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Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac

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Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac

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Description

  • Copyright 2006
  • Dimensions: 7" x 9-1/8"
  • Pages: 408
  • Edition: 1st
  • Book
  • ISBN-10: 0-7897-3397-8
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3397-9

Leo Laporte is TV and radio's most recognized and prolific technology personality, best known for his humor, wit and ability to teach both newcomers and grizzled PC veterans. In Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac, Leo provides a year's worth of anecdotes, tips, factoids, and musings about the machines at the center of your life.

A page is devoted to each day of the year, and each page includes several elements: typically a single-topic essay that takes up most of the page (on subjects as varied as ergonomics, Easter eggs in popular programs, processor overclocking, and discount-travel Web sites), and hints, tips, references to worthwhile software, and goofy trivia.

Sample Content

Online Sample Chapters

Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac: A Look into March

March 2006

Table of Contents

Introduction.

January 2006.

    Testing Your Connection Speed

    On This Day: Millennium Bug Doesn’t Bite (2000)

    Blog of the Week: Slashdot

    Broadband Internet

    On This Day: Micro-Soft Named (1975)

    Fact of the Week

    Internet Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

    On This Day: TIME Names Computer “Man of the Year” (1983)

    Gadget of the Week: Citizen TASER X26c Pistol

    Mozilla Firefox: A Better Browser

    On This Day: HP-35 Calculator Introduced (1972)

    Hardware of the Week: Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router

    Firefox Tips and Tricks

    On This Day: Amy Johnson Dies (1941)

    Software of the Week: WS FTP

    The Wayback Machine: A Blast from the Past

    On This Day: Peter Denning Born (1942)

    Website of the Week: THOMAS

    Anybody Remember Archie and Veronica?

    On This Day: Hollerith Tabulating Machine Patented (1889)

    Blog of the Week: Boing Boing

    How Digital Sampling Works

    On This Day: Galaxies Are Accelerating (1998)

    Fact of the Week

    Lossy Digital Audio Formats

    On This Day: 45 RPM Record Introduced (1949)

    Gadget of the Week: StikAx Music Mixer

    Lossless Digital Audio Formats

    On This Day: Smoking Causes Cancer (1964)

    Hardware of the Week: Creative I-Trigue Speaker System

    Online Music Stores

    On This Day: First X-Ray Photo (1896)

    Software of the Week: Album Art Fixer

    File Trading Networks

    On This Day: Adding Machine Patented (1874)

    Website of the Week: Allmusic

    Internet Radio

    On This Day: NCSA Opens (1986)

    Blog of the Week: Fluxblog

    Yahoo! Search Shortcuts

    On This Day: Dian Fossey Born (1932)

    Fact of the Week

    Navigating! Yahoo!

    On This Day: Computer Discovers New Planets (1996)

    Gadget of the Week: Survival Kit in a Sardine Can

    Yahoo! Maps

    On This Day: Harvard Mark I Outlined (1938)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech MediaPlay Cordless Mouse

    Yahoo! Search Meta Words

    On This Day: Apple Lisa Introduced

    Software of the Week: Yahoo! Toolbar

    Yahoo! My Web

    On This Day: Buzz Aldrin Born (1930)

    Website of the Week: My Yahoo!

    Yahoo! Briefcase

    On This Day: First Commercial 747 Flight (1970)

    Blog of the Week: Yahoo! Search Blog

    Why You Need Service Pack 2

    On This Day: Integrated Circuit Conceived (1959)

    Fact of the Week

    Using the Control Panel

    On This Day: IBM Dedicates the SSEC (1948)

    Gadget of the Week: Global Pet Finder

    Enabling ClearType

    On This Day: Flouridated Drinking Water (1945)

    Hardware of the Week: APC Uninterruptible Power Source

    Using a Web Page as a Desktop Background

    On This Day: Internal Combustion Auto Patented

    Software of the Week: Theme Manager 2005

    Adding Special Effects

    On This Day: Jim Clark Leaves Silicon Graphics (1994)

    Website of the Week: Microsoft

    Moving and Hiding the Taskbar

    On This Day: First Gaslit Street (1807)

    Blog of the Week: LonghornBlogs.com

    Show Album Art in My Music Folders

    On This Day: Douglas Englebart Born (1925)

    Fact of the Week

    Remove the Shortcut Arrow from Desktop Icons

    On This Day: First Primate in Space (1961)

    Gadget of the Week: SCOTTeVEST Clothing

February 2006.

    Closing Stuck Programs in XP

    On This Day: Java Development Starts (1991)

    Hardware of the Week: USB Mini-Aquarium

    Add a Background Graphic to the IE Toolbar

    Use a Web Page as a Desktop Background

    On This Day: First Use of Lie Detector (1935)

    Software of the Week: Tweak UI

    Activating XP Special Effects

    On This Day: First U.S. Weather Satellite (1966)

    Website of the Week: TweakXP.com

    Change Owner Information

    Adding Programs to the XP Start Menu

    On This Day: First Removable Shirt Collar (1825)

    Blog of the Week: TechWhack

    What’s a Blog?

    On This Day: Golf on the Moon (1971)

    Fact of the Week

    Why Blog?

