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I N T H I S I S S U E
Welcome to PCMag.com's Weekend Update with Dan & Kyle!
This week, Dan is joined by Vicki's right-hand man, Associate Editor Kyle Monson. Here are our thoughts on the hottest stories that hit PCMag.com this week. Let us know what you think-and enjoy the newsletter.
Column: Firefox 3
Speedy performance, thrifty memory usage, and a predictive address bar firmly plant Firefox at the top of the Web browser hill.
Kyle: Finally, a new Firefox! I disliked FF2 enough that I've been using IE7 (and sometimes Opera) on my Windows machine for the past couple years. But I gotta say, FF3 has been great so far. Pages load noticeably faster, and the app's memory leaks have been plugged so it won't totally pwn older machines the way FF2 did. Its stellar performance so far might be enough to win me back from IE7. What about you?
Dan: To be honest you are the first person I have met that prefers IE7 to FF2. Seriously? I know it had a bit of a memory leak, but other than that it was a great browser. I have only been using FF3 for a week, but it is also fantastic. I love the “Awesome Bar." I am not sure why anyone would use anything else.
What are we talking about? Read all about it here!
Expert Help: How to Improve Your Home Wi-Fi Network
We reveal how to maximize the network range from your access point, troubleshoot problems, and prevent strangers from usurping your bandwidth.
Dan: The idea of everyone and their uncle running their own wireless networks at home would have been pretty strange ten years ago. But just because it is being done now, doesn’t mean it is being done right. This story gives the laymen enough networking know-how to get wireless connections up to speed and lock them down if necessary. Personally, I am a big fan of open networks. In fact, I haven’t even set up my home network. I just use my neighbor’s.
Kyle: I guess that makes me the mean neighbor with the protected Wi-Fi. I've already got so many devices on my network, adding my neighbor's laptop doesn't interest me. I really like Eric Griffiths' advice in this story, especially about how to protect your network. For instance, I'm always amazed at how many password-protected networks I can find with the default passwords and router names. You might as well just leave the network open.
What are we talking about? Read all about it here!
Expert Help: Digitize Your Records and Tapes
It's not too late to resurrect your cherished analog media and convert it to MP3 and digital video. Here's how.
Kyle: Records, tapes, and what-all now? I've heard of these "analog media formats," but I always thought they were ancient myths dreamed up to scare small children. All those horrible tales of flipping records over and of tapes getting snagged and tangled…if such formats exist, and can be converted to digital, then this is the most important story PC Magazine has ever published.
Dan: I think you should release the next Mere album on cassette. Make your fans work for your musical stylings. This is a good story for purists out there, but I suspect most of the music libraries trapped on ancient formats are not being ripped, but are simply downloaded again online for free.
What are we talking about? Read all about it here!
Column: Hacking is No Solution
We as users and customers shouldn't have to hack our hardware and software to get it to work the way it should.
Dan: Sascha is right that users shouldn’t have to hack their hardware to get it to do everything it can do. Manufacturers should do that. On a related note, politicians should tell the truth, kids should watch less TV, everyone should just learn to get along in the Middle East, and I should get paid more. Until those things happen, good, knowledgeable people must take what comes, rip it apart, and try to make it better. And frankly, I think it makes life—and the tools we use—a lot more interesting. What do you think?
Kyle: You know, we learn to work around the bugs and peculiarities in our operating systems, apps, and hardware. Whether it's right to have to do that, I don't know, but it's so easy to distribute patches and updates, and there is such a big community of third-party utility developers, what motivation do tech companies have to release perfect products? Maybe we should all organize behind Sascha and demand more of these tech manufacturers.
What are we talking about? Read all about it here!
Other top stories:
NEWS: Spore Creature Creator Goes Live
REVIEW: Samsung Instinct
REVIEW COMPARISON: Big-Screen GPS Devices
REVIEW COMPARISON: How To Get HDTV on Your PC
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