Senin, 24 November 2008

Too little sleep tied to increased cancer risk

WASHINGTON - By Will Dunham
Regular exercise can reduce a woman's risk of cancer, but the benefits may slip away if she gets too little sleep, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
The study involving 5,968 women in Maryland confirmed previous findings that people who do regular physical activity are less likely to develop cancer.
But when the researchers looked at the women ages 18 to 65 who were in the upper half in terms of the amount of physical exercise they got per week, they found that sleep appeared to play an important role in cancer risk.
Those who slept less than seven hours nightly had a 47 percent higher risk of cancer than those who got more sleep among the physically active women, the researchers reported at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
"We think it's quite interesting and intriguing. It's kind of a first look into this. It isn't something that has been widely studied," James McClain of the National Cancer Institute, part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, said in a telephone interview.
McClain, who led the study, said it is unclear exactly how getting too little sleep may make one more susceptible to cancer. "Getting adequate sleep has been long associated with health," McClain said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls sleep loss an under-recognized public health problem, saying Americans are getting less and less slumber. The CDC said the percentage of adults reporting sleeping six hours or fewer a night increased from 1985 to 2006.
Sleep experts say chronic sleep loss is associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression, cigarette smoking and excessive drinking.
In addition, research had shown that people who get regular exercise have a reduced risk of breast, colon and other types of cancer. Experts think the effects of exercise on the body's hormone levels, immune function and body weight may play an important role.
Copyright 2008 Reuters

Popping vitamins C and E doesn't stop cancer

WASHINGTON - Men who took vitamin E or vitamin C supplements were no more or less likely to develop cancer than men given a placebo, indicating these antioxidants have no cancer-prevention value, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.
Previous research showed that people who ate diets rich in vitamins E and C had a lower risk of cancer, suggesting that supplements of these vitamins might help ward off cancer, the researchers said.
The new study tracked cancer risk in 14,641 male U.S. doctors who took either 400 IU of vitamin E every other day or a placebo, or 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily or a placebo. Their average age was 64 at the start of the study and they were followed for eight years on average.
Taking the vitamins had no impact on the risk for any type of cancer, Howard Sesso of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and colleagues reported at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Vitamins don't prevent heart disease, eitherOne week ago, Sesso reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that in the same population of men, taking these vitamins also failed to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke.
"In our view, there's really no compelling reason to take these individual vitamin E and C supplements," Sesso said in a telephone interview. "Until other evidence comes out otherwise, we would argue that without any clear benefit, why would you take these?"
Vitamin E and vitamin C are antioxidants, thought to protect against damage caused by free radicals, substances that can harm cells, tissues and organs. Fruits and vegetables are rich in both, and it has been shown that people who eat plenty of these foods may have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and other conditions.
The researchers were particularly interested in whether vitamin E supplementation would reduce the risk of prostate cancer after earlier research suggested it might. It did not.
There has been controversy over vitamin C and cancer for decades. The idea that vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, could be used to treat cancer was advanced in the 1970s by American scientist Linus Pauling, who awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954.
Sesso said an ongoing element of his research is looking at whether taking a multivitamin combining a number of different vitamins has any effect on the risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Copyright 2008 Reuters

Some breast cancers spontaneously disappear

NEW YORK - The results of a mammographic screening study suggest that some invasive breast cancers may spontaneously regress over time.
These findings "provide new insight on what is arguably the major harm associated with mammographic screening, namely, the detection and treatment of cancers that would otherwise regress," Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, from the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, Vermont, and colleagues state.
The study, which is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved 119,472 women, from 50 to 64 years of age, who underwent three rounds of mammography screening from 1996 to 2001 as part of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. The cancer rates in this group were compared with those in 109,784 control women who would have been screened had the program been in place in 1992.
Women in the control group were invited to undergo a one-time screen at the conclusion of their observation period, the authors explain.
As anticipated, the 4-year cumulative incidence of invasive breast cancer in the screened group was higher than in the control group before screening: 1268 vs. 810 cases per 100,000 population.
However, even after the one-time screen in the control group, the 6-year cumulative incidence of breast cancer in the screened group was still higher: 1909 vs. 1564 cases per 100,000 population.
"Because the cumulative incidence among controls never reached that of the screened group, it appears that some breast cancers detected by repeated mammographic screening would not persist to be detectable by a single mammogram at the end of 6 years," Welch and colleagues conclude.
"If the 'spontaneous remission' hypothesis is credible, it should cause a major reevaluation in the approach to breast cancer research and treatment," Dr. Robert M. Kaplan, from University of California, Los Angeles, and Dr. Franz Porzsolt, from the University of Ulm, Germany, write in a related editorial. "Certainly it is worthy of further evaluation. But, finding better data to assess the hypothesis will be difficult."
Copyright 2008 Reuters

(msnbc)

Minggu, 23 November 2008

Prabowo, Wiranto hint at coalition

Abdul Khalik , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 11/22/2008 12:54 PM | National

In a move that could end years of bitter rivalry, prominent military figures Prabowo Subianto and Wiranto have hinted at the possibility of joining forces in the next presidential election.

