Issue 485 - January 30, 2008
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2008
==== 1384 Subscribers in 44 Countries ====
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
Contents
Opening Thoughts
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
News Highlights
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.
Read the CNN article...
Leave a comment...
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.
Read the ARN article...
Leave a comment...
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.
Read the Globe and Mail
article...
Leave a comment...
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.
Read the NewsFactor article...
Leave a comment...
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PCIN.net Site Update
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.php
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/
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Tips and Other Stuff
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.
Leave a comment...
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!
Leave a comment...
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:
Leave a comment...
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PCIN.net Affiliated
Sites
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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 1998-2008, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
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