Canadian Chemical News Review Summary

Chemputing's 1995 Schedule

1. January: Reverse Osmosis system analysis with Dow's ROSA, Simplified flowcharting with Haventree's EasyFlow and Diamond Point's Periodic Table
2. February: Software for the small office looked at WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows with the Collins Dictionary of the English Language and virus control with McAfee's Anti-Virus programs
3. March: Filing and retrieving technical references with Canned Software's RetrievalPlus and graphics format conversions with HiJaak
4. April: WordPerfect 5.1+ for DOS and Delrina's DosFax
5. May: The latest CD version of Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials and Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary
6. June: Chemputing's contest for a collective noun to describe "A Group of Chemists". The winning was an Aliquot of Chemists, submitted by Matthew Clark, who is a student at the University of Toronto.
7. July/August: Some ideas for using the new WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows and file compression with PKZIP
8. September: An early look at the long-awaited Windows-95 along with a few comments about COMDEX-95, held in Toronto in July.
9. October: Begins a series on the Internet with An Overview of the Internet and also describes a source where you can get actually something for nothing. A standalone copy of the Internet overview is available on the Web from the author Duke Duyck. The suggestion was made that a Netcorner be included as a regular feature in Chemputing. Please send in your suggestions, favourite URLs or anything that can get this endeavour going.
10. November/December: Frank Currie and Mike Hyatt look at DDM-HAZOP for the chemical process industries. More information and a working demo, check Dyadem's Web Page.

Chemputing's 1996 Schedule

1. January: Continues the Internet series and shows how to establish a SLIP connection with Trumpet Winsock and to send and receive files with FTP and mail with Eudora Pro. We'll also update our earlier look at PKZIP.
2. February: How do you find chemical information on the Internet using the Netscape Navigator. What's out there that may be of interest to chemical people?
3. March: Ted Uyeno, a student at the University of Calgary, will show us how to prepare our own World-Wide Web Home Page. Click here to visit Ted's Home Page.
4. April: It's time to start planning your vacation. As our contribution to the CSC Conference in St. John's, we'll show you how to plot your route using Rand McNally's TripMaker 1996.
5. May: An overview of molecular modelling with HyperChem release 4.5 by Amir Ahari and Geoffrey Hunter from York University
6. June: Paul Larocque of Acerna gives us a bilingual look at creating molecular structures with ChemWindows version 3.1.4.
7. July/Aug: The ultimate CD-ROM based ProPhone will demonstrate the latest technology to replace the old-style telephone books that quickly become worn and tattered. Guido Jäkel's P821 enables you to print up to 8 pages of ASCII text on a single page. We also have our first look at InterCorr/96, the conference of the future, using the resources of the WWW. Check out our paper in Session 5.
8. September: Have you ever wondered how the screens get captured for printing in Chemputing? We also have an interesting combination of a metric converter, steam table and a periodic table with WinMetric from JFB Enterprises in Verdun Québec.
9. October: Matthew Clark and Henry Miyamoto give us a look at both the Student and professional versions of the statistical package Minitab.
10. Nov/Dec: We got out first look at the new Windows 95 version of WordPerfect 7.0, now under the Corel label.

Chemputing's 1997 Schedule

1. January: We'll be looking at some of the components of Lotus SmartSuite 96. Jon Silbert will describe Organizer
2. February: This month looks at a number of utilities including Norton Utilities for optimizing your hard drive, SplitWin for splitting larger files into smaller pieces for backup on floppies ans ViewPrint for viewing, editing and converting graphics files.
3. March: Chemputing went to Windows 95 a bit over a year ago. What do we think a years later.
4. April: Matt Clark had a look at the graphing and graphics of SlideWrite.
5. May: Len Walker and I had fun with this one. Molecular Arts Corporation have put together a wondeful collection of chemical ClipArt
6. June: No many how many warnings people get, there is a virus looking for them, but F-Prot seems to be able to catch them.
7. July/Aug: This month covered some thoughts on the so-called paperless society. We also looked at canada Post's new Postal-Code Directory on CD-ROM.
8. September: Tired of the chaos keeping backups on floppies. Iomega provides an interesting solution with their ZIP drive where each disk can hold the equivalent of 70 floppies. Henry Miyamoto also reviewed a package of software designed for chemical engineers that doesn't quite make it
9. October: This being the consulting issue, some thoughts about Chemputing for Consultants were included as our contribution. Want to improve your screen resolution. My new Sony 100sf monitor was also featured and it's a winner
10. Nov/Dec:This one provides a nostalgic look at older software and some errors in the ways we have gone since

