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Issue 400 - June 07, 2006

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
==== 1609 Subscribers in 51 Countries ====

Welcome to the 400th 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! I've hit issue # 400. I can't believe that I've been doing this for almost 8 years now. I've had a lot of fun and gotten some decent software out of it as well. But I can't believe that after 8 years I'm only at 1600 subscribers. That's pretty easy math... an average of 4 subscribers a week. I guess I'm not a very good marketer as this should be dozens if not hundreds a week. Oh well, I'll keep plowing ahead and see what the future brings.

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

The NEWS

Backdoors, Bots Biggest Threats To Windows

Backdoor Trojans are a clear and present danger to Windows machines, Microsoft said Monday as it released the first-ever analysis of data collected by the 15-month run of its Malicious Software Removal Tool, a utility that seeks out and destroys over five-dozen malware families.
According to Microsoft's anti-malware engineering team, Trojans that, once installed, give an attacker access and control of a PC, are a "significant and tangible threat to Windows users."
Of the 5.7 million unique PCs from which the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) has deleted malware, 3.5 million of them - 62 percent - had at least one backdoor Trojan.

Read the TechWeb article...
Leave a comment...

Time to crack down on tech at work?

There is no doubt that new technological means of communicating and entertaining are invading the workplace.
The question thus arises: Should employers take steps to potentially control employee blogging, instant messaging and their use of iPods and camera phones?

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

How We Use the Web Today

Just how do Americans get their news and entertainment over the Web? And how does the Web stack up against TV, newspapers, and other media when it comes to media consumption? Those are questions that advertisers have long wrestled to answer, with mixed results. Sure, you can give people a survey. But that doesn't always yield truthful responses. Ball State University's Center for Media Design came up with an approach they're hoping will provide a more accurate picture. They followed subjects for an entire day to find out for themselves.
The study, they say, gives one of the clearest glimpses of the Internet's media influence, especially during the working day. More than 60% of participants use the Web during the day, vs. 40% for newspapers, and about 30% for magazines, according to the study, commissioned by the Online Publishers Assn., of which BusinessWeek.com is a member. And at work, the Web dominates media consumption, the researchers say.

Read the BusinessWeek article...
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Flash drives herald end of the hard disk

Several manufacturers are showing large capacity hard drives based on Flash memory technology at the Computex trade show in Taipei.
The drives are lighter, less power-hungry and far more durable than traditional hard disk drives based on a rotating magnetic platter.
The largest on display were PQI's 64GB drives, and another company has a 32GB drive.

Read the Vnunet.com article...
Leave a comment...

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Digital Photography Tip of the Week

An Environmental Portrait

This week's tip is a little misleading as I am not talking about shooting what is around you, but shooting your subject in their environment. A portrait should be more than simply a photo of a person, it should tell a story about them. While a studio shot may look very nice, they are quite static. That is, they don't say much. Shoot your subject in their element, in an environment they are happy and comfortable with.

For example, if you were to photograph a photographer, give him a camera to hold. Put someone who plays piano for a hobby sitting at one. Maybe they are involved in model trains, gardening or work in a lab. Each of those can be incorporated into your portrait to help tell the story about your subject.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about any of the tips here, or if you have a photography question of your own, please feel free to send them to chris@pcin.net.

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

Animator vs. Animation

I normally don't pass along stuff like this, but this is simply amazing. Someone has made a flash animation of a cursor drawing a stick figure in an image editing program. The stick figure comes to live and fights the cursor. It's very well done! I won't give away who wins. Check out Animator vs. Animation for yourself!

animator_vs_animation.jpg

Leave a comment...

RssReader

I've been having problems with Newsgator lately. Once I've had it running for a few hours, it seems to stop retrieving posts. There are some posts that I can't subscribe to as well, even though I know others who can and they use Newsgator. So I decided to look for an alternative. The one and only one I've tried so far has been RssReader.

rssreader_screenshot.jpg

As you can see, you can group feeds by folders, and preview them in the pane on the right. You can also easily check for new headlines. The software can sit minimized in your system tray and notify you when new headlines arrive. It's all quite good.

Leave a comment...

DeathForecast.com

I read about this at CNet. Deathforecast.com has a several questions you need to answer and it then tells you when you will die:

Find out when you will die. Our death forecast estimates your date of death based on questions that we ask you.

I tried it and it says I will live until I'm 76. Not bad, but I'd like to live longer than that. You can read my personal death forecast here.

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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