Issue 227 - February 19, 2003

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2003
==== 2042 Subscribers in 57 Countries ====

Welcome to the 227th 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

The review for the Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical is online at http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/lcfo.php The problem with input devices is that there are new ones out all the time. But Logitech has been very accommodating. The Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical has been updated and is now called the Cordless Elite Duo and Chris will be shipped one of those so that he can update his review. I reviewed similar hardware from Microsoft, but I had to deal with a representative from their PR company. Chris is dealing with someone at Logitech which helps a lot.

I'd like to welcome all of the new subscribers who found PCIN because of the FreeTechMail.org. PCIN was recently added to their listings and many new subscribers have come along. Since PCIN is a high quality newsletter (at least I think so!), then there are definitely more high quality newsletters listed at FreeTechMail.org. If you aren't already reading too many newsletters, then check it out.

Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net

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The NEWS

What Symantec Knew But Didn't Say

"Security firm Symantec withheld information about at least one big cyberthreat for hours after spotting it, possibly harming millions of Internet users.
Symantec claims to have identified the Slammer worm that ravaged the Internet during the last weekend of January hours before anyone else did.
Symantec then shared the information only with select customers, leaving the rest of the global community to get slapped around by Slammer.
In a Feb. 12 press release about its DeepSight Threat Management System, Symantec boasts that the company 'discovered the Slammer worm hours before it began rapidly propagating - then delivered timely alerts and procedures (to DeepSight users), enabling administrators to protect against the attack.'
Security experts are angry that Symantec did not publicly release any information the company had regarding Slammer."

For more info:
http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,57676,00.html

U.S. Tries E-Mail to Charm Iraqis

"A campaign to reach out and touch the Iraqi people through e-mail apparently hasn't been as successful as the United States had hoped, because the Iraqi government censors all e-mail coming into the country.
Over the past month, the U.S. military has periodically sent e-mail to Iraqi military and government officials urging them to protect their families by helping U.N. inspectors and turning away from Saddam Hussein."

For more info:
http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,57648,00.html

Web Magazine Facing Failure

"The Salon Media Group, the online magazine publisher, warned today that it might not survive beyond this month if it cannot raise more money to pay its rent and other bills.
The company, based in San Francisco, painted a grim financial picture in a quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Things are so bad, Salon said, that it stopped paying the rent for its headquarters in December, prompting the landlord to issue a demand last month for a $200,000 payment."

For more info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/15/business/media/15SALO.html
(free registration is required)

Illegal downloading fight targets corporations

"Movie studios and record labels are taking their case against illegal Internet downloads directly to corporations, where much of the offending action allegedly occurs.
The Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America are sending a six-page brochure this week to Fortune 1000 corporations with suggested policies -- including a sample memo to workers warning them against using company computers to download songs and movies."

For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/industry/02/14/illegal.downloading.ap/index.html
(thanks to Louise Antonio for sending me the link)

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POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

Are you spending more or less time at the computer now than you did a year ago?

More 46.04 % (64)
Less 23.02 % (32)
About the same 28.78 % (40)
Who cares 2.16 % (3)
Total votes: 139

This Week's Poll

Which is your primary search engine?

Google
MSN
Yahoo
MyWay
Altavista
Mamma
Dogpile
Excite
Other

You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/

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PCIN.net FREEHELP FORUM

Visit the PCIN.net FreeHelp Forum at http://PCIN.net/help/forum/ to post your questions or answer others.

Question

Do I have to add a video card for each monitor I add or do they make a multi-port card?

Response

Matrox provides many graphics cards capable of dual-display from one AGP or PCI card. You can also use one AGP card and one PCI card, or two PCI Cards, as long as one supports VGA Disable (PCI cards usually don't).
If you want to use an AGP card and a PCI card (that doesn't support VGA disable) then you MUST change the BIOS option to init the PCI card first!
You MUST use Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP. Windows 95 does not support multi-monitor. Windows 2000 and XP are the preferred platform for multi-monitor.

To post a response, visit the Hardware How-To forum at http://PCIN.net/help/forum/index.php?board=7 and click on the "Do I have to add a video card for each monitor I add or do they make a multi-port card?" topic.

Visit http://PCIN.net/help/forum/ to post a question of your own.

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PCIN.net UPDATE

Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:

Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/lcfo.php

Some Useful Registry Tips - Now 171 Tips!
http://PCIN.net/help/articles/registry_tips.php

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 5.5 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/paragonhdm55.php

Object Desktop Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/objectdesktop.php

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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Windows Tips Search Engine

Many of you may have heard of Brian Livingston. He has written many of the Windows Secrets books. One of his latest projects is the Windows Tips Search Engine. He has 14 of the most popular Windows tips web sites available for searching from one form. Check it out at http://briansbuzz.com/search/

PC Pitstop

Subscribe Shawn Bremner sent this in:
"Using their free online computer diagnostics, PC Pitstop can help you get your computer in top form -- running fast, stable and secure. The service runs tests on your computer to identify things that might be hurting its performance, and then tells you what you can do to fix them. It's pretty slick and best of all it's free."
http://www.pcpitstop.com/

Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical

"Keyboards and mice have come a long way in the past ten years. Keyboards now have multifunction wheels, volume and multimedia controls, quick access buttons and even USB ports. Logitech has been doing research for years into ergonomics, and today's keyboards and mice, contoured to the shape of your hand, are designed to allow you to spend hours at your computer without strain. The Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical is a keyboard and mouse combination from Logitech that exemplifies that."
Read the full review at http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/lcfo.php

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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 1998-2003, 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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