    How Blogs Are Organized

    On This Day: First Untethered Spacewalks (1984)

    Gadget of the Week: Precision Shots Laser Slingshot

    Creating Your Own Blog

    Best Sites for Blogging

    On This Day: Harvard Mark I Patent (1945)

    Hardware of the Week: AeroCool AeroBase UFO Gaming Pad

    Exploring the Blogosphere

    On This Day: David Wheeler Born (1927)

    Software of the Week: Newsgator

    Political Blogs

    On This Day: Wilhelm Roentgen Dies (1923)

    Website of the Week: The Weblog Review

    Moblogs and Photo Blogs

    Leo’s Favorite Blogs

    On This Day: Boston Computer Society Founded (1977)

    Blog of the Week: Photoblogs.org

    All About Podcasts

    On This Day: France Goes Atomic (1960)

    Fact of the Week

    Preparing to Podcast

    On This Day: ENIAC Revealed (1946)

    Gadget of the Week: Edirol R-1 Portable Music Recorder

    Recording a Podcast

    On This Day: Mustard Arrives (1758)

    Hardware of the Week: Griffin radio SHARK AM/FM Radio/Recorder

    Publishing Your Podcast

    Learn More About Podcasting

    On This Day: First Man-Made Diamonds (1953)

    Software of the Week: Audacity

    Where to Find Podcasts

    On This Day: First Car Starter (1911)

    Website of the Week: iPodder

    Podcasts and iTunes

    On This Day: Vacuum Cleaner Patented (1901)

    Blog of the Week: Adam Curry’s Weblog

    POP vs. Web-Based Email

    On This Day: Elevator Patented (1872)

    Fact of the Week

    Email Acronyms and Protocols

    On This Day: First Flying Car (1937)

    Gadget of the Week: VoiSec Refrigerator Voice Recorder

    HTML Email

    On This Day: Amerigo Vespucci Dies (1512)

    Hardware of the Week: Seagate External Hard Drives

    Managing Mass Mailings in Outlook Express

    On This Day: First Cloned Sheep (1997)

    Software of the Week: Mozilla Thunderbird

    Troubleshooting Email Problems

    On This Day: Steve Jobs Born

    Website of the Week: Gmail

    Emailing Anonymously

    On This Day: SGI Buys Cray (1996)

    Blog of the Week: Gawker

    Before You Upgrade

    On This Day: David Sarnoff Born (1891)

    Fact of the Week

    Upgrading System Memory

    On This Day: Core Memory Patented (1956)

    Gadget of the Week: Ultra Antistatic Wrist Straps

March 2006.

    Adding New Ports

    On This Day: Direct-Dial Transatlantic Phone Service (1970)

    Hardware of the Week: Sunbeam 20-in-1 Superior Panel

    Upgrading for Digital Video Editing

    On This Day: First Push-Button Phone (1959)

    Software of the Week: Aloha Bob PC Relocator

    Upgrading Your Hard Disk

    On This Day: First Meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club

    Website of the Week: Tom’s Hardware Guide

    USB: The Easy Way to Upgrade

    On This Day: Stapler Patented (1868)

    Blog of the Week: Tech Blog

    How Big Is Big Enough?

    On This Day: Michelangelo Virus Strikes (1992)

    Fact of the Week

    CRT Projection

    On This Day: Cornflakes First Served (1897)

    Gadget of the Week: Couch Potato Tormentor

    DLP Rear Projection

    On This Day: von Zeppelin Dies (1917)

    Hardware of the Week: ATI HDTV Wonder

    LCD Rear Projection

    On This Day: PowerOpen Association Formed

    Software of the Week: Cinemar MainLobby

    Plasma Flat-Screen Displays

    On This Day: Uranus Has Rings (1977)

    Website of the Week: AVS Forum

    LCD Flat-Screen Displays

    On This Day: Luddite Riots (1811)

    Blog of the Week: Home Theater Blog

    Identity Theft

    On This Day: Henry Shrapnel Dies (1842)

    Fact of the Week

    Preventing Identity Theft

    On This Day: Giant Brain Completed (1955)

    Gadget of the Week: TrimTrac GPS Security Locator

    Dealing with Identity Theft

    On This Day: Adobe and Aldus Merge (1994)

    Hardware of the Week: Keyspan USB Mini Hub

    Privacy in the Workplace

    On This Day: First Liquid-Fuel Rocket Flight (1926)

    Software of the Week: NSClean

    Old Postings Can Come Back and Bite You

    On This Day: Rubber Band Patented (1845)

    Website of the Week: Electronic Frontier Foundation

    Phishing Schemes

    On This Day: First U.S. Railroad Tunnel (1834)

    Blog of the Week: Privacy.org

    Five Ways to Speed Up Your PC

    On This Day: Theory of Relativity Published (1916)

    Fact of the Week

    Maintaining Your System Unit

    On This Day: Teaching of Evolution Prohibited (1925)

    Gadget of the Week: TomTom Navigator 2004

    Maintaining Your Keyboard

    On This Day: Pentium Chip Ships (1993)

    Hardware of the Week: IOGEAR MiniView Micro KVM Switch

    Maintaining Your Mouse

    On This Day: Cold Fusion Claimed (1989)

    Software of the Week: PC Certify

    Maintaining Your Printer

    On This Day: Tuberculosis Bacillus Announced (1882)

