Minox

A Small Camera to Start
You on the Digital Path

OR a month I’ve been having fun with a little camera that fits in the palm of my hand. It’s the Minox DC 2111, an easy-to-handle digital camera. This is the point & shoot you should have if you’re new to the world of digital photography.

“The Minox DC 2111 is the perfect camera to introduce curious amateurs to digital photography without sacrificing quality image making,” says Ralph Hagenauer, Leica marketing director. Leica is the exclusive distributor of Minox products in the U.S.

Weighing in at only 6.6 ounces, this camera is a beauty. I can recommend it as a second camera for photographers because of its compact size, making it convenient to carry everywhere. You can slip the case on your belt, and it’s with you all the time.

The menu features are simple to operate, allowing you to shoot, review the shots, and store them on your computer with the USB cable.

Suggested list price is $249.

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Bacardi’s Story of O
Arouses Your Sensuality

ACARDI is nothing if not a trendsetter. Following the successful introduction of Bacardi Limon, the original citrus flavored rum, the rum company has made another cutting edge leap forward with the introduction of an orange flavored rum – Bacardi O.

If you take your rum colorful and flavorful, Bacardi is your choice. The new silky smooth liquid is flavored with a perfect blend of juices from Valencia and Mandarin oranges and Dancy tangerines.

“It was created for Type O individuals,” says Bacardi USA vice president Celio Romanach, “those curious for new sensations, and confident enough to be among the first to try something avant garde.”

Indeed, if Bluebeard were around he’d change his moniker to Orangebeard and lead his crew to brand loyalty.

“The versatile orange originated in the Far East where its reputation for arousing sensuality and heightening hidden desires took on mythic proportions,” according to Romanach’s PR reps.

The captivating fruit made its way to our part of the globe from Portugal to Brazil via the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, and ultimately to the Bacardi people in Miami.

Actually, Bacardi O is a balance of body and top notes: Mandarin oranges from Sicily are the base notes, Valencia oranges from Florida provide the sweet top notes, and Dancy tangerines from Brazil, Israel and South Florida contribute to the top notes and round off the flavor profile.

The Bacardi Original Orange Rum is 70 proof, perfect for O Martini cocktails and Cosmopolitans, with club soda, tonic or cranberry juice – or straight on the rocks like Orangebeard. Suggested price is $12-$14 for a 750 ml bottle. Enjoy!

TDV3D

RE you satisfied watching lingerie and fashion shows on your computer? Wouldn’t you rather see them in 3-D? Now you can – with three-dimensional imaging software from TDV Technologies Corp. Your screen will never look the same.

TDV3D, the first three-dimensional viewing system for the Internet, will transform still and moving images from standard 2D visuals to realistic 3D images that appear to float in space.

It will revolutionize your entertainment, education and ecommerce experience on the Internet.

“The TDV system provides users with the ultimate virtual reality sensory experience,” CEO Jonathan McCann said at a demonstration.

Jonathan McCann demonstrates TDV Portal

What you get is a screen image with 3D perspective that appears suspended in midair. You et the urge to reach out and touch.

You can view all TDV content without distortion in standard 2D format, then with one click of the mouse you will see it in Stereovision 3D.

The systems consists of wire and wireless glasses, receiver, connecting cords and infrared transmitter, install software and 2D-3D Adobe plug-in (for still graphics).

It is available for $99 at www.tdv3d.com.

ICROSOFT’S portfolio of games for its hugely popular Xbox continues to grow with the release of several more titles. At the beginning of the year, 38 games were available for Xbox enthusiasts. An immediate hit with consumers since its Nov. 15 launch, Xbox also is proving to be a hit with developers.

“We’re ecstatic about the support we’re seeing for Xbox,” said Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer at Microsoft. “Since day one, game developers have been excited about how easy it is to bring their creative visions to life on Xbox.”

Recent additions to the Xbox portfolio include Max Payne from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.; NHL 2002 from Electronic Arts; Star Wars Obi-Wan from LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC; and Azurik: Rise of Perathia and Nightcaster from Microsoft Game Studios.

With Nightcaster you’ll embark on a magical quest of good versus evil. It’s intensely addictive, but enjoyable.

The games keep on coming. The first quarter of the year offers many new ones, including such titles as NBA Inside Drive 2002 (Microsoft Game Studios), Blood Wake (Microsoft Game Studios), Genma Onimusha (Capcom), Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Activision), JSRF — Jet Set Radio Future (Sega of America), WWF Raw (THQ), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (Activision), Blood Omen 2 (Eidos Interactive Ltd.), James Bond 007 — Agent Under Fire (EA), and Gunvalkyrie (Sega).

NBA Inside Drive 2002 is an especially fast-paced exciting game. With lifelike aerial acrobatics from Toronto Raptor All-Star Vince Carter, this unit also features beats from top hip-hop artists setting the tone for realistic match-ups among multiple players.

Suggested price is $49.99.

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Norton AntiVirus

HERE must be a reason for this trend. Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education  (SEP) has selected Symantec antivirus solutions to protect against malicious code.  As the largest public agency in Mexico, SEP wanted the best virus protection for its extensive network of desktops.

The University of Louisville has also selected Symantec to provide Internet security to its 12,000 desktops and servers in its computer network.

No wonder. Symantec's comprehensive solutions offers the best means to protect gateways, servers, and clients with virus protection, firewall security, intrusion detection, and vulnerability management.

“Considering the threat of cyber attacks that exist in today's connected world, Internet security is no longer a luxury but instead is a must in order to ensure the defense of one's critical infrastructure, ” said Gail Hamilton, Symantec executive vice president.

You, too, can protect your business (or your home environment) the same way. Symantec offers two separate packages to secure your network of computers.

There is the Norton AntiVirus 2002 Professional Edition with advanced data protection. It automatically removes viruses while you work, scans and cleans incoming and outgoing mail, protects and recovers sensitive files. It also brings you automatic Internet updates to protect you against new viruses that continually pop up.

Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition includes not only the AntiVirus protection, but also Personal Firewall, Intrusion Detection, Productivity Control and Privacy Control.

The Personal Firewall thwarts hackers.

Norton Internet Security

The Intrusion Detection is constantly on guard against malicious activity. It automatically intercepts suspicious connections. Its autoblock feature will block further traffic from attacking your system. By reviewing your security logs for the past 24 hours, you’ll notice repeated attempts to attack your system. And you’ll breathe a sigh of relief, thanks to Symantec.

To keep your employees focused on work-related activities while they’re on the Internet, the Productivity Control will block access to non-essential newsgroups and inappropriate Web sites.

The Privacy Control keeps your sensitive information private. You can complete transactions safely because you’ll be warned if you attempt to send a credit card number to an unsecured Web site.

Both products, the Norton AntiVirus and the Norton Internet Security, contain a bonus: AntiVirus for Palm OS. You can, of course, keep your PDA’s virus defense continually updated via HotSync.

Actually protection is for everyone, not just for business. If you have a computer, you should have the perfect protection that Symantec provides. Mexico knows that.

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