Issue 341 - April 27, 2005
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2005
==== 2048 Subscribers in 60 Countries ====
Welcome to the 341st 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
Not much to say this week. We've been getting a lot of rain. It doesn't make
for enjoyable walks at lunch, but it does make the grass beautifully green.
I know I've been plugging this a lot lately, but I've added even more features
to the AccessNiagara.com web
site. I'm still working on it, but I've added an image
gallery of all the various attractions I've
been to along with some great pictures of the Falls
and along the parkway. Currently there are over 650 images in over 50 categories.
You can rate images, leave comments, and send e-cards. Check
it out!
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
The NEWS
Emails more damaging than cannabis
"Researchers at the University of London Institute of Psychiatry have
found that the constant distractions of email and texting are more harmful
to performance than cannabis.
Those distracted by incoming email, phone calls and text messages saw a 10-point
fall in their IQ, more than twice that found in studies of the impact of
smoking cannabis, according to the researchers."
For more info:
http://www.vnunet.com/news/1162648
Comment on this article:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/04/23/emails_more_damaging_than_cannabis
Microsoft: 'Trusted Windows' still coming, trust us
"After nearly a decade, Microsoft's vision for how to protect especially
sensitive information within Windows remains largely that--a vision.
For years, the software giant has promised to deliver a secure way to shuttle
around key bits of information. Once known as Palladium and more recently
dubbed the Next Generation Secure Computing Base, or NGSCB, the approach
was once a key part of Longhorn, the next version of Windows. Although the
first piece of that is arriving in Longhorn, it's only a thin sliver of what
Microsoft has been working toward since describing its idea of "trusted
Windows" a decade ago."
For more info:
http://techrepublic.com.com/2100-10590_11-5681603.html
Comment on this article:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/04/25/microsoft_trusted_windows_still_coming_t
From Offshore to Ship-to-Shore
"Roger Green and David Cook seem like your run-of-the-mill high tech
execs -- well dressed, well spoken, bright guys. That is, until they tell
you their business plan. (I heard it at a party last night here at the Gartner
conference, then did a quick interview with them.) And then you have to wonder,
are these guys whacked?
Here's their basic idea:
Take a used cruise ship, plant it in international waters three miles off
the coast of El Segundo, near Los Angeles, people it with 600 of the brightest
software engineers they can find around the world (both men and women), and
run a 24-hour-a-day programming shop, thereby avoiding H-1B visa hassles
while still exploiting offshore labor cost arbitrage and completing development
projects in half the time they'd take onshore or offshore."
For more info:
http://www.sourcingmag.com/blog/blogdefault.aspx?view=plink&id=383
Comment on this article:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/04/26/from_offshore_to_ship_to_shore
Online dating background checks?
"Looking for love in all the wrong places?
A few states could soon help save the lovelorn from heartbreak. According
to Monday's Los Angeles Times, a handful of state legislatures around the
country are mulling legislation that would require online dating sites
such as Match.com and Yahoo Personals to conduct background checks on all
members, or prominently warn users that they do not."
For more info:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/25/technology/dating_online/index.htm
POLL of the WEEK
Last Week's Poll
Do you check your email while away on vacation?
Yes |
|
57 % (47) |
No |
|
43 % (35) |
Total votes: 82 |
This Week's Poll
You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/
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
THE TIPS and OTHER
STUFF
Panorama Stitching Software Alternative
I recently posted about the amazing Autostitch software
that is available for free. Well, here is another one. The Panorama Factory
is a commercial product that also has an earlier freeware version. I haven't
tried it myself, but you can read about it and download it at http://www.panoramafactory.com/download.html#freeware
Comment on this tip:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/04/27/panorama_stitching_software_alternative
Superman on the Web
From Entertainment
Weekly:
"It's been 22 years since Superman first flew onto the big screen, but he's
as popular as ever online, where fans have collected enough stories and photos
about the ''Super'' flicks to fill a Sunday edition of the Daily Planet. At Superman
Cinema, scene-by-scene analyses of all four film installments plus ''Supergirl''
point out inconsistencies and flubs, while articles and interviews provide eyebrow-raising
insight into the turmoil that often plagued the productions."
There is also a site where you can get more information Superman. They used
to have a freely available re-edit of Superman II, but Warner Bros made them
take it down. Check out the site at http://www.supermancinema.co.uk/
Comment on this tip:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/04/23/superman_on_the_web
ProcessLibrary.com: Free Process Information
"In the recesses of your computer, 20-30 invisible processes run silently
in the background. Some hog system resources, turning your PC into a sluggish
computer. Worse yet, other useless processes harbour spyware and Trojans
- violating your privacy and giving hackers free reign on your computer.
ProcessLibrary.com is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to know
the exact purpose of every single process."
Check it out at http://www.processlibrary.com/
Comment on this tip:
http://www.pcin.net/update/index.php/2005/04/21/processlibrary_com_free_process_informat
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:
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.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author
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