PCWize Vol 4, Issue 22 - Build a better mouse... May 28, 2000 ______________________________________________________________________ You could win $10,000 and a Sony DVD player just by recommending PCWize to a friend! ------ I've mentioned the SETI@Home distributed processing project a few times, and since this week's free software giveaway winner won just by running the software, I thought I'd mention it again. This will be an ongoing contest from time to time-- not to mention it's a really cool screen saver --so sign up with Team PCWize in the search for E.T. See for more details. ------ My family returned to the U.S. this past Friday, and it was a non-stop funfest for two weeks. During our trip, we stopped off in a district of Tokyo called Akihabara which deals exclusively in consumer electronics and electronic parts. You can buy anything from a single resistor to complete home theater A/V systems. More importantly, you can buy some of the latest and greatest computer hardware around, and this was the reason for my visit. While there, I picked up a stackable eight port switching Ethernet hub for 4000 Yen (that's about $39.00 USD), and a stackable five port USB hub for 2000 Yen (about $19.00 USD). Both work most awesomely, and now I just need to buy more peripherals and computers to utilize all of the connectivity. :-) However, I failed in my quest to find the perfect mouse. :-( My A4 Tech is a good mouse (I told you all about that one a little while back), but the scroll wheel doesn't have detents-- meaning it just rolls without any stops. This makes it hard to scroll just a single page. The other thing is that the third button-- located where the thumb rests on the side of the mouse --sits too far forward. To comfortably use it, you have to slide your hand forward on the mouse, which leaves the two top buttons quite a ways from the fingertips (probably because I have big hands!! ). So, if any of you know of a nice mouse with the following attributes, please let me know what it is and where to get it. - Moderately sized - USB - Three buttons (third button under the thumb) - A scroll wheel that has good, solid detents Thanks! ------ I'd like to thank everyone for being patient during my vacation. The e-mail stacked in at a little over 4,100 messages by the 26th of May, so I was playing a whole lot of catch-up to get, well, caught-up! . I think I got responses out to mostly everyone, but I still have more buckets-o-bits to wade through before I'm done. ______________________________________________________________________ Table Of Contents - Voting Booth and Other PCWize Stuff - Software Review - Cool Sites - Tips, Tricks, Do's and Don't Do's - That's the news! - Security Issues, Hoaxes, Viruses and Other Urban Legends - PCWize Contests and winner announcement If the columns in the below articles appear misaligned, it's because you are using a non-fixed width font. If you would like to see them as written, please change your e-mail font to Courier New. ______________________________________________________________________ ** A word from our sponsors ** ------ Ulead Systems is where you can find and download cutting-edge photo editing, video and Internet software. Ulead is the developer of award-winning software like Ulead PhotoImpact, Ulead MediaStudio, Ulead Photo Express, Ulead WebRazor, Ulead COOL 3D, Ulead GIF Animator, Ulead SmartSaver and more. You'll most likely have to cut and paste everything between the <> into your browser. ------ http://www.creditcardanalyzer.com - find out how much your credit cards are costing you and see how much money you could save by transferring the balance to a lower interest card ------ Want to see your advertisement here? For more information, go here: ______________________________________________________________________ Voting Booth and Other PCWize Stuff ------ Click here to vote for PCWize as one of the best newsletters in the "E-zines Top Ten Poll"! It's just a click, no need to fill anything out. ------ Come visit the PCWize forum and live chat. You can discuss anything computer related and it's a good place to get help with any computer questions you may have. ______________________________________________________________________ Software Review ------ Name: Logtime 2.1c by Christopher S L Heng Genre: On-line Timers Platform: PC Win9x/NT Type/Cost: Freeware Size: 428KB Homepage: Download: I've been testing out quite a few on-line timers, and I've discovered that either they're deluged with features I have no need for, or they don't keep accurate track of on-line time. However, I finally ran across Logtime a little while back and it's neither of the above. If you're looking for a simple yet very effective on-line time logger, this just might be your bag. If Logtime doesn't have what you need, try checking out the many available ones from under the Internet Tools/Online Timers category. ______________________________________________________________________ Cool Sites ------ Nothing But Comedy Can't get enough guffaws in your day? Your sure to find whatever you need in the funnybone category at Nothingbutcomedy.com. I chose one page from this site to directly link you to, because it's got the links to the laughs, but there's stuff to be found all over their site. ------ What's on Web Radio While not quite comprehensive, it's a good start! If you're into listening to the tunes while dinking around on the Internet, then here's a great place to start. If you know of a streaming radio station that isn't listed, you can submit it for inclusion. I for one would like to see this turn into an outstanding list of on-line radio stations. ______________________________________________________________________ Tips, Tricks, Do's and Don't Do's ------ A few people have asked me how I find such oddball sites sometimes. Believe it or not, oftentimes it's a complete surprise to me as well. Here's something for you to try on a rainy night. Open up your browser, and just type in a name or some words proceeded by www. and followed by .com, or .net. You might be surprised with what you find. For example, www.mouse.com is some sweepstakes thingy. www.jumprope.com is a site about-- you guessed it --anything to do with jumpropes. How about www.eyeball.com, a free video chat site. Of course you can get zany with things like www.greenbooger.com whose motto is "A pick above the rest". It's