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Issue 476 - November 28, 2007
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2007
==== 1411 Subscribers in 46 Countries ====
Welcome to the 476th 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
All of you received an email this past week asking you to confirm your membership
to a mailing list. The moderator was my Gmail address. I'm sorry about that.
I am testing a new web host, and I was testing their mailing list software.
I imported all of my addresses, and it sent a confirmation request out to everyone.
Unfortunately it never said anything in the documentation that it would do
this. I apologize for the inconvenience. You have not been subscribed to anything
new, and no one else got your email address.
I also apologize for a mistake in last weeks newsletter. The tip on the JOCR
software had the wrong link. You can find the proper link by reading the original
blog entry.
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
News Highlights
Fake photos can alter real memories
In 2003, Los Angeles Times photographer Brian Walski caused an uproar when
it was discovered that his picture of a British soldier yelling at fleeing
residents in Iraq, published prominently by many U.S. newspapers, had been
altered.
Walski had combined two snapshots taken moments apart of the British soldier
urging residents to take cover as Iraqi forces opened fire. This digital
alteration is one of several in recent years to cast doubt on the old saying
that the camera doesn't lie.
Some researchers are worried that digitally altered photos could alter our
perceptions and memories of public events.
Read the MSNBC article...
Leave a comment...
Greenpeace: Microsoft, Nintendo are too toxic
Greenpeace gave Microsoft and Nintendo abysmal rankings Tuesday on their
efforts to phase out toxic chemicals from their game consoles.
Nintendo became the first company to score zero out of a possible 10 points
in the Greenpeace ranking of 18 leading electronics companies. It provided
no information to consumers on the substances it uses in manufacturing or
on its plans to cut hazardous materials, the environmental organization said.
Read the USA Today article...
Leave a comment...
Is e-mail dead? Hardly
A flurry of blogs and news items on the Internet last week suggested that
young Internet users are increasingly relying on instant messaging, texting,
and social networking sites to communicate, often via mobile devices, and
almost to the exclusion of e-mail.
One of those blogs, by Chad Lorenz at Slate, even asserted that "e-mail
is looking obsolete," under the headline "The Death of E-Mail."
But the reality is much more complex. Some market reports and analysts predict
that e-mail accounts will continue to grow as other messaging modes gain
popularity and as use of the Internet expands globally.
Read the InfoWorld article...
Leave a comment...
Internet 'brownouts' feared by 2010 as user traffic soars
Rising demand for bandwidth-hogging Internet activities such as swapping
music files and watching YouTube videos threatens to outstrip the Web's infrastructure
within three years, creating the spectre of service "brownouts" and
potentially thwarting the development of the next Google-sized application,
an industry-funded study warns.
Despite all the talk about the Internet's infinite possibilities, a study
by U.S. firm Nemertes Research found that projected increases in Internet
traffic are poised to eclipse the capacity of the Web's broadband access
infrastructure - essentially the points where users "plug in" to
the Internet via cable, phone or fibre optic lines - as early as 2010.
Read the Toronto Star 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
Internet Safety Podcast
One of the biggest concerns for parents is what their children are doing
on the Internet. Who is contacting them? Who are they chatting with? How
do they interact with strangers? Kim Komando talks
about this regularly.
I came across a site today where you can listen to podcast about Internet
safety called Internet Safety Podcast.
So far there are only 2, but based on the descriptions (I haven't listened
to them myself), the hosts "begin by talking about safe web surfing
and mechanisms for avoid both deliberate and inadvertent access to inappropriate
material."
Leave a comment...
Free screencast software
Screencast software lets you record what you do on the computer visually
so you can play it back later. It can be used for making tutorials and other
instructional material, either for yourself, or someone else (your family,
a class, etc).
TechSmith, the makers of SnagIt (the screen capture utility) have a special
on their site for "PC Plus Magazine readers from the United Kingdom" where
you can download the older version of Camtasia (their screencast software)
and then get a free registration code. I'm not sure when the special ends,
so definitely check it out soon! I heard
about this on RedFlagDeals.com and they have the appropriate links to follow.
Leave a comment...
Free screen capture software
Yesterday I
posted about the free version of Camtasia you could download and register
from TechSmith. Well, today I found out that
the same company is offering their SnagIt screen capture software for free
as well. Just like Camtasia, they are offering their previous version.
You can download the software from the TechSmith
FTP site, and register it on the special UK.net
Magazine promotion page. I'm not sure how long this will last for,
so you should check it out soon.
I applaud TechSmith for doing this. I think more companies should be offering
their older products for free. If a user ends up liking their products, they
are far more likely to buy an upgrade to the newer version (to get the new
features) than they are to look elsewhere.
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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