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Issue 463 - August 29, 2007
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2007
==== 1439 Subscribers in 46 Countries ====
Welcome to the 463rd 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
My sister's laptop came in. It's very nice looking, and seems to run great.
She figured it would be easier to cart a laptop cross-country than her computer
when she moves out West. I'm buying her old computer off of her, and one of
my other sisters is buying mine off of me.
By the time next Wednesday comes around, Labour Day will be over and school
will have started around here. It's hard to believe that the long dog days
of summer are over!
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
News Highlights
Calisthenics for the Older Mind, on the Home Computer
When Charline and Dan Truitt of Irvine, Calif., owners of a company that
audits mortgage lenders, started misplacing their keys and blanking on names,
they made all the usual jokes about senior moments. But it was no laughing
matter when Mrs. Truitt, 62, started forgetting client appointments.
"I was honestly wondering if we would have to sell the company," she
said. Instead, she started using Brain Fitness Program, a software product that
says it can improve brain power through its regimen of mental calisthenics. After
about six weeks, she said, "I could suddenly remember where things were
and remember appointments, and didn't have any problem recalling conversations."
Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars on brain-building digital
toys like Baby Einstein for preschoolers, so it was only a matter of time
before a parade of "Grandpa Einsteins" followed suit. In the past
year, some half-dozen programs, with names like Brain Fitness Program 2.0,
MindFit and Brain Age2, have aimed at aging consumers eager to keep their
mental edge.
Read the New York
Times article...
Leave a comment...
WGA meltdown makes 'pirates' of Vista, XP owners
Although Microsoft did not identify the number of affected systems Saturday,
based on the user comments and Liu's promises, it appeared to be systemwide.
If so, it would be the biggest problem so far in the developer's contentious
WGA program. Designed to spot pirated copies of its Windows and Office software,
WGA has been mandatory since mid-2005 before nonsecurity updates or files
can be downloaded from Microsoft's site.
Read the InfoWorld
article...
Leave a comment...
NASA to launch photo, film library
In an update to NASA archive news posted earlier this week, the space agency
has officially announced plans to develop a massive online archive of photography,
film and video from its 50-year history. The archive will be developed under
a five-year agreement with the Internet Archive, which will host the free
site and help compile the imagery, according to NASA. The agency said it
signed a nonexclusive Space Act agreement with the Internet Archive to develop
the project, which will come at no cost to taxpayers.
Read the CNet News
article...
Leave a comment...
Attracting Women to IT
Telle Whitney, president and CEO of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and
Technology, knows firsthand that women are an essential part of the Information
Technology world. Even so, she believes they aren't currently attracted to
the industry at the same rate as men, and there are several reasons why.
"Often I think of it as the perfect storm," Whitney says.
The recent media focus on IT outsourcing has convinced many women, and parents
of college-aged girls, that there isn't a solid future in the technology
fields. Secondly, there is an image problem.
Read the IT World
article...
Leave a comment...
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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
Everything Preschool
My wife Lisa is a stay-at-home mom to our two sons (and soon to be new daughter).
One of her biggest challenges is keeping the boys busy. They don't mind playing
on their own, but they aren't very creative and need some help getting started.
One site she has visited lately is Everything
Preschool:
Everything Preschool was founded by preschool teachers and parents that
were not satisfied with the amount of preschool information available on
the web. For this reason we decided to found our own preschool site dedicated
to being a complete source for all of your preschool needs. We are not
there yet, but were getting closer every day :)
There are all sorts of fun activities which will keep the young children
entertained, as well as teach them along the way.
Leave a comment...
CloneDrive Setup
I read about this in the September
issue of TechNet Magazine:
Dealing with physical media can be a real drag. Since switching to Windows
Vista and losing direct compatibility with the Microsoft Virtual CD-ROM
Control Panel, I have been looking for a replacement to mount CD and DVD
images...
One tool I've found that does work within your Windows Vista user context
is Virtual CloneDrive from Elaborate
Bytes. The application installs itself as a GUI management application
and a storage controller you can see from the Device Manager. Once installed,
the application has three basic settings.
Leave a comment...
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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:
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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.
- If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut
and paste.
- To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://PCIN.net/ and
follow the appropriate links.
- The only way to become a subscriber is by asking. You have either filled
out the subscription form or asked me directly.
- 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 or
by clicking on the PayPal link below:
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Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2007, 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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