Magazine PC

Why You Should Use Sleep Mode

2009-09-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Jason Cross

Shutting down your PC at the end of the day is so 20th century. What you probably should be doing is putting it into sleep mode. You'll save that interminable wait for your system to boot up, and it won't destroy the Earth or your bank account with a dramatic change in energy usage. Allow me to illustrate.

I have a fairly high-end system at home. It's a Core i7 920 based PC with 6GB of RAM, a high-end GeForce card (sometimes it's a Radeon, I go back and forth), and a reasonably quick Seagate 7200.10 hard drive. I'm running the final release of Windows 7. This is how long it takes me to shut down and boot:

Shutdown: 0:16

Boot: 1:06

Shutting down is pretty fast, but booting up is painfully slow. Bear in mind, this is what I call "true" boot-up time. It the time from when I press the power button to when I'm at a usable desktop (where you can actually click on things and get a response). Like your system probably is, it's not totally clean. I have Dropbox and my antivirus software loading at boot. Here's the numbers to go into sleep mode, and wake from sleep:

Sleep: 0:18

Wake: 0:02

That's right two seconds to get to a truly usable desktop waking from sleep mode. Shutting down takes a couple seconds longer, but waking my computer up is almost instantaneous. Not to mention that I can wake up my PC by tapping the keyboard, instead of reaching down to press a small power button.

But what about power, you ask? Am I running up my power bill? As long as your system BIOS supports the S3 ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) mode, no. The S1 mode leaves the CPU and RAM powered up, the S3 mode powers those down. Our article from a couple years ago on how to check and change your BIOS sleep state is still relevant. My high-end system uses some 120-130 watts just sitting at the desktop (not including monitor), and uses 1 watt when powered off (most computers draw a very small amount of power, even when off, so they can do things like turn on when you press the power button). In sleep mode, my system draws a whopping 5 watts. Five. What does that different of 4 watts mean to you?

My computer is running a lot more than the average person's, so let's just suppose your system is turned off 16 hours a day. That 4W difference works out to a whopping 1.92 killowatt-hours (kWh) per month. According to the Department of Energy, the average price for electricity in the U.S. is 11.59 cents per kWh, so sleep mode costs you 22.2 cents per month. The average home in the U.S. uses 936 kWh per month, so 16 hours of sleep mode a day would be a 0.21% increase in monthly power usage. That's what we call a "rounding error."

Of course, some systems use a little more power in sleep mode, but it's almost always under 10W. We have more on how to change the function of your computer's power button here. You probably don't want hibernate mode, which dumps the contents of your PC's RAM to the hard disk and then power off your PC, so you can resume right where you left off (with programs open and so on). With the large amount of RAM in today's systems, this can be a pretty slow option.

You should also make sure your BIOS and Windows are both up to date. Sleep mode has been finicky in the past, but motherboard manufacturers and Microsoft have worked out most of the kinks by now. If you don't update your BIOS and OS, it might not work right.

Follow Jason Cross on Twitter or visit his site.

Saying 'happy birthday' with a little creativity

2009-08-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

(ARA) - Parents can spend a small fortune to celebrate their little one's big day, but taking a more original -- and less costly -- approach can result in even more success.

Just ask the trend experts at American Greetings who research celebrations happening year-round. What they have found is that a great idea -- and a little creativity -- go a long way.

The most important step for any successful party is having a fun concept to build off of, says Julie Post-Smith, director of specialties at American Greetings, who leads the gift presentation trend team.

"The key to any great party is a having a great theme, and we have found countless ways to accent any idea with a few simple touches," she says. "Once you have developed a theme, you can use your creativity to decorate any space, put together the perfect menu and come up with fun activities."

To help parents who might be looking for an idea to use, Post-Smith and her team have the following suggestions:

* Go under the sea for ideas: All kids love adventure, so why not take your party under the sea? Fill your ceiling with royal blue and sea green balloons to create the atmosphere. From there you can enhance the concept with goldfish-filled centerpieces, accenting each place setting with a piece of coral and using nautical-themed gift bags for favors (be sure to include offbeat ideas such as salt water taffy and beach gear to play up your theme.) One fun activity for your party is a safe twist on the popular game of pinata. Fill empty balloons with candy, blow them up and have kids try to pop these faux bubbles to win treats.

* Be sporty: There is no better idea for a high-energy, athletic child than a sports party. Pick their favorite game and create a whole day around it. One idea is a baseball-themed get together. Make simple T-shirts for all the kids, coordinate them into teams and organize a wiffle ball game. After the last run has scored, create an ice cream sundae diamond with different crunchy, fruit, sweet and warm toppings at each "base."

* Embrace your sweet tooth: If you are struggling for ideas, pick a more general concept that will allow you to incorporate simple touches. A great example of this is a candy-themed party, which is sure to offer a sweet and colorful platform for the fun. Accent your table with a vase filled with candy and use large lollipops as a colorful alternative to flowers. Give the guests a taste of your childhood by helping them to make candy necklaces.

* Get colorful: For younger celebrants the simplest themes can result in the most fun. If your little girl is in love with everything pink, use it as your main element. Have all guests dress in the color and deck out your home in pink decor. You might not be able to find a disposable pink tablecloth so use pink wrapping paper instead; it's more festive than the regular throwaway version, and just as convenient. To continue the simple idea, serve pink punch, and of course, be sure to ice her cake in the appropriate shade of frosting.

* Plan a spa day: Older girls will love getting to pamper each other with manicures and pedicures. Turn your living room into a spa with relaxing chairs, music and refreshments. Keep the theme going with small favor baskets filled with fun beauty items. You can even use convenient gift boxes and bags shaped just like purses to give them a fashionable touch.

* Ensure a Wii bit of fun: The Wii has become a staple for many youngsters, so why not embrace it? Create a tournament for the kids to compete in, complete with a large bracket you post on the wall. With sports games the most popular, have nutritious snacks and drinks on hand to keep their energy up. For those not playing, give them the chance to bet on the winner with chocolate coins. Give the ultimate winner -- and the top handicapper -- a special gift at the end of the day.

No matter what theme you go with, Post-Smith says that focusing on what makes your guest of honor happy is always the best advice.

"If you come up with an idea that they love, everything else will definitely fall into place," she says. "Just have fun with it and so will they."

For more tips and to find where you can buy everything needed for any birthday party, visit www.corporate.americangreetings.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Source: crestonnewsadvertiser.com

Deputies: Magazine Subscriptions Not Going To Charity

2009-08-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Reporter: Heather King

A local sheriff's office is warning about people selling you magazine subscriptions who are not telling the truth about where the money goes.

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is getting complaints about United Family Circulation, which is doing business as Legacy Sale Door-to-Door Solicitors. Deputies say the salesman are claiming they give "some" of what they collect to charities and community causes.

One women said she was told the subscription was tax deductible and would benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The woman said she later found on the receipt, the purchase was not tax-deductible. When deputies called St. Jude, they found out the hospital is not receiving any money from the magazine sales.

Deputies say the sales people are usually between the ages of 18 and 25. They are driven to an area in a van by a “handler” and dropped off to go door-to-door soliciting. Deputies say, ironically, the representatives are usually deceived by their own employer.

Lawmen say, if these people come to your door, call them, so they can keep track of where the sales are going on.

Source: www.witn.com

The Twilight Ladies get Glamour-ized

2009-08-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Looking good, gals! Glamour magazine goes heavy on the Twilight this month, showcasing Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Noot Seear and recently departed cast member Rachelle Lefevre in delightfully dolled-up mode. Take a look at the pics and let us know what you think in the comments section. They clean up pretty good, huh?

Source: theinsider.com

Glamour Magazine [12 Issue Subscription]

2008-01-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Source: http://www.shopping.com

Glamour Magazine Introduction

2008-01-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Glamour magazine is the handbag sized glamour magazine that, according to the publishers, "fits in your life as well as your handbag". This is an apt quote for Glamour magazine not just because it is small but also because it manages to be small while still containing a lot of good information and articles. Glamour magazine is a typical beauty and fashion magazine with some elements of celebrity gossip and celebrity news thrown in. The final result is a well-oiled, informative women's lifestyle magazine that really does fit in your life.

Women's Lifestyle Magazine Sections

As well as the expected sections such as features, fashion tips, beauty tips, celebrity news, and general glamour news the magazine partakes in a number of other notable activities throughout the year. Of particular note are the "Woman of the Year" awards that applauds and celebrates women that are constantly in the public eye. September sees the National Glamour week when Glamour magazine contains even more coupons and money off vouchers than in other issues.

Celebrity Gossip And Celebrity News

The celebrity gossip section is a peek inside the world of celebrity women. Want to know of the various glamorous events that are going on? More interested in who's reportedly seeing who? Then Glamour Magazine celebrity gossip stories are perfect. They are easy to read and often contain some good scoops accompanied by excellent photography work. You can literally pick up the magazine and the articles wherever you are and whenever you like.

The Glamour Awards

The Glamour Awards are voted for by the Glamour magazine readers and recognise the famous women that have appeared at their most glamorous whenever they are in the public eye. Similarly, there are sections of the fashion magazine that also look at the omnipresent badly dressed celebrities that seem to attend every function and grace every photographer's lens. It's good to see that they don't always get it right, after all.

The Dos And Don'ts Of Glamour And Beauty

The Dos And Don'ts section furthers this topic by giving you practical advice on the fashions and trends that are popular and those that should be completely avoided. Examples are always provided by using real life pictures of celebrities either looking good or looking bad.

Product Reviews And More

Of course, one of the more popular sections of Glamour magazine is the product reviews. Makeup, clothes, accessories, and shops are all covered in excellent detail and there are usually money off vouchers and coupons to accompany every issue. You can make sure that you're getting the best deal on the best product from the best shops around by using the Glamour buyer's guides and product reviews.

Glamour Magazine - The Small But Packed Women's Lifestyle Magazine

Glamour Magazine may be a small women's magazine in size but certainly not in stature or content. The magazine is literally packed full of entertaining pieces on celebrities, fashion, beauty, and the products available. It is small enough to fit in most handbags and because of the convenience coupled with informative content it is an extremely popular beauty magazine.

GLAMOUR 6th Birthday offer - 6 issues for only £6 - This is less than HALF PRICE!

Source: http://www.magsite.co.uk

Hands-on with the MacBook Air

2008-01-23T08:00:00.001-08:00

Other ultraportables should be ashamed.

By Mark Spoonauer

First Impressions

It’s really, really thin. Like nano thin. And yet the Macbook Air packs in a full size keyboard and one of the biggest and most versatile touchpads we’ve ever used. We spent a few minutes with the thinnest notebook on earth and came away mighty impressed with its design and snappy performance. You do make a few trade-offs for the size, but we imagine most prospective buyers won’t care.

The MacBook Air is Lighter Than

The aluminum body feels rock solid and yet super light. There’s a lot of computer inside this 3-pound chassis. And the keyboard has plenty of depth despite the system’s 0.76-inch profile.

Touch, Pinch, Flick, Then Go

The touchpad is the coolest feature. We used three fingers to move forward and backward through pictures and slideshows, pinched our fingers together and apart to zoom in on photos, and successfully rotated some photos with just a twist of two fingers. And the touchpad is really big, which is nice compared to other ultraportables.

Peripheral Ports on the MacBook Air

On the right side of the system is a flip-down door that houses a headphone jack, single USB port, and a micro DVI connector. We would have preferred at least one more USB port and maybe a mini HDMI port for outputting audio and video with a single cable, but these are nitpicks when you consider how compact the Macbook Air is. On the left side is the Magsafe connector for power.

No Ethernet, but Substantial Wireless

That’s it. No Ethernet port. That’s what 802.11n Wi-Fi is for. (You can buy an Ethernet adapter for $30.) And, of course, there’s Bluetooth for syncing your gadgets or using a cell phone as a modem. That’s key because there’s no built-in mobile broadband connection. Oh well. Here’s hoping for a Mobile WiMax version come the fall.

Vibrant Display

The 13.3-inch LED display is positively brilliant. The viewing angles were superb, and photos looked very crisp. Another nice touch is the ambient light sensor, which adjusts the backlight both on the keyboard and the display.Air 5

MacBook Air Specifications

In terms of specs, the Macbook Air is certainly no slouch. The base $1,799 model ships with a 1.6-GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1.8-inch 80GB hard drive. The 64GB solid state drive is $999 just by itself, so you’ll want to think twice before plunking down the extra cash. We’ll be asking Apple if its 5-hour battery life claim is for the SSD model only or the hard drive model, too.

The top-of-the-line configuration features a 1.8-GHz processor and the 64GB SSD. That brings the total to a whopping $3,098. That’s basically executives-only territory, but certainly in line with other lightweight machines with similar specs.

Photo Gallery

We've got more photos of this dream machine here. Looks like Apple has a serious hit on its hands.

Price: $1,799
Info: www.apple.com

PC Magazine Publishing Rights By Davis Publishing Holdings Inc

2008-01-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

The modern day world almost revolves round by the help of computers. Right from waking up in the morning till the time we go to bed again we are always associated with computers. It has become such an important aspect of our daily day-to-day life. Not only has it brought huge profits for the industries directly related with the manufacturing of this product but also editorial companies like PC magazines have made a huge business out of it.

The PC magazine is often referred to as PC Mag, has been in the market since the year 1982, when the computer have just started to take a grab of the market. It has been closely monitoring the impact computers are having on the economy of a country and that is just the reason why this magazine is very much preferred by the people. In this magazine, one could find each and every details related to the IT industries and the effect that it has been having in the business market.

The PC Magazine is nowadays released both in form of print and as an online article. Ziff-Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. owns the right to the publication of this journal. Right from its very first publication, the magazine has been very focused on the computer markets and had always been updated with the latest technologies that have been released recently or is about to be released in the near future.

