It's the relationhip you spend more time on than any other. It deepens every year. And when things go wrong, you become afraid, tearful, and in some cases so enraged that you lash out by throwing things-but you're willing to go right back into the relationship no matter what happens.
      What are we talking about? The bond you have with your computer. If you work in an office, chances are you spend more time staring into your computer screen than having conversations with real live human beings. And you probably spend more time at your PC than you do with your significant other, best friend, and even your kids.
     According to research conducted by SupportSoft Inc., a firm in Redwood City, California, that makes software for computer help desks, people are spending an increasing amount of time at their computer. This survey also revealed how computer problems can unleash powerful-even dangerous emotions. When confronted with a dead computer, 19% admitted to wanting to hurl it out the nearest window, 9% felt stranded and alone, 11% used language normally reserved for special occasions, 7% did so loudly, 3% did so tearfully and another 3% vented their wrath on inanimate objects.
     With these results it should come as no surprise that 48% said they would rather help a friend move than deal with a computer problem, and 30% said they felt more frustration with their computer now than in previous years.
     Want to have a healthy relationship with your computer? Then check out our Computer Comfort Service Plan .
     We'll make your computer "behave," which will lower your stress and anxiety, reduce computer problems to zero, and give you more time to spend with REAL human beings. Give us a call at 369-7800!

     To show how much we love our clients this Valentine's Day, we're giving away our Super Value Service Call for only $99! This in-shoppe service includes a 27-point Problem Prevention Audit designed to:

· Detect and remove hidden spyware
· Check your privacy settings and network security
· Speed up your computer and network
· Block annoying pop-up ads
· Check for system errors, conflicts, or other problems
· Verify your system backups

     If you ever make purchases online, you must know how to quickly determine if the web site you are about to buy from is secure.
     A secure connection is an encrypted exchange of information between the web site you are visiting and the browser you are using. Encryption of data is simply a process of converting the information you type in (your name, address, and credit card number) into an unreadable format that only the receiving web site can decipher.
     Encryption is done through a document the web site provides called a web site certificate. When you send information to the web site, it is encrypted at your computer and decrypted at the web site to prevent hackers from intervening and stealing your credit card information. So how do you know if a site has a certificate and a secure connection? There are two things to look for. Just note that these two checks only apply to the web page where you actually enter your credit card information, NOT the entire site itself.
     Once you are on the actual order page, look for a tiny yellow padlock in the bottom right corner of your web browser. Depending on your browser version, the Security Status bar may be located on the top of the browser and to the right of the Address bar. The padlock should be closed (locked). Next, look at the actual URL. It should begin with "https" rather than the standard "http." If you are on a web site and you see these two things, the site will have a certificate. You can view the certificate by double clicking the yellow padlock. Upon clicking, a certificate dialogue box will pop up that contains information about who the certificate is issued to, who it was issued by, and when it expires.
     Another way you can view a site's certificate is through your browser's menu options. In Internet Explorer, go to File, Properties and then click on the Certificates button. The same dialogue box will then come up for you. In Firefox, go to Tools, Page Info and then click on the Security tab. You can then click on the View button to see that site's certificate.
     If you ever get a warning that there is a problem with the web site's certificate, it could be due to a number of problems such as the names on the certificates don't match up with the web site or the certificate has expired. If this happens, you may want to call the company and place your order by phone rather than going through their web site. Finally, make sure you check out every company's Privacy Policy. Even if they have a secure checkout process, they could give or sell your information to third party companies.

     Those who told Nicholas Negroponte that his plan to create a $100 computer was crazy will soon have to eat their words.
     The former head of MIT's Media Lab for 20 years, Negroponte's goal was to manufacture a computer that poor children all over the world could afford and use. Now, the first 5,000 have been shipped.
     The project's origins go back more than four decades to the early days of computing, when most machines were still the size of small dinosaurs, and almost no one dreamed they would ever be suitable for children. But pioneering thinkers like Seymour Papert disagreed sharply and, over time, led the long march from radical theory to reality proving the immense power of the personal computer as a learning tool for children.
     Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program (www.laptopgiving.org) is a partnership with Quanta Computer in Taiwan. Their new XO unit comes with a fist-sized generator. A user pulls a cord to make juice, like starting an old lawnmower. The XO comes with tiny stereo speakers and three USB slots. A few bars of a U2 song play as the machine starts up.
     It can be used as a laptop or, with the screen twisted around, as a book-like tablet. It can be read like paper or be illuminated completely from within. If plans continue as slated, 50 million XOs will ship by the end of 2008. The price for the first units will be closer to $150, but will drop to $100 by the end of 2008.
     Orders have been placed for kids in Libya, Palestinians on the West Bank, Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, and Thailand. Each country wants at least a million XOs for their children.

