The Microsofties are appealing to you to try Windows Vista. You'll really, really like it, they insist. They've gone out of their way to prove to you that it's a swell operating system, too, by creating a series of see-we-told-you-so videos.

Microsoft's Experiment

The crew from Redmond dressed Windows Vista up in a flashy new box, called it Mojave, the next Microsoft OS, and foisted it upon--no, sorry, make that "introduced it to"--volunteers.

If you've ever done business with Assurz, you're out of luck. They're kaput. Assurz is the company that offered a guarantee if you had trouble with a product. Read "TigerDirect Offers Assurz's 90-Day "Satisfaction Guarantee" for the back story. Also read "Easy Product Returns--at an Extra Cost?"

According to Internet Retailer, the company didn't give participating companies--and definitely not consumers--much notice:

"I'm out of ink. Feed me." That was what my Brother 640CW multifunction printer demanded recently. I checked and there was still enough fluid in its cartridge for goodness knows how many more pages.

I examined all three allegedly empty cartridges--cyan, yellow, and magenta. From the top to bottom, they measured 1 1/8 inches. There was still roughly 1/4 inch of fluid at the bottom of each one. That's about a fifth of the cartridge's capacity, so my loss in ink was roughly $2.25 per cartridge. That's not exactly big bucks, but enough to make me feel like I was being scammed. (Oh, right, what printing manufacturer would do that, eh?)

I don't know what's worse: Dealing with airline hassles or struggling to carry around enough cash to fill up my car. Despite it all, I'm spending more time on the road. So that's this week's focus--finding out how much you spend on gasoline, a look at California's new cell phone law, and an irritating scam from Travelodge's Web site. Plus: A shocker from the TSA.

Estimate the Fuel Hit Before You Travel (Ouch)

Heading across the country in your RV? Or maybe you're just planning a trip this summer. Here's a quick way to figure out how much it'll cost you in fuel. (Hint: Lots. No, make that lots and lots.)

I tried it once. I built a PC from scratch and it reminded me of a Heathkit electronics kit I assembled for a Boy Scout merit badge.

Sure, I saved some money--but overall, I didn't enjoy it. Intel's motherboard manual was poorly written and confusing; I never got the front USB ports to work; and I cut my hand on a sharp edge inside of the case.

My editor said it's summer and she's spending lots of time outdoors. "How about some music and camera stuff, Bass?" LOL--do your own research, I thought, but instead gave her my old Army "Yes, ma'am." So this week I dug up a cool, little tripod and a small speaker case that packs a lot of sound. Oh, yeah, and some time wasters you ought to save for the July holiday.

Gorillapod: A Handy, Small Tripod

Joby's Gorillapod has a strange name, but this little tripod is super handy. The legs are sturdy and flexible, and strong enough to hold a compact digital camera (or an MP3 player or even a small GPS, though I can't imagine wanting to).

Are you worried about malware and spyware plaguing your system? I have a cool, free tool that gives you an extra layer of defense when you're Web surfing. I also have two free utilities that can lock up and hide your sensitive folders and keep them from prying eyes. Plus, for readers who didn't like my earlier tip for disabling the Insert key, I offer a nifty program to watch your Insert, Caps Lock, and Num Lock keys.

Hide and Encrypt Files and Folders

The Hassle: I have files--documents and videos--on both my desktop PC and my notebook that I'd like to keep private. Do you know of a sure way to do it?

I got your attention with that video, I know, and trust me, it's funny. (It even got Game On's Matt Peckham over to my blog.) I don't want you scrolling just yet 'cause I have some productivity things for you first. Read on...

Share Big Files

I have a pair of big video files from our vacation; they're both a tad under a gigabyte. I've used YouSendIt and other services, but you know how it is with the Web--wait 20 minutes and a new service pops up. (Read about other sites in "Transfer Big Files" and "Sending Large Files Via the Internet.")

You remember I told you that I gave up using Microsoft Outlook? That's true, but I still need quick access to a calendar a couple times a day. Coincidentally, two of my e-mail buddies found a pair of handy little calendars, both free for the download.

The one I'm using is QuickMonth Calendar because it's unobtrusive and doesn't have any bells, whistles, or frills. Just roll your cursor over on the clock in your System Tray and up pops a calendar.

Hello Blu-ray ... adios, HD DVD. There was no doubt in my mind when I heard that Universal studios lined up with Warner Bros in its support for Blu-ray. Hold off on your calls and letters. I know--Universal is still supporting HD DVD too; see "Universal Denies Reports That It's Leaving HD DVD."

At the same time, if you read "Toshiba Slashes HD DVD Prices," you'll see that Toshiba appears to be dumping HD DVD players faster than Windows Vista users are switching to Macs. And Microsoft has said it couldn't care less about HD DVD (see "Microsoft: No HD DVD Xbox.")