    Website of the Week: PC Pitstop

    More Basic Maintenance

    On This Day: Titan Discovered (1655)

    Blog of the Week: Doc Searl’s IT Garage

    Why You Need a PC in Your Living Room

    On This Day: Alaska Earthquake (1965)

    Fact of the Week

    Buying a Media Center PC

    On This Day: Three Mile Island Accident (1979)

    Gadget of the Week: Philips RC9800i WiFi Remote Control

    Building Your Own Media Center PC

    On This Day: Coca Cola Created (1886)

    Hardware of the Week: Denali Edition Media Center

    Using Media Center as a DVR

    On This Day: Meter Defined (1791)

    Software of the Week: Tweak MCE

    Media Center My Music

    On This Day: Daylight Savings Time Begins (1918)

    Website of the Week: The Green Button

April 2006.

    Media Center Add-Ins

    On This Day: First Photograph of the Sun

    Blog of the Week: Matt Goyer’s Windows Media Center Blog

    Skeletal Systems

    On This Day: First Mobile Phone Call (1973)

    Fact of the Week

    The Death Clock

    On This Day: Netscape Founded (1994)

    Gadget of the Week: Motorola Ojo Personal Videophone

    Dumb Auctions

    On This Day: Oppenheimer Wins Fermi Award (1963)

    Hardware of the Week: ActionTec Internet Phone Wizard

    UglyDress.com

    On This Day: Windows 3.1 Released (1992)

    Software of the Week: Marine Aquarium Screen Saver

    Museum of Bad Album Covers

    On This Day: IBM Announces System/360 Mainframes (1964)

    Website of the Week: Today’s Front Pages

    Daily Rotten

    On This Day: Presper Eckert Born (1919)

    Blog of the Week: Dave Barry’s Blog

    DVD Easter Eggs

    On This Day: First Synthetic Rubber (1930)

    Fact of the Week

    CD Easter Eggs

    On This Day: Apollo 13 Launched (1970)

    Gadget of the Week: Eva Solo Magnetimer Kitchen Timer

    Game Easter Eggs

    On This Day: First Internet Spam (1994)

    Hardware of the Week: USB Cafe Pad

    Software Easter Eggs

    On This Day: First Elephant in America (1796)

    Software of the Week: Coffee Break Worm

    Literary Easter Eggs

    On This Day: China’s Great Software Purge Begins (1995)

    Website of the Week: The Easter Egg Archive

    Sexually Explicit Easter Egg

    On This Day: LISP Language Unveiled

    Blog of the Week: Engadget

    eBay News and Announcements

    On This Day: Benjamin Franklin Dies (1790)

    Fact of the Week

    Using Feedback

    On This Day: Albert Einstein Dies (1955)

    Gadget of the Week: SportVue MC1 Heads-Up Display

    Birddogging for Bargains

    On This Day: First FORTRAN Program (1957)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech diNovo Cordless Desktop

    eBay PowerSellers

    On This Day: Whirlwind Computer on TV (1951)

    Software of the Week: eBay Toolbar

    Finding Stuff to Sell

    On This Day: First Revolving Restaurant Opens (1962)

    Website of the Week: Indale

    eBay Trading Assistants

    On This Day: Wilhelm Schickard Born (1592)

    Blog of the Week: Outrageous eBay Auctions

    iPods Rule!

    On This Day: Apple IIc Introduced

    Fact of the Week

    Using Your iPod with a Windows PC

    On This Day: Integrated Circuit Patented

    Gadget of the Week: Griffin BlueTrip Audio Hub

    Creating Playlists for Your iPod

    On This Day: Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (1986)

    Hardware of the Week: Apple AirPort Express

    iPod Speakers

    On This Day: Microsoft Purchase of Intuit Blocked (1995)

    Software of the Week: iArt

    Cool iPod Accessories

    On This Day: Kurt G’del Born (1906)

    Website of the Week: iLounge

    More Cool iPod Accessories

    On This Day: George Stibitz Born (1904)

    Blog of the Week: iPoditude

May 2006.

    How Instant Messaging Works

    On This Day: First Computer Timesharing (1964)

    Fact of the Week

    Instant Messaging Clients

    On This Day: Microsoft’s Two-Button Mouse (1983)

    Gadget of the Week: Tivoli Model One

    Group Chats in AOL Instant Messenger

    On This Day: First Comic Book (1934)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech QuickCam Orbit

    Sending Files via Instant Messaging

    On This Day: Commodore Sold (1995)

    Software of the Week: mIRC

    Tips for Chat and IM

    On This Day: Scopes Arrested for Teaching Evolution (1925)

    Website of the Week: Cybermoon Studios

    Online Chat Communities

    On This Day: Hindenburg Disaster (1937)

    Blog of the Week: Jake Ludington’s Media Blab

    Digital Television

    On This Day: Metric System Established (1790)

    Fact of the Week

    Comparing Digital Television Formats

    On This Day: Birth Control Pill Approved (1960)

    Gadget of the Week: Monster PowerCenter

    Why HDTV Is Better

    On This Day: Transcontinental Railroad Completed (1869)

    Hardware of the Week: TViX Digital Movie Jukebox

    How HDTV Works

    Learn More About HDTV

    On This Day: VisiCalc Demonstrated (1979)

    Software of the Week: Movie Label 2006

    Progressive Scanning

    On This Day: Dvorak Keyboard Patented (1936)

    Website of the Week: HDTVoice.com

    Square Programs on a Rectangular Screen

    On This Day: Table Knife Invented (1637)

    Blog of the Week: High-Definition Blog

    I Hate Spam!

