|
Issue 175 - February 20, 2002
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2002
==== 2319 Subscribers in 59 Countries ====
Welcome to the 175th 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.shtml
CONTENTS
OPENING
THOUGHTS
I hope you all enjoyed the special issue I sent out Sunday afternoon.
It contained the comments that many of you had sent me regarding
your first computers. If you missed the issue, or want to check
it out again, visit http://www.pcin.net/archive/2002/other/old_computers.shtml
If you've checked out the PCIN.net web site recently, you will
have noticed that I've been changing a bunch of sections. I've
updated the PCIN.net
Home Page (now contains a list of updated pages, as well as
a PC Industry News section), added a Search
PCIN.net page (it is kind of slow at the moment), changed
the look of the PCIN
FreeHelp Forums a bit, updated the Recommend
PCIN page, and redid the entire PCIN.net
Poll of the Week section. I particularly like the new polls
script. Everything is logged to a database, and this allows you
to view and even vote in any previous poll. All of the current
poll features are still there as well. Lots more to come!
The hardest part of the newsletter is finding items for the Tips
and Other Stuff section. If you have any tips, links to great
sites, or anything else that would fit in that section, email
either Chris or me. As long as we agree that it fits in that section,
we will include it.
Graham editor@pcin.net
and Chris chris@pcin.net
Return to the top
The NEWS
Lindows.com CEO Opens 'Windows' to Trademark Case
"In keeping with its promise to keep the public updated
on its trademark infringement defense against Microsoft Corp.
San Diego startup Lindows.com released copies of its main opposition
papers before it takes on the software giant in court Feb 27.
Lindows.com Founder and CEO Michael Robertson published a letter
Thursday on the company's Web site stating its defense against
Microsoft's claims that his firm is treading on hallowed ground
by using the terms 'LindowsOS' and 'Lindows.com' to describe
a Linux-based operating system that runs Microsoft Windows applications.
The papers were officially filed Jan. 28 in a Seattle U.S. District
Court."
For more info:
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,,3_975171,00.html
States Request Microsoft Windows Code
"The state attorneys general still pursuing the antitrust
case against Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O have asked a federal judge
to force the company to show them the inner workings of the
Windows operating system.
In a bid to pry open one of the world's most valuable pieces
of intellectual property, the states argued they need to see
the Windows source code in order to verify Microsoft's claim
that it is not technically feasible for the company to offer
a stripped-down version of the operating system."
For more info:
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=technologynews&StoryID=593863
New Vermont 'opt-in' privacy law faces legal challenge
"Beginning next week, financial services companies with
Vermont customers will face strict limits on what they can do
with the personal data of state residents. These new privacy
rules have prompted five insurance industry trade groups to
jointly file a lawsuit against state officials and warned that
the rules will raise business costs and hurt customers.
Vermont's rules set an 'opt-in' standard, which requires affirmative
customer consent for sharing customer data in certain instances.
Financial institutions in the U.S. generally follow the federal
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, which allows the 'opt-out' standard,
meaning that unless the customer tells a bank, securities firm
or insurer not to share data, the institution can do so."
For more info:
http://www.computerworld.com/itresources/rcstory/0,4167,STO68104_KEY241,00.html
PayPal Pulls It Off
"So PayPal brought it off, going public at $13 a share
late Thursday and raising about $70 million from investors willing
to believe that despite the lawsuits and lack of earnings, this
IPO represents the end of the Internet recession.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based online payments firm sold 5.4 million
shares at $13 each, within the expected price range of $12 to
$14 each. Lead underwriter was Salomon Smith Barney.
The stock opened Friday at $15.41 and by mid-morning had climbed
to $18.51, up more than 42 percent."
For more info:
http://www.internetnews.com/fina-news/article/0,,5_975411,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/16/technology/16NET.html
Return to the top
POLL of
the WEEK
Here are the responses from the last poll:
How many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) have you used in
the last year?
1: 53.33 % (40 votes)
2: 25.33 % (19 votes)
3: 13.33 % (10 votes)
4: 4.00 % (3 votes)
5: 1.33 % (1 vote)
>5: 2.67 % (2 votes)
Total votes: 75
Visit http://pcin.net/polls/
to participate in the new poll this week:
Would you rather surf the net or watch TV?
Return to the top
FREEHELP
FORUM
Visit the new and improved PCIN FreeHelp Forum at http://www.pcin.net/cgi-bin/bb/YaBB.cgi
to post your questions or answer others.
There is an excellent thread of messages running that is discussing
Random Reboots in Windows 98 SE. Check out http://www.pcin.net/cgi-bin/bb/YaBB.cgi?board=hardware
and click on the "Random Re-boots" topic.
Return to the top
PCIN.net
UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Recommend PCIN
http://PCIN.net/recommend.php
Search PCIN.net
http://PCIN.net/search.shtml
(Note: This is still being tested. It works, but is slow)
PCIN FreeHelp Forum
http://PCIN.net/cgi-bin/bb/YaBB.cgi
Return to the top
THE TIPS
and OTHER STUFF
Auto-Complete in Windows 2000/XP CMD.EXE
A couple of weeks ago I shared a tip on changing directories
when using the DOS-type environment in Windows 2000/XP. Here
is another tip.
If you have TweakUI installed, click on the "CMD"
tab. You can choose a hotkey combination that will allow you
to autocomplete directories and filenames when using CMD.EXE.
I chose CTRL + F for filenames and CTRL + D for directories.
Then, when you are using CMD.EXE, you can press either hotkey
combination to "scroll" through the list of files
or directories that are in the current directory. Whatever you
have chosen for the filename hotkey also shows directories.
The directories hotkey only shows directories.
Microsoft Keyboard Shortcuts
There are many sites that have lists of keyboard shortcuts
that work with one program or another. One of the best is on
the Microsoft Accessibility site. Visit http://microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboard/keyboardsearch.asp
and then from the dropdown list, choose the program that you
are interested in. There are shortcuts for Office programs,
Internet Explorer (several versions), and several versions of
Windows.
Check your Security
Check out http://hackerwhacker.com/
for a site that
- Checks your Internet security (services, ports, software,
etc.)
- News on security exploits
- Security links
Many of their basic services are free. More advanced, or continuing
services have a small fee.
Return to the top
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.
- You can only win one contest every 30 days.
- To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit
http://www.pcin.net/ and follow the appropriate
links.
- Recommend PCIN to others at http://www.pcin.net/recommend.php
and be entered in a monthly draw.
- There are only 2 ways to get on the subscriber list. You have
either been subscribed by filling out a subscription form on
any of the pages on my site, or you have requested FreeHelp
from me in the past.
- 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://www.pcin.net/donate.shtml
Return to the top
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2002, 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://www.pcin.net/donate.shtml
PC Improvement
News Home Page
PC
Improvement News Archive
|
