ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2008
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Welcome to the 493rd 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
I bought myself a new laptop that should be arriving tomorrow. I also start my vacation after work tomorrow, so Lisa might have a hard time pulling me away from my new toy.
After a huge snowstorm a couple of weeks ago, almost all of the snow is gone. The forecast is calling for above freezing temperatures for at least the next two weeks, so I think Spring truly is here. Yay!
Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net
Texting and Walking: Dangerous Mix
You might call it an avocational hazard. A recent ITN News video in the U.K. shows that some London pedestrians have become so preoccupied with e-mailing and text messaging on their BlackBerrys and cell phones that they can't make it down a city block without crashing into lampposts or trash bins. One of the most hazardous streets for "walking while texting," according to the Monty Python-esque video clip, is East London's busy Brick Lane, lined with trendy boutiques and curry shops, where people have been filmed walking head down, ricocheting off various stationary sidewalk objects. The solution? Wrap Brick Lane's lampposts with fluffy, white rugby goalpost cushions.
A Push to Limit the Tracking of Web Surfers' Clicks
After reading about how Internet companies like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo collect information about people online and use it for targeted advertising, one New York assemblyman said there ought to be a law.
So he drafted a bill, now gathering support in Albany, that would make it a crime - punishable by a fine to be determined - for certain Web companies to use personal information about consumers for advertising without their consent.
And because it would be extraordinarily difficult for the companies that collect such data to adhere to stricter rules for people in New York alone, these companies would probably have to adjust their rules everywhere, effectively turning the New York legislation into national law.
Bad times are good for online coupons
About nine months ago, Steven Boal, founder of Coupons Inc., began to see the fabled hockey-stick-like growth that has made fortunes for so many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
That's when he knew a recession was coming. The last time Boal saw this kind of growth was in 2001, after the dot-com collapse. Back then, his company, which provides technology to manufacturers and supermarkets who want to offer online coupons, was still too small to take advantage of the surge in scrimping.
Making millions when the boss isn't looking
It's one of the fastest-growing, most lucrative departments at CBS Corp. right now. But the company's president, Les Moonves, has a far more blunt way to describe how the network has turned March Madness basketball into an Internet gold mine.
"People sit at their computers and waste away their afternoons watching basketball games while their bosses are looking the other way," Mr. Moonves told analysts recently in New York.
When asked about the advertising dollars CBS expects this year from online broadcasts of the annual U.S. college tournament starting today, Mr. Moonves simply added: "We are having our best year, by far. Ever."
Other options for Macro Photography - Choosing a Macro Lens Part 2 - Digital Photography Tip of the Week
Last tip I talked about choosing a macro lens. There are other ways to do macro photography without a dedicated macro lens though. Bellows and extension tubes enable you to move your lens further away from the camera body which in turn enables you to focus closer and get in tighter to your subject resulting in increased magnification. Close up filters attach to the front of your camera like regular filters and also allow you to focus closer and get larger magnifications in your images. Reversing rings let you stack two lenses together, front element to front element. This procedure will also give you some level of magnification though at the cost of ease of use. The options listed here decrease in cost with the bellows costing the most money (without purchasing a dedicated macro lens) and the reversing ring being the least affordable. Flexibility and ease of use decrease in the same manner. For a more detailed explanation of these items, visit http://potd.chrisempey.com/tips/archives/2008/03/other_options_for_macro_photography_choosing.php
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.
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/
Create strong passwords with Password Meter
A couple of weeks ago I shared a link to the Microsoft Password Checker. Well, a couple of days ago Download Squad mentioned another, better site, Password Meter:
This application is designed to assess the strength of password strings. The instantaneous visual feedback provides the user a means to improve the strength of their passwords, with a hard focus on breaking the typical bad habits of faulty password formulation. Since no official weighting system exists, we created our own formulas to assess the overall strength of a given password.
I tested a couple of passwords I use regularly. One scored over 70 but the other one was barely 60. I guess I should come up with something more secure.
What's that song?
One of the most popular posts on my site is the What's the name of that song? post from over 2 years ago! So far it has over 120 comments. Recently, someone left a comment about a helpful site called WatZatSong.com:
What's that song?
Do you have a song stuck in your head but wonder "what's that song"? Record a short sample of the tune online anonymously on WatZatSong. The WatZatSong Community will listen and tell you what song it is!
Top 10 travel photo mistakes
Howard Hillman is a well-known travel writer. He has a web site called Hillman Wonders of the World where many of the "wonders" of the world are ranked. As I was browsing the site, I came across a section called "Top 10 travel photo mistakes and camera tips for avoiding them":
I wrote my 23-page Photo Tip guide to help you take superb travel pictures with your compact or SLR digital camera. By learning my tips & insights, you won't make common mistakes made by others. I hope you come home with exciting travel photos.
The main page that I link to lists the 10 tips, but then each tip has a detailed section you can view that explains more.
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