currently for sale if you've got the green stuff . Here's a good one, www.imstupid.com, which interestingly enough belongs to Linkfast, an Internet services site (can you say cybersquatter?!?). Maybe you'll like this one better; www.stinkyfeet.com, a web portal of sorts. All in all, be creative, you'd be amazed at what domain names people will register. Try not to get too creative though, or you might just end up getting more than you bargained for. :-) ______________________________________________________________________ That's the news! ------ Intel to stop building chips with a processor ID. So what's your opinion? Would a processor ID that could be used to track your movements on the Internet violate your idea of privacy? Do you feel that it's as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be? Let us and your fellow readers see what you have to say on the PCWize Forum at ------ Microsoft's answer to Anti-Piracy This is gonna make me get real ugly! If I crash or reformat, I want the original install CD to start over with. Having an image on my hard drive (even another partition) isn't going to help me any if my machine becomes infected with a virus, or the image file gets corrupted somehow. A recovery CD isn't going to help much if I upgrade my motherboard or hard drive (depending on how the CD is going to recognize the system as the OEM match.) I guess from now on, I'll say "No!" to a preloaded install and buy my own copy off-the-shelf. It's more expensive, but at least I know I've got the stuff necessary to fix my machine when things go south! Let us and your fellow readers see what you have to say on the PCWize Forum at ______________________________________________________________________ Security Issues, Hoaxes, Viruses and Other Urban Legends ------ Please visit http://www.pcwize.com/tech/computer/secdef.shtml if you would like to know the definitions for hoaxes, viruses, worms and urban legends. ------ You know, I've tried and tried to explain away hoaxes in this section of the newsletter each week. I even wrote the seven steps to recognizing a hoax, but I am still getting these things with my e-mail address buried in the many other unlucky recipients. I'm not talking about the hoaxes people send to me so that I can confirm or deny their authenticity (because they are only sent to me, and there is usually a note appended asking me if it is true or not.) I still stand by my offer. If you don't know whether it's true or not, send it to me with a note saying so, and I'll let you know within a day or so. Really! I don't mind. It generally only takes me about 10 to 15 minutes to find the answer, and I'd rather spend those minutes stopping a hoax in its tracks than to receive 50 forwarded copies of it later on. With that in mind, here is the latest hoax making the rounds. Hello Friends, My name is Anna Cohen and I live in Albany, New York. My daughter Liz recently had a baby girl named Jada 2 months early. Jada has many problems with her heart and lungs and medical costs have become extremely expensive. Jada was recently moved to a hosptial in california and the move was very expensive. A billionaire in california has promised to give $.05 for every time this email is forwarded. If you wouldn't mind forwarding this to everyone on your list I would greatly appreciate it as well as my daughter and little Jada. This could save a life. Please have a heart and forward this. Remember: What goes around comes around. Thank you, Anna Cohen For more information, see below: ______________________________________________________________________ PCWize Contests and Winner Announcement ------ Each week PCWize holds a random drawing contest and gives away free stuff (usually software) to its subscribers. We will continue to do this as long as there are advertisers who are willing to provide the prizes. If you are such an individual/company, then please contact me at editor@pcwize.com so that we can work a deal. ------ This week's sponsor is Ulead Systems, where you can find and download cutting-edge photo editing, video and Internet software. Ulead is the developer of award-winning software like Ulead PhotoImpact, Ulead MediaStudio, Ulead Photo Express, Ulead WebRazor, Ulead COOL 3D, Ulead GIF Animator, Ulead SmartSaver and more. Please visit their web site to get the lowdown on all the great products they have, and to help keep the PCWize newsletter FREE! You'll most likely have to cut and paste everything between the <> into your browser. ------ The winner of this weeks random drawing contest is: Dave Miller Dave won the contest for the person with the highest number of SETI@Home blocks completed. I actually meant to conclude this contest a while ago, but forgot about it. This contest will be ongoing! Since Dave has won, he is ineligible to win again for this same contest, and of course I'm not participating in this contest, so my completed blocks don't count. If you'd like to join Team PCWize in the SETI@Home Distributed Processing Project, please visit for more details. ______________________________________________________________________ Well, that's it for this issue! Have a good week and I'll see you in seven days. Leif Gregory Copyright © 1997-00 by Leif Gregory. All rights reserved. You may share this copy of the PCWize newsletter with others as long as it is reprinted in it's entirety to include the copyright notice and subscription directions. If you've received this edition of the PCWize newsletter from a friend or colleague and wish to start receiving your own copy, then click the below link and send the generated e-mail message. I have made every attempt to ensure that all information contained in this newsletter is accurate to the best of my ability. Due to the myriad of possible configurations in the PC platform, information and software discussed here may not always work with your particular configuration. That being said, Leif Gregory and the PCWize newsletter can not be held liable for any damages you may incur either directly or indirectly from the use of anything contained in this newsletter. PCWize does not endorse any of the products or services provided by advertisers in this newsletter. As with anything in life, please check the credibility of the advertiser as well as to use common sense. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. PCWize Editor PCWize Homepage Unsubscribe