PCIN, The PC Improvement News logo

Issue 382 - February 08, 2006

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 2037 Subscribers in 57 Countries ====

Welcome to the 382nd 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.

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Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php

CONTENTS

Opening Thoughts

I think that only half of you received last week's PCIN. If you for some reason you've missed an issue, for the next week after deliver, you can always view the latest issue online, and if it is beyond that, you can always find it in the archives.

I've made a change to the home page of PCIN. For several years I've essentially had the same blurb about what PCIN means. Well, how is that going to make someone return? It won't, and so I finally made a change. I've kept the PCIN.net Site Updates and the Industry News sections, but now added Top 10 Recent Tips or News from the PCIN.net Update Blog and Top 10 All-time Tips or News from the PCIN.net Update Blog. These may evolve a bit over time as I figure out new ways to present it, but I want to make the main page something worth visiting regularly.

As he mentioned last week, Chris is off this week, and so there isn't a regular Digital Photography Tip of the Week but in it's place is a listing of the tips since he's started.

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

The NEWS

Teams give IT a sporting chance

Could the jocks and the nerds of the world unite? With the amount of technology that is popping up all over the world of professional sports, the answer seems to be a definite "yes".
The level of technology adoption by sports teams lags that of other larger industries, in part because the members of this sector are, head-count-wise, small businesses. IT nevertheless has the potential to give teams the critical competitive advantage they need to beat the competition.

Read the Computer World Canada article...
Leave a comment...

Beware of Internet trespass

Information technology continues to advance at warp speed, and the law struggles to catch up.
When new laws have not yet been enacted to address emerging areas of Internet disputes, courts are called upon to try to use and mold ancient legal theories to achieve high-tech resolution. Trespass is one of the ancient legal theories relied upon more and more by courts that are grappling with Internet cases.

Read the TechRepublic article...
Leave a comment...

What happens to your e-mail when you die?

The death of a loved one is never easy, but death in the digital age can create knotty problems that add to the anguish.
Just ask Roger van Oosten.
" My father had a niche Internet business," he says. "When he died last year at 71, he left no provision for the business. I couldn't access his accounts or pay suppliers, and I couldn't shut the business down. People run their lives through Outlook, but I couldn't access that either, so I couldn't reach his customers to inform them that he'd died."

Read the MSNBC/Forbes article...
Leave a comment...

Pixel Counting Joins Film in Obsolete Bin

If you work in the camera industry, February is an exciting month. That's when you head down to Florida for the annual Photo Marketing Association convention, where your company will unveil its latest camera models, thus making the ones everybody got for Christmas obsolete.
But this February is more exciting than most. Big changes are in the photographic air.

Read the New York Times article...
Leave a comment...

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PCIN.net UPDATE

Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:

Microsoft Digital Image Suite Plus Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/msdimagesuiteplus.php

Omega One Software Battery Pack Pro 2.1 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/bpp2.php

Makayama Interactive DVD to Pocket PC 3.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/dvd2ppc3.php

Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/elements40.php

Norris Family Industry ActiveEarth 2.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/activeearth2.php

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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

The best of the Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Chris is off on vacation this week, so I've chosen 5 of his tips that have been very popular. You can read those tips by clicking the links below, or you can view the entire Digital Photography Tips category on the PCIN.net Update blog.

Shooting at Night, Part 2

Shooting At Night, Part 1

Curves and Diagonals

Photographing Snow

Rule of Thirds

Chris will be back next week with the third and final installment on the night photography series. He will talk about using flash at night, 2nd curtain sync (night mode), dragging the shutter, magic hour and he will have examples of some very nice night photography to share.

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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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Using the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility in Windows XP

From TechRepublic:

Not able to remove or uninstall an application in Windows XP using either the Uninstall option or the Add/Remove Programs tool? Try using the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. As long as you installed the application using the Windows Installer, this utility will remove all the folders, files, registry keys, and entries from your system and allow you to start over with a clean slate.
I haven't tried it, but it sounds very promising. Check it out...

Leave a comment...

Windows XP encryption

I recently had someone email me asking for help with the built-in Windows XP encryption options. This lets you encrypt a file so that only you as the logged in user can see it. Another user, including an administrator, can't read the file. The Encrypted File System (EFS) is not available in Windows XP Home. It is only part of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003.

Here are some helpful links if you want to learn more about EFS:

Windows XP Pro: Using File Encryption - part 1
http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/computing/windows/xpencrypt1.htm
note there are 4 other parts that you can find from the 1st part

Free file encryption with the Windows XP Encrypted File System (EFS)
http://www.iopus.com/guides/efs.htm

How To Encrypt a Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308989/

How To Encrypt a File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307877

Google Search for windows xp encryption

Leave a comment...

FeedDemon 2.0 Beta

RSS Feed Reader for Windows Simplify the way you read the web! Stop wasting time checking your favorite web sites for updates. Use FeedDemon instead, and make them come to you.
FeedDemon 2.0 is currently in beta. You can download the beta version from the Bradbury Software web site.

Leave a comment...

Other Tips and Other Stuff

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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:

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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 1998-2006, 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.

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