    Learn More About Spam

    On This Day: Listerine Trademarked (1923)

    Fact of the Week

    How Spammers Get Your Address

    On This Day: Root Beer Invented (1866)

    Gadget of the Week: Oregon Scientific AWS888 Weather Forecaster

    Protecting Your Email Address

    On This Day: John Deere Dies (1886)

    Hardware of the Week: Griffin PowerMate USB Controller

    Blocking Spam in Microsoft Outlook

    On This Day: Mount St. Helens Erupts (1980)

    Software of the Week: Email Sentinel Pro

    Anti-Spam Software

    On This Day: Lawrence of Arabia Dies (1935)

    Website of the Week: Spamhaus

    Trace and Report

    On This Day: Levis Patented (1873)

    Blog of the Week: Spam Kings Blog

    Advanced Google Searching

    On This Day: Toothpaste Tube Invented (1892)

    Fact of the Week

    Google Images

    On This Day: Bifocals Invented (1785)

    Gadget of the Week: Wallflower 2 Multimedia Picture Frame

    Google Maps

    On This Day: First Telegraph Message (1844)

    Hardware of the Week: Western Digital Media Center

    Personalize Your Google Home Page

    On This Day: First International WWW Conference (1994)

    Software of the Week: Google Desktop Search

    Gmail

    On This Day: First Middle East Oil Strike (1908)

    Website of the Week: Google Language Tools

    Other Cool Google Sites

    On This Day: Jell-O Introduced (1897)

    Blog of the Week: The Unofficial Google Weblog

    Choosing a Digital Camera

    On This Day: Hilary Conquers Mount Everest (1953)

    Fact of the Week

    Prosumer Cameras

    On This Day: Krypton Discovered (1898)

    Gadget of the Week: SanDisk Photo Album

    Digital SLRs

    On This Day: John Kemeny Born (1926)

    Hardware of the Week: Epson Perfection 4180 Photo Scanner

June 2006.

    Better Lighting = Better Pictures

    On This Day: FM Stereo Broadcasting Begins (1961)

    Software of the Week: Paint Shop Pro

    How to Take Great Digital Pictures

    On This Day: Velveeta Cheese Invented (1928)

    Website of the Week: Digital Photography Review

    Digital Photo Vaults

    On This Day: Robert Noyce Dies (1990)

    Blog of the Week: PhotographyBLOG

    Digital Video Formats

    On This Day: Apple II Introduced (1977)

    Fact of the Week

    Choosing the Right Video Camera

    On This Day: First Household Detergent Introduced (1907)

    Gadget of the Week: Sunpak Readylight 20

    High-Definition Camcorders

    On This Day: First Solar Power Plant (1980)

    Hardware of the Week: HP dc5000 Movie Writer

    Prosumer Camcorders

    On This Day: Alan Turing Found Dead (1954)

    Software of the Week: Adobe Premiere Elements

    Recording Better Sound with Your Movies

    On This Day: First Automat Opens (1902)

    Website of the Week: CamcorderInfo.com

    Stop Shaky Pictures!

    On This Day: Speak & Spell Introduced (1978)

    Blog of the Week: PVRblog

    Fun with GPS

    On This Day: 3Com and U.S. Robotics Merge (1997)

    Fact of the Week

    High-Tech Running

    On This Day: First V1 Bomb Attack (1944)

    Gadget of the Week: SoundSak SonicBoom

    High-Tech Fishing

    On This Day: Univac 1 Dedicated (1951)

    Hardware of the Week: Act Labs Light Gun

    High-Tech Boating

    On This Day: Ben Franklin Flies a Kite (1752)

    Software of the Week: Fish-N-Log Professional Suite

    High-Tech Scuba Diving

    On This Day: CTR Incorporated (1911)

    Website of the Week: GORP

    High-Tech Camping

    On This Day: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic (1928)

    Blog of the Week: Die Is Cast

    Apple History (Part I)

    On This Day: Blaise Pascal Born (1623)

    Fact of the Week

    Apple History (Part I-A)

    On This Day: Trans-Alaska Pipeline Opens (1977)

    Gadget of the Week: GarageBand Guitar Cable

    Apple History (Part II)

    On This Day: First Ferris Wheel Opens (1893)

    Hardware of the Week: Apple 30-inch HD Cinema Display

    Apple History (Part III)

    On This Day: Konrad Zuse Born

    Software of the Week: SuperDuper

    Apple Portables

    On This Day: Saxophone Patented (1848)

    Website of the Week: Think Secret

    Troubleshooting Mac OS X

    On This Day: Barbed Wire Patented (1867)

    Blog of the Week: The Unofficial Apple Weblog

    I SpyÖSpyware!

    On This Day: Bar Code Debuts (1974)

    Fact of the Week

    What Damage Can Spyware Do?

