart and will likely stay that way so this article may be a little difficult for some of my Mac buddies.  Let me start with a clear statement, “Windows 8 is really not that bad”.  I say this because if you read the tech press, you get the feeling that Microsoft has really stumbled with the Windows 8 release.  In many ways, I believe this is true but I think the perspective is different depending on the hardware you use it on.

Many in the tech press have installed Windows 8 on a machine that they own.  Usually this machine was running Windows 7 and was relatively powerful.  The problem with this perspective of the new operating system is that it tries to run a truly new generation operating system on a previous generation hardware.  Now I am not saying you need more power to run Windows 8.  Microsoft has actually made the operating system faster and more fluid on older hardware in this release.  So many people believe that they have a machine capable of running Windows 8 in the machine on their desktop now.  While this is true, the magic of Windows 8 really does not begin to show up until you try it with a single new component: A touch screen interface.

I have worked with a number of people who have had to replace a PC since Windows 8 came out and have purchased a standard desktop or laptop that included Windows 8.  Every instance I have worked with have hated the interface changes windows 8 has brought.  They feel it is harder to find things, difficult to get used to, unresponsive, and in general a real step back for personal computing.  And I have to admit, under these circumstances, with this hardware, or older hardware intended for Windows 7, these people are absolutely correct.  Without the single new element of a touch screen display, Windows 8 is difficult to use and a pain to configure.  But add this touch screen and quite honestly, Microsoft may have something here that is magical.

Why a Touch Screen

A touch screen ads to the usefulness of Windows 8 in many ways.  The new interface makes so much more sense once you use it with touch.  The movements that are truly hard to get to work with a mouse are simple with your finger.  Swiping, a gesture used in Windows 8 very often, is nearly impossible with a mouse but truly effortless with a touch screen. Moving your mouse all the way across the table to get to the charms bar (a method to get to more applications and settings in Windows 8) is tough to do but swiping from the left of the screen is simple.  Now I will agree that Microsoft made a few mistakes in the release of Windows 8.  The insistence of having no Start menu and the inability to boot the machine directly to the desktop are a couple you hear about a lot.  And these really make sense to those using the old mouse and standard screen that many used to test Windows 8.  But even these complaints make much less sense if you can simply swipe on the screen or touch an icon with your finger.  Fortunately, Microsoft was listening to the criticism and added these features back in the soon to be released Windows 8.1 version as a free update.

I have until recently been talking about Windows 8 in a similar vein.  I tested it when it was released on existing hardware and found all the problems and difficulties to be valid.  I recommended people I work with to seek out a Windows 7 machine (which are still available from Dell Small Business) and skip the Windows 8 “experience”  But this past weekend I picked up a low cost Windows 8  convertible machine with a touch display and I have to say that just these few days have made me change my opinion.

A convertible laptop is a tablet screen that can be docked into a keyboard to make it function like a more traditional laptop.  This style of machine is a mix of older hardware, with a trackpad and keyboard, and newer touch screen technology.  It allows the undocking of the screen, which really contains the computer, and allows its use as a tablet.  With Windows 8, this type of computer is a perfect combination (listen up Apple). Using the tablet with Windows 8 is a real pleasure.  While I am not yet a fan of the Metro style interface, I can see how things are supposed to function in Windows 8.  Then when I need a keyboard, docking the unit back to the keyboard dock, which has an additional battery that recharges the tablet, is a fine way to work on older Windows applications.  The specific unit I have used has a less than optimal touch pad but other than that, works in traditional fashion very well.

Now that I have used this device, I must say my Windows 8 recommendations are a little different.  I am not as skeptical that Microsoft missed the mark.  I really think that Microsoft may be thinking a little too far ahead for the traditional Windows computer user.  In an effort to get ahead of the curve, Windows 8 really caters itself to new generation hardware.  In its current release, it makes computers without touch capability actually harder to use.  Windows 8.1 will assist by adding a few requests from the masses but it still will not make it all work easily without touch.

