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Issue 434 - February 07, 2007
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 1513 Subscribers in 49 Countries ====
Welcome to the 434th 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
Not much to say this week. It has been so bitter cold out that it seems like
it's all we can do just to stay warm. I hate winter!
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
News Highlights
Windows 'fails' active virus test
Security tools that work with Windows Vista have failed tests to see if
they can detect viruses circulating online.
Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare security tool was one of four products that
failed independent tests carried out by the Virus Bulletin.
The security testing group found that Live OneCare missed far more active
viruses than any other program tested.
Read the BBC News
article...
Leave a comment...
Rules for YouTube: Make Art, Not Bore
Can YouTube rise above cute kittens, bad singing and goofy stunts? Sure.
But this evolving chaos needs some guiding principles. Here's a Web-wandering
critic's call to arms.
YouTube turns two this month, which presents a fitting opportunity to decry
it. The video-sharing Web site -- whose name has come to stand for every
other such site on the Web -- has clearly emerged as the great new media
drain catch, an uncurated museum of everything from dumb home movies to slick
commercial calling cards, a behemoth that has gone from being part of mass
culture to a mass medium in itself, whose reach, ubiquity and sheer volume
of content make it easily dismissible as merely the latest purveyor of trivial,
banal, repetitious distractions for an eagerly narcotized booboisie.
Read the Washington
Post article...
Leave a comment...
Tagging 'takes off for web users'
Tagging or labelling online content is becoming the new search tool of choice
among web users, shows research.
As more and more people put their own content online, they are also being
invited to tag it with descriptive keywords to help organise their data.
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the trend in tagging
is growing among US web users.
It found that over a quarter of online Americans - 28% - had tagged content
such as a photo, news story or blog.
Read the BBC News
article...
Leave a comment...
Video Sharing: Thinning the Pack
Suranga Chandratillake's inbox began showing the tell-tale signs of a slim
down in the video sharing space last November. A few independently owned,
semi-successful startups were e-mailing to ask if Blinkx, Chandratillake's
video-search company, was in the market for a video-sharing site or, at least,
interested in buying traffic. Chandratillake declined. Blinkx wasn't really
interested in running a video upload site and definitely didn't want to enter
the field. "There's a video-sharing shakeout," says Chandratillake.
Around the Web, signs abound that the once-hot market for sites that let
consumers share videos is cooling.
Read the BusinessWeek
article...
Leave a comment...
Acunetix puts a stop to identity theft in Universities
I received this press release from Acunetix a
couple of weeks ago:
Acunetix puts a stop to identity theft in Universities
American Universities and Non-Profit-Organizations to benefit from a Free
Website Security Audit offered by Acunetix
Kirkland, Washington - January 10, 2007 - Institutions for higher education
and Not-For-Profit Organizations are experiencing a surge in attempts aimed
at hacking their data. The more recent known examples were perpetrated
against UCLA, the University of Texas, and Mississippi State University.
Acunetix, a leading vendor of web application security solutions, is offering
all American Universities and Not-for-profit Organizations a complimentary
website audit through its recently launched service, Acunetix SiteAudit.
Read the full press release...
Leave a comment...
Return to the top
Digital Photography
Tip of the Week
Winter Photography Safety - Digital Photography Tip of the Week
I briefly discussed cold weather photography in a previous tip. Today I will
expand on that a little more.
In my tip on not being a fair
weather photographer I talked about keeping spare batteries inside your
coat to keep them warm. I also suggested that you do not take your camera
out of your bag for several hours so that the camera can become climatized
to the warm temperatures. As the warm, moist air condenses on your cold equipment,
the condensation formed on the camera could cause potential problems including
shorting of the electrical circuits. Keeping the camera in the bag will allow
the condensation to form on the exterior of the bag rather than than your
expensive equipment. Some people even recommend putting the entire camera
bag in a large, plastic bag to help prevent damage due to condensation.