In separate statements both Prabowo, chief patron of the Greater Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) and Wiranto, chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), admitted competing against either President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or former president Megawati Soekarnoputri would be difficult in the absence of a coalition.

Pressure has been mounting for parties to merge since a recent law stated that only a party, or coalition of parties, could contest the presidential elections if it secured at least 20 percent of House of Representatives seats or 25 percent of popular votes in the legislative elections.

"There is no other way. We have to form a coalition with a party, and I think Hanura is one of the options. Pak Wiranto and myself are (loyal to) red and white," Prabowo said Friday, referring to the two parties' nationalist platform.

Prabowo was speaking after a "nostalgic meeting" with Timor Leste armed forces chief of staff Col. Lere Anan Timur. Both were adversaries when Timor Leste was part of Indonesia.

Wiranto has also acknowledged that Hanura should team up with other parties, including Gerindra, to qualify for the presidential election.

Wiranto said whoever secured the highest vote in terms of popularity and electability in the national polls deserved the chance to run for presidency, whether it was himself, Prabowo or anybody else in the coalition.

A recent survey by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) found Wiranto and Prabowo were neck to neck in the polls and were the third and fourth most popular presidential candidates respectively behind Yudhoyono and Megawati. A different survey by the National Leadership Centee (NLC) ranked Prabowo third, ahead of Wiranto.

More recent surveys however have consistently put Gerindra above Hanura, attributing the result to aggressive TV ads.

Prabowo said Gerindra would not depend solely on TV ads but would run an intensive campaign at a grassroots level.

Speculation has been rife for the last few weeks that the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) would support a coalition between Prabowo and Wiranto, forming a third axis to compete with Yudhoyono and Megawati.

Although not ruling out a possibility of supporting such a coalition, PKS faction chairman at the House of Representatives Mahfudz Siddiq said any formal coalition involving PKS nominating a presidential candidate would be decided after the legislative election in April 2009.

"Right now, we are open to communication with any parties or figures," Mahfudz said.

In a bid to lure more voters, PKS has run television campaigns featuring prominent figures identifiable with Wiranto and Probowo, including former president Soeharto, to boost their image as national heroes.

HP says bye to vapid designs

Zatni Arbi , Contributor , Jakarta | Mon, 11/03/2008 10:29 AM | Sci-Tech

If all the restaurants in a food court make excellent fish soup, how can one restaurant differentiate its soup from the crowd? Can they win the competition by lowering their price?

In most cases, it is not feasible, as restaurants have to earn some profit. They have to pay their chefs, their cooks, their waiters and waitresses. They also have to pay the rent.

So, if everybody has access to the best ingredients, the freshest fish on the market and more or less the same recipe, what can be done to make one soup stand out? Well, it can be the way the soup is served. It can be the bowl that is used by the restaurant, the additional aroma of lemon leaves, etc.

Similarly, with every computer maker churning out notebooks with state-of-the-art technology nowadays, how can one vendor differentiate its products from the rest?

One way is to apply delightful design touches to the otherwise boring notebooks. That is exactly what HP has done to the latest generation of their notebooks, and it seems that they have done a great job.

The new HP notebooks were first launched at HP's Connecting Your World event in Berlin last June. Last week, HP introduced some of them to the press in Jakarta: HP Compaq Presario CQ20, CQ40 and CQ45, HP Pavilion dv4 and dv7 and the brand new line of HP HDX Premium Series 16 inch and 18.4 inch.

Frankly, in the recent past I had not found the designs of HP notebooks terribly appealing. Most were in black with some decoration here and there.

Of course, the more expensive ones had something admirable in terms of design, but they were targeted more to users with deep pockets. The new HP generation is different: Subtle design enhancements can be found across the entire range of new notebooks.

The Compaq Presario line is HP's offering for those who want affordability and good value. The Pavilion series, which range in price from US$1,000 to $2,000, have more entertainment features and have more overall capability.