Chemputing's 1998 Schedule

1. January:If you want to keep it UPS, you need a reliable source of electrical power. APC or American Power Conversion make a series of Uninteruptable Power Supplies to drive any equipment over any line upset.
2. February: This issue takes a look at the question of software piracy.
3. March: Matthew Clark takes a look at EndNote from Niles to organize your references.
4. April: This issue has two parts. The first looks at looks at EG&G's Nuclide Navigator to find all the data you might need about various nuclides and compress it into something 2.5 kg lighter than the paper equivalent. Part 2 has an early look at Qualcomm's new Eudora 4.0 email reader and how it can add pizazz to your e-mail
5. May: A Tale of Two Browsers looks at the two popular Web Browsers, Internet Explorer and Netscape in their latest 4.0+ versions. While both are available from many sources at no charge, a clear choice stands out when their various properties are compared. Heed the warnings before you consider upgrading.
6. June: Must we Suffer the Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune looks at ways to prevent or fix those glitches and crashes with Symantec's Norton Utilities version 3.
7. July/August: Len Walker will be describing the multiplicity of thermochemical calculations available using HSC Chemistry.
8. September: Andrei Cornel of AiMS Consulting shows you how to Put Your ACT! Together with Symantec's ACT! version 4 contacts manager.
9. October: We're Ten and Still Going marks our tenth anniversary of Chemputing
10. December: Let your Computer Keep You Organized. Henry Miyamoto looks at an electronic version of the famous Day-Timer and Ron Bobker helps us look at a number of the 3M accessories to simplify your day-to-day Chemputing activities.

Chemputing's 1999 Schedule

1. January:: FAX in Style with Symantec's WinFax Pro version 9.0.
2. February: It seems that no two programs can produce graphics that the other can read. HiJaak Pro version 4.5 provides the wherewithall that allows you to inter-convert among a multitude of graphics formats.
3. March: This one offers a bit of nostalgia looking back at some thoughts from previous reviews.
4. April: It was a simple matter in DOS to print out a directory or compare two directories. With Windows, it's almost impossible until Glenn Alcott came out with some very useful shareware.
5. May: This month looks at some ways that we can better use spreadsheets in our profession.
6. June: How do you exert control on your spreadsheets once they've left your hand? This month has a few suggestions including a look at the Windows version of Baler
7. July/August: Dont get lost. Those familiar yellow Mapart map books are now available on CD-ROM.
8. Sept & Oct: Is a paperless society possible? The discussion starts with attempts to get technical text files back and forth between WordPerfect, Word and Adobe Acrobat formats and comes up with an interesting way to get to an Adobe Acrobat format. Yes the paperless society is possible.
9. November/December: What happens when all goes wrong and you must reformat and start over.

Chemputing's 2000 Schedule

1. January: Has the industry gone mad? Some thoughts about the computer industry and the nonsense it inflicts upon us.
2. February: Backpack allows us to add preipherals that we can take with us from computer to computer.
3. March: Un-Scan-It provides a simple route to take old graphs, scan them and then digitize them to get detailed information or graphs more in keeping with today's capabilities
4. April: WinFax and Mighty Fax square it off in a David and Goliath battle.
5. May: George Crits is a patriarch of the water-treatment industry. Here's a chance to get some of that experience that he has picked up over the years. He's putting it all on floppies that almost any word processor can read.
6. June: Now you can get those standard references on CD-ROM. This month features Perry's Handbook.
7. Jul/Aug: Why do people get trapped with the I luv you and other viruses. There are simple ways to avoid problems.
8. September OnTrack's PowerDesk is everything that Windows Explorer isn't and TClockEx is everything that the system tray clock isn't. Much better than the Microsoft product.
9. Nov/Dec: LXF's Track 2 provides a simple way to handle plant data.

Chemputing's 2001 Schedule

1. January: Get your hard disk organized with Powerquest's Partition Magic which unlike the Windows version, lets you change the number or size of your partitions at any any time without losing data. The accompanying Boot Magic simplifies running with two or more operating systems.
2. February: Can Chemputing catch cooked conclusions? Use your computer to check if data is honest.
3. March: Crash! Some thoughts of surviving a major crash and a new look at the role of Norton Utilities.
4. April: Planning your Canadian travels with MapArt's Canada CD.
5. May: E-mailing with the Eudora 5 and some thought on e-mail netiquette.
6. June: Believe it or not, a piece of computerized lab equipment for $100. The Intel QX3 Microscope was designed for kids, but does a credible job with technical samples.
7. July/Aug: I'm tired of PowerPoint presentations. I can make much more powerful presentations using the new Adobe Acrobat 5. Want to see a sample? Right click here to download a sample (845kB) PDF file. Load it into Adobe to get a full screen display. Note: don't just double click to open this file in Adobe via Explorer or Netscape as it will not have all the Adobe functions.
8. September: Are we losing our equilibrium? Our double harpoon arrow seems to be disappearing as it's not included in the standard MS font sets. Some thoughts on sending files electronically and how we can retain our beloved symbols.
9. October: Do warrantees guarantee anything? Some thoughts on warrantees and upgrades.
10. December: Space: the final frontier Avocent offers a KVM switchbox that provides a simple solution to saving space by allowing multiple computers to share the same keyboard, video and mouse.

