Issue 338 - April 06, 2005
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2042 Subscribers in 59 Countries ====
Welcome to the 338th 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
No wonder people think that Canadians live in igloos all the time. After a
week of beautiful spring weather (about 10° C or 50° F), we had 48
hours of non-stop, wet, heavy snow! Actually, it wasn't snow, and it certainly
wasn't rain. It was as if slush was falling from the sky. Weird. And now this
week we've been back up to where we were before and the snow is essentially
all gone.
Just a reminder that both Chris and I are actively working on some non-PC
related web sites. Chris has posted a picture
a day on his photography web site for the 2+ months. And as I mentioned
last week, we are both working on a Niagara
Falls blog, with updates on what is going on around this major tourist
destination.
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
The NEWS
What Search Sites Know About You
"For most people who spend a lot of time online, impulsively typing
queries into a search engine has become second nature.
Got a nasty infection in an embarrassing spot? Look up a treatment on your
favorite search site. Obsessing about an ex? Try Googling his or her name.
Chances are the queries will unearth some enlightening information.
But while search engines are quite upfront about sharing their knowledge
on topics you enter in the query box, it's not so clear what they know about
you. As operators of the most popular search engines roll out more services
that require user registration, industry observers and privacy advocates
say it's become more feasible to associate a particular query with an individual."
For more info:
http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,67062,00.html
Forty years of Moore's Law
"Gordon Moore's famous law has been around for four decades. Not bad
for an idea he thought wouldn't last.
Forty years ago, Electronics Magazine asked Intel co-founder Gordon Moore
to write an article summarizing the state of the electronics industry.
The article outlined what became known as Moore's Law, the observation that
the number of transistors--tiny on/off switches that churn out electrical
signals that get represented as 1s and 0s--on a chip can be doubled in a
short period of time. Adopted as a yardstick by the tech industry, the concept
is one of the reasons the industry evolved into a high-growth, but high-risk,
affair."
For more info:
http://techrepublic.com.com/2100-10586_11-5647824.html
Sneak peek: New Xbox, New Lara Croft
"Calling this year's E3 the biggest video game show in the industry's
history might sound like hyperbole run amuck. For once, though, it appears
the hype might be justified.
When the show (formally named the Electronic Entertainment Expo) kicks off
May 18, more than 400 companies will cover more than 540,000 square feet,
showing off new games, new consoles and new gaming gadgets."
For more info:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/05/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm
POLL of the WEEK
Last Week's Poll
How much combined hard drive space do you have in your main computer?
< 20 GB |
|
4 % (4) |
> 20 and < 40 GB |
|
8 % (7) |
> 40 and < 60 GB |
|
6 % (5) |
> 60 and < 80 GB |
|
16 % (14) |
> 80 and < 100 GB |
|
10 % (9) |
> 100 and < 200 GB |
|
29 % (26) |
> 200 GB |
|
28 % (25) |
Total votes: 90 |
This Week's Poll
You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/
PCIN.net UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
VMware Inc. VMware Workstation 4.5 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/vmware45.php
PCIN.net Update Blog
http://PCIN.net/update/
Sunbelt Software iHateSpam 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam4.php
Micro Solutions RoadStor Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/roadstor.php
Album Creator by FirmTools Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/albumcreator.php
THE TIPS and OTHER
STUFF
YaGoohoo!gle
It is now possible to search two of the most popular search engines at
the same time.
Yagoohoo!gle.com takes
your search term and searches both Yahoo! and Google and
displays the results from both search engines side by side.
Canadian Geographic Atlas Online
"The Royal Canadian Geographical Society proudly presents a groundbreaking
Internet achievement, The Canadian Atlas Online, which brings cartography
to life with exciting graphics and animation. This state-of-the-art interactive
atlas allows you to explore Canada in a way you've never experienced before,
and helps the Society to fulfill our mission 'to make Canada better known.'"
Check it out at http://canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/
Windows Tip of the Day
Well-known tech author Ed
Bott has an excellent blog.
He just recently started a Tip of the Day on his site. You can check it out
at http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/cat_tips.html
PCIN.net AFFILIATED
SITES
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:
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 1998-2005, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author
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