The new HP HDXes, priced at $2,000 and up, are the premium notebooks that incorporate technologies we would expect from a top-class notebook.

Missing from the product launch were two premium lines, the brand new EliteBooks and the highly personalizable Voodoo lines. HP claims that the workstation-class EliteBook can achieve a full 24 hours' working time on its battery, and it demonstrates how the company is once again very serious in its R&D activities.

Also missing was the announcement of HP's fresh-from-the-oven notebook products, the HP Mini 1000 series. HP Indonesia promises the new notebooks will be brought into the country in the near future.

What is so special about HP's new generation of notebooks that has made them a pleasure to look at and use? First, there is the flushed Infinity Glass that covers the screen. HP uses a piece of glass to cover the entire TFT screen and its frame from edge to edge, making it appear as though the screen has no frame at all.

Next is the liquid metal sensation that all the keys in the keyboard have. I tried out the keyboards on the prototypes -- they only had mostly prototypes on display during the launch -- and found the keyboard was quite good for touch-typing.

Mesh imprints are also used to enhance the look of the notebooks. This results in a glossy surface that lasts quite a long time.

Actually, HP did in the past apply artistic touches to its products, but their re-emphasis on artistry pinnacled last year with a competition that it ran together with MTV. In the contest, young designers were invited to produce art for the skin of a limited edition 14-inch notebook.

Clearly, with the new focus on design, HP notebooks are no longer boring and gaudy. Even the Mini 1000 has a Vivienne Tam Edition with an art skin in bold red colors.

But this computer maker is not skimping on advanced features. For example, the Pavilions have HP ProtectSmart to protect the hard disk in case of a fall. They also have the latest Intel Centrino 2, large hard disks, lots of memory and a TV tuner.

The mid and high-end notebooks also feature discreet graphics from NVidia. If you prefer AMD ATI, the company will customize one for you. The HDX has additional features such as HP Triple Bass Subwoofer, a ScrollSmart remote control, a Blu-Ray drive -- the list can go on and on.

I am looking forward to the chance to review a demo unit soon so I can provide you with more details.

Earlier this year, FastCompany, one of my favorite tech and innovation magazines, put HP in its list of the world's 50 most innovative companies.

The freshness of the notebook designs provides good evidence of this. It is a much-needed accomplishment, as the company -- which ranks second after Acer in Indonesia -- has to face growing competition from other vendors such as Dell and Lenovo, who are also coming up with great notebooks with looks that please the eye.

Just be ready to be enthralled by them during the IndoComtech 2008 computer exhibition in JCC, Jakarta, from Nov. 12 to 16.

Jumat, 21 November 2008

Google mulls pre-installing Chrome browser on computers

From
November 20, 2008

The search giant looks at pre-installing Chrome on personal computers in a bid to break dominance of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer

Google is considering pre-installing its Chrome browser on personal computers in the search giant’s latest challenge to the dominance of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

The move would significantly ramp up the browser war that Google launched against Microsoft when it launched Chrome in September, in the battle to dominate how users access and interact with the web.

Latest industry figures show that Internet Explorer currently enjoys a 71.3 per cent market share worldwide, with Mozilla Firefox at nearly 20 per cent. Chrome is used by less than 1 per cent of all web users, but is still under public testing before a final version is ready to launch.

Speaking to The Times, Sundar Pichai, Google Vice President, Product Management, revealed that Chrome will be ready to come out of “beta” testing by January, and that the search giant was looking at ways to make Chrome the browser of choice for the everyday user.

“We will probably do distribution deals,” he said, adding, “we could work with an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and have them ship computers with Chrome pre-installed.”

He added that versions of Chrome should also be available of computers using Macintosh or Linux software in the first half of next year, allowing the browser to be used on almost 99 per cent of computers worldwide.

Analysts said that Microsoft eventually defeated Netscape Navigator in the first browser wars during the late 1990s primarily because Internet Explorer came installed on computers that operated the Windows operating system, and as a result became the default choice for most web users.

Richard Holway, Chairman of Tech Market View, the industry analysts, said that due to strict anti-trust rulings since, it would be hard to block Google doing deals with computer makers to install Chrome on their PCs.

He said: “If any manufacturer wished to install Chrome, that should now be possible.”

Microsoft said it would not comment on its current commercial or distribution deals with hardware manufacturers. John Curran, UK head of Windows, said he believed Microsoft can withstand the threat posed by Google’s Chrome.

“The browser space is competitive and people end up choosing what’s best for them,” he said. “For the overall majority of UK users, that’s Internet Explorer.”

