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Castellini on Computers FREE Weekly Email NEWSLETTER
August 22, 2007
HEAR
(AND SEE) OUR SHOW LIVE
EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT AT 9:30PM MST
OR
VISIT HELPMERICK.COM ANY TIME TO DOWNLOAD OR HEAR LAST WEEK'S SHOW!!
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In this week's issue. . .
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***
TIP
OF THE WEEK
*** GEEK
SPEEK OF THE WEEK - (Simple definition of common computer terms)
*** COMPUTER
NEWS...and comment
*** LAST
WEEK'S POLL RESULTS
*** ADAM'S
COMMENTS - Stuff from the digital world that is rolling around in Adam's head.
*** Email of the week
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Tomorrow
night we are back on the web live with our new one hour, no commercials
show. Head to our web site and watch the fun (it is all video cast
now), ask your questions via chat, share your web cam with us, or just
sit back and learn and enjoy. If you are not able to stay up for the
live broadcast (it is worth it), tune in any time during the week and
listen to the podcast posted on our site ANY time you want!
We started a new feature recently; we have begun posting pictures of our client's pets
on the site.
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Email your questions to us
and we will answer them live on the air or on our daily website updates!
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CUSTOM COMPUTER HELP FROM RICK & ADAM
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We
have been posting a new how-to video every week since November and the
feedback has been tremendous. Now YOU have the opportunity to get your own
customized video tutorial about a topic that you are having trouble with or
just want to learn.
To learn more, visit: www.HelpMeRick.com/videohelp
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TIP OF THE WEEK
Stop buying floppy disks
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I have seen a number of
people lately who have insisted on backing up on USB flash drives and
floppy disks.
Having two backups is
always a good idea, but the era of the floppy has come and gone.
What's wrong with floppies?
1. They scratch
2. They bend
3. Even a small particle of
dust can hurt them
4. Almost any magnet can
corrupt them - such as setting them too close to a computer speaker
5. Any accidental spill of
any liquid will ruin them
None of these things are
generally true about USB flash drives or CD-ROMS.
I have one flash drive that
I intentionally let go through the wash on a regular basis. I have had it for
three years and I still use it often.
So, if you want to make
multiple backups of something, use two USB flash drives or two CDs or one CD
and one USB flash drive, but trash the floppies.
Any flash drive you buy now likely holds as much as
between 200-2000 floppy disks. Flash drives are reusable and just as easy to
use as a floppy disk. In fact, you use them exactly like you would a floppy
disk. They just hold more, are more durable and can be written to more times.
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GEEK SPEEK
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Recently
we have seen a number of people with multiple computers but with only one of
the systems using the broadband connection.
One of the biggest benefits to broadband Internet (cable, DSL, microwave
wireless or satellite) is that you can share it among multiple computers and
no extra monthly cost.
All you need to share a broadband connection between computers is either a
NETWORK HUB (also called a switch) or a ROUTER.
A NETWORK SWITCH is a device that splits the Internet between multiple
computers. They cost between $20-$60 depending on brand and number of extra
ports.
A ROUTER is a hardware firewall that monitors and protects the network. Often
ROUTERS have built-in NETWORK HUBs.
If you are on DSL, wireless or satellite, all you likely need is a NETWORK
HUB/SWITCH as the modems provided by these services already have a built-in
ROUTER. Cable Internet is typically unprotected and a ROUTER is the better
option.
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ROUTER vs.
NETWORK HUB
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COMPUTER
NEWS...and comment
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DIGITAL CAMERA NEWS
Canon announced two new cameras this week.
The 40D
is targeted at the pro-sumer market. Your $1200 will get you a 10.1
megapixel sensor, 6.5 fps, rugged body and weather sealed buttons, and
compatibility with new accessories.
EOS-1Ds
Mark III is the newest battle camera from canon featuring a 21 megapixel
sensor, 5fps, live preview and a 3" LCD. All this for a penny less than
$8000 before tax.
REAL ESTATE NEWS
Real estate agents are learning the power of YouTube. What took them so long?
Wired ran an article on their website about the growing popularity of
YouTube among real estate agents.
