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Issue 405 - July 19, 2006

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 1593 Subscribers in 51 Countries ====

Welcome to the 405th 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.

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

CONTENTS

Opening Thoughts

Lisa had a nice birthday. We were out for dinner both Thursday and Friday and she got a free dessert at both restaurants. The cheese cake at the Boston Pizza was amazing!

Last week I talked about all the gadgets my sisters have, and that I wanted a laptop. Unfortunately no one took pity on me and sent me a laptop. But my sister has gone away for a week or so, so she lent me hers. It's just nice not to have to sit at the computer to do the newsletter and other sites I work on.

The weather has been unbelievably hot lately. The last few days have been over 32° C (90° F) and have peaked at around 34° C (93° F). The humidity here always makes it feel even hotter than it really is. But I'll take this over snow any day.

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

The NEWS

Dot's A Lot

Hewlett-Packard has invented a wireless data chip that can store 100 pages of text or 15 seconds of video on a dot about half the size of a rice grain, with potentially dramatic applications in everything from health care to photography and marketing.
The chip, called a Memory Spot, is at least two years away from widespread consumer use, but it could be deployed more quickly in specialized fields such as pharmaceuticals, said Howard Taub, vice president and associate director of Hewlett-Packard Laboratories.

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

Viewing America in high resolution

In an age when most cameras are digital and small enough to fit in a pocket, one couple is crisscrossing the country with a custom camera that needs its own van and uses film reels the size of shoeboxes.
That might seem like an awfully cumbersome load, but the results of the innovative project are groundbreaking-images containing an eye-popping 4 billion pixels.
"The original intent was to see if you could even do it," said Graham Flint, a retired nuclear physicist, who along with his wife, Catherine Aves, set out to photograph 1,000 American cities as part of a vast undertaking known as the Gigapxl Project's Portrait of America.
Flint, 68, and Aves, 52, are now six years into their "retirement project." Their photography, at once a hobby and an engineering project, is relying on the highest-resolution photography in the world to create a genuine, interactive article of Americana.

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

AI Reaches the Golden Years

Artificial intelligence is 50 years old this summer, and while computers can beat the world's best chess players, we still can't get them to think like a 4-year-old.
This week in Boston, some of the field's leading practitioners are gathering to examine this most ambitious of computer research fields, which at once has managed to exceed, and fall short of, our grandest expectations.

Read the Wired News article...
Leave a comment...

Paralyzed man moves computer cursor through thought

A paralyzed man using a new brain sensor has been able to move a computer cursor, open e-mail and control a robotic device simply by thinking about doing it, a team of scientists said on Wednesday.
They believe the BrainGate sensor, which involves implanting electrodes in the brain, could offer new hope to people paralyzed by injuries or illnesses.

Read the Reuters article...
Leave a comment...

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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Practice Makes Perfect - Digital Photography Tip of the Week

The old adage about practice makes perfect applies to photography as well.

Very few cameras today have fixed focal length lenses but they are still available. Quality in zoom lenses has become much better with the passing of time and now super zooms (in the 10 and 12x range) allow consumers to get in even closer than ever before without sacrificing a lot of image quality. For the DSLR user, prime (fixed focal length) lenses will typically provide the best quality image albeit at the expense of having to change lenses for a wider or narrower angle of view.

Changes in focal length affect not only the image size, but the field of view captured in the image. A wide angle lens captures just that, a wide angle of view, up to 180 degrees with a fish eye lens. As the focal length increases through normal and telephoto ranges, the angle of view decreases. This leads to different ways to compose an image.

So how do you know when it is best to use a wide angle, normal or telephoto focal length? Practice. Of course, you could simply zoom through the different ranges to find what looks best, but understanding why it looks best will help you to set up better shots to begin with. To get a greater idea of how a lens reacts at a given focal length, pick one focal length, and stick with it for an entire shoot. One day, use only a wide angle lens or focal length and compose all of your photographs with that focal length. Moving closer to your subject to mimic the effect of a telephoto lens, or backing away to mimic the effect of a wide angle lens. Another day use only a normal lens, and another, a telephoto.
For a more controlled lesson, shoot a subject from the same location with each lens or focal length and compare the results. Next, shoot the same subject making it identical in size in your viewfinder (you will need to move closer or further for the subject for this) and again compare the results.

By using only one focal length in practice, when it comes time to apply that knowledge, you can do so without hesitation.

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

Hot Apps: JAJAH For Phone-To-Phone VoIP

Regular reader Pat sent along this article from Small Business Pipeline:

Throw away your long-distance telephone bills and computer headsets. Well, almost. I've looked at computer telephony services in recent years, and the just-released update from upstart JAJAH is my personal choice. It's incredibly easy to use: enter phone numbers for you and your destination, then click a button. Your phone rings. Pick it up and talk.

So it comes down to money, at which JAJAH excels. After your first five free minutes of test driving, you must register (no charge). Then, there are no or minimal charges for either POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) or mobile calls to more than 100 destinations.

I haven't tried it, but it sounds interesting. To learn more, read the rest of the article or check out the JAJAH web site.

Leave a comment...

Adobe Lightroom Beta 1.0 for Windows

Adobe has released 3 betas for their new Lightroom product that is set to compete with Apple Aperture. I have been eagerly awaiting for them to release the windows beta. I just received the press release; Adobe Lightroom for Windows Beta 1.0 is now available for download. I will keep everyone up to date on my findings as soon as I get a chance to use the software.

Read the rest of the press release and leave a comment...

Announcing VMware Server General Availability (GA)

I received this email today from VMware:

Try out virtualization with VMware Server!

VMware Server is a free virtualization product for Windows and Linux servers with enterprise-class support. It enables companies to partition a physical server into multiple virtual machines and to start experiencing the benefits of virtualization. Also, by deploying VMware VirtualCenter, administrators gain centralized management to efficiently provision, monitor and manage their IT infrastructure.

You can learn more about VMware Server on the VMware web site.

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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