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The
mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to
its original size.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes
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Kerrville
Texas
830-895-5016 |
Welcome to
another issue of our weekly newsletter!
Something
for everyone.
 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.
There's something of interest for everyone in here so feel free to
share this issue and pass it along to your
friends and family...
What's In Here?
Lots of cool,
fun, and
informative stuff every week!
I'm dubbing this
week's issue
the Charles Schulz Edition.
On this day in 1922, cartoonist Charles M. Schulz is born in St. Paul,
Minnesota. The son of a barber, Schulz showed an early interest in art
and took a correspondence course in cartooning. After serving in the
army in World War II, Schulz returned to St. Paul and took a job
lettering comics for a small magazine. In 1947, Schulz began drawing a
comic strip for the St. Paul Pioneer Press called "L'il Folks,"
featuring Charlie Brown and his gang of friends.
Our Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
section includes special click-links to
transport you
to educational and informational websites
about Charles Schulz.
Click any of
these links to go
directly to your favorite section...
Missed an
issue?
Check
out
past issues here...
 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 or downloading software from any third-party websites.
When will Windows Vista become available?
"Microsoft has announced that Windows
Vista will be broadly available as a stand-alone product or
pre-installed on new PCs on January 30, 2007." Click to read entire article...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/
Should you upgrade to Windows Vista?
This is what Microsoft says...
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/keyreas.mspx
This is what others are saying...
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/11/the_big_questio.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/silverman/4332458.html
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/1/22/2614
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/279588_msftvista01.html
 This is what we say and are going to do...
We are going to build a new PC with Windows Vista sometime in December
or January. But it will not be one of our production PCs. Instead, it
will merely be a sandbox PC so we can test, test, and test some more.
We won't install any applications for production or
business use on it at least until after Microsoft releases their
first Service Pack for Vista. In the meantime, we will continue to use
Linspire Linux for production critical applications and Windows XP for
other business critical applications we might not be able to run on
Linspire Linux. We have no plans for a wholesale switchover from XP to
Vista. Linspire Linux will continue to be our flagship operating system.
Office 2007's "secret kill switch"
"Microsoft's battle with pirates, which started as early as 1975 with Bill Gates' infamous "Open Letter to Hobbyists,"
continues on in 2007, as the company has built a feature into Office
2007: Reduced Functionality Mode. While Microsoft has been fairly coy
about whether or not this feature exists in the latest Office release,
a new Knowledge Base article on their site confirms that it will apply to all Office 2007 products." Click to read entire article...
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061120-8256.html
Latest Virus
Threats
 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 or downloading software from any third-party
websites.
 Cartoonists Remember "Peanuts" Creator
Charles M. Schulz With a Special Day of Tribute Cartoons
"On May 27,2000,
nearly 100 syndicated cartoonists created special Peanuts-themed comics
as a lasting memorial to Charles M. Schulz, creator of the enduring and
beloved strip." Click to read entire article...
http://www.snoopy.com/comics/peanuts/history/charles_schulz_tribute.html
Human Intelligence
"This site includes biographical
profiles of people who have influenced the development of intelligence
theory and testing, in-depth articles exploring current controversies
related to human intelligence, and resources for teachers." Click to view website...
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/index.shtml
Giant Pacific Octopus
"Highly intelligent creatures, giant
Pacific octopuses have learned to open jars, mimic other octopuses, and
solve mazes in lab tests." Click to read entire article...
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/giant-pacific-octopus.html
Part of Human Brain Functions Like a Computer (Doh!)