YouTube is a free service that allows anyone to post short videos on the
web for all to see. It is easy and free. When you combine it with agent's
websites and craigslist, you get a very powerful means of advertising
property.
APPLE NEWS
Back-to-school season has been good to Apple this year. The Mac maker
reported that they now occupy 17.6 percent of the laptop market. It may not
sound like much, but it is enough to put the company in third place behind HP
and Dell.
No doubt the increase in sales was in large part due to the clunkiness of
Windows Vista as the other alternative.
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POLL Results
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Did you or will
you buy a computer this "Back to School" season?
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Next week's poll:
Windows Vista users...How is Vista working out?
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Yes
13%
No
87%
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ADAM'S COMMENTS
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It has been a big week for me. I dumped my DSL and moved
back to cable Internet.
I didn't do it for price or performance. I did it because the phone lines in
my house keep shorting out and the phone company said it would cost nearly
$300 to fix the problem. So, I jumped to cable phone and Internet service and
dumped the phone company.
Changing Internet services is a painless process. I thought I
would write this week about how to get broadband Internet service at the
best rate and make the process easy.
First, there are three types of broadband to consider if you live in a
populated area. If you live on the outskirts, your only option may be
satellite Internet. The only people who should consider satellite Internet
are people who live in the toolies and RV folks.
Everyone else should stick with cable, DSL or microwave wireless service.
Here's a breakdown of the differences:
Cable - fastest and typically the most expensive option unless bundled with
other services such as TV or phone service.
DSL - Tiered service offers different speeds at different prices, but all are
faster and better than dial-up.
Microwave wireless - typically about as fast as the slowest DSL (around 256k)
for standard service and faster speeds are available at an increased cost. Great if other options are not available.
If speed doesn't matter, as all are at least 10X faster than dial-up, price will likely be
the deciding factor in which service to go with. Shop around. Make sure to
ask the following questions:
- What is the absolute
lowest price I can get broadband Internet for?
- Is this price a
promotion?
- What else do I have to
commit to to get this price?
- How fast is this
service?
These
questions will not rule any service out, they will just help you compare
apples to apples.
Once you have found the best price, go with it. Don't worry if it is only a
limited time offer. At the end of the term you can switch to one of the other
services for roughly the same price.
Hopping back and forth between companies and services is easy as long as you
set up a new email address with gmail, yahoo or hotmail.com. Switching to one
of these free services will mean that you will never have to change you email
address again.
If you are an AOL or MSN user, go ahead and cancel your dial-up service. AOL
and MSN both work for free once you have broadband even if you cancel.
Following this advice and jumping from one service to another will stimulate
competition in the broadband market and thus lower prices. The US has the
most expensive broadband fees of any developed (and most under developed)
countries. As long as people stick with the same service even after costs
have gone up, the industry will see no reason to change their methods. Rick wrote a great article on how to save money on your telecommunications bill a few months ago. Click here to read that article.
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EMAIL
OF THE WEEK
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Greetings Rick,
THUMBS UP for running Ubuntu on an install Rick. It
is by far the most economical and easiest alternative to Microshaft
Windoze on the market. Especially with older machines and limited
memory. With the addition of OpenOffice and Gimp, these machines will
be far more efficient than any windoze machine.
I would encourage
anyone looking for a good alternative to shelling out over $1000's on
software to download and run Ubuntu, OpenOffice, and Gimp instead of
Windows, Microsoft office, and Photoshop. Thanks,
Dan
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Hello Dan, Thanks
for your letter. Every time I use Ubuntu I get more and more enthused.
Overall, it is very solid and the biggest hurdle it has to overcome to
more widespread use is complacency. We humans tend to be very routine
oriented animals, and change is not something we do well. Ubuntu comes
to the table pretty late in the game, but with Microsoft cranking out
questionable software and Apple keeping their prices high, Ubuntu has a
chance to make some noise...if we aren't afraid of change. Have a good weekend.
Rick
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Castellini
on Computers & HelpMeRick.com ©2007
Rick Castellini and Adam Cochran
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