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Issue 351 - July 06, 2005

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2066 Subscribers in 59 Countries ====

Welcome to the 350th 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

One of the women at work is getting married in November, so I put together a countdown for her. I know it doesn't look that pretty, but the page only took me a couple of minutes to put together. Both the countdown and the guestbook were open source scripts, and I already had the web hosting space. Of course the pictures were taken by Chris.

On Saturday we celebrated Matthew's first birthday! We can't believe he's already a year. We always thought Andrew was good natured and happy, but Matthew tops him. He's always smiling and laughing. We'll be celebrating Andrew's third birthday in a couple of weeks. We'll be looking forward to the end of the terrible twos (we hope)!

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

The NEWS

Amazon.com Sitting Pretty 10 Years Later

Soon after Amazon.com Inc. debuted 10 years ago, Jeff Bezos and his handful of employees spent late summer nights packing books in a tiny warehouse, scrambling to ship a growing gush of orders. Today, the man who has grown accustomed to being hailed the king of Internet commerce runs a global powerhouse that did nearly $7 billion in sales last year, dealing in everything from banjo cases to wild boar baby back ribs.
As more businesses beef up their online operations, is the company that helped get it all started in danger of seeing its dominance eroded by the competitors it helped spawn?
Time will tell, but industry experts say Amazon is well positioned to maintain a firm grip on its title as the undisputed e-commerce leader.

For more info:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&e=1&u=/ap/20050705/ap_on_hi_te/decade_of_amazon
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/05/amazon_com_sitting_pretty_10_years_later

Wi-Fi cloaks a new breed of intruder

Richard Dinon saw the laptop's muted glow through the rear window of the SUV parked outside his home. He walked closer and noticed a man inside.
Then the man noticed Dinon and snapped his computer shut.
Maybe it's census work, the 28-year-old veterinarian told his girlfriend. An hour later, Dinon left to drive her home. The Chevy Blazer was still there, the man furtively hunched over his computer.
Dinon returned at 11 p.m. and the men repeated their strange dance.
Fifteen minutes later, Dinon called police.

For more info:
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/04/State/Wi_Fi_cloaks_a_new_br.shtml
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/06/wi_fi_cloaks_a_new_breed_of_intruder

Supercomputer for Dodgy Tickers

Doctors here in Beantown may soon turn to one of the world's fastest supercomputers as an aid to fixing bum tickers and removing formerly inoperable tumors.
A new IBM BlueGene supercomputer, recently installed at Boston University, could give surgeons real-time, 3-D visualizations of patients' internal organs as they implant lifesaving devices or direct robotic instruments through tricky procedures, scientists said.

For more info:
http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,67992,00.html
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/04/supercomputer_for_dodgy_tickers

More computer classes urged for kids

Even in a nation where most every school has Internet access and computer use often starts by nursery school, teachers of technology see a warning message flashing.
For students in elementary and secondary schools, states have few developed standards or required courses in computer science - a field that goes beyond basic literacy to encompass hardware and software design, real-world applications and computers' effect on society.

For more info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8464273/

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

How do you pay for most of your purchases online?

A personal credit card 73 % (56)
A business credit card 3 % (2)
PayPal (or similar) 9 % (7)
Check in the mail 3 % (2)
Other 4 % (3)
I don't buy things online 9 % (7)
Total votes: 77

This Week's Poll

What kind of display does your computer have?

CRT (picture tube) monitor
Flat Panel (TFT, LCD, etc)

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

GIF Tutorial

The Office Tips and Hints Blog links to Sheepfilms.co.uk:

David Packer has a web site at Sheepfilms.co.uk .
The site has a collection of strange and funny short films and animations.
If you would like to learn how to create a GIF mini movie, he's written a tutorial:

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/06/gif_tutorial

Best of Google Answers

I heard about this site on Google Blogoscoped. You may recall that Google Answers is a service that Google offers. You ask a question and pay, and they essentially have someone do some research for you. Apparently, once the research has been done, the answers are available for all to see. Best of Google Answers is a blog where the blogger highlights some of the best questions/answers. The posts can be sporadic, but they are great links. In particular, the one highlighted in Google Blogoscoped was Wonders of being a baby in the womb - and before!. The answer is quite indepth and links to all sorts of great resources.

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/06/best_of_google_answers

Computers.net

Welcome to Computers.net, a website designed to help regular people use and understand computers more easily. Most websites focused around computers are designed for the technically talented. The purpose of Computers.net, however, is to help those of us who need computer help without the techie mumbo-jumbo.

It's a pretty good site with lots of information. It is essentially a blog with daily tips. Check it out at http://www.computers.net/

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/06/computers_net

Free news content

I wasn't sure what to call this post. I get really annoyed when I go to websites and they require me to register to view free content. I get even more annoyed when sites charge you for content. This little trick doesn't work with every site, but it does work with many of them. If you don't want to register (or pay), then do a search for the headline of the article at your favourite news site (I use Google News). Often if you get to the content via another site, you can read the articles. This works for me with The Globe and Mail, one of the daily national newspapers in Canada. Recently they started charging for some of their content. I enjoy reading the columns of William Houston, a sports columnist. Only about 10% of his articles are free. I've found that if I do a search for the headline at Google News, and click on the link, I can read the article for free.

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/07/06/free_news_content

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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