Traffic Circle 2.0

It’s finally here! (And coming soon here!)

What is it? My newest book, Maximum PC Guide to Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed.

Read it to discover:

- How to perform a clean install using a Vista upgrade DVD

- Why Windows Vista Ultimate protects your data better than other editions

- How to protect your children from unsuitable websites and media (and how not to)

- What you need to make Windows Vista and Windows XP share nicely on the same network

… and much, much more!

It’s based on the final release of Windows Vista and Windows Vista Ultimate Extras, so it’s an up-to-date reference to what’s new, what’s improved, what’s great, and what needs work in Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate editions. Enjoy!

Check out Chapter 8 on Windows Media Player 11 free.

… Sunday, May 20, from 2-4PM at Central Library’s second floor meeting room. I’ll be demonstrating the power of layers in Adobe Photoshop to the Southwest Indiana PC Users Group. I’ll be using Photoshop Elements 5.0, but if you’re using other recent versions of Photoshop Elements or Photoshop, you’ll also find this a useful demonstration. I will have copies of my recent books available for purchase, and I’m happy to sign books - bring copies you already have, or pick up some at the meeting (my office is moving this summer and I’m offering great deals!)

Come early, as the Evansville Public Library system is also kicking off its summer reading program that afternoon. There’s free underground and surface parking at the library and nearby, but spaces may be scarce from time to time. See you there!

Central Library is at the corner of Walnut St and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in downtown Evansville.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak again to the Southwest Indiana PC Users Group, as I have several times before:

• on Windows Vista
• on becoming a technical writer
• on X10 home automation and home entertainment devices in Windows
• on wireless networking
• on digital photography

(these links open issues of the SWIPCUG newsletter P-See Urgent in PDF format, and require Adobe Reader or an equivalent program)

Posting here’s been pretty light of late, as I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my book Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed, but, I haven’t exactly been idle.

• I’m now the “Windows Guy” at Maximum PC’s website, blogging on a variety of Windows topics.
• Several of my articles on Windows Vista are now features at Que Publishing’s Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 resource page:
  • Learn how to fix common problems with digital photos using Vista’s Windows Photo Gallery.
  • Fix a Windows Vista installation that won’t start with the Windows Vista Recovery Environment.

Enjoy!

I ordered the DVD set Beauty and the Beast, Season 1, for my wife for Valentine’s Day - she loved it! And I also love this show (CBS 1987-90). In fact, it was the last network TV show I made a point to watch week after week.

If you’re strictly looking for a first-class presentation of the shows, the DVD set earns every one of the five stars it’s getting from its patient fans at Amazon.com. However, to jam six CDs into a standard-size case, a few features we’ve come to expect from recent TV series collections had to go: no DVD extras (not even chapters within an episode!), no cast bios (what has Jay Acovone been up to since the last time he yelled “Radcliffe!”?), and even the episode guide has been relegated to the inside of the DVD jacket (it works, sorta, because the case uses see-through plastic).

So, for everyone who needs more, much more about Beauty and the Beast and the people who made it come to life, some of the best online resources presented for your clicking pleasure:

Beauty and the Beast Central Department

If you’re a newbie to this cult classic, consider TV.com’s Beauty and the Beast website. It offers a series summary, cast roundups, episode guides and ratings, and a forum. IMDB’s Beauty and the Beast page offers a cast listing, favorite quotes from the show, trivia, goofs and user comments to fill in gaps in TV.com’s coverage. Get a Brit-flavored take on this history of the show at Television Heaven’s Beauty and the Beast page. The Wikipedia entry provides a great series synopsis, extended discussions of the main and major supporting characters, and even one author’s suggested origin for Vincent and other larger-than life characters from other cult-classic TV shows!

Music and the Spoken Word Department

We grabbed the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack Of Love and Hope, featuring music and poetry from the show as read by Ron Perlman (the Beast) when it was first released. It’s available again from Rykodisc - so get your own copy!

B and the B Book Department

Longtime fans might recall a series of novels based on the series. These include Beauty and the Beast and Beauty and the Beast: Song of Orpheus by Barbara?Hambly, Beyond Words, Beyond Silence by Nan Dibble, and Masques by Ru Emerson. All sadly out of print, but available (mostly) via Amazon.com (follow the links), or from other used booksellers.

Prefer comics? Beauty and the Beast: Portraits of Love was a comic book based on the series, written and illustrated by Wendi Pini. It’s available used from many book and comic sellers (follow the link to search Google).

Fan Fiction and Much, Much More

Not only is there a web page for just about everything, there’s probably a webring for just about everything. Check out the Beauty and the Beast Tunnel webring to discover fan fiction, fan art, tributes to actors from the series, and much more.

…and enjoy some of the most romantic films and TV shows of all time.

Hollywood Classics Department

The Shop Around the Corner. Forget Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail! Discover the original and learn how love can hide in plain sight.

Casablanca. Love for a woman, love for a man, love of country, love of freedom. Find out why everybody comes to Rick’s - and never leaves the same.

Triple-Threat Department

Beauty and the Beast. Whether you prefer the Cocteau, TV, or Disney versions, this classic story reminds every man to prize the beauty in his life and every woman to search for the prince hidden inside the beast.

Cary Grant Department

An Affair to Remember. Take an ocean voyage, plan a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, and along the way discover the connections between human and divine love.

