ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
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Welcome to the 365th 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
Well, I've got a script working that will allow me to shorten URLs and track how many times the links are clicked. I explain it all in a blog posting. In the database table I created, I'm just collecting the date and time a link was clicked, and what the referring page was. Pretty basic. I don't plan on using it all the time as that would be too much work. I'll only use it in certain areas. It will also help me determine what content is popular
Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday was excellent! We hosted the dinner at our place, but we each did something. My parents did the turkey. Lisa and my sister Julia did a lot of the vegetables, and my others sisters brought the drinks and pickle tray. I love turkey!
After work tomorrow I'm on vacation. We're not going anywhere, so when I'm not playing with Andrew and Matthew, I expect that I'll be able to get a couple of reviews done for PCIN.
Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net
Google ETA? 300 years to index the world's info
It could take 300 years to index all the world's information and make it searchable, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt predicted on Saturday at the Association of National Advertisers annual conference in Phoenix.
" We did a math exercise and the answer was 300 years," Schmidt said in response to an audience question asking for a projection of how long the company's mission will take. "The answer is it's going to be a very long time."
Return of the $100 PC
On Sunday, CompUSA offered a $99.99 PC from America Online, similar to the $99 and free PC deals offered by Internet giants and start-ups back in 1999 and 2000 in an effort to woo customers. The PC, powered by an Intel Celeron chip and teamed with a monitor and printer, typically would have sold for $549.99, but came with $450 of instant rebates. Only five were allotted to each store.
To get one, customers had to sign up for a year of AOL at $23.90 a month.
Although the offer expired after a day, it represented a low mark for PCs in a year of substantial discounts. And if recent activity is any indication, it or similar deals will be back.
A convicted hacker debunks some myths
To many, the name Kevin Mitnick is synonymous with hacking, the cinematic sort where a snot-nosed kid thumbs his nose at authority. But, Mitnick says, the characterization is a bit overdone and the legend untrue, if not libelous.
It is true, he says, that he broke into corporate computer systems and stole source code to satisfy his curiosity, but he denies the stories that he hacked into NORAD -- North American Aerospace Defense Command -- or that he wiretapped the FBI.
Devices help the blind cross tech divide
Jerry Swerdlick runs a 15-employee company that resells computers and devices that aid people with visual, hearing, learning and other physical disabilities.
Business is really booming these days, Swerdlick said, as more and more manufacturers are building so-called assistive technology gadgets to address a wide range of special needs groups.
And while he takes bigger and bigger orders from his clients, the mere fact that he is able to spend many hours on the computer is a testament to how far assistive technology designs have come in recent years.
That's because Swerdlick is legally blind.
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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.phpPCIN.net Update Blog
http://PCIN.net/update/Sunbelt Software iHateSpam 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam4.phpMicro Solutions RoadStor Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/roadstor.phpAlbum Creator by FirmTools Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/albumcreator.php
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Move in Close
Over the past couple of weeks, I have talked about framing your subject for printing and cropping your photos using software. This week I will talk about getting close to your subject.
Moving in on a subject is a quick and easy way to make a more dramatic photograph. It isolates your subject eliminating a lot of unnecessary elements from your image. Getting close to your subject can be done either by physically moving closer to them with your camera or by zooming in. There are some reasons for either scenario that get a little more complicated than I want to approach with these tips so you should try both of them. After a while, you can get a feel which works better in different situations. Remember not to get so close that you no longer get your subject in clear focus. Also, if you are using the zoom on your camera, avoid digital zoom as it will degrade your image quality as I discussed in a previous tip.
In the above example, on the left you can see children playing in background, a tree limb which does not help the picture, and some sort of inflatable structure. The picture on the right is the same picture, cropped to show how it could have looked. All of the distracting elements from before have been removed and the subject for this photo is now clear. As well as creating a more dramatic image, getting closer to your subject will also help to eliminate bright or dark spots in your photo that could cause your camera to expose the shot wrong. In this case, becase the subjects were in the shadow of a tree with a bright background, the camera made the subject too dark as it tried to average the lighting in the scene. If I had zoomed in before taking this shot, the sujbects would have filled the viewfinder and I would not have had an exposure problem with this image.
Next week I talk about the opposite of this, backing away from your subject.
Comment on this week's Digital Photography Tip of the Week at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/10/12/digital_photography_tip_of_the_week_move
The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the vice-president of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.
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Update For MSConfig
From InsideMicrosoft Blog:
Microsoft has released an update to MSConfig, also known as the System Configuration Utility (one of the most useful utilities for Windows power users) that adds a "Tools" tab to the program. This tab links to a lot of the other useful utilities on the system, making it a one stop shop for troubleshooting your system.
(via Bink)
Random Links
These are a few links I've had bookmarked that I thought I'd pass along:
http://www.techonthenet.com/
Tech on the Net is dedicated to providing helpful advice, how-to's, and FAQs. We primarily focus on software such as: Microsoft Access, Novell, Microsoft Excel, Groupwise, SQL, UNIX, Oracle/PLSQL, Linux The information presented here is suitable for all programmers from beginner to expert. We hope you find this information useful and return to our site, as we expand our information base.http://www.pchell.com/
PC Hell: Computer Hints and Tips to bring you back from the edgehttp://jokes.comedycentral.com/
Comedy Central jokes.http://www.iliveoutdoors.com/
A great place for recipes, tips and anything outdoors. Find reviews, get answers and more.
USBMan
USB and USB 2.0 tips, tricks, reviews, news, troubleshooting, problem solving and information.
They have information by Windows version, host type (chip maker), an active forum, and more. If you have USB problems or question, check it out at http://www.usbman.com/
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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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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.
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.
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