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Issue 470 - October 17, 2007
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2007
==== 1423 Subscribers in 46 Countries ====
Welcome to the 470th 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
Everything is still going well for Lisa and Christine. I'm back at work now,
and Lisa's mother is here helping. I think they are all having a good time
together.
I just got a new computer at work. My old computer was just not powerful enough
for some of the things that I was doing. The new one has plenty of power. It
also came with a flat screen monitor (as almost all new computers do). I used
to have a huge 19" CRT monitor, so it's weird having all that extra space
on my desk!
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
News Highlights
Girls Gone Wired!
A recent study says that the average woman owns five electronic gadgets.
So, ladies, what's your tech style?
That's the question asked by AOL's Consumer Advisor, Regina Lewis, who thinks
there are three distinct tech personalities she sees among women. She visited
the Saturday Early Show to explain the differences between them.
Read the CBS Early
Show article...
Leave a comment...
Phantom vibrations shake 'crackberry' addicts
If your hipbone is connected to your BlackBerry or your thighbone is connected
to your cell phone, those vibrations you're feeling in the car, in your pajamas,
in the shower, may be coming from your headbone.
Many mobile phone addicts and BlackBerry junkies report feeling vibrations
when there are none, or feeling as if they're wearing a cell phone when they're
not.
Read the CNN article...
Leave a comment...
Professors asking students not to bring laptops to class
A silent college classroom is rare.
The lecturer pauses for a sip of water. Students aren't talking. And no one's
cell phone is vibrating, trilling or playing the latest Billboard-chart
favorite.
Yet, the faint clatter of typing rises from at least one set of fingers -
an ever-present sign that today's students would rather come to class with
laptops than with a pen and paper. After all, it's awfully hard to check
your e-mail, surf the Web or chat with friends using a spiral notebook.
But a growing number of professors, including some at Seattle's three universities,
are asking students to leave the laptops in their bags or at home.
Read the Houston
Chronicle article...
Leave a comment...
Blazingly fast Internet2 just got 10 times faster
The ultrahigh-speed Internet2 network just got 10 times faster, partly in
anticipation of rising demand for capacity after the world's largest particle
collider opens near Geneva next year.
Until recently, the Internet2 had a theoretical limit of 10 gigabits per
second, which is thousands of times faster than standard home broadband connections.
By sending data using 10 different colors, or wavelengths, of light over
a single cable, operators are boosting the network's capacity to 100 Gbps.
Read the MSNBC article...
Leave a comment...
Microsoft not worried about Google Apps
Google's much-hyped entrance into the office tool market dominated by Microsoft
doesn't seem to have worried CEO Steve Ballmer, who dismissed competitors
as not "even as good as 'me too'" in an interview Wednesday.
When asked about the challenge Google poses to Microsoft, Ballmer acknowledged
that Google is the clear leader in search and advertising. Then he said Microsoft's
products for productivity and business computing remain far superior to competitors.
Read the NetworkWorld
article...
Leave a comment...
Return to the top
Digital Photography
Tip of the Week
Basic Digital Retouching Seminar
As mentioned in the past, I am President of the Niagara
Falls Camera Club. As part of our move this year to digital competitions
using projected images, I recently put on a program at the club covering
some basic digital editing using Adobe
Photoshop Elements 5.
In my program I covered topics including red eye removal, cropping, straightening,
using level for setting white balance and minor exposure adjustment, using
layers for non-destructive editing and finally creating a step mount on a digital
image.
I have made an archive of my speakers notes and sample images for you to follow
through.
The zip archive may be downloaded here: Digital
Retouching Seminar Files
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.
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
Return to the top
Tips and Other Stuff
Nexus Radio
Regular subscriber Pat send me in a link to Nexus
Radio and said:
Cool free internet radio program, can also record songs to play on your
mp3 player!
The software is rated highly at Download.com. The software is by Egisca,
and their site describes it this
way:
Nexus Radio is a free full featured radio player for listeners who want
to record their favorite radio content for playback on their PC, or any
portable device that supports MP3s. With over 6000+ radio stations and
support for thousands more, Nexus Radio delivers the content radio listeners
yearn for.
I haven't tried the software, but you can read more on the official
Nexus Radio site.
Leave a comment...
xplorer² lite
Back in the day, Windows came with a file manager that seemed to have more
features than the current Windows Explorer. You can view 2 different drives
or folders at a time, making it very easy to copy files between locations.
There are many 3rd party file managers out there, and one I heard of recently
is xplorer² lite.
All the shell goodies from windows explorer - none of the hassle! Plus
all the features you would expect from a powerful tabbed dual-pane file
manager, including Omni-Finder, a find files module that simply outclasses
all known search tools. Don't take our word for it, seeing is believing!
I haven't tried the software, but if you are interested in this sort of
thing, then you should check it out.
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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