    On This Day: Chlorophyll Synthesized (1960)

    Gadget of the Week: JB1 James Bond 007 Spy Camera

    How to Defeat Spyware

    On This Day: Mackinac Bridge Dedicated (1958)

    Hardware of the Week: Panasonic BL-C30A Network Camera

    Anti-Spyware Utilities

    On This Day: Pygmy Mammoth Discovered (1994)

    Software of the Week: Active@ Eraser

    Legitimate Spyware Programs

    On This Day: Leap Second Added (1972)

    Website of the Week

July 2006.

    Official U.S. Government Spyware

    On This Day: IBM 650 Announced (1953)

    Blog of the Week: Spyware Warrior

    Creating Numbered Lists

    On This Day: Foam Rubber Developed (1929)

    Fact of the Week

    Using Styles

    On This Day: First Direct Keyboard Input (1956)

    Gadget of the Week: VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer

    Adding Background Colors and Graphics

    On This Day: Intel Price Cuts (1994)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech Laser Cordless Mouse

    Using Section Breaks

    On This Day: AOL Settles Lawsuits

    Software of the Week: Wordware

    Using Headers and Footers

    On This Day: Phillips-Head Screw Patented (1936)

    Website of the Week: Woody’s Office Portal

    Creating a Multiple-Column Layout

    On This Day: Tron Released (1982)

    Blog of the Week: The Office Weblog

    Why It’s So Hard to Find What You Want Online

    On This Day: Telstar Launched (1962)

    Fact of the Week

    Search Engines and Directories

    On This Day: Surgical Zippers Announced (1985)

    Gadget of the Week: Oakley THUMP

    Top Search Sites

    On This Day: Smoking (Officially) Causes Cancer (1957)

    Hardware of the Week: Deck Keyboard

    Metasearch Engines

    On This Day: Erno Rubick Born (1944)

    Software of the Week: WebFerret

    The Correct Way to Search

    On This Day: Dynamite Demonstrated (1867)

    Website of the Week: Search Engine Watch

    Boolean Searching

    On This Day: ENIGMA Encodes First Message (1928)

    Blog of the Week: Search Engine Blog

    Using a Home Page Community

    On This Day: Major Email Disruption (1997)

    Fact of the Week

    Finding a Web Host

    On This Day: Intel Founded (1968)

    Gadget of the Week: ProAim Golfing Goggles

    Understanding HTML

    On This Day: Samuel Colt Born (1814)

    Hardware of the Week: Griffin AirClick USB Remote

    Common HTML Tags

    On This Day: Man Walks on Moon (1969)

    Software of the Week: HotDog PageWiz

    Inserting Hyperlinks

    On This Day: Xerox Withdraws from Computer Market (1975)

    Website of the Week: Web Pages That Suck

    Changing Font Type and Size

    On This Day: Typewriter Patented (1829)

    Blog of the Week: Thomas Hawk’s Digital Connection

    Choosing a Video Game System

    On This Day: Instant Coffee Introduced (1938)

    Fact of the Week

    Video Games: The Next Generation

    On This Day: Microsoft Revenues Exceed $1 Billion (1990)

    Gadget of the Week: Spherex RX2 Game Chair

    Building the Perfect Gaming PC

    On This Day: Carl Jung Born (1875)

    Hardware of the Week: Atari Flashback

    Choosing a Game Controller

    On This Day: Grasshopper Plague (1931)

    Software of the Week: RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

    Popular Game Controllers (Part I)

    On This Day: Tricycle Crosses English Channel (1883)

    Website of the Week: IGN.com

    Popular Game Controllers (Part II)

    On This Day: First Asphalt Pavement (1870)

    Blog of the Week: GameBlogs

    Hard Drive Players

    On This Day: First Close-Up Moon Pictures (1964)

    Fact of the Week

August 2006.

    MicroDrive Players

    On This Day: Atomic Energy Commission Established (1946)

    Gadget of the Week: AudioTronic iCool Scented MP3 Players

    Flash Memory Players

    On This Day: Greenwich Mean Time Adopted (1880)

    Hardware of the Week: Razer Diamondback Mouse

    Portable Video Players

    On This Day: Radio Shack Announces TRS-80 (1977)

    Software of the Week: Blaze Media Pro

    Better Earphones = Better Sound

    On This Day: Champagne Invented (1693)

    Website of the Week: MP3.com

    Celebrity Playlists

    On This Day: First Electric Traffic Lights (1914)

    Blog of the Week: MP3 Player Blog

    Citywide WiFi

    On This Day: Harvard Gets a Giant Brain (1944)

    Fact of the Week

    Finding a WiFi Hotspot

    On This Day: Netscape Goes Public (1995)

    Gadget of the Week: Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter

    Troubleshooting a Bad Connection

    On This Day: Marvin Minksy Born (1927)

    Hardware of the Week: Linksys Wireless Adapter

    Setting Up a Wireless Home Network

    On This Day: Leo Fender Born (1909)

    Software of the Week: LucidLink Wireless Client

    WiFi Security

    On This Day: Steve Wozniak Born (1950)

    Website of the Week: Wi-Fi Alliance

    What’s With All Those Letters?

