Maybe you've had better weather, but this spring has been miserable so far here in Pasadena. We've been suffering through rain and temps as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That's okay with me--with three PCs running in my tiny home office, things are nice and toasty inside.
Despite the weather--or maybe because of it--I've been doing more than my usual amount of Web surfing. I found some stuff that's useful, strange, and just plain weird. Read on...
Call Tech Support Using Skype
US Robotics recently announced that you can call for tech support using Skype. Just head for USR's support page and click the "Call with Skype" icon.
I guess that means they can put you on hold and you can't complain about the cost of the call, eh? (Nah, knowing you, you'll probably still kvetch.)
In other calling news, my colleague Eric Butterfield ran across the Gethuman database, an extremely useful site. (I used it when I was trying to get hold of someone--anyone--at Netflix. And by golly, the number was on the list!) It's a list of almost 400 companies with the steps to take to reach a live person when calling. Get the details on Eric's blog, "Sidestep Those Annoying Phone Menus."
Dig This: So you think spam is a new phenomenon? Nope. Here's a 1978 e-mail sent from a sales rep (from DEC, a company some of you may remember) to everyone on the West Coast on the Internet's predecessor, ARPANET.
Take a Look at CorelDraw X3
CorelDraw was released in 1989 and named for Michael Cowpland's first company, Cowpland Research Labs. It's now in its 13th iteration and I've read two reviews of the current version, both positive.
PC World's Harry McCracken likes its incremental improvements. Read "CorelDraw's X3: Drawing Made Easier" for details.
Rick Altman's been writing about Corel products for as long as I can remember and he says it's a credible upgrade.
A Mouse That Spies on You
If your boss gets you a new mouse, and it looks like this one, stop talking--right away. The Endoacustica CP-1 has a built-in microphone. Plug it into your PC's USB port, turn on the computer, and it transmits everything you say to a nearby receiver. [Note to editor: Don't even try sending me one.]
Dig This: Science sure can be beautiful. That's the conclusion I reached after I saw the images at the San Francisco Exploratorium's Microscope Imaging Station--and I bet you will too.
Find Yourself Some New Tunes
I've been stuck in a musical rut, listening to the same old jazz albums over and over again. That's gotta stop, I told myself, and did some searching to get myself some new tunes (as long as it's jazz...).
PC World's Playlist columnist, Narasu Rebbapragada, wrote about "Great Online Sources for Finding New Music." And I have to say, she came up with some gems--like Pandora, a site that lets you make your own "radio station."
Just enter an artist's name and sit back and enjoy tracks from that artist plus some you may not have heard of. For a freebie, it offers lots of nifty features. I can add cuts to a favorites page or reject specific tracks, so I won't have to hear them again. After a while, Pandora picks up my likes and dislikes, and a pattern emerges, making the songs it plays fit my style.
If you're curious, you can tune in to either of my radio stations. I named the first one "Bill Evans Radio" (now there's a surprise); the other is "Jazz Radio."
But Wait, There's More Music
Next, take a look at Richard Baguley's March "Making Movies." I know, it seems unlikely. But in his quest to find music for his videos, he stumbled across some way-cool stuff--like Archive.org, for instance. You've never heard of it? Hey, you need to use your PC more. The Internet Archive has all sorts of amazing stuff, like the 78 RPMs section, a collection of records released in the early 20th century.
I came across the Live Music Archive when I was poking around the site. High-quality concerts available for download--both free and legal. You've got to check it out for yourself.
Steve Bass writes PC World's monthly "Hassle-Free PC" column and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. He also writes PC World's daily Tips & Tweaks blog. Sign up to have Steve's newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.
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