The latest version of Microsoft’s browser, Internet Explorer 8, was launched in August. It will come as standard with all PCs using the latest version of its operating system, Windows 7, which should be ready be used on most computers by January 2010.

Mr Pichai said that once a glitch-free version of Chrome browser is launched early next year, Google will make a determined push to advertise its browser to the wider public.

Mr Pichai said: “We will throw our weight behind it. We’ve been conservative because its still in beta, but once we get it out of beta we will work hard at getting the word out, promoting to users, and marketing will be a part of that.”

Internet security is up to us

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 05/31/2004 8:57 AM | Life

Vishnu K. Mahmud, vmahmud@yahoo.com

There have been an alarming number of Internet security concerns over the past few months. Annoying spam, virus attacks, Internet worms and virtual identity theft is becoming more common as the world embraces technology.

IT has become not only the buzzword in corporate circles but also a means for cutting costs while expanding services.

As such, it is becoming more common for people to use ATMs, Internet banking and e-mail in their day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, as the technology progresses, so do the problems.

Unlike other industries, computer companies (both hardware and software) can disclaim any responsibility for their products' operations by users, as shown in the extremely lengthy end-user licensing agreements.

In essence, faulty coding that leads to security holes or file corruption is usually the risk of individual users. In contrast, defects in a automobiles that result in casualties could lead to serious consequences for the manufacturer.

Thus, neophyte computer users must defend themselves against the increasingly serious problems the virtual economy is facing. Despite various articles written about security, very few people are taking it seriously.

One should be reminded that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link; no matter how expensive and sophisticated your equipment, not having a password to secure computer access may open doors to loss or stolen data. What is most important is that users must be aware of the dangers and be prepared.

Phishing is the latest scam to hit the Internet. Users get an e-mail supposedly from their bank to confirm the details of their account, requesting clarification of their name, address, password and others.

Even though the message looks legitimate and is pointed back to the bank's official website, it is simply a ruse by criminals to obtain information from users to drain their accounts dry.

Another scam is mirroring, where an unauthorized person creates a website that looked precisely like an official one, usually a financial institution, hoping to trick users into entering their user names and passwords.

A major Indonesian bank was the victim of mirroring a few years back when a local hacker wanted to demonstrate how easy it would be to collect user data. This occurred when the hacker obtained a Web address that was similar to the bank's, justly slightly misspelled.

Amazingly, he managed to harvest a good number of user account numbers and passwords.

Internet worms are also becoming more dangerous. No longer do you have to double click anything, as a worm (like a virus) can simply enter your computer and send copies of itself to others for whatever evil purpose.

This is usually possible due to flaws in the operating system or a particular computer program. Data can be erased, or worse, private information gathered for future use.

Here are some tips to ensure that your computer is ready to face the rocky waves of the Web. 1. Install and continually update an antivirus program:

It's not free but it is a worthwhile investment. You can easily get the McAfee Anti-Virus (www.mcafee.com) or Norton Anti-Virus (www.norton.com) and their data files off the Net. Keep these programs running! 2. Update your computer system:

If you are using Windows, Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) will issue security patches to plug any security holes. Mac and Linux users should also keep up with the latest news on impending patches by keeping an eye out for software updates. 3. Install a personal firewall:

This program will ensure that you and only you have complete control of your computer and allows traffic in and out according to specifications that you alone set. Black Ice (www.networkice.com) is one of many popular desktop firewall solutions that can log any attempt of access your computer from an outside source and help trace its origins. 4. Never open e-mail attachments from strangers or even friends:

Would you suck on a lollipop given to you by a stranger in Times Square? Too many people eagerly open a binary file in the hopes of seeing a little something funny or naughty. Scan them first with an antivirus program and double check with the sender to make sure. 5. Be careful when downloading and installing software:

Always be wary of installing software from dubious sites (especially from sites that insist you install their program in order to view their library of ""special"" images). These programs may be viruses or spyware that can steal or erase private data, or worse, offer a backdoor for hackers to exploit. 6. Keep your passwords secure and long:

The longer the password the more unlikely it is for a hacker to crack your e-mail, files or Internet accounts. Never use a birth date or any other number/name that can be easily associated to you. 7. Trust no one:

No matter who e-mails you to request information, never trust e-mail. It is not safe to transmit sensitive data (unless you use encryption). Businesses and financial institutions will NEVER ask for information over the Internet. Always use trusted and traditional methods to convey important data (such as a publicly listed call center phone number).