My recommendations on Windows 8

Do not upgrade a standard Windows 7 machine to Windows 8.  Wait for your next computer purchase to make a change

If you need to purchase a new computer with Windows 8 now, only consider machines (desktop or laptop) with a touch screen display

If you want to purchase a new standard machine without touch, wait until later this year when Windows 8.1 is released to ease some of the frustration

It’s time to give Microsoft a break here on Windows 8 and look at it in the context of what it was intended to run on.  If you do that, your Windows 8 experience will be much improved and you may actually grow to like the changes just like I have.

As for my beloved Apple…. watch this convertible form factor.  I would love a Mac with a touch display that could be undocked to run as an iPad.  Now that would be really cool.

IdeatabThe Lenovo Ideatab Lynx

The Lenovo Ideatab Lynx is a tablet computer running full Windows 8.  It has an optional keyboard dock that makes it into a convertible style laptop.  With an Atom processor, 2gb ram, and 64gb solid state disk, it is not a powerhouse by today’s standards but runs Windows 8 and all standard office applications very well.

Want to access your home web camera but your IP address continues to change?

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Screen Shot 2013-07-05 at 9.49.26 AMIn todays connected world, many people would like to be able to access their computer, DVR, webcam or camera system remotely without having to remember a confusing (and ever changing) IP address? DynDNS is a great option for those who need Dynamic DNS and Remote Access capabilities without any bells, whistles or fireworks.

What Does It Do?

DynDNS Pro allows you to assign an easy to remember hostname (such as yourname.dyndns.org) to your location’s IP address. By installing an update client on a device at that location, your hostname is automatically updated whenever the IP address changes, ensuring you can access your device remotely at any time.

Most internet service providers charge you extra to provide a fixed IP address that does not change. Others don’t make that an option at all. DynDNS allows you to get around those restrictions and still get access to devices in your home or business. This service works in conjunction with a good router or firewall in your location. THink of the router as the locking system for your internet. And DynDNS as map of how to get to your front door.
After signing up and paying a low one year subscription rate of $25, you download a small client piece of software that you run on your Mac or Windows machine. The software needs to run on a machine that will be left on all the time. This software senses your external IP address provided by your internet service provider and sends it to the DynDNS service. On the service you setup a permanent url with DynDNS as the access point for your network. An example might be http://myhouse.dyndns.org. The software you have installed on your computer checks for the actual IP address you are using from your service provider every 5 minutes. Lets say for example it is 100.120.130.140. It then tells the DynDNS service that the url ttp://myhouse.dyndns.org is at the ip address 100.120.130.140.

To access the devices in your location, you simply configure them for http://myhouse.dyndns.org rather than the ip address numbers. DynDNS does the network address translation to rout any requested traffic to your location front door. Once at the door, port forwarding on your router needs to be configured to provide the necessary secure access. This process may sound difficult but a networking professional could assist you in setting it up.

With a service like DynDNS you can get access to those security cameras, network storage devices, or DVRs easily from anywhere in the worls. When you service provider will not give you a fixed IP address for a reasonable cost, DynDNS can come to your rescue and make your connections work.

Taking your Photos Beyond iPhoto

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Elements 1Do you want to do more with your photos than iPhoto can do?  Perhaps make some edits to the photo itself or a portion of the photo?  I previously wrote how Lightroom from Adobe might be an answer for your photo needs.  I believe for many people looking to move forward from iPhoto, it is.  But some users have a need to be able to edit a portion of a photo.  In that case, Photoshop Elements may be the right tool to use for this need.

iPhoto gives you the ability to make some terrific modifications to your photos.  If you need to adjust the color or saturation of a photo, it gives you great tools to be able to deal with these kinds of corrections.  But what if you need to make a change to the image itself?  Perhaps you need to fix the color of only a portion of the image.  To do this you need additional tools.

The industry standard for such work is Photoshop.  Photoshop gives a professional photographer the ability make nearly any change to an image that could be dreamed of.  But Adobe Photoshop is an expensive program that can only be obtained on an ongoing subscription basis at $29/month and it has a steep learning curve.

