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Issue 447 - May 09, 2007

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2007
==== 1501 Subscribers in 50 Countries ====

Welcome to the 447th issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists mainly of news highlights 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

For some reason this was a really slow news week. I get all sorts of newsletters, and didn't really find much of interest to share on the blog or in the newsletter. I also didn't get any tips posted. I have some ready to post later this week, so next week's newsletter should be back to normal.

Well, I guess it's about time I made the official announcement... there's going to be another baby in our family! Lisa is pregnant and we found out on Monday it is going to be a girl (visit the Wing Family Happenings blog to see pictures of the ultrasound). She reached the 20-week mark on Tuesday, and is due September 25. As you can imagine, we're very excited!

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

News Highlights

U.S. schools may join inexpensive-laptop project

The nonprofit One Laptop per Child project said on Thursday it might sell versions of its kid-friendly laptops in the United States, reversing its previous position of distributing them to only the poorest nations.
"We can't ignore the United States. ... We are looking at it very seriously," Nicholas Negroponte, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology academic who founded the project, told analysts and reporters.

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

Nintendo on the latest 'technical divide'

Great work is being done to narrow the gap between the technical haves and the have-nots across the planet. At MIT, Professor Nicholas Negroponte seeks to equip every child in the developing world with a laptop. In Kenya, the government is supporting assembly of inexpensive PCs as part of university curricula, ultimately designating those computers for distribution throughout the African continent.
At the same time, on the most granular level, I wonder if a similar technical divide exists inside your own home. One person is probably expected to provide solutions when it's time to install the wireless network, redirect the satellite dish, or retrieve a lost document. The have-nots sit and wait.

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

Internet encyclopedia to list all 1.8 mln species

From apples to zebras, all 1.8 million known plant and animal species will be listed in an Internet-based "Encyclopedia of Life" under a $100 million project, scientists said on Tuesday.
The 10-year scheme, launched with initial grants of $12.5 million from two U.S.-based foundations, could aid everyone from children with biology homework to governments planning how to protect endangered species.
"The Encyclopedia of Life plans to create an entry for every named species," James Edwards, executive director of the project which is backed by many leading research institutions, told Reuters. "At the moment that's 1.8 million."

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

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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Photographing Flowers - Digital Photography Tip of the Week

The old saying is April showers bring May flowers. Today I offer a couple tips to help you capture the beauty in those flowers.

1. Try to avoid full sun. Shooting in full, midday sunlight will produce high contrast photos with distracting shadows. If you have to shoot in these conditions, try to use a diffuser on your flower.

2. Use the Macro mode of your camera. Using Macro mode on your camera (or a dedicated macro lens) will let you get in close to capture some of the finer details of the flower. (example)

3. Change your f-stop. Adjusting your f-stop can make the difference between a single bloom in focus (example) with a small f-stop (large lens opening) to capturing a large variety of flowers in focus (example) with a large f-stop (small lens opening)

4. Get down low. Photographing your flowers at their height will present more pleasing images than shooting down on to them.

5. Get down really low. If you are shooting taller flowers, try to get down below the bloom and shoot up into the sky. This will frame your flower on a nice blue background, assuming your have a cloudless day. (example, shot with the camera almost on the ground)

As with all things photography, most importantly, have fun.

Until next time, Happy Shooting.

Leave a comment on 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 Site Update

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

Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 and Adobe Premier Elements 3.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/photoshopEL5_Premiere3.php

ExpoDisc White Balance Filter Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/expodisc.php

Paragon Software Group Partition Manager 8.0 Professional Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ppm8.php

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

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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 1998-2007, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.

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