One of the main features of this PC magazine is that the articles that are found in this book have all been written by eminent personalities in the field of Computers like John C.Dvorak. In fact the columns written by him has been one of the major source of attraction for the people. The views and predictions that he had put forward regarding the rapid development of technology has been simply outstanding.

The PC Magazine initially was released on a monthly basis. However, from the year 1983, it began to be released after every 15 days, making it two in each month. It was mainly due to the fact that the magazine started turning very bulky. In fact, one of the editions of this magazine had as many as 800 pages in it. The magazine was released in CD-ROM versions also in the 1990s. PC Magazine

PC Magazine Publishing Rights By Davis Publishing Holdings Inc was written on January 22, 2008 posted in

PC Magazine

2008-01-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PC Magazine (sometimes referred to as PC Mag) is a computer magazine that is published monthly (until 2008 it was published biweekly except in January and July) both in print and online. The magazine is published by Ziff-Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. The first edition was released in January 1982 as a monthly called PC (the "Magazine" was not added to the logo until the first major redesign in January 1986). The magazine moved to biweekly publication in 1983 after a single monthly issue swelled to more than 800 pages.

The magazine's editor-in-chief, Lance Ulanoff, ascended to his current post in July 2007. Jim Louderback had held this position since 2005, but accepted the position of CEO of Revision3, an online media company.

PC Magazine provides reviews and previews of the latest hardware and software for the information technology professional. Articles are written by leading experts such as John C. Dvorak, whose regular column and Inside Track feature are among the magazine's most popular attractions. Other regular departments include columns by Michael J. Miller (Forward Thinking), Bill Machrone, and Jim Louderback, as well as:

First Looks (a collection of reviews of newly-released products),
Pipeline (a collection of short articles and snippets on computer-industry developments),
Solutions (which includes various how-to articles),
User-to-User (a section in which the magazine's experts answer user-submitted questions),
After Hours (a section about various computer entertainment products; the designation "After Hours" is a legacy of the magazine's traditional orientation towards business computing), and
Abort, Retry, Fail? (a beginning-of-the-magazine humor page which for a few years was known as Backspace--and was subsequently the last page).

The magazine has evolved significantly over the years. The most drastic change has been the shrinkage of the publication due to contractions in the computer-industry ad market and the easy availability of the Internet, which has tended to make computer magazines less "necessary" than they once were. Where once mail-order vendors had huge listing of products in ads covering several pages, there is now a single page with a reference to a website. At one time (the 1980s through the mid-1990s), the magazine averaged about 400 pages an issue, with some issues breaking the 500- and even 600-page marks. In the late 1990s, as the computer-magazine field underwent a drastic pruning, the magazine shrank to 300-something and then 200-something pages.

Today, the magazine runs about 150 pages an issue. It has adapted to the new realities of the 21st century by reducing its once-standard emphasis on massive comparative reviews of computer systems, hardware peripherals, and software packages to focus more on the broader consumer-electronics market (including cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, and so on). Since the late 1990s, the magazine has taken to reviewing Mac software and hardware, which at one time would have been unthinkable.

PC Magazine has consistently positioned itself as the leading source of information about PCs and PC-related products, and its development and evolution have mirrored those of computer journalism in general. The magazine practically invented the idea of comparative hardware and software reviews in 1984 with a groundbreaking "Project Printers" issue. For many years thereafter, the blockbuster annual printer issue, featuring more than 100 reviews, was a PC Magazine tradition.

The publication also took on a series of editorial causes over the years, including copy protection (the magazine refused to grant its coveted Editors' Choice award to any product that used copy protection) and the "brain-dead" 286 (then-editor-in-chief Bill Machrone said the magazine would still review 286s but would not recommend them).

PC Magazine was a booster of early versions of the OS/2 operating system in the late 1980s, but then switched to a strong endorsement of the Microsoft Windows operating environment after the release of Windows 3.0 in May 1990. Some OS/2 users accused of the magazine of ignoring OS/2 2.x versions and later.

During the dot-com boom, the magazine began focusing heavily on many of the new Internet businesses, prompting complaints from some readers that the magazine was abandoning its original emphasis on computer technology. After the collapse of the technology bubble in the early 2000s, the magazine returned to a more traditional approach.

The online edition began in late 1994 and started producing a digital edition of the magazine through Zinio in 2004. For some years in the late 1990s, a CD-ROM version containing interactive reviews and the full text of back issues was available.

There was also a special "Network Edition" of the print magazine from 1993 to 1997. This evolved into "Net Tools," which was part of the general press run, and the current "Internet User" and "Internet Business" sections.

Numerous books have been published under the "PC Magazine" designation, as well. John C. Dvorak's name has also appeared on many books.

PC Magazine's most famous gaffe occurred in January 1989 when the annual Technical Excellence Award was rendered on the cover as "Technichal Excellence."
PC Magazine's creator, David Bunnell, is also the creator of PC Magazine's biggest rival PC World
PC Magazine was responsible for the development of PC Labs, which was the first comprehensive laboratory for benchmarking software and hardware. The "lab" workers even wore white coats in the beginning.
The magazine has undergone four major redesigns in its history, in January 1986, June 1989, July 1992, and February 2000. The original "PC" logo, which was replaced by a variation similar to the current one in 1986, resembled an old-fashioned dot-matrix printout.
The Editors' Choice award was known as the Editor's Choice award until many people complained that the latter was grammatically incorrect.
The PC Magazine utilities began as printed lines of code in the back pages of the magazine. Users were expected to type this code into editors and compile it themselves. When PC Magazine launched its Web site, and for some years thereafter, the utilities were available for free download, but now they are distributed on a paid-for basis.
PC Magazine was once known for its colorful three-dimensional bar graphs, which were considered visually attractive but allegedly also confusing. The graphs were abandoned in the 1992 redesign.
From its inception in mid-1987 to the June 1989 redesign, the After Hours section was printed "backwards" in that the first page of the section was actually the last page of the magazine. This had the advantage of allowing a person to flip the book over, open the back cover, and begin reading the reviews in their logical order.
For a time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, PC Magazine ran a proprietary online service on CompuServe called PC MagNet. This was an offshoot of an earlier effort called the PC Magazine Interactive Reader Service.
For many years, the magazine's Pipeline and now-defunct Trends section listed the top-10 and then top-15 best-selling software packages. From 1988 to 1992, this list was conveyed through a colorful but bizarre bar-graph display that included lines tracking the five-week selling history of each package. In the March 1997 15th-anniversary issue, an editor admitted that "we didn't understand it either."
The magazine was once so thick that it included an index of advertisements and a separate index of advertisers in addition to an index of editorial reviews. These indices were in addition to the standard table-of-contents at the front of the magazine.
To commemorate the launch of IBM's PS/2 machines in the summer of 1987, PC Magazine ran a playful cover with the name "PS" Magazine.
During the 1980s, the magazine's writers and editors used the XyWrite III word processor, even though the official Editors' Choice award went to WordPerfect. (For several years in the mid-1980s, the magazine divided its blockbuster word processor reviews into different sections for "professional," "corporate," and "personal" word processors.)
John C. Dvorak's column is probably the most popular feature of the magazine, and messages from his fans and detractors have been a constant presence in the Letters section since the mid-1980s.
For a while PC Magazine was known to misspell consistently Apple's 'i' products; "iMac" would be spelled 'Imac', 'iPod' as 'Ipod' and so on. Whether this was a deliberate action isn't known.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Computer and Internet Magazines

2008-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yahoo Directory 20 Top Listing

PC World (4)
dir.yahoo.com/.../Magazines/PC_World
Computerworld
Online connection for information technology leaders.
www.computerworld.com
eWeek
News, product reviews, and features that cover the developments in the computer industry. Formerly PC Week.
www.eweek.com
Byte.com
www.byte.com
vnunet.com
Offers Internet and e-commerce news for the U.K. and Europe.
www.vnunet.com
Smart Computing
Articles, reviews, tips, and advice for computing knowledge.
www.smartcomputing.com
Federal Computer Week
A guide to government information technology.
www.fcw.com
CMPnet
www.cmpnet.com
Computing Reviews
Reviews of technical articles and books for technical professionals.
www.reviews.com
Computer Business Review
Global information technology research and communications analysis for the business world.
www.cbronline.com
Advisor Technical Magazines & Conferences
www.advisor.com
Computeractive Online
Includes product reviews, software downloads, jargon buster, job listings, advice, and more.
www.computeractive.co.uk
IT World Canada
Online home to ComputerWorld, NetworkWorld, and CIO Canada magazines. The site includes news, features, product reviews, webcasts, and more.
www.itworldcanada.com
Digit Magazine
With news, reviews, tips, competitions, and more.
www.digitmag.co.uk
Computer Currents Interactive
Access the award winning Computer Currents magazine, receive product bids, and more.
www.currents.net
Techworthy
Covers the computing, networking, wireless, and Internet worlds. Also, home of Laptop, PC Upgrade, and TECH Edge magazines.
www.techworthy.com
PMN Publications
www.pmn.co.uk
UGeek Magazine
One-stop shop for geeks.
www.ugeek.com
ElectricNews.Net (ENN)
Offers technology news and web site reviews for Ireland, from a selection of the country's web journalists.
www.electricnews.net
Dux Computer Digest
www.duxcw.com

Erase PC data safely and securely

2008-01-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

Simply emptying the Recycle Bin doesn't trash data. Here's how to safely remove unwanted files and your web history

Iain Thomson

Given that data is invisible, it's not hard to let your PC become overrun with it. A good clear-out freshens up a PC no end, and if you're disposing of a computer there's an even better reason to clean it up.

Whether giving an old computer to charity, selling it online or passing it on to a friend, you'll want to make sure that contacts, web browsing history and your personal information isn't included in the donation. Read on to find out how to ensure that personal data is properly deleted from a hard disk.

Indestructible data
Disposing of data from a hard disk is not as simple as putting it in the Recycle Bin; the computer will erase its record of the file but the information will remain on the disk somewhere. Web browsers also store lots of important information that you might not want to share and it is advisable to delete information regularly.

Destroying data is difficult and even damaged disks can yield secrets when examined by forensics experts. There's no need to worry about electronic criminals stealing data from PCs that have been thrown away, as the process is complicated and expensive. No thief, even with the skills and equipment, would bother.

But properly erasing files and the history of websites that have been viewed on a PC is a courtesy to new owners and can improve the computer's performance.

There are two types of data that need deleting: internet files and saved data. With the former, regular scheduled computer maintenance should be carried out, as this improves your computer's efficiency. Saved data deletion needs different techniques and special tools, but you can download a free utility from our website, which we will get to shortly.

This should be done before giving away a computer or to destroy sensitive documents. First we'll discuss some of the issues to consider and then explain how to erase data beyond any practical use.

To delete data safely from a disk, it helps to understand how it gets there in the first place. The heart of a hard-disk is the platter, a set of highly polished plates, split into smaller compartments called sectors, that spin at speeds approaching 200mph.

Data is stored on the disc magnetically, so you don't lose everything when you shut down the power. A read/write head, which looks like the arm of a record player, moves over the disk and writes information onto each platter. Every time data is written to the disk, a record is kept of the part of the platter on which it has been stored.

When you put a file in the Recycle Bin, the file itself isn't erased; Windows merely discards its record of where the data was stored. As you continue to use the disk, the computer will eventually overwrite the original data you stored with new information.

But think of your hard-disk as a large library. All the books are numbered and their location stored on a card file. If the card file was destroyed, a search through every volume would need to be carried out to find a particular book. But they would all be where you had left them - on the shelves.

Covering web tracks
Modern web browsers store a myriad of information about an individual's internet use, most of it kept to save time and bandwidth when accessing favourite sites. The code and graphics that make up all the sites recently visited are stored. So when passing on a computer, this is an important point to consider.

For your own use, deleting information is worth doing because it will make the computer more efficient. Neglecting to clean up the browser once in a while can cost a lot of storage space, slow down internet access and make the computer more prone to crashing.

Luckily, Windows has a few simple tools that enable you to clear the browser quickly. Every time a web page is visited, it takes a little while to download all the images on it. These images aren't meant to be stored for a long time because they'd take up too much space, so Windows stores them in a folder called Temporary Internet Files.

This is useful if you're visiting particular sites on a regular basis because already having the images saves on bandwidth. The Temporary Internet Files folder should be cleared out from time to time, though, as it can grow to a surprisingly large size after a long period of internet use.

One of the most pernicious forms of web data storage is the use of cookies. Many websites store small text files on your computer when you view them, and these can be very useful, for storing login information to sites that require registration.

But some cookies also record web viewing habits and send reports back to their owners. It's not quite as cloak-and-dagger as it sounds, because the information is mostly used to target advertising and the means of collecting it is included in the terms and conditions of respectable websites.

However, it may also slow down the browser. Deleting all the cookies is an option, but you will have to re-enter usernames and passwords on sites that require them.

The web page history is another file you might want to remove. When a web address is typed into the browser, it is saved and will appear when you begin to type it into the address window again. Also, when Internet Explorer's History button to the left of the address line is clicked (a circular clock icon with a green arrow pointing backwards), a record of the websites you have viewed will be displayed.

The pages that have been visited are stored in folders filed by date - clicking the links within the folders will take you straight to the page. History can be very convenient for reaching websites that are often visited, but it also provides a list of your web habits to anyone else using the computer.

Internet Explorer can also remember other information that is typed into the browser. A function in Windows called Autocomplete will save particular information you put on forms. Type in the first few letters and suggestions based on previous visits to the web page will drop down. This is designed as a time-saving measure but has the unfortunate side effect of displaying a whole host of personal information.

