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Issue 332 - February 23, 2005

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2028 Subscribers in 59 Countries ====

Welcome to the 332nd 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

Graham is on vacation so I am sending out the newsletter this week. As Graham has previously mentioned, I have been busy with my new house, first cleaning, then patching walls, now unpacking. I had some electrical work done followed by insulation (blown from the inside) so I have a lot of patching left to complete. I am still working on picking paint colours, but painting will be the next project, first the living room and dining room, then the master bedroom.

I will be posting some images shot around the house on my Photo of the Day site a little later this week. In the meantime, we are working on a few new reviews, so look for those in the coming weeks.

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

The NEWS

Spam Costs World Businesses $50 Billion

"Spam will cost the world $50 billion in lost productivity and other expenses a research firm said Wednesday, with more than a third of that -- $17 billion -- wasted by U.S. firms.
According to San Francisco-based Ferris Research's newest report, spam's cost is primarily in lost worker time as employees filter spam, deal with false positives, and query corporate help desks for assistance with the plague."

For more info:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/security/60402962

Sony to Withdraw from Personal Digital Assistants

"Sony Corp. said on Wednesday it would stop making personal digital assistants for Japan in July, completing its withdrawal from a market hit by multi-functional cellphones and casting a shadow over the tools' growth potential.'"

For more info:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1768838,00.asp

Courts question anti-piracy rule

"The US broadcast regulator has been told by appeal judges it has "crossed the line" with an anti-piracy tag which stops programmes being copied.
The "broadcast flag" is a small bit of data attached to US digital broadcasts. It tells devices that receive digital signals the level of copy protection."

For more info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4290315.stm

HP sued over printer cartridge expiration

"A Georgia woman has sued Hewlett-Packard Co. , claiming the ink cartridges for their printers are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date, in some cases rendering them useless before they are even installed in a printer.
The suit filed in Santa Clara Superior Court in northern California last Thursday seeks to represent anyone in the United States who purchased an H-P inkjet printer since Feb. 2001. H-P is the world's No. 1 computer printer maker."

For more info:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7012754/

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

Results for "What file-sharing program do you use to download files?" Poll

Kazaa 4 % (3)
Kazaa Lite 7 % (6)
eMule 1 % (1)
WinMX 13 % (11)
BitTorrent 5 % (4)
Usenet Groups 2 % (2)
Other 12 % (10)
I don't download files that I would need these programs for 56 % (48)
Total votes: 85

This Week's Poll

Do you think file sharing has hurt the entertainment industry?

Yes
Yes, though not as much as the industry claims
No
No, I think it helps promote the entertainers
I don't know

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:

VMware Inc. VMware Workstation 4.5 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/vmware45.php

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

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Online Crosswords

In December, we mentioned OneAcross, a site that provides answers to crossword puzzle clues. There are also many sites that offer crossword to play online. Search Google.com for some or try these:
http://www.bestcrosswords.com
http://www.suntimes.com/crossword/
http://games.yahoo.com/games/cw.hf2k

Windows Key Shortcuts

Windows offers users a lot of shortcuts to help easy their computing experience. Most people are already familiar with CTRL + X (cut), CTRL + C (copy) and CTRL + V, (paste).

You can find the Windows Key on your keyboard on the bottom row between the CTRL (Control) and ALT (Alternate) Keys on either side of the keyboard. Pressing the key by itself will display the Windows start menu.

Windows Key + R - Launch the Run Dialog Box
Windows Key + D - Show Desktop (Pressing it again reverses the action)
Windows Key + M - Minimize all open Windows
Windows Key + Shift + M - Restore all open windows to their previous state
Windows Key + F1 - Start Windows Help
Windows Key + E - Start Windows Explorer
Windows Key + F - Launch the Find Files Dialog Box
Windows Key + CTRL + F - Launch the Find Computers Dialog Box
Windows Key + TAB - Cycle through the TaskBar buttons. (Enter on a button to select)
Windows Key + Pause/Break - Display System Properties.
Windows Key + U - Display the Accessibility Option Utility Manager (Windows 2000 and later).

There are many keyboard shortcuts that can help improve you efficiency while working with the computer. Any time you can stop from moving your hand away from the keyboard to grab the mouse, you will save a second or two. Doesn't seem like much, but in the end, it will make a big difference.

Selective Startup using MSConfig

Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows XP all have a utility that can be used to help troubleshoot computer issues. MSConfig allows you to selectively disable programs from your computer startup without directly editing the registry. This easy utility can be found by pressing the Start button, choosing Run, the typing MSCONFIG in the RUN dialog box.

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

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 Poll of the Week

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 1998-2005, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.

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