Employee Monitoring: It's Not Paranoia—You Really Are Being Watched! The Best Windows XP Tips, Tricks & Hacks Ulanoff: Windows 7 Already a Threat to Vista 23 Powerful Utilities Review: RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Verizon)

Dan Costa

Vicki B. Jacobson

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Employee Monitoring: It's Not Paranoia—You Really Are Being Watched!
Your employer could be watching you. We tell you how to know whether you're being monitored and what you can do about it.

Vicki: This story REALLY freaked people out. I'm not surprised. I think about this stuff all the time, especially when it comes to e-mail. And I believe you were the one that alerted me to the fact that instant messaging, too, can be cause for a pause. The depths to which some companies monitor their employees—recording phone calls, video monitoring, GPS tracking, etc.—is downright creepy. Do you ever feel like someone's watching you?

Dan: I am looking at your IM logs right now. And I have to tell you, I don’t think that LonelyGuy71 is right for you. Seriously, legally your employer has the right to look at pretty much everything you write, IM, send, or store on their hardware. Things get even more complicated when you mix your work and personal accounts. I admit I have been pretty guilty here. Now if your excuse me, I am going to go and delete my Outlook Archive.

What are we talking about? Read all about it here!

The Best Windows XP Tips, Tricks & Hacks
Whether you're a die-hard XP user, or you're just biding your time 'til Windows 7 arrives, we're here to help. We've dug up our favorite Windows XP tips, tricks, and hacks just for you.

Vicki: Editor in Chief Lance Ulanoff had a feeling this would be a popular story, and boy was he right. When I was digging up these tips, one of the things that really (kind of) surprised me was the fact that while some of these tips are years old, they're still spot on. It just showed me how long some of us (yes, I use XP here at the office) have been hanging on to XP. What about you Dan? Have you moved on?

Dan: Talk about timing. Most of us are using a five-year-old operating system, so why not deliver a tips story on it. As you know, like most IT departments Ziff Davis’s technology brain trust is still steering clear of Vista so XP is the standard at the office. I am still running XP at home too, just because upgrading is usually problematic. Still, my Vista test bed in the lab has served me well for the last six months or so. Vista may not be all that, but there is no reason to be afraid of it.

What are we talking about? Read all about it here!

Ulanoff: Windows 7 Already a Threat to Vista
Microsoft's arms-distance embrace of Vista and its dangling of Windows 7 promises can't last.

Dan: All this Windows 7 buzz is certainly confusing people, but I don’t think waiting to upgrade to Windows 7 is a viable option for most people. The OS is at least two years away and even then there is no guarantee that it will be a huge upgrade. I like the gesture-based interface, but that is hardly a killer app. If you buy a new PC, I say go ahead and get Vista. What do you think?

Vicki: You're right. There's really not much of a choice. You're either going to have Vista shoved down your throat or toil in a five-year-old OS. As for me, I'm doing both (XP at the office and Vista at home). Neither makes me happy. Then again, neither makes me miserable.

What are we talking about? Read all about it here!

23 Powerful Utilities
When your OS or application leaves you in the lurch, one of these 23 helper programs is sure to come to your rescue.

Dan: I know Vista is supposed to be this all-inclusive package, but you still need to invest in utilities if you want to get the most out of your system. We use Norton Ghost all the time in the lab to get systems ready for testing. I just downloaded Gadwin PrintScreen 4.3 for grabbing quick screen shots. You have any favorites in this bunch?

Vicki: Just the other day I was hunting around for something to manage my passwords, and that led me to 1-Click SignupShield Suite 5. I'm going to give that a try this weekend. Oh, and now that you mention it, I'm going to take a look at that screen capture app as well.

What are we talking about? Read all about it here!

Review: RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Verizon)
The Curve 8330 is Verizon's best smartphone, offering all the business capability you'd expect from a BlackBerry, but with a stylish and comfortable design and enhanced multimedia features.

Vicki: Looks like this baby really "wowed" cell phone specialist Sascha Segan…and for good reason. It's got practically everything you'd want in a smartphone: great design, features, and performance. It's certainly what I've been waiting for as a Verizon subscriber. And I'm thinking it impressed you, too. Isn't this your new baby? Are you in love?

Dan: I just bought the nearly identical Curve 8330 (Sprint), and yes, I am in love. Reception is clear, the camera is great, and I got it connected to both my company and personal email in less than 10 minutes. You have to get one of these. And when you do, download Opera, Google Search, and Google Maps. It almost makes me not want an iPhone.

What are we talking about? Read all about it here!

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