The big clear-out
When deleting any web information, the first thing to check is that you're not online; there's no point clearing the files if a web page is adding new ones at the same time. Shut down all other programs as well. Open Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu in the top toolbar and select Internet Options. The new window will display the General tab and this provides the quickest way to delete your data.

In the central box there is a button labelled Delete Files. Click on this, check the box to delete all offline content and click OK. Regular internet users should do this once a month, but if you want to limit the amount of space the folder can use, click on the Settings button in the central panel. You can also specify when the temporary files are updated, but this is best left on automatic setting.

This panel is also useful for editing cookies. On the opening screen of the Internet Options panel is a Delete Cookies button but this dumps the whole file indiscriminately. The View Files button under Settings shows all cookies that are stored on the disk, which then enables you to select which ones to dump.

Removing the record of websites visited is a simple affair. Under the General tab, click the Clear History button. To deal with the Autocomplete function, click on the Content tab in the Internet Options panel. The Autocomplete button opens a window that allows you to delete all form information and passwords, as well as deciding when to switch off the function by clicking Clear Forms.

It's also possible to instruct Internet Explorer not to offer the option of saving passwords. Users of shared PCs who don't want to accidentally save website passwords should ensure that the 'Prompt me to save passwords' box is unchecked.

Rewriting history
Files stored on a hard-disk are more difficult to remove permanently. As we've explained, simply putting a file in the recycling bin doesn't delete it but just makes it more difficult to find. All those files can still be read using a few simple internet tools.

To destroy this kind of data, special software is needed that can find uncatalogued pieces of information and overwrite them with random data, thus making it almost impossible to read. This is often done repeatedly to ensure that the original data is unrecoverable, even by experts.

These tools are most commonly used by businesses that might be targeted by data thieves, but it's also a good idea to clean up home computers in this way if you're donating the computer to a friend or charity. There's no need to pay if you use Eraser.

Click the Free Download button. Choose the nearest location and then click the red and white icon on the right-hand side to download Eraser to the Desktop. Double-click the icon to unzip it and then double-click the Eraser Setup icon to install and launch the application.

Once activated, there are a variety of ways to overwrite deleted files. For now, let's simply delete all uncatalogued files on a PC. Select New Task from the File menu and click on the drop-down menu arrow under the option marked 'Unused space on drive'. Choose Local Disk C from the list that appears and then click OK. The hard-disk will now appear in the list in the main window, so single-click to highlight it and then select Run Task from the task menu.

A warning will appear that it is not possible to recover data that is overwritten, so if you're sure that everything you have emptied from the Recycle Bin is no longer needed, click OK to begin.

Note that the process takes quite a long time, because the program must first round up deleted files on the disk and then write over each file six times. The amount of time it takes will depend on the size of the hard-disk and the amount of deleted files to be erased, but don't plan to do this at the last minute before handing the PC over as it could entail many hours. The PC can be left to its own devices during this time.

The final stage after any deletion is to defragment your hard drive. This is a process that shifts data held in disparate disk sectors closer together so that the reader head can access it more quickly, with the added effect of overwriting your newly-deleted files and making the PC faster.

Go to the Start menu and choose All Programs, then Accessories and then System Tools. Select the Disk Defragmenter and click on the Analyse button in the bottom left. The computer will look at the hard-disk and proceed if needed. We recommend that all PC users defrag their hard-disk about once a month.

You've got mail
Just as putting items in the recycle bin doesn't automatically delete them, putting emails in Outlook and Outlook Express into the Deleted Items folder doesn't automatically get rid of them either. You can bypass the Deleted Items folder by pressing Shift as you delete the email, or by right-clicking on the email and choosing Delete from the menu.

With Outlook Express go to the Tools menu at the top of your screen and choose Options, then click on the Maintenance tab. At the top of this screen you should check the box for 'Empty messages from the Deleted Items folder.'

Click on the Clean-up Now button. This allows you to either compact your stored emails, delete them and the header information they retain or even try and retrieve that information.

With Outlook it's possible to configure the software to delete all emails when you shut down. Go to the Tools menu, then Options. Go to the Other tab. Select the Empty the Deleted Items folder and click the check box.

Safe and sound
While organised gangs of data thieves may be targeting big companies to steal information, they don't really bother with home PCs as the pickings are relatively small. But deleting your data is important, particularly if passing on the computer to someone else.

While there's little fear of having your personal data hijacked for nefarious purposes, it's only polite to take your data off an old computer. The new user will want to build up their own store of personal data, and if the browser is constantly trying to put your personal details into web pages, it makes annoying surfing for the new user and is a security risk for you.

Deleting data not only secures privacy but helps make the computer run better, saves storage space and, most importantly, makes sure you are in control of what's seen and what's not.

Source: http://www.pcmag.co.uk

PC World Named a Top 10 Magazine

2008-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

Ten print, online, and design awards presented by business publication editors organization.

PC World Staff

PHILADELPHIA-- PC World has been named one of the Top Ten Magazines in the U.S. for publications with more than 80,000 circulation, and was recognized with ten national awards for Editorial and Graphics Excellence from the American Society of Business Publication Editors, meeting here this week. Last week, the organization similarly honored the publication with 15 Western Region awards.

Patrick J. McGovern, founder and chairman of PC World parent company IDG, was recognized with an ASBPE 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award for his 45 years in publishing. IDG has grown from the founding of Computerworld in 1967 to include more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries.

ASBPE awarded PC World three national Gold Awards, four Silver Awards, and two Bronze Awards for both print and online edition entries.

Gold Awards

Winning entries include one print edition article, one online feature, and one magazine design entry:

News Article: Dawn of the Superworm, published May 2003. The editorial team was Daniel Tynan, Peggy Watt, Kristina Saar, Jeff Berlin, and Barbara Adamson.

Original Web Database: Product Finder. Development by Andrew Eisner and the PC World Applications Development Team.

Feature Article Design: Best of 2003, in the July 2003 magazine issue. The design team was Beth Kamoroff, Marc Simon, and Robert Kanes.

Silver Awards

Recognized with Silver Awards were two entries each from the print and online editions:

Regular Column, Contributed: Are You Helping a Spammer? in the September 2003 Consumer Watch column. The editorial team consisted of Anne Kandra, Edward Albro, Marlene Tobias, Tracy Yee, and Barbara Adamson.

Regular Department: Top 100. The section recognized with this award appeared in the September, October, and December 2003 magazine issues. Contributing were the entire PC World Reviews staff, plus Henry Pham and Stephen Compton.

Original Web Commentary: Geek Tech: Simple Upgrades Gone Bad. This original online column is written by Tom Mainelli.

Original Web News Section: This was won by PC World's online daily News Section.

Bronze Awards

Receiving Bronze Awards were two print edition entries:

Special Section: PC World's 20th Anniversary Issue, published in March 2003. Contributors were the editors of PC World.

Opening Page Spread Design: Really Useful Sites for Really Busy People, published in the February 2003 issue of the magazine. The design team was Beth Kamoroff, Peter Hoey, Maria Hoey, and Robert Kanes.

McGovern Recognized

IDG Chairman McGovern was recognized as ASBPE's 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award winner for his "foresight, hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, and a sense for what the world needs from journalism," according to the organization.

McGovern's foray into journalism occurred in 1959 as a biophysics student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, when he became associate editor of Computers and Automation, the first entry in a new publishing genre that became "computer magazines."

He has since overseen IDG's launch of more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries. In 1972, he began exporting the Computerworld concept, launching Shukan Computer in Japan. In 1980, he established the first joint venture between a U.S. company and the People's Republic of China. Today, IDG has more than 20 publications in China, the globe's fastest growing information technology market.

Other IDG publications in United States include Macworld, Network World, CIO, CSO, and Bio-IT World.

The IDG News Service, an internal newswire, links more than 1000 IDG editors and journalists and distributes news, features, commentary, and other editorial resources to IDG publications worldwide.

IDG publications have won more than 125 national editorial and design excellence awards from ASBPE from 1999 through 2003.

Source: http://pcworld.about.com

Run of Publication Display Rates

2008-01-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

(Agency Commissionable)

Black & White	1 Issue	6 Issues	12X*	18X*	24X*
Full Page	63,420	60,250	57,075	53,905	50,735
3 to 4 Pages	60,250	57,235	54,225	51,215	48,200
5 to 6 Pages	57,075	54,225	51,370	48,515	45,665
7 to 8 Pages	53,905	51,215	48,515	45,820	43,125
9 to 10 Pages	50,735	48,200	45,665	43,125	40,585
11+ Pages	47,570	45,190	42,810	40,430	38,055
2/3 Page	54,540	51,815	49,090	46,360	43,635
1/2 Island	44,395	42,170	39,955	37,735	35,515
1/2 Page (v/h)	41,225	39,160	37,100	35,040	32,975
1/3 Page (v/s)	31,710	30,125	28,540	26,955	25,365
1/4 Page	25,365	24,100	22,830	21,560	20,295

2-Color	1 Issue	6 Issues	12X*	18X*	24X*
Full Page	71,020	67,470	63,920	60,365	56,815
3 to 4 Pages	67,470	64,100	60,720	57,350	53,975
5 to 6 Pages	63,920	60,720	57,525	54,330	51,135
7 to 8 Pages	60,365	57,350	54,330	51,315	48,295
9 to 10 Pages	56,815	53,975	51,135	48,295	45,455
11+ Pages	53,265	50,605	47,940	45,280	42,610
2/3 Page	61,075	58,025	54,970	51,915	48,860
1/2 Island	49,715	47,230	44,745	42,255	39,770
1/2 Page (v/h)	46,165	43,860	41,545	39,240	36,930
1/3 Page (v/s)	35,510	33,735	31,960	30,185	28,410
1/4 Page	28,410	26,990	25,565	24,145	22,725

4-Color	1 Issue	6 Issues	12X*	18X*	24X*
Full Page	77,675	73,790	69,905	66,025	62,145
3 to 4 Pages	73,790	70,105	66,415	62,725	59,035
5 to 6 Pages	69,905	66,415	62,915	59,425	55,925
7 to 8 Pages	66,025	62,725	59,425	56,120	52,820
9 to 10 Pages	62,145	59,035	55,925	52,820	49,715
11+ Pages	58,260	55,345	52,435	49,520	46,610
2/3 Page	66,800	63,460	60,125	56,785	53,440
1/2 Island	54,375	51,655	48,935	46,215	43,495
1/2 Page (v/h)	50,490	47,965	45,440	42,915	40,390
1/3 Page (v/s)	38,840	36,900	34,955	33,015	31,070
1/4 Page	31,070	29,515	27,965	26,410	24,855

Covers (4-Color)	1 Issue	6 Issues	12X*	18X*	24X*
Cover 2	108,745	103,310	97,875	92,435	87,000
Cover 3	104,865	99,620	94,375	89,135	83,890
Cover 4	112,630	107,000	101,370	95,740	90,105

* Insertion required in each of 12 issues

Terms and Conditions For PC World's Terms and Conditions click here to download a PDF.

Military Magazine Is Awesome

2008-01-23T07:42:00.000-08:00

I received a wonderful subscription from Tom. It is called Military Magazine. My first issue arrived and I love it. It is not only good every few pages, but the entire magazine is filled with touching and informative personal accounts from those who have served our country.

"Military is a monthly history publication written by the men and women who were there; in essence an oral account in print in the words of those who served. Unlike most military history chronicles, Military encourages the subscribers to become involved in what is published. Most of the articles are first-hand experiences of the subscribers during World War II, Korea, Viet-Nam, the Cold War and Gulf War; all U.S. military services."

Samples of some of the articles:

The Truth About John Kerry from Buzz Patterson and John O'Neill

A Marine’s life: CPL Aaron M. Lusk, USMC, Camp Lejeune, NC

The Battle of Bunker Hill as seen from Easy Medical Company (part one of three): Lt. Birney Dibble, M.D. (s.g., MC, USNR, 1st MarDiv, Korea), Eau Clarie, WI

Magazine Program

2008-01-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

NLS Reference Circulars

The Magazine Program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) 2003

This document lists all magazines produced or distributed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, for its free reading program. These magazines are available at no charge through cooperating libraries to persons who are unable to read or handle conventional print materials because of visual or physical impairment. To be eligible, a person must be a resident of the United States or an American citizen living abroad.

Magazines In Special Media 2003 is a listing of NLS/BPH magazines and magazines of others. Formats and availability of titles changes over time. Check with the special format publisher on current availability.

Titles

Media Index

Braille

Cassette

Computer Diskette

Electronic Access

Large Print

Titles

American Heritage

8 issues/year

cassette

America's social, educational, and cultural history.

Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact

13 issues/year

cassette

Short stories, novelettes, and features with science fiction themes.

Asimov's Science Fiction

12 issues/year

cassette

Short stories, novelettes, and features with science fiction themes.

The Atlantic Monthly

monthly

cassette

Articles on politics and current issues; fiction by contemporary American writers.

Das Beste aus Reader's Digest

10 issues/year

cassette

German edition of Reader's Digest. First-person articles, profiles, opinion pieces, and other general-interest articles. Selections come from German-language magazines as well as the American edition of Reader's Digest. (Germany)

Bon Appetit

monthly

cassette

Cooking, entertainment, and travel; recipes from favorite and well-known restaurants.

Boys' Life

monthly

braille

Articles on the outdoors, sports, and hobbies, with adventure fiction and humor; ages 9-16. Published by the Boy Scouts of America.

Braille Book Review

bimonthly

braille, computer diskette, electronic access, large print

Announcements of braille books recently added to the NLS collection; news and developments in library services for blind individuals. Braille edition includes one-line annotations of books in Talking Book Topics and braille order forms.