    On This Day: IBM PC Introduced (1981)

    Blog of the Week: WiFi Networking News

    Matrix Surround Sound

    On This Day: Social Security Act Signed (1935)

    Fact of the Week

    Discrete Surround Sound

    On This Day: Panama Canal Opened (1914)

    Gadget of the Week: Sony Surround Sound Headphones

    Comparing Surround Sound Formats

    On This Day: Queen Telegraphs President (1858)

    Hardware of the Week: USB Alarm Clock

    Fantasia! The First Surround-Sound Movie

    On This Day: Pierre de Fermat Born (1601)

    Software of the Week: Cubase SX

    The History of Surround Sound (Part I)

    On This Day: Hewlett-Packard Incorporated (1947)

    Website of the Week: The Surround Sound Discography

    The History of Surround Sound (Part II)

    On This Day: Condensed Milk Patented (1856)

    Blog of the Week: wilwheaton.net

    Troubleshooting Tips

    On This Day: Adding Machine Patented (1888)

    Fact of the Week

    Dealing with a Dead Computer

    On This Day: First Computer User Group Founded (1955)

    Gadget of the Week: Venexx Perfume Watch

    Troubleshooting in Safe Mode

    On This Day: Galileo Demonstrates Telescope (1609)

    Hardware of the Week: Marathon Computer RePorter

    Page Fault Errors

    On This Day: Windows 95 Ships (1995)

    Software of the Week: PC Certify Lite

    Creating an Emergency Startup Disk

    On This Day: Paris Liberated (1944)

    Website of the Week: Microsoft Knowledge Base

    PC Survival Checklist

    On This Day: Compaq Introduces Presario (1993)

    Blog of the Week: RescueComp Blog

    First Generation (1972-1977)

    On This Day: Worcester Sauce Introduced (1837)

    Fact of the Week

    Second Generation (1977-1982)

    On This Day: First Russian Atomic Bomb (1949)

    Gadget of the Week: Jakks TV Games

    Third Generation (1982-1984)

    On This Day: First African-American Astronaut (1983)

    Hardware of the Week: Classicade Upright Game System

    Fourth Generation (1985-1989)

    On This Day: First Car on the Moon (1971)

    Software of the Week: Atari 80 Classic Games

September 2006.

    Fifth Generation (1989-1995)

    On This Day: Virtual Library Project Starts (1994)

    Website of the Week: Video Game Museum

    Sixth Generation (1995-1998) to Today

    On This Day: Ferdinand Porsche Born

    Blog of the Week: Video Game Blog

    Different Types of Notebooks

    On This Day: Geronimo Surrenders (1886)

    Fact of the Week

    Shopping for a New Notebook

    On This Day: On the Road Published (1957)

    Gadget of the Week: Targus DEFCON MDP Motion Sensor

    Notebooks for College

    On This Day: Margaret Sanger Dies (1966)

    Hardware of the Week: LapCool 2 Notebook Cooler

    Upgrading Notebook Memory

    On This Day: First Baby Incubator (1888)

    Software of the Week: RMClock

    Printing on the Road

    On This Day: Ford Pardons Nixon (1974)

    Website of the Week: NotebookReview.com

    Stretching Notebook Battery Life

    On This Day: Lincoln Highway Opens (1913)

    Blog of the Week: Laptop Review

    Encourage Safe Computing

    On This Day: First Remote Computation (1940)

    Fact of the Week

    Safe Searching for Kids

    On This Day: Test of First Integrated Circuit (1958)

    Gadget of the Week: Hasbro VideoNow Color

    Online Libraries

    On This Day: First Auto Accident Death (1899)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech Football Mouse

    Help with Homework

    On This Day: First Lobotomy (1936)

    Software of the Week: Microsoft Student 2006

    Kids’ Sports

    On This Day: ACM Founded (1947)

    Website of the Week: Kids’ Space

    Computers Make Kids Dumber?

    On This Day: RCA Exits Computer Market (1971)

    Blog of the Week: “Hey That Smells Great”

    Audio/Video Receivers

    On This Day: Jimi Hendrix Dies (1970)

    Fact of the Week

    Digital Video Recorders

    On This Day: First Underground Nuclear Test (1957)

    Gadget of the Week: Logitech Harmony 880

    Shopping for a DVD Player

    On This Day: First FORTRAN Program (1954)

    Hardware of the Week: Sonos Digital Music System

    Choosing a Speaker System

    On This Day: Galileo Ends Mission (2003)

    Software of the Week: Meedio Essentials

    Setting Up Your System

    On This Day: Peace Corps Authorized (1961)

    Website of the Week: AudioREVIEW.com

    Universal Remote Controls

    On This Day: Dirigible Demonstrated (1852)

    Blog of the Week: eHomeUpgrade

    HDTV Programming

    On This Day: IBM Announces MCA

    Fact of the Week

    Showcase DVDs (Part I)

    On This Day: Jean Hoerni Born (1924)

    Gadget of the Week: Laserpod Light

    Showcase DVDs (Part II)

    On This Day: Kevin Mitnick Indicted (1996)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech Z-5500 Speakers

    Showcase DVDs (Part III)

    On This Day: Seymour Cray Born (1925)

    Software of the Week: ReaderWare

    Showcase CDs (Part I)

    On This Day: Enrico Fermi Born (1901)

    Website of the Week: Metacritic

    Showcase CDs (Part II)

    On This Day: First Nuclear Sub Commissioned (1954)

    Blog of the Week: Jazz & Blues Music Reviews

October 2006.