Notorious. She’s a woman with a past looking for love and trust. He’s a man sworn to defend his country - and she’s the perfect weapon.

North by Northwest. It’s a cross-country romance at express-train speed! A Cold War spy thriller! A search for meaning! It - is - North by Northwest.

TV Department

Remington Steele. Invent the perfect detective, and you might be surprised what happens when your invention becomes reality.

Best of Britain Department

Jane Austen series. Love is a serious decision, a fun-filled romp, or sometimes as overblown as a Gothic thriller. Jane Austen knew it, and fortunately so does the BBC.

Lord Peter Wimsey - Harriet Vane series. The titled sleuth faces a double-barreled dilemma when he falls in love with a mystery writer on trial for murder: even if he saves her from the gallows, can they overcome their pasts to create a future together?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I have received a lot of questions recently about the differences between my PC Help Desk in a Book and Leo Laporte’s PC Help Desk (which I co-authored). If you’re on the fence about which book would be better for you,?see my Amazon.com blog for a review of the differences.

I’ll be speaking to the new GETIT (Greater Evansville Territory Information Technologists) organization (write to getit.info@gmail.com for more information) on Wednesday, June 28th, from 11:45AM to 1PM in Evansville Central Library’s Browning Events Room B. Central Library’s at 200 SE. Click for Mapquest map.

I’ll be discussing my new book Upgrading and Repairing Servers during my talk, What Makes a Server a Server? If you’re thinking about building or buying a server, work with servers, or just wonder what makes them different from PCs, join us.

It’s a lunchtime event, so bring your lunch with you, or order one no later than Monday, June 26 (they’re $10 each). Contact Mary Rhodes at mary.rhodes@gmail.com to RSVP your lunch reservation.

I will have copies of Upgrading and Repairing Servers  and other recent books available at special prices. I’ll be happy to autograph these books and copies you already have.

It’s a great deal: feed your mind, your face, and meet new technology pros - three for one! See you there!

I received my co-author’s copies of Upgrading and Repairing Servers a  few days ago. For those of you who read Upgrading and Repairing PCs, the multi-million copy bestseller from Scott Mueller or have visited Scott’s home on the web, www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com, you’ve been reading about an upcoming servers book for about three years now. I’m pleased to say it’s now a reality.

If you’ve been frustrated by a lack of information about how to build, configure or maintain a server; how to select the right form factor and processor(s); how to select the best server architecture for a particular task; or how to create the infrastructure needed for a successful server deployment (server rooms, backup, power protection, rack mounts, and so forth), Upgrading and Repairing Servers is the book you’ve been looking for.

Upgrading and Repairing Servers follows the same full-bore, hard-core, chock-full-of-stuff-you-need-to-know-and-more style of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, but with server-specific information at its core. Here are just a few examples of the questions Upgrading and Repairing Servers answers:

What makes registered memory different than ordinary memory?

Why build a server using one of the SSI form factors instead of ATX or BTX?

How do rack-mounted slimline servers stay cool?

What chipsets support AMD and Intel’s dual-core server processor lines?

Which tape backup technologies are large enough for today’s huge SATA and SAS hard disks?

Which vendors are the leaders in providing server-specific motherboards, chassis, and other hardware?

Upgrading and Repairing Servers is now available from major online and retail booksellers such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Bookpool, Books-a-Million, and many others.

If you’d like an autographed copy signed by yours truly, I have some copies available for just $43.00 (includes shipping) each. Email me for more information and payment options.

Here are the books you can check out in person at the book expo:

Most of these are also available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Borders, and other fine booksellers:

• Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Home Automation Discover how to create a push-button “home of tomorrow” with easy control of lights, appliances, HVAC, and security via remote controls, automatic triggers and timers, a home network, remote telephone, or Internet.
• Easy Digital Cameras  Full-color step-by-step guide to taking, editing, and using digital photos with typical point-and-shoot digital cameras. Shows you why to use a particular feature such as white balance, EV adjustment, and others, not just how.
• Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Home Networking Network your life, not just your computers! Learn how to create a wired, wireless, or mix-and-match network that enables you to work, play and learn with PCs, digital video recorders, console games, and digital media adapters. Wireless security, VPN usage, and remote access to your home network are major features.
• Leo Laporte’s PC Help Desk Leo and I team up to bring you an updated edition of my PC Help Desk in a Book. Fast-track symptom tables, a complete anatomy of desktop and portable PCs, dozens of flowcharts, and clear writeups help you solve problems with your sick PC in a hurry. New features include coverage of the latest Windows XP Service Pack 2 network wizards, how to repair balky autoplay features with AutoFix, how to troubleshoot imaging and multimedia hardware, and how to upgrade a laptop’s hard disk.
• Leo Laporte’s Guide to Safe Computing This special book/CD package includes the full text of Leo Laporte’s PC Help Desk along with a CD containing a second book, Andy Walker’s Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Security, Spam, Spyware & Viruses along with a collection of Andy’s favorite security tools. This book is a special edition for Sam’s Club and Costco.
• Absolute Beginner’s Guide to A+ Certification This book provides excellent coverage of both the hardware and operating systems portions of the CompTIA A+ Certification exams. In Chapter 1, every objective of the exams is cross-referenced to a particular section of the book. The CD makes it easy to study for the exam, because it contains the entire text in PDF format, as well as several CD-only chapters.

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