Braille Chess Magazine

quarterly

braille

Chess; news of current trends and competitions. (UK)

Braille Music Magazine

monthly

braille

Articles about classical music for professional and amateur musicians; reviews of new braille music publications. (UK)

Buenhogar

monthly

cassette

In Spanish. Articles on home management, beauty, fashions, and decorating.

Consumer Reports

monthly

cassette

In-depth articles that rate consumer products tested for quality, durability, and safety; also contains general-interest articles on such topics as health and money management.

Contemporary Sound Track: A Review of Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Country

bimonthly

cassette

A sampler of articles from national magazines concerned with jazz, rock, country, and pop music.

Conundrum

monthly

braille

Crossword and logic puzzles, anagrams, word searches and general knowledge quizzes. (UK)

Cooking Light: The Magazine of Food and Fitness

9 issues/year

braille

Short articles on exercise, food, fitness, health, and nutrition; each issue contains approximately seventy recipes with emphasis on the use of fresh, natural ingredients and on low-fat cooking.

Cricket: The Magazine for Children

monthly

cassette

Stories, poems, and articles by internationally known authors; songs, jokes, and crafts. For ages 6-12. On one cassette with National Geographic World.

Diabetes Forecast

monthly

cassette

Diabetes, nutrition, and health care; research findings. Published by the American Diabetes Association.

Discover: The World of Science

monthly

cassette

Articles on ecology, natural history, science, and technology; news on breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine; book reviews, brain bogglers (puzzles), and awards for technological innovations.

Ebony

monthly

cassette

Articles on food, dress, leisure, travel, and personalities, with emphasis on achievements of African Americans.

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

11 issues/year

cassette

Mystery stories by top writers in the field and by new, previously unpublished writers.

ESPN: The Magazine

biweekly

braille

Up-to-the-minute sports news and information; player profile.

Foreign Affairs

quarterly

cassette

Statesmen, diplomats, and scholars analyze issues and trends in international politics, law, and economics

Good Housekeeping

monthly (plus special issues)

cassette

Articles on family and home management, with features on food and decorating.

Harper's Magazine

monthly

braille

General culture magazine with articles by well-known writers on politics, international affairs, education, and science; includes short stories, satire, and poetry.

Health and Nutrition Newsletters

monthly

cassette

Articles on medical conditions of special interest to older adults; nutritional information, and ways to maintain good health from Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing, The John Hopkins Medical Letter-Health after 50, Mayo Clinic Health Letter and Nutritional Action Healthletter.

Health Newsletters

monthly

braille

Current health concerns, medical information, nutrition, and stress management from Harvard Health Letter, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, and University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter.

Horticulture: American Gardening at Its Best

6 issues per year

cassette

Gardening trends, products, and projects for the amateur gardener

Journal Francais

monthly

cassette

In French. Articles on Franco-American culture, current events, religion, business, and history of interest to French-speaking Americans and students of the French language.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine

monthly

braille

General-interest articles on managing finances, including taxes, investments options, real estate, insurance, and retirement planning.

Ladies' Home Journal

monthly

braille

Articles and fiction intended for women; includes household hints, recipes, and ideas on fashion and beauty.

Magazine of the Month

monthly

cassette

Special NLS program designed to provide a limited substitute for newsstand browsing; readers are sent a different sample magazine each month.

Martha Stewart Living

10 issues/year

braille

Recipes, gardening, crafts, collectibles, reminiscence, home keeping, and home entertaining.

Money

15 issues/year

cassette

Articles on money management, consumer, and family issues; includes regular columns with news and advice on jobs, taxes, Social Security, investments, products, and services.

Muse

10 issues/year

braille

Science, art, archaeology, and history activities for ages 6-14; includes contests and book and media reviews.

The Musical Mainstream

quarterly

braille, cassette, large print

Selected articles from national magazines about classical music, music criticism, and music teaching; lists new NLS music acquisitions.

The Nation

47 issues/year

cassette

Covers foreign affairs, local and national politics, education, and law; reviews films, theater, books, and the arts.

National Geographic

monthly

braille, cassette

Articles on world geography and cultures, plant and animal life, space exploration, and ancient history.

National Geographic World

monthly

cassette

Articles for children about people, places, customs, animals, and plant life. On one cassette with Cricket.

National Review

25 issues/year

cassette

Presents a conservative viewpoint on business, politics, economics, education, and other subjects; edited by William F. Buckley, Jr.

New Choices: Living Even Better after 50

10 issues/year

cassette

News of special interest to older adults; advice on money management, diet, and health; features on legislation and Social Security.

The New York Times Book Review

weekly

cassette

Literary articles and book reviews from the Sunday New York Times.

The New York Times Large Type Weekly

weekly

braille

Highlights from the New York Times.

News

quarterly

braille, electronic access

NLS newsletter. National and international developments in library services to blind and physically disabled persons. NLS newsletter. Selections from News are included in the cassette edition of Talking Book Topics.

Outdoor Life

monthly

cassette

Adventures and experiences in hunting and fishing; information on conservation and game laws; reports on sporting equipment and techniques.

Parenting

monthly

braille

Child rearing from infancy through the mid-teens.

PC World

monthly

braille

Information for computer users about hardware, software, advanced technology, and trends in the field; columns on product reviews and helpful hints.

People

weekly

cassette

News, articles, and interviews of celebrities.

Playboy: Entertainment for Men

monthly

braille

Fiction, interviews, and articles with a male perspective.

Poetry

monthly

braille

Contemporary poetry selected from a wide range of contributors and styles.

Popular Communications

monthly

braille

Articles of current and historical interest specifically for the radio hobbyist.

Popular Mechanics

monthly

braille

Practical advice for the amateur mechanic; information on automotive and home repairs; features new equipment.

Popular Music Lead Sheets

irregular

braille

Melodies, lyrics, and chords to popular songs ranging from golden oldies to recent hits.

QST

monthly

cassette

Contains project-building ideas and news on all aspects of ham radio. Official publication of the American Radio Relay League.

Quarterly Music Magazine

quarterly

cassette

Special NLS program designed to provide a limited substitute for newsstand browsing: readers are sent a different music magazine each quarter. Covers a variety of aspects and types of music, such as opera, jazz, and country; guitar, and keyboard; and music teaching.

Rolling Stone

biweekly

braille

American popular culture in the arts and entertainment industry; record, video, audiovisual, and computer hardware reviews.

Science News

weekly

braille

Excerpts of reports on current programs in science, medicine, and technology.

Selecciones del Reader's Digest

monthly

cassette

Spanish edition of Reader's Digest. First-person articles, profiles, opinion pieces, and other general-interest articles. Selections come from Spanish-language magazines as well as the American edition of Reader's Digest.

Selections du Reader's Digest

monthly

cassette

French edition of Reader's Digest. First person articles, profiles, opinion pieces, and other general interest articles. (Canada)

Seventeen

monthly

braille

Beauty and fashion for young women; articles on careers, education, family, social relations, and diet.

Short Stories

monthly

braille

Stories from contemporary writers. (British)

Smart Computing

monthly

cassette

Articles on home computing and reviews of computer software and hardware.

Sound and Vision

10 issues per year

cassette

Reports on new sound equipment and record reviews, with emphasis on popular music.

Spider: the Magazine for Children

monthly

braille, cassette

Stories, poems, jokes, and crafts for beginning readers ages 6-9.

Sports Illustrated

weekly

cassette

International sports news and articles with emphasis on American spectator sports; features on sports personalities, sports events, and outdoor activities.

Sports Illustrated for Kids

monthly

cassette

Sports news and articles for ages 8-13; features sports personalities, events, and sports card; youth who are excelling in sports; regular column by youth discussing a controversial sport-related issue.

Sports Schedules

annual

braille

Listings of games for six national sports leagues: American Baseball League, National Baseball League, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League and Women's National Basketball Association.

Stone Soup: The Magazine by Young Writers and Artists

5 issues/year

braille

Stories, poems, illustrations, and book reviews created by children through age 13. Features an activities section with suggested related projects.

Talking Book Topics

bimonthly

cassette, computer diskette, electronic access, large print

Announcements of talking books recently added to the NLS collection; news and developments in library services for blind and physically disabled individuals. Cassette edition includes selections from the NLS newsletters, News. One-line annotations of books in Talking Book Topics are included in Braille Book Review.

Teen People

10 issues/year

cassette

Articles about celebrities, entertainment, and real-life issues; beauty, fashion and style.

Travel Holiday

10 issues/year

cassette

Travel; articles on vacation sites, with tips on food and photography.

True West

monthly

cassette

Nonfiction articles about the Old West, written by historians and western buffs.

U.S. News and World Report

50 issues/year

cassette

News and commentary on world events. Abridged version, edited by U.S. News and World Report editors.

Update

Quarterly

braille, electronic access

NLS newsletter. News about volunteer programs and activities related to library services for blind and physically disabled persons.

The Washington Post Book World

weekly

braille

Compilation of book reviews appearing as a supplement to the Sunday edition of the Washington Post.

The Writer

monthly

cassette

New and established writers discuss their craft and work experiences; regular columns feature trade news, contest information and names and addresses of manuscript markets.

Young Adult Magazine of the Month

monthly

cassette

Special NLS program designed to provide a limited substitute for newsstand browsing for young adults; readers are sent a different sample magazine each month.

Source: http://www.loc.gov

Playboy Magazine Enters Second Life

2008-01-23T07:33:00.002-08:00

If you check out the latest ad buy on 3pointD’s cousin publication, the Second Life Herald (see the right sidebar, top), you’ll see that the inevitable is finally about to happen: Playboy Magazine is entering the virtual world of Second Life. No word yet on what form Playboy’s presence there will take, but it would seem to be the perfect place for them. After all, constructing a sexy avatar for yourself is just an extreme version of the airbrushing that often goes on in the pages of higher-end skin mags like Playboy. The possibilities, of course, are very interesting: in-world girlie mag to compete with Marilyn Murphy’s Players? A Playboy mansion where a virtual Hef and the bunnies will hang out? (Second Lifer’s won’t have any trouble finding things to do in the Grotto.) If there are virtual bunnies, will Playboy take as good care of them as they take of the real ones? RL Playboy Playmates are pretty much set for life; Playboy offers them jobs (albeit they’re usually jobs as professional cheesecake) and often does stuff like help pay for their education. In return, the organization gets a steady supply of buxom women to decorate their parties and functions with. Working as a virtual fleshpot is already a popular pursuit in Second Life; why not get paid a decent wage for it? And while it’s still exploiting the female image, you can’t say it’s exploitative of the women being photographed or hired, since you don’t know whether there’s a woman behind that curvy female av. All very interesting. The ad says Playboy won’t hit SL until June, but you can already sign up for email updates. The shape of things to come? We’ll see.

Digital Subscription Offer

2008-01-23T07:33:00.001-08:00

Take advantage of this offer to receive PC Magazine - America's #1 technology magazine, in digital format at one of the lowest rates ever — 22 issues for just $9.99! Order today!

Check out these single copies too!

PC Magazine Magazine Subscription

2008-01-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

22 issues per year

PC Magazine is the #1 information resource for technology professionals. Every issue provides comprehensive product evaluations, including side-by-side comparisons based on benchmark tests from PC Magazine Labs — the industry’s foremost product testing authority. Trust PC Magazine to deliver the most timely and accurate computing information available anywhere.

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Hardware Gift Ideas

2008-01-23T07:27:00.000-08:00

by TidBITS Staff

Hardware would seem to be a pretty easy category: go to Apple's online store and say, "I'll take one of everything, please!" What's more tricky is finding good hardware that adds to the Mac experience. This year's suggestions range from the practical to the whimsical. Don't forget to also peek at previous years' suggestions, and continue the discussion at TidBITS Talk about this year's picks.

Shuffle and Color Coordinate -- Someone had to say it, and Marilyn Matty stepped up to the plate. "The new iPod Shuffle ad campaign, which I think is great, says it all. At $80 plus free shipping from the Apple Store, a second generation iPod shuffle is a great gift for anyone."

But Marilyn didn't stop there, since although she may be giving an iPod shuffle to others, what she really wants are the flower-shaped JBL Spyro speakers and subwoofer from Harman Audio. "They look and sound beautiful, and are reasonably priced at $130. An added benefit is that they can be tricked out with optional and interchangeable colored covers. There's a basic iPod white model, but I'm waiting until after 19-Dec-06 to order the black model to match my beloved new iPod with video."

(Hard Disk) Space, the Final Frontier -- Jim Carr offers a tremendously practical solution to your holiday gift giving dilemmas. He wrote: "As we accumulate more songs, more videos, and more photos, it may well be time to upgrade internal storage if you aren't planning to replace your Mac. And you need an external backup drive big enough to match your internal storage." Be sure to buy the right sort of drive for the Mac in question; either IDE/ATA (sometimes also called parallel ATA or PATA) for older Macs, and serial ATA or SATA drives for newer Macs. And remember that laptops take 2.5-inch drives, whereas desktops use 3.5-inch drives.

Lewis Butler chimed in with a recommendation. "I think Seagate is the brand to go with. I used to buy nothing but Maxtor drives, but I've suddenly started having a rash of problems with them (four failures in the last year, all on drives under two years old). Sure, they get replaced, but the replacement gains the original's warranty with no extension, so now I'm looking at a terabyte of Maxtor drives I don't really trust. I've been about to click "Buy" on a 500 GB SATA drive for $150 all day. Not that I need it. I just _want_ it." Our usual approach when buying drives is to start scanning dealnews or Pricewatch for deals; our last 500 GB PATA drive cost only $150. Also note that Seagate bought Maxtor earlier this year.

Don't Eat That! Nigel Stanger offered a tasty-looking suggestion, but unless you're a robot, you probably wouldn't want to ingest these. "In the Just Plain Weird hardware category, how about a USB drive to match your favourite food?"

