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Issue 287 - April 14, 2004

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2004
==== 2177 Subscribers in 60 Countries ====

Welcome to the 287th 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 hope everyone had a Happy Easter! I worked Friday, Saturday, and Monday, but we still had a nice family dinner on Sunday. My sister Alisa came down from Toronto with her husband Jason and of course everyone in town was here as well. My Mom made fantastic ham. I just can't get enough! Saturday was Alisa's 32nd birthday, so we also celebrated that. Another sister, Julia, has a birthday on the 19th. When you're 1 of 6 kids, with 3 of us married, and 2 of us with kids, there are a lot of birthdays!

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

The NEWS

Is the tech world partying like it's 1999?

"Stock splits? Bidding wars on handhelds? Free stuff? The tech world is showing signs of having boarded a time machine set for 1999.
A resurgent economy and increased technology spending have revived--on a small scale, at least--some of the gung-ho business tactics and giddy public behavior of the dot-com era. While no one expects the blind optimism of that era to return, many of the trappings are certainly back."

For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-5187609.html

Lindows changes OS name to Linspire

"Embattled Linux-based software vendor Lindows.com Inc. formally changed the name of its desktop operating system from LindowsOS to "Linspire" on Wednesday, after a two-year trademark dispute with Microsoft Corp.
The San Diego company said it renamed its OS (operating system) product in an effort to end Microsoft's international legal attacks. The Redmond, Washington, software giant has sued Lindows for trademark infringement in several countries over the similarity between the Windows and Lindows names.
Despite court victories in the U.S. and other countries, a name change is still necessary to counter Microsoft's strategy of suing Lindows around the world, company Chief Executive Officer Michael Robertson said in a statement.

For more info:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/04/14/HNlinspire_1.html

Righting copywrongs

"While Canada's content creators pored over a controversial Federal Court of Canada ruling that seemed to set ideas about ownership of intellectual property on its head, Lawrence Lessig, Stanford Law School professor, author, and influential voice for copyright reform in the United States, was out proving that free downloads and fewer restrictions can be a creator's best friend.
On March 31, the Federal Court ruled that sharing digital music files over the Internet did not infringe on copyright rules. Some filmmakers, TV broadcasters, authors, software publishers and other content creators wondered if their work was still copyright-protected under Canadian law.
The ruling sparked a debate on Canada's editorial pages and Internet chat rooms about the rights of creators to control their work."

For more info:
http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040412.wxlessig12/BNStory/Technology/

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POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

How much do you pay for Internet access monthly?

$10 and under 11.76 % (16)
$11 - $20 11.76 % (16)
$21 - $30 11.03 % (15)
$30 - $40 23.53 % (32)
$40 - $50 34.56 % (47)
More than $50 6.62 % (9)
Nothing, it's free 0.74 % (1)
Nothing, don't have Internet access 0.00 % (0)
Total votes: 136

This Week's Poll

Do you have any internet-enabled appliances?

Yes
No, I didn't know they had such a thing
No, why would anyone want that?
What does that mean?

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

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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

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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Add details to Microsoft Office files

Most people just save their Word or Excel file without thinking much about it. Sometimes they don't even bother to come up with good file names. Well, if you are interested, you can provide more detail. With your file open, choose the File menu and choose Properties. The summary tab alls you to add basic information such as title, subject, author (most likely already filled in), manager, and company. You can also add keywords. The Custom tab lets you add almost any other property you can think of. Check it out!

Change column views in XP

In the "old" days of Windows operating systems, you could only view name, size, type, date modified, and maybe attributes when you viewed a folder in detail view. Windows XP lets you view much more than this. Right-click on a column header when in detail view, and you'll see a long list of other details you can show, including title, subject, comments, owner, track, etc. Of course not all files will have all properties, but you can play around and see what works for you.

The Subservient Chicken

"Visitors to the site will find a person in a chicken suit, standing in the middle of what looks to be a somewhat ragged-looking living room. Beneath the chicken is a box to type in your request for the chicken, along with the slogan 'Get chicken the way you want it. Type in your command here.'
Input a suggestion into the box, and then wait to see if the chicken (or person in a chicken suit) will cooperate. Start off by typing 'riverdance' or 'throw pillows' and then let your imagination run wild. There are a lot of things the chicken won't do (and that is probably a good thing), but SubservientChicken.com is a fun distraction."
Read more about it at http://www.snopes.com/business/market/chicken.asp or see it for yourself at http://www.subservientchicken.com/

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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:

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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.

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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.

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