Issue 387 - March 15, 2006
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 1980 Subscribers in 55 Countries ====
Welcome to the 387th 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
Wow, after I talked about how the weather was improving last week, it sure
got cold this week. We had a beautiful weekend, but then yesterday and today
have been bitter cold. I hate winter (and apparently I'm
not alone)!
As I've mentioned, we are doing some work around the house. The other day
I heard an ad on the radio for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
It is a store where you can get used building supplies at low prices. We are
looking for some various wood items, and found several suitable ones for well
under half the price they would have been at Home
Depot. Of course some things are little more used than others, but if you
look, there is a fair amount of good material as well. If you need building
supplies, then be sure to check them out. It's for a good
cause.
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
The NEWS
Anti-cheating database banned at N.S. university
A university in the Halifax area is banning the use of computer software
designed to help professors catch plagiarists.
Student leaders at Mount Saint Vincent University in Bedford, N.S., have
been lobbying to stop professors from using the online database turnitin.com,
and the university's senate agreed in a vote on Monday.
The university is banning all plagiarism detection software as of May, when
the summer session begins.
Read the CBC News
article...
Leave a comment...
Windows Live offers Microsoft a quicker turnaround
Although it has taken Microsoft five years to develop the next version of
Windows, the software maker seems to crank out a new Windows Live service
every five minutes.
And, to some degree, that's the point.
Last fall, MSN executive David Cole and his colleagues pitched CEO Steve
Ballmer and Chairman Bill Gates on the idea that the company could launch
online services a whole lot faster than complicated software such as new
operating systems. They presented their plan with many of the online services
that have been introduced in recent months as part of Windows Live.
"They were amazed," Cole said in a recent internal e-mail to MSN workers. "And
they said if we could pull off that many releases, it would be monumental for
the company and for our customers."
Not long after that presentation, Gates touted the idea to the world, announcing
the "Live" era of software with a launch event in San Francisco.
Read the CNet News
article...
Leave a comment...
Cuban on hunger strike for Internet access
A Cuban dissident who has been on a hunger strike for 36 days to demand
unfettered Internet access is refusing medication and his health is deteriorating
rapidly, fellow dissidents said on Wednesday.
Guillermo Farinas, a 41-year-old psychologist, went on a hunger strike on
Jan. 31 to press Cuba's Communist authorities to respect his right to freedom
of information and allow him Internet access, which is controlled by the
government.
Read the TechRepublic
article...
Leave a comment...
Super surfers oust couch potatoes
Browsing the internet has overtaken watching TV as the nation's favourite
leisure activity, says a new report.
A survey by search engine giant Google has found that Britons with internet
access now spend more time surfing the web than watching the box.
The average web user now spends 164 minutes online each day, equal to more
than 41 days per year, compared to 148 minutes or 37 days for TV viewers.
Read the BBC News
article...
Leave a comment...
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
Digital Photography
Tip of the Week
How to hold your digital camera
Last
week I discussed how to hold your digital camera in order to achieve
better photos. This week I will give you a small tip to ensure your camera
can record your photos.
There are certain steps that need to be repeated again and again in the process
of digital photography. Shooting is only one of those processes. Transferring
images, organizing and cataloging images, backup all represent different parts
of your digital workflow. One piece that is often left out is keeping your
memory cards in working. I know of two different people who in the past week
have experienced errors in their memory cards, errors that could have been
avoided. One began with two unusable cards, and the other was only able to
shoot 1/2 the normal shots on his card.
Memory cards are like disk drives, there is an amount of space and an index.
When a file is written, the index is read to determine where the file may be
placed on the card, then it is written to that location and the index updated
with the new information. If something interrupts this procedure, the card
may be left with unreadable files using up space. After transferring your images
to your computer, a little bit of prep on the card may help keep you in top
shape. Formatting the memory card in the camera you will use it in will help
to ensure that it is free of any unwanted files or fragments of files that
may not allow you to get the full use out of that memory card. Deleting all
the pictures on the card will not provide you with the same maintenance though,
so be sure to format your memory cards after transferring your images. If you
are unsure about how to access the format command for your particular camera,
consult your manual. As for the two cases I mentioned earlier, both were solved
after formatting the card in camera.
Next week I will discuss how photo critiques can help your photography and
where you can get them.
Note: If you are in the Western New York area the weekend of March
24, 25 and 26, the Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Clubs will be holding their
45th Annual Photography Convention at the Holiday Inn on Grand Island. There
are a number of guest speakers including Monte
Zucker, Gil Lopez Espina. Ethan
Meleg and others. For more information and rates, visit http://www.vaxxine.com/nfrcc/Convention%202006/Convention2006.htm.
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.
THE TIPS and OTHER
STUFF
Common Windows Shortcuts
The Canadian IT Pro blog recently
posted a PDF file with a lot of handy keyboard shortcuts. It is a 5-page
document that lists shortcuts for Windows, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet
Explorer, Outlook, Google, Adobe Reader, and a few specific advanced shortcuts.
It's quite good. You can download the PDF from their
site.
Leave a comment...
Free Burner Software
The March 2006 issue of Windows
IT Pro magazine has a tip from Mark Minasi about some utilities that
Microsoft includes in their Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit:
The two resource kit tools - CDBurn and DVDBurn - exploit some of Windows
2003's and XP's under-the-hood disc-burning capabilities that the Roxio
software doesn't exploit. Given an ISO file, CDBurn or DVDBurn will create
a CD or DVD.
You can read more about the software on the Windows
IT Pro web site. You can download CDBurn and DVDBurn and other utilities
in the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit from the Microsoft
site.
Leave a comment...
Favorville
Favorville.com is a social networking tool which provides members
with the opportunity to help and be helped by others. With Favorville, members
can post help requests, offer help and help grow the community. Favorville
makes it easy to get in touch and build lasting connections with helpful
neighbors, both in your locale or across the global village.
This seems quite similar to FreeCycle (which
I've mentioned in the newsletter before). Check
it out!
Leave a comment...
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:
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.
- If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut
and paste.
- To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://PCIN.net/ and
follow the appropriate links.
- Recommend PCIN to others at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php and
be entered in a monthly draw.
- The only way to become a subscriber is by asking. You have either filled
out the subscription form or asked me directly.
- 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.
- 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 1998-2006, 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.
Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php
PC Improvement News Home Page
PC Improvement News Archive
|