Fit to Be Printed -- Some gifts offer utility while lacking pizzazz (socks, anyone?), but we certainly wouldn't be sorry to see Rick Cricow's suggestion under our tree. "I just bought an HP LaserJet 1022nw ($400) and cannot say enough great things about it. I will say it's really well priced, prints nicely, and is wireless! I've had many laser printers in my life - small little Apple units, huge Canon multitasking digital printer/copier things, and color units. The technology continues to get faster, print better, and the price is amazing. And now, wireless! It installed quickly, saw my network, and shows up nicely using Bonjour. A fine gift for yourself, or for anyone needing a network printer."

Scan Those Slides -- Paul Atroshenko must not be quite sure that these newfangled digital cameras are truly here to stay, or perhaps he has a lot of old slides and photos around, since he's looking at a photo scanner this year. "My vote for the best hardware gift would have to be the new HP Scanjet G3010. For just under AUS$200 one gets an amazing scanner which can do scans of colour slides at 4000 dpi. The advanced sections of the accompanying software give good control of exposure settings. The leap in the quality of the scans is quite astounding. You can process two slides, or two negatives, at a time, but I have found it is best to do one slide at a time. This machine is not for the professional wanting to do big batches of scans at once, but for the genteel photo hobbyist it is more than adequate. The scanner also makes PDF files and does OCR." We had trouble nailing down the HP Scanjet G3010, which may imply that it's either an older model or one that's sold outside of the United States. From what we can tell, though, it's similar to the HP Scanjet 4850, which costs $150.

Speak Clearly into the Monsterphone -- For the Skype aficionados on your list, Taree Vriesman has a cool suggestion. "Verballs are very funky hands-free speakerphones that actually wave when a call comes in!" They're USB-powered and cost about $55 (though we could find them only from stores in the United Kingdom).

Keep It Simple, Camcorder -- Sure, you could spend hundreds, or even thousands, on a digital camcorder, but if you want something small, simple, and cheap, John Droz, Jr. suggested the Pure Digital PSV-351 30 Minute Point-and-Shoot Camcorder. It costs $100 at Amazon, and PC Magazine gave it a positive review. Although no one but Pure Digital seems to mention this, it is compatible with the Mac. John also points out that there's a seemingly identical product - the RCA EZ101 Small Wonder Camcorder - that may be a bit cheaper.

Prevent VHS Conversion Procrastination! Jim Carr noted that in 2004's gift issue, the Canopus ADC 100 was recommended as a way to convert VHS video tapes to QuickTime movies. In a thinly veiled hint, he noted that he doesn't yet own a product to perform this conversion, but he was happy to provide a link to Canopus's current product lineup. But he's absolutely right; if you have video you want to save that's still on VHS tapes, those tapes are 2 years older than they were the last time such a product was recommended. (And yes, we plead guilty to this same sin; finding the time and disk space to convert all those Compact VHS tapes to QuickTime keeps falling off the to-do list.)

Put a USB TV in Your Mac -- Between DVDs from Netflix and YouTube videos, plain old TV is looking a bit long in the tooth. But TV still has some life in it, and Paul Brians offered some suggestions for integrating TV with a Mac. "I'm thinking about getting the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick High-Def USB Tuner & DVR for my daughter who lives in a cramped apartment in Manhattan and would like to watch TV on her new iMac. The name pretty well describes the product: a little USB 2.0 device you can use to tune in digital and analog TV signals and feed them to your PC and use the latter as a DVR. It works with Windows Media Center Edition, but that's not a huge obstacle for someone with an Intel-based Mac with Boot Camp and a copy of Windows Media Center Edition. Pinnacle recommends an external antenna, but reviewers have had success feeding it from an indoor antenna in a window. It can also accept cable coaxial input. It lists for $130, but can be had for less online, such as for $120 at Amazon.com, where the reviews are worth reading, and on The Green Button. It has only composite and S-video inputs, but that's not too limiting for a relatively small screen. It does require a fast computer with a large hard disk, since it uses about 9.5 GB per hour recorded. Some people have had problems with the included software, including frequent crashes, but others have been very happy. Evidently the included remote control has very limited capabilities."

Source: http://db.tidbits.com

Ko Bhamra

2008-01-07T04:20:00.000-08:00

It has long been a doctrine of aesthetics that visual arts bridge cognition and emotion. Often referrenced as “Music on Canvas” Ko’s paintings will appeal to those interested in the inner world of imagination and emotional response. Utilizing bold and vibrant colours, the works are abstract and figurative as well as sensual and ethereal. Thoughts are synergized and

ultimately metamorphosed onto canvas. Bhamra is currently working on a new series.

Source: http://www.nyartsmagazine.com

The Runaway

2008-01-07T04:09:00.000-08:00

Written by Moya Rayner

It was one of those moments you dread, a time stopping flash that sets your heart racing, your temperature rising and panic sets in…. the gate had been left open….

My head spun around like an owl’s, searching desperately for evidence that just this once, he had been a good boy, he had stayed where he was sleeping.

I called, “Dexter, Dexter..”, but no ‘pitter patter’ of tiny paws on the laminate was heard, no squeak of his toy as he jumped off the sofa. Just Meg, his best friend raised her head from her bed out of her sleep and sighed, for she knew he was gone, yet again.

Source: http://www.dogmagazine.net

PC Magazine

2008-01-07T04:08:00.000-08:00

PC Magazine
Published Bi-weekly

About PC Magazine: PC Magazine is the #1 information resource for technology professionals. Every issue provides comprehensive product evaluations, including side-by-side comparisons based on benchmark tests from PC Magazine Labs-the industry's foremost product testing authority.

http://www.magazines.com

How Do You Make House Cleaning Easier?

2008-01-07T03:59:00.000-08:00

Ellie Miller

Snow White’s cleaning motto may have been “Whistle while you work,” but then she had all those adorable woodland creatures lending her a helping paw. Whom can you turn to? Why, Real Simple readers, of course. Thanks to their time-saving strategies and mood-lifting techniques, you’re sure to be whistling a new tune. No dishwashing squirrels or dust-busting fawns required.

This Month’s Winner

Book Her
Listening to books on tape has helped transform once dreaded household chores into (almost) enjoyable tasks. I’ve discovered that scrubbing toilets is less drudgery when I can listen to Reading Lolita in Tehran. And waxing hardwood floors isn’t quite as arduous if I can “read” The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency or 1776 while I work. My latest feat? I just finished cleaning the guest room — and listening to The Devil Wears Prada.
Cecelia Thomas
Dallas, Texas
Cecelia will receive a copy of the book Real Simple Solutions.

Methodology

The Zamboni technique: Every night after the kids help pick up their toys and then head off to bed, my husband and I “reset” the house. Like the Zamboni that resurfaces the ice during hockey games, we make a clean sweep through the rooms — reorganizing games and toys, clearing clutter, filing paperwork, and readying the house for a relaxed evening and an orderly start to the next day. This system really helps us keep things under control.
Kate McLeod
Newton, Massachusetts

I match a specific chore with a day of the week: Mondays, bathrooms; Tuesdays, stove and refrigerator; Wednesdays, laundry, etc. This setup allows our family to do a little bit each day and avoid cleaning up one big mess over the weekend.
Lakeisha Abram-Bridgeman
Gary, Indiana

When my house is in need of straightening up and my two children are ready for a game, we play hide-and-seek. While I’m counting or hiding, I take that time to tidy up the room I’m in. Of course, I’m very strategic about which rooms I choose. In the end, the kids have fun and I get some housework done.
Debra Mostow Zakarin
Los Angeles, California

I don’t think of housecleaning as a chore but as a weekly workout. Every Saturday morning, my house becomes a gym, where I can get away with working out in my pj’s and listening to my favorite upbeat music.
Tammy Poulin
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Source: http://www.realsimple.com

Gift Ideas

2008-01-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

Gifts speaks louder than words!

Every word exists in the memory of listener's mind as an experience. If you are unable to express your feelings in terms of words then what can be the option. And the question arises what speaks louder than words?

There is a proverb you might have herd about it, an action speaks louder than words. Gifts represent a true definition of action. Just think about your dear one or loved one i.e. your parents, friends, bosses, children, neighbors, employees and their needs and wants. So what can you do to improve their happiness and to bring a big smile on their face. To enrich their personal memories and to add glitter to their eyes; give them a gift!

So welcome to rolling idea, a place to find new and unique gift ideas for a special occasion or a special person in your life. Whether it is the occasion of birthday or wedding, anniversary or housewarming, each occasion hold a special importance in our lives. Every occasion brings a lot of fun and excitement along with great celebrations.

A gift plays very vital role at the time of celebrations or you can say it is an integral part of any celebration. So to make the special occasion memorable give a gift which is special, unique and remembered by the recipient through his full life time? Thus we come up here with great gift ideas for different people who hold a special importance in your lives and different special occasions.

The secret of selecting the right gift is to understand the likes and dislikes of the recipients and their individual taste. We have presented various gift ideas which help you to find a perfect gift for your loved one on his special occasion.

Source: http://www.rollingidea.com

Magazine Catalog

2008-01-07T03:54:00.000-08:00

Home to the world’s finest publishers, Magazine Subscription Network offers over 1200 magazines including hard to find titles at publisher-direct prices. Now you can buy magazines online at the lowest authorized prices with discounts of up to 92% off the newsstand price!
We are committed to providing you with excellent customer service with 100% satisfaction guaranteed – you will receive all your magazines or a full refund for all undelivered issues. Subscribe to one of our magazines today – new subscription, renewal or gift subscription and enjoy the convenience of managing all your magazine subscriptions in one place.
Use our advanced search, browse our magazine categories or view our complete catalog.

Wondertime $10.00	US News & World Report $25.97	OK! $69.99	Modern Bride $11.97
Working Mother $9.97	Golf Digest $14.97	Parents ~~$15.98~~ $9.98	Wired $10.00

Magazine services
Our free services include address changes, magazine transfers, publisher contacts, professional office magazine services – Dental offices, Health clubs & Gyms, Hair Salons, Physician offices. For delivery to Canada and International, please visit our foreign orders page.

Magazines make great gifts for any occassion!
Order a gift subscription today and we will send an attractive gift card in your name to the gift recipient at no charge. Simply request one during check-out or email us to request for one. You may also send an electronic gift card while placing your order and select the date you would like the card delivered.

Holiday gift subscriptions
If you received a gift subscription this holiday season and have any questions, simply email us at services@magsn.com. Please include the magazine title, your name, zip code and the gift giver first and last name in your email. We will check to see if the gift subscription was ordered through us and let you know the status. If you received a gift card from us announcing the gift subscription, please be assured that the order was processed and your subscription should begin in 4-11 weeks depending on when the order was placed.

If you were already receiving the magazine, please let us know so we can change the status to "renewal" in case the gift giver entered it as a new subscription. We can try to change the subscription for you if you prefer a different title but please note that this depends on when your order was placed and the magazine as certain titles cannot be changed.

If you shopped with us this holiday season and would like to send us a comment on your experience, we would love to hear from you! Simply email us at services@magsn.com.

Read comments from our current magazine subscribers:
"Absolutely wonderful service on all aspects. Thank you!" Cheryl, MA

"The gift orders were all received in time for Christmas (a week earlier). Your customer service was pleasant to deal with. Would order again here. Thanks" Pam Lawrence, WA

"It was easy to order a magazine and your support team was very efficient. I received my magazine, thanks for the follow-up." Keith, SC

"I hadn't ordered my Newsweek magazine from you but your customer service was very helpful in anwering my questions. Thanks for the address changes too. That was very helpful." Lisa W., MT

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We would love to hear your comments! Please click here to review our site.

Source: http://www.magsn.com

Judge Takes Qualcomm's Side in Patent Spat with Nokia

2008-01-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

Qualcomm Inc. scored a minor victory in its continuing spat with Nokia when a judge last week recommended ending the investigation Nokia bought against it in August for infringing patents.

In August, Nokia Corp. asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of Qualcomm chipsets used in cellphones, including 3G (third-generation handsets), for allegedly infringing on five patents held by Nokia.

ITC Administrative Law Judge Paul Luckern [CQ] granted Qualcomm a motion to terminate the investigation, as the companies are already in arbitration to settle a dispute behind a technology license the two companies signed earlier. If the decision stands after a 30-day review, Qualcomm won't be prevented from importing its chipsets into the U.S.

Nokia originally requested ITC to initiate an investigation against Qualcomm for infringing patents and issue an exclusion order to bar the import of infringing Qualcomm chipsets into the U.S.

Source: http://pcworld.about.com

Free Software Magazine

2008-01-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

This article is about the e-zine by The Open Company Partners. For the defunct Chinese magazine, see Free Software Magazine (China).

The cover of the April 2006 issue

Free Software Magazine (also known as FSM and originally titled The Open Voice) is a bi-monthly, mostly free-content e-zine about free software.

It was started in November 2004 by Australian Tony Mobily, under the auspices of The Open Company Partners, Inc. (based in the United States of America), and carries the subtitle The free magazine for the free software world.

History

FSM was originally conceived by its creator as a magazine to be sold in both print and electronic formats, with a higher signal-to-noise ratio than mass-produced print Linux magazines.^[1] Under this model, the articles were freely licensed six weeks after the print edition's publication.

However, the high costs of printing and postage resulted in the magazine moving to exclusively electronic publication via the PDF format. At Issue 16 (February 2007) the print-ready PDF version was withdrawn, having proven too costly in time and money also. The magazine then only became available on-line.^[2]. Some time later automatically generated PDF versions of issues and articles were made available as part of additional services for registered users.^[3]

Content

FSM devotes most of its context to Linux, the GNU Project and free software in general, including articles about software freedom and how it can be protected. It has three main sections:

Power-up: Non-technical articles about various subjects (interviews, opinions, book reviews, etc.)
User space: Articles aimed at end users.
Hacker's code: Technical articles about what can be achieved with free software.

