Techbyter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) With Bill Blinn

If you're thinking about writing a novel, you want YWriter and it's free! Opera's latest version, now available in beta, brings some new features you'll like. The well regarded Registry Mechanic drops a wrench into my Registry. In Short Circuits, Google's operating system, the price of storage, and the case of the disappearing disk drive.

Some of Firefox's best features aren't from Mozilla. Fraud by mail with a Web link. In Short Circuits, Twitter as the new UPI and the RIAA continues to fade.

If I Tweet In Your Facebook will you Twitter to my Monster? Let's take a look at social networksing. Adding a hard drive seems easier than it used to be. In Nerdly News, a fraud that claims to be from Microsoft, a real deal on Windows 7 from Microsoft, a different kind of search engine, and a review of Bozeman, Montanna's social networking expertise.

Some people love instant messaging and some hate it. If you use it, I'll tell you about some useful IM clients. If you don't use it, I'll explain why you should consider it. I have another look at Windows 7 for you. Microsoft's new search engine is off to a strong start. In Short Circuits, I install a new WiFi router and Apple updates Java.

Windows 7's features could be considered nothing but "eye candy", but that would be too bad. Digital photography is about more than pixels. Microsoft seems to be unable to learn. In Short Circuits, the Pre is mature and Bill Gates says the richest of the rich should give away their riches.

After a first look at Windows 7, I think I'm going to like it. Adobe's video applications bring a $200,000 video suite to your desktop. In Short Circuits, The feds call for a cyber tsar, AOL to be spun off, and Microsoft Bing.

Xara's magic Web Designer offers a surprising blast of power for not a lot of money. How to find free WiFi when you travel. A utility that unlocks files that you're trying to delete. In Short Circuits, my first experience with Windows 7 and a report on worldwide broadband service.

Anyone who has more than a couple of tasks that need to be repeated from time to time is a candidate for Macro Express. If you have Microsoft Office 2007, a gigantic update is coming your way. Google Earth 5 offers you more than just a single planet. In Short Circuits, a network glitch make Google appear to vanish and Intel has been told to obey the law in Europe.

What I thought would be an easy Linux upgrade wasn't, but the one that should have been harder was easy. IE8 goes critical. How to build an important system recovery utility CD. In Short Circuits, a really dumb phish and Windows 7 approaches one of my computers.

Tax time was a little more than half a month ago and if you're thinking of being more prepared next year, you'll want to hear today's program. Remember when Stacker could double your disk drive? In Short Circuits, a new service from Google and Windows 7 release candidate is available.

The Internet may be slow because the United States is so large. Last week, I said Linux could never win on the desktop; this week, I reverse that position. Two DVDs in my desktop disappeared. In Short Circuits, Sun fades, Gates is right, and the jackalope rules.

I'll be the guest speaker at the Licking County Computer Society in April and at the Columbus Computer Society in May. Patch Tuesday may have kept you busy beyond Tuesday this month. Linux still can't seem to get any traction and I think I know why. In Short Circuits, a report card for PC manufacturers and something new from YouTube.

It's hard to beat the free KeePass application if you need to create, store, and use passwords. An offer to test my PC's security turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. In Short Circuits, a look at the most photo-friendly cities, the Conficker worm awakens, telephone vandalism wreaks havoc near Silicon Valley, and Microsoft is ordered to pay a big fine.

LONG PROGRAM: Google isn't free and its cost is measured in personal information; we'll talk with author Greg Conti. How to remove 3 XP annoyances. Your computer has millions of transistors; less than 50 years ago, a radio with 7 transistors was remarkable. In Short Circuits: Conficker flops and SGI to be sold.

This week, I've stuck my nose into the spam litter box and dragged out some of the more laughable attempts by fraudsters. On a more pleasant note, let's look at libraries and how they've changed to keep up with the times. Next Wednesday a proposed Internet protocols turns 19 and it remains unimplemented. In Nerdly News, a security conference on browser cracking and another silly "end of the Internet" scare.

A standard-issue Nigerian scam e-mail arrived from South Africa by way of South America; I have an early review of the upcoming ThumbsPlus Release, how to rename your computer, and some funny stuff; and in Nerdly News, Adobe issues an important security patch, the Conficker worm prepares to strike, and Microsoft releases IE8.

Stand back, please; last week's cold is hanging on. We'll take a walk around the Microsoft Office for Mac users, consider HTML e-mail, keep an eye on a hot video (card) and, in Nerdly News, learn about new battery technology from MIT and price fixing by LCD manufacturers.

If designers aren't dancing in the streets, the CS4 versions of InDesign and InCopy should certainly cause them to. I've turned down a "Mystery Shopper" invitations. This week we have questions and answers and in Nerdly News, a warning about unexpected invitations and a new place to get books for your Iphone.

Network Magic keeps your network connected and helps you monitor it. If you're looking for a new firewall, you have quite a choice these days. I'll describe my search for a computer killer. And in Nerdly News, an Adobe Update squashes some dangerous bugs and it seems that "old folks" (those older than 35) have discovered YouTube.

Warning: This program is considerably longer than usual. We talk about security with the authors of a book on the subject. If you think there's malware on your computer, I offer some tools to help you check. In Nerdly News, Microsoft decides to open Microsoft Stores and Microsoft's Mac business unit has a beta version of Entourage ready to go.