"A region of the human brain that
scientists believe is critical to human intellectual abilities
surprisingly functions much like a digital computer, according to
psychology Professor Randall O'Reilly of the University of Colorado at
Boulder." Click to read entire article...
http://www.physorg.com/news79289076.html
Earth From Space
"See our amazing planet from the
perspective of an orbiting satellite. Developed by the Smithsonian
Institution, this website complements the national traveling
exhibition, which may be coming to a city near you!" Click to view website...
http://www.earthfromspace.si.edu/
Pushing the Limit: Black Hole Spins at Phenomenal Rate
"Astronomers measured the spinning
speed of three black holes, finding that one rotates at a breakneck 950
times per second, nearing its theoretical rotation limit of 1,150 spins
a second." Click to read entire article... http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/061120_mm_blackhole_spin.html
The evolution of intelligence, and why our brains have shrunk
"One of the main differences between
humans and other animals is our larger brain size—but what
prompted and guided this growth?" Click to read entire article...
http://www.physorg.com/news83410847.html
Cyber Sapiens
"We will no longer be Homo sapiens,
but Cyber sapiens--a creature part digital and part biological that
will have placed more distance between its DNA and the destinies they
force upon us than any other animal ... a creature capable of steering
our own evolution." Click to read entire article...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0687.html
Is There Room for the Soul?
"A mind is a tough thing to think
about. Consciousness is the defining feature of the human species. But
is it possible that it is also no more than an extravagant biological
add-on, something not really essential to our survival?" Click to read entire article...
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/061015/23soul.htm
The Beat Museum
Today we have hip-hop and rappers, yesteryear we had flower power and
hippies, before that we had beatniks. Does anyone remember Jack Kerouac
and the beatnik generation?
http://www.thebeatmuseum.org/index.htm
“When we rest our awareness in consciousness rather than getting
caught up in the roller coaster of mind, we move beyond
’smart’ to true intelligence and genius.“ Eckart Tolle
 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 or downloading software from any third-party websites.
Javascript Primers
30 steps that make javascript fun to learn.
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/primers/jsp/
How To Create a Database in Plesk
Check out this
flash
tutorial that will show you how to create a database in your domain hosting account...
http://tinyurl.com/uvf3p
 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 or downloading software from any third-party websites.
Share Your Printer Attached to Your Linspire Linux PC with Other Windows PCs
1. Click "Launch -> Settings -> Control Center".
2. Mark the checkbox labeled "Show Advanced Settings".
3. Click "Network".
4. Click "Samba Configuration".
5. Click "Administrator mode" button and enter your root password.
6. Select the "Share" level security on the Base tab.
7. Click the "Add New Printer" button on the Printers tab.
8. Enter a name for this printer in "Name" line of the Identifier section.
9. Click the "Okay" buttons all the way back out of the Control Center.
Screenshot...
http://www.bictx.com/images/samba_config.png
Finally, go to your networked Windows PC to install the printer and use
the browse feature to select the shared printer you just shared on your
Linspire Linux PC.
Questions?
http://www.bictx.com/level1/index.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
(click image)
|
The
modern, full-featured Linspire
Five-0
operating system combines the stability, security and affordability of
Linux with a familiar, easy-to-use desktop environment. You'll get all
the features of other operating systems - but not the high costs and
viruses. Save money and protect your computer today with Linspire
Five-0!
$59.95 SORRY, SOLD OUT. Email to inquire about special order.
HINT:
Enjoy the best of both world's! Let us install a second hard drive in
your PC, install Linspire 5.0 so you can safely surf the
internet
and receive email using Linspire Linux and still get to use your
Windows XP for all
your regular Windows applications. |
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 or downloading software from any third-party websites.
Deleting Files Without Recycle Bin
Select the files or folders you wish to delete then
hold the Shift key and press the Delete button. This will delete files
bypassing the recycle bin.
Free Notable
Software Download...
Simon 32 v1.0
One of the most beautiful games on the net! Inspired by Kai Krause,
this program does not even have a rectangular window. Innovative design
and user interface make this wonderful memory game even more enjoyable.
16-bit color depth and a sound card required.
http://www.cylog.org/games_2.asp
 (click
the image)
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I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.
~ Charles M. Schulz (Nov 26, 1922 – Feb 12, 2000)
Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.
~ Charles M. Schulz (Nov 26, 1922 – Feb 12, 2000)
All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!
~ Charles M. Schulz (Nov 26, 1922 – Feb 12, 2000)
|
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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 Trails~
Tomas
Bright Ideas ComputingTM
Kerrville,
Texas
http://www.bictx.com
830-895-5016
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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 ComputingTM 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 ComputingTM, damages resulting from
visiting or downloading software from 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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