There are also regular competitions where readers have a chance of winning free software related books reviewed in the magazine.

Most of the articles are released under a free license (generally a Creative Commons License for those in Power-up and the GNU Free Documentation License for those in Hacker's code). Some articles are released under a verbatim-copying-only license.

FSM also has a blog section where authors write on more political, philosophical and ethical aspects of the free software world, and discuss free software advocacy and community.

Free Software Daily

Free Software Daily (FS Daily) was a website created by the staff of FSM that posted summaries of articles about free software. At first, it was based on Slash and was similar in nature to Slashdot.org. However, the project died before it could gain momentum. This was mainly because of the huge hardware resources required by Slash and the time constraints of the FSM staff.

The FSM website's blogs somewhat filled the gap that Free Software Daily originally planned to fill. But later, FS Daily came back as a Pligg based site.^[4]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

US-CERT warns of RealPlayer exploit

2008-01-06T04:41:00.000-08:00

US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) today warned RealPlayer users that it has received reports of publicly available exploit code for the popular multimedia platform.

The response team, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the exploit affects RealPlayer version 11, the most recent edition.

Ryan Luckin, a RealNetworks spokesman, told SCMagazineUS.com today that the company is investigating the US-CERT report.

RealNetworks has contacted Gleg.net, a Moscow-based security testing firm that posted the exploit code on its site, but has yet to hear back, Luckin said. He added that the attack has not been used in the wild.

"It seems they just wrote a script and decided to post it and say, 'Hey, we can do this,'" Luckin said.

Last year experienced multiple high-profile vulnerabilities affecting media players.

In October, attackers launched limited attacks against a zero-day ActiveX vulnerability in RealPlayer. The flaw permitted attackers to bypass long parameters and cause stack-based overflows, enabling them to execute arbitrary code and infect a victim's machine with a trojan downloader; it was patched within three days.

Experts have said that attacks against media players will increase because end-users often consider the applications safe against malicious code.

"Anytime you've got players that are installed so pervasively around the world, it's a logical target for people who want to do a lot of damage," Luckin said.

Source: http://www.scmagazineus.com

Who's Killing Kids' Sports?

2008-01-06T04:38:00.001-08:00

By David Oliver Relin

Two years ago, when he was still in high school, pro basketball prospect LeBron James inked an endorsement contract with Nike worth between $90 million and $100 million. Five days later, the $1 million contract Nike offered to Maryland soccer prodigy Freddy Adu seemed almost ordinary, except for one detail—Freddy was just 13 years old.

In the summer of 2003, Jeret Adair, a 15-year-old pitcher from Atlanta, started 64 games with his elite traveling baseball team—more than most pro players pitch in an entire season. After the ligament in his elbow snapped, he had to undergo reconstructive surgery, a process once reserved for aging professional pitchers. In 2004, his doctor, James Andrews, performed similar surgery on 50 other high school pitchers.

Last March, Valerie Yianacopolus of Wakefield, Mass., was sentenced to one year of probation, including 50 hours of community service, and ordered to watch a sportsmanship video after she was found guilty of assaulting an 11-year-old boy who was cheering for the opposing team at her son’s Little League game. And in June, according to state police, Mark Downs, the coach of a youth T-ball team near Uniontown, Pa., allegedly offered one of his players $25 to throw a baseball at the head of a 9-year-old disabled teammate so the injured boy wouldn’t be able to play in an upcoming game. League rules mandate that every healthy child play at least three innings. “The coach was very competitive,” said State Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater. “He wanted to win.”

A Sports Culture Run Amok
Across the country, millions of children are being chewed up and spit out by a sports culture run amok. With pro scouts haunting the nation’s playgrounds in search of the next LeBron or Freddy, parents and coaches are conspiring to run youth-sports leagues like incubators for future professional athletes. Prepubescent athletes are experimenting with performance-enhancing drugs. Doctors are reporting sharp spikes in injuries caused by year-round specialization in a single sport at an early age. And all too often, the simple pleasure of playing sports is being buried beneath cutthroat competition.

“If I had to sum up the crisis in kids’ sports,” says J. Duke Albanese, Maine’s former commissioner of education, “I’d do it in one word—adults.”

Some adults, Albanese says, are pushing children toward unrealistic goals like college sports scholarships and pro contracts. According to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) statistics, fewer than 2% of high school athletes will ever receive a college athletic scholarship. Only one in 13,000 high school athletes will ever receive a paycheck from a professional team.

“There is a terrible imbalance between the needs kids have and the needs of the adults running their sports programs,” says Dr. Bruce Svare, director of the National Institute for Sports Reform. “Above all, kids need to have fun. Instead, adults are providing unrealistic expectations and crushing pressure.”

As a result, Svare says, at a time when an epidemic of obesity is plaguing the nation’s youth, 70% of America’s children are abandoning organized sports by age 13. “The only way to reverse this crisis,” Svare argues, “is to fundamentally rethink the way America’s kids play organized sports.”

Is Change Possible?
Many communities are trying to change the way they approach children’s sports. Florida’s Jupiter-Tequesta Athletic Association, facing a rash of violent behavior by sports parents, now requires them to take an online course on how to behave at their children’s athletic events. School officials in Connecticut, concerned about the toll of too much focus on a single sport, instituted a statewide ban on students playing on a private travel team during the same season they play their sport in high school.

But no reform effort is more aggressive than that of the state of Maine, where educators, student athletes and others have teamed up to launch a counterrevolution called Sports Done Right. Led by J. Duke Albanese and Robert Cobb, dean of the University of Maine’s College of Education, and funded by a federal grant secured by U.S. Sen. Susan M. Collins, the project aims to radically remake Maine’s youth-sports culture and provide a model that the rest of America might emulate.

The Maine Challenge
Their first step is a sweeping campaign to dial down the kind of competition that leads many kids to drop out of sports at an early age. “I was a high school football coach—I know how badly communities want their teams to win,” Albanese says. “We’re not saying there’s anything wrong with competition. We’re saying what’s appropriate at the varsity level is out of bounds in grade school and middle school. That’s a time to encourage as many children as possible to play. Period.

”To do that, the Sports Done Right team held statewide summit meetings before producing an action plan. It chose 12 school districts as the program’s pilot sites, but so many other districts clamored to participate that it is now under way in dozens more.

The program has identified core principles that it insists must be present in a healthy sports environment for kids, including good sportsmanship, discouragement of early specialization and the assurance that teams below the varsity level make it their mission to develop the skills of every child on every team, to promote a lifelong involvement with sports.

Sports Done Right’s second task is to attack the two problems it says are most responsible for the crisis in kids’ sports—the behavior of parents and coaches.

Problem #1: Out-of-Control Adults
The behavior of adults has been at the center of the debate about reforming kids’ sports ever since 2002, when Thomas Junta of Reading, Mass., was convicted of beating Michael Costin to death during an argument at their sons’ youth hockey practice. “I’ve watched adult civility in youth sports spiral downward since the early 1990s,” says Doug Abrams, a law professor at the University of Missouri, who has tracked media reports of out-of-control sports parents for more than a decade. “At one time, adults who acted like lunatics were shunned as outcasts. But today, they are too often tolerated.”

The nearly 100 Maine students Parade interviewed recited a litany of incidents involving adults behaving badly, including examples of their own parents being removed from sporting events by police. Nate Chantrill, 17—a shot-putter and discus thrower at Edward Little High School in Auburn and a varsity football player—volunteers to coach a coed fifth-grade football team. “One game, a parent flipped out that we didn’t start his daughter,” Chantrill recalls. “He was screaming, using bad language and saying she’s the best player out there. Parents take this stuff way too seriously. Fifth-grade football is not the Super Bowl. It’s a place for your kid to learn some skills and have fun. One parent can ruin it for all the kids.”

That’s why each Sports Done Right district is holding training sessions to define out-of-bounds behavior at sporting events and requiring the parents of every student who plays to sign a compact promising to abide by higher standards of sportsmanship.

Problem #2: Poor Coaching
Dan Campbell, who has coached Edward Little’s track team to two state championships, says he sees too many of his peers pressing to win at all costs and neglecting their primary responsibility—to educate and inspire children. “One coach can destroy a kid for a lifetime,” he says. “I’ve seen it over and over.”

“I was at an AAU basketball game where the ref gave the coach a technical and threw him out of the game,” says Doug Joerss, who was starting center on Cony High School’s basketball team. “Then the coach swung at the ref. The kids ended up on the floor, getting into a huge brawl. You look up to coaches. Kids think, ‘If it’s OK for them to do it, it’s OK for me to do it.’ ”

A campaign to improve the quality of coaching is at the center of Sports Done Right. “The most powerful mentors kids have are coaches,” J. Duke Albanese says. “Coaches don’t even realize the extent of their influence.” He disparages the national trend to offer coaches salary incentives based on their won-lost records. Instead, Sports Done Right recommends compensation based on their level of training. And each pilot school district is encouraged to send coaches to continuing-education classes in subjects like leadership and child psychology.

Exporting Good Sense
Educators in 30 states have requested more information from Sports Done Right. “We think a small place like Maine is a perfect place to get kids’ sports culture under control,” says Albanese. “And if we can do that, maybe we can export the good sense Maine is famous for to the rest of the country.”

An example of that good sense recently occurred at a Sports Done Right pilot site. “An influential parent, a guy who volunteers to coach sixth-grade basketball, wanted the kids divided into an A and a B team, so he could coach just the elite kids,” says Stephen Rogers, the principal of Lyman Moore Middle School. “I said we weren’t going to separate the kids and discourage half of them. We were going to encourage all of our interested kids to play.”

“But we won’t win the championship,” the parent complained.

“I don’t really care,” Rogers replied. “We’re not talking about the Celtics. We’re talking about sixth-graders.”

Magazine Articles on Tape Free for the Visually Impaired

2008-01-06T04:08:00.000-08:00

From Lee Seats,

Choice Magazine Listening is wonderful free service for those who have visual impairment or other conditions that prevent them from reading print magazines.

CML selects articles from 100 top magazines and creates audio recordings that are free for adults who can't read the printed magazines.

There is a subscription application on the site. A four track player is required and Choice Magazine Listening also provides information on obtaining a free player from the Talking Book program of the Library of Congress.

The free subscription provides eight hours of listening every other month for those who have need of the service. Choice Magazine Listening has been providing this free service since 1962.

Source: http://freebies.about.com

Audio Magic

2008-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Audio is a science, and most aspects of the science of audio have been understood fully for 50 years or more. Yet audiophiles sometimes report being able to hear things that defy what is known about the perception of sound. For example, some people claim to hear a difference between speaker cables even when both cables have very similar resistance and other properties. When pressed, they often say they believe they can hear things that science has not yet learned how to measure. Is this really possible? Modern audio test equipment is capable of measuring everything known to affect sound quality over a range exceeding 120 dB, yet nobody I know of can hear artifacts even 80 dB below the music while it is playing. In my experience, the top 20 to 30 dB matters the most.

Certainly some of these reports can be attributed to the placebo effect and expectation bias. For example, if you know that a $4 cable has been replaced with a cable costing $1,000, it's not unreasonable to expect the sound to improve with the more expensive brand. Likewise with any other expensive audio component. After all, how could a $15,000 power amplifier not sound better than one costing only $150? Yet tests have shown repeatedly that most modern gear has a frequency response that's acceptably flat (within a fraction of a dB) over the entire audible range, with noise, distortion, and all other artifacts well below the known threshold of audibility. (This excludes products based on lossy compression such as MP3 players and satellite radio receivers.)

So what else could account for these perceived differences?

COMB FILTERING IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Through my research in room acoustics I believe the acoustic phenomena known as comb filtering is the most plausible explanation for many of the differences people claim to hear from cables, power conditioners, isolation devices, low-jitter external clocks, polarity reversal, ultra-high sample rates, replacement power cords and fuses, and so forth. Comb filtering is a specific type of frequency response error that occurs when direct sound from the loudspeakers combines in the air with reflections off the walls, floor, ceiling, and other nearby objects.

While testing acoustic treatment I had occasion to measure the frequency response in an untreated room at very high resolution. This room is typical of the size you'll find in many homes - about 16 by 11-1/2 by 8 feet high. The loudspeakers used were Mackie HR824 bi-amplified active monitors and a Carver Sunfire subwoofer. The frequency response measurements were made using the ETF software with a precision Earthworks microphone.

Besides measuring the response at the listening position, I also measured at a location four inches away. This is less distance than the space between most adult's ears. At the time I was testing bass traps so I considered only the low frequency response, which showed a surprising change for such a small span.

Figure 1: This graph shows the low frequency response in a room about 16 by 11-1/2 by 8 feet at two locations four inches apart. Even over such a small physical span, the response changes substantially at many frequencies.

Conventional wisdom holds that the bass response in a room cannot change much over small distances because the wavelengths are very long. (A 40 Hz sound wave is more than 28 feet long.) Yet you can see in Figure 1 above that the peak at 42 Hz varies by 3 dB for these two nearby locations, and there's still a 1 dB difference even as low as 27 Hz. The reason the frequency response changes so much even at low frequencies is because many reflections, each having different time and phase delays, combine in different amounts at each point in the room. In small rooms the reflections are strong because the reflecting boundaries are all nearby, so that further increases the contribution from each reflection. Also, nulls tend to occupy a relatively narrow physical space, which is why the nulls on either side of the 92 Hz marker have very different depths. Indeed, the null at 71 Hz in one location becomes a peak at the other.

More recently I examined the same data over the entire audible range, and that graph is shown below in Figure 2. The two responses are so totally different you'd never guess this is even the same room and loudspeakers!

