Show #36 - 07.01.2007
[Download Show #36 as MP3]
News
- Google will be officially competing with Microsoft (PowerPoint Product)
- Google states their products won't be in competition
- Writely
- Google Spreadsheets
- Tonic Systems (Java PowerPoint)
- Proposed Amendment Would Ban All DVD Copying
- The DVD Copy Control Association is working to push an amendment through the legislative branch that would ban ALL DVD copying, even copying that falls under the fair use rules of copyright law.
- Basically fair use dictates that you can make a single backup copy of a DVD (or CD) for yourself and also that educators can rip stuff from DVDs to use in class (for educational purposes). This amendment would make these forms of copying illegal.
- Since they have unsuccessfully tried it before, it is probably likely that they will fail again, but it is a good idea to write your representatives on this issue.
- Brain Device Moves Objects By Thought
- iPhone released this past Friday
- iPhone is Apple's entry into the Cellular Phone market
- It's iPod with Video, a Phone, and an Internet device all in one
- Specs
- 4GB or 8GB of Flash memory for music/vidoes
- Cell Service Provided by AT&T
- Cell Data Connection is EDGE (not latest 3G technology)
- 2 Megapixel Camera
- 802.11 Wireless so if there is an access point around, you do not need to use your Cell Data plan
- Newly Patented Touchscreen Interface called "Multi-Touch"
- 10 Free Minimalist Word Processors [via Web Worker Daily]
- Word processors are one of the most commonly used applications on a computer
- Everyone has heard of Microsoft Word, but that comes with Office and Office can get expensive ($121 for Home/Student Edition from Amazon)
- There is also Open Office, which requires the Java runtime and that does not work well on a slower/older PC
- Google Docs
- Ajax Write
- Online Word Processor
- Done in Ajax
- Made to look like Word as much as possible
- AbiWord
- Cross Platform, Open Source, Desktop Application
- Has problems importing/exporting Word documents with some more complicated features in use
- There are 7 other word processors at the link on our show notes, be sure to check them out
- Ubuntu Compiz-Fusion Guide
- We've talked about the really cool desktop effects you can get in Linux known as Beryl
- Beryl was a break off of an earlier project known Compiz and has now merged back to form Compiz-Fusion
- This handy little guide walks you through installing the effects, as well as gives you some quick fixes for common problems.
- Goldmine of Online Photography Resources
- Photo Sharing
- Photo Editors
- Photo Hosting
- Photography Blogs
- Mashups
- Mobile Photos
- Photo Mixing / Slideshows
- Photo Printing / Book Creation
- Photo Search
- Stock Photos
- 11 Tricks to Keep Your House Cool Without Air Conditioning
- Air Conditioning gets expensive in the Summer times
- Finding ways to keep cool without it can be a frightful task
- A few examples include:
- Buying/Installing a quality ceiling fan. Even the most power hungry fan only cost around $10/day if you run it for 12 hours
- Install white blinds, drapes, or window shades to reflect light away from the house and close sun facing blinds/drapes/shades during the day
- Plant trees and shrubs strategically around the house and over A/C units. Be sure to not prevent air flow. As few as 3 properly placed trees can save hundreds on cooling.
- Ensure quality insulation. An increase from 3 inches to 12 inches can cut cooling costs by 10%
- One that is not mentioned in the article but in the comments, is spraying your roof with water. I happen to know that this one works quite well from personal experience.
- How Identity Theft Works
- What is Identity Theft?
- Potentially Harmful Items
- Social Security Number
- This is the kicker, if someone gets this, they can pretty much become you
- Bank Account
- Not nearly as drastic as the social, but equally harmful
- Steps to Help Prevent ID Theft
- Check Your Credit Report Regularly, Look for out of the ordinary credit checks and accounts you do not know about
- If you receive a pay check stub, keep it in a safe place. Do not leave it sitting around
- Only give your your social security, drivers license number, or account information to reputable establishments
- United States Violent Crime Rates down 40% Since Release of Doom
- Possibly coincidence but...
- Violent Crime went down 4% when Quake and Duke Nukem the years were released
- Another 2% down the year Grand Theft Auto was released
- Hinders the entire argument that violent video games leads to violent behavior
- Do we think that people under the age of 17 should play games rated "M" for Mature? No, we do not think that
- We do encourage that parents police what games their children play and research what the different ratings mean
- Video Game Ratings Website
- Alien Arena 2007
- This game is based on a combination of the Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament Engines but has an alien twist
- Works on Windows and Linux
- We have some a link to Screenshots
- Best of all, this game is FREE, the best price of all
- The game looks pretty good overall, you can kind of tell that it's "home made" but for free it's better than you'd expect
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