Scary Stuff

As many of you know, I'm currently over in Scotland lecturing for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Some news I saw over here is pretty scary stuff, basically removing all privacy and freedom on the Internet. I can't imagine how this ridiculous legislation could pass through, but you never know....scary indeed.

3M Does Digital Too

ST. PAUL, Minn. – (Oct. 27, 2009) – 3M is pleased to announce the creation of the 3M Digital Oral Care Department. The Department is part of the 3M ESPE Division, with related reporting to 3M Unitek Orthodontic Division. Mark Farmer has been named General Manager of the new unit.

Mr. Farmer, previously the Global Marketing Director for 3M ESPE, successfully led the 3M ESPE dental consumables business for the last six years. Joining him to lead the digital research and development effort, David Frazee has been named the new unit’s Technical Director. Mr. Frazee previously led the Software, Electronic and Mechanical Systems (SEMS) Laboratory, one of 3M’s largest multipurpose product development corporate labs.

“We are very excited with the creation of this department and to have someone of Mark’s leadership skills and qualifications to drive our efforts in transforming key components of treatment planning for dentists and orthodontists around the world,” said Jeff Lavers, division vice president and general manager, 3M ESPE.
The intent of the new 3M Digital Oral Care department is to accelerate and strengthen 3M’s efforts to lead the digital transformation that is occurring in oral care.

“I expect the synergy of having CAD/CAM equipment and digital materials, digital impressions, CBCT imaging and other related digital solutions all part of a dedicated group will make us one of the most customer-focused and dynamic digital product development organizations in the industry,” said Farmer.
For more information visit www.3MESPE.com or call 1-800-634-2249.

Come to the Light

Most of us take digital photos, both in the office and at home. And most of us could use some help with photo editing. Sure, there's Photoshop...great if you have a few hundred dollars and dozens of free hours to learn it. For the rest of us, check out Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. It's much easier to use than the full-fledged product and you have 6 months to play with the Beta to see if you like it.

Tiny Dancer

Dell announced their newest PC line, the Zino HD, and man, these guys are tiny! They should be able to run many dental applications, although the ATI 4330 video chip, which is designed for laptops, will limit things as well as not having dual monitor support...yet.

A Penny Saved...

One of the biggest annoyances with Windows over the years is that you have to pay more for a "retail" version than if you were upgrading. I just found this trick that allows you to purchase and use an upgrade disc on a clean system...very cool!

Fits Like a Glove

While there are many programs out there that work with Windows 7, it's always nice to use programs that were designed to work with the new operating system. One of the most important programs you'll run is your antivirus software. Here are Six Free Antivirus Programs Made for Windows 7.

Seven Eleven

My favorite place for digital cameras is PhotoMed, and they now have a really nice package for the Canon G11. This is really a great point and shoot system and comes with the always-excellent PhotoMed service and support.

Medal of Honor

I've used the Windows taskbar for years as a way to launch programs, as it's the method I prefer the most. Others, though, prefer to keep that taskbar clean. For them, a great program would be MedalFolders. It adds an icon in the System Tray (next to the clock) and with a single click, opens up menu where you can choose your programs. Very simple design and something you might prefer.

Stranger than Fiction

Even though we'd like to believe that most modern patients are current on dental knowledge, the truth is that there are still many myths floating around. Here's the Top 10 Teeth Myths that Everyone Still Believes.

Get Real!

Did you know that of all the antivirus programs out there, many of them are actually fake and are really trojans or viruses? This would include Personal Antivirus, Anti-Virus-1, Spyware Guard 2008, System Guard 2009, Antivirus 2009, System Security, Antivirus 2010, Antivirus Pro 2009, Antivirus 360, MS Antispyware 2009, Malware Doctor, Antivirus BEST, System Security 2009, Antivirus System Pro and WinPC Defender...ouch! A great way to get rid of them is with Remove Fake Antivirus...name pretty much says it all.