Figure 2: The graph above shows the full range response from the same two measurements in Figure 1. At higher frequencies the response difference four inches apart is even more substantial than below 200 Hz.

The cause of these large response differences is comb filtering. Peaks and deep nulls occur at predictable quarter-wavelength distances, and at higher frequencies it takes very little distance to go from a peak to a null. For example, at 7 KHz a quarter wavelength is less than half an inch! At these higher frequencies, reflections from a nearby coffee table or even a leather seat back can be significant.

Because of comb filtering, moving even a tiny distance changes the response by a very large amount at mid and high frequencies. Especially in small rooms having no acoustic treatment at the first reflection points. The response at any given cubic inch location in a room is the sum of the direct sound from the speakers plus many competing reflections arriving from many different directions. So unless you strap yourself into a chair and clamp your head in a vise, there's no way the sound will not change dramatically when you move even one inch.

Even with first reflection treatment in place, loudspeaker beaming / lobing also contributes to the frequency response changing with position. One goal with speaker design is to have a flat response not only directly in front of the speaker, but also off-axis. But it's impossible to achieve the exact same response at all angles, so that's another factor.

We don't usually notice these changes when moving around because each ear receives a different response, so what we perceive is more of an average. A peak or deep null in one ear is likely not present in the other ear, and vice versa. And since all rooms have this property, we're accustomed to hearing these changes and don't even notice them. However, the change in response over distance is very real, and it's definitely audible if you listen carefully. If you cover one ear it's even easier to notice because then the frequencies missing in one ear are not present in the other ear.

I am convinced that comb filtering is at the root of people reporting a change in the sound of cables and electronics even when no significant change is likely. If someone listens to their system using one pair of cables, then gets up and switches cables and sits down again, the frequency response heard is sure to be very different because it's impossible to sit down again in exactly the same place. So the sound really did change, but probably not because the cables sound different!

With audio and music, some frequencies are rather harsh sounding, such as the range around 2 to 3 KHz. Other frequencies are more full sounding (50 to 200 Hz), and yet others have a pleasant "open" quality (above 5 KHz). So if you listen in a location that happens to favor harsh sounding frequencies, then change a cable and listen again in a place that suppresses that harshness, it's not unreasonable to believe the cable is responsible for the difference. Likewise, exchanging a power amplifier might seem to have affected the fullness of the music even though the change in low frequency response was really due to positioning.

Large variations in frequency response can also occur even in rooms that are well treated acoustically, though having bass traps greatly reduces the change at low frequencies. Figure 3 below shows the response I measured at seven locations one inch apart. These measurements were made in my rather large, well-treated home recording studio, not the same room as the graphs in Figures 1 and 2 above.

Since this graph shows seven curves at once, I used third octave averaging to show each response more clearly. Without averaging there is too much detail, making it difficult to see the "forest for the trees" so to speak. Besides a fair amount of bass trapping, the listening position in this room where the measurements were taken is mostly "reflection free," so variations in the response at higher frequencies are due mainly to things other than reflections from nearby boundaries. I verified this by looking at the impulse response - the two main reflections at 1 ms and 6 ms were down by about 14 and 16 dB respectively.

Figure 3: This graph shows the full range response at seven locations one inch apart in a large room well-treated with broadband absorption and bass traps. With bass traps the response at low frequencies varies much less, but the mid and high frequencies still change drastically over very small distances.

Since the listening position has little reflected energy, one likely cause of the differences is loudspeaker beaming, which alters the response at different angles in front of the speaker drivers. Another is comb filtering due to the different arrival times from the left and right speakers. The test signal was played through both speakers at the same time, and the measuring microphone was moved in one-inch increments from the center toward the right. As the microphone was moved to the right, sound from the right speaker arrived earlier and earlier compared to the left speaker, and that also causes comb filtering. So even in a well treated room the response at higher frequencies can vary a large amount over very small distances. This further confirms that comb filtering is the main culprit, even when someone has extensive room treatment.

It's clear that bass traps make the low frequency response much more consistent across small distances. You can't see that here specifically because the low frequencies are also averaged in third octaves, which lowers the display resolution. But when I compared the seven responses below 200 Hz at high-resolution they were similar to the third octave averaged graphs, so I didn't bother to make a separate graph just for the bass range as I did for the room in Figure 1.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

There are other reasons people might think they hear the sound change even when no change is likely. One is the limit of auditory memory - if it takes 15 minutes to swap a set of speaker cables, it will be more difficult to recall the original sound when compared to switching quickly between two different sources. Crawling around on the floor will also likely raise your blood pressure, which can affect perception. We also hear differently early in the day versus later when we're tired, and just listening for a while can change our perception. Does that solid state amp really sound different after warming up for half an hour, or is it just our perception that changed? Add a couple of cocktails to the mix and then you really can't tell for sure what you're hearing!

Some people seem to prefer the sound of certain artifacts such as small amounts of harmonic and IM distortion. Preferring the sound of a device that is not audibly transparent is not the same as imagining a change when one doesn't exist, but it's not unrelated. This may be why some people prefer the sound of vinyl records and tube equipment. Everyone agrees that vinyl and tubes sound different from CDs and solid state gear. It's also very easy to measure the artifacts that are added. So then the question is why do some people prefer the types of artifacts that are added, and consider their presence an improvement in sound quality?

In THIS article for Sound On Sound magazine I wrote about the positive effects of adding subtle distortion intentionally to a recording. In that article I wrote:

Years ago I did a mix in my DAW [Digital Audio Workstation] and made a cassette copy for a friend. I noticed the cassette sounded better - more "cohesive" for lack of a better word - and I liked the effect. A few times I even copied a cassette back into the computer, used a noise reducer program to remove the hiss, then put the result onto a CD. I knew it was an effect, not higher fidelity or the superiority of analog tape, but I had to admit I liked the effect.

Over the years I have seen many "religious" arguments in newsgroups and web forums. The science-minded objectivists assert that everything can be measured, and things like replacement AC wall outlets cannot possibly affect the sound no matter what the subjectivist "tweakers" claim. The subjectivists argue back they are certain they can hear a difference and the objectivists are simply measuring the wrong things.

It now appears that both sides have been right all along! Some things really are too insignificant to change the sound audibly, but often the wrong things have been measured too. The room you listen in has far more influence on what you hear than any device in the signal path, including even the loudspeakers in most cases. It makes perfect sense that the one thing neither camp has ever considered - acoustic comb filtering - turns out to be the real culprit.

Source: http://www.ethanwiner.com

The Benefits of Team Sports

2008-01-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

by Lucy Rector Filppu

The stereotype of the cutthroat, pushy little league coach is all too familiar to most people. Why, some parents ask, should I subject my child to competitive team sports if that’s how it goes?

For one thing, the news. Today’s generation of children is fighting the worst obesity epidemic in history. Giving kids an excuse to exercise is reason enough to consider enrolling them in team sports. But calories aside, team sports have other benefits to kids – social, emotional, and physical ones.

Here are some things that team sports teach that go well beyond scoring, batting, shooting, and winning.

Ego Checks. Any parent knows that a child can be extremely egocentric. But that “my way or the highway” attitude will have to stay in check on a team sport. When a kid sees that everyone gets to play, they hopefully start to think about the group as a whole, and not just themselves. Even better, they learn to be happy for other player’s successes because they see how it benefits the greater team.

Positive Mentors. A dedicated, thoughtful, and skilled coach can have an amazing impact on children. In fact, sometimes your child will respond better to an objective coach than they will to their own parent. When kids have early, positive experiences with coaches, they continue to seek out and learn from mentors who can help them with school, jobs, and other interests.

The Three “Ps”. Just as they must practice spelling, math problems, and any other skill, kids need to learn that being part of a sport teams requires the three “Ps”… practice, patience, and persistence. Whether it’s showing up to practice when you’d rather be home with Legos, waiting your turn on the sidelines, or doing the same drill over and over again, the three “Ps” of team sports translate into important life lessons.

Another Reason for Family Time. Playing catch in the yard, heading down to the local soccer field for some drill practice… these types of outings with your kids can mean a great deal in our busy parenting culture. While the official reason may be practicing for the team, an even greater benefit is the time you get to spend together. Sometimes, in between dribbling and lay-ups, an important truth is revealed or an opportunity presents itself to teach a value.

Did we also mention that by practicing drills with your child and running up and down the sidelines to cheer them on, you might get into better shape, too? Score one for the family team!

Source: http://www.education.com

Media Virus

2008-01-06T03:42:00.000-08:00

How silly videos and email pranks created the Bored at Work Network. Social networking guru Jonah Peretti explains.

by Carrie McLaren | Issue #25

If you've ever forwarded a video of people "crying while eating" to friends, or spent hours in the office reading knitting blogs, you know about the Bored at Work Network (BWN), whether you realize it or not. As defined by Jonah Peretti, BWN is the largest alternative to corporate media, with a base of millions of activists, temp workers, and salarymen. Though its participants come from all walks of life, they share one thing: they've got internet connections at work, and they are bored.

Jonah Peretti has championed the BWN—and the "contagious media" that fuels it—as both participant and creator. During his own workday at Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, he has made a mission of understanding how things spread online. Part sociologist, part propagandist, and part entrepreneur, Peretti has taught New York University students about social networks and helped progressive causes use the internet to expand their reach.

I first heard of Peretti after someone forwarded me an email he had sent to Nike. The company had just launched a product that allowed buyers to customize shoes by stitching a word on them, and Peretti asked for shoes bearing the word "sweatshop." When a Nike customer rep rejected Peretti's request, he compiled the email back-and-forth and sent it out to friends, who sent it out to their friends, and so on, ultimately crossing the globe.

Peretti (with his sister Chelsea) followed up the Nike email with the hilarious and much loved Black People Love Us—a site poking fun at liberal white racism—and the Rejection Line, a phone number people can give out to unsavory characters who hit on them. Perhaps his best known project, however, is the (Arianna) Huffington Post, a lefty news and commentary blog he cofounded.

STAY FREE!: When did you first start to think about the Bored at Work Network?

JONAH PERETTI: Around the time of my Nike "sweatshop" email. I was getting email from people around the world, and all of them seemed to be receiving and forwarding it during the workday. I would get emails from Californians in the afternoons, from Australians late at night, and from Europeans while I slept.

STAY FREE!: You organized the Contagious Media Showdown as a contest for online projects. Can you predict what's going to spread?

PERETTI: We didn't have to. We had a hundred entries, so it was more a matter of watching what emerged. In a way, that's a microcosm of the internet itself, where there are millions of people doing things, and the vast majority of them don't spread. When something does spread, it's unexpected. It's easier to detect when something is starting to spread or to recognize the beginnings of a trend than to predict something out of a hundred things that will do well.

STAY FREE!: But the mission of both the contest and your contagious media class was to purposefully make something spread.

PERETTI: Yes, and that's an increasingly popular way of thinking about something that is usually random. A designer makes a dancing baby and is completely taken aback that it spreads everywhere. Or a silly video circulates all over the web. Much of that is completely unintentional. But now people are thinking, "How do we do this intentionally?" It's still more an art than a science. Big, multinational corporations haven't put much money into it because it's not predictable.

STAY FREE!: But I thought they had, with viral marketing. What about Burger King, for instance?

PERETTI: They have the subservient chicken, but Burger King spent so much less on that than they do on ad buys. Large corporations want to be able to predict outcomes.

STAY FREE!: But you can't predict print advertising well either. One of the reasons marketers like online advertising is that they can measure—if not exactly predict—the results. Also, it's a lot cheaper than a 30-second spot on CBS.

PERETTI: Online advertising is increasingly popular, but that's different than viral marketing. Companies want to target particular demographic groups. With viral marketing, things spread on their own, so you have no way of knowing if you're reaching your target. Whereas, if you buy a print ad you can select a magazine that caters to the demographic you want.

I never thought Black People Love Us would get passed around on white power groups; they thought the site was outrageous because there were black people and white people in the same house drinking wine together. I got cell phone calls in the middle of the night from hardcore racists saying they were going to find me and kill me. The site wasn't intended to attract that audience. It was directed to progressive hipsters who don't realize how insensitive some of their actions are.

STAY FREE!: Did you learn anything from the Showdown, in terms of how things spread?

PERETTI: Generally, if you show people a project and they immediately want to tell someone about it, there's a good chance it will be contagious. If the initial reaction is unenthusiastic, those things usually aren't contagious.

STAY FREE!: The one site from your students that sticks with me most is WhatIsVictoriasSecret.com.

PERETTI: Yeah, it's number two when you search for Victoria's Secret on Google.

STAY FREE!: I love that Victoria's Secret couldn't go after them.

PERETTI: But they did—

STAY FREE!: The lawyer told them to take down the direct links to the real Victoria's Secret site to make sure they didn't confuse users, right?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Get the print edition of STAY FREE! #25 - the Pranks issue - with Jonah Peretti.

$10.95: 3-issue (print) subscription
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PERETTI: Yes, but initially they called and said to take the site down immediately. A guy who worked on the site got the call and took it down, but the women working with him put it back up. The Victoria's Secret lawyer called back begging, "Could you go after Calvin Klein or Frederick's of Hollywood instead?" But when they asked the lawyer to send a cease-and-desist, she refused to put anything in writing: "I don't want that showing up on the web." She didn't want the story to be about Victoria's Secret trying to shut down a site that girls created about body image. The site had already gotten some press and they didn't want it to get more.

STAY FREE!: The winner of the Showdown was the site for Forget-Me-Not Panties, fake high-tech underwear that supposedly tracks whether your wife is cheating. I read that blogs helped spread the panties site but that foreign newspaper and radio coverage brought the most traffic. Do you know if any of these media mistook it for real?

PERETTI: I don't know about, say, the Japanese sites. But, yes, a lot of web sites mistook it for real.

