Issue 322 - December 15, 2004
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2004
==== 2019 Subscribers in 58 Countries ====
Welcome to the 322nd 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
We are trying to post actively to the PCIN
Updates blog. We try to post a couple of things everyday. The biggest
problem we've had is that Blogger isn't
always reliable. As we have a chance we'll be looking into alternatives (WordPress, Movable
Type, etc) that we can host ourselves. Please check out the blog, subscribe
to the feed, and start to add your comments to our posts. It's what being
part of a community is all about!
The newsletter delivery problems are fixed! So, what have you missed over
the last many weeks? Here are a few highlights:
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
The NEWS
Suit claims software shouldn't be copyrighted
"Computer software should not be protected by copyright laws designed
for music, literature and other creative works, according to a lawsuit filed
in a U.S. court in San Francisco.
Intellectual-property consultant Greg Aharonian hopes to convince the court
that software makers can protect their products adequately through patents,
which provide more comprehensive protection, but are difficult to obtain
and expire in a shorter period of time."
For more info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6711179/
Louisiana town awaits telephone age
"It's no secret what the 15 householders in this tiny settlement want
for Christmas: the same thing they have always wanted year round--telephones.
Not bag phones, the primitive portable stopgap often carried around in a
canvas case, which send residents out in their pickups searching for service "hot
spots," but real telephones wired to a land line.
Alexander Graham Bell's invention of 1876 never reached Mink, a onetime trappers'
paradise in the Kisatchie National Forest in west-central Louisiana, although
neighbors just down the road on Highways 117 and 118 were wired for telephones
in the 1970s."
For more info
http://news.com.com/2100-1037_3-5488277.html
Students shun search for information offline
"Go to Google, search and scroll results, click and copy.
When students do research online these days, many educators worry, those
are often about the only steps they take. If they can avoid a trip to the
library at all, many students gladly will.
Young people may know that just because information is plentiful online doesn't
mean it's reliable, yet their perceptions of what's trustworthy frequently
differ from their elders' -- sparking a larger debate about what constitutes
truth in the Internet age."
For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/12/09/awaysonline.reliable.ap/index.html
POLL of the WEEK
Last Week's Poll
How do you feel about all-in-one devices?
I own one, and love it |
|
20 % (16) |
I own one, but wish I didn't |
|
1 % (1) |
I would like to get one to save the space |
|
16 % (13) |
I prefer higher-quality individual devices |
|
56 % (44) |
What's an all-in-one device |
|
6 % (5) |
Total votes: 79 |
This Week's Poll
You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/
PCIN.net UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
PCIN.net Update Blog
http://PCIN.net/update/
Sunbelt Software iHateSpam 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam4.php
Micro Solutions RoadStor Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/roadstor.php
Album Creator by FirmTools Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/albumcreator.php
Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant, Second
Edition Book Review
http://PCIN.net/help/books/w2kapcse.php
THE TIPS and OTHER
STUFF
Google Suggest
Always thinking of new ways to search, Google has a new beta feature out.
It's a twist on autocomplete. As you enter your search terms in the Google
Search box, Google will automatically suggest possible search terms for you
and show the number of results in that search.
Check it out at http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
Christmas Origami
Here is some Christmas fun...
http://www.origami-club.com/xmas/
Click on any of the 16 designs
On the next page, the orange button brings up instructions on how to make
it. It is in Japanese, but you should be able to follow the diagrams on how
to fold. The purple button brings up an animation of how to do it. You can
just click the play button to watch it.
Does your browsing history say anything about you?
I've seen this mentioned around KC's
blog mainly, where she links to others who did, who in turn link to
many others).
"Clear the address bar in your browser, type in every letter of the alphabet,
and list out what is the first URL on the history list."
Here's a sampling of mine:
A - adobe.com/acrobat
B - blogger.com
E - eweek.com
J - nothing
L - ldscatalog.com
O - origami-club.com/xmas
R - RupertsKids.org
V - v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Digital Photo Printing Worksheet
I recently had a print made from my digital camera. The lab incorrectly
processed the print larger than I wanted, and I was afraid the image would
have lost quality. If I had this
worksheet by craigfroehle.com, I would have known the print would still
look great (which it did). The Digital
Photo Printing Worksheet lets you put in your image dimensions in pixels,
then tells you how large a print you can make from that file.
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:
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.
- If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut
and paste.
- To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://PCIN.net/ and
follow the appropriate links.
- Recommend PCIN to others at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php and
be entered in a monthly draw.
- The only way to become a subscriber is by asking. You have either filled
out the subscription form or asked me directly.
- 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.
- Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php or
by clicking on the PayPal link below:
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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.
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
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