 | The
mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to
its original size.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes
| Kerrville
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Welcome to another issue of our weekly newsletter!
No
one can dispute that the human brain is the greatest computer of all
time! But sometimes it requires a little nudge to grow new cells. I also happen to
believe that hardware computers are very useful tools which can
help to provide that nudge. That's why this
newsletter is not just full of computer related information, but also
includes entertainment and educational items to tickle the brain cells.
Feel free to pass this issue along
if you find something worthy to share with your friends, family, and
acquaintances. Don't forget that you can also call on us at 895-5016
when your next computer problem strikes.
What's In Here?Lots of cool and
informative stuff every week! I'm dubbing this
week's issue the Carl Sagan Edition. Our Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
section also includes a special click-link image to transport you to
www.carlsagan.com and two name quote links that will transport you to
interesting and informational websites about this unique American
astronomer.
Click any of
these links to go
directly to your favorite section...
Missed an
issue?Check out
past issues here...Archives
 Hear
Ye! Hear Ye!
Sometimes
we have
special sales, important notices about virus outbreaks or
other technical
bulletins. Call 830-895-5016 if you're
interested in any sale items we might list here. But please click here to read our disclaimer before
visiting any third-party websites.
Are You Paying $19.95 or More For Website Hosting?
Check
out my hosting plans that start at just $10 per month. You'll love
our hosting service with personalized and friendly email technical
support. Our hosting is Linux-based and extremely reliable with Apache
Web Services. Our newest Linux server has had a continuous uptime of
just over 239 days
of continous service. Give us a call or send me an email inquiry and
I'll be happy to discuss your website hosting requirements. References
will be provided on request...
http://www.bictx.com/domain.shtml
Level-1 Email Technical Support
Recently
I was asked what is our Level-1 Email Technical Support and what are
the entitlement qualifications. If you'll go to our website at http://www.bictx.com and click the "Leave a Message Level-1 Help" icon, you'll be presented with a form from which you may submit Level-1 questions. Make sure that you click on the "Q&A" tab on that same form to read the frequently asked questions to find out if you qualify to receive free help.
Google Bows To Chinese Demands
"When
the news broke that Google—in contrast to MSN, Yahoo!, and
AOL—refused to comply with a DOJ subpoena asking for search
information, some observers applauded Google for their strict
interpretation of the "don't be evil" mantra. Today, the search giant's
squeaky clean image faces a serious challenge, as the company announced
a revamped Chinese search site, which openly complies with Chinese
government censorship." Read entire article...
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060125-6051.html
GNU Is Developing An Open Source Flash Implementation
"From
sophisticated ActionScript web applications to entertaining animations,
Flash is everywhere. Although Macromedia releases the popular browser
plug-in free of charge for a variety of platforms, licensing issues
prevent developers from distributing it with some GPL-licensed
applications. GNU is actively developing Gnash, an open source Flash
movie player distributed under the GPL license. Based on GameSWF, Gnash
will eventually provide complete support for SWF version 7 compliant
Flash movies." Read entire article...
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060125-6047.html
Just Browsing, Thanks
"Microsoft
finally catches up with its competitors with features like tabbed
browsing and integrated RSS feeds in Internet Explorer 7." Read entire article at...
http://redmondmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=1189
The Truth About Microsoft Software Billing Mistakes
"Billing
mistakes for Microsoft software happen more often than you might think.
And when things go wrong, it's not just the price -- compliance can be
affected as well. Here's what to watch out for. " Read entire article at...
http://redmondmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=1186
Latest Virus
Threats
Backdoor.Dragodor
Backdoor.Dragodor is a Trojan horse that downloads and executes remote files and ends security-related processes.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/backdoor.dragodor.html
W32.Imav.A
W32.Imav.A
is a worm that spreads by sending ICQ messages that contain links to
copies of the worm. The worm also disables security-related products.
The worm may arrive as a .zip file downloaded from the Internet.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.imav.a.html
Check For New Sale Items In Our Online Store...
 Fun
& Educational Stuff
Each
week we stumble across interesting, educational and fun sites on the
internet.
