PCIN, The PC Improvement News logo

Issue 327 - January 19, 2005

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2022 Subscribers in 60 Countries ====

Welcome to the 327th 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.

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Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php

CONTENTS

Opening Thoughts

Obviously I wasn't thinking enough to have any opening thoughts last week! I had the newsletter done early than I expected, and sent it off because I had some other things to do. Sorry!

I was off work Monday (although I mistakenly went in thinking I was supposed to be there!) so I had the time to put up a bunch of galleries on the family web site:

20041103-20050113 - Various Matthew
20041109-20050113 - Various Andrew
20041127 - Primary Christmas Party
20041201 - Lisa's Allergy Tests
20041221 - HOCO Christmas Party
20041224 - Christmas Eve 2004
20041225 - Christmas Day 2004
20041231 - New Year's Eve 2004
20050108 - Niagara Falls Aviary - You've got to see the pictures of my Mom with a bunch of birds on her!

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

The NEWS

Experts: Cyber-crime bigger threat than cyber-terror

"As David Perry left a cyber-security conference in Luxembourg in 2004, an airport terminal handling international flights was in chaos.
A network worm known as Sasser was scorching the world's computer systems and had knocked out the airport's reservation desk, stranding delegates in the terminal.
In a fable for the information age, conference attendees, among them some of the world's foremost computer security experts, flipped open their laptops and reopened the terminal in a matter of minutes."

For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/01/18/cyber.security/index.html

Dell's Rollins dismisses iPod as a 'fad'

"Dell Chief Executive Kevin Rollins is dismissing the iPod as a 'fad' and a 'one-product wonder' and claiming the new Mac Mini won't dent the PC market.
In an interview with Silicon.com at Dell's headquarters here last week, Rollins said that the number of headlines Apple grabs does not worry him and that the company isn't 'in the same league' as Dell."

For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1042_3-5540063.html

Global digital music market boomed in 2004

"The market for digital music on the Internet and mobile phones boomed in 2004, according to a report released Wednesday that showed the global recording industry collecting significant revenues from the segment for the first time.
However, the report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI, also warned that rampant piracy continued to erode legitimate profits."

For more info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6842965/

Behold the $55,000 PC

"An Amish PC might sound like a contradiction in terms, but Truvia can make one for you--provided you have $55,000 to spare.
The Redmond, Wash.-based start-up specializes in building high-end PCs into handcrafted furniture, everything from simple Amish and Shaker cabinets to ornate Louis XV creations."

For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1042_3-5533708.html

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POLL of the WEEK

Last Week's Poll

How much do you rely on the Internet to receive your non-technical news?

I only use the Internet for my news 14 % (12)
I use the Internet in addition to traditional news sources 69 % (60)
I do not use the Internet for news coverage 17 % (15)
Total votes: 87

This Week's Poll

What do you use catalog your digital images?

I use free software I downloaded from the web
I use the software that came with my camera
I use software that came with my photo editor
I have a dedicated software package I purchased
I catalog manually using folder or file names
I don't catalog my digital images
I do not have a digital camera

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

Return to the top Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week

PCIN.net UPDATE

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

VMware Inc. VMware Workstation 4.5 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/vmware45.php

PCIN.net Update Blog
http://PCIN.net/update/

Sunbelt Software iHateSpam 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam4.php

Micro Solutions RoadStor Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/roadstor.php

Album Creator by FirmTools Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/albumcreator.php

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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

OutlookPower Magazine

"Each issue of OutlookPower offers great ideas and helpful techniques for getting the most out of Microsoft Outlook and Exchange. When you read OutlookPower, you'll also be able to view the latest news about Outlook and Exchange, read product reviews, and interact with other users of Outlook and Exchange as well as with vendors of Outlook and Exchange-related software and hardware products. So visit OutlookPower Magazine and get Outlook Powered!"
If you use Outlook either at work or at home, then you should definitely check out the OutlookPower Magazine web site at http://www.outlookpower.com/ The site doesn't have all the contents of the magazine, but there are several tips that are very handy, and they seem to change regularly.

Show Hidden Devices in Device Manager

This is a great from from the latest issue of the LangaList newsletter. If you aren't a subscriber to either the free newsletter or the paid one, I would highly recommend you get moving!

"Ghostbusting In Device Manager
Hi Fred, Really enjoy the newsletter. I searched the archives and didn't see any mention of this, so thought I might actually have something to contribute.

Windows keeps a Device Manager entry for every piece of hardware that's ever been recognized by the system, regardless of whether it is currently present in the machine or was even set up correctly in the first place. The "View Hidden Devices" option in Device Manager won't show you these "residual" drivers. You can force it to show you everything by going to My Computer Properties, the Advanced tab, Environment Variables, and adding a new system variable with the name "DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES" and a value of 1. Now opening Device Manager and choosing "Show Hidden Devices" really will show you everything. Standard practice at the factory is to use a single image and just move it from model to model, letting it plug and play all the new hardware along the way. This leaves you with an impressive list of hardware still in the Device Manager, but no longer in the system. You also see this to a lesser degree when you restore a system from an image you created for backup purposes. These "residual" drivers can sometimes cause all kinds of weirdness and are best removed by right-clicking on their entry in the Device Manager and choosing "uninstall".

This works on Windows 2000/XP (and I assume Server 2003, though I haven't tried it). Anyone running a factory loaded Compaq or Dell will be amazed at the amount of junk left over from this process.

Best Regards, Jon Pickle

Thanks, Jon. Indeed, Windows has a thing about hanging on to ghost entries in Device Manager and also in the Registry. (This is one of the reasons why Registries inflate so much over time.) A little judicious ghostbusting lets your PC run cleaner and leaner!"

Google releases Picasa 2

Google has released the next version of Picasa. The software allows you to find, edit and share your photos. It automatically creates categories based upon the folders images are stored in, as well as by date. Create web galleries, photo CD's; order prints online and posting images to a blog are only some of the features in this new version. You can also create your own categories (labels) to help you catalog and sort your images the way that you want.
Check it out at http://www.picasa.com/

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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.

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Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net

Copyright 1998-2005, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.

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