Something else to consider when shooting in cold weather though is personal
protection. With freezing temperatures comes possibility of frost bite. Proper
protection for your body is a must. I like to layer my clothing, and wear a
lot of it, to be sure that I will stay warm. When shooting in cold temperatures,
I wear thermal long johns to keep my legs warm with my regular heavy pants
I use for photography and will layer an extra pair of winter, lined and windproof
snow pants which are great for lying in the snow for low level views of the
winter surroundings or just keeping me warm in below freezing temperatures.
For my body, I wear a moisture wicking layer first such as those used in many
popular sporting clothing lines to draw moisture away from my body, followed
by multiple layers of clothing. Proper foot wear is a must, not only for traction
on ice and snow, but for warmth and water resistance. I wear a pair of thin
Thinsulate gloves that allow me to easily operate the controls on my camera
plus also a pair of wool mitts for added warmth. The mitts feature fingertips
that flip backward to expose the thin glove when shooting, but are quickly
flipped back over the fingers for warmth. A wool toque keeps my head warm and
in very cold weather, also use a balaclava for added protection.
Above all things, safety should come first in your photography. Be aware of
your surroundings. Snow can cover up a lot of dangers, including thin ice.
The thrill of getting a great photographs in the winter quickly
diminishes when you start to get wet or cold, then all the fun of photography
is lost. Have fun in the winter, there are many great photographs to find,
but be safe and warm when doing it.
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.
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PCIN.net Site Update
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
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/
Microsoft Digital Image Suite Plus Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/msdimagesuiteplus.php
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Tips and Other Stuff
Hacking XP
From PC Magazine:
Settle down now, pardner. If Windows XP finally
has you mad enough to buy a MacBook, this is the story for you. We've
got 11 hacks here that can get your computer running faster, increase
your productivity, and make Windows XP just a little less annoying than
it was before you read this story.
Leave a comment...
Paragon Software Group Launches New Deployment Manager Vista Compatible
Version
This week I received the following press release from Paragon
Software:
Paragon Software Group Launches New Deployment Manager Vista Compatible
Version
Exclusive, new Multicast technology dramatically reduces the time and
cost of deployment for PC Manufacturers
January 2007 - San Jose
Paragon Software Group, the leading provider of innovative, reliable technologies
and software solutions in the field of storage management and data safety,
today announced the launch of Paragon Deployment Manager 8.5 System Builder
Edition - a solution that performs rapid and reliable Windows deployment.
This solution, designed for System Builders and PC Manufacturers provides
a unique and efficient way to roll-out a preconfigured image of the operation
system and installed applications to hundreds or thousands of new PCs
and create a set of brand new fully-featured, ready-to-work PC configurations
in a short time.
To read the full press release in
PDF format here.
Leave a comment...
2X ThinClientServer sends VISTA activation to the gallows
I received this press release from 2X
Software a few weeks ago:
Upgrade to 2X ThinClientServer and send VISTA activation to the gallows
2X ThinClientServer 4.0 provides users with Windows applications without
the need for VISTA or XP at the desktop.
London, UK, 11 January 2007 - 2X ThinClientServer v.4 aims to rid besieged
Network administrators from the headache of the upcoming Vista upgrade.
Rather than sinking deeper into the swamp of fat client administration,
Vista hardware upgrades and Vista activation, administrators can use 2X
ThinClientServer to deploy a secure, centrally managed Linux desktop which
runs any Windows application (including Vista applications) via RDP.
Read the full press release...
Leave a comment...
AdRem Software Releases NetCrunch 4.3
I received this press release from AdRem
Software a couple of weeks ago:
Newest version of NetCrunch network monitoring solution optimizes event
database access. With AdRem NetCrunch 4.3 network administrators can easily
browse larger event log data sets generated by enterprise networks.
NEW YORK, NY - January 23, 2007 - AdRem Software, provider of network
management solutions, announced NetCrunch 4.3, the newest version of its
flagship network monitoring software. The newest version of NetCrunch supports
browsing larger event log data sets, combines redundant event notifications
coming from different sources into one event and optimizes access to event
database.
Learn more about AdRem NetCrunch
4.3...
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 1998-2006, 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.
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