STAY FREE!: That site does seem to combine traits that are popular on many blogs: it's sex-related, it's a high-tech gadget that appeals directly to males, and it's an idea than can transcend cultural boundaries.

PERETTI: As my friend Duncan Watts has said, people often have very detailed explanations for why things spread after the fact. But before, when a panel of experts and the audience were voting, nobody picked the panties site to win. The panel and the audience responded to all of the top sites except the one that won the grand prize. But back to your question about what drives visitors. The rise of blogging and of contagious media happened around the same time, so there's a sense that if something gets on the blogs, it becomes contagious. But blogs don't send as much traffic as you might expect. Blogs are important because they can lead to the next stage of media. Reporters read blogs, and if a project winds up in a news story, it could bring ten times the amount of traffic. Of course, news sites that don't have a strong online presence don't send as much traffic. The Blogebrity site got a sidebar in Newsweek and didn't even get a blip.

STAY FREE!: I've noticed that with Stay Free!, a mention in the New York Times might do nothing, but a good mention on Boing Boing or NPR will get us thousands of hits.

PERETTI: It could be that the NPR and Boing Boing audiences are the kind of people who'd like Stay Free!, so you get a better response rate from them.

STAY FREE!: Have you gotten better at predicting things?

PERETTI: I think so. With the Showdown, people had a sense of what would do well but didn't know what the winner would be. And that's generally the case with all information economies, whether it is software or video games, movies—anything where word of mouth can result in a cascade where popularity begets popularity. There's a book called Hollywood Economics, which basically argues that you can predict the things that will break even. But predicting huge hits is almost impossible because hits are rare and require people telling their friends about a movie. Those things aren't very predictable. And so the majority of the studios' revenue comes from something they can't predict well. Titanic probably brought more than half of the profits of the studio from that year, yet everyone thought it was going to be a flop.

That said, there are some things you can do to help something be contagious. You can make sure your content is linkable, and not trapped in Flash or frames.

STAY FREE!: Visual things seem to work well too because they're not tied to a specific language and are more accessible to international audiences.

PERETTI: There are two opposing things that need to be in the project. One, it needs to be somehow provocative or shocking. It has to be new in some way. And, two, it has to be broadly appealing enough that you want to send it to your whole address book. One reason I think JibJab did well was it made fun of both Democrats and Republicans; if it were left or right it would have had a more limited audience.

STAY FREE!: I thought JibJab was edgeless, though. There should be a bored-at-home network for people like my parents who send that kind of stuff. They circulate whole different genres of things: religious stories and cards.

PERETTI: I've seen some religious emails that ask people to pray for a kid dying of cancer, which is unusual. In general, things with a sad message don't spread well.

STAY FREE!: Contagious projects are often ephemeral. They're all over the net one week, then vanish. Why is that?

PERETTI: That's partly because things that have a lasting impact stop seeming like contagious media. Hot or Not, for example, started as a joke but spread, and now it's a real business, a dating service. Companies have set up rejection lines in dozens of cities, selling advertising. So some things will transform into a useful tool. Hotmail was like that. It used to be super contagious: "Free email? That's crazy!" At the bottom of every email it said, "Get your own free email."

Also, you've got to keep in mind the social dynamics of how things spread. If you post things that people have already seen, that's considered lame. And so there's an incentive to post things when they're fresh and a disincentive to post things when they're old. And that dynamic shortens the lifespan of these things.

STAY FREE!: Blogs have replaced zines as the main underground form of self-publishing, but I think the ways they differ are revealing. I remember when The Zine Guide launched a survey that ranked zines—like Top 10 charts. I was really annoyed by it; ranking seemed antithetical to zines. But in the blog world, there's a big emphasis on stats, on rank. I'm as guilty as anyone—I check our stats obsessively and look at who is linking to us. Anyway, I just wonder if you have any thoughts on this shift in focus toward process and popularity.

PERETTI: When I taught the contagious media class at NYU, I would always tell my students that being interesting and thought-provoking isn't necessarily correlated with being popular. But the purpose of this class wasn't to create something interesting and thought-provoking, it was to create contagious media—and some of the students hated that. Personally, I like that it gives you a metric for success you don't otherwise have in the art or design world.

STAY FREE!: But what about outside the classroom? The average creative writer . . .

PERETTI: If you value having an impact and reaching a large number of people, you have a benchmark for doing a good job. That being said, there are all the obvious downsides of focusing on ratings and popularity.

STAY FREE!: We think of blogs as alternative media, yet the idea that what's good equals what's popular is a very market-centric one.

PERETTI: I think the left has had a problem in being anti-popularity. I don't come from an indie music background, where you love a band until they sell out by becoming popular. I'm somewhat sympathetic to that perspective—which is similar to the left-wing activist perspective—but I worry that thinking of popularity as bad is a good way to lose. If you're trying to have an impact in the world and achieve certain goals, being popular is a good thing. Of course, it shouldn't be an end in itself.

STAY FREE!: Let's talk a bit about Stanley Milgram. Most people know him as the social scientist whose experiments showed that the impulse to obey authority was so great, people would administer life-threatening electric shocks to test subjects. But he did some pioneering work in social networking as well.

PERETTI: Milgram coined the term "six degrees of separation" and wrote a paper called "Small Worlds," which describes a 1970s experiment involving a group of people in the Midwest and a target person in Boston. He created a chain letter that said, "There's a stockbroker in Boston and we're trying to get this letter to him. If you know him, send it directly to him, but if you don't, send it to someone more likely to know him."

Before he did the experiment, Milgram asked various colleagues to make a prediction, and most of them estimated it would take dozens or even hundreds of jumps. Well, it turned out that it took on average six jumps to get to this guy in Boston. People would say, "Oh, I know someone on the East Coast," or, "I know a stockbroker so I'll send it to him." And with each jump, the letter got closer. This is where the phrase comes from.

STAY FREE!: Going back to teaching, have any of your students gone into making contagious media professionally?

PERETTI: A couple have. And I've done some consulting projects. Oxygen was launching a women's television program called Good Girls Don't and I came up with the idea to have one of the characters on the show write her own blog. The blog ended up doing better than the program.

STAY FREE!: For the Contagious Media Show at the New Museum, you and your sister Chelsea hired performers to chat up visitors, who weren't aware that these people were working for you. Do you have any personal rules or ethical guides for using duplicity in your work?

PERETTI: Hmmm.

STAY FREE!: Let me give you a personal example. Charles [Stay Free! vice president] and I were thinking about making an anti-Wal-Mart video and spreading it online. I thought if we could stage something somewhat shocking—like a Wal-Mart manager beating a Mexican worker—people who don't usually read about Wal-Mart's business practices might see it and talk about it . . . and maybe it would help open some eyes. On the other hand, it's kind of disgusting to resort to something like that. I'm just curious where you draw the line, and if this question has ever come up for you.

PERETTI: There are different kinds of duplicity, and I think it depends on what you're trying to achieve. There's the duplicity of [notorious pranksters] the Yes Men, where you're creating a fake identity and doing a critical performance to make people think about something that they might not have thought about. There are some politics in it but I think it's more effective as art. I'm not convinced that creating fake hoaxes helps specific political causes; the results are hard to predict and can have the opposite of the desired effect.

A second kind of duplicity is more politically strategic. I was sitting at a table with high-level progressives and one consultant said, "Here's what you do: ask a survey question ten different ways. Poll each of the ways and find out which one gives you an 80/20 split in your favor. Then do another poll where you just ask the question that favors your position. Finally, you send the results to every member of Congress and say, "It's 80 percent against you. We're going to bring the voters out in force in the next election if you don't support this cause."

That's a form of duplicity that can often be effective in pushing policy, whether it's the NRA or People for the American Way. It's effective but not particularly honest.

Those are two kinds of duplicity I'm familiar with and have participated in. One of them provokes people to think about the world differently; the other plays into people's assumptions and reaffirms them.

STAY FREE!: And you don't feel bad about that? So what's the difference between a lefty group that uses a deceptive tactic and, say, the Swift Boat Veterans campaign? When do the ends justify the means?

PERETTI: People have their own personal limits, and it tends to be more visceral than rigorous. I tend to not do hoaxes or pranks that are designed to trick people. Maybe I don't have the balls for it, but I could never do the kind of thing that the Yes Men do.

STAY FREE!: You'd have to be a good actor.

PERETTI: And I'm not comfortable lying to people. The people behind Forget Me Not Panties were able to mislead reporters, but I've never done that.

STAY FREE!: Someone at Eyebeam created a site intended to fool people, and you ended up getting personally sued for it. Can you talk about that?

PERETTI: Um, no.

STAY FREE!: Okay, never mind. What's Forward Track? Could you talk a little about it?

PERETTI: When I did the Nike email, there was no way to tell how many people had received it. The idea of Forward Track is to track email forwards. You could see that one person sent the email to ten people. The first project was Tom Mauser's petition to prevent the ban on assault weapons from being repealed.

STAY FREE!: Do you collect the email addresses of each person?

PERETTI: Initially, Forward Track worked entirely through email, but people were confused by it. They were more accustomed to visiting a web page and signing a petition, like they do for MoveOn. So we came up with a web version. Since then, there have been a dozen campaigns using Forward Track. It allows you to track emails on both a geographic map and a social network map.

STAY FREE!: What kind of issues is it being used for?

PERETTI: Oxygen did one for women's advocacy issues. One group used it for East Indian bone marrow donors. People for the American Way did one for the Supreme Court. Procter & Gamble did one for the launch of Tide Cold Water.

STAY FREE!: P&G, really? Was that something you engineered?

PERETTI: Forward Track is open-source software, so anybody can use it. But we did work with them, and it was an interesting opportunity to see how the software scales, because Procter & Gamble has email lists of millions of people. They said their response rate was ten times higher than any other campaign they had done, though people on the list were still much less likely to send an email about Tide than they would a politically targeted message.

STAY FREE!: Does the fact that this big corporation is using your software to send spam bother you?

PERETTI: Working with corporations has been interesting. I have spent most of my adult life working in schools, research labs, or nonprofits. And I've realized that a lot of things I thought about corporations are not 100 percent accurate. In terms of privacy issues, Procter & Gamble is much stricter than any of the political organizations I work with. They wouldn't show us any email addresses—they had to anonymize all of them. They had double opt-in and strict rules against spam. An activist group could never afford that level of privacy protection. Partly it's because Procter & Gamble has the resources to do it.

STAY FREE!: Last I checked, Procter & Gamble was the largest advertiser in America.

PERETTI: They have email lists of people who genuinely want information about new products. People subscribe to newsletters for homekeeping tips. People care about the products these big corporations make. I always think about open source and the mission, but it's possible that just as many people care about detergent. Wikipedia has lots of people contributing for free because it's a good cause. And MySpace, the social networking site, also has people who contribute content for free. Both sites are among the most popular on the internet. One of them is noncommercial and one of them just sold for over $500 million. Some people don't really care whether they are contributing their labor or time to a commercial enterprise or a nonprofit.

STAY FREE!: MySpace may be commercial, but it's not detergent. I don't think people care much about detergent. A lot of people may be on the P&G list because they are bargain hunters. With Forward Track, were you ever concerned about privacy issues? I don't know that I would want any group to know who I'm sending things to. I'm inclined to think we benefit from the anarchy of the web, in contrast to, say, a political sphere dominated by public opinion polls and all kinds of focus groups.

PERETTI: Do you mean that as a critique of MoveOn?

STAY FREE!: No, I'm just playing devil's advocate against contagious media analysis in general.

PERETTI: Okay, but MoveOn is a good example. They are a progressive organization, but, to build a movement, they think numerically: "If we write about this hot-button issue and send this out to our list, we'll get X many new subscribers." Their power and influence is based on the size of their list.

The idea behind Forward Track is to give ordinary people access to data that only MoveOn would see otherwise. It gives you a visual of how people are connected. Our theory was that if more people could see how their individual efforts created a larger movement, they might become more active participants.

There are two ways you can address privacy concerns. One way is to pass strict laws outlawing the sharing of information. Forward Track takes the opposite approach, which is to make the information open so that privacy becomes less of a concern because government and large corporations don't control everything. When information is open, it's harder to manipulate people with it.

Fundrace is another example; that data already existed, but you had to have an engineer process it. And so a political campaign or a corporation could use it, but nobody else could. Fundrace allowed anyone with an internet connection to search that info. I think making things easy and accessible benefits people with less resources.

STAY FREE!: But even if everyone has access, some people are going to be better able to take advantage and profit from the information than others. Knowledge isn't necessarily neutral.

PERETTI: If you look at all the stuff being passed around the web, most of it isn't marketing. I'd be interested in doing an analysis of what percentage is paid for by a company and what percentage is just kids fooling around.

STAY FREE!: Do you ever wrestle with the question of forbidden knowledge? I'm inclined to think that the lack of predictability is a good thing. Maybe there are some things we don't want to know about what makes things spread, because if there was a way to control how something spreads . . .

PERETTI: [laughs] You make it sound like I'm creating the neutron bomb!

STAY FREE!: If corporations can map our social connections, what's to stop them from working on breaking them?

PERETTI: Well, corporations have already figured out ways to influence social interactions. For example, web sites place related links at the footer of a web story to increase recirculation and page views. Built-in tools for emailing or IMing a friend increase the chance that you will send your peers to a company's web site. And Google gets you to click on sponsored links by matching them with your searches and only showing ads that have performed well with other people.

But we are at the very beginning of understanding how this works. Part of why I am interested in contagious media is that there is still so much room for developing new techniques. I agree that some applications of this knowledge can be scary, but I enjoy working in morally ambiguous spaces. I find that is where most of the interesting stuff happens.

Source: http://www.stayfreemagazine.org