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Issue 226 - February 12, 2003
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2003
==== 2097 Subscribers in 58 Countries ====
Welcome to the 226th 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.php
CONTENTS
OPENING THOUGHTS
I've recently had PCIN listed on the FreeTechMail.org
web site. They describe themselves as "the search engine for IT newsletters."
There are 800+ newsletters listed with information on the newsletter and how
to subscribe. Check it out.
Chris has a review finished for the Logitech Cordless Elite Duo (formerly Cordless
Freedom Optical) that will be live on the web site within the next day or so.
There will be a short section of the review quoted in the newsletter next week,
but if you are interested in reading the full review before then, keep an eye
on http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/
for the link.
Graham editor@pcin.net
and Chris chris@pcin.net
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The NEWS
A Glimpse of a Future in a New Kind of Light
"How many scientists does it take to change the light bulb?
It's not a joke. The ubiquitous light bulb is quietly on its way to becoming
as quaint a relic as the gas lanterns it replaced more than a century ago.
Incandescent bulbs, neon tubes and fluorescent lamps are starting to give
way to light-emitting microchips that work longer, use less power and allow
designers to use light in ways they never have before."
For more info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/11/technology/11LIGH.html
DoJ: We Want to Read Your E-Mail
"Attorney General John Ashcroft wants to expand the government's domestic
surveillance powers under the controversial USA Patriot Act to include reading
individual e-mails and monitoring a person's Web surfing activities. The Patriot
Act, which is already under legal attack by privacy groups, was passed following
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and gives the Justice Department broad new
electronic eavesdropping powers."
For more info:
http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/1582401
SUNY Buffalo team eyes terabit hard drives
"Two professors at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo
say they have come up with a way to put massive amounts of data onto smaller
hard drives, using nanotechnology and magnetic fields to alter the path of
electrons through a conductor.
Professors Harsh Deep Chopra and Susan Hua discovered a way to create an extremely
responsive sensor by building what the researchers call a nanocontact, or
an extremely small electrical conductor, in work completed last July. The
pair recently found a way to more easily and reliably create the sensors,
which could have enormous effects on the world of data storage."
For more info:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/02/06/HNsuny_1.html
Dell saying bye to floppy disk drives
"In what may be the wave of the future, Dell Computer said goodbye
to the past on Thursday when it announced it would stop making floppy disk
drives standard equipment on its higher end desktop personal computers.
Austin, Texas-based Dell, the No. 2 personal computer maker, said floppy drives
had been overtaken by technologies offering greater storage capacity and would
become an option on its Dimension 8250 models.
Other Dell models may lose the floppy by end of the year, depending on customer
response, Dell spokesman Lionel Menchaca said."
For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/02/07/dell.floppydisks.reut/index.html
(thanks to Louise Antonio for sending me the link)
POLL of the WEEK
Last Week's Poll
Do you have any wireless hardware?
| Mouse |
 |
13.64 % (18) |
| Keyboard |
|
1.52 % (2) |
| Network card |
|
3.03 % (4) |
| Other |
|
0.76 % (1) |
| More than 1 type of hardware |
|
15.15 % (20) |
| None |
|
65.91 % (87) |
| Total votes: 132 |
This Week's Poll
You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/
PCIN.net FREEHELP
FORUM
Visit the PCIN.net FreeHelp Forum at http://PCIN.net/help/forum/
to post your questions or answer others.
Question
By mistakely I opened the one shortcut in Paint. Now every shortcut opens
in paint. If I changes it to open the shortcut with other program than every
shortcut opens in that program. I had been tried to run setup of windows but
nothing is better. I am using windows ME.
Response
Your .lnk files are improperly associated.
Open an Explorer window and choose Tools > Folder Options > [File Types].
Find the one labeled "Shortcut" or ".LNK Files" or under
the extension "LNK".
Click the {Restore} button (if available) or else click {Advanced}, {Open}
and {Edit}. Modify the Open type to read "RunDLL32 AppWiz.Cpl,NewLinkHere
%1".
To post a response, visit the General Software Help forum at http://PCIN.net/help/forum/index.php?board=3
and click on the "Shortcut Problem" topic.
Visit http://PCIN.net/help/forum/
to post a question of your own.
PCIN.net UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Some Useful Registry Tips - Now 171 Tips!
http://PCIN.net/help/articles/registry_tips.php
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 5.5 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/paragonhdm55.php
Object Desktop Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/objectdesktop.php
LG GCE-8400B 40x 12x 40x CD-RW Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/lggce8400b.php
THE TIPS and OTHER
STUFF
Instantly Return to your Browser Homepage
You can go to your homepage by clicking on the "Home" button in
the Internet Explorer toolbar. But is there a way to quickly get back to your
homepage without taking your hands off the keyboard? Try this:
Open Internet Explorer and visit a few Web sites.
Press and hold down the ALT key. With the ALT key held down, press the D key.
You should notice that the address bar in the browser is highlighted. Release
ALT+D.
Type two periods (..) in the address bar and press ENTER.
ALT key+7 (7 on the numeric pad as long as numlock is off) takes you home
too
Movie Ratings
Movie ratings are different all over the world. A movie rated PG-13 in the
US might be PG or 14A in Canada. Perhaps your country doesn't have any ratings
system. Whatever the case, you may find http://www.gradingthemovies.com/
helpful in deciding what movies are appropriate for your children, or even
for yourself.
Windows XP Tips
Visit http://www.windowsxptips.nu/
for "Your guide to news, downloads, drivers, links and tips for Microsoft
Windows XP. We surf the web on a daily basis, to locate and collect the most
interesting XP-related links. Bookmark this site and you won't miss any hot
XP-stuff!"
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://PCIN.net/
and follow the appropriate links.
- Recommend PCIN to others at http://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://PCIN.net/donate.php
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Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2003, 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
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