If you ever tried to burn a DVD, most chances are you run into some problems. If that didn't happen at first try, it surely occurred somewhere along the way. Even more, if you managed to burn your discs successfully, but after one or two years, they started failing when read, that's still a DVD burning problem, as we're going to see today. Nothing is perfect, and even the most notorious manufacturers of optical media can deliver "duds," but when talking about DVD burning problems, there are usually two main causes: the DVD burning tools(software and hardware), and the lack of knowledge of the user behind(usually in front of...) it.

There is no perfect DVD burning recipe, as there are plenty of good burning programs, and if you are using the same settings, there won't be any big difference in burning quality. The following advices are a direct result of my experience as a user, and also what I managed to learn from the experiences of my friends. These being said, no matter if you're a beginner or experienced CD/DVD burner, here's my list of tips and tricks!

1. Use reliable media. The Media section on CDFreaks is one of the best sources of information regarding a certain CD/DVD disc. Don't be fooled by the name on the disc - it's the manufacturer that really matters! I got to know this when I ended up with a bunch of "no-name" CDs, but when I researched for the manufacturer online, I found out they were made by...Taiyo Yuden! Since then, I've been looking for media manufactured by them all the time, and I never looked at the name on the disc again. Anyway, this doesn't mean Taiyo Yuden media is the only good choice, so feel free to use whatever you want, as long as it's not a type of disc that already got bad reviews.

2. Use reliable burning software! I am not talking about crashes here, I am talking about updates. Here's why I say this - while most power users advise others to keep their burning software up to date, I am not doing that. The reason is very simple - when I got Nero 7, I ran into a lot of problems(to be read "broken DVDs"), only to find that Nero 6.6.1.15 is the best version I could ever get. No matter the software you're using, if the version you have works well, and the new version doesn't offer any feature you need, do NOT update!

3. Get to know your burning software's settings! Fine tweaking your burning software can spare you a lot of problems. Label your discs properly, use LightScribe, <-336x280 Large Rectangle - right->if you are burning media supporting it, and be careful with those burning speeds...

4. Use that knowledge! The main part about using the knowledge you got about your program is to always use "advanced mode" and set all the options for burning manually. I never trust a computer! Some discs support very high burn speeds, but the resulting discs are not as reliable as those created at lower speeds. This is not something noticeable at first sight, but you may get to this conclusion in time. After all, what's 5 minutes, what's 10 minutes? Patience is a virtue, my friends!

5. If you're not burning discs for your enemies, be sure to make a quality check after burning each disc! While most burning programs allow you to test the burning quality, I recommend Nero CD-DVD Speed or VSO Inspector, both available free of any charge. Usually, discs that are read very slow right after being taken "out of the toaster" are very likely to fail in time faster than others.

6. Don't forget to choose your hardware wisely, and not based on your favorite brand or price! If a certain hardware manufacturer comes up with great motherboards, amazing video cards, and best monitors on the market, that doesn't necessarily mean its optical drives are also great. Try not to buy hardware that just arrived on the market, but at least a few months old, so you can check user feedback, and remember that burning quality is more important than noise levels, looks, or reading speed. As long as it supports LightScribe(if you intend to use that feature, of course) and it is compatible with a wide array of media, go get it!

7. If your computer is powerful enough, you can even play games while burning discs, but I don't recommended it at all! I am not saying to close all other applications, because we're in 2008, and most people have at least 1GB of memory(I was burning discs without any problem while surfing the Web on my old computer, with only 512MB of memory), but be sure not to open/close big applications, like Photoshop, while burning the disc. Even more, if you're browsing the files on your computer, be careful not to access the optical drive - it will result in a broken disc!

8. Be careful when labeling discs! Most of the time, I choose to catalog them using WhereIsIt, and since I usually buy bulk discs, I place them into envelopes, writing the number on the envelope, and nothing on the disc. As long as you can keep things in order, everything is great with this strategy.

9. Handle your discs with care! Try to avoid placing your fingers on any side of the disc - I guess I don't have to explain how to avoid that... Also, be sure to keep them in a cool, dry place, and NEVER move them from a very hot room to a cold one, or the other way around. Do that a few times, and you can buy a coffin for your beloved collection afterward!

10. Don't allow dust to get inside your DVD burner! If you're cleaning the house, better keep the computer aside until you are done(I am not talking about a weekly sweep, I am talking about tearing down the walls, changing the stairs, stuff like that), and no matter how clean your computer room is, NEVER leave the DVD drive tray open! Open, insert the disc, close, that's all you have to remember...

This is it for now, if I remember anything else, I'll get back to the topic, you can be sure of that! What else can I say now than.... Good luck, and may all DVD burning problems stay away from you and your discs!

If you ask me about "Microsoft Money," I would usually answer "Well, Microsoft has a lot of money, since they were willing to buy Yahoo," but that would be completely wrong. Have you ever used Microsoft Money? I am not talking about the money that usually go into Bill Gates' accounts, since there's also a personal finance software called this way. Unfortunately, it seems we're talking about an endangered piece of code here, and today we're going to find out why...

