The e-book reader war is intensifying. From the first Kindle to the latest Kindle 3, e-book reader technology has moved at a dizzying speed. E-books are popping up in all the places formerly reserved for paper and ink: trains, planes and beaches. It’s time to pay attention to this new technology.

As an avid reader, one who loves the feel of the book in my hand, I’ve tried to ignore the inevitable. Why? I’m afraid for the fate of my beloved books, and, in consequence, the libraries which house those books.  However, e-book readers are the future and I want in.

Though there are many e-book readers on the market, the most popular right now are Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Sony’s Reader Pocket Edition. Each has excellent features.

Amazon’s latest, Kindle 3, has downsized its dimensions to 7.5 by 4.8 by .3 inches, weight to 8.5 ounces, and price to $140.  It is now smaller and lighter than any other reader.  It has a physical keyboard and navigation button. Amazon boasts that if you turn off the Wi-Fi feature, the Kindle’s battery will last for up to a month. You also have access to Amazon’s huge catalog of current books which makes it very attractive.  The Kindle 3 can hold up to 3,500 books, has better screen resolution, faster page turning time, and can wirelessly sync with various devices (computer, iPhone, iPad, etc). An interesting feature unique to the Kindle is its audio option; you can listen to the story. Choose Wi-Fi or the more expensive 3G option.

Barnes & Noble’s Nook is currently the Kindle’s biggest competitor. Sony is thought to be upgrading soon. The Nook has recently dropped its price to $149 and its dimensions are similar to the Kindle at 7.7 by 4.9. Its width and weight are more: .5 inches and 12.1 ounces. The battery life is said to be about 10 days. The Nook uses a color touch screen below the reading screen and with Barnes & Noble, you have access to the largest catalog of books. With Nook, you can read free while in a Barnes & Noble store, lend books to a friend for up to 14 days, and you have ePub compatibility which allows you to access certain titles from the library. As with the Kindle, you have dedicated apps for the PC, Mac and Apple technology, and many smart phones. Choose Wi-Fi or 3G (more expensive). Look for the Nook 2 to arrive shortly. The scuttlebutt has it becoming even more competitive with the Kindle.

Sony’s Reader Pocket Edition has a 6” touch screen, virtual keyboard and stylus, and supports Adobe PDF, MS Word, and ePub formats. The price is $130. Reader dimensions are 6.6 by 4.75 by .4 inches. Its battery life is touted at 2 weeks. Unique options include: the virtual keyboard and stylus for you to take notes or highlight sections of the book, and the ePub format which gives you access to certain books at public libraries. Currently, there is no Wi-Fi or 3G capability. Although the Sony store can’t compare to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, there is talk that they will add Google Editions to their arsenal, perhaps by October. Rumors abound about the new Sony 650 that is set to arrive. The buzz suggests that Sony, with its reported new technology, may wind up as a major competitor for the Kindle and Nook.

With all the data available, it is still difficult to decide which device is best. One important consideration, not often mentioned, is the availability of your favorite authors. Some authors are exclusively presented on a specific e-reader; check before you buy. For me, the Nook’s ePub compatibility and large choice of books is attractive. However, the weight and extra slim case of the Kindle is also something to consider. Analysts suggest that this fall and winter season, everyone will be showcasing their newly ramped up e-readers. The holiday season should also see some discounts among the big three.

I’ve decided to wait for the innovations and (hopefully) fall/winter deals to arrive before I make my final choice.  Until then, I’ll just sit back and continue to enjoy the look and feel of the actual printed page.

Political intrigue, terrorism, and a quirky look at our historical leaders.

Michael Bronte has found an innovative approach to the process of world domination with a group of dead presidents who play war games from their celestial situation room. Unfortunately, the deadly consequences of these games are felt in our world.

In a parallel narrative, we see a young man (Pauli Campo) emerge on earth, whose destiny is to challenge a grossly underestimated dictator. Pauli’s path is to prevent an out-of-control madman from destroying the world order and try to avert World War III. The political posturing leading us to the brink is all too plausible, making this a terrifying possibility.

As the story progressed, I became engrossed in both worlds.  Mr. Bronte’s mockery of our former presidents seemed overdone at first, but soon caught my imagination.  As I turned the pages, I was as eager to see what was happening in Mr. Bronte’s “Unworld” as I was to devour the excitement and intrigue on earth. Who knows what rules our fate? A very satisfactory read.

More and more people are interacting online for business and social purposes.  Sites like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter have seen their membership grow exponentially over the last few years.

One of the reasons for their popularity is that they offer users the ability to become part of a group of people who share their interests, business or social.  Other sites like Yahoo have groups specializing in almost anything you can imagine.

In this society where work is all encompassing and social interaction consists of meeting briefly at clubs, restaurants or coffee shops, it is difficult to find like-minded people with whom you can discuss your particular interests.  Social opportunities online are steadily supplementing and may actually take over the traditional social disciplines.  For instance, online dating was once something only the very brave or foolhardy would attempt.  Today it is an accepted alternative to meeting people.  The internet has impacted every phase of our lives.  Why not use it to discover more about your interests and those who share them.

Recently, I decided to try my hand at writing fiction.  The traditional classes available to me didn’t work, either because of the type of writing or because of the class schedules.  I opted for the internet.  There I found groups who, not only specialized in fiction, but also in my genre.  Through the groups, I found a couple of courses that were exactly what I wanted.

Today I keep up with these groups where I feel comfortable enough to express my doubts and fears.  For every question, I have received at least one answer.  Because those in the group have been in my position, they know how to help me.

