PCIN, The PC Improvement News logo

Issue 348 - June 15, 2005

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2065 Subscribers in 59 Countries ====

Welcome to the 348th 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

This Sunday is Father's Day. My father is going to be in Miami visiting my brother, so I'm not totally sure yet what we'll be doing. We'll be seeing Lisa's father on Saturday at the Metro Toronto Zoo. We may stay here at home, or spend the afternoon in Toronto with my sister.

We've been very busy at work. Several offices are being switched around, so we've been pulling new wiring, moving desks, moving computers, etc. I never would have thought that standing on a ladder would wear me out so much. Oh well, it helps the day go by fast.

After a couple of weeks of 30° C weather, we've finally gotten some rain and it is a little cooler. I like the warm weather, but it's only the middle of June. We've got lots of time for the scorchers!

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

The NEWS

Pac-Man chomps up milestone

For a video game, Pac-Man is getting downright old. The ghost-wary hero with an insatiable appetite for dots turns 25 this month.
From the early 1980s "Pac-Mania" to today's endless sequels and rip-offs, the original master of maze management remains a bright yellow circle on the cultural radar.
But there was more to Pac-Man's broad appeal than eating dots and dodging on-screen archrivals Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde.

For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.games/06/15/pac.man.25.ap/index.html
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/15/pac_man_chomps_up_milestone

Looking for zombies? Try AOL, report says

Internet "zombie" attacks that attempt to knock computer systems offline are more likely to come from users of America Online than any other source, according to a report released by a security company on Tuesday.
AOL and other large Internet service providers serve as launching pads for most "denial of service" attacks, according to Prolexic Technologies, which helps companies fend off such attacks.

For more info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8219398/
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/15/looking_for_zombies_try_aol_report_says

What's Really Behind the Apple-Intel Alliance

Nearly a quarter-century ago, Apple Computer ran a snarky ad after its onetime rival encroached on its territory: "Welcome, I.B.M. Seriously." This week, however, Steven P. Jobs had a different message for Big Blue, which had since become a chief ally: "Goodbye. Seriously."
Mr. Jobs, 50, a co-founder of Apple, is famously brash and mercurial. Even so, the Apple faithful - not to mention I.B.M. itself - were caught by surprise by Apple's decision to end its 14-year relationship with I.B.M. and team with Intel for its computer chip needs.
The buzz that began Monday among developers, bloggers, analysts and Apple followers trying to guess Mr. Jobs' true designs has not let up. After all, Mr. Jobs is a legend in no small part because he defied the monster combination that is Wintel - as the digerati call the Windows and Intel alliance - and lived to talk about it.

For more info:
http://tinyurl.com/bpkok

Technology Can't Fix Trust Breach

"There is a monster data market of information from sources that aren't supposed to have that information," says Jeff Moss, president of Black Hat, a Seattle-based computer security training and conference firm. "Inside employees who are misbehaving are very hard to stop," he says. "It's very frustrating."
In the recent cases of customer data sales by bank employees, employers came face to face with their biggest security challenge: trusting their employees.
"It's pretty much the toughest security problem to deal with," says Rich Mogull, research vice president at Gartner Latest News about Gartner, Phoenix.

For more info:
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/HAl4bTt494dLGv/Technology-Cant-Fix-Trust-Breach.xhtml
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/15/technology_can_t_fix_trust_breach

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

How do you get pictures off your digital camera?

I use the software that came with the camera 33 % (33)
Windows XP detects my camera and does it for me 22 % (22)
I use a card reader 35 % (35)
I don't have a digital camera 9 % (9)
Total votes: 99

This Week's Poll

How many megapixels does your digital camera have?

1 megapixel
2 megapixels
3 megapixels
4 megapixels
5 megapixels
6 megapixels
7 megapixels
8 megapixels
> 8 megapixels
I don't have a digital camera

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

A Search Engine for Acronyms

From ResearchBuzz:
Esus has announced the release of Acronyma, a search engine with an index of over 450,000 acronyms and abbreviations. It's available at http://www.acronyma.com/.
You may search in several different languages, and you may search by word or by acronym. I searched for the acronym Yahoo and got one result (Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle). I searched for Perl and got four results, then searched for Pine and got three results (including the expected "Pine is Not Elm".) Results are listed by relevance/importance or alphabetically as you prefer.

Comment on this tip at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/11/a_search_engine_for_acronyms

Slimming Down Windows XP

I saw this in the latest issue of LangaList.
A person who goes by the screen name BoldFortune has posted a very lengthy message to a forum that he runs that details steps on how to reduce the size of Windows XP. He claims it took him 4 years to gather this all together. Check it out at http://hollow-refuge.net/Bold/viewtopic.php?t=229.

Comment on this tip at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/09/slimming_down_windows_xp

Get the ultimate list of Microsoft keyboard shortcuts

Another great tip from Ed Bott's blog:
You say you hate to take your hands off the keyboard to click the mouse? Then you'll love this master list of keyboard shortcuts covering a long, long list of Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer 6 and nearly every program in the Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 families. If you use Windows XP Media Center Edition, be sure to get this one.

Comment on this tip at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/15/et_the_ultimate_list_of_microsoft_keyboa

List All Files

The Office Tips and Hints blog has a great post about how to use a macro in Word to create a list of all the files in a certain folder:
Here is a macro that will produce a list of all the files in a selected folder.
* The folder name for the listed files
* The file names of the files found
* The file sizes of the files found
* The dates and times of the files found
* The total number of files listed
The posting shows what it will look like and gives you the code for the macro.

Comment on this tip at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/06/15/list_all_files

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.

  1. If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut and paste.
  2. To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://PCIN.net/ and follow the appropriate links.
  3. Recommend PCIN to others at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php and be entered in a monthly draw.
  4. The only way to become a subscriber is by asking. You have either filled out the subscription form or asked me directly.
  5. 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.
  6. Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php or by clicking on the PayPal link below:

Return to the top

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

PC Improvement News Home Page

PC Improvement News Archive