GuruNews, Volume 8 Number 44, 12-11-08

[Kevin-PC Gurus]

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Vol. 8, No. 44                 

12-11-08

 

1 Christmas Shopping Guide, Part 2     

2 Everyone needs one of these! 

3 PS Home, improved batteries, GoogleMags, WHOCS

4 Renaming  

5 Removing QuickTime

 

Just to quickly correct an error from last week, reader Don Wood pointed out to me that carrying low batteries in a camera can be a killer when taking a lot of photos.  He tells me that any serious trip for pictures should start with a fully charged set in the camera and the bag as well, and you might even consider carrying the third set and the charger just in case.  That makes perfect sense if you expect to take a lot of pics.

 

As far as low cost gifts, reader Shawn Loy suggests installing a few freeware games on an older Palm device and regifting it to kids.  For younger kids clamoring for a handheld game this is a great idea.  It saves money and keeps the electronics out of a landfill somewhere.

 

On to this week's shopping tips I want to go back to bags for a minute.  Last week I touched on camera bags but there are actually carrying cases for many gizmos, from mobile phones to iPods to laptops.

 

A new phone pouch with a belt clip may be just the ticket, especially if your giftee currently just carries their phone around in a pocket.  It's much handier to snag a ringing phone out of a belt holder than to dig around in a pocket for it, and it's more comfortable.

 

Laptops are gadgets that obviously need some sort of carrier.  Many people use small inexpensive nylon cases that are overloaded with just the computer and the power cord.  If you have a friend like that think about a backpack or roll-around case for them.  

 

Personally I carry a backpack that holds my laptop and power adapter, a camera, an external 2.5" USB drive, a couple of flash drives, two CD cases stuffed with software (a total of 120 CDs and floppies), a few small tools and a spindle of mini-disks with room left over for a one liter soft drink bottle and today's newspaper.

 

It's a little heavy when fully loaded but I can pack everything without putting any dangerous pressure on the laptop screen, and the pack was around $38.  Not all that expensive by any means.

 

For your friends and relatives who like to get in there and work, they'll need tools.  

 

One of the most inexpensive tools you can get is a set of forceps (be sure to go with the ones with teeth).  That may sound odd, since forceps are usually associated with the medical field, but believe me there's not a better tool for moving jumpers or retrieving small parts.  A good set might consist of a short standard pair, a long heavy-duty pair and a curved pair.  Odds are you can get all three together from a medical uniform shop for under $10-12.

 

Jeweler's screwdrivers (sometimes called precision screwdrivers) are also invaluable, especially for laptops or other small jobs.  There are really cheap sets at most hardware stores but I would suggest going for a set of Craftsman.  Easy grip handles with rotating caps and an 18-piece set should only run around $38 (if they still make these).  Similar screwdrivers are made by Snap-On, Evolv etc.

 

A small hook and pick set is also very handy around the computers desk, especially for clearing paper jams, removing items from floppy drives (like those metal shields from floppy disks that sometimes come off inside the drives) etc.

 

Basically, many things can be useful to a tech-head other than the actual tech.  If you look around you may stumble upon something meant for some other purpose that proves perfect for an unforeseen use.

 

And a lot are quite inexpensive.

 

Kevin Mefford

pcguru at microdome.net

 

 



 

Terry Wise

www.ratland.com

 

 

Tech News of the Week
 

When you turn on your PlayStation 3s on Thursday you'll have the
option to freely download the 3GB PlayStation Home client, dash off an
avatar, then dip your toes into Sony's shiny, neo-industrial digital
preserve:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/155254/confirmed_playstation_home_open_beta_launches_thursday.html

Boston-Power, Inc. wants to change the way you think about laptop
batteries by rolling out units that stay "like new" for up to three
years:

http://www.dailytech.com/Green+Super+Batteries+Coming+to+HP+Computers+Next+Year/article13647.htm

Google Inc. announced late Tuesday that it's teaming up with a slew of
publishers to give old magazines new life -- by bringing them online:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9123085&intsrc=news_ts_head

If president-elect Barack Obama heeds the advice of a blue-ribbon IT
security panel, he'll create a new White House office for cyberspace
to be headed by an adviser charged with coordinating the computer
security efforts of federal departments and agencies:

http://www.crn.com/security/212300531

 

Matthew Dattilo

thepcgurus at gmail.com 

www.mattstodayinhistory.com

 

 

Download of the Week
 

This small and useful utility allows for easy, rules-based bulk file renaming. "Ken Rename" allows you to specify a series of changes using a fairly intuitive interface, preview the results and then execute them. The program is easy to use, does what it's supposed to and is under active development. If you need it, it's worth trying out.  Get it here for free:

 

http://myprogramspace.blogspot.com/2008/07/krename-multi-file-rename-tool-v0.html 

 

Carlita Lupino

Cards57 at gmail.com

 

 

Email Question of the Week
 

Q:  Hello, can I uninstall Quicktime without causing problems with other programs?

 

A:  Yes, you can safely uninstall Quicktime without impacting other
programs.  The only program that could be indirectly impacted would be
iTunes.

Hash
hash at ucanweb.com

 

 

Contact info and legal stuff
 

If you have tech support questions or ideas and/or submissions for our newsletter please submit them by visiting www.thepcgurus.com and click on the "Email the Team" icon. 

  

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Information provided in this publication is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied.  Although the information provided is known to work on most systems, it may not work on ALL systems.  Make use of any information supplied at your own risk.

 

The PC Gurus are a group of volunteers who provide support for the PC, Mac and Linux users in the Kentuckiana region.

 

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