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Issue 398 - May 31, 2006

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 1608 Subscribers in 51 Countries ====

Welcome to the 398th 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

Wow... it sure has been hot the past few days! We're just heading into June and we've already had several days that have been over 30° C (86° F) with one day around 34° C (93° F). I love sunny, warm days, but this sort of heat just makes it hard to do anything outside. Lisa doesn't like to have the Andrew and Matthew out when it's so hot, so they're stuck inside. The heat is supposed to let up tomorrow, so hopefully we'll return to more seasonable temperatures.

The other day Chris and I were talking about how everyone seems to have a budget of disposable income for electronic equipment. A decade ago you might pay $200 for a fairly decent point & shoot 35mm camera, and expect to have it for 10 years. Now people will pay $200 for a digital camera and have no problem paying $200 again next year. I'm not clear on where this money has come from, but it really amazes me that there seems to be so much of it!

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

The NEWS

Getting nailed by e-mail

When are people going to learn? Many folks act as if e-mail is akin to a verbal conversation that comes and goes in the wind. Yet e-mail has a degree of permanence that hardly ever dies.
Recent history is crammed with examples of e-mails that later became the bane of their authors' existence. Once revealed, a poorly worded e-mail or an e-mail that should not have been sent in the first place can cause much embarrassment. That's the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario? Try civil liability and even criminal prosecution.

Read the TechRepublic article...
Leave a comment...

Timing the Electronics Market for the Best Deal on a New PC

Lower prices are part of the natural order in the world of electronics. Sometimes, though, the slow but relentless drop in price turns into a torrent. That's happening now in personal computers.
Prices are falling fast on notebook computers, as much as 18.5 percent so far this year, according to statistics compiled by Current Analysis, a market research firm. The bulk of notebooks now sell for less than $1,000.
The lower-priced notebooks are pushing desktop prices down, too. "I would expect even more intense price competition," said Charles Smulders, an analyst with Gartner, another market research firm.
The pace of price cuts has accelerated because a price war has broken out that offers great benefits to anyone in the market for a PC.

Read the New York Times article...
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MPAA accused of hiring a hacker

A lawsuit filed Wednesday accuses the Motion Picture Association of America of hiring a hacker to steal information from a company that the MPAA has accused of helping copyright violators.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by Torrentspy.com parent Valence Media, doesn't identify the man the company says was approached by an MPAA executive. But the suit calls the man a former associate of one of the plaintiffs and alleges that he was asked to retrieve private information on Torrentspy.com, a search engine that directs people to download links.
Torrentspy's complaint includes claims that the man whom the MPAA allegedly paid $15,000 to steal e-mail correspondence and trade secrets has admitted his role in the plot and is cooperating with the company.
"It is a Hollywood drama, what happened here," Ira Rothken, Torrentspy's attorney, said in a telephone interview Wednesday evening.

Read the CNet News article...
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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Camera Bag Checklist

A lot of the photography that I do is nature related. Each weekend, I am up before the crack of dawn so that I can get to my destination before the sun comes up, but nature is not all that I shoot. I also shoot assignments, weddings, engagements, and the different people I shoot with all have different areas of interest.

One problem I face is that the equipment I use isn't always the same for each type of photography. How do I keep what equipment I need for a particular shoot organized? I use a checklist. Camera Body, necessary lenses, charged batteries for my camera, formatted memory cards. But what else do I need. That depends on what I am shooting.

I have three camera bags that I use, a small backpack good for small excursions or exploring, especially when I know my choice of equipment will be limited. A large bag I use for most of my other shooting that will hold all of my lenses, a film body, external flash, filters and accessories and a shoulder bag I use for for portraiture and weddings that will hold two bodies, the lenses I need for the shoot, batteries, memory cards and other accessories. Transferring equipment between bags is typically where things get forgotten. If all of my equipment was in one bag all the time, then it would not be a problem. This is where the checklist comes in handy. I keep the lists in the same location I keep my equipment in the house, so when I am transferring, I know I have all that I need. So, what else do I add into my camera bags that isn't as obvious as the camera, lens, battery or media cards?

These items are always in my bag:

The following items come with me depending on what I am shooting:

Other items that don't fit in my bags, but often come with me are my tripod, rain suit (pants and coat), rubber boots, umbrella and cell phone. This is an extensive list, and you will probably not need all of these items in your bag. Many of them take very little space, but are indispensable when needed.

Whatever you photograph, you will have certain equipment needs. A checklist will help to make sure you have the equipment you need when you need it. Whether a serious photographer with a lot of equipment, or a family shooter who only needs a camera, spare batteries and an extra memory card, a checklist will help to ensure you never end up unable to shoot due to missing or dead equipment.

Leave a comment about this week's Digital Photography Tip of the Week...

The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President 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 Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.

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PCIN.net UPDATE

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

Update PCIN.net home page with "Top 10 Most Popular..." features
http://PCIN.net/

Microsoft Digital Image Suite Plus Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/msdimagesuiteplus.php

Omega One Software Battery Pack Pro 2.1 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/bpp2.php

Makayama Interactive DVD to Pocket PC 3.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/dvd2ppc3.php

Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/elements40.php

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THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

MapMuse.com

MapMuse is the best way to find your favorite brands and interests, all brought together on a single interactive map!
With over 150 already available and more added each week, there's something for everyone!

MapMuse shows you the location of hundreds of brands along with generic categories. For instance, if you want to know where there are mini-putt places in your neighbourhood, you just visit their Miniature Golf Courses section and you can find over 1,100 of them. Or if you want to know where a Target is in your area, you can do that to.

Leave a comment...

The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time

PCWorld.com has compiled a list of what they consider the worst tech products of all time:

Picking our list wasn't exactly rocket science; it was more like group therapy. PC World staffers and contributors nominated their candidates and then gave each one the sniff test. We sought the worst of the worst - operating systems that operated badly, hardware that never should have left the factory, applications that spied on us and fed our data to shifty marketers, and products that left a legacy of poor performance and bad behavior.

#1 is AOL.

Leave a comment...

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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 1998-2006, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.

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