Most recent version of Microsoft Money is Microsoft Money Plus, released in August 2007, while the first one dates way back in 1991. Since everything comes to an end, Microsoft decided to cut costs involved in keeping this application alive even more, after discontinuing localized versions of Microsoft Money for a few countries.<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->

Now, here's what the Redmond giant is saying about this software veteran: "We've decided against releasing a 2009 version of Money Plus boxed product. Microsoft Money Plus distribution efforts will focus on selling software online via download, and we have discontinued traditional box sales of the software at retail. I doubt this surprises many of you, especially those who've discussed with me how annual releases don't make much sense for a product that's in its 17th version. The time seems right for this shift. Last year's sales of the software via download outpaced in-store sales for the first time. In fact, software downloads accounted for more than 50-percent of Microsoft Money sales."

These being said, I guess the boxed edition of Microsoft Money Plus 2008 will soon become a precious collectible, as this is going to remain the last version shipping in nice shrink-wrapped boxes...

Unfortunately, this is not only about Microsoft - in a few years, boxed copies will become as vinyls are now for the music industry. If this is good or bad, that's what remains to be seen, but I think nothing can replace the feeling of holding a new box of your favorite software application, especially when comparing this to a message saying "Download complete. Install now?"

There are plenty of things true about computer safety tips, but the most obvious is that you can't get enough of them. Why? Obviously, because computer security issues are the same as car accidents - they happen because someone ignored obvious facts. Since you have to repeat thinks as often as possible, I suggest you to go and read my 10 Computer Security Tips article before moving on with today's round of computer safety tips. These being said, let's move on and seek for...

...Help!!! That's what everyone does when the computer starts having problems, but I can't stop repeating - use Google, first of all! If your favorite search engine is not Google, use your favorite, and be sure to find a proper phrasing for your problem. For example, don't look for "I can't change my screen resolution," but try "LG 1919S resolution" instead - or whatever is the brand and model of your monitor. When there could be more sources of a problem, think a little about it, and then take them down one by one. General questions won't ever provide good answers, remember that!<-120x240 Vertical Banner - right->

When talking about computer safety tips in a house with children, I think parental controls should always be enabled, and - no matter if you can afford buying 20 computers or not, be sure your kids are using a computer that's not located in their room, or at least use some monitoring software. I can't say I understand "online predators," but they do exist, so kids and teenagers can be easy prey for them, unless their parents are watching carefully(try not to suffocate them, anyway - just keep an eye on the whole matter, talk things with them, don't just start saying "you can't visit THAT site, it's evil").

Regarding viruses and other potential threats, I told you last time, but now I want to repeat only one thing - think! Before complaining about things you can't do with your computer, THINK! Sometimes, too often for a lot of people crying out for other's help, the answer is just a few steps away. After all, this is one of the greatest computer safety tips I have ever thought about - don't forget that computers are just as smart as their users make them!

No matter what some or others may say, Linux is not user friendly yet, believe me! It doesn't matter if we're talking about Mandriva, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian or another of those many Linux distros available at this time, I am sure there's none good enough for the average Windows user who doesn't want to spend a single minute learning something new about his computer or his OS(I know a lot of people using IE simply because they are not willing to change it with something better, not because they don't know something better is available). Anyway, we're not going to talk about an entire crowd of Linux versions, because there's some interesting news about Ubuntu some of you may be interested in...

In a speech at the LinuxWorld expo in San Francisco, analyst Jay Lyman of the 451 Group said that companies are getting more and more into free, community-driven Linux distributions, instead of choosing commercial offerings with conventional support options. One of the main reasons seems to be the cost of support services from the major distributions, since most companies using Linux internally on a large scale have enough resources to handle all critical needs, so support from the likes of Red Hat or Novell is being rendered useless.<-125x125 Button - right->

According to Lyman, Europe is moving faster than US, since CentOS and Ubuntu are gaining more followers in corporate environments and data centers there. "In Europe there is a greater propensity to consider something that is not from a traditional vendor," he said.

In the end, it seems that the greater adoption of Ubuntu in commercial environments is "not a flash in the pan," since the 451 Group analyst thinks "For Shuttleworth, Ubuntu isn't just a business mission, it's a personal mission."

The difference between "now" and "then" is that, these days, an entire generation of Linux system administrators have all the information required to get better than ever before, and information means power. That should be enough to make Linux go higher than before, especially since Microsoft...you know the story!

Free Space Invaders! Can you believe it? The best part of it is that you can easily play this at work, as long as you're using OpenOffice.org! If you can't remember the notorious Space Invaders game, no problems, we'll take care of that right away, because it would really be a pity for you to miss this free Space Invaders game available as an Easter Egg right inside a free office software suite...

The original Space Invaders game was designed for coin operated arcades by Tomohiro Nishikado back in 1978, and was originally manufactured by Taito, and licensed by the Midway division of Bally in the United States. Today, this may seem a very basic game, but it's enough to say that Space Invaders earned Taito $500 million in revenue, causing a temporary shortage of Yen in Japan!<-125x125 Button - right->

In the meantime, the game became available on PCs, mobile phones, and other portable devices. Now, it even became an Easter Egg inside OpenOffice.org's Calc application. To access it, simply open Calc, and type =GAME("StarWars") into one of the cells...

...and it's all done! Choose one of the available heroes - Triminator, Huge Jelly Star, Mega Hunter, Natural Fighter, or Overkill Gun Fighter, and then kill'em all! Use the arrow keys to move, and the Space bar to fire. The game messages are in German, but I am sure you can find your way through!

At last, you should know that, once you close the game("Boss is coming!"), you won't be able to play again, unless you close and open the Calc software. Anyway, I am sure this free Space Invaders game will help you kill your time easier than before, so be sure not to lose your job over it!