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Technology News and Information

November 2004: in this issue...

1) Holiday Gift Ideas
2) TIPS: Creating Good Passwords
3) NEWS: Quark XPress Free Upgrade

Having trouble finding the right gift for the tech-savvy family member, friend, or colleague? We've perused the stockpiles of geeky fun across the web to find gifts with an over-the-top nifty factor. With these toys, tomes, and tools, you are sure to be ranked the coolest "secret santa" at your holiday gift exchange.

Gift Ideas Under $100

iTrip from Griffin Technology makes it easy to use your iPod for tunes while motoring around in your vehicle. This handy device is an FM transmitter attachment enabling your iPod to send music to any radio within a short range. The iTrip is easy to use, not very expensive (approx. $35), and makes my iPod that much more usable. (iTrip for iPod Mini is also available.)
<http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itrip/>

Another item in the super-cool-for-iPod category is the PodSleevz from RADtech . These colorful covers made from ultra-tough fabric keep the iPod clean and scratch-free. (approx. $19.95)
<http://www.radtech.us/Products/Podsleevz.aspx>

Sometimes the manuals we get with our stuff just don't cut it. Enter The Missing Manual book series from Pogue Press O'Reilly <http://www.missingmanual.com/>, touted as "The books that should have been in the box." Looking for a title in particular? Check out "Google: The Missing Manual" and see what Google has under the hood. (approx. $19.95)

If you like the classic Swiss Army knife, there is now something even better. The Swiss Memory USB has a flash drive, LED light, knife, file, scissors, and ball-point pen. (approx. $64.99 and up)
<http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/6b3b/>

Feelings of nostalgia are a big part of the holiday season. For those of you wanting to step back in time, the Namco Classic Game controller has some your favorite games - Ms. Pac Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Xevious, and Mappy. Simply plug it into the NTSC video source of your TV and prepare for a stroll down memory lane. (approx. $24.99)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/toys/68ef/

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Gift Ideas Over $100

If you haven't seen this little beauty, definitely check it out. The iPod Photo from Apple is a great revision to the already great iPod. With a color display, longer-lasting battery life, syncability to iPhoto, high storage copacity, and output for TV viewing - the iPod Photo tops every tune-toting person's wish-list. (Prices start at $499.)
http://www.apple.com/ipodphoto/

Colorware PC takes color coordinating your office to the next level. Want a ferrari-red laptop? Want an envy-green game system? Colorware PC adds that personal touch to your stuff. (Prices vary by product.)
http://www.colorwarepc.com/products/default.aspx

The FrogPad is a keyboard for people looking for greater portability, speed and ease of use with handheld computers, personal digital assistants, and wireless phones. It's a great option for the single-handed typist. (Prices start at $150.)
http://www.frogpad.com/information/general.asp

No longer must you feel limited and confined when using the computer. Surf and stretch at the same time. The Gyration Compact Keyboard Suite as motion-sensing technology allowing you to mouse around using natural hand movements either on your desktop or in the air. (approx. $119.95.)
http://www.gyration.com/ultragt-compact.htm

Give the gift of accurate time this holiday season. Once set, the G-Shock Atomic Solar Watch receives transmissions maintaining accurate time. It's solar-powered too, so batteries never have to be replaced. (approx. $150.)
http://www.casio.com/

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Quark XPress Free Upgrade

If you have installed Quark XPress version 6.1, take advantage of Quark's free upgrade to version 6.5. Visit the Quark website for information on...
- feature enhancements in QuarkXPress 6.5
- installation instructions
- issues that have been discovered in QuarkXPress 6.5
- problems that have been fixed in this release

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Tips for Creating Good Passwords

A good, secure password has a number of key characteristics:
1. It will be relatively long (the more characters the better).
2. It will be relatively random (it should look like gobbledygook and it shouldn't contain sequences of letters that can be found in a dictionary or list of names - in any language!)
3. It will contain both alphanumerics (letters and numbers) and non-alphanumerics
4. Most importantly of all: It should be memorable!

The above Information was posted at Mac OS X Hints.com, but it is applicable to all computer users. For the full article and more tips on how to create a strong password, visit www.macosxhints.com.

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