The following are true according to www.strangefacts. com:
· Saturday mail delivery in Canada was eliminated by Canada Post on February 1, 1969!
· In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes!
· There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Crackers cookie zoo!
· Should there be a crash, Prince Charles and Prince William never travel on the same airplane as a precaution!
· Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second!
· The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache on a standard playing card!
· There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos!
· There is one slot machine in Las Vegas for every eight inhabitants!
· The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off!
· Every day 20 banks are robbed. The average take is $2,500!
· The most popular first name in the world is Muhammad!
· Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating!
· Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult!
· One car out of every 230 made was stolen last year!
· The names of Popeye's four nephews are Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye, and Poopeye.

To appeal to online users, use the points below when writing content for your Web site:

· Understand that users skim Web pages more than they read entire content of pages.
· Be concise and relevant.
· Keep paragraphs one to three sentences in length.
· Use bullet points for listing information.
· Format your site with headings and subheadings to separate topics.
· Make your site friendly for impaired users.
· Use text relevant links instead of "click here."
· Do not underline anything, unless it is a link.
· Proofread your site.

There are many styles of writing: writing for technical manuals, writing for newsletters, journalistic styles, but to have your content on your Web site easily accessible, you must consider how people read Web pages as well as the meaning of the text.

Web readers want information, and they want it fast. With the exception of Weblogs (Blogs), people generally do not read the Web for leisure reading. Paragraphs on the Web do not follow the same rules that you learned in your 5th grade English class. With this in mind, follow the points below when writing for the Web.

Use Relevant Paragraphs
Write only relevant content. Put your conclusions near the beginning of your paragraph so that your point is stated first, then expand upon it. Keep the paragraphs very short with only one idea per paragraph. People skim Web pages, they don't read every word.

Use Simple Wording
Avoid slang and specialized meanings unless you define them. Keep your action words flowing to keep interest in your site. Passive voice doesn't speak to the reader. Use the more common, basic word in a sentence such as the word "try" rather than "endeavor." Avoid complex sentence structure.

Show Lists and Headings/Subheadings
Bulleted lists provide very fast information to readers. When formatting the information for your site, use lists up to 10 items per topic with concise language. You want people to read your information; make it as convenient to read as possible or users go on to another site for information.

Use many headings and subheadings.
Readers jump to headings while skimming the page. People using assistive technology that will read the page aloud use a keyboard key to jump to each heading before reading under the heading. If the user is sight-impaired, they will not see any of your bold text or neat photos that enhance your text, so use subheadings when you can.

Use Text and Images Separately
Use graphic images and photos to add to the site's usefulness for sighted visitors, but consider how the text reads to someone who cannot see the images or who has the image viewing turned off on their computer. For instance, avoid statements that are only clear when images are viewable such as, "Look below the red bar on the right, for more information." Instead, use a statement like, "More information is available on this Web page under 'Registration Information'."

Hyperlink Correctly
Links in your Web site text should not distract from the flow of reading. Link the keywords that readers see within the body copy that are intuitive as to where the link goes. Avoid the unprofessional, "click here" in your body copy.

For example the underlined word in the following sentence would indicate the path of the link to that underlined word. "Your application can be mailed or faxed to this office." It is standard to assume the underlined word links to that application or a page that details that application process. Try to avoid "Click here to view the application." It not only breaks the flow of reading, but when skimming with screen reading technology only the underlined word is heard, so "click here" means nothing, and the link to "application" tells the user what information is expected.

Because hyperlinks are most often set as underlined word as a visual clue, do not use underlined text to emphasize your text. Use bold, italics, and heading or subheadings properly tagged in your code.

For more information about CreatiVisibility and how it can help you create, build, efficiently publish your Web site and other marketing pieces, contact us through the Web: www.CreatiVisibility.com.

Do you have a funny story or a resource you want to share with other subscribers? Send it to me! We are always looking for new and useful content to add including partners who want to submit articles!

Contact Theresa Carter
919-369-7801
theresa@pc medevac.com

Are you confused over the difference between DVD-R and a DVD+R? Then read on -
     A DVD-R is similar to a compact disk (CD) but with a larger storage capacity. Once you write a file to a DVD- R, it cannot be re-written or changed whereas a DVD- RW (DVD-rewritable) can be rewritten multiple (1000+) times.
     A DVD+R is a once-writable optical disc with slightly
less storage capacity than the DVD-R. The DVD+R format was developed by a coalition of corporations, known as the DVD+RW Alliance. The battle between the two formats (DVD-R and DVD+R) is similar to old competition between VHS (Victor Home System) and Betamax (Sony) for video tape formats.
Since the DVD+R format is a competing format to the DVD-R format, which is developed by the DVD Forum, it has not been approved by the DVD Forum, which claims that the DVD+R format is not an official DVD format.
     The disks are pretty much the same, but the writing process is different. DVD+R is a bit more advanced, but the disks often cost more than a DVD-R. But for the average computer user, the most important thing to consider is what format your DVD recording software works best in. My suggestion? Get a writer that supports both formats.