ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
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Welcome to the 355th 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
Well, today marks the end of our Poll of the Week section. I've been thinking of dropping it for a while, but I wanted to hit a milestone. There were 200 polls that people participated in. Unfortunately, the level of participation was always quite low. I rarely had 100 people vote, and lately I was lucky to have 80 people vote. And I was definitely running out of things to ask about! We're thinking of some new things to include in the newsletter, and hopefully we'll have something firm in the coming weeks.
I saw PGA pro John Daly today. As I mention in my AccessNiagara.com blog posting, he was doing a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara Falls and had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth (he wasn't even holding onto it with his hands)! There should have been some PR Rep around telling him to smarten up.
My parents held a huge garage sale at my house this past weekend. It was supposed to start at 8 am. My Dad was here just after 6 am to setup, and people started to come shortly after. Probably the busiest part of the day was between 6:30 am and 8 am, when we weren't even supposed to be going yet. Some people really like to get there early for the deals!
Chris chris@pcin.net and Graham editor@pcin.net
Prosthetics go high tech
Your legs may not seem all that smart, but they're pretty good at letting you walk without having to think about what you're doing.
That hasn't been the case with artificial limbs, which have long required wearers to put a lot of thought and effort into a simple stride. Now, though, a newer generation of prosthetic devices is making use of chip technology to make walking a more natural act for amputees.For more info:
http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5816267.html
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/08/03/prosthetics_go_high_tech
Mighty Mouse is well in hand
No doubt about it - Apple's announcement that it's selling a four-button, scroll-wheel-bearing USB mouse is big news. Not in the earth-shattering kind of way that you'd greet the announcement of a new Mac or iPod. It is, after all, just a mouse.
But the Mighty Mouse marks the end of 21 years of Apple's one-button mouse policy. In that way, it's a little bit like the Berlin Wall coming down. Except, y'know, with mice.For more info:
http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/08/mightymouse/index.php
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/08/03/mighty_mouse_is_well_in_hand
Public Schools Begin to Offer Gym Classes Online
The nation's public schools are rushing to reconfigure scores of traditional courses from basic composition to calculus so students can take them via the Internet. One of the unlikely new offerings in this vast experiment is online gym.
Sound like an oxymoron? Not in Minneapolis, where a physical education course joined the school district's growing online catalog in the spring and already has a waiting list.For more info:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/education/02gym.html?ex=1280635200&en=888127d29ac35871&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
Leave a comment:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/08/02/public_schools_begin_to_offer_gym_classe
Study: Technology 'optimists' turn off TV
Broadband Internet surfers in North America watch two fewer hours of television per week than do those without Internet access, while those using a dial-up connection watch 1.5 fewer hours of TV.
The data come from a Forrester Research study released Tuesday that uses what it calls the longest-running survey of its kind, counting nearly 69,000 people in the U.S. and Canada as participants.
Broadband Internet users watch just 12 hours of TV per week, compared with 14 hours for those who are offline, according to the study, "The State of Consumers and Technology: Benchmark 2005."For more info:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/08/03/broadband.tv.reut/index.html
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Do you have a digital video camera?
Yes 34 % (28) No 66 % (55) Total votes: 83
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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.phpPCIN.net Update Blog
http://PCIN.net/update/Sunbelt Software iHateSpam 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam4.phpMicro Solutions RoadStor Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/roadstor.phpAlbum Creator by FirmTools Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/albumcreator.php
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Windows and Office Shortcuts
The July 29 issue of the TechRepublic Windows XP tips newsletter I get had a listing of a bunch of documents they have showing shortcuts for various programs:
Speed up regular tasks with these keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Office
All users -- including IT professionals -- have repetitive tasks that they do over and over again in Windows and Office. One of the best ways to get more efficient with your work is to learn the keyboard shortcuts for those tasks. You can download and print these time-saving keyboard shortcut lists and post them near your keyboard for at-a-glance help. You can also share copies of these documents with your colleagues and your end users to help them become more efficient as well.
25 keyboard shortcuts for moving faster in Windows XP
The point and click interface has made computers accessible to the masses. However, IT professionals know that it's much faster to use keyboard shortcuts than to point and click. Here are 25 useful keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate Windows XP faster than ever.30+ keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Microsoft Internet Explorer
This list provides more than 30 keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster in Microsoft Internet Explorer, including how to quickly organize your Favorites, refresh a Web page, view recently-visited pages, and much more.Microsoft Word 2003 keyboard shortcuts
This handy, two-page table lists 80 keyboard shortcuts and their corresponding functions for Microsoft Word 2003. This download provides at-a-glance help when you need to format text, work with tables, print and preview documents, and apply styles.Excel keyboard shortcuts
Get lots of valuable Excel keyboard shortcuts. Try this one-page sample chart from our Quick Reference: Microsoft Office Pak.80+ keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Microsoft Outlook
This list provides more than 80 keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster in Microsoft Outlook, including how to quickly send messages, schedule meetings, organize your calendar, manage your contacts, and much more.50+ keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Microsoft PowerPoint
This list provides more than 50 keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster in Microsoft PowerPoint, including how to quickly add new slides, format side text, modify a slide's design, start a slide show, and much more.70+ keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Microsoft Access
This list provides more than 70 keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster in Microsoft Access, including how to quickly create a new table, open the Visual Basic Editor, invoke a Builder, sort data, and much more.And for those of you who are still infatuated with the mouse, you'll also enjoy this download:
34 timesaving mouse tricks for Word users
Some users sneer at the mouse and consider it clumsy compared to the keyboard for executing quick actions. But like any tool, the mouse can expedite your work if you know how to use it effectively. The techniques listed here are easy to remember and lightning-fast. Most just involve a simple double-click in certain places within a Word document window to bring up options for tasks like page setup, text formatting, and object editing.Visit http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/08/02/windows_and_office_shortcuts for links to all the lists of shortcuts or to leave a comment.
Wikispaces
I'm sure many of you are familiar with Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia. A "wiki" is a community project. In the case of Wikipedia, anyone can add/edit an entry. Well, Wikispaces lets you create your own project.
Wikispaces is a place where you can easily build web pages with other people. Signing up and creating your own wiki space is fast, free, and easy.
What can I use Wikispaces for?
Wikispaces is great for any kind of group website. It's for families, classrooms, sports teams, community groups, book clubs, fan clubs, party organizers, wedding planners, and more.
FunBrain.com
I mentioned this site over 2 and a half years ago, but it is still going strong.
FunBrain is the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages. (math, grammar, science, spell, history)
Check it out at http://funbrain.com/
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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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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.
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.
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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