Chemputing's 2002 Schedule

1. January: I now have three computers and it was time to get them talking to each other. This month describes what it takes to set up a home-office LAN, in conjunction with a broadband internet connection and what you can do once you have one running.
2. February: Have cellphone, will travel Forget about all the electronic toys. What does it take to get a real notebook working with a cellphone. Ositech provides a simple piece of equipment that lets you read your e-mail on the go.
3. March: Tax time is coming and computerized approach to preparing your taxes.
4. April: The Canadian navigator has just landed in the new world starts a three-part series looking at the new Windows XP.
5. May: To XP, or not to XP, that is the question Should we or should we not upgrade to Windows XP. Many older programs no longer work, e.g., WordPerfect 7.0 with it's super equation editor. I looked around and found MathType which offers a far better replacement.
6. June: Some final thoughts on the XP world I still have mixed feelings. I both like it and hate it.
7. Jul/Aug: You have a web page, but who reads it? VisualRoute is a simple program that allows you to trace the route between your computer and the remote server and often identify the who's reading your page.
8. September: Animals in the Snow Dig for Food Greedily Your editor did a search for methods to learn to type. The first site from the search took him to Nail It Now in Australia. Believe it or not; he went from two fingers to ten in 55 minutes.
9. October: The Seven Deadly Sins of Computing, an updated look at Dante's Inferno and who should go there.
10. Nov/Dec: Computing: the good, the bad and the ugly finds a way to salvage all those old and obsolete computers and put them into a good home where they will be appreciated.

Chemputing's 2003 Schedule

1. January: Thermodynamic Functions on Tap Now you can toss out those old steam tables and replace them with a spreadsheet add-in from ChemicaLogic.
2. February: Pop Goes the Computer Weasel, an look at the weaknesses of tech support and warrantees.
3. March: Put Pizzazz into PowerPoint Presentations shows how you can put some life into those boring presentations.
4. April: Reflecting on Chemputing's Past takes a look at the some of the past columns.
5. May: Aunt Abigail Creates Order from Chaos describes an ultra simple program to get those digital photos organized.
6. June: Back Up Now or it's Bye Bye Files shows how to partition a hard drive with Partition Manager to get a D: drive to store your fines and to use Comparator Pro to back them up.
7. Jul/Aug: Where Can I find Help? Where can you find help when you need it?
8. September: Show Your Computer Who's Boss! A few good ideas to put the user in control.
9. October: Safety in Number looks at the WayFinder 911 computerized house number that may help the pizza delivery or ambulance find you.
10. Nov/Dec: To See Oursels As Others See Us takes the Burns poem to the 21st century and might make us think before we send documents to others.

Chemputing's 2004 Schedule

1. January: Fit to Print offers some good ideas to recycle those ink jet cartridges and get a few extra lives from them.
2. February: Am I OK? offers some thoughts on diagnosing your health using the web. On closer examination, isn't this the same argument that might appear when someone who doesn't understand chemistry gets an expert system to control it.
3. March: Buzz Off! Have you ever wondered what can happen when you and your ISP start to argue about your payments? This is a must for everyone to get some idea about the sordid world of credit reporting.
4. April: Out-of-this-world Chemistry looks at some of the data that's coming back from outer space. How about a Mössbauer spectrometer on Mars and a look through the Hubble.
5. May: Come On Out of the Closet offers some suggestions to get those colour slides that nobody looks at anymore and get them in a digital form.
6. June: Return to Sender warns us that many viruses are sent by our friends. How do we spot this friendly fire?
7. Jul/Aug: Improved Chemunication describes some of the improvements in the Eudora 6 e-mail program to improve internet communication and to catch spam. As a demonstration this review was prepared and sent from Dubai.
8. September: Who's Snooping Around Your Computer? How safe is your system from intruders? Some methods for checking were described.
9. October: Can You See What You're Doing? How do you use a computer with bi or trifocals? Maybe what you need single vision glasses dedicated to the job. How do you get them?
10. Nov/Dec: Have Chip - Will Travel describes life with one of the new generation notebooks with all the bells and whistles.

Chemputing's 2005 Schedule

1. January: Can You Just Print One? describes the Dymo LabelWriter and some of the versatility of this label writer that can print a variety of labels, one at a time. It sure beats pushing an entire page through a laser printer..
2. February: Acrobatic Archiving tackles the problem of archiving scanned documents.
3. March: Picture Perfect Presentations looks at the problem with skyrocketing file sizes that result when you mix programs such as PowerPoint with bitmapped graphics.
4. April: Two Steps to Improve Your PM provides the vial component of project management that is often overlooked.
5. May:
6. June:
7. Jul/Aug:
8. September:
9. October:
10. Nov/Dec:

This page was last updated 2005-Feb-22