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Issue 399 - June 07, 2006

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 1609 Subscribers in 51 Countries ====

Welcome to the 399th 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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CONTENTS

Opening Thoughts

It looks like the world survived 666 day. The world didn't blow up, the lion and the lamb were not lying down together, although it was rather hot yesterday. On a related note, one of the neat things about Wikipedia is that they have an entry for every day of the year with events, births, deaths, observances and other links that pertain to that day. To see what I mean, see the entries for June 6, June 7, and June 8.

I got some promotional material from Cogeco Cable (my local cable company and my ISP) and along with adding more products to their security services (free to customers), they announced that they have increased speed to 7 Mbps. I don't use the Internet for much more than email and browsing, along with small uploads to my sites, so I haven't noticed a difference through the years as they've moved from 3 Mbps to 5 Mbps to 7 Mbps now. Other than gamers and those who download warez, I doubt there are too many people that have that need for speed.

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

The NEWS

Study: Companies snooping on employee e-mail

Big Brother is not only watching but he is also reading your e-mail.
According to a new study, about a third of big companies in the United States and Britain hire employees to read and analyze outbound e-mail as they seek to guard against legal, financial or regulatory risk.
More than a third of U.S. companies surveyed also said their business was hurt by the exposure of sensitive or embarrassing information in the past 12 months, according to the annual study from a company specializing in protecting corporate e-mail at large businesses.

Read the CNN article...
Leave a comment...

Microsoft vs. Google: Who's greener?

As Google and Microsoft battle for the hearts and minds of Internet users, a new question has cropped up: Which one can better save planet Earth?
Being portals and search engines, the companies are likely among the worst energy users because of the cooling and energy their data centers need to operate. When asked, company representatives did not say what, if anything, the data centers are doing to improve efficiency and reduce energy.
No doubt, Google and Microsoft, two of the top Internet sites in the world, use massive amounts of electricity to power and cool their data centers. But outside of the electricity that makes the businesses run, they are among the leading adopters of so-called green policies in corporate America.

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

New biometric ID technology uses body signals

New biometric technology developed here can identify individuals by sensing unique electronics signals generated by a beating heart, brain function or breathing.
The developer, IDesia (Caesarea, Israel), claims that unlike existing biometric solutions its electronic signature sensor can capture human biometric signals with relative ease. It also claims its system is cheaper than other biometric sensors, making it suitable for mass production.

Read the EETimes.com article...
Leave a comment...

PC's That Are a Lot Smaller Than a Breadbox

Chris DiBona's work as manager of open-source programs for Google takes him on the road, where laptops grow heavier with every gate he passes in the airport. So he has been experimenting with piecing together the ultimate lightweight PC.
At the core of his ensemble is the OQO-01, a full-featured PC running Windows XP that is not much bigger than a pack of 3-by-5 index cards. It's measured in ounces (14), not pounds.

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

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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

An Environmental Portrait

This week's tip is a little misleading as I am not talking about shooting what is around you, but shooting your subject in their environment. A portrait should be more than simply a photo of a person, it should tell a story about them. While a studio shot may look very nice, they are quite static. That is, they don't say much. Shoot your subject in their element, in an environment they are happy and comfortable with.

For example, if you were to photograph a photographer, give him a camera to hold. Put someone who plays piano for a hobby sitting at one. Maybe they are involved in model trains, gardening or work in a lab. Each of those can be incorporated into your portrait to help tell the story about your subject.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about any of the tips here, or if you have a photography question of your own, please feel free to send them to chris@pcin.net.

Leave a comment about this week's Digital Photography Tip of the Week...

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 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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PCIN.net UPDATE

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

Update PCIN.net home page with "Top 10 Most Popular..." features
http://PCIN.net/

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

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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Independent comparatives of Anti-Virus software

In the latest issue of Scot's Newsletter, Scot Finnie explains his quest for the perfect antivirus solution. He has done major research into several different products, and has some preliminary observations. He also links to AV Comparatives, a site that test antivirus software:

On this site you will find independent comparatives of Anti-Virus software. All products listed in our comparatives are already a selection of some very good anti-virus engines. In order to get tested by us, companies must fulfill various conditions. Various AV products are presented in our forum

Leave a comment...

Google Spreadsheets

By now many of you have heard that Google has a new web-based spreadsheet product called Google Spreadsheets. I heard about it yesterday, and immediately went to sign-up. It is a closed beta, so I filled in my email address to ask for an invitation, and a few hours later I had one:

Thanks for signing up to use Google Spreadsheets! Your Google account associated with this email address (XXXXXXXX@gmail.com) has been activated, so you can begin sharing spreadsheets on the web!

Please access Google Spreadsheets at this link (you may need to sign on):
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=wise&passive=true
&nui=1&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fspreadsheets.google.com
&ltmpl=invited-google

To learn more before you start, please visit this link: http://www.google.com/googlespreadsheets/tour1.html

I've logged in and played with it a bit, and it seems quite impressive. It doesn't have all the same advanced features of Excel, but for basic functionality it is excellent. To request an invitation, visit the Google Spreadsheets page...

Leave a comment...

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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.

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