Cyber News,

What does 2008 hold for us in the technology world?  Apple's IPhone, that was introduced in 2007, will be challenged by other manufactures and we'll see exciting new ideas in this arena.  The Internet will continue to offer new ways to communicate and to harness your job wherever you are.  Technology is truly an industry on steroids, and the mind of man has not yet conceived where we we'll be even five years from now!  More thoughts on the future of technology from Business Week. and CNET.com.

One of the downsides of technology is that it's hard to keep ahead of the game!  It's wonderful that we advance at such a fast pace, but sometimes it's a little frustrating.  Cell phones are a good example.  It's nice to have the latest in cell phone technology especially if you use it for business.  To get the latest, with most carriers, you have to sign a two year contract and it seems that as soon as you do, a newer model appears that you would love to have.  The same is true with other things like digital photography.  The first digital camera I owned was a Sony Mavica, and I've been through over a dozen since then.  The Sony used a floppy disk and could hold only 10 pictures.  That camera today would be a relic compared to my present Nikon D80 that will take 600 photos, in very high resolution, on a memory card about the size of a postage stamp.  After owning the D80 for only a year I'm already wanting the D300 that Nikon just released.  It's amazing how many improvements can be introduced in such a short period of time!  When will it stop?  Never!  

In the world of computers it wasn't that long ago when I used an ancient machine, MS-DOS commands, a floppy drive, a dot matrix printer and an extremely slow connection to the Internet.  A few years from now we'll be laughing at what we use today!

Here's a handy tip if you have a high speed connection to the Internet.  On rare occasions you might find yourself not being able to connect.  Here's the tip:  Unplug your cable modem (the power cord) for 15 seconds.  If you're running a router unplug it too.  Plug them back in and wait until all the lights are lit, then try your browser or mail program again.  Nine out of ten times this will fix the problem and save you from calling tech support. 

As technology progresses we continue to learn more about our Earth and beyond.  Beyond is an interesting word as it possesses connotations of mystery and the unknown.  Living in Arizona and having experienced a lot of camping in the wilderness, there have been many a night when we have stared into space and let our minds wonder and wander.  What is out there is really beyond our comprehension.  To put things in some kind of perspective watch this video about "The Most Important Image Ever Taken."  You'll have to put up with a few seconds of some young kid B-boopin', which we could have done without.

Are you one of those persons who like to forward every email you receive?  You may not even realize that you do this, but let's all think twice before practicing this ill mannered behavior.  Experienced computer users are tired of their inbox being filled up with junk!  One of my pet peeves is to see an email with Fw: in the subject line!  Using discretion in this area will alleviate user frustration and free up much needed Internet bandwidth.  Do your part in keeping the Internet healthy.

While we are talking about email, for those using Outlook Express, here's a useful tip.  Spam (unsolicited email) is a huge problem today.  Not only do we get forwards that we don't really care about, but we get just plain junk including nasty stuff.  Here's a way to help that problem go away.  Highlight a message in your inbox from a person whom you never want to get another email from.  Click on Message at the top of Outlook Express, then "Block Sender."

Another tip for Outlook Express users is to remember to occasionally click on File, Folder, then "Compact All Folders."  Do this after you have cleaned up your Inbox, Deleted Items, and Sent Items.  This procedure creates more space and speeds things up.

Microsoft has announced they will release Service Pack 3 for Windows XP sometime soon.  At this time however it looks like this will not contain any major improvements.  This is a quote from Microsoft:  "Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for the operating system.  This update also includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customer's experience with the operating system."  In my opinion, Windows XP has and will continue to be a very stable platform, as Vista has yet to prove itself.

Also, sometime soon, Microsoft will release Service Pack 1 for Vista.  Again I quote from Microsoft:  "Windows Vista SP1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues, supporting new types of hardware, and  adding support for several emerging standards. SP1 also addresses some management, deployment, and support challenges."  Service packs are a package of existing problem fixes and improvements to an operating system.  Currently you should have service pack 2 on your Windows XP machine.  To check this, click on the Start button, right click on My Computer, click Properties and you should see the words "Service Pack 2" under System.

"Photo Story 3."  It's a wonderful application that lets you import some of your digital pictures and arrange them so that you can make a video including special effects, transitions, narration and even music. After you are finished you can save it in many different ways including viewing on the computer, an email version, or a DVD.   You can download the FREE program from Microsoft and then learn how to use it Step by Step.

 

Do you think I can read your mind?  You're thinking is he kidding?  Well, lets give it a try.  This may surprise you.  Click here and follow along....

Secrets to Safe Computing:

• Don't open Email from strangers.
• Keep your Operating System updated.
• Install an Anti-Virus program & keep it up to date.
• Make sure System Restore and Firewall are active.
• Perform System Maintenance checks every 30 days.
• Back up your personal files & address book regularly.

 

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