    CD Ripping and Burning Software

    On This Day: Concorde Breaks the Sound Barrier (1969)

    Blog of the Week: Online Music Blog

    Configuring Windows Media Player for Ripping

    On This Day: ENIAC Retired (1955)

    Fact of the Week

    Ripping CDs with WMP

    On This Day: Transistor Patented (1950)

    Gadget of the Week: Darth Tater

    Burning Your Own Music CDs

    On This Day: John Atanasoff Born (1903)

    Hardware of the Week: Pocket CDRW

    Burning CDs with Windows Media Player

    On This Day: First Non-Stop Pacific Flight (1931)

    Software of the Week: Easy Media Creator

    Copying Entire CDs

    On This Day: Thor Heyerdahl Born (1914)

    Website of the Week: freedb.org

    Writing to a Data CD

    On This Day: Carbon Paper Patented (1806)

    Blog of the Week: PostSecret

    Cellular Network Technologies

    On This Day: Calliope Patented (1855)

    Fact of the Week

    Dual Band and Dual Mode Phones

    On This Day: Billiard Ball Patented (1865)

    Gadget of the Week: FreePlay FreeCharge

    Choosing a Mobile Phone

    On This Day: H.J. Heinz Born (1844)

    Hardware of the Week: Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go Pro

    Smartphones

    On This Day: NeXT Computer Introduced (1988)

    Software of the Week: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Game

    Choosing a Headset

    On This Day: First Aerial Photograph (1860)

    Website of the Week: The Mobile Phone Directory

    Favorite Cell Phones

    On This Day: Edison Electric Light Company Founded (1878)

    Blog of the Week: Mobile Burn

    Are You Infected?

    On This Day: First U.S. Birth Control Clinic (1916)

    Fact of the Week

    Practicing Safe Computing

    On This Day: Mae Jemison Born (1956)

    Gadget of the Week: ScanGauge Automotive Computer

    Antivirus Utilities

    Learn More About Protecting Your Computer

    On This Day: Babbage, Binet, and Edison Die

    Hardware of the Week: WD Passport Pocket Hard Drive

    Repairing an Infected Computer

    On This Day: Sir Thomas Browne Born and Died

    Software of the Week: NOD32 Antivirus

    Finding New Viruses

    On This Day: Monterey Bay Aquarium Opens (1984)

    Website of the Week: Virus Bulletin

    Signature Scanning

    On This Day: First Trimline Telephone (1963)

    Blog of the Week: Worm Blog

    Fixing Only Part of the Picture

    On This Day: Mr. Tornado Born (1920)

    Fact of the Week

    Soften Your Edges

    Learn More About Fixing Bad Digital Pictures

    On This Day: First Nylon Stockings (1939)

    Gadget of the Week: Bose Noise Canceling Headphones

    Removing Red Eye

    On This Day: First Microwave Oven Sold (1955)

    Hardware of the Week: Graphire Bluetooth Tablet

    Removing Wrinkles

    On This Day: C.W. Post Born (1854)

    Software of the Week: Adobe Photoshop Elements

    Removing Skin Blemishes

    On This Day: ARPANET Crashes (1980)

    Website of the Week: Planet Photoshop

    Create a Glamour Glow

    On This Day: Statue of Liberty Unveiled (1886)

    Blog of the Week: The Unofficial Photoshop Blog

    The War of the Worlds

    On This Day: Ballpoint Pen Patented (1888)

    Fact of the Week

    Virus Hoaxes

    On This Day: Vatican Admits Galileo Was Right (1992)

    Gadget of the Week: Suunto Smart Watch

November 2006.

    How Urban Legends Become Legendary

    On This Day: First H-Bomb (1952)

    Hardware of the Week: LaCie Bigger Disk Extreme

    Favorite Urban Legends

    On This Day: George Boole Born (1815)

    Software of the Week: Wallperizer

    More Favorites

    On This Day: First Frozen Food (1952)

    Website of the Week: Snopes

    ICE on Your Cell Phone

    On This Day: Ancient Beer Discovered (1992)

    Blog of the Week: UFO News Blog

    Cycle Your Background Colors

    On This Day: Microsoft Contracts with IBM (1980)

    Fact of the Week

    Add a Watermark to Your Web Page

    On This Day: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapses (1940)

    Gadget of the Week: palmOne LifeDrive

    Make the Page Background Scroll Automatically

    On This Day: Jack Kilby Born (1923)

    Hardware of the Week: Dell UltraSharp 24'' LCD Display

    Display a Mouseover Alert

    On This Day: Carl Sagan Born (1934)

    Software of the Week: JavaScript Menu Master

    Open Link in New Window

    On This Day: First Motorcycle (1885)

    Website of the Week: JavaScript.com

    Add Music to Your Web Page

    On This Day: Jack Ryan Born (1926)

    Blog of the Week: The JavaScript Weblog

    Create a Self-Running Presentation

    On This Day: Artificial Snow Produced (1946)

    Fact of the Week

    Create a Branching Presentation

    On This Day: First BBC Broadcast (1922)

    Gadget of the Week: Dell Axim X50v

    Adding Music to Your Presentation

    On This Day: Tobacco Discovered (1492)