Fortunately, Adobe recognizes that the photo enthusiast cannot spend this much money to do minor edits to their photos.  Adobe also sells a product called Photoshop Elements.  Elements provide much of the ability to make modifications to photos that an amateur photographer might need.  In addition, they also provide additional tools that make typical modifications you might want to make even easier.  As good as iPhoto is, there are times it is just not quite enough and elements gives you those extra tools you need to save that all important shot.

Some of the great features in Elements include:

  • Cookie cutter tool
  • Smart brush tool
  • Photomerge modes, like Group Shot, Scene Cleaner, Faces, and Style Match
  • Guided Edits and Quick Fix mode
  • Automatically divide scanned photos when using a scanner
  • Photo creation templates for photo books, greeting cards, calendars, and more.
  • Easy online sharing options for Facebook, Flickr, etc.

Adobe sells Photoshop Elements for $99 in a box but you can often find it for as low as $69 from the at Amazon.  Elements is cross platform with the same license so it will run on Windows or Mac with no problem.

If you are looking for the next tool to put into your photo fixing bag of tricks, elements might just be the one for you.  At the lower cost, it is a great way to begin looking at serious photo editing and provides the easy to use tools to get those fixes right the first time.

To find out more about Photoshop Elements 11, check out the features from Adobe’s web site at the link provided.

My Windows 8 Laptop makes no Sound

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Q: My Windows 8 computer says it cannot find any Audio hardware on my Laptop.  It used to make sounds but now does not.  Is this a hardware issue or a software issue?

A:  It could be either but we should be able to easily tell.  To do this we need to look into Device Manager.  In windows 7, it was as easy as going to control panels but Windows 8 is a little different.

Before proceeding, I would first make sure the volume is turned up using the keyboard key on the machine.

Now, Follow these easy steps to open Device Manager in Windows 8 from the Control Panel:

1.From the Start screen, swipe up and tap the All apps icon.  If you have a mouse, right-click on the Start screen and then click All apps.

2.Once on the Apps screen, scroll or swipe to the right until you see the Windows System heading.

3.Tap or click on Control Panel, located under Windows System.  Windows 8 will bring up the Desktop and automatically open the Control Panel.

4.Tap or click on the Hardware and Sound link.

Sound Driver

Note: You won’t see Hardware and Sound if your Control Panel view is set to Large icons or Small icons. In your case, just tap or click on Device Manager and then move on to Step 6.

5.In the Hardware and Sound window, click or tap Device Manager, located under the Devices and Printers heading.

6. In Device Manger , you need to look for The Audio portion as shown in the image.  We are looking for any of those to show with an X, a yellow triangle, or a red mark.

 

If the Audio devices are completely missing from Device manager, it is likely a hardware issue with the laptop and you should call the manufacturer.  It the devices show up but have an X, a yellow triangle, or a red mark by them, it usually means it is a driver issue. To fix this you would double click on the device, choose the driver tab, and update the driver.  If this does not fix it, the next thing to try is to uninstall the driver from the same location and reboot the machine.  Windows should then reinstall the driver on the next boot.

Is this Spam?

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Here is a little trick to help you determine if an email sent to you is real or a spam email.  Most of these emails that make you question whether they’re real, include a web link in them. The web link is usually written out so that you can see the entire link.  People sending out spam have realized that if you see the link, and it looks real, the odds of you clicking on it are much greater. Your mail program gives you the ability to help determine whether those links are really real. If you hover over the link with your pointer or cursor, a link will pop up showing where that link actually really takes you.

Take a look at the example below:

Screen Shot 2013-06-11 at 8.04.13 PMThe link in the above email looks like it goes to a page at Amazon.com. But when I hover over the mail you see that it’s actually going to a completely different place. By hovering over the link before you click it you have the opportunity to determine for yourself whether that email is probably spam, or a real email that you need to address.