ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2008
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Welcome to the 485th 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
It seems that the Christmas holidays and New Year's Eve were just the other day, and here we are at the end of January already. My grandmother (my "Nanny") turned 91 today. She's doing very well for her age, and gets around fine. Recently my 3-year-old son got out of the bath and said, "Look at my hands Mom. I'm all wrinkly like Nanny." :-)
One of my tips below is about playing classic Nintendo games online. Let me tell you that this is a bad thing to find when you are on vacation with little to do. I've played Tetris and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out quite a bit!
We got our mini-van on Friday. Our other van was falling apart it needed so much body work, so it is obviously much safer, and it isn't as embarrassing to drive around. It is a 2004 Montana and Lisa loves it!
Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net
Chips could put lab rats out of work
The lab rat of the future may have no whiskers and no tail -- and might not even be a rat at all.
With a European ban looming on animal testing for cosmetics, companies are giving a hard look at high-tech alternatives like the small, rectangular glass chip professor Jonathan Dordick holds up to the light in his lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
10 Gigabit Ethernet secures border at Niagara Falls
When visiting Niagara Falls, chances are you're too enthralled by the beauty and power of the cataract to think of anything else.
Until you cross the U.S./Canada border -- then you have to think about the interrogation from customs agents and the video cameras locked in on your vehicle. Or maybe you're thinking of the technology behind that border-crossing process.
Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet are the foundation of a converged network operated by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC), a joint U.S. and Canadian agency that oversees three border crossings spanning the Niagara River between western New York State and southern Ontario.
Canadian ISPs won't block content: expert
Trying to convince the public that downloading a song is akin to stealing a chocolate bar hasn't helped the music industry curb piracy. Now it wants Internet service providers to act as content gatekeepers and to start unplugging customers suspected of swapping copyrighted music files.
Where's Your Kid? Check the GPS
Though I try to keep close tabs on my family, it's sometimes hard to know exactly where they are when. For example, when my daughter is on a play date or school trip, or my husband is traveling for work. For those who find moments like these unsettling, there are a growing number of services and devices that use satellite GPS signals and wireless networks to track the exact locations of your loved ones more closely. Many of these products are being integrated with cell phones, while others are stand-alone tracking devices.
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Paragon Software Group Hard Disk Manager 2008
http://PCIN.net/help/software/paragonhdm2008.phpAdobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 and Adobe Premier Elements 3.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/photoshopEL5_Premiere3.phpExpoDisc White Balance Filter Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/expodisc.phpParagon Software Group Partition Manager 8.0 Professional Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ppm8.phpUpdate PCIN.net home page with "Top 10 Most Popular..." features
http://PCIN.net/
VectorMagic - convert photos into vector drawings
The average computer user probably isn't familiar with vector graphics. These sorts of graphics are generally created in programs like Adobe Illustrator. The various lines, curves, and shapes are actually mathematical equations. What this means is that when you open the image in a program that reads vector graphics, you can enlarge it as much as you want. In "regular" images, the images get pixelated (fuzzy/blurry). This doesn't happen with vector graphics. The most common use for these sorts of graphics is with logos.
If this is all new to you, then the best way to understand it is to try it. Download Squad recently linked to the Vector Magic online tool of the Stanford web site. This is an online tool that lets you convert an image into a vector graphic. You can visit the site and see samples. You can also try your own.
Commodore Vic-20 commercial with William Shatner
I can't remember where I came across this, but here is a YouTube video for the Vic-20 computer with William Shatner as the spokesman. Classic!
Classic Nintendo (NES) games online
I've only ever owned one video game console system and that was the original Nintendo (NES) system. I didn't have very many games, but I loved playing Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Several years ago I learned about emulators. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but essentially emulators are software that duplicates the game environment so it can be played in Windows.
I had forgotten about emulators until the other day when I was looking for a game online. I was expecting to find a Flash version of the game, but came across an emulator from NESCafe Web. As I looked into this further, there are loads of games now available online. They use Java to power them and they are exactly the same as the originals. Very cool!
To find a game, I'd suggest searching for the name of the game and NEScafe (for instance, searching for Tetris would require you to search for "tetris NEScafe" without the quotes).
If you are interested, here are the links I found to my favourite games:
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:
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.
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2008, 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