We hope you enjoy this section of our
newsletter as much as we do! But please click here to read our disclaimer before
visiting any third-party websites.
Let's Go Beyond Earth!
 I have always been a fan of astronomy and space travel ever since I read Jules Verne's "From The Earth to The Moon" at an early age. Then,
when President Kennedy announced the goal to put a man on the moon
before the end of the 1960 decade, my imagination and interest really
took off. Perhaps that is why space-related information and tidbits are
so often featured in my newsletter.
Well, I have to tell you
that I am proud to have as friend, colleague and former Agilent
Technologies associate, Mr. Joe Latrell, CEO of Beyond Earth
Enterprises. Joe
and his team
of highly qualified experts have an ambitious space program
designed to make space travel affordable for the masses. This mission
statement is outlined in their company information page HERE. As you can also see by one of their company images HERE (depicting one of their rocketry assemblies), they are serious about their mission. It's this
type of vision that helps propel our knowledge of space travel and
unravel the complexities involved in successfully putting practical business and personal payloads into space.
I
hope you'll take a look at their website (URL below) and feel free to contact Joe
if you have any inquiries about how space related travel might benefit
your business. Really! Because going Beyond Earth for the little guy
is not that far fetched after all...
http://www.beyond-earth.com/company/team.shtml
Antikythera Mechanism - An Ancient Greek Computer?
"In
1901 divers working off the isle of Antikythera found the remains of a
clocklike mechanism 2,000 years old. The mechanism now appears to have
been a device for calculating the motions of stars and planets." Read entire article here...
http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_4.htm
Simulation of the Antikythera Mechanism...
"The
Antikythera Mechanism was discovered in a wreck near the island of
Antikythera (hence its name). A detailed description of the device,
which is considered the first computer ever made, is given in a
historical article of Derek da Solla Price, who devoted most of his
life in deciphering its workings. The .MOV animations of the device
given here, come from a simulation of the mechanism. The colors of the
gears have no significance whatsoever. They are used for illustration
purposes only." View simulations here...
http://etl.uom.gr/mr/Antikythera/anti.html
There's Nothing Like a Tough Intelligence Test To Make One Feel...
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=15263
National Geographic's Creature Feature for Kids
This web page contains fun facts, multimedia video and audio, and some cool pictures of bottlenose dolphins...
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0108/dolphins.html
Interesting Article About the Cherokee "Trail of Tears"
"Archaeologists working in the rugged mountains of southwestern North
Carolina are adding new details to the story of a tragedy that took
place more than 160 years ago." Read complete story here...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0123_060123_cherokee_dig.html
The Accidental Scientist - Science of Cooking
"Discover how a pinch of curiosity can improve your cooking!
Explore recipes, activities, and Webcasts that will enhance
your understanding of the science behind food and cooking." Read complete story here...
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/index.html
More Awesome Pavement Art
These are also worth checking out. These guys really know how to make 3 dimensions pop in chalk-on-pavement.
http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/
Let's Crash Some Galaxies!
"This
is an interactive java applet which allows you to model galaxy
collisions on your own computer. With this applet you can study how
galaxies collide and merge gravitationally and how the effects of the
collision depend on the properties of the galaxies. You can also
recreate collisions between real interacting galaxies observed in the
sky." Check it out at...
http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/JavaLab/GalCrashWeb/main.html
Here's Why "Take Your Child To Work" Has Been Suspended...
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6637/165706lb.jpg
 Web
Hosting
Tips
Do
you
have a domain website hosting account with
us? If so, you'll want to check this section for handy tips
to
help make your website standout from the crowd. Sometimes
we'll
give tips about working with your Plesk Control Panel. But please click here to read our disclaimer before
visiting any third-party websites.More Specific PhpDig Search Engine Instructions...
http://www.bictx.com/addsearch.shtml
PhpDig Search Engine Documentation
We've added the PhpDig Search Engine documentation to our listing of help files... http://www.bictx.com/help.shtmlAdd a Search Engine to Your Website (heldover by request)Do you have a domain hosting account with Bright Ideas Computing?
