Digital Bits Technology Column

The year 1965 brought us some wonderful things, like AstroTurf. But it also brought us the movie “The Human Duplicators”, a movie similar in ambition to the block of cheese you’ve left in the fridge a few months too long. Starring Richard Kiel (James Bond’s nemesis “Jaws”) and Hugh Beaumont (The dad in “My Three […]

How to write a newspaper column: Learn the legal stuff

I often get requests from readers about the process of creating a column and questions about the newspaper business. There are many technical details that change based on your tools and content, but one common concern is with the legal side of things and how to deal with newspapers in terms of copyright. It’s not […]

Can you pull the plug on your PC? Relax and count to a million

Patricia from cs.com writes: “A problem I have is not being able to shut off the computer. I finally pull the plug, which I do not think is the wisest thing to do?” You’re happily working on the computer, checking your email before work. Your ride pulls up outside and honks. You read, “Please wait […]

Wireless Hotspots in Grand Rapids, MI

Wireless hotspots are popping up all over, not just in places like Starbucks in Chicago. Yes, I’ll admit it – I’m from Grand Rapids, Michigan. But regardless of what I’ve heard Michigan celebrities like Madonna and Anthony Kiedis say on their E! True Hollywood Story, I actually like living in this state. Michigan’s come a […]

How to reload Windows XP

Walt asks: When I try to boot normally or to safe mode, I get a blue screen that tells me that I have a registry problem. My ultimate goal is to reinstall Windows XP SP1 to my Dell dimension 2400. Since I can’t boot to safe mode I can’t reinstall Windows. How can I get […]

Tech coverage of the 2005 North American International Auto Show – Safety

It would be nice if we could all drive around in tanks that max out at 70 MPH, but for many reasons that solution isn’t very practical. Instead we have here a few new and improved technologies that make driving safer, from that long distance highway trip to driving to the store during a blizzard. […]

Tech coverage of the 2005 North American International Auto Show – Miscellaneous

There were certain things at the NAIAS I didn’t expect. And to be honest I’m not very impressed with two of them. I’m of the opinion that economy and smaller-sized vehicles are very important. These make the roads safer, make our environment cleaner, and decrease fuel use. I understand there are certain needs for larger, […]

Can a PC be left on all the time? Should I turn off my computer at night?

Yes and yes. There used to be many reasons to turn off your PC, often at the end of a workday or before a weekend. These days? Not so much. For those who’d like a longer answer, here are the more common reasons for turning your PC off often and leaving it turned on full-time, […]

Free and not-so-free image converters

Nancy writes: Back in ’98 I started using a Kodak 200 3.1 digital camera. At that time I did not know the difference between JPG and FPX, so I saved all my pictures as FPX. The problem is, I am on my third digital camera (I’m saving all pics as JPG now) and have upgraded […]

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