To get an idea on how secure your computer really is, check out SHIELDS UP! at www.grc.com. This site will safely scan a computer and inform users what information their computer is giving away.

It will then provide suggestions on what to do about their security vulnerabilities. The service is free and is an excellent starting point of getting the latest news about security threats on the Internet.

Cloud Computing, the next wave in application use

You my have heard of Grid Computing, but have you heard of Cloud Computing? Unless you have been too busy tracking the ups and downs of your stock prices, you must have read about it.

Grid Computing is certainly different from Cloud Computing. Like the utility grid that brings electricity to our houses, the computers in a Grid make contributions to a joint computing effort by providing their unused computing resources, especially when they are idle. The result is an aggregate of computing power that can be used to work on extremely complex mathematical computations, for example.

The term Cloud Computing is derived from the way people usually depict the Internet in a diagram: The cloud picture is used to hide the complexity of the Internet. We generally have no control over how the cloud operates, much like we have no control over the clouds that hang over Jakarta.

Cloud Computing signifies the next step in how we use applications. In the early days, all the software resided on our individual PCs. It might have been stored on a floppy diskette, a hard disk, or a CD-ROM.

The next wave was the client-server configuration. While some of the software still resided on client computers, the rest was stored on a server somewhere in a Local Area Network (LAN) that was installed in our companies.

Then we had the Software as a Service (SaaS) model of computing. This was made possible by the huge improvements in network infrastructure -- especially the Internet -- and the security of connection.

In the SaaS model, software is accessed only when needed. So, unlike the old model that required us to pay for a piece of software, whether we used it or not, we just had to pay for the software usage (like taking a taxi; you only pay based on how many miles the cab takes you). Because no or very little upfront investment is needed, the cost savings the SaaS model offered was very attractive to small- and medium-sized businesses.

Later on, we began to use resources that existed somewhere on the Internet. For example, files in our hard disks could be backed up to a place on the Web. So, we were then able to upload all our work onto the Internet and when traveling overseas, for example, we could access it via a different computer.

In next to no time, other applications have emerged.

Today, the buzzword is Cloud Computing. International Data Corporation (IDC) defines it as "an emerging IT development, deployment, and delivery model, enabling real-time delivery of products, services, and solutions over the Internet".

IDC believes that Cloud Computing is gaining momentum. According to their press release dated Oct. 20, 2008; "in the next five years, *we expect* spending on IT cloud services to grow almost threefold, reaching US$42 billion by 2012."

Does Cloud Computing need a special operating system? Clearly, Microsoft thinks so. At the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference late last month, chief software architect Ray Ozzie unveiled Windows Azure, an extension of the Windows Vista and Windows Mobile for the Cloud.

Does this mean that Redmond is aiming to dominate Cloud Computing like it does with our desktops and notebook PCs? Most likely. However, other big players such as IBM, Amazon and Google are also competing for a space in the cloud.

At any rate, Cloud Computing is the next tier of computing where new opportunities present themselves. Everything is still a bit fuzzy, and the borders between Cloud Computing and SaaS are bound to remain blurry. However, an interesting aspect is the legal framework for offering services, products and solutions from the Cloud.

Indra Sosrodjojo, director of Andal Software -- one of the leading software developers in Indonesia -- said he believed in the new model of service delivery. Unfortunately, he added, our legal infrastructure was not ready for it.

"I am committed to the compliance with all the tax regulations, but our tax system does not support the model," Indra said.

Perhaps this is another example of how slow-changing regulatory framework proves to be an obstacle as the industry moves to the next wave. -- Zatni Arbi (jakarta post)

IBM tries to bring brain power to computers

BM Research wants to bring the brain's processing power to computers, making it possible for PCs to process vast amounts of data in real time.
Agam Shah (IDG News Service) 21/11/2008 07:31:00

IBM Research on Thursday uncovered work it is doing to bring the brain's processing power to computers, in an effort to make it easier for PCs to process vast amounts of data in real time.

The researchers want to put brain-related senses like perception and interaction into hardware and software so that computers are able to process and understand the data quicker while consuming less power, said Dharmendra Modha, a researcher at IBM. The researchers are bringing the neuroscience, nanotechnology and supercomputing fields together in an effort to create the new computing platform, he said.

The goal is to create machines that are mind-like and adapt to changes, which could allow companies to find more value in their data. Right now, a majority of information's value is lost, but relevant data can allow businesses or individuals to make rapid decisions in time to have significant impact, he said.

"If we could design computers that could be in real-world environments and sense and respond in an intelligent way, it would be a tremendous step forward," Modha said.