Does your website have a lot of articles and information?Then add PhpDig Search engine to your website and help your viewers quickly find articles and information. You can add PhpDig for free from your account's Plesk Control Panel. Use the information found at this link to start the installation process... If you live within our service area, feel
free to call us at 895-5016 to schedule an on-site appointment if you need help
to setup and configure PhpDig on your website. Meanwhile, you can see
an example of PhpDig Search Engine in action by entering a search term
on our Newsletter Archives page at...
 Linspire
Linux Tips
Linspire
Linux is a great operating system designed to be the easiest of all desktop linux distributions.
If
you haven't tried it for yourself yet, ask for a free demo CD the next
time we service your computer. But please click here to read our disclaimer before
visiting any third-party websites.
"Open Link in Browser" Does Not Work in Novell's Evolution Email Client
Novell's Evolution email client is an awesome
package and it has many useful features. But shortly after installing
it from the CNR Warehouse on my own Linspire Linux machine, I discovered
that the "Open Link in Browser" feature does not work. It is a minor
but is annoying bug when you want to click a link that Aunt Edna sent
in an email. But not to worry, I've put together a quick solution to squash this
little bug...
http://www.bictx.com/tip1-27-06.shtml
Linspire Linux Tip of
The Week
Don't
forget to check the archive link at that page for previous tips...
http://www.linspire.com/tooltips.php
Latest Linspire Letter....
http://www.linspire.com/linspire_letter.php
Michael's Latest Minute...
http://www.michaelrobertson.com/
 Microsoft
Windows
Tips
Microsoft Windows is
still the operating system that most people are familiar with.
Many businesses have based their requirements around
this
commercial operating system and so it remains the cornerstone of our
onsite support service. But please click here to read our disclaimer before
visiting any third-party websites. How To Feed & Care For Your Windows ComputerDo
you treat your computer like a simple appliance. Read my latest article
to find out what is expected of a responsible computer owner who wants
a Windows computer to perform reliably and last a long time... http://www.bictx.com/tip1-14-06.shtml Free Notable Software Download...CPU-Z
is a freeware that gathers and reports to you information on some of the main devices of
your system. CPU-Z does not need to be installed. Just unzip the files
in a directory and run the .exe. In order to remove the program, just
delete the files, and that's it. The program does not copy any file in any Windows directory, nor write in the registry. http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
(click
the image)
| Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."~Carl Sagan (b. 1934 d. 1996)
" But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all
who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed
at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed
at Bozo the Clown." ~Carl Sagan (b. 1934 d. 1996)
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I
hope you've enjoyed this edition of our weekly newsletter. I try to
make each week's edition different and special by including meaningful
computer tips and links to fun, educational, and scientific websites.
If
you have any items of interest you might like to see addressed in the
future, or you have any Fun Stuff links of your own that you might like
to share, drop me an email and we'll see if we can include them for you.
Visit
the following website if you want
to subscribe or (gasp!) unsubscribe...
http://lists.bictx.com/mailman/listinfo/brightideas
Meanwhile,
don't forget to keep your computer's anti-virus current and your
critical and security patches up-to-date for the most reliable
computing experiences on the internet.
Happy
Computing!
Tomas
Bright Ideas Computing
Kerrville,
Texas
http://www.bictx.com
830-895-5016
|
Please
make sure that you possess the fundamental and required skill sets
before you implement any advice or attempt to perform any
troubleshooting steps we, or other websites, might recommend. You
should also be advised that we have no control over how you perform any
troubleshooting steps nor do we have any control over the content of
other third-party websites you might visit that are listed in our
weekly newsletter. We also do not know if you have patched your
computer with the latest security updates nor do we know if your
anti-virus definition files are fully up-to-date.
Therefore,
in
no event shall Bright Ideas Computing or any of its third-party product
or service providers be liable to any person for any special,
incidental, indirect, consequential, or punitive damages of any kind,
including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, loss
of data, or lost profits, in connection with any advice provided by
Bright Ideas Computing, damages resulting from visiting third-party
websites or damages resulting from implementing any advice from those
third-party websites, whether or not you are advised of the possibility
of such damages.
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