Another reason for the popularity of online groups is their credibility.  You can check the credentials of other members by looking into their social and business profiles as well as their web pages, blogs, newsletters, etc.  You will also find that online groups, unlike traditional groups, tend to have a constant influx of members so there is no worry of the group being dissolved for lack of membership.

A little research is needed before you leap in to join an online group.   Decide what type of group is best for you.  Explore a few of the groups that you find.  For instance, I wanted a writing group, but realized that I wanted it in my genre.  I examined many before I joined.

One other important caveat; don’t join more groups than your schedule can handle.  To be successful in a group, you need to participate.  That means reading and sometimes replying to an intensive message list.  Remember, joining a group online is like joining a group in person.  Once you accept their invitation, you have a certain responsibility to the group.

Check out the available listings through sites like Google, Yahoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.  Take time to find those that are right for you.  Don’t sabotage a great opportunity by over-subscribing to groups.  Then, jump in and enjoy.

The finishing touches on a document can sometimes be the most difficult:  setting up page numbers and section titles, changing headers and footers for different sections, or using multiple formats on a page.  In MS Word there is a feature called “Breaks” that makes these changes painless.  In Word 2003, the Break dialog box can be found under the Insert menu; in Word 2007, the Page Breaks/Section Breaks dialog box appears on the Page Layout Ribbon in the Page Setup group.

There are two types of Breaks: Page Breaks and Section Breaks. In the dialog box, the types are further broken down.

Page Breaks or Break types (2003) include Page, Column, and Text Wrapping:

• Page – A page break lets you permanently separate text by page.  If you have a two-part document and you want Part II to start on a separate page, insert a page break.  That guarantees that Part II will always start on a separate page, no matter how much text you add or delete in Part I.
• Column – A column break allows you to place a break anywhere in a long column.  You can set up columns with equal length or fit a shorter part of a column above a graphic.  Place the insertion point where you want to end the first column and insert a column break.
• Text Wrapping – A text wrapping break give you the option to separate text around objects on the web.  Click the web page where you want the wrapped text to end and insert the text wrapping break.

Section Breaks enable you to set up sections that have different formatting than the rest of the document.  Apply these to use different columns on the same page, assign different page headers or footers, or change the page orientation (Portrait or Landscape).

• Next Page – This starts the new section on the following page.  Use it to insert new headers, footers or change page orientation.  To complete the action, whether changing page orientation or headers, make sure you are in the header (or in the footer to change footers).   In 2003, deselect (by clicking) the “link to previous” on the Header and Footer toolbar.  In 2007, click on the Design tab and deselect “link to previous”.
• Continuous – A continuous break stays on the same page.  The new section will begin from the point where you insert it. With this you can apply formatting or column changes within the page.
• Even Page – The new section will begin on the next even numbered page.
• Odd Page – the new section will begin on the next odd numbered page.

Page and Section Breaks not only ensure that your document is set up the way you want it, but that the finished product is a professional presentation.

Have you ever wondered at the uneven ratio of charitable donations to disease cures?  Where does all the money go?  Jackson reveals the deadly lure of power and money in this fast-paced thriller about the world of Charitable Foundations.

In Death of a Cure, Marine surgeon, Lt. Col. Thomas Briggs investigates the suicide of his brother, prominent physician and scientist at a large charitable organization.   Along the way he engages the help of his friend, Marilena, an FBI agent who happens to be gorgeous.  Together the tough Marine and resourceful FBI agent uncover the uncharitable side of the CID and find themselves the target of a ruthless and cunning killer.

From start to finish, Jackson delivers suspense, intrigue and an engaging cast of characters.  I hated to see it end.

Q.  I have three kitties.   They follow me all over the house.  They love to sit on my computer stuff.  Can the computer hurt them?   Elsie, Salem

A.  The computer itself won’t hurt the kitties but they can get hurt if they play with the wires, either by getting caught in them or by biting them.  Kitties are not too good for computers either.  Not only do they like to bite wires, but they like to play with buttons and also lay on the keyboard.  Laying on the keyboard could disable it, in which case you have to shut down the computer and hope the problem is resolved when you restart it.  So, take care of your kitties and keep them away from the computer.

Q.  How can I get back hidden columns on someone’s spreadsheet?  Ted, Wenham

A.  If the spreadsheet is MS Excel, there is more than one way to accomplish that.  First, you highlight the columns on either side of the hidden column (s).  Then, for 2003, you can open the Format menu and choose Unhide.  For 2007, go to the Home tab, Cells group, Hide & Unhide, and select Unhide Columns.  Or you could go with the easy shortcut in either 2003 or 2007.  Once you highlight the columns on either side of the hidden column (s), simply place the mouse on the selection, click the right mouse button and choose Unhide.

Q. I just changed from Word 2003 to Word 2007.  I don’t want to save my files in 2007 because I email them to people who don’t have 2007 but I’m tired of having to go to Save As Word 2003 every time.  Is there a way to automatically save them as Word 2003?  Greg, Salem

A.  Yes there is.  Go to the Office Button in the upper left corner of the window.   At the bottom of that menu, click on the button “Word Options”.   Choose Save from the list on the left.  The “Customize how documents are saved” dialog box opens.  Go to “Save Files in this Format” and click the down arrow to the right of that box.  Choose “Word 97-2003 Template (*.dot)”.  Your files will now be automatically saved as Word 2003 documents.
Margo Carey is a computer education specialist, owner of Carey Custom Computer Training.  You may submit your computer questions to:

Margo@CareyComputerTraining.com

For information about her Computer Tips newsletter or her individual computer training, go to her website,

www.CareyComputerTraining.com