There is a problem in the core philosophy of computing and a new approach is needed, Modha said. Today's model first defines objectives to solve problems, after which algorithms are built to achieve those objectives.

"The brain is the opposite. It starts with an existing algorithm and then problems [are] second. It is a computing platform that can address a wide variety of problems," Modha said.

For example, the new approach could help efficiently manage the world's water supplies through real-time analysis of data that could help discover new patterns, Modha said. A network of sensors could monitor temperature, pressure, wave height and ocean tide across the oceans. "Imagine streaming this data to a global brain that discovers invariant patterns and associations that no algorithms of today can do," Modha said.

It will also be able to sense the world's markets, like stocks, bonds and real estate, extracting patterns and associations in the way the brain extracts information from those environments.

The research is not about concrete applications yet, but about understanding what the brain does and its implementation in computing, Modha said. The research includes work on nanotechnology, which has made it feasible to realize the brain function in cognitive computing chips that rival the low-power and small space of the brain, Modha said. Neuroscience has also matured, and supercomputing technology has progressed enough for IBM to undertake large-scale simulations to test a wide variety of hypotheses.

It's a long and arduous research project that may lead to a number of technological breakthroughs, Modha said. He didn't provide a timeline for implementation of the platform.

If the company succeeds in making this platform, it will lead to an entirely new computer architecture and programming paradigm that could overwrite the traditional ways of computing, Modha said.

For the research IBM is working with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and universities including Stanford, University of Wisconsin in Madison, Cornell, Columbia University Medical Center and University of California at Merced.

(from: PCword)

Jumat, 07 November 2008

MEMBUAT BLOG DI MICROSOFT WORD

(PC PLUS Kamis, 26 Juni 2008 | 08:54 WIB)

Microsoft Word bisa dipakai sebagai aplikasi untuk menulis di salah satu layanan blog gratis Blogger. Hanya saja, sebuah peranti lunak tambahan dibutuhkan. Peranti itu bernama Blogger for Word.

Salah satu penyedia layanan untuk membuat blog secara gratis adalah Blogger. Situs web yang telah diambil alih oleh Google ini dapat diakses di alamat www.blogger.com. Di situ, Anda tinggal mendaftar. Seselainya pendaftaran, Anda bisa langsung membuat blog, bikin tulisan, dan “menerbitkannya”.

Untuk pendaftaran, Anda memang harus online. Tapi, untuk menulis, Anda tidak perlu online supaya bisa menghemat biaya berinternet. Cara yang paling sederhana adalah dengan menulis blog dulu di penyunting teks, seperti Notepad atau Microsoft Word, secara offline. Kalau sudah, baru online, buka situs web layanan blog, login, lalu copy-paste hasil tulisan yang ada di penyunting teks.

Kita sebut cara yang barusan disebut adalah cara manual. Cara yang akan dijelaskan berikutnya kita sebut dengan cara otomatis. Tulisan tetap dibuat secara offline. Online-nya baru nanti kemudian setelah tulisan selesai dibuat.

Cara otomatis ini menggunakan Microsoft Word. Tapi, bukan sembarang Microsoft Word, melainkan Microsoft Word yang sudah dilengkapi dengan suatu add-on bernama Blogger For Word. Aplikasi tambahan gratisan itu bisa didapat dari http://buzz.blogger.com/bloggerforword.html. Ukuran paket instalasinya kecil, cuma 2MB.

Cara pemakaiannya bisa diringkas seperti ini. Setelah Blogger For Word diinstal, toolbar Blogger akan muncul pada Microsot Word. Kemudian, tuliskan isi blog seperti biasa, tapi jangan online dulu, offline saja. Kalau tulisan sudah selesai, nyalakan koneksi intenet, lalu publis deh. Nah, cara detailnya seperti berikut ini. Oh ya, PCplus pakai Word 2007 untuk artikel ini. Di versi lama mungkin berbeda, tapi sedikit saja.

1. Klik [Add-Ins] pada menu di sebelah atas. Opsi [Add-Ins] sebaris dengan [Home], [Insert], [Page Layout], dan lain-lain.

2. Klik [Blogger Settings], kemudian pada kotak yang muncul, masukkan username dan password untuk masuk ke Blogger. Klik [OK].

3. Ketikkan isi blog di dalam Word. Kalau sudah selesai, online-lah. Kemudian, klik [Publish].

4. Masukkan judul blog dan pilih blog yang akan berisi tulisan itu. Klik [Send].

5. Selesai.