    Hardware of the Week: Wacom Touchscreen Display

    Add Depth to a 2-D Chart

    On This Day: Gene Amdahl Born (1922)

    Software of the Week: Crystal Graphics PowerPlugs

    Publish Your Presentation to the Web

    On This Day: Mouse Patented (1970)

    Website of the Week: Clipart Connection

    Printing Professional Handouts

    On This Day: Vitamin C Wards Off Colds (1970)

    Blog of the Week: Beyond Bullets

    How Satellite Radio Works

    On This Day: Edwin Hubble Born (1889)

    Fact of the Week

    XM Satellite Radio

    On This Day: Edison Invents Phonograph (1877)

    Gadget of the Week: Delphi XM MyFi

    SIRIUS Satellite Radio

    On This Day: S.O.S. Adopted (1906)

    Hardware of the Week: Soundblaster Audigy 4

    Satellite Radio in the Car

    On This Day: Pencil Sharpener Patented (1897)

    Software of the Week: Replay Radio

    Satellite Radio at Home

    On This Day: Origin of Species Published (1859)

    Website of the Week: XMFan.com

    HD Radio: Digital Radio Without the Satellite

    On This Day: First Lion in America (1716)

    Blog of the Week: Orbitcast

    Why Online Shopping Is (Generally) Safe

    On This Day: Electric Motor Invented (1834)

    Fact of the Week

    Product Reviews Online

    On This Day: Mariner 4 Launched (1964)

    Gadget of the Week: GoDogGo Automatic Fetch Machine

    Comparison Shopping Online

    On This Day: PONG Announced (1971)

    Hardware of the Week: MSI Bluetooth Star USB Hub

    Using Online Coupons

    On This Day: Mason Jar Patented (1858)

    Software of the Week: Best Price

December 2006.

    Reduce Your Shipping Costs

    On This Day: First White House Telephone (1878)

    Website of the Week: SalesHound

    Tracking Your Shipment

    On This Day: John Backus Born (1924)

    Blog of the Week: Shopping Blog

    Shopping for Your Favorite Geek

    On This Day: Omar Khayyam Dies (1131)

    Fact of the Week

    Shopping for a Computer Geek

    On This Day: Folding Chair Patented (1854)

    Gadget of the Week: Scooba Robotic Floor Washer

    Gifts for the Road Warrior Geek

    On This Day: First Sound Recording (1877)

    Hardware of the Week: Buffalo TeraStation Storage Drive

    Gifts for the Hard-Driving Geek

    On This Day: Jet Stream Discovered (1934)

    Software of the Week: Picasa

    Gifts for the Music-Lovin’ Geek

    On This Day: Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp. Incorporated (1947)

    Website of the Week: Craig’s List

    Gifts for the Home Theater Geek

    On This Day: First Non-Solar Planet Discovered (1984)

    Blog of the Week: Gizmodo

    Navigating Amazon

    On This Day: Last Moon Mission (1972)

    Fact of the Week

    Today’s Deals

    On This Day: Golf Tee Patented (1899)

    Gadget of the Week: Robosapien V2 Toy Robot

    Clearance Merchandise and the Friday Sale

    On This Day: Werner von Siemens Born (1816)

    Hardware of the Week: Creative GigaWorks PC Speaker System

    Buy It Used and Save

    On This Day: Planck’s Quantum Physics (1900)

    Software of the Week: FeedDemon

    Save Money on Shipping

    On This Day: First Street Cleaning Machine (1854)

    Website of the Week: Amazon Watch

    Become an Amazon Associate

    On This Day: End of the World (1919)

    Blog of the Week: Blog of a Bookslut

    Gift Ideas

    On This Day: First Celestial Photograph (1839)

    Fact of the Week

    Christmas Crafts

    On This Day: Altair 8800 Introduced (1974)

    Gadget of the Week: Sleeptracker Watch

    Holiday Greeting Cards

    On This Day: Broadway Lights Up (1880)

    Hardware of the Week: USB Christmas Tree

    Online Greeting Cards

    On This Day: Snow White Premieres (1937)

    Software of the Week: Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Designer

    Santa Claus on the Web

    On This Day: Lincoln Tunnel Opens (1937)

    Website of the Week: Christmas.com

    Holiday Meals Online

    On This Day: Man Orbits the Moon (1968)

    Blog of the Week: Make Blog

    There’s No Need to Fear

    Learn More About Your New PC

    On This Day: Centigrade Scale Devised (1741)

    Fact of the Week

    Taking a Look Inside

    On This Day: Radium Discovered (1898)

    Gadget of the Week: Egg & Muffin Toaster

    Your PC’s Microprocessor: The Main Engine

    On This Day: Johannes Kepler Born (1571)

    Hardware of the Week: Logitech MX3100 Cordless Desktop

    Computer Memory: Temporary Storage

    On This Day: First U.S. Test Tube Baby (1981)

    Software of the Week: WinZip

    Hard Disk Drives: Long-Term Storage

    On This Day: First Transistorized Hearing Aid (1952)

    Website of the Week: Tech Support Guy

    Turning On Your PC For the First Time

    On This Day: Monopoly Patented (1935)

    Blog of the Week: Biggeststars Blogs

Index.

Updates

Submit Errata

More Information

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

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Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020