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Issue 362 - September 21, 2005

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2058 Subscribers in 59 Countries ====

Welcome to the 362nd 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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CONTENTS

Opening Thoughts

Summer's over! For me, it seemed like the month of July lasted forever, and then August, and now September have just flown by. The weather is still beautiful here. I'm planning on finishing my front walkway this weekend. Somehow or other I've managed to make this week-long project last 3 years! What will I do now?

My sister bought used laptop from a local store. They get computers that are off lease from companies, and then resell them. She got a Compaq Evo N600C for just over $500 plus tax. Everything works great, it is quick, and I guess most importantly, she's happy with it. If you are looking for a replacement brand-name computer or laptop, or a good second computer and just can't afford a new one, then see if you have a store in your area that sells these sorts of computers. They had desktops there for $120 that were Pentium III, 10-20 GB hard drive, 256 MB RAM, and the Windows 98/2K/XP OEM license still with it. Good deals.

For those web programmers out there, I have a question... I'm looking for a script like TinyURL.com uses, that will let me shorten URLs for the newsletter and blog, and also count/track which links are clicked on. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

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

The NEWS

Keystrokes Reveal Passwords to Researchers

If spyware and key-logging software weren't a big enough threat to privacy, researchers have figured out a way to eavesdrop on your computer simply by listening to the clicks and clacks of the keyboard.
Those seemingly random noises, when processed by a computer, were translated with up to 96 percent accuracy, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
" It's a form of acoustical spying that should raise red flags among computer security and privacy experts," said Doug Tygar, a Berkeley computer science professor and the study's principal investigator.

For more info:
http://tinyurl.com/dp4hr
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/20/keystrokes_reveal_passwords_to_researche

A recovery mission of a different kind

Sawyer Real Estate in Gulfport, Miss. was founded by Lenny Sawyer's great grandfather in 1901. But when Katrina hit, it seemed most of that legacy would be wiped out. The firm's office, which had been 200 feet from the beach, was devastated. Wind ripped the structure to pieces, and a storm surge left 6 feet of standing water on everything inside. The firm's 14 critical computers lay somewhere under a pile of rubble.
Sawyer thought all his company's critical electronic business records - contracts, tenant records, e-mail - were gone.
" I'm sitting in front of the building, and it looked like a war zone. ... There wasn't a wall left. Everything was in shambles," Sawyer said. "But in the back of my mind, I remembered reading an article about [data recovery], and I said, 'It's probably worth us digging through the rubble to get to the hard drives.'"
The computers were a mess. Many were not only wet, but packed with sand, seaweed, and even seashells.
But Sawyer's instincts were right - digging out the hard drives was worth it. While the computers are damaged beyond repair, much of the firm's data has been saved.

For more info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9369447/
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/20/a_recovery_mission_of_a_different_kind

Tech Wizard for a Day, for the Price of a Room

A technology arms race is under way in the hotel industry.
Standard televisions are being replaced by flat-panel, high-definition displays that produce a better picture and allow a bulky piece of furniture to be removed from often-crowded guest rooms.
Internet connections are becoming standard, whether through high-speed hard-wired connections or wireless systems that allow users to stay connected wherever they are in the building.
Some hotels are installing docking stations for iPod music players to recharge the batteries and to play music over speakers rather than headphones. Satellite radios are also making their way into hotels seeking to convey a hip, high-tech image. And many hotel operators are looking at Internet-based telephones to replace the standard versions that cellphone users increasingly ignore.
As new technologies and gadgets proliferate, hotel managers have to decide which ones provide real value to guests and which ones may not be as important to them.

For more info:
http://tinyurl.com/93vdu
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/19/tech_wizard_for_a_day_for_the_price_of_a

Hacking's a snap in Legoland

When Lego executives recently discovered that adult fans of the iconic plastic bricks had hacked one of the company's new development tools for digital designers, they did a surprising thing: They cheered.
Unlike executives at so many corporations, who would be loathe to let their customers anywhere near the inner workings of their software tools, the Lego honchos saw an opportunity to lean on the collective thinking of an Internet community to improve their own product while bolstering relations with committed customers.
All it took was being open-minded enough to see that their biggest fans weren't trying to rip them off; they were trying to improve Lego's products in a way that, just maybe, the company's own designers hadn't thought of.

For more info:
http://techrepublic.com.com/2100-1009_11-5865751.html
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/15/hacking_s_a_snap_in_legoland

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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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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Digital Camera Features

Last week we discussed digital camera resolution. This week, I will talk about the some of the other features commonly found on digital cameras and what to look for when purchasing a digital camera.

You will often see the zoom capabilities for a camera listed with two or three different numbers, something like 12x zoom, 3x optical, 4x digital. The number you really want to pay attention to is the optical zoom. This is the true zoom capabilities of the camera lens. Optical zoom maintains the integrity of the image on the sensor providing the highest quality image when zooming. When you use digital zoom, the camera takes the center portion of the image, then magnifies that make it larger. In doing so, image quality degrades. Also, not all camera manufacturers state it, but a glass lens will produce better images than a plastic lens.

Most cameras have various modes you can choose that are optimized for a type of photo. Portrait mode will provide shallow depth of field to help isolate your subject from the background while scenery mode will do the opposite, allowing you to have a sharp photo in focus all the way through. Both modes will set the flash for best exposure, portrait mode will turn the flash on and scenery mode will turn the flash off. Sports mode sets a faster shutter speed to stop action, and may also allow for burst capture, or capture of several images one after the other while holding the shutter button down. Macro or Flower mode allows you to get close to a subject for a close up shot and Night mode will leave the shutter open longer to help in dark scenes and fire the flash as well. Not all features are available on all cameras, and some cameras may have more. These are the typical features though. Of course, you can always shoot in fully automatic mode, usually depicted by a green line or square on the selection dial.

Some digital cameras come with the ability to record short movie clips. Don't mistake this as an alternative to a video camera. The videos are quite small, often only 320x240 pixels, or less than 25% of a typical computer monitor. They are good for capturing short clips that you may want to email to friends and relatives though. Just don't expect to watch them on your TV with great clarity.

Most digital cameras come equipped with an LCD display on the back for reviewing or composing your photos. The larger the display, the easier it is to see your image. 1.8" seems to be the standard size, though there are many with 2.0" and even a few with 2.5" screens. The larger the screen, the better, but it is also a feature you will have to pay more for. Some camera's have an LCD viewfinder. The advantage with that is that you will see exactly what your picture will be like. With an optical viewfinder, the camera lens may record a slightly different image. Having used both though, I still prefer the optical view finder; many optical viewfinders have slow update, so as you move the camera, what you see appears jumpy. LCD's require a lot of power, so an option to turn the display off is a nice feature.

Removable memory is a must in digital camera's these days. Memory is available in many different formats, some have advantages over others, but they are all acceptable. If this is your first digital camera, memory type should not matter. If you are buying your second camera, you may want to buy one that uses the same type of memory as your previous camera, but with memory being as inexpensive as it is, it may not matter to you.

Digital cameras are power hungry, and as such, you will want to invest in a good set of rechargeable batteries. Not all cameras use standard AA's though. Some will come with their own battery; while costly to replace, may be cheaper over the life of the camera. Others use standard camera batteries. You will have the most options (and emergency supply of power) if you buy a camera that can use AA's. Regular alkaline's do not take as many photos as a good set of rechargeables but their abundance makes for a good back up strategy. Check the manual to see what kind of batteries you can use in your camera. Some rechargeable batteries supply a higher voltage than regular batteries that may damage your camera.

If you have more advanced needs, you may want to look at a digital SLR which will allow you to change your lenses and add other accessories such as off camera flashes or external battery packs. If that is more than you need, there is also a class of camera's called prosumer, which offer many of the features of a digital SLR without the ability to change lenses.

If you plan on using your camera for family photos, a self timer will be a valuable feature to look for. This will allow you to set the camera on a tripod or tabletop, press the shutter button and then get into the picture yourself. You may even find some cameras come with a remote control so you can take several shots without running back and forth.

There are many sites on the Internet that discuss digital camera features. Knowing what the features are, and what you want to use your camera for will help to ensure you get the right camera for your needs. I believe the most important features are camera resolution (too little and you limit how large you can print, too much and you will have more than you need), optical zoom and lens quality. Other important factors that can are really personal preference are ease of use; how to move between menus and set different features, and how well the camera feels when you hold it. Some cameras are simply too small for larger hands, while others fit better in a smaller hand.

Next week, I will talk about composing your image for printing.

Comment on this week's Digital Photography Tip of the Week at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/21/digital_photography_tip_of_the_week_digi_1

The digital photography tip of the week is a new feature of PCIN news and is written by our Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and member 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 us, or a question about digital photography we can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.

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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Opera Eliminates Ad Banner and Licensing Fee

A press release from the Opera web site:

Oslo, Norway - September 20, 2005
Opera Software today permanently removed the ad banner and licensing fee from its award-winning Web browser. The ad-free, full-featured Opera browser is now available for download - completely free of charge - at http://www.opera.com.
" Today we invite the entire Internet community to use Opera and experience Web browsing as it should be," said Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "Removing the ad banner and licensing fee will encourage many new users to discover the speed, security and unmatched usability of the Opera browser."
Opera was previously available free of charge with an ad banner. Users had the option of paying a licensing fee to remove the ad banner and receive premium support.
" Opera fans around the globe made this day possible," said von Tetzchner. "As we grow our userbase, our mission and our promise remain steadfast: we will always offer the best Internet experience to our users - on any device. Today this mission gains new ground."

So a few weeks ago they offered the browser for free for a day, and now it is free permanently. How are they going to make money? I'm not sure where this is going to take them...

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/20/opera_eliminates_ad_banner_and_licensing

On-Disk.com

Reader Todd emailed me the following:

For users on dial-up, there is help getting the mega downloads such as Open office or a Linux OS. Even at a full 56k a few hundred MB can take days. It can be faster and more convenient to request the download from On-disk.com
They will download, burn and ship. For customers in the US most orders arrive within 4 business days.

The website describes the service this way:

On-Disk.com is a Download & Burn Service
This makes it possible to obtain downloads that otherwise may be difficult; such as large downloads over dial-up, or when needing to install software on another computer, or to have necessary security updates on hand before installing/reinstalling an operating system.

I haven't tried it (I have no need for it), but if you are still on dial-up and don't have someone who can do this for you, it may be useful.

Check it out at http://on-disk.com/

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/17/on_disk_com

Microsoft Codename Max

Microsoft® Codename Max is not like any other product. That's because it's not a product-it's your opportunity to try an exciting new user experience from Microsoft. Today Max lets you make lists of your photos and turn them into beautiful slide shows to share with your family and friends. Tomorrow...who knows?
With just a few clicks, you can create lists of your favorite photos, arrange them in the layout of your choice, and express them in beautiful views. Preview your photo lists as you build them until your presentation is perfect. You can even use our super hot 3D Mantle View to really show off your work!

I haven't tried this at all, but it sounds interesting. You can check it out at http://www.microsoft.com/max/

Leave a comment at http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/09/14/microsoft_codename_max

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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

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