PCIN, The PC Improvement News logo

Issue 292 - May 19, 2004

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2004
==== 1930 Subscribers in 58 Countries ====

Welcome to the 292nd issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists mainly of news and tips. There is something for everyone, and if this is your first issue, I'm sure there will be something for you. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will come back for more!

You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with any suggestions or comments.

Recommend PCIN at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php

Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php

CONTENTS

Opening Thoughts

I've received quite a few guesses about when the baby will be here and how big it will be. You can check out the guesses at http://www.wingfamily.ca/lisagraham/Baby2/

I've been playing around with my GMail account and there isn't much to say at the moment. Email is email, and it works. The only thing it seems to be lacking at the moment is a rich text or html editor. You can receive html mail (mail with formatting including colours and images, just like PCIN) and it displays properly, but you can't compose anything other than a text message. Hopefully they correct this soon.

Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net

The NEWS

Who owns your e-mail address?

"It's time for legislators to help the Internet grow up, before people start tuning out.
A recent Pew Internet & American Life survey confirms the general feeling that the hassle of using e-mail is getting closer to outweighing the benefits. This is particularly true of people for whom e-mail is not yet a significant part of their professional or personal lives. If spam retards further adoption of e-mail, it may dampen the productivity gains that e-mail and other Web technologies offer.
Spam is fundamentally a problem of property rights, which in cyberspace are loose, confusing, unprotected and, practically speaking, undefined. From a user's perspective, it is entirely unclear who really owns an e-mail address, what rights are afforded the owner and who should reap the economic benefits of an e-mail address. The same is true of an in-box."

For more info:
http://news.com.com/2010-1036_3-5214467.html

Have your Google people talk to my 'googol' people

"In the late 1930s, noted mathematician and Columbia University professor Edward Kasner was asked to come up with a name for an extraordinarily large number. While on a walk one day, he asked his 9-year-old nephew, Milton Sirotta, if he had any ideas.
'Googol,' the youngster replied.
Today, though, when most people hear the term, they are likely thinking not of Kasner, but of the popular Internet search engine, Google. And that, for some, is the problem.
Relatives of Kasner are crying foul. They believe Google has gained financially at their expense. That conviction only increased with Google's recent announcement that it will go public, hoping to raise $2.7 billion in sales of its stock. If the stock price reaches $40 per share, the founders of the company and several of its employees will be worth many millions each."

For more info:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/technology/bal-as.googol16may16,0,1939718.story

Apple seeks patent for see-through windows

"Apple Computer is looking to patent a method of making windows within the operating system translucent, a feature that Microsoft plans to add to the next version of Windows.
Translucent windows have been a steady feature of Mac OS X since its inception in 2001 and have also shown up as a planned feature for Longhorn--the next major version of Windows, due in 2006.
Apple's patent application, however, appears to focus on a particular way of doing translucency, specifically windows that become more see-through after they are unused for a period of time."

For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5214974.html

Return to the top Recommend PCIN News

POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

How often do you call for product support (either hardware or software)?

Daily 1.75 % (2)
Weekly 0.88 % (1)
Monthly 0.88 % (1)
Every couple months 6.14 % (7)
A few times a year 6.14 % (7)
Almost Never 58.77 % (67)
Never 25.44 % (29)
Total votes: 114

This Week's Poll

Do you feel there are privacy concerns with GMail or similar services?

No, I have nothing to hide
No, I trust them
Yes, I need better assurances that my information is safe
Yes, they will collect and sell my personal information
It doesn't bother me, but I do understand the concerns

You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

PCIN.net UPDATE

Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:

Updated Windows Registry Tips and Tweaks Article
http://PCIN.net/help/articles/registry_tips.php

MySlideShow 2.3 by Anix Software Software Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/myslideshow.php

Anyplace Control by Anyplace Control Software Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/anyplacecontrol.php

Inboxer 1.1 by Audiotrieve, LLC Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/inboxer.php

Microsoft Outlook Add-Ins by MAPILab Ltd. Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/mapilab.php

Return to the top Recommend PCIN.net Update

THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Pop-up Blocker Tester

PopupDummy! is a pop-up blocker which I never used. They have a page where once the pop-up blocker is installed, you can test it. This page can be used with any pop-up blocker, including the Google Toolbar, the MSN Toolbar, and the Yahoo! Toolbar. Visit http://www.dummysoftware.com/popupdummy_testpage.html to test your pop-up blocker.

GasBuddy.com

I'm sure most of you have heard of this by now as the creators of the site have been in the news all over the place. GasBuddy.com is a website that tracks gas prices in cities all over North America. You can visit the site, look up your city, and if anyone has posted a gas price, you'll see it. Anyone can post a price, so I've signed up and have posted prices for Niagara Falls (where I work) and St. Catharines (where I live). My member name is gawing and Chris' member name is DrivingLess.

Pluck RSS Feeds

"Bringing you the best of the web. Pluck's suite of integrated applications helps you search, retrieve, organize and share the best parts of the web. Pluck transforms Internet Explorer into a web workhorse! And it's free."
Robert Nelson sent me this:
"The easy way to explain it, is it 'Plucks' RSS feeds for you. You of course have to tell it which ones by basically dragging and dropping where you see the symbol. The website does a bang-up job of explaining everything better than I can.
It integrates itself into Internet Explorer(undoubtedly has to be a recent one), it alphabetizes your favorites, allows you to share items with your friends,etc (So far I like it). Go to www.pluck.com and check it out. RSS feeds so far have few if any of the problems surrounding email, it certainly isn't 'spam' as (for the most part*) you have to select it, you can easily delete feeds if you find don't like them, it updates itself .
*= there are some preselected feeds"
Thanks Robert! Check it out at http://www.pluck.com/

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Tips and Other Stuff

PCIN.net AFFILIATED SITES

Both of us have other sites other than PCIN.net. These are all sites that we are actively involved in (they aren't client sites). Don't forget to check them out from time to time for updates:

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Tips and Other Stuff

DISCLAIMER and OTHER STUFF

PCIN is brought to you by Graham Wing. The opinions expressed are those of the Editor, Graham Wing and the Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Graham Wing and Chris Empey accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.

  1. If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut and paste.
  2. To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://PCIN.net/ and follow the appropriate links.
  3. Recommend PCIN to others at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php and be entered in a monthly draw.
  4. The only way to become a subscriber is by asking. You have either filled out the subscription form or asked me directly.
  5. If you have a web site or run your own newsletter, please email me at editor@pcin.net and I will add it to the subscriber web pages that I have on my site.
  6. Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php

Return to the top

Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net

Copyright 1998-2004, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.

This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.

Